Hell On Wheels

by Carol Lynne

  Tao gave a subtle bounce, amazed at the give in the cushion. “Would it be rude if I asked how long you’ve been here?”

  “In The City?”

  Tao nodded and took a drink of his soda.

  Cory’s brows drew together in thought. Sadness seemed to cloud his beautiful blue eyes before he finally answered. “Twenty-four years.”

  Tao took a chance and scooted closer. He rested his arm over the back of the couch behind Cory’s head. “You’re just a baby. I’ve been here going on one hundred and sixty-eight years.”

  Cory leaned against Tao. “There are days when it feels like I just got here and days when I can barely remember who I was before coming to The City. Do you ever wonder what eternity will feel like?”

  Tao shook his head. “I try not to think about it. I like to focus on each day, because if I thought in terms of forever it would only depress me.”

  Cory put a hand on Tao’s chest. “Why would it depress you? Think of all the things you can accomplish and still have time left.”

  Tao shrugged. “I never felt alone until I came here.”

  Cory made a sound deep in his throat. “I was always alone until I came here.”

  Tao wasn’t sure he liked that idea. “So you’ve had a lot of lovers in The City?”

  “Lovers? No. I mean, I’ve had a few. I was talking about friends. Why? You haven’t had sex since you’ve been here?” Cory questioned.

  Tao took another drink before setting his can on the coffee table. “It takes people a long time to see past my size. Well, that’s not true for everyone, I guess. There are some who want me because of my size. Like I’m some kind of trophy.”

  Tao shook his head. He wasn’t explaining it right.

  With a hand on his side, Cory straddled Tao’s lap. “Have you ever had someone love you for you, and not what you looked like?”

  Tao thought of the lovers he’d had on the island of his birth. Homosexuality had been accepted, so he’d never had to hide who he was, but that didn’t mean love came any easier. “No, I guess not.”

  “Me neither,” Cory admitted. “Before I came here, I was really screwed up. I guess I can’t blame anyone for not loving the person I used to be. Hell, I didn’t even love myself. But I’m different here. I try really hard to become the person I should’ve been before. So far the only thing my hard work has netted me is a fantastic group of friends, and I’ve only had them for a few weeks.”

  Tao rested his hands low on Cory’s hips. “Is this okay?”

  Cory fit his groin against Tao’s. He reached down and moved Tao’s hands to his ass. “That’s better.”

  Tao squeezed the tight butt, not at all surprised his hand seemed to swallow each cheek. He briefly wondered if Cory would have a hard time accepting his cock.

  Cory began to unbutton Tao’s white dress shirt. “Did Lu tell you about the uniforms?”

  Tao was so lost in the random kisses Cory placed on his chest as it was exposed, he barely registered the question. “Uniforms?”

  Cory scraped his teeth across Tao’s nipple before following the intricate pattern of tattoos with his tongue. “Yep. The outfit I had on last night. Well, the second one with the leather pants.”

  Although Tao was used to wearing a sarong at home, he didn’t know if he could expose that much skin outside his house. “Everyone?”

  Cory sat up and pushed the shirt off Tao’s shoulders. “All the staff. I can’t wait to see you in it.”

  With Tao’s shirt off, Cory began rubbing himself against Tao’s chest and groin. “Am I going too fast for you?”

  Tao tilted Cory’s chin up. He wanted more from Cory than just one night. “No, but I can’t help but wonder about the sudden change.”

  Cory leaned in and ran the tip of his tongue around the outline of Tao’s lips. “Honestly? I don’t understand it either, but for some reason I’m not afraid of you anymore. Maybe the blow on the head knocked some sense into me.”

  The mention of Cory’s attack put Tao on edge immediately. Of their own volition, his hands gripped Cory’s ass in a possessive hold. “I won’t let that happen to you again.”

  Cory slowly shook his head from side to side. “I know what I’m getting into when I refuse to serve someone. I mean, it’s not like they can actually kill me, right? Believe me, I’ve been beat up before, and I’m sure I’ll be beat up again for my stance on over serving.”

  “You mean this wasn’t the first time?”

  “First time since working at Ice Water that someone actually followed me home, but no, hardly the first time I’ve been stalked by a pissed off customer.”

