A Pirate’s Life for Me: Book Three

By

Tricia Owens

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Tricia Owens

Read other titles by Tricia Owens at

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TriciaOwens

CHAPTER ONE

Lucas woke up to find himself about to be choked.
Tyler stared back at him, his gray eyes opaque, his bottom lip pinched beneath his teeth.

His fingers were warm around Lucas' throat and weren't squeezing, just holding him there.

The sun lighting the bedroom said that it was morning. Lucas had slept like the dead. He

was now lying on his right side with Tyler mirroring him on the next pillow. The rhythmic
drizzle of warm breath against the back of his neck and a heavy arm draped across his hips
confirmed that Adam was curled up behind, spooning Lucas.

He felt content and refreshed, not even sticky from having cum the previous night.

Someone must have wiped him down while he was out. He recalled the last thing he'd seen
before he fell asleep: Adam and Tyler together. A tendril of lust wormed its way down his body
and tickled his cock.

"Are you going to do it?" he whispered when Tyler continued to stare at him.
The fingers tightened around his neck as if they belonged to an anemone that had been

poked. Still, the grip wasn't anywhere close to cutting off his air and Lucas didn't feel
threatened.

"You should," Lucas said, "if you hate me as much as you claim to."
Tyler still said nothing. The sheet had puddled around his waist. His upper body was

sleek and tan, his pink nipples soft against his pectorals. His platinum blond hair curled around
his ears slightly and was sticking up in the back where he'd slept on it. At his throat hung the
shark's tooth necklace. Lucas reached out for it.

The fingers tightened on him again, now starting to apply some pressure to his

windpipe. Lucas ignored them and pressed his fingertips to the cool tooth.

"Where did you get this?" he asked in a low murmur so he wouldn't wake up Adam. "It's

cool."

Fingernails dug into his skin.
"Is it from a Great White?" He traced the serrated edges with his fingernails. "I bet it is."
Tyler tightened his grip as if in warning.
"Are you going to choke me?" Lucas asked, feeling a weird sort of calm. He didn't

doubt Tyler was capable of trying to kill him but he did doubt that Tyler would do it while
Adam was in bed with them. "Why don't you say something?"

"My ex gave it to me."
Lucas lifted his eyes from his examination of the shark tooth. "Your ex? The one who

cheated on you?"

Tyler eased his grip slightly, though he kept his hand curled around Lucas' throat as if

he wanted to retain the option of strangulation.

"He gave it to me as a promise. We were planning to go to Tahiti someday." Tyler's

voice was as unreadable as his eyes.

"Why did you keep it? You hate him."
"If you tried to take Adam away from me I'd stab you," Tyler said calmly. "You'd

probably get help so you wouldn't die, but you'd carry the scar around for the rest of your life.
Every time you looked at it you'd remember how stupid it was of you to try to steal someone
else's man." One corner of Tyler's mouth finally hooked into a slight smirk. "That's what this
necklace is. It's a scar. A reminder never to let someone walk all over me again."

Trying to pretend he hadn't heard the stabbing part, Lucas said, "People keep scars

because they can't get rid of them. You can get rid of the reminder of your ex. I bet every time
you look in a mirror and see this you get angry. Why put yourself through the grief if you don't
have to? You've moved on. You're happy with Adam. You should concentrate on that."

"I would, if you'd get the fuck out of the way."
Lucas smiled faintly. "I guess you have a point."
"So why don't you?"
"Why don't I what?"
"Get the fuck out of the way." Tyler's fingers applied more pressure. "What are you

doing here? You're not even gay."

Lucas snorted. "You're joking, right? You were here last night. You saw--" He felt heat

rising in his face.

The familiar sneer finally made its appearance on Tyler's face. "Saw what? Saw you

begging to be fucked up the ass? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Yeah," Lucas said, still blushing. "Laugh. Go ahead. But you saw that I wasn't faking

it. Now do you finally believe that I'm not lying about how I feel?"

Tyler grunted. "You're experimenting. I could make any straight guy cream his pants if I

rimmed him. That proves nothing."

"Damn, Tyler," Lucas said in exasperation. "What do you need? My Gay Membership

card? Why can't you get over it and accept that I'm here?"

Tyler's thumb pressed against his carotid artery. "My question is what makes you think

you're going to stay here? Do you know something I don't?"

The menace in his voice sent a shiver across Lucas' skin but he didn't attempt to pull out

of Tyler's grasp.

"No. Adam isn't breaking up with you to be with me," he said firmly. "I don't know if

anything's going to happen between Adam and me. The odds are good either way." It was only
partially true. The odds were shifting. He and Adam were moving closer to what Adam wanted,
and Lucas was beginning to believe he wanted it too. "What I do know is that I'm here for now
and you need to play along or you're going to piss Adam off, maybe to the point that he decides
I'm easier to deal with than you are."

He realized it was a mistake as soon as Tyler's eyes widened, filled with pure,

unadulterated fear. Tyler started to pull away but Lucas slapped his hand over the other man's,
holding it in place around his throat.

"But that won't happen," Lucas said, "because you won't let me push you out of the way

like that. This time you're going to fight."

"What do you mean this time?"
"Last time you let that girl win and take your boyfriend from you. Don't get me wrong:

I'm glad you did, because you ended up here and Adam found you. But if you want to keep this,
don't fuck around. Fight for it."

"Who are you, Tony Robbins? Mind your own fucking business."
"I'm in this fucking business," Lucas reminded him. He coughed as Tyler squeezed his

throat.

"And I need you out," Tyler growled, scooting closer so they were nearly nose to nose.

"Maybe for a minute -- a minute -- I considered a threesome with you. But I changed my mind.
I don't want to share him. He's mine and he'll always be mine, not ours. I found him first. He's
mine!"

Lucas coughed again. He shifted his grip down to Tyler's wrist. "I know I'm not as

studly as Adam but I also know I'm as hot as you are. We can make this work, Ty."

"You're not even into me!" Tyler spat.
"Aren't I?" Lucas reached out with his free hand and brushed the backs of his fingers

against Tyler's abdomen, causing the muscles to quiver. "You've turned me on as often as
Adam has. If you weren't so pissed off all the time you'd be one of the sexiest guys I've ever
seen. And that kiss we had?" Lucas dropped his eyes to Tyler's mouth. "It scared me because of
how much I liked it."

"How much did you like it?" Tyler whispered. The intensity on his face usually only

appeared when he was angry, but Lucas hoped it held a different origin this time.

Lucas dipped his forefinger into the other man's navel. "As much as you did."
Tyler's breath caught as Lucas gently finger-fucked his navel. It was a very gay thing to

do, Lucas thought distantly, but it wasn't different from stimulating a girl's body. It was only
Tyler's reaction that was different from anything Lucas had gotten before. No girl had ever tried
to strangle him in retaliation.

"Why?" Lucas wheezed. He yanked at Tyler's wrist.
"I didn't ask you to feel me up," Tyler ground out. "I asked you how much you liked our

kiss."

"Fine, fine," Lucas choked out. "You felt me: I was hard. My dick was hard for you,

alright? C'mon, Ty, let go or you're going to leave bruises."

"Maybe I want that." Blinking as if he'd surprised himself with the remark, Tyler

immediately glowered. "Yeah, right." He released Lucas' throat and scooted back.

Able to draw in a breath of air, Lucas took his fill as Tyler knocked Lucas' hand away

from his stomach. Tyler curled in on himself, fists tucked beneath his chin. He watched Lucas
with wary gray eyes.

"I'm not into all that territorial stuff," Lucas told him as he massaged his throat. It wasn't

sore but it gave him something to do. "Does Adam mark you?"

A minute shrug. "Sometimes. When he gets worked up or I flirt too much. It's hot.

You're a pussy if you don't like it."

"I guess I've never had a girlfriend who would have let me do it. Not that I'd ever

asked."

"If I were into you I'd mark you," Tyler said, his tone almost conversational. "My ex did

it all the time. It makes you feel wanted. That's why I like it when Adam does it to me."

"I'd mark you," Lucas said with a grin. He laughed when Tyler's expression immediately

soured. "I'd put a big fat hickey right on your neck where everyone could see it. And you'd have
to keep telling people that I put it there and that you were my bitch."

"You wish," Tyler shot back. "You're gonna be the bitch in this bed."
"No, I don't think so," Lucas said, still grinning. "Adam seems to think you're happier

when you're the one getting plowed."

"Fuck you," Tyler muttered. "I'll show you plowing. That begging you did last night is

only the beginning. I'll have you in tears from wanting it, new guy."

For once, Tyler's smug expression didn't annoy Lucas at all. They were talking, actually

talking, not insulting or threatening each other. It felt good. Normal even.

Tyler made a face and averted his eyes to the bed.
"Adam once asked me back when we first got together what I needed to be happy."
Lucas hung on his next words, praying Tyler would continue.

"I asked for peace," the platinum blond mumbled.
Lucas tried to hide his disappointment. "Peace. You asked for world peace. I guess that's

noble. But what does it have to do with you getting upset when you find me and Adam
together? Unless that causes war in some country I don't know about..."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean world peace. I meant peace for me."
"Oh." Lucas was amazed that Tyler had shared something so personal with him.

"Wow."

"So when he starts something up with you it pisses me off because that wasn't what I

asked for at all. I mean, fuck, why would I want you of all people cutting into our relationship?
It makes no sense." Tyler jammed a hand into his hair and dug furrows through it with his
fingers. "I don't understand what he's trying to do unless it's just him being a sadistic bastard, in
which case he's doing a great fucking job of it."

Lucas didn't claim to be a genius, but this seemed easy enough to understand. "He must

believe that bringing me into the equation will give you what you want."

Tyler's smile made Lucas feel like a fifth grader who'd suggested the world could indeed

be flat. "Trust me, new guy. Having to watch you and my boyfriend go at it does not bring me
peace. Half the time I want to wage World War Three on your ass."

"And the other half? Is that when you want to throw yourself at me and hope I take

advantage of your nubile young body?"

"Fuck you." But the comment held about as much venom as a garter snake.
"You know what I think?" Lucas didn't wait for Tyler to respond because he knew he'd

be an old man by then. "I think you act like you hate me because it's easy to be the asshole but
it's hard to admit you might like me."

It was Tyler's turn to laugh. "Yeah, okay. I don't like you, new guy."
"You've liked me a couple of times," Lucas pointed out. "Once in the kitchen and the

second time on the sofa."

Tyler's smile faded. "Wanting to fuck you isn't the same as liking you."
"So maybe," Lucas said, unable to believe he'd finally reached this point, "you should

try fucking me and see if afterwards you decide you like me."

For a long moment, Tyler stared at him as if waiting for Lucas to burst out laughing or

reveal the punch line.

"I thought you're here for Adam," Tyler said at last.
"I thought so too. But lately I've begun to realize that I think I want you too."
"You think?"
"Cut me some slack. I'm new to this. It's not like I'm really ready to jump into a gay

relationship with one guy let alone two." Lucas smiled uneasily. "I'm trying to relax and go
with it but this isn't easy."

"Maybe you should've figured out your orientation during puberty like the rest of us,"

Tyler muttered. "But I guess it wasn't easy then either."

"When did you know you were gay?"
"I guess I was around fourteen or so," Tyler said slowly as if he hadn't revisited the

story in years. "We had an exchange student from Norway at our school. I hung out with him
all the time. I told myself I liked him so much because he was from another country and I was
curious about another culture." Tyler laughed at himself, the smile on his face so genuine and
full of amusement that Lucas couldn't help smiling too. "I tried to improve U.S. - Norwegian
relations that year. Norway ended up invading us a lot. But we liked it."

"And all this time I've been trying to bag a Norwegian girl when it sounds like I

should've been testing my luck with their guys," Lucas lamented.

Tyler smirked. "No one said you were smart, new guy, just pretty."
"Would it hurt you to call me by my first name?"
"Maybe." Tyler grinned evilly and rolled onto his back. He stretched, making a show of

it. Lucas didn't bother hiding his staring if Tyler was going to tease.

"I want to see you and Adam together," he blurted.
"I'll bet you do," Tyler taunted. He idly scratched at his stomach, using the motion to

push the sheets further down his body so they bunched up in a strip between his legs. His nearly
smooth, lightly muscled thighs flexed as he slid his heels across the bed in a stretch.

"You know you'd get off on it," Lucas said, reaching out and drawing a finger down

Tyler's shoulder. "You're an exhibitionist plus you're evil. You want to show me what I can't
have and torture me with it."

"Hmm, you might know me better than I thought."
Lucas pressed on, sensing that Tyler was in a rare, obliging mood. "C'mon, Ty. You

know you want a chance to show me how Adam likes to be touched. This is your chance to
teach me, to rub your experience in my face."

"That's not all I'd like to rub in your face," Tyler murmured, his lashes hovering low

over his eyes in an expression of pure sex.

This was what Adam saw when he looked at Tyler. Lucas had wondered for a long time

what the attraction could be when all he usually saw was a hateful, spiteful man. But this Tyler,
who was long and sleek with Danger and Sex written all over him, was the kind of man Lucas
found himself wanting to get to know very, very well.

"You couldn't take it though," Tyler purred. He held Lucas' gaze as the hand that was on

his belly slid beneath the sheet. He smirked as the mound of sheets began to lift and fall.
"You're just a little virgin. You couldn't handle me. Just like you wouldn't be able to handle
Adam unless I was there to hold your hand and wipe away your tears."

"Screw you," Lucas muttered, turned on by the image Tyler's words evoked.
"Maybe we'll switch," Tyler whispered. He threw his head back and groaned deep in his

chest, the motion beneath the sheet picking up speed. "You think you could take that, new guy?
Fucked and fucking in the same night?"

Lucas shuddered. "I think I could take anything you can take."
Tyler turned his head towards him. He smiled lazily. "I can take a lot. I'm a slut. But

you'd need prep before you could take this piece of meat." He stroked himself faster. "Yeah,
you'd need at least four fingers. Maybe even push a dildo up that tight ass of yours. Move it
around, push it in and out, stretch you out for this big dick of mine."

Lust rippled through Lucas' body. His balls drew tight against his body. "Are you going

to let me see it or are you shy?" he challenged in a rough voice. His own dick was sticking
straight out, pointing at Tyler.

"I don't want to scare you, new guy. I'm being nice." Tyler writhed slowly on the sheets.

He played with his nipples with his free hand. "Although if I start feeling charitable I may let
you smell my balls."

Heat flared across Lucas' face.
"Yeah," Tyler groaned, "maybe I'd sit on your face for a while, just to play nice the way

Adam wants us to. Rest my balls on your forehead while I let you eat me out. I wonder how far

you could stick your tongue up my ass, new guy. You think you could get me off with just your
mouth?"

The only time Lucas had ever placed his mouth on another person's anus was with Lisa

in the shower and she'd laughingly called him a pervert afterwards. He could imagine it being
different this time though, and he was intrigued. What did Tyler taste like? What did he smell
like? Would it turn him on doing something so 'dirty' with a guy or would it disgust him?

Tyler glanced at him again. "Did I scare you?"
"You can't scare me," Lucas retorted even though it was a big, fat lie. He feared Tyler

more than any person on the island, even Donahue.

"I can't, huh? That's good to hear because one of these days I want to play pony with

you."

Lucas gaped. "Like what Donahue did? With the tails and collars?"
"That's amateur hour. I'd put a bit on you and some reins. And you wouldn't have a tail

in your ass. You'd have me in your ass. I'd pull back on your reins while I'm in you balls
deep..." Tyler moaned, his cheeks washing pink. "Force your head back and make your back
curve like a bow... Oh, yeah, I'd ride you, new guy. I'd break you in right. Tame you to take my
dick like a good little colt."

"Shit," Lucas moaned, worried by how aroused he was by the fucked up fantasies Tyler

was sharing with him. How could he go from relatively vanilla sex with Ben in which he was
the top to being mounted like a horse and ridden by a guy who hated him ninety-percent of the
time? "You're sick, Tyler."

"And you like it, new guy."
Tyler was right.
Lucas' body broke out in a sweat. Having Adam's big body tucked up behind him didn't

help matters. And speaking of, how had the big man managed to remain a sleep through all of
this?

The shifting of Adam's hand to curl around Lucas' hip was answer enough.
"You're awake," Lucas accused, turning his head to the side just far enough to make out

Adam's face.

"For a while," Adam admitted without a trace of remorse in his voice. His lips ghosted

across the top of Lucas' shoulder, making him shiver. "I've been enjoying the conversation."

With Adam part of the conversation now, Lucas checked warily for Tyler's response. To

his relief, the other blond was still stroking himself but watching them both, his expression less
carnal and more expectant.

"Good morning, Ty," Adam said in a louder voice as he continued to drive Lucas wild

with tiny kisses along his shoulder blades. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like I'd been fucked," Tyler purred.
Lucas groaned softly to himself. "Did he? Did you, I mean? After I passed out?"
"Jealous?" Adam murmured against the back of his neck. "Wish you'd watched us?"
"Maybe. I -- yeah, probably." Lucas tilted his head to the side, passively guiding Adam

to where he wanted to be kissed.

"We could have a repeat performance," Adam teased in between kisses. "And you could

join in. It's time one of us fucked you, don't you think? Maybe we could take turns..."

Panic iced Lucas' veins. Talking dirty with Tyler about the other man's fantasies was

one thing. They were only fantasies. It was only talk. That described the majority of his
interactions with Tyler. But Adam was reality. He wasn't playing around. He would make this

happen. Lucas would finally learn what it felt like to lie under another man and feel that man's
cock going inside his body. He would be taking it up the ass.

He gulped. "I think I need more time."
"Goddamn you, new guy! What fucking game are you playing?" Tyler demanded.

"Adam's been dangling this carrot in front of your face long enough. Fuck you for always
turning him down with your blushing virgin shit. We were all virgins once. We didn't whine
and cry about it the way you do."

"Tyler, chill," Adam commanded. He rose up onto an elbow behind Lucas. "Maybe you

need some help relaxing and getting into the mood. Maybe Lucas should help you."

"No. No, I'm done. I'm not playing this stupid game any longer." Tyler flipped the sheet

back, revealing his long, hard cock. He rolled out of the bed.

"Tyler, wait," Lucas called out, reaching for him.
"Too late, new guy. You snooze, you lose." Tyler jerked on the shorts Lucas had been

wearing last night. "By the way, these are fucking mine. Wear them again and I'll shove them
up your ass, got that?"

Lucas slumped on the bed. "Sure. Yeah. I got it."
"Tyler, get back here." Adam sat up. "He wants to suck your dick."
Lucas couldn't help wincing.
Tyler pointed at him. "There, did you see that? He doesn't want to suck my dick. And

that's the problem." Tyler stomped to the bedroom door. "Good luck trying to deflower this
little pussy." He slammed the door shut behind him, making the photographs on the wall rattle.

"Maybe he's right," Lucas muttered. "I keep dragging this out and I still don't feel like

I'm ready for more. What if I'm never ready? That's not fair to you guys."

"You will be ready and we will all enjoy it when you are," Adam told him. "You're too

high strung about it. Tyler made a good point: we were all virgins at one point and we moved
beyond it."

"So you're saying I'm freaking out like a girl."
"Your words, man. Not mine."
Annoyed, Lucas rolled toward the middle of the bed, putting space between them. "I

need to go back to my own room."

Adam shook his head at him. "So you're running just like Tyler is?"
"Look, I'm not running but even if I were I have a better reason to do it than he does.

What's his deal? He's like a light switch."

"He's getting better at admitting he wants to fool around with you but he's worried it's

all a game to you. He's worried you'll change your mind and go back to women."

"What if I do?" Lucas sat up too. "Adam, I've gotta be honest with you. I've liked what

we've been doing so far, but I do still like women. I'm not sure I want to completely cut them
out of my life."

"What if you were in a committed relationship with a man and he asked you to?"
Lucas snorted. "I don't really think that's going to happen."
"What do you think we're doing here, man?" Adam's expression hardened. "Do you

think I've pulled you into this just to fuck around with Tyler? Do you think I'm that cruel?"

"No, but you guys bring in other people all the time. I figured I was just the latest."
Adam studied him thoughtfully. "Okay. Fair enough. But that isn't what this is this time,

Lucas. This time it's different."

"Different how?"

"This is to make Tyler happy for the long run, not just for a night. And to make you

happy too." Adam cupped Lucas behind the head. "Come here."

Lucas didn't resist, allowing Adam to bring their mouths together. He flinched when

Adam's stubble scraped against his own. That was definitely a sensation that would take some
time getting used to.

What he didn't need time to accept was Adam's tongue in his mouth. Lucas moaned

around it and did what came naturally: he sucked on the wet, thick meat. This time it was
Adam's turn to moan. After a few minutes of sharing breath and spit, Adam pulled away to rest
his forehead against Lucas'.

"I need you to do this with Tyler. Just be with him. No fighting."
Licking his lips for the taste of Adam, Lucas murmured, "Tyler only wants to fight me."
"So change his mind. Offer him a better alternative."
"What? Like me on a platter?"
Adam's smile was mischievous. "Maybe that's exactly what he needs. Show him you're

committed. Leave no doubt in his mind that you want him."

But what if there's doubt in my mind? Lucas wanted to ask. Things had shifted into

overdrive since the jungle game. Suddenly it had become a foregone conclusion that he was
going to sleep with both men. He tried to figure out if he could handle that, if he wanted to.

"You're in the show tonight."
Lucas blinked. A grin split his face. "Finally!"
"Impress me, Lucas. And impress Tyler. He's a tough critic."
"I will," Lucas promised him. "Thanks, Adam. I won't let you down."
"Put up or shut up."
And that was the heart of it, wasn't it? It was time for Lucas to put his money where his

mouth was.

CHAPTER TWO

Lucas stood on the beach, toes buried beneath the warm sand, and gazed out at Hidden

Idol Bay and the skeleton ship which would soon be his proving ground. The sun was a blazing
orb above him and the sky was a perfect, unmarred blue. A light breeze rustled his hair and
curled lazily beneath his loose tank. His hair was growing longer, he noticed absently. He'd
have to trim it soon, or else tie it back with a leather cord, pirate-style. He made a mental note
to ask Adam which he preferred to see on him.

From the corner of his eye he saw Kip and Dean racing towards the water, elbowing

each other as they vied to catch the Frisbee that Orinth had thrown. Lucas had passed on the
informal game, too distracted to participate. It wasn't that he was worried about tonight's show,
even though it was his first. On the contrary, he was looking forward to the performance. Soon,
he would be a pirate. Soon, he would be a true member of the pirate crew. It meant a lot to him.

Things were already much improved thanks to the jungle games against Rory Donahue

and his gang. Lucas wouldn't have thought so. When Kip invited him to join the rest of the guys
on the beach this afternoon for a barbeque lunch and games, he'd been nervous about seeing his
friends in the light of day. The previous night in the jungle they'd learned that he was a virgin to
gay sex. Out of context, it sounded absurd to be embarrassed about such a thing, but in this
setting he was the oddball. He worried that the other guys would demand to know why he
hadn't slept with anyone yet. He worried they'd be suspicious of him and subsequently reject
him.

But Hewie had shuffled up to him, eyes red from either lack of sleep or too much weed,

and he'd slung an arm around Lucas' shoulders and said, "Glad they didn't get you last night,
dude. You gotta let a pirate have your cherry. It's only right. So consider this an offer. But no
pressure, dude. Do whatever you want. It's cool."

A little later in the morning Peter and Dean had casually mentioned as they were

tending the fire pit that, "We all pretty much agree that Donahue and his friends were major
assholes last night. If any of them would have done anything to you, the pirates would have had
your back, Lucas. We watch after our own."

As Ben stood beside Lucas and squirted ketchup on his hot dog, he’d said, "I would

have gone ballistic if Donahue had taken what I'd hope you'll one day give to me," he had
murmured.

Uncomfortable with the comment now that things were progressing with Adam and

Tyler, Lucas had laughed it off. "The first time's always the worst, though."

"Maybe with women," Ben conceded. He eyed Lucas as he would another hot dog. "But

I really get off on being a guy's first. It's an amazing rush."

"Well, you already have been," Lucas hedged. "And I'll always remember you for that."
He'd been braced for Ben to push the issue, but the other man had given him a playful

elbow. Ben grinned at him boyishly. "I know, and that makes me happy, Lucas. Thank you.
And for what it's worth, I hope your other first makes you feel as good you made me feel."

Touched, Lucas had elbowed him back. "You sound like a girl."
"Take that back or I'll stuff this hot dog up your nose, boy!"

A couple of other crewmembers had also voiced their support of him and promised

retribution if Donahue tried anything later. No one had given him the impression that they
thought he was immature or freakish for being a gay man who hadn't had gay sex yet. His pirate
crew was behind him, maybe not literally, but in support. It was extremely important to him
that he take the final step and contribute to the crew to pay them back for being his friends.
Hopefully a great performance tonight would do it.

"How much for your thoughts?"
Startled, he turned around. Adam was framed by the sun like a glowing Loa idol.
"What?"
A flash of a blinding white grin. "How much for your thoughts? I think a few pennies

might not be enough. You look pretty serious, man."

Lucas smiled. "Nah, I'm relaxed. Just visualizing the show, that's all."
"That's good, man. I like method actors in my show." Still grinning, Adam slung his

heavy arm across Lucas' shoulders. His dark eyes searched Lucas' face. "You gonna be okay
tonight?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Too much in your head. Too much self-imposed pressure. Could be a lot of things."
"I'll be fine." Lucas leaned slightly into Adam's larger frame. It was a measure of how

comfortable he'd become with the other man that he considered sliding his arm around Adam's
waist like they were a couple. He didn't go that far, but he thought about it and it didn't weird
him out.

He felt Adam's fingers at the side of his neck, playing with his hair. "Getting long,"

Adam murmured.

"Should I cut it?"
"Let it go for another month or so. See how it looks."
Another month or so. Adam's reference to his future on the island pleased Lucas. It was

good to know it wasn't only all in his head.

"What are you going to do about your other hair, though? That's the immediate

question."

Lucas blinked up at him. He noticed, absently, that Adam had very short lashes in

contrast to his long, silky hair. "What other hair?" As soon as he said it however, he realized
what Adam meant. He blushed.

Adam's chuckle vibrated through both of their bodies. "You have the option of going

trimmed or shaved. It's every guy's choice. But I would like to make it known that I think you're
extremely sexy when you're shaved, Lucas. Especially when you let me do the shaving."

"You do the--" Lucas broke off, embarrassed and aroused at the same time. "I don't

know if I can handle that a second time."

"And that answer tells me we should shave you right now."
Adam curled his arm like he was doing a bicep curl, pulling Lucas in against his chest.

Lucas braced his hands on Adam's massive chest and turned his face up expectantly. Adam
didn't make him wait for long. Soft, thin lips brushed across his mouth. There was no stubble to
contend with this early in the day but Lucas wouldn't have minded if there had been. Finally he
could get lost in the experience of kissing Adam, in enjoying the kiss for what it was, not for
what it represented about his sexuality.

Since Adam's arm was around his neck and shoulders, Lucas placed his palms on the

other man's trim hips to show that he was into this, that he liked this, he was okay with this. He

opened his mouth to Adam and groaned softly when Adam's tongue slid inside and toyed with
his tongue. Adam tasted of orange juice. He kissed slowly and sensually as if he were sipping
from Lucas. When he slowed the kiss even more and pulled away, Lucas nearly went after him,
wanting the kiss to continue.

Adam's eyes were dark, his irises nearly as black as his expanded pupils. "Let's go back

to the cottage and shave you."

Lucas shuddered, aware that Adam could feel it.
"Yeah," Adam murmured as he stroked the back of Lucas' neck. "You want this. I can

tell. Let's go, Lucas. Let's make you baby smooth and show off that pretty cock of yours."

"Wow," Lucas muttered beneath his breath, awed by how turned on Adam could make

him. He cleared his throat and released Adam's hips. "Okay. Yeah. Let's do it."

He started to back out of Adam's hold but Adam suddenly flexed his arm, yanking

Lucas against his chest. He seized Lucas' mouth in a wet, fiery kiss that was over as soon as it
began, leaving Lucas with bruised lips and a hard cock.

"Yeah," Adam said. It was almost a growl. He almost looked like he wanted to take a

bite out of Lucas. It was exhilarating, scary and awesome.

Lucas' knees went weak. "How does Tyler handle you?" he blurted.
Adam just smiled. "You'll find out soon enough."
And Lucas would. There was no way in hell he was walking away from this.

~~~~~

In the master bathroom, Adam ordered him to strip. The tank went quickly. Lucas

wanted to make a show of removing his shorts because hey, he knew he had a good body. But
Adam was too busy collecting the razor and cream from the cupboards to notice. Disappointed,
Lucas stood on the bath rug, naked, and beginning to feel more and more awkward.

When Adam turned around, hands full, he must have seen some of this on Lucas' face

because he stepped forward and lowered his mouth to Lucas', giving him a quick, encouraging
kiss.

"Sit on the edge of the tub," he murmured after he drew back. "Knees spread. You can

lean back and brace your arms on the other side if you want."

The porcelain was cool beneath his bare ass. Lucas leaned back as Adam suggested,

bracing his shoulders against the tile wall while his palms balanced on the other side of the tub.
It stretched his body across the tub and made it easier, natural, to spread his legs as Adam
kneeled on the rug between his feet.

Smiling at Lucas, Adam reached to the tub's faucets and turned them on. He held his

fingers beneath the flow until he was satisfied with the temperature. Then he soaked a face
cloth and used it to wet down Lucas' groin.

The warm water and slightly rough stimulation worked exactly as Lucas expected it

would. His already half-hard cock stiffened fully and his balls filled out into tight orbs. Adam
washed him thoroughly, pushing the cloth all around his balls and up the pole of his cock.
Lucas bit his lip when Adam rubbed the cloth lower, smoothing behind his balls and pushing
slightly between his cheeks. Face hot, Lucas spread his legs further without prompting. Adam
glanced up at him when he did this, and his smirk nearly made Lucas moan.

Adam rinsed the cloth and brought it back to Lucas' body again, this time wiping down

his lower abs.

"How far are you shaving?" Lucas asked.
"Just your treasure trail," Adam said, even though his actions belied his words as he

brought the wash cloth up over Lucas' chest. He rubbed the nubby cloth over Lucas' nipples.
"I'm only doing this part because it's fun and I can."

Lucas tried not to thrust his chest up into the cloth but it was a losing battle. With his

head resting against the tile wall, he pushed into Adam's rubbing fingers, his dick jumping
slightly each time Adam passed the cloth across one of his nipples.

"I like it when a guy has sensitive nipples," Adam said quietly. "Tyler's got 'em, too.

Sometimes I can make him cum just from sucking and kissing them."

Lucas enjoyed the visual of that. "Maybe I'll have to find out for myself one day."
Approval shone in Adam's eyes. "I think you should."
He dragged the damp cloth down Lucas' abdomen and back to his groin. Using the

cloth, he wrapped his fingers around Lucas' cock and pumped him a couple of times.

"Adam," Lucas choked out as his hips surged up. "What has this got to -- do with

shaving?"

"It'll be easier to shave around you if you're erect." Adam's grin was pure evil. "I also

just like to jack you and keep you on the edge. It makes me hot to see you straining like this."

"You're a bad man," Lucas panted, groaning beneath his breath as Adam swirled the

cloth around the sensitive tip of his cock. "Very bad."

"Lucky for you, right?" Adam teased.
Laughing, Adam released him and rinsed the cloth again, draping it over the faucet

head. He reached down for the can of shaving cream and shook it before squirting a healthy
dollop into his palm. Holding Lucas' eyes with the same intensity of Superman trying to see
through lead, Adam began smearing the cool foam over Lucas' groin.

He took his time, using the tips of his fingers to work the foam through the brown hair

at the base of Lucas' cock, up his sparse treasure trail and then down to his balls which Adam
massaged more thoroughly than Lucas thought was needed to spread the foam.

"I thought this was about shaving," Lucas gritted out as Adam continued to play with his

slick balls. "This seems more like torture."

"You're not enjoying this? Because I'm really getting a kick out of this." Grinning,

Adam juggled Lucas' balls for a few more seconds before delving behind them. Eyes on Lucas,
he slipped his fingers across Lucas' perineum, massaging the foam against the smooth skin
there.

Lucas held his breath as Adam brushed the tip of a finger across his hole. A shiver raced

across his skin and sweat broke out on his brow.

"Easy," Adam soothed softly as he drew a circle around the rim of Lucas' hole. "This is

all about letting me do the work."

"Which begins when, by the way?"
Adam shook his head, mocking him. "No patience for foreplay. We'll have to work on

that." He wiped his hand off on a nearby towel and picked up a razor. He held it up. "New
blade. Hold still. I'm sure you don't need to guess why that's important."

Lucas licked his lips. His cock throbbed when Adam took hold of it by the tip with three

fingers. "Be careful. That's my best friend you're holding there."

"Relax."
Finally breaking eye contact with Lucas, Adam looked down as he carefully drew the

blade across Lucas' groin in slow, short strokes. The friction of the blade against hair and skin

worked like a faint vibration. Lucas watched as his cock lengthened and flushed a darker red as
Adam scraped off the hair surrounding the base. Adam worked like a surgeon, competently
shaving off the hair, cleaning the blade beneath the running water, and returning to carve a new
swathe through the shaving cream. Soon, he had Lucas' groin bare and a long drag down his
lower belly cleaned up his treasure trail too.

"Definitely don't move," Adam warned as he used the back of his wrist to hold Lucas'

cock out of the way while he gently pulled the skin of his scrotum taut over the orbs inside. A
tiny divot appeared between his brows as he concentrated on shaving off the fine hairs around
Lucas' balls.

The slow, careful dragging across such sensitive skin was becoming more than Lucas

could stand. This was the opposite of sitting through a tattoo. It wasn't a succession of tiny hurts
that was maddening, but short scrapes of pleasure heightened by an adrenaline fueled sense of
danger. Knowing Adam literally held the fate of his manhood in his hand left Lucas feeling
submissive to him, and the acceptance of that role was mind-blowing.

"Adam," he whispered.
"Hold on a second," Adam said, his concentration solid. "I'm nearly finished."
A drop of sweat slid down Lucas' temple. "Seriously, Adam. Stop."
Adam looked up, frowning. Then he studied Lucas' face and whatever he saw there

caused a smile of pure sex to form on his lips. "How're you feeling, Lucas?"

"Like I'm going to blow in another second. I need a break."
Adam set the razor down and rubbed the inside of Lucas' thigh. "I don't think you need a

break. I think you're doing just fine." His fingertips stroked the sensitive crease where his thigh
met his torso. Lucas' leg flinched.

"Yeah, you're doing more than fine," Adam breathed in the tone of voice that never

failed to get Lucas going. The fingers of his left hand, slick with shaving cream, fondled Lucas'
cock and balls while his right hand slid up Lucas' thigh and up between his legs.

"Adam, don't," Lucas warned. His fingers gripped the porcelain edge of the tub. He

badly wanted to free a hand so he could jerk himself off.

"Do not," Adam said in a low voice, "tell me no."
Lucas stared, shocked and aroused. Adam giving him a wink alleviated his fears, but

didn't do much to dampen how turned on he was.

Again holding Lucas' gaze, Adam explored between Lucas' legs with his right hand,

fingers sliding through and gathering up the streaks of foam that lingered on his skin. The first
touch of his slippery fingertip to Lucas' hole caused Lucas to suck in his breath, which the
acoustics in the bathroom amplified, much to his mortification.

Adam appeared pleased by the sound because his expression darkened ever so slightly,

becoming less friendly and more intense. He watched Lucas avidly as he slid his long middle
finger up inside Lucas' ass.

Lucas groaned and would have thrown back his head if the wall hadn't been behind him.

The sensation of having something inside him was still very foreign, but he'd begun to realize a
lot of the appeal was mental. As Adam slid his finger out to the second knuckle and then
pushed it back into him, Lucas told himself that he was allowing another man -- this man -- to
fuck him in the ass. The associations of dominance, humiliation, and sex were enough to make
his cock spurt a tiny dribble of precum.

"I can finger you until you cum," Adam said as he slowly finger-fucked him. "Just like I

would a woman."

"I'm not a woman," Lucas shot back, breathing heavily. He clenched around Adam's

finger, growing used to the penetration and craving more of it.

"So you want a cock up here instead, is that what you're saying?"
Face flaming, Lucas could only nod, his eyes on Adam's chest.
"Look at me and say it."
Groaning, Lucas gave in and lifted his eyes. "I want a cock up there."
"Where?"
"In my -- in my ass."
Adam was relentless. "Whose cock? Any guy off the street?" He corkscrewed his finger,

rubbing against Lucas' prostrate. Lucas gasped and hunched his body, forcing his ass deeper
onto Adam's finger.

"No," he groaned. "Not any guy. Only -- only you. I want your cock up my ass."
"What about Tyler's? Is he good enough for you? He's got a big one, Lucas. Long and

thick. If I didn't enjoy fucking other guys so much I'd want to take a ride on that stick of his. He
doesn't get to use it as often as he should." Adam shifted his grip so he could pump Lucas' cock.
"He'd feel good up here too, don't you think?"

"I -- yes, god, fuck yes." Lucas clenched his eyes shut, fighting not to cum from Adam

penetrating him with his finger while jerking his cock. "He can fuck me. Both of you can fuck
me. Just somebody -- fuck -- somebody do it before I die!"

Adam chuckled. "You won't die from this. This is how you feel alive."
Then he twisted his palm over the head of Lucas' cock while at the same time pressing

on Lucas' prostate. Lucas was a goner. His chest arched as he came in a hot, fiery rush, spilling
over Adam's fingers, his hole clenching around its invader.

"Oh, yeah," he heard Adam saying, "squeeze that cock, Lucas. Squeeze me good with

that sexy ass."

Lucas obeyed without thinking, squeezing around Adam's finger, which helped extend

his orgasm a few seconds longer. This could be a cock, he thought dazedly. Soon, it will be, and
I think I'm going to love it.

He nearly moaned when Adam slowly withdrew his finger. He watched through heavy,

lowered eyelids as Adam washed his hands in the tub and then used the cloth to wipe away the
semen and residual shaving foam. This time the cloth felt even more amazing against his newly
shaven skin and Lucas twitched involuntarily as Adam wiped him down.

"You look like sin," Adam said in a thick voice. He tossed the cloth over his shoulder

into the basin sink and rubbed his fingers across Lucas' smooth groin. Then he bent forward and
kissed Lucas' bare balls.

"Adam, holy--" Lucas bit his tongue as the other man's lips ghosted across the sensitive

orbs. "God, that feels incredible."

When Adam lifted his head, his eyes were almost glassy. "Come over here and suck me.

You've made me hard as hell."

Lucas' hesitation was so brief it shocked him. But within a few seconds he had allowed

Adam to pull him forward. He slid off the edge of the tub onto his knees on the rug as Adam
shifted back and rose to his feet.

The bulge in his shorts was huge, especially when viewed at eye level. Lucas gulped

nervously as Adam shoved the shorts down his thick, hairless thighs and then leaned back
against the sink counter. He reached down and hefted the thick weight of his cock.

"Lick my balls first," Adam ordered in a low, tight voice. "Feel how heavy and full they

are."

Shuddering, Lucas knee-walked forward and braced his palms against Adam's thighs.

With a deep breath, he leaned into Adam's neatly trimmed groin. The heat coming off Adam's
body was incredible. His cock burned against Lucas' forehead as he pressed his lips to Adam's
heavy ball sac.

Adam smelled faintly musky, but mostly he smelled of suntan lotion and the beach.

Lucas closed his eyes and kissed Adam's balls, one and then the other. They were soft and
barely furred. The orbs inside jumped against the pressure of his lips. Knowing what he liked
when girls blew him, Lucas licked across both balls and then used his tongue to push them this
way and that, gently juggling them. When he heard Adam's breath speed up, Lucas opened his
mouth and sucked in the man's right ball. He slurped on it and swirled his tongue around it.
When it was good and wet and Adam was softly groaning, Lucas switched to the other ball and
repeated the loving treatment.

Any aversion he thought he might experience from blowing another guy was absent.

Hearing Adam responding to his attention was intoxicating. Lucas felt power over him, which
he knew was rare. It spurred him to reach behind Adam and dig his fingers into the man's
meaty, muscular ass and pull him forward.

"There you go," Adam panted. He cupped a hand behind Lucas' head while holding out

his cock with the other. "The cocksucker is coming out. I knew you had it in you. Here you go.
Here's what you want, you little slut."

He pulled Lucas away from his balls so he could rub the head of his cock over Lucas'

spit-slick lips. The power Lucas had felt just moments ago vanished while Adam smeared his
cockhead over his lips and across his chin. The dynamic had definitely shifted but Lucas found
himself turned on by it. Yeah, he didn't want to be the girl, but he couldn't help thinking about
the girls he'd had sex with. Imagining himself in their places, being fucked just like he'd fucked
them, shook his body with lust. His spent cock stirred and his inner muscles rippled with
yearning.

Adam had had enough of rubbing himself all over Lucas' face and set his cock to Lucas'

lips. With a firm grip on the back of Lucas' head, he pushed forward, tunneling into Lucas'
mouth. Lucas closed his eyes and concentrated on relaxing. He knew the mechanics of how to
deep throat because he'd used the knowledge to teach past girlfriends and lovers how to perform
it on him. With Adam's thick, hot cock barreling across his tongue and heading to the back of
his throat, Lucas experienced a moment of pure panic. But he forced himself to remember what
he'd learned and he relaxed his throat just in time for Adam to push the meaty head all the way
down.

"Fuck," Adam gasped, "you little tease. You swallowed me down on your first try." He

shifted his grip to Lucas' ears and groaned, "You've asked for it now, Lucas. Gonna fuck your
throat like I'm gonna fuck your ass."

Lucas gave a garbled groan to let Adam know he liked the idea. Then all he could do

was struggle to breathe and not gag as Adam fulfilled his promise. Lucas clutched the other
man's ass to hold on as Adam flexed his hips, pumping down Lucas' throat. He talked dirty to
Lucas, comparing his mouth to his ass. His grip on Lucas' ears was slightly painful and
definitely demeaning. The scene was so rough and masculine, miles away from anything he'd
done with a girl, that Lucas felt his cock rising to life between his thighs. He reached down and
grabbed himself and began to stroke it in time with Adam's thrusts.

But too soon -- for Adam had been aroused for a while -- the bigger man stiffened and

yanked Lucas' face to his groin, fully impaling him. As Lucas tried in vain to breathe around the
obstruction, the cock in his throat swelled and pulsed. He swallowed reflexively. Adam cursed
and groaned, pushing himself deeper and choking Lucas. He held Lucas there for several long
seconds as his big body trembled. By the time Adam's fingers loosened around his ears, Lucas'
eyes were streaming tears and his lungs were burning.

That was when the door opened and Tyler barged in.
The platinum blond froze with the door handle in his hand, gray eyes flicking back and

forth between Adam and Lucas.

"What the hell?" he sputtered. "Are you -- is he--?"
Adam muttered something inaudible before reaching out and dragging Tyler inside. He

pointed down at Lucas, who was trying without success to pull off of Adam's softening cock.

"You want some of this?" Adam asked of Tyler. "Because he's right here, Ty, and he's a

natural cocksucker. Don't run away when it's being offered to you on a silver platter."

Tyler's mouth worked. He looked confused and turned on and the slightest bit resentful,

maybe because he'd caught them in the act. But on his knees as he was, Lucas could easily see
that Tyler was hard and growing harder.

When Adam allowed Lucas to pull back, the man's cock slipping from his lips to bob in

a deflating arch, Lucas licked his lips and said hoarsely, "So that was my first, Tyler. Do you
want to give me practice?"

He felt like a slut for saying it but, but what the hell. He wanted sex. They all wanted

sex. It was the glory of being a healthy young male.

"Did you swallow?" Tyler whispered, his eyes riveted to Lucas' mouth which he was

sure was slightly swollen and reddened.

"I had to," Lucas said. "Adam was all the way down my throat. I didn't have a choice."
Tyler shuddered. "Fuck, Adam. You forced him to deep throat that monster of yours?"
"He did that all by himself," Adam murmured as he kissed the side of Tyler's jaw. "I

admit I did use him as a hole once I found out he could take me. He only gagged a couple of
times as he slobbered on my meat. And I caught him jerking himself while he did it."

"Fuck," Tyler whimpered again. He closed his eyes. The tent in his shorts was huge.
Proud that he'd survived the blowjob with Adam and given the man pleasure, Lucas

shuffled sideways and reached for the waistband of Tyler's shorts. But as soon as his fingers
curled beneath the elastic, Tyler's eyes shot open and he knocked away Lucas' hands.

"Fuck off," he snapped.
Lucas frowned up at him. "But don't you want to--"
"Take my consolation prize since I was left out of the main event?"
Adam sighed and cupped Tyler's jaw. "You're overreacting. This isn't about hooking up

without you. I was shaving Lucas and things went where they did."

"Uh huh, like you were sooo surprised that shaving him turned into sex." Tyler shoved

Adam away -- which resulted in Adam moving about an inch -- and grabbed the door handle.
He wrenched the door open, nearly hitting Lucas in the face with it. "If you two want to hook
up without me then do it where I can't find you. Stop fucking rubbing it in my face."

Lucas had had enough. He grabbed the edge of the door. "Stop pouting like a baby,

Tyler. You say you want proof that I'm interested in gay sex and when you get it you say it's not
enough. You accuse Adam of cheating on you and wanting to leave you, yet when we try to
talk you into joining us you say you're not interested in pity fucks. Maybe nothing will make

you happy, Ty. What do you say to that? Maybe I should give up trying to involve you and
focus all my attention on Adam. At least he knows when to shut up and go with it."

"Yeah? Well maybe you're not what I want," Tyler shot back. He ripped the door out of

Lucas' grasp. "You think I want another Adam? Another guy to push me around and tell me I'm
doing shit wrong? That's Adam's job. I'll only take it from him. I sure as fuck won't take it from
you, new guy. I don't need another top or a fucking bossy bottom in my life. I don't deserve it."

Tyler rushed out, slamming the door behind him. Lucas stared at the closed door,

processing what Tyler had said. The enlightenment that bloomed was heady.

"Wow," he breathed as he sat back on his heels. "I finally get it." He laughed. "It took

me long enough."

Strong, thick fingers carded through his hair. Lucas automatically relaxed into it, only

mildly worried at his Pavlovian response.

"So now that you understand, do something about it," Adam told him.
Lucas nodded, more eager than ever about tonight's show.
"Poor Tyler," he said with a growing smile. "He won't know what hit him."

CHAPTER THREE

Ben invited him to go grocery shopping. Lucas, trying not to drive himself into an

anxiety attack while waiting the long hours for the show, leaped on the invitation.

"Cabin fever? Or something else?" Ben asked as he pushed a shopping cart down the

aisles of the produce section of the grocery store.

Lucas looked over the list Ben had handed him. "Just antsy and excited. I can't wait to

finally perform in the show. It's been long enough, you know? Tyler was the only reason I've
been sitting out."

"But Tyler holds the keys to the kingdom, so you know how it is."
"Maybe not anymore," Lucas murmured, hopeful.
Beside him, Ben paused by the bananas. "Nah, too obvious," he said with a leer. He

pushed the cart past it.

Lucas laughed and grabbed two bunches anyway. "I don't need to fellate them, but I do

like them for breakfast."

The reference to sex with fruit wasn't without merit. Walking beside Ben, he tried not to

be obvious as he watched other shoppers inspecting the various tropical fruits on offer with
what appeared to be curious methods. He had to shake his head in amusement.

"This is such a cruising ground. If this place had cucumbers it'd be surrounded by a

crowd. Look at that guy groping all the peaches."

Ben, who was watching three guys flirting with each other over a pile of mangos, just

chuckled. "I think this is awesome. Can you imagine this happening back in the States?
Anywhere besides the Castro? This is how it's meant to be: come here for coconuts, end up with
a banana pepper down your throat."

"That sounds so not sexy," Lucas laughed.
Ben steered them towards the mangos and the flirting trio. Lucas widened his eyes at

him, trying to get him to turn around while not bursting into laughter again. Ben made a face at
him and stopped behind the group where he then pretended to study the mangos.

"Wow, Lucas," he said loudly as he reached for one of the yellow fruit. "Take a look at

how plump this sucker is. I bet it's full of juice and just begging to be milked. You know what
I'm talking about, don't you?"

Swearing to kick Ben's butt once they were in private, Lucas joined him and pretended

to inspect the mango in question. "Well," he said, playing along, "it does look like if you
squeeze it enough it'll squirt pretty good."

Ben's face turned red and he pursed his lips as he turned his head away from the other

three. He looked ready to explode.

"But I like the greener ones," Lucas said, conscious of the other three men staring at him

as he picked up one of the unripe fruit. "Virgin fruit is always firmer. I like firm." He raised his
head and looked up guilelessly at the three guys. "What do you guys think?"

A semi-cute one who reminded him a little of Jacob, the guy he'd made out with at the

club, grinned at him. "I think you sound like a connoisseur of virgin fruit. I'm a fan of them
myself. I think their juice is the sweetest."

"Oh, yeah, he's definitely a connoisseur," Ben choked out. He slung an arm around

Lucas' neck. "Come on, mango boy. We've got a list to fill."

"But I was getting ready to squeeze some--"
Ben dragged him away.
"You are so bad," Ben growled at him as they swung into the snack food aisle.
Laughing, Lucas managed to pry Ben's arm off his neck and jump out of harm's way.

"You set us up for that, my friend. The blame is all yours."

"Hey, I wasn't blaming anyone." Ben threw three bags of Doritos into the cart. "But I

don't think you were ready for hooking up with random guys just yet. At least not until you've
worked your way through the ranks of the pirates."

Lucas hit him over the head with a bag of beef jerky. "Whatever. I'm not a manwhore

like you are. I am not going to be working my way through the ranks."

"So just the three of you then, huh?"
Lucas looked up from the shelf of mixed nuts he was studying. "Not sure what you're

getting at."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, okay. Pretend all you want. But it'll be the three of you

soon enough. Just admit it already. You want it."

Shrugging, Lucas picked out a bag of island-grown macadamia. "Okay. I want it."
"Yes!" Ben pumped his first.
Lucas groaned. "Let me guess: you just made money."
"Fifty bucks, baby." Ben caught the bag of nuts Lucas tossed him and dropped it in the

cart. "If it makes you feel any better, I was betting against Orinth who's an idiot, so you should
consider my victory a victory over stupidity."

"I'd feel a lot better if I got a percentage."
Ben laughed. "Good luck with that, buddy. I'm not about to be accused of insider

trading."

Shaking his head, Lucas led the way down the aisles. Most of the brands were U.S.

companies, but there were quite a few brands from South America and even some local
Caribbean ones. In the fruits and snacks aisles in particular, he'd been confronted by products
he'd never heard of nor seen before. It was the most interesting grocery shopping he'd ever
done.

Despite the strangeness of the products here, he felt very much at home on Joyboy. He

was becoming comfortable navigating the roads -- there weren't that many anyway and
everything led you in a circle -- and slowly learning about the various hotels, restaurants and
shops that were available to him, although there were quite a few he had left to investigate. He
was learning which beaches encouraged nude bathers, which were best for cruising other guys,
and which were simple beaches for relaxing. He was also finding quiet little places that he
considered 'his', nooks that were frequented by only a handful of locals.

"We need plenty of meat," Ben told him as they exited an aisle.
"Yeah, you do," said a young guy passing in the opposite direction. He carried a white

melon beneath each arm. He glanced back over his shoulder at Ben and winked at him.

Lucas watched with interest as Ben stopped and made a point of turning all the way

around to watch the other man walk away.

"Subtle much?" Lucas teased.
Ben rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's just that -- I'm pretty sure I recognize him."
"But not with his clothes on?"

"Haha, real original. I'm serious. I've seen that guy."
Lucas looked after the man with the melons but he was all the way down the lane and

then he turned down an aisle and disappeared completely.

"Maybe he was at a show?" he suggested.
Frowning, Ben shrugged and resumed pushing the cart. "Must've been. Despite what

you seem to think, I am not the town bicycle. I do get to know the guys I have sex with."

"I was only joking."
"You hurt my feelings," Ben sniffed. He wiped at an invisible tear. "You don't respect

me."

Lucas patted him on the shoulder. "Maybe in the morning. Now let's see about that

meat."

They had a big cookout planned for after the show to celebrate Lucas' first performance,

which meant feeding a crew of muscular men who needed more tri-tip, ribs, hotdogs, and
hamburger meat than Lucas had seen outside of a tailgating party. The cost made him cringe in
horror, but Adam had given them an envelope of cash purportedly taken from their
'entertainment fun': "Aras provides and Aras can take away, so don't fuck up tonight's show,
Lucas". Yeah, no pressure there.

Shopping completed, he and Ben marveled over the amount of meat they'd purchased as

they pushed the cart out of the store and into the small parking lot.

It was Ben who saw it first.
"Motherfucker!"
Lucas' laughter died in his throat as Ben dashed to his motorcycle. It had been knocked

to the ground by a pair of melons which had exploded in a pulpy mess over the vehicle.

"Is it damaged?" he asked as Ben righted the bike.
"No, just completely trashed." Ben wiped melon guts off the seat with disgust. "That

asshole. I knew I'd seen him somewhere before."

"Where?"
Ben looked up at him, annoyed. "From one of Rory Donahue's shops, where else?"
Lucas groaned. He should have known Donahue wouldn't be able to handle being cold-

cocked by a dildo.

"Then it's not over," he said, miserable.
Ben snorted. "With those guys? Not by a long shot." He sighed. "Wait here. I'll go buy

some paper towels."

