Born To Be Different

Book 2 in the ‘Born’

Series

Wade’s Story

By

A.L. Simpson

Born To Be Different

Book 2 in the “Born” Series

Wade’s Story

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2016 by A.L.

Simpson

Thank you for purchasing this

book. It remains the copyrighted
property of the author and may not be
reproduced, scanned or distributed for
any commercial or non-commercial use
without permission from the author and
publisher. Quotes used in reviews are
the exception. No alteration of content is
allowed. If you enjoy this book, then

please encourage your friends to
purchase their own copy.

This book is a work of fiction.

Any resemblance to persons, living or
dead, is purely coincidental. The
characters are productions of the
author’s imagination and are used
fictitiously.

Warning:

This book contains sexual content, m/m

scenes and language suitable only for

those 18+

“Being different is a revolving door in

your life where secure people enter and

insecure, exit.”

Shannon L. Alder

Edited by Dennie Fox

Thank you to my PA – Joanne, love ya
hun.

Leanne who is my most supportive fan
and friend, thank you, love you.

Thank you to Ann for Promo.

Thank you to Ravannah for Book covers,
Meme's, Swag and Promo.

Thank you to Kelli, Janine, Sheri and all
my crew members who have helped me
so much. Love you all.

Chapter One

WADE

“Mason, please quit teasing and

fuck me. My dick is so hard I could
hammer goddamn nails with it.”

Mason, my lover, has me at his

mercy. I’m spread eagled and tied to the
bedposts. All I can do is writhe as he
peppers my body with kisses, sucks on
my nipples and shoves his fingers into
my ass. He’s everywhere but where I
want him to be, sucking my cock.

“Darling, you really don’t have

any patience do you?”

“Fuck, no. Not when my dick is

aching like hell and my balls are
climbing up inside my fuckin’ body. I
need to release my cum. Please untie me
and let me fuck your sexy ass.”

Mason

laughs.

“Not

gonna

happen. I’ll suck you off when I’m ready,
not when you want it.”

“I hate you.”
“I know. You tell me that every

time we fuck.”

He lowers his lips to mine and

his tongue delves inside. Our teeth clash
as the kiss heats up and becomes frantic.
I push my cock against his; it causes the
friction I need to bring me close to the

edge. Then, the bastard moves off me.
Just as I’m about to unload, he fuckin’
moves.

“You must have been a fuckin’

torturer in a previous life.”

He runs his soft hand down my

cheek before pushing his cock between
my lips. I taste the salty sweetness of pre
cum. He’s as randy as I am. My tongue
caresses his length as he pushes in, and
then draws back. It delves into his slit
and I relish his moans.

“Fuck, you give the best head.

I’m gonna come.”

I suck in my cheeks and close

tightly around him. Two more sucks and
he empties his load down my throat. He
moans with delight. I want to touch him.

Caress him. Hold him tight and fuck him.
I milk him dry and he withdraws.

I watch as he grabs a tube of lube

and a condom from the nightstand. He
sheaths me and reaches around to lube
up his ass. I sigh with delight as he
lowers himself onto me. My cock pulses,
convulses as Mason raises and lowers
himself over my length like an out of
control piston. It doesn’t take long
before I explode. My vision falters for a
few seconds as wave after wave of
orgasm spears through me.

Mason leans forward and his

lips close over mine. He kisses me
tenderly. We’re both satisfied now. The
urgency, gone. He unties me and we curl
into each other’s arms. Another kiss and

Mason drifts off. We’re both exhausted
but sated.

I kiss the top of his head as I lay

thinking.

***

I’ve been with Mason just over

nine months. We met when Cleo’s, the
restaurant where he was working, was
trashed and then burnt to the ground. Let
me back up and tell you the story.

Hamish is our Head Chef at

Leon’s where I work as his second in
charge. He recently married Blossom
who owns Leon’s and a string of
restaurants called Cleo’s, which is all
over the country. She didn’t change the
name of our restaurant as she wanted to
honor the old man who previously

owned it. She also didn’t want two
Cleo’s so close together.

Blossom caught two of her

employees at Cleo’s, her Head Chef and
Manager, stealing from her and they
were fired. It was something to do with
a betting ring. They came back a couple
of weeks later and trashed the place.
Blossom was angry and she attempted to
get back at them by placing losing bets in
their names. They found out what she did
and came after her. They tied her to a
chair in her office, stole money, beat her
around the head and set fire to the
restaurant. If Hamish hadn’t arrived in
time and rushed into the burning
building, Blossom would have been
killed.

Blossom rebuilt Cleo’s because

she didn’t want the bastards to win or
her staff to be out of a job. She kept her
regular staff on paid leave while it was
being rebuilt. Desiree was appointed the
new Manager and she came to work at
Leon’s with our Manager, Samuel. They
have fallen in love but that’s another
story. Mason was appointed Head Chef
and came to learn the ropes from Hamish
and me while the restaurant was being
rebuilt.

The minute all six feet of him

sauntered into our kitchen I knew I was
gone. Even under his Chef uniform I
could see he had an amazing body. My
suspicions were confirmed the first time
I brought him home and we fucked. He’s

a little soft around the middle but he still
has a beautiful body. His brown hair is
silky and insists on falling over one eye.
Something I find amazingly sexy. His
brown eyes are like pools of melted
chocolate and I could lose myself in
them forever. At thirty-eight years old
he’s not a whole lot younger than my
forty-five. Yep, Mason is damn near
perfect.

Note, I said near perfect. Mason

is still in the closet and this bothers me
like you would not believe. He refuses
to go anywhere with me unless it’s out of
town where people don’t know us. This
is causing a great deal of friction
between us because I’m proud of who I
am. What I am.

***

I was born to be different and I

have never felt inferior to anyone. It’s
the reason I left home at the age of
sixteen. My parents made me feel like I
was defective. They did everything they
could to change me. I lost count of the
number of psychiatrists, psychologists
and other doctors I was forced to see.
You see, I knew I was gay from a young
age. I always felt a kind of attraction to
other boys but nothing toward girls.
When I finally confessed, at the age of
fourteen, to my very staid, banker father,
he lost it. He said I was twisted,
perverted, and forbid me to tell anyone.
He yelled at my mother accusing her of
being unfaithful because I couldn’t

possibly be his son. No son of his could
be queer. It was my first taste of
prejudice and I knew if I could weather
his ire, I could take it from anyone.

By the time I turned eighteen, I

couldn’t take living at home any more. It
became common knowledge I was gay
because I said nothing to deny the
gossip. My father was furious and
warned me to find a young girl and start
dating. I refused. He threatened to throw
me out, cut me off. I still refused and I
realized I needed to get away from him
and his poisonous tongue.

When

a

businessman

acquaintance overheard me complaining
to a friend at the gym, he approached me
and asked me to go for a coffee. He said

he had a proposal for me. I accepted.
Finlay was a kind man, forty years older
than me. He made me a proposition I
couldn’t, and didn’t want to, refuse. He
invited me into his home, said he would
pay for furthering my education and take
care of me. The payment? I was to be his
lover. I had no problem with that.

I moved in to his home that

afternoon. I didn’t tell my parents or my
sister where I was going, I just gathered
what I wanted from my room and left.

That night I lost my virginity.

Finlay was a gentle but passionate lover
and he patiently taught me what it was to
be loved and cherished. Something I had
never felt from my mother or father. He
was the first person to ask me what I

was interested in doing with my life.

He owned a thriving import

business and he talked to me about what
it entailed. He asked if I would like to
take over some of his management there.
He offered to train me. I wanted to do it
for Finlay but after the first week he
could see my heart wasn’t in it. I can
still remember the conversation clearly.

“Darling, it’s obvious the import

business isn’t what you want to do. Talk
to me. If you could do whatever you
want, what would it be?”

“I want to be a chef.”
I’d waited for the laughter, the

scoffing like my mother and father when
I’d told them. It didn’t come. Instead, he
had told me:

“I’ll make enquiries for you

tomorrow and book you into the best
school there is.”

“The College for Excellence in

Creative Cooking.”

“The what, what?”
I’d repeated it slowly and Finlay

had written it down.

“Tomorrow I’ll call them and

book you in to the next available
course.”

I had moved into his arms and

kissed him with everything I had. That
night, and every night following, we’d
made love. It was the night I realized,
Finlay was going to be the most
important person in my life.

The following sixteen years

were happier than I could have ever
imagined. Then, Finlay got stomach
cancer. It was advanced and nothing
could be done. I was devastated. When
he told me, I cried uncontrollably. I
couldn’t imagine my life without him in
it. I loved him so much. He was my
everything.

I gave up my job and nursed him.

Finlay had no family except me. We
spent every minute of his final six
months together. We went to the
Bahamas for a vacation in the sun. It was
to be our last one together. He passed
away in my arms. It was two in the
morning and it was snowing outside.

I cried for hours. Rocked him in

my arms, unwilling to let him go. I
wanted to die with him. Finally I called
for an ambulance and he was taken
away.

The following couple of days

were spent organizing the funeral he’d
wanted. The day I buried him was the
saddest of my life and I had no idea how
I’d go on. He left everything to me; the
house on the beach we had shared, four
million dollars in his bank accounts, and
his business. He’d set me up for the rest
of my life. I sold the business and set up
a fund to give education scholarships to
underprivileged kids. He would have
been proud to have his name attached to
something so worthwhile.

I spent the following six months

wallowing. I couldn’t eat. I lost weight. I
was scruffy. Hardly got out of bed. But,
one morning I woke and knew Finlay
would have been distraught if he knew
how I was suffering. I made a decision
to change things in my life. I had an
excellent reputation as one of the city’s
best chefs, but I didn’t want to work in a
restaurant, I wanted to teach. I applied
for a position as a tutor at the school I
had trained at and was accepted.

That’s where I met Hamish. I

saw something in him. He’d had a rough
upbringing but wanted to succeed by
doing what he loved. We became good
friends and slowly he brought me back
to life.

No, Hamish isn’t gay. As I said,

he’s married to Blossom and they now
have two kids. Steve, who he saved
from the streets, and Liam who has just
been born.

When I decided I no longer

wanted to teach I went back to work as a
Chef at Leon’s. It was where I had
managed to secure a position for
Hamish. Although I was offered the
position of Head Chef, I refused. I didn’t
need the extra salary and Hamish
deserved the position more than I did.
He’s a brilliant, award winning chef and
my best friend.

He did spend a couple of nights

with me and during that time I managed
to break down the rest of his barriers. It
had taken me ten years but I finally

taught him to trust. I showed him he was
worthy of love. We love each other
dearly and are always there for each
other but we knew after our two nights
together, we were not what each other
needed.

He found Blossom and they love

each other deeply. There were a few
blocks in their road to love but they got
there. I found Mason and although I have
fallen in love with him, something I
never thought I would be able to do after
Finlay, I’m not sure we’ll make it. I can’t
be with a man who can’t be proud of
who he is. The problem is, I don’t know
how to let him go.

***

Mason moves in my arms and I

kiss his cheek.

“Are you still awake?” His

voice is slightly slurred, thick with
sleep.

“Hmmm, I’ve been thinking

about us.”

He rolls onto his side and props

himself on his elbow. He gazes over at
me. “Again? When are you going to
accept me for who I am?”

“It’s hard, sweetheart. I love you

so much. You know you’re the first
person I’ve felt anything for since Finlay
died but I don’t know if I can live with
your denial; your secrecy. It makes
everything we share seem somehow
sordid. And, why won’t you move in
with me? You come here almost every

night, we make love and then you insist
on going home.”

“I can’t do it, Wade. If my family

finds out…”

“Are you saying what your

family thinks is more important than me?
How you feel?”

“Darling. We’ve been over and

over this. I can’t come out yet. Why can’t
we just go on as we are?”

“I just don’t get it. Everyone we

work with knows. What’s the difference
if your family knows? If they don’t
accept you for who you are that’s their
problem. Why do you insist on hiding
who you are? Why can’t I meet your
family? If they see how happy we are
together

I’m

sure

they’ll

feel

differently.”

“NO! You can’t meet my family.

I’m sorry but, no. I’ve told you time and
time again, I don’t want them to meet
you.”

“Are you ashamed of me?”
Mason sighs. “For the millionth

time, I’m not ashamed of you but I don’t
want you to meet them. If you knew my
father, you would understand why.”

“Well let me meet your father

and then I won’t hound you anymore.”
Mason leans down and captures my lips.
My cock stands up in anticipation. He’s
doing a good job of distracting me.

“Forget it, darling. Let me love

you.”

His hand drifts down to my dick.

It flinches under his touch and pre cum
leaks from the tip. I let it go. For now.

Chapter Two

MASON

I lie beside Wade and listen to

his soft breathing. I know he’s not asleep
but I pretend I am. Fucking him is
amazing. I love him. I know he loves me.
He’s tender, patient but, I fear that
patience is about to run out. I want to
move in with him. I want to spend every
waking moment with him. Therein lies
my fucking dilemma. I can want all I like
but I can’t give myself completely to the
man I adore. I am too scared of the

consequences.

The first time I laid eyes on

Wade I knew he was the man for me.
Although a few inches shorter, the man is
all solid, delectable muscle. His soft,
baby fine hair is peppered with silver
and he has the most captivating blue
eyes. There was an instant attraction
between the two of us.

I have known since I was twelve

years old that I wasn’t what my family
would consider, normal. Throughout
high school I dated girls and battled my
attraction to the hunky football jocks. I
fantasized what it would be like to lock
lips with some of the boys while I was
kissing the girls. I was bitterly unhappy.
My father is an extremely old fashioned

Minister of Religion and has railed
against the gay community for as long as
I can remember. Faggot, Queer, Fairy,
Cock Jockey, were all names my father
used with vitriolic disdain to describe
them.

So

much

for

Christian

understanding.

He’s also a wealthy, thanks to my

grandparents, influential man about
town. He is not one to cross. I can’t
change him, wouldn’t even bother to try.
I would never expose Wade to his cruel
taunts; his opinionated insults. I dislike
the man intensely but I am stuck with
him. I can’t risk losing a multi-million
dollar inheritance.

I sigh deeply, wondering why I

don’t confess my shame to Wade, My

father is a hypocrite and a bigot, not to
mention a vengeful man who has the
power to destroy us.

“Are you leaving?”
I hear the disappointment in

Wade’s voice. I hear it every time we
make love and I have to get up and
leave. Fuck, I wish I could stay. I roll
over and kiss his lips. He startles me by
pushing me away.

“Just go. I’ll talk with you

tomorrow.”

“Darling, please don’t be like

this.” I plead with him not to be angry.

“Why not? I’m angry because I

want the man that I love to stay with me
just one fucking night. You never stay.

I’m beginning to think you have another
man in your life!”

This is new. I’ve never been

accused of having another man to go
home to. “You know I don’t have another
man in my life. I love you Wade. I would
never do that to you.”

“Wouldn’t you? I know you’re

hiding something from me. If you won’t
tell me, what am I supposed to think?”

I climb off the bed and jam my

legs into my jeans. I can’t have this
conversation with him. I couldn’t bear to
see the hatred in his eyes if I told him the
truth. I finish dressing; grab my wallet
and keys and leave. No kiss. No
goodbye.

Nothing.

Tomorrow

is

Saturday and we both have the evening

shift. I will try and come over and make
peace.

I enter the garage via the internal

door from the house. I press a button on
the wall and the door rises slowly. I get
into my Mercedes, a gift from my father,
and back out. The word bribe pops into
my mind. I shouldn’t have taken it, but I
did. I climb from the car, press the
button to start the garage door closing
and return to the driver’s seat. I sit
quietly as the door hits the ground and
bounces slightly. I wish with all my
heart, I didn’t have to leave.

The engine fires to life and I pull

away from the curb. I’m headed home.
Home….to my wife and two kids.

***

I drive the car into the garage.

The lights in the house are still on and I
know Cynthia will still be awake,
waiting to unleash her fury at me, again.

I reach for the handle to open the

door leading into the house but Cynthia
has already slammed it open. I sigh
wearily. I’m so tired of having to be
someone I’m not, conforming to what is
expected of me. So tired of not being
happy.

“Cynthia, I told you not to wait

up.” I attempt to peck at her cheek but
she forcefully pushes me away.

“Who is she? Tell me who the

fuck you’re screwing around with. I
spoke with Cheryl and Therese today at
lunch and mentioned how often you stay

late at work. They said you’re having an
affair. Who the fuck is it?”

I walk past her, kick off my shoes

and flop onto the couch. I drag my
fingers through my hair. I don’t want to
do this.

“I’m not having a fucking affair

with a woman. You’re the only woman
in my life.”

“That’s what you fucking tell me

but Cheryl and T….”

I interrupt her by raising my

hands. “I don’t fucking care what those
two gossips say. I’m telling you, I am not
having an affair with any woman.”
Before you say anything, before you
judge me, I’m not lying. I’m just not
telling her the whole truth.

“Why are you staying late so

often? You’re shift finished hours ago so
what the fuck have you been doing.”

Okay, skip this part. I’ve got to

lie now. “I’m staying late to help with
management. There’s a lot of work to be
done since Cleo’s has been rebuilt.”
Cynthia flopped down on the couch next
to me and I wrap an arm around her.
She’s a good woman and a great mother
but she’s a woman. “How are the kids?”

“Lenore lost a tooth at school

today and Ryan received a certificate for
getting all the words right in a spelling
test. They wanted to tell you but as
usual, you weren’t fucking here. You’re
never here when we want you.”

She’s right. Even before Wade I

made excuses to stay away although it
wasn’t as often. It’s not that I don’t love
Cynthia. I do, as a friend. Our kids are
seven and five years old and fucking
adorable. They are the lights of my life
but I need more. Before I met Wade I’d
had a few one-night stands and they
were always out of town. It seemed to
satisfy me and I was able to be the
husband and father Cynthia and the kids
wanted for a while. Until I needed
another one-night stand. My life was like
a fucking dangerous revolving door.

Then, Wade came into my life

and I fell hard. I knew from the moment
we met, it was meant to be. He was the
one. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to be here more
often.”

“I don’t care anymore, Mason.

We sleep in separate rooms in separate
beds. We haven’t fucked in I don’t know
how long and I can’t remember the last
time we went out as a family. I can’t
force you to be part of this family. I
know you’re only here for the kids but
over the last few months even they don’t
seem to matter to you.”

“Of course they do. You all do. I

love the kids with all my heart. I only
wish I could love you as more than a
good friend. I’m sorry. I hate to see you
hurting. Do you want a divorce?”

“You know your father would

never allow it. He would persecute you.
Hold you up as a poor example of
humanity. You’d be ridiculed as a sinner.

Disowned publically. Your inheritance
would be gone. I couldn’t do that to you.
I do love you and I don’t want you hurt.
He would also make public my father’s
gambling problem. I couldn’t do that to
my mother.”

We’ve had this discussion so

many times I’ve lost count. I hug her to
me. She’s a good woman and she
deserves someone who will love her,
treat her like a princess. I wish I could.
“I don’t care about any of that but I care
about what he would do to you and the
kids. He could make your lives hell on
earth. Leaving town wouldn’t help
either. The fucking man has tentacles
everywhere.”

“I know. I guess we’re stuck,

huh?”

“Yep. Tell me, why were you so

angry when you thought I might be seeing
someone?”

“I hate the fact we’re stuck in

this situation and you might be seeing
another woman. It makes me feel … I
don’t know. Like I’m being the good
little wife while you get your rocks off
and have fun with someone else. I’m
sorry I snapped. I’m tired and fed up
with fielding questions from the kids
about why their daddy isn’t home.”

I wrap her in my arms and kiss

the top of her head. “Sweetheart, I
promise there are no other women.”
When did I become such a lying bastard?
Why can’t I tell my best friend the truth?

“Okay.”
Tears well in her eyes. I feel like

a real fucktard. “Honey, would you like
to see someone. It’s because of my father
we’re trapped. I would understand if you
want to find someone else.” Yeah, I
wouldn’t feel like such a prick the next
time I fuck Wade if I knew she had
someone who can make her happy.

“Where am I gonna meet

someone else. All my time is spent with
the kids.”

“Why don’t you and your

girlfriends plan a night out of town? Go
to a bar. Hook up with some guys. Have
fun. It doesn’t have to be serious.”

“Remind me why we’re not in

love anymore? You are a wonderful

man. Where did things go wrong?”

“Sweetheart, I do love you and I

always will but, only as a friend and the
mother of my children. I’m sorry it can
never be more.”

“I understand. I’m sorry we were

forced into this marriage. I mean we
hardly knew each other.”

“It’s not your fault your father

was indebted to mine and my father
insisted on you being repayment. I could
have said no, but I liked you and I
thought we could make it work. If I’d
had the balls to say no from the
beginning, we wouldn’t be trapped.” If
I’d had the balls to stand up to my father
and admit that I’m gay, Cynthia wouldn’t
be stuck with me.

“I’m going to bed. I’m tired.”

Cynthia kisses me gently, stands and
heads off to her room.

I’m left feeling like an asshole.

While I’ve been busy having a good time
and falling in love, Cynthia has been
managing the house and caring for the
kids without any support.

I drop my head in my hands and

quietly sob. My life is a fucking mess.

***

Cynthia has taken the kids to see

her parents. It’s a regular Saturday thing.
I never go with them. They don’t like me
and I don’t like them.

I climb into my car and head for

Wade’s. I’m hoping his mood is better

today. When I arrive at the house, the
garage door is down. I sort of expected
that because I didn’t tell Wade I was
coming. I unlatch my seatbelt and step
from the car. There’s a secret button
under a fake rock in the garden by the
front door. I lift the rock; push the button
and the garage door rises. I set the rock
back in place, climb in my car and drive
into the garage.

After shutting off the engine, I get

out of the car and push the button by the
wall to set the garage door falling.

“Wade, where are you darling?”

I call out as I enter the house.

The place is quiet. There’s no

sign of Wade.

“Wade!”

Nothing.
I head downstairs to the pool.

Wade loves to swim so I figure that’s
where he might be. The pool area is
deserted. His car is in the garage so he
must be here somewhere. I drag my
fingers through my hair. Then, the penny
drops. There’s a possibility he’ll be
down at the beach.

I dump my shoes and socks,

stride to the end of the back garden and
descend the steps to the beach. I
recognize Wade’s sexy ass, he’s lying
face down on a towel lapping up the
sunshine. I head over and stand by him.
He glances up before turning his head
away from me. He’s still pissed. I sit
beside him and lay my hand on his back.

“Piss off.”
“Wade, please.”
“I can’t do this, Mason. I’m

done. I need to move on.”

“What do you mean?” I’m

beginning to panic. I’ve never heard him
so resigned. He sits up and faces me.

“Look at you. This beach is

private. The fucking President of the
United States could come down here and
no-one would say a word yet you still
come down fully dressed. You’re
ashamed of who you are and by default,
me.”

“But, I’m not. I just have to be

careful. You don’t understand.”

“Help me understand. Trust me.

Things have to change. I need you to stay
the night with me, be seen with me. Be
proud to be by my side.”

“I want to darling but I can’t.”

Tears roll over my cheeks.

“Then leave. I can’t be with a

man who won’t trust me. A man who
won’t tell me the truth.”

Wade lies back on the towel, his

face turned away, his body taut with
anger. “Please, darling. Please give me a
bit longer.”

“I’ve been patient long enough.

Explain what the problem is or leave –
for good.”

I begin to cry. I don’t want to

lose Wade but I can’t give him what he

wants either.

I kiss his shoulder, stand and

walk away. I leave the only person who
has ever made me happy. The only
person I have truly loved.

Chapter Three

WADE

I lift my head from the towel and

watch as Mason walks away. He
actually preferred to walk away than
trust me with the truth. I flip onto my
stomach and drop my head. A lump
forms in my throat as I choke back tears.
I guess in some ways it’s good that I
found out now. I did fall in love with
him and yes, it will hurt for a while, but
it could be a hell of a lot worse. If we
had stayed together much longer, I could

have fallen even deeper and it would
have torn me apart.

“Wade, how you doing?”
I swipe my arm across my eyes

before rolling onto my back. “Rafe.
What’s happening?”

He drops onto the sand next to

me and places his hand on my arm. I sit
myself up and say. “Not much. You?”

“I’m good but I can see you’re

not. Do you want to talk?”

Rafe is a good man. I’ve known

him for around ten years. He and his
partner have become my good friends.
He lives in a house two doors down.
He’s about my age I think. “How’s
George?”

“Gone. Work is great and I’m

well. Now we have that out of the way,
talk to me.”

“I can’t believe you and George

split. You seemed so right for each other.
How long were you together?”

“Almost eleven years. Eleven

fucking years and he neglected to tell me
he had another man on the side.”

“I’m sorry. When did it happen?”
“A month ago. I stayed low for a

while and then I decided I wasn’t going
to let him reduce me to a blubbering
wreck. So, here I am.”

He holds out his arms and my

eyes wander over his body. He’s tall and
slender, but well-muscled. He doesn’t

have much chest hair and a cock to die
for. Hamish and Mason have large
cocks; Rafe’s is fucking enormous. With
his sandy blonde hair and riveting blue
eyes, he’s a man killer. “I broke up with
Mason today. A few minutes ago
actually.”

“What went wrong?”
“I don’t know. He would never

stay the night. He said he had things to
figure out but wouldn’t tell me what they
were. I wanted him to move in, spend
time out and about with me, but he
refused. I couldn’t live like that
anymore. It made what we shared seem,
well, somehow sordid. ”

“Closet?”
“Big time. He said he couldn’t

come out because of something to do
with his father. I think there’s more to it
but he won’t talk to me. I couldn’t go on.
I can’t be with someone who won’t trust
me.”

“Maybe it’s not that he won’t,

maybe he can’t.”

“Either way, it’s over. Done.”

Tears fill my eyes. Rafe leans over and
pulls me against him. His arms are
wrapped around me. It feels good to be
held as I sob. A few minutes pass in
silence.

“Come on darling. Let me take

you inside.”

Rafe gets to his feet and offers

his hand. I place my hand in his and he
pulls me to my feet. I grab my towel and

with his arm around my waist, he leads
me inside.

“Go and sit down and I’ll make

you a cup of tea.”

“I don’t want one, thank you.” He

moves in front of me and pulls me into
his arms. His hand caresses my cheek
and I lean in and kiss it. His eyes lock on
mine.

“Wade.” His lips crash onto

mine.