  Tao had to bite his tongue. Why would Cory put himself in that situation, knowing he could be hurt? With the weekend quickly approaching, Tao began to worry. “You know I don’t work past midnight on Saturday, right?”

  Cory continued to pepper Tao’s lips and face with soft kisses. “Yeah, I’ve noticed. Why is that?”

  “Because midnight begins the Sabbath. I spend Sunday in worship with the others in The Village.”

  Cory stopped kissing Tao. “The Village? I didn’t know you lived there, though it makes sense. I guess I just never thought about it. I’ve never been there.”

  Tao knew most outsiders didn’t understand why Lu allowed a small population of The City’s residents to live the way they’d lived for centuries. Although within the city limits, The Village was not often visited by outsiders.

  “Would you like to see where I live?” Tao needed to see Cory’s reaction to the sparse hut he called home. He should be ashamed of testing Cory in such a way, but he had to know before he got himself in too deep.

  Cory’s face lit up. “I’d love to.”

  Tao cupped Cory’s face in his hands and pulled him into a kiss. He quickly found the combination of grape soda and Cory addictive. Twining his tongue with Cory’s, he moaned when Cory ground his ass against the erection trapped in his suit pants.

  “Naked,” Cory said, biting at Tao’s lips.

  Tao was too far gone to answer. He helped Cory to his feet before standing. “Here?”

  Cory put his finger to his bottom lip and glanced toward the hallway. “Stuff’s in the bedroom.”

  Tao bit back a shout of triumph. If they needed stuff, it meant both of them needed the same thing. “Yeah. Bedroom.”

  As he followed Cory, Tao unfastened his pants. They fell to his ankles and Tao easily stepped out of them before reaching the bedroom. Clad only in a pair of short boxer briefs, Tao turned Cory around and started unbuttoning his shirt. He’d seen the shamrock tattoo the previous night through the sheer shirt Cory had worn, but he hadn’t noticed the initials P.D. hidden in the artwork.

  Tao traced the tattoo surrounding Cory’s nipple with the tip of his finger, pleased when Cory shivered. “PD? Should I be jealous?”

  Cory ran his hands down Tao’s decorated chest. “No. PD stands for Patrick Dylan, my grandpa.”

  Tao bent over and lapped at the green and black tattoo before sucking the pebbled nub into his mouth. He moved to his knees and wrapped his hands around Cory’s slim hips. Taking his time, Tao kissed and licked his way down Cory’s torso to the top of his jeans.

  “Your skin is so soft,” he whispered.

  “Hairless, you mean,” Cory said with a chuckle.

  “Perfect is what I meant.” Tao reached up and unsnapped the top of the faded denim as he began to mouth Cory’s cock through the material. A wet spot formed on the fabric, and Tao turned his attention to tasting the evidence of Cory’s desire. More.

  “No underwear. Be careful,” Cory said, tapping Tao on top of the head.

  Instead of taking the chance of catching the sensitive skin of Cory’s cock in the zipper, Tao pushed his hand down the inside of Cory’s jeans. With Cory’s precious cargo protected, Tao lowered the zipper.

  Tao used his free hand to tug the pants down far enough to free Cory’s cock. Before tasting the pre-cum directly from the source, Tao took the opport
unity to learn every ridge and vein of the long, thin shaft.

  It had been over a decade since he’d allowed someone to fuck him, but he knew it was only a matter of time with Cory. He leaned forward and captured the bulbous crown in his mouth.

  “Aahhh, shit!” Cory cried as Tao took him to the back of his throat.

  Tao reached down and pushed Cory’s jeans to the floor as he continued to stroke the man’s cock with his mouth. With the gorgeous man naked, Tao pulled off Cory’s cock long enough to spit into his hand.

  As he continued to pleasure Cory, Tao ran his fingers down the crevice of Cory’s ass. He stopped to rub against the puckered hole before entering the tight ass with the tip of his middle finger.

  Cory thrust his hips forward at the invasion, and Tao herd a quick intake of breath. He stilled his hand and released the cock in his mouth. “Easy, babe.”

  Cory’s hand was on his side, a pained expression on his face. “I think I’d better lie down.”

