Hell On Wheels

by Carol Lynne

  “I came up to check on you and then you had a bad dream. I’m sorry I touched you.”

  “Tao?”

  Tao glanced up and became lost in a pair of large deep blue eyes. “Do you forgive me?”

  Cory smiled. “You didn’t need to apologize. I just had a bad dream and was confused for a second. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

  “How’re you doing? Nick said you’d been mugged.” Tao took a chance and rose to his knees once more.

  “I wasn’t mugged. I had a pocket full of money and whoever hit me didn’t take it.”

  Tao leaned forward, resting his forearms on the mattress. “Someone hurt you for no reason? Why would anyone do that?”

  Cory smiled and brushed Tao’s hand with his own. “I make a lot of people angry by refusing them drinks. Who knows? Maybe one of them followed me home.”

  “Then you can’t go back there. Whoever did this to you knows where you live.” Tao hated the idea of someone intentionally seeking Cory out. He remembered the premonition he’d had the previous night.

  “I had a bad feeling that something was going to happen. I’m sorry I didn’t insist on following you home.”

  Cory squeezed Tao’s hand. “It’s not your fault. I know I look bad, but I’m actually feeling a lot better. I should be able to return to work tomorrow night. As a matter of fact, I’m going to ask Lu to take me home later.”

  Tao shook his head. Cory would be like a sitting duck. “No. You can’t go back there until we know who did this.”

  “We may never know who it was. Maybe the guy was just drunk and decided to take his bad mood out on me. I’m sure he’s feeling guilty about it today.”

  Even if Cory was right, Tao didn’t like the idea of him staying alone. He decided on the spot to make it his duty to keep harm from the smaller man, no matter what it took. “Would you mind if I made sure you got home safely after work every night?”

  Cory stared at Tao for several moments. “Why would you want to? I haven’t exactly been nice to you. It’s nothing personal, but I’m uneasy around someone of your size.”

  Deflated, Tao pulled his hand out of Cory’s. “I know that. I could say I’m used to it, which I am, but it still hurts. I would never do anything to harm you.”

  “That’s what Lu and Dominic said,” Cory mumbled.

  “Do you believe them?” Tao asked. He’d give anything for the chance to get to know Cory. It had been a long time since he’d taken someone into his home and heart.

  “I want to,” Cory admitted.

  “Will you let me take you back to your home later instead of asking Lu?” Tao asked.

  Cory sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. “The only way Lu was able to bring me here in the car was because I was asleep. I’m not sure what he gave me, but he’s going to have to give it to me again in order to get me home. I don’t drive or ride in cars.”

  “What about motorcycles?” Tao asked.

  “I’ve never ridden on one, but I’ve seen how fast they can go. Still, I guess if you wrecked, it would only be us you hurt.”

  Tao narrowed his eyes. “That’s why you ride a bicycle? Are you afraid of hurting someone?”

  Cory broke eye contact. “I don’t talk about that.”

  Tao nodded and the two of them sat in silence for several moments. A glance at the clock told Tao his shift had already started. He got to his feet and touched Cory’s hand with his finger. “I should go.”

  Cory didn’t say anything until Tao opened the door. “I would appreciate a ride home.”

  Tao couldn’t help but smile. “I’d be honored. I’ll be up after the club closes.”

  “Thank you,” Cory said as Tao closed the door.

  * * * *

  Tao was standing just inside the door when Lu approached. “Cory just told me you were taking him home.”

  “Yes, sir.” Tao had wondered all evening about Cory’s earlier remarks. “Sir, do you know why Cory’s afraid to ride in a car?”

  Lu shook his head. “He won’t talk about it.”

  “Yeah.” Tao rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s never been on a motorcycle, but I think if I take it slow he’ll do okay.”

  Lu clasped his hands behind his back and looked out over the club. “His balance is still off. You’ll have to be careful.”

  Tao tried not to grin. Lu liked to come across as Mr. Bad, but Tao had seen him with Dominic too many times to believe it. “He admitted that he was afraid of my size.”

  Lu nodded but didn’t take his eyes off the partying crowd. “He’s small. I would imagine it’s been a problem for him most of his life.”

