by Lynn Stark
“No you don’t. Stay still,” Fallon whispered against his ear. “Let me love you.”
Moaning, Hank closed his eyes again and nodded jerkily. The mattress shifted. Cool air touched his skin as Fallon moved away and Hank lost the heat of the other man’s body. There was a familiar click that told Hank, without looking, that Fallon was using lube. Anticipation shot through him. With his balls tightening, he felt an urgent need to come. Hank’s breathing grew shallow. His heart pounded in his chest. Nothing he had experienced in his life had prepared him for this moment.
When Fallon moved his hand between Hank’s legs, he spread them, giving greater access to the fingers stroking over his tight pucker. It had been ages since he had been with anyone, and even then, it had been nothing more than a quick fuck. Hank had never had a steady boyfriend, no one to call lover.
Firm, cool lips captured Hank’s. Fallon kissed him deeply, plunging his tongue into Hank’s mouth. Moaning, he tried to press closer as their tongues dueled, but was thwarted once again as Fallon pinned him to the bed with his muscled chest. He pushed a slick finger through the ring of muscles and into Hank’s body. An ache unlike anything he had ever known before gripped him, holding him tightly as he gave himself up to the many pleasures of being so close to Fallon.
It didn’t take long before Hank realized Fallon was doing his very best to drive him over the edge and into a passion-filled oblivion. One finger became two, two became three, pushing as deep as possible, probing and stroking Hank’s gland until he felt his cock swell in his hand. A strangled cry escaped him as cum erupted, his balls clenching to release their load. It splattered against his belly, long, pearly ropes coating his skin as Fallon released Hank’s mouth. The fingers were removed and Hank opened his eyes as Fallon moved over him. Strong hands lifted his legs, pushing them back. Hank slid his hands behind his thighs, his body hot, trembling, as he saw the intensity on Fallon’s handsome face as he joined their bodies for the first time. The broad head of the man’s dick broached the stretched ring of muscles. He pushed forward, grunting as he did so. The expression on Fallon’s face was intense as he focused solely on joining their bodies.
Hank’s head rolled back and forth on the pillow as inch after inch of throbbing, turgid flesh was pressed into his dark channel. The breadth and length of it felt as if it might split him apart. He breathed through the burn, the slight pinch. The pain, however, was insignificant as Fallon finally bottomed out, his heavy balls coming to rest against the lower curve of Hank’s ass.
Fallon’s voice, deep and sexy, reached his ears. “Hank. Hank, open your eyes and look at me.” Hank did so. Fallon’s eyes were now the color of aged pewter. They were so beautiful, so filled with love and desire that they made Hank suddenly feel as if he was the most important person on the planet. “Wrap your legs around me, Hank. Hold onto me as I make love to you.”
Nodding, Hank let go of his legs and wound them around the larger body. That freed his hands to do other things, like reaching for the broad shoulders and holding on as Fallon began to thrust his cock in and out of Hank’s body.
It was so perfect.
Until one of his housemates knocked on his bedroom door, shattering the perfect fantasy. “Hey, Hank, we ordered pizza. Do you want any?”
Panting, staring at the ceiling, Hank could have cried. Instead of doing so, he took a deep breath and lifted his head to look down at the mess on his stomach. He grimaced and sat up, reaching for his discarded shirt as he did so. Reality really sucked at times. This definitely was one of those times.
“Sure. I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”
Chapter Two
Fallon laughed as he closed the door. His sister, Marla, and her three boys had just left after surprising him with a visit. Playing with his nephews hadn’t been the way he had planned his Saturday morning, but it had been a lot of fun. His nephews were full of energy. They had run around the apartment, yelling and laughing, and causing chaos in general, while he took a break from play to visit with his only sibling.
Marla was also in the family business. She was the buyer for the store. Unless she was traveling on buying trips, she worked from home. It worked out very well for her, as she wanted to be with her children as much as possible until they were in school full time. Richie, her husband, also worked from home, sharing the responsibility of raising their children.
