by Carol Lynne
Observing Trey out of the corner of his eye, Cole watched him eventually set his fork down. He started to rub his stomach, but stopped, wincing.
“Still hurt?” he had to ask.
“Sometimes. I’m not used to sitting up for so long. The muscles haven’t fully healed I guess.”
“You wanna get outta here?” Cole offered.
Trey grinned. “If I say yes, can I have another kiss before I go back to Bobby’s?”
He rested one arm on the table and put himself between Trey and the rest of the room. Cole leaned in and pressed his mouth to Trey’s. Like before, he didn’t force the kiss on the younger man, instead he waited for Trey’s invitation to proceed.
Trey’s lips parted and Cole delved his tongue inside. Visions of making slow, sweet love to Trey danced through his mind. His body began to respond appropriately with the images the daydream delivered. Cole’s mouth opened wider, begging to become part of the man in front of him. How long would it be before Trey was ready? Cole knew things would need to develop slowly between them if there was a chance of real happiness.
He broke the kiss and pulled back. “I’ve got a blanket behind the seat in my truck. Can I interest you in spending some time with me on the bluff overlooking the water?”
Trey smiled. He started to nod his head, but stopped himself. “You know I can’t…”
Cole shut him up with another quick kiss. “No pressure.”
Trey did nod then. “Okay.”
* * * *
Trey followed Cole to the park. He thought about calling Bobby, but decided against it. It was nearly nine, and surely the guys would figure out he was still with Cole. Speaking of, the gorgeous man got out of his truck with a blanket in hand as Trey turned off his engine. Was he crazy for doing this? Cole had told him no pressure, but Trey didn’t even know how much intimacy he could handle yet. What if he freaked out in the middle of something?
“You coming?”
“Yeah.” Trey climbed out of his convertible and pocketed his keys.
“Can you make it up there?” Cole asked, pointing towards the gradual rise in front of them.
“I think so.” Trey was a bit surprised when Cole took his hand, threading their fingers together.
“I’ll help you. Lean on me if you get tired.”
Trey wished he’d had a chance to wipe the clammy sweat from his palm first, but it didn’t seem to bother Cole. They walked hand in hand to the top of the bluff. By the time they reached the spot with the million dollar view, Trey was winded.
He waited for Cole to spread out the blanket, then collapsed. “I’m out of shape.”
Cole lay down beside Trey, turned to his side and leaned up on his elbow. “I’ll carry you back down if you want me to.”
Trey grinned. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary, but thanks for the offer.”
Trey reached up and ran his index finger over Cole’s lips. Although they were different races, Cole’s skin was nearly as dark as his. “You sunbathe a lot?”
Cole’s tongue snaked out to lick the tip of Trey’s finger. “Nope. I’ve been working on my yard all summer. I’d love to show you what I’ve done sometime.”
“That would be nice.” Trey slipped his hand to the back of Cole’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. He licked the lips he’d touched only moments earlier, asking permission to enter. Cole moaned and let him in. Trey probed the inside of Cole’s mouth like a man dying of thirst, and perhaps he was.
How long had it been since he’d really kissed someone? In college he’d dated a few times, but he’d never really gotten beyond kissing and mutual jerk offs. He had received a blow job once, and even returned the favour, but it was nothing like a simple kiss from Cole. Trey feared he was in way over his head with the older man.
He’d asked Zac once how old he thought Cole was, and Zac said he had no idea, but he’d guess in his forties. Cole’s admission that he’d been in the educational field for twenty-five years had to put him around forty-seven or forty-eight. Compared to his twenty-nine years, Trey felt truly inadequate.
Cole started to roll over on top of him, Trey instinctively putting his hands out to protect his torso. Cole jerked back, breaking their wonderful kiss.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No,” Trey replied honestly. “I guess it’s become second nature since the attack.”
Once again beside him, Cole touched the bottom of Trey’s black T-shirt. “May I?”
Trey studied Cole’s face. He wasn’t sure what he was searching for, but all he saw was concern. He swallowed around the newly formed knot in his throat and nodded.