My lips part as his tongue insists

on entry into my welcoming mouth. His
hands drift over my body and my cock
hardens and springs upward. He tugs me
closer and our dicks start to dance with
each other. Why am I so turned on by this
man when I’ve only just parted from

Mason? Why do I want to take him to
bed and ravage his body? My mind says
this is wrong. My heart says this is
wrong. However my body wants him so
bad, it won’t take no for an answer.

Our tongues continue to tango;

our teeth clash as the kiss becomes more
desperate. I pull back to catch my breath
and I can see the dark lights in his eyes.
They are sparkling with lust. “Rafe, I…
I” His lips crash back down on mine. I
lead him down to my bedroom and urge
him onto his back on the bed.

I spread his long legs wide and

lower my lips to kiss his right ankle. I
massage his foot as my lips slide up his
calves. Nipping. Kissing. His skin is
smooth. He tastes of salt and smells of

sunshine and fresh air. I work my way up
his leg and as he lifts his hips, expecting
my lips to cover his cock, I move down
to his left foot. He groans with want.

“Wade, please darling.”
“All in good time.”
He groans again. I glance up to

see his hardened cock. The tip is purple,
filled with blood. Pulsing with want. It’s
magnificent. My hand slides up his body
and wraps around his silk covered rod.
The tip is slick with pre cum. I want to
take it slow. Tease. I want to make him
beg. Its crazy, but, I want him as much as
he seems to want me. I cup his balls. My
own cock stiffens to the point of
explosion.

I slide up his body until I can

take him into my mouth. I taste the
sweetness of his pre cum as my tongue
laves his length. While one of my hands
takes the weight of his balls, the other
moves to his nipple. It hardens under my
touch.

Rafe threads his fingers through

my hair, pulling, as he writhes beneath
me. I increase my pace and open my
throat as I take him deeper. He squeals
with delight. His balls are sucked up
inside him. He’s close.

“Wade, darling. I’m com….”
Cum explodes from his dick

before he can finish his sentence. I
swallow and take everything he has to
offer.

My hands slide over his tight

abs, pinch his nipples; caress his body
as I milk him of every last drop. When I
feel him relax, my mouth releases his
dick and I sit up.

His eyes are glazed over, filled

with satisfaction. I lay my body on top of
him, my hard cock lays against his,
urging it back to life. It twitches with
interest. He opens his eyes and they lock
with mine.

“Fuck that was good. In all the

years I was with George, he never
managed to take me fully.”

His hands roam over my back,

squeeze at my ass. We kiss tenderly. My
cock is screaming at me for release. I
place my hands on each side of his face
and deepen the kiss. His cock dances

against mine, it’s ready for seconds.

“I want you Rafe.” My voice is

breathless, wanting.

“Ass or mouth?”
“Ass” I move away and grab a

condom, rip open the packet and sheath
Rafe’s pulsating cock. Spreading my
legs I position myself above him. He
holds his cock erect. I spread the cheeks
of my ass and lower myself down. His
dick forces its way through my ring of
objecting muscle and slides inside. It
seems to take forever before he is
bedded. I am stretched, full. It feels
exquisite.

Rafe places his hands around my

waist. Mine rest on his chest. I lower
and fall taking every delicious inch. He

takes my aching cock into his hand as we
climb. The rhythm matches that of my ass
over his cock.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Harder Rafe.

Faster.”

Rafe obliges, increases his pace

and squeezes my dick hard. I explode.
Cum covers his chest. At the same time
he yells out my name and empties his
load into his condom. I ride him until his
body slackens and relaxes. I collapse
onto his chest. His arms wrap around
me. Our hearts are beating frantically.
We lay quietly for a few minutes.

“Wade. You okay?”
Lifting my head, I peer into his

concerned eyes. “More than okay.” I kiss
away his worries and we drift into

slumber.

***

“Rafe.” I run my hand down the

side of his face.

“Yep.”
“I have to get up darling. I have

to go into work.”

“Stay with me.”
“I can’t. They wouldn’t be able

to get anyone at such short notice and I
won’t leave them shorthanded just so I
can stay home and fuck.”

“Okay. Can I see you when you

get home?”

“I don’t mind if you stay.”
“I’ll go home and pick up a few

things. I’ll be here waiting for you when

you’re finished.”

I kiss his lips gently and crawl

from the bed. My ass is tender. It’s never
taken anyone as large as Rafe before. I
pad slowly to the bathroom; each step
causes a slight stab of pain.

After flicking on the tap I adjust

the water to comfortably hot and step
under the spray. I turn and allow it to
massage my back. It soothes my aching
muscles. I rest my head against the cool
tiles and thoughts invade. I question my
actions. How could I have fucked Rafe
so soon after splitting with Mason? Am I
no better than a man whore? I tell myself
there was no future with Mason. It’s no
use grieving what might have been.
Tears fall from my eyes. I loved him.

Truly loved him. I didn’t think that was
possible after Finlay. Could I learn to
love Rafe? Is he using me to get over
George?

I have many questions, but no

answers. I have been hurt before. I will
get past this. I soap up a hand towel and
run it over my body. I remove the
showerhead from the wall, spread my
legs and allow the spray to pound into
my ass. It stings and soothes at the same
time. I could have stood that way for
hours. The pain lessens. I switch off the
water, hang the shower back on the wall
and step out.

I watch in the mirror as I dry

every inch of me. I have a sensuous
body, which I take good care of. Ripped

abs, hairless chest and a cute face. I’m
proud of who and what I am. Rafe will
help me move on from this if I let him.
Maybe love will come if I give it a
chance. I do care for him.

Rafe has drifted back off to sleep

by the time I return to the bedroom and
dress. When I’m ready to leave I place a
kiss to his lips.

“See you tonight, George. Love

you darling.”

His sleep filled voice speaks his

feelings and my gut clenches. We both
have a long way to go if we intend to get
over those who have wormed their way
into our hearts, then betrayed us. I leave
quietly and head for my car in the
garage.

***

The kitchen is quiet when I

arrive but I know Hamish will be in
shortly. I tie my apron on and flash up
the cookers. I’ve started peeling
vegetables when our head chef saunters
in.

“Wade. How’s it going?”
I turn around in time to watch

him peel off his clothes. He stands naked
before me. God, the man has a beautiful
body. He still makes me want him.
“Good. How’s the family?”

He steps into his chef pants.

“They’re great. Blossom and I will be
happy when Liam starts sleeping through
the night though. That boy sure has a set
of lungs on him when he wants

something. I swear his screams are
enough to wake the fucking dead.”

“How is Steve doing with him?”
“He’s fucking great. He loves

that kid so much. Can’t wait to get home
from school and play with him. Getting
him to do his homework is a fucking
nightmare. Blossom says the novelty
will wear off but I don’t know when.”

“You should be thankful he’s not

jealous and that he’s willing to help
out.”

“I guess so. Blossom says he’s a

Godsend. She loves that she can hand
Liam over and get a few things done
around the apartment.”

Hamish buttons his tunic and

moves beside me. “He’s a good kid.”

“Yep, he is.”
I go quiet. I’m wishing I had the

kind of home life Hamish now has. He
deserves it after the way he was raised. I
feel his hands on my shoulders and he
turns me to face him.

“Give. What’s going on?”
A tear escapes and winds its way

over my cheek.

“Come and sit down and tell me

about it.” Hamish leads me to a bench
seat and pulls me down next to him. He
swivels to face me. “What’s wrong?
What’s happened?”

“Mason and I broke up.”
“I don’t understand. I know how

much you love each other.”

“I love him with all my heart,

Ham, but he won’t trust me to tell me
what’s going on in his life. He still
won’t move in, won’t stay the night or go
out in public with me. He still comes
down to our nude beach fully dressed. I
have asked him time and time again to
tell me what it is he’s so scared of but he
won’t talk. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Hamish pulls me into his arms

and I sob against his shoulder. His hands
over my back are soothing and I feel him
kiss the top of my head. I love this man
dearly even if we weren’t meant to be.

“Do you want me to talk to him

for you?”

I raise my face and look into

Ham’s face. “I don’t know that it would
do any good.”

“Maybe not but I can’t handle

you being so upset. It’s worth a try. What
have you got to lose?”

“I guess so. Thanks.”
“What else is bothering you?”
Fucking Hamish. We always

could read each other’s minds. “I slept
with Rafe.”

The shock shows on Hamish’s

face. “Rafe and George, Rafe? Rafe who
has been with George for fucking ever?”

I nod.
“For fuck sake. When? Why?

What happened between them?”

“George had some ass on the

side. Rafe was at the beach when Mason
and I broke up. I invited him up to the
house and it just happened. He’s still
there.”

“Fuck, Wade. It didn’t take long

for you to set Mason aside.”

“I was hurting, Ham. I wasn’t

thinking clearly and Rafe was there. I
care about him and it just happened.”

“Is his cock as big as I’ve

heard?”

I laugh. Only Ham would be so

forthright. “Bigger. My ass aches like
hell after being fucked by him. I’ve had
some big cocks in my time but his
stretched me to the absolute limit. I have
no idea why George found someone
else. If I loved Rafe, his cock would be

more than enough to keep me happy.”

“Almost a pity I’m married.

Would have been interesting to have a
taste.”

“You wouldn’t.”
“Of course not. I love Blossom

more than anything on earth. I would
never betray her. Just saying, if I didn’t
have her, I wouldn’t mind trying him
out.”

“I don’t know what to do. As I

said, I care about Rafe but I love Mason.
I never thought I would love like that
again after Finlay died. It hurts Ham.”
He gathers me against him again as I
shed a few more quiet tears.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll have a chat

with him and see if he’ll open up to me.”

“And, if he doesn’t?”
“Then you have a decision to

make my friend. Go with Rafe and see if
you can make it work or walk away from
both of them.”

Chapter Four

RAFE

What have I done? I have always

cared a great deal about Wade but to
jump into bed with him so soon after we
have both ended relationships. Is it
wise? I roll over in his bed; the bed
where we have just fucked. The best
fuck I have ever had. Do I want more of
the beautiful chef? Absolutely. I really
believe we could have something
special if we are willing to give it time.
I know how loyal he is. He is not the

kind of man to cheat on his partner. He
has too much integrity. I stretch and
smile at the thought of falling in love
with such a wonderful man.

I rise from the bed and head

downstairs. I notice the profusion of
color in the well thought out garden with
the lush manicured lawns as I walk the
length of the back garden and descend
back onto the beach. The sun is warm on
my body. I feel happier than I have for a
while.

The crystal clear water beckons.

I race over the sand and dive in. It’s
cool, refreshing. I swim parallel to the
shore until I’m too tired to continue and
drag myself out. I say hello to my
neighbors as I cross to the stairs leading

up to my home. I find George sitting at
the top and sigh. I don’t want to argue
with him again. He moves as I reach the
top and I walk straight past.

“What are you doing here,

George?”

“We need to talk.”
“We have done all the talking

we’re going to do. Just go George. It’s
over.” He grabs me and spins me into his
arms. As he lowers his lips to mine, I
push him away. “Fuck off, George.” I
start for the house.

“Darling, please. It can’t be

over. I’m sorry. I love you, only you.”

I stop and glare at him. “If you

loved me you wouldn’t have been out

fucking someone else behind my back. I
bet you couldn’t wait for me to call and
say I was working late so you could
shove your dick in someone else.”

“It wasn’t like that. I missed you

when you were working late.”

“You missed me so much you

went out and found another ass to fuck?
Yep, I can see that makes perfect sense.
How fuckin’ stupid do you think I am?”

“Darling, please.”
“How long?”
He drops his head before he

answers. “Three years.”

“Three fucking years? Why did

you stay with me if you had found
someone else? Was it for my money?” I

own an accounting firm and do very
well. I wouldn’t say I was rich but most
would consider me wealthy.

“Of course it wasn’t for your

money. I wanted you. You were never
home and I became attracted to another
man. I promise it won’t happen again.
Please, Rafe. Please give me another
chance.”

“I’ve moved on. I don’t want you

anymore. I suggest you do the same.”

“But…”
“Go, George. It’s not happening.

I’m done.” Tears well in his eyes but I
feel nothing. Eleven years I spent with
this man and I feel absolutely nothing but
contempt when tears fill his eyes. All I
can think about is my evening with

Wade. I know he isn’t after my money.

George grabs my arm as I start

for the house. I glance down at where his
hand is resting before glaring at him. He
doesn’t remove it so I forcefully brush it
away. “I will tell you one more time,
George. Fuck the hell off.”

I storm up to the house but I hear

his parting remark. There is a menacing
tone in his voice.

“You won’t be happy without

me.”

***

I pull on a pair of boxer shorts

before throwing a few clothes into a bag.
I include some nice pants and a button
down shirt as well as a suit for work.

Wade will be late home tonight but
tomorrow he is working the lunch shift.
I’m hoping we can go out tomorrow
night to celebrate. What are we going to
celebrate? I’m going to ask him if we
can enter into a relationship. I mean, we
have known each other for years and
there is no denying there is an attraction
between us.

I feel good. Happy. Something

tells me, this is right. I head back to
Wade’s, unpack my bag and decide to
have a swim in the pool. Swimming
relaxes me. It’s the reason I had an
indoor pool installed at my place. When
I arrive home from work, stressed and
irritable, a swim helps me unwind. I
prefer the beach but it’s not always

practical. I swim numerous laps before
climbing out and drying myself with a
towel from a table nearby. After laying
the towel on a deck chair, I settle in to
soak up the sunshine.

The evening passes slowly. I’m

anxious for Wade to arrive home. I find
myself looking forward to seeing him as
I make myself a light dinner from what I
can find in the kitchen. I have spent time
here before just as Wade has spent time
at my home. Our doors are always open
for our friends.

I settle on to the couch and

switch on the television. Two more
hours and he’ll be here. My heart skips a
beat at the thought of being with him
again. The television doesn’t hold my

attention and I drift off. I awake when
soft lips are pressed to mine.

“Hi, sleepy head.”
Wade sits beside me and wraps

me in his arms.

“How was your shift?”
“It was okay but I was thinking

about you, the whole time. What are we
doing?”

“I’ve been thinking the same

thing. I feel an attraction between us.
I’ve always liked you and cared about
you. But, after this morning… I can’t
explain. I feel different.”

“I know what you mean. We’ve

been right under each other’s noses and
didn’t realize we might have something

special.”

“It’s because we were both in

relationships. I know yours wasn’t for
very long but I was unavailable so we
didn’t really see each other as anything
more than friends.”

“Do you think we could make it

work, whatever this is?” Wade gestures
between us as he speaks.

“I do. I think we could make

each other happy. I’d like to give it a try.
If you’re ready. Keep in mind you only
broke up with Mason today so I don’t
know if it’s too soon for you.”

Wade grasps my hand. “I don’t

know that Mason and I had something
special but I did love him. I let down my
defenses and let myself love for the first

time since Finlay. I question whether it
was because of Mason or because I was
ready to open myself up. I can’t deny the
split hurts but I don’t know if it’s
because I loved him or because he didn’t
trust me.”

“George was at my place when I

went to grab a bag. He practically
begged me to forgive him and take him
back. I told him, no. I can’t forgive his
betrayal and I don’t want to even try.”

“Are you sure? Eleven years is a

long time together. You obviously loved
him.”

“I am sure. I want a relationship

with you. I don’t know why it feels right,
it just does. I’m convinced we could
have something special.”

“I think so too which is the

reason I’m willing to try. Will you stay
with me tonight?”

“Yes. I have brought my suit for

work and casual clothes I can wear
when I take you out tomorrow night. I
would like to take you out for dinner and
then to Marc’s where we can hold each
other tight while we dance. A
celebration.”

“I would love that. It’s been so

long since I went out dancing. Mason
would go for dinner now and again as
long as it was far enough out of the city
that we wouldn’t be seen. He wouldn’t
consider dancing or anything else that
required us being close in public.”

I draw Wade close to me and

kiss his cheek. “Get used to being held,
darling because I’ll be proud to show
people we’re together.”

“There’s one thing I have to tell

you before we go ahead with a
relationship.”

Wade’s face is serious as he

looks up at me. His eyes are clouded
with worry. I hug him close to reassure
him he can say anything to me. “What is
it sweetheart?”

“When I kissed you goodbye

earlier this evening, you called me
George. Are you sure you’re done? I
don’t want to complicate things for you
and I understand if you want to give him
another chance.”

I sit up and turn Wade’s face

toward me. “I have no intention of giving
George another chance. I’m sorry I
called you by his name. I guess sub
consciously it will take a while to get
him out of my mind but I can guarantee
you, it’s finished. If you’re not interested
in being with me then I’ll stay alone. He
has no place in my life. I will not have
my trust abused.”

Wade leans forward and his lips

capture mine in a toe-curling kiss. My
cock jumps to attention and causes my
boxer shorts to tent. My hands move to
the sides of his face, I savage his mouth
with my tongue until we are forced to
come up for air. It feels so right. Natural.
Meant to be.

I stand, take Wade’s hand and

head for the bedroom. “You are wearing
far too many clothes.”

“I didn’t want to attract the cops

by coming home naked.”

I spin him around at the side of

the bed, undo the buttons of his shirt and
free his chest from his shirt. My head
lowers to his chest. I capture his left
nipple between my teeth, nipping, biting
then blowing a cool stream of air across
the hardened nub. His moans cause my
own cock to harden with excitement. I
move to his right nipple, which elicits
more moans.

“You’re still wearing too many

clothes.” I drag his pants and boxers
down with one tug. They fall to his
ankles. I dive on his luscious cock

savoring the sweet, musky taste of his
pre cum. His legs are locked in place
with his pants preventing movement.
He’s at my mercy. I wrap my arms
around his backside and hold him to me
as I suck, lick and nip at his hardened
rod.

“Rafe. Bed. Now.”
I continue to suck, my cheeks

inverting with the effort. His cock is
pulsating in my mouth and I know he’s
close.’

“Rafe. I’m coming.”
He unloads down my throat and I

swallow rapidly. I hold him tightly as he
groans. Wave after wave of orgasm
washes over him. He’s trembling as the
last of his cum is expelled.

“Fucking hell, Rafe. My knees

are shaking. I need to sit down,
sweetheart.”

I release his cock with a soft pop

and ease him down onto the bed. I
dispose of his pants and lift his legs up.
He shimmy’s up toward the pillows. I
shuck off my boxers and move to hover
above him. He has a dreamy, satisfied
expression on his face.

My lips crash onto his. Our

cocks dance with each other and he
comes back to life.

“Roll over. On your knees.”
Wade flips himself over while I

sheath myself. I spread his ass cheeks
and his puckered hole flinches with
expectation. I line myself up and ease in.

“Oooh, that feels good.”
I take it slow as I bury myself

completely. I know I’m large and I
would hate to tear Wade apart. I stop
when I have entered as far as I can go.
“You okay.”

“Yes. I feel so full. You’re

amazing.”

Wade pushes back against me

urging me to move. I slide in and out.
The tightness of his ass embraces me and
I feel my orgasm approaching. I reach
around and fist Wade’s cock. I squeeze
him tight as I ease up and down. My
rhythm increases as I climb. My orgasm
crashes into me like a runaway train.
Two pumps later and the man below me
explodes.

We’re both breathless but sated. I

dispose of the condom and crawl in
beside him. Wrapping him up in my arms
feels so natural. Feels so right. His head
rests on my chest and I feel the kiss he
places there. I have a feeling, what I
could have with this man will leave
George in the shadows.

It is said, things happen for a

reason. I’m beginning to think our break-
ups with our partners was meant to be. I
drift off to sleep, a very contented man.

Chapter Five

WADE

Waking up in Rafe’s arms makes

for the best start to the day. My head
rests on his chest, one leg and arm are
thrown across him and his arm is
wrapped around me. I snuggle closer
and moan with delight.

Rafe kisses my forehead and I

look up into his face. His eyes are still
glazed over with sleep and his hair is
tousled, tendrils hanging over his eyes.
The man is gorgeous. Yep, I could easily

fall for him.

“Good morning,” he croaks out.
“Morning. Sleep well?”
“Once you finished screwing my

brains out and finally let me sleep.” Rafe
complains

“Sorry.”
“No, you’re not. It’s okay for

you, you don’t need to be at the
restaurant until ten and can sleep in. I
have to go to work and make sense of
numbers.”

I laugh. I’m not sorry and would

love Rafe to spend the day with me but I
won’t ask him to take the day off. That
would be unfair to him, his clients and
sets a dangerous precedence. It’s why I

refused to take last night off. Our
relationship has to work around our jobs
or not work at all.

My hand drops to his cock. He

has morning wood, as do I.

“Fuck me before you head to

work?”

Rafe rolls over to face me. “If I

must.” His serious expression lasts mere
seconds before a smile lights up his
face. “I need to take care of business
first though.”

He climbs from the bed and I

watch as his sexy ass rises and falls with
each step he takes. I think it’s time my
cock became acquainted with the bud
those cheeks are guarding. His already
knows me well. I tear open a condom

and slide it over my erect cock. I note
the condom covering his dick when he
returns.

“Not this time, darling.”
His expression is puzzled as he

approaches. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s my cock and your

ass.” He looks shocked and for a
moment I worry. Then, a huge smile
crosses his face. It lights up his eyes,
causing them to shine like a beacon in
the night.

“How do you want me?”
“Back against my front, off to

one side.”

He positions himself near me and

I lube his ring. When I slip my fingers

inside to prepare him, Rafe moans. I
scissor and stretch until he is ready. He
holds the headboard with one hand and
takes his weight on the other as my hands
grip the backs of his thighs and hold his
knees up toward his chest.

His muscles contract slightly as I

start to slide in but he relaxes and I slip
past easily. The tightness of his ass
around my cock causes my balls to fill
and rise. I peer over Rafe’s shoulder and
watch as his hand furiously slides up and
down his cock. It turns me on even more.

My fingers press into his flesh as

I feel my orgasm approach. “Rafe. Fuck
man. I’m coming.” My orgasm is so
violent, I swear it almost disengaged my
cock from the rest of my body. Rafe

erupts at the same time and cum shoots
onto his chest, runs down his side and
soaks between us.

“Wade,” he shouts.
Ribbons of cum continue to spew

from him almost violently. He came
extra hard. My cock is also pulsating as
stream after stream of cum fills my
condom.

When Rafe quiets, I withdraw

and roll him onto his side next to me. My
lips seek his out and our kiss is deep,
sensual. When we part, he flops onto his
back and sighs.

“How the fuck am I supposed to

get up and go to work now? I can barely
move.”

“You’ll be right in a few

minutes.”

He laughs. “Try, a few hours.”
I join his laughter. “Seriously, do

you have a busy day?”

“Every day is busy. I’m thinking

of putting on another accountant. What
are you going to do?”

“I have a few errands to run and

then I’m heading over to see Ham and
Blossom. Liam is growing like a weed
and I don’t want to miss anything. I’ll
walk down to work with Ham.”

“I saw Hamish with the baby a

week or so ago. Steve was pushing the
stroller while his dad supervised.
Hamish said they were giving Blossom a

break from all the chaos at home.”

“Sounds about right. Chaos is an

apt description for their household since
Liam arrived four weeks ago.”

An almost strained silence lasts

for a minute or so before Rafe speaks
again. “Can I stay again tonight?”

I answer quietly. Not because

I’m unsure of my answer but because I’m
absolutely sure. “Yes. I want you here as
often as you’re willing.”

His face glows. “Can we go out

for dinner?”

“I would love that but not Leon’s

or Cleo’s. If we go there friends wanting
to either join us or talk with us will
harass us. I’m greedy; I want time with

you alone. I know you well as a friend
but I want to get to know you as a
partner. A lover. I want to know your
favorite color, food, movie.”

“Yellow, Chicken a L’Orange

and The Power of One. I’ll book
Jensen’s. They’re not up to Leon’s or
Cleo’s standards but the food is good
and they are quiet. Ideal for an intimate
dinner.”

I pull him into my arms and kiss

him. “I’ve been there before and I agree,
they are pretty good. I’ll look forward to
it.”

Rafe kisses me and climbs from

the bed. “As will I, but right now I need
to shower, dress and get to work.”

“I’ll make breakfast, while

you’re getting ready. Scrambled eggs,
toast and coffee?”

“Perfect. Thank you.”
I watch as he pads to the

bathroom before I drag myself up,
dispose of the condom and pull on a pair
of shorts.

The aroma of fresh coffee wafts

in the air, the eggs are almost ready to go
and I reach around in time to catch the
toast as it pops from the toaster. It’s at
that moment Rafe saunters in. Yep, the
toast hits the deck. The man naked is
gorgeous. In a suit, with his hair combed
neatly in place, he’s a fucking God. My
dick stands to attention. Wishful thinking
on its part because I know we don’t have
time for another fuck. There is no such

thing as a quickie with this man.

We devour our breakfast and I

walk Rafe to the door. His kiss sucks the
air from my lungs and my knees weaken.
We remain silent as he draws away and
leaves. He closes the door softly behind
him.

I head for the bathroom and a hot

shower. My fingers roam my lips and I
smile; so much for not being able to let
Mason go. Maybe it wasn’t real love
after all. More like a transient attraction.
I ditch my shorts and climb under the hot
spray. I’m happy. I really believe Rafe
and I may have found something special
together.

***

I can hear laughing and shouting

when I knock on the door of Ham and
Blossoms’ apartment. Ham is mid laugh
as he throws the door open and invites
me in. The place, as usual, is in chaos.

Blossom is feeding Liam and I

head over to check out the kid and place
a kiss on her cheek. Ham turns the
television down.

“How are you, Blossom?”
“Good, Wade. Have a seat if you

can find one without something on it. I
can’t believe how I have gone from neat
and tidy to unkempt and unruly since this
little fellow arrived.”

I sit in a chair opposite after

moving a few things onto the floor. Ham
plops down on one side of Blossom,
Steve jumps into my lap.

“I can’t believe something so

tiny can cause so much disruption.” Ham
says.

“Yeah, he sure is noisy and boy,

can he smell.”

Steve’s statement has us all

laughing.

“What was all the laughing and

shouting about when I arrived? I could
hear you all the way down the hall.”

“We were playing Mario Cart,

Uncle Wade. Dad was getting smashed.”
Steve looks up into my face; his hazel
eyes as large as plates. It warms my
heart to see the happiness in this child
after such a rough start to his life.

