B

RING

H

IM

G

OLD

…Cindi swept his arm toward the left of the stage. The audience

shouted and catcalled. The blond caught Lucius’ gaze and winked.
Lucius grinned, used to the way people reacted to Ronnie.

The first notes of “When You Say You Love Me” drifted over the

speakers, and Lucius settled back in his chair, waiting to see the
crowd’s reaction to Ronnie’s new piece. He’d helped his lover pick
out the clothes and stuff, but he hadn’t gotten a chance to see the
whole ensemble together.

Lucius sucked in a deep breath as Ronnie stepped on stage. Every

part of Lucius’ body came to attention, especially his cock. God, he
loved Ronnie so much and wanted him every minute they were around
each other. Hell, he couldn’t get Ronnie out of his mind, even when
they were apart.

Ronnie brushed his long blond hair over his shoulder, and his

bright red lips curled in a sultry smile. His legs were encased in silk
stockings, ending in black stilettos. His tight ass was barely covered
by a strapless black sequined dress. He wore a pair of black gloves
going up over his elbows.

Rhinestones glittered at his wrist, neck, and ears. Ronnie’s make-

up was perfect as well. Ronnie made a beautiful woman, but Lucius
loved the fact Ronnie was all man under those feminine clothes.

Ronnie worked the room, flirting and smiling as he sang. Lucius

watched as everyone in the crowd fell in love with Ronnie. Lucius
laughed, pride welling in him as the knowledge that Ronnie was all his
hit him again…

A

LSO

B

Y

T.

A.

C

HASE

Air And Dreams

Allergies

Bastet

Be The Air For You

Bitter Creek’s Redemption

Duncan’s World

Embrace My Reflection

Freaks In Love

Kissed By God

Lift Your Voice

The Longest Stride

Love’s Baggage

Nick Of Time

Nowhere Diner: Finding Love

Revealing The Past

Seduced

Seduced And Revealed

Shades Of Dreams

Soothe The Burn

Under My Bed

Voice For The Silent

Why I Love Geeks

Why I Love Waiters

Wolf’s Survival

BRING HIM GOLD

BY

T. A. CHASE

A

MBER

Q

UILL

P

RESS

,

LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

B

RING

H

IM

G

OLD

A

N

A

MBER

Q

UILL

P

RESS

B

OOK

This book is a work of fiction.

All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the

author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in

writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief

excerpts used for the purposes of review.

Copyright © 2012 by T. A. Chase

ISBN 978-1-61124-247-8

Cover Art © 2012 Trace Edward Zaber

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Here’s to everyone who might have wanted to

know what Ronnie and Lucius are up to…and to meet an

old friend or two. Thank you for sticking beside me.

BRING HIM GOLD

1

CHAPTER 1

The crowd whistled and clapped as the tall blond strolled out

onto the stage.

“Oh well, thank you, and if I thought you were cheering for

me, I’d be even happier.”

Lucius laughed along with the rest of the audience. Cindi, the

owner of the cabaret, worked his packed club like the pro he was.
Anyone walking in off the street without knowing what kind of
entertainment Cindi’s Cabaret provided was in for a shock.

Cindi was really Charles, an ex-marine who’d left the military

and come to New Orleans. He’d opened the cabaret because he
loved performing, but also because he loved being a woman. Now
he was one of the most respected female impersonators in the
business, and he could dress like a woman all the time, if he

BRING HIM GOLD

2

wanted.

Half of the men who worked at Cindi’s wore women’s clothes

all the time. Ronnie, Lucius’ boyfriend, was one of them. Lucius
never really thought he’d like dating a man who dressed in skirts
and heels, but he loved Ronnie, and whatever made Ronnie happy
made Lucius happy. He also admitted some of Ronnie’s outfits
turned him on.

It helped that Ronnie was the most beautiful person Lucius had

ever seen, and he had a marvelous personality to go with his looks.
Lucius had loved Ronnie since they were in high school together,
though they’d only reconnected a year or so ago. Now Lucius
couldn’t imagine never having Ronnie in his life.

More shouting brought Lucius’ attention back to the club.

Cindi’s Cabaret was one of the most popular drag shows in New
Orleans. Lucius stopped by almost every night the club was open.
Of course, the fact Ronnie was one of the stars of the show helped.

“I know you didn’t come to hear me talk,” Cindi teased. He

glanced off-stage and must have gotten a sign. “Without further
ado, I give you Miss Veronica Lake.”

Cindi swept his arm toward the left of the stage. The audience

shouted and catcalled. The blond caught Lucius’ gaze and winked.
Lucius grinned, used to the way people reacted to Ronnie.

The first notes of “When You Say You Love Me” drifted over

the speakers, and Lucius settled back in his chair, waiting to see
the crowd’s reaction to Ronnie’s new piece. He’d helped his lover
pick out the clothes and stuff, but he hadn’t gotten a chance to see
the whole ensemble together.

Lucius sucked in a deep breath as Ronnie stepped on stage.

Every part of Lucius’ body came to attention, especially his cock.
God, he loved Ronnie so much and wanted him every minute they

BRING HIM GOLD

3

were around each other. Hell, he couldn’t get Ronnie out of his
mind, even when they were apart.

Ronnie brushed his long blond hair over his shoulder, and his

bright red lips curled in a sultry smile. His legs were encased in
silk stockings, ending in black stilettos. His tight ass was barely
covered by a strapless black sequined dress. He wore a pair of
black gloves going up over his elbows.

Rhinestones glittered at his wrist, neck, and ears. Ronnie’s

make-up was perfect as well. Ronnie made a beautiful woman, but
Lucius loved the fact Ronnie was all man under those feminine
clothes.

Ronnie worked the room, flirting and smiling as he sang.

Lucius watched as everyone in the crowd fell in love with Ronnie.
Lucius laughed, pride welling in him as the knowledge that Ronnie
was all his hit him again.

“You are a lucky man.”
Lucius looked over to see Cindi standing next to him at the bar.

After climbing to his feet, Lucius hugged the blond. Cindi brushed
a kiss over his cheek.

“I know how lucky I am, Cindi. I tell myself that every time I

see Ronnie.”

Cindi picked up the glass of water the bartender set on the bar

for him. He took a sip, his observant gaze skipping over the
patrons to make sure no one was causing trouble.

“What are you doing for Valentine’s?”
Lucius pursed his lips for a moment before answering, “I have

an idea, but I’ll need a little help getting things set up.”

“And do you want it to be a surprise?” Excitement danced in

Cindi’s eyes.

“Yes. I’d really like to surprise him. We reunited around

BRING HIM GOLD

4

Valentine’s Day last year. I want it to be special.”

“So romantic.” Cindi winked.
“Ronnie’s worth it.”
He glanced over at the stage in time to meet Ronnie’s gaze. His

boyfriend stared at him while he finished singing, “Do you know
how I love you?”

As the audience stood, applauding loudly and yelling Ronnie’s

name, Ronnie curtsied before blowing a kiss in Lucius’ direction.

Lucius caught the kiss and nodded. He’d make his way

backstage in a moment. Ronnie liked having a few minutes to
himself to unwind. Cindi chuckled.

“Go on. She has a break in between sets, so I’m sure you’ll

help Ronnie relax.”

Before Lucius left, he asked Cindi, “Are you free tomorrow

afternoon?”

“Yes.”
“Cool. Ronnie’s taking MaeAnne to get her hair done. I’ll have

time to meet with you to talk about what kind of help I need for my
surprise.”

“Percy and I can stop by, and we’ll go to Pere Antoine’s for

drinks.”

“Thanks.” Lucius picked up the bottles of water the bartender

set out for him. He headed toward the door leading backstage. He
greeted the bouncer.

“Hey, Tomas, how’s it hanging?” He shook hands with the big

guy.

“Low and to the left tonight,” Tomas joked.
Lucius rolled his eyes. “Didn’t need to know that. You and

Anthony Andrew work things out yet?”

Tomas frowned. “No. He had to go back to Michigan and take

BRING HIM GOLD

5

care of some family stuff. Didn’t want any company.”

“Sorry to hear that, man.” Lucius slapped Tomas on the

shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll work out.”

“Thanks. Tell Ronnie she did good tonight.”
“I will.”
Lucius slipped through the door and made his way to Ronnie’s

dressing room. He smiled at how weird it was to hear other people
refer to his boyfriend as she, but at work, Ronnie liked to use the
feminine pronoun. Lucius had gotten used to it. He greeted a few
of the other performers as he knocked, then waited for Ronnie to
answer the door.

When he did, Ronnie took Lucius’ breath away. His shoulder-

length brown hair was disheveled from Ronnie taking his off his
blond wig. His lipstick was slightly smudged, and Lucius knew
he’d find a streak or two on Ronnie’s dress.

“Did you like the new song?” Ronnie reached out and dragged

Lucius inside.

The door had barely shut before Lucius wrapped his arm

around Ronnie’s waist and pulled him tight close to his body. He
slipped his hand under Ronnie’s robe to cup his butt.

