Dan thinks about just driving, leaving the whole mess behind. He’s got enough money. He could just arrange to get his stuff and his horse shipped to wherever he’s going. Taking off is what he used to do when things got to be too much, and it worked pretty well, really. He’d settled down for a while in Kentucky, but that had been because Justin had made it worth fighting through the hard parts. There isn’t anyone here with that kind of pull, and Dan had been stupid to pretend that there might be.
Then he thinks of Jeff. None of this is Jeff’s fault. None of it’s really Evan’s fault, either, but Dan doesn’t want to think about it in those terms. He’d rather think about Jeff. Jeff is so calming, so relaxing. He makes Dan feel like everything will be all right, even when Dan knows that some things will never be all right ever again. Dan thinks about calling him, but Jeff is part of Evan’s world, and that’s what Dan’s trying to forget about. He curses the timing. If this had happened yesterday, he could have gone over to Ryan’s, and had one more night of peace and easiness before he left. But yesterday Dan had been off at a stupid horse show, working his ass off so that Kaminski’s business would do well, so that Kaminski’s spoiled little sister could have a fun hobby. And Ryan had left this morning.
His phone rings in his jacket pocket, and he pulls it out and looks at the call display. Kaminski. No, Dan’s not quite ready for that call just yet. He needs a glass or two of bourbon before he wants to talk to him. The problem is figuring out where to go. He thinks of his baby sister, on the run from the law. She must feel like this all the time, always trying to get away from her mistakes, never anywhere safe to go. Yeah, Dan’s going to need that bourbon pretty soon.
His phone rings again, but this time the caller display shows that it’s Jeff. Dan isn’t stupid. The timing of that made it pretty clear that Evan had called his boyfriend to get him to deal with the situation, but Dan can’t help himself. He wants to talk to Jeff.
He’s on the edge of town now, and he pulls onto the side of the road before picking up his phone and flipping it open.
“Hello.” He tries to sound chipper and strong. If Jeff’s going to be reporting back, Dan doesn’t want to give him anything to say.
“Dan, hey. Evan just called me in a bit of a fit. Can you tell me what’s going on?” Jeff sounds more curious than alarmed. Dan can’t say for sure whether it’s an act.
“What, he didn’t tell you? He just called you up, said he was in a fit, and hung up?”
Jeff laughs a little. “Pretty much, actually. He said there was some mix-up with the security clearances and that the guys had gone way over the line, and that he was on his way into a meeting with them, and you weren’t picking up the phone. He sounded a bit worried.”
“Did he?” Dan’s in no mood to care about Kaminski’s nerves. “Hey, Jeff, where are you?”
Jeff only sounds a little surprised. “I’m at my place. Why, do you want to come over?”
Dan knows that it’s not a great idea, but he’s tired of trying to do the smart thing, or the right thing. What good has that done him? He’s worked his ass off to follow their rules, and now he’s losing what he wants because of someone else’s screwups. So, enough with doing the smart thing. If people are going to think that he’s a no-good loser, then at least he can have some fun….
“Yeah, I do. Give me directions.”
If Jeff is surprised by Dan’s directness, he gives no indication. He gives Dan simple directions to his place, and then tells him that he’s been painting all day and needs to clean up and take a shower. If there’s no answer when Dan knocks, he should just come right in. Dan likes the sound of that.
He arrives at Jeff’s place less than ten minutes after the call. It’s a modest house, more of a cottage maybe, but it’s on a good-sized lot, and there’s a gate leading to a fenced backyard. That must be nice for Lou. There’s a lot of natural wood, and some big windows. It looks like a good place for Jeff to live.
Dan heads up to the front door and knocks, but then barely waits before he pushes it open and goes inside. Lou greets him gently, and then goes back to lie down on her bed in the living room. Dan’s got that feeling he used to get, animalistic, almost predatory. He feels like he’s stalking his prey in its own den, and he likes the adrenaline. He likes the feeling of being the one to make things happen for a change, instead of just sitting back and waiting for everything to happen to him. He used to be like this, and he thought he’d left it behind, but apparently he’s not allowed to leave things behind, and this is one aspect of his personality that he’s glad to resurrect.