  “I know how he feels,” Tao admitted. “Only I’ve always had the opposite problem.”

  Lu finally glanced up at Tao. “Then the two of you should be perfect together.”

  Tao shook his head. “I don’t think Cory likes me like that.”

  Lu grinned. “One step at a time. Let Cory get over his size issue and give him a chance to get to know the real you. He only knows you as the big bouncer. The guy who tosses grown men over his shoulder like they weighed nothing.”

  Lu checked the expensive watch on his wrist. “We close in an hour. Why don’t you call upstairs and see if Cory’s ready to go. I can watch the door.”

  The gesture made Tao feel special. “Thank you, sir.”

  Lu slapped Tao on the back. “Lu. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

  Tao shrugged. “Habit, I guess.” He pulled out his cell phone and called Nick’s apartment number.

  “Hello,” Galen answered in a sing-songy voice.

  “Hi, it’s Tao. Is Cory awake?”

  “He’s sitting right here. Hold on.”

  “Tao?” Cory answered.

  “Hi. I was wondering if you still felt like going back to your place. Lu said I could leave if I needed to.”

  “Yes. I’d appreciate that. I’ll be down.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll come up and get you. Lu said you were still having a problem with your balance. I wouldn’t want you to fall down the steps.”

  Cory sighed. “Thanks.”

  * * * *

  Cory hung up the phone. “Tao’s coming up to get me. Do you need to buzz him in or anything?”

  “Yeah.” Baz stood and crossed to the monitor beside the front door. “You know you’re welcome to stay.”

  “Thanks, but I’m feeling well enough to go home.” Although his friends had been accommodating, Cory knew he was cramping their style. Besides, he had a lot of things to think about. The conversation earlier in the evening with Tao kept replaying in his mind. When Tao admitted that he’d also been unfairly ridiculed because of his size, it had shocked Cory. And if he were totally honest with himself, it made him feel bad for doing to Tao what so many others had done to him.

  Baz opened the door and Tao stepped inside the apartment.

  “How’re you feeling?” Tao asked, crossing to where Cory sat on the couch.

  “Better. Still sore, but at least the headache’s gone.” Cory scooted to the end of the sofa and tried to pull himself to his feet using the arm of the furniture for leverage. A strong arm wrapped around his waist and righted him in no time.

  Tao quickly released Cory and averted his gaze. “You have a bag?”

  Cory nodded and pointed to the small red backpack. By the time Tao picked it up and slung it over his shoulder, the room had stopped spinning enough for Cory to walk toward the door.

  “Thanks for everything,” he told Baz and Galen, who had already curled around each other on the couch.

  “Our pleasure. Just take it easy. If you don’t feel up to working tomorrow, no problem,” Baz said.

  “I’m sure I’ll be ready. I don’t do well sitting around.” Being idle gave Cory too much time to think. Between taking college classes and work, he’d always managed to fill most of his day with activity.

  Tao opened the door for Cory and shut it behind them. Cory gritted his teeth as he slow

ly descended the first few steps. He heard a noise erupt from Tao’s throat moments before he was picked up off his feet.

  “Just let me help you,” Tao pleaded, his big brown eyes staring into Cory’s.

  “Okay.” It was strange to readily accept the big man’s help, but he’d known the stairs were going to be a problem. “I’m lucky my apartment building has an elevator.”

  The safety in Tao’s strength as he easily carried Cory down the two flights of stairs was surprising. Entering the club, Tao set Cory on his feet. “You okay to walk?”

  Cory nodded, but didn’t protest when Tao wrapped a steady arm around him. Although the crowd was thinning, there were still quite a few men and women milling around looking for that last minute hookup before they gave up and went home.

  Halfway across the room, a man bumped into Cory. The pain in his side would have sent him to his knees if it hadn’t been for Tao. The man walked off without apologizing.

  “Hey!” Tao screamed at the man’s retreating back.

  “It’s okay,” Cory said, holding his hand against his side.

  Tao shook his head. “No, it’s not.” Tao scooped Cory into his arms once again. He yelled “coming through” as he carried Cory through the club and to the front door.