Hamish

objects

to

this

information. “I wasn’t getting smashed. I
couldn’t get the fucking cart to back
away from the tree. It kept wanting to
climb it like two dogs….”

“Ham!” I shout at the same time

as Blossom. Both of us knew what was
coming. Not appropriate in front of an
eight-year-old child. I turn Steve on my
lap. “How’s school?”

“Excellent. I know my time

tables up to nine and I can read a whole
book by myself. Miss Fitch says I’m
very clever.”

His chest puffs out, he’s so proud

of himself. I glance across at Ham and
see the pride and love in his eyes. These
two were meant to be together. Ham has
saved Steve. Steve has healed Ham.

“Speaking of which,” Ham says.

“You need to go and finish getting ready
for school or you’ll be late.”

“Okay, Dad.” Steve smacks a

kiss on my cheek before jumping down
and running off. Blossom stands and
lowers a sleeping Liam into my arms.
The kid looks a lot like Ham, and if I
didn’t know the story with Steve, I’d
swear he has some of his features as
well.

“Seeing as my lug of a husband

hasn’t offered. Would you like something
to drink? I’m making tea.”

“Yes, please. Tea would be

nice.” I watch as Blossom heads for the
kitchen.

“How are you doing?” Ham

asks.

“I’m good. Rafe stayed the night.

We’re going out tonight for dinner and
he’s staying again.”

“You’ve made your decision?”
“I think I have. I thought I was in

love with Mason, and in some way I
probably was, but I feel something
different

for

Rafe.

He’s

kind,

understanding, and most importantly, he
doesn’t want to hide who he is. The
fucking is phenomenal. We fit together.
Given time, I think we could be very
happy together.”

“I’m glad. You look and sound

happy. I guess you don’t want me to talk
with Mason.”

Blossom walks into the room

with a tray holding mugs of steaming hot
coffee, sugar, cream and a plate of
yummy looking cookies. She places it on
the coffee table before lifting Liam from
my arms.

“I’ll put him to bed.” She turns to

her husband. “I heard what you asked
Wade… about speaking with Mason. No
interfering, Hamish.”

Ham and I swallow the laughter,

which is trying to get out as she sashays
from the room. As soon as she
disappears, I can no longer hold mine in.
“She knows you too well, Ham.”

He laughs with me. “Yep. But I

only interfere for those I care about.”

Steve leaps into the room. He’s

neat and tidy in his school uniform, but
his hair sticks up at a million different
angles. He holds a comb out for his dad.
Hamish takes it and tries hard to wrangle
the kids’ hair into some semblance of
order. By the time he’s finished, it looks
only slightly better.

“You better go and ask your

mother to wet it so it stays down.” Ham
tells his son as he holds the comb out.

Steve takes the comb and runs off

in search of his ma.

“He’s growing, Ham. He’s put

weight on and looks much healthier.”

“Blossom was complaining the

other night. She said he is growing so
fast; he outgrows his clothes before he
gets any decent wear out of them. I told

her, Liam could wear them. One of the
advantages of having the two boys I
guess.”

“Makes sense.”
Blossom returns to the living

room. She is holding Steve’s hand and
they look like they are hiding something.
They come to stand in front of me. I’m
confused.

“Uncle Wade.”
“Yes, darling.”
Steve glances up at his mother

before he continues.

“Ma and Dad are having Liam

baptized in three weeks and I’m gonna
be done too. The Minister sprinkles
water on your face and asks who the

Godfather is. Will you be our Godfather,
please?”

I’m speechless. Tears form in my

eyes. I’m so fucking honored to be
asked. I pull the kid into my arms and
kiss his head. I still can’t speak.

“Does that mean, yes?”
I nod as a tear escapes and rolls

down my cheek.

“Why are you crying, Uncle

Wade?”

I swallow the tennis ball sized

lump in my throat and brush away the
tears. “I’d be proud to be yours and
Liam’s Godfather. I’m so happy.” The
kid hugs me and I hug him tight.

“Okay, go and get your bag for

school,” Blossom says. She waits for
him to leave the room before speaking
again. “Thank you Wade. When we
explained what being baptized means to
Steve, he wanted to know if you could
be his, and his brother’s, Godfather.
When we said yes, we wanted no-one
else, he insisted on asking you himself.”

“Thank you.” My voice is barely

a whisper. “I love you all so very much
and I’m so proud to be asked.”

“I’m ready.”
Ham and I stand. We will walk

Steve to school and continue on to the
restaurant for our shift. Blossom hugs
and kisses her son and tells him to have
a good day. I kiss her goodbye and Steve
takes my hand as we leave the

apartment. We wait by the elevator.

“Dad

will

be

doing

that

smooches thing with Ma. He does it
every time he has to go out somewhere.
He says it’s because they love each
other. I’m never gonna kiss a girl. Yuk!”

I burst into laughter as Ham

saunters up. “What’s so funny?”

“Your son says girls are yuk. He

said you do that smooches thing with his
ma and he’s never gonna do it.”

Ham takes Steve’s other hand as

we enter the elevator. “Yeah. I recall me
saying that at about his age. We’ll see.”

“No, dad. I’m never gonna kiss a

girl.”

We don’t pursue the matter as we

leave the building and head for the
school. Steve chatters on about some
experiment with an egg and a bottle they
are going to try. He also tells me about
his friends at football and how they are
gonna smash Greenhill in their next
match.

He kisses both his father and me

before he enters the school gate. Ham
and I stand and watch until he’s safely
inside the building before starting for
Leon’s. The sooner my shift is over, the
sooner I’ll be back in Rafe’s arms.

Chapter Six

RAFE

I have a spring in my step as I

stride up the street to my house. I press
the button on the remote control and the
garage door rises to reveal my silver
Mercedes. I push another button and
lights flash to indicate my car is
unlocked. I slide behind the wheel and
gun the engine. After reversing out, at the
push of a button, the garage door closes.

Callie is at her desk when I

stride into my offices with a smile on my

face and a spring in my step. I don’t
know what I would do without that
pretty, petite lady. She’s been with me
since I started my business more than
twenty years ago. She keeps it running
like clockwork. I pay her more than the
recommended salary but she’s worth ten
times the amount to me.

“Callie, you’re in early.” I swear

it doesn’t matter what time I arrive or
how late I leave, Callie will be at her
desk.

“You have an early client, a Mr.

Dierks Johansson. I needed to get the
documentation collated for you.”

“Why didn’t you just book the

appointment later?” I have asked this
question more than a few times over the

past weeks and I know exactly what her
answer will be.

“You have a busy day an…”
“…and I need to employ another

accountant.” She laughs as I finish her
sentence.

“Your business has grown so

much in the past two years. Three
Accountants aren’t enough anymore.
You’re all working long hours with no
lunch break. It’s ridiculous, Rafe. Your
break up with George hasn’t helped
either. I know he broke your heart.”

“I know my mind hasn’t been

focused on the business lately.” I hitch
my backside onto the corner of her desk
as we talk. “I think I have put George
behind me. I’ll always care about him

but I’m ready to move on now.”

Callie’s eyes widen. “You’ve

found someone else.”

I feel my face heat up.
“Look at you, turning red as a

beet. You have found someone. Tell.”
She leans toward me.

“It’s someone I have known for

years. He just broke up with his lover
and we sort of found each other. It’s
funny how you don’t see what is right
under your nose. We’ve spent the last
couple of days together and it’s been
amazing.”

“Love?”
“Oh, no; more of a very strong

attraction. We have always cared about

each other, and been friends, but not
love. Not yet.”

“I thought you looked happy

when you arrived.” A frown crosses her
face.

“I am. What’s worrying you?”
“He’s not on the rebound?”
“Maybe we both are. I guess

only time will tell but being with him
feels so right. More so than any other
man I’ve been with.”

“Even George?”
“Even George. The attraction

with Wade feels stronger, potent. More
powerful.”

“What does he do?”
“He’s a chef at Leon’s. He lives

a couple of doors away from me.”

“Leon’s? Impressive. I hear their

Head Chef is to die for. His body and his
food.”

I erupt with laughter. “Hamish is

very much married with two children.
He’s also very much in love with his
wife. She owns Cleo’s.”

“Damn. The good ones are

always taken.”

“You’ll find yours one day,

sweetheart.”

“Hmmm, don’t know that I want

one. I’m happy alone. I come and go as I
please, don’t answer to anyone and if I
need a fuck, I know men who will
oblige. No strings attached.”

I laugh again. “If I was straight,

I’d make a play for you.”

“Yeah, maybe I’d even change

my mind about strings for you.”

I stand up and pat her arm. “I

have to get some work done. I’ll talk to
Wade about having you, Pete and Brad
for dinner so you can all meet him.”

“That serious?”
“I think it is.”
“Tell him from me - if he hurts

you I’ll bust his balls.”

I laugh, lean forward and kiss

her forehead before heading for my
office. I have a smile on my face as I
think about her statement. One thing
about Callie – she’s fiercely protective

of her friends and wouldn’t hesitate to
come to our defense if we needed it.
She’s an incredible woman and I do love
her dearly. I will always be there for
her.

***

By four thirty in the afternoon I

can’t wait any longer to speak with
Wade. I know he gets home around four.
He answers the phone on the first ring.

“Wade speaking.”
“It’s me darling. How did the

lunch shift go?”

“Hi Rafe. We were busy as

usual. I was thinking about you.”

“Good thoughts I hope.”
“They were very good. Will you

be here soon? I was hoping we could
have a swim in the pool before we head
out for dinner.”

“I have a couple of things to

wrap up. I should leave here by five. I’ll
see you around five thirty. A swim
sounds divine.”

“What time is our reservation at

Jensen’s?”

“Not until eight. I allowed time

for us to relax together before we go
out.”

Wade’s laughter on the other end

of the line is like music to my ears.
“More like you allowed time for a fuck
before we go out.”

“Sprung. I can’t help it if you

have a body to die for and a dick that
won’t quit.”

“Go and get you work done. I’m

as hard as a fucking steel rod and I’m not
jacking off.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Just drive carefully. I’ll be here

waiting.”

I disconnect the call. Desire

causes my cock to rise so I return to my
computer to finish with the account I
have been working on. The sooner I’m
done, the sooner I can be with my lover.

The computer is shutting down

and the screen fades to black when Brad
and Pete arrive in my office doorway.
Brad and Pete have both been with me

for years too. We are all very close
friends and although technically I am
their employer, both of the men and
Callie have shares in the business.

“Heading home?” I ask.
“Yes. We’re done for the day.

Callie said you authorized for her to find
another accountant.” Brad says.

“I figured it was about time. I

don’t want to lose my best three
employees because they’re overworked
and burnt out.”

Pete laughs. “We’re your only

employees.”

I laugh with him. “You’re still

the best because I don’t employ second
best.”

“You sound happy, Rafe. It’s nice

to see a smile back on your face. We
know it’s been a rough few weeks for
you.” Brad is fishing but I don’t mind.

“I have someone new in my life

and he makes me very happy.” I give
them a rough outline of who Wade is. “I
told Callie earlier, I’ll talk to him about
having you all over for dinner so you can
meet him.”

“Did Callie say she’ll bust his

balls if he hurts you?” Pete asks.

“Yep. She’s very protective of

me.”

“We will too,” Brad says. “You

were hurt enough with what George did,
we won’t stand by and do nothing if it
happens again.”

“Thank you, but Wade is very

different from George. He would never
knowingly hurt me.” I stand and gather
my briefcase. “Go home to your families
while your kids are still up.”

The three of us walk out to the

reception area and yep; Callie is still at
her desk.

“Callie, go home.” I sort of

order. I can’t actually order her to do
anything because it would be my balls
she’d bust.

“When I’m done.” Her tone is

definite; no discussion will be entered
into.

“Please don’t stay too late.”
She

glances

up

from

her

computer and glares at me. “I will go
home when I’m done.”

I kiss her forehead and the three

of us leave. I know when I’m beaten.

Before we part ways, Brad takes

my arm and speaks to me. “Rafe, I know
we don’t say it very often but Callie,
Pete and I love you like a brother and
we have always got your back. We
really hope Wade is the one.”

“Thank you.” The lump in my

throat prevents me from saying anything
more. I hug both men and we go our
separate ways. I have known for a long
time – these men and Callie are more
than just business. They’re my family.

***

I park my car in the garage at

home and stride down to Wade’s. I stay
in my suit with my jacket buttoned and
tie in place. I didn’t miss the sparkle in
Wade’s eyes or the way the toast slipped
from his fingers when I walked into the
kitchen this morning. Seeing me wearing
a suit turned him on. I smile as I think of
his naked body wrapped around mine.

The knock at the door is to be

polite. Wade’s house is always unlocked
when he’s home. I turn the knob and push
the door back. Wade is headed for the
entry as I step inside and close the door.
He comes to an abrupt stop.

“Fuck, Rafe.”
His eyes shimmer with lust as he

approaches. He’s wearing short boxer

briefs and I can clearly see the outline of
his now erect cock. I lower my head and
our lips connect. Wade’s are soft,
searching. Our tongues tangle as they
probe.

“I guess you like me in a suit.”

My arms are wrapped around him. His
chuckle vibrates through my chest. I
want him. Now.

“Fuck, yeah.” Wade takes my

hand and leads me downstairs to the
pool. It’s housed in a room where the
doors all fold back. Perfect for warm or
cool weather. After a long, busy day, the
water looks inviting.

“Here?”
“Here.”

Wade answers as he flicks the

buttons on my jacket and draws it from
my shoulders. It amuses me to see him
fold it carefully over the back of a deck
chair. I reach up to loosen my tie but he
pushes my hands away.

“I’ll do it,” he growls.
I lift my hands up in surrender

and let him take control. His lips brush
against mine as he disposes of first my
tie then my shirt. We are now bare chest
to bare chest and it feels fucking
heavenly. My arms have a mind of their
own and pull him closer. My hands
fondle him as we kiss and he moans
deep in his throat. My fucking dick is
aching and telling me to hurry the fuck
up.

Wade must have sensed how I

was feeling; his hands undo the buckle
on my belt. I didn’t even realize he had
unbuttoned and unzipped my pants until,
along with my boxers; they are trapped
at my ankles.

My dick dances against my belly,

relief is on the horizon.

“Sit down,” Wade commands

and I plant my ass on the cold webbing
of a deck chair behind me.

“Fuck, that’s cold.”
He has my shoes, socks and

pants off in record time and pulls me
back to my feet. We kiss and caress,
gently at first but when we fist each
other’s cocks, it becomes frenzied.

Wade pull away first, grabs a

condom, sheaths himself and leads me
down the steps into the pool. The water
is refreshingly cool as it swallows us
up. When our feet hit the floor, Wade
kisses me before spinning me around
toward the tiled side.

“Rest your hands on the deck,

darling.”

I do as he asks. I like this take

command Wade.

“Step back until your legs and

arms are straight. Like when you float.”

Again, I do as he asks. My ass

bobs up and down in the water. He
spreads my legs apart and moves in
between them. His fingers explore my
hole, readying me for the delicious

invasion. I moan as every nerve ending
twitches. My head lowers onto my arm.

Wades cock settles against me

before pushing through the resistance
and delving deep inside. I push back,
taking every inch. He holds me with one
hand, his other reaches around to my
anxious, impatient dick.

Floating on the water, feeling

weightless while being fucked is a
feeling you have to experience. I am
completely at Wade’s mercy. If I let go
of the side, I will sink and the fuck will
come to an abrupt end. My nails dig into
the grooves of the decking as my ass is
pounded. My cock is ready to surrender;
the cool water has had no effect on my
ability to stay hard. My balls draw up

further than they ever have before. I’m
barreling

toward

release.

Wade’s

scream of delight pushes me over the
edge. My cock sings with triumph as it
spews forth ribbon after ribbon of cum.
The powerful orgasm has left me dizzy
and I tremble. My hands lose their grip
but I’m swept into Wade’s arms. He
cradles me to him and we kiss. Tenderly.
I want to stay here forever.

I place my arms around his neck

and lean into his body as our kiss
lingers. I can’t remember ever feeling so
fucking happy. I could definitely fall in
love with this man. I sigh with
contentment as my lips part from his.

“Fuck, I feel good. Like I’m

floating above myself.” I confess to

Wade. He tightens his arms around me.
His head nestles in the crook of my
shoulder.

“Where have you been? Why

weren’t we together before now?”

“I have no idea, darling. We’re

together now, and hopefully we will stay
this way.”

“Rafe, my darling. I have no

intention of letting you slip through my
fingers.”

His lips crash against mine and

fuck me, after coming so hard I couldn’t
see straight, not ten minutes ago – my
fucking cock is already wanting more.
Will I never be sated when I’m in this
man’s arms?

I slip from his body until my feet

reach the floor of the pool and hold him
tightly. I never want to let go.

Chapter Seven

WADE

Trying to get dressed for dinner

proves near on impossible. I don’t want
Rafe out of my arms and it seems, he
doesn’t want me out of his. I have gotten
as far as my boxer briefs and Chinos and
we’re kissing again. The man’s hands
are all over me. Mine are roaming all
over him.

“Do you really want to go out?” I

ask.

Rafe’s stare bores into me.

“Darling, given the choice I would stay
in bed with you all day every day but,
I’m proud to be with you and I want
people to know we’re together.”

“Are you sure?” I know he is

remembering about Mason not wanting
to be seen with me but I know he’s
different. He’s out. He’s proud of who
he is.

“Yes, I am. I want you to see I’m

nothing like Mason.”

I press my lips to his. “I know

you’re not, darling.”

“I want to take you for dinner,

Wade. I want everyone to know we’re a
couple. Actually there are a few people
who would say it was about time.”

“What do you mean?”
“I have a number of friends who

think we would make a better couple
than George and I.”

“Why?”
“We talk. I have mentioned on

several occasions that I thought you
were a warm, caring person who would
make some man very lucky. They have
asked many times why I was with
George and not you. They said it was
obvious I cared a lot for you.”

Rafe hesitates so I prompt him to

continue.

“And?”
“I do care for you, Wade… much

more than as just a friend. I think deep

down I always have. I can’t promise it
will become love but I really want to
see where this goes.” He waves his hand
between the two of us.

Whoa. I didn’t realize he cared

for me as more than a friend. “I want to
see where it goes too. We have fifteen
minutes to get to Jensen’s and make our
reservation so, please, get dressed and
let me do the same.”

He kisses my nose and chuckles

as he grabs a button down shirt from
where it was laid out on the bed. I pull
on a striped polo shirt and slip my feet
into boat shoes.

When we are both done, we hold

hands and leave the house for the short
walk to the restaurant.

***

Jensen’s is busy when we arrive.

It’s not really surprising as the evening
is warm, balmy. The night is too nice to
be indoors.

The manager of Jensen’s greets

us and Rafe gives him his name. He
signals a waiter who leads us to a
secluded table tucked away in a corner
at the rear. We both sit and the waiter
hands us the food and wine menus.

“Can I get you something to

drink?” he asks.

“We’ll have a bottle of Dom

Perignon. We’re celebrating.” I smile at
Rafe and take his hand. He squeezes my
fingers. The waiter glances at our hands,
smiles and leaves to get our champagne.

Our fingers entwine. I lift Rafe’s

hand to my lips and kiss his knuckles
gently. “I want you to move in.” The
expression on Rafe’s face is one of
shock and I worry.

“It’s only been a couple of days.

Are you absolutely sure?”

“I’ve known you for years, Rafe.

Yes, we’ve only been fucking for a
couple of days but I want you with me.
It’s what I want. It feels right. I hate
when we’re apart.”

“I hate when we’re apart too. I

guess I could rent my place out.”

I

suddenly

realize

how

inconsiderate I have been. “I’m sorry.
I’m asking you to give up your home. I’m
happy to move in with you if you

prefer.”

Rafe looks at me with absolute

adoration. “Wade, darling. I would love
to move in with you. I could get very
used to being in your pool.” He winks
and we burst into laughter.

“So that’s the attraction. My

pool.”

“Oh, darling. Your pool isn’t in

the same ballpark as your delectable
cock.” Rafe says this with a straight face
but within seconds it dissolves into a
huge smile and his laughter pours forth.

The waiter who wants to know

what we would like to order interrupts
us. Rafe and I order and our
conversation resumes.

“Tell me about you childhood,” I

ask.

“It was happy. I have two sisters

who live not too far away, but my
parents have passed on. I call my sisters
from time to time and we try and catch
up once a year. They’re married with
teenage kids. You think Hamish and
Blossom’s place is chaotic, wait until
you visit with my sisters.”

I’m flattered that he is talking

about taking me to visit his family.
“What are their names?”

“Melinda and Petra. Mel is

forty-nine, Petra is forty-eight and I’m
forty-six. The baby of the family.”

“How did your family react

when they found out you were gay?”

“It wasn’t a big deal. They had

known for years I was different.”

“How old were you when you

realized?”

“Twelve. One of the girls in my

class at school snuck a kiss and I wished
it was a boy I had a crush on at the time.
I went home and asked her why I wanted
to kiss a boy instead of a girl. She sat me
down and explained being gay to me.
She said it was nothing to be ashamed
of. I was told I had been born different
but that didn’t mean there was anything
wrong with me.”

“What about your father?”
“I

think

mom

must

have

discussed it with Father because the next
day he called me into his study. He said

he needed to talk to me. I was scared at
the time.”

“What did he say?”
Rafe waits while our appetizers

of raw oysters are placed in front of us.
As soon as the waiter leaves, he speaks.
“Father said being gay was going to
make my life more difficult than if I was
straight. He said people could be very
prejudiced and I would have to be tough
and learn to ignore nasty, derogatory
comments. He said he would always be
there for me if I needed him.”

I let an oyster slide over my

tongue and down my throat. It’s fresh,
salty. Straight from the ocean I suspect.
“Has it been difficult for you?” I
separate my next oyster from the shell.

“Sometimes.

When

kids

at

school first found out they treated me
pretty badly. I was skinny, puny back
then. My sisters took it upon themselves
to beat up anyone who had the nerve to
mistreat me. Father decided I needed to
develop so he organized a personal
bodybuilding trainer. I had sessions four
times a week and muscle began to
develop. I grew taller and filled out
naturally as well. During school, I
copped the odd taunt but overall people
in my life have been very accepting.
What about you?”

“My early teenage years were

hell. My parents and sister didn’t hide
their disgust. They told me I was
defective and tried everything to make

me normal; doctors, psychiatrists. When
father ordered me to find a nice girl and
start dating to quash the gossip of my
being gay, I refused. That’s when I met
Finlay. I left home and never spoke to
my parents or sister again. I was
eighteen at the time. I’m forty five now.”

“Finlay was the man you were

with when I moved into my house?”

“Yes. He was my first lover. The

love of my life. Something inside me
died the day he passed away. It’s taken
me years to move past it, to have more
than one-night stands. He’ll always have
a special place in my heart but it was
time to move on. Mason was my first
serious relationship in years and you
know how badly that worked out.”

“I’m sorry for your heartache,

Darling.”

I shrug. “I believe things happen

for a reason. Maybe Mason wasn’t the
right one for me.”

Rafe covers my hand. “Hopefully

I am.”

His voice is barely a whisper. I

roll my hand under his and grip his
fingers. “I have a feeling you are.”

Our empty plates are spirited

away and the main course arrives –
Chicken a L’Orange, for both of us.
Served with baby green beans and a
mound of rosemary rice. It looks
delicious and the first mouthful confirms
it is. The chicken is melt in your mouth
tender with just the right amount of

orange sauce. Not quite as good as what
Ham makes but close.

“Tell me what made you want to

be an accountant?” I scoop up another
forkful of chicken followed by rice.

Rafe swallows his mouthful

before answering. “I was always good at
math and actually enjoyed the challenge.
I liked solving problems, searching for
numbers that weren’t where they
belonged. Father said I should be a
Forensic Accountant. I read up about it
and found it fascinating so, here I am.
Pete and Brad are also Forensic
Accountants.

Pete

specializes

in

Bankruptcy and Insolvency, Brad does
Securities Fraud and I do Tax Fraud and
Money Laundering.”

“Wow. Isn’t some of that

dangerous?”

“I’ve never really thought about

it.”

“Why did you set up your own

business?”

Rafe pats his gorgeous lips clean

with a napkin and sits back. “Father said
if I wanted to do well, I needed to work
for myself. He was a lawyer who had
his own practice for as long as I can
remember. He advised me to work with
someone for a couple of years, learn the
ropes and then go out on my own. I took
his advice and we have been very
successful. I’m actually in the process of
searching for another person. Pete is so
busy, Brad and I have been taking up the

slack. It’s gotten too much for us and the
hours we’re working are ridiculous.”

“Pete and Brad? Have they been

with you for a long time?” Why the fuck
am I jealous?

“I’ve known them since college.

We became good friends. When I
ventured out on my own twenty years
ago, I asked them to join me. Along with
Callie, our Manager, they own ten
percent of the business.”

“What about the new employee?”
“He or she won’t have an

interest. Strictly an employee only.”

“Brad and Pete married?” Here

we go again with the fucking jealousy.

“Yep.

Married

with

kids.”

There’s a twinkle in Rafe’s eyes. “Are
you jealous?”

I lower my head and he chuckles.

“Darling, you have nothing to be jealous
of. I consider us to be in a relationship
now and unlike George, I am always
faithful to my lovers.”

“As am I.”
The waiter appears to ask if we

would like dessert and coffee but we
politely decline and ask for the check.
He returns with a folder and when Rafe
reaches for it, I snatch it away. “My treat
this time.” He grudgingly agrees and I
pay with a credit card adding a healthy
tip.

We both stand at the same time

and move to hold hands. People glance

at us as we wind our way through the
tables to leave but then return to their
meals. Once outside, Rafe wraps his arm
around my waist and sneaks a quick kiss.
My cock flinches with interest.

“Do you still want to go

dancing?” I ask. I’m hoping Rafe will
want to go home.

“What would you like to do?”
I answer without hesitation. “I

would like to save it for another night
and take you home. To bed.”

“Home it is.” We kiss and start

off down the street.

***

A loud banging at some ungodly

hour of the next morning jolts both of us

from our slumber. I groan and snuggle
closer to Rafe. I pepper his chest with
feather light kisses.

“Aren’t you going to see who

that is before they wake up the entire
neighborhood?” Rafe asks.

“No. Whoever it is can come

back later.”

The banging at the door comes

again and with it Mason’s voice. I groan
and roll away from Rafe to check the
time. It’s two thirty in the morning. What
the fuck does Mason want?