He hears a change in the sounds of the house, and realizes that he was hearing the shower when he first came in and now it’s been shut off. That’s too bad, a lost opportunity, but it’s not the end of the world. Dan moves in the direction the sound had been coming from. He pushes open a door with his fingertips, and he sees a bedroom, lots of browns and deep reds, an oversize bed… clearly Jeff’s room. This is confirmed when the door on the far side of the room opens with a cloud of steam, and Jeff appears, wearing a dark navy bathrobe. Dan approves of bathrobes. They’re easy to open.
Jeff sees him and looks a little startled. “Hey, Dan! You made it in good time. Just give me a minute to throw some clothes on, and we can have a beer on the deck.”
Dan doesn’t say anything, just takes a step closer. Jeff notices, and he isn’t stupid. He looks Dan in the eye, and shakes his head slowly. “No, Dan.” He sounds regretful. “Not like this, man. Not when you’re upset about something else or mad at Evan.”
Dan smiles a little as he takes another step. “I’m not upset, Jeff. And I’m not mad at Evan.” He takes another step. Jeff isn’t moving closer, but he’s not moving away, either. “It just seems like we’ve been dancing around this for too long, you know? Making it too complicated.” Another step, and he’s right in front of Jeff. “I want you, you want me… it’s time to do something about that, man.”
Dan reaches out and runs his hands under the front of Jeff’s robe, feels the hair on his chest, still a little damp from the shower. Jeff’s staring at him like he’s not sure what to do, and Dan likes being the one with a plan. He runs his hands down along Jeff’s skin, uses his nails to bring a little shiver, and then he’s at the loosely tied knot of the robe, and he nudges it so it falls almost open. Dan can see the dark patch of Jeff’s hair, and his cock nestled in it, already half hard. Jeff makes a sound somewhere between a moan and a gasp, and his hands catch Dan’s wrists, holding them still. “Dan, this is not a good idea.”
Dan just smiles again, and he does his best to put the promise of all kinds of wickedness in his look. “Jeff, this is the best idea I’ve had in a long time.” He doesn’t try to get his hands free, though, just lets Jeff hold him there as Dan spreads his hands out as wide as they’ll go, his fingers reaching up along Jeff’s belly and down into the very top of his pubic hair. Then he takes a half-step forward and falls to his knees, his mouth nestling through the opening in the bathrobe and catching Jeff’s cock like they were made to fit together. It’s a bit tricky to work a half-hard dick with no hands, but Dan feels like he’s up to the challenge, and apparently he is, because it isn’t long before Jeff’s rock hard, and his fingers are tight on Dan’s wrists.
Jeff tries once more. “Dan, seriously… please….” Dan can’t imagine why he’s bothering. If Dan didn’t give up before, there’s no way he’s going to now, not when he’s got Jeff’s cock, hard and red and glorious, right in front of him. He does pull off for just a second, long enough to say, “If you want me to stop, move away,” but then he’s quick to get his mouth back around Jeff, swallowing him down hard, feeling his cock hit the back of Dan’s throat and then press even further down, as Dan works his way right to the base. He slurps back up and then down and again, and Jeff isn’t even pretending to object anymore. One of his hands releases Dan’s wrist and goes to the back of his head, and Dan moans a little and presses back into it. This is what he wants, what he nee
ds. Something mindless and primitive and pure.
Dan takes his free hand and uses it to take Jeff’s other hand off of Dan’s wrist, and guides it back to hold its side of Dan’s head. The invitation is clear, especially when Dan changes his posture a little to improve the angle. Jeff’s talking again, but he’s not objecting any more, and the words coming out of his mouth turn Dan on more than anything else so far. Jeff’s moaning. “Oh shit, babe, your lips, your beautiful lips wrapped around me, you feel so good. Yeah… oh, yeah, like that. That’s so good, Dan, so perfect, so… oh, Jesus, you are good at this.” He keeps going, his hips driving in long, slow thrusts, and Dan brings one of his own hands down and unzips his fly, pushes his jeans down enough to get his underwear down under his balls, and then he wraps his hand around himself and groans around Jeff’s thick cock.