“It was marvelous as usual, and you, my love, were stunning,”

he whispered against his man’s slick lips.

Lucius didn’t give Ronnie a chance to respond. He kissed

Ronnie like a starving man tasting his first bite of food. Their
moans mingled as Ronnie opened to him. Ronnie threaded his
fingers into Lucius’ hair, holding tight.

Lucius leaned back against the door, and Ronnie wrapped his

leg around Lucius’, bringing their groins together. Lucius loved the
rustle of silk against his jeans because Ronnie still wore his
stockings. He ran his hand over Ronnie’s bare ass, and his lover

BRING HIM GOLD

6

pushed back. He knew what Ronnie wanted, but Lucius wasn’t
interested in a quickie at the moment. After breaking their kiss, he
panted, trying to catch his breath. Ronnie whimpered softly.

“Sweetheart, I’d love to have a quickie in your dressing room.

Hell, it’s not like we haven’t done it before, but I want to resist
temptation. I want to sit out in the crowd with a hard-on and watch
you do your last set. Then I want to go back to our place and have
you fuck me until I scream your name.”

Ronnie blinked at Lucius, and Lucius could see him processing

what he’d said. A blush colored Ronnie’s cheeks when he figured
out what Lucius wanted. For the most part, Lucius usually topped
with Ronnie being the more natural bottom. Yet every once in a
while, they switched, and Ronnie drove Lucius crazy.

“Really?”
Lucius laughed. “We haven’t done that in a month, darling. I’m

yearning to feel your cock in my ass.”

He slid his hand around to palm Ronnie’s cock and gave it a

gentle squeeze. Ronnie gasped, his brown eyes sparkling with love
and happiness.

Easing Ronnie a few more inches away, Lucius looked for the

water bottles he’d dropped while kissing Ronnie. He bent and
grabbed them, handing one to Ronnie.

“Here.”
Ronnie grinned like he thought about tempting Lucius some

more. When Ronnie licked his lips, Lucius controlled the urge to
grab him and toss him onto the couch.

“No teasing,” Lucius ordered. “I mean it. I want to have some

fun tonight when we get home.”

Ronnie sighed, and his annoyance was clear in the sound.

Lucius knew his lover didn’t really mind letting the tension build.

BRING HIM GOLD

7

They sat on the couch with Ronnie leaning back against the

arm of the couch and setting his feet in Lucius’ lap. He got the hint
and started rubbing them.

“How was your day?” Ronnie asked, his eyes half-closed in

pleasure.

“A little more hectic than usual, but it is Mardi Gras, so I

shouldn’t expect nothing to happen.”

“True.” Ronnie hummed. “You know, if you ever got tired of

being a cop, you’d probably make a killing as a masseuse.”

Lucius shook his head. “The only person whose body I want to

touch is yours.”

“Good point. You’d never cheat on me, but I’d still probably

end up being jealous of them.” Ronnie dropped his head back and
relaxed. “I love when you stop by the club. It makes singing the
love songs so much easier when the man I love is in the audience.”

“I enjoy listening to you and I’m proud to see how you handle

the crowds.”

“Are you working Valentine’s Day?” Ronnie asked.
Lucius nodded. “Yeah. I knew you were, too, so I took another

guy’s shift. I took the next day off, though, so we’ll spend all day
in bed, if Cindi lets you have it.”

“I think she’d do it. Sounds marvelous to me.”
Ronnie beamed, and Lucius was glad his plans met with

approval, even though Ronnie didn’t know the most important part
of the whole thing.

Lucius spent the rest of the break between sets massaging his

lover’s feet and legs. After Ronnie changed into his next outfit,
Lucius went back out into the crowd and took his place at the end
of the bar.

When Ronnie’s last set ended, Cindi walked over to Lucius and

BRING HIM GOLD

8

grinned at him.

“Get Ronnie out of here,” Cindi ordered. “She’s done for the

night. Sneak out the back, so you don’t have to deal with the
crowd.”

“Thanks, Cindi. How about you and Percy stop by around three

tomorrow? We can talk about want I’d like to do for him for
Valentine’s Day.” Lucius kissed Cindi on the cheek when he
nodded.

“We’ll see you in the afternoon then.” Cindi waved Lucius

away.

Tomas nodded at Lucius as he walked through the door into the

backstage area. Boas and dresses were flying through the air as the
performers changed outfits before heading out onto the club floor.
Lucius caught a red silk scarf right before it hit him in the face. He
set it aside and knocked on Ronnie’s door.

“Come in.”
Lucius pushed open the door and peered around the edge to

spot Ronnie walking around behind the dressing screen set up in
the corner. Lucius closed out the chaos in the hallway and sat on
the couch.

“Your last set was amazing, darling.”
His lover peeked around the screen and flashed him a bright

smile. “Thanks. I thought it went well. At least, the crowd loved
it.”

Lucius laughed. “Of course they loved it. Who wouldn’t adore

you?”

“Flattery will get you anything you want,” Ronnie teased and

winked before ducking back.

The gold sequin dress Ronnie had been wearing was tossed

over the top of the screen. Lucius stood and picked it up from the

BRING HIM GOLD

9

floor. He put it on a hanger and placed it in Ronnie’s garment bag.
He shook his head with a smile, realizing he never thought he’d
have to deal with women’s clothing because he was gay. Yet he
didn’t mind picking Ronnie’s clothes up from the dry cleaner or
opening his dresser to see lace panties and silk camisoles beside
his cotton boxer-briefs.

“Hey, are you still planning on taking MaeAnne to get her hair

done tomorrow?” He bent to pick up high heels and stuffed them
into the duffle bag Ronnie used.

“Yes. Do you want to have her, Robert, and Preston over for

dinner? I don’t have to be back here until eight tomorrow night.”

Lucius glanced up when Ronnie emerged and his mouth went

dry. Ronnie wore a pair of black leggings with knee-high black
boots. His bright yellow shirt draped off one shoulder, and
Ronnie’s hair was pulled back in complicated braid. He was letting
it grow longer because Lucius had made a comment about how
much he’d like to see Ronnie with long hair, not just the wig he
wore.

Ronnie strolled over to him and wrapped his arms around

Lucius’ shoulders. They shared a long, passionate kiss, but while
Lucius’ body thought having sex in the dressing room was the
perfect idea, Lucius didn’t want to do that tonight. He wanted a
soft bed and all the time in the world without the possibility of
interruption.

He broke off the kiss and eased away. Lucius tugged on a lock

of Ronnie’s hair. “I love your hair.”

Ronnie rolled his eyes, but the happiness in his smile told

Lucius he wasn’t annoyed with him. “You tell me that like a
hundred times a day.”

“I know, but I can’t help it. I love the way long hair looks on

BRING HIM GOLD

10

you.” He got serious for a moment. “You do know, you can cut it
if it gives you too much trouble. I’m not telling you how much I
like it to convince you to keep it.”

“Honey, I’m not worried about you imposing your will on me.

If it starts bothering me, I’ll go have it cut. At the moment, though,
I enjoy having it long. I like the way you run your fingers through
my hair when we’re snuggling on the couch or falling asleep in
bed.” Ronnie pecked him on the lips before whirling away to grab
the garment bag. “Can you grab the duffle and my make-up case?”

“Yes, dear.”
He slung the strap for the duffle over his shoulder and took the

handle for the case in his left hand. After opening the door and
ushering Ronnie out, he offered his free hand to his lover. Ronnie’s
face lit up, and Lucius remembered how easy it was to make
Ronnie happy.

Holding hands as they walked down the street, or giving him a

kiss or hug in public made Ronnie shine with an inner glow that
caused people to stop in the street and watch them walk by. Lucius
had gotten used to how the rest of the world reacted to Ronnie,
and, for the most part, he liked knowing other people found his
boyfriend attractive. He did understand some of the men who
watched Ronnie walk past would probably be horrified to know
they were checking out a man instead of the gorgeous woman they
thought he was.

“Let’s go home, love.”
Ronnie waved goodnight to his friends and Cindi blew them a

kiss from where she stood at the end of the bar. They left and
strolled down the sidewalk, chatting softly as they wove in and out
of the crowded street.

“We should go dancing at OZ sometime soon,” Ronnie

BRING HIM GOLD

11

suggested.

“Sounds good to me. I haven’t held you tight in my arms while

dancing in a while now.” Lucius leaned over to nuzzle Ronnie’s
hair.

Ronnie laughed and pressed closer to Lucius’ side. “Dancing,

right? We spend most of our nights as close as two people can get
without sharing the same body. I have to admit I like to watch you
dance, especially when you forget other people might be watching
you and let go.”

Lucius’ cheeks heated, and he raised his eyebrows in doubt. “I

think you might be the only one who does. I really don’t have any
kind of rhythm.”

“You have enough rhythm for the important things.” Ronnie

reached down and pinched Lucius’ ass.

“You have a gutter mind, my love.” Lucius nodded toward his

car. “Here we are.”