Cole slowly lifted the soft cotton, until it was under Trey’s armpits. Trey didn’t need to look down to know what Cole saw, two scars, one fairly clean, one jagged and ugly, that went from one side of his ribs to the other. Although it looked ugly, it was the clean scar that had almost ended his life.
Cole’s fingers traced the scars lightly. “Can you talk about it?”
Could he? Trey reached down and touched the long, jagged scar. “This is where he held the knife under me as he fucked me. The tip caught under the skin and ripped it as he continued to…well, you know.”
Trey took a deep breath and moved to the other. “This was his going away gift. I guess he meant to kill me. He would’ve succeeded if the neighbour hadn’t heard what she thought was a domestic disturbance and called the cops.”
Cole leaned down and began kissing his way across the ugly scars. Trey knew he should protest. The act was so personal, so…intimate. He reached down to get Cole’s attention and made the mistake of burying his fingers in the man’s thick blond hair.
Within seconds he was lost. Cole’s hair felt like spun silk against his fingers. He’d never felt close enough to anyone to do something so ordinary. When Cole’s lips finished with the scars, they travelled up to Trey’s chest.
Cole turned his head to gaze into Trey’s eyes as he swirled a tongue around one of his nipples. Trey didn’t even need to look at the dark brown disc to know it was erect. He felt the gooseflesh prickling at his skin as his entire body seemed to come alive.
With a firm grip on the back of Cole’s head, Trey arched his back, trying like hell to get closer. He was completely lost to this man and he knew it. Lost in lust, Trey whimpered. “Closer.”
Cole released Trey’s nipple as he pressed their bodies together. Warm lips landed on Trey’s, while Cole’s tongue dove into the depths of Trey’s mouth. The delicious rub of Cole’s erection against his was too much.
With a surprised shout, Trey came. Cole broke the kiss and gazed down at him. Trey swallowed, mortified at his complete lack of control. If Cole didn’t think he was sexually immature before, he sure would after coming in his shorts. Trey turned his head to the side, embarrassed.
Cole moved back to lie beside Trey. “Don’t,” Cole said.
“I can’t believe I did that,” Trey mumbled.
Cole’s hand covered the wet spot on the front of Trey’s shorts. “What happened was completely natural. I won’t lie, though, I wish I’d had my lips wrapped around your cock when you came, but there’s plenty of time for that.”
Trey’s heart stuttered. The thought of Cole giving him a blow job had been unimaginable only a few hours earlier. It suddenly occurred to him. “That’s the first time I’ve come since…well, you know.”
Cole grinned. “See? I’m just what you need.”
Trey’s cell phone began ringing, interrupting the moment. He reached into his pocket and dug out his phone. He was intent on turning off the offending noise when a glance at the display started his hands to shaking. “It’s Detective Torrance, the guy in charge of my case.”
Cole sat up and gestured to the phone. “Answer it.”
Trey took a deep breath and punched the button. “Hello?”
“Mr. Huggins?”
“Yes, Detective Torrance, it’s me.”
“I think we may have caught our guy. I ne
ed you to come down to the station tomorrow morning to ID the guy so we can charge him.”
The phone slipped from Trey’s shaking hand. He fumbled with it for a few seconds before placing it back up to his ear. “How’d you catch him?”
“A little sting we set up. Can you come down?” Torrance asked.
“Yes, but if you did a sting, can’t you just arrest him for that?”
“We already have, but we have no proof our Loves2Dance239 is the same as your JB101. If you’ll finger him for the attack on you, we can begin building a stronger case for the DA.”
Trey began chewing on his thumbnail.
“Is there a problem, Mr. Huggins?”
Even though the detective asked the question softly, Trey could hear the barely contained growl in the huge man’s voice. He knew he was riding a fine line with the guy. “I just need some time to get myself under control. Please understand.”
“If you’re not here by ten, I’ll come looking for you.” That time there was no mistaking the growl.