“Oh, yeah, babe, you’re… oh, I need to see that… please,” and Jeff’s hands are pulling Dan’s head away from him. Dan fights a little, doesn’t want to let go, but Jeff’s insistent. So Dan surrenders to the idea, straightening up a little and using his free hand to push his pants and underwear farther down, and then leaning backward, arching his spine and pushing his hard cock up in the air for Jeff to see. He keeps working himself, and uses his other hand to pull his T-shirt off over his head, giving Jeff a better view. Jeff’s cock jumps a little at the sight, and Dan gives him a wicked smile, then levers himself back up. Just before he takes Jeff’s cock back, he slips his middle finger into his mouth, getting it wet with spit.
Jeff sees him do it and his eyes go even darker. He practically grabs Dan’s head and pushes his cock back in, moaning, “Oh, yeah, man, do it.” Dan doesn’t need to be asked twice, and he runs his hand back through the legs that Jeff spreads for him, finds his hole and runs the finger around the edge just once before pushing in firmly, driving in and rubbing until he finds the right spot. Jeff almost shouts, and his hips start moving faster and harder. He’s hitting the back of Dan’s throat every time now, and usually he slides past but every now and then the angle is wrong, making Dan gag. Dan loves the thought of choking on Jeff’s cock, and increases the pressure and speed with his finger.
Jeff doesn’t last much longer. He moans a little and releases Dan’s head, giving him the choice to pull off if he wants to, but this is Jeff, and Dan doesn’t know if this is ever going to happen again, and he wants every drop of the experience. He pulls away enough so he won’t choke, and then takes the hand from his cock to Jeff’s, working his balls and then bringing a finger back to work just behind them, so he’s massaging Jeff’s prostate both inside and out. That’s what it takes and Jeff is coming, hard hot spasms into Dan’s mouth, and it’s perfect, it’s what Dan came here for, and he brings his hand back down for two quick, hard pulls and then he’s coming, too, shooting out all over his hand, the floor, Jeff’s feet.
They’re both quiet for a minute, breathing hard and coming back to reality. Dan’s head is resting against Jeff’s hip, but he pulls it away as he takes his finger out of Jeff’s ass. Jeff still has his robe mostly on, and Dan reaches up and rubs his come off on the hem as Jeff watches. Then Dan takes the belt of the robe and pulls everything back together. He drags his own pants up as he rises to his feet, and then he finally looks Jeff in the eye. “So… I think you mentioned a beer?”
Jeff just stares at him for a moment, then laughs almost reluctantly. “Yeah, I think I mentioned putting some clothes on too.”
Dan shrugs. “Seems like a shame, but I guess it’s your call.” He reaches down and pulls his T-shirt off the floor, but instead of putting it back on, he tucks the end of it in his jeans pocket. Dan’s never really understood the psychology of it, but guys like guys with tails. He turns and saunters out of the room, giving his hips enough of a roll to make the shirt move a little, but not enough to seem burlesque or effeminate. He thinks.
Jeff follows him a minute later, and he’s still in his robe. Dan sees it and smiles, probably his first real smile since he got here, and Jeff smiles back, laughing a little before getting serious. “Shit, Dan, what the hell are we doing?”
Dan shrugs. “You said I could have you if I wanted you. Didn’t you?”
Jeff rubs his neck, crossing to the fridge and pulling out two beers. He takes the lids off and hands one to Dan. “Yeah, I did. We did. But… the idea wasn’t that you’d use me as a way to say ‘fuck you’ to Evan.”
Dan shakes his head. “That’s not what this is.”
“It’s not. So you’re not mad at Evan?”
Dan shrugs. “Not really. I mean, it’s a fucked-up situation, no doubt, but… I see Evan’s point. He’s got to look after his sister, and there are bad people out there. Apparently I’m related to some of them.”
Jeff frowns. “Okay, I’m gonna need more details. When Evan called he was just going into the meeting with the security consultants. He knew they had concerns about clearing you, but he didn’t know what they were yet.” He looks around. “Okay, beers on the deck is still a good idea. Let’s go sit down, figure this out.”
Dan snorts a little at Jeff’s naiveté, his belief that everything can be figured out through talk. But, hey, Jeff’s still in his robe, so…. Dan follows him outside.
The backyard is beautiful and secluded, a tall wooden privacy fence itself largely hidden by trees and tall shrubs. The screening gives Dan ideas, but he needs a little recovery time, and figures Jeff must need at least as much.