He’d worked late that night, so he’d driven straight to the club

after he finished most of his paperwork. He unlocked the vehicle,
and they tossed Ronnie’s stuff in the back. He held the passenger
door open for Ronnie, then closed it gently after he slid in. Lucius
ran around the front of the car and got in. He pulled away from the
curb, while Ronnie reached across the console to rest his hand on
Lucius’ knee.

“Oh, I talked to Dante earlier. He said he’s thinking about

coming down to visit in March or April. Said he needed to get out
of D.C. for a little bit,” Lucius informed Ronnie as he turned onto
Canal Street.

“Is he okay?”
Ronnie’s concern for Lucius’ old army buddy warmed his

heart.

BRING HIM GOLD

12

Lucius frowned, but nodded. “I think so. I also think he works

too hard. We need to find him a good woman.”

“Or maybe a good man dressed like a woman.” Ronnie wiggled

his perfectly plucked eyebrows when Lucius shot him a glance.

“I guess that could be possible, though Dante insists he’s

straight.”

“Sure he is, but he’s also open-minded enough to fall in love

with a person, not the person’s sex.” Ronnie tapped his finger
against his bottom lip. “I’ll have to think about it. There’s the new
guy, Mikey, who might be a good possibility.”

“Sweetheart, Mikey’s a bit flamboyant with all that sparkly

make-up and purple feathers. I don’t know him well, but he might
be a bit too much for Dante.”

Ronnie pursed his lips as he thought. “I really do think we’ll

have to introduce them when Dante comes down. I think Mikey’s
in trouble and maybe Dante can get him to talk.”

“I guess we can introduce them and see where that leads. Don’t

say anything to get Mikey’s hopes up, though. Like I said, Dante
identifies as straight.”

Ronnie waved his elegant hand in dismissal. “I won’t say a

word, and we’ll let nature takes its course.”

Lucius shook his head. He didn’t want Ronnie or Mikey to be

disappointed when Dante became friends with the man, but
nothing else. In all the years he’d known Dante, the man had never
exhibited any homosexual leanings, though he had commented on
how gorgeous Ronnie was.

They stayed quiet the rest of the ride home. When Lucius

parked the car in the narrow driveway of his apartment building,
Ronnie jumped out before he could get the door open for him.
Ronnie threw his arms around Lucius’ neck and kissed him.

BRING HIM GOLD

13

To hell with the clothes. He encircled Ronnie’s waist and lifted

his man into his arms. They could get them in the morning. He
staggered up the front steps to the door. Somehow the door got
unlocked without Lucius dropping Ronnie, or either of them
hurting themselves.

Again, they got up the stairs without running into anything or

falling down them. By the time they were at their door, Lucius’
shirt was hanging open, most of the buttons undone, and Ronnie’s
hair flowed around them, loose from its braid. Lucius propped
Ronnie’s back against the wall beside the door and fumbled with
his keys.

“Wow…all that working out you do really is impressive.”

Ronnie ran his hands over Lucius’ bicep, appreciation in his voice.
“I wouldn’t have been able to carry you up all those flights of
stairs.”

“True, but I’m taller than you and outweigh you by a good fifty

pounds. However, I’ve seen you lug up shopping bags full of shoes
and clothes, so you aren’t a weakling, that’s for sure,” he teased
before he got the door unlocked.

He shoved open the door and got them through it before

slamming it shut. He pinned Ronnie against the inside of the door
and kissed him. Their tongues dueled and fought over who would
control the kiss. Lucius didn’t really care, but he liked the fight.
The cool apartment air dashed over his heated skin as Ronnie
started to push Lucius’ shirt off his body.

“We need to get to the bedroom quickly,” Ronnie ordered. “I

want to fuck you.”

Lucius shivered and whirled around, making sure his grip on

his lover was firm before he stalked down the hallway to where
their bedroom was. He loved when Ronnie bossed him around

BRING HIM GOLD

14

during sex. It didn’t happen often since Ronnie was more a natural
bottom, but there were time both of them wanted Ronnie to take
charge.

They got to the bedroom, and Lucius set Ronnie down beside

the bed. He placed his hands on Lucius’ shoulders and pushed him
to his knees.

“Take off my boots, then strip me.” Ronnie rested his foot on

Lucius’ thigh, giving him access to the zipper on the inside of his
boots.

“Yes, sir.” He winked before lowering his head in a submissive

posture.

A strangled sound forced its way from Ronnie’s throat as his

lover tried to keep from bursting out in laughter at Lucius’ not very
believable subservient attitude. He got control of his mirth and
nudged the bulge at Lucius’ groin with the toe of his boot.

Lucius took the hint. He found the tab for the zipper and pulled

it down. After cupping Ronnie’s heel with one hand and the toe of
the boot with the other, he tugged the shoe off. Ronnie braced his
hands on Lucius’ shoulder, playing with the curls at the nape of his
neck.

“Maybe you should be getting a haircut tomorrow,” Ronnie

commented as Lucius removed the other boot. “You’re getting a
bit scruffy around the edges.”

“I’ll think about it,” he muttered, reaching up to hook his

fingers into the waistband of Ronnie’s leggings.

He began rolling the fabric down, taking the G-string Ronnie

wore along with it. Soon Ronnie stood in front of him, halfway
naked. Lucius eyed Ronnie’s cock standing proudly before his
eyes. He licked his lips before leaning forward, and wrapping his
mouth around the flared head of Ronnie’s shaft.

BRING HIM GOLD

15

“Oh my,” Ronnie whispered, gripping Lucius’ shoulders tight

and flexing his hips, pushing his cock farther into Lucius’ mouth.

Lucius relaxed and repressed his gag reflex as Ronnie’s head

bumped the back of his throat. He swallowed around the length,
causing Ronnie to cry out. He’d been the first lover Ronnie’d ever
had give him a blowjob. Lucius wanted to hunt down all the men
Ronnie had slept with and kick their asses for being so selfish.

He fondled Ronnie’s balls, while applying as much suction as

he could to Ronnie’s shaft. If he was going to fuck him, Lucius
would have made the man come this way, but he wanted Ronnie to
take him, so he brought Ronnie to the edge twice before he eased
away.

“Wait,” Ronnie whimpered, tugging on Lucius’ hair hard

enough to make him wince.

“I want you to fuck me, love. I have to get naked, and you need

to take your shirt off.”

Lucius pushed to his feet, and Ronnie smirked at him.
“I thought I was supposed to be giving the orders.”
Lucius grabbed the hem of Ronnie’s shirt, lifted it up over his

head, and tossed it in the corner. Ronnie chuckled at Lucius’
impatience as he climbed onto the bed. Lucius swallowed hard
when Ronnie lay back and wrapped his hand around his erection.

“I’ll just keep myself entertained while you get naked.”

* * *

The speed with which Lucius yanked his clothes off turned

Ronnie on even more. It was marvelous to have someone want him
so much, and not be afraid to show it. He continued stroking his
cock while he watched Lucius race around the room, gathering the

BRING HIM GOLD

16

supplies. They had run out of lube that morning, so Lucius must
have stopped and picked up more at some point during the day.

Ronnie studied his lover as Lucius stalked across the floor

toward the bed. Aside from some grey in his hair and a few
wrinkles around his mouth, Lucius looked pretty much the same as
he did that day in high school when they first met.

He remembered the shock of looking up into dark brown eyes

and somehow knowing his life would be different from that
moment on. Ronnie couldn’t have guessed how different, but he
wouldn’t have changed anything about the past. There were no
regrets, except for losing touch with Lucius. Yet in the end, it
didn’t matter, because Lucius was there with him, and they would
be together for the rest of their lives.

The mattress dipped from Lucius’ weight as his lover climbed

onto the bed. Ronnie cupped Lucius’ cheek and drew him close
enough for their lips to meet. While passion and need pounded in
Ronnie’s body, he simply wanted to share a quiet second with
Lucius.

It was only when Lucius’ hand brushed over the head of

Ronnie’s cock that they broke apart. Lucius whirled around,
presenting his ass to Ronnie, while rubbing his cheek against
Ronnie’s shaft.

“Why don’t you get me ready while I play with you some

more?”

Like Ronnie would say no to that. He scrabbled through the

sheets to find the lube, wherever Lucius had thrown it. He crowed
in triumph when he wrapped his fingers around the bottle. Ronnie
popped the top before squirting some slick out on his hand. After
flipping the lid closed, he tossed it on the bed next to their hips.

Ronnie encouraged Lucius to straddle his head, then ran his

BRING HIM GOLD

17

fingers along Lucius’ crease, pausing to rub over Lucius’ hole
during each pass. He pressed in a little more each time, and Lucius
rocked back, asking for more. Ronnie had to stop and breathe
deeply as Lucius took him deep in his mouth again.

“God, I love your mouth,” Ronnie commented as he invaded

Lucius’ ass with one finger up to the knuckle. “Almost as much as
I love your cock and your ass.”