  Tao removed his finger from Cory’s opening and helped him onto the unmade bed. “Can I get you something for the pain?”

  Cory shook his head. “I’ll be okay. I just got carried away.”

  Tao stood beside the bed for several moments, looking down at Cory. He should have known the man wasn’t physically well enough for what he knew they both wanted. Despite his aroused state, Tao decided they should wait until he knew he wouldn’t cause Cory any more pain.

  He noticed Cory’s wide-eyed stare as the smaller man gazed at the expansive network of intricate tattoos from Tao’s waist to his knees. “Pe’a. I had it done when I turned twelve to signify my entry into manhood.”

  Cory stretched out an arm to run his fingers over Tao’s inked skin. “Did it hurt?”

  Tao groaned. “You have no idea how bad.” He pointed to his cock. “I wanted to leave the hut and never return once they started this, but it wasn’t nearly as embarrassing as the back. As a gay twelve year old, the last thing you want is two men holding your cheeks apart while a master artist works on your anus.”

  Tao bit his tongue. He couldn’t believe he’d shared that much of himself with Cory so early in their…whatever it was they had between them.

  “I’m going to make sure everything is locked up tight.” Tao turned and headed back to the living room. He checked the door and turned off the lights before making a quick stop in the bathroom.

  By the time he returned to the bedroom, Cory was under the covers on one side of the large bed. Once again, Tao looked down at the sexy man.

  “What’s wrong?” Cory asked.

  Tao sat on the edge of the bed and shook his head. “I think we should wait until your ribs are healed.”

  Cory shook his head in return. “I need you. I’ll be good. Promise.”

  Tao grinned and moved to lie beside Cory. “Oh, I have no doubt you’ll be good.”

  The mattress under him felt strange to Tao, but he would happily endure a night on the unaccustomed softness to hold Cory in his arms.

  “I need you,” Cory said. He rolled onto his uninjured side, presenting his bare ass. “Please.”

  Already on edge, Tao could not deny his own need for the man. “Lube?”

  “Drawer,” Cory answered over his shoulder.

  Tao wasted no time in retrieving the bottle. With slick on his fingers, he ran his hand up and down the crease of Cory’s ass several times before zeroing in on the puckered hole. He rimmed the opening for several moments before pressing his middle finger slowly inside.

  Cory actually whimpered his approval when Tao worked his way up to the second finger.

  “Feel good, babe?”

  “I’ve missed being touched,” Cory admitted. “Missed being fucked.”

  Tao entered Cory with a third finger. “Get used to these. It’s a safe bet you’ll be feeling them often.”

  “So I’m not just a one nighter?” Cory asked, reaching back to smooth his hand over Tao’s hip.

  Tao removed his hand and dripped lube onto his cock. Taking himself in hand, Tao positioned the large head of his tattooed cock at Cory’s stretched entrance. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you, and sex was only part of the reason.”

  Cory hissed as Tao’s crown pressed inside.

  Tao paused to give Cory’s body a chance to adjust to the invasion.

  “Sorry I was so mean to you.” Cory reached for Tao’s hand and brought it to his mouth for a kiss.

  “Not mean. I thought you were indifferent until you admitted that you were afraid of me.”

  “It wasn’t you personally. You need to understand that.” Cory pushed back, signaling he was ready for more of Tao’s length.

  Tao kept his movements slow until he was fully seated. He kissed Cory’s neck. “I do.”

  Cory kept Tao’s hand, nuzzling his face into the palm as Tao withdrew and surged back inside. Cory moaned and bit the meaty flesh at the base of Tao’s thumb. “Again.”

  Tao grit his teeth as he tried to reign in his desire to fuck Cory hard enough to imprint the experience into the man’s memories forever. Slow, he told himself over and over as he pumped in and out of the tight heat.

  After a fairly savage bite to Tao’s hand, Cory directed Tao toward his cock. “Sorry about that. I tend to bite when I get excited.”

  “That’s okay. I tend to like it when I get excited,” Tao returned with a moan.

  Cory put his hand over Tao’s, teaching him exactly the pace and grip he preferred on his cock. “I’ll remember that.”

  He felt Cory’s body jerk as heat covered his hand. “Yeah, babe, give it to me.”