~~~~~

As soon as they got home they told Adam about the bike bashing. He listened with a

grim expression on his face.

"They don't want revenge, do they?" Lucas asked.
"Would you?" Adam asked in return.
Lucas slumped. "If I'd been knocked out by a dildo? Probably. Yeah."
"Don't worry about it," Adam assured him, reaching out to massage the tension from

Lucas' shoulders. "That's not our concern right now. Focus on the show. For you, it's the only
thing that matters."

After a good chair massage, Lucas was able to let it go and do as Adam said. That had

been six hours ago. Now he stood within the forecastle of the Dread Destroyer with the rest of

the pirates, waiting for the audience members to finish taking their seats. But the incident at the
supermarket was in the back of his mind as he peered between the slats of a window, checking
out the men who'd come to the show. It was probably because night had fallen and the fake
torches gave every man a slightly nefarious look. It was meant to be seen as sexy, and it was,
but Lucas was nothing but nerves and paranoia at that point and was prepared to see the worst.

"Relax." Adam's large, comforting hands were on his bare shoulders, working at the

knots. "Do you need a drink?"

"You allow the crew to drink before a show?" Lucas asked with surprise.
"I meant water," Adam said with a chuckle. "Drinking alcohol before a show is grounds

for immediate dismissal."

"I thought so. No, I don't need water." Lucas sighed into the massage. "I'm better.

Thanks."

Adam patted him on the shoulder. "You're going to be fine."
"Stop fucking babying him," Tyler shot from the other side of the room. "You didn't do

that with anyone else. Why's he so special?"

Lucas bit his lips to hold back a laugh. Tyler was beyond ridiculous to him at this point.

"I really wish you could hear yourself sometimes," he called back. "Seriously, Ty."

"Hey, let's keep the mood cool, yeah, bros?" Kip held up both hands before clapping

them overhead. "We're gonna get some Loa ass tonight so we should all be psyched!"

"I'm more psyched for the pirate ass I'm getting," Peter remarked.
"True 'dat," Orinth said. "Loas are a bunch of teases. They never follow through, the

bitches."

"This is true," Ben agreed as he slicked himself with oil to make his tanned muscles

glisten like those of the other pirates. "The Loa can't molest me as well as you guys can."

"Amen, dude." Hewie gave Lucas a high five. "Break a leg tonight, dude. You're gonna

do great. Welcome to the crew."

"Thanks, man. I'm looking forward to this."
"He just wants to get groped," Ben teased. He oiled a dry spot on Lucas' neck. "There

you go. Playgirl material right here, folks."

"They're gonna eat you up, Lucas!" one of the guys cheered.
"Assuming he doesn't fuck it all up," Tyler muttered.
"Quiet," Adam said, and the room fell silent. "We're starting. Everyone have a good

show. Standard script for the most part. Just follow my lead. Let's make it good for Lucas.
We're popping his cherry tonight."

He met Lucas' eyes across the room. "Break a leg, man."
The nervous jitters in Lucas' stomach turned into excited ones.
As the lights in the room were shut off, dousing the room in darkness relieved only by

the flickering 'torchlight' slicing in through the slanted window blinds, Lucas felt someone
nudge up beside him.

"You're gonna rock this," Kip assured him. He pinched Lucas' arm. "Forget about Tyler.

Forget about Donahue. None of that garbage matters now. We're pirates as soon as we step out
on that deck. Pirates, bro. The real deal. We've been sailing for months to reach this bay, and
now we're finally here and the Hidden Idol is out there. We're gonna find it."

Lucas grinned at him. "You sound like a tour operator at Disneyland."
"Aw, screw you, bro. I was getting into it."

"I appreciate it. But don't worry, Kip. I've got this. I'm committed to tonight in a way

that'll blow your mind."

Kip gave him a dubious look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Lucas knocked his shoulder into the other man's. "Just wait. You'll see."
"You're gonna have me all distracted now," Kip complained. "No fair, bro. I'm your

roomie. You can't keep secrets from me."

"I wouldn't normally, but... this is different. Trust me on this, okay?"
"Yeah, okay," Kip relented.
"Here we go," Adam said from the front of the room. The doors opened and the night

spilled in, welcoming them onto the deck of the ship.

~~~~~

Lucas felt like a stud. It was impossible not to feel that way when dozens of eyes,

gleaming with lust, tracked his every movement. He felt them on his face, on his body. He felt
them trying to strip off the breeches he wore. Twice he'd overheard a murmur that sounded like
his name. He was in the program book. They knew who he was.

It was difficult not to feel like a minor celebrity, or maybe more accurately like a

famous stripper. The power he held over the crowd was an aphrodisiac; he loved them as much
as they believed they loved him. He found himself unconsciously flexing his muscles and
holding his body in positions he knew were flattering. The feedback he received -- the
occasional moans of lust, the whispers of desire, the nearly palpable feel of want emanating
from the crowd -- was as addicting as any drug.

Following the script, he scrambled up the rope ladders after Ben, fleeing their Loa-

possessed crewmates below.

"How're you doing?" Ben whispered as the two of them crouched in the nets in

temporary safety.

"I feel like I'm on drugs," Lucas whispered back. "I can never get enough of this high."
But performing in the Tall Ships show back in the States hadn't been anything like this.

There he'd been performing for families, where they marveled at his antics but hadn't lusted
after him. This show felt intensely personal, as if at any moment the crowd would mutiny and
seize what he and the other pirates were teasing them with -- themselves.

"Time to get the party started," Ben whispered. He watched for his cue and then he

began convulsing as he became possessed by a Loa. After a few seconds he went rigid, no
longer the pirate he'd once been.

He rolled over and pinned Lucas to the netting.
"I can't wait to fuck you," Ben groaned into his ear as he ground his crotch into Lucas'.

"Tell me it's soon."

Lucas let the other man's kiss keep him silent. He was hard and Ben could feel it, but

Lucas didn't want to answer that question yet. He moaned into Ben's mouth as the other man
reached between his legs and cupped him.

"Lucas," Ben groaned.
Lucas kicked him off the nets to the deck below.
His heart froze in terror for the half second it took for Ben to the hit the end of his rope

tether and dangle, safe and sound, above the deck. Relief and adrenaline surged through his

veins. Lucas had to struggle not to grin as he watched his crewmates attack the helpless man
who'd fallen into their midst.

Farther out on deck, Tyler was tearing through the writhing pirates, slashing at backs

and asses with his crop. For a moment Lucas thought the other blond looked up at him, their
eyes locking. But over the distance it was impossible to tell.

Many of the pirates had already progressed to blowjobs and intercourse. Adam was by

the wheel, fighting off a horde of possessed pirates, losing bits of his conveniently easy to tear
clothing with each passing second.

Kip and another pirate moved to the rope ladder that would take them up to Lucas. They

began to climb, which was his cue to move.

He stood, conscious of all the hungry, excited gazes turned up to watch him. He was the

star right now and he savored it for a few seconds, building the tension as the crowd wondered
how he'd escape the pirates climbing up to get him. With a last fearful look down at the
encroaching pirates, Lucas launched himself off the mast toward the black bay water.

The water swallowed him in saline warmth. Silence cocooned him. When he surfaced

he was met with a sky full of stars he'd never have seen in the city-bright skies of Chicago. A
rope hit the water beside him, splashing him.

"Climb aboard, sailor," one of the pirates jokingly lisped to him.
Lucas grabbed the rope and slung the loop at the end of it over his head and under one

arm to make it appear that he'd been lassoed. He swam to the rope ladder hanging over the edge
of the ship and climbed up, the rope draped behind him. Just beneath the railing, he paused and
gave the nod. He hung on to the rope with both hands as he was pulled over the rail, first by the
rope and then by several grasping hands which yanked him, dripping, onto the deck.

This was where he was supposed to be dragged to the nearest mast and tied to it for

some group molestation. Before that could happen, Adam, naked, his strong body streaked with
sweat, oil, and body fluids, strode through the Loa-possessed pirates and stopped before him.

Lucas stared back defiantly, blinking water out of his eyes, feeling rivulets of water

streaming down his thighs and dripping onto his bare feet. Adam faced him so that the crowd
could see both of them in profile. He reached out and grabbed Lucas by the chin. Lucas tried to
pull out of the grip but couldn't. Adam kissed him forcefully.

Another hand caught him by the back of the neck, holding him in place as they kissed.

Lucas pushed and struggled against the possessed pirate captain, but Adam was clearly too
strong for him to overcome. When they broke apart, Adam laughed, his voice carrying across
the deck. Still holding Lucas by the back of the neck, he reached down and tore Lucas' breeches
open.

Lucas heard the gasps from the crowd and their excited murmurs. He was excited too.

His cock was hard by the time the other pirates managed to rip the sodden garment completely
off his body, leaving him naked and in the grip of their captain.

"You ready?" Adam asked him in a low voice that only the pirates nearest to them

heard.

Lucas flicked his eyes over Adam's shoulder to where Tyler was whipping Orinth to his

knees. Tyler had his back to the main scene and seemed to be unaware of what was happening
behind him.

"I'm ready," Lucas said without hesitation.
A tiny smile graced Adam's face. "See you on the other side."

Lucas didn't have time to be nervous or to regret his decision. Adam suddenly thrust

him away as if he'd thrown him to the mercy of his crew. Lucas struggled against his friends,
but of course was no match for them as they dragged him to the nearest canon. Hewie winked at
him as he wound the rope around Lucas' torso a couple of times before using it to pull him over
the canon's barrel. Lucas was literally spread over a barrel.

The pirates who'd tied him down cheered before turning their attention to each other.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Kip trying to keep up his performance while watching what
was happening to Lucas with wide eyes.

Lucas couldn't see behind him but he was confident Adam would take care of it. Sure

enough, a few moments later he heard a hissed, "What the fuck?" from close behind him.

Goosebumps raced across his skin. He'd never been more exposed or more at Tyler's

mercy. He was trussed up like a turkey. He struggled against the ropes, just to put up a good
show for the crowd, before trying to see over his shoulder. He could just make out Tyler, naked
as he but holding a crop. He stood slightly behind and to the right of him.

"What's going on?" Tyler whispered harshly.
"What does it look like?" Lucas whispered back. "Scared to take it when it's offered?

All talk and no action, Ty?"

He cried out in shock when the crop slashed across his shoulders. Someone in the crowd

moaned.

"Is this a trick?" Tyler demanded.
Lucas arched as much as he could in the ropes as the crop lashed him across the ass

next.

"Fuck," he choked out. "You sadistic bastard. No, it's not a trick."
"Why the hell would Adam--"
"Because I asked him to," Lucas shot back.
He managed to bite his lip and hold in any sound when Tyler whipped him across the

ass again.

"What are you two up to?" Tyler snarled. He brought the whip down again on Lucas'

shoulders. "Answer me or I'll whip you bloody."

Except Tyler's strikes didn't feel hard enough to draw blood, only to hurt a hell of a lot.

They stung like crazy because of the sweat and salt water and Lucas was sure they'd leave
welts, but... he was a little embarrassed to realize he was still hard despite them.

"Just go with it," Lucas panted, trying not to be obvious that he was starting to get off on

the whipping.

He held his breath when the tip of the crop landed on the top of his ass but remained

there, pressing into the flesh. Tyler slid the stiff leather down, sliding it into the crease of Lucas'
ass.

"Regretting this?" Tyler sneered.
"Afraid to touch me with your hands?" Lucas countered. "Or better yet, your dick?"
Tyler jabbed him with the crop, making Lucas wince and begin to worry that yeah,

maybe having Tyler behind him with something hard, stiff, and way too long for comfort wasn't
a great idea. When the floppy end of the crop pressed against his pucker, he tensed.

"I should fuck you with this."
Staring straight ahead through the railing at the lights of Hidden Idol, Lucas said,

"Maybe you should just fuck me."

He felt the crop tremble against his body. He waited for the painful push.

Instead, the crop was jerked away. A bare foot kicked his ankles apart. He spread them,

heart thudding hard against the firm, cold steel of the canon. Tyler's thighs came up between his
own, forcing him to spread his legs as far as he could. He had to force himself to breathe deeply
before he began hyperventilating from anxiety and lust.

Tyler's hands settled on Lucas' hips. Slowly they slid down, cupping Lucas' ass briefly

before spreading them apart to reveal his hole. Lucas couldn't help the flush of embarrassment
that stained his face and upper chest. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to another guy staring at
him there.

With his cheeks spread, Tyler rubbed one thumb along the edge of Lucas' pucker. Lucas

shuddered and humped the canon before he could stop himself. Tyler made a sound that could
have been a snort or an aborted laugh before he pushed the tip of his thumb inside Lucas.

"Fuck," Tyler gasped. "You're already lubed up. And stretched!"
"I planned this," Lucas told him, not ready to admit he'd used a dildo on himself to

loosen up right before the show. "This isn't a spur of the moment thing, Ty."

Tyler pushed his thumb deeper. Lucas clenched around it, afraid and aroused, but his

arousal was becoming the dominant emotion with each passing moment. When Tyler began to
fuck him with his thumb, Lucas groaned and let his head hang down the side of the canon.

"Is this what you want?" Tyler hissed as if disgusted, but his erection pressed hot and

hard against the inside of Lucas' thigh.

"I want you to fuck me," Lucas groaned back. "Get whatever it is out of your system so

we can move on to better things."

"With Adam?"
"With both of you." Lucas arched his back, pushing himself onto Tyler's thumb. "What

more do you want, Ty? I'm letting you pop my cherry in front of an audience. Get real here."

Tyler laughed, for once without anger. "You just want to be the center of attention

again."

"Trust me when I say I'd prefer to be stared at for other reasons." He turned his head in

profile. "Do it, Ty. I want you to. This isn't a joke or a game. I'm not going to run off to some
girl afterwards. You've got me over a barrel here. Do something about it."

He felt Tyler's palm slide up his spine to his shoulders and then down again. The touch

was surprisingly sensual.

"Beg me," Tyler whispered.
"Damn it." Lucas took a deep breath. It wasn't like he had much pride left anyway, he

told himself. "Please fuck me, Tyler. You want it. I want it." He licked his lips, surprised at how
badly he did want it. It was time. He wanted this experience. And he wanted Tyler to give it to
him. "Stop teasing me and give me what I want."

After a long beat, Tyler whispered, "Yeah. I think I can do that."
He pulled out his thumb, leaving Lucas with the uncomfortable sensation of gaping

open. He was glad he couldn't see himself, although he feared that some of the audience
members could.

He quickly forgot about the audience as Tyler pressed the head of his cock to his

stretched opening.

Lucas stared at the wooden planks beneath his face. He braced himself on whatever

parts of the canon he could reach. "Do it," he urged.

Tyler thrust.
"Fuck!"

Even after having crammed as much lube up his ass as he could and pushing a dildo in

and out several times, Lucas still felt like Tyler's cock was ripping him wide open. He gasped at
the fiery pain, every muscle rigid. He cringed, waiting for Tyler to ram it home.

But the other blond held still.
"You have to relax," Tyler told him, running his hand up Lucas' spine again. "Otherwise

this is over before it begins. Stop being a pussy and breathe, new guy."

"Your cock is up my ass," Lucas choked out. "Don't you think it's time to call me by my

name?"

He heard Tyler laugh again and then felt a slow pressure inside him. "Breathe," Tyler

instructed as he eased forward.

Lucas did his best though it was difficult when with each exhale Tyler pushed himself in

another few centimeters. It probably didn't help that Lucas trusted Tyler about as far as he could
throw him. With every breath, he lived in fear of Tyler losing patience and shoving it all in.

Anal sex wasn't sexy and it sure as hell didn't feel great. How had Ben managed to take

him so easily? It had been a piece of cake for him. Lucas was shaking and dripping with sweat
by the time he felt Tyler's balls come up against the back of his.

"Thank fucking god," he breathed even though he couldn't fully relax while it felt like a

construction cone had been stuffed up his ass.

"You're fucking tight," Tyler panted behind him. "This really is your first time."
There was awe in his voice and maybe a grudging gratitude. Lucas wasn't in the mood

to delve into it too deeply while he was struggling to keep from exploding beneath the force of
Tyler's humongous cock -- or so it felt.

"Tyler," he gritted out, "you're killing me. Fucking move or get out or -- something!"
"How about this?"
Tyler began to move. The first in and out was stressful and uncomfortable. Lucas was

highly aware that a foreign object was in his ass that clearly did not belong there. But then
Tyler began to touch him, strokes along Lucas' sides and up his back. Gradually, Lucas began
to ease up on his tight clench around Tyler's cock and things went a whole lot smoother.

"How's it feel getting plowed by my big cock?" Tyler gasped as he pumped into him.
"Like maybe you need more practice because I'm not even hard," Lucas complained.

The initial pain of entry had killed his hard-on faster than a dunk in ice-cold water.

"That's because I haven't been trying. Get ready to become a slut, new guy."
Tyler shifted his position and on the next stroke in his cock brushed over something that

would have made Lucas surge up off the canon if he hadn't been tied down to it.

"Nnnh!"
"Spoken like a true bottom boy," Tyler taunted, but he sounded excited and every stroke

he made after that hit Lucas in the exact same place.

Lucas couldn't help himself. So much stimulation had him writhing over the canon,

trying to fuck the hard metal while pushing back into Tyler's thrusts. It was an electrical feeling,
like his entire body was wired to his prostate gland and Tyler kept pushing the button like a
spoiled, mischievous kid.

Tyler bent over his back, bringing his chest to Lucas' shoulders. "I'm fucking you up the

ass, Lucas," he panted in his ear, his tone dirty and demeaning. "How do you like being my
boypussy?"

"It feels fucking awesome," Lucas panted back. He could feel Tyler's surprise and

congratulated himself for it. "Harder. Fuck me harder."

Tyler whimpered and straightened up. "Like this?" He gripped Lucas by the hip and

began to slam into him, bruising Lucas' hips against the canon. Lucas scrabbled to brace
himself.

"Yeah, just like--"
Fire lanced across his outer thigh.
"Fuck!"
"Do that again," Tyler moaned, shoving in hard. "Clench like that."
Tyler swung the riding crop across the same spot. Lucas bucked like a spurred horse.
"Fuck, Tyler! Ease up. This is my first time!"
"And I'm making it memorable," Tyler snarled before he whipped Lucas again even

harder.

Lucas probably should have wanted to punch him for being a major asshole but he

accepted that this was simply Tyler: always wanting to put one over on Lucas. At least the
thread of cruelty that Tyler often exhibited had been channeled into something Lucas found hot.
A dominating Tyler could be a real pain in the figurative ass but during sex Lucas had to admit
he got off on it.

As if he'd read Lucas' mind, Tyler fisted a hand in Lucas' hair and yanked his head back.

Lucas hissed as the crop met his skin again, drawing fire across it.

"Asshole," he panted, although his cock was as hard as the canon.
"You fucking love it," Tyler retorted. He dropped the crop to the deck and grabbed

Lucas by the hip while still holding onto his hair. "Let's give these perverts a show."

Tyler rode him like he would a wild animal. It was both humiliating and unbelievably

hot to be jerked around by the hair and slapped on the ass while Tyler drilled him. It was the
kind of kinky sex Lucas would have loved to have had with a woman -- or with Tyler, when the
tables were turned. It didn't hurt that Lucas could hear the audience reacting to the scene with
moans and groans. Although he couldn't see them from his angle he could imagine them: their
eyes glued to Tyler's taut, pumping ass, their hands fisting their cocks in time to Tyler's thrusts.
It was a visual, in fact, that Lucas could only bear for so long.

"I'm gonna cum," he moaned.
"Do it," Tyler growled and slapped his ass again.
Lucas ground his cock against the canon until the unyielding pressure pushed him over

the edge. Still clutched in Tyler's grip, Lucas convulsed, his ass squeezing Tyler's cock. Tyler
continued to move inside him, stimulating his prostate. It made Lucas feel helpless for a
moment, like he wouldn't stop cumming until Tyler took pity on him.

Eventually he had no more left to give though. His body gave up. He would have

slumped, shivers working their way through him, if it weren't for Tyler holding him up as he
continued to pound into Lucas' ass.

As if from a great distance, Lucas heard Adam speaking to Tyler. The next moment

Tyler pulled out quickly with a tortured moan. What felt like hot rain sprayed over Lucas' whip-
marked back and ass.

"Damn it," Lucas panted, "I can't believe you just did that."
"It's called showmanship," Tyler gasped back. He finally released Lucas' hair. "You

look like the floor of a sex arcade."

Lucas had to laugh as he hung his head to relieve his sore neck. "You realize you've set

yourself up, right? Tit for tat, Tyler. I'm gonna tear you apart when we do this the right way."

"Yeah, yeah. You wish, new guy." But Tyler's voice lacked any venom or challenge as

he collapsed to the canon beside Lucas and slid down to a seated position on the deck.

Lucas raised his head to look around and found that the show was pretty much over. The

show recording had changed to the finale music that played while the audience made their way
to the boat that would return them to shore. He couldn't see any of the pirates but he could hear
them chatting with members of the audience who lingered.

"I think we got off about eight guys," Tyler muttered. "I want a bonus."
Lucas snorted. "You're lucky I don't beat you for whipping me like that. It's only

because you said my name that I forgive you."

"I never said your name!"
Lucas smirked. "I'm glad you practiced it tonight, Tyler. That way you can scream it

when it's my turn to do the fucking."

"Not happening, new guy."
But Lucas was confident that Tyler knew it was inevitable. And that maybe, just maybe,

Tyler was looking forward to it as much as he was.

CHAPTER FOUR

Lucas looked down at the waiting boat that would ferry the pirate crew back to shore.

He hoped his grimace wasn't too obvious in the semi-darkness.

"Looks like someone got their ass reamed tonight!" Orinth yelled from the back of the

boat. He followed it with a wolf whistle.

"Shut the hell up," Lucas gritted out as he grabbed hold of the ladder handrail and

gingerly stepped down into the lightly rocking boat, leaving the Dread Destroyer behind.

"Let's hear it for Lucas' first show!" called out another voice. It belonged to Ben who

held up a thumbs up for him. Lucas waved back as he staggered to the front bench.

"Whoop, whoop, bro! You rocked it!"
"Thanks, Kip." Wincing, Lucas eased himself down beside his roommate. He balanced

on one buttock as he fist bumped Kip. "I'm glad I didn't screw it up."

"'Screw it up? Bro, you nailed it! Or make that, Tyler nailed you, ha ha!"
The smell of weed preceded Hewie's head sticking between them from the seat behind.

"So, dude, how was it?"

Unsure what Hewie meant and embarrassed a little by that, Lucas mumbled, "Which

part?"

To which Hewie erupted into snickers and fell back on his seat, unable to speak.
Kip poked his thumb at the laughing man. "Bro's flying." Kip's grin was shit-eating.

"But I wanna know too: how was Ty, huh? It looked pretty rough from where I stood but I
didn't see you throwing any punches at him after the guys untied you so there must be no hard
feelings between you two, huh?"

"Not on my end." Which was the best answer Lucas could give. Moments before he'd

been untied from the cannon, Tyler and Adam had disappeared from the deck. He didn't know
how Tyler felt about what they'd done now that the post-coital glow was gone. He'd seemed
okay before -- joking and bantering with Lucas immediately afterwards -- but had regret set in?
Did Tyler think he'd used him? Was Tyler going to tuck tail and run after all his talk?

"I don't regret it," Lucas said firmly to Kip. "I wanted it and I got it. Though I guess it

could have been an easier introduction."

Kip chuckled. "Yeah, like I said, bro, he looked like he was getting mediaeval on your

ass. But it's okay. I've got some stuff back home that'll take the pain away."

"It scares me that you have something like that on hand."
Kip leered. "Hey, before you got here I was one of the island's most wanted." He sat

back with a pleased smile. "And now I get to return to my slutting ways. Awesome. I gotta
thank Ty."

"Thank me for what?"
Lucas tensed, almost afraid to look up, but of course that was stupid. He watched Tyler

climb down into the boat, wearing a black T-shirt and carrying his backpack with his costume
gear in it. When his feet hit the bottom he glanced at Lucas, his face unreadable, the kohl
around his eyes smeared into smoky rings. Lucas was caught aback by how beautiful Tyler was.

"What do you have to thank me for?" Ty asked Kip.

Kip opened his mouth to answer but Lucas said quickly, "For finally boarding so we can

go home. Is Adam behind you?"

"I'm right here."
Ty threw Lucas another enigmatic look before climbing over the benches to one of the

back ones. Adam landed in the boat with a heavy thud, rocking it gently against the side of the
ship. He grinned at Lucas and ruffled his hair, much to Lucas' mortification when the rest of the
crew broke out in whistles.

"Lucas is one of us now," Adam announced to the group. "No more hazing the new

guy."

"Amen to that, let's start the orgies!" Dean yelled.
Adam grinned when Lucas flinched. "We'll ease you into it, man. Don't sweat it. I've got

your back."

"He's gonna be on it, soon, Lucas, don't listen to him!" Orinth shouted.
Flipping off everyone behind him as they continued to rib him, Lucas relaxed as Adam

dropped onto the bench beside him. The shuttle boat pulled away from the clipper ship a
moment later.

"Give me the score," Adam said above the drone of the engine and the sound of the

wind whipping past their ears. His muscled bare shoulder rested heavily against Lucas'. Just
like Tyler and most of the other pirates, Adam's eyes were smudged and sexy-looking. The
painful twinges in Lucas' ass suddenly didn't feel so painful.

"You saw what happened," Lucas hedged.
Adam's grin flashed like lightning through the semi-darkness. "Yeah, I saw. And I liked

everything but I wasn't the one tied over the cannon. Don't play coy, Lucas. You asked me to
help you set this up now tell me if you got the results you wanted."

Lucas considered the situation for a moment. "Let's say both the best and worst things

have been done to my ass."

Chuckling, Adam nodded. "I think Ty got carried away, but I've seen him with other

guys. He wasn't deliberately trying to hurt you."

"I don't think he was either." Lucas hesitated. "You talked to him. What did he say about

it?"

Adam was as tough to read as a coconut shell. "I only asked him if he was okay with

what happened."

"And?"
The big man shrugged. "He said he was fine."
"Argh, you're jerking me around, Adam. Come on. You know him better than anyone.

Tell me."

Adam looked out over the dark water. "You care that much, huh?"
Lucas laughed, a touch of bitterness in his voice. "You think? I just gave my virginity to

a guy who last week I would have rather hit with my car than had sex with. Also, in case you
hadn't noticed, I had sex. With a guy. And with not me doing the fucking. At this point, yeah, I
think it's pretty damned obvious that I care, Adam. Give me a break already."

"Relax," Adam crooned. A large hand found its way to the back of Lucas' neck and

squeezed, loosening the taut muscles. Everyone seated behind them could see Adam doing this,
Tyler included, but nothing came from the peanut gallery and Tyler didn't yell out something
nasty or jealous-sounding. "I know what you did tonight took a lot of guts, Lucas. Not just
being able to physically take it but psychologically too, you got fucked."

"Gee, thanks."
"I didn't say it was a bad thing. Quit jumping to conclusions."
Lucas took a deep breath to get a grip. He wasn't really mad at Adam so he wasn't sure

why he was sniping like this.

"I'm not saying anything about how Tyler thinks or feels right now," Adam said. "That's

between you two. He and I may be in a relationship but I give him privacy the same as he gives
me. It's only when you two fight that I step in because then you're doing more harm than good
to each other and to the crew." His fingers dug into Lucas' neck, easing the tension there. "What
I asked is for you to give me the score. You can leave anytime you like and there'll be no hard
feelings. No one can say you didn't give this your all. But I'm hoping what happened tonight
both with the show and with Ty has convinced you it's worth staying and playing out the
remaining innings."

"When does the game end?" Lucas asked, eying him warily.
Adam smirked. "When you hit a grand slam."
"I'm not even going to ask what that requires," Lucas said with a snort. He turned

Adam's words over in his mind but he didn't need to do it for long; he'd made his decision
earlier today before the show. "This is what I want, Adam. This show, you guys, the island -- I
want all of it."

"I need you to spell it out, Lucas: Tyler and me?"
Lucas held his gaze. "I want you and Tyler too."
Adam's grin was cocky. "I knew this day would come."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Lucas couldn't avoid the headlock or the noogie that followed,

his face pressed into Adam's T-shirt which smelled of sweat and coconut oil, sex and semen. He
groaned when he realized how much the smell -- something he used to take for granted in
lockers and dressing rooms -- now turned him on. It was as if his brain had been rewired with
an additional circuit and now women and men had the power to rule his cock.

"You like the way I smell?" Adam murmured, bending his head over Lucas and pulling

him in tighter against his body. "That get you hot, Lucas?"

Lucas tried to pull Adam's arm away. "Don't. You're going to make me -- I don't want

to..."

"You don't want to what? Get hard?" Adam's breath tickled Lucas' ear. "I like knowing

that my dirty, funky, manly body can make your dick stand up." He dropped his voice to a
whisper. "That means you're gay, and it means eventually I'll be fucking you too."

Lucas groaned again and covered his lap with both hands. "You win, alright? I'm hard.

Thanks a lot."

"I don't win until I'm inside," Adam whispered, but he followed it with a low laugh and

released Lucas' head. He pointed approvingly at Lucas' lap. "That is a very good sign and I
want to see it often."

"Not in public, that's for sure," Lucas mumbled. He adjusted himself in his breeches.
"Hey, Adam," Kip said, leaning forward so he could see beyond Lucas to their captain.

"I think this was one of our best shows yet. I heard a lot of good feedback on the way out."

Lucas appreciated that Kip didn't point out that most of the feedback was in the form of

cursing and moaning as various members of the audience jerked either themselves or their
neighbors while watching the show.

"Yeah, I heard the same," Adam said. "Our man Lucas here really revved them up. I

think we should stick to this same script every night, only we rotate who gets to fuck him."

Thank god Lucas knew Adam was only teasing him otherwise he would have thrown

himself overboard and swam to the nearest cruise ship heading out.

"I think we should have a variation where the Cap'n gets gangbanged," he said dryly.
Adam grinned. "Anyone who tries to get near the Captain's ass gets keel-hauled. Trust

me, you wouldn't like it."

"Oh, I know what a keel-hauling is." Lucas winced. "I feel like I just had one."
"Kip will hook you up with some lotion, won't you, Kip?"
"Aye-aye, Cap'n!"
Lucas looked between the two men suspiciously then shook his head. He didn't want to

know the details of when they'd hooked up. Kip was like his brother, and it felt weird imagining
him having sex no matter how much Kip boasted about being a manwhore.

"Donahue's gonna flip a lid when he hears what happened in the show tonight," Kip

crowed. "I wish I could be there to see his face. Especially when he hears it was Ty who beat
him to the punch. Ha ha!"

Lucas looked worriedly to Adam, who didn't look as carefree as he had a moment

before.

"Donahue won't do anything, will he?" Lucas asked him. "To Tyler, I mean. After what

happened today at the grocery store--"

"Rory is a juvenile. He does passive-aggressive best. Don't let him try to intimidate you

from a distance. If something does go down, I'll be there. We'll all be there. Don't worry about
it, Lucas. And don't worry about Tyler. You should know by now how tough he is."

Lucas had to grin at that. "I guess I do."
The abrupt drop in the volume of the engine's roar and the slowing of the boat caused

him to look ahead to the pier.

"Oh, wow," he blurted. "There are -- there are a lot of people there."
"Welcome to super stardom, dude," Hewie breathed from over his shoulder. "Here's

when the real perks kick in."

Had it been a group of women, Lucas would have readily agreed. He knew how to

handle girls who were interested in him. But this was something completely different. He felt
like the girl in this situation, and suddenly he had a newfound appreciation for what women
must go through every time they went to a club.

"Just be cool and polite," Adam murmured to him. "It's important that we keep up good

relations with the guests."

"Does that mean sleeping with them?" Lucas realized too late that this was one aspect of

the show he should have asked for clarification on before he begged to stay.

"If you want to. But don't feel pressured. This isn't Rory's gang. Your only obligations

are to put on a good show and promote it. Walk away if you're not interested; just don't be a
jerk about it. If someone refuses to take the hint, there's security standing behind the ticket
booth, watching out for us. Just raise your hand overhead like you're trying to flag a taxi and
they'll come out and take care of it. Don't try to handle anything like that yourself."

The precautions were because of Donahue, Lucas remembered. Donahue and his gang

had picked so many fights with the pirates that Adam worried another altercation would send
the current pirate crew packing for the States.

"Just stick by me if you want."
Lucas nodded as the boat pulled up to the pier. "I'll be okay. I've handled admirers

before." Although he doubted that shaking the hands of little kids who wanted to meet him after

the Tall Ships show was going to be anything like meeting a bunch of horny adult men who
wanted to bang him.

Since he was in the front row of benches with Adam and Kip, the three men climbed out

first. Lucas resisted the urge to trail in Adam's wake. He needed to learn to deal with the fans on
his own without the buffer of the big man.

Adam and Kip went first and as soon as they stepped off the end of the pier onto the

sidewalk they were approached separately by four men, three gravitating to Adam and one to
Kip. That left a good dozen or so who stood waiting, some with show programs clutched in
their hands.

It occurred to Lucas suddenly that it would be somewhat embarrassing to find out no

one was waiting to talk to him. But that fear was swiftly put to rest when two men -- a couple --
approached him. They were older, maybe mid-forties, but fit and well-tanned as if they'd been
on the island for weeks or else came from a sunny locale.

"Hi," the first one greeted him. He was bald, the streetlamps glinting off golden stubble.

Wire-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He looked like Lucas' high school PE
teacher. All he needed was a stopwatch dangling from around his neck. "Very enjoyable show,
Lucas."

Startled that they knew his name, he faltered.
Fortunately the man's partner, goateed and leanly muscled, held out an opened show

program and smiled. "Great show, Lucas. Would you mind signing your picture for us?"

The picture. He'd forgotten about it. He accepted the program book and the Sharpie the

first man handed him and looked down at his page in the book. Yep, there he was, still naked
and shaved, still looking like he was begging an off-camera Adam to fuck him. Talk about
embarrassing. With a trembling hand, he scribbled his autograph across the bottom of the photo
above his printed name. No wonder these two men knew his name.

"Glad you enjoyed the show," he said nervously as he handed both items back.
"Oh, we see it every time we come to the island," the bald man gushed. "What has it

been, Jerry -- eight times now? We saw the guy who was in the cast before you joined -- can't
remember his name, actually -- and he was cute, but you're much better, Lucas."

"And talk about an intro!" the second man, Jerry, exclaimed. He and his partner shared

an intimate look which Lucas really wished he hadn't seen. "We'll be remembering that cannon
scene tonight, that's for sure."

"Well, that's great. I'm glad you enjoyed everything."
"It's the best show on the island," Jerry declared. "We've seen 'em all and this one is

tops. Of course it's also the only one showing full-penetrative sex and Joe and I are old pervs
who want to see everything."

"Speak for yourself," Joe said. "And you're wrong about the sex shows. What about the

scenes at the Raven?"

"Oh, but natch. I wasn't count those since they're a whole different jar of jellybeans."

Jerry waved at Lucas. "You boys seem to have more fun when you're whipping each other. And
wowzers at the bondage scenes." He fanned himself.

Lucas wanted to laugh and then run away. "Well, um, thanks for supporting the show,"

he said, conscious that he was an ambassador of the pirates. "We really appreciate it."

"Not half as much as we appreciate you," Jerry said with a wink. "Keep up the good

work, Lucas. I promise Joe and I will be back. Keep an eye out for us!"

He and Joe linked arms and walked off, their heads bent over Lucas' picture in the

program book. He hoped they were only looking at his autograph but he strongly doubted that.

"I guess that wasn't so bad," he said beneath his breath.
A hand landed on his shoulder and forcibly turned him around. He was so startled by it

that he didn't resist as he was spun around to face a striking blond man with the iciest blue eyes
he'd ever seen set in a tanned, square-jawed face that was currently smiling at him in a
surprisingly kind way. The man was Lucas' height but considerably bulkier, stretching out the
white polo shirt and tanned shorts he wore. On his feet he wore battered old Tevas. He looked
to be in his mid to late thirties.

"You're Lucas," the man said, still smiling. He held out his hand. "I'm Brett. I'm a friend

of Nicole's."

Lucas' breath froze in his throat. He dumbly stuck out his hand for Brett to shake.
"She told me you're in the show but I guess I lucked out by missing yesterday's

performance. Some of the guys in the audience told me this was your first appearance. It was
pretty fantastic. Congratulations."

Shaking himself out of his shock, Lucas managed a smile and grasped the other man's

hand. "Thanks a lot. I appreciate that. It turned out better than I expected."

"It looked great from where I sat," Brett said with a friendly laugh. He continued to hold

Lucas' hand. "I was impressed by that dive you took off the mast. I'm afraid of heights so I
admire anyone with the courage to climb up that high and willingly jump off. I think the only
time you'd find me that high is if I was chased up a tree by a bear, and there aren't any bears on
Joyboy."

Brett looked out at the other pirates who were chatting with guests, signing program

books – or guests’ abs and asses in Orinth's case. Many were posing for pictures.

"The other performers are very talented too," Brett said, returning his attention to Lucas.

"But I admit I'm a sucker for performers who are athletic. You put a little more on the line than
the rest of the pirates do. Although the one who was with you up on the mast--"

"Ben."
"-- yeah, he did a great tumble to the deck. I think I had a minor heart attack until that

safety rope cinched tight around him." Brett laughed at himself and squeezed Lucas' hand.
"Please do me a favor and don't ever do that stunt. It looks too dangerous for this old man's
ticker to take."

"You're not an old man," Lucas told him, warming to Brett despite his connection to

Nicole. "And with as good a shape as you're in, you could probably mop up the deck with most
of the guys anyway."

"I'll be a wise man and just nod my agreement," Brett replied, still chuckling. He

seemed to belatedly notice he held Lucas' hand. "Oh, sorry about that." He let go. "I promise I
wasn't trying the old 'penetrating eye contact while stroking the palm of your hand' move on
you. I get a little worked up when I'm excited about something and forget myself."

"It's no big deal. I was beginning to feel flattered that someone wanted to put a move on

me," Lucas joked.

Brett looked him up and down then, his friendliness giving way to a glimpse of desire.

"A young, hot guy like you shouldn't have any problems being hit on. If you do, then I suggest
you enroll in my private tutoring courses which take place every night at my place." He winked.

Lucas laughed. "Okay, that was pretty bad."

Brett sighed. "Wasn't it? I have the worst lines. It's embarrassing. I guess it's how Nicole

figured out I'm gay." Brett cocked his head. "Though how she read you I have no idea. You
don't ping for me at all."

"Yeah, it's a complicated story and I might have been a little rude to her. I feel bad about

it. I think she liked me."

"She does. She's been telling me about you for a week." Brett leaned close and said in a

conspiratorial whisper, "Don't tell anyone, but I think she's pushing for a threesome."

Lucas stared at him in surprise. "But she thinks we’re gay and – wait, you mean you're

into girls too?"

Brett shrugged. "I like to fish, and the more fish there are in the sea for me to catch the

better. Nicole's a beautiful, funny woman. She's also a great friend. We're lucky that we're able
to play around and not ruin our friendship. It's nice, to tell the truth. Being with a woman can be
a refreshing change. It gives me the opportunity to be the undisputed man in bed. Er, not that I
can't be a convincing top when I'm with a guy," he added, his cheeks taking on a pink hue.

The information left Lucas momentarily stunned. There was so much he wanted to talk

to Brett about, so much he wanted to ask. No one else on the pirate crew had given any
indication that they were bisexual, and Adam's rule that they couldn't socialize with females
made it tougher to check.

"Listen," Lucas said in his own low whisper, "do you have a private number that I can

reach you at? I'd really like to get together and talk about Nicole and some other things if you're
ever in need of company."

Brett's hand disappeared into his shorts pocket and reappeared holding a business card.

"I knew these things would come in handy one day," he said with a smile. He pressed it into
Lucas' palm as if he understood that Lucas was keeping this on the downlow. "I'm the head
groundskeeper at the Royal Capeside. That's how Nicole and I met. My work number's on there
but I'm the only one with access to it so it's safe to call and leave a message. My cell's also there
but I must be on a bad plan because I'm always dropping calls on it. Better if you call my work
number. And you can call, Lucas, anytime day or night. Nicole thinks you're great, and I can
see why she thinks that."

"You're the first guy who hasn't mentioned what happened to me on the cannon," Lucas

said, laughing to cover his embarrassment.

"Oh, I noticed," Brett assured him with another wink. "But I like to think I have a little

more class than to bring it up the first time I meet you. Maybe if you call we can discuss it."

Lucas shook Brett's hand again. "Thanks, man. I will call you. Maybe we'll grab lunch

or something."

"Sounds good." Brett gave him a two-fingered salute. "I'll catch you around. I'm off to

meet Nicole for drinks. Have a good one."

Watching him go, Lucas wondered if it wasn't better -- smarter -- to throw Brett's card

in the trash and forget about him and Nicole. Probably. Especially with Adam's no-socializing
rule in place which had been instituted to protect Tyler's feelings.

But Lucas had no one else to talk to about being bisexual. Maybe he wasn't even

interested in women any longer. Maybe he'd turned completely gay. That could happen,
couldn't it? Real pirates chose the lifestyle because there weren't any women at sea. Maybe he
was doing the same here on Joyboy.

Or maybe he was completely wrong. He wanted to learn from Brett what it could mean

to be attracted to both men and women. He wanted to know if it was worth it to maintain an

interest in both or to concentrate on one gender. After all, what if something happened and he
was fired from the show? He'd be shipped back to the States. Could he start up a gay lifestyle in
Chicago where all his friends knew him as straight?

He wasn't sure. He needed to talk to Brett. So he slid the card to the bottom of his shorts

pocket and promised himself that if they met he would be discreet. No one would ever find out.

"Did all your admiring fans finally abandon you for greener pastures?"
Tyler's voice made Lucas' ass twinge and it was as if the half hour or so that had passed

since the end of the show hadn't happened and he and Tyler were only now recovering from the
fuck they'd shared.

He turned and found Tyler close, close enough for Lucas to see that his dark eye

makeup had migrated into the creases of Tyler's eyelids, close enough to see that Tyler's pale
cheeks were blotchy with color the way they were when he was angry or aroused. Close enough
to see that the stormy gray color of Tyler's irises were mere shavings of mercury dominated by
the wide, blown discs of his pupils.

"That or maybe you ran off all my admirers," Lucas returned, suddenly breathing

harder, suddenly harder, nearly as hard as he'd been while tied over the cannon.

Tyler's eyes dropped to Lucas' mouth. "Why would I do that?"
"So you could have me all to yourself."
Tyler sneered, but Lucas found it ridiculously sexy and wasn't sure how he'd ever

thought otherwise.

"You're full of yourself when you're not full of me," Tyler said.
The line was cheesy as hell but that didn't stop it from sending a ripple of lust up Lucas'

spine.

"We agreed that next time I'd be fucking you," he said, taking a step closer.
Tyler stepped back, his mouth twisting. "We didn't agree on shit, new guy. Besides, why

change things? You're already used to my dick so you won't need much prep the next time I
plow you. I'll just slide on in there without having to wait while you whimper and cry about
how much it hurts."

"Screw you," Lucas said. He was aching now, and not because he'd had anal sex for the

first time but because every word out of Tyler's mouth was driving him crazy. He reached out
for Tyler's shirt. "Let's go somewhere."

But Tyler laughed and danced out of reach. "You're so hard up for it now, new guy. This

worked out perfectly."

"Then you shouldn't feel threatened that I want to fuck you back. What's it going to

change, Ty? If you're in control of this situation what's an hour spent on your back for me?"

"An hour? You are totally dreaming. I'd give you fifteen minutes, tops." Tyler held out

his hand, stopping Lucas' advance. "I take that back. I'm not giving you a minute. You're the
bottom in this relationship, not me. Either I do the fucking or you never feel my hand on you
again."

Lucas didn't miss that Tyler used the word 'relationship' and he wasn't stupid enough to

point it out. He held up both hands in a gesture of defeat.

"Fine. Chicken out. I guess I have more guts than you do since I not only gave you my

virginity but I offered myself up while tied up. Who's the real man between us?"

Tyler scowled. Lucas could see he'd given him something to think about.

"Let me know when you get your balls back," he said over his shoulder as he turned and

headed back into the waiting crowd where men were waiting for him to sign program books.
"I'll be ready for you, Ty."

"Fuck you!"
Lucas smirked to himself. "Been there, done that. Next time it's my turn."

~~~~~

He was hurting by the time he slid off the back of Kip's motorcycle in the driveway of

their cottage. Really hurting. If he could have asked Adam to carry him inside without coming
off as a pussy he would have.

"Jesus, this sucks," he mumbled as he shifted from foot to foot, waiting for Adam to

open the front door. He breathed a sigh of relief when Adam finally went inside and began
flipping lights.

"You're walking like someone rammed a pole jammed up your ass, new guy."
"Don't flatter yourself," Lucas shot back as he gingerly made his way to the guest

bathroom and shut the door behind him.

He shuffled to the mirror and paused to take a look at his reflection. It seemed important

to see if he'd changed, if he looked any gayer now that he'd had a cock up his ass. He was
determined that he would never be swishy like Joe and Jerry. He wanted to remain off the gay
radar so that when the time came to leave Anteros he'd have plenty of options open to him.

Fortunately the mirror showed him that nothing had changed. His eye makeup was

smeared, his hair mussed, but otherwise he was recognizably Lucas. Still able to pass for
straight. Still anxious for more gay sex.

He was a head case.
He pulled off his shirt and dropped it to the floor. As he was pushing down his shorts,

someone knocked on the door.

"Bro, the lotion I told you about is in the medicine cabinet, third shelf. It's the tube with

the blue writing."

Lucas checked the cabinet. "Found it. Thanks, Kip."
"You need help applying it?"
Lucas heard him snicker through the door. He rolled his eyes.
"No, thanks. I can handle this on my own."
"Okay, bro. Hurry up. We're setting up the barbecue on the beach. You're the guest of

honor. Don't be late."

The prospect of a celebratory barbecue with the crew, with his crew, helped him

overcome his discomfort. He quickly showered off the oil and sweat and cum that streaked his
body, shivering with pleasure at the mere thought of what he was washing off. He winced only
a couple of times while rubbing the bar of soap over his hole, which was slightly swollen and
tender to the touch. He wished he had a handheld mirror so he could look at himself. Did he
look like a girl back there? Possessing, as Tyler had said, a boy pussy? When his dick twitched,
he knew it was time to get out of the shower and stop fooling around.

He dried off quickly with the towel and reached for the tube of lotion resting on the

counter. A knock sounded on the door.

"No, Kip," he called out impatiently, "I still don't need your help applying this ass

cream."

His head whipped to the doorway when the knob turned and Tyler let himself in,

shutting the door behind him. "I feel responsible," Ty said with a cruel smirk, "so I've come to
lend my assistance."

CHAPTER FIVE

"Oh, hell, no," Lucas blurted. He grabbed the towel he'd discarded on the sink and

wrapped it around his waist as he faced off against the other blond. "You're not coming
anywhere near my ass, Ty."

"Because I've done enough damage?" Tyler looked gleeful. "You're stroking my ego left

and right, new guy. Keep going."

"Just get out. Please."
Tyler's gaze flicked to the counter where the tube of cream had fallen into the sink. He

walked over and plucked it out. "It says apply directly to the affected areas twice a day." He
looked up. "Sounds tricky. You should really let me help."

Lucas held out the hand that wasn't ensuring his towel stayed in place. "Give it to me

and get out, Ty. Seriously. I am not letting you torture me. I'm not a masochist."

"Who says I'm a sadist? Maybe I'm just helpful."
"Yeah, right."
Tyler's expression washed blank. "Or maybe I'm not the complete asshole you think I

am, fuckhead."

Having ridden this ride before, Lucas wasn't eager to hop on again. "I didn't say you're

an asshole," he sighed. "Can't you understand why I'd be reluctant to have you playing around
with my ass while it hurts like this?"

"And I said I should help since I'm the one who caused it," Tyler shot back, but without

his usual venom. "Stop being a wimp, new guy." When Lucas didn't move, Tyler rolled his
eyes. "Fine. I swear on my sex life with Adam that I will not fuck with you while applying this
cream. Happy now? 'Cuz that's all you're getting. I'm doing you a favor here."

"Never mind that I didn't ask for your help," Lucas said dryly.
Tyler smirked. "I get that you're shy. A lot of virgins are. But you're no longer a virgin,

thanks to me. Time to get over yourself."

"You're not going to give me that tube and leave no matter what I say, are you?"
"You catch on quick."
"I hate you, Ty. I really do." Resigned to his fate, Lucas slumped. "Do your worst."
"Don't tempt me." Tyler washed his hands in the sink. "I need to dry my hands with that

towel."

Shaking his head, Lucas elbowed him out of the way and faced the sink. He braced his

hands on the counter on either side of the sink. As Tyler stepped up behind him, he warned into
the mirror, "If you hurt me I will kick your ass so hard."

"Yeah, yeah, new guy. Lots of tough talk from a guy who can't even walk straight, pun

intended."

Lucas watched Tyler in the mirror as the other man tugged his towel off. Tyler had

taken a shower too, his skin holding more residual pink than Lucas'. His damp hair curled in
platinum waves where it brushed the tops of his bare shoulders. He wore only yellow and
turquoise plaid boxers; as usual, he'd removed the shark necklace at night.

"I left welts on you," Tyler observed as he dried his hands on the towel and studied

Lucas' ass.

"That was your intention, wasn't it?"
"Of course. I always leave my mark."
"Jerk."
Silver eyes glinted from over his shoulder at him. "Be nice. Daddy's going to take care

of your boo boo now."

Lucas started to straighten up. "I swear to god, Tyler, if you don't shut up--"
Tyler pushed him back down. "I'll stop if you stop with the hysterics." He hung up the

towel on the nearby rack. "Christ, new guy, you're more high maintenance than me."