Lucius mumbled something. Of course, his mouth was full of

Ronnie’s penis, so Ronnie didn’t understand what he said. Ronnie
slid one finger in and out of Lucius, adding a second one when he
thought his lover was ready. Soon Lucius rocked between Ronnie’s
fingers and cock.

Pleasure built inside Ronnie, pooling in his balls and drawing

them tight to his body. His climax beat against his head, causing
him to tap Lucius on the hip.

“I’m going to come soon, honey. If you want me to fuck you,

you need to swing around and let me get inside you.”

Lucius popped off him and grabbed the lube as he turned

around. Ronnie held up his hand when Lucius opened the bottle.
He grinned at the amount of slick Lucius put into his palm.

“I don’t think I need that much, ” he teased.
“Shut up.” Lucius leaned forward and kissed Ronnie before

straightening.

Ronnie quickly coated his shaft and held it while Lucius

positioned himself. He stayed still, letting Lucius dictate how fast
he wanted Ronnie to fill him. Ronnie didn’t shove or push, just bit
his lip to keep from begging Lucius to go faster.

It had been a month or two since Lucius last bottomed, and

Ronnie loved how tight his lover was, but he didn’t want to hurt
him by forcing him to take too much too soon. Lucius straddled

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18

Ronnie’s hips and slowly started to lower himself onto Ronnie’s
cock.

They both sighed when Lucius bottomed out over Ronnie.

Lucius wrapped his arms around Ronnie and rolled them until
Ronnie was on top. Ronnie put Lucius’ legs over his arms and
started moving, pounding into Lucius with everything he had.

The scents and sounds of sex filled the air as they drove each

other closer and closer to the edge. Ronnie shouted as his climax
tore through him like a shock of electricity.

“Lucius,” he cried, filling his lover with cum.
Lucius shouted as pearly ropes of cum shot from his cock to

cover his stomach, and even some landed on Ronnie. They
trembled and shook together, their bodies milking every drop from
them. When the grip of his climax let go of him, Ronnie collapsed
on top of Lucius with a groan.

He smiled when Lucius patted his back with a rather lazy

touch. They snuggled, waiting for their strength to return before
they did anything. Once Ronnie thought he could move without
melting to the floor, he climbed out of bed to pad to the bathroom.
He rinsed off and ran a cloth under warm water. He wandered back
to their room and washed Lucius off, before tossing the washcloth
into the laundry basket near the dresser.

Ronnie rejoined Lucius in bed, and they spooned, his back

against Lucius’ chest. He entwined their fingers and sighed.

“Do you ever think about what our lives would have been like

if I hadn’t left for the army?” Lucius murmured into the darkness.

Rolling over on to his back, he met Lucius’ gaze. Ronnie

frowned slightly, but didn’t reply right away. What would their
lives have been like if they’d stayed together all those years ago?
Ronnie nodded.

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19

“I think about it every once in a while, but I don’t dwell on it.

I’m not sure we’d be in bed together today, if we’d stayed together
when we left high school.” Ronnie cupped Lucius’ cheek with a
small smile. “As much as you seemed to accept me, I’m not sure
you’d have been able to deal with my cross-dressing at eighteen.”

Lucius pressed a kiss to Ronnie’s palm. “You’re right, love. I

did enjoy the nightie you wore when we made love for the first
time, but I wouldn’t have been nearly as understanding about you
needing to wear women’s clothes all the time. I hate admitting that,
but it’s the truth. I wasn’t mature enough to accept it.”

“We’d have tried to stay together and work our differences out,

yet I think I would have come to resent you because I couldn’t be
completely myself. Even with being gay, you’d have been able to
live your life pretty much the same as you always had,” Ronnie
pointed out.

He sighed as Lucius gathered him into his arms, and Ronnie

rested his head on Lucius’ chest, listening to his lover’s heartbeat.

“As much as I hated being away from you all those years, it

was probably best for us. You became comfortable in your own
skin and with your own needs. I matured enough to be able to
accept it all without ever once thinking about asking you to
change.” Lucius rubbed his cheek on the top of Ronnie’s head. “I
love you, Ronnie Lake, and I can’t imagine my life without you
ever again.”

Tears welled in Ronnie’s eyes, but he simply blinked them

back. He didn’t totally understand why he got emotional every
time Lucius told him he loved him. It wasn’t like he ever doubted
Lucius’ feelings for him, yet it felt wonderful to hear the words. “I
love you as well, Lucius Montagne.”

Ronnie fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

BRING HIM GOLD

20

CHAPTER 2

“You two have some fun at the salon,” Lucius said as he kissed

Ronnie and hugged MaeAnne. “I’ll have dinner ready when you
get back.”

“Thanks, love.” Ronnie slid into the cab with the elderly lady.
Lucius shut the car door and waved good-bye as the cab pulled

away from the curb. He smiled at their eagerness to go spend time
together, getting their hair and nails done.

When he first reunited with Ronnie and realized his lover liked

to dress in women’s clothing all the time, Lucius worried about
Ronnie’s safety. Not everyone was open-minded enough to accept
Ronnie’s choice. Then Ronnie pretty much saved himself from the
crazy senator who’d kidnapped him, and Lucius decided Ronnie
could take care of himself. Of course, that didn’t mean Lucius

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21

didn’t keep an eye on him when they were together.

“Seeing the wife and mother-in-law off?”
He swung around to see Percy and Cindi strolling up to him.

Chuckling, he gave both of them hugs and kisses before gesturing
to his building.

“You know, I think both Ronnie and MaeAnne would like that

to be true. They really hit it off, and at times, I think Ronnie does
consider MaeAnne something of a mother to him. Hell, his own
mom wasn’t much to talk about.” Lucius headed for the door. “Let
me grab my wallet, and we can go to Pere’s.”

Percy shrugged. “Why don’t we just stay here? Have some

coffee or drinks, and plan out whatever great idea you have for
Valentine’s Day?”

“Sure, we can do that.” Lucius led the way into the building. “

Go ahead out into the courtyard. I have to let Robert and Preston
know we’re out there. I asked them to join us because they might
have some good ideas as well.”

Cindi smiled. “I love those guys.”
“And the feeling is mutual,” Lucius commented. “Preston is

always asking about you.”

“Another conquest, I see, love.” Percy beamed in pride at

Cindi.

Lucius laughed as he motioned toward the back of the building.

“I’ll go get Robert and Preston.”

He knocked on their door. The older couple lived on the first

floor of the apartment building. One of Lucius’ fellow soldiers in
the army had willed the building to Lucius. Of course, Lucius
didn’t know until after a sniper killed Tory.

When Lucius decided not to re-up, he came to New Orleans

and met his tenants for the first time. Robert and Preston lived on

BRING HIM GOLD

22

the first floor. MaeAnne called the second-floor apartment home,
and Lucius had the third floor to himself. He kept the rent the same
as it had been for them for years. He didn’t need any extra money
because Tory’s uncle, who’d owned the building first, had set up a
trust to maintain the building, so Lucius never had to worry about
that.

“Hello, Lucius.”
He looked up to see Robert standing in the doorway. Preston

stood right behind him, hand resting on his shoulder.

“Hey, Robert, Preston.” Lucius signed the words as well as

spoke them.

Preston was deaf, and Lucius had learned how to sign since he

didn’t want Preston to feel left out of any conversation.

“Cindi, Percy, and I are meeting out in the courtyard to talk

about my Valentine’s surprise for Ronnie. Would you like to join
us?”

Preston clapped his hands and nodded. Robert smiled

indulgently at his lover.

“I do believe we would. We have some beignets Preston made

earlier today. We’ll bring those and we actually just made a fresh
pot of coffee,” Robert offered.

“Great. If you could take that out, I’ll go upstairs and get a

bottle of wine and some cheese. In case someone wants something
else.” Lucius headed upstairs.

He gathered everything and placed it all in a basket to carry

downstairs, plus he scooped up the box holding Ronnie’s present.
He wanted to get their opinion on it.

When Lucius returned to the courtyard, the other four were

comfortably seated in the lounge chairs and on the benches he’d
placed around the fountain in the middle of the garden. One thing

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23

he’d discovered about himself since moving to New Orleans and
moving into the building—he loved to garden. Having a courtyard
where he could grow flowers and other plants was perfect for him.

“Here we go.”
Cindi helped him unpack the basket, and Percy opened the

wine. Once everyone was settled with his beverage and snack of
choice, Lucius pulled out the box. Cindi gasped, and the others
clapped.

“Is that what I think it is?”
Lucius opened the top, and the diamond glistened in the

afternoon sun. “Yes, it is.”

Cindi started crying, while Preston, Robert, and Percy gathered

around to slap him on the back. Lucius protested.

“Ronnie hasn’t said yes yet. That’s why I wanted to talk to you

about figuring out a neat way to surprise him.”

“Oh, cher, you know he’ll say yes. That boy’s crazy in love

with you,” Preston signed, leaning against Robert.