I slide from the bed and pull on a

pair of boxer shorts. “I’ll be back in a
minute.”

Rafe gazes up at me. “I’ll be

right here.”

I flick on some lights as I head

for the front door. I barely get it opened
before a very drunk, unstable Mason
stumbles inside. I catch him before he
crashes to the floor. He attempts to kiss
me but I pull away and guide him to the
lounge. Forcefully, I sit him down.

“What the fuck do you want,

Mason? Do you have any idea of the
time?” He stinks. His clothes are
rumpled. It’s more than obvious he’s had
a date with more than one bottle of
alcohol. What I can’t figure out is, why
is he here?

“I want you back. I know it’s

hard but we can make it work.” His
speech is slurred and drool runs down

his chin.

I shudder with revulsion. “It’s

over. Done. You had your chance and
you walked away.”

He grabs at me but I push him

away.

“Problem?” Rafe asks from the

doorway.

I turn toward my lover who is

totally naked. “This is Mason and he’s
drunk.”

Rafe’s eyes narrow. “What does

he want?”

“He wants me back but I’ve told

him, it’s over.”

Mason stands and staggers

toward Rafe. “So, you’re the whore my

man is fucking now?”

I grab at Mason’s arm and

wrench him away. “Rafe, call a cab
please so we can get him out of here?”

Rafe heads for the kitchen where

his cell phone is kept. Mason collapses
against me. Goddamn he’s fucking heavy.
I guide him back to the lounge and make
him sit. His ass no sooner hits the
cushion than he is back on his feet.

“Shit, Mason. Sit down for fuck

sake.”

“What’s the address?” Rafe asks.
“I have no idea. Tell them he’ll

give it to them when the driver gets
here.”

Rafe returns to the call. Mason is

still trying to stand and I push him back
onto the lounge. “Sit the fuck down
before you fall and break your fucking
neck.”

“Wade, take me to bed. Let me

love you. Please?”

I sit beside the drunken wreck of

a man and take his hand in mine.
“Mason. It’s over. I’ve moved on. I
couldn’t take hiding any more. If you’d
talked to me, maybe together we could
have found a way to deal with whatever
it is.”

Rafe comes in and joins us. He

glares at me when he notices my hand
holding Masons. I quickly let go and
place my hand in my lap.

“Cab will be here in a few

minutes.” Rafe says. He’s managed to
slip on a pair of boxer shorts too.

“I don’t want to go home. Wade,

let me stay with you.”

Mason is draped across me and I

struggle to push him away. Now, he
wants to stay. Now, when I no longer
feel anything for him. I hear Rafe’s
jealous growl and heave Mason away. I
bounce to my feet and cross to sit with
my lover. My fingers entwine with
Rafe’s and I feel him relax. “You’re
going home, Mason and I don’t want you
coming back - ever.”

“Please, Wade. I love you.”
I decide to be brutal. “I don’t

love you. I doubt I ever did. I’m falling
in love with Rafe and I need you to

leave me alone.”

Tears flow down Mason’s face

and he struggles to stand. I glance at
Rafe and shrug. I don’t know how to get
through to the man while he is in such a
drunken state.

“I love you, Wade. My life is a

fucked up mess all because I’m the son
of Walter Child.”

At the mention of Mason’s

fathers’ name, my head turns to Rafe so
fast I’m sure I’ve almost given myself
whiplash. I expect I am wearing the
same shocked expression he is.

“Your father is Walter Child?

The Minister and Businessman, Walter
Child?” I ask.

“One and the same. He forced

me into a fucking marriage and now I’m
trapped.”

His words are slurred but I

manage to understand what he is telling
me. “You’re married?”

“Yep. Two kids. Cynthia was

repayment of a debt owed to my father.”
Mason laughs hysterically. “She thinks I
have been sneaking out to meet another
woman. She doesn’t believe I’ve been
working like I tell her.” He directs his
gaze to Rafe and I. “Imagine what she
would say if she knew I was gay. My
father would crucify me and destroy any
man I was with if he knew.”

It’s all making sense now. Walter

Child is one of the most ruthless,

powerful men in the city. He has a large
number of supporters and, as Mason
said, the power to destroy whoever
crosses him. I’m fucking furious that
Mason has toyed with my life knowing
how dangerous his father is.

We hear the honk of a horn. The

cab has arrived. Rafe and I stand. We
haul Mason to his feet and walk him to
the vehicle waiting out front. While Rafe
secures him in the rear seat, I hand the
driver a bunch of notes and ask him to
see Mason safely home. As the cab pulls
away, Mason lifts his hand to the door
window. He knows what we had is over.

My arm is wrapped around Rafe

as we watch the cab disappear from the
street. I lean my head to his chest. “I feel

like I have had a lucky escape.”

“I would say so. Child is not a

man to be messed with.”

We head back inside, lock the

door and pad back to bed.

Chapter Eight

RAFE

“I’m falling in love with Rafe

and I need you to leave me alone.”
Wade is falling in love with me? We
have only spent a couple of days in a
relationship. The statement has been
rolling around in my head since we came
back to bed. I haven’t been able to slip
back to sleep. I tighten my arm around
my lover and he cuddles closer.

My mind drifts to the past, when

I first met Wade. It was down on the

beach. I was alone when I first bought
my home about eleven years ago. I’d
been in it for less than a week when I’d
wandered down to the beach, fully
dressed. I’d felt quite embarrassed when
I saw, yep saw, no one needed to tell me;
it was a nude beach and for some
reason, mostly gays.

Wade had been down at the

beach and his body had instantly
captured my attention. Peaked my
interest. He was contoured, quite a few
inches shorter than me. His chest was
broad with ridges and peaks where his
ab muscles were highlighted. His ‘v’
muscles led to a cock I could only
describe as mouth wateringly large.
He’d smiled at someone and his whole

face came to life. I had turned and
watched an elderly man approach and
take Wade in his arms. Their kiss
seemed to go on forever.

I’d felt jealous, deflated. As

much as I’d wanted to meet the sexy
hunk, I wouldn’t intrude on their privacy.
I most certainly wouldn’t make a move
on another man’s lover and, these two
were obviously lovers.

I’d spun on my heels to head

back to the house and run straight into a
solid wall of chest. George. I’d
apologized for running into him, we
started talking and the rest, as they say,
is history.

I hadn’t seen much of Wade and

his older lover for the next few months.

George and my relationship had
blossomed and he’d moved in. We were
good together and I lost my heart to him.
Unfortunately, he’d lost his to a casual
fling in the past three years.

Anyway, getting back on track.

I’d heard about the death of the older
man and I’d also heard Wade was
struggling to get past it. I didn’t dare
extend my hand in friendship; I was
terrified of the attraction I’d felt at a
distance down on the beach. It was a
long while after that, about a year I think,
when Wade approached George and I
down on the beach. We got to chat but he
never mentioned Finlay. I figured it hurt
too much for him to talk about.

We would see each other at

neighborhood gatherings, community
functions, and exchange a few words. He
would bring a partner now and again but
he never seemed to stay with anyone for
very long. He brought Hamish with him
a few times and at first I thought they
were involved. It wasn’t until I got
talking to Ham at a Christmas function
and he told me how Wade had helped
him get his job at Leon’s, that I realized
they weren’t a couple but each other’s
saviors. Pulling Hamish from the ’hood
had helped Wade overcome his crippling
grief.

It troubled me how I was always

relieved to see Wade alone. Even though
I had George, I was jealous of any man
who was with Wade. Maybe I have had

feelings for Wade for longer than I am
willing to admit. Maybe, I’m falling in
love with him too.

Hours have passed, and the

morning light streams through the open
windows, which have the curtains,
pushed back. I hear the crash of waves
on the shore and a soft, salty breeze
floats into the room. Wade rolls onto his
back. His arm worms its way under the
covers and my cock rises the minute his
hand closes around it. I moan with
desire. I’m instantly aroused by his
touch. I might be tired from a lack of
sleep but I’m not fucking dead. The man
turns me on and although we fucked until
after midnight, I’m ready for more –
much more.

***

“Rafe, just the man I want to talk

to.” Callie barely gives me a chance to
get in the door. I saunter over to her desk
and prop my hip against it.

“What can I do for you

beautiful?”

She holds up two sets of papers.

She indicates the papers in her right
hand. “These are applications that I
don’t think are suitable.” She indicates
others in her left hand. “These three are
very suitable.”

I take the three applications.

“Shred the others after you call them and
thank them for applying.”

“Will do.”

I stand and take a couple of steps

toward my office before turning back
toward Callie. “And, Callie. Thank you
for all your hard work.”

“Welcome. Just go and get us

another accountant.”

I laugh as I continue on. After

dropping the papers on my desk, I
remove my coat and sit. Callie arrives
with a steaming hot mug of coffee and
sets it in front of me.

“You know you don’t have to

make my coffee. How many times have I
told you that in the last twenty years?”

“I know but I don’t mind. I

usually make myself one at the same
time.”

“Go and fetch it and come and sit

in here with me. You can help make a
decision on who we hire.”

“Me? I don’t know anything

about hiring.”

“Well, you’re about to learn.”

Callie disappears and is back a few
seconds later with a notebook and her
own mug of something green. It looks
fucking revolting and smells even worse.

“Why are you drinking grass?”
Callie laughs. “It’s not grass, it’s

green tea. It’s healthier for me than
coffee.”

“As long as you don’t make it for

me. It looks and smells disgusting.”

“I wouldn’t dare make it for you.

You can’t function without your ten cups
of coffee each day.”

“Ten?”
“Yep. At least.”
“For fuck’s sake. Why do you let

me drink so many?”

“Excuse me? You are the boss.

Last time I checked you were a big boy
quite capable of making your own
decisions.”

“I need you to pull me into line.

Ten are way too many. No wonder I
can’t sleep properly at night.”

“That and you’re too busy

fucking.”

We both laugh at the truth of her

statement. She’s outspoken and has never

minced her words.

“Moving right along. Which

applications do you like the best? Who
would you hire?” Callie checks the
papers and hands me one. I read it over.

“Hmmm, Vivienne Williams. A

woman? I thought you preferred being
the only woman in the office.”

“It would be nice to have another

female here. We could gang up on you
men.”

“Have you checked out her

references and experience?”

“Yes.

Her

references

both

written and spoken are excellent. She
has

fifteen

years’

experience

in

Bankruptcy so that would leave Pete free

to concentrate on Corporate Insolvency.”

“How late did you stay last night

getting this information?”

“As late as was necessary.”
“Hire her.”
“You haven’t even looked over

the applications.”

I lean forward on the desk.

“How long have you been with me?”

“Since you started the business,

you know that.”

“Twenty years give or take a

little. With everything you do for us,
don’t you think I should trust you by
now?”

“I know you all trust me but what

has that got to do with hiring someone?”

“You have been through the

applications,

verified

their

qualifications and selected Vivienne
without hesitation when I asked who you
would hire. I trust you Callie. I trust your
judgment. Hire her.”

Callie leans over my desk and

plants a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll call her
now. She’ll have to give a couple of
weeks’ notice where she is.”

“We can manage for a couple

more weeks. Anything else?”

“No that’s it. Thank you.”
Callie stands, takes her coffee

mug from the table and returns to her
desk.

***

The day has been busy as usual.

Wade has the evening shift and won’t be
home until after eleven so I have stayed
back to get some bankruptcy work done.
I’m not interested in being home alone.

I pull out a file labeled Minx

Importing. They are attempting to file for
bankruptcy; they owe hundreds of
thousands of dollars they claim they
can’t pay. They also claim they don’t
have the assets to liquidate. An office
employee has expressed suspicion about
the details she was forced to file with
the court. The woman has guts. She has
spoken with a court clerk and told them,
there is something not right. The case has
come to us for investigation. I’ve been
working on it for over a week. The

woman was right to be suspicious.

I have found assets listed on

financial statements prior to bankruptcy
are not listed on the bankruptcy
schedule. There have also been frequent
changes to the schedule. The record
keeping has been atrocious and there are
gaps in their books. Their book entries
and cash records on their bank
statements don’t match.

Yep, something is definitely fishy

with this company but I’m confident I’ll
get to the bottom of it before the
information is required for the court case
in three months. Why do these
companies think they can get away with
such fraudulent behavior?

It’s almost ten when my cell

phone rings.

“Rafe Cross speaking.”
“It’s me babe.”
“Hi,

darling.

How’s

your

evening?”

“Good. Quiet actually. I’m about

to leave. You home or still at the
office?”

“At the office. I’ll leave now.”
“See you when you get home and

darling…”

“Yes?”
“Wear the suit.”
I laugh. “I will.” I kiss into the

phone before disconnecting the call.

“Well, well, well. You didn’t

waste much time in getting your rocks off

with someone else.”

It’s George. “How the fuck did

you get in and what do you want?” He
saunters over to me and drops into the
chair opposite. I stop packing up my
briefcase and let out a deep sigh. He has
a manic stare pinned on me. It’s a little
unsettling.

“Call your whore back and tell

him you’re gonna be busy tonight.”

“What the fuck are you talking

about?” He picks up my phone from the
desk and holds it out to me.

“Call whoever you were just

kissing up to and tell them you’re busy
tonight.”

“Not gonna happen. I don’t know

what’s going on but you can get the fuck
out.”

George laughs. “See, that’s

where you’re wrong. I’m moving back in
with you and we’re going home to fuck.
Now!”

I flinch when he shouts. I close

my briefcase, slip into my jacket and
pick up my phone. “You’ve got two
minutes to leave and then I’m calling the
police.” He doesn’t move. As I start to
dial the emergency number for the
police, George pulls a gun, a fucking
gun. I didn’t even know he owned one.
The situation just got real serious.

“Drop the phone.”
I place it on the desk face down

after pushing the send button.

“That’s

better.

Get

your

briefcase. We’re leaving.”

“No.” I sound braver than I feel.
“What the fuck do you mean,

no?”

“No, George. What do you think

you’re gonna do? Chain me to the bed so
I don’t leave my house? Don’t you think
that would set off alarm bells? You can’t
force me to be with you. Put the gun
away and leave. I’ll pretend you were
never here.”

“See, I can’t do that. I need you. I

have nowhere to go. Bennett, my lover
for the past three years, who I was
staying with, asked me to leave because
his lover is returning from deployment
overseas and he can’t have me there.

He’s coming back permanently so Ben
ended our affair. He was a clever fuck.
On the occasions his lover came home,
he told me he had to be deployed so they
could be together. They were both
army.”

I smirk with amusement. “So,

while you were fucking around on me,
he was fucking around on you. I must say
that’s justice. Go and fucking rent
somewhere. Sleep in a doorway. I don’t
fucking care. You are not moving back
in. Deal with it.” I’m getting angrier by
the

minute.

Yeah.

Stupid

huh?

Aggravating a man with a gun. I need my
fucking head examined.

Then I do the most stupid thing

I’ve ever done in my life. I move toward

George and attempt to slap the gun from
his hand. You guessed it. The gun went
off. I feel a burning pain in my side and
drop to the floor like a lump of lead.

Chapter Nine

WADE

Hamish has actually beaten me

into work for the first time in forever.
He’s industriously slicing vegetables at
the sink.

“Rudy and André are supposed

to do that. It’s the reason you have junior
chef/kitchen hands. To do the shit jobs.”

“I know but I’d rather do this

than go and do the supply order. I fuckin’
hate that job. Why can’t someone else do
it?”

“Because, my friend. You’re the

Head Chef and you’re paid to plan the
menus and order accordingly.”

Hamish turns to face me. “That’s

why you knocked back the job? You
jerk.”

I laugh at him as I tie my apron in

place and approach the sink. “It’s only
taken you what? Nine, ten years to figure
that out.”

“How’s Rafe?”
I sigh before answering and

Hamish’s eyes search my face. I know he
is wondering whether the sigh is one of
frustration or one of happiness. “Fucking
wonderful. We had dinner last night at
Jensen’s and talked. Even though we’ve
known each other for nearly eleven

years, there was so much we didn’t
know about one another. It was good. We
fucked in the pool before we went.”

Hamish smiles and raises an

eyebrow. “The levitation fuck.”

I erupt into laughter. Hamish and

I fucked in the pool when we had our
fling and he’s called it a levitation fuck
ever since. “Yep. Rafe liked it as much
as you did.”

“I think it’s the feeling of being

weightless. Like you’re floating, which
you are. It’s hard to explain. I’m gonna
have to borrow your pool one day and
fuck Blossom that way.” His eyes glaze
over. “She would love it.”

“Any time, my friend.” I pause.

“Mason turned up in the early hours of

this morning.”

“At your place?”
“Yep. He’d been drinking. He

wanted to stay. He stunk, his clothes
were rumpled like he’d slept in them.”

“Why did he want to stay? I

thought you said he always told you he
needed to go home?”

“He did.” I pause wondering

whether to tell Hamish who Mason
really is. I decide I will. I trust Hamish
more than anyone else on earth. “He’s
married with two kids.”

Shock drains the color from my

friends face. “Married? Well fuck me.
Didn’t his wife wonder what he was
doing when he was out late at night?”

“No idea but you’ll never guess

who his father is.”

“Who?”
“Walter Child.”
Hamish drops the knife from his

hand and visibly pales.

“The Walter Child?”
“Yep.”
“Fuck. That asshole hates gays,

lesbians, anyone outside his idea of the
norm.”

“Yep.”
“It makes sense now why Mason

is so firmly locked in the cupboard. Shit
man, Walter could have destroyed you if
he’d found out.”

“I know. It makes me fucking

angry that Mason put me at risk knowing
the kind of man his father is.”

“You had a lucky escape, dude.

You need to stay a long way from that
man.”

“I know. I feel sorry for him

though. To be forced into a marriage he
didn’t want and not being able to show
who he is. It must be hard.”

“How was he forced into

marriage?”

“Not sure. Something about a

debt his wife’s father owed his. She was
the repayment apparently.” I laugh
harshly. “And I thought my fucking
family were assholes.”

“You have Rafe now so put it all

behind you. Give this relationship a
chance. I think you two are meant to be
together.”

“I think so too. He’s so loving,

caring and thoughtful.”

“Not to mention he has a fucking

body to die for.”

We both dissolve in laughter

before we get on with the job of getting
ready for the dinner crowd.

***

“Why don’t you get going? It’s

quiet and the others can clean up and bed
the place down.”

I smile as I think about getting

home to Rafe. “What about you?”

“I’m heading off too.” Hamish

throws the cloth he was wiping down
with at Rudy. He catches it like a
seasoned baseball player.

“I’ll give Rafe a call and let him

know.” I grab the phone from my bag and
dial Rafe’s number. He answers almost
immediately.

We

have

a

quick

conversation. I let him know I’m leaving
for home and he says he’ll pack up and
meet me there. I disconnect the call.
When I turn around, Hamish is changed
and ready to leave.

“Walk out with me?” Hamish

asks.

We leave via the side door. The

evening is gorgeous and I contemplate a
late night swim down at the beach. My
cock thickens thinking about fucking

Rafe under the stars.

“Rafe at your place?” Hamish

asks as I unlock my car.

“On his way. He takes advantage

of me working the evening shift to stay
late at the office.”

“Okay. Drive careful and I’ll see

you tomorrow night.”

I slide into my car as Hamish

walks the couple of blocks to his
apartment.

As I turn into the driveway, I

note the house is in darkness. Strange. I
thought Rafe would have been here by
now. The drive from his office is barely
five minutes while mine is more than
fifteen from the restaurant. I figure

maybe he was a bit slow packing
everything up.

I allow the car to roll into the

garage. I leave the garage door up and
the light on for Rafe so he can drive his
car straight in. My bag is dropped inside
the door and I head for the shower. I’ll
freshen up and pull on my boxers for
when Rafe arrives.

As I strip off my chef’s uniform,

I crinkle my nose at the food odors
impregnated within. I flip the shower on
and step under the welcoming stream of
hot water. It has a soothing, relaxing
effect. I contemplate a foray to the beach
as I soap up and wash down.

I dry off, splash on a hint of

musky scent and pad to my bedroom for

a pair of boxers. The phone is ringing in
my bag. I wonder who it could be
calling at this time of night.

Hurriedly I pull on the shorts and

rush to my bag. By the time I retrieve the
phone it has stopped ringing. I press the
buttons to tell me who might have been
calling. It’s a number I don’t recognize
but I push the button to call back.

“Detective

Sargent

Mitch

Rogers.”

Why the hell is a cop calling me?

My blood turns to ice. Rafe! “Sir, I had a
missed call a few minutes ago. My name
is Wade Johnson.” My hands are
shaking.

“Mr. Johnson. Thank you for

calling back. Your friend, Raphael Cross

has you down as an emergency contact.”

I slide down the wall and sit on

the floor. I’m almost too afraid to ask.
“What happened?”

“I’m sorry Mr. Johnson but Mr.

Cross has been shot. He was found in his
office a few minutes after the shooting
took place. About thirty minutes ago.”

Minutes after I spoke to him.

Shit. Fuck. Shot! Who the fuck would
shoot Rafe and why? His job. He must
deal with criminals all the time. I can’t
bring myself to ask the question I know
must be asked. I remain silent.

“Mr. Johnson?”
“Yes.” I whisper into the phone.
“Mr. Cross has been taken to

Paxton Mercy General if you would like
to join him there. I’ll be down there in
an hour or so. As soon as we secure the
crime scene.”

“He’s alive?”
“Yes, he is but he’s lost a lot of

blood so he’ll probably be taken straight
into surgery.”

He’s alive. I have to go to him.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thank you
for letting me know, Detective.”

“I’d say it’s my pleasure but I’m

not sure your… friend? Will make it.”

“Lover, partner. He’ll make it.”
“Okay. See you at the hospital.”
I disconnect the call and rush to

my bedroom to dress. I pull on sweats

and a t-shirt. Slip my feet into joggers,
not bothering with socks. Grab a jacket
and the next thing I know I’m rushing
through the sliding glass doors, which
lead to the emergency area of our local
hospital.

I hurry up to a window. “Rafe

Cross. He was brought in not long ago.”

“Who?” The nurse behind the

glass glances at me before tapping on a
computer keyboard.

“Rafe Cross.”
“No, sorry. We don’t have

anyone by that name.”

“But, the Detective who called

me said he was brought here.” I recall
then what the Detective had called Rafe.

“Raphael Cross.”

The nurse types again.
“Yes. He’s in surgery on the

fourth floor. There’s a waiting room up
there if you would like to wait. Are you
a relative?”

“He’s my partner.”
She scans the computer screen.

“Wade Johnson?”

“Yes.”
“The police gave me your

details. Go on up. The doctors will let
you know when he’s out of surgery.”

“Thank you.” I hurry to the

elevator doors, press the up button and
wait. As soon as the doors whoosh open,
I step inside and push the button for the

fourth floor. My heart is pounding, my
stomach churning as the doors close and
I’m whisked upward. When the bell
dings and the doors open, I stumble out.
There’s another glass panel ahead of me
and I charge toward it. A nurse glances
up from where she is studying a patient
chart.

“Can I help you?” she asks.
“My partner, Rafe…. Raphael

Cross was brought in with a gunshot
wound. I was told I could wait here
while he’s in surgery.

“Certainly.” She points to my

left. “Go through those doors down there
and it will take you into a waiting
lounge. There’s coffee and tea if you
would like it. I’ll let the doctor know to

come and speak with you as soon as
your partner is out of surgery.”

“Thank you.”
I head down the corridor she

indicated and push on one of the doors.
It opens into a small room with several
lounge chairs and a couple of lounges.
They are all made from woven blue
material. On one wall is a large flat
screen television, which is turned off.
Magazines are neatly stacked on small
tables. I zoom in on the tea and coffee
making facilities and with trembling
hands make myself a much-needed
coffee. Strong. Black. I place the mug on
a nearby table, slump in a seat and
prepare for a long, agonizing wait. I’m
the only one in the room. Surgery isn’t

common at this time of night except in an
emergency.

I lower my head into my hands

and softly cry. I pray for the Lord to help
Rafe through this. I can’t lose him. Not
when I’ve only just found him. After a
short time, I pull myself together, wipe
the tears from my eyes and sip at my
coffee. A travel magazine catches my
eye and I pick it up. There are so many
exotic looking holiday places where one
can go and do nothing but relax. If Rafe
gets through this, I’ll take him away to
fully recover.

***

I must have dozed off. I awaken

to a gentle shaking of my shoulder.
Sitting up, I rub the sleep from my eyes

and take in the man in front of me. He’s
tall, mid-fifties I guess, clean shaven and
wearing a suit. When he unbuttons his
jacket before he sits, I catch sight of the
holster slung across his chest.

“Wade Johnson?” the man asks.
“Yes. Detective Rogers?”
“Do you know who did this?”
“We have a pretty good idea. Do

you know a Mr. George Franklin?”

“George? He was Rafe’s partner

until just over a month ago. He couldn’t
have done this. He loved Rafe.”
Confusion is clear in my voice.

“Do you know why they parted?”
The Detective is making notes in

a small book.

“George had been having an

affair and Rafe found out about it.”

“Hmmm. You’re the partner of

Mr. Cross now?”

“Yes. We’ve been friends for

years, however we’ve only been
officially together for a few days. Why
do you think it was George?”

“Eye witnesses said they heard

the gunshot and saw a man running from
your partners’ offices. The description
matched a man we caught about a block
away. He’s refusing to speak so we
don’t know exactly what happened yet.”

“How do you know it’s George

if he won’t speak to you?” I’m desperate
for it to be someone else. Rafe will be
grief stricken if a man he loved has done

this.”

“We fed his photo into the police

computer and it came up as him. He was
on file because of an assault he
committed fifteen years ago. Also on an
ex-partner.”

“Fuck.” This is going to tear

Rafe apart.

“Indeed. Unless you can think of

anyone else, I’d say we have the man
who committed this crime and he will be
charged.”

“Rafe dealt with some shady

people through his business I think.
Could it have been one of them?”

“I have my partner looking into it

as we speak but it’s highly doubtful.

He’s going over the tapes from the
emergency operator to see if they turn up
a name.”

If George was only one block

away, the police must have arrived
pretty quickly. “How did you know
about Rafe so soon after the shooting?”

“Mr. Cross had dialed the

emergency number and although he
didn’t speak to the operator, he left his
phone turned on. The operator had the
call traced and the police dispatched.”