"Maybe if you called me by my name I'd be easier to deal with," Lucas gritted out.
He tensed as Tyler traced the welts on his outer thighs, but his touch was light and didn't

hurt.

"It bugs you when I don't use your name," Tyler murmured, "so I don't."
"You sound like a second-grader."
"And you like to fight with me as if you're one too."
Lucas said nothing since it was true. Tyler could definitely bring out the brat in him.
"I can see why Adam likes you."
Shocked, Lucas tried to catch Tyler's eye in the mirror but Tyler watched the progress of

his own hands as they cataloged the marks on Lucas' body.

"You look like me," Tyler went on. "Who can resist me?"
It was quintessential Tyler and Lucas couldn't help laughing. "You're right, Ty. You

even managed to hook me."

That yanked Tyler's head up, his gray eyes narrowed. But Lucas gazed back frankly,

showing that he wasn't pulling Tyler's leg.

"So you're into me that much, huh, new guy?" Tyler shrugged and removed the cap

from the tube. "I'm better than I thought."

"I find that hard to believe since you think you're awesome."
Tyler's grin was unexpectedly playful. "Alright, so maybe I already knew it." He

reached around Lucas and held out the lotion. "Hold this for a sec. I want to see what I'm
working with."

As soon as Lucas took the tube from him, Tyler grabbed him by the hips and pulled

back. When Lucas resisted, toes digging into the rug beneath his feet, Tyler slapped him across
one ass check. "Bend over. I'm not going to fuck you again. I'm not even hard."

Looking beneath his own arm back at Tyler groin, Lucas snorted. "Sure you're not."
"That's my resting hardness. It's not the same."
Lucas laughed. "Yeah, okay."
His laughter died swiftly when Tyler pressed the heels of both hands against his

buttocks and pushed outwards, spreading him open. "Tyler..." he mumbled, embarrassed.

"You're pretty swollen," Tyler said, ignoring him. "No fissures or tears -- not that there

would be. I know what the fuck I'm doing. Yeah, you'll be fine."

Staring down at the sink, Lucas said nothing, mentally urging Tyler to stop peering at

his asshole.

A streamer of air across his pucker made him clench up and try to pull forward. Tyler's

fingers dug into his hips. "Hold still," Tyler murmured. He blew another puff of air at Lucas'
hole. "Didn't your mother ever blow over your scraped knees to make them feel better?"

"That's not why you're doing it," Lucas snapped back. "Tyler, stop it."
"In a second."

He felt the heat of Tyler's face against his buttocks a moment before Tyler's tongue

touched his core. He flinched, unable to help it, but Tyler held him in place as he used the tip of
his tongue to gently trace the swollen tissues. At first it felt weird since he was so sensitive
there and the tissues were plump. But very quickly it began to feel good and surprisingly
relieving. Tyler's tongue, slick and soft, slithered around his hole and then dipped inside,
causing Lucas to shudder and arch his back. He gripped the edges of the counter with whitened
fingers as Tyler gently tongue fucked him. His own panting breaths were soon the only things
Lucas could hear.

"You taste good," Tyler whispered. He flicked his tongue back and forth across the

swollen edges of his hole. "Clean. Sexy."

A groan was Lucas' response. His arms folded beneath him. He dropped his forehead

onto his crossed arms and panted into the cavern formed there. He spread his feet and thrust his
ass out because it felt so damned good.

"Whimper for me," Tyler urged.
Lucas whimpered and hated himself for it. But what could he do? This was almost as

good as being fucked. It made him want to get fucked.

Tyler pressed his face in deeper. His breaths caused moisture to cling to the crease of

Lucas' ass, not that there wasn't enough already with Tyler licking him all over. Lucas tried to
keep still but his knees trembled and his hips wanted to push back and forth, mimicking the sex
act. He wanted Tyler's tongue deeper, to really fuck into him. When Tyler seemed to hear his
mental plea and pushed his tongue past the puffed tissues, Lucas whimpered again and heard a
muffled answering moan from Tyler.

"Still want me to stop?" Tyler whispered as he lifted up and blew across the moisture

he'd left behind.

Lucas didn't, he really, really didn't. But he still couldn't completely trust Tyler. More

rimming was going to lead to more sex, and he didn't trust that Tyler would be careful or that it
wouldn't hurt like hell even if he was. Plus, if he ended up tearing Lucas, Lucas would have to
go to a hospital. Just the thought of bending over for a nurse and doctor and explaining how
he'd been injured was enough to kill his budding arousal.

"Yeah," he said regretfully, hating himself a little. "Just put the cream on, Ty."
Tyler huffed. "You're no fun, new guy." He ran a hand up and down Lucas' spine. It was

a strange touch, partly soothing and partly possessive. Lucas didn't know what to make of it.

"Fine," Tyler sighed when Lucas didn't change his mind. He stood up. "Give me the

cream, you pussy."

Ignoring the insult, Lucas straightened up so he was braced straight-armed again. He

handed back the tube and watched Tyler in the mirror. The bulge in Tyler's boxers had doubled
in size, which made Lucas feel better about the situation. At least he was sure that Tyler hadn't
just been trying to torment him; they'd both been affected.

"Grab your cheeks and spread 'em."
It was on the tip of Lucas' tongue to argue with him, but he decided there was no point.

Sighing loudly to make it clear how much he didn't appreciate doing this, he reached back and
grabbed both cheeks and pulled them apart.

Tyler chuckled. "You look like you're in a porn," he said evilly.
"I wouldn't know," Lucas ground out.
"You'll find out soon enough. I'll make you watch some raunchy stuff and see if you get

hard."

Typical Tyler, but Lucas was encouraged that he was making plans -- even jokingly --

for the two of them to hang out.

"I've never seen gay porn. Not more than what's in bi porn, anyway."
"Gay porn's the best. Down and dirty, dicks and asses everywhere. First time I saw one I

was twelve. A friend downloaded it by accident. It was pretty nasty stuff -- old fat guys with
twinks. But it was still fucking so it was good enough for jerking off to."

"It sounds like you've known you were gay for a long time," Lucas said as casually as he

could.

"What does that mean?" Tyler snapped.
"I only meant you sound comfortable with who you are," Lucas said quickly.
Tyler's reflection shrugged. "Maybe. I guess." He squirted some lotion onto the tip of

his forefinger.

"Are you from San Francisco?"
Tyler looked up and sneered at him. "Because that's where all the queers come from?"
Talking with Tyler was an exercise in patience. "If you don't answer me I have to make

guesses. Of course I'm going to start with the most obvious city. If you don't want me to do that
then just tell me already."

Frowning, Tyler looked down as he continued his work. The first touch of the cool

lotion to his enflamed tissues made Lucas hiss, but the lotion quickly warmed to body
temperature. He relaxed as Tyler spread the lotion around with a surprisingly tender touch.

"I'm from one of the most right-wing cities in the States," Tyler mumbled. "Colorado

Springs."

"I would have guessed somewhere in the Midwest."
"Close enough. Colorado Springs has a fuckton of Air Force bases, then there's Fort

Carson and Cheyenne Mountain where NORAD is. It's pretty hard core. Everyone walks
around with shaved heads and American flags stuck up their asses. Not so great for being a
fag."

"I know a guy who's in the Marines who's gay."
"Oh, yeah? And I bet he never told any of his Marine buddies either."
"I don't know. We weren't really friends."
"Just a random fag sighting, huh?"
Lucas winced at Tyler's bitterness. "So it must've been tough growing up there."
Tyler shrugged. "I bummed rides with the older kids who could drive to Boulder and

Denver. Lots of gays there. I spent all my free time. I didn't see my parents a whole lot. Good
thing for all of us. They weren't exactly card-carrying members of PFLAG."

"What's that?"
"Fuck, you don't know anything, do you?" Tyler pushed his finger forward, the tip

sinking inside. "Relax," he muttered as Lucas tensed up. "I'm just spreading it inside." But he
eased his touch as he continued speaking. "PFLAG stands for Parents, Families and Friends of
Lesbians and Gays. I think my dad would rather hang himself than join that. So I kept away and
didn't rub the gay in his face. It worked out."

"I'd like to think my parents would be okay with me telling them... about me," Lucas

said hesitantly.

"You can't even say it, idiot."

"Because it's new, alright? I've lived my entire life thinking I knew everything about

myself and now it's all different. I know it was probably hard growing up gay, but at least you
knew who you were. There weren't any nasty surprises."

"Sure there was," Tyler said quietly.
Lucas studied him in the mirror, seeing the emotions Tyler was terrible at concealing.

He could suddenly picture a teenaged Tyler, gay and unable to connect with his parents, having
to drive to another city to socialize and be who he was. It was a wonder he hadn't learned to
hide his feelings better. But maybe he'd had someone protecting him at the time...

"Is your ex from Colorado?" Lucas asked.
"Still there," was the bitter response. The finger smoothing lotion around his hole did so

with less care, poking around. Lucas winced but said nothing. "I'm sure he and his wife are
getting ready to pop out some Air Force brats pretty soon. Breeders can't help themselves."

Now it made a terrible sort of sense. Tyler's ex was in the military. Had he cheated on

Tyler because he realized the difficulty of maintaining a gay relationship while enlisted? Or had
he done so because he'd genuinely fallen out of love with Tyler?

"Does she -- did she know about you?" Lucas asked hesitantly.
Gray eyes lifted in the mirror. Naked hurt streaked across Tyler's face. "Yeah," he said

hoarsely. "She knew. That bitch."

"I'm sorry."
"What do you have to be sorry for?" Tyler made a face and turned to wipe his hand on

the towel he'd hung on the rack. He screwed the cap back on the tube. "I don't need anyone's
pity. He was an asshole and I'm glad I don't have to deal with him anymore. Adam's a thousand
times better. Adam would kick his ass with one arm tied behind his back. I never loved Patrick
the way I love Adam."

"It'll be funny the day Patrick realizes what a mistake he made."
"I can't wait," Tyler spat.
"It'll probably happen the first time he has to change a diaper."
Tyler's lips twitched. "I hope that baby shits all over him."
Lucas grinned. "And pees in his face."
Tyler smirked. "Double whammy."
"He'll deserve it."
He saw something new on Tyler's face -- understanding? Camaraderie? All Lucas knew

was that he was glad it was there and he hoped it stuck around.

Tyler smacked him on one butt cheek. "Your ass is fine, new guy. I don't want to hear

you whining about it later."

"Thanks," Lucas said as he straightened. He grabbed the towel and wrapped it around

himself, aware that Tyler remained behind him, watching him. "I liked what happened tonight,"
Lucas said to the mirror.

Tyler's brows drew down. He crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "I'm good at

fucking."

"Not just that. Everything. I like you, Tyler. When you're being you, not when you're

acting like an ass."

"I only act like an ass when I'm talking to one."
"Do you still think I'm an ass?"
"Maybe." Tyler buffed his nails on one bicep and studied their shine. "You have your

moments."

It was a homerun as far as Lucas was concerned. "Okay, so I need to get dressed. I'm

starving."

"Someone's going to try to make you deep throat a hot dog," Tyler warned as he moved

ahead of Lucas and opened the bathroom door. "It's a tradition after a new guy's first
performance."

"Will you be watching?"
Tyler glanced over his shoulder. His eyes were the color of rain-darkened stone. "You

swallowing a tube of meat? Hell yeah, I'll be watching."

"Good. You can give me pointers to improve my technique."
Tyler turned around, one hand still on the doorknob. "No, I saw you taking Adam's cock

down your throat." He reached out with his free hand and let his fingers hover centimeters from
Lucas' lips. "You don't need any advice. You just need lots of practice." His fingers made
contact, circling the sensitive edges of Lucas' mouth. "You need lots of cock to suck on. Don't
you, new guy? You need lots of cock in here."

Lucas groaned softly. Tyler smirked, his eyes darkening to charcoal.
"Between me and Adam we'll feed you plenty of cock," he whispered to Lucas. "One

after the other, so you'll never be empty."

He pushed his thumb between Lucas' lips. After only a second's hesitation, Lucas

opened and allowed Tyler to slide his thumb inside.

"Suck me," Tyler urged, his eyes riveted to Lucas' mouth. "Suck me like you sucked

Adam's big cock."

Lucas obeyed, remembering how it had felt to be on his knees with Adam's cock buried

all the way down his throat. Would it feel the same if he did it to Tyler?

"I want to fuck your face so bad," Tyler groaned. "Just jam myself all the way down and

fill your belly with my cum. Fuck, you're hot."

Lucas moaned. He reached out for Tyler, but to his disappointment Tyler withdrew his

thumb and pulled the door all the way open.

"Later," he rasped, still staring at Lucas' mouth and the damp streak his thumb had left

on Lucas' bottom lip. "Later that mouth is mine. Adam can have your ass."

Lucas was ready to blow. "Why wait?"
But Tyler gave him another one of his nasty sneers. "Because I like torturing you. I

thought you'd figured that out by now. I guess I'm a sadist after all."

Laughing, he left the bathroom, leaving Lucas hard and frustrated. He watched Tyler

head for the bedroom where Adam would undoubtedly take care of him.

"Lucky bastard," he muttered.
But soon, he consoled himself, he might be a lucky bastard too.

~~~~~

They did indeed demand that he deep throat a hot dog.
It happened in the middle of their late barbeque and Lucas was happy to oblige. Once he

proved his ease in doing so he was toasted with beers and offers to let him suck on other things.
Drunk, happy, Lucas declined all offers but didn't resist when Adam dragged him to sit between
the bigger man's legs by the fire. All of the pirates were gathered around the fire now, their
bellies full and most of the men drunk or nearly there. Orinth was lying with his head in Dean's
lap, snoring. Kip and one of the other pirates Lucas didn't know as well were at the edge of the

circle, making out. Others were content to gaze into the fire and listen to a radio that another
group further down the beach had brought. It sounded like a local station playing reggae. Lucas
thought it was the perfect soundtrack to the evening.

"I'm never going to leave here," Ben declared, holding up his beer bottle. "They're going

to have to set up a pirate graveyard because that's where my old bones are going to be buried."

"Here, here," Adam agreed.
The air was filled with the sound of clinking bottles.
"Is there a rule that states you can't stay here forever?" Lucas asked. He was seated

between Adam's legs, his back resting comfortably against the other man's wide, firm chest.
Adam's arms were propped on his knees on either side of Lucas, one hand holding a beer which
he occasionally brought to Lucas' lips and then to his own.

"You have to renew your contract," Peter told him from across the fire. "It's up to Adam

and Aras whether you get to stay on. I guess theoretically you could get renewed until you're
sixty, but I doubt Aras wants old pirates in his show."

"That's discrimination against old queens," Ben accused. "Old gay guys have plenty of

money that Aras wants."

"This is true," Adam said. "I've mentioned that to him before."
"If I'm fifty-something and still doing this," Lucas mused, "I'm not sure I'd still want to

be diving off of masts. That's young men's work."

"If you're fifty, you can take out your dentures and suck me like a Hoover," Tyler said

with a leer. He elbowed Adam in the side. "Isn't that right, Cap'n?"

"Lucas sucks like a Hoover even with his teeth intact," Adam replied drolly.
The pirates hooted and whistled. Lucas blushed, but took the ribbing in stride.
"So why'd you wait so long to lose your virginity?" Dean asked with a soft groan. Kip

had stopped making out and had crawled behind Dean to give him a shoulder rub.

Lucas shrugged. "I told myself that if I couldn't have sex with a Caribbean pirate then I

was going to remain celibate for the rest of my life."

"And then you found us!" Ben cried out, laughing. "What a lucky asshole!"
"I guess so," Lucas replied, laughing back.
"I hate guys like you," Dean said playfully. "But I guess it worked in our favor. That

scene was great."

"Dude, we should do that variation of the script all the time," Hewie said from where he

lay on his stomach, chin propped on his hands. A cloud of reefer smoke clung to the air above
him. "That's the first time we've ever tied up someone before fucking 'em, right?"

"Since I've been here," Adam confirmed. He raised the beer to Lucas' lips but Lucas

waved it off. He felt perfectly buzzed. Adam finished off the bottle and tossed it behind them
for later retrieval and recycling. "It seemed to go over well with the audience."

"That's because of me," Tyler declared. "Because of my amazing display of

domination." He toasted himself and drank.

"I think it was because it was you and Lucas," Hewie argued lazily. He yawned. "We

could all tell you kinda hated each other but wanted to fuck each other anyway. The audience
figured it out too, dude. That's why it was so hot. It wasn't just you, Ty. It wouldn't have been as
exciting if it had been me tied over that canon. It needed to be Lucas."

Tyler scoffed, "You don't know anything."
"No, no, I think he's right," Ben declared. He rose up onto his knees. Lucas could tell by

the way he and his shadow swayed that he was drunk. "In fact I think it was Lucas who got the

crowd all worked up. I mean, look at the guy. He's a stud. That ass -- who wouldn't want to fuck
it? And that pretty dick." He made a loud smacking nose that was so ridiculously cartoonish
that many of the pirates laughed, Lucas included. "I think I want a piece of it right now."

He began crawling around the fire, eyes locked on Lucas, a goofy leer on his face.
"He may look like he's joking," Adam murmured into Lucas' ear, "but when he gets here

he's going to do it. Stop him now if you don't want it."

Lucas, who'd been in a semi-horny state ever since Tyler left him with blue balls in the

bathroom, murmured back, "Would it bother you if I let him?"

"Are you asking me for permission?"
Considering what he knew of Adam and what Adam intended their relationship to be,

Lucas knew his answer. "I am. I won't do it if you don't want me to."

Adam's groan traveled straight to Lucas' cock. "It's all I can do not to fuck you right

here in front of my crew," he whispered into Lucas' ear. "In other words, good answer."

"I thought you'd like that," Lucas whispered back breathlessly.
"You thought right."
Lucas grabbed Adam's thick ankles, hanging on as the larger man reached down into

Lucas' shorts and tugged the waistband down to free his cock and balls to the night air. Lucas
couldn't bring himself to meet any of the other pirates' eyes while this was happening so he kept
them shut as his head rolled back against Adam's shoulder.

"Fuck," he heard Peter murmur from beyond the fire.
"Bro's going for it," Kip cheered softly. "Go, roomie!"
An odd sense of pride and excitement swept over Lucas. On the surface it was just a

blowjob in public, but Lucas knew that it was also a bonding experience, him sharing his
pleasure and his body with his pirates, showing them he had nothing to hide from them.

He shuddered when Adam took hold of his cock by the base and gently pulled it down

so it jutted from his body. Fire-warmed sand scattered across his toes, announcing Ben's arrival.

"You'll hold him for me, Cap'n?" Ben asked in a husky voice.
"Make it good for him," Adam ordered.
"With pleasure."
Lucas moaned at the first flick of Ben's tongue against the tip of his cock. Being

surrounded by Adam, smelling him and feeling his heartbeat against his back, amped up the
intensity of having Ben between his legs. It was like he was drowning in testosterone and he
found himself gulping for air until Adam sealed his mouth over his.

Lucas moaned into Adam's kiss, submitting willingly to the strong tongue that thrust

past his lips. Adam tasted of beer and barbecue. His kiss was forceful but controlled, a
harbinger of what was to come.

Between his legs, Ben licked all around his shaft, painting it with moisture. Lucas

clutched Adam's calves when Ben finally opened his mouth and took his cock down his throat.
Ben was hungry; he sucked on Lucas with almost painful intensity, devouring his cock down to
where Adam's fingers curled around him. Ben obviously liked sucking on Lucas while Adam
held him. He moaned every time his lips came in contact with Adam's fingers.

Lucas didn't blame him. Having Adam's hands on him anywhere was enough to make

him half-hard. Now, with Adam's hand on his cock and the other rubbing across his chest and
thumbing his nipples, Lucas was on the edge of blowing.

"This is going to be the fastest blowjob in the history of blowjobs," someone quipped.

"Look at him squirming."

"Can you blame him?" someone, maybe Peter, asked. "Adam behind, Ben in front --

hell, I'm about to cum from just watching them!"

"Let me give you a hand with that..."
"Oh, fuck yeah."
The sounds of sex filled Lucas' ears, accompanying his own moans. Everything that was

happening seemed natural and right.

Fingers crept under his balls. Ben was searching for his sore hole. Lucas twitched

uneasily, but when Ben's long middle finger found him it didn't hurt. The cream had done its
work. Lucas gasped, swallowing down Adam's tongue. He thrust his hips up as Ben's fingertip
eased inside him.

Adam abruptly broke off the kiss to growl, "If that's from you sticking your finger inside

him, get it out, Ben. His ass is mine."

The finger swiftly retreated, but the command had its effect on Lucas: he dug his

fingernails unwittingly into Adam's calves as he climaxed into Ben's mouth. Ben moaned and
swallowed quickly.

Adam's lips found his again, but for a gentler contact -- soft kisses as he gasped for

breath. Adam rubbed his clenching belly, which eased the contractions. Lucas moaned
contentedly and reached out to tangle his fingers in Ben's hair. He felt Ben lift up off of him and
murmur, "Thanks, Lucas. Thank you, Cap'n."

"You're welcome," Adam murmured, but he was looking down at Lucas who grinned up

at him.

"That was kinky," Lucas whispered. "Everyone was watching."
"Half of them now have sticky shorts too."
Feeling behind him at the bulge in Adam's shorts, Lucas said, "What do you plan to do

with this?" His fingers measured the length and girth of the hard tube behind the fabric. He
shivered at the prospect of having that much inside him. "I hope it's for me."

Adam smirked. "I'll show you later."
Lucas started to rejoice until a twang of discomfort in his ass reminded him that he

wasn't in perfect condition. "I'm still a little sore," he admitted reluctantly.

"Tyler's been sore plenty of times," Adam said, his voice rumbling pleasantly against

Lucas' back. "Don't worry about it. I'll make it work."

Mention of Tyler prompted Lucas to turn his head to where the other blond was sitting.

He expected to see Tyler looking disgusted by their display, or maybe ignoring them altogether.

What he didn't expect was to see murder in Tyler's eyes as he glared at a very satisfied

and oblivious Ben.

CHAPTER SIX

A hand cupping the back of his neck and gently squeezing caused Lucas to wake up. He

lifted his face from Adam's shoulder, glad he hadn't drooled on the guy, and saw that the fire
had been extinguished and was drizzling pale smoke. Tyler, Orinth, and Hewie stood by the
waterline. Lucas could faintly hear their voices. Everyone else though, appeared to have gone
back to the cottages.

"We can't sleep out here," Adam said quietly, his breath stirring Lucas' hair.
"It's just as well," Lucas said with a yawn as he sat up straighter. "I'd probably fall

asleep face down and drown in the sand."

"Then I'd have to give you mouth to mouth. Wouldn't be so bad."
On his knees now, Lucas grinned at the other man. "I get the feeling you'd turn any

situation into one involving sex with you."

Adam rose to his feet and towered over him. He extended a hand to pull him up. "I can't

help it if most situations should involve sex with me."

As Adam helped Lucas to his feet, he gave an extra pull at the end, which sent Lucas

stumbling against his firm chest. Lucas braced his palms against Adam's pecs as the bigger man
caught his mouth in a kiss. Adam's tongue slipped inside and rubbed across his tongue. Lucas
could feel himself growing hard. Adam's erection was already poking him in the hip.

"Want to come back to my place?" Adam whispered as he broke off the kiss to place

kisses along Lucas' cheek. He pressed his thumbs beneath Lucas' jaw and pushed his face up,
baring the column of his throat which he licked and nipped. "Say yes, Lucas."

Fingers digging into Adam's shirt, Lucas struggled to find the breath to speak. It was

surprisingly difficult to do when Adam was simply kissing him, but it seemed that any contact
with Adam overwhelmed him. "I want to. I - I really do."

"But you think I'll hurt you," Adam murmured between licks to Lucas' throat. "I told

you I've handled Tyler when he's been too sore to take me. I'll do the same with you."

"What does that mean, handled?"
Adam lifted his head. His teeth flashed whitely. "It means I know how to get us both off

without sliding my dick inside you."

Lucas' hole clenched as if it liked hearing that particular phrase. "Okay," he said. "I trust

you."

Adam shook his head, although the smile remained on his face. "I want to know if you

want me."

Lucas dragged one of Adam's hands down to his crotch and pressed it against the mound

there. "That answer the question for you?"

Adam squeezed him. "I hear you loud and clear." But to Lucas' disappointment, Adam

didn't spend any more time groping him. The bigger man cupped a hand to his mouth and called
out to the men at the water. "Ty, let's go. Night's over."

Tyler exchanged a few more words with the other guys before jogging back to them. He

looked sober and in a decent enough mood. Gone was the jealousy and anger Lucas had seen on
his face after Ben had blown him. But Lucas wasn't fooled into believing Tyler was magically

okay with it. He had a feeling if Ben had been present, Tyler's expression would've given away
exactly how he felt about him, and not in a good way.

Was it good to have Tyler feel strongly enough about Lucas to be jealous of whoever

else touched him? Lucas wasn't sure. He'd had his share of clingy, possessive girlfriends. He'd
even had an obsessive one, whom he'd had a hard time shaking free. He had the feeling shaking
off an obsessive guy would be a lot harder. Hopefully Tyler would get over this unexpected
jealous streak.

The three of them trudged across the sand, Adam in the middle. Lucas wondered if the

other guys were watching them leave, if they thought the three of them were an item now. He
realized he liked being linked with Adam and Tyler. They were studs, after all, and for him to
be with them meant he was a stud too, not that he needed the ego trip. He was confident in his
appeal, though obviously only recently aware of his appeal to other guys.

"Lucas is sleeping with us tonight," Adam announced as they reached the cottage.
Tyler didn't say a word though Lucas expected him to. He glanced at the other blond but

Tyler was looking down as he brushed sand from his shorts.

"I'll just grab something to sleep in," Lucas said.
Adam hooked him around the neck and pulled him away from the guest bedroom. "You

won't need anything but your skin."

Tyler opened their bedroom door and entered first. He immediately began shucking

clothes so that he was completely naked by the time he strode into the attached bathroom.
Lucas stared after his nicely muscled shoulders, back and ass until Tyler passed out of view.

"He's a looker, isn't he?"
Lucas smiled sheepishly at being caught staring. "Yeah. Feels weird to look at a guy and

realize he's as beautiful as a girl. Just differently."

"I'm not a girl!"
Tyler's shout from the bathroom made Lucas suppress a laugh. Adam winked at him and

casually pulled off his own shirt and stepped out of his shorts before chucking both in the
direction of the bathroom. His big, muscled body moved with unexpected grace as he pulled
back the sheets on the bed and fluffed the pillows.

"Wow, I even get turn-down service?" Lucas teased.
"You'll get all kinds of service in here," Adam said with a smirk. "Make yourself

comfortable."

He headed into the bathroom and soon Lucas heard the water running and the soft hum

of their voices. He hesitated to remove his own clothes, his good mood fading a bit as he
listened to them. He crept to the doorway. The door was ajar a few feet, giving him a clear view
inside to the sink where both men were. Tyler was shaving for some reason, and Adam was
beside him, his own face dripping as if he'd splashed his face to refresh himself. He said
something that Lucas couldn't hear and Tyler laughed, foam dripping from his chin. The two
men's eyes met in the mirror and if Lucas had held any continued doubts that two men could
love each other the way a man and a woman could, they were dashed in that instant.

He ducked back into the bedroom and thoughtfully removed his own clothes. He sat on

the edge of the bed, hands clasped loosely between his knees, and let his eyes wander across the
framed photos of the pirate crew. He felt differently looking at them now. He knew these men.
He understood them. He shared an integral aspect of what made them who they were. And
when his eyes landed on the photograph of him staring after Tyler he could smile ruefully.
Adam had known him way back then.

Adam entered, wiping his hands on a small hand towel. His soft but still impressive

cock rolled back and forth with his steps. "What's the smile for?"

"I want a picture with you," Lucas told him. He pointed at the photo of him and Tyler.

"I've got that, but I want you in it."

"Kind of tough to do when I'm the man behind the camera, don't you think?"
"So Tyler will take it. You trust him with your camera, don't you?"
"Hell, no," Adam said with a laugh. His grin widened when Tyler walked in, brows

down like a kid who was sure people were talking about him behind his back.

"What're you saying hell no to?" he demanded, hands on his hips.
"Lucas wants you to take a picture of me and him. Since you two already have one."
"What? We don't have any--" He broke off when Adam pointed at the photo in question.

To Lucas' surprise, Tyler blushed. "Whatever."

"Does that photo bug you?" Lucas asked, amazed, as Tyler climbed onto the bed and sat

cross-legged in the middle of it. "Why?"

"It's not even of us. Adam just framed it that way to make it look like you were looking

at me."

"No," Lucas said patiently, "I was looking at you."
Tyler shrugged stiffly. "Anyway... Adam, I thought you'd gotten some photos when you

and new guy did his photo shoot." There was accusation in his voice but Lucas suspected it was
a diversionary tactic to get them to stop talking about the other photograph.

"No, that was all business." Adam walked around the bed to the closet which he opened.
Tyler noticed. "What're you looking for?"
"This." Adam turned around, holding a camera in his hands.
Tyler groaned and flopped onto the bed, burying his face in the pillows. Lucas looked

uneasily from him to Adam. "Wait, so we're taking pictures now?"

"I can't think of a better moment to commemorate than the night my two favorite boys

got together."

Lucas bristled at the term boys but Tyler just groaned again as if he were used to it and

suffered it only because it came from Adam.

"I thought you wanted a picture with the new guy?" Tyler groused into the mattress.

"Why am I in it?"

"We'll get to me later. Right now I want you two together."
"I'm not okay posing for porn," Lucas said firmly. "The program book was bad enough.

I'm not doing a sex tape or photos or anything like that, Adam. I'm serious."

"Calm down," Adam said, chuckling softly. He placed one knee on the bed. "Scoot back

and sit at the headboard with Tyler. Ty, stop being a baby and sit up."

Mumbling, Tyler flipped over and reluctantly pulled himself up to sit against the

headboard. Lucas climbed up with him, highly conscious that he was giving Adam a view of
his ass in the process. He flushed when he heard Adam whistle.

"Tyler really did a number on you. Shame on you, Ty," he said, although in Lucas'

opinion he didn't sound all that disapproving.

"I'm sorry," Tyler said sweetly, slanting a cocky grin at Lucas. "I guess I got carried

away with wanting to put on a good performance."

"Yeah, sure," Lucas muttered as he sat beside him, though with noticeable space

between them. He shoved the pillows out of the way and looked back down the bed at Adam
expectantly. "Now what?"

Adam kneeled on the end of the bed, the camera cradled expertly in his hands. "Ty, get

the cuffs."

Tyler's face lit up, which instantly put Lucas on the defensive. "Hey, wait. I'm not

letting him cuff me, Adam. He's already had me tied up and at his mercy."

"Don't worry," Adam soothed him. "They're for something later. Ty, keep them handy

but out of the way."

After retrieving leather cuffs from the bedside table and tossing them on the sheets near

his feet, Tyler resettled at the head of the bed. "Okay, so let's get this over with. I don't want to
sit here all night posing for you. I'm tired."

"Don't get an attitude," Adam warned softly.
Tyler curled his fingers around his feet. "Sorry."
Adam brought the camera to his face. "For now I want you two closer. You guys look

like you don't like each other and we all know that isn't true. Move closer."

Feeling more than a bit foolish, Lucas glanced at Tyler before scooting closer to him.

Tyler wouldn't look at him which made Lucas unsure of how this was going to go down. When
they were hip to naked hip, legs extended -- Lucas' hands in his lap covering his groin while
Tyler crossed his arms over his chest -- Adam said from behind the camera, "Now kiss each
other."

Tyler huffed as if annoyed by the command. Lucas didn't know what to do. He and

Tyler had been getting along fairly well, but suddenly it seemed as if they'd taken a massive
step backwards. He didn't want to try something with Tyler only to have the other blond reject
him in front of Adam.

"Tyler," Adam said, his voice lowering, "turn your head. Lucas, turn to face him."
It was better when Adam gave orders. Lucas could hide behind them. He turned and met

Tyler's stormy gray eyes. He didn't understand why Tyler looked so annoyed with him. Or was
he only annoyed with the situation? Lucas mentally sighed. If only Tyler weren't so
complicated.

He heard Adam snap a few pictures.
"Lucas, set your left hand on Tyler's shoulder. Tyler, do something with your hands."
"Like what?"
"Just do what comes naturally." Adam sounded amused.
Grumbling beneath his breath, Tyler glared at Lucas as if he'd been the one to issue the

order. Lucas pretended he didn't notice and rested his hand on Tyler's shoulder. He stroked his
thumb over the line of his clavicle, trying to be subtle in his effort to calm him. Tyler sighed
loudly through his nose but then reached up with his left hand and cupped Lucas' cheek.

The touch was tender, and Lucas' fears that Tyler had reverted to his old self vanished as

fingers fanned across his cheek. Lucas looked questioningly at him and Tyler smirked.

"What?" Tyler murmured. "Did you think I was going to slap you?"
"No," Lucas retorted. "You're too afraid I'll hit you back."
"Keep telling yourself that." Tyler's fingers moved, creeping towards his lips. "You

know what Adam really wants to see?"

Heart rate accelerating, Lucas whispered, "Tell me."
"He wants to see us kissing." Tyler's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Lucas instinctively licked his lips. "That seems easy enough. We've done it before."
Tyler smirked. "Not that kind of kiss, new guy."

Even though he knew what Tyler was getting at, Lucas said, "I don't know what you

mean. Why don't you show me?"

He heard the camera clicking as Tyler leaned forward. Lucas closed his eyes and felt

Tyler's breath on his lips... but Tyler didn't kiss him there. To his frustration, Tyler's lips drifted
across the tip of his chin, prompting Lucas to tilt his face up. As soon as he did, Tyler's lips
found the underside of it and he dropped soft kisses down the front of Lucas' throat.

The camera clicked softly every few seconds but Lucas didn't pay any attention to it.

His fingers tightened around Tyler's shoulder as the other blond peppered his throat with
butterfly-light kisses. Lucas' skin broke out in gooseflesh. His nipples hardened and his cock
slowly began to fill with blood. Even though what Tyler was doing wasn't overtly sexual, it
aroused Lucas to simply have Tyler's mouth on him and to feel his breath tickling his bare skin.
After pressing a kiss to the hollow at the base of Lucas' throat, Tyler slowly worked his way
back up to Lucas' face. A kiss landed on each closed eyelid. Lucas' breath hung suspended in
his lungs. He couldn't believe it was Tyler doing this. To be honest, he hadn't thought Tyler
capable of such subtlety. It made him yearn, suddenly, to be seduced by him.

"Open your eyes," Tyler whispered.
Lucas did so reluctantly. He didn't want the spell to end so soon. His lips felt naked.

Abandoned. He wanted that kiss.

"Are you gay?" Tyler asked him as he stared at Lucas' mouth.
Lucas blinked rapidly, thoroughly confused. "What do you mean?"
"Is this real?" Tyler touched Lucas' bottom lip, traced its curve. "Or are you doing this

for a job? Or for Adam?"

Vulnerability vied with defensiveness in Tyler's eyes. It was almost pitiful how it easy it

would be to hurt him. No wonder Tyler didn't let anyone near him except Adam. He wore
everything on both sleeves. Lucas decided to try a different tack this time.

"I'm not here for a job," he told Tyler in a hushed voice. "Or for Adam. I'm not even

here for you." Tyler's eyes widened but Lucas gripped him by the shoulder, keeping him in
place when he would have pulled back. "I'm here for me, Tyler. Because I want this. I want this
with you and with him. And I'm not doing it for any other reason than because it makes me feel
good."

He leaned forward, daring Tyler with his eyes to stay in place, to accept the touch of

Lucas' lips to his. They both kept their eyes open as Lucas brushed his closed lips across
Tyler's. Lucas thought that appropriate. Neither of them could hide anything that way.

He sat back, letting go of Tyler's shoulder as he did so. Tyler just stared at him and it

made Lucas smile. "You look like you just swallowed a fly," he joked.

Tyler looked away.
"I think that's enough for now."
Adam's voice startled Lucas. He'd forgotten he was in the room.
"I've got some good shots," Adam said quietly. He set the camera on the floor before

crawling up the bed. He caught Tyler behind the head and kissed him deeply, their tongues
flashing wetly between their open mouths. Afterwards, they shared a look that made Lucas
envious. But he didn't have to suffer long. Adam released Tyler and pulled Lucas to him the
same way. Lucas shut his eyes, drowning in the kiss, his hands clutching at Adam's thick
biceps.

When Adam pulled back to look into his eyes, Lucas' body warmed pleasantly at the

approval Adam showed him. It felt good to make Adam proud, even if it was for something as
simple as initiating a kiss.

"You two look great together," Adam told them.
"We'd look better with you," Tyler taunted. He scraped his fingernail across one of

Adam's nipples. The flesh beaded.

"We'll get to that," Adam growled and pressed Tyler back to the bed.
Tyler's breath rushed from him in an excited gasp. Lucas watched him writhe beneath

Adam as the bigger man kissed him so hard he forced Tyler's head to sink into the mattress.
Tyler clutched at Adam's shoulder and ass, fingers digging into the dark skin until Adam caught
Tyler's wrists in his hands and slid them up the mattress above their heads.

Lucas absently fisted his cock as he watched, his eyes drifting across Adam's immense

shoulders, down to the small dip in his back, over the tight, compact muscles of his buttocks to
the thickly muscled thighs that were forcing Tyler's slimmer ones apart. He realized he didn't
want to fuck Adam so much as he wanted to be beneath him, enjoying his weight and strength
the same way Tyler clearly did.

"Lucas," Adam said after he lifted his head, leaving Tyler panting beneath him. "Get the

cuffs."

Startled by the order, it took Lucas a moment to remember that they were in the sheets

somewhere. He fished them out as Adam went back to devouring Tyler. Their moans and the
slow, circular movements of Adam's hips were extremely distracting to Lucas. He wanted to
jerk off but he jangled the cuffs obediently.

At the sound, Adam lifted his head again. His pupils were blown, his lips slightly

puffed. Beneath him, Tyler squirmed like a cat in heat. He strained upwards to bite at Adam's
chin and jaw.

"Cuff him to the headboard," Adam said to Lucas. He looked down and smiled darkly at

Tyler. "This time you're going to be the helpless one. We're going to do whatever we want to
you, Ty, and you can't stop us. It's time for Lucas and me to play."

Lucas watched color rush up Tyler's throat and cheeks. Tyler bit his lip but they could

still hear his moan. Thrilled by the prospect of a little tit for tat, Lucas quickly guided one of
Tyler's wrists into the leather cuff, buckled it, and threaded its partner through a headboard slat
so he could repeat the process with Tyler's other wrist. When both wrists were secured, Tyler
jerked on them, making the connecting chain rattle against the slat. He looked up almost wildly
at Adam, as if the bondage had paradoxically unleashed something animalistic in him.

Lucas found the reaction unbelievably arousing. He dropped to his belly on the bed and

crawled up beside the two men. Adam noticed him and rose up onto his elbows as if curious to
see what Lucas would do.

Lucas knew exactly what he wanted to do. He crawled up beside Tyler's face and took

hold of his chin. "Now it's my turn," he said, his voice husky.

Instead of kissing Tyler as Tyler so clearly wanted him to do, Lucas pressed his lips to

Tyler's ear and thrust his tongue gently inside. Tyler's moan tore through the room. He tried to
jerk his head out of Lucas' grasp but Lucas held him firmly as he slowly and wetly thrust his
tongue into Tyler's ear again.

Whimpering, Tyler tried to arch off the bed but Adam's weight held him down. Lucas

felt the bigger man shift, moving down Tyler's confined body. He heard a sucking noise and
peered through the corner of his eye to see Adam's head bent over Tyler's chest, apparently

sucking on his nipples. Lucas groaned into Tyler's ear, which drove the platinum blond even
wilder.

"Oh, fuck," Tyler finally moaned. "Oh, please. It's too much. Oh, god, I can't stand it."
"You can take this and a lot more," Adam murmured in his rich, deep voice. He slurped

lewdly on Tyler's other nipple. Lucas felt the shudder that ripped through Tyler's body and
renewed his own assault on the other man's ear.

"Someday I'm going to fuck you just like this," Lucas whispered. He pushed his tongue

inside, filling up the canal, and then slowly withdrew it. Tyler sobbed as Lucas did it again and
again. Each time Tyler made a sound Lucas' own cock throbbed. He started to hump the bed
without realizing it, yet once he did notice it he couldn't stop. Tyler's responses were driving
him crazy.

"Lucas," Adam breathed several moments later, "switch places with me."
Adam rose up and crawled off of Tyler, revealing the flushed, erect state of Tyler's

cock. Lucas couldn't help remembering that long column of flesh inside him, stealing his
virginity, and for a second he imagined himself straddling Tyler and sliding down that pole
until his ass met the other man's groin.

But not tonight. Lucas crawled around Adam and took his place between Tyler's legs.

He started to lie down as Adam had, but Adam said, "No. Hands and knees."

The position left Lucas too high to suck on Tyler's nipples, but it also made it apparent

what Adam did want him to suck on. He eyed the tip of Tyler's twitching cock. He could feel
Tyler's eyes searing into him, begging him.

"Do you want me to order you to do it?" Adam asked softly with just enough mockery

in his voice to show all three of them that he ran the show no matter what Tyler and Lucas
thought. Sitting back on his heels beside Tyler's hip, Adam ran his fingertips down the knobs of
Lucas' spine and stopped just at the top of his crease. He slid his middle finger down the
indentation and pressed the tip against Lucas' hole. "Are you a slut for orders just like Tyler is?
You need a man to boss you around?"

Lucas bowed his head. "Please," he gasped, unsure what he was asking for.
A weighted pause followed. "Suck Tyler's cock," Adam murmured. Tyler moaned and

yanked at the cuffs. "Suck him until he cums in your mouth and then swallow it like the good
boy you are."

It was Lucas' turn to moan, even though he hated the idea of being called a boy. He

lowered his head and caught the tip of Tyler's bobbing cock between his lips. Tyler gave a
choked cry. Lucas tightened his lips and slid down the pole while at the same time Adam
pushed his finger inside.

Lucas and Tyler sang out in harmony. Adam's soft laughter only made Lucas more

desperate to cum and to make Tyler join him. He began to bob up and down, slurping on Tyler's
cock, learning the feel of it, where the ridges and veins were and how the whole thing twitched
when he flicked his tongue just like that and how Tyler whimpered when Lucas sucked just so.
Having such limited experience at sucking cock, Lucas found himself eager to learn all the
differences in texture and taste. And it was great to practice on Tyler because Tyler was a
veritable symphony of noises.

Not that Lucas was quiet. After the initial penetration, Adam didn't move his finger.

Lucas suddenly knew the meaning of desperation. He moaned loudly to try to get Adam to
finger fuck him but Adam merely held his hand in place, his other fingers caressing the curve of
Lucas' ass.

Unable to stand having something in his ass that wasn't moving, Lucas began to rock

back and forth, fucking himself on Adam's finger.

"Yes," Adam said in his deep voice. "Fuck yourself while you suck him."
Trembling as heated lust coursed through his veins, Lucas began to time his movements

so he went down on Tyler and then rocked back onto Adam's finger. Tyler arched and twisted
beneath him, finally managing to dig his heels into the mattress so he could thrust up with his
hips. Lucas pursed his lips, giving Tyler a tight hole to fuck, and Tyler responded by thrusting
faster and more erratically. The chain rattled loudly against the headboard.

They moved in harmony like this for several minutes, Lucas the piston between them,

he and Tyler growing sweatier and more vocal as they neared their peaks. Adam suddenly
reached beneath Lucas and grabbed his cock, stroking it swiftly. Lucas cried out around Tyler.
The vibration pushed Tyler over the edge and he froze, cock buried to the hilt in Lucas' mouth
as he gushed his release. Lucas swallowed him quickly, trying not to drown because Adam was
stroking him and he desperately needed to gasp for breath or moan or something.

Tyler helped him out by abruptly slumping back to the bed, his spent cock slipping out

of Lucas' mouth. Freed, Lucas threw back his head and seized huge breaths as Adam jerked him
off. Adam's touch was rough and commanding, demanding that he cum.

His cock didn't need much convincing. After only about a minute, Lucas clenched

around Adam's finger and thrust down into the other man's hand as his orgasm rushed through
him. His tired cock sputtered weakly, only a few drops sprinkling down to the sheet, but to
Lucas it felt like he'd poured out a gallon.

The finger in his ass withdrew. Adam rose up to stand on his feet in the middle of the

bed. When fingers tangled in his hair, Lucas fought off sleep and allowed Adam to guide his
cock into his mouth. He was too tired to put much effort into it but Adam didn't seem to mind
his passivity. He held Lucas in place and simply fucked his mouth, the long, thick shaft
plugging Lucas again and again until Adam abruptly pulled free and stroked his cock once --
twice -- before shooting ropes of cum onto Lucas' face and across Tyler's chest.

Lucas closed his eyes and let the heat sear him, marveling at letting another man do this

to him. He heard Tyler encourage Adam: "Yeah, shoot it. Shoot it on my face." It was
something none of Lucas' girlfriends had ever said and if he wasn't already drained, it would
have made him cum even harder.

When Adam collapsed back onto his knees, breathing heavily, Lucas threw himself to

the bed between him and Tyler. He was done. He'd cum three times tonight. It wasn't a record,
but he couldn't remember ever having cum so intensely.

Beside him, Tyler shifted in the cuffs but didn't ask to have them removed. He bent his

knee and slid it up the bed, then hooked his leg around Lucas' to link them together. Lucas
rolled his head to the side to look at him, but Tyler's eyes were closed and it was obvious he
was on the verge of sleep.

Lucas rolled his head back the other way and was met with a warm kiss.
"You were great," Adam whispered. He reached out and dragged his finger through the

cooling liquid on Lucas' face.

Lucas hesitated when the finger was presented to him, but then chided himself for it. He

opened his mouth and allowed Adam to feed him his cum, eventually cleaning his face
completely, one swipe at a time.

"Now go to bed," Adam murmured.

As Lucas closed his eyes, happy to comply, he felt the bed shift. The lights blinked out a

few moments later. The bed dipped and Adam's warmth settled against him once again. The
sheet fluttered lightly across their chests. Lucas didn't know which way to turn so he slept on
his back, one hand on Tyler's leg, the other on Adam's hip. He thought he felt Adam's lips on
his face again but he couldn't be sure as darkness took him away.

CHAPTER SEVEN

He could tell someone was staring at him. It felt like sunlight on the side of his face. He

turned his head and slowly opened his eyes, his vision filling with platinum and gray.

"You snore," Tyler whispered, his nose wrinkled.
"Do not."
"You also drool. You're disgusting."
"And you probably have morning breath. What's your point?" Lucas stretched his arms

over his head. "You're really grumpy in the morning, huh?"

"Let me out of these." Tyler rattled the cuffs around his wrists.
Lucas pushed up onto his elbows, studying the other blond. "Wow, you slept like that all

night? Aren't your arms sore?"

"Yes, which is why I want you to let me out, moron."
Lucas rolled his eyes and shifted to look to his other side. Adam lay facing away from

him, his big body cutting down the bed like a mountain range. Lucas lifted his hand, intending
to brush it through Adam's silky straight hair, but changed his mind and let his hand drop to the
bed. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do to Adam what he would've done to a girl he'd found in
his bed. It seemed weird.

He turned back to face Tyler, who was still scowling at him.
"Maybe Adam wants you to stay this way," Lucas said with a shrug. "I don't want to

make him mad by letting you out early."

"Afraid of him?" Tyler sneered.
"As a matter of fact I am. The guy could break me over his knee."
"I wouldn't break you over my knee," came a low rumble from Adam's side of the bed,

"I'd spank you there."

Tyler thrashed against the cuffs. "Damn it, let me out, new guy!"
"Ty, chill." Adam rolled onto his back, pressing up against Lucas' shoulder. His dark

skin was warm with sleep. "There's a quick release on the cuffs, remember?"

Lucas suppressed a laugh as Tyler made a face and fiddled with the cuffs. They snicked

open a moment later and he pulled down his arms with a wince. Lucas would have offered to
massage his shoulders for him but decided Tyler was acting too bratty to deserve it just yet.

"How's it going?" Adam asked around a yawn.
Assuming he was the one being spoken to, Lucas replied, "Not bad."
Adam reached over and squeezed Lucas' thigh. "Good to hear, man. I was wondering if

I'd wake up to an indentation in the bed."

"No reason to run, right?" In truth Lucas hadn't even considered climbing out of bed and

returning to his own room. Lying between Adam and Tyler felt too good.

"Glad you realize that."
Adam rolled over just enough to hook Lucas behind the neck and pull him across his

thick chest. Lucas resisted playfully as if they were wrestling, making Adam have to work a
little to pin him in place. It surprised him how much he enjoyed feeling Adam overpower him,
even in a half-hearted struggle. I guess that's what it means to be the bottom, Lucas thought,

although he wasn't fully comfortable with the concept. He couldn't identify as being a guy who
only got fucked. Even if that was his situation so far.

"We're not spending all day in bed are we?" Tyler complained from the other side of the

bed.

Adam hooked his legs around Lucas', pinning them down, while he crushed Lucas' face

against his rock hard pecs. Adam smelled like testosterone and sex and Lucas felt himself
growing hard. Adam's erection already poked him in the stomach.

"What's wrong with that?" Adam asked, his deep voice rumbling against Lucas' cheek.

One dark nipple was within reach of Lucas' lips. He stared at it and its circle of fine hairs. It
tempted him like a small, dark berry.

"If we're gonna stay here fooling around then I want my turn to do stuff."
Lucas grinned at Tyler's whining tone. "You sound like a little kid throwing a tantrum."
Adam chuckled. "That's what makes him so cute."
"Screw you guys. You're not the one who keeps being left out of things."
"Then stop complaining and do something about it," Adam said.
Lucas tried to lift his head when he felt the bed shifting but Adam had a solid hold on

him. It wasn't until the sheets brushed against the insides of his calves that he figured out where
Tyler was and what he intended.

He tensed as Tyler climbed between his spread legs. Adam had hooked their legs

together so Lucas couldn't slide his shut. He felt wide open and excruciatingly vulnerable. He
flinched when fingers pressed against the globes of his ass and spread them. "Tyler, don't."

"You look fine now," Tyler said. "All the swelling's gone down."
"Thanks, Doctor Ty. Enough of the exam."
"Are you sure?" Tyler's teasing purr made Lucas' skin break out in goose flesh and he

was pretty sure Adam had either felt it or could see it.

Fingernails scraped over the curve of Lucas' ass and down the insides of his thighs. His

balls twitched.

"You have a nice ass, new guy. I think it still needs some breaking in if you hope to ride

Adam's pole someday."

"I'll take it under advisement," Lucas muttered.
"How about you just take it?"
A slick finger pushed up between his cheeks and slid inside him. Lucas gasped and

thrust down against the bed, driving his cock into the sheets. Adam's cock jerked against Lucas'
belly.

Tyler massaged his butt with his free hand. "Still pretty tight, new guy. Tight enough to

make me want to do bad things to you."

"Please don't," Lucas groaned. "Only good -- things." He clutched Adam's biceps as the

finger inside him found his prostate and began to stroke it. He moaned before he could bite his
bottom lip and shut himself up. Adam's breath caught at the sound and Lucas took some pride
in that even if both reactions had been involuntary.

"You ever been milked?" Tyler asked, sounding a bit breathless himself. He pressed

down on the gland and laughed as Lucas humped the bed.

"You're not milking him now," Adam said, his voice deeper. "Later when we have more

time. Then we can show him everything."

"Show me," Lucas panted, feeling his cock pulse with precum every time Tyler stroked

his prostate. "I want to know."

Adam bent closer, his breath stirring Lucas' hair. "If he keeps playing with your ass, I'm

going to have to fuck you. If I fuck you you're going to limp and have a hard time moving
around without pain. Do you really want to walk around all day and perform in the show when
it'll be obvious I fucked your brains out?"

Lucas clenched around Tyler's finger, as excited by the threat as he was apprehensive

about it. "You think it'll be that hard for me?" He laughed a little. "Pun intended."

Adam ground up against him, his cock like an iron pole digging into Lucas' abs. "Yeah.

I think it'll be hard for you in every sense of the word."

Lucas' balls drew up tight, but he struggled to think with his brain rather than his dick.

"Okay, so um... maybe not until we've got some time off. Or something." He wasn't sure he
wanted to wait that long but it seemed to be the answer Adam expected to hear.

"If you won't fuck him, Adam, I will," Tyler declared as he pulled out his finger and

spread Lucas' cheeks apart again. "He's taken me before, he can do it again."

"What about Lucas' turn to top?" Adam asked.
With the finger gone, Lucas could think a little more clearly. "Yeah? What about my

turn?"

"Adam, he's right fucking here! I'm staring at his--"
"It won't kill you to wait," Adam said.
"You're torturing me! And him!" Lucas had to grin at the last second add-on as if Tyler

thought Adam might be favoring Lucas.

"Torture makes you tough." Adam loosened his hold on Lucas, allowing him to twist --

somewhat reluctantly -- off of Adam and scissor his legs away from Tyler. It left Tyler kneeling
between Adam's legs, looking forlornly at his erect cock.

"This isn't right," Tyler mumbled, flicking the head of his erection with a finger. "This is

a crime to let it go to waste."

"It won't go to waste. Come here." Adam opened his arms and Tyler's face brightened

with an unguarded smile that Lucas was instantly jealous of.

Tyler sprawled across Adam's chest. "Are you gonna take care of me?" he coaxed.
Adam smirked and reached down to cup Tyler's ass with both hands. "I was thinking

about it. Do you deserve it? Have you been a good boy?"

Something dark and hot slithered through Lucas's groin and throbbed in his cock. He

realized he wanted to be in Adam's place, asking that question of Tyler. Bright, beautiful Tyler
with the bad attitude and his heart on his sleeve.

"I've been a very good boy," Tyler purred. He swiveled his hips, dimples flashing in his

flanks. "Can't you tell?"

Kneeling beside them, Lucas curled his hand around his cock and began to stroke it.
"Possibly. But I may be too close to the situation to be objective." Adam lifted his eyes.

They were dark, possibly all pupil. Lucas couldn't wait to have that hungry gaze focused on
him. "We'll leave it to Lucas. Has Tyler been a good boy? Do you think he deserves a reward?"

Lucas saw the muscles tighten along Tyler's spine and knew that Tyler expected the

worst. Lucas was tempted; it was what Tyler would have done had their positions been
reversed. Tyler would have fucked with him just to see him squirm.

However as much as Lucas would have liked to return the favor, his gut told him that

now as not the time to give Tyler a reason to become mad at him. The trust between them was
paper thin and it wouldn't do either of them any good to poke at it.

"Tyler's been very good," Lucas replied. "I think he deserves a reward this time."

Adam started to nod.
"As long as he thanks me," Lucas added, a spark of deviltry seizing his tongue.
Laughter glittered in Adam's eyes but he managed to keep a straight face. "I think that

sounds reasonable, don't you, Tyler?"

"Oh, you fucker," Tyler muttered beneath his breath. Lucas had to bite his tongue to

keep from losing it. He watched the muscles jump in Tyler's jaw before he managed to grind
out, "Thank you for giving me my reward, new -- Lucas."

"You're very welcome."
Oh, Tyler was going to get him for that but Lucas thought it was worth it. Adam seemed

to think so too, for he winked at Lucas before tightening his hands on Tyler's ass.

"Cum with me," Adam murmured, switching his attention to Tyler. "Make us wet."
"Oh, god, yes," Tyler groaned with relief. He gripped Adam's immense shoulders and

began to thrust against him.

Lucas stroked himself in time with the rocking of their bodies. He found it fascinating to

watch them. All that power, weight and roughness -- so drastically different from rubbing it out
against a girl. When Tyler threw back his head with a groan and came, Lucas quickly joined
him, spurting across the sheets. Adam followed a minute later, his groan of completion muffled
in Tyler's pale hair.

The room smelled of sex and sweat. It was kind of funky but Lucas liked it. He was

used to having sex in a room that smelled like vanilla candles -- Lisa's favorite.

Adam slapped Tyler on the ass, the sound ringing sharply through the room. "Time for a

shower. If we stay here any longer we'll fuck again."

"Is that a bad thing?" Tyler asked, his voice muffled against Adam's skin.
"It is when we've got errands to run. Up, Tyler."
Lucas wiped his hand on the sheets and slid off the end of the bed. "I'll catch a shower

in my own bathroom."

"Sure you don't want to join us?" Adam's smile was challenging.
"If I did," Lucas said with a laugh, "we'd all probably drown. I'll catch up with you guys

later."