“I know he loves me, but I don’t want to take him for granted.”

Lucius rubbed his nape and frowned. “I know we can’t get married
in Louisiana, but I thought we could do one of those destination
weddings and go up to New York or something.”

“Marvelous idea. MaeAnne and I can help Ronnie plan

everything. Percy, don’t you have a friend who owns a bed and
breakfast in northern New York?” Cindi turned to look at her
lover. “We could see about having the wedding at his place.”

Percy held up his hands. “We should probably wait until after

Ronnie says yes before we start making plans, darling.”

Cindi waved away Percy’s words. “We all know he’ll say yes.

Ronnie’s crazy in loves with Lucius, and if they can get married,
Ronnie’ll walking around with his head in the clouds.”

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24

Preston waved his hands to get everyone’s attention. “How are

you going to propose, Lucius?”

“As you all know, Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and I have to

work the afternoon shift. I also have to keep my fingers crossed I
don’t catch a new case. Anyway, Ronnie’s working at the cabaret
tomorrow night as well.”

“I can give him the night off if you want,” Cindi offered.
“No.” Lucius shook his head. “I want to ask him in front of all

his friends and family.”

He looked at Robert and Preston. “I know it’s Valentine’s Day,

and you’d probably like to spend it alone together, but I was
wondering if you’d be willing to bring MaeAnne to the cabaret. I
know it would mean a lot to Ronnie to have you all there when I
ask him.”

“We’d be thrilled to be part of this.”
“Why don’t you ask him during his first set? I’ll let Ronnie

have the rest of the night off, and you can celebrate your
engagement in private,” Cindi suggested.

“I’d appreciate that. I wouldn’t want to keep MaeAnne out too

late either.” Lucius smiled.

“I’ll pick up a dozen red roses for you, since you won’t have

time to get them yourself.” Percy offered with a smile.

“Great.”
Lucius smiled as his friends started making plans of how to

help him surprise Ronnie. By the time Ronnie and MaeAnne were
due to return from the salon, they had worked out every detail, and
Lucius was once again struck by how wonderful his friends were.
How lucky he was to have people who cared about him so much,
they would go to any lengths to help him be happy. They
continued to chat and plan while they cooked dinner and brought it

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25

down to the courtyard.

He heard the cab pull up to the curb and walked out to greet

them. Ronnie helped MaeAnne out of the vehicle before paying the
driver. Lucius stepped out and offered his arms to both of them.

“May I escort you beautiful people to the courtyard? We’re

having dinner out there tonight.”

Ronnie kissed him and placed his hand in the crook of Lucius’

elbow. MaeAnne did the same on the other side. They strolled into
the building, then down the hallway to the courtyard.

“Cindi! Percy!” Ronnie cried out as he raced across the garden

to wrap Cindi in a hug, and greeted Percy the same way after he let
Cindi go. “I’m so happy you all are joining us for dinner.”

“Well, come and sit, honey. You and MaeAnne look stunning.”

Percy came to escort MaeAnne to a chair.

Lucius stood and watched Ronnie walk back to him. They

embraced each other, and Lucius bent to kiss Ronnie. He became
lost in the feel of Ronnie’s soft lips against his, and the touch of
Ronnie’s hands. It was only when he heard the catcalls from their
friends that he broke off their make-out session. They turned to
face the rest of the group, keeping their arms around each other,
but grinning as Cindi whistled.

“I’ve had my fill of sweetening sugar, children,” Cindi teased,

as she waved them over to the table where the others sat. “Let’s
have dinner. Ronnie, you can come back to the club with me when
we’re done.”

“Sounds good to me. Is Andy coming back tonight?” Ronnie

asked as he helped MaeAnne sit down.

Lucius poured drinks, watching as his friends joked and teased

each other. For ten years he’d been alone, unable to be his true self
because fear of being exposed held him back. It was the reason

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26

why he chose not to re-enlist when his service was up. Oh, he had
good friends in the army, but none of them knew who he really
was.

Only one of his former brothers-in-arms knew about him and

his lover. Dante had been more than accepting of Ronnie and of
how Ronnie dressed. His friend’s willingness to embrace Ronnie
caused Lucius to give Dante his everlasting loyalty.

He sat next to Ronnie and rested his hand on Ronnie’s leg.

Ronnie leaned against him while talking to Preston. Lucius
watched as Ronnie signed almost as fast as Preston did. Once
Ronnie had realized Preston was deaf, he’d started to learn sign
language and had gotten rather good at it. Lucius looked at
Ronnie’s hands and chuckled as he spotted the dark red nail polish.

“Do you like it?”
Lucius glanced over to see Ronnie staring at him. He grabbed

one of Ronnie’s hands in his, and brought it to his lips. “I think
they look beautiful, just like the rest of you.”

Ronnie blushed, but grinned at him.
“Wait, did you answer me about Andy? I haven’t heard from

him since he headed north to deal with his family.” Ronnie turned
to study Cindi.

The blond shrugged. “He called me earlier today to let me

know he’d be in tonight. I’m not sure what happened, but he didn’t
sound happy. I’ll have Tomas keep an eye on him.”

“Tomas said Andrew hadn’t talked to him either,” Lucius

spoke up.

“I know he wasn’t looking forward to going home. I don’t

think his family knows what he does down here, or even that he’s
gay. I’ll try to get him to talk tonight. If not, maybe I’ll take him
out for breakfast tomorrow morning.” Ronnie sipped his wine.

BRING HIM GOLD

27

Lucius rubbed his thumb over Ronnie’s bottom lip. “Just don’t

get hurt if Andrew decides not to talk to you. Sometimes, family
problems are too personal to talk about, even with good friends.”

“I know. I’ve been trying to get Mikey to talk to me since he

started working at the club. He’s quieter than Preston here.”
Ronnie shot Preston a wink, and Preston laughed. “I still think
there’s something going on with him. I’m going to introduce him
to Dante, Lucius’ friend, when he comes to visit us.”

“You just can’t help meddling, can you?” Cindi shook his head

with a smile. “Be careful it doesn’t bite you in the ass later.”

“I will.” Ronnie picked up his glass and, settling back into his

lover’s arms, he asked, “So what’s everyone doing for Valentine’s
Day? It is tomorrow, you know.”

Lucius knew the rest wouldn’t say a word about what he

planned to do the next night, so he encouraged them to talk about
themselves. As the afternoon morphed into evening, they chatted
about past Valentines and past romances.

Cindi and Ronnie left to head to the club, while Percy and

Lucius cleaned up. Lucius hadn’t spent much time with the slender
Englishman, so he enjoyed chatting with him.

“How did you and Cindi meet? I have to admit you’re kind of

an odd couple,” Lucius asked, as they put the plates away.

“Much like Preston and Robert, right?” Percy chuckled. He

leaned his hip against the counter and crossed his arms over his
chest. “I thought Cindi was the most beautiful woman I’d ever
seen, and I was very attracted to him, which shocked the bloody
hell out of me, since I’d never been attracted to a woman in my
life.”

Lucius nodded as he dried his hands before folding the towel

and placing it on the counter. He glanced at his watch.

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28

“It’s still early. Do you want another glass of wine or should

we just head out to the club?”

“I’ll take another glass. It’s still early, and the ladies will be

getting ready. We don’t need to be in the way.” Percy accepted the
drink and wandered out onto the balcony overlooking the
courtyard. “Were you shocked when you saw Ronnie in women’s
clothes for the first time?”

“Considering I was eighteen, yeah, I was completely

shocked…and turned on. After I left for boot camp, when I thought
about it, I always assumed it was just Ronnie that turned me on.
Now, after hanging out at the club, I find I don’t mind men
dressing like women, and some men are sexy in those outfits.”

Percy agreed. “Like I said, when I first saw Cindi, I thought he

was a beautiful woman. When I actually met him face-to-face, I
was thrilled beyond measure to realize Cindi was really a Charles
and something weird wasn’t happening to me.”

The older man settled into the wicker chair, while Lucius rested

his ass on the railing. Lucius took a swig of his beer, waiting for
Percy to continue.

“I had come to New Orleans to look at some property to buy.

I’d ended a long-term relationship in London and was hoping to
relocate to America. I found the building the cabaret is in now.
After buying it, I moved here and picked up another apartment
building as well.”

Percy sipped his wine, and they listened to the water bubbling

in the fountain for a second.

“I wanted to rent out the one property, and Cindi contacted me

about the possibility of doing so. I went to meet Cindi, thinking he
was a woman, even though I had talked to him on the phone. Once
I discovered my mistake, I was more than happy to rent Cindi the

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29

space and even consider being a backer for the club.”

“I think there’s more to the story that you’re not telling me,”

Lucius commented.

Percy shrugged and winked at him. “It’s not just my story to be

told, Lucius, but there were obstacles we needed to overcome. It
wasn’t all sunshine and roses certainly, yet no relationship is.”