“I’ll be there.” Trey hung up the phone. “They think they caught the guy who attacked me.”
Cole reached out and wrapped his arms around Trey. “That’s good.”
Trey gazed up into Cole’s brown eyes. “Is it? I mean, I know he needs to be punished for what he’s done, but I have a feeling I’m the one who’s going to suffer.”
Chapter Three
Cole placed a kiss on Trey’s upturned mouth. He hated the lost look evident in the smaller man’s face. “I can’t answer that question for you, but I can offer to be with you. What do you say? Will you let me drive you to the station?”
“I’m not sure that you should get mixed up in this. Heck, I’m not sure I even want to get mixed up in it. I have a feeling this is going to be a long row to hoe.”
“I think you’re right…” Before Cole could finish his sentence, he watched as Trey’s green eyes lost their sparkle. He shook his head. “I think you’re right, it will be a long process, but that’s the reason I’d like to be there for you. I know you have a great group of friends, but I’m the one who’d like to hold you in my arms and make you feel better at the end of the day.”
“You’d do that?”
Cole nodded. “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.”
Trey laid his head against Cole’s chest. “I’ve never had anyone, except my friends, I could lean on.”
Cole rubbed Trey’s back. “Even though I’d like to consider myself your friend, I’m hoping for more.”
Trey nodded. “Me, too.”
“So will you let me pick you up and take you to the police station in the morning?”
“Yes.”
“Will you let me take you back to my house afterwards, so I can show you what I’ve been working on?”
Trey yawned. “Yeah.”
As much as Cole wanted to hold Trey for the rest of the night, he didn’t want him to endanger himself getting back to his friend’s house. “Why don’t you get back to Bobby’s and get a good night’s sleep.”
Trey snuggled even deeper into his arms. “But this feels so nice.”
Cole grinned. “I agree one hundred percent, but we’ve got plenty of time. No sense taking the chance of you falling asleep at the wheel.”
Trey turned his head and kissed the skin of Cole’s chest where his sport shirt was unbuttoned. He started to pull away, but Cole needed another kiss. He lifted Trey until they were eye level. God, the man was gorgeous.
He ran his tongue across the seam of Trey’s mouth until his man opened for him. Cole brushed the interior of Trey’s mouth playfully. He knew they couldn’t start anything else, and that was a hard task when it came to kissing Trey. Cole would prefer to put Trey in his pickup and take him home forever, but that wasn’t a reality he could have at the moment.
He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Trey’s. “Come on. I’ll follow you home to make sure you get there safely.”
Trey chuckled. “You don’t have to do that. I’m fine. Honest.”
Cole stood and helped Trey to his feet. “I’ll follow you until my turn-off. How does that sound?”
“Good.” Trey waited while Cole picked up the blanket and tossed it over his arm. He melted against Cole’s side when the bigger man wrapped his available arm around him. It was hard walking down the incline, but well worth the effort. There was something special about Cole’s embrace that had Trey feeling perfectly safe for the first time in weeks.
They reached their vehicles quicker than he would’ve liked, but at least Trey knew he’d see Cole in a matter of hours. He could feel the wind blowing against the wet fabric of his shorts, sending a series of shivers up his spine.
Cole tossed the blanket onto the hood of Trey’s low-slung car and pulled him against his chest. “Maybe you should put the top up for the drive home?”
Trey grinned and glanced down at the front of his shorts. “I’ll be fine once I’m sitting.”
Cole brushed his hand across Trey’s fly. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and the friends you’re staying with will be asleep by the time you get there.”
“No such luck. It’s Poker Night. I’m sure everyone will be good and rowdy by the time I get there. I’ll try to sneak upstairs and change before they see me.”
Before pulling away, Cole gave Trey a deep kiss. “Sleep well. I’ll pick you up around nine-thirty.”
Cole waited until Trey got behind the wheel and buckled his seat belt before climbing into his big truck. Trey couldn’t seem to wipe the goofy smile from his face the entire drive home. He waved to Cole as he turned the corner taking him to Bobby’s.