~~~~~

When he entered the guest bedroom, he was immediately hit in the face with a pillow.
"Bro, you dawg!"
Lucas ducked out of the way of the second pillow, laughing. Kip, sitting up on his knees

on his bed, gave him a golf clap.

"Bravo, bro. You looked completely fucked out. So... how were they?"
Lucas shrugged, trying to play it cool, but couldn't hold it for long and broke into a huge

grin as he flung himself onto his own bed. "Intense. Amazing. You should know. You've been
with them before."

"Just in a fun way, not the way you're with them." Kip sat back on his heels. His grin

spread from ear to ear. "You gotta share the details, bro."

"I wasn't with them in any way that you weren't," Lucas insisted. He stared up at the red

kite hanging from the ceiling, feeling as if he could fly too. He couldn't believe the things he'd
done in the past twenty-four hours.

"Bro, it's different. I mean it. Share the details."

Lucas rolled onto his stomach. "What do you mean? Sex is sex."
Kip gave him a look which said he thought Lucas possessed the I.Q. of a salamander.

"Seriously, that's what you think? Tyler's never hated anyone as much as he used to hate you.
And Adam was all over you from day one. Sure, they've hooked up with everyone on the crew,
but they've never gone after anyone the way they have you. They must be absolute animals with
you. They've wanted you forever."

"I don't know about that..."
"You're leaving me with blue balls. Not cool, bro. Here I have all these fantasies of

Olympic qualifying sex--"

"Oh, whatever," Lucas laughed. "It's no big deal. Sure, Tyler hated me. He kinda still

does but in a different way. We're working through it. The sex reflects that, I guess."

"Well, duh," Kip said with an eye roll. He pointed at Lucas. "You're not an occasional

hook up for them. I'm calling it right now. They're gonna want you for keeps."

"What? So I'm like their backup boyfriend? Yeah, no, that's hardly likely." Lucas rolled

to his feet, finding Kip's prediction laughable. "Adam's using me as some sort of therapy for
Tyler to try to get him over his hang-ups about his ex. As soon as Tyler gets to the point where
he doesn't want to punch my teeth in I'll be cut loose. I know how it is and I'm fine with it, Kip.
You don't need to try to protect my feelings or something. I don't have any feelings for them.
It's just sex."

"Uh, bro, you probably don't want to be saying something like that where Adam can

hear you. Especially if Tyler's there too."

Lucas dug around in his dresser for a change of clothing. His skin was tight and he

could smell Adam and Tyler on him.

"Adam knows the score, Kip. He didn't care that I was fooling around with Ben, did he?

And like you said, everyone on the crew has slept with everyone. Why would I be the
exception?"

"Because you just are. Look, don't believe me if you want, but don't be surprised if one

day you try to tell Adam you're done playing around with them and he chains you to his bed
and tells you leaving is not an option."

Lucas turned around, his hands clutching clothes. "You're serious." The memory of

Tyler's jealous glare at Ben on the beach last night floated to the front of his head but he
brushed it aside.

Kip held up three fingers, looked at them, dropped one finger, and then shrugged.

"Scout's honor, whatever that is. I'm not saying you can't get the milk elsewhere, bro. I'm just
saying remember the cows you're supposed to come home to afterwards."

Lucas still thought he was full of it, but Kip seemed to believe what he was saying.

Well, Kip was on the outside looking in. Lucas, who believed the chances of Tyler letting him
into their relationship permanently were about as good as Lucas becoming the new pirate
captain, knew this was all about the sex. It had better be, anyway. Lucas wasn't ready for a
boyfriend as he'd learned with Ben. Two boyfriends were out of the question.

He shook it off and headed for the door.
"So, uh, did you fuck both of them?"
"No," he replied, throwing Kip a sheepish grin over his shoulder. "Adam doesn't think

I'm ready for him."

Kip nodded sagely. "See? He's being careful with you. Triad for the win, bro. I called

it."

Lucas sighed. "Don't tempt me, Kip. I may have to take your money."

~~~~~

When Lucas left the bathroom, showered and dressed, he saw that Adam's bedroom

door was still shut. He wandered over to it and put his ear to the wood. He could hear the
shower still running inside and considered just letting himself in.

"Are you waiting for them or do you want to join me and Hewie for some Frisbee?" Kip

asked. He bounced a mango off his elbow before tossing it carelessly onto one of the sofas.
"Wasn't sure if they had dibs on you or--"

"No," Lucas said firmly, suddenly annoyed, "they don't have dibs on me. Frisbee sounds

good. Let me grab a water and we'll go."

Hewie was already on the beach, sitting on a yellow Frisbee as he smoked and gazed out

at the water where a pair of windsurfers was struggling to catch a breeze. He glanced up at
Lucas and Kip and smiled around the joint. "Dude, didn't think you'd be here. Right on. Good to
see you, Lucas."

"I didn't have anything else planned for today," Lucas said, feeling defensive and not

liking it.

Hewie shrugged and offered the joint, which Lucas passed on. "Thought you'd be doing

the hokey-pokey with the Cap'n and Ty all day. Surprised they let you out."

Kip wagged his eyebrows in an I-told-you-so motion. Lucas gave him a dirty look. To

Hewie he said, "I do whatever I want. You guys are paranoid. Anyway, let's do this."

"I'm gonna pretend this thing is covered with razors," Kip announced as he spun the

Frisbee up above his head like he was juggling it. "If it hits you anywhere except right in your
hand that part gets sliced off."

"Nice. Lethal Frisbee." Lucas jogged out a good forty feet from Hewie. "Prepare to be

decapitated."

"Dude, you haven't seen my mad skills. Just 'cuz I smoke up doesn't mean I'm slow."
Which turned out to be true. Fifteen minutes later Lucas ended up 'losing' an arm when

the Frisbee bounced off his fingers and struck his shoulder. He also lost his left hand and was
scalped. Kip got off worse, losing a foot when he tripped in the sand and the Frisbee hit him in
the leg. A couple of minutes later when the Frisbee ricocheted off Kip's wrist and hit him
beneath the jaw, they agreed to call a break.

"Ow, bro! You really did nearly decapitate me," Kip complained.
"It's like Thunderdome for Frisbees," Hewie said, spinning the plastic disk on one

finger. "Three men enter, one man leaves."

"I've never had a Frisbee thrown at me that hard," Lucas admitted, rubbing his shoulder

and studying Hewie with new, wary respect. "You're dangerous, man."

Hewie shrugged and dropped into a cross-legged seat on the sand. "We get a lot of

practice out here."

Lucas and Kip joined him, the three of them watching the windsurfers who'd finally

managed to catch some wind and were tacking across the bay like multi-colored kites. A shout
from behind them drew Lucas' attention to Ben, who was jogging out from the cottages with an
armful of beer rattling with every step.

"When do we have to stop drinking?" Lucas asked, eying the arriving bounty.

"Four hours before the show starts." Kip waved at Ben. "You're late, bro! Hewie already

killed us."

"Aw, that's no fair," Ben huffed, dropping to his knees in the sand and distributing the

beer. He smiled at Lucas as he handed him his bottle. "Nice to see you up and about this early
in the day."

Lucas laughed. "It's probably noon."
"Yeah, but I thought--"
Kip put a hand on Ben's arm. "Don't say it, bro. Lucas gets mad anytime someone

suggests he should be inside getting plowed."

Ben gave Lucas a look of bewilderment. "What? Why? That's what you're supposed to

be doing."

"Look, can we drop it?" Lucas shot Kip a glare. "Let's talk about something other than

my sex life, okay?"

The other three men exchanged glances.
"Sure thing," Hewie said.
"Whatever you want, bro."
They fell silent, watching the bay.
Two minutes passed.
Then four.
When the silence began to stretch past five minutes, Lucas snorted and punched Kip in

the shoulder, "You jerks."

Laughter encircled him.
"You're too easy," Ben teased. "Sex is our favorite topic of conversation around here.

And since you're the new guy and you're suddenly Mr. Popular with Adam and Tyler you know
we have to razz you."

"So what do I have to do to quit being so interesting?"
Ben took a swallow off his beer. "I don't know, sleep with everyone and rub off the

shine?"

"Ooh, pick me, pick me!" Kip waved his hand in the air. "Nothing like getting

comfortable on your home turf before branching out."

"Or we can have an orgy, that way Lucas can cross off three of us at once," Ben

suggested, eyeing Lucas with interest.

Lucas laughed uneasily. An orgy wasn't really his speed but he supposed these three

guys were the least threatening of all the pirates. "Why don't we start with making out?"

Kip snorted. "Bro, we're only joking with you."
"But you're also partly serious," Lucas argued. "You all think I belong to Tyler and

Adam and that's just not true. I'm a free agent. I'm not pinned down to anyone."

Ben toasted him. "Nothing wrong with that. I voted for free love back in the sixties."
"Dude, you weren't even born yet," Hewie pointed out.
"I retroactively support it."
"Bro, why don't you just say that you support being a man-ho and that you would--"
"So who's going to make out with me?"
Three sets of eyes turned to Lucas with surprise.
"I mean it. I'm newly gay and I want to sow some oats. Who's going to help me?"
Kip shared an uneasy look with Hewie. "Bro, I don't know if you should--"

"Oh, just let him do what he wants," Ben groaned. He jammed his beer bottle into the

sand and reached out and curved a hand behind Lucas' head, pulling him forward. He smiled at
Lucas. "You already know me, but friends with benefits never go out of style, right?"

Ben's soft, puffy lips sealed over Lucas' and Lucas decided that Ben was right: this

would never go out of style. He slipped his tongue between those generous lips and groaned
appreciatively as Ben sucked him inside. They kissed for nearly a minute, a slick of wet tongues
and soft lips, before Ben pulled back, smiling a bit goofily.

"Love kissing you," he murmured, staring at Lucas' mouth.
"I think you should be a professional," Lucas confessed. "You have the best lips."
Ben grinned. "So they say." He released Lucas and picked up his beer. "Alright boys,

who's next?"

Hewie shrugged and pulled the joint out from between his lips. "I'll go. Lucas is cool. I'd

like to kiss you."

Finding Hewie's attitude amusing, Lucas took hold of the skinnier man's T-shirt and

pulled him forward.

The sweet smell of weed was on Hewie's breath but Lucas didn't mind it. Hewie's lips

were thin but smooth, and his tongue, once it pushed into Lucas' mouth, moved quickly in a
circular motion that Lucas needed a few seconds to get used to but soon caught the hang of. It
was like kissing a small, wet hurricane but Lucas found it fun, if not exactly sexy.

"You're a good kisser," Hewie agreed when they finally broke apart. He immediately

pinched the joint between his lips and took a hit. "Thanks, Lucas."

"No, thank you," Lucas said with a chuckle. Then he turned to Kip.
Kip, oddly enough, looked back at Lucas with undisguised nervousness. Even weirder,

Lucas felt something of the same. Lucas didn't understand it. If there was anyone who should
be easy to kiss it should be his roommate and first true friend on Joyboy.

"I'm on the record saying I don't think this is a good idea, bro."
"Yeah, yeah, we all heard you," Ben said, winking at Hewie as if he had also noticed the

nerves at play. "Just kiss already. You two are like a couple of sixth graders about to be locked
in a closet for Seven Minutes in Heaven."

"I'm just savoring the anticipation of my first lip-lock with Mr. Most-Wanted," Kip

joked, but his tone was off and none of them laughed. He lost his smile and his expression
hardened. "Alright, whatever, come on, bro. Show me what's got Adam and Tyler creaming
their shorts every time they come near you."

He leaned forward, but Lucas realized he didn't want to kiss Kip. Not like this. He'd

thought of kissing Kip. Of course he had. Kip was cute and fun and obviously adventurous. But
in his imagination the two of them kissing had always sprang up out of some fun teasing and
evolved into something sexy. This was none of those things because Kip clearly didn't want to
do this. Kip thought he was poaching on his captain and first mate's territories.

"Forget it," Lucas said, lifting his beer to his lips. He washed out the sour taste of

something that wasn't quite disappointment but reminded him a little of shame. What did he
have to be ashamed of? He wasn't cheating on anyone. He wasn't even in a relationship. "You're
making me feel like crap, Kip. Thanks a lot. I appreciate it."

Kip's shoulders slumped. "Look, bro, I'm sorry. It's just that I know what I know and

what you know isn't what I know. If you knew what I know you wouldn't be trying so hard to
prove that Adam and Ty don't mean anything to you."

"Wait -- wait, what's all this?" Ben forced a laugh as he looked between Kip and Lucas.

Lucas wouldn't meet his eyes. "After all the garbage and sexual tension we all watched with Ty
and Adam you're trying to tell me that Lucas doesn't want them now that he's got them? Lucas,
buddy, be reasonable."

"I just don't like the fact that I'm suddenly in a relationship I never asked for in the first

place," Lucas muttered. "Don't get me wrong -- I think they're both super hot and I know I'm
lucky they're interested in me. But it's all -- it's happening way faster than I ever expected it to. I
was a virgin yesterday, Ben! Now I'm practically married?"

"Dude," Hewie mumbled, "you need to take a hit off this." He held out the joint.
Lucas waved him off impatiently. "I don't remember anyone telling me that joining the

crew meant I was suddenly going to be shuffled off into a relationship not of my choosing."

"Lucas," Ben said quietly, his teasing gone, "you did choose them. You put up with an

awful lot, otherwise. Tyler hasn't been easy on you and I know Adam's been pressuring you.
Why let them treat you that way if you didn't want to be with them?"

Because I would have been kicked off the island if I hadn't played along, he wished he

could tell them.

"Bro, walk with me," Kip said abruptly. He jumped to his feet and held down a hand for

Lucas. "Please. We're cool, but -- we need to talk."

After a brief hesitation, Lucas allowed him to pull him up. "We'll be back, I guess."
"Take your time. Talk it out. We'll be here, talking smack about you." Ben grinned but

Lucas could see the worry in his eyes.

Lucas couldn't do much relieve it though, and gave him a distracted smile before

following Kip down to the water.

"So maybe I played up the threesome thing too much," Kip said as he dipped his toes

into the foam that fizzled on the sand. "You're not married to Adam and Tyler and obviously
you can date or screw whoever you want to, Lucas. I shouldn't have made it sound like you're
trapped with them. I just thought -- well, I thought they were what you wanted."

"I do want them, but for fun. For sex."
"But I thought you realized that even though they bring in a third all the time, they never

work for a third. Not like they've worked for you." He glanced up at Lucas. "I thought you saw
it all coming and knew what it meant."

Lucas forced himself to be honest. Yes, he knew it had been difficult for Adam to get

Tyler to accept him. Yes, he had been aware the entire time of Tyler's huge trust issues. And
yes, he recalled that Tyler had normally been the one to bring a third person into their bed and
yet this time Adam had been the one to do it. Adam and Tyler had fought each other because of
Lucas and Lucas had watched, seeing how much Tyler had struggled with it. He'd known in his
heart that joining them wasn't something to be taken lightly.

So why was he resisting that truth now? Why was he insisting that this was just a fling

and that Adam and Ty would kick him out in a week once they'd grown tired of him? Adam had
risked his relationship with Tyler to include Lucas.

But that was the problem, and it had simmered in the back of his mind until now. Adam

had done everything he could to heal Tyler, including bringing in someone new. Adam had
done whatever it took -- because he loved Tyler.

Lucas wasn't a fling. He was a Band-aid. Kip and the other guys didn't see it because

they were romantics, wanting to believe the best of their captain. But Lucas, being new and not
yet completely blinded by the fog of adoration, saw the situation for what it was.

"I want this job," he told Kip, "and we both know that I probably wouldn't have kept it if

I hadn't tried to be gay."

"Bro, you are gay!"
"I'm bisexual. I still like women. And maybe I'll go back to women when this is all over.

Or maybe I'll date guys. I don't know. My point is that I didn't want jump into this thing with
Adam and Tyler on my own. I'd had no choice. It was play along or get kicked off the island."

Kip looked troubled. "It wasn't like they forced you..."
"No. But Adam pressured me a lot and Tyler was always in my face. Whatever, it's fine

now. I don't regret what I've done with them. Not at all. But I know why they wanted me and
it's not for the reason you think." Lucas shrugged. "It doesn't even matter. As long as I know it's
coming I don't care that they're eventually going to boot me out of their bed. I just need you to
realize it's coming and stop fantasizing about us being a happy threesome who grow old
together. When the time comes and they don't want me with them it'll be easier for all of us --
and safer for my job security -- if we all treat it like it's been a foregone conclusion."

Kip squinted at him. "Bro, are you one of those people who are afraid to trust good

things when they happen? Like a glass half empty kind of guy? Because I'm totally getting a
negative vibe from you and it's just not right. You've got everything going for you! You should
be stoked, not planning your breakup party!"

"Kip, I'm here for the job. Nothing else matters. All this hooking up -- it's just a bonus.

But if it becomes a big deal when Adam decides he wants to go back to being with only Tyler
then I might lose this job. I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic. I need Adam to know that
when he breaks up with me I won't be a problem; we'll still be able to work together."

"I hadn't thought of that," Kip said slowly. "But it shouldn't be an issue!"
"And it won't be," Lucas said carefully, "as long as I play it safe."
"It sounds cold when you say that way, bro, but -- I get where you're coming from." Kip

looked sad, and Lucas felt a little bad for him. Kip genuinely wanted him to be happy with
Adam and Tyler.

"Hey, if we're lucky, it won't even happen," Lucas said, trying to lighten the mood. He

didn't believe what he was saying but it wasn't him who needed cheering up.

"I hope it doesn't," Kip agreed, summoning a smile. "I like the thought of you with

them. It seems right. Tyler's a different sort of asshole when he's around you."

That earned a laugh out of Lucas. "I choose to take that as a compliment."
"I've still got my money on you guys for the long haul, bro. You can't take away my

positivity."

"I wouldn't dream of it."
"Hey, boys, speak of the Devil and his boytoy," Ben called out to them.
Lucas and Kip looked back. Adam and Tyler were making their way across the beach.
"They're here for you," Kip teased.
"Just for now," Lucas replied with a smirk. "Just for now."

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Suck my toes, new guy."
"Okay," Lucas said pleasantly. He didn't move a muscle.
Ben chuckled and Kip snickered. If Lucas didn't already have his eyes closed he would

have winked at them.

Blunt fingers combed through his hair. "You're not nice," Adam chided him.
"It's not like he expects me to actually do it," Lucas pointed out.
"Maybe I do," Tyler argued. He smacked Lucas in the shoulder with the back of his

hand. "Don't pretend to know how I think."

"No hitting," Adam said mildly.
"That wasn't a hit. It was a love tap."
"How about I put a love tap on your face?"
"How about I love tap your ass?"
Ben snorted. "I feel like I'm babysitting kindergartners."
"Then leave already." Tyler's voice was sharp, bringing Lucas' eyes open. He could tell

Tyler wasn't kidding. Ben just laughed it off as if Tyler was being his typical irritable self.
Lucas wanted to warn him to be careful but that would only focus more of Tyler's jealousy on
Ben.

"Let's all just relax and play nice." Adam stroked his fingers across Lucas' forehead,

coaxing him to close his eyes again. "You interested in coming with me on some errands
today?"

"Why are you choosing him over me?" Tyler immediately cried.
"Because you promised to make curry tonight. You need to go shopping for ingredients,

don't you?"

"But I could do that after I go with--"
"Tyler." Adam's voice held a note of warning.
Lucas cracked an eye open. Predictably Tyler was pouting.
"Fine. Whatever. He'll just get in your way, you know."
"Right," Lucas drawled, "because I'm twelve and that's what twelve-year-olds do."
"You said it, not me." But Tyler rubbed at his mouth as if wiping away a smile.
"What're you up to today besides playing referee?" Ben asked Adam. They were all

seated facing the bay with Lucas on his back with his head cradled in his arms. Adam sat beside
him with Tyler on Lucas' other side. Kip had given him a pointed look at the seating
arrangement which Lucas had pretended not to see.

"Aras wants a meeting," Adam said. He lifted his hand off Lucas' forehead. Lucas

missed it.

"Uh oh," Kip quipped. "That can't be good."
Lucas opened his eyes again. "Is a meeting bad?"
"Depends, bro. Last time Aras wanted to see Adam it was to tell him that the guy you

replaced in the show was going home."

"What, you mean he was fired?"

"It was a mutual decision," Adam said firmly to quell further speculation. "David had

been distracted and homesick. It was time for him to go."

Kip looked unconvinced. "Aras didn't--"
"It was a mutual decision," Adam repeated.
"What could Aras want, do you think?" Ben asked, frowning as he waited for Adam's

answer.

"I have no idea. Unless you guys have been screwing around behind my back?" Adam

arched an eyebrow.

"No way, dude," Hewie assured him without much apparent concern. "We've been

angels."

"Assuming you can even remember what you've been up to," Tyler said with a snort.

"You need to lay off the ganja every once in a while, Hewie. You're starting to scare me."

Hewie waved him off. "Nah, dude, I got it. Don't worry about me. 'Sides, I'm not in

charge of anything dangerous in the show."

"Thank god. There's no way I'd let you anywhere near me or my equipment," Ben said

with a laugh. He reached across Tyler's lap and patted Lucas on the hip. "Lucas, neither."

Because he'd been watching Tyler as he complained about Hewie, Lucas saw the anger

that distorted Tyler's face when Ben leaned across him. Lucas half-expected Tyler to elbow Ben
in the stomach. If the two of them broke into a fight it wouldn't be pretty. Ben was larger and
possibly stronger, but Tyler was scrappy and probably fought dirty.

"I think it's time to go," Adam murmured. Something in his tone made Lucas look up at

him, but his expression was difficult to read. "You coming with me, Lucas?"

Despite the gray glare that burned like a laser into the side of his face, Lucas sat up and

said cheerfully, "Absolutely."

"Don't hurry back or anything," Tyler said, sounding like a girlfriend who'd been stood

up for Boys Night Out.

Adam touched the top of Tyler's head. "We'll make it up to you later."
Lucas was pretty sure Tyler's disinterested shrug didn't fool anyone.
Back at the cottage, Adam told Lucas to put on some pants so they wouldn't look like

complete bums when they visited their boss.

"I like the way you're dealing with Tyler," Adam said as he zipped up a pair of cargo

pants that were frayed fashionably at the hems.

Lucas shrugged where he sat on the edge of their bed. "It's that or keep punching him.

You said no fighting, so..."

Adam came up to him and stood between Lucas' parted knees. "He's warming up to you

faster than I'd hoped. That's real good."

His role as the Band-Aid sat at the forefront of Lucas' mind. Still, he told himself what

did it matter? He was getting a great job and a lot of hot sex out of this arrangement. Putting up
with Tyler's temper tantrums was worth it.

"I can tell he doesn't hate me with the same degree of complete and utter loathing that

he did before," Lucas said with a grin.

One of Adam's thick fingers hooked beneath his chin, lifting it. Uncomfortable with the

action because it made him feel like a girl, Lucas turned his face out of Adam's reach.

Adam smirked. "You don't like that?"
"I'm a guy."
"You prefer the rough stuff, huh?"

"Well -- yeah."
The next thing he knew he was sprawled on his back on Adam's bed, the breath knocked

out of him. The bigger man leaned over him, his forearm pinning Lucas' collarbones.

"Better?" Adam's low voice made Lucas' cock sit up and take notice.
"Better," Lucas said, annoyed that his voice came out sounding so airy. He cleared his

throat and said in a firmer voice, "Now that you've got me here what are you going to do with
me?"

Adam cupped him between the legs. He gritted his teeth when Adam rolled his dick

between two fingers like he was rolling a cigar.

"You're easy now." Adam searched his face. "Now you ask for it when before I would

have had to force it on you. You're doing better than Ty."

The comparison pricked at Lucas' ego. "I'm not one of your pet projects. Don't compare

me to him." He tried to sit up but the arm across his chest may as well have been an iron bar.

"You two are a lot alike. Neither of you wants to see it."
"I think you like to think we're alike. You must have a thing for twins or something.

Adam, let me up."

"A second ago you were hoping I'd molest you," Adam reminded him, smirking.
"A second ago I wasn't thinking very clearly. Adam, come on."
"You whine just like Ty." Adam backed up off of him and extended a hand to help him

up.

Annoyed by the remark, Lucas ignored the hand and stood under his own steam. "Are

we going now?"

Adam chuckled as if he knew everything that was going through Lucas' head and was

amused by it. "Sure, Lucas. Let's go."

Their destination was the Arcadia Hotel. It was a beautiful hotel but certainly the

strangest Lucas had ever seen. In reception, one half was decorated as Hell and the other as
Heaven. Lucas was forced to wait in the lobby while Adam disappeared to meet with Aras. He
spent the time watching guests reacting to the unique theme of the hotel.

Could a hotel like this have gone over on the mainland? He wasn't so sure. The theme

catered to sexual fantasies even if nothing in the public areas was distasteful. Only on Joyboy
could they get away with it and Lucas was fascinated. This island truly was a world of its own.

As he watched guests checking in to Heaven or Hell and interacting with the

appropriately dressed clerks, he asked himself which side he'd want to enter if he were a guest.
He didn't think he was vanilla -- his sex life with Lisa notwithstanding -- but he wasn't sure if
he was particularly kinky either.

Adam's question -- "You prefer the rough stuff, huh?" -- circled his head. Did he like it

rough or was rougher sex between men an inescapable hazard? When he imagined sex with
Tyler he liked to imagine Tyler beneath him, submitting to him. When he imagined sex with
Adam he fantasized about Adam holding him down and taking him. Maybe it wasn't roughness
so much as the aspects of domination that appealed to him. He knew he liked being in charge of
women, but it was new and exciting to imagine himself taking that bottom role with men.

If he stuck around with Adam and Tyler he could play both roles. It was an ideal

situation and he needed to remember that. He didn't need the Arcadia; Heaven and Hell could
be his as long as he played along and gave his lovers what they wanted.

He stood up when he saw Adam emerge from one of the halls behind Heaven's

reception desk. The expression on Adam's face killed the smile that had been growing on
Lucas'.

"What's wrong?" he asked as Adam stormed past him, heading for the front door.
"Someone's stirring the shit," Adam growled.
Lucas struggled to keep up with him as they burst out into the sunlight. "What

happened?"

At his motorcycle, Adam paused, hands on the seat, head down. The muscles in his

triceps looked carved in dark granite.

"Someone reported us to Aras," he ground out. "Said we'd been harassing people and

using our status in the show to try to force our way into a restaurant where we didn't have a
reservation." He gave Lucas a glare that Lucas knew wasn't meant for him. "It was Rory. It had
to be."

Lucas thought so too. "It's because he lost the last game, isn't it? He's a sore loser."
"It may have had something to do with how he lost too."
Lucas tried, he really did. But he couldn't suppress his grin. "He got knocked out with a

dildo."

Adam pressed his lips together but his eyes were dancing. "That's pretty fucking

humiliating."

"He deserved it."
Adam's face hardened. "After what he tried to do to you -- yeah, he deserved it and

worse."

"Surely Aras knows not to trust anything that Rory tells him?"
"Rory's smarter than that. I'm sure he used other people to report us. Aras has no choice

but to take the complaint seriously."

Lucas was afraid to ask. "By doing what?"
Adam straightened and grabbed his helmet. "By putting the pirate crew on probation.

One more complaint like that and he's scrubbing the entire crew."

"But the show!"
"A lot of people want our jobs, Lucas. He won't have any trouble finding replacements

for us."

"But they won't be as good as we are!"
Adam paused in the act of strapping on his helmet. He clapped a hand on Lucas'

shoulder. "No one's going to take the show away from us. I promise you."

"But how can you promise such a thing? You just said we're on probation."
"I'll take the fall myself."
Even after Adam slapped his helmet into his hands, Lucas couldn't move. "Adam, you

can't do that."

"I'm the captain. I'm responsible for the actions of my crew."
"We're not a real pirate crew," Lucas argued.
Adam gave him a look. "I thought you'd gotten over that kind of mindset."
Frustration rolled over Lucas. Subdued, he pulled on his helmet. "I think of us as a

family, Adam. I do. But you're not our dad. It's not right for you to be punished for things we do
-- or in this case, things we don't do. We need to go to Rory and end this stupid game once and
for all."

"I agree. But there is no 'we'. Rory's problem is with me. I'll take care of it."

Lucas caught Adam's arm as he was about to mount the motorcycle. "This is probably

exactly what he's angling for. I don't think you should see him on your own."

Adam looked amused. "I appreciate the sentiment but what do you think he's going to

do to me once he gets me alone? If he wants to fight, I have no problem with that. If he wants
something else -- he won't be able to rape me, we're too evenly matched, but if it's just sex he
wants--" He shrugged.

Lucas goggled. "You mean you'd give in to him?"
"I'm not a prostitute," Adam said with a chuckle. "Relax, man. I only meant I'd set him

straight. Figuratively."

Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. "Will that be enough? He seems really stubborn. I'm

afraid he's going to demand that you go back to him."

Adam cocked his head. "Would you care?"
It was on the tip of Lucas' tongue to say of course he cared. He cared for Tyler's sake.

Tyler would be devastated if Adam broke up with him.

But he couldn't say that. Adam would call bullshit and might even become pissed at him

for using Tyler as the excuse.

So he said, "Yeah. I'd care. For one, you don't like Rory that way. You're not

compatible. You said so yourself. For another--" he licked his lips self-consciously, "-- I
thought we have a good thing here. You, me, and Tyler. Slightly combustible, sure. A lot of
work, definitely. But even I have to admit it's getting easier. It'd be stupid to throw that away."

"Do you want to see what it can become?"
The question threw Lucas. "You mean -- us?"
Impatience flickered across Adam's face. "Yes, us."
"Well, I -- sure. Of course." Inside, a voice yelled at Lucas to be honest and admit that

he didn't believe what they were doing was going to be long-term at all. And even if it was, he
wasn't sure he wanted to be a part of something like that.

Adam seemed relieved by his answer. "I was getting a weird vibe from you earlier," he

admitted.

Hoping he didn't look as guilty as he felt, Lucas said, "What sort of vibe?"
"I don't know. Like you were getting cold feet. Feeling claustrophobic. Who knows?

The point is that I was wrong. Right?"

Lucas looked him in the eye and said, "Right."
Nodding, Adam managed a smile. "Everything's going to be fine, Lucas. Don't worry

about Rory or Aras. I'll take of them. It's my job."

"You know you don't have to do it alone."
"I know. But this crew -- it's mine. This show is mine even if my name's not on the

credits and I don't receive the proceeds. When someone threatens what's mine I take care of it
personally. Just as if someone messed with you."

"You don't need to worry about me." Lucas frowned. "The jungle thing was a fluke."
"I know you could have taken him," Adam said.
Paranoid that Adam was merely humoring him, Lucas blurted, "I'm serious. I don't need

you to take care of my business."

"I won't. Not the little things. But you're as much my property as my sword and hat.

Don't argue," Adam said when Lucas opened his mouth to speak. "You're mine now. Live with
it and enjoy it. A lot of guys would love to be in your position."

Resentment flared. "What position is that? Being treated like a girl?"

He expected Adam to react with irritation, but the big man just shook his head as if he

found everything Lucas said to be funny. He crowded Lucas back against the bike and said
softly, "A lot of guys would kill to have a big stud like me show an interest in them. Don't tell
me, Lucas, that you don't get hard at the thought of me holding your ankles to your ears and
shoving my big cock up your ass."

Lucas flushed. "It's not because you're big or--"
"Isn't it?" Adam's gaze was knowing. "You put up with Tyler's shit because you're

looking forward to the day when you can pay it all back to him with interest. Tell me why you
put up with me bossing you around. I know you don't want to fuck me. So tell me why you let
me shave your balls. Tell me why you let me shove my cum in your mouth. Tell me why you
let me stand here and talk about fucking you, Lucas."

Lucas wished he had the room to turn away or step around Adam. Anything to avoid

those piercing dark eyes which saw disturbingly deep.

Adam reached around behind him and grabbed him by the ass with both hands.
"Shit, Adam!" He struggled to push the thick arms away but Adam merely squeezed the

globes of his ass until Lucas yelped and subsided.

"You're embarrassed, but it turns you on that I would grab your ass like this. Like I own

it."

Lucas shook his head vehemently.
"A couple of weeks ago you would have decked any guy who tried this. Are you

fighting me, Lucas? Are you resisting?" Adam's smile was dark. "Not really." He pushed his
thigh forward, forcing it between Lucas' legs. He pressed it up against Lucas' erection. "What's
this, hmm?"

Lucas blushed.
"In our little threesome -- in our triad -- there will be only one top and that's me. You've

known this since the beginning and you haven't complained about it or tried to overturn it.
That's because you want me to be in control. But guess what -- in order to get my cock up your
ass you have to accept that I'm going to control aspects of your life outside of bed too. I don't
play at domination games. I live domination. Saying I treat you like a girl is an insult to me, it’s
like you telling me I'm not strong enough to have control over a real man. Are you a real man,
Lucas?"

"Yes," he murmured.
He caught back a moan as Adam squeezed his ass.
"Am I strong enough to control, fuck, and take care of you, Lucas?" His fingers crept

inwards to the seam of Lucas' shorts and pressed, pushing the fabric into his crease. His hole
twitched as if sensing the proximity of something that could penetrate it.

"Yes," Lucas gasped. He clutched Adam's biceps. "I'm sorry. I never meant to suggest

that I don't think you're a man or a -- a top."

"But you have trouble accepting that you're my bottom."
Lucas' hips jerked forward when Adam pressed a cloth-covered finger against his hole.

"Are you going to fuck me, Lucas?"

The question was ridiculous. "No. I wouldn't even try." He didn't want to see Adam

under anyone.

"Am I going to fuck you? Look into my eyes when you answer."
Face hot, dick hard, Lucas looked into Adam's eyes and answered. "I think you're going

to end up fucking me. And -- and I think I'm going to like it."

Adam smiled. "Good boy." He laughed as Lucas' cock lurched against his thigh. "You

like when I call you a good boy, huh?"

Lucas was sure he was going to die of mortification. "Please don't, Adam. My ego can

only take so much at a time."

Adam took mercy on him. He eased his grip on Lucas' ass and gave it an affectionate

pat before releasing him. "I'm not out to humiliate you, man. That's not my thing." He stepped
back and suddenly Lucas could breathe again. "I need you to be okay with how things are going
to be though. How they are. If there's trouble, it's my job to deal with it, not yours. The reward
for letting me do that should be obvious. If it's not, just ask your dick."

Lucas smiled ruefully. "He's not capable of speech right now."
A bright white grin streaked Adam's face. "Come on, then. Let's go back before Tyler

sets the kitchen on fire and pisses on our beds."

~~~~~

The cottage didn't smell like India when they returned, much to Lucas' disappointment.

As Adam went to the bedroom, Lucas wandered into the kitchen where he found Tyler
chopping onions and tomatoes. Two Tupperware containers of chopped peppers and garlic were
already full and sitting on the counter, waiting to be lidded.

"I thought you'd be cooking by now," Lucas remarked as he leaned one hip against the

counter a few feet from Tyler.

"Maybe if I was throwing shit in the microwave and calling it dinner I'd be done. This is

real cooking, new guy. It takes time."

He watched Tyler dice up a tomato into perfect squares of uniform size.
"Where'd you learn how to cook? Did someone teach you?"
Tyler shrugged.
"What does that mean?"
"No one taught me."
"So you watch a lot of cooking shows or something? Like how did you learn to use the

knife that way?"

"Fuck, new guy!" Tyler slammed his knife flat on the cutting board. "I'm working here!

Go nag someone else!"

"You're telling me you can't chop tomatoes and talk to me at the same time?" Lucas

asked, incredulous. "Cut the crap, Tyler. It wouldn't kill you to hold a conversation with me.
We're fucking. I think it's safe to say you're stuck with me right now so get over yourself."

"I like how you say we're fucking like you think it's going to be an on-going thing,"

Tyler said, shaking his head before picking up the knife again. He went back to chopping
vegetables.

"I think I'm here until Adam decides you're no longer psychotic."
Tyler gave a bark of laughter. "Like that's going to happen anytime soon."
The response pulled a grin from Lucas. "I know. What the hell is Adam thinking?"
Gray eyes slanted to him. "Fuck off, new guy."
Lucas relaxed though, and crossed his arms as he leaned back against the counter.

Talking -- or as usually was the case, arguing -- with Tyler was fun in its own weird, abusive
way.

"So how'd you learn to cook this stuff?" he persisted. "The best I can do is make pasta

with some kind of sauce and vegetables."

"I like to read," Tyler muttered.
"And?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you? Christ. I like to read cookbooks, alright?"
Lucas blinked. He'd never heard of that before. "So you just -- read them? Start on page

one and--"

"Yes. I even read left to right, top to bottom." Tyler rolled his eyes.
"I guess I never thought of someone reading a cookbook all the way through. I figured

they were reference books. You pick out a recipe and make it."

Tyler grunted and finished the tomato. He moved on to an onion.
"Adam's really lucky. I mean, we're all lucky. Everyone who lives here. You're a great

cook."

Tyler stopped chopping and stared at the cabinet in front of him. "Are you trying to

butter me up for something? Just fucking spit it out already."

Lucas had been trying to deliver a genuine compliment but he realized maybe he should

take advantage of Tyler's somewhat receptive attitude. After a quick glance to the living room
and through it, to the master bedroom door which was shut, he slid closer to Tyler.

"Donahue had someone report us to Aras."
Tyler stiffened. "For what?"
"Causing trouble. Trying to force our way into a restaurant. A bunch of lies, basically.

Adam's mad. He says he's going to talk to Rory. He's going alone."

Tyler didn't fly off the handle in outrage at the news. He simply nodded and

concentrated on the onion again.

"That doesn't bother you?" Lucas asked him, surprised by the lack of reaction. "What if

it's a trap?"

"Are you fucking serious? What is this -- a spy movie?" Tyler shook his head, muttering

something about Lucas being an idiot. "Adam can kick anyone's ass, including Donahue's. He
doesn't need you waging some half-assed rescue effort or whatever. Just leave him alone and let
him do what he needs to do."

"What if Rory wants him back?"
"So what? Who wouldn't want Adam back? Who cares what Donahue wants, anyway?

He's not Adam's type. I -- we -- are." Tyler nearly chopped the end of his own thumb off as he
forced out the admission.

Lucas had to ask. "What's his type? And don't say we are. Elaborate. I want to know."
Tyler leered at him. "Afraid I'm going to say effeminate blonds?"
Lucas gave him a dirty look. "Hardly. You're not and I'm not. If anything I'd say his

type are athletic blonds who can pass for straight."

"Like that's anything to be proud of," Tyler said with a snort of disgust. "Being straight

is overrated. They're all assholes."

"So anyway," Lucas prompted, not wanting to go down that tangent, "why are we his

type?"

"We're blond."
"I figured that much out, thanks."
"Athletic."
Lucas waited him out. Tyler snickered.

"I've got a cute ass. I guess yours is okay under certain lighting."
"Thanks a lot."
Tyler shrugged. "We're both fucked up."
"Wait, what?"
"Adam's drawn to guys with issues. He likes to fix them."
Lucas had heard this before. Adam had a saving 'thing'. But what did he need to be

saved from?

"That might be true with you," he pointed out, "but it doesn't apply to me. I don't have

any issues."

"Yeah, okay." Tyler rolled his eyes again. Lucas was ready to tape them in place.
"I'm serious, Ty. I don't have any issues."
"You know what, new guy? You're absolutely right. You have it all together. I don't

know why I ever thought you might've been messed up. I mean, it's not like you came here
pretending to be straight and then ended up begging to be fucked up the ass all the time. That
would have been an 'issue', but thank fucking god that doesn't apply to you. Whew, glad we
cleared that one up."

Lucas decided talking to Tyler wasn't as fun as he'd initially thought. In fact, it pretty

much sucked.

"I'm not one of his therapy cases," he insisted, growing angry. "I'm not like you."
Tyler stiffened. He glared at Lucas from beneath the strands of platinum blond hair that

had fallen over his forehead. "You're right, Lucas. I am messed up. I'm a total head case. I'm
going to tell Adam that the only time I feel like I'm making any progress towards normalcy is
when I'm grinding your face into the ground while I'm plowing your ass. Get ready to have the
loosest ass on Joyboy. But at least you'll be helping with Adam's therapy case, right? It's all for
a good cause: Tyler the Fuck-Up."

Having the words thrown back in his face made Lucas feel like crap. He could

understand why Tyler would be defensive and maybe feel ashamed that everyone thought he
was so messed up. Lucas put himself in Tyler's shoes and decided what he had gone through
was pretty damned sad.

"Look, I'm sorry," he said with a sigh. "I didn't want to come in here and fight with you.

I don't know why Adam likes us. Maybe you're right with the reasons you cited or maybe it's
something you and I will never know that only he sees in us. I guess it doesn't matter. We're all
here and in this. So we should just get along and try to enjoy it."

Tyler scowled and went back to chopping. Lucas watched him work for several minutes,

letting the peace -- or what he hoped was peace -- build between them.

"If I were to guess," he said quietly after several minutes, "I'd say Adam likes us simply

because we're attractive."

Tyler grunted noncommittally.
"I'm not going to lie and pretend I don't think I'm good-looking," Lucas went on. "I

doubt you would either. At least you shouldn't. I think you're very attractive. I thought that even
before I realized I could like guys."

"Did you want me before you wanted Adam?"
Lucas couldn't decide if there was accusation in Tyler's question or something else.
"I don't know," he replied honestly. "You're so different. The way you guys affect me is

totally different too."

"You want him to fuck you and you want to fuck me."

Tyler stated it as fact. He didn't bother looking up at Lucas to confirm it.
"I guess. Yeah, maybe." Lucas edged closer, mindful of the huge knife in Tyler's

capable hand. "Were you attracted to me when you first saw me?"

"Ha! I wanted to rip your balls off."
"That's just because you thought I was a threat. Take Adam out of the equation for a

second. What did you think of me by myself when you met me?"

Tyler shrugged. "I didn't."
"Oh, come on. You thought something."
"Yeah, you're right. I thought, great, here's some asshole straight guy. I was partly

right."

Lucas realized abruptly that he was too tired to play this game much longer with Tyler.
"Well," he said with some disappointment, "I honestly thought you were good-looking

when I met you. Beautiful even, and don't take that the wrong way. But you are. In a good way.
I just -- I thought you should know. I don't have to fake being interested when I'm with you.
Not at all."

When Tyler said nothing and still didn't look at him, Lucas sighed and pushed off the

counter. He made it as far as the center of the kitchen before Tyler caught the back of his shirt.

Surprised, Lucas turned, and found himself face to face with Tyler, who made a strange

face as if he was mad at himself before he pressed his lips to Lucas'. The kiss felt rushed,
almost sloppy, like it was only going to last a few seconds. Lucas clutched Tyler's shoulders to
keep him in place, afraid he'd run away. But Tyler didn't, and encouraged, Lucas slid both
hands up the sides of Tyler's neck and cupped his face. Tyler's moan vibrated against Lucas'
lips. Lucas responded in kind.

Tyler threw an arm around his shoulder. Something pricked Lucas near the spine and he

realized a little hysterically that Tyler still held the knife in his hand. Taking his chances that he
wouldn't end up with a knife sticking out of his back, Lucas pushed his tongue between Tyler's
lips and tasted him. Tyler startled against him, and then he sucked on Lucas' tongue as if it were
a mint.

Lucas groaned and began backing Tyler, wanting to push him against the counter and

hopefully lift him up onto it so he could step between his legs. They didn't make it that far.
Tyler pulled back despite Lucas' attempt to prolong the kiss. Shaking his head to loosen Lucas'
grip, Tyler slid his arm off of Lucas' shoulder.

"I don't want this romantic shit," Tyler said, even though his voice was soft and made

Lucas want to do romantic things for him. "I just want to fuck." Self-recrimination began to
filter across his face. "Kissing is stupid."

"It's not," Lucas insisted. "It makes it better. Hotter. Fucking can come afterwards."
Tyler's eyes glittered. "Adam's going to fuck you soon."
"I want him to."
Tyler sneered. "You think you're going to fuck me?"
Lucas smiled earnestly. "A boy can dream." In a more serious tone he added, "I'll make

it good for you."

But Tyler just laughed in a mean way and shoved Lucas back a few steps. He raised the

knife. "Too many chiefs in the kitchen, new guy. Get out and take your dream with you."

He turned back to the counter and began chopping again. Lucas watched him for a

moment.

"I'm looking forward to the show tonight," he said to Tyler's back. "I hope we run the

same script as last time."

He heard the steady, rhythmic motion of Tyler's chopping falter and then resume.

"Relax, new guy. You're going to get fucked again. You don't need to beg for it."

Lucas ignored his tone. "Okay, good. Because I would have begged for it if I had to. I

liked having you inside me. Even if it's all I'll ever get from you -- I could be okay with that."

The chopping stopped completely. Lucas turned and swiftly walked out, wondering as

he did so if Tyler was watching him. If not, tonight was going to be long and hard, and
probably not in a good way.

CHAPTER NINE

Lucas wanted to kill Tyler, slowly and painfully.
"Could this be any hotter?" he gasped, fanning his burning lips with one hand. "Holy

hell, Ty, what did you put in this? Actual fire?"

"They're called spices, new guy. Be a man."
But Tyler's eyes were dancing and that almost made the intense pain scorching Lucas'

mouth and throat worth it. Almost.

"I think I'm going to die," he wheezed. He reached for his glass of juice but Kip shook

his head and pointed at Lucas' bowl.

"Eat the rice, bro. It's the only way to absorb the heat. The juice will just spread it

around."

"It's already eating me from the inside out. I don't know how much further it can

spread." But he took Kip's advice and began shoveling rice into his mouth.

"This is hotter than usual," Adam remarked, giving Tyler a look.
Tyler shrugged carelessly. "Heat is good for you. Ramps up the metabolism." He licked

the back of his spoon, his eyes on Adam. "It's an aphrodisiac too."

"Ugh, all I can think about is how much this is going to hurt on the way out," Lucas

moaned.

"Nice! Way to kill the mood," Tyler snarled and jammed his spoon into his curry.
"It's your fault for making this stuff nuclear." Lucas sat back and rubbed his stomach.

"Ow. Next time can I cook?"

"You may as well just feed us poison straight from the bottle," Tyler muttered, "and

save us the grocery bill."

"I happen to make a mean spaghetti."
"Serving us spaghetti would be mean."
"I think that'd be cool to have you cook, bro." Kip scooped up plenty of rice with his

curry. "Variety's good, you know?"

"And you're an equal member of this household," Adam said, "so why shouldn't you

contribute to meals?"

Lucas smiled across the table at him, glad Adam was on his side even if Tyler wanted to

gouge out Lucas' eyeballs with his spoon. He'd steered clear of Tyler for the rest of the day after
what had happened in the kitchen. He hoped it was the right move. It was hard to tell with
Tyler. Lucas still couldn't tell whether Ty wanted him to be aggressive or passive.

