“Clearly, the man has no idea what he’s talking about. You need to do some research, Grier. Make a list of the top interior designing firms in the country. You’ll be surprised how many are owned by men. Sure, the women abound, but it’s an equal-opportunity profession. Your father is buying into the stereotype.”
“He’s a Teamster, Lil.”
“So educate him.”
“Isn’t it a little too late for that? He’s in his sixties.”
“But he’s still active and capable of learning new things. If you feel strongly enough about your career, you should be willing to fight for it, Grier. And that goes for everything else in your life,” Lil said pointedly.
“Don’t lecture me,” Grier snapped.
Lil put his arms around Grier and drew him close. “I’m only stating the obvious.”
“Maybe I’m not ready to hear it.”
“Okay.” Lil backed off. “I’m dropping the subject,”
“Good.”
When they got to the bedroom, Lil headed straight for the closet and pulled out the pink Victoria Secret bag. He hoped to recapture the loving mood that was ruined by his unwelcome remarks. It was the second time he’d caught a glimpse of Grier’s defensive side. The first time was when he learned about Luca. Both incidents had to do with Grier evading issues that loomed like the proverbial white elephant.
“Do you want to see how I spent my entire afternoon?” Lil asked with a definite gleam in his eye.
“Yes.”
LIL PULLED out a package wrapped in pink tissue and slowly opened it to reveal three Lacie Thongs, the one-size-fits-all, best-selling underwear the sales girl had touted and pushed at him in handfuls. She had assured Lil that they would fit any body type, and Lil was drawn by the vibrant colors. He’d picked up a lemon yellow, royal blue, and shocking pink.
“Whoa, I like these,” Grier whispered. A blush crept up his cheek, and his breathing faltered as he stroked the fabric lovingly.
“I thought you would.” Lil’s eyes grew stormy with desire. He tugged at Grier’s towel, letting it pool at his feet, and he delighted in the toned body that was blooming in front of his eyes. “Let me dress you,” Lil entreated, grabbing the royal blue thong and dropping to his knees. He slipped the thong up Grier’s muscular legs, stopping midway to nuzzle Grier’s heavy sac. He licked at the bead of precum that oozed out of Grier’s slit, tempting Lil to catch it with a flick of his tongue before it dripped down the side of the swollen shaft that was pointing upward toward Grier’s stomach. The thong was a perfect fit and cradled Grier’s burgeoning package nicely. The garter rested just above the cluster of blue stars, and Lil fingered the waistband to get to the tattoos, laving them sensuously, while his other hand roamed up and down Grier’s lightly furred legs. Lil moaned with pleasure, and his skin erupted into goose flesh when Grier raked his hands through his short blond hair and tugged at it roughly. He stood, reluctantly pulling himself away, and walked over to his closet to reach for the new black leather jacket he’d purchased for himself. “Put this on, love.”
“I don’t think it’ll fit.”
“We’re about the same size, only your shoulders are far more impressive than mine will ever be,” Lil pointed out honestly.
“You are too humble.”
“I just tell it like it is.”
“I’ve noticed,” Grier said, frowning.
“Should I curtail my speech around you?”
“Isn’t that like asking you to hold your breath?”
“It would be excruciating.” Lil rolled his eyes dramatically. “I haven’t watched my tongue in years.”
“I can think of several more useful things for that tongue of yours,” Grier said. “Would you like me to model for you?”
“Yes,” Lil breathed. He slipped the Prada jacket on Grier and smoothed down the soft leather. Seeing him like that, in a black leather top with frilly underwear, did funny things to Lil’s stomach, not to mention his groin. He was getting hard again, the third time tonight. A record since he’d crossed over to the thirty-seven-year-old dark side. His heart flopped around like a captured trout. “You are so fucking beautiful.”
“I bet you say that to all the pretty boys,” Grier joked.
“Only the ones who make my blood boil.”
“Am I just another guy in your stable?” Grier asked. His words were said in jest, but the naked vulnerability in his eyes was hard to miss.
“First of all,” Lil said, “I have no such stable, and even if I did, you would be the only stallion.”
“Is that true?”
“Of course it’s true. What do you think? I have ten more like you at home?”
“I have no idea what you have in San Francisco.”
Lil gathered Grier in his arms and looked at him intently. “I’m not in a relationship.”
“Do you want to be?”
Lil kissed him, and Grier opened his mouth automatically, allowing Lil to explore. When they finally broke apart, they were breathless, yet Grier repeated the question. “Are you looking for something permanent?”
“Are you offering?” Lil asked, searching for an answer.
Grier stared into the honest face and looked away reluctantly. “Come to bed?”
They ended up in a tangle of limbs, and Grier straddled Lil, losing himself in the cornflower blue eyes that gazed at him adoringly. “Lil?”
“What, love?”
“I’m taking off this jacket.”
“Not yet.”
“’Kay.”
Lil reached up and slid his hands underneath the soft leather to toy with Grier’s nipples, dark brown nubs that responded unerringly to Lil’s touch. “You’re so beautiful, Grier.”
“Stop saying that.”
“It’s true.”