“True.”
They finished their drinks in silence, and Lucius grabbed his

wallet and keys as they left the apartment. As they headed down to
the street, Lucius’ phone rang. Checking it, he groaned when he
saw it was work.

“Go on, Percy. Can you let Ronnie know I’ll call him later if I

can? I’m going to have to head into work.”

“I’ll certainly let him know, Lucius. Be careful, and I’ll talk to

you tomorrow.” Percy slapped him on the shoulder.

Lucius answered the phone on his way back up to the

apartment. He and his partner had caught a case, and he needed to
report to the precinct. After unlocking the door, he went in and
tossed his phone on the table as he walked by. He’d have to change
into a suit before he headed out. He resented not being able to see
Ronnie perform, and at that moment, he hated his job.

* * *

Lucius unlocked the front door and walked in, shoulders

slumped. Tired and annoyed, he didn’t notice the living room light
was on until he’d locked the door and turned to head down the
hallway. He tossed his jacket, wallet, and keys on the table as he
wandered into the room. A soft smile lifted his lips when he
spotted Ronnie curled on the couch under a blanket.

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30

He kicked off his shoes and sat on the edge of the couch before

he touched Ronnie on the shoulder.

“Hey, honey, what are you doing asleep on the couch? You

should’ve gone to bed.”

Ronnie opened his eyes and blinked, as he stared up at him. “I

can’t sleep well when you’re not in there with me. I miss you
holding me.”

Lucius brushed the hair off Ronnie’s forehead and leaned

forward to kiss his cheek. “I don’t like sleeping in bed without you
either, sweetheart. I’m home now, so let’s head to bed.”

He snorted softly as Ronnie mumbled something before dozing

off. Lucius stood, pulled the blanket off Ronnie, and swept the
smaller man into his arms. He’d done this a hundred times since
Ronnie moved in with him. They would often curl up on the couch
to watch movies on their days off, and Ronnie usually fell asleep.

Ronnie laid his head on Lucius’ chest, causing the light scent of

roses to drift past Lucius’ nose. Another thing he never thought
he’d deal with was flowers and things like that. Some people
would say Ronnie’s love of pretty clothes and flowers made him
less of a man, but Lucius never let those words bother him. Ronnie
was all man, and as tough as most. At times, Lucius thought
Ronnie was stronger than he was because he’d had to deal with the
close-mindedness of people for most of his life.

Lucius settled Ronnie in bed and tucked the covers around him.

He kissed him before straightening. He strolled into the bathroom,
turned on the hot water, and started to strip. He’d just come home
from a nasty murder scene and all he wanted to do was wash off
the perceived feelings of dirt and grime.

Once steam filled the air, Lucius climbed under the pounding

water and started scrubbing. When he finished, his skin was beet-

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31

red and so were his eyes. He turned off the shower, stepped out,
and almost jumped out of his skin when Ronnie handed him a
towel.

“What’s wrong, cher?” Ronnie ended up drying him off while

Lucius fought back the tears.

“Caught a tough case. Woman killed her kids because her

boyfriend didn’t want children.” Lucius braced one of his hands on
the counter while he waited for Ronnie to put the toothpaste on the
toothbrush for him. “I don’t understand why anyone would do that.
They were her kids, for Christ’s sake. If she wanted the guy more
than her own flesh and blood, she should’ve given them to Child
Services or something.”

Ronnie encircled his waist while he brushed his teeth, not

saying anything until Lucius was done and ready to head back to
bed. They spooned together under the blankets, this time with
Ronnie holding Lucius close to his chest. Ronnie stroked his
fingers over Lucius’.

“Sometimes people don’t think about things like that. It could

be she hadn’t wanted the kids herself, but didn’t really know how
turn them over to social services. Was she doing drugs?”

Lucius nodded, and Ronnie sighed.
“There’s your answer. She wasn’t in her right mind, honey. I’m

not saying what she did was right or we should forgive her for it,
but drugs do crazy things to people. We don’t know. She might
never have done it if she wasn’t high.”

Shaking his head, Lucius said what he’d been thinking all

night. “I think the drugs were an excuse for her to do what she
really wanted to do. I don’t think she wanted those kids from the
beginning, and she found her boyfriend leaving her as the last
straw.”

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32

“At least it’s a cut-and-dry case. You don’t have to worry about

a kid killer running around the city.”

Lucius knew Ronnie was trying to help, but it didn’t make him

feel any better, knowing he had the murderer in custody. It simply
broke his heart, looking at those four small bodies, and realizing
there wouldn’t be another sunrise for them.

Ronnie kissed the side of his face and licked a tear away. “I

wish there was something I could do to make things better.”

“You do make things better just by being here, Ronnie. Before

you, I’d go to the nearest liquor store, buy a bottle of whiskey, and
drink myself unconscious. Not a very productive or healthy way to
deal with anger and sadness. Having you here reminds me of the
good in the world.” Lucius lifted Ronnie’s hand to his lips,
pressing a kiss on his lover’s knuckles. “That’s why I love you so
much.”

Ronnie’s breathing hitched, letting Lucius know he was

touched by what he’d said. It wasn’t like Lucius didn’t say I love
you a hundred times a day to him. Hell, it was practically the only
thing he said at times, but it was times like this one, when they lay
together in the dark. They didn’t even have to talk about their day
or anything like that. Just holding onto each other, breathing in
each other’s scent, and knowing there was one person in the entire
world that loved him, even with his flaws and quirks.

“I love you, too, ” Ronnie whispered into Lucius’ ear.
Lucius closed his eyes and let go of the sorrow from the night.

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33

CHAPTER 3

Lucius wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and fidgeted with

his tie. He tapped his fingers against the desk in Cindi’s office.
Dante looked at him with amusement.

“Are you going to be okay?”
Whirling to look at his friend, Lucius grimaced. “Yeah, I’m

fine. Just a little nervous, I guess.”

“Nervous? Dude, you haven’t stopped moving since we got

here. Don’t worry. There’s no way Ronnie will say no. The man is
so in love with you, it’s embarrassing.” Dante shook his head.

“I still can’t believe you flew out here for this,” Lucius

commented, not wanting to think about the possibility of Ronnie
not wanting to marry him.

Dante crossed his ankles and leaned back on the edge of

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34

Cindi’s desk. “When you told me what you were going to do, there
wasn’t any way I’d miss it. Since I expect to be your best man at
the wedding, I should be here when you propose as well.”

Lucius walked over to his friend and clapped him on the

shoulder. “You’re right. I do want you as my best man at the
wedding. There’s only one other person I’d rather have at my back,
and since he’ll be at my side, I’m expecting you to get me to the
altar without having a complete meltdown.”

“Dude, you might be nervous, but you wouldn’t be doing this if

you weren’t a hundred percent sure Ronnie would agree.” Dante
laughed.

Dante’s presence helped relax Lucius. He took a seat on the

leather couch across from the desk and studied his friend. Tall and
muscular, Dante had the build of a professional wide receiver, but
the looks of a model. If Lucius hadn’t been in love with Ronnie all
of his life, he might have made a play for Dante, though the fact
Dante was straight could have caused a problem or two.

“Ronnie’s going to freak when he sees you. I told him you

were coming in a couple of months, and he has someone he wants
you to meet.”

Dante eyed him. “He does know I’m not gay, right?”
Lucius chuckled. “Yes. I’ve pointed it out, but he says it

doesn’t matter. I’m not sure if he really is trying to set you up or
trying to help out his friend. I haven’t gotten a chance to spend
much time with Mikey, but Ronnie says Mikey’s scared of
something or someone and needs your help.”

Lucius watched Dante fiddle with the braided leather he wore

around his wrist. The bracelet had never left Dante’s person since
Lucius had met him, and Lucius often caught Dante running it
through his fingers while the man thought. He’d never invaded

BRING HIM GOLD

35

Dante’s personal life enough to ask what it meant to him.

“I’m only here for the night. I have to fly back to D.C. first

thing in the morning, but I’m willing to talk to Mikey when I come
back in April.” Dante looked up at Lucius. “I can’t promise
anything.”

“I know, and so does Ronnie. Of course, you might not get

anything out of Mikey. As far as I know, he keeps to himself
mostly. Doesn’t hang out with the other guys much. I do know
Ronnie has taken him for lunch once or twice.” Lucius shot to his
feet and started to pace.

“Well, no one can say no to Ronnie,” Dante pointed out.
“Mikey might not say no to lunch, but he’s not talking about

anything else.” Lucius shrugged. “I’ll let you worry about that,
though.”

He tugged the ring box out of his pocket and stared at it. The

diamond inside wasn’t the biggest, but it was an outward symbol
of how deeply he loved Ronnie. Ronnie wouldn’t care about the
size of the stone. All his lover would care about was what the ring
inside the box meant.

“He’s going to cry,” Dante predicted.
Lucius nodded. “I have a handkerchief for him. He probably

won’t be happy about smearing his make-up, though.”

The door opened, and Cindi walked in. After Lucius stood and

hugged the blond, they all smiled at each other.