The best thing about Bobby’s house, besides the view, was that it was in a gated community. He pulled into his designated spot and pushed the button to put the top back up. After his car was secured, he pocketed the keys, once again reminded of his earlier embarrassment. It would be a job getting changed before he ran into any of the guys.
As quietly as he could, Trey let himself into the house. He was halfway up the stairs when Bobby appeared at the bottom laughing.
“Uh, you don’t have a curfew, so no need to sneak in the house.”
“Just thought I’d change. I’m feeling a little cold,” Trey answered without turning around.
Several agonising seconds went by without a word. Trey squeezed his eyes shut, hoping Bobby wouldn’t ask him to come down.
“Well, we’re still playing if you’re interested,” Bobby finally said.
“I’ll be right back down.” Trey continued up the stairs and to his room.
The first thing he did was to take off the still damp shorts and underwear. He tossed them to the bottom of his closet with the rest of his dirty clothes before getting out a pair of light-weight sweats and a clean pair of boxer-briefs.
Trey started to step into fresh underwear but stopped himself. It would be just his luck for one of the pervs downstairs to smell the dried cum on his skin even through his clothes. He went into the bathroom and ran hot water over a washcloth.
As he began to clean his groin, he noticed his swollen lips in the mirror. Dang. No way were the guys going to miss that. His mind was so caught up in figuring out an excuse for his bee-stung lips, he almost forgot about his phone call from Detective Torrance.
He threw the washcloth in the sink and walked back to the bed before collapsing. He didn’t even know if he’d be strong enough to ID JB101. What if the guy got off on a technicality and came after him again?
The fresh set of clothing was slipped on without thought. His mind was full of images of the night JB101 had shown up at his door. He could still remember his first impression of the guy and how inadequate he felt standing in front of him. Despite the several webcam shows he’d put on for JB101’s benefit, Trey had never seen his face. JB101 kept his webcam aimed at his hard cock which was usually clenched in his fist.
Then suddenly, Trey opened the door to one of the hottest guys he’d ever laid eyes on.
His first reaction was ‘why me?’ The guy could’ve had his pick of men at any of the gay bars in San Francisco.
Like an idiot, Trey had stumbled backward and motioned for JB101 to come inside. Trey shook his head. He hadn’t even asked the guy his name. What kind of desperate pathetic human being does something like that?
A knock on the door pulled Trey from his thoughts. “Come in.”
Zac opened the door. “You coming down?”
“Detective Torrance called earlier. They think they caught the guy who…”
“That’s fantastic,” Zac whooped as he walked over to sit beside Trey.
“Is it?” Trey still wasn’t certain. “Will knowing he’s behind bars make me feel better about what I allowed him to do to me?”
Zac wrapped an arm around Trey’s shoulders. “You didn’t allow him to do anything. Those scars on your stomach prove it.”
Trey idly rubbed his hand over the scars. “He didn’t make me talk to him for two weeks. He didn’t make me agree to meet him at my house. He didn’t force his way into my home.” Trey looked into Zac’s eyes. “I did that. I willingly let that psycho into my life.”
“I don’t know who you are right now, but I won’t let you talk about my friend Trey that way.”
Trey sighed and glanced away. Why did he expect Zac to understand?
“Hey.” Zac bumped against Trey’s body. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting companionship. I’ll admit, you inviting him to your house on the first date wasn’t the smartest thing you’ve ever done, but what he did once there wasn’t your fault.”
“They’re going to drag this thing out. You know they will. I think I have a real chance at something good with Cole, but I can’t put him through it. He’s worked too hard to get where he is. All it would take is a reporter snapping a picture of the two of us together for him to lose his job.”
“I thought the two of you would be right for each other. I’m happy for you.”
Trey tilted his head and looked up at Zac. “Don’t be too happy for me until I figure out what I’m going to do about it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I thought you just said the two of you had a shot at something. Why would you shut it down before it’s barely begun?”