It was sorta like coming on to a girl. Just as bewildering.
But it wasn't like Lucas had anywhere to go for the time being and trying to figure Ty

out was a fun, masochistic sort of challenge. And if it paid off, well, it would pay off big time.

"Is there something specific you'd like?" he asked Adam, knowing Adam would

appreciate the attention and Tyler would become jealous. "I don't have much of a repertoire but
I've heard cookbooks can be helpful."

Tyler choked.
Adam grinned across the table at Lucas. "I'm easy, man. As long as there's plenty of

meat I'm happy."

"Okay. Lots of meat. I'm sure I can give you enough to satisfy you."
"Oh, bro," Kip snickered as he bent over his food.
"Sounds like a slut, doesn't he, Kip?" Tyler's smile was hard, his eyes narrowed to slits.
"And you sound like you're jealous," Lucas said mildly. He forced his burning lips into

a smile. "Are you?"

Tyler didn't look away. "You wish."
Lucas didn't lose his smile. "Yeah, Tyler, I do."
Tyler's gaze skittered away nervously. Lucas could tell he was confused. Beside Tyler,

Adam watched Lucas steadily. Lucas hoped Adam could tell that this was a game but not one
designed to hurt Tyler.

"So what's the script for tonight?" Tyler muttered, acting as though he intended to

ignore Lucas for the rest of the meal.

"The last one seemed to work out well for everyone involved." Adam shrugged and

scraped his spoon through his bowl. "We'll stick with that for now."

Tyler grunted, which Lucas took as a good sign. At least he hadn't argued against

fucking Lucas over the cannon. Lucas hoped that meant he actually wanted to fuck him.

"It is pretty hot," he said, watching Tyler. "And I'm not talking about the curry this

time."

"Sure you're not going to cry this time because it hurts too much?" Tyler sneered back.
"Lucas isn't a virgin," Adam pointed out. His dark gaze fixed intently on Lucas. "He can

take it."

Warm heat rushed to Lucas' groin. "I -- yeah."
"He wants to take you, that's for sure," Tyler said with a taunting laugh. "Adam's big,

new guy. Your little hole's going to need some stretching if you wanna ride that pole."

Lucas' cheeks were hot but he played it off since there was nothing he could do about it.

"So I guess you need to help me with that," he said with a cockiness he definitely didn't feel
while talking about his inability to comfortably sit on another guy's dick.

"Holy shit, you are turning into such a slut," Tyler said with a whistle. He bumped his

shoulder into Adam's. "Is that why you wanted to keep him? You knew he'd be like this?
Fucking cock-hungry is what he is."

Being thrown into a volcano wouldn't have made Lucas feel any hotter. "Do you always

have to blow things out of proportion, Ty? I mean seriously. Knock it off."

"Can't handle the truth, new guy?"
"I can handle you."
Tyler leered. "We'll find out tonight, won't we?"
Turned-on, Lucas replied, "I can't wait. Can you?"
Tyler didn't respond but his stare ripped the clothes from Lucas' body and all but threw

him, naked, on the table. It was exactly what Lucas wanted from him, all that hate and anger
turned into passion.

"Never knew it would turn out this way," Kip marveled, looking agog between Lucas

and Tyler. "Did you, Cap'n?"

Adam sat back, the very tips of his mouth lifting at the corners. "I had a feeling, Kip.

Nice to know I was right."

The comment brought a disgusted look to Tyler's face. "You're not right about anything.

I still can't stand him. Being able to stick my dick in him just means he's not ugly enough to
make me lose my hard-on."

"So you wouldn't care if I told Ben to take over the job of fucking Lucas tonight?"
Lucas tensed, his eyes flicking between Adam and Tyler. Even Kip gave Lucas a look

of trepidation as if he expected bowls and spoons to start flying.

"Why would I care if he took over?" Tyler said slowly and clearly. He whipped a glare

around the table, daring anyone to argue. "Unless it's because you're demoting me from First
Mate. Then yeah, I'd care a lot."

"I'm not demoting you. You haven't done anything wrong. I thought a switch might be

nice and you don't seem to care one way or another."

Lucas had to bite the inside of his mouth in order to maintain a straight face. He made a

mental note not to bullshit Adam anytime soon. He clearly had no problem calling you out on
it.

"Ben's supposed to fall from the mast. Who's gonna do it if he doesn't?"
"It's easy enough to improvise something else," Adam said with a shrug. He ran thick

fingers through his silky hair, looking almost bored with the conversation. "Ben's been doing a
good job lately. This would be a nice reward for him and I'm sure he'd be grateful to you."

Tyler's cheeks turned blotchy. He gripped his spoon so tightly his knuckles turned

white. "I don't give a shit about his gratitude. This is my role and no one's going to take it from
me. Have him do something else. My scene is mine. It's practically the climax of the show. If
you think I'm going to let him take it away from me you're both insane."

"You sound like you're prepared to fight him over the privilege," Lucas said as light-

heartedly as he could even though inside his heart was thudding hard against his ribcage and his
cock was swollen and erect. He wanted to slide beneath the table and suck Tyler off which was
crazy but he couldn't help the urge.

"He's not taking what's mine," Tyler spat, though whether the statement was a reply to

Lucas was debatable since he refused to look at him.

Adam smiled and nodded his head once. "I just needed to know you wanted him --

sorry, the scene. It's all yours, Ty. Good to hear you're committed to it."

"You're so full of shit," Tyler muttered and shoved his chair back. He abandoned his

bowl and stormed out of the kitchen. The master bedroom door slammed a moment later.

Lucas tried very hard not to imagine the later argument and makeup sex that would

ensue between the two men. Cumming in his shorts at the dinner table would be pretty
embarrassing. "You push his buttons all the time," he remarked to Adam. "It's kind of mean,
don't you think?"

"You think I'm being mean to him?" Adam looked amused. "Or do you think I'm

making him face how he feels instead of letting him hide behind a bad attitude? Tyler is the
king of self denial. If no one takes the glasses off he sees what he wants to see, which is usually
what causes him the least amount of stress."

"Nothing wrong with avoiding stress," Kip said cheerfully, but he fumbled with his

bowl and glass as he gathered both and pushed away from the table. "I'm going to play a few
games before we head off."

He rinsed out his bowl and fled to the living room.
Lucas gave Adam a weak smile. "Kip's kind of right. If it stresses Tyler out maybe you

shouldn't push him."

"With anyone else I would agree with you. But Ty will go so far as to change the way

he interacts with people to avoid facing uncomfortable truths. It's not healthy for him."

"I'm beginning to think you should be a counselor or a psychiatrist. You seem to know a

lot about people. Or at least what's wrong with them."

"Armchair psychologist at your service." Adam's grin was unapologetic. But after a few

seconds it subsided as he adopted a thoughtful expression. "People interest me. I've always been
a people watcher, but I realized when I was a teenager that I wasn't comfortable sitting around
watching people destroy themselves. So I did a lot of reading. Then I watched some more and
eventually I started talking to people. I like helping. Most people don't need that much help.
They just need someone to notice them and take an interest in them. People need to know that
someone cares. I have a knack for being that person." His big shoulders shifted up and down. "I
like it. Makes me feel good when I can help."

"No offense," Lucas said with a small laugh, "but I never would have pegged you for

someone like that."

"No offense taken, man. I know what kind of impression I make at first. But I'm

persistent. I get through to most people eventually and they let down their guards enough to talk
to me. It's a great feeling when that happens."

Lucas nodded, finding Adam's interest in helping people to be interesting -- but also

worrying. Tyler had suggested that Adam was interested in Lucas because of his issues.

"Do you ever worry that you'll make a mistake?" he asked. "Like with Tyler. He seems

pretty fragile. How do you know when you've gone too far and when he's just throwing a
tantrum?"

"I think I know him well enough to tell. But I'm not God. I make mistakes with him all

the time. I like to think I do more good for him than bad. I hope that's why he's still with me."
Adam chuckled, a gleam in his dark eyes. "Among other reasons."

What gay guy wouldn't want to be Adam's lover, even if he did have to put up with

psychological prodding? Lucas had arrived on Joyboy convinced he was one hundred percent
straight and even he had found himself unwittingly attracted to the man.

"I always have Tyler's best interests at heart," Adam added. "You don't need to worry

about him, Lucas. It's cool, but not necessary."

"I would have left him alone a long time ago," Lucas admitted. "He seems like he hates

to have anyone talk back to him or question him. But then I guess that's why I'm not his
boyfriend. I would've backed down instead of stood up to him like you're doing. I don't have the
patience for that."

"You stand up to him well enough. More than most of the crew does. You're also closer

to him than any of them are."

Lucas shrugged. "If by closer you mean I get into more fights with him than anyone else

does, then sure. I honestly think he's always looking for an excuse to start something with me."

"He's like a kid pulling pigtails. You know this, Lucas."
He did, but it seemed arrogant to say as much.
"Ty's been through a lot but he's a good guy," Adam said. "He's got a big heart."
"So do you," Lucas said. "The things you do for him. He's really lucky. You love him a

lot."

But a subtle change came over Adam's face that Lucas couldn't quite decipher. "Did

your ex love you?" he asked Lucas. "As much as you loved her?"

Lucas was caught aback by the question. "I don't -- I mean, sure. We said the words."
"I'm sure you meant them. I'm asking if she did."

Uneasy with the questioning, Lucas played it off. "You're assuming that I meant them.

Obviously I must not have if I'm here on a gay island doing the things I've been doing with
you."

"Is it obvious? You don't strike me as the kind of guy who tells a girl he loves her when

he doesn't. That still leaves me asking whether you think she loved you the same way."

Lucas didn't understand where Adam was going with this. "What does this have to do

with anything? I thought we were talking about Tyler."

Adam gave Lucas a friendly smile from across the table. "We were also talking about

you. You're interesting too, man. You just don't realize it."

"Um, well, I'd prefer we talk about someone else because I know I am not interesting."
"You'd be surprised." Adam pushed back from the table. "Your second show's coming

up. It's going to be a good one."

Lucas allowed himself to relax and let the excitement creep in. "I've been looking

forward to it all day."

A flash of white teeth. "I'm looking forward to it too." He glanced towards the archway

leading to the living room and bedrooms. "Coming with me to make Ty feel better?"

The temptation was like a hand on his shorts, squeezing his cock through the fabric. "I

don't think I should. I just make him mad. I don't want him mad tonight when he's behind me
and I'm buck naked and tied over a cannon."

"I can see where you're coming from."
"You're better at soothing his feathers, anyway."
"But don't you want to be good at it too?" The question was accompanied by another of

Adam's piercing looks. Lucas was beginning to wonder if Adam was actually a licensed
psychiatrist who'd been slipped into the pirate crew to screw with their minds.

"He's not my boyfriend," Lucas said. "Besides, I'm not very good with people who are

upset. I'm one of those fair weather guys. I'll hang around you when you're happy, but once you
become too crazy I have to drift away. I drifted away from Lisa once a month."

Adam smiled a little. "You're saying she wasn't worth the effort of putting up with some

bitchiness every now and then?"

Lucas felt badly for admitting, "I guess she wasn't. I hadn't thought of it that way at the

time. Sheez, I sound like a lousy boyfriend, don't I?"

"You're no longer with her, Lucas. I think in the back of your head you knew it wasn't

going to work out. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it. I just wonder if you'll recognize when it
does work out. One day your mind will be blown when you see how much you're willing to put
up with."

"It's not a lot, I'm telling you right now."
Adam grinned. "I don't think you know yourself all that well, man. But that's okay.

That's what I'm here for."

~~~~~

As they stood within the darkened forecastle, watching through the slats in the window

as the audience filled in the seats, Adam moved to the center of the room and murmured,
"Listen up."

Lucas' blood was flowing fast and easy through his veins. All of his senses were

heightened now that the show was just minutes from starting. He brushed oiled shoulders with

Dean who gave him a nod. He could hear the beads in Kip's dreads tapping his shoulders as he
bounced lightly on his toes, too keyed up with energy to stand still. A breath against the back of
his neck was probably Ben, who had stuck close to him in the minutes before Lucas' first show
and had done so also for his second.

"There's going to be another change to the script," Adam announced in a low voice as he

looked around at his crew.

Tyler hissed his disapproval. "We just changed it last night!"
"And we're changing it again," Adam said, staring Tyler down. Once Tyler was suitably

cowed, Adam looked over his men again until his gaze zeroed in on someone behind Lucas.
"Ben, you're giving up your stunt to Lucas tonight."

"What?" Lucas gasped.
"He's trained your part, hasn't he?" Adam asked, ignoring him in favor of speaking

directly to Ben.

"Yes, Cap'n. He can handle it. But -- may I ask why?" Ben's voice held apprehension

and Lucas understood it. Was Ben being replaced in the show? Lucas didn't know how it was
possible since Ben was handsome and athletic and always drew his share of fans at the post-
show arrival on land. If Ben was being kicked off what hope did the rest of them have of
staying?

"You're being moved to the cannon scene," Adam told him. His attention finally

touched on Lucas, who was frozen in shock. "You two are switching places tonight."

"Why?" Tyler cried out.
"Keep your voice down," Adam ordered.
"Why are you putting him there?" Tyler demanded in a quieter rasp.
"Because I think it'll be hot and that's all the reason anyone needs." Adam glared around

the room, daring anyone to refute him. The pirates were silent. Lucas couldn't speak because a
cold, hard knot of frustration blocked his throat.

"We're on in two. Get ready." Adam moved towards the door, leaving the rest of the

crew to stare at each in varying degrees of surprise.

"I don't see what the big deal is, yo," Orinth spoke up. "It's just another switch. Why all

the hysterics, Ty?"

"Because this isn't how it's supposed to fucking go," Tyler lashed back. In the dim

lighting his eyes were giant pools of silver surrounded by inky edges. Lucas wanted to stare at
him and look his fill but had a feeling now was not the time to indulge himself. Tyler looked
murderous.

"Did you do this?" Tyler pointed an accusing finger at Ben.
Ben looked bewildered. "No. And why would I? I like my part of the show."
"Because the cannon stage is right in front of the audience and gets all the attention. I

should've figured you'd demand more stage time."

"Oh, shut up, Ty," Ben groaned, turning his back on Tyler. "Not everyone here is an

attention whore. We all have our roles and we're happy with them."

"Apparently not!"
"Look, neither Ben nor I asked for this," Lucas cut in, knowing he was inviting trouble

by jumping into the argument. "The only one who knows why this was done is Adam."

"I knew you couldn't handle me," Tyler sneered at him, giving Lucas a derisive once-

over. "You asked him to switch, didn't you? You fucking wussed out."

Lucas stepped forward, hands fisting by his sides. "I didn't, but what if I had? Why the

hell would you care? You hate fucking me anyway, right? You hate everything about me. You
should be relieved that Ben and I switched."

"Maybe I am." Something flashed through Tyler's eyes, like moonlight flickering across

whitecaps. He shoved his way to the doors, leaving the rest of them to give each other knowing
looks or, in Lucas' case, to curse and count the minutes until the show was over.

~~~~~

Being up in the rigging didn't feel the same. Maybe it was because this time he was the

aggressor, pushing Ben back in the ropes so he could grope and rub against him.

"I'm sorry," Ben whispered against the side of Lucas' neck.
Lucas 'fought' him, the Loa inside him struggling to have sex with Ben. "For what?"
"I know you wanted to be the one tied over the cannon for Tyler."
"It doesn't matter who it is," Lucas snapped. He was angry, but not at Ben and not even

at Tyler. Only one person was responsible for this and he had the power to end Lucas' career
here for good. He pulled back from Ben and demanded, "Kick me."

"Be careful," Ben whispered. He pushed out with his foot, exaggerating the movement

for the audience's sake but the actual impact with Lucas' chest was painless.

Lucas pinwheeled back, taking comfort in the safety rope wrapped around his leg and

arm. He had one last look at Ben's face before he freefell backwards into space.

He'd practiced the stunt enough with Ben to feel nothing but exhilaration as he tumbled

to the deck. The ropes pulled taut, arresting his fall amid the amazed gasps of the audience. His
mood lifted upon hearing their response. At least he could do this job well no matter which role
he was given.

He closed his eyes as he began to spin but hands caught him and stilled the movement.

Those same hands began groping him, sliding across his chest and pinching his nipples,
cupping and squeezing his ass. Someone mouthed at his cock through his breeches and he
moaned loudly for the audiences' benefit.

More hands slid over his body, pinching his ass mischievously. Someone spread their

hands beneath his shoulders and lifted him so his upper body was horizontal and the blood
stopped rushing to his head. He lay in their hands and flinched at the first touch of a stranger's
lips to his own. But he opened for the probing tongue and used the kiss to distract him from the
multiple hands that molested him.

Distantly, he heard a loud gasp from the crowd and the splash of something hitting the

surface of the bay. Ben. Taking Lucas' role. Any arousal Lucas had begun to feel from having
so many hands stimulating him faded. He could barely concentrate enough to return the kiss he
was receiving as he mentally counted down the time it would take for Ben to be pulled onto the
deck of the ship. He heard Tyler cursing the crew and the smack of his crop against skin.
Something inside of Lucas mourned.

His mouth was released -- it had been Orinth kissing him; he gave Lucas a wink before

releasing him to swing free again. It allowed Lucas to turn his head and peer between the
pirates' bodies and see Ben being tied down over the cannon. Tyler stood behind him, swinging
the crop at him as though it felt no worse than being struck with a feather. Ben writhed within
his bounds, groaning at the punishment. But it was a sexy sight and Lucas didn't doubt that as

much as that crop stung, Ben was still getting off on everything that was being done to him.
Just as Lucas had when he was in that position.

That was supposed to be Lucas being whipped. That was supposed to be Lucas that

Tyler grabbed by the hair and slapped across the ass. Tyler let his own breeches drop to the
deck to the delight of the crowd. Lucas couldn't help his gasp of disappointment when he saw
how painfully erect Tyler appeared to be. It wasn't Lucas that turned him on. Tyler was willing
to fuck anyone.

Hands touched Lucas, tried to bring him pleasure, but he was cold inside and burning

without. He didn't care any longer about his performance. He didn't care if he was cut down and
fired right there. When Tyler kneeled behind Ben and pushed into his bound body, Lucas
choked on a jealousy so potent it was like he'd been thrown overboard and left to drown all by
himself.

CHAPTER TEN

The show went on.
Lucas went through the motions. He helped a couple of the guys nearest him jerk off to

orgasm. He kissed whoever wanted to be kissed. But he never came anywhere close to finding
his own satisfaction. What satisfaction was there to be found? He'd been replaced by Ben, who
was charismatic and handsome and a genuinely good guy so Lucas couldn't even hate him for
it. Nor could he hate Tyler, who'd done what he was supposed to do, though with more apparent
fervor and enjoyment than Lucas would have liked. Lucas didn't need to watch the finale at the
cannon to know that it had gone off without a hitch.

No, the anger was for Adam. Adam the puppet master, the master manipulator. Well,

Lucas was through with being played with.

He kept to himself once the show ended, pulling on his shirt in the dark and avoiding

the clusters of pirates who were amped up on post-show adrenaline. He wanted to get off the
ship and go home. Preferably without saying a word to anyone, but he knew that was unlikely.

"Great show, Lucas." Peter clapped him on the back. "You gave Ben a run for your

money. My heart was in my throat when you fell out of the rigging. You were very
convincing."

"Thanks, Peter." Lucas hoped his smile came across as reasonably believable. He didn't

want to explain his bad mood to the rest of the crew. "I did my best."

"Your best was great. Keep it up." He squeezed Lucas' shoulder before moving to the

rail where the rest of the crew were lined up to board the shuttle boat back to the pier.

"Bro, you rocked it."
Lucas obligingly held up his hand for Kip to high-five. Kip's eyeliner had smeared at the

corners of his eyes, making him resemble an Egyptian drawing.

"Cap'n's gotta be impressed with that dive," Kip went on, seeming not to notice the way

Lucas tensed. "Totally realistic. I think you made a couple of the guys in the audience crap their
pants. It was awesome."

"Until they come complaining to me afterwards about the mess," Lucas muttered, to

which Kip laughed.

"I heard the Cap'n wants us all to hit up a bar," Kip said.
"Is that what he said?" Lucas smiled tightly. "Hopefully he won't miss me."
Finally Kip picked up on Lucas' mood. "Bro, what's up? Everything went great." His

eyes abruptly rounded. "You're not mad because of the switch, are you?"

"Why wouldn't I be? That was my role, not Ben's."
"But it was just for tonight. It's probably not permanent, bro."
"Kip, you were there at dinner when Adam was messing with Tyler, threatening to

switch him and Ben. He decided to change it around. Now he's messing with both of us." Lucas
glared at the back of Adam's head as the big man oversaw the boarding of the shuttle. "I didn't
do anything to deserve this."

A touch to his arm brought his full attention back to Kip. "Bro, you're getting way

worked up over nothing. He wasn't punishing you. Like you said, you didn't do anything wrong.
There are all sorts of reasons that could explain why he did what he did. Don't go jumping to

conclusions just yet, okay? You don't want to give Adam a real reason to be mad at you, get my
drift?"

"You think he'd fire me?" Lucas asked carelessly. "After all he's done to keep me here?"
"No," Kip said, impatience edging his voice. "But you don't want to push him. Not over

something dumb like this. He likes you. I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall when I say that but
I'm gonna keep saying it until you believe it. What happened tonight can be explained. Go ask
him, bro. Don't freak out before there's a reason to freak out."

"I know he likes me," Lucas said with a sigh. Hearing Kip becoming annoyed with him

was a good reality check. He wasn't typically a guy who made assumptions, especially about
people. "You're right. I need to talk to him. Thanks, Kip."

"No problem." Kip was visibly relieved. "I don't like my favorite bros being mad at each

other, you know? Screws up the energy."

"I know, bro," Lucas said with a grin.
Kip gave him a look. Lucas managed to evade the punch to his arm.
Feeling cautiously optimistic, he followed Kip down to the waiting boat. Adam was

talking with the driver so Lucas moved past him and climbed into the boat. He automatically
searched for Ben and Tyler. When he saw them sitting together on the back bench, head
together as they spoke about something, he ground his teeth together, suddenly no longer
willing to assume the best about anything. Tyler had been angry at Ben before the show but
now they were buddies. Lucas didn't need to imagine what had caused the change of heart. He
and the rest of the audience had seen and heard every second of their reconciliation.

He didn't let it show on his face. His problem with Tyler and Adam was no one's

business but theirs. He smiled at Kip and joked with him about the show as they rode back to
the shore but it was all an act. All he wanted to do was head to the beach on his own far from
the other pirates.

It was not to be though.
"We're heading to Pieces o' Eight," Adam announced as the boat pulled up to the pier.

"Everyone's going."

"I didn't bring a change of clothing," Lucas said stonily.
Adam's face reflected nothing but the moonlight. "We've got a deal with the owner. If

we go shirtless we drink for free all night." He smirked. "Not that we wouldn't have anyway."
His smirk fell away. "No one gets drunk, understand? No confrontations. We're on probation
with Aras. Three strikes we're out, and we're already two down. Behave yourself, boys."

As usual, a crowd of fans were waiting for them on the sidewalks, some holding

program books and cameras. Lucas really didn't want to deal with fans tonight but he wasn't a
jerk. He posed for photos and signed his picture in the program book. He even managed to hold
decent conversations with a half dozen guys who hung on his every word, or who at least
pretended to. He caught their wandering eyes and didn't kid himself that their interest in him
was anything but superficial.

Ten minutes later Adam told the fans where the pirates were heading and suggested they

come along. Most eagerly hopped into waiting taxis for the ride to the bar. Lucas stoically
joined one with Kip and Hewie.

"You look like you need a hit, man." Hewie held out a joint to Lucas. "Chill."
Lucas declined. "I'm fine. I just need a drink."
"Suit yourself, dude. Just know whatever the problem is, it'll probably be less important

tomorrow."

Pieces o' Eight was packed when they arrived. Per Adam's instructions, the pirates

stripped off their shirts and tucked them into the backs of their breeches. With their eyes still
lined in kohl and some men still streaked with oil and the remnants of other fluids, Lucas
thought they probably looked like a bunch of hustlers when they entered the bar.

Apparently the crowd inside approved of the look.
The music playing inside the tropical themed bar dimmed and the DJ's voice boomed

over the speakers, "Listen up, gentlemen! The Pirates of Hidden Idol are in the house!"

The enthusiasm in the masculine cheers and whistles that erupted in the building

shocked Lucas. The pirates were immediately surrounded by appreciative men. Lucas felt like a
rock star and his mood lifted considerably as men vied for his attention. He looked at the other
pirates and found them similarly showered with attention. Adam in particular was the target of
a good dozen or so men. Kip raised his hand above his head to give Lucas the thumbs up. Lucas
could only laugh in amazement.

"So you're a pirate, huh?" a man with strawberry blonde hair and a 7-Up T-shirt asked

him while fixating on Lucas' nipples. "Why aren't you pierced? Or are the hoops somewhere
else?"

Lucas shook his head with fake regret. "Sorry, man. Not interested in piercing."
"Not with metal, anyway, right?" joked a black-haired man to his left whose head barely

reached Lucas' shoulder.

Lucas laughed. "Yeah."
"There's a rumor going around that to be hired as a pirate you have to be hung like a

stallion." This came from a brunette standing behind the short black-haired man. He leered
openly at Lucas. "What do I have to do to find out if that's true?"

Lucas pointed at Dean. "Go talk to that guy. He's got the answer you're looking for."

Dean was pretty big and Lucas was sure he'd appreciate the size queen's attention.

Two guys tried to thrust drinks at him. Lucas accepted a beer from a cocktail server

instead, courtesy of the bar's manager. As he drank and listened with half an ear to a guy telling
him about his experience as a gymnast on the mainland, Lucas glanced over to see how Adam
was doing. As expected, Adam held court over men who were all but drooling over him. Lucas
watched Adam tip his head back and laugh at something one of the sycophants told him.
Something hot and sour bubbled in Lucas' belly.

Masochistically, he looked around for Tyler, half-expecting to see him making out with

Ben in a corner. Instead he found Tyler with his back to the bar, facing a semi-circle of
admirers and looking smug. Ben wasn't to be seen, but then half of the pirate crew had been
swallowed by bar patrons eager to dance or talk in private booths. Lucas was pretty sure some
were in the restrooms taking advantage of the attention.

Why am I moping over Tyler? he asked himself. He took another pull from his beer,

letting his eyes drift over the men surrounding him. They all wanted him. It wasn't his ego
talking. Many of them touched his bare shoulders and his hips. One had combed a hand through
Lucas’ hair before he could pull his head away. He'd bet a thousand dollars that if he opened his
breeches one of these men would drop to their knees without being asked to and would suck
him off right there in the bar.

For half a second he considered doing it, just for the thrill of knowing he could. But he

pushed the fantasy from his head. He preferred hooking up with someone he knew to some
degree. He wasn't a man whore. He had his standards. And since Adam had forbade them from
getting drunk, he had no excuse or reason to change that.

He nursed his beer and nearly an hour later picked up another one. The attention had

grown from flattering to tiring as his conversations with men inevitably deteriorated into come-
ons and more physical contact that he wasn't comfortable with. He yearned for a simple, non-
sexual conversation, but every man who approached him seemed only interested in one thing
from him.

Exasperated, ready to leave, he begged off from his admirers with the excuse of needing

to visit the restroom. Two men offered to join him. He declined as a headache pounded behind
his eyes.

He pushed through the crowd, wishing he'd pulled his shirt on as hands stroked across

his shoulders and down his spine. He felt like a wimp for wanting to jump out of the way of
those touches but the situation was beginning to overwhelm him. Instead of heading for the
restrooms he made a line for the front door, Adam be damned.

He was sidetracked by Tyler. Not that Tyler was aware of his effect on Lucas; he was

too busy making out with a random guy against the wall. The guy, a dirty blond with tribal
tattoos wound about both arms and RESPECT printed in gothic letters across the back of his
neck, had Tyler pinned, although the platinum blond looked as though he didn't mind one bit.
Both of Tyler's arms were slung across the tatted man's shoulders, hands open and loose.

It was the last straw for Lucas. He pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring

comments from interested men, blowing off a call from some pirates -- he didn't know which
ones -- until he was behind Mr. Tattoo. Up close, he could see that Tyler's eyes were closed as
he kissed the guy. Lucas' hands curled into fists.

"Is this the lucky guy who gets to fuck you and Adam tonight?"
He said it loudly and close enough to Mr. Tattoo's ear that he jerked out of Tyler's arms

and spun around. Facially, he was marginally attractive, no one who deserved to be anywhere
near Tyler. Behind him, leaning against the wall, Tyler gave Lucas a slow look from head to toe
from beneath low-lidded eyelids as if Lucas' presence disinterested him. He dragged the back of
his hand lazily across his damp mouth. Lucas wanted to hit him.

"You moved on to Ben and now you're on to fucking this guy, huh?" Lucas heard his

voice shaking but he couldn't help himself. A roar was building in his chest. "Guess gay guys
really do fit the stereotype. They don't care about relationships. They just want to fuck as many
guys as they can."

"Hey, who the fuck are you?" Mr. Tattoo snapped. "Get lost, asshole."
"Fuck you," Lucas shot back. "You don't deserve to look at him, much less touch him."
Mr. Tattoo puffed out his chest. "I'll ask again, who the fuck do you think you are?"
"He's the straight boy who's been experimenting with being a fag," Tyler said, watching

Lucas with piercing intensity. "What's the matter, new guy? Someone finally push you too far?
Did widdle stwaight boy get scared?"

Lucas surged forward, fist raised, but a strong arm hooked in his and yanked it behind

him. He tried to thrash free but he was jerked back against a muscular chest.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Adam growled into his ear. "You want to get

us kicked off the show?"

"I don't care about the show!"
Against the wall, Tyler shook his head and sneered at him. "I knew you'd show your

true colors eventually, new guy. I told you, Adam. He isn't here for the show or for us. He's a
fucking flake. Get him the fuck away from me."

"Shut up, Tyler. Go wash your mouth out," Adam barked at him.

Tyler flinched. "I wasn't doing--"
"Do it!"
Shoulders hunched, Tyler pushed off the wall and shuffled towards the restroom. Mr.

Tattoo tried to reach for him but Adam snarled, "Touch him and I'll break your wrist."

After a few seconds stare-down with Adam, Mr. Tattoo gave a snort of surrender and

drifted off into the crowd, leaving Lucas and Adam alone.

"We're going for a walk."
Lucas didn't bother fighting. He couldn't take Adam even if both hands were free.

Feeling like a mutinous child, he let Adam march him out of the bar, both of them ignoring the
curious bar patrons and concerned crew members who watched them go.

The cool night air was a relief. Like a breeze of reality, it immediately cleared the rage

from Lucas' mind.

"I'm not going to fight you," he said wearily. "You can let me go."
Adam took him at his word, releasing him as the two of them stopped in a quiet corner

of the parking lot beneath a lamp. Lucas rubbed at his face as Adam paced. Bugs batted blindly
at the light above them.

"You know we're on probation--"
"I wasn't thinking," Lucas blurted. "I'm sorry, Adam. I don't want to do anything to

jeopardize things for the other guys. No way. I was just -- I lost control for a minute."

Adam stopped pacing to face him. His heavy body wore the lamp light well, shadows

dipping beneath every muscle to make him look like a granite sculpture of mythic proportions.
But Lucas didn't fear violence from him. He feared what Adam had to say.

"Tell me what happened tonight, Lucas."
Coming clean was the only solution, but Lucas was reluctant. He felt like a baby now

that his head had cleared. He couldn't believe how childish he'd been acting since the show.

"You're upset because I switched you and Ben."
Lucas nodded, miserable and embarrassed.
"Tell me why, Lucas."
He sighed, stalling for time, but Adam waited him out, as patient as a redwood.
"I don't understand why you did it," Lucas finally blurted. "I didn't do anything wrong.

You knew I wanted the role. Why take it from me? Why give it to Ben?"

"What's the big deal that it was Ben who took your place?"
"You know why," Lucas muttered. He looked away as a pair of mopeds pulled into the

lot. Their riders hopped off, talking loudly as they headed for the front door. The music swelled
and ebbed, leaving them alone again.

"I know why Tyler's got an issue with him." Adam crossed his big arms. "Why do you?"
The answer was stupid and Lucas wished he didn't have to say it. "I don't have an issue

with Ben. He's my friend. But Ty was mad at him and to see them do the scene together and
then suddenly become buddies afterwards -- I don't know. It just bothered me."

"You liked having Ty be jealous of Ben."
Lucas flinched.
"It feels good to know he wants you, doesn't it? It's a great ego trip."
"It's not about my ego," he muttered. "I like Ty. I already told you that. I want him to

like me back."

"I thought you didn't want to get involved. That's what all the backtracking was for,

wasn't it?"

Lucas looked up sharply. "What are you talking about?"
"You honestly think I wouldn't notice? Look me in the eye and tell me you haven't been

putting distance between us. You've been drifting at the edge of the pool, one hand on the rail,
ready to pull yourself out."

"I--"
"What did you think? That you're the flavor of the month like that tatted guy back in

there?"

"Yes."
Adam's face hardened, his lips pulling into a taut line. "You think I would push Tyler

this hard for someone I expected to kick out of bed in two weeks?"

Lucas felt like a jerk. "Maybe."
"Bullshit. You know it isn't true. Or maybe you like to think it is. I'm not the one

playing games here, Lucas. You are."

"What? The hell I am!"
Adam shook his head almost pityingly. "Everything's fine and dandy when Tyler is the

one being picked on. You're all for it when it's his boundaries that are being pushed. Well,
guess what, Lucas? Now it's your turn and if you thought it was funny when Ty used to run
away from confronting the things he didn't like you'll have a great laugh looking at what you're
doing."

"I'm not running," Lucas insisted.
"I get it," Adam went on as if he hadn't heard. "You gave Lisa everything and she let

you down. But that's in the past. She's in the past. This is me and Ty. We're not afraid to make it
real."

"This has nothing to do with my ex-girlfriend, damn it." Lucas strode out of the fall of

lamplight, putting his back to Adam and the bar. "I'm not one of your pet projects, Adam. You
don't need to fix me."

"Maybe I'm not trying to fix you. Maybe I just want you to be good with everything."
"Good," Lucas echoed. What was good these days? Having a great job and great

friends? Absolutely. But he wanted more than that. He wanted the thrill of discovering this new
side of himself. He wanted the close friendship that only lovers possessed.

"It's hard," he heard himself saying. "I'm putting a lot on the line. This is my -- first time

with all of this. I don't want to get burned. I don't want..." He trailed off, the words too heavy on
his tongue to spit out.

"Say it," Adam urged.
Lucas hung his head. "I don't want Tyler to be right and I wake up one morning and

decide I've been acting this whole time. I don't want to doubt myself and what I'm doing. I want
to be convinced that everything I'm feeling for him and for you is real."

"You just got your proof."
Lucas startled. "What?"
"You were ready to fight that ugly bastard back there for touching Tyler."
"I wasn't thinking with my head. I wouldn't have--"
"I'm not criticizing you; I'm pointing out a fact. You were ready and willing to pound

his ass." He heard the asphalt crunch beneath Adam's sandaled feet as he drew closer. "We all
back each other up in a fight. But that wasn't a fight in the making. You were only jealous."

The sour heat that had seared Lucas' chest was easy to identify in retrospect.
"You want to know why I switched you and Ben tonight?"

Lucas held his breath.
"Because I'd hoped this would happen."
It made perfect sense, and Lucas could only close his eyes and softly laugh. "You

wanted to see if I would become jealous. You're a manipulative bastard, Adam."

"We already know Tyler cares. Now we know you do. If you ask me, a little

manipulation is a good thing."

When Lucas turned around, Adam was within arm's reach and he was smirking ever so

slightly. Lucas supposed he had a right to be. He'd gotten what he'd wanted out of Lucas --
proof that Lucas was more than words, that he would react emotionally to someone attempting
to move in on Tyler. Hell, he'd been in a foul mood all night because he thought Tyler hadn't
missed fucking him.

Even though Lucas didn't appreciate being set up like this, he could admit that he was

somewhat grateful to Adam for doing. Now he knew that what he felt was true. He wasn't
interested in men because it was a novelty or because he was a nice guy willing to help Adam
heal Tyler. His interest was rooted deep in his soul and it was real enough and strong enough
that he was ready to fight a complete stranger because of it.

"I hate you sometimes," Lucas said without heat.
"Hewie gave me a great quote once from Bob Marley. Bob said, 'Truth is, everyone is

going to hurt you. You just gotta find the ones worth suffering for.'" Adam's hand was warm
and solid on his shoulder. It was a hand you reached for in a storm, the hand that would pull
you out of the water when you were drowning. "It's never gonna be easy, Lucas. But you have
to trust that there are some people in the world worth a little pain and suffering. Tyler's a bitch,
but if you want him he can be your bitch."

"What about you?" Lucas asked.
"You're my bitch," Adam replied with a full grin.
"Screw you," Lucas laughed. He tried to duck out from Adam's noogie but didn't quite

miss the knuckles that rapped him on the head.

Adam caught him by the back of the neck and pulled him closer. Lucas' hands

automatically braced against Adam's chest but not to push him away. Adam's skin was hot and
tight beneath his palms. He could feel Adam's heartbeat, solid and steady. Holding Adam's dark
eyes, Lucas moved his hands until he could brush his fingers over the other man's nipples. They
beaded like pearls beneath his fingertips. He scraped his nails across them, heat unfurling in his
groin when Adam's lips parted on a soundless gasp.

"This isn't temporary unless you make it so," Adam told him in a low voice that curled

around Lucas' dick.

"What does Tyler have to say about that?" Lucas asked. His breath hitched as Adam's

free hand slid down his side and curled around one hip.

"We'll ask him once he gets out of the restroom."
It was growing increasingly difficult to think as Adam slid his hand around Lucas' front,

the sides of his fingers hovering inches from his swelling groin. "He's been in there -- a long
time. The restroom, I mean."

"I sent him there so he could think about how you reacted." Adam's breath puffed hot

and moist against Lucas' temple as he leaned forward. "My money's on him being in a stall right
now, jerking off as he thinks about how you turned into a caveman for him."

Lucas' hips snapped forward as Adam's hand crept between his legs.

"Shh," Adam murmured. He stroked a thumb against the side of Lucas' neck while he

held his other hand over Lucas' cock, measuring its swell. "You like knowing you can turn him
on like that?"

"Yeah," Lucas breathed, eyes falling closed. He shivered as Adam's lips drifted along

his cheek, soft as a feather. "I wish I was there right now, watching him."

"He's got a pretty dick."
"Yeah..."
"And a prettier ass," Adam whispered. One finger found the head of Lucas' cock

through his breeches and traced its curve. "You should feel it from the inside, Lucas. It's hot
and tight... sucks you in like a mouth... like a greedy pussy."

Lucas groaned and pushed into Adam's hand, wordlessly begging for more contact. But

Adam was cruel, running just his forefinger up and down Lucas' length, coaxing it to be stiffer,
harder.

"You want to fuck him, Lucas?"
"Yes," Lucas gasped. He curled his fingers against Adam's chest, gripping the swell of

his pecs. "I want him under me. I want to be inside him."

"He wants that too. He'll never admit it, but he loves a good dicking."
Lucas' fingers trembled against Adam's skin. His toes bunched, wanting to thrust his

entire body up into Adam's teasing hand.

"When you're inside him, finally fucking him..." Adam skimmed his lips down the side

of Lucas' throat. "I'm going to be behind you, sliding my big dick all the way up your ass, aren't
I, Lucas?"

"Oh, fuck--"
"Big and thick -- thickest thing you'll ever have up inside you, Lucas. You can imagine

it, can't you?" Teeth scraped across Lucas' jugular. "Fucked so deep and hard you think you're
going to cum each time I spear you. But you'll have to hold on because Tyler will be riding
your dick. He's going to be whimpering like a kitten every time you push into him. You'll want
to keep him on the edge. You won't be able to get enough of the sounds he makes."

Lucas tossed his head back. Arousal was so thick and powerful in his veins that he felt

like he was high and drunk at the same time. "Please," he moaned, "please do... something."

"What do you want?" Adam whispered. He curled his fingers around Lucas' erect dick

and held it through the fabric. He squeezed, making Lucas gasp and thrust into that hold. "Do
you want to feel my cock inside you, Lucas? Want to know what keeps Tyler coming back for
more?" He licked Lucas' throat. "Tell me you want to be my bitch."

"I -- yes, fuck."
"Say it, baby. Give me the words."
Lucas panted. "I want to -- be your bitch."
Adam groaned.
Lucas didn't care what he had to say. He was too horny to care about his pride or the last

gauzy shreds of his supposed heterosexuality. "And Tyler -- I want him too. Want to fuck him.
Shut him up."

Adam's chuckle was warm and deep. "You won't shut him up by fucking him. He's

noisy as hell. But that's not a bad thing. When he comes out here we--" He broke off abruptly,
lifting his mouth from Lucas' skin.

At first Lucas thought the rumble was the sound of his heart on the verge of exploding.

But when Adam stiffened and released Lucas' cock to instead grip him firmly by the hip and

shoulder as if keeping him in place, he realized the sound came from outside of his body.
Groggily, he opened his eyes as the roar grew louder.

He recognized the sound. His arousal died as if his dick had been dipped in ice water.

He winced as the headlights cut through the parking lot and the gravelly roar of the engines
destroyed the taut, sexy peace he and Adam had achieved.

"Shit," Adam muttered.
"Maybe we should go back inside," Lucas suggested as Rory Donahue and his gang

pulled into the lot.

"You go. Find Tyler and keep him inside." Adam gave him a distracted push towards

the bar while he watched the bikers cut their engines. "It's time I had it out with Rory. I don't
want either of you involved in this."

"But, Adam--"
"Go," he growled at Lucas, snapping his dark eyes back to him.
Biting his lip in frustration, Lucas jogged to the front door. But if Adam thought he'd be

a girlfriend and hide out while the men settled their business, he couldn't be more wrong. Lucas
shoved through the door and quickly went in search of Tyler.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The restroom was a shock and it actually caused Lucas to pause in the midst of pushing

the door open.

"You in or out?" grumbled a voice from behind him. "I gotta take a leak."
Flushing, he stepped inside and allowed the guy behind him to come inside too. The

restroom was narrow like a shoebox. It featured the longest trough-style urinal Lucas had ever
seen, facing eight stalls. At the trough were six men. Four of them were actually using it while
openly checking each other out. The last two in the line were giving each other handjobs. They
all looked up and stared at him speculatively as he stood awkwardly just inside the door.

A groan from inside one of the stalls broke him out of his stasis. He could see two pairs

of feet in the first stall, both facing the wall. He couldn't tell how many occupants were in the
rest of the stalls.

"Tyler!" he called out, his embarrassment and discomfort sharpening his voice. "You in

here?"

From the second to last stall he heard, "Go away."
Lucas hurried over and banged on the door. "Get out here. Something's up."
"What? Like your dick?"
Lucas dared to press his eye to the one of the gaps in the doorway. Tyler was sitting on

the toilet, breeches around his ankles and his fist around his cock, just like Adam had predicted.
Lucas wanted to remark on the situation and what had led to it but now was not the time.

"It's about Adam. He needs you. It's important."
"Goddamn it." Muttering more obscenities, Tyler released himself. Lucas stepped away

so he didn't see whatever Tyler had to do to get his erection under control. The door swung in a
moment later and Tyler came out, cheeks flushed and wearing a glare.

"Bad fucking timing, new guy," he snapped as he brushed past Lucas on his way to the

sink.

"Don't worry," Lucas said as Tyler washed his hands. "I'm sure you'll give me another

reason to be jealous and flip out over you. This isn't a one-off."

Gray eyes jumped to him in surprise in the mirror's reflection. The vulnerability in them

made Lucas wish he had the time to explore it or take advantage of it or something.

But he said only, "Come on. They're all outside."
"Who?" Tyler demanded as he followed Lucas back into the bar.
Lucas spared him a grim look. "Rory Donahue and his gang."
"Shit." Tyler grabbed him by the bicep as he rushed forward, dragging Lucas along.

"Why didn't you say so in the first place? Hurry up your ass, new guy."

But when they burst out into the parking lot Donahue and his gang were nowhere to be

found.

Neither was Adam.
"I swear they were here," Lucas insisted. He jogged to all four corners of the parking

lot, checking the shadows leading to the road and to the sand dunes before returning, confused,
to Tyler. "Adam said he was going to settle things with him."

"Maybe he has, but not here." Tyler's face was hard, his expression holding a different

sort of frustration. "Fucking Adam. I should've known he'd do something like this. It's just like
him to want to deal with it on his own and 'protect' us."

Lucas stared at him. "You're not suggesting he went off with Donahue?"
Tyler waved his hands at the lot. "Do you see him anywhere?"
"Well, no, but he would have told us he was leaving, right?"
Tyler gave him a condescending look. "Would he? What the hell do you know about

what he would or wouldn't do? You don't even know him." He turned to the door of the bar,
muttering, "Stupid new guy."

Lucas caught him by the shoulder, spinning him around. "Just shut up, Tyler, and listen

to me. I care about what happens to him the same as you do. I'll agree that I don't know him the
way that you do but this can't be normal."

Tyler chewed on the inside of his mouth, his brows knitted together. "What did he say to

you?"

"He told me to find you and keep you in the bar."
"Crap. Well, there you go. He knew he was going with them."
"You mean he wanted me to take care of you while he was gone?"
Tyler gave him a look. "More like the reverse, ass-wipe."
Lucas didn't bothering arguing. There were more important things to worry about.
"So how do we find him? Do you think they went to Donahue's main shop? Somewhere

else?" He almost blurted out the possibility that Donahue had kidnapped Adam but he was
afraid it would sound like he was questioning Adam's ability to defend himself.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Whatever. He'll come back when he's ready. This is Adam we're

talking about. He can take care of himself."

Lucas was amazed by his blasé attitude. "But what if it's him against the entire gang?

Doesn't that worry you?"

"If Adam thought he needed help, trust me, he would've called the entire crew out.

Instead he sent you back inside to wait. Give him some fucking credit." Tyler's tone changed.
He looked Lucas over. "So come buy me a drink. You owe me one after running off that guy I
was making out with."

"The guy whose name you don't know?" Jealousy bubbled in Lucas' gut again.
Tyler smirked. "Yeah. That guy." He gave Lucas another once-over. "Still jealous?

That's kinda hot."

"That explains why you were jerking off in that disgusting restroom."
"I wasn't--"
"Sure you weren't."
Lucas sighed and looked out over the parking lot again. It felt wrong to go inside and

pretend Adam hadn't disappeared without a trace. It was like they were abandoning him.

"Okay, so maybe I was having a little fun," Tyler conceded.
Lucas jumped when Tyler slid his hands up over his bare chest. Lucas took a step back

but Tyler followed him, one hand cupping him behind his neck to keep him in place, fingers
curling and dragging against his skin. "Buy me a drink and stop being jealous. When Adam
comes back he'll be happy to see us getting along. And when Adam's happy, good things
happen."

"What if he doesn't come back?"

Tyler pressed closer, the hot skin of his chest sticking to Lucas'. He had both hands

behind Lucas' neck now, alternately massaging and scratching him and giving Lucas no choice
but to place his hands on Tyler's hips, his thumbs just touching the hot skin above his
waistband.

"Adam's a big boy. A very big boy. He knows how to handle Rory. They used to date.

Stop worrying." Tyler's eyes were the color of spilled mercury. Lucas wanted to drown in them.
"You want me to make you jealous again? Want me to find some guy to hit on? I bet that'd
make you hot. It sure makes me hot just thinking about you getting all worked up. Never knew
you had it in you, Lucas."

The unexpected use of his name had an unexpected reaction: Lucas jerked Tyler against

him. Tyler's eyes flashed and a wicked smile curved his lips. Lucas flushed at the possessive
reaction.

"Let's go inside," Tyler purred. He pushed his groin against Lucas, his smile widening

when Lucas' fingers tightened helplessly on his hips. "Get me drunk and you may get lucky."

"I don't need to get you drunk," Lucas murmured, falling willingly beneath Tyler's spell.

He bent his head and ghosted his lips across the line of Tyler's shoulder, barely kissing him. He
smiled when he felt Tyler shiver. "I want you sober when we go to bed."

Tyler tensed against him and then relaxed. He thrust his fingers into Lucas' hair and

gripped to the point of pain. Lucas gasped and found his hips grinding into Tyler's.

"I want a drink," Tyler told him. It sounded like an order. "If you want to get your dick

anywhere near my ass you're paying for it first."

Lucas lifted his head, smiling. "We get free drinks tonight, remember?"
Tyler smirked. "So what are you waiting for?" He pulled out of Lucas' hold but grabbed

his hand as he backed towards the door, tugging Lucas with him. "Come on, new guy. Make me
feel special."

Inside it was still crowded, noisy, and hot. Lucas wished they could go elsewhere,

especially when the anonymous groping started up again as he and Tyler threaded through the
crowd. He endured it as he allowed Tyler to drag him to one of the stools at the bar and shove
him down to sit.

"You ever DP a guy?" Tyler said in his ear, his voice raised to compensate for the music

and conversation.

Lucas shook his head absently as he tried to flag down the bartender. "What is it?"
"It means two guys fucking another guy. At the same time." When Lucas gaped at him,

Tyler laughed. "It'd be fucking hot to ride you and Adam. Don't you think?"

Lucas' cock was about three seconds from exploding as he imagined the scene.

"Wouldn't that hurt you?"

Tyler leered. "Not when you're an expert like I am." He leaned forward again. Lucas

groaned when he felt a tongue curl around his ear. He gripped the edge of the bar to prevent
himself from yanking Tyler onto his lap. "Does that make you hot, new guy? Knowing I want
you and Adam inside me at the same time?"

"Of course it does. I'm not a eunuch."
Tyler laughed before he bit Lucas lightly on the ear lobe. "Get us two shots. I gotta take

a piss. While I'm gone, think about how wide I'm going to be after you and Adam get through
with me. All loose and sloppy," he added in a rough whisper.

Lucas had to close his eyes as Tyler danced away. He'd heard of double-teaming a girl,

of course. Spit roasting her. But two guys inside another at the same time...

"Fuck," he groaned, pressing the heel of his hand against the erection in his pants. Being

gay was awesome.

The bartender finally noticed him and poured four tequila shots. Lucas lined them up

before spinning on the stool to survey the scene. He waved at Kip who was sandwiched
between two guys on the dance floor, clearly enjoying the attention. A few other pirates were
visible in conversations around the room. Ben emerged from the throng, flushed and sweating.
He grinned at Lucas when he noticed him and jogged over.

"Whew! It's hot in here!" he exclaimed while clapping Lucas on the shoulder. "How're

you doing? Having a good time?"

"Sure am. You look like you've been dancing."
"That and more," Ben said with a wink. "Gotta love being a celebrity. I'll never get tired

of being offered up hot booty." He saw the glasses behind Lucas. "Waiting for Prince Charming
or are you pounding those by yourself?"

"Ty and I are splitting them."
"Ah. Glad to hear you're getting along." Ben wiped his sweating chest and face with his

shirt before tucking it back into his breeches. "He told me things have been tense between you.
I think it's been stressing him out."

"Yeah?" Lucas had to reassess the situation. Jumping to conclusions about the

relationship between Tyler and Ben seemed to have been a mistake. "What else did he tell
you?"

"Only that he hopes things change. Didn't say in which way, but I think we both know."
Lucas smiled at Ben's teasing tone. "Yeah, I guess we do."
"You're okay with me, right?" Ben asked after a brief pause. "You're not mad that Adam

switched us up for the night? I'm sure it's only temporary. Or I hope it is. I like falling off the
mast more than I like diving into the water, even if I do get Ty as a reward at the end."