We are interrupted when the

waiting room door is pushed open and a
tired man strides toward us.

He’s dressed in blue scrubs and

a facemask is hanging loose near his
chest.

“Mr. Johnson?”
I start to stand but the doctor

indicates for me to stay seated. He takes
a chair opposite.

“Dr. Alexander. Your partner has

had quite a time of it. The bullet hit the
left lung and fragments shattered into his
kidney. We have had to do a lobectomy
which means we have removed the
lower part of the lung. We have also
removed his left kidney. He lost quite a
lot of blood and he was Tachycardic.
That means his heart was beating
irregularly, very rapidly. Probably due
to shock.”

“Can I see him?”
“The nurses are just waking him

up so as soon as he is awake, someone

will come for you. He has tubes in his
chest and arm. He’s also on oxygen to
help him breathe easier. We are giving
him pain medication, antibiotics and
something to keep him relaxed through
the drip in his arm. He’ll be rather
groggy.”

“Will

he

be

okay,

doc?”

Detective Rogers asks.

“With plenty of care and rest, he

should fully recover.”

“Will he be okay with only one

kidney?” This is my worry.

“Thousands of people live with

only one functioning kidney. He’ll need
regular check-ups but there’s no reason
to think he won’t live a full and normal
life.”

“How long will he be in the

hospital?”

“If all goes to plan, about a

week, ten days. He’ll need to take it easy
for about a month after that though.”

The doctor stands and I stand and

shake his hand. “Thank you for saving
his life.”

“Welcome. A nurse will be out

shortly to take you in.”

He strides away and disappears

back through the waiting room door.

Detective Rogers pushes up from

his seat. I’m still standing and I offer my
hand which he shakes.

“Thank

you

for

your

co-

operation Mr. Johnson. We’ll be in

touch. I hope your partner recovers
swiftly.”

“As do I. Thank you.”
He leaves me to ponder alone.

George. Fucking George did this. I want
to kill him. Rip his limbs from his body.
Gouge out his heart. I flop back into a
chair while I wait for a nurse to come
and take me to my lover’s bedside. I
send up a quiet prayer of thanks that he
survived.

Chapter Ten

RAFE

Wade’s voice floats through my

haze. “Rafe, darling. Are you awake?”

I move slightly and think I cry

out. Fuck. I hurt like a sonofabitch. I’m
trying to figure out where I am and what
happened.

“Rafe, darling. Open your eyes.”
Wade’s voice is pleading. I

struggle to open my eyes. My eyelids
weigh a fucking ton. He’s holding my
hand. At least I think it’s him holding my

hand. I hope it is. Why won’t my fucking
eyes open?

“He should wake shortly. He’s

had a large dose of sedatives and pain
killers so he’ll be pretty groggy.” It’s a
female voice. One I don’t recognize.
Why have I had sedatives and
painkillers?

“I thought you said he was

awake?” Wade sounds distraught.

“He opened his eyes briefly and

that is what we consider to be awake. It
will take a while for him to come out of
the anesthetic so he will be in and out of
sleep.”

Anesthetic? Why? And, who the

fuck is the chick? I need some answers. I
need to wake up. I force my eyelids

open. My vision is fuzzy but I can make
out Wade beside me.

“Welcome back.” His smile is

one of relief.

“Wha… whe…” My fucking

throat won’t work. It hurts like hell. My
tongue is so dry it could be mistaken for
sandpaper. “Drink,” I whisper.

The female comes into sight.

Who the fuck is she? I glance around.
I’m in a bed. Machines are beeping.
There are tubes everywhere, mostly
attached to me. Bright lights are searing
my eyeballs.

“Sorry, Mr. Cross. I can give you

ice to suck on but no water yet.”

I want a fucking drink but I don’t

have the energy to argue. I nod my head.
A cold sliver of ice is held to my lips
and it’s heavenly. I suck at it greedily.
My tongue rehydrates and the burn in my
throat eases.

“I’ll be back soon. If he needs

anything press the button.” The female
directs this at Wade.

The ice has dissolved and I can

finally speak. “What the fuck happened
and where the fuck am I?”

Wade gives what sounds like a

relieved laugh as he pulls a chair close
to my bed. He brushes my lips with his
and oh, it feels divine, before he sits
down. “It’s good to hear you sounding a
bit like yourself. You had me worried
sick.”

“What happened?”
“You don’t remember anything?”
I shake my head. I can’t

remember a fucking thing.

“You were in your office.

Someone shot you.”

The memories hit me like a

freight train. “George,” I whisper.

“It was George?”
“Yes. He came to the office and

demanded to move back in with me. He
said he had nowhere to go. Something
about the man he’d been fucking had
ended their affair and told him to leave. I
told him I didn’t give a fuck. How stupid
am I? I was taunting a man who was
waving a gun in my face.”

“So he shot you?”
“No, and I don’t think he would

have, even though he was desperate. I
dived at him to get the gun and it went
off.”

“It nearly cost you your fucking

life. I’ve never been more terrified. I
thought I was gonna have to bury another
lover. If you ever do anything so stupid
again, I swear to God, I’ll kill you.”

I laugh and red-hot pain rips

through my body. I groan in agony. Wade
springs to his feet.

“Are you okay darling? Do you

need the doctor?”

“No. Tell me what was damaged

and what they had to do to put me back

together.”

“In terms you can understand.

The bullet went through the bottom of
your left lung and pieces shattered in
your kidney. You lost a lot of blood. The
police and ambulance got to you pretty
fast because they traced your phone.
They said you’d dialed the emergency
number but didn’t speak.”

“No, I told George if he didn’t

get out, I would call the cops. I’d
managed to dial the number before he
ordered me to put the phone down. I
pressed send and placed it on my desk
face down. I was hoping someone on the
other end would realize I was in trouble
and send the cops. Lucky for me they
did.”

“You would be dead if they

hadn’t gotten to you when they did.”

“How long was I in surgery?”
“Almost three hours. The longest

three hours of my fucking life. They had
to remove part of your lung and your left
kidney. The doctor said you would still
be able to live a normal life but would
require regular checks.”

“Fuck. It was bad, huh?”
“You could say that.”
I feel ill. I’ve lost part of a lung

and a kidney all because of my fucking
stupidity. Thank God my vital organs are
intact.

“Are you okay, darling? You’re

very pale.”

“I feel like crap. I can’t believe

George could threaten to kill me.”

“The police have him now so

you’re safe. He’ll be charged with
attempted murder. Did you know he’d
been charged with assault fifteen years
ago? It was another ex who split with
him.”

Tears well in my eyes. “I really

didn’t know the man at all, did I?”

Wade clutches my hand as he

brushes the hair from my forehead. “Get
some sleep, babe. It’s over. We need you
to get well.”

“Can you contact Callie for me

and ask her to sort things out at the
office? Tell her I’ll be in touch as soon
as I have an idea of when I’ll be back.”

“Of course I can. Get some rest.

I’ll be here.”

I close my eyes and let slumber

overtake me. I don’t want to stay awake.
It’s too painful thinking about what has
happened. It could have been a hell of a
lot worse if the police and ambulance
hadn’t gotten to me as soon as they did. I
thank God I’m alive.

***

The next time I open my eyes

Wade is dozing in the chair. He’s still
gripping my hand and I squeeze it gently.
His eyes fly open at the speed of light.

“What’s wrong?”
His face is creased with worry.

It appears I have become involved with

a worrier. “Could I have a drink now?”

“I’ll go and ask a nurse.”
Wade disappears and when he

comes back there is a cup in his hand.
Yes, I mentally high five. A drink at last.
I’m dying of thirst. No wonder I haven’t
wanted to relieve myself. I’m dryer than
a fucking desert.

“Ice chips only, I’m afraid. The

doctor will reassess you for light food
and fluids in twenty-four hours. If all is
okay you’ll be moved to a ward then
too.”

I really want a drink but the

thought of getting out of bed to piss
encourages me to settle for the ice.
“Okay. I don’t think I wanna have to get
up while I’ve got so much pain. The ice

will do.”

“You have a catheter in, babe.”

Wade lifts the sheet and I see the tube
coming from the head of my dick. I also
see the huge bandage covering my chest.
“I don’t think they’ll be letting you up
any time soon.”

He holds an ice chip to my mouth

and I suck it inside. The coolness is
welcomed and savored. I have another
few pieces before collapsing back onto
the pillows. “I feel so weak.”

“I should imagine you do.

You’ve only been out of a major surgery
for a few hours.”

“What’s the time?”
“Eleven in the morning. You

slept for a while.”

“Did you call Callie?”
“Yes. She freaked out and said

she was gonna kill George. I told her I
would have willingly assisted her but
the police have him. She said don’t
worry about the office. Brad and Pete
would cover what they could. She was
going to have a couple of court cases
pushed back and notify clients that things
were going to be delayed. Callie also
said she was going to call Vivienne and
ask if she could start earlier.”

“She’ll take care of everything.”
“She sounds nice. She was very

concerned about you. I explained about
the surgery and she said I was to let her
know when you were out of ICU and

they would all visit.”

“Callie is worth her weight in

gold. I honestly don’t know what I
would do without her. Fuck, if I was
straight, I’d marry her.”

We both laugh which causes me

intense pain and I cringe. I feel a sweat
break out. “Christ, I hurt.” Tears well in
my eyes.

“I’d hug you, darling, but I’m

scared I’d cause you more pain. I hate
seeing you suffer.”

Wade stands when a nurse

approaches with a man I assume is a
doctor.

“Mr. Cross. I’m the doctor who

operated on you earlier, Dr. Alexander.

Has the surgery been explained to you?”

“Yes. Wade explained earlier

that part of my lung has been removed
and a kidney.”

“That’s right. We also had to

clean up a lot of tissue damage. You
were quite a mess I’m afraid. I assume
you were shot at close range.”

“The gun was fairly close when

it discharged. How long will I be in
here?”

“About a week, ten days.

Depends on how you recover. If you
develop an infection it could be longer.”

Wade pipes up. “He’s in an

awful lot of pain, doctor. Is there
anything more you can do to help?”

“I’ll increase the Morphine in the

IV. We kept you on a low dose while the
anesthetic was still effective. The nurse
will be back with an injection. It will
make you drowsy.”

“Thank you. I don’t mind drowsy

as long as the pain isn’t so intense.”

“Any questions?”
“Not at the moment. Wade said

my life will be relatively normal but I’ll
need regular checkups.”

“Yes. We’ll need to monitor your

kidney function in particular until your
body adjusts to having only one. You
will have medication to take also.”

“That’s fine. I’m just glad to be

alive.”

“As you should be. I’ll be back

in the next day or so to check on your
progress. You’ll probably be taken up to
a ward tomorrow morning if all goes
well.”

“Thank you for everything,

doctor.”

“Welcome.”
He leaves with the nurse and

Wade sits back down and gathers my
hand to him. “Are you working the
evening shift?” I ask.

“No. I called Ham and told him

what happened. I told him I wouldn’t be
in for a couple of days. He sends his
best and told me to take as much time as
I need. I’ll take the next couple of days
and then I have two days off. After that

I’ll go back to work because when you
come home, I want to take you away for
a couple of weeks to rest and recover.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’m

not sure I can take that long from the
office.”

“I’ve already told Callie you

won’t be in for the next four weeks. She
said if you show your ass before then
she would personally throw you out.”

I laugh which causes intense pain

to flare again. My breathing quickens as
I fight to control the hot, needle like
pain. The nurse arrives with a syringe in
her hand and she pushes the contents into
a piece of plastic sticking out at an angle
from the main tubing of the drip.

“That should help in a few

minutes Mr. Cross. Is there anything else
you need?”

“No, thank you.”
The nurse leaves and we’re

alone again.

“Callie would throw me out too.

I can’t wait for you two to meet. You’re
both equally protective of me so you
should get along like a house on fire.”

“I think I like her already.”
I’ve created a monster in the

form of a Wade/Callie duo. They will
both go after my ass if I attempt to
overdo things. I relax into my pillows. I
feel drowsy. I’m so lucky to have people
who care so deeply about me. People I
can trust.

Chapter Eleven

WADE

“How’s Rafe?” Hamish asks me

over the phone. I’ve ducked home for a
shower and change of clothes, because I
felt like shit. It’s the first time I’ve left
Rafe’s side since he’s been in the
hospital, more than twenty-four hours.
“He’s making progress. The staff is
moving him up to a ward so I came home
for a shower, shave and change of
clothes.

Everything

okay

at

the

restaurant?”

“Yep. We managed okay last

night even though it was pretty busy.”

“I’ll be back in after my days off.

Thanks for having my back.”

“Any time, my friend. Give Rafe

my best. I’ll drop over and see him when
he gets home. I’m not good with
hospitals as you know from when Liam
was born.”

“Good point. One friend in the

hospital is enough. I can’t believe you
fainted before you even reached
Blossom and ended up spending Liam’s
birth in the ER.”

“It’s the smell. The antiseptic. I

remember as a kid, my father used to
scrub my skin raw with something that
smelled the same. It brought the

memories back along with the fear.”

“I understand. I’ll give Rafe your

best.”

“Thanks. I’ll talk with you again

in the next day or so. If you need
anything, call me.”

“I will. Go and take care of your

family.”

I disconnect the call. I’d always

thought I’d had a tough upbringing but
Ham lived in hell on earth. Literally.
How parents could abuse and treat their
own child like they treated him is
beyond belief. He was used as a human
punching bag. Starved. Left to his own
devices. He escaped from home at the
age of thirteen and lived on the streets
because his parents were ready to sell

him to men who needed a boy. Thank
God he did.

My heart ached for him when we

met at the chef school where I tutored.
He was thin, unkempt, but had a drive
and determination in his eyes that I
admired. I took him under my wing and
over the next ten years, I taught him he
could trust, love himself and love others.
He is now a man I am so proud to be
friends with. I love him like a brother.

The way he was brought up is

what made him look out for Steve. An
alcoholic mother who didn’t give a shit
about him was raising the kid in much
the same way. When she died, Ham
claimed him for his own. Blossom loves
Steve to death and he is every bit as

much a son to her as Liam. It’s so good
to see them all so happy.

Rafe has brought most of his

clothes from his place so I sort through
to find him something to wear in the
hospital. The man has no fucking
pajamas. Sleeping naked at home is one
thing, in the hospital quite another. I
doubt the staff would be happy seeing
his cock on display every time they need
to change a dressing or perform some
other treatment. Although…. The female
staff probably wouldn’t mind viewing
such a magnificent dick.

I place folded underwear, t-shirts

and boxer shorts into a bag along with a
stash of toiletries. I glance around the
bedroom to see if there is anything else I

should take. His laptop is on the chest of
drawers but he is definitely not having
that. He would stress himself out over
work. The book on the table next to his
side of the bed is added to the bag, as is
mine, before I close the zipper.

I grab a bottle of water from the

fridge on the way to the garage. The
remote control is activated and the
garage door opens as I slip behind the
wheel of my car. It doesn’t take long for
me to reach the hospital and park. Most
people are at work at this time of day
and the roads aren’t too busy.

Once inside, I approach a nurse

at the main desk and ask her for Rafe’s
whereabouts. She gives me his room
details and I catch the elevator to the

sixth floor. I can’t wait to see him again.
He’s sitting up in bed when I arrive and
he greets me with a wide smile.

Leaning over I kiss him gently.

He holds my head to him and deepens
the kiss. My cock rises to the occasion.
Yep, it knows this man’s kisses and what
they usually lead to.

When we part, I sit and take his

hand. “It seems you are doing a little
better. How’s the pain?”

“Better with the increase in

medication. I missed you.”

“I told you I was going home to

have a shower and get changed.”

“I know but I still missed you.”
“I brought you a few things too.

You’ll feel better in your own clothes
and out of that revolting hospital gown.”

“I think they’ll keep me in gowns

until all these fucking tubes are out.”

“Have you had something to eat

or drink?”

“I had a cup of tea while you

were gone. The nurse said if I kept it
down I could maybe have something to
eat tonight. She changed the catheter bag
too. Did you notice how much blood
was in it?”

I try not to show my alarm.

“Blood? No, it was hung on the other
side of the bed from where I was sitting.
Did she say why you were pissing
blood?”

“Don’t look so worried. She said

it was perfectly normal and would settle
in a day or two.”

“Thank God. I couldn’t deal with

anything going wrong. I need you to get
well so I can take you home. I wanted to
take you away somewhere but the doctor
told me you can’t fly for at least six
weeks.”

“You sound disappointed.”
“I am. I wanted to take you

somewhere where you completely relax
and unwind.”

“Our home and beach is all I

want, darling. Sounds like paradise to
me.”

“Normally I would agree but I’m

afraid it’s too close to your office and
you’ll be tempted to work.”

“I promise you…” Rafe places

his hand over his heart. “…I will call
Callie once each week to check things
are going okay….”

“No, you will not.” The woman

we are discussing walks through the
door to Rafe’s room. She is carrying a
huge bouquet of flowers and heads
straight for the bed. She kisses my lovers
lips firmly and a spike of jealousy
spears through me.

Get a fucking grip. Why the hell

are you jealous of a woman?

The flowers are set on the table

beside the bed and she parks herself on
the bed. Her hand takes Rafe’s in hers.

“You

will

go

home

with

Wade…” she gives me a huge smile.
“I’m Callie and I assume you are
Wade?”

“Yes, pleased to finally meet you

but wish it could have been under better
circumstances.”

“Me too.” She turns her attention

back to Rafe. “As I was saying. You will
leave the running of the office to me.
When you go home with Wade, you will
not call the office. You will not come in.
You will relax and get well.”

“But…”
Callie places her fingers to

Rafe’s lips effectively shutting him up. I
like this woman more and more.

“No buts. Vivienne started today.

She explained the situation to her
previous bosses. They said she could go
but wouldn’t get the extra two weeks’
severance pay. She said it didn’t matter
because she would get the two weeks
with us anyway. Brad and Pete are
working with her as we speak. They
send their best and said they’ll be in
later tonight.”

“Give Viv an extra weeks’ pay

when you do them. Tell her it’s for being
so generous and coming in on such short
notice.”

“You’re such a good boss. Now,

what the fuck were you doing arguing
with George when he had a gun in his
hand? I can’t believe you were so

stupid. I thought you were supposed to
be smart?”

“I am,” Rafe retorts.
“Stupid or smart?”
“Smart, smart ass.”
“Well if you’re so fucking smart,

why did you do something so fucking
stupid?”

I burst into laughter. Rafe glares

at me. “I have to agree with her. For a
smart man, you were pretty stupid.”

“Whatever. How are things at the

office?”

Callie raises her hand. “What

did I say?”

“I will leave the running of the

office to you. But…”

Callie turns to me. “Do you think

you might be able to teach him, what stay
out of office matters for now, means?”

I laugh again. “I’ll try.”
“It’s my business and I have

every right to ask about it or worry about
it.” Rafe pouts.

Callie glares at her boss. “In

twenty years, have I ever let you down?
When you took off for two weeks
because the doctors didn’t think your
sister would make it through the birth of
her kid, did I let the office fall apart?
Did the fraud case against Mission
Enterprises fall apart? Do you want me
to

name

the

other

times

when

emergencies forced you away but you
came back to an office that was still

running? Do you not trust me now?”

Whoa, this lady can get mighty

angry, mighty quick. I glance at Rafe
who now has a sheepish look on his
face.

“Of course I do. Point taken. I’ll

keep out of it and focus on getting well.
If you do have a problem…”

“Brad or Pete will deal with it.”
“Did I say I love you?”
I want to hear those words from

Rafe directed at me. Almost losing him
has made me realize, I already love him.
Not a powerful love. Yet. More a
fledgling type of love. Like a seed has
been planted and the first shoots have
appeared above the ground.

I sigh and Rafe’s head whips

around to me. He studies my face
carefully.

“I’ll leave you two lovebirds to

it and get back to the office. I just
wanted to catch you up on what was
happening.” Callie stands and gives
Rafe another gentle kiss.

Callie approaches me. “Keep me

up to date with how he’s going?” She
kisses my cheek. “Take care of him for
us. We all love him too.”

“I

will.”

She

leaves

me

pondering the ‘too’ in her statement.
How would she know I love Rafe?

As Callie leaves, I notice Rafe

studying me closely.

***

“What’s in the bag?” Rafe asks

after Callie leaves.

I lift it up onto the bed and pull

back the zipper. I lift out the things I
have brought in and set them on the bed.
There’s a small chest next to the bed.
“Do you want me to put them in the
drawers for you?”

“Yes, please. As soon as I get

some of these tubes out, I’ll ask the nurse
to help me into shorts and a t-shirt. It’ll
be a hell of a lot better than this dress
I’m wearing.”

I

unpack

the

clothes

and

toiletries into the drawers and leave the
book on top where Rafe can reach it. I
put the bag on the floor beside the chair.

I’ll take it home when I go. “You’re very
pale, Darling. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine. Come here.”
Rafe holds out his arms. I move

forward careful not to snag the tube
attached to one of them. He wraps his
arms around me and lowers his lips over
mine. The kiss is deep, intense. The air
is sucked from my lungs and I pull back.
“What was that for?”

“I think you’re in love with me.”
I lower my head. Don’t tell me

I’ve found another fucking Hamish.
Having one person who can read my
mind is enough. He lifts my chin with his
fingers and I’m forced to gaze into his
eyes. We both have blue eyes but I have
noticed, his turn almost black when he’s

emotional. They’re almost black now.

“Are you in love with me?” he

asks.

I can’t lie. “Yes, I am.” I drop my

head again. I hope with everything I am
that I don’t scare him away. He lifts my
head with his fingers again. He’s
searching my face.

“Good.”
“Good? What do you mean

good?”

“I know we’ve only been

together a few days but I’ve known since
the first time we fucked; what I feel for
you is different. Special. Every time I
think about you my heart beats faster.
When I was with George, I didn’t care if

I worked late or not. I loved him, still do
in some way but darling; I’m in love
with you.”

Tears trickle down my face.

“How did you know I was in love with
you?”

“By the look on your face when

Callie said they all love me too. I could
see love shining in your eyes. I was
hoping you might feel as I do but I feared
it was too much to expect so soon after
the break up with Mason.”

“I’ll always care about Mason

but I don’t think I was ever in love with
him. It’s different with you. I think my
love for you, given time could be more
powerful than any I’ve ever felt before.”

“Even Finlay?”

“Yes. Even Finlay.”
Rafe pulls me against him. I let

him judge how close so he doesn’t get
hurt. Our lips crash into each other’s and
the kiss is passionate, meaningful. I give
him all my love as he gives me his.
When my cock aches with want, I pull
away and return to the chair. My dick is
pressing against my sweatpants causing
them to tent in an outrageous manner. I
hope nobody decides this is the moment
to come in and check on my love. I draw
Rafe’s attention to my groin. “My cock
wants you.”

Rafe lifts the sheet and I peer

down to the join in his legs. I can’t help
but laugh. His long hard length standing
upright with a tube cascading from it is a

sight I will never forget. “You were
saying?” His voice is thick and gravelly
and I know just how he feels.

“Please hurry up and get well.

This is gonna fucking kill us.”

***

The afternoon has been quiet.

I’ve been reading War and Peace while
Rafe has been sleeping. He’s been
moaning in pain so I spoke with the
nurse and she gave him some pain
medication. She said the doctor has
written up some extra for the first few
days so not to hesitate to ask for it.

Within ten or so minutes he was

sleeping more peacefully. I’ve also
dozed on and off. I’m pretty exhausted
due to lack of sleep, the terror of almost

losing my love and the realization that
we love each other.

I glance up and bounce to my feet

when two gorgeous men enter the room.

They are both around my height;

one is dark skinned, dark haired with
chocolate brown eyes. The other is fair
with fair hair and almost black eyes.
Quite the contrast considering how fair
he is. The dark haired man holds out his
hand.

“You must be Wade. Pete.

Pleased to meet you.” I shake his hand.
He has a firm grip and a beautiful smile.

The fair-haired man then holds

out his hand and I take it. He also has a
firm grip and wide, beautiful smile.
“Brad. How’s our man?”

Rafe continues to sleep so I

speak softly. “How about we go for
coffee and I’ll explain everything. He’ll
probably sleep while we’re gone.”

“I don’t fancy hospital coffee but

there’s a café across the street.” Brad
says.

“I’m good with that as long as

you don’t mind being seen with a man in
sweats, polo shirt and joggers.”

“Given a choice, we’d be in

them too. Unfortunately the boss insists
on suits in the office.” Pete complains
without malice.

“I’m glad, I like Rafe in a suit.” I

see Brad and Pete exchange a glance.
“What?”

“I guess we won’t get any

support from you to go casual then.”
Brad says.

“Nope. Let me go and tell a

nurse that I’m going out for a while. I
don’t want Rafe to panic if he wakes up
and sees I’m not here.” I speak briefly
with a nurse who assures me she’ll keep
a close eye on Rafe while we’re gone.

Chapter Twelve

RAFE

“Come on sleeping beauty. Time

you woke up.”

It’s Brad’s voice. I drag myself

out of slumber to find Brad, Pete and
Wade eyeballing me. “Well, look who
the cat dragged in.” I make the attempt to
sit up and cry out as pain rips through
me. All three men are at my bedside in
seconds. The same look of concern
plasters each of their faces.

“Can we help?” Pete asks.

“Drag me up the bed a bit will

you. It’s uncomfortable half lying and
half sitting.”

Wade is the clever one. “The bed

is electric. If you push this button the
head rises and sits him up.” He
demonstrates by pressing the red button
on a silver remote and my head is
brought up into a much more comfortable
position.

“Thanks, now I’ll be able to talk

to you without being uncomfortable.
How’s the Minx…”

“We’ve been ordered not to

discuss the office or work with you.”
Pete interrupts.

“Callie,” I grumble.

“Yep and let’s just say she has a

way of finding out if we haven’t done as
she asked. My balls aren’t gonna be on
her chopping block.” Pete chuckles.

“From what I’ve heard and

witnessed, I like Callie,” Wade says.

I glare at him.
“I do. She doesn’t take shit from

any of you, but she’s the first one to jump
to your defense. People as loyal as her
are like diamonds.”

“He’s right,” Brad says.
I have to agree with them. “I

could gladly strangle her sometimes and
people who don’t know us very well
would assume she’s nothing more than a
bossy employee who oversteps her

boundaries. She’s much more than that
though. Apart from the fact she owns a
percentage of the business, she’s like our
sister and we all love her to death. It
would be God help any man who hurts
her.”