“Ronnie’s about ready to go on stage. Are you going to let him

do the entire set before you ask?”

Lucius grinned. “Yes. His closing song is the one I consider

our song. I thought it would be fitting to do it then.”

“Okay. Let’s go. You can sit with the others. I have them at

some tables farther back from the stage, so Ronnie won’t be able to

BRING HIM GOLD

36

really make out their faces because of the lights. Percy has the
roses for you, and you can grab them as you go up on stage.”

Cindi hugged Lucius once more, almost breaking his ribs with

the strength of the embrace. When they stepped apart, he saw tears
in Cindi’s eyes, and he took Cindi’s hands in his.

“What’s wrong, honey? Why are you crying?”
Cindi pulled one hand free to accept the tissues Dante handed

him. Trying to not mess up his her mascara, Cindi dapped at the
corners of his her eyes.

“I’m fine, cher. Just so happy for you and Ronnie. Percy and I

have come to feel like Ronnie is the child of our heart, and we’re
so thrilled he found you again. You two couldn’t be more perfect
for each other.”

Lucius couldn’t help it. He wrapped his arms around Cindi and

hugged her, tears in his own eyes. It didn’t matter that Cindi was a
man or that he dressed in drag all the time. Cindi was more of a
mother to Lucius than his own mother had ever been. He knew
Ronnie felt the same way.

“Thank you,” he said after clearing his throat. “Ronnie

would’ve had a far easier life if you two had been his parents.”

“But he wouldn’t be the Ronnie we love,” Cindi admitted.
“You’re right. He had to go through all the hard times to

become the strong man he is today. But now I’m here, he won’t
have any more bad times. Together, we can do anything.”

They heard the first chords of Ronnie’s music start, and they

smiled at each other. Dante followed as they made their way out
onto the club floor, winding their way through the crowd to where
the rest of Lucius’ and Ronnie’s extended family sat.

Normally, Lucius would watch Ronnie, enthralled by his

lover’s voice and body, while Ronnie worked the stage. But

BRING HIM GOLD

37

tonight, he couldn’t focus on anything except the box in his pocket
and what he was going to say when he dropped to one knee in front
of everyone. He wasn’t good at expressing himself under normal
circumstances, except to Ronnie as long as they were alone. They
weren’t alone tonight.

It was almost like the entire city was at Cindi’s for Valentine’s

Day. Lucius didn’t think he’d ever seen a crowd so big before, and
to think they were going to watch him ask the man he loved to
marry him scared him more than facing down a drug-crazed
suspect.

MaeAnne reached over and patted his knee. “Don’t worry so

much, honey. That boy’s so in love with you, if you asked him to
run naked through the streets of New Orleans, he’d do it without
asking why.”

Lucius snorted. “I don’t want anyone seeing Ronnie naked

except for me.”

She giggled and patted his knee again. “Of course not, dear, but

I was just saying you don’t need to worry about him denying you.
You’ve never denied him, not for any reason, and he knows how
lucky he is to have you.”

“Thanks, MaeAnne.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Ronnie started the last song of his set, and Lucius stood.

Everyone at the table wished him good luck. He pushed his way
through the crowd to where Percy stood, holding a bouquet of red
roses. The older man gave him a quick hug before handing the
flowers over. Lucius went to stand beside the stage, waiting for the
last notes of the song to fade away.

Silence filled the room, and Ronnie glanced around, trying to

figure out why Cindi hadn’t come out on stage. Lucius stepped out
into the spotlight with a smile. Ronnie’s mouth dropped open in

BRING HIM GOLD

38

shock as Lucius offered him the roses.

After Ronnie took the roses, Lucius dropped to one knee. A

collective gasp filled the club, and Lucius saw dawning shock in
Ronnie’s eyes. Lucius cleared his throat, while fumbling to get the
box out of his pocket. He cringed as it hit the floor, but Ronnie
flashed him a tremulous smile, easing his nerves.

Lucius picked up the box and opened it, holding it out so

Ronnie could see the diamond gleaming under the lights. Ronnie
dropped his flowers, covering his mouth with his hands, while
tears streamed down his face.

“I love you, Ronnie Lake. Since we were fifteen years old,

you’ve been the only one in my heart.” Lucius paused and
swallowed around the lump in his throat.

He stood and took one of Ronnie’s hands in his. Lucius pressed

it against his chest, allowing Ronnie to feel his pounding heart. A
sob came from the audience, but Lucius didn’t move his gaze from
Ronnie’s precious face. He let go of Ronnie’s hand and cupped his
cheek, wiping the tears from it before dropping to one knee again.

“Ronnie Lake, will you marry me? Will you give me the right

to call you my husband as well as my love?”

Ronnie nodded, and Lucius removed the ring from the box

before slipping it on Ronnie’s finger. After surging to his feet,
Lucius embraced Ronnie and kissed him, putting all his love and
promises into it. He lost himself in the flavor of their kisses and the
feel of Ronnie in his arms.

The cheering and shouts from the audience and their family

broke them apart. Lucius handed Ronnie the handkerchief,
watching the man he loved try to clean up the smudged mascara
and lipstick. He encircled Ronnie’s waist as they turned to face
everyone. Ronnie held up his hand with the ring on it, and

BRING HIM GOLD

39

everyone cheered again.

“A free round of drinks for everyone, on the house,” Cindi

yelled.

As they made their way off stage and into the audience, they

were swamped by well wishers, and Ronnie huddled close to
Lucius, who used his bigger body to protect Ronnie from his fans.
They finally got to the tables where their friends sat. Another
round of hugs and kisses were given out before they collapsed into
chairs.

Lucius sat, pulling Ronnie down on his lap. As much as he

wanted to drag Ronnie home, he knew Ronnie would love to chat
with their friends for a little bit. Whatever Ronnie wanted, Lucius
would always do his best to give him.

“We’ll have to get together and start planning the wedding.”

Cindi squeezed Ronnie’s hand in his. “I can’t wait. You are going
to be a lovely bride or groom, however you want to look at it.”

They all laughed, but Lucius had already decided if Ronnie

wanted to wear a wedding dress, he wouldn’t argue with him.
What did Lucius care if Ronnie wore a dress? He loved Ronnie, no
matter what the man wore, though he liked Ronnie naked best of
all.

Soon Cindi, Ronnie, and MaeAnne were chatting about dresses

and flowers.

Dante leaned over to whisper in Lucius’ ear, “Maybe you

should think about eloping.”

Lucius laughed. “By the time the ceremony starts, I just might

think that was a good idea.”

He hugged Ronnie close before easing him to his feet. Lucius

stood and smiled at all their friends.

“I’m taking Ronnie home to make mad, passionate love to him.

BRING HIM GOLD

40

If you want, we’d love to have everyone who can make it over for
a celebratory party on Monday night.” Lucius glanced at Cindi. “I
figured since the club wasn’t open on Mondays, the other guys
might want to come as well.”

“I’ll let them all know you invited them.” Cindi gave them both

a kiss. “Now get out of here and enjoy the rest of your Valentine’s
Day.”

“I’m sure we will.”
Lucius escorted Ronnie from the club, smiling to himself each

time he stopped to admire the ring on his finger. When they got to
the car, Lucius faced Ronnie and lifted his chin so their eyes would
meet.

“If you don’t like the ring, we can get another one or if you

want one less feminine. I saw it in the jewelry store and thought of
you immediately.”

Ronnie covered the ring with his other hand and shook his

head. “No, I love it, Lucius. I don’t think it’s too girly or anything.
You did good.”

Lucius blushed and ducked his head. “I wanted something

beautiful to complement you.”

Tears welled in Ronnie’s eyes, and Lucius laughed.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry again. Let’s go home and

fuck.”

He was done with the emotions and wanted to stake his claim

to Ronnie in a more primitive way. Leaning down, he crushed their
lips together, demanding entrance to Ronnie’s mouth. Sighing,
Ronnie opened to him, and he swept his tongue in, tasting the
champagne Ronnie had sipped before they left the cabaret.

Lucius pushed Ronnie against the car and slid his hands around

to cup Ronnie’s ass. Ronnie wrapped one leg around Lucius’ thigh,

BRING HIM GOLD

41

causing them both to groan as their erections rubbed against each
other.

“Get a room,” someone shouted from the crowd passing them.
Breaking apart, they stood, chests heaving for a moment before

they burst into laughter. Lucius unlocked the passenger side door
and bowed Ronnie into the car. After Lucius got behind the wheel,
he glanced over at Ronnie. Once more he caught Ronnie staring at
the ring.

“What are you thinking about, love?” he asked, as he pulled

into traffic.

Ronnie kept studying the diamond with a slight frown on his

face. “I guess I’m thinking about what my parents would say, if
they knew I was engaged to a man.”

Lucius snorted. “I know what mine would have done. Nothing,

considering neither one of them could have cared less about me.
I’m not going to invite my dad. Did you want to invite your mother
or your sister?”