Once they were gone, Fallon made a fresh cup of coffee and went out to sit in sunshine on the balcony. It was the only building on the square that had a balcony. Not even the luxurious Silver Star Hotel could boast having one. The apartment on the top floor of the department store had gone unused for decades. When Fallon had taken full ownership of the family business, he had decided he would have the apartment remodeled.
It had taken every day of a year to get it done, but now he had a home that was not only beautiful, but very comfortable. It wasn’t luxurious, not in an overdone sort of way. There wasn’t any furniture covered in gilt, no crystal chandeliers, shiny marble floors, or columns. Not like some of the luxury apartments in town. He had wanted a home where everyone would be at ease and no one would be afraid to sit in a chair or touch something, a place where nephews could raise hell or build a fort, and no one would have a meltdown over it.
The floors were covered in reclaimed hardwood. The furniture was contemporary and comfortable. There were two fireplaces. One was in the living room and the other in the master suite. Fallon hadn’t been able to decide which room was his favorite. The kitchen was nearly as large as the living room, with a dining area between. It was actually just one large space, flowing from one area to the other.
His nephews certainly enjoyed the space, he thought with a grin and propped his feet up on the footstool. The sunshine was pleasant. It would be hot later, but the sun would have moved to the other side of the building, which meant he could enjoy the afternoon and evening outside, if he wished to do so.
As Fallon sipped his coffee, his thoughts went to Hank. The man had captured his attention the moment he had laid eyes on him. Hank was something of a character. Fallon liked to watch the younger man interact with the customers. There was no doubt he was a favorite in the store. That went for Hank’s co-workers as well. Everyone seemed to like him.
It hadn’t escaped Fallon’s notice the night before that Hank had not volunteered much personal information. Fallon could respect that. Hank had a history, and he was certain it wasn’t a pleasant one. They weren’t friends. They were employer and employee, so that might have played into Hank’s resistance in telling Fallon about his past. Why Fallon should be so interested was something of a mystery to him.
If he wanted to date, or to even just have sex with someone, there were men available in Silver. Hank was an attractive man. Fallon could admit to himself that he was attracted to the younger man. There was one huge problem, however, if he decided that he might want to get to know Hank better—as in a relationship kind of better. Their positions at the store complicated things. Normally, Fallon would not attempt to have more than a casual, friendly relationship with an employee. He never had before. The problem was, there was something special about Hank, something that made Fallon want to forget about not dating someone who worked for him.
However, Hank could possibly see Fallon’s position of power as a reason to go along with anything Fallon might want from him. Fear of losing his job could create a relationship neither of them wanted.
Despite not knowing what he exactly wanted from Hank, if anything, Fallon knew he would not ask Hank out on a date. Hell, he could acknowledge now that having supper with Hank the night before had probably been a mistake. He just hoped it didn’t make Hank feel uncomfortable at work.
Sighing, Fallon finished off his coffee and stood up. As he did so, a crow landed on the balcony, squawking loudly. “Hey, how’s it going today?” The crow squawked again and walked along the stone balustrade, moving closer to Fallon. Reaching out slowly, he stroked the top of the bird’s
head, hoping he didn’t get pecked. The bird had landed on the balcony a year before, during what Fallon guessed was its inaugural flight. Fallon had been out enjoying his coffee then, too, and he had sat there and talked to the crow until it had gotten up its nerve to fly off to the others noisily calling to it from the tops of the trees in the green across the street. “Well, buddy, I have things to do.”
After taking a shower, Fallon decided he would go hiking. He hadn’t gone for a while. It was an activity he thoroughly enjoyed, but hadn’t put enough time aside for it the past couple of years. Being busy taking on complete management of the store had all but taken over his life. Fallon was committed to the store continuing to be as successful as it had been the past ninety-seven years.
Fallon dressed and went for his pack, checking the contents and adding water and snacks for energy. Grabbing the keys for his Jeep off the hook in the kitchen, and his cameras from the closet, he took one of the two private elevators down to the ground floor. It was the closest to the rear of the building. The garage was across the alley in the old stable.