Brad and Pete express their

agreement.

“Wade filled us in on the details

of what happened although Callie had
pretty much told us the same thing when
she came into the office after she visited
you earlier. She was pretty angry with
you. Said she had a good mind to finish
the job,” Brad said.

“I can imagine Callie cursing

me.”

“How are you doing?” Brad

asks.

“I still have a bit of pain so I

need to be careful how I move but
otherwise I’m just glad to be alive.”

Wade moves to take my hand. I

squeeze it lightly and he gives me a
bone-melting smile.

“So, four weeks away from

work. Plans to go anywhere?” Pete asks.

“Not allowed to fly but we might

take a road trip to see Mel and Petra for
a few days. I’d like to take Wade to meet
them.”

I don’t miss the exchanged

glances of Pete and Brad.

Brad asks, “that serious?”
I smile at Wade as I answer.

“Yes, it is.”

Brad shocks me with his next

comment. “We like Wade a hell of a lot
better than George so we hope you make
each other happy.”

“There was something about

George we just couldn’t put our finger
on. Neither of us trusted him.” Pete adds.

I can’t believe they’re only

telling me this now. “Why didn’t you say
something before?”

“You seemed happy and it wasn’t

right for us to tell you we didn’t like
him. After the first few years, we
decided it was just us,” Brad explains.

Pete says, “until this happened.

Then we knew we were right about not

trusting or liking him.”

“It’s in the past now and I can

guarantee, Wade is nothing like George.”
I gaze into Wade’s eyes. I can see the
love he has for me and it warms me all
over. I really believe, he’s the one I’ve
been searching for all my life. If only I
hadn’t been in a relationship when
Finlay died and left Wade alone.
Regrets? Some, but we’re together at
last and I know our love will blossom
and grow.

“You look tired and we need to

get home.” Brad interrupts my thoughts.
“We’ll visit again when you get home.
We just wanted to make sure you were
okay.”

“Take care and get yourself

well.” Pete pats my arm before both men
leave the room.

Wade and I are together, alone.

***

Ten days later

I wake dripping in sweat and

shaking. The room is veiled in darkness.
“Wade,” I manage to croak his name.
The light over my bed comes on and
Wade’s face hovers above me.

“I’m

here,

darling.

What’s

wrong?”

“Nightmare. Can I have some

water please?” Wade pours water into a
glass and holds my hand around it until
my shaking subsides. I gulp at the cool
liquid and hand the glass back. He

places it on the table beside my bed. “I
can’t wait to go home tomorrow. I need
you to hold me while I sleep.” Tears fill
my eyes. I’ve been relieving being shot
over and over thanks to my nightmares.

“Let me in behind you.”
I sit forward and Wade crawls

up onto the bed behind me. He pulls me
back into his arms. I turn to my side and
rest my head on his chest. His arms
enfold me and I feel secure again.

“You need to talk to someone

about these nightmares, darling.”

Wade has been trying to get me to

talk to a counselor but I’m convinced
once I get home, the nightmares will
disappear. “If they don’t go when I’m
home, I promise I will.”

“Have you told your sisters what

happened?”

“No, I’ll tell them when we visit.

They’ll be able to see I’m fine and won’t
worry.”

“I wish you would have let me

call them. They are going to be upset
they didn’t know.”

“Probably, but they would have

driven down here straight away and
there was nothing they could have done.
You were here and I didn’t need anyone
else.” I snuggle closer and feel Wade
kiss the top of my head.

“I’m looking forward to meeting

them.”

“I’ll call them when we get

home. We’ll leave a couple of days later.
I’ll book a hotel for us. As much as I
love them, I’m not staying under the
same roof. I want some time with you to
myself.”

“Will you be up to the drive?”

Wade asks with concern.

“I’m fine now. I have next to no

pain and I feel well.”

“Get some sleep. Morning will

be here before we know it.”

“Home.”
I lean back and Wade brushes my

lips with his. I’m falling deeper in love
with this man. When he hasn’t been at
work, he has been with me every free
minute he’s had.

***

“You ready to leave?” The

doctor asks me when he comes in.

I’m dressed in sweats and a t-

shirt, ready to get the hell out of the
place. My bag is packed and Wade is
sitting on the bed next to me. His arm is
around my waist.

“Hell, yes. Where do I sign?”
The doctor and Wade laugh at my

question.

“Hold your horses, I have a few

things I need to check first. Any pain,
nausea?”

“Minor pain if I stretch my arms

too far but otherwise none. No nausea
and before you ask, my bowels are

normal.”

He wraps a cuff around my arm

and proceeds to take my blood pressure.

“All good. Well, Mr. Cross, I

think you’re fine to leave. The nurse will
bring the discharge papers in for you to
sign and she’ll make a follow up
appointment for me to see you in three
weeks. If you have a temperature,
nausea, excess pain, contact my office.
Good luck.”

“Thank

you

doctor,

for

everything.”

I smile as he retreats from the

room. Within minutes a nurse comes in
with the paperwork for me to sign. Once
I’ve

signed,

she

hands

me

an

appointment card and some medications

in a plastic bag.

“Those medications will last

until you see Doctor Rogers. He’ll give
you prescriptions at your appointment.”
The nurse smiles at us both. “I’ll miss
you two. Good luck with everything.”

“Thank you and I hope I don’t

see you again.” She laughs as Wade
helps me from the bed, grabs my bag and
insists I take a seat in a wheelchair the
nurse has waiting.

“I don’t need a wheelchair.” I

protest.

“It’s hospital policy, Mr. Cross. I

could get in a lot of trouble if you
walked out of the hospital.”

I fold and park my ass in the

chair. Wade places the bag on my lap
and moves behind me to push the chair.
The nurse escorts us to the car. Once
safely inside, she bids us farewell and
returns indoors with the chair.

“Home?” Wade asks.
I lean over and kiss him.

“Home.”

He fires up the motor, puts the

car in gear and eases out of the hospital
parking lot. I lean back in the seat and
close my eyes. I’m so relieved to be out
of that place.

***

I can’t get out of the car quick

enough after we enter the garage and
Wade shuts off the motor. He laughs as

he slips from behind the wheel.

“Are you in a hurry to go

somewhere?”

“I’m so happy to be home at last.

It felt like I was in that fucking hospital
forever.”

“Take it easy or you’ll end up

back there. You heard what the doctor
said about not exerting yourself. The
inside needs to heal properly yet.”

I ignore his warnings. “Pool,

now.” I head for the steps that lead to the
pool area. I hear Wade following.

“The doc said…”
“He said I had to be careful not

to overdo things or exert myself. If we
fuck in the pool, the water takes my

weight. It’s easy on my body.” I stop and
spin around, he almost crashes into me. I
take him in my arms and gaze into his
eyes. “Please, darling. I need you.”

I can see the turmoil in Wade’s

eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you and have
you end up back in the hospital.”

“I won’t let you hurt me.

Please?” My lips crash down on his in a
deep, emotional kiss. My cock hardens
in anticipation. I can feel Wade’s dick is
also hard as it brushes against me.
“Please?”

Wade sighs as he draws away. “I

can’t deny you but please tell me if you
have the slightest twinge.”

“I give you my word.” I grab the

hem of his shirt and draw it over his

head. Lowering my head, I capture his
nipple between my teeth. My hands slip
down inside his sweats and briefs. His
silken covered rod of steel is pulsing
with want as my hands wrap around it
lovingly.

“Rafe.”
Wade’s voice is breathless as his

fingers toy with my hair and he pushes
his hips and chest forward. He wants
and needs more. I plan to deliver.

The nipple caught between my

teeth is elongated. I nip at the swollen
bud before blowing lightly across it.
Wade hisses and I move to the other. All
the while I caress his cock, rubbing my
thumb lightly across his wet tip.

When I decide his nipples have

had enough attention, I straighten and
dive on his lips. His moans, as he climbs
toward orgasm, reverberate through me.
My cock is now aching with want and I
can’t take any more. I step back and tear
at my clothing. Wade does the same and
now we’re both naked. He grabs a
condom, tears open the packet and slips
it over his throbbing, purple cock.

He holds my hand and leads me

into the cool water. It feels divine on my
sensitive, overheated body. I head for
the side, impatient to have my lover
buried inside me. Wade pulls me close
and brushes my lips with his before his
tongue dives inside. My knees weaken.
Our tongues tangle and twist as we
become more aroused. Our cocks are

dancing with each other, impatiently
waiting for more.

“Turn around.” Wade’s voice is

husky; full of need.

My hands grip the side and I

allow myself to float back with my legs
spread wide apart. I flinch slightly as his
fingers bury themselves inside, getting
me ready. I feel him freeze. “I’m fine. If
you stop, I swear I’ll knock you out and
fuck you.”

Wade’s fingers move again as he

readies me. His lips nip and kiss at the
side of my neck. I tilt my head to allow
better access. I have goose bumps all
over. God this man turns me on.

His tip eases against me and I

sigh with relief. Like before he takes my

dick in one hand, holds me with the other
and pushes inside. He seats himself
deeply; it’s pure fucking ecstasy.

“How do you feel?”
“Fanfuckintastic but I’ll feel

better when you start fucking me.”

Wades’ cock slides in and out.

His hand on my cock matches the rhythm
and I almost forget to hold onto the side.
I moan with delight as my body relaxes
and settles into being fucked for the first
time in almost two weeks. I have only
the tiniest twinge of pain, which
disappears almost as quickly as it came.
I know Wade is holding back.

“Fuck me.” I growl and push

back hard. Wade ramps up his tempo and
I feel the orgasm approaching. My balls

harden and shrink. Wade’s cock fills and
stretches me as it grows with desire.

“I’m coming. Fuck. Fuck.” Wade

shouts as he releases stream after stream
of cum.

I can feel the condom filling and

within seconds, my own cock damn near
blows off its tip. “Fuck, Wade, don’t
stop. Please, don’t stop.” I empty into
Wade’s hand as he empties into me.

I’m exhausted and in a little pain

by the time we’re both spent. Wade
withdraws and lowers my legs to the
floor of the pool. I stumble slightly and
he catches me up in his arms.

“Shit, Rafe. You weren’t ready.

Are you okay?” He holds me firmly
against him. His lips caress my neck as

my head rests against his chest.

“I’m okay but I’m tired. It took a

bit more out of me than I expected. I
need to rest for a while.”

Wade guides me from the pool

and sits me on a deck chair while he pats
me dry. I watch as he towels himself off
and wraps a towel around his waist. He
stands me up and wraps one around me.
With his arm firmly around me I stumble
to our bedroom and collapse into bed.
Within seconds, I fall asleep. I might be
sore and exhausted but fuck I’m happy.

Chapter Thirteen

WADE

I sit at the side of the bed and

watch as Rafe sleeps peacefully. He’s
exhausted, as am I, but I won’t climb in
with him. I want him to rest. He needs as
much rest as possible to recover from
his ordeal. If I lie beside him, he’ll want
to fuck again. It’s too soon, despite what
he says, he’s simply not up to it.

I take a pillow from the bed,

shimmy down in the chair, close my eyes
and drift off. When I wake and glance at

the clock, it’s late afternoon. Rafe is still
asleep, so I slip quietly from the room
and head for the kitchen. Halfway
through making myself a sandwich, Rafe
appears in the doorway.

His hair is tousled and he’s stark

naked. My eyes drift to the healing
wound on his chest. It has a long way to
go but appears to be healing well. His
cock hangs limp between his muscular
thighs and I know he is aware of me
staring at it when it flinches and dances.

I raise my head and the smile he

gives me almost brings me undone. He is
absolutely gorgeous.

“Interested?”
“Oh yeah, but not now. We have

to take it easy, darling. If you want to

return to work in a month’s time instead
of three months like it should be, you
need to be careful.” Rafe pouts and
laughter bubbles up in me. “You look
like a spoilt child who can’t get their
own way.”

“I want you.”
“I want you too but please, be

patient.” He pads over to me and gathers
me in his arms. Our kiss is intense; I
melt against him. My hands cup the
globes of his ass as I pull him closer. I
want him so badly; I almost give up my
resolve to be careful. When our kiss
ends, I gently move him away and turn
back to the bench where my sandwich
fixings are laid out. “Would you like a
sandwich?”

“I’d like you please, hold the

bread.”

We both dissolve in laughter.
“Nice try, beautiful. Go and put a

pair of shorts on while I finish up here.
How about a movie?” His head drops as
he heads back to the bedroom for a pair
of boxers, he knows I’m not going to
give in. He joins me back in the living
room where I have switched on the
television and inserted a movie - Pearl
Harbor, one of my favorites.

I pat the couch beside me. He

sits and I hand him a plate with a ham
sandwich, dressed. We settle in and
munch hungrily. We wash our meal down
with a glass of iced tea and then Rafe
curls into me. Halfway through the

movie, he’s snoring softly. He doesn’t
realize how weak he is, it will be quite a
while before he’s back on his feet. I
brush at his hair with my fingertips as I
watch the rest of the movie.

***

“Is the movie over?” Rafe

glances up at me sleepily.

I run the tips of my fingers over

his lips and he kisses them. “It ended a
couple of hours ago. I was about to make
something to eat. What would you like?”

“You.”
“No.”
“You’re not nice.”
“No, I’m not.”
“I’d love grilled chicken and

salad if we have some.”

“Yes, we do. I’ll fix it now.”
“I’ll help.”
“No you won’t. Stay here and

rest.”

“That’s all I fuckin’ do lately.”

Rafe is becoming irritable and I can’t
say I blame him. I don’t know that I
would take well to being treated like an
invalid.

I draw him close to me and kiss

him. “I know you’re frustrated, darling.
Have you decided when we’re going up
to Brice to see your sisters?”

“No, I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Why don’t you call them, book

a hotel and we’ll head up there

tomorrow?”

“Don’t you want to be here alone

with me?”

“Of course I do, but I think it’s

time we told your sisters about what
happened to you. It should be face to
face not over the phone.”

“I suppose so. I’ll call while you

make dinner.”

I place a kiss on his forehead

before heading off to the kitchen. While
I’m busy cooking chicken and putting
together a salad, I hear Rafe talking and
laughing on the phone. It warms my heart
to hear his laugh. It’s a sound that has
been all too infrequent in the past few
days.

The doorbell startles me. I wipe

my hands on a towel and head to see
who is calling on us. Mason is on the
other side of the door when I open it. I
sigh in frustration. First George, now
Mason. Can’t either of them take a hint?

“Mason, what the fuck are you

doing here?”

“Can I talk to you?”
He tries to edge his way in but I

don’t allow it. I keep the door rigid
between us, open but not enough for him
to slip in. “No. I’ve told you, I’ m not
interested in a relationship, or whatever
it was we had, anymore. I need you to
leave and please don’t come back.”

“Wade, please.”

“Mason, fuck off. Go back to

your family.” Tears fill his eyes but I’ve
had enough. I want him to go away and
leave me alone. He pushes hard against
the door. The suddenness of his
movement shocks me and I fall back onto
my ass. He steps inside and closes the
door. I struggle back to my feet. “Rafe,”
I shout. “Call the police.”

Mason steps close. He’s up in

my face as he snarls, “I want you to
listen to me.”

Rafe appears in the doorway. I

can see he’s concerned. “What’s going
on?”

“I want to speak to Wade.”

Mason has me by the arm and drags me
into the living room. Rafe waits for us to

pass and follows.

Mason shoves me onto the couch

and Rafe sits beside me. He holds my
hand for reassurance.

“Say what you need to say and

get out.” Rafe is furious.

“I want Wade back.” Mason

shocks both Rafe and I.

“What?” I ask thinking I couldn’t

have heard right. “Do you honestly
believe I would go back to you using me
the way you were?”

“I’ll leave my wife. We’ll move

somewhere so my father can’t do
anything to hurt us. We’ll be happy.
Please, Wade.”

“Listen carefully.” I take a deep

breath. “I. Do. Not. Want. You. What we
had was good while it lasted.”

“But…” Mason stops when I

hold my hand up.

“It’s over, Mason. I’m not in love

with you. Please, leave me alone.”

“Then, this is it?”
“Yes. I’m sorry we didn’t work

out but you need to go back to your
family. Talk to them. Maybe you could
move away. Start a new life somewhere
else. Find someone who’ll make you
truly happy.”

“I wanted to do that with you,

Wade.”

“I won’t leave my home. Even if

I was in love with you, I would never

leave here.”

“Will you hug me one last time?

Kiss me?”

I glance at Rafe who gives me a

subtle nod. I stand and pull Mason into
my arms. Our kiss is gentle and final.

“Goodbye, Mason.”
“Goodbye, Wade.”
He almost sprints to the door and

by the time I reach it, he’s down the
steps and into the street. Rafe joins me
as I peer into the darkness, his arm
wraps around my waist.

“Are you okay?” he asks.
“I’m fine. I hope he can work

everything out. I don’t love him but I
want him to be happy.”

“I know you do darling.” He

guides me back into the house and I
close the door.

A shadow watches from nearby

as the couple enters the house. “I will
have you Wade. Make the most of your
time with your whore. You will be mine.
Soon. Very soon.”

“I’ll go and finish up dinner. Did

you call your sisters?”

“Yes, I spoke with Mel and she’s

looking forward to seeing us. She’ll let
Petra know. She said the kids wouldn’t
be around. They’re all off at college.
You’ll be spared the bedlam.”

“This time.”
Rafe laughs. “Yes, this time,

darling.”

***

Having Rafe back home and

waking up in his arms makes me feel
complete again. I hadn’t realized how
much I’d missed him. His head rests on
my chest and my arm holds him close. I
plant a gentle kiss on the top of his head.
It causes him to stir and wriggle against
me.

“Good morning. How are you

feeling?”

Rafe rolls onto his back and

stretches. I see him wince and know his
healing has a long way to go. He curls
back against me and our first kiss of the
day is gentle but insistent.

“I want you.” Rafe’s voice is

soft, husky with sleep.

“I want you too, babe. I worry

about injuring you though.”

Rafe spins upside down and his

mouth finds my cock. He draws me
inside and I moan with delight. And, yes.
His cock is there; right in line with my
mouth. I take him in my hands and
swallow him deep. While his tongue
glides up and down my hardening length,
mine treats his to the same. We’re both
squirming. I cup his balls as I follow the
large vein of his cock to his tip. I taste
the sweetness of pre cum.

Rafe is nipping and his tongue is

probing into my slit. The feeling is
fucking heavenly. My dick is pulsing

with excitement. I’m ready to come.
When he nips at the tip and pinches my
balls, I’m done. My moans as I explode
vibrate along his cock and he joins me in
nirvana. I swallow jet after jet of his
cum and he takes in all of mine. When
there is no more to be had. I slide his
cock from my mouth and lick it clean. He
does the same for me before flipping
himself back around.

His lips crash down on mine and

his tongue jostles for position with mine.
He holds me tightly against him and my
hands fondle his ass. God, I love this
man.

“Ask me how I feel now?” Rafe

has an ear-to-ear grin plastered on his
face.

“How do you feel?”
“Fucking amazing.”
I laugh and hug him tight. “If

we’re going to make Brice before
nightfall, we need to get moving.”

“Do we have to go up there?”
“Yes. I want to meet your family

and you need to tell them what
happened.”

“I guess you’re right but I’d much

rather stay here. Alone. With you.”

“We’ll spend plenty of time

alone in Brice, I promise you. Now, get
you sexy ass out of that bed.”

***

We take my car for the long trip

to Brice. Rafe is relaxed with his head

back and eyes closed as I follow the
coast road north. The coast is rugged and
beautiful. I glance over now and again
and see waves pounding into the shore.
Raw power. Mother Nature at her
fiercest. I love the sheer, natural beauty.

I flip on the radio to a country

and western station and start singing
softly to Johnny Cash. Rafe’s voice
startles me.

“I love you, darling, but do you

have to sing? Didn’t anyone ever tell you
that you sound like a cat whose tail is
being stepped on?”

“I’ll thank you not to pass

judgment on my glorious voice.”

Rafe

bursts

into

laughter.

“Glorious? Which tone deaf friend told

you that?”

I feign hurt. “I thought I had a

lovely voice.”

“I….”
Rafe is interrupted when my car

is rammed from behind by a powerful
four-wheel drive. It has a large bull bar
attached to the front.

“What the fuck?” I struggle to

maintain control of my car while Rafe
turns in his seat to check out the driver.

“Fucking hell. It’s Mason!”
He rams us again and my car

swerves perilously close to the edge of a
rocky embankment that dips steeply to
the sea. “What is it about us that we
attract crazy people? The prick is gonna

kill us if he keeps this up.”

“Pull over, Wade. See what he

wants.”

“I don’t think I have a fucking

choice.” I ease off the accelerator and
pull on to the shoulder. “Stay here. Don’t
get out for any reason.”

“But…”
“No buts, Rafe. I’m serious.

Mason has obviously lost it and I don’t
want you hurt. Let me talk to him.”

I can see my love isn’t happy but

I don’t know what Mason is capable of.
I would never forgive myself if Rafe
were hurt again.

I step from the car and head back

to where Mason has pulled over behind

me. He hasn’t gotten out of his vehicle
so I head for the driver’s window. He
lowers it to speak to me.

“Get in the car.”
“I’m not getting in the fucking car

with you. What the fuck do you think
you’re doing? You could have killed us.”

I stumble backward when he

pulls a revolver and points it directly at
me. Again, I ask. Why the fuck do we
attract crazy people?

“Get in the fucking car or I’ll kill

your whore. You and I are going away
where no one will find us. I warned you.
I want you Wade. I never take no for an
answer.”

“Mason, let’s talk about this. You

can’t kidnap me. My friends will have
the police on your tail before you can
blink.”

“They’ll never find us where

we’re going. I’ll say it once more. Get in
the fucking car or your whore dies.”

I glance back at my car before

hurrying around to the passenger side
and hopping in. I don’t have a chance to
clip on my seatbelt before Mason pulls
back onto the road and speeds off.

“It won’t work. I’ll never love

you.”

“It will work and you will love

me like you did before your whore lured
you away.”

“You’re crazy. The police will

find us and then you’ll go to prison.
Please, let me go.”

“No chance in hell. All my life

I’ve had to suck up to my father. Obey
his rules. Hide who I am. Well, no more.
Now, I’m gonna take what I want, what’s
mine.”

“I’ll never be yours and I’ll

never stay with you willingly. You’ll
never hold me. I don’t want to be with
you. You’re fucked in the head. You need
help.”

“Shut the fuck up.”
“You’ve lost it. Something in you

has snapped. Stop in the next town and
we’ll find someone who can help you.”

Mason laughs hysterically. “You

think so? You really believe I would
give you a chance to get away from me?”

When he glances at me I see the

glow of madness in his eyes. “Fuck you,
Mason. You’re fucking pathetic.”

Mason cracks me across the

skull with his gun. It’s the last thing I
remember.

Chapter Fourteen

RAFE

“Fucking hell.” I see Wade’s

distraught face as the four-wheel drive
speeds past. I know he couldn’t possibly
have agreed to go with Mason. He’s
been threatened. My gut somersaults at
the thought of him being hurt.

I spring from the car and race to

the driver’s seat as fast as my injuries
will allow. The engine fires and I pull
my seatbelt into place as I speed off
after my love. I can barely see the larger

vehicle off in the distance. If I can barely
see them, they would be hard pressed to
see me. I maintain my distance so Mason
isn’t alerted.

“Why is it our former partners

have turned fucking crazy?” I shout and
bang the steering wheel with my fist. I
swear if Mason does anything to hurt
Wade, I’ll fucking kill him.

I try and reassure myself that

Mason is in love with Wade and won’t
hurt him, but…, what if he decides if he
can’t have him, then nobody can?

Tears run down my face and I

swipe at them furiously. I need to stay
alert. Keep my eyes on the vehicle in
front. He’s speeding toward Mitchum,
the next town on the highway. I have an

idea.

Fumbling

around,

I

locate

Wade’s phone in the map slot of the
door. I press the buttons and dial
emergency for the second time in two
weeks. A female answers.

“Emergency. Police, Fire…”
I cut her off mid-sentence. “I

need to report a kidnapping to the
police.”

“When did the kidnap occur,

sir?”

The woman is so calm but I

guess she’s trained to be that way. “It’s
taking place now. I need the fucking
police. He’s got my partner.”

“Calm down, sir and tell me

where you are.”

“We’re on the highway not far

from Mitchum. He’s driving a silver
four-wheel drive. I’m following in a
dark blue BMW. Please, I need help. I
don’t know what he’s going to do.” I’m
crying into the phone, my heart is
breaking.

“Sir,

police

have

been

dispatched. Calm down. The police will
take control of the situation. Stay on the
line with me and tell me what’s
happening.”

“He’s a long way in front of me.

I can barely see him. He’s still speeding.
We’re approaching the city limits.”

“The police are near Mitchum.

You should be able to hear the sirens and

see them any minute now.”

I see the flashing lights first and

recognize three police cars as they speed
past Mason and Wade. I slow down and
they make a U-turn in front of me. They
speed back from the way they had come.
I hear sirens blaring and hear a
policeman with a megaphone telling
Wade to slow down. I stay close behind
them as they come up behind Mason.
He’s ignoring them and I’m worried
about the dangerous speed he continues
to travel at.

The road winds down into the

town and there are numerous tight bends.
My heart is lodged in my throat as the
wheels screech in protest at each turn. I
slow way down. I’ve lost sight of Mason

and the police.

I hear a sickening bang from the

bend up ahead and I know without doubt
what has happened – Mason has missed
a turn. I pray the vehicle has not gone
over the edge. As I round the bend, the
first thing I see are the police cars. They
are stopped and a couple of men are
standing, peering over the edge.

I pull in behind them and without

turning the motor off. I fly from the car.
A police officer grabs me before I get to
the edge. He pulls me away.

“You don’t want to see down

there. Fire and Paramedics have been
called.”

“Nooooo,” I scream. “Wade

can’t be dead.”

I slump into the officer’s arms

and sob on his shoulder. I have no idea
how he feels about hugging a gay man
and don’t fucking care. If he lets me go, I
swear I’ll leap over that edge. He pats
my back as we stand, waiting. Waiting
for what?

“One of them is pretty badly hurt

but he’s alive. We need the fire crew to
cut him out. The other one is dead.”

My head snaps around and I see

two officer’s climbing over a barrier
railing that runs along the edge of the
road.