Lucas kicked himself for ever thinking a bad thing about Ben. "I'm not mad at you. It

wasn't your choice. And I agree, I think you do a better job than I do falling off the mast."

"And you do a better job at turning Tyler on. It took him a while to get himself hard

enough to do me." Ben winced as Lucas' eyes widened. "Er, maybe you'd better not let him
know I told you that. Hell hath no fury like a Tyler wronged."

Heart pounding, Lucas promised, "No worries." He felt better than he had all day. "Hey,

you want a drink? Let me grab the bartender."

Ben caught him by the shoulder as he started to turn towards the bar. "Nah, let's just do

those shots. Tyler probably won't be back for a while yet."

"He just went to the restroom."
Reaching over Lucas' shoulder for one of the shots, Ben said, "I don't think so. I saw

him heading out of here while I was on my way to talk to you."

The relief that had filled Lucas suddenly vanished. "Wait, you saw him going out the

front door?"

"Yeah. So let's do these shots, buddy."
Lucas jumped off the stool. "I'm sorry. Ben. Maybe another time. I have to go."
Before Ben could question him, Lucas pushed through the crowd and out of the bar.

Ahead, he spotted Tyler midway through the parking lot, heading for one of the waiting taxis.

"You asshole," Lucas gritted. He sprinted after Tyler, catching him before the other man

could reach the taxi. He yanked a startled Tyler around. "What the hell? You tricked me?"

The familiar sneer took over Tyler's face. "It's not my fault you bought my bullshit." He

jerked his arm out of Lucas' grip. "Go back inside. This doesn't have anything to do with you."

Lucas couldn't believe his attitude. "How can this not have anything to do with me?

Adam's my captain too. He's my friend and maybe more than that if things work out. I want to
find him as badly as you do."

"Oh, yeah?" Tyler's eyes narrowed. "And what if things get ugly? What if Rory wants a

piece of you just like he did in the jungle? Am I going to have to save your ass again?"

A shiver ripped through Lucas at the reminder of what Donahue had done to him. But

following quickly on the heels of that shame raced anger, hot and cleansing.

"This is a completely different situation and you know it," he bit out. "If he touches me

again he'll regret it for the rest of his life."

Whatever was on his face or in his voice seemed to convince Tyler of his seriousness.

"I don't want you screwing this up," he told Lucas. "Adam's all I have, damn it."

"He's mine too," Lucas shot back.
Tyler blinked. The shock on his face was almost comical. Lucas waited for the

inevitable backlash against his declaration. But Tyler only looked away. A muscled pulsed in
his jaw.

"Get in the taxi," he finally gritted out as if the words pained him.
Lucas didn't hesitate. He jumped into the backseat. Tyler slid in after him and muttered

an address to the driver.

They merged into the late-night party traffic, heading away from Hidden Idol to the

south.

"Where are we going?" Lucas asked.
"Rory's house." Tyler banged his fist softly against his thigh. "I can't believe I'm

bringing you with me," he whispered as if to himself.

"Two of us are better than one, Ty."
"This doesn't even involve you."
Lucas resisted the urge to slap some sense into the other man. "Why do you keep

denying the truth? I mean, seriously, you're the only one who still thinks I'm not involved with
you and Adam. Accept it, Tyler: the three of us are together now."

"I like how I was never given the choice," Tyler snarled.
It was so easy to read him. Whatever Tyler said meant nothing when the truth was on

his face.

"What if I gave you the choice now?" Lucas challenged him softly. "Tell the driver to

pull over and let me out. Deal with this on your own. It'll be back to just you and Adam. Back
to fucking random guys and throwing them away after you've had your fill of them."

He could tell Tyler wanted to punch him. His arm visibly vibrated with tension.
"But it would be smarter," Lucas went on, "if you let me come with you. Let me help

you. Together we can bring Adam back. And once he's back, we can do all the things you've
probably fantasized about. Those things you'll never tell me, and maybe not even Adam either.
It doesn't matter to me. I don't need your secrets, Ty. I just need you."

Looking young and uncertain and as defensive as a stray cat, Tyler hissed, "You sound

like you're in a fucking romance movie."

"Guys can be romantic too, can't they?" Lucas shrugged, unfazed by Tyler's apparent

hostility. The truth was obvious. "Call me a fag if you want. I can take it."

A bark of laughter burst from Tyler's mouth. "You are such a fag."

Feeling the tide changing, Lucas grinned. "I am what I am."
He received a smirk for that. "Stupid ass."
He watched Tyler's fist relax, fingers spreading on his thigh. "We might end up in a

fight. Can you handle yourself, new guy?"

Lucas actually couldn't remember the last time he'd punched someone. He'd been raised

to avoid physical confrontation and he got along with most everyone. But he was fit and he was
suitably angry. "I'll be able to hold my own," he stated confidently.

Tyler's nod of acceptance bolstered his ego. "We should be okay. We'll get down and

dirty if we need to. Hopefully it won't come to that. Adam hates violence. He used to get so
pissed when Rory's gang dragged us into fights with them."

The taxi turned off the main drag and into a neighborhood. Most of the houses were

shielded by high fences draped with wild bushes, but occasionally Lucas glimpsed impressive
homes that many would call mansions.

"What's Donahue's deal, anyway?" he asked, turning his attention back to Tyler. "What

does he think he's going to get out of Adam? It sounds like he keeps provoking him like a kid
pulling pigtails."

"Rory can't let it go." Tyler's voice was as distant as his gaze as he stared forward. "You

know how you make a mistake and even years later you can't accept that there's nothing you
can do to change it? I think that's how he is with Adam. He fucked up and it kills him that
Adam moved on and found me."

"It sounded like they weren't compatible though. They're both tops. So why fight for a

relationship like that if it can never work out?"

"Maybe it's an ego thing, like Rory doesn't like to lose. Adam came out of it and found a

relationship. Rory's still fucking around. I don't know. He's an asshole. That seems like a good
enough answer to me."

Lucas phrased his next question carefully. "Because he's so much like Adam, did you

ever consider him?"

"For what?"
"You know..."
Tyler's eyes bulged. "Are you fucking kidding me? What the fuck are you on? No, I

never considered him. Jesus, that's nasty. Where the hell did you get that idea, anyway?"

Wishing he hadn't said anything, Lucas tried to backpedal. "It was just a question. I

don't know how these things work. Forget it, okay?"

"Oh, no, new guy. You fucking opened the door; I'm storming through it." Tyler braced

his hands on the seat between them, leaning closer. "You thought that just because Rory's a top
that I'd roll onto my back for him, is that it? You think I'm some kind of bitch boy who'll let
anyone dominate me if he acts tough enough?"

Slumping back against the seat, Lucas sighed, "No, that's not what I think. What I did

think was that maybe he has some of the same qualities that Adam has. Because obviously the
fact that they're too much alike is a big part of why they broke up in the first place."

"I see. So you're saying if a guy is big and strong and likes to be in control then I should

automatically spread my legs for him. You're such a fucking moron. Thanks for making me out
to be a shallow whore."

"Look, why do you have to fly off the handle every time I say something? It was a

mistake. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. You're taking it way too seriously."

Tyler glared at him. Lucas could hear him breathing harshly like a bull about to charge a

matador.

"By your logic," Tyler said, "you should be drooling over Rory's knob too."
Lucas stiffened.
"Because everything you like about Adam can be found in Rory, right?" Tyler's laugh

sounded evil. "You want to be bent over and fucked hard by Adam, so when we get to Rory's
place you should offer yourself to him and let me and Adam make our escape. In fact, that
sounds like a brilliant plan. It'd kill two birds with one stone. I'd get rid of you and Rory would
have the ass he's wanted since the games."

"You made your point," Lucas ground out, asking himself yet again why he put up with

Tyler's meanness. "Donahue is nothing like Adam."

Smug, Tyler sat back. "So you can be taught. Good to know."
The thought of smacking Tyler leaped to the forefront of Lucas' mind but he squashed it

down. Instead, he realized revenge could be had in a much sweeter way. It was cruel, but Lucas
reminded himself that Tyler brought it on himself.

Without a word, Lucas shifted across the seat and turned to Tyler. He braced one hand

on the door frame behind Tyler's right shoulder, caging him in.

Tyler shrank back from him. "What are you doing?"
"I want you to stop thinking and assuming the worse about everything I say."
"Then stop saying stupid fucking things!"
"It shouldn't matter what I say," Lucas said patiently. "You're supposed to trust that I

don't want to hurt you."

The sneer found its way to Tyler's mouth again. "Don't flatter yourself. You can't hurt

me, new guy."

"I'm glad you know that. So you won't take it the wrong way when I do this."
He caught Tyler's chin in his right hand and kissed him. He expected Tyler to fight,

maybe twist away or bite Lucas' lip. A punch in the gut wouldn't have been out of the question.

He didn't expect Tyler to turn into butter.
He melted so sweetly beneath him that Lucas moaned in response, the sound caught

between Tyler's soft, parted lips. The difference between the man who argued with him and
called him derogatory names and the man he kissed now was greater than night and day -- it
was as stark a difference as black and white. Lucas cupped the sides of Tyler's face with both
hands as he tentatively slid his tongue forward. He was braced for the bite and the rush of
resulting blood. Instead, Tyler opened wider and welcomed him in with a teasing stroke of his
own tongue.

Tyler's hot hands seared the skin of Lucas' back, sliding up to his shoulders and down to

his waist. He repeated the action with fingers clawed. Lucas gasped into the kiss as Tyler's
fingernails raked his back, sending fireworks shooting up into his brain and down into his cock.
Lisa had dragged her fingernails across his back plenty of times before, but never with the force
that Tyler used and Lucas was a little frightened by how much he preferred the stronger touch.

He hooked a leg over Tyler's to draw their hips closer together. Tyler helped by cupping

Lucas' ass and tugging. When their groins met, Lucas feared in the still uncertain part of him
that Tyler would be soft and unaffected by what they were doing. But the hard tube in Tyler's
breeches matched the one in Lucas’.

"Ben," Lucas gasped in between kisses, "said it took you a while to get hard for him."

Tyler licked at Lucas' lips and caught the bottom one between his teeth, tugging it

before releasing it. "Ben and his big fucking mouth. I don't have any problem getting it up for
you, new guy."

"Call me, Lucas," he groaned as he thrust against Tyler. In contrast to the force of his

hips, his hands cradled Tyler's face gently. "Please."

"Fucking sap," Tyler whispered. His eyes were half-lidded, shielded by a fan of nearly

white lashes. "Fucking Lucas." He swiped his tongue across Lucas' lips again like he was
catching the dripping juice of a succulent fruit. "I hate you."

"I hate you too," Lucas assured him and sealed his mouth over Tyler's again.
As they kissed, Tyler shoved his hands down the back of Lucas' breeches. Lucas sucked

in his belly to help, increasing the gap between skin and cloth so Tyler could delve deeper and
grasp double handfuls of his ass. He closed his eyes and sucked blindly on Tyler's tongue as
Tyler squeezed and kneaded his buttocks with a firm, possessive grip. When Tyler's fingers
dipped into the cleft of his ass, Lucas groaned and thrust one hand between them to grope
blindly at Tyler's groin.

"You want that?" Tyler gasped when Lucas found and cupped him through the cloth.
"To suck on, yeah." Lucas kissed across Tyler's cheek to thrust his tongue into his ear.

As Tyler moaned and twitched against his palm, Lucas whispered, "But as soon as we're naked
together I'm going to be the one doing the fucking this time."

Tyler's fingers dug hard into his ass. "I think you're gonna be too busy bending over for

Adam."

"Yeah, I'll be bending over for him. But not until you've bent over for me." The image

floated in Lucas' brain like a hallucination. But he knew it could be real. He knew Tyler wanted
it to be real just as badly as he did. "Adam says you make a lot of noise." Lucas found the head
of Tyler's erection through the cloth and pinched it between his fingers. "Are you going to make
noise for me, Tyler?"

A whimper was the response he received and it stole Lucas' breath. Tyler yanked him

closer, trapping Lucas' hand between them. Tyler seized his mouth in a hungry kiss that didn't
play at gentleness or romance. He sucked Lucas' tongue between his lips. Lucas knew what he
wanted. He pushed his tongue inside and then pulled back. He thrust it in again and Tyler
moaned, his cock pulsing so violently that Lucas felt it even through his breeches.

"Hey, guys, we're coming up on your address," grunted a voice from the front seat.

"Can't tell which one it is with all the overgrowth."

Wound up tight with lust, Lucas didn't want to break away from Tyler. He could tell that

if he pushed enough Tyler would let him fuck him right there in the back of the taxi and the
possibility of it made Lucas want to throw his wallet at the driver and order him to keep
driving, anywhere.

Tyler however, was apparently stronger-willed than he. He turned his face to the side,

breaking the suction of their lips. "Get off," he panted. "We've got to -- have to save Adam."

It wasn't quite a shock of cold water but the reminder of what they were doing here was

sobering. Instantly guilty, Lucas waited for Tyler to withdraw his hands from the back of his
breeches before he swung off of him. He collapsed on his side of the backseat, breathing hard
and angry at himself for losing control.

"Sorry," he muttered, figuring Tyler thought he must be a jerk to put the moves on him

during a wannabe rescue effort.

"It's okay," Tyler mumbled back. When Lucas glanced at him he found Tyler looking as

regretful as he.

Tyler leaned forward and pointed ahead through the windshield. "That one there on the

left. With the iron fence."

The driver parked. Lucas paid him before Tyler could reach for his money. They both

watched the car until its lights disappeared around a corner two blocks away.

"So what's the plan?" Lucas asked as he turned his attention to the iron fence separating

them from a white single-story house hiding beneath a ring of palm trees. Lights glowed behind
every blind-covered window.

"Walk in, tell Rory's he's a douche, grab Adam and go." Tyler shrugged carelessly but

his hands were fisted by his sides. "Seems good enough."

Lucas didn't see any motorcycles in the semi-circular driveway but the garage might

have been on the side of the house or even behind it. "You think it's just the two of them in
there?"

"I don't know." Tyler's voice hardened as he glanced askance at Lucas. "You have a

problem with it if the whole gang is there?"

"No," Lucas replied immediately. "They're not going to kill us. I can take a beating if I

have to. If that's what it'll take to bring Adam home."

Tyler stared at him for a long moment, the moonlight turning his hair to a helmet of

silver. "So maybe you're not a complete ass-wipe," he remarked.

"Tell me that later when the three of us are naked in bed together."
Tyler snorted.
Lucas grabbed the nearest bars of the gate. He threw Tyler a grin full of bravado. "Last

one in is bi-curious."

Tyler leaped for the fence.

CHAPTER TWELVE

It was cooler in Rory's yard. Palm fronds and small hills of hydrangea kept the moisture

close to the lawn. Lucas was tempted to kick his sandals off and run barefoot across the grass.
He'd felt only sand since coming to Joyboy and he missed the feel of the fresh, sharp stalks.

He followed Tyler from shadow to shadow as they darted forward. Keeping out of the

shafts of light, they tried to peer in through the windows but the blinds were drawn on all of
them.

"So now what?" Lucas whispered as he crouched beside Tyler behind a flowering bush

that smelled like honeysuckle.

Tyler was silent for a moment. Then he stood. "We knock."
Lucas scrambled to follow Tyler as he stormed up to the front door. They still hadn't

seen any signs of motorcycles so they didn't know how many of Rory's gang members might be
inside. But Tyler obviously didn't care as he pounded his fist on the solid door.

Heart thudding against his rib cage, Lucas reflected on how surreal it was to be standing

on a tropical island and about to engage in the first fight he'd been in since maybe high school.
And over a guy he wanted to have sex with no less.

"Come on, assholes," Tyler muttered. He knocked again. To Lucas he ordered, "See if

you can see between the blinds. All the lights are on. Somebody's gotta be home."

The blinds were thick plantation shutters, so no hope that a bent metal slat might give

him a glimpse inside. All he could see was a pale green carpet and occasionally the leg of a
piece of furniture.

"Nothing," he told Tyler once he'd returned. "The blinds are too tight."
"How do you feel about breaking and entering?" Tyler flashed him a reckless grin

although his gaze was searching, gauging Lucas' reaction.

"Do we even know for sure Adam's in there?"
Tyler stared at the doorknob. "No." He reached out and grasped the knob. It turned and

the door pushed inwards. "Well, fuck me sideways, new guy. Looks like we've just been invited
inside."

As soon as they entered the house they were assaulted by music.
"Pitbull," Tyler muttered. "Rory's favorite. He's definitely here."
The interior of the house wasn't as nice as Lucas had expected after seeing the outside.

What little furniture there was was black leather and draped with T-shirts or towels. Empty
pizza boxes and beer boxes littered the ground. A sandal was scattered here and there. It looked
like a frat house, which was probably what it served as for Rory's gang.

Lucas and Tyler searched the first floor and found no one to Lucas' private relief. The

music came from upstairs so that was evidently where the party was although he didn't hear any
male voices drifting down the stairwell.

"Ready?" Tyler whispered to him.
Lucas nodded and kept close behind Tyler's shoulder as they ascended the stairs.
At the top they found four closed doors and one that opened to a bathroom. Three of the

doors had mini dry erase boards tacked on to them with obscene messages and doodles drawn
on them. More and more, the place reminded Lucas of college life. It also smelled like it.

The music was concentrated behind one door. Lucas still didn't hear any voices as he

watched Tyler take hold of the handle. Without a word, Tyler pushed in the door.

It opened onto a bedroom dominated by a king size bed whose sheets had all been

shoved off to the floor, leaving only the mattress cover and one thin pillow which Rory had
shoved between his teeth to muffle the sounds he made as Adam pounded into him from
behind.

Lucas was so shocked by the scene that he froze in the doorway as Tyler brazenly strode

inside.

"So you were right," Tyler said loudly enough to be heard above the music.
Rory was on all fours facing Lucas' direction. At the sound of Tyler's voice he jerked his

head up, his eyes comically wide. Kneeling behind him, Adam just grinned at the comment and
watched Tyler walk to the stereo system and shut off the music.

The sudden silence wasn't so silent. Rory's grunts could still be heard through the

pillowcase and the hard slap of flesh against flesh reverberated around the room.

"You called it," Tyler went on as he crossed his arms and stood at the foot of the bed,

smirking down at Rory. "All of his bullshit just needed to be stomped out with a good fuck."

Adam ran a hand up Rory's spine and smiled as he looked down at the other man. "It

wasn't easy. I'll give him that." He used his other hand to point at a scratch across his own
collarbone. "We had to do some Greek style wrestling first."

"Well, he couldn't just come out and admit he wanted it." Tyler squatted down so he

would be eye level with Rory. But Rory ducked his head, burying his face in the pillow. "Isn't
that right, Rory? You couldn't just admit that you've always wanted to be the bitch. Adam had
to force it on you. Nice way of clearing your conscience."

"No," Adam corrected him breathlessly. He was pounding Rory with more force than

Lucas had ever seen a guy use during sex. "I made him say it before I gave him my dick." He
suddenly froze in mid-thrust. Lucas couldn't believe his self-control. Rory seemed to be just as
shocked. His head shot up and a whine tore from his throat.

"You told me what you wanted, didn't you, Rory?" Adam asked him. He slapped the

other man on the ass. "Don't be shy now. Tell Ty and Lucas what you told me. What you
begged me for."

Tyler helped out by yanking the pillow out of Rory's mouth.
"Shit," Rory mumbled. His cheeks were flushed red and his hair was matted to his head

with sweat. Despite the situation his cock was hard and Adam's sudden stillness seemed to be
torturing him in a pleasant way. "Adam, come on, man..."

"You brought this on yourself," Adam admonished him. The big man took hold of

Rory's hips and began to move, but slowly, pumping leisurely in and out and making Rory shut
his eyes and moan. "You've been harassing my crew for what, Rory? Tell my boys the reason.
Tell them what you told me."

"No..."
Adam stopped again. He reached beneath Rory and grabbed hold of his balls. "You're

not really into pain so you won't get off if I crush your nuts. Tell them what they want to hear
before I hurt you."

“Wait, I gotta get this.” Tyler hastily pulled out his phone and set it to record. He held it

near Rory’s head. “Okay, go ahead, douchebag.”

Panting, Rory shook his head. Adam tightened his hold and Rory's face blanched.

"Okay! Okay, stop. Shit, stop."

"Tell me why you've been a total dickweed to the pirates," Tyler prompted from his

crouched position near Rory's head.

Rory grimaced, unhappy to be questioned directly by Tyler. "Ah, fuck, you've figured it

out. Don't make me say it. Just, come on."

"Someone threw fucking melons at Ben's bike. You don't get a reprieve, Rory." Tyler

pointed at Lucas who still stood in the doorway. "You tried to force yourself on him. Spit it out
or all three of us are going to pull a train on you and take photos too."

"He might like that," Adam chuckled as he began moving again. He released Rory's

balls and slapped him on the ass again. "Just say it and get it over with."

"I realized -- I realized that I like dick," Rory mumbled, blushing beet red. "Adam's

dick, I mean. After we broke up I missed it. Fantasized about being fucked by it. I never -- I
didn't think about topping him."

"You can do better than that," Tyler chided.
Adam shifted position. On his next thrust Rory cried out in pleasure. "Okay, okay! Yes!

I'm a bottom. I accept it now. I love being fucked. I missed Adam. He's all I've been thinking
about... being fucked by him. You can't--" He clutched the mattress cover. "You can't let
anyone hear that."

Tyler tsked and shook his head. "That's so pathetic. And totally predictable too. Let me

guess: the reason you tried to fuck Lucas was so you wouldn't give the game away. You aren't
even into him, are you?"

Lucas tensed as Rory's desperate gaze found him. "No, man. I only fuck guys these days

to keep up my reputation." Rory groaned and broke the eye contact. "No one can know I like
this. I can't be anyone's bitch."

"Oh, fuck you," Tyler snarled. He whacked Rory upside the head with the pillow. "Sex

is sex. I bet I could kick your ass and I love bottoming. You're just a pussy naturally. It has
nothing to do with whether you're on top or on the bottom. God." He stood up, ended the
recording function and pocketed his phone as he glared at Adam. "This has got to be be the last
time he fucks with us."

"It is." Adam patted Rory on the hip affectionately. "He knows his place now. Don't

you, Rory?"

"Fuck you," Rory gasped as he arched his back to pull Adam deeper.
"No, that's not what we agreed on," Adam said as he picked up his pace. The impact of

their bodies sounded like a pair of sumo wrestlers coming together. He bent over Rory's back
and hooked his arms beneath Rory's shoulder and clasped him behind the neck, pinning him in
a full nelson. Lucas gasped as Adam used the grip to pull Rory upright while he continued to
drive into the other man's bowed body.

"Oh, shit, oh, god!" Rory cried out at the new position. His cock was dark red and

drooling profusely. His arms flailed helplessly around his head.

Lucas couldn't help rubbing himself as he watched the dual display of strength and

sexual dominance. He'd never witnessed anything like it and he found himself intimidated by it.
If Adam could do this to a man who was physically his twin, what would he do to someone
much slighter, like him?

"Adam!" Rory keened. "I'm gonna -- oh, shit, I'm gonna cum."
But Adam slowed down again and even Lucas groaned beneath his breath at the torture

being inflicted on Rory.

"You can't cum until you promise everyone here that you and your gang will never

bother the pirates again," Adam told him. He was panting hard and his huge muscles were shiny
with sweat but there was no doubt that he was in control of the situation. "Give us your word,
Rory."

Groaning, Rory nodded. "You have my word. I swear -- we'll leave you alone. Just don't

-- don't stop, Adam. Please. I'm dying. I need to cum so bad..."

"Yeah, you do, don't you?" Adam murmured into his ear.
Rory shuddered. "Please."
"I'll give you the fucking you want," Adam assured him. He pumped his hips again and

Rory's cock jumped in reaction. His moans filled the room as loudly as the music once had.

Lucas leaned against the doorframe, still reluctant to completely enter the room. Adam's

eyes flicked over to him at the movement.

"Get in here, Lucas."
His feet refused to move. Rory was falling apart in Adam's arms, seconds from

cumming. Lucas was torn between being aroused and being extremely uncomfortable to be
watching such an intimate and ego-destroying moment for Rory. He didn't have experience
with the power dynamics swirling throughout the room. He felt completely alien to it.

"Lucas," Adam repeated, "get in here."
Tyler finally pulled his attention away from the scene on the bed -- which he was clearly

enjoying if the sneer on his face and the bulge in his breeches were anything to go by -- and
took in Lucas' expression.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded.
On the bed, Rory began to cry out. His cock jerked and spurted. The look on his face

could have been ecstasy or devastation. Lucas wasn't interested in sticking around to find out
which.

He ducked out of the room and hurried down the stairs, Rory's voice echoing in his ears.

The front door beckoned and he accepted, slipping out into the night air and seizing the shadow
of a giant palm as a quiet place to collect his wits.

His face was hot and slick with sweat. Was he blushing? He wouldn't be surprised at

that point. He pulled on his tunic despite the sweat on his back and chest. He didn't need
vulnerability right now, even the little that came from being shirtless.

He looked up as Tyler rushed out. When Tyler saw that he hadn't run, he slowed up and

rolled his eyes as he joined Lucas in the shadows.

"So what the hell was that? Running off like a scared little girl?"
"Shut up," Lucas muttered. "I don't need your grief right now."
"Then tell me what that was?"
"I don't know." No, that wasn't true. "I was weirded out," Lucas blurted. He mentally

shook himself. "I wasn't prepared to see Rory in that position."

"What position? Being enlightened about his true tastes?" Tyler looked smug, as if he'd

had a hand in what had happened to Rory.

"Whatever you want to call it. I think of him a certain way because of what happened in

the jungle that night. So to see him this way, in a completely different light -- it's wrong."

"Sucks to find out the guy who tried to bone you wasn't into it, huh?"
Lucas glared at him. "That's not it at all. You're deliberately being an ass."
Tyler shrugged and toed the grass. "I just don't get it. So what if Rory got put in his

place? We all do eventually, right?"

"It's just -- it's hard for me to think of Rory being like -- like--"
"Like you?" Tyler's laugh was mean. "Like me? We get off when a big, thick cock is up

our asses. So what? Or is it because Rory is Mr. Macho and Mr. Steroid? Big guys bottom too,
new guy. Size has nothing to do with it."

Lucas nodded, like he'd needed to hear that. But he was still uneasy and he couldn't say

why. He kept picturing Adam's complete physical control over Rory and kept hearing Rory
begging... and his skin broke out in gooseflesh.

"At least it didn't turn you off."
Lucas startled when Tyler abruptly stepped into his personal space and cupped a hand

around his erection. He caught Tyler's wrist to stop him but all Tyler did was squeeze him
through his breeches.

"You liked it," Tyler whispered, gazing avidly into Lucas' eyes. "You liked seeing Rory

put down like that. A little tit for tat. You liked seeing him punished for fucking with you, didn't
you?"

That had very little if anything to do with how Lucas felt, but he nodded anyway, happy

to seize the excuse. "Yeah. It feels like I did."

"I think that's sexy," Tyler admitted. "You might be tougher than I thought."
Unfortunately Lucas had never considered himself tough or cruel. Seeing Rory in that

situation was the last thing he would have asked for.

"Want me to blow you?" Tyler whispered. He massaged Lucas through his breeches. "I

got turned on too. We could have quickie before we go back."

Lucas called himself all sorts of names for being uninterested in a blowjob that

celebrated Rory's subjugation. But that was how it was. He didn't want to see Tyler on his knees
for him either.

"Let's save it," he said with what he hoped was a believable smirk. "The build-up and

anticipation will make it even better when we do it right."

Tyler pouted, but he released Lucas. "Okay. We'll wait. Better if we include Adam

anyway. He'll be amped up after this. That'll pay off later. Trust me. Come on. Let's go rub it
in."

Up in Rory's bedroom, he and Adam were just emerging from the bathroom. They were

all smiles, Rory especially. He looked younger and happier and nothing like the cocky jerk
Lucas had encountered before.

"Oh, hey," he said when he saw Lucas. Naked and with his hair dripping, he crossed the

room and held out his hand. "My bad for what happened during the games. I mean it. That was
pretty low of me. I'd like to say I would have stopped before it got too far but I was in a bad
mood that night. I was out of control."

Lucas reluctantly took his hand and shook it. "Let's just forget about it."
"It was exceptionally shitty," Rory went on, "but you're cool for letting it go. That says a

lot about you."

"Lucas is a good guy." Adam pulled on his breeches as he watched Lucas. "You

screwed up by picking on him, Rory."

"Hey, I said I'm sorry." Rory threw up both hands defensively. "I only picked him out

because I'd heard how much you were into him. I was punching below the belt and I knew it
but, well..."

"But you wanted my attention. Again." Adam shot him a look that made Rory cringe.

"The truth is out now, Rory. Try anything with my men and you'll never see me again."

"I already gave you my word," Rory mumbled as he shuffled across the floor and picked

up a discarded pair of shorts which he pulled on. As he did so, Lucas caught sight of the red
handprints on his ass. Lucas quickly looked away, right into Adam's gaze.

It was the worst thing that could have happened because Lucas was sure everything he

felt -- even the stuff he didn't understand -- was there for Adam to read. Adam gave a short nod
as if confirming this before walking over to Tyler and slinging a heavy arm across his
shoulders.

"You were supposed to stay at the bar with Lucas," he said before biting at Tyler's ear

lobe.

Tyler smiled drunkenly and tilted his head to the side to bare his throat. Rory watched

them hungrily, enviously, and Lucas was pretty sure Tyler knew it.

"You can spank my ass later," Tyler murmured. He dragged his fingernails across the

quilt work of Adam's abs. "Then you'll have to fuck it to make the lesson stick."

"You might be taking two of us," Adam said, his dark gaze sliding to Lucas.
Feeling awkward with Rory in the room, Lucas didn't say anything.
"You guys want to hang out here a while?" Rory grinned uncertainly. "I can dig up

some weed or coke. Whatever you want. Let's all relax and get comfortable."

Adam chuckled. "You've gotten all you're getting, Rory. We're going."
Rory's face fell but he didn't argue. Neither did Lucas, who eagerly led the way out of

the house.

"I'll give you a ride," Rory told them when they exited out the front door.
"But there are four of us," Lucas pointed out.
"I've got a car. Hang tight." Rory jogged across the yard and disappeared into darkness.
Not a second later Adam pushed Lucas against the trunk of a nearby palm tree and held

him there with a palm to the center of his chest.

"What's going on?" Adam asked softly.
His face was unreadable in the shadow, his body language either protective or

menacing. Lucas couldn't help shivering at his low tone.

"I don't know what you--"
"What happened up there scared you," Adam cut in. "Tell me why."
Tyler tugged on Adam's shoulder. "He's not scared, he--"
"Ty, please be quiet until I ask for your opinion." Adam stroked his fingers against

Lucas' sternum, no doubt feeling his heartbeat and the quick inhalation of his breath. "Relax,
Lucas. You're safe with me. You know that, don't you?"

Lucas hesitated only a second, but it was enough.
Adam spread his palm flat as he leaned forward. "Tell me what happened. Was it seeing

Rory again that worked you up?"

The suggestion embarrassed him. "Of course not. He doesn't bother me."
"Was it seeing me have sex with someone else?"
"It was unexpected," Lucas admitted. "But it's fine. You do as much in the show.

Anyway, you can do what you want, just like I expect to do what I want to."

"Within reason. You and Ty both have jealous streaks a mile long. I have the feeling we

won't be playing musical beds too often."

"I guess." Lucas had no idea what the future held. Even more so now than before he'd

come to Rory's house.

"Lucas…" Adam slid his palm up Lucas' chest and cupped him by the throat. "Tell me

what's wrong."

Lucas laughed nervously. "There's nothing--"
"Don't bullshit me. You don't need to be afraid of me, Lucas. Nervousness from a guy

turns me on, makes me feel strong, but there's no room for fear between us."

"I'm not afraid of you."
The fingers tightened around his throat, not enough to choke him but to narrow his

awareness to that grip.

"You're afraid of what I'm capable of," Adam whispered against his cheek. "You're

afraid of how far I'm going to push you. And you should be afraid of that. I'm going to push you
further than you've ever gone with anyone."

Something flared hot and bright in Lucas. He grabbed Adam's wrist and tried to pull his

hand away. Adam didn't bulge but Lucas could sense his surprise.

And his dismay.
"Ty, give us a moment," Adam murmured. Lucas tensed. "Lucas and I need to clear

some things up."

The grass rustled as Tyler moved away. Lucas felt embarrassed -- and angry -- though

he wasn't sure at whom these feelings were directed.

"Adam, really—" he began.
"You're afraid of me."
Lucas fell silent. He wanted to protest. He wasn't afraid of anyone. He could take care of

himself.

But this wasn't about holding his own in a fight or a physical competition. This was

about being intimate and vulnerable in a way he'd never had to deal with before. So yeah,
maybe he was pretty scared; he just couldn't bring himself to admit it. Not even to Adam, whom
he thought he trusted more than anyone on this island. Being afraid of this situation was
humiliating.

The fingers around his throat gentled and Adam sighed. In the dark his body language

changed noticeably, almost slumping.

"The reason I didn't want Tyler bringing you here wasn't because I didn't think you guys

could help. It was because I didn't want you seeing me that way with Rory," he told Lucas. "He
and I have a different sort of relationship. Antagonistic, but we get each other. You're new to so
many things, Lucas. I knew you wouldn't understand… and you don't. It's not your fault. It's
mine."

"I didn't… like that," Lucas managed to say. "I'm not into that sort of scene. If that's

what domination is about—"

"It can be," Adam told him, sounding reluctant to admit it. "It can be about humiliation

because the guys who are involved get off on that. Or maybe it can be punishment. But like I
told you before: I'm not into that. I don't need to make another guy feel like dirt in order to feel
dominant. I get my kicks out of making him enjoy himself and turn into a puddle because of
me." His thumb stroked the side of Lucas' neck. "That's what I want to do to you. But maybe
I've finally pushed too hard."

"Don't treat me like a baby," Lucas mumbled. "I hate that I feel defensive about this,

that I'm the only one having problem with this."

"If you think that's how I'm treating you then I'm really screwing this up." Adam

dropped his arm and took a step back. "You're not a freak and you're not the only one who's

ever felt these things, Lucas. But obviously I haven't made that clear to you. I keep jumping the
damn gun." Adam sighed again and turned partly away from Lucas. "I should've let you stay
with Ben. He's treated you better than I have. He never scared you."

It was the first time Lucas had ever heard Adam sound less than confident. Lucas had

come to believe Adam could do no wrong. But that was hardly fair. Adam was just a man, and
a young one despite the way he carried himself. It was easy to forget that when Adam's
presence had such a powerful effect on Lucas.

"Being dominant, it's always come naturally to me," Adam murmured, speaking almost

to himself. "Submissive guys gravitate toward me and things always fall into place. I never had
to work at making it work."

Like you've had to with me, Lucas thought guiltily.
"But to be a good Dom I can't use that as an excuse. You're new to all of this and you're

supposed to be relying on me to figure it out for us and you have -- yet I've dropped the ball on
you. I still make you frightened…"

Adam sounded miserable and Lucas couldn't stand it. He moved away from the tree and

came around to face Adam, forcing the big man to look at him.

"Look, I'm not afraid of you. I trust you with everything. I trust you so much that I'm

going to have sex with you even after seeing something that did make me extremely
uncomfortable, because I trust that you won't do that with me. You've been pushing me, yeah.
But I haven't run away and I keep coming back to you for more. To me that means there's
something in me that needs something in you." It was his turn to lay a hand on the other man.
"You haven't screwed up anything, Adam. I turn into a puddle whenever you're near me. I
dream about you. I fantasize about the things you might do to me. This thing between is good,
it's really good."

Adam stood a little straighter. "Yeah?"
Lucas nodded. "I think I needed to know that you're not some dominating muscle

machine who won't take no for an answer. That's who I thought I saw in there with Rory. But I
get it now. That was just a scene for him. It's not how you're going to treat me."

"Never," Adam promised him. "Not unless you ask me for it."
Lucas smiled. "I seriously doubt that'll ever happen."
Adam wrapped an arm around Lucas' waist and tugged him forward. Lucas went into

his arms willingly, wrapping his arms naturally around the back of Adam's thick neck. "You're
going to be just fine with me and Tyler." Adam's voice was hypnotic. Lucas let it curl around
his brain, stroking him, making him want to mentally purr. "You'll always be safe with us. The
three of us will only bring pleasure to each other, not pain."

Fingers stroked his side. They belonged to Tyler, his touch was as gentle as any

female's.

"Well, I might bring some pain to your ass every once in a while, new guy."
Tyler's comment brought another smile to Lucas' face. Adam and Tyler were crowded

around him but he didn't feel closed in by them. They were comforting, like a wall of defense
against outside invaders.

"Why don't we pretend this never happened and go home and have sex?" Lucas

suggested.

Adam's grin was a slash of white in the darkness. "Never let it be said that I denied a

guy's need for me."

Tyler snorted. "And you've been needed a lot by the queens on this island." He snapped

his fingers and said to Lucas. "Never denied any of 'em except for the ugly and fat ones, which
I nixed."

Lucas laughed. "Quality control, huh?"
"The Cap'n's gott have some standards, you know."
A car pulled up to the front gate.
"That's Rory," Adam said.
This time it was Tyler doing the tugging, dragging Lucas toward the gate. "Come on,

new guy. You asked for it. Now you're going to get it."

Lucas didn't resist. Whatever happened next between them was something he

welcomed.

But when he glanced back at Adam following them, he had the feeling his cockiness

was completely unwarranted and he was about to learn the true meaning of delicious
submission.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The ride back to Pieces o' Eight was uncomfortable for Lucas but only because of Rory.

Thankfully Tyler sat in the backseat with him while Adam sat up front with Rory. It had been
done to avoid having Tyler sit in front and potentially starting a fight with Rory which would
have probably gotten them all killed.

"We should get together for a barbecue," Rory was saying to Adam above the blaring of

the radio. He'd turned it to the island's hip-hop channel and the car vibrated with the throb of
the bass. "I could host, or we could do a beach thing."

"We'll think about it," Adam replied noncommittally.
"Let me know," was Rory's hopeful reply.
Lucas still had trouble wrapping his head around this Rory versus the one that he'd

encountered in the jungle, but clearly a corner had been turned. As much as he didn't
understand it, Rory had found a peace -- temporary or otherwise -- both with himself and
Adam. Second-guessing it was pointless. All that mattered was that the pirates now didn't need
to worry about being kicked off the island for fighting with Rory's gang. It sounded as though
antagonism between the two groups would be a thing of the past.

A hand landed on his thigh and squeezed. Tyler gave him a narrow-eyed look. "Are you

still weirded out?" he asked quietly enough that his voice wouldn't carry to the front seat above
the noise of the radio.

"I'm fine. Just forget about it."
"You were--"
"I said I'm fine," Lucas repeated more harshly than he'd intended. He didn't like the

girlish role he'd fallen into. He didn't need any other guy to take care of him or worry about
him. He was a guy. He'd handle his own business.

Tyler snatched his hand back. "Well, fuck you, new guy. Just trying to be nice."
Knowing full well how this would fester if he didn't cauterize the wound now, Lucas

caught Tyler's hand and pulled it back to his thigh. "Sorry. I'm being an asshole. Don't hold it
against me, alright? I shouldn't have done all those shots while I was waiting for you at the bar."

Tyler snickered. "You did them while I ditched you?"
"Yeah," Lucas lied with a sheepish grin. "Thanks for making me feel like an idiot. Now

I'm a drunken idiot."

"The jury's still out on whether that's an improvement." Tyler sneered playfully at him.

"You sure are gullible. You might be 'new guy' five years from now, just because you believe
any shit anyone tells you."

Lucas tugged him closer, noting how Tyler's eyes lit up at the handling. "If you're still

calling me new guy after I fuck you then we've got problems."

Fingers dug into the flesh of Lucas' thigh. "So what if I do? Are you going to punish me

for it?"

The words wrapped around Lucas' cock and tugged. This wasn't like flirting with a girl

who didn't really mean it -- or if she did, only wanted a light spank or two. He knew he could
do almost anything with and to Tyler because he could take it. Having not really entertained

many fantasies like that, Lucas found his skull suddenly about to burst from the pressure of a
million fantasies involving him and the other blond doing the kinkiest things imaginable.

"What do you think you deserve?" Lucas asked, not because he needed ideas but

because he wanted to hear Tyler say something dirty.

Tyler's tongue came out and lashed his lips, leaving them glistening. Lucas groaned

softly, restraining himself from feeling that dampness with his own lips. He wanted to hear
what Tyler had to say first.

Silver eyes were swept beneath pale lashes as Tyler leaned forward. Lucas held his

breath, his body breaking out in a shiver as Tyler's damp lips grazed his earlobe.

"I want to fight you again, new guy, except this time I want you to win." Tyler breathed

heavily, the gust of his breaths making Lucas close his eyes as lust swept through him. "I want
you to overpower me and take out all that aggression I know you have. I've been busting your
balls all summer. You gonna let me get away with that, Lucas? Or are you going to take it out
on me? Are you going to fuck my brains out and show me whose boss?"

"Fuck," Lucas groaned. He grabbed Tyler by the shoulder and the back of the neck and

pulled him into a bruising kiss.

Tyler's mouth opened readily beneath his, hot breath pouring into Lucas' mouth like

wine. Lucas pushed his tongue into Tyler's slick wetness, sliding his tongue over every surface,
penetrating every crevice, showing Tyler that he intended to own him when the opportunity
came.

A hand groped between his legs and found his erection. Tyler gripped it triumphantly,

emitting a dirty little laugh against Lucas' lips. Lucas slapped his hand over Tyler's, forcing
their shared grip to rub up his length.

"You want that?" Lucas panted, hoping he didn't sound too much like a porn actor. He

was self-conscious about talking to a guy about sex.

Tyler squeezed him at the same time he caught Lucas' lower lip between his teeth and

tugged. He released Lucas' lip and grinned wolfishly. "I want everything you've got. You hold
back and I'll make Adam kick your ass. I've got that power over him, remember? He'll do
whatever I say."