Although Silver was surrounded by nature, and nature often visited in the form of bears, moose, elk, and other wild critters wandering in and out, it wasn’t until a person reached the nature preserve that they truly felt as if they were a million miles from civilization.
Parking the Jeep in the lot near the visitor’s center, Fallon took his pack out of the back and put it on. He then hung the camera around his neck and clipped the bear repellant, something he hoped he wouldn’t have to use, onto his belt. Then he headed toward the building where the park’s rangers required visitors to sign in and specify what trails they would be using. There were also notices posted about closed trails and where there were bear or mountain lion sightings, all good things to know.
“Hey, Fallon, haven’t seen you up here in a while.”
Fallon smiled and nodded at the ranger. “Hi, Dale, it’s good to see you. I shouldn’t say this, but I’ve been busy. I need to make more time for stuff like this. What do I need to know for this trip?”
“The usual. Stick to the trails. No smoking, no alcohol, no fires. Don’t toss trash out. Don’t try to pet or feed animals,” he recited and then frowned. “A brown bear and her cubs were sighted yesterday along the ridge trail. We’ve posted it. A group of newbies went in about a half hour ago. I hope they follow the rules and stick to the easier trails. I gave them a map. They seemed to take me seriously, but you never know.”
Nodding, Fallon gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’ll be going up to the lookout. I should be back down in about six hours.”
“Good to know.” Dale handed over a GPS locater. “They’re required now. Just tuck it in your backpack and forget about it.” He laughed. “But don’t forget to turn it in before you leave. Have a good hike.”
“Thanks, Dale. Hopefully you’ll have an uneventful day.”
Dale chuckled. “I’ll second that. Somehow it doesn’t always work out that way.”
“Well, if I see someone being particularly stupid, I’ll take care of it and let you know.”
Five minutes later, Fallon was on the trail, his action sports camera recording his day, recording things he might miss. He would enjoy watching the recording once he was home. It would help to finish off what he hoped would be a pleasant day away from work. It didn’t take long to realize any stress he had been feeling was ebbing away. The lower part of the trail was quite easy. It was a good place to warm up for the tougher incline ahead of him. He paced himself for the nearly two-hour trek. It wasn’t a long hike, but it was a good one for a day-trip. Fallon enjoyed stopping along the way to look at plants, watch animals, or check out the views. A lot of those things made it onto the memory card in his camera. One of the rooms in his apartment was devoted to the photographs he took. It was one of his greatest pleasures.
He talked to himself as he went, and regularly shouted, “Hey, bear.” Fallon never hiked quietly. Surprising a bear was not high on his list of things to do. If they heard him coming, they were more likely to move away. It wasn’t a hard and fast rule, but it was definitely worth a try.
A laugh escaped Fallon when a ground squirrel ran across his path, startling him. It ran to a flat rock and stood up to stare at him. Moving carefully, Fallon lifted his camera and took a photo of the cute, little guy. After that, he photographed whatever caught his eye. Birds, plants, animals, and even a few rock formations.
Fallon was nearly to his destination when three men ran by him on the trail, nearly knocking him over as they did so. “What the hell?” he shouted after them, although he was afraid he knew the cause of their flight.
“Bear!”
What happened next was like something out of a horror film. Fallon didn’t look in the direction of the disappearing hikers, but in the direction they had come from. He pulled the bear spray off his belt and aimed, sending up a prayer as his heart threatened to leave his chest. It took every ounce of courage he had to stand his ground. Running was a bad idea, as it triggered a chase response in the top predator. People couldn’t outrun bears. The idiots must have had a head start, and now they had a chance to get away because Fallon was both an obstacle and a distraction.