“Who’s alive?” I’m desperate to

know.

“He said his name is Wade.”

The police officer that I have

been holding onto steadies me as my
knees threaten to give way. “He’s
alive?”

“Wade is alive,” one of the other

officers confirms as he approaches. “He
has an officer down there talking with
him to keep him awake. He’s pretty
banged up and he said his legs hurt like
hell. We need to get him cut from the
vehicle. The door won’t budge.”

As he finishes speaking a fire

rescue unit and ambulance arrive. I
begin to breathe a little easier when they
sprint into action and head over the
edge.

“I want to go and see him.”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you go

down there,” the officer holding me
says. “Wait until he’s brought up and if
you would like to ride to the hospital
with him, I’ll get one of the officers to
drive your car into town.”

I reluctantly agree to remain

where I am. I know the right thing is to
stay put and out of the way but every
fiber of my being wants to rush down
there and hold him, comfort him.

A paramedic approaches and I

step back from the officer.

“Sir, are you hurt?”
“No. I was following the

vehicle. My partner was kidnapped by
his ex-partner.”

“Come over to the ambulance so

I can check your vitals.”

I follow him. I’m too dazed to

answer. He helps me into the rear and I
sit on a seat. He takes my blood pressure
and I see the shock on his face when he
lifts my sweater and gets his first look at
my healing scars.

“I was shot a couple of weeks

ago by my ex-partner.” The look on his
face is almost laughable. If I didn’t feel
so utterly miserable, I would have
laughed. “I know. Neither of us have
been the best judge of characters. We
seem to bring out the crazy in people.”

He laughs. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t

be laughing at something so serious but,
yes, it does appear you bring out the
crazy in people. I think you have a mild

shock so sit here until we get your
partner stabilized and brought up.”

I don’t argue. I’m too worried.

Too drained.

***

I’m on the phone to my sister

Mel when I hear the commotion. I glance
over and see the men haul a stretcher
over the railing. I catch sight of Wade’s
head as they march toward me. He’s
strapped in. His face is ghostly pale and
smeared with blood. He doesn’t open
his eyes. “They’ve got him Mel. I’ll call
you if anything is wrong, otherwise,
we’ll see you in a couple of days.” I
maneuver down from the back of the
ambulance, careful not to hurt my healing
injuries, which are now fucking aching

so bad I want to scream, and wait for the
men to secure Wade inside.

“Are you coming with us?” One

of the paramedics asks.

“Yes. He’s my partner. The

police have my keys and said they will
bring our car down.”

“Okay. Hop in.”
I climb back in and sit down. A

paramedic is monitoring Wade and the
tubes feeding fluid into his veins. I reach
out and take my loves hand. I’m
desperate to hear him speak. To know
he’s okay. Tears roll down my cheeks,
unchecked.

“Wade, darling.” I whisper. My

voice is hoarse, raspy.

His eyes snap open and he turns

his head toward me. “Hey.”

“Are you okay?”
“I feel like I was run over by a

fucking train but they tell me I’ll be
okay.”

I cry with relief.
The paramedic moves aside.

“He’s all yours. He’ll be fine. Just minor
bumps and scrapes. Maybe a cracked rib
or two but nothing too serious.” He
glances back at Wade. “You are one very
lucky man.” He climbs into the
passenger seat in the front and I kneel by
Wade’s side.

“I was so fucking scared when I

knew you had gone over the edge of the

cliff. I thought for sure you were dead.”

“I was lucky. The car lodged on

a huge ledge halfway down. I thought I
was a goner. It broke my heart that I
might never get to see you again.”

I hug Wade to me and lifting the

oxygen mask, steal a quick kiss. “I’m so
grateful you survived. I’ve never been so
terrified in my life. I now know how you
felt when I was shot. I can’t believe both
of us had crazy ex-partners.”

“It’s over now. Mason is dead

and George is going to jail. I think we’re
finally safe.”

I rest my head on Wade’s chest

and his fingers brush my hair. “I fucking
hope so. I couldn’t take any more of
this.”

“I hear ya, darling.”
I move back to my seat as the

ambulance turns into the hospital and
heads for emergency.

“Where are we?” Wade asks

when he feels the ambulance slow.

“Mitchum Memorial. The driver

has just turned up the road to
emergency.”

“I hope they don’t keep me for

long.”

“They will keep you as long as is

necessary.”

“I want to go to your sisters. Did

you call them?”

“Yes, I spoke with Mel while

they were hauling your ass from the

bottom of the cliff. She said to be
careful, rest up and get there when we
can. After the couple of weeks we’ve
had, I think a quiet break by the ocean is
ordered.”

“I agree. How about our home or

a hotel in Brice? The promenade there is
gorgeous at night. At this time of year
it’s all lit up. There are a large number
of vendors who set up on the boardwalk
too. The restaurants are pretty good and
we could visit the Art Museum, the Film
Museum and the fish and chips on the
old wharf are to die for.”

“Brice it is.”
The back doors of the ambulance

are flung open and I’m helped down.
Wade is lifted out, the wheels on the

stretcher are clicked into place and, I
follow as he is pushed into emergency.
He is taken directly into a bay and
transferred onto a hospital bed. Within
minutes a doctor appears.

“Mr. Johnson. I hear you have

been in a nasty accident. My name is Dr.
Mills and I’ll be assessing you today.”
The doctor glances at me.

“This is my partner, Rafe Cross.”

Wade indicates me. “I’d like him to stay
please.”

The doctor nods his head. “Of

course.”

I stay out of his way as he sets

about examining Wade. When he’s
finished he speaks. “I don’t think
anything is broken but you have some

nasty bruising around the rib area. I’ll
get an x-ray to make certain. The cut
near your shoulder will need a couple of
stitches and also the one near your right
ankle. Apart from bruises, which are
rather nasty, you seem fine. You are a
very lucky man.”

Wade looks at me when he

answers. “I know.”

The remainder of the afternoon is

spent with Wade having stitches, being
x-rayed and have regular stats taken. The
doctors decide to keep him overnight to
be certain they haven’t missed anything.

Wade argues and wants to leave

but I agree with the doctors and want
him to stay. He finally gives in. Then we
argue because I refuse to leave his side

and spend the night in a hotel. I win that
one too.

The hospital provides us both

with a meal and, when Wade settles
down and drifts off, I relax in an
armchair and doze off too. It’s been one
hell of a fucked up day and one I’d love
to forget.

***

Sleeping in a hospital, especially

an emergency room, is near on fucking
impossible. Machines beep, instruments
crash and doors bang. They didn’t move
Wade to a bed upstairs as they said they
could keep a closer eye on him here. It’s
a wonder the noise doesn’t fucking kill
him. I can’t believe he sleeps through it
all.

I spend the night twisting and

turning in the chair. I’m so fucking
uncomfortable. I should be grateful
though. An armchair is better than the
normal plastic hospital chairs. A flurry
of activity around six in the morning
alerts me to the fact, day shift has come
on. Morning – hopefully we can get the
hell out of the place and into a hotel
nearby for a day or so, giving Wade a
chance to rest before we continue.

“Good morning, gentlemen.” A

voice that is far too fucking chirpy says
from the end of Wade’s bed. “How are
we doing?”

Wade

struggles

awake

and

answers with something neither one of
us understand. The nurse rushes to his

side and checks his eyes. I can see she is
worried. I could let it go but I don’t want
to be mean and I want out of here.

“He’s fine. It takes him a while

to wake in a morning. Give him a few
minutes and he’ll make sense.”

“I hope so,” the nurse answers.

“He’s fine to go if he’s okay.”

“Of course I’m okay.” Wade

growls and attempts to sit up.

“Wade, don’t be rude,” I

admonish.

“Sorry. What fucking time is it?”
“A little after six in the

morning,” the nurse says in her singsong
cheery voice.

Wade moans. “Where are my

clothes?”

I open a drawer next to the bed

where his clothes from the previous day
have been neatly folded. “I have them.”

“Good. Help me dress and get

me the fuck out of here.”

“Wade! Enough.”
He gives the nurse a sheepish

look as he apologizes. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay. We’re used to

unhappy patients down here. I’ll leave
you to your partner. Stop by the desk and
sign your discharge papers and we’ll
give you something for pain for the next
few days.”

“Thank you, nurse.” Wade has

finally found his manners.

The nurse closes the curtains on

her way out and I help Wade from the
bed and out of the drab hospital gown.
He drags me into his arms and kisses me
like his life depends on it. Everything is
in that kiss – fear, relief, happiness and
thanks.

“I love you.” It’s only a whisper

but it means the world to me every time I
hear him say it.

“I love you too.” I kiss him

gently.

It takes only moments for me to

help him dress, sign the relevant papers
and leave the hospital. A cab is waiting
and we ask the driver to take us to the
police station so we can pick up the car.
After that we will check into a hotel and

catch up on some desperately needed
sleep.

Chapter Fifteen

WADE

The cab drops us off at the front

of the police station. Rafe pays and
helps me from the car. I’m stiff and sore.
Every muscle in my fucking body is
screaming out in agony. Talk about the
walking wounded.

Every step I take up to the door

send stabbing pains through me. I
breathe deeply through it. Sweat breaks
out and I shake slightly with the exertion.

Rafe is holding my hand and he

pulls me to a stop. He moves to face me.
“Wade, honey. Are you sick?”

“In pain. Hurts more now than it

did yesterday. Let’s get the car and go to
the hotel so I can rest. I hate to admit it
but I feel like crap.”

“Do you want to sit down on the

steps and wait while I get the car?”

“No, I’ll be okay. Just hold me.”

Rafe wraps his arm around my waist to
support me. Together we approach the
front desk.

“Officer Pierce, please.” Rafe

asks for the officer who attended my
accident and offered to bring my car
back to town.

The police officer lifts the

receiver on a phone and asks for the
officer to come to the front desk. Within
minutes, a young man in a freshly
pressed uniform appears. He strides
toward us with a smile on his face and
holds his hand out to Rafe.

“Mr. Cross.”
“Officer. This is Wade Johnson

who was pulled from the accident
yesterday.”

He shakes my hand. “Mr.

Johnson. Glad to see you doing okay. We
were pretty concerned when we saw you
go through the crash barrier and down
the side of the cliff.”

“Not as concerned as I was when

I woke up peering at the ocean which
was far too close.”

“I can imagine,” the officer

smiles. “Your car is in the lot around
back. If you wait out front at the bottom
of the steps, I’ll bring it around. We have
taken pictures of the rear for your
insurance company and we need you to
file a report. Are you staying local?”

“We will be in town for a couple

of days. We were on our way to see my
sisters in Brice but we’ll stay here until
Wade feels a little better.”

“Good. If you can drop down

and file the report before you leave I’d
appreciate it.”

“We will. Thank you for

everything and please thank your
colleagues.” I shake his hand again.

Rafe holds me and guides me

back down the stairs. The officer has the
car waiting by the time we reach the
bottom. Rafe takes the keys and thanks
him again before settling me into the
passenger seat. I lie my head back and
close my eyes. I’m exhausted.

“I’ve booked a hotel on the

beachfront for two nights. I paid for
early check in and they said we can go in
as soon as we arrive.”

I don’t bother opening my eyes

when I speak with Rafe. “When did you
do that?”

“Last night while you were

asleep. It was so fucking noisy in there I
was able to catch up on a few things. I
sent a message to Callie and Hamish
about what happened. He said he’d let

Blossom know.”

“Of course, she will need to

organize a new Head Chef for Cleo’s”

“Callie sends her best and said

we’re not to speak, or even look at
anyone, in case they turn out to be crazy.
Hamish sends his love.”

The car slows and I open my

eyes. Rafe pulls under an awning at the
front lobby.

“Stay put and I’ll check us in.”
I stay where I am. I don’t have

the energy to move. I am absolutely
stuffed. My eyes drift closed again. I
hear the car door open and know it is
Rafe. His cologne mingles with sweat
and pure male. It’s unique. It’s him.

“We’re set. I can park the car and

we’ll take the elevator to the fifth floor.”

“You say that like there’s a

choice to take the stairs.” I open my eyes
and peer sideways at him. The man is
gorgeous, even in profile. He has a
strong, square jaw and the most perfect
pert nose. My cock hardens. Good luck
with that. All I want is to fall into a soft
bed and sleep for about a week.

“I meant the elevator goes from

the basement to our floor. We don’t have
to change at ground level like you do in
some hotels.”

“Ah, I see what you mean.” Rafe

parks the car and helps me out. I wait
while he wrestles our suitcase from the
dented trunk. He has to slam it hard to

force it to stay shut. I cringe at the
mistreatment of my beloved car but
know it is necessary.

“Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”

Rafe takes my hand.

It seems to take forever to get to

the elevator. I have quite a sweat up and
I am panting by the time we step inside
and press the button for the fifth floor.
By the time Rafe slips the card into the
door, I’m almost done. I stumble along
as he leads me inside and shuts the door.

“Shower or bath?” Rafe asks as I

take in our accommodation for the next
couple of days.

The room is large with a balcony

overlooking the ocean and boardwalk.
All of the seaside towns along the coast

have boardwalks with ferris wheels and
colorful vendors. The suite is tastefully
decorated in blue and whites. It fits with
being on the oceanfront perfectly. A
three-piece white leather sofa faces a
wall, which has an enormous television
set into it. The sofa is draped with blue
throw rugs and cushions.

I don’t take in the rest of the

details as Rafe is leading me into a
small hallway, which I assume houses
the bedroom and bathroom. The first
door he opens is the bedroom so he turns
and opens a door opposite. We step
inside.

Yep,

the

bathroom.

Also

decorated in soft blues and white.

“Bath or shower?” Rafe asks

again.

“If I sit down in the bath I may

not get back up.”

“Shower it is then.”
I allow Rafe to strip my clothes

from me as I peruse my surroundings.
There is a deep spa bath which looks
heavenly and I’m sure will be used when
I’m feeling a little better. The regulation
white vanity and toilet are present and
accounted for. The shower has only a
single glass panel and, it’s a massage
shower. I can’t believe my luck.

I’m now naked and Rafe is

stripping himself off. The minute he’s
naked he steps into the shower and turns
on the water. When he is satisfied with
the temperature, he adjusts massage
nozzles. When he offers his hand, I step

toward him.

He turns me so the massage

nozzles fire water at all the right places.
It’s heavenly but I stumble slightly with
weakness. Rafe holds me against his
chest. I melt into him. My fucking cock
dances with his but it’s not happening.

Water cascades over us and my

eyelids close as I relax. I’m almost
asleep when Rafe holds me with one
arm and soaps me with the other before
rinsing me off. When he flicks off the
water, I moan.

“Come on. Let’s get you dried

and into bed. You can barely stand up.”

“I’m so tired.”
“I know you are darling.”

He towels me dry and guides me

across to the bedroom. I stand on
trembling legs and wait while he turns
down the bed covers. The bed is huge
and faces glass doors that lead onto a
balcony. The view is spectacular but I’m
too weak to truly appreciate it.

I climb into bed and Rafe pulls

the covers over me. He leans down and
brushes his lips across mine. “Aren’t
you coming to bed?”

“In a moment. Can I get you

anything?”

“No. I only want you in here

beside me.”

He crosses to the glass doors and

slides them open. The scent of the salt
air wafts in. Children’s laughter floats

on the gentle breeze. He crawls in
beside me and pulls me into his arms.
Within minutes I’m out like a light.

***

A tempting aroma awakes me

several hours later. My stomach growls
with the promise of food. I open my eyes
to a glorious sight. Rafe is standing with
his back to me as he tends to a tray of
food he has placed on top of a large
chest of drawers. He is naked and I take
in his deliciously cute ass.

“What time is it?” My voice

manages to croak out. My throat is as dry
as a fucking desert.

Rafe spins around and smiles. “I

was about to wake you. I ordered in
some Chinese food. It will be light on

your stomach. Are you hungry?”

“Starved, but I could go a glass

of water first.”

Rafe pours iced water from a

pitcher on the tray into a glass and pads
over to me. He places it on the table
beside the bed and helps me to sit. He
props pillows at my back for comfort as
well as support. He hands me the glass
and I drink thirstily. It’s almost empty
when I place it back down.

He leans over and kisses me

gently. “Better?”

“Yes, thank you.”
“I’ll get the food.” I watch him

as he returns to the tray.

“You have the sexiest ass.”

Rafe laughs as he heads back

with two plates heaped with food. “As
long as you think so, honey.”

A plate of food is placed on my

lap and my mouth waters at the sight.
There is chicken, beef, seafood, noodles
and rice. My stomach growls again,
ready to get started. I obey and fork in
the first mouthful. It’s delicious.

Rafe is seated in a chair beside

me. “Rafe, tell me what happened
yesterday that caused the car to go over
the cliff.”

“You don’t remember?”
“Mason knocked me out with his

gun. That’s the reason for the cut above
my eye. The next thing I remember, the
car was balanced on a ledge and I was

close up and personal with a bunch of
rocks and crashing waves. I’ve never
been so terrified in my life. Except for
when you were in surgery after you were
shot.”

“When did you know Mason was

dead?”

“When he didn’t answer me. I

felt for his pulse and there wasn’t one.
His head was slumped over the steering
wheel and blood was everywhere.”

“After you sped past me, I got

out of the car and behind the wheel. I
took off after you but I stayed well back
so Mason wouldn’t see I was following.
I was afraid he would do something
stupid.”

“Which he did.”

“Yes. He was travelling so fast. I

called the emergency number and they
sent the police out from town. They spun
around in front of me and started
following you. I was worried because, if
anything Mason was going faster and the
descent down the mountain into town
was ahead of us. I didn’t actually see
you go over. I was too far back. By the
time I got there and stopped, the police
had men over the side and others were
standing around at the top. When I
started to head over to see where the car
was, Officer Pierce stopped me. He held
me while I cried.”

“You thought I was dead?”
“Yes, until a police officer

climbed up and told us you were alive

and talking. I’ve never been so relieved
in my life. I have no idea how you
survived and how you ended up with so
few injuries. I guess your number just
wasn’t up.”

“I thought I was never going to

see you again.” Tears trickle down my
face. Rafe puts his plate down and takes
mine. He pulls me into his arms, holds
me close and peppers my face with
loving kisses. I melt against him. “It’s
really over isn’t it?”

“Yes, darling. It is.”

We share a sensuous kiss before

pulling apart and returning to our meal. I

can’t wait to move on with our lives and

I’m looking forward to the next couple

of weeks.

Chapter Sixteen

RAFE

“Rafe!” My sister Melinda,

otherwise known as Mel, opens the door
and throws herself at me. I moan with
the pain her bear hug inflicts. She draws
back, holds me at arm’s length and
frowns. I know I’m done for. “I thought
you said you weren’t in the accident?”

“I wasn’t but can I come in and

explain things instead of doing it out
here on your porch?” I wriggle from her
grasp and see Petra standing behind her.

Yep, there’s a frown on her face too. I
move forward and hug her.

Turning around, I take Wade by

the hand and draw him in to my side.
“Mel, Petra, this is my partner, Wade.”

“It’s easy to see you were in the

accident. Pretty banged up from the
looks of you. Come on in and have a
seat.” Mel steps aside with a welcoming
smile to Wade, and we enter her home.

I hold Wade’s hand and lead him

into the living room. We sit side by side
on the sofa. The girls sit in chairs
opposite. The glares they direct toward
me make me feel like I’m facing a firing
squad and, yep, it’s gonna get a hell of
lot fucking worse. They will both hit the
roof when I tell them about the shooting.

“Welcome, Wade. How are you

feeling after your accident?” Petra asks.

“Like I’ve been backed over by a

bunch of cars. I’m sure I’ll be better
after a few more days of rest.”

“I would imagine going over a

cliff in a car would leave you more than
a little sore. You banged your head?”
Mel has noticed the stitches and
waterproof dressing above Wade’s eye.
His face is swollen and bruised black
and blue with hints of yellow.

“My ex knocked me out with his

gun so the damage wasn’t from the
accident.” Wade explains.

Petra expresses her shock, “a

gun? What the fuck was he doing with a
gun?”

“Threatening me. It was why I

got in the car with him. I was afraid he
would shoot Rafe and being shot once in
the past couple of weeks is enough.”
Wade gives a sheepish look and mouths
– oops, sorry.

Mel jumps straight on the

statement. “Who was shot? What the
fuck aren’t you two telling us?”

I sigh. I love Mel and Petra

deeply but they fuss over me to the point
I feel smothered, unable to breathe.

“Calm down, sis. Obviously you

know George.”

“What’s that slime ball got to do

with someone being shot?” Mel snarls.

“Oh my God, oh my fucking

God.” Petra bounces to her feet and
paces the living room.

“Petra?” Mel asks.
“It was you. That fucktard shot

you didn’t he. Why the fuck didn’t you
tell us?” Petra stands in front of me
demanding answers.

“What!” Mel jumps to her feet.

Her screech goes right through me.

“Girls! Calm the fuck down and

sit down.” Jeez my sisters are a fiery
pair.

Mel and Petra plop down in their

chairs. Their faces resemble the blackest
sky seconds before the first clap of
thunder hits. Wade squeezes my hand in
silent support.

“Keep quiet and I’ll explain.”
The girls reluctantly nod their

agreement.

“George came in to my office

when I was working back a couple of
weeks ago. He wanted to move back in
and resume our relationship. I told him
no, that I’d moved on. He pulled a gun
on me and when I went for it, it went
off.”

“He almost died.”
I glare at Wade. “Not helpful,

love.”

“What do you mean, he almost

died?” Petra demands to know.

Tears fill her eyes and when I

glance at Mel, hers are brimming too.

“The bullet hit me at close range.” The
girls gasp in horror. “I was rushed to the
hospital and in to surgery. They operated
for about three hours to save my life.”

“He’d lost a dangerous amount

of blood.” Wade adds.

“Again, darling. Not helping.”
Tears stream down Mel’s face.

Petra has lost all blood to her face.

“They removed the lower lobe of

my lung and a kidney.”

Petra loses it and starts wailing.

The noise is deafening. I turn to Wade.
“Welcome to my melodramatic family.”

“They love you darling. It must

be a huge shock to know they could have
lost you.”

I drag my fingers through my

hair. I owe them one hell of an apology. I
realize now it was wrong not to tell
them. I wait for Petra to chill out. Mel
holds her against her ample bosom. “I’m
sorry I didn’t call you but I thought it
would be easier to tell you face to face.”

Mel swipes at her tears angrily.

Here it comes.

“You are the most selfish big

brother. How do you think we would
have felt if you had died and we hadn’t
had a chance to tell you we love you…,
a chance to hold you and say goodbye? I
swear to God, I’m so angry right now I
could fucking kill you myself.”

Tears cascade down her face and

she buries it in Petra’s hair. They hold

each other and sob. I feel like the fucking
King Kong of all bastards. I didn’t think.
I had Wade with me and didn’t take my
sisters feelings into consideration. Even
not taking into account, I could have died
in surgery; if an infection had developed
in my weakened state that would have
killed me.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to

hurt you. I was trying to protect you. You
both worry about me so much but I’m a
big boy and I can take care of myself.”

“Obviously you can’t,” Mel

snaps. She wipes the tears from her face.
Petra resumes her seat. They both have
red, swollen eyes. I really don’t want to
be here when their husbands arrive from
work. They’ll beat me to a fucking pulp

if they know I’ve upset them.

“Let me make some tea and we

can talk some more,” I offer.

“I’ll make the fucking tea. First, I

want to see your scars.” Mel stands.

She’s a pain in the ass but I owe

her this much. I lift my shirt and both of
my sisters witness the thick, ugly scar
that runs around my chest and down my
side. “It looks bad but it’s still got a lot
of healing to do.”

I find myself on my feet and Mel

sweeps me into her arms. I hold her as
tight as I dare and she weeps softly.
“Rafe, we could have lost you. We
should have been there for you.”

Petra joins the group hug. Yep, I

feel like an asshole now.

“I know I should have had Wade

tell you. It won’t happen again.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell

us?” Mel’s anger is directed at Wade
now.

He raises his hands in surrender.

“I pleaded with him to tell you but he
wouldn’t allow it.”

“It’s not his fault,” I tell Mel. “I

wouldn’t give him your contact details.”
Mel’s head snaps back and I chuckle.
“He has them now.”

“Good.” Petra turns to Wade. “In

future, if he so much as stubs his toe, we
want to know.”

“Yes ma’am.” Wade says.

“Have you told your family about

your accident?” Petra asks.

“Your brother is my family. I

don’t have anyone else. My close friends
know. Rafe called them.”

Petra huffs. This could go on

forever, I can feel it in my fucking bones.
I hold up my hand. “Enough. I’m sorry. It
won’t happen again. Now, let’s move
on.”

“Hopefully you two don’t know

anyone else missing a few screws,” Mel
says.

“No, we don’t.” I answer.
Petra asks, “What about George?

I can’t believe he wanted you back after
he’d been fucking around with someone

else.”

“He’s to be charged and will go

to jail.” I assure both of the girls.

“Good. Dinner tonight?” Mel

asks.

“Yes. We’ll have tea with you,

check in to our hotel and have a rest.
We’ll meet you at Neptune’s on the
wharf at seven thirty.”

“That will be nice.” Mel turns to

Wade. “Have you visited Brice before?”

“No. I’ve only driven through on

the way north. I’m looking forward to
having a look around and getting to know
the place. It will give us an opportunity
to get to know each other too.”

“Yes, that will be nice.” Petra

agreed. “You’ll meet my husband, Brian
and Mel’s, Frank, tonight.”

Petra left the room to make the

tea. I sit back down and gathered Wade’s
hand.

***

The hotel I have booked is on the

beachfront like the one we had in
Mitchum. I have asked for a suite that
looks over the colorful boardwalk.
Neptune’s is only a short walk away.
Even Wade and I will be able to manage
it.

After checking in, I park the car,

grab the luggage and we ride up in the
elevator to the third floor. The key
initiates a green light and the door to our
suite swings opens.

“This is nice.” Wade follows me

in.

“Very. I think we’ll enjoy our

stay here.” Wade looks tired. “How
about a rest?”

“Yes. I want to be able to enjoy

dinner tonight. I’m looking forward to
meeting the men who manage to survive
with your sisters.”

I laugh. “That’s one way of

putting it. I admit the girls can be testing
at times but they do love their wives.”