Grier sucked in a shocked breath when Lil scratched at the tender skin with his thumbnail. “You’d look gorgeous with a silver bar right here,” Lil said, pointing at a spot right above Grier’s nipple.
“I’ve thought about it.”
“I’ll go with you if you’d like?”
“I like.”
Lil smiled wickedly. He pulled at the lacy blue fabric, pushing the crotch off to the side so Grier’s cock was released like a “jack-in-a-box.” “Love your cock,” Lil purred, stroking up and down the shaft.
Grier got on his knees, shoving the thong down his thighs. He struggled to get it off, but with Lil in between his legs, it was impossible. He looked frustrated and was less than graceful. Lil rolled out of the way before Grier ripped the fabric to shreds, eager to accommodate his frantic lover, who appeared intent on breaking the speed limit.
“Where’s the lube?” Grier asked impatiently.
Lil pointed at the nightstand, wondering why Grier was so worked up. He was acting like someone on a mission to prove himself. Grier flipped him over and raised his hips, so Lil ended up on his hands and knees. Lil slanted his head to look back at Grier, who still wore the leather jacket, which swung open with each move, giving Lil a glimpse of sweat-slicked skin and colorful tattoos. He looked sexy as hell, and Lil couldn’t stop the feelings that raged throughout his body. He was desperate to feel Grier’s cock stuffed up his ass. “Ready, love.”
Grier took possession quickly, shoving his well-lubed and sheathed cock into Lil’s waiting body. He seemed to grow more confident with each stroke, poking at Lil aggressively, grunting with pleasure as Lil cried out each time the stiff organ glanced his prostate.
“Good, Lil?”
“Bliss,” Lil huffed, bracing himself against the headboard for the next shove.
“I want it to be good for you, Lil. I want to be your stallion.”
“Oh God.”
Grier wrapped his arms around Lil’s torso and bent down to press hot kisses around Lil’s neck, marking him with vigorous sucking while he continued to plow him with forceful strokes. Lil reached up and clasped Grier’s neck. “So good, love.”
In one swift move, Grier roll
ed over, and now Lil was on top, straddling him. Grier groaned loudly when Lil repositioned his sheathed cock, which had slipped out during the turn, and he cried out with pleasure as he was swallowed up by the cloying heat. Lil had his head thrown back in ecstasy as he slid back and forth on Grier’s cock, pleasuring himself while Grier watched every move. He toyed with Lil’s nipples, pinching them to hard peaks, and he felt Lil shudder before shooting streams of creamy spunk over his upper chest and neck, triggering Grier’s own orgasm. He came in heated spurts, gripped by Lil’s body massaging his cock in throbbing waves.
Lil collapsed on Grier’s sweaty torso, listening to their ragged breaths and thundering heartbeats.
“Good?”
“Way good,” Lil purred, utterly content.
They dozed and awoke around four in the morning. Grier gently moved out from under Lil, who was still draped over him. He made a pit stop in the bathroom, threw on a pair of Lil’s boxers, and headed upstairs to the kitchen. He was surprised to find Clark standing at the counter sipping coffee.
“I’m sorry,” Grier apologized immediately, knowing he probably had a bad case of bed head and a bare chest encrusted with dried spunk.
“No worries, man. Mi casa es su casa.” Clark smiled.
“Thank you. I was getting something to drink.”
“I’ve got the coffee going, but there’s beer and bottled water in the fridge if you want something cool.”
“Why are you up so early?”
“I’ve got to be at training camp in Bourbonnais by midmorning.”
“That’s about sixty miles south of here,” Grier remarked.
“I know, and the traffic will be a bitch if I don’t get an early start. What’s your excuse?”
Grier snorted. “I’ve got to get back home to watch Luca. Jillian will have my ass if I’m not there on time.”
“Which way are you headed?”
“West.”
“Oh, too bad. I would have given you a ride.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got my bike.”
“Where is it?”
“In your garage.”
Clark nodded and kept on looking at Grier, who felt like he was being interrogated. “Lil said you work for your dad?”
“Until I can break away and do what I want to do.”
“What’s that?”
“Interior design.”
“No wonder you and Lil get along.”
“It’s one thing we have in common.”
“Lil’s a great guy,” Clark said. “You could do a lot worse.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.”
“How did you find the guts to come out?”
Clark swallowed the remainder of his coffee and placed the cup in the sink. “It was a no-brainer after a certain point. I wanted a career, but I wanted Jody even more. Sometimes you have to make the leap and hope there’s a net down there waiting to catch you.”
“Did you know there would be a net?”
“Fuck no. I thought my career was over.”
“It was gutsy.”
Clark stared at Grier, who was looking at him as if he were the Dalai Lama. The admiration came off in waves. “Listen, Grier, it wasn’t an easy touchdown by any means.”
“I know. I read about it.”
“Don’t believe everything in print… there’s more to our story, but the long and short of it is you have to want it badly enough to deal with the fallout.”
“I guess so,” Grier said, nodding. “Have a nice day, Clark.”
“You too, bud. See you around.”