Fallon had come across bears before, but not like this, not one that was already giving chase. He depressed the trigger on the spray with one hand while raising his other arm, trying to make himself appear larger. They were too close, however. The spray hit the bear in the face, but the enraged animal’s momentum, along with his proximity when he encountered Fallon, had them colliding. The huge, powerful animal took Fallon down as if he weighed nothing. The violence, the ferocity of the attack, was unlike anything he had ever known. He was thrown around like a toy, released, and grabbed again. He covered his head and tried to protect his belly. The bear’s large canines had pierced his right thigh in several places, as well as his buttock. Fallon knew he screamed. There was no other outlet as a new, unknown sensation registered in his brain. The pain was intense, incredible, and blanked out everything else, the sound of the enraged bear, the heat of its breath, the stink of its heavy coat.
Then it was over. Just like that. The bear clawed at him, rolling his body over and over. Fallon ignored the pain. He wasn’t deliberately playing dead. At this point, he didn’t think the bear would be fooled, but Fallon was determined to not do anything to inadvertently provoke the animal into continuing the attack. He lay there face down in the tall grass, his thigh on fire, praying he wouldn’t die.
After pawing and tugging hard at Fallon’s backpack a few times, an action that moved Fallon by several feet, the bear finally lost interest. With his nose pressed into the ground, Fallon breathed through the side of his mouth. He was never lucky enough to pass out. The pain was incredibly hideous. He could only hope that nothing major had been damaged. He wouldn’t have a chance if the bear’s teeth had punctured an artery. He would bleed out before help could get to him. Hopefully the morons would tell someone about their encounter and about passing Fallon as they ran.
When he felt as if he could finally move, Fallon did so cautiously. He pushed up and lifted his head, looking around for any sign of the bear, listening as he did so. He couldn’t see anything through the grass and the growth of plants along the trail. Pushing up, he grimaced with the pain throbbing like living fire in his thigh as he rolled onto his ass.
Breathing through pursed lips, Fallon was finally able to evaluate the damage to his leg. There was definitely blood. A lot of it. There was at least one large laceration, as well as several smaller ones, ripping his flesh. It was definitely nasty to look at, and his stomach churned a warning.
Shrugging gingerly out of his pack, Fallon saw the large rip in it. Because he had energy bars in it, he wondered why the bear hadn’t gone after them. There were few things as strong as a bear’s sense of smell, so it had to have detected them.
Maybe he’s not into healthy eating, Fallon thought with a brief flash of humor as he checked his
cell phone. No reception. Damn. He shoved it back into his pocket and began searching for the GPS he had attached to his belt. His hopes sank even further when he couldn’t find it. It must have been knocked off, he thought dismally. Well, he would have to look for it after he took care of his leg.
Fallon returned his attention to the backpack. Digging through the contents, he found what he was looking for—the large plastic bag with first aid supplies in it. He took out antiseptic, sterile gauze pads, and a roll of gauze. Pulling a cloth out of the pack, he wiped away as much blood as he could, but it was bleeding steadily and more heavily than he would have liked His stomach clenched. Puking over his leg was not going to help.
Once Fallon had the wounds bandaged, the thick pads over the worst of the tears in his flesh, and the gauze wrapped around his thigh, he knew the next wonderful step in the process of getting out of the refuge and to help was to get to his feet. He couldn’t count on the other hikers to tell someone that they had seen him and that he might be in trouble. That meant he would have to do what he could for himself. He was just grateful that he hadn’t been hurt more seriously, because he might not have had a chance otherwise. He looked around briefly for the GPS but couldn’t locate it.
It didn’t take long for Fallon to realize he wouldn’t be able to get out of this situation on his own. Even with the aid of a sturdy branch used as a staff, he was unable to make any progress without causing himself a great deal of pain, as well as causing the bleeding to increase. The bandages were already soaked. He finally found a place beside the trail where he could wait it out. He checked his cell phone again, relieved that there were bars showing. Only two, but he hoped that was enough. While he continued to watch and listen for the return of the bear, he was able to place a call to 911 and to give them the information they needed. He stared at an oddly shaped knot on a tree trunk as he waited, sipping water as he did so. The next time he came up here, he thought, he would take photos of it. The knot looked like a monkey’s face.