  They were met at the entrance by a grinning Lu. “Damn, that’s hot. Maybe I should make Dominic carry me around like that.”

  Cory’s face heated at the remark.

  “Some asshole bumped into Cory. I figured it would be safer just to get him out of here in the quickest way possible.”

  “Of course you did.” Lu winked and opened the front door.

  “Make sure you call me if you need anything,” Lu told Cory.

  Cory waved and allowed Tao to carry him to where the motorcycle was parked. He was still nervous about riding on the back of the bike, but he knew it would be less stressing than a car.

  Tao deposited Cory on the seat. He handed Cory the helmet that had been dangling from the handlebars. “Put this on.”

  “Where’s yours?” Cory asked. The helmet was too big. He couldn’t help but chuckle as his smaller head was swallowed by the midnight blue helmet.

  Tao reached over and tried to adjust it to no avail. It didn’t seem to matter what Tao did, the helmet continued to slip down over Cory’s eyes.

  “Maybe it’s better that I don’t see where we’re going,” Cory teased.

  Tao touched the tip of Cory’s nose with his finger. “I’ll keep you safe, don’t worry.”

  Cory realized that he wasn’t worried. Wow. It was a night of surprises, and Cory found that he quite enjoyed them. Tao shifted the backpack off his shoulders and onto Cory’s.

  “That okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  Tao climbed onto the motorcycle. “It’ll be easier for you to hold on if you just stretch out over my back and wrap your arms around me.”

  Cory gave it a try and found it uncomfortable. “Can I take off the helmet? It hurts my neck in that position.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m sure.” He couldn’t imagine trying to sit up and hold on. The bike was built for speed, and the driver was meant to stretch out over the gas tank.

  Cory pulled the helmet off, and handed it back to Tao. While Tao settled it onto his head, Cory smoothed his hair behind his ears. He wished he’d brought one of the elastic holders he used while studying. Although his hair wasn’t long enough for an actual ponytail, he often held the sides out of his face with a knot on top of his head. It might make him look like a girl, but it was effective. He was used to being compared to a female anyway, so it no longer bothered him. He’d figured out long ago it was more a reference to his build and facial features than his testosterone level.

  “I’ll go slow,” Tao said just before starting the bike.

  Cory’s eyes rounded as the thrum of the engine vibrated his balls. Fuck. Wrapping his arms around Tao’s waist, he leaned forward and rested against the big man. The slight change in position rested his sac further against the vibrating seat.

  I’ll be lucky to get home without coming in my pants.

  Under his cheek, Cory could feel Tao’s muscles move as he shifted gears. What would it feel like to be held in Tao’s arms? Would he feel safe or smothered?

  Tao turned a corner that Cory wasn’t ready for. Before Cory knew what was happening, he started to slide sideways. Tao was quick to reach behind and right him back onto the seat before slowly pulling to a stop.

  “You okay?” Tao asked.

  “Yeah. Sorry about that.” Cory bit his bottom lip, embarrassed.

  “Not your fault. It usually helps to squeeze the seat between your legs, but that’s not an option with your ribs. I’ll take it slow the rest of the way.” Tao once again fired up the bike. He reached back and drew Cory’s arms tighter around his waist before pulling away from the curb.

  Cory pressed his face against Tao’s back. He couldn’t believe how much he wanted the bigger man and began to question himself. Perhaps it was just the thrill of being on a motorcycle for the first time, or maybe the odd safety he felt while being around Tao was to blame.

  Before he knew it, they were pulling up outside his building. Tao shut down the bike and climbed off. With the pocketing of his keys, Tao didn’t seem in a hurry to leave. Cory wondered if he should invite Tao upstairs. He tried to remember if his house was clean after the previous night’s activities.

  “Wanna come up?” he asked once Tao helped him from the bike.

  Tao nodded. “That would be nice. I was planning to ask if I could accompany you to your door.”

  Cory glanced up at Tao. Am I just horny or is there something special about him? When Tao’s arm wrapped around him in support, Cory’s cock took notice. He gathered his nerves and leaned against Tao, closing the space between their bodies.