Lucas highly doubted that, and that made things exciting.

~~~~~

After Rory dropped them off at the bar, Adam jogged inside to talk to Kip. He came out

three minutes later and tossed Kip's motorcycle keys to Lucas.

"He's got another ride home."
His smirk made it evident that Kip didn't mind having to rely on someone else.
"Meet you back at the cottage, Lucas."
With a brisk nod, Lucas said, "Can't wait."
Adam chuckled and then he and Tyler were zipping out of the parking lot, the Ninja's

brake lights barely flashing.

Lucas headed home at a more sedate pace, gathering his nerve for what was to come. He

didn't love Adam and Tyler. Nowhere near that. But he liked them and he respected their
relationship and on a lot of levels he trusted them. Hopefully after sleeping with them he'd trust
them on every level, or at least the ones that would affect his life on Joyboy.

When he reached the cottage all the lights were on and Adam's bike had lost most of its

heat. Lucas paused just outside the door, thrusting the fear aside and letting the anticipation
build. He would embrace what was about to happen. He was young and in the prime of his
sexuality. If he didn't experiment now he told himself he may as well be dead. The pep talk
worked. He was half-hard and his heart was thudding eagerly against his ribcage when he
finally went inside.

Tyler was standing beside the sofa, toweling his hair off. He was completely naked and

his dick was pointing at the ceiling.

"You started without me?" Lucas blurted before he stop himself.
Tyler grinned at him. "Don't sweat it, new guy. You'll get more than enough." He hefted

his balls in one hand and juggled them a little bit while he watched Lucas. "I'll dip these in your
mouth later. Adam's in the bathroom. He wants you to take a shower with him."

Lucas put Adam off for the moment, unable to resist stepping up to Tyler and running

his hands down the other blond's sleek sides. He reached back and cupped Tyler's tight, hard ass
and gave it a squeeze. Tyler's dick was a steel rod between them. Lucas was seized with an
intense urge to drop to his knees and suck on it, but Tyler must have read his intention on his
face because he smirked and held firmly onto Lucas' waist, keeping him standing.

"You'll have plenty to suck on in a minute. You don't want to make your jaw sore this

early in the game."

Lucas jerked Tyler against him, reveling in the other man's gasp of lust.
"Maybe I want you to do the sucking," he growled softly. "Who said I'm going to be on

my knees?"

Tyler was beautiful up close, his lashes thick and pale, his eyes the color of sunlit

mercury. His platinum hair was darker now that it was damp, nearly the color of Lucas' when
dry. It fell over his forehead in spicy icicles and Lucas wished he could brush it back without it
seeming, well, gay. Then he mentally laughed at himself that he could think touching another
man's hair was gay when just seconds ago he'd wanted to blow him.

"What's so funny?" Tyler asked, suspicion darkening his eyes.
Lucas kissed him instead of answering. It seemed to be effective because when he

leaned back again Tyler's eyes were back to being the color of rain, though the irises were
barely visible because of how large his pupils had grown.

"You'd better get in there," he whispered to Lucas. "Adam's gonna whip my ass if I keep

him waiting."

"I thought he does what you say?" Lucas teased.
Tyler's mouth hooked. "That's a load of bullshit and you know it." He pinched Lucas'

hip. "Go. The sooner you wash up the sooner we can get messy."

Reluctantly, Lucas peeled himself away from Tyler. He backed into the master

bedroom, unable to look away from Tyler's lean, aroused body. Just before Lucas turned the
corner which would take him out of view of the other man Tyler winked at him, the simple
action full of so much promise.

Breathing heavily, Lucas moved eagerly into the bathroom where the water was

running. But Adam wasn't in the shower. He was leaning against the sink, arms crossed, and his
back to the mirror on the wall. His big cock pointed towards the shower stall.

He grinned at Lucas' reaction. "I already washed up. I just didn't want to get my hair

wet. Takes too long to dry." His smile faded in wattage and took on a firmer edge. "Get in the
shower, Lucas."

"You're not going to join me?"
"Quit stalling."
Flushing at being caught, Lucas stripped off his shirt and his show breeches. He was

harder than he'd been when he'd entered the cottage thanks to Tyler and he was proud of his
erect state as Adam's eyes looked their fill of him.

"Nice," Adam murmured. "Long and thick. You have a pretty cock, Lucas."
"You've seen it before."
"But now I'm imagining it sliding up Tyler ass and it's different." Adam's eyes were

pure darkness. "It's all different. Can't you feel it?"

Of course, Lucas wanted to choke out. But maybe that wouldn't seem manly. Or maybe

it would reveal too much. He didn't know how to play things with Adam. Half the time he
believed Adam wanted him to be strong and confident. The rest of the time it seemed Adam
wanted him to be submissive.

"Get wet, Lucas."
He laughed as he opened the stall door. "Is that what you'd say to a girl if she were

here?"

Adam's grin was wide. "A girl would never be here, man. I only go for dick."
The water was still warm and Lucas quickly rinsed himself of the sweat he'd

accumulated during the show and from the bar. He didn't care about having damp hair. It wasn't
as long as Adam's and wouldn't take long to dry so he ducked his head beneath the spray and
wished residual makeup from his face. Even with his eyes closed he could feel Adam's watchful
gaze, and he found himself putting on a bit of a show, conscious of the flow of the rivulets of
water down his body. He knew he looked hot. He wanted Adam to know it and appreciate it
too.

He deliberately looked through the glass and held Adam's gaze as he grabbed the bar of

soap and lathered up his chest. He drew the bar around his nipples needlessly, and took his time
soaping up his pits, turning the act into something erotic. He soaped his smooth crotch but gave
his hard cock only a brief stroke, teasing him and Adam both. He juggled his balls just as Tyler
had done before sliding the soap behind him.

He turned, putting his back to Adam and letting him watch as he slid the bar up and

down his crease. He touched one corner of the bar to his hole, pressing slightly. Mentally, he
fast forwarded to later in the night when Adam would be there instead of the soap. Lucas' eyes
fell shut. He moved the soap away and replaced it with his fingers, rubbing his index finger
around the pucker, wondering if Adam wanted to know how tight he was.

"You're a little slut, aren't you?"
Lucas' eyes snapped open and he spun around, but Adam's expression was far from

disapproving. His dark eyes were heavy lidded, his mouth lax. While he played with his nipples
with one hand he leisurely stroked his cock with the other.

Relaxing, Lucas put the bar away and let the water rinse him, conscious of the soap

bubbles trailing down his body.

"Are you complaining?" he asked, feeling cocky and studly.
Adam's grin was pure sin. "You know I'm not. The sluttier you are, the more you're

going to like my dick."

Lucas swallowed, his confidence wavering even as his desire shot up. "I don't think

anyone needs to be slut to appreciate that monster."

"I hope you appreciate it," Adam said. "It's going to fill you to the brim, Lucas. You'll

be choking on the tip while it's stroking your ass open."

Lucas shuddered and braced one hand on the wall. "Can I get out now?"
"Shut off the water and dry yourself."
He was surprised that Adam didn't offer to towel dry him, but Adam seemed to be in an

authoritarian mood, content to tell Lucas what to do. Lucas was curious and horny enough to go
along.

After he'd dried himself, he hung up the towel and turned to Adam expectantly. "Now

what?"

Adam stepped closer. Lucas' heart began hammering even faster. But Adam walked past

him with a smirk on his face and entered the bedroom. "Come on, Lucas." He raised his voice.
"Tyler, get in here!"

As Lucas looked on, Adam climbed onto the bed and sat with his back to the headboard,

his legs extended and crossed at the ankles. He rested his hands casually in his lap around his
erection. He smiled at Lucas as Tyler entered the room.

"You boys are going to play nice and help Lucas get warmed up," Adam told them.
Tyler leaped onto the bed and promptly rolled onto his back. He propped himself on his

elbows and leered at Lucas. "What're you waiting for? A girl?"

"Fuck you," Lucas said and tackled him.
Tyler smelled like the same soap Lucas had used. His damp hair was cool against Lucas'

cheek as he struggled to pin Tyler beneath him.

Tyler, though, was a virtual eel, wriggling out of Lucas' grip and attempting to turn the

tables. As they wrestled, arms and legs contorting around each other for the advantage, their
hard cocks bumped and grinded into legs, stomach and ass. The first couple of times it
happened Lucas barely paid any attention besides acknowledging the brief moments of friction.
But when Tyler managed to half-way straddle him while Lucas' face was smashed into the
mattress and used the opportunity to hump one of Lucas' ass cheeks, Lucas realized this wasn't
so much about gaining the upper hand as it was about getting off as sneakily as possible.

When he managed to twist Tyler off of him and pin him down by the shoulders, Lucas

bit him on the shoulder as he dragged his cock up the crease where thigh met torso. Then he did
it again, near enough to Tyler's cock that he could feel the heat of it. He heard Tyler's breath
hitch.

"You want to get fucked, don't you?" Lucas said against his skin before biting it again

just hard enough to leave the imprint of his teeth where Tyler's neck met his shoulder.

"Fuck you," Tyler panted back as he grabbed a fistful of Lucas' hair. "Your dick's not

big enough to feel."

He yanked back, arching Lucas' neck. The pain sparked an unexpected ember of

pleasure and Lucas moaned before he could help himself.

"Bottom boy," Tyler taunted. "Only bitches like having their hair pulled."
A growl rolled out of Lucas' throat. He felt more aggressive than he could ever

remember being in bed. Ignoring the pain on his scalp, he slid a hand down their bodies and
thrust it between Tyler's thighs. He hooked Tyler's leg and jerked it up, quickly gaining a hold
beneath his thigh. With a great heave, he used the grip to flip Tyler over onto his stomach.
Tyler yelped and let go of Lucas' hair, thankfully before pulling out any hair.

Lucas belly-flopped on him, using his body to hold Tyler down as he fished around

through the sheets for the other man's wrists. Once he found them he yanked them back behind

the small of Tyler's back and pulled. Tyler fought, hunching his shoulders forward, which
worked perfectly for Lucas' needs. He shifted back, pulling Tyler with him, forcing Tyler onto
his knees with his arms pulled taut behind him.

Lucas curled over his back, pressing his cock into the crease of Tyler's ass. His breath

rushed across the nape of Tyler's neck. He watched Tyler shudder.

"Still think I'm too small for you?" Lucas asked as he ground his cock against Tyler's

ass. He rolled his hips, driving his cock up and down the crease of Tyler's ass, smearing precum
along the way.

He heard Tyler groan before he hung his head. Gooseflesh had broken out across the

skin of his shoulders. Lucas wanted to bite each and every tiny bump.

"He's already stretched and lubed," murmured a low voice from the head of the bed.
Startled, Lucas raised his eyes to Adam who sat watching with a gaze as inscrutable as

the Sphinx's. What wasn't too difficult to interpret was the huge cock rising up like an obelisk
from between his thighs. Lucas' own hole twitched at the sight of it.

"Take him," Adam ordered when Lucas just stared at him. "Or are you afraid you can't

handle him?"

Tyler let out a strangled laugh that Lucas was positive was meant to goad him into

action. It worked.

He considered how he wanted this to play out and made up his mind. Using his own

thighs as leverage, he forced Tyler to shuffle forward on his knees and to the side, until his head
hung over Adam's lap.

"I want you to hold his hands," Lucas told Adam, hoping the big man would be willing

to participate. "I want you to keep him trapped while I fuck him."

Tyler's back arched and a low, plaintive moan whistled past his lips.
Adam stopped stroking himself. "Sounds like you know what Tyler likes."
"I know what Tyler's going to get, that's all. This is about me, not him. Fuck him."

Lucas grinned. "Or I guess I will."

Adam grinned back and reached out to accept the transfer of Tyler's arms. Tyler fought,

pretty pathetically, Lucas thought, but then again it was all for show anyway. Tyler wanted to
be dominated. A little struggle just added to the excitement.

And it was exciting for Lucas. Seeing Adam holding Tyler's wrists pinned in an X

across his lap while Tyler's ass was spread wide for Lucas was nearly enough to make him start
jerking off. But he knew something better awaited him.

He slapped Tyler across the ass as hard as he could, putting all his earlier aggravation

with the blond behind the spank. Tyler howled, his head shooting up. Lucas wished he could
see his expression, but it was enough that Adam could see it and know that Lucas wasn't
someone to fuck around with.

"That's for whipping me on the cannon," Lucas said before slapping Tyler's other ass

cheek equally as hard. He spanked Tyler again. "That's for being a general all-around asshole to
me when I first came here."

"Oh, you fucking fucker!" Tyler yelled.
Lucas quickly bent over him and reached beneath Tyler to grab and pinch his nipples.

He twisted them the way he'd never twisted a girl's, and was rewarded with another high-
pitched yowl. Interestingly, it was accompanied by Tyler bowing his back and thrusting his ass
at Lucas.

"You're like a cat in heat," Lucas observed, turned on and amazed at the same time.

"I'm going to fuck your ass so hard," Tyler sobbed. "You're going to fucking regret this,

new guy."

"Maybe. But that's only if you can get me in this position. Right now things don't look

to good for you, Ty. Looks like you're about to get plowed by your favorite housemate."

Lucas marveled at this wicked side of himself but he couldn't help reveling in it. It was a

freedom he'd never experienced in bed and he liked it. No, he loved it. Especially because Tyler
reacted so beautifully to everything Lucas did to him. Lucas spanked him a few more times just
for fun and because he liked how pink Tyler's ass became. He twisted his nipples again too, just
to make Tyler writhe beneath him.

Eventually though, Lucas became a victim of his own torture. He was so hard he was

sure his cock was going to split open. Breathing hard, his face hot, he sat back on his heels and
stared at Tyler's tempting pink ass.

"He'll never respect you until you put him in his place," Adam told him in a low voice.
Lucas' gaze snapped to him. "Like you did Rory?"
"That was different but Rory loved what I did to him." Adam indicated Tyler, who was

crouched between them, panting and trembling. His cock clung tight to his belly and his balls
were drawn up firmly between his legs. "Just like Tyler. You can give him what I gave to
Rory."

Domination. Lucas heard the word echo in his head even without Adam speaking it.
Licking his lips, Lucas spread Tyler's cheeks apart to further reveal the pink pucker

there. It was glistening and not as tight as he expected. Then again Adam had already said that
he was stretched and lubed. Tyler was prepared to be fucked, by whom it didn't matter. He
wanted it. Tyler would have been fighting like a feral cat otherwise.

"Do it," Adam murmured.
Lucas didn't need to be told twice. He shuffled forward slightly, angling his cock

towards Tyler's hole. He pressed the spongy head against Tyler, waiting for the blond to yell a
protest and tell him to go fuck himself. All that happened though, was that Tyler moaned and
sank his shoulders to the bed. It was an invitation carved in stone if Lucas had ever seen one.

Holding himself firmly by the base, he pressed forward. Tyler parted around him with

resistance and then suddenly he sucked Lucas in. Lucas gasped as the smooth walls of Tyler's
channel rippled around him and pulled him deeper. He slid in effortlessly. By the time his balls
came up against Tyler's Lucas was close to hyperventilating.

"Breathe," Adam said, sounding amused.
Lucas obeyed, but as he inhaled his hips shifted slightly. Sensation coasted up his dick.

He seized Tyler's hips -- probably too hard, he didn't care -- and pulled his own hip back,
withdrawing from Tyler's body until only the head of his cock remained inside. He drove
forward, shoving himself in with one sure stroke. Tyler fell apart around him, shuddering and
crying out, his back arched into a perfect bow.

So Lucas kept fucking him. It didn't matter how fast or hard he went, Tyler took every

stroke with a cry of pleasure. Panting hard, Lucas swiveled his hips just to see what would
happen. Tyler dropped his forehead to Adam's thigh with a sob. Lucas shifted his position and
bore down, fucking hard towards Tyler's belly. Tyler was electrified by the shift, writhing
wildly on Lucas' cock like a harpooned fish. Shocked, Lucas could only fuck him harder,
wanting Tyler to feel every inch of his cock and yield to it.

"Tell me you love this," Lucas finally found the breath to gasp. He shifted one hand to

the back of Tyler's head and gripped his hair just as the other man had done to him. He yanked

back, which made Tyler's ass tighten around him. Lucas saw stars for a second. "Tell me -- tell
me I fucking own you, Tyler."

"Fuck you -- fu -- oh, fuck, oh, god," Tyler whimpered.
Lucas reached beneath Tyler's hips with his other hand and grabbed his cock. The organ

was so hard he could barely bend it away from Tyler's stomach. He stroked it in counterpoint to
his thrusts, his fist swiftly growing slick with Tyler's precum.

"Tell me you're my bottom boy," Lucas gasped, determined to break Tyler. His head

buzzed with the thrill of domination. "Tell me I own you."

"No, you -- oh, fuck." Tyler bucked when Lucas pinched the head of his cock. "I'm your

bottom -- boy. I -- fuck you. Oh, fuck you." Tyler sobbed. "You o-own me. You fucking own
me!"

A rush of adrenaline powered through Lucas at Tyler's broken admission. He felt

Adam's eyes boring into him, watching everything, missing nothing, but Lucas couldn't care
about him except for one thing.

"Let him go," he ordered breathlessly.
As soon as Adam released Tyler's wrists Lucas pulled out and threw Tyler onto his back

on the bed. Tyler flopped, too fucked out to do anything but sprawl beneath Lucas. His cheeks
were bright with color, his lips red and puffy as if he'd been biting them nonstop. His silver
eyes, what slivers that were visible, looked up at Lucas drunkenly.

"Look into my eyes as I fuck this out of you," Lucas ordered, his testosterone rushing

through his veins like heroin.

He hiked Tyler's legs up onto his shoulders and stabbed into him. Tyler cried out, his

hips stuttering against Lucas' groin. Lucas bent him in half, bringing them nearly nose to nose
as he fucked deep into Tyler's body again and again.

"I won't even need -- to touch you," Lucas panted.
Something flashed in Tyler's eyes, the recognition of Lucas' power over him. A moment

later Tyler moaned as he pulsed out his orgasm in long, ropey strands. The muscles tightening
around him affected Lucas less than the knowledge he'd fucked Tyler to orgasm. He tried to
hold out, just to prove he could, but everything about Tyler in the throes of release conspired
against him. With a few more jerky thrusts, Lucas shoved in as far as he could and came, his
balls twitching spastically against Tyler's reddened ass.

Just like that, all of the strength and aggression left his body as if someone had

punctured him. He was done. Wiped. He barely had the energy to pull out and push Tyler's legs
to the side so he could collapse to the bed beside the panting blond. His heartbeat pounded in
his ears. His entire body tingled as if he'd touched a light socket.

As he was gulping for air against the sheets like a fish thrown out of water, his mind still

riding the rush of endorphins, a large hand curled around the nape of his neck and a low voice
purred into his ear, "Nice showing, Lucas." The fingers tightened ominously. "But now it's your
turn to be the bitch."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The lassitude that had softened Lucas' limbs vanished. He tensed and his heart rate

began to climb again.

"You're not going to give him a breather?" Tyler panted. He rolled onto his side with a

pleased-sounding groan and eyed Lucas. He smiled. "He deserves a break, Adam. Be nice. He
was nice to me..."

Tyler telling Adam to be nice to him was one for the books but Lucas wasn't exactly in a

position to marvel at it. Adam's fingers were burning scorch marks into the back of his neck.

"I know," Adam said. His breath was hot against the curve of Lucas' shoulder. "I saw.

That's why I want him."

Lucas shivered as Adam's lips drifted across the tops of his shoulders. Tyler reached

across the bed and touched his fingers to Lucas' mouth. "He's scared," Tyler murmured. His
voice and expression were devoid of the taunting that would have normally accompanied such a
statement. "New guy is only one fuck up from being a virgin. You'd better be careful with him."

"We've talked it out and I think maybe he doesn't want me to be careful," Adam

breathed against Lucas' skin. He shifted and suddenly the huge, hot bulk of him was curled
around Lucas from shoulders to hips. The urgent rod of his cock pressed against the curve of
Lucas' ass, deceptively velvety and smooth. "Do you?" he said into Lucas' ear.

His comprehension of English was rapidly deteriorating. "Do I -- what?"
"Want me to treat you with kid gloves. Or do you want me to treat you like a man,

Lucas?"

Tyler's finger pressed against his bottom lip, pushing it this way and that. Lucas stared

into his gray eyes, realizing how hot it was to have Tyler watching him with Adam.

He kept the eye contact as he said, "I want you to fuck me like a man."
Tyler's already pink cheeks darkened with a new flush of arousal. His eyes narrowed as

he pushed his finger through Lucas' lips. "Suck me, new guy."

"He won't be able to talk if he's sucking you," Adam warned as he wrapped a thick arm

around Lucas' waist and dragged his fingernails across his twitching abdomen.

"I don't care. I just want to feel his mouth."
Adam kissed Lucas behind the ear. "Get a wet cloth, Ty. Clean him up for what's next."
With a wicked grin, Tyler extracted his finger and quickly rolled out of bed. Lucas

listened to the sounds of running water and Adam breathing into his ear.

"Thank you for taking care of Ty."
The soft murmur caught him by surprise because he could tell that Adam earnestly

meant it.

"What did you think I was going to do to him?" Lucas asked.
"Play head games with him."
"Well, I did, sort of."
"Power play isn't the same as messing with someone's head, Lucas. What you did and

said to Tyler was mutual. He let you dominate him. Now, if you'd started talking trash while
you had him vulnerable -- that would have been something else and I wouldn't have approved."

He caught Lucas' earlobe between his teeth to give him a warning nip. "And I wouldn't have
allowed it for long. Thank you for treating him the way he wanted to be treated."

"I wasn't thinking too much, mostly just acting on instinct," Lucas admitted, his body

still pleasantly buzzed from sex with Tyler. "He's one of the sexiest guys I've ever seen. Being
over him like that, in him -- it made me go a little crazy." He gave a short laugh. "I think he had
more control over the situation than I did, now that I think about it."

Adam chuckled. "He's good at that. Pushy bottom. Topping from the bottom. Whatever

you want to call it, Ty ends up getting what he wants out of you and you end up going along for
the ride."

A hundred examples of that popped into Lucas' head and he smiled, not resenting Tyler

at all but looking forward to experiencing the blond's bossy behavior in the future.

"I can't complain," he said. "It's the best sex I've ever had."
"So far," Adam said in a low rumble. He rolled his hips against Lucas' ass, pushing his

cock across Lucas' tailbone. "I think you have a better understanding of what happened with
Rory, don't you?"

"Yeah, you're right." Lucas had to marvel at that. While he'd been with Tyler the only

thing on his mind had been domination. And it had brought him and Tyler mutual pleasure. "I'm
sorry I ever doubted you."

"You don't need to apologize, but you can make it up to me by doing what I say as I

fuck you now."

A shudder wracked Lucas' body.
"Feels like you enjoy being pushed around."
Lucas' breath stuttered in his throat. "I don't know." He slid his top leg up a few inches,

just enough to reveal his balls. "Maybe."

Adam pulled him back tighter against the larger man's body. "Say it." He spread his

hand over Lucas' belly. "Don't pretend you don't know what you want."

"I'm not sure I do know. I mean, I know I like how I feel around you and--"
"How do you feel around me?"
Lucas willed himself not to blush. "Like I'm a stud. You have this way of focusing on

me... I guess it's flattering."

"It should be." Adam stroked his belly with his fingertips. "When I look at you I want

you."

"I like that."
"What else do you like?"
Ranking this conversation in the top five of most awkward, Lucas shrugged. "You're a

good-looking guy. I like looking at you. I can't help but be impressed."

"Do you like looking at my dick?"
The blush reached his collarbones. "It's big."
Adam tweaked one of his nipples. "That's not what I asked. I know I'm big. I'm asking if

you like it. If you want to suck on it."

Lucas was glad he was facing away from Adam. "I -- yeah."
He felt the thick organ pulse against his spine. "You want to put it between your lips,

don't you, Lucas?"

Lucas just nodded. He wasn't hard yet but his body was warming and he could tell it

would be a matter of a few minutes before he was fully erect.

"But you want more than to suck on it, don't you?" Adam's voice was a deep burr. "You

want me to make you suck on it."

Lust rushed through Lucas, making him gasp softly.
"You want me to push down your throat, make you take my inches," Adam went on. He

rubbed Lucas' lower belly, close enough that his fingers occasionally grazed the base of his
cock. It was maddening. "Fucking Tyler is fun and you enjoy it, but it's not that much different
from fucking a tough chick. You want something else, don't you, Lucas? You want to be a
bottom boy, stuffed full of my big dick."

The crude words rebounded in Lucas' skull. A part of him couldn't believe he hadn't yet

punched Adam in the face for talking to him that way. But another part, the majority of him,
whimpered in deep, secret pleasure at the words.

He tugged at the sheets, reflexively wanting to hide his face beneath them, but Adam

shifted his hold on him so he could press Lucas onto his back. Embarrassed and turned on,
Lucas turned his face away just as Tyler returned to the bed with a wet cloth. He must have
been standing near the bed listening because his face was flushed too, his cock half-hard. He
licked his lips as he looked down at Lucas and Adam.

"Make him eat it," Tyler said in a husky voice. "Do it, Adam. I want to see him choke

on that monster."

Lucas clenched his eyes shut, riding the wave of arousal that rolled through him. The

bed dipped beside him and he jerked in surprise when the wet cloth fell across his groin. He
opened his eyes and found himself staring deep into Tyler's eyes as the other blond cleaned his
cock and balls with the rag, leaving him damp and stiffening.

"You're gonna get fucked tonight, new guy," Tyler said. "By Adam, definitely. But

maybe I'll take a turn at you too."

"I can't take you both," Lucas managed, horrified yet titillated by the prospect.
Tyler smirked. "Being sore is half the fun. Means you'll remember it all day tomorrow."

He curled the rag around Lucas' cock and squeezed. "I think you'll be a whore for cock."

"You're the whore in this bed," Lucas retorted.
"You both are," Adam growled. "Now get out of the way, Ty. You had your turn."
"But I want to be in on it!"
Adam reached across Lucas and grabbed Ty behind the neck. "You will, but not until I

say so."

Pouting, Tyler shifted to the side and sat back on his heels so he was still close enough

to watch everything. Lucas ignored him as Adam moved over him on hands and knees. It was
like watching the moon shift across the face of the sun; Lucas felt as though he'd been cast in
the shadow of a behemoth.

"You look good beneath me," Adam observed, mischief glinting in the depths of his

obsidian eyes.

Unsure whether to lie passively or participate, Lucas placed his hands on Adam's thick

thighs as the other man sat back on Lucas' hips. Lucas' cock lay beneath Adam's balls and was
lengthening by the second but it was Adam's cock that demanded the attention.

"You're huge," Lucas said for what he was sure must be the hundredth time.
"You're afraid of it."
"Not afraid," he argued in defense of his ego. "Just... mildly concerned about where

that's supposed to go."

Adam's grin was smug. "Don't stress over it. It'll fit and you'll enjoy it."

"He'll probably cream as soon as it's in."
"Tyler, please keep your mouth shut," Adam said, his eyes and smile still aimed at

Lucas. "Ignore him," he said to Lucas. "You're going to focus on me because I'm going to focus
on you. That's what you want, isn't it? My undivided attention?"

Nerves were making Lucas' heart race. "It depends. You can be pretty intimidating."
"Only because you're afraid of what you want from me." Adam's smile faded but

amusement continued to glitter in his eyes. "But don't worry, Lucas. I'll give it to you no matter
how scared you are of it."

He reached down and hefted his heavy cock as though it were a sword. Lucas' eyes were

riveted to the smooth head and the thick stalk of flesh behind it.

"Open your mouth," Adam said softly.
Lucas curled his fingers against Adam's legs.
"Yeah, you like it when I tell you what to do. You may be a switch but you love being

submissive to me."

Lucas couldn't meet his eyes. "Whatever."
A warm laugh. "Just checking."
Adam rose to his knees and leaned forward to brace one hand on the headboard above

Lucas. It brought his hips above Lucas' face, the tip of his cock pointed at his mouth. The smell
came along with the heat: musky and masculine and clean like the smell of a locker room after
the showers.

Looking down at him, Adam repeated, "Open your mouth."
Lucas felt his own cock rising off his balls as he breathed Adam in. He parted his lips.
Holding himself by the base, Adam guided his cock across Lucas' lips but didn't push

inside. He rubbed the smooth tip against his gums and over his top teeth. He moved it away to
rub it over Lucas' cheeks and across his chin, smearing trails of precum across his skin. Lucas'
nostrils flared at the smell and his mouth filled with saliva.

"Give it to me," he demanded as Adam rubbed himself across his lips again. He stuck

out his tongue and was rewarded with a lick of the slippery head.

"Why should I? Do you like cock, Lucas?"
He didn't hesitate. "Yes. I like yours."
"Tell me you want to suck it."
Lucas licked his lips. "I want to suck it."
Adam's face looked saturnine as he aimed the tip at his mouth again. "Open up for me."
As soon as he did Adam was inside, pushing across his tongue like a cylindrical salt

lick. Lucas closed his mouth around the thick tube and curled his tongue beneath it. Its bulk felt
satisfying in a way he couldn't explain. Maybe it was primal, like the feeling of a mother's
nipple filling his mouth as a babe. Adam didn't push far enough to gag him. He was content to
slide back and forth through the tight ring of Lucas' lips. He did this for several minutes,
steadily feeding Lucas his cock. When he unexpectedly pulled out, Lucas lifted his head to
follow. Adam's resulting laughter made him feel dirty and desperate and very horny.

"I'm not going far," Adam soothed him with a smug smile. "I just want you to lick my

nuts." He dropped the silken sac atop Lucas' mouth. "Go for it."

Cheeks hot, Lucas laved them with his tongue, smoothing out the wrinkled skin and

pushing the firm orbs inside back and forth. He blew air across the damp skin and felt them
twitch against his chin.

"You're good at this," Adam remarked. "Nearly good enough to make me wonder if

you've been practicing on the other guys."

Lucas glared at him.
"We might need to start a new hazing tradition. Everyone teabags the new guy." Adam's

smirk deepened. "Don't tell me you wouldn't like it."

Lucas lowered his eyes rather than answer. His mouth was full anyway. After he'd

soaked the balls for a good three minutes, Adam shifted, bringing his cock back to his mouth.
Lucas moaned as he took Adam inside again.

"Yeah," Adam said in a low voice, "suck me. I know you like it. Think about that going

inside you. Get it nice and wet."

Thick fingers slid into his hair, massaging his scalp and encouraging him to look up. He

did, feeling drugged. He was mesmerized by the hunger on Adam's face.

"You should see yourself, Lucas. This is where you're meant to be. You were wasted on

women." A finger traced his stretched lips. "You were meant for cock."

A shudder ripped through Lucas. To hear Adam say it so plainly and to realize that it

was true, that he loved this, was frightening and exhilarating at the same time, like plunging
down a roller coaster and realizing he was going to live. With a groan he clutched Adam's
muscled ass, urging him to push more of his cock down his throat.

That's when he felt the wet mouth seal around the tip of his own cock. He whimpered in

shock and dug his heels into the mattress so he could thrust up into Tyler's mouth. Tyler took
him without a struggle, sucking Lucas down to the root. Groaning, Lucas sought to do the same
to Adam. He dug his fingers into Adam's ass and then hurriedly relaxed his throat as Adam
gave him everything he asked for. Adam's cock plunged deep and then withdrew, giving Lucas
precious seconds to gulp for air before he was swallowing cock again.

For a long time the room was filled with the sounds of sucking and slurping, though

Lucas could hear someone occasionally groaning and realized belatedly that it was him. When a
slick finger probed between his ass cheeks and pressed against his pucker he groaned again.
Tyler's finger penetrated him, pushing lube inside as the blond sucked him down. Lucas
clenched around the digit, his body electrified by the sensation of invasion. Tyler worked
another finger and more lube into him. Lucas began to pant around Adam's cock as he imagined
what lay ahead for him when he was stretched enough. By the time the third finger was knuckle
deep inside him he could barely concentrate on the cock in his mouth. He was overwhelmed.

"Enough," Adam said, his voice rough. He pulled out of Lucas' mouth but made sure to

drag his wet cock down Lucas' chin, painting it in saliva and precum. "Tyler, move. I want him
on all fours."

"Damn," Tyler groaned as he lifted off of Lucas. "I was getting into it."
He wiggled his fingers inside Lucas, grazing his prostate and making Lucas spasm

beneath Adam. "Fuck," Lucas gasped.

"Not yet," Adam muttered and Lucas heard an edge of urgency in his voice. "Tyler,

move!"

The fingers slipped out and Lucas felt instantly strange. He didn't have long to dwell on

the empty feeling though, because Adam climbed off him only to flip Lucas onto his belly and
then pull him to his knees so his hips were in the air.

Feeling like a doll being thrown around, Lucas pushed himself up to all fours. "Talk

about a rough seduction," he muttered.

"You want to be seduced?" Adam seized him by the hips and ground his cock into the

crease of Lucas' ass. "How's this?" He bent over Lucas' back. "You're lucky I don't push your
face into the bed and smother you. I'm being nice."

Lucas hung his head, no longer caring how he was going to be fucked. His awareness

had narrowed to the steel pole rubbing against his ass.

"I'm going to make you sit on this," Adam said, almost as if talking to himself. "Make

you fuck yourself."

He pushed Lucas' legs apart so they straddled Adam's thick thighs and then pulled Lucas

back. Lucas didn't want to sit on his lap like a girl. He gripped the bedding. Adam just laughed,
the sound thick with lust, and yanked Lucas back, sheets and all. Lucas hit the top of his thighs,
Adam's cock snapping against his tailbone. He tried to rise up which gave Adam the
opportunity to shove the head of his cock beneath Lucas' ass and notched it against his hole.

Lucas froze with that smooth, throbbing head poised ominously at his entrance. Adam's

fingers dug into the skin of his hips, pulling down.

"Sit on it," he ordered.
"I'm not a girl," Lucas growled back.
"No, you're my boy pussy."
Lucas' hatred of that term overrode his lust. He thrashed, trying to break free of Adam's

grip.

"So you want me to hold you down, is that it?" Adam growled as he held Lucas in place.
"No! I want you to -- let me -- go!"
Adam released him so quickly Lucas fell forward and nearly struck his head on the

headboard. He'd expected to have to fight harder and looked back over his shoulder in a mixture
of surprise and accusation.

Adam's expression was closed off. Behind him, Tyler gaped as if he was having trouble

understanding what had happened.

"Why are you fighting me?" Adam demanded. "What exactly do you think I'm going to

do to you?"

"I don't want you calling me your pussy." Lucas frowned, suddenly feeling as though

he'd overreacted. "I hate it."

"You wanted to stop because of that?" Adam shook his head. "You're a coward."
"Screw you. Just because I don't want to be demeaned--"
"Demeaned? We're about to fuck here, Lucas. If I didn't like you, you wouldn't be in my

bed."

The growing fear that he was acting like an overly sensitive girl was difficult for Lucas

to avoid. "Look, I just -- I don't--"

"Let me make this easy for you since you seem to want to make it complicated." Adam

lashed out so quickly Lucas couldn't avoid the hand that snagged his shoulder and yanked him
back against Adam's chest. Arms like iron bars coiled around his chest from behind. "I'm going
to fuck you," Adam said against his ear, his breath hot and moist and raising goose bumps
across Lucas' skin. "I'm going to fuck you deep and hard and you're going to whimper and
moan and do all the things that guys who get fucked by me do. And you're going to be happy
afterwards. You may even thank me for it."

Lucas' laugh died quickly when Adam pressed his cock against his ass.

"You're riding this because you want it," Adam told him, his voice lowering, becoming

husky and touching all of Lucas' erogenous zones. "Since the day you met me you've wondered
what it would be like to be fucked by me."

"I didn't--"
"Maybe not consciously, but the curiosity was there from the beginning, Lucas. I saw it

and I knew what it was." Adam kissed the side of his throat with lips as soft as the skin
covering the tip of his cock. "We both want my cock up your ass. Just let it happen. It won't
hurt you."

Lucas forced his instinctive defensiveness away. It wasn't doing him any good and

Adam was right: he did want this, so much that it scared him.

"Do it." He closed his eyes and let his head roll back onto Adam's shoulder. He relaxed

his spine so his body molded back into the larger man's. "Fuck me stupid."

Adam's laugh was warm against his throat. "You'll never be stupid, but I'll gladly take

up the challenge."

He pressed himself to Lucas' hole. This time Lucas didn't tense as the pressure against

his ring began to build.

Adam rubbed his belly. "Breathe. You've taken Tyler. You can take me."
But Tyler wasn't nearly as large and Lucas began to become seriously concerned that he

was going to be torn in half. Then the head popped through, pushing a choked cry of discomfort
from him.

"Breathe," Adam repeated. He didn't move even though Lucas feared with every breath

that he would shove himself deeper. "You've taken the biggest part. Relax and let me in."

Though his thighs trembled with the effort, Lucas slowly lowered himself down Adam's

shaft, inch by excruciating inch. Adam kissed his throat and shoulders and continually rubbed
circles against his belly to ease him through it. By the time Lucas sat down fully on Adam's lap
he was covered with a fine sheen of sweat and faintly shaking.

"Good boy," Adam murmured. "I can feel you trembling, but it's all in. Relax."
Lucas gulped for air. "You're--"
"Huge, I know." Adam's voice held faint amusement. "Now let's see about making you

enjoy how big it is." He reached down into Lucas' lap and took hold of his now limp cock.
"Tyler, we need you."

The other blond scrambled around them to kneel before Lucas. Tyler took one look at

Lucas' sweating face and reached out to cup his cheek in an unexpected moment of tenderness.

"Stop being a wimp," Tyler admonished, but his tone was soft. "I think you're totally

faking this just so I'll suck your cock."

Lucas gave a strangled, pained laugh. "I hate you, Tyler."
Tyler grinned. "Sounds like you're feeling better already. But I guess this won't hurt."

He bent down and sucked Lucas into his mouth.

Lucas moaned in relief as pleasure bloomed in his groin.
"There you go," Adam purred. "I can feel you loosening up around me already. Still

tight, though. Tight like a guy who loves a big piece of meat."

"A T-bone, yeah," Lucas panted. "The jury's still out on this one." But in truth he was

feeling a hundred times better with Tyler sucking him off. He cupped the other blond's head,
riding the bobbing of his head and concentrating on the wet suction around his cock.

"I'm going to fuck you now," Adam whispered. His tongue curled around Lucas' ear.

"Stop me."

Lucas bit his bottom lip and said nothing.
The first thrust wasn't a thrust so much as it was a grinding movement inside him. He

felt the shift of the bulk inside him a moment before Adam found his prostate.

"Fuck," Lucas gasped, shooting a hand behind him to clutch Adam's hip.
"Got it in one," Adam said with a deep chuckle. "Let's have some fun with it."
Holding Lucas by the hips Adam began to pulse inside him, using his cock to press

relentlessly on Lucas' prostate. Lucas wasn't sure if it was some tantric thing but he did know it
was going to drive him crazy soon. To make it worse, Tyler bobbed his head in time with each
pulse as if he had a telepathic connection with Adam. Caught between them, the intensity
climbed swiftly in Lucas' groin. Panting, he clasped the back of Tyler's head with one hand
while the other dug into Adam's hip. He rolled his head on Adam's shoulder, pressing his
burning face against the side of Adam's neck.

"Feel me?" Adam whispered.
"Fuck yes," Lucas gasped.
"As much as you love fucking Tyler, you'll always love this more." Adam continued to

press his hips into Lucas', their skin connected by heat and sweat. "A deep dicking is the only
way you can scratch that itch inside you. It's what makes you belong to me just as Ty belongs to
you."

Tyler let Lucas slip from his lips as he rose up on his knees. "I own you too," he said,

pressing his mouth to Lucas', sharing the taste of him. He grabbed a fistful of Lucas' hair,
forcing his head to the side and baring his neck. Lucas hissed as Tyler bit into the side of his
neck. "Just because you fucked me doesn't mean I'll always be the bottom in this bed," he
warned against Lucas' skin. He sealed his mouth and began sucking a series of what Lucas was
sure would be vicious-looking hickies.

Lucas groaned and writhed between them, unable to sit still for Adam's slow torture and

Tyler's aggression. The masculine smell that rose up around them made him dizzy. The strong
limbs that curled around him and held him were as sexually foreign as they were exciting. An
acute sense of vulnerability rose up in him as he pictured the three of them together. He couldn't
have predicted how aroused that made him, especially with Adam breathing in his ear and
churning his cock inside him.

"Fuck," Lucas moaned. "This is–"
"What we needed," Adam growled and pushed Lucas' hips up until only the tip of him

remained inside Lucas' ass. Then he pulled down on Lucas' hips, shoving his cock back in up to
the balls.

"Fuck!" Lucas gasped at the jolt of ecstasy that shot through his body.
Adam did it again, ramming up into Lucas each time he pulled Lucas down. Being

fucked by Adam was a hundred times more intense than being fucked by Tyler. Lucas felt like a
sex toy in Adam's grasp, just a warm, tight hole for the big man to fuck into. Lucas clutched
frantically at Tyler's arm, Adam's thigh – anything to anchor himself amidst the maelstrom of
sensations.

"I can't --" He groaned desperately as his lust reached critical levels. "Adam -- I'm --

gonna cum..."

"Hold it," Adam growled.
Lucas dug his nails into Adam's skin. "I can't!"
"Move, Ty!" Adam barked.

Tyler barely managed to dodge out of the way as Adam threw Lucas face down on the

bed. Holding him by the hips, Adam rammed into him from behind. Lucas cried out at the
powerful thrust. He scrabbled for a handhold on the bed, tearing up the sheets as Adam drilled
into him.

His orgasm struck him like lightning, whiting out his vision. It felt like dying, like he

would never breathe again. As he convulsed, Adam shoved him flat on the bed and crushed him
with his weight. He jammed himself into Lucas, burying himself as deep as he could as he
came. His groan of satisfaction filled Lucas' ears like the sound of thunder.

Lucas lay there stunned. For a few minutes Adam remained a heavy, heaving weight on

his back before the bigger man finally disengaged. Lucas groaned at the separation but then felt
a lighter weight settle across his hips.

"Just lay there," Tyler said shakily. "Don't fucking move. I can't stop myself."
Tyler pushed inside him with a wet squelching noise. Lucas whimpered as his over

sensitized prostate shot sparks through his body. He cried out desperately through Tyler's
frantic thrusts. His body was incapable of coming a third time but the pressure in his groin still
felt as intense as if it had the first time he'd cum.

"Please..." he moaned, begging for a relief from the sensations bombarding him.
A large hand curled over his fist and squeezed. "Just a little more, Lucas."
He held onto Adam's words, gritting his teeth until Tyler finally froze arched above him.

Wetness spilled between his ass cheeks as Tyler's cum mingled with Adam's.

"I can't..." Lucas whispered, slumping into the mattress.
"You're done," Adam told him as he stroked Lucas' soaked hair away from his eyes.

"Go to sleep, Lucas."

No one could have stopped him from doing otherwise.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

He woke to the sensation of hot breath on his balls and hands pushing his legs apart. He

lifted his head groggily and looked down. Dark eyes stared back at him from between his legs.
Adam smiled and then dragged the flat of his tongue up the crease where Lucas' thigh met his
torso.

Lucas gasped and fisted the sheets. "Already?" was all he could croak. The sun shone

through the window but it felt like he'd only been asleep an hour.

"You have an unusually long refractory period?" Adam asked him. He glanced up at

Lucas' cock, which was slowly thickening. "Didn't think so." He licked across Lucas' inner
thigh again.

"Fuck." Lucas spread his legs wider, too horny to care what he looked like. Cumming

three times had cured him of shyness, at least while he was in this bed.

He didn't remember falling asleep last night, but he did remember being woken up

several times during the night. At first he'd snapped his eyes open in a state of disorientation
because of the unfamiliar press of large male bodies against his own. After a while he'd become
accustomed to having Tyler and Adam sprawled against him, or at least he hadn't been
unnerved enough for it to override his exhaustion which demanded that he sleep.

Later, his distraction was caused deliberately by a hand groping his ass in the dark, or a

hard dick grinding against his thigh, or lips that were surrounded by stubble grazing his
collarbones and latching onto his nipples. Waking to those sensations had been disorientating
and Lucas wasn't completely positive that he hadn't dreamed some of them.

A hand cupped his jaw and turned his face to the side where he was caught by the press

of a soft, damp mouth. He groaned against Tyler's lips and caught Tyler behind the head,
pulling him closer as he pushed his tongue into the other blond's mouth.

Further down his body, thumbs curled between his buttocks, dipping into the slickness

of lube and cum that hadn't been wiped away the previous night. The fingers slipped inside him,
probing. He clenched in remembrance of larger, deeper penetrations. His blood began to sizzle,
excited by the prospect of being owned once again.

Above him Tyler's mouth was slick and hot and Lucas couldn't get enough of it. He

wanted to fuse himself to Tyler's mouth, to breathe with him and swallow every sigh of
pleasure he made. As if he knew how much Lucas enjoyed kissing him, Tyler pulled his mouth
away and pressed it to the side of his neck. Groaning, Lucas threw his head back, surrendering
to the tongue that slithered up his throat and danced along his jaw, the serrated edge of teeth
that traced his jugular.

He dug his fingers into the nape of Tyler's neck, wanting to grab a handful of hair and

reverse their positions. He wanted to drive into Tyler, feel him break apart and become the
writhing, whimpering creature he'd been the night before. The dominance that Lucas had
reveled in began to rise in him like sap. He'd been fucked twice. He wanted to return the favor
to the athletic, sexy body pressed against him.

But Adam kept Lucas on his back with his legs spread wide like a frog's. He rubbed his

thumbs in Lucas' ass, sliding them around the sleek ring of muscle, testing the stretch. Lucas

rolled his hips to try to entice Adam to do more, to touch him deeper. He didn't expect the
warm, wet tongue that circled his hole.

"Ah, fuck," he gasped. He flailed, managing to grab a pillow with the hand that wasn't in

Tyler's hair, and tried to stuff it between his teeth.

It was pulled away and thrown off the bed. "I want to hear you," Tyler purred against

the curve of Lucas' jawbone. "Come on, new guy. Sing for us."

Adam spread him wider and pushed his face up against Lucas. His nose puffed hot air

against Lucas' balls while his tongue flicked and dipped inside him.

"Adam..." Lucas whispered in desperation. He reached down blindly, trying to grab the

big man's head and push him deeper. His hand was promptly forced to the mattress and pinned
there.

"Beg us," Adam said in a thick voice. His mouth was smeared with wetness and it made

something primal clench in Lucas' groin. "Look into Tyler's eyes and tell him what you want us
to do to you."

The continuation of their power play in all its permutations was going to kill Lucas, he

was sure of it. Outside of the bedroom the thought of being dominated was strange and faintly
ridiculous, but when he was naked and hard, Adam's orders made his cock pulse.

"Don't be shy, Lucas. Tell us what we want to hear."
Lucas swallowed back a moan. He tightened his grip in Tyler's hair until the blond

hissed. Lucas pulled him up to eye level. Tyler's eyes were all pupil and Lucas was pretty sure
his own must look identical.

"Make me cum," he said roughly, speaking to Tyler but doing so loudly enough that

Adam would hear every word. "Do anything. Fuck me. Suck me. I don't even know -- just make
me cum. Please."

"Bottom boy," Tyler whispered but the sound was vicious and hungry as if Lucas had

just set out a steak and told them to chow down. "Even I don't beg this easily."

Lucas' cheeks flushed, which he was sure was the exact reaction Tyler wanted from him

if the blond's smirk was anything to go by. "Whatever he does to me," Lucas told him,
determined to drag him down with him, "I'll do to you."

Splotches of red bloomed on Tyler's cheeks. His pale lashes trembled. "Adam," he

gritted out, "you'd better rim his skinny ass or I'm going to be very upset with you."

"All you boys had to do was ask nicely," Adam said with a chuckle before he lowered

his head and began licking again with long, lewd strokes.

Lucas clenched his eyes shut and shuddered, his body rolling like a flag. Tyler held

down his upper body as he licked and kissed Lucas' face.

"Kiss me," he panted into Lucas' open mouth. "Show me what his tongue is doing to

you."

Yanking him down again, Lucas thrust his tongue between Tyler's lips the way Adam

had pushed his tongue into Lucas' ass. Tyler moaned against him as Lucas licked out his mouth.
His fingers were bands of steel against Lucas' shoulders.

The rimming was more intense than Lucas could stand. He couldn't believe how

sensitive he was to Adam's tongue and lips. As good as it felt it was almost too much
stimulation. He tried to twist his hips and move himself out of reach but Adam held him firmly
as he continued tongue fucking him.

Lucas strained away from Tyler, gasping, "I'm gonna cum. Oh, god."

"Not before I sit on your face," Tyler shot back. He swatted Lucas' hand away and

scrambled into position at the head of the bed. He threw one leg over Lucas' head so he
straddled him while facing Adam. "You don't cum until you make me cum, got that?"

Lucas clutched the thighs bracketing his head. The smell of Tyler was strong and made

him dizzy. "I don't think I can--"

"Fucking do it or I'll make your life a living hell," Tyler snarled. He grabbed his own

buttocks and pulled his cheeks apart. "Now eat me, Lucas. Do it!"

Lucas tilted his head back at the last minute to avoid having his nose crushed. Even so

he could barely draw breath when Tyler's ass pressed down on his cheeks. Out of self
preservation he stuck his tongue out and was rewarded with a hiss as the tip of his tongue
touched Tyler's perineum.

"Fuck yeah," Tyler moaned. He rocked back and forth, grinding his ass on Lucas' face,

his balls dragging across his chin. "Eat me, new guy."

Having no other choice -- and unable to deny that Tyler's bullying was turning him on --

Lucas slapped his tongue against Tyler's wrinkled entrance, mimicking what Adam was doing
to him.

"I feel so dirty," Tyler said with a strangled laugh. "Totally corrupting the new guy. I

fucking love it. Mmm, yeah, shove that tongue in me."

Groaning, Lucas lapped and sucked with rising desperation as his own hole clenched

madly around Adam's probing tongue. Tyler tasted of lube and the bitterness of Lucas' own
cum. His musky scent drove home the point that this was a dirty, deviant act but Lucas couldn't
bring himself to care. He gave a muffled cry when Tyler grabbed his cock and stroked it once.

"You're ripe," Tyler said, sounding excited and out of breath. "I guess I'd better catch

up."

The tortuous licking across Lucas' hole paused. "Hurry, Ty, or he's going to blow,"

Adam advised. He slid a finger inside Lucas, chuckling as Lucas' thighs clenched around his
shoulders. "I give him thirty seconds."

"Ugh, I'm trying," Tyler moaned. His hole clenched and fluttered against Lucas' mouth

as he began ruthlessly jacking himself.

Sensing Tyler's rising excitement, Lucas gripped him by the legs and sought to torment

him with his tongue. He listened to Tyler curse and whimper. The legs around Lucas' head
began to tremble. Lucas was able to jab his tongue in deeper, and each time he did a ripple of
reaction snapped through Tyler's body.

"Oh, fuck, fuck," Tyler babbled. "I'm c-cumming--"
"You, too," Adam rumbled to Lucas before he ducked his head and licked a circle

around the finger he'd embedded in Lucas' ass.

Lucas let his orgasm slam through him, crying out against Tyler's body as Adam

pumped his finger, milking him. He was dimly aware of Tyler groaning and of a wet, hot
splatter against the tops of his thighs. A moment later Tyler's entire weight dropped on Lucas'
face.

He pushed at Tyler's lax body and eventually managed to shove the other blond off him

and onto the bed beside him. Panting, Lucas looked up and found Adam straddling him and
stroking himself directly above Lucas' face.

Lucas was too beat to do anything but open his mouth and stick out his tongue so Adam

would have a target. It seemed to do the trick for Adam groaned deeply and the next moment
Lucas was again doused with hot semen, this time on his face and neck.

He threw an arm over his eyes. "Don't tell me this is how you guys wake each other up

every morning."

"What if we tell you it's how we intend to wake you up every morning?" Adam asked

with a husky laugh. He leisurely smeared his cum into Lucas' skin with his big palm. Feeling
sexy and possessed, Lucas allowed it.

"I'd say I'm not going to get much sleep," Lucas retorted. He lowered his arm and cast a

grin at Tyler who looked as though he'd passed out. "Does this mean I win and he loses? I
clearly have more stamina than he does."

"I'd say it's a photo finish." Adam pressed a sticky finger against Lucas' bottom lip. The

look on his face could only be described as fond, which Lucas found surprising. "How're you
feeling today? You had a long night."

Lucas licked the thumb clean as he held Adam's gaze. He knew it was important that he

not show any regret or hesitation. Fortunately he didn't feel either. He'd enjoyed last night to a
degree he couldn't ever remember experiencing during sex.

"I feel like I spent the night wrestling in a pool of oil," he said. "It was great."
"That's because you're nasty," Tyler supplied from where he'd face planted in the sheets.
Adam reached over and ran a hand down Tyler's spine. The action was nothing less than

loving and Lucas couldn't help staring.

"Tyler likes his boys to be bad," Adam told Lucas with a wink. "Makes him feel less

like a pervert when he's got company in that hand basket to Hell."

"Ha! You're the pervert, Adam. You're the one who shoved the first tongue up the first

ass."

"I haven't heard any complaints."
An eyebrow lifted questioningly. Lucas grinned and shook his head. "Not from this

corner. You can be a pervert to me anytime you want."

"How'd you like it when I sat on your face?" Tyler pushed up onto his elbows and shot

Lucas a smug look. "I bet you liked it a lot. I bet you'd blow a load if all the pirates sat on your
face and forced you to eat them out, one after the other until your tongue was too sore to move
and they ended up just saying fuck it and grinding all over you."

The image that formed in Lucas' mind brought an unwelcome blush to his cheeks.

"Whatever," he muttered, embarrassed to find that he was turned on by the idea. It annoyed him
that Tyler could always find a button to push with him.

Above him, Adam's grin showed that he enjoyed the exchange. He patted Lucas on the

cheek before climbing off the bed and stretching. He was a living sculpture so Lucas didn't feel
at all guilty about staring at the flex and play of his muscles. Adam seemed to enjoy the
attention, flexing his biceps, laughing about it, and then heading for the bathroom, leaving
Lucas with a view of his globular buttocks.

"Everyone needs a shower," Adam announced. "Out of bed, kids. Don't make me have

to spank you."

"Don't make a promise you won't keep," Tyler retorted. He glanced over at Lucas. "How

does it feel to be a full-on fag?"

The hint of challenge in Tyler's voice didn't go unnoticed but Lucas wasn't in the mood

for a confrontation. "I feel like I'm a real member of the crew now."

Tyler shrugged. "Maybe." His eyes swept Lucas' body. "You may need some more

initiating until I believe it. Very thorough initiating."

Realizing he was being teased, Lucas launched himself at Tyler. He caught a flash of

wide gray eyes before he had Tyler pinned beneath him.

"Maybe it's time I initiated you," Lucas breathed. The skin of their chests stuck together,

glued there by a variety of fluids, but Lucas liked it. It felt elemental. Sexy.

Beneath him, Tyler smirked. "Get in line, new guy. My ass belongs to Adam, first."
"I said get in the shower."
Adam's voice made them jerk apart with guilty, sheepish grins. Tyler rolled off the bed

first, pausing to allow Lucas to admire the lean lines of this body.

"Last one in the shower is a pussy," Tyler taunted.
Lucas dove off the bed.

~~~~~

Unsurprisingly, the shower ended up lasting nearly a half an hour. The water that

sluiced down Lucas' body, cleaning the last of the soap and other fluids was cool by the end but
he didn't mind. He was in a good mood as he dried himself off.

"I'll catch up with you later, right?" he said to the other men.
"We'll have lunch," Adam told him. Tyler just gave Lucas a haughty look and went back

to toweling down Adam's bulky body.

With only a towel around his waist and his breeches clutched in one hand, Lucas padded

across the cottage to his own room which now felt strangely foreign, like a hotel room he hadn't
used since checking in.

He nearly ran into Kip when he opened the door.
"Whoa, bro." Kip backed up, grinning. He wore only shorts but had a beach towel slung

around his neck. Lucas' eyes dropped to a nipple ring before hastily lifting. Kip's grin widened
as if he'd noticed. "So where you been, roomie?"

Lucas shut the door behind him and dropped onto his bed. The sheets were cool. The

mattress felt oddly narrow after having been sprawled in various configurations across Adam
and Tyler's king-sized bed.

"You know where I've been," he muttered. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across

his face.

Kip snickered. "I sure do. I nearly gave in to temptation and pressed my ear to their

door. But I didn't," he added when Lucas' eyes widened. "I was too tired. Could barely make it
to my own bed."

Lucas sat up. "That's right. Someone drove you home. So did you hook up?"
Kip spread his arms, looking offended. "Can there be any doubt?"
Lucas laughed. "You're right. My bad. So how was it?"
"That's an unexpected question coming from you, bro," Kip remarked with an arched

brow. "I guess Adam and Tyler did their job well if you're keen to hear about my
sexploitations."

"Is that what you call it?"
Kip buffed the fingernails of one hand on his chest. "I haven't found a more epic word

for it so it'll have to do. But screw what I did. I wanna hear about how you were screwed."

It was telling, Lucas thought, that his cheeks felt only mildly warm instead of blazing

hot. "I can't say I'm bi-curious anymore. I did everything with them."

"Everything?" Kip's leer was comical.

"Okay, maybe not the crazy kinky stuff you're thinking of," Lucas amended, "but the

main stuff. Yeah." He felt inordinately proud as he said, "We did it. I fucked Tyler and they
fucked me."

"They fucked you?" When Lucas didn't correct him Kip whistled. "Wow, bro. How are

you even able to walk?"

Now that Kip had brought attention back to his ass, Lucas winced as pain flared up his

spine. "Not well," he admitted. "Do you have any more of that pain killing lotion you gave me
last time?"

"In the bathroom." Kip shook his head and looked at Lucas with a tilt to his head as if

trying to decide if Lucas appeared any different. "I can't lie, bro. Hearing about you having all
this sex is putting thoughts in my mind."

Lucas yawned and scratched at his belly. "What kinds of thoughts?"
"Like whether Adam and Ty are going to be willing to share."
The laugh was automatic. So was the wince afterwards when he realized Kip hadn't

been joking. "Kip..." he said, uncomfortable and not knowing what to say. He found his
roommate attractive and Kip was a nice, fun guy all around so sex would him would probably
also be fun. But Lucas could only handle Adam and Tyler right now. Not even Ben's attention
would be welcome.

The other man waved him off. "Don't sweat it, bro. I'm human and I've got a working

dick so you know I have to do my duty and hit on you."

Lucas gave him a grateful smile. "It's nothing personal, you know. It's just -- I can

barely wrap my head around this. Who knows how I'll feel in a couple of months."

"Ooh, so you anticipate turning into a major slut by then?" Kip licked his lips with

exaggeration so that he resembled a slobbering dog. "Mark me down for August, bro. I'm
there."

"Get the hell out of here." Lucas threw his pillow at him.
Kip karate chopped it to the floor before blowing him a kiss. "Give the guys my love.

I'll see you later. You look like you could use a nap."