But that doesn’t mean he wants to talk about the situation at the farm. Instead, he says, “So, your show opens this Friday, right?” When Jeff nods, Dan continues. “So, I don’t really know anything about that. Is it…. Do you choose the paintings, and then they put them up and try to sell them for you? I mean, is it mostly about selling? Or just showing them to people?”
Jeff looks like he knows Dan’s going for the evasion, but he lets him get away with it. Sort of. “It’s a mix of the two, I guess. It’d be great if I got sales, but it’s also about building a reputation, getting people interested in my work, even if they aren’t looking to buy right now. It’s sort of like a horse show, really—you might interest a buyer there, but really you’re just showing off the animals and your training, so that when it is the time to buy, people will come to you. Evan said the trial went pretty well yesterday….”
Dan grins a little at Jeff’s attempt to get them back to the Kaminski topic. “Yeah, it was pretty good. Kip won his level—the competition wasn’t fierce, but it was solid. And Winston and Chaucer had a good intro. I guess it’s funny, them having their first shows, you having your first show. Are you excited about it?”
Jeff drowns his laugh in a swallow of beer, and Dan relaxes a little. This is much easier than talking about anything serious. “Yeah, I really am. I mean, it’s nerve-wracking, obviously. A lot of stress. I feel like I’m putting myself on display, sort of. But at least art is a figurative expression of myself, not a literal one. It’s not like people came into my home and grilled me about my personal stuff. You must really have hated that.”
Okay, that game’s over. Time for a new one. Dan’s shirt is still off, and he stands up and walks out into the middle of the yard, feeling the afternoon sun on his skin. He faces the back of the yard and lifts his arms up, stretching his back, letting his muscles roll. “This is a great yard, man. It’s really… private.” He looks back over his shoulder at Jeff, making sure he’s sending the right signal.
Jeff just shakes his head. “Oh, no. You caught me by surprise last time, but I’m on to you now. I know your tricks.” He’s smiling, but there’s a bit of a warning in there too. Dan decides to ignore it. Recovery time is over.
He smiles at Jeff. “Oh, no, you’ve hardly seen any of my tricks. I’ve got lots more to show you.” He moves back toward the deck, sun still warm on his face, and high enough in the sky that it doesn’t make him squint.
Jeff shakes his head. “No, Dan, come on, man. We need to sort this out. I mean, I understand if you don’t want to tell
me what the security team is worried about. It must already feel like a violation of your privacy, without dragging me into it. But—”
“But it’s out of my hands now, so there’s no point in worrying about it. Not when there’s so many better things to do.” Dan steps up on the deck, eyes locked on Jeff’s. “I think I want to mark you.”
“Dan….”
“What, am I not allowed to? Am I your dirty little secret?” Dan leans back a little and squints at Jeff. “Are you going to tell Evan about this?” It comes out a bit aggressively, and Dan deliberately softens his tone. “Are you gonna tell him how I sucked you off? How you fucked my mouth? Are you gonna tell him how it got me so turned on I barely needed to touch myself before I came?”
Jeff tears his eyes away from Dan’s and looks out at the backyard. “I think I’ll spare him the details, but, yeah… I’m gonna tell him the basics.”
Dan shrugs. “So if you’re gonna tell him, why are you being shy now? Can I mark you, Jeff?” Dan catches Jeff’s eyes again, staring as he moves closer. “Can I?” He runs his fingers along Jeff’s jaw line and down his neck, sees the goose bumps rise. “Right here, Jeff?” he whispers, and his fingers feel Jeff’s convulsive swallow as he nods.
Dan doesn’t waste any time. He swings a leg over Jeff’s lap so he’s straddling him, and Jeff’s hands instinctively go to Dan’s hips. Dan smiles at that and grinds forward a little. They’re both still soft, but he doesn’t think that needs to continue. He puts his hands on either side of Jeff’s head and pushes him around a little, staring at his neck while he picks the exact spot he wants. He leans in and lays a wet kiss up underneath Jeff’s jaw line, the stubble tickling his lips and tongue. “Hmmm…,” he murmurs. “Good, but not quite—” He shifts over to the other side, to the little hollow just above Jeff’s collarbone. He licks a little here, nips even. It’s one of his favorite spots, the place that he and Ryan marked each other, and Dan feels Jeff’s hand on his chest, pressing on the fading bruise.
Dreamspinner Press Year Four Greatest Hits Page 64