Shrugging, Ronnie looked out the window. “I know my mom

won’t come. I’ll ask Beatrice, but I’m not totally convinced she
accepts our relationship.”

“But she contacted you and she’s trying.” Lucius reached over

and rested his hand on Ronnie’s thigh. “We have to cut her some
slack. At least she hasn’t denounced you completely.”

“True. What I do for a living does take some getting used to.

Not to mention dressing in women’s clothes.”

“I think she’s secretly jealous her brother looks better in

dresses than she does,” Lucius teased.

Ronnie rolled his eyes, but smiled, and that reaction was what

Lucius had been looking for. He didn’t want anything to mess up
the happiness they’d found tonight.

BRING HIM GOLD

42

“I’ll send her an invite, and if she shows up or not, it won’t

matter.” Ronnie touched the top of Lucius’ hand with his fingers.
“Our family and friends will be there, and that’s the important part.
The people we know love and support us.”

“Yeah. I’ve already asked Dante to be my best man.” Lucius

pulled into his parking spot and turned off the car.

“Really? You work fast. Oh wait, we need to introduce him to

Mikey.” Ronnie slid his hand into Lucius’ as they strolled up the
steps to the front door.

“We can’t this trip. Dante’s headed back to D.C. first thing in

the morning. You’ll have to wait until he comes back down in
April.”

He held open the door, waiting for Ronnie to walk through.

Ronnie pouted as he brushed past Lucius.

“We’ll just have to hope Mikey’s still here when Dante gets

back. I’m trying not to push him, but I’m getting the feeling a
wrong look will make Mikey bolt.”

Lucius didn’t really care about Mikey at the moment. He swept

Ronnie into his arms and dashed up the stairs. He huffed and
puffed as they reached the top floor. Ronnie eyed him, and he
winked, letting Ronnie know he was fine. Ronnie encircled
Lucius’ neck, kissing him hard as they stumbled into the door.

“Umph…” He eased away and dug through his pocket to find

the key, while Ronnie continued to trail kisses along his jaw and
started to unbutton his shirt.

Lucius got the door open, and they fell into the hallway. After

getting the door shut behind him, he reached around Ronnie to find
the tab of the zipper at the back of Ronnie’s dress. As much as he
wanted to get Ronnie naked as soon as possible, he’d learned his
lesson about tearing one of Ronnie’s stage outfits. His lover wasn’t

BRING HIM GOLD

43

thrilled with him for several days, until Lucius bought him a new
one.

Ronnie distracted him by taking one of his nipples between his

teeth and tugging slightly. Lucius’ hands dropped to his side, and
he let his head fall back against the wood behind him. Chuckling,
Ronnie shoved Lucius’ shirt off his shoulders while teasing and
sucking on his nipples. Christ! He loved how Ronnie knew all the
right places to touch him.

He sucked in his stomach to give Ronnie room to get his pants

opened and pushed down to his ankles. Lucius removed Ronnie’s
blond wig gently, not wanting to yank on it and rip out some of
Ronnie’s own hair. He managed to toss it on the table in the
hallway before Ronnie swallowed his erection all the way down to
its base.

“Shit! Ronnie!” Lucius shouted.
His hand cradled the back of Ronnie’s head as he slid slowly in

and out of Ronnie’s mouth. Ronnie knelt in front of him, gripping
Lucius’ hips and relaxing into Lucius’ touch. Lucius moaned as
Ronnie swirled his tongue around Lucius’ cock before pressing the
tip into the slit in the flared head of his shaft.

Lucius’ eyes rolled back in his head when Ronnie slipped his

hand around to rub his finger over Lucius’ hole. He pressed back,
trying to get Ronnie to do more than caress his opening. Ronnie
shook his head a little. Lucius looked down to see Ronnie peering
up through his hair.

“Do you want me to fuck you?”
Ronnie nodded, and Lucius laughed.
“You’ll have to let me go then and get naked yourself.”
He smirked at Ronnie’s pout, but moaned as Ronnie slowly

eased off him, almost sucking his climax out of him. Ronnie

BRING HIM GOLD

44

straightened and, tossing a look over his shoulder, strolled down
the hall to their bedroom. Lucius took one step and almost tripped
onto his face, ankles bound by his pants and underwear.

After bracing his hand on the wall, he kicked off the rest of his

clothes and got rid of his socks and shoes. When Lucius got to the
bedroom, Ronnie was already naked and getting himself ready for
Lucius.

Lucius crawled onto the bed in between Ronnie’s legs and

watched Ronnie plunge his fingers in and out of his ass. He
reached out to run his own fingers over the stretched skin, causing
Ronnie to shiver.

“Do you want to fuck me?” Ronnie met his eyes with a

pleasure-filled gaze.

Licking his lips and trying to speak around a suddenly dry

mouth, Lucius nodded. “Yes,” he croaked out.

“Good, because I’m ready for you.”
Ronnie put his hands behind his knees and pulled his legs up

and out, exposing himself in the most intimate way possible.
Lucius didn’t wait for Ronnie to start feeling uncomfortable. He
positioned his cock at Ronnie’s opening, and meeting Ronnie’s
eyes, slowly pushed inside.

Moaning, Lucius buried himself as deep inside Ronnie as he

could. Once he was all the way in, he paused, hands braced on
either side of Ronnie’s head, and stared down into Ronnie’s
beautiful face. With a sudden skip of his heart, Lucius realized he
had everything he’d ever wanted lying in the bed with him. His
entire world had narrowed down to the gorgeous man sharing his
body with him. They only person who could hurt him now was
Ronnie, and Lucius knew Ronnie would do himself bodily harm
before causing Lucius any pain.

BRING HIM GOLD

45

“I adore you,” he whispered, as he started to move in a steady

rhythm, making sure to nail Ronnie’s gland as often as he could.

Ronnie gasped, and letting go of his legs, he gripped Lucius’

shoulders tightly. “I need you, Lucius. Harder. Please and more.”

“I’ll do anything for you.”
Lucius reared back, draped Ronnie’s legs over his arms, and

reamed Ronnie’s ass. He drove cries of pleasure from his lover
with each deep slam in. Lucius’ own grunts filled the air as well,
and sweat trickled down his spine.

“Touch yourself,” he ordered.
Ronnie wrapped his hand around his cock and his touch,

combined with Lucius filling him, drove him over the edge. Their
cries mingled as Ronnie came, spilling his cum over his hand and
stomach, while Lucius flooded Ronnie’s inner passage with his
own hot seed.

Lucius grunted as Ronnie’s climax milked the last few drops

from him. He dropped forward, barely getting his hands out to stop
from crushing Ronnie into the mattress. Panting, he rolled to the
side, and Ronnie moaned as Lucius slid from him. Lucius rested
for a few minutes, regaining his strength and muscle control. By
the time he got both back, he could hear Ronnie’s soft snores.

Smiling, Lucius climbed out of bed and meandered to the

bathroom, where he washed up. After wetting a washcloth, he went
back to the bed and cleaned Ronnie off. His lover muttered
something while patting him on the shoulder as he turned to toss
the cloth back toward the other room.

Lucius slid under the blankets, bringing Ronnie with him. He

settled Ronnie in his arms and sighed. Lifting Ronnie’s left hand,
he stared at the diamond gleaming in the moonlight. The gemstone
reminded him of Ronnie, gorgeous and strong. Lucius kissed

BRING HIM GOLD

46

Ronnie’s hand before laying it on his chest.

Fourteen years had passed without Ronnie ever disappearing

from Lucius’ heart or soul. He loved Ronnie with every atom of
his being, and getting married was an extra bonus to their
happiness. He couldn’t wait to see what marriage would bring to
their lives.

T.

A.

C

HASE

T. A. Chase lives a life without boundaries. Being fascinated by
life and how different we all are, she writes about the things that
make us unique. She finds beauty in all kinds of love and enjoys
sharing those insights. She lives in the Midwest with his partner of
fourteen years. When she isn’t writing, she’s watching movies,
reading and living life to the fullest.

* * *

Don’t miss Embrace My Reflection

by T. A. Chase,

available at AmberAllure.com!

Lucius Montagne and Ronnie Lake were best friends during high
school, and in those two years, they fell in love. But Lucius joined
the army and left Ronnie behind to deal with the pain of being
alone.

Now, a decade later, Ronnie works at Cindi’s Cabaret in New
Orleans as a female impersonator. He’s come to terms with the
fact that he likes to dress in women’s clothes, as well as his
heartbreaking love for Lucius. Although Ronnie’s happy, he still
longs to reconnect with the man who left him all those years ago.

Lucius returns to New Orleans and gets a job as a detective on the
police force. Finding out Ronnie also lives in the city brings all of
Lucius’s buried feelings to the surface. When Lucius discovers his
high school sweetheart is being stalked by a sleazy United States
senator, he immediately jumps into action. Protecting the man he
loves comes naturally for him. Accepting that Ronnie dresses like a
woman, however, is a little more difficult.

Yet can love find a way to survive, no matter the obstacles in its
way?

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