Lucas' eyes were closed by the time the door closed. "See you later," he mumbled, and

drifted off.

~~~~~

Even though no one said anything, he could tell they all knew.
He whipped the Frisbee down the beach, whistling with admiration when Dean caught it

between his legs.

"Am I walking funny?" Lucas asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
The Frisbee came whizzing back in his direction but sailed to the right. Ben, beside him,

caught it on the tip of his finger and balanced it like he would a spinning basketball.

"Maybe just a little." His grin told Lucas he was teasing him. Ben whipped the Frisbee

towards Peter at the other end. "But don't feel self-conscious about it. Everyone walks funny
after a night with Adam."

Lucas had to laugh at a mental image of the members of the pirate crew walking

bowlegged as they filed out of Adam's bedroom.

"Tyler doesn't," he pointed out.

It was Ben's turn to laugh. "Ty is very experienced at accommodating Adam. That can

be good or bad, depending on your perspective."

"What's your perspective?" Lucas joked back.
"Let's just say some guys are luckier than they have any right to be."
The comment felt heavy, as though Ben alluded to something deeper than Ty's ease at

taking Adam.

Lucas darted forward and caught the Frisbee again. He launched it before asking, "What

are you really referring to?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ben's eyes were hidden by his sunglasses but Lucas could feel them

on him, burning as warmly as the sun. "Ty got Adam. Now he gets you too. No fair, I say." He
smiled, trying to make light of it, but Lucas could tell he wasn't joking.

Bothered, Lucas drew a star in the wet, compacted sand with his big toe. "I thought

you're not into relationships."

"Who said anything about relationships?"
"But..." Lucas looked at him in confusion. "You sound like you're jealous of Ty.

Because he's with Adam. And with me."

The Frisbee spun past Ben's head. He acted as though he hadn't noticed nor cared as he

stared at Lucas. "What? Are you saying you're in a relationship with him now? Or I guess I
should say with both of them since they're a package deal." He scrubbed his head. "Really?"

Lucas didn't like Ben's incredulous reaction. Then again it was his own fault that he now

felt foolish. He wished he hadn't said anything because Ben was right, he wasn't in a
relationship with Ty and Adam. Not that he knew of. They were having fun. Fuck buddies was
probably the best description of what they meant to each other. He didn't love either of them but
they undoubtedly loved each other. That didn't constitute a relationship in his books. That was
him being a third wheel.

"No, I didn't mean it that way," he quickly backpedaled. "Sure we're all together, fooling

around and stuff. I just mean, um, that we're together more often than I thought you wanted to
be with anyone." Lucas hoped he didn't sound as idiotic to Ben as he did to himself. "You like
to play the field, right?" It was better to deflect attention back onto Ben.

"Well, sure. There's no point in settling down with anyone. I'm twenty-six years old and

I live on a tropical island full of gay guys." Ben broke out a grin. "I try not to sleep with the
same person for longer than a week. What I was saying about Ty, though, is that he's been with
you and it sounds like you plan on making it a regular occurrence. Of course I'm jealous. I think
you're a gorgeous, great guy. Fooling around in the bay that once was great but I'd like to try it
again with me on top." He stepped closer and laid a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "Since you're no
longer a virgin and all. Right?"

Lucas pretended to lose his footing in the sand in order to slip from beneath Ben's touch.

He could see Tyler on the beach behind Ben, glaring at them across the distance. Knowing
Tyler as well as he did -- and Lucas couldn't believe how much he did know -- avoiding
physical contact with Ben would be better for everyone involved.

"I realize it's cool to have a revolving door policy around here," Lucas said playfully,

"but that's just not my style, Ben. Maybe things'll be different once I'm no longer with Ty and
Adam, you know?"

"Hey, no pressure." Ben held up his hands to show he was harmless. "You're my friend,

Lucas. I don't ever want you to feel like I'm crossing a line. And you're right. With Ty in the

picture things can get a little rough. I probably shouldn't have said anything in the first place. I
don't want to be another asshole in his life. He's had enough to deal with already."

"Thanks," Lucas said, relieved. "It's tough with Ty. Like you said, he's been through a

lot. I feel like I have to be extra careful not to lose his trust."

"And yet you're willing to make the effort. A lot of effort."
Lucas sighed as he gazed over Ben's shoulder at Tyler, who had his hands propped on

his hips. Lucas could just imagine the bitchy snit Tyler was working himself into. He found it
endearing in a weird way. Over by the fire pit, Adam was talking with other members of the
crew. He reminded Lucas of a rock in a Zen garden, a source of strength and solidity so
opposite in temperament from Tyler that it was nearly comical.

"Have you ever been involved in a threesome?" Lucas asked without thinking.
Ben jogged over to pick up the fallen Frisbee and chucked it Dean's way. "Are you

asking for advice?"

Brushing sand off his hands, Lucas shrugged. "Maybe. I've never experienced this

before."

"I was in one for a month. It didn't work out. Big surprise."
"Why do you say that?"
"A triangle may have three equal sides but there's never equality in a threesome no

matter how much the people involved try to pretend there is." Ben glanced over at Tyler and
Adam. "Someone always ends up jealous. Someone else ends up feeling neglected. If you think
about it, it's inevitable. When was the last time you cared for two things equally, much less two
people? It just doesn't work. It's impossible."

He glanced back at Lucas. "But don't let that scare you. Like you said, you're not in a

relationship with them. It's just about sex. So forget about any emotional mess. Enjoy it for
what it is. Threesomes can be hot. With them especially I know it can be intense. Live for the
day, buddy." Ben smiled again. "There may not be a tomorrow."

Lucas summoned a smile he hoped looked carefree.
"Yo!" Orinth called from the fire pit. "Food's ready, losers! Come and get it."
"Five bucks says Tyler's going to give me shit," Ben said, slapping Lucas lightly across

the chest.

"I'm not taking that bet," Lucas replied as he joined Ben in jogging back up the beach.

"Tyler's too predictable."

And that predictability, Lucas realized, was going to lead to trouble.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

"Hey, new guy. Want me to feed you a wiener?"
Lucas rolled his eyes as some of the other members of the crew chuckled or offered

their own suggestions on what Tyler should feed him.

"I'm fine with my own, thanks." He aimed his hotdog at his mouth. "Mine's nice and

dependable. No unexpected juice squirting when I'm not prepared for it."

"That's when it's the tastiest," Tyler said with a pout.
"Not if it's going up your nose, bro." Kip bumped his shoulder against Lucas'. "My

roomie here isn't ready for nasty surprises yet."

"Too bad, 'cuz he's gonna get plenty of 'em with me." Tyler leered at him and licked his

lips. Lucas burst into laughter and consequently began choking. Kip slapped him heartily on the
back.

"Don't let Tyler talk about sex while you're eating," Adam warned mildly. "He has no

concept of gross and inappropriate."

"That's because I don't believe that anything I do is inappropriate." Tyler kissed Adam

loudly on the cheek. "I believe in doing whatever the hell I want and if people can't handle it
they can get lost."

"Tyler is so very charming," Orinth pointed out.
"Dude just knows himself," Hewie offered philosophically.
Smiling, Lucas kept his opinion about Tyler to himself. He wasn't in the mood for a

fight after having narrowly steered aside one between the blond and Ben when they'd all sat
down for lunch. He much preferred peace to conflict, especially when it involved something
that made little sense to him, that being Tyler's on-again off-again jealousy. But apparently Ty
was one of those guys who didn't like anyone else playing with his toys, even if he wasn't
interested in them himself. Lucas vowed to keep that in mind.

"So what happened last night?" Dean asked Adam. "You guys all left early so you could

break the bed?"

Adam tossed the end pieces of his bun into the fire before dusting his hands. "Rory

swung by the bar. Wanted to chat. So we chatted." He looked around at the gathered pirates.
"There won't be any more fighting between us and them. We've settled things."

"For good or just for now?" Peter asked, wary. "Because it's not that I don't believe you,

Adam, but we all know Rory can change his mind at the drop of a hat. He's a huge attention
whore."

"I agree, however I have confidence that this won't be a temporary situation." An easy

grin spread over Adam's face. It was cocky, but not obnoxiously so, and knowing what he did
about what had happened at Rory's house, Lucas thought it was fully justified. "If Rory wants to
remain on my good side -- which I'm convinced him he does -- he'll play nice. But that's not a
license to provoke him or his crew."

"It'd be nice to be the instigators for once," Orinth muttered as he literally dug his heels

into the sand. "God only knows how many times we had to turn the other cheek when those
assholes tried to pick fights with us."

"They acted like punks," Ben said, frowning disapprovingly. "Do we really want to sink

to their level? We're classier than that. Now's our chance to prove it."

There were some mutterings which Lucas sympathized with. Rory's gang had been

harassing them for a while from what he'd heard. It was only natural to want some revenge.

"Let's just focus on how much more enjoyable our lives will be from now on," Adam

said with a smirk as he gazed at his men. "Things are good. Be thankful for it."

"Amen, dude."
"Yeah, okay," Orinth muttered. "Though I still think it blows that we can't--"
"Whatever, can we talk about something else?" Tyler batted his lashes at Adam. "Your

birthday's coming up. Can we discuss all the awesome things we're going to do for it?"

Ben chuckled. "Shouldn't we discuss that while he's not around to hear our plans?"
"No matter how secretive you try to be he's going to spill the beans to me eventually."

Adam gave Tyler an affectionate look. "He's pretty terrible at keeping secrets."

"Aw, man! So you mean last year when we had that stripper pop out of the box you

knew it was coming?"

"Yep. Sorry, man."
Orinth looked outraged.
"So maybe this year we'll do the planning without Tyler's input," Lucas suggested. He

had to struggle to hold a straight face as Tyler's began turning red. "If Tyler doesn't know what
we're doing then Adam won't either, right?"

Snickering, Kip nodded. "Great idea, bro. We'll cut Tyler out of everything this year. It's

the only way to keep a lid on things."

"Fuck that, you assholes! He's my boyfriend, not yours!"
"But we don't need your help now that we've got Lucas," Dean pointed out carelessly.

He missed the widening of Tyler's eyes.

"I think," Adam spoke up smoothly, "Ty enjoys being part of the planning. And when

he's happy I'm happy. It's not like I don't figure out most of your intentions anyway. I don't need
Ty's hints to help me guess that a big, moving box is going to contain a stripper."

"And to be fair, most of our best ideas were first suggested by Tyler." Ben gave a nod of

acknowledgment to Tyler who looked confused as to whether he should accept the compliment
at face value or study it to see if it was backhanded. "If we cut him out of the process we'll end
up doing something stupid like plan a party at the bowling alley during league night."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know there are leagues on this island?" Kip mumbled. "It

would've been fun..."

"So when is your birthday?" Lucas asked. For some reason knowing that Adam had a

birthday coming up made the big man seem younger to him. Maybe it was because Lucas still
associated birthday parties with high school. It was funny to think of Adam in that context. All
Lucas kept picturing was Adam with a conical hat on his head as he blew out candles on a
chocolate cake.

"It's next Wednesday," Adam told him. "I'm counting on you to have my back, Lucas.

Don't go letting these guys plan anything humiliating that will result in a whole lot of ass-
whooping later."

Orinth held up his hand. "Wait, is that good ass-whooping or the bad kind?"
"Imagine Adam's hand coming down full force on your ass," Ben supplied helpfully.
Though it was embarrassing, Lucas felt compelled to add, "It hurts like hell."
"Yeah, but you liked it," Tyler said with a sneer. Lucas flipped him off.

He lowered himself back onto his elbows, feeling sleepy with food in his belly and the

sun warm against his skin. The other men threw out suggestions for things to do for and to
Adam on his birthday. Lucas smiled periodically when the ideas veered into the ridiculous, but
his attention began to drift... until the tail end of a comment pierced his fading consciousness.

"-- the three of them together since they're now a trio. I'm voting duct tape and Icy Hot

smeared on their balls."

He cracked his eyes open but didn't otherwise move, playing possum. Tyler and Adam

both sat facing him. Adam reached out and grabbed the speaker, Orinth, and forced him into a
noogie. Tyler, though, just sat there, silently fuming. What was he upset about? The assumption
that the three of them were partnered together in a semi-permanent way or Orinth's juvenile
threat?

If it was the former, well, Lucas didn't know what to think. Tyler was confusing. Either

he was jealous as hell if Lucas received attention from other men, or he was busy letting Lucas
know that he and Adam had been together for a long time and would be together long after
Lucas had been shipped off the island. The push-pull was aggravating, not only because it
forced Lucas to constantly be wary of creating situations that would cause confrontations but
because Tyler's emotional outbursts affected his own emotions.

Don't turn into a girl, he told himself. Or better yet, don't turn into Tyler. He needed to

think like Ben did. Taking this situation more seriously than it warranted was pointless.
Threesomes didn't work and neither would this one. He was having great sex and enjoying the
friendship of cool guys. He didn't need anything more. Whatever Tyler chose to freak out about
was his own problem; Lucas wanted no part of that drama.

He closed his eyes again and listened to the other men continue to discuss possible

activities for Adam's birthday. When fingers drifted up his forearm he didn't startle. He glanced
up and found Orinth smirking down at him.

Orinth? Seriously? Lucas couldn't remember having seen the other man look at him

twice. Musical beds, indeed. Not sure what he thought about Orinth as a possible sexual
partner, Lucas didn't react. The fingers stroked his arm once more before lifting away. Maybe
someone nearby was growling, but Lucas couldn't be bothered to check.

~~~~~

Back at the cottage, Kip retrieved the mail and dumped it on the cocktail table in the

living room. "Hey, bro," he called out, "you've got something."

Lucas diverted his path from the kitchen to accept the letter. He recognized the writing

instantly. "Crap."

Interest lit Kip's eyes. "What's up? Who's it from?"
"How did she get this address?" Lucas turned the letter around and around in his hands.

"Must've been my parents."

"Bro, who's it from? Who's -- oh, shit." Kip's jaw dropped. He looked furtively over his

shoulder at the master bedroom where Adam and Tyler had gone before whispering, "Don't tell
me that's from your ex!"

"This is her handwriting." Lucas sighed, wanting to tear the letter and toss it. "Why

would she write to me? What's the point after all this time?"

He was angry, and was a little shocked at the depth of his feelings. But it shouldn't have

surprised him, really. Lisa had ruined Chicago for him, made him unable to visit any of his

favorite shops and restaurants because he associated her and their relationship with every single
place. He'd come to Anteros Island to not only escape Chicago but to begin life fresh, free of
any reminders of his failed relationship. Receiving this letter was like opening his suitcase and
finding a stowaway cockroach inside which would now infect the island's ecosystem. Only it
was his ecosystem that was at risk of being compromised.

"Maybe she wrote to apologize for things going bad."
Lucas frowned. "She was never the type to apologize first. Never. I don't why she'd start

now with us so far apart."

Kip fingered one of his dreads, his expression smoothing out as his mind drifted

elsewhere. "I dunno, bro. A lot of people wish they could admit they screwed up. But it's kinda
hard to do. Still so much pride wrapped up in it. No one wants to be the bad guy, even if they
know they were the bad guy." He smiled, but it was pained, almost a grimace.

"Did you write to any of your exes after you'd moved here?" Lucas asked him with

dawning realization.

"Don't sound so surprised, bro. A little distance can make you see the truth. For me, I

needed a whole ocean between us to admit I'd been a jerk-off." This time Kip's smile was
genuine, if more than a little sad. "He sent me a postcard two months later. All it said was, 'It's
okay. Good luck.' But it was enough, you know? It's amazing how much forgiveness can
mean."

While Lucas had trouble seeing Kip in a negative light when it came to a boyfriend, he

could tell his friend had been affected by the experience and had needed his ex's forgiveness
badly. Lucas was glad for him that he'd gotten it.

He tapped the letter against his palm for a moment, torn by whether to read it or pretend

he'd never received it. He'd never been a liar though. Not intentionally. And denial, as he'd
learned on Joyboy, didn't serve him very well. "I'm going to read this out on the patio."

"Sure thing, bro." Kip smiled brightly as if eager to banish the somber mood he'd

brought down on them. "I'll run interference for you with the guys until you're ready."

"I'm sure it's nothing--"
"Still." Kip's gaze held surprisingly maturity. "It's private. You should read it without

them butting their noses into your business."

"I doubt they'd care," Lucas said with a sigh but as soon as he said it he knew it wasn't

true. Adam had already proved that it mattered to him whether Lucas was over Lisa. Adam
didn't want the baggage affecting Tyler. Lucas could understand that. And Tyler, well... he
would care a lot about the news that Lucas' ex-girlfriend had contacted him, so it was better for
everyone concerned if he was kept in the dark.

Thoughtful and growing nervous, Lucas headed out to the patio, closing the sliding door

behind him. He sat on the deck beside the covered Jacuzzi and tore the envelope open. A single
sheet of stationary lay inside. He unfolded it, Lisa's handwriting jumping out and seizing him in
a stranglehold of familiarity. Palms sweaty, he began to read.

Dear Lucas,
I know a letter from me is the last thing you'd expect. I didn't expect to be writing to you

either.

I was in a car accident two days ago. I'm fine and so is my mom. I was in the hospital

for observation but I'm as healthy as can be now. But while I was in the hospital I did a lot of
thinking. About us. About what we had. I was stupid, Lucas. I don't know what I was thinking.

You gave me everything. You loved me better than any guy ever had. Why did I throw that
away? Why did I think I needed more? I hate myself when I think back on it.

Your dad told me you've moved to a Caribbean island to work in another show. I think

about you out there and it makes me smile. I'm glad you've found something so wonderful. I've
only ever wanted you to be happy, Lucas. Even after I left, I still wanted the best for you. I
didn't think I was it at the time. Was I wrong?

Since the accident I've been thinking about taking a vacation. I guess I had one of those

life flashing before your eyes sort of moment. I need time to get away and think about what's
important to me. I was wondering, would you hate me if I came out to visit you? No strings. No
expectations. I only want to see that you're happy so I can stop hating myself.

If you don't reply to this, I'll understand. I deserve it. I'll still wish you well. But I hope

you'll consider it. Who knows what may come of it. At the very least I want us to be friends,
Lucas.

Best,
Lisa

He groaned and carefully refolded the letter and slid it back into the envelope. He

tapped the envelope against his forehead and tried to banish Lisa's voice from his head. But
every word of her letter bounced around as clearly as if she'd been there reading the letter aloud
to him.

It was her fault they'd broken up. There had been no question of her infidelity. He'd

gone through his stages of grief to come to a place, literally and figuratively, where he was at
peace with what had happened. His relationship with Lisa had been nice for a while but his
tastes had changed, or at least expanded to include men. He wasn't the same Lucas who had
dated her, who had fantasized about marrying her and who had been devastated when she'd
eventually cheated on him.

He was stronger now. Not harder or bitter, but more aware of himself and what he

needed. He didn't hold ill will against her. She'd made her choice and it hadn't been him.
Nowadays, she wouldn't be his choice either.

"So why are you afraid of this?" he asked himself. "If she means nothing and you're

over her why does this bother you so much?"

He knew it shouldn't. She was no threat to his peace of mind or his emotions. His

relationship with Tyler and Adam might be purely sexual but it provided him with happiness
and that was more than enough for now. He wasn't even sure he could ever fall in love again
anyway. To keep her at arm's length only proved that he wasn't confident, that he could be
swayed if she said the right thing or touched him the right way.

"But she can't. That's over now." He said it firmly, like an affirmation. Adam had

warned him that trying to maintain a relationship with a significant other on the mainland was
futile. Lucas thought he knew what Adam meant now. Even if Lisa visited, she would feel like
a stranger to him. The distance was measured in more than miles.

He folded the envelope and letter in half and tucked them into his back pocket. She'd

included a phone number and an email address. He'd have to find out the time difference
between the island and the mainland. Or maybe an email might be safer, less awkward.

When he re-entered the cottage, Kip and Tyler were in the midst of playing a racing

game. Adam stood behind the sofa, watching and running commentary on the competition. He

winked at Lucas as he stepped into the living room. Lucas smiled back, struggling against the
inexplicable guilt he felt. He joined Adam behind the sofa to watch the game.

"You drive like my grandmother," Tyler hissed as he twisted his body this way and that

to navigate the video game's curvaceous roads. "I'm gonna beat you by two minutes, Kip."

"Too bad I just passed you up by taking the Fourth Street underpass, bro. See those

brake lights? That's me!"

"Damn it, you sneaky little--"
"Are you next?" Adam murmured to Lucas.
"Haha, no. I don't feel like getting into a fistfight today."
"Understandable."
At the touch to the back of his neck Lucas flinched. He quickly relaxed his body under

Adam's speculative look but the damage had been done.

"What's up?" Adam asked him, keeping his voice low enough that Tyler and Kip

couldn't hear him over their competitive banter. "I thought you looked a little edgy when you
came in from the porch. Now you've confirmed it."

"I received a letter from the mainland today." There was no point in concealing the fact.

Kip might blurt it out at some point. "It's from my ex-girlfriend, Lisa."

The hand at the back of his neck fell away. "Let's go to the bedroom," Adam murmured.

Louder, he said, "Try not to kill each other. We've got a show tonight."

"Where are you two going?" Tyler demanded, trying to look at them without taking his

eyes off his car on the screen.

"We're going somewhere to talk without having to listen to you two screaming and

yelling at each other. Relax, Ty. I promise we're not conspiring against you."

"Oh, whatever. Fine go away. You were terrible cheerleaders anyway."
In the master bedroom Lucas perched on the end of the bed. His body reacted to the

smell of the room and his vivid memories of what he'd done there with Adam and Tyler, but he
mentally willed his erection away. Now was not the time.

"I didn't want Ty hearing bits and pieces and getting the wrong idea," Adam explained

after he'd closed the door and took a seat beside Lucas. One muscled leg and shoulder pressed
against Lucas' side. "Anything to do with women and dating sets him off, as you know."

"This isn't a big deal," Lucas began. "At least I don't expect it to be. She wrote to me

asking if she could come for a visit."

Adam arched a dark brow. "She's aware that you two broke up, right?"
"Considering she's the one who did the dumping yeah, I think that's safe to say."
"But she wants to see you. Bad enough that she's going to fly all the way out here."
"It's not exactly a terrible place to come for a visit," Lucas pointed out wryly.
"I'll give you that. But let's not play coy, Lucas. You and I know exactly why she's

coming."

"Yeah." Lucas made sure to hold Adam's gaze. "It doesn't matter. We broke up. I moved

on. She's part of a life I left behind for a reason. I'm here now. With you." And Tyler, he almost
added, but didn't because it sounded too much like he was trying to paint them as a meaningful
threesome. "But if it's a problem, for you or for Tyler, I'll tell her not to come."

"It'll be a problem for Ty." Adam laughed and shook his head. "That kid. I love that he's

sensitive, but it leads to a lot of yelling and pouting." He eyed Lucas. "That's just one reason
why I'm glad you're with us, Lucas. You're my breath of fresh air when Ty becomes too much
to handle."

It was an unexpected compliment that filled him with unexpected pride. "It's nice to

know I don't give you a headache," he said modestly.

"Not only do you not give me a headache you're good to hang with, man. You've got

your head on straight and I need that. Sometimes I just want to chill without the drama. I can do
that with you."

Lucas squirmed with embarrassment, "I had no idea I was so cool."
Adam smiled. "You are, man. You are. But about this thing with your ex, I'll leave the

decision up to you. It's your history and your business. I can handle her being here. I trust you.
It's Tyler you have to consider. You know how he feels about guys who claim they're bisexual
and you know his ex left him for a woman. That's a lot of specific baggage there and your ex-
girlfriend might be bringing it all to the island."

"Maybe this could be a test for him. To see if he's willing to trust?"
Doubt suffused Adam's face. It was a rare sight and Lucas couldn't help staring as Adam

studied his hands for a long moment, thinking.

"Maybe you're right," Adam said at last. "He can't harbor this hostility forever. It's going

to eat him up inside. Maybe seeing you unaffected by your ex-girlfriend and remaining
committed to us will convince him that bis and straights aren't evil like he thinks they are. One
bad apple like his ex can't be allowed to spoil the bunch, right? It isn't fair to the good guys."

Lucas nodded because it was expected, but his mind was gripped by a word Adam had

used. Committed. Lucas was committed to them, or so Adam believed. When, exactly, had that
happened? And why was his heart beating faster?

"Well, in the end, man, it's still your decision." Adam wrapped his heavy arm around

Lucas' shoulders. His blunt thumb stroked the side of Lucas' neck slowly, bringing him
inevitably to a state of simmering awareness of Adam's body against his. "I'll support whatever
you choose to do. If Ty flips, we'll be there to keep him from killing anyone. If he deals with it
without resorting to violence, hallelujah. And if you decide you'd rather keep your ex off the
island I'll respect that too. Like I said, she's your history. It's up to you whether she's ancient or
recent."

"Alright," Lucas said quietly, intensely aware now of Adam's body. "I'll think about it

for a few days before I respond to her."

"Don't let it drag on too long. Your decision, that is." Adam lifted his hand off Lucas'

shoulder and wrapped it across the front of Lucas' forehead, gently tilting Lucas' head back and
arching his neck. "I don't want her on your mind any longer than is absolutely necessary. I'd
rather have you thinking about me or Tyler. Preferably both of us."

"Adam," he breathed as the other man lightly dragged his lips from the edge of Lucas'

jaw to his chin.

"Apparently I lied," Adam whispered as he moved an arm across Lucas' chest to curl

around his side, holding him firmly in place. "A jealous streak seems to be growing in me. I
don't even know Lisa and I hate her."

"I'm familiar with the feeling." Lucas groaned and clutched Adam's arm with both hands

as the man's tongue slid up his cheek in a lewd lick. "I'm hard," he whispered.

"You'd better be," Adam growled softly. He slid his hand down Lucas' torso, carrying

Lucas' hands with him. Lucas didn't stop him as he palmed him between the legs. His body
arched up into it, filling Adam's palm. "Yeah," Adam said. "Show me what you've got." He
licked the corner of Lucas' mouth. "You feel so good, baby. Nice and hard and aching for me.
She can't do this for you. Not anymore. Maybe not even back then."

Lucas turned his head despite the grip on his forehead and mashed his mouth against

Adam's. Air puffed against his lips as Adam chuckled but amusement quickly dissipated as
their mouths opened and their tongues met in a hot, wet duel.

Adam licked him out, his tongue aggressive and forceful. Lucas happily gave way

beneath it, letting his head fall back as Adam applied more pressure. He was surprised when his
shoulders and the back of his head met the mattress; Adam had lowered him with exquisite
ease. Adam still kissed him down, held him captive. Lucas clutched at his muscled shoulders as
he spread his own legs to give Adam more room to grope him.

"You're going to suck me," Adam said, breaking away from the kiss to nip along Lucas'

jaw line.

"Yesss," Lucas hissed. He slapped a hand atop Adam's and shoved it down hard against

his cock.

"Does that turn you on?" Adam licked his chin. "Are you going to beat off as you suck

my dick, Lucas?"

"Yes," he whimpered. "God, yes."
"Then get down there." Adam rose into a sitting position and pulled Lucas off the bed.

He pushed him down to his knees on the carpet.

For the briefest of moments Lucas saw himself as Adam must: hair mussed, the front of

his shorts tented with a hard-on, his eyes glued to the mound in Adam's shorts. It would have
been mortifying before, but now he was aroused by his own arousal. He understood its appeal.
Its power was reflected in the hunger on Adam's face and the quickening of his breath as Lucas
reached for him.

Adam's length sprung out violently, as demanding of attention as its owner. The smell

struck Lucas next and his mouth began watering. He took hold of the monster by its base as he
shoved his other hand down the front of his own shorts and took himself in hand. He began to
stroke himself as he gently drew his tongue up and down the veiny length of Adam's cock,
wetting it.

"Tease," Adam husked. His thick fingers carded through Lucas' hair before they formed

a solid cage of bone and flesh around his skull. "Relax your mouth. I want to fuck it."

Lucas' cock pulsed in his hand. He moaned as precum drizzled warm over his fingers.

He relaxed his throat but kept his lips curled tight over his teeth as Adam pulled back, dragging
his cock across his tongue and lips until just the ridged head rested on his bottom lip. Then with
a groan, Adam thrust back in, tunneling down Lucas' mouth and throat, filling both with salty
heat and hardness.

Adam fucked him like he would a hole in the wall, but the impersonal feeling turned

Lucas on and he promised himself never to ask why. He breathed harshly through his nose,
letting Adam use him, fuck him, choke him, the hands around his head refusing to let him pull
away or participate. But Adam never went too far, never pushed Lucas to the edge of what he
could take. Lucas was keenly aware that Adam was fully in control of himself and of Lucas.
That confidence and experience was exhilarating. It allowed Lucas to surrender himself without
doubt. He jerked himself off with rising urgency, his cock matching Adam's hardness, leaking
in tandem.

"You're mine," Adam groaned as he threw his head back and thrust deep, pulling Lucas'

nose against his groin, balls pressing tight to his chin. "Don't you ever forget that...nnh!"

Hot cum flooded his mouth and spilled down the back of his throat. Lucas stroked

himself furiously until he geysered too, spattering the carpet and the back of his hand.

"Yeah... that's hot," Adam panted approvingly as he watched Lucas twitch through the

vestiges of his orgasm. "Ty's going to be mad he missed it."

He pulled out of Lucas slowly, reluctantly, the tip of his cock trailing saliva and semen

until the thread broke with a snap. Instead of stepping away, Adam bent down and tilted Lucas'
face up with a grip on his chin.

"It'll be our little secret," Adam whispered. He kissed Lucas, tasting himself, tongue

dipping into the depths of his mouth.

Afterwards, Lucas sat back on his heels with a satisfied sigh. He heard the crinkle of the

envelope in his back pocket as he did so. He wondered what Lisa would think if he thanked her
for giving him this opportunity. The opportunity of sucking Adam's cock, that is.

He was sorely tempted.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Lucas gasped and flinched as Tyler brought the riding crop down on his outer thigh

again.

"Fuck, Tyler," he gritted out.
"I'll turn you into a masochist eventually," Tyler whispered back harshly.
"Too bad I'm going to sadistically beat your ass black and blue later!" Lucas shot back.
"Shhh!"
Too late. Thick, muscular thighs stopped in front of Lucas.
"Stay in character, you two," Adam growled.
He slid his hand slid beneath Lucas' chin, tilting his face up. Lucas gave him an

apologetic look in between winces as Tyler continued to whip him. A touch of sympathy lit
Adam's eyes before he pushed his warm, thick cock against Lucas' lips. Lucas opened for Adam
just as he'd opened for Tyler at the other end, albeit with more gratitude. Caught between his
two pirate lovers, he moaned as he was rocked back and forth over the canon.

The production music swelled from the mast speakers as the show neared the crescendo.

Two voices groaned in unison to his left and someone behind him near the audience gasped and
cursed encouragement to his partner.

When the crop came down again, he clenched around Tyler's cock and heard Tyler give

out a weak cry of pleasure. Despite the stinging pain, Lucas' cock was rigid. Maybe Tyler knew
what he was talking about, though Lucas would be damned if he'd ever tell the other blond.

He closed his eyes and sucked voraciously on Adam's dick, his ears filled with the

sounds of sex. This is paradise, Lucas thought, nearly delirious with lust. Let it never end.

He felt Adam and Tyler's hands meet on his shoulders. Their fingers laced together as

he came.

~~~~~

Laughing, Lucas clapped a hand over his eyes. "Tell me he didn't!"
"Oh, he did," Ben said and chuckled. "This is Ty we're talking about here. He never met

a big cock he didn't like."

"It's called being gay, ass-wipe!" Tyler rammed his elbow into Lucas' ribs. "And stop

laughing, new guy. You would've done the same."

"Not with a midget!"
"Four eleven doesn't make you a midget! You guys are assholes!"
Lucas suffered another jab to the ribs but it was worth it. He couldn't stop laughing at

the image of Tyler kneeling in the dunes trying to give head to a guy a foot shorter than he.

Lucas felt good. The show had been great yet again, not only for the audience but for

himself. He enjoyed being the focus of Adam and Tyler's attention during the show because it
proved that they thought he contributed, that the three of them were a visual asset to the
production. If Adam didn't believe their threesome was hot enough to get the audience off, he
wouldn't bother. He had plenty of other pirates to molest.

Now, pleasantly buzzed, Lucas didn't want the night to end. Tyler leaned against his

right side, their arms casually pressed together in a way Lucas couldn't have foreseen when he'd
first arrived on Joyboy. Ben and a couple of audience members sat across from them in the
booth. The drinks were free. The guys were hot and clearly fans of the pirates. Lucas was on
top of the world.

Or nearly there.
He looked out into the crowded center of the bar. "Where's Cap'n?"
One of the guys who'd joined them looked out eagerly. "Is he coming? Fuck, that guy is

a monster. I couldn't stop staring at him during the show. Talk about beefcake."

"You like his dick?" Tyler asked with a leer. "You wanna suck it?"
The guy's eyes glazed over. "Hell, yeah."
"Auditions start with me," Tyler said.
Lucas snorted, but the guy looked Tyler over with eagerness. "I don't have a problem

with that."

In response, Tyler extended his arms along the back of the booth, one behind Lucas'

shoulders. "Then have it."

As Lucas watched in astonishment, the guy slid down in his seat and then disappeared

beneath the table. A brush of a hand against Lucas' bare foot caused him to slap his legs shut.
Tyler, in contrast, spread his legs wider. From the corner of his eye, Lucas saw a pair of hands
pull down the waistband of Tyler's shorts. Tyler grinned and brought his beer to his lips.

"What the hell," Lucas muttered.
Across from him, Ben shrugged and gave him a look that said be cool.
"So how'd you get the cannon job?" asked the friend of the guy who was currently under

the table blowing Tyler.

Distracted by what was going on, Lucas managed, "Canon job?"
"You know, being tied up and spit-roasted. Are you employee of the month or

something?" The guy laughed.

Lucas smiled absently. "Something like that."
When Tyler let out a soft moan, Lucas slid out of the booth. "I'm gonna hit the john."
"Lucas--"
"It's cool, Ben. I'll be back in a minute."
He threaded his way between the crush of bodies in the bar, shrugging off the hands that

groped him until someone took hold of him by the elbow.

He half-turned, "Let go--"
Adam smirked. "Do I have to?"
Relieved that it was him, Lucas relaxed. "I may be willing to make an exception for

you."

"I'm heading to the bar. Come with."
Pulled to the counter, Lucas kept close to Adam as bodies pressed in around them,

trying to flag down the bartender. Adam merely raised his hand and gave the bartender a nod
and within ten seconds had two sweating beers set before him.

"You look like you could use it," Adam said as he pressed the second beer into Lucas'

hand. He guzzled half of his own beer with one swallow. "What's up? You've got that look on
your face. What'd Ty do this time?"

Lucas shook his head. "That obvious, huh?"
"What'd he say?"

"Surprisingly nothing." Lucas sighed. "It's no big deal. I'm not upset or anything."
"Just spit it out, Lucas. I'll still respect you in the morning."
"Some guy is blowing him beneath the table. Just some random guy."
Adam nodded, his eyes moving over the crowd. "Uh huh."
Feeling stupid, Lucas took a pull off his beer. "See? It's stupid. I don't even care. He can

do whatever he wants."

"It bothers you."
"I'm not in any position to tell him what he can and can't do, Adam."
"Why aren't you?" Adam's dark gaze studied him, curious. "He gets pissy when guys

flirt with you. Why can't the reverse be true?"

"I'm not interested in being pissy."
"But you are anyway. Just like the other night. Nothing wrong with that. In fact it's a

good thing."

"Then why aren't you bothered that he's with another guy?"
Adam smiled and turned to face Lucas. "Because he's not with another guy. Some guy's

giving him a blowjob. Ty probably doesn't even know his name. He won't look twice at the guy
after he's done. It's like someone polishing his shoes. Useful for a few minutes but no one you
want in your life after the task is done." Adam finished off his beer and set it on the bar beside
him. "Now, if Ty started hanging out one on one with someone on a regular basis then I'd begin
to wonder. But he's never done that, and I'd be surprised if he ever did. No, strike that -- if he
did that then we'd be over, simple as that. It goes both ways. It's why he wasn't upset when you
and he found me with Rory. We know what matters and what doesn't."

"Then why..." Lucas trailed, cursing himself for bringing it up. "Never mind."
"Why what?"
"Forget it. Let's just--"
Adam crowded him against the edge of the bar. Lucas' beer was trapped between them.

"Why what?"

"Why did you say that the three of us are in a committed relationship?" He raised his

chin. "This isn't my definition of committed."

Adam tilted his head to the side and Lucas could tell he was reading clues off his face

despite his best efforts to look nonchalant. "We're committed because we come home to each
other. I didn't say we're monogamists. Maybe someday we may be. Right now we're not. Is that
a problem for you?"

"Of course not. You can do whatever you want. I just didn't understand." He could feel

his cheeks burning.

"You want monogamy, don't you?" Adam said with the beginnings of a smile.
"It doesn't matter what I want," Lucas mumbled. "I'm the third wheel."
The smile vanished from Adam's face. "What does that mean?"
"I shouldn't have -- just forget I said it, okay?" Lucas plastered a careless smile on his

face. "You got me. I was jealous of Tyler. Not the first time, right? I'll get over it. Hell, I should
probably go find a guy for myself right now so we're even."

"Even," Adam repeated. His eyes narrowed. "None of this is about tit-for-tat, Lucas. We

don't play that game."

"I didn't mean it that way. Wow, I sound like a jerk right now. Can we pretend this

entire conversation never happened? Please?"

To his relief, Adam's expression lightened. He had the feeling Adam was one of those

rare people who didn't hold grudges and forgave easily and quickly. "Let's take a walk. I could
use some air. Wait outside while I tell Ty."

Getting out of the crush of bodies and the smell of suntan oil, sweat and musk sounded

like a great idea to Lucas. When he finally escaped out into the night air he took a deep breath
and moved away from the building toward the beach. It wasn't silent outside, of course. The
bar's back patio was open and heavy male voices and music drowned out any sounds of the
ocean that existed, but at least Lucas no longer felt like men were breathing down his neck.

Adam emerged a minute later. He grinned at Lucas and said, "Let's hit the sand."
The granules were warm beneath Lucas' feet, the warmth of the day clinging tenaciously

despite the moon above. The dunes they passed reminded him of Tyler and his midget story and
he smiled and abruptly felt foolish for caring about the stranger under the table. Adam had
already told him that Tyler had a history of hooking up with guys who didn't mean anything in
the end. Unlike the rest of those random guys, Adam and Ty came to Lucas again and again.

The beach wasn't empty, far from it. Couples and singles strolled the water's edge and

many were spread out on blankets engaged in innocent and not so innocent activities. Adam
chose a spot that didn't put them in line of sight of anyone hooking up and dropped to the sand.
Lucas stretched out beside him and leaned back on his hands as he admired the ribbon of
moonlight streaked across the calm ocean.

"What did you want to be when you grew up?"
Lucas smiled at the question. "An astronaut who was a firefighter on the weekends."
Adam chuckled. "Nice. I wanted to be Superman. I think I still do."
Lucas loved the answer. "I can see it. In fact, now that I think about it you might

actually be Superman and this -- Adam -- is your alter-ego."

"Yeah?" Adam playfully flexed his arm, making his biceps bulge.
"Yeah," Lucas breathed as he eyed the display hungrily.
Adam relaxed again. "If only solving peoples' problems took muscle. That would be

easy."

"Why do you feel responsible?" Lucas remembered Adam admitting to having a

compulsion to save people. "You're not a hero even if you look like one. You can't help
everyone and some don't even want to be helped."

"I guess I became this way because I betrayed Tad and it's stuck with me."
Lucas frowned at the mention of the childhood friend for whom Adam had come out

gay and tried and failed to set up with a crush.

"It's not your fault he committed suicide, Adam. You said the guy he was interested in

wanted you instead. You couldn't have changed that."

"Of course I know this intellectually. But the heart isn't rational." Adam's expression

turned distant, his smile sad.

"So because you feel like you failed him you try to save other people like Tyler?"
Adam shrugged. "Maybe. I don't think about it consciously, like I'm trying to redeem

myself or anything."

Lucas sensed he was holding back. "What else aren't you telling me?"
"I think I like to help people because I could have used the help myself," Adam said

easily, but there was undeniable weight behind the comment. History.

"What do you mean?" Lucas studied his strong, handsome profile. It was difficult seeing

him in need of help. "What did you need saving from?"

"I fell in with a bad crowd after Tad died."
"You? Really? Like, street punks?"
"Worse. The most popular kids in school: football jocks." Adam smirked to himself.

"It's amazing how little parents know about the pressure young guys feel to get that scholarship.
Players will do anything for an edge. Extreme diets. Double sessions. Even shoot themselves
up. But hey, it's not heroin or coke. Steroids are okay. Lots of guys do it, right?" He shook his
head. "It messes with you. Turns you into the sort of guy I never wanted to be."

Lucas nodded. "I had a friend who did some heavy cycles. He used to be an okay guy

before he started. At the end, sure he was swole but it was like he'd become his own evil twin."

"That sounds familiar." Adam took a deep breath, his eyes on his lap. "When I was

seventeen I got my first and only girlfriend pregnant. It was an accident but she wanted to have
it. The timing couldn't have been worse. I was the biggest football prospect in our town. I had a
huge future that depended upon me going to college and then to the draft. I thought I couldn't
do that while towing a kid. Hell, I didn't want to. So like the dumb kid I was, I demanded that
she get an abortion. She refused. We got into a fight and I... I pushed her."

Lucas clutched fistfuls of sand.
"I never meant to hurt her or the baby. No matter what, drugs or no, I never would have

done that, Lucas." Adam sighed."But the result was the same. She lost the baby and she and I
broke up. That's when I woke up and saw what I'd become. I said to hell with football. I was
griefed by everyone -- my coaches and teammates, even my parents. I know they were hoping
I'd get that multi-million dollar contract someday. But I could see the future too, Lucas, and I
could see that no one was going to stop me from being an abuser of my body and of other
people. No one was going to step in and say, 'Enough is enough, Adam, it's not worth it'." He
looked out at the water. "So I saved myself." He smiled and patted his bicep. "This is all natural
and always will be. And I learned that nothing is worth hurting anyone over. Nothing."

"That's pretty amazing that you walked away from a future like that," Lucas said. "I

don't know if I could have done it, to be honest."

"Hopefully you would've had a friend who'd tell it to you straight and help you." Adam's

eyes gleamed like warm, black coffee. "Someone like me. It feels good to give someone a
helping hand. I guess I'm addicted to it."

"What happens when there's no one else who needs to be saved by you?" Lucas asked.
Adam grinned and closed his eyes. He lay back on the sand. "Then I can rest. Then they

can take care of me."

He was a mountain range stretched across the sand and Lucas couldn't stop staring at

him. But as strong and visually impressive as Adam was, Lucas was more awed by the kindness
inside him. He really was a Superman. Slowly, Lucas crawled over to him. Adam opened his
eyes but didn't otherwise move as Lucas straddled him on hands and knees.

"I see now why you don't worry about Tyler leaving you for another guy," Lucas

murmured. "Who can possibly compete with you?"

Adam slid his palms up to Lucas' hips. "Thank you."
"I've--" Lucas licked his lips as his nerves went taut, "-- I've been having trouble lately

figuring out what I'm doing with you and Ty. I get that we're having fun together and that we're
friends. But you don't see it that way, do you? You don't mess with peoples' emotions for fun;
you really mean it. You think the three of us should be together. You want us to be."

"That's what I've been saying all along," Adam said quietly.
"I just don't see how it can work. How can three guys be equal?"

"It's never been about being equal." Adam palmed his ass and squeezed. "Equal's not

what you want. You and Ty will take turns being low man on the totem pole but I'll stay where
I am: on top of both of you."

"That works for sex," Lucas agreed softly. "But what about... the other?"
Adam's grin was a flash of lightning. "Are you falling in love with us, Lucas?"
Suddenly embarrassed, afraid he was being made fun of, Lucas tensed and started to

pull away.

Adam tightened his hold and pulled him forcefully down so Lucas sprawled over him.

He shifted his grip to hold Lucas behind the head, bringing them cheek to cheek. In Lucas' ear
he murmured, "If that's where you're heading, I couldn't be any happier, Lucas. A good-looking,
smart and funny guy like you? Who wouldn't want to be loved by you?"

"I didn't say I--"
"I hope one day you do," Adam whispered.
Lucas sucked in his breath. He didn't know what to say.
The question Lucas did want to ask him was impossible to. He feared the answer. Even

though he expected it, it would feel rotten hearing Adam admit that he only loved Tyler and
always would. The truth hurt, and Lucas wasn't interested in hurting. Not over this strange
threesome which just a few days ago he was convinced meant only sex.

"Stop thinking," Adam told him. He sounded amused but his hands were comforting on

Lucas' head and back. "It's all good, Lucas. It's all good." He turned his head and brought their
mouths together.

Lucas had kissed Adam many times leading up to sex or directly following it, and each

time had been intense as Adam sought to devour him. Lucas kept his mouth soft as usual,
expecting Adam to kiss forcefully. However to his surprise, Adam was apparently in the mood
for something else. The kiss was gentle, and the tongue that slipped into Lucas' mouth was
exploratory and teasing.

Lucas sighed appreciatively and carded his fingers through the bigger man's long, sleek

hair. They were both aroused, their hard cocks slotted side by side. They undulated together but
there was no sense of urgency, no goal in mind, just a desire to feel each other's bodies. Lucas
had been this way with Lisa many times, but he was surprised that a man, especially an
extremely alpha one, could bring him the same pleasure and sense of contentment.

They kissed for several minutes, finally dialing it back when they began to pant into

each other's mouths and the rolling of their hips took on an edge of need. Lucas parted from
Adam almost regretfully. He smiled down at him before sliding off to the sand beside him.
Adam rolled onto his side and kept a hand on Lucas' hip. Lucas liked that.

"Thanks," he said, and then felt a little foolish.
But Adam understood and smiled.
Lucas drew a star in the sand with the tip of his finger, not wanting to change the mood

but knowing he should take advantage of the privacy. It was rare. "I heard from Lisa again after
I emailed her." He glanced up to check Adam's reaction. He didn't look upset, so Lucas
continued. "She emailed me to tell me she'll be coming out. She just needs to find the right
flight."

Adam stroked his hip soothingly. "Should be interesting."
Lucas smiled wryly. "You think it's going to be a disaster with her out here."
"Yeah, I can think of a couple of ways it could turn into a mess," Adam acknowledged,

"but this is a test that needs to be taken."

"What would you do," Lucas asked slowly, "if Ty decided to leave?"
Something shifted across Adam's face too quickly for Lucas to read. "I don't know. It's

not something I want to think about."

"Then why risk it by letting Lisa come here and setting him off?"
"Because if it's not Lisa it'll be something else. Ty needs to face his fears, which means

that I have to also. Hiding on this island, hoping we never run into anyone who makes us
uncomfortable isn't the answer. That's not healing."

"You're really brave," Lucas marveled. "You walked away from a possible NFL career.

Now you're putting your relationship with Ty at risk. You're not afraid of losing, are you?"

"I think it's more a matter of learning to let the fear go." Adam squeezed his hip. "It's

why I didn't kick you off the island after you told me you're straight. I needed a friend, and I
could tell it could be you. I just had to be brave enough to trust you."

Lucas was shocked. He tried to play it cool. "Thanks. That's -- that's good to hear."
"I also wanted your ass," Adam added with a wolfish grin. "That may have played a

small part in my decision."

Lucas laughed. "Now that I can believe."
"You can believe the rest," Adam said, still smiling. "I've liked you from the beginning.

You being hot and Ty wanting you too, were bonuses."

Lucas' insecurity couldn't help rearing its head. "You must have a thousand friends on

this island, Adam. Everyone loves you."

"A man can never have too many friends, sure. But it's nice to have close ones, the ones

you can show your true side to, who won't think you're less cool when you're not as badass as
they thought you were. It's that fear thing again. I needed to find someone I could show myself
to."

Lucas didn't miss the question in Adam's voice. "I still think you're badass," Lucas said

quietly. "And you're still hot as hell. I guess that means I'm a close friend."

"Couldn't be any closer, just the way I like you." With a pat to Lucas' hip, Adam sat up.

He dusted the sand off himself. "We should go back before Tyler misses us."

Lucas was about to say something snarky about Tyler not missing anything because he

was too busy fooling around with strangers but he caught himself. He was jealous and it made
him ugly. He vowed to try to be more like Adam.

"Have you and Tyler ever had another long-term partner?" he asked as the two of them

trudged through the sand toward the bar. He had to wonder at how the jealousy issue had been
handled before.

"Long-term up until this point has been a week. That's with someone outside the crew.

Inside the crew things are more fluid."

"What does that mean?"
"Sometimes one of the guys will become a regular for a month or so. It's never anything

serious. Familiarity and proximity have a lot to do with it. It's easy to invite a pirate to spend the
night after the show. We're all neighbors and the walk of shame is only a few steps."

Something pricked at Lucas' senses. "Which pirate were you with the most?"
He felt Adam glance askance at him. "It doesn't matter, Lucas."
"I want to know. I'm the new guy here. I don't like not knowing the crew's history. I

don't want to feel like someone's laughing behind my back."

"No one would do that," Adam said firmly.
"You're avoiding the question."

Adam shook his head. "Man, you already know the answer."
Lucas let his head drop back with a rueful smile. "It's Ben, isn't it? Ben used to be your

third. Jesus."

"Ty and I have slept with everyone, Lucas. Even Kip."
"But you had a thing with Ben that was longer than you had with the others. That's why

Tyler becomes homicidal whenever Ben spends time with me. That's why you asked him to
work with me in the beginning."

"I asked him to help you for the show's sake. You share a similar role."
"Not because you wanted him to warm me up to the idea of a threesome?"
Adam laughed softly. "Asking him for help with that would have been nothing but

trouble."

"Because he'd be jealous?"
"Because it's a plain shitty thing to do, man."
Lucas' good mood from the beach had faded. All he could think about was Tyler's

jealousy and the comments Ben had made about Tyler in the early days. Ben had claimed to
have seen a different side of Tyler. Of course he had. Those two had a history. They'd been
close, closer than Lucas had realized. It made him question who Tyler was jealous of whenever
Lucas and Ben hung out together.

The answer, unfortunately for his peace of mind, was no longer obvious.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Lucas flipped up the kickstand on his rented scooter just as Ben emerged from the other

cottage.

"Hey, Lucas!"
Lucas gave him a quick wave before steering the bike onto the shell drive. "I'm heading

into town! Catch you later!"

"Lucas, wait!"
But he didn't wait, deliberately pretending not to see Ben reaching for him, pretending

he was oblivious of Ben's frustrated stance in the side view mirror as Lucas drove away.

He'd managed to avoid the other man for two days. He was slightly surprised at himself.

He wasn't afraid of the confrontation. It wasn't as if it would become physical. He simply didn't
know how to handle it. Ben was a friend. He was someone whose opinion Lucas had relied on
and trusted. But Ben had proved himself a liar. When Lucas had asked for his advice about how
to handle a threesome Ben had told him he'd been involved in such a relationship but hadn't
revealed that it had been with Tyler and Adam. That was a huge omission in Lucas' eyes.

After Lisa, Lucas knew he had a hang-up about being lied to. The anger he felt towards

Ben was disproportionate to the crime but he couldn't help it. He felt like an idiot, like he'd been
treated as if he were stupid. In the interests of keeping the peace he'd been keeping away from
Ben. It was a temporary solution and he knew it; but he needed time to calm down.

A drive would help. He enjoyed driving across the island, especially doing so now while

shirtless and tan, his blond hair highlighted with strands as pale as Tyler's. He waved in
response to the whistles and catcalls he received and he wasn't skimpy with the smiles he gave
out in return. It was fun, and he felt sexy. And yeah, there were a lot of guys he saw on the
streets and beaches whom he wouldn't mind getting to know a little better. He wouldn't, since
he was with Adam and Tyler, but it was fun to imagine fooling around with them. Maybe
someday.

Ten minutes later he pulled up outside of the grocery store where he and Ben had last

shopped together. That day a guy from Rory's crew had tossed a melon at Ben's bike. Lucas
didn't worry about that happening with his scooter today. Too much had changed. With his
shopping list in hand he entered the small store.

It was his turn to buy supplies for the cottage. He was pretty sure none of the other

cottages had to deal with the huge list that he was working on. Then again the other cottages
didn't have a budding chef like Tyler in their midst. So maybe it all worked out.

As he cruised the aisles, trying to figure out where red curry paste would be, he realized

someone was following him. Trying to play it cool, he blindly picked up a can of juice and
glanced quickly to the side. He startled.

"What do you want?" he demanded.
Rory Donahue gave a sheepish smile and stepped out from behind a display rack stuffed

full of bags of banana chips. "Hey, man, what's up? I thought that was you. Lucas, right?"

Lucas barely managed not to roll his eyes. "What do you want?"

The other man grinned and shrugged. He wore the usual island attire, a tank and board

shorts which showed off his muscular frame. Lucas wasn't intimidated by him. Not after seeing
Rory in his bedroom that night being dominated by Adam.

"How're things with the pirates?" Rory scratched at his elbow. "Adam runs a good

crew."

Lucas frowned. "Yeah, he does."
"Been meaning to catch your show. Maybe this week, huh?"
Lucas sincerely hoped not. The thought of Rory watching him being fucked over the

canon was not appealing to him.

"Look, I've got this big list..." He flashed it briefly at Rory. "I gotta keep moving."
"Yeah, no prob. Don't want to hold you up. You guys planning a party or something? I

keep telling Adam we should get all our guys together, you know? Would be bangin'."

"Bangin'," Lucas repeated. He began to walk. Rory followed him.
"Haven't seen Adam or you guys around much lately, though," Rory went on. "We

should fix that."

"Maybe you should call up Adam and tell him."
"Yeah, maybe I should. Do you, um, have his new number?"
Lucas gave it to him, just so Rory would go away, which he did with lots of thanks and

more suggestions that their crews mix it up together.

After he left, Lucas had to marvel at the other man's desperation. Rory wanted