Grier grabbed a couple of bottles of water and headed back downstairs. He was already thinking about everything he had to do today and wondered at what point he and Lil could hook up again. He was increasingly aware that this relationship was much more than a fling, yet he knew it would be ending soon. The thought of having to say goodbye in a few days weighed him down, but he had four days and planned to use every minute wisely.
Lil was still fast asleep, so Grier put the water on the nightstand and went to take a shower. By the time he was clean, and able to pass inspection, Lil was sitting up in bed taking slow pulls off the bottle.
“Hey,” Grier greeted him quietly. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t, love. Are you leaving so soon?”
“I’ve got to be in Elk Grove by seven, and if I get back in bed with you, I’ll never leave.”
“Works for me,” Lil said with a grin. “Will I see you later?”
“I’ll be done with Luca around six.”
“How often do you have Luca?”
“Every other day and sometimes on the weekend.”
“Does she have a backup plan?”
“Her mom or dad, but she knows she can count on me whenever she’s in a bind.”
“You’re at her beck and call.”
Grier stopped dressing. “Let’s not go there, okay?”
Lil shrugged. “Call me?”
GRIER BARELY made it home in time. Jillian was already standing in the driveway with Luca, glancing at her watch and looking irritated.
“Sorry,” Grier apologized as he navigated the V-rod into the garage. He shut down the powerful engine and pulled off his helmet, smiling at Luca, who’d run up to greet him. “Hey, buddy, how’s it going?”
“Good,” Luca smiled widely. “Can I watch TV?”
“Sure. Take your stuff into the house and wait for me.”
“I’ve got twenty minutes to get to work,” Jillian fumed.
“You’re ten minutes away,” Grier pointed out, getting off the bike and sticking the helmet underneath his arm. “Who’s coming to get him?”
“Either Mom or Ali.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“Since when does Ali babysit?”
“What does it matter?”
“He doesn’t know the first thing about it.”
“He’s going to have to learn if he wants to be in my life.”
Grier saw his chance to get more information. “When did you start dating him?”
“Why? Are you jealous?”
“It just seems so sudden.”
“Ali’s always had a thing for me.”
“How come I didn’t know about it?”
Jillian shrugged. “Maybe because I never paid much attention, and he didn’t want to look stupid in your eyes.”
“And all of a sudden you’re interested?”
“He’s a nice guy.”
“So is the mailman, Jillian, but you wouldn’t want to date him.”
“Why are you being a bitch?”
“Don’t call me that.”
“If the shoe fits….”
“You’re the one acting like a total cunt.”
“I should have known you’d get all pissy about this. Ali warned me that you’d be territorial.”
“Does Ali know I’m Luca’s father?”
“Of course not!”
“He needs to know.”
“I don’t agree.”
“We can’t keep this secret forever, Jillian. I was wrong to let you get away with this for so long. I want to be officially recognized as Luca’s dad.”
“Forget about it.”
“Why?” Grier couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice.
“I don’t want Luca to know you’re his dad.”
“He loves me as much as I love him.”
“That’s all well and good for now, but don’t you think his opinion of you will change when I tell him that you’d rather be with a guy than with me, his mother? You think he’ll still love you then?”
“Yes,” Grier said decisively, although he really didn’t know for sure. How would Luca react when faced with the knowledge that his father was a homosexual?
“I don’t want him to be ashamed of his gene pool.”
“He won’t be if it’s presented correctly, but he’ll be unduly influenced if you subject him to
Ali and his rigid moral code. Right now Luca doesn’t even know what the word gay means.”
“Ali’s not the only person in the world who thinks it’s wrong.”
“You’ve never had a problem with me before now. Why the sudden switch?”
“Seeing you with that queer made me realize how truly gay you are.”
“And that’s the crux of the matter, isn’t it? You can’t accept that you fell for the wrong brother.”
“That’s not true.”
“The hell it’s not! Your damn pride won’t let you admit that you miscalculated and put all your eggs in the wrong basket. I never lied to you, Jillian. I told you I was gay as soon as I realized it myself.”
“I know, and I’m sorry it’s come to this, but I want a better life for my boy.”
“Gay men are just as successful as the next guy. Who says I can’t give Luca a good life?”
“Look around you, Grier. You’re twenty-five, stuck in a dead-end job, and don’t even have your own place. Simply put, you’re a loser.”
“I’m here because I wanted to be closer to Luca,” Grier spat out, getting right in Jillian’s face. “You fucking well know that.”
“I want him to have a good role model, someone successful that he can look up to and admire, like Ali.”
“Tell me you’re not seriously thinking about marrying him.”
“He’s offered to adopt Luca. At least he’ll be a Dilorio. Your surname will be on the amended birth certificate, even though you won’t be listed as the father.”
“No!”
“Come on. It’s the next best thing.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this. You’re supposed to be on my side, Jillian.”
“I’m on Luca’s side.”
“Don’t you think he has the right to know that his real father loves him with all his heart and would rather die than see someone else make that claim?”
“You’re going all drama queen on me, Grier.”
He gripped her arms and shook her soundly. “I’m not going to give him up without a fight.”
“Let go,” Jillian shrieked. “Touch me one more time, and I’ll call the cops on you.”
Dreamspinner Press Year Four Greatest Hits Page 140