  Tao pressed his mouth to Cory’s shoulder and bit down as he came, hoping the smaller man enjoyed receiving as much as giving.

  Cory cried out, “Tao!”

  Tao’s entire body vibrated with the force of his climax. If slow and easy affected him so intensely, what would a full on fuck-‘til-you’re-raw feel like? He withdrew his teeth from Cory’s shoulder and rested his head on the pillow.

  “My balls may never be full again,” he panted.

  Cory giggled. It was the first time Tao could remember hearing a man make that particular sound. He found he enjoyed it and hoped to hear more giggles from the sated man in his arms.

  “You’ll stay, right?” Cory asked once he’d recovered.

  With his flaccid cock still trapped inside Cory’s ass, Tao grunted. “Not going anywhere.”

  Ever.

  Chapter Four

  Cory grinned at his tip jar. The new uniforms were a huge hit. He wondered if the waiters were cleaning up as much as he was.

  “Someone’s happy,” Baz said, taking a stool at the end of the bar.

  “Where’s your crew?” Cory asked. He’d heard Lu and Dominic teasing the threesome earlier about never being able to hold a conversation without some part of their anatomy being inside Galen.

  “Dancing.” Baz tilted his head to the side. “Or fucking. Who knows, but they’re doing it on the dance floor.”

  Cory poured Baz a glass of red wine and passed it over. He spotted Nick and Galen walking toward them, so began to build his boss a Guinness. Galen still didn’t have a set drink. It seemed he tried something different all the time.

  “So what’s the bright smile all about?” Baz asked.

  Cory used his head to gesture toward the door. There was no sense being shy around Baz. Hell, he’d seen the man fuck Galen right there at the bar in front of him. “Tao introduced my ass to his cock two nights ago. I’ve been smiling ever since.”

  Baz chuckled and tilted his head back for a deep kiss from Nick. “Good dance?”

  Galen sighed and dropped onto the stool beside Baz. “One of the best.” Galen turned to Cory. “I’d like a Wyoming Legspreader please.”

  Chuckling, Cory rested his forearms on the bar and leaned forward. “Do you even know what’s in it?”

  “Nope. Don’t care.” Galen jerked his thumb toward Baz. “Give him a Liquid Viagra. He’l
l need it.”

  Cory shook his head. “Sorry, I’m out of Red Bull. I can make him a Sex Machine.”

  Galen reached over and ran his hand down Baz’s chest. “He’s already a sex machine. How about…”

  “How about you let me finish my wine first,” Baz cut in.

  Galen rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

  Cory got to work making Galen’s drink. He pulled a can of Coke out of the cooler and mixed it with grain alcohol and raspberry liqueur. How Galen heard about these oddball drinks was anyone’s guess. Luckily Cory had been a bartender long enough to have made just about every drink out there.

  He passed the concoction across the bar and waited. Every night Galen tried something new, and every night he ended up wrinkling his nose and asking for a beer.

  Galen stuck the glass up to his nose and inhaled. “Smells good.”

  Cory grinned. “Yep.”

  Galen positioned the skinny straw between his lips. Wait for it. Wait for it. Galen’s nose wrinkled.

  Cory slapped his hand on the bar. “Damn, I thought maybe I had you with that one.”

  “Sorry,” Galen apologized. “I guess you should just give me a beer.”

  Cory pulled one out of the cooler. Sliding it across the bar, he grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ll try to come up with something you like.”

  Another customer got his attention. “Duty calls.”

  “What can I get ya?” he asked the woman.

  “Cosmo,” she replied.

  “Coming up.” Cory turned and quickly mixed up the woman’s drink. He was in the process of handing it to her when he saw him. Before he knew what had happened, the glass fell out of his hand and crashed to the bar.

  Paralyzed, Cory stared at the young man on the edge of the dance floor. For the first time since arriving in The City, Cory knew he was truly in hell. He heard the commotion going on around him as Nick tried to help the woman who’d been on the receiving end of the spilled drink, but Cory couldn’t move.

  “Joshua,” he whispered to himself.

  Although he’d never seen the young man in person, he’d seen several photographs of the once happy teenager. During Cory’s trial, Joshua’s father, Nelson, made sure everyone knew just how beautiful his son had been.