  Tao’s arm tightened even more, grazing Cory’s sore ribs. He made the mistake of flinching, and Tao quickly released his grip.

  “Did I hurt you?” Tao asked.

  Cory shook his head. “It’s okay.”

  Tao shook his head. “No it’s not. I should’ve been more careful.”

  Cory pushed the elevator button. He couldn’t help but wish Tao wasn’t wearing a suit coat. He wondered if the motorcycle ride had affected Tao like it had him. There was no hope in hiding his erection, although he was thankful he’d changed out of the ruined white leather pants he’d worn the previous night. Still, the jeans he wore left little to the imagination.

  They stepped into the elevator, and Cory pushed the button for the seventh floor. When he looked up at Tao, it was to see the other man’s attention squarely on the front of Cory’s jeans. Shit. Should I say something?

  “Sorry. I guess the ride kinda got to me.”

  Tao grinned and separated his jacket. “Get’s to me every time. Why do you think I ride the darn thing?”

  The elevator doors opened and Cory led the way to his apartment. “I hope it’s clean.”

  Before unlocking the door, Cory took a deep breath and pulled Tao’s head down for a quick kiss. The shocked expression on Tao’s face had Cory wanting to run inside and forget he’d ever made such a bold move.

  He opened his mouth to apologize when Tao leaned down for another kiss. When Tao’s muscular arms lifted him off the ground and pushed the door open, Cory started to protest, but the swirl of Tao’s tongue stopped him. Damn, the man knew how to kiss.

  Cory wrapped his legs around Tao’s waist as the kiss turned feral. It seemed he wasn’t the only horny male in the room. Cory doubted the bike ride was the only cause of the hard cock he felt trapped behind Tao’s black pants.

  Cory tore his mouth away. “Couch.”

  With his hands cupping Cory’s ass, Tao’s steps faltered. Before Cory knew what was happening, Tao lowered him to his feet.

  “What’s wrong?” Cory asked.

  Tao’s head bowed. “I have disrespected you already.”

  “By kissing me? I might call that kiss a lot of things, but disrespectful wouldn’t be one of them.”

  Tao shook his head and pointed toward his shoes. “In my culture, wearing shoes inside someone’s home is a sign of disrespect. I apologize.”

  Cory hadn’t been around Tao enough to know the customs he was used to following. He reached out and laid his hands on Tao’s chest. “If it would make you feel better, you may set your shoes beside the door.”

  Tao nodded and slipped off his shoes. When he started to open the door, Cory stopped him.

  “Not out there, or else they’ll be gone by morning. Just set them inside.”

  Tao put his shoes down before locking the door. When he turned to face Cory, he had a smile on his handsome face. “By morning? Does this mean I can stay?”

  Chapter Three

  “Would you mind if I took off my coat?” Tao asked.

  Cory smiled and shook his head. “Would you like a grape soda?”

  Grape? “Uhh, sure, but I’ll get them. Why don’t you take off your shoes and sit wherever you’re most comfortable.”

  Tao walked into the kitchen, pleased with the cleanliness of the small space, and opened the fridge. Although sparse, what food Cory did have was healthy. Tao chuckled. Well, except the entire shelf of grape soda.

  Returning to the living room, Tao tried to settle his nerves with small talk. “Guess you’re pretty into the grape stuff, huh?”

  Seated on the sofa, Cory took the offered can of soda. “It was my favorite growing up. Since I’ve given up alcohol, I guess I’ve reverted back to what makes me comfortable.”

  It was one of the things Tao had noticed in the weeks of watching Cory. Never had he seen the man with a drink in his hand. Most bartenders he knew had one or two during the night, but Cory always drank water at work.

  Tao looked down at the upholstered couch. It wasn’t that it was against his beliefs to sit on furniture. It simply hadn’t been part of his culture. Before taking a seat, he took off his suit coat and draped it over one of the chairs.

  “This is a nice place,” he commented.

  “It’s okay. I’ve been saving for a new couch, so sorry if one of the springs jabs you in the butt. I found this one on sale shortly after I got here.”

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