“I like them. I like how they’re

so protective of their baby brother. It
must be nice to have people who care
about you like that.”

Wades’ voice is quiet, reflective.

My heart feels for him. I take him in my
arms and kiss his forehead. “I care about
you, darling and my family will be yours
in time. I think my sisters were rather
impressed with you. Mel actually
whispered to me when we were leaving,
she said you’re a keeper and I agree.”

“I love you.” Wade’s fingers

trace my lips.

He draws my head down. Our

lips join. The kiss is honest, gentle. I am
more deeply in love with this man than I
realized. Our cocks brush each other
through the denim of our jeans. Wade
groans and the rumble vibrates through
me. I gently pull away before I’m unable
to.

“Let’s get you to bed.”

“Hmmm.”
Wade’s eyes are blazing. I know

exactly what he wants. It’s not
happening.

“No, darling. Not yet. Maybe in

a few days.”

“Please?”
“No. You’re not up to it and

neither am I. As much as I want you, and
my cock certainly isn’t hiding this fact,
we need to rest and recover.”

“I don’t like it but I do love you

and you are right. At least hold me.”

“That I can do.” I help Wade

undress, strip off my clothes and we
climb into the bed. It’s as soft as a cloud.
Our legs, arms and bodies entangle.

After a deep tongue-twisting kiss, we
drift into sleep.

***

The stroll along the boardwalk to

Neptune’s is refreshing. The warm sea
breeze blows over us. Seagulls squawk
at people having a picnic dinner,
children run around squealing and
couples sit on the lawn area kissing and
cuddling. My arm is around Wade as his
is around me. Yep, some people gaze at
us for a little longer than is normal but
we don’t cop any rude comments. Not
that they would worry either of us. By
the time you get to our age as a gay man,
you have developed a pretty thick skin.

The Maître ‘D greets us at the

door to Neptune’s and I give him Mel’s

name for the booking. He leads us to a
large table where my sisters and their
husbands are already waiting. No, we’re
not late. They’re early. My sisters’
husbands stand as we near the table.

“Brian, Frank, this is my partner

Wade.” They shake Wade’s hand and
welcome him to Brice. With the
formalities over, we take our seats next
to each other. A waiter approaches to
take our drink order. I’m familiar with
what everyone has. “Usual?” I ask and
everyone nods.

I address the waiter. “We’ll have

two Kir Royale for the ladies, one Bud
Light, one Heineken and two soda
waters.”

The waiter strides off. Frank has

an eyebrow raised. “Have you given up
drinking?”

“No. Wade and I are both on

medication and can’t drink.” I answer.

“The girls told us about the

shooting and the accident.” Brian
glances at his wife, Mel. “They aren’t
especially happy with either of you two
right now.”

Frank, Petra’s husband adds, “if

you ever keep secrets about your health
and well-being again which upsets your
sisters, we’ll be forced to come down to
Paxton and personally break your
fucking legs.”

“Frank,” Petra places her hand

on his arm. “Wade will think your mafia
if you keep speaking that way.”

Wade was probably already

thinking that about the enormous Italian
stud who sits opposite us. “Franks name
is Francesco Gastone Pier Giuseppe
Alberto Fausto and he is a respected
Neurosurgeon.”

The expression on Wade’s face

is priceless. “Please don’t ask me to
remember all of that.”

Everyone at the table laughs.

Wade’s reaction to Frank’s full name is
the same as most people we tell.

“Frank is fine,” my brother-in-
law says.

“Our wives tell us, you’re a first

class chef at Leon’s in Tilson.” Brian
looks at Wade.

“Yes, I’ve worked there for

almost eleven years now. I love it. The
Head Chef there is a very close friend
and gives me the freedom to be
creative.”

“How

did

you

meet

our

brother?” Mel asks.

Wade glances at me before

answering. “We own houses a couple of
doors away from each other. We’ve
known each other as friends for more
than a decade but were in other
relationships and weren’t free to pursue
each other.”

“More’s the pity.” Wade smiles

at my comment and takes my hand before
turning back to my family.

“Your brother is the one. I feel

like I’ve been waiting for Rafe all my
life. I love him like I’ve never loved
anyone.”

His words bring a lump to my

throat and I see tears in my sisters’ eyes.
I lean over and kiss him gently. They
really like Wade. He’s the first of my
lover’s they have liked.

“Welcome to our family,” Petra

says.

“Petra has never welcomed any

of my previous partners to the family.
You should be flattered, darling.”

“Thank you. I probably don’t

need your blessing to be part of Rafe’s
life but I’m very thankful to have it. For
your brothers’ sake.”

He’s right. I would be with him

whether my sisters approved or not but it
is nice to know he is welcome in their
homes.

Our drinks are placed in front of

us and the conversation bounces
between us and my family for the
duration of the evening. The food is
delicious and I think Wade has enjoyed
himself. I pay the check and we all stand
to leave.

“What are your plans while

you’re here?” Mel asks.

“I’m going to take Wade to the

museums and a few other tourist spots in
town. We won’t be able to do as much as
I would like because both of us are still
recovering.”

“Dinner at our place tomorrow

night?” Petra asks.

“That would be nice.” I accept.
We leave the restaurant together.

Mel and Petra hug and kiss us both
before leaving. We wrap our arms
around each other and start off up the
boardwalk back to the hotel.

“You have a wonderful family,

darling.”

There’s a tinge of sadness to

Wade’s voice and I hug him close.

“They’re your family now. I

can’t believe the girls liked you. They
never like any of the men I bring to meet
them. Not that there have been many.”

“How many?”

“Three.”
“Is that it?”
“Yep. I had a few one night/one

week stands but they didn’t make it to
meeting the family.”

“So you have had three serious

relationships before me?”

“Nope. Two. I was with Philip

for about six months. George who you
know about and you’re the third.”

“Philip?”
“He was before your time. A

college lover. We were more fuck
buddies than true lovers. How about
you?”

“Finlay and Mason. The rest

were more short term affairs and there

weren’t many.”

I slow and draw Wade in front of

me. “You told my sisters you have never
loved anyone like you love me. Was that
true or just for their benefit?”

“I

don’t

say

anything

for

anyone’s benefit, love. I meant every
word I said.”

I crush Wade to me. I feather

kisses down his jaw and along his neck.
“I love you so much. I’m so glad we
finally found each other.”

“As am I.”
I take Wade’s hand and we hurry

the rest of the way to the hotel. Probably
nothing will happen yet but I want to
hold his body against mine. Bare chest

against bare chest. Cock against cock.

Chapter Seventeen

WADE

Warm sunshine, salt water, and

sea breezes. Two weeks of sheer
pleasure. I don’t want to go home. I have
fully recovered and Rafe is well on his
way. The relaxation has been good for
him. His color is better, he has more
energy and we can finally fuck or, as
he’s taken to calling it, we can finally
“make love” without either of us hurting.

We have visited the Art Museum,

several art galleries – where we

overindulged

in

purchasing

three

paintings, and we have picked up
numerous tacky souvenirs from the
boardwalk vendors for our friends back
home.

Steve and Liam have gifts of t-

shirts, soft cuddly toys and cars that do
amazing backflips.

I hold Rafe’s hand as I sip at my

coffee. It’s our last evening here and we
opted for an intimate dinner alone. We
have yet to say our goodbyes to his
family. We have promised to call over
following dinner.

“These past two weeks have

gone by so fast. I want to stay here
forever.”

Rafe offers. “Why don’t I sell my

house and we’ll buy a beachfront
apartment? We could come up for
holiday weekends and vacations.”

“I couldn’t ask you to sell your

home.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering.

I’m moving into your place and I have no
use for mine any longer. If I rent it out,
it’s likely to get trashed. I would rather
get rid of it and buy something here to
give us a getaway from the city.”

“Let me put half the money in.”
“If you like but it’s not

necessary.”

“I’d like to. It will be our first

home together.” Rafe smiles at me. God I
love it, his whole face comes to life with

such joy. Neither one of us mention what
will happen if the house is sold and we
don’t work out. You know why? It won’t
happen. We are going to be together
forever. I have an idea. “I need to go into
town for a couple of hours. Can I meet
you back at the hotel?”

The smile turns to a frown.

“Why?”

“I just need to run a couple of

errands. I might not even be gone that
long.”

“Why can’t I come with you?”
I can see the worry on his face

now. He’s thinking about how sneaky
and secretive George was when he
started having an affair.

“Come outside.” I keep hold of

Rafe’s hand as we stand. At the front
door I pay the check and lead him
outside. We walk to the railing of the
boardwalk next to the restaurant and I
spin Rafe around to face me.

“I’m not meeting anyone. I will

never betray you. I need to do something
and you can’t be with me. Please, trust
me.”

“I do.” Rafe’s answer is quiet. I

barely hear him.

“Where are we meeting your

family?”

“At Mel’s.”
“Go there and I’ll join you as

soon as I can.” I’m hoping being with his

family will take his mind off me.

“You won’t be long?”
“I promise, I won’t be long.” I

take Rafe in my arms and kiss him, a
gentle brush of the lips, I will love you
for always, kiss.”

“Okay. I’ll see you at Mel’s”

***

I watch as Rafe heads away from

me. His shoulders are slumped. He’s not
acting like a petulant child – yep, I knew
what you were thinking, and he’s scared.
George’s betrayal is still fresh and it
will take him a while to fully trust
anyone again. Even me.

I spin on my heel and head up to

town. Most of the stores are still open. I

find the one I am looking for and have
what I want within the hour. With my
purchases clutched firmly in my hands, I
start the long walk to Mel’s.

I smile as I pass couples, both

young and old, some with children, some
without. Everyone is taking advantage of
the beautiful evening.

When I arrive at Mel’s, I hear

laughter, loud talking. I don’t think
anyone in Rafe’s family knows how to
speak at a normal volume. I don’t bother
knocking. They would never hear me.

Rafe sees me first. His face

lights up as he rushes toward me. I’m
crushed in his arms and his lips dive
onto mine. His tongue is insistent and I
open to allow it deep inside.

“Get a fucking room, you two,”

Frank growls, but he has a wide grin on
his face.

We step apart. All eyes are on

us. I hold Rafe’s hand tightly and lead
him to the sofa. I sit him down. He’s
expecting me to sit next to him but I
don’t. I glance around at his sisters and
his brothers in law.

“I have something serious to say

and I would like you all to hear it.”
Everyone moves to sit more upright in
his or her seats. Tears begin in Rafe’s
eyes. I have no idea why. I have no idea
what it is he thinks I am going to say so I
start. My attention is fixed solely on
Rafe.

“Darling, as you are well aware,

it has taken us a very long time to realize
we were meant for each other. Watching
you from a distance, knowing you were
in a happy relationship used to grate on
my nerves but I never understood why. I
do now. I was in love with you. My
heart knew. It took my body and mind
some time to catch up. Now we’re
finally together, I never want to lose
you.”

Rafe gasps and a hand covers his

mouth when I drop to one knee. “My
love, you complete me. You’re my
whole life. I love you with everything
that I am. Will you marry me?”

I produce a white gold band with

filigree edges. It’s housed in a blue
velvet box. I have one the same. Tears

run down Rafe’s face.

“Of course I’ll marry you.

You’re my true love. I love you more
than life itself.” He manages to sob out
the words I want to hear. I lift his right
hand and slide the ring onto the third
finger of his right hand.

I take out my ring and hand it to

him. He slips it onto my finger. Taking
him in my arms, we kiss deeply.

His family starts clapping and

when I turn to look at them, the girls are
in tears and the men have “watery” eyes.
Mel is the first to hug and kiss us.

She focuses on me. “I’m so

happy for you both. I knew you were the
right one for our brother. The minute you
walked in my door, there was something

about you. I saw how my brother looked
at you with total devotion and you
returned that look when you thought no-
one was watching.”

Petra hugs and kisses us next.

“Why did you put the rings on the right
hand?”

I answer. “We don’t wear

engagement rings so by putting the
wedding rings on our right hands until
we marry, we show we are promised to
each other.”

“Oh, that is so beautiful. When

will the wedding be?” Petra asks.

Rafe answers her. “As soon as

we can organize it. You will come down
won’t you?”

“Do you honestly think we would

miss our brother’s wedding? The
happiest moment of his life?” Mel is
astonished with Rafe’s question.

Rafe and I laugh and answer,

“no,” in unison.

“Let us know the date and we’ll

be there and so will the kids. They
wouldn’t miss their uncle’s wedding for
anything.”

“I will let you know as soon as

we decide. We need to go now. Wade
and I have an early start and we have a
few things to discuss.”

“I bet you do,” Frank says as he

grasps me in a hug and slaps my back so
hard my ribs groan in protest. Rafe
receives the same treatment.

Brian clasps our hands in a firm

handshake and congratulations from
everyone are the last words we hear as
we step out into the night air.

We are still on the front porch

when Rafe pulls me against him. His
hand pushes a few errant locks of hair
from my face. He gazes into my eyes.
His are full of emotion.

“This was why I was unable to

come with you?”

“Yes. I wanted it to be a surprise

and I wanted to ask in front of your
family. They needed to know my feelings
for you are real. I’ll never hurt you.”

His lips dive onto mine. Urgency

fills our deep kiss. We need to get back
to the hotel. Now.

***

Arms and hands are everywhere

as we strip off pieces of our own clothes
and each other’s. We stand naked. Rafe’s
mouth roams my face; his hands fondle
my erect cock. My teeth nip at the soft
spot at the side of his neck. My hands
slide over his hard cock – his skin is
soft, silk over steel.

We clutch at each other as we

stumble to the bed. I fall back; Rafe
crashes on top of me. Our lips mold to
each other perfectly. As if they were
made for this encounter. Our kisses are
rough, urgent. I ignite with passion. My
body is on fire. Every nerve ending is
sizzling.

“Stop. Stop.” My voice is

breathless. “I need you. Condom. Your
dick. Now.”

I hear the packet tear as I flip

onto my belly and raise my ass high in
the air. This is our first real fuck for
almost three weeks. Yeah, we’ve jacked
each other off, even had gentle ass fucks,
but this is the first passion filled, urgent
fuck we’ve had since Rafe was injured.

I feel the lube around my ring

and my fucking muscles have the
audacity to clench. “Just go in.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Take it slow, you won’t hurt me.

Get in and get your hand wrapped
around me. I need to come. I need to feel
you filling my ass.”

Rafe moves his cock to my

entrance. I relax and he pushes in.
Slowly he advances until I feel full.
Deliciously stretched to capacity. His
chest leans over my back and his hands
reach around. One grasps hold of my
impatient cock, the other rolls my balls.
I’m in fucking nirvana. I push back
against him and we have a rhythm going.
His hand slides the full length of me. I
couldn’t possibly get any harder.

“Fuck,” I roar. Yep, roar. The

sliding door to the balcony is open so
everyone

on

the

boardwalk

and

beachfront, hell, anyone within three
fucking miles would have heard as my
shout echoes through the night. Even the
crashing of the waves couldn’t compete.

You know what? I don’t fucking care. I
feel too good as I spew cum over Rafe’s
hand, the sheet, and my chest. There
seems to be enough to fill a small
fucking tub as the pulses go on, and on,
and on.

“Fuck, Wade.” Rafe’s shout is

more restrained and could probably only
be heard for about a mile.

He digs his fingernails into my

hips as he empties his load. It seems like
hours later but it’s only a few minutes,
before we relax. The tenseness of
arousal, desperate want has left our
bodies and I collapse onto the bed. Rafe
stays in me, collapsed on my back, his
arms wrapped around me. He can stay
there forever as far as I’m concerned.

My heart has been lost to this man.

“I love you,” I whisper. “More

than I have anyone or anything in my
life.”

“Even Finlay?”
“Even more than Finlay.”
Rafe rolls off me, pads to the

bathroom to dispose of the condom and
climbs back beside me. He holds my
face in his hands. “I love you
completely. I have never known love
like I feel for you.”

“I

never

realized

what

a

powerful emotion love was until we
became a couple. My love for you
consumes me. I can’t explain it.”

Rafe runs his thumb across my

lips. “You don’t need to. I feel it too.”

Our lips caress. Our tongues

tangle. Mine down his throat, his down
mine. We’re exhausted and when the kiss
ends we fall into a deep sleep. Our
bodies entwined.

The Future Begins

The Joining of Wade and Rafe

WADE

The house looks amazing thanks

to Rafe’s sisters and nieces. Chaos has
reigned for the past few days but
glancing around now, it’s been well
worth it. It was our joint decision to
marry in our home. The ceremony will
be held in our back garden and have us
looking out over the ocean. We stroll
through our home hand in hand. There
are

numerous

floral

arrangements,

furniture that is polished to a mirror
finish and extra seating has been rented
for the occasion.

I spin Rafe into my arms. “I can’t

believe the day is finally here.”

“Darling, you only proposed

three weeks ago. It really hasn’t been a
long wait.”

“I know but I’m impatient to

make you mine.”

“Impatient being the key word in

that statement.”

“Do we have time before

everyone arrives?”

Rafe grazes my lips with his.

“No unfortunately but, tomorrow we
leave for Hawaii and seven days of pure

bliss. We need to start getting ready
unless you want to marry me in a pair of
boxers.”

I laugh. “I’ll marry you naked if I

have to.”

We head through to our bedroom

where our suits are laid out. Rafe is
wearing a blue double-breasted suit,
white shirt and blue tie. My suit is
chocolate brown with a white shirt and
brown striped tie.

I gaze at his cock when he strips

off his shorts.

Rafe chuckles. “Darling, you’re

staring at me like you want to eat me.”

“Never a truer word spoken.”
“You’re insatiable. Get dressed.”

I mumble my discontent but sit on

the bed and pull on my socks. We are
both in the bathroom combing our hair
into place when the doorbell rings.

“That will be Hamish and

Blossom with our ring bearer.” I spray
on some of my favorite after shave and
take one last look in the mirror. Not bad
actually but Rafe looks stunning. My
cock dances in my pants. “You look
gorgeous, darling. I never get tired of
seeing you in a suit.”

“You in a suit is a rare treat. I’m

going to have to think of more reasons
for you to wear one.” Rafe takes my
hand, brushes his lips against mine and
leads me out.

“I can’t wait to see Steve in the

tux we bought him.”

Rafe agrees. “He’s such a sweet,

intelligent little boy. I can understand
why Hamish and Blossom love him as
much as they do.”

I wrench open the door and sure

enough it’s the Masters. Hamish is in a
dark grey suit, he’s delectable. Liam is
asleep in his arms. Blossom is ravishing
in a pale pink flowing dress. The woman
has curves to die for. Then there is
Steve. He stands solemnly.

We invite them in and close the

door. Hamish shakes hands with Rafe
and I. Blossom kisses and hugs us both. I
bend down to address Steve. “Why so
serious?”

“Mom and Dad said today was a

very important day for you and Uncle
Rafe. They said I needed to be very well
behaved and do everything I’m told. I
don’t want to spoil your day.”

I sweep the little boy into my

arms and hug him close. “Sweetheart,
there is no way a little boy as good as
you are could do anything to spoil our
day.”

Rafe and I both kiss his cheeks at

the same time and he giggles. Go into the
kitchen. There’s lemonade in the fridge.

Steve spins toward his parents.

“Can I have one?”

“What do you say?” Hamish

asks.

“Can I have a lemonade please,

Dad?”

“Yes, you can but don’t spill it

on your suit.” Hamish warns.

“I won’t.” Steve runs off toward

the kitchen.

“I have a small crib for Liam

down in the pool area. He’ll be out of
the sun but close enough if he wakes.” I
tell Blossom.

“Thank

you,

Wade.

That’s

perfect. How are you both feeling?”

“Nervous, excited, happy.” Rafe

answers.

Blossom smiles. “We’re so

pleased for you both.”

“Would you like a drink?” I offer

at the same moment the doorbell rings

again.

“Rafe, will you get the door

please, Darling. I’ll get Hamish and
Blossom something to drink.”

“Soda for me,” Hamish says.

“I’m driving.”

“Soda for me too, please. I might

have a wine to celebrate later.”

Rafe returns with our celebrant –

Calvin Myers. I shake his hand. “I was
about to get drinks, would you like
something?”

“Water please.”
I leave everyone to chat and head

to the kitchen. As I return with a tray full
of drinks, the doorbell sounds again and
Rafe’s family surge in. Back I go to the

kitchen for more drinks. Nieces and
nephews take Steve under their wing and
their laughter competes with the chatter
of the adults. Liam is passed from one
college aged girl to another. Lots of oohs
and aahs follow.

A warm feeling washes over me

as I realize, I have a house full of my
soon to be family. I’m happier than I’ve
ever been.

Half an hour passes before

Calvin asks for us all to assemble
downstairs.

Our guests are seated on the

chairs that have been positioned on the
lawn. I hear Rafe’s family members all
comment on the view of the ocean.

I place my hand on Steve’s

shoulder and nod at Calvin to let him
know we’re ready to start.

Rafe bends over and whispers to

Steve. I don’t know what he says but it
makes the child hug him. I’m thrilled that
my soon to be husband loves my
nephews as much as I do. Yes, I consider
both boys my nephews and heaven help
anyone who tells Hamish or I anything
different.

Rafe loves it when the boys

come to stay and we have them all to
ourselves. We suggested we take the
children one night a week. Now Liam is
older they both stay over. Before that it
was just Steve. Liam would be collected
around midnight. It gives Blossom and
Hamish a chance to have an evening out

and then an all-night fuckfest.

I grasp Rafe’s hand when he

stands. Calvin is ready. So are we.

***

RAFE

Wade and I watch as Steve walks

toward Calvin. He is holding a white
pillow with both of our rings on it. I feel
naked without mine. I can’t wait for it to
be back on. This time on my left hand
where it truly belongs.

“What did you say to Steve?”

Wade asks.

“I told him I was very proud to

have such a handsome nephew.”

Steve has reached the celebrant.

He stands beside him and turns to face

us. He holds the pillow steady in front of
his tummy and gives us a smile that
would light up even the dullest day.

Calvin nods to us and we walk

down the aisle hand in hand. We stop in
front of him. I glance at Wade. The
celebrant nods again and begins.

He acknowledges the guests.

“Welcome”

He now focuses on us. “We are

gathered today in the presences of family
and friends for the joining in bond of
matrimony Rafe Thomas Cross and
Wade Philip Johnson.

The contract of marriage is one

not to be entered into lightly, but
thoughtfully and with a deep realization
of the obligations and responsibilities it

entails. Please remember that love,
loyalty, and understanding are the
foundation of a happy home. No human
ties are more important or more tender.”

Calvin addresses our guests

again. “Rafe and Wade have their own
vows so they will each speak now.”

Wade and I turn to each other and

hold hands. I begin.

“I love you, Wade. You have

become my best friend, my lover, my
everything. You were there for me when
I was in need of comfort after a broken
relationship. You were there for me
when I was almost killed. You cared for
me. Watched over me to ensure I
recovered. When I was in so much pain I
wanted to give up, your strength pushed

me through.”

I take a deep breath. “Today I

give myself to you in marriage. I
promise to encourage and inspire you, to
laugh with you, and to comfort you in
times of sorrow and struggle. I promise
to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems
hard. I promise to cherish you always.
These things I give to you today, and all
the days of our life.”

I swipe the tears from my eyes.

“Rafe, for years I stood by and watched
you with someone else. I know now, the
irritation I felt on seeing you with
another man, was jealousy. Jealousy that
you shared your life with someone else.
Jealousy that you gave your love to

someone else. My heart knew it was you
I wanted. I wanted your love. I wanted
to laugh with you, cry with you. Share
your achievements. Share your highs and
help you through your lows.”

I swipe at my tears. “Our time

together finally arrived and I had the
chance to stand by you during one of the
lowest times of your life. In return, you
were there for me when I needed you.
Sweetheart, we’ve had our lows, now
it’s time for the highs and I know there
will be many more of them. Today I give
myself to you in marriage.”

I take a deep breath. “I promise

to always be there for you. We will
laugh together, we will cry. There will
be happiness and sorrow but we will be

together and, together we can conquer
the world. I promise to always be
faithful and I will never betray you.
Rafe, today I hand you my heart and with
it my love.”

I hear sniffles amongst our

guests. There is a short pause before
Calvin continues.

“Do you Rafe take Wade to be

your lawfully wedded husband?”

I glance at Wade. Love radiates

from his eyes. “I do.”

“And do you promise to keep

him, love and comfort, in sickness and in
health, for richer or for poorer, for better
or for worse and to be faithful until
death do you part?”

I glance at Wade again. “I do.”
“Do you Wade take Rafe to be

your lawfully wedded husband?”

Wade looks at me and smiles

before he says, “I do.”

“And do you promise to keep

him, love and comfort, in sickness and in
health, for richer or for poorer, for better
or for worse and to be faithful until
death do you part?”

Wade smiles again. “I do.”
“Rings please.” Calvin says.

Steve moves to where the Celebrant can
take the rings from the pillow.

He hands the first one to me. I

turn toward the man I love. “Wade, I
give you this ring, in token of my

commitment and love.” I slide it onto the
third finger of his left hand.

He hands my ring to Wade.

“Rafe, I give you this ring, in token of
my commitment and love.” I hold out my
left hand and the ring is pushed on.

“Now that you have joined

yourselves formally in matrimony, may
you strive all of your lives to meet this
contract with the same sense of love and
commitment. It is now with great
pleasure that I pronounce you spouses
for life. You may kiss.”

Wade takes me in his arms and

gives me a bone melting kiss. Our
families clap, whistle and shout. Steve
hangs onto our legs and when we part, I
swing him up into my arms. Wade and I

kiss his cheeks before I hold his arm up
and announce:

“To the best ring bearer, ever.”
Again our families clap and

holler.

It is the happiest day of my life.
We are now Wade and Rafe

Johnson-Cross. I couldn’t be prouder as
we hold hands and lead everyone back
into the house for the celebrations.

THE END

Be sure to watch out for Steve’s Story

BORN TO ACHIEVE

Coming in May/June 2016

Other Books by this author:

BORN TO SIN

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About the Author:

I’m an Australian and live in
Queensland.
I have always loved to write and have a
vivid and overactive imagination.
In my spare time, when I’m not writing, I
love to walk, read and shop.
I believe no mountain is too hard to
climb, no river is too wide to span and
no journey is too difficult to complete. I
follow my dreams and I urge and
encourage others to do the same.
With a positive attitude, the impossible
can become possible.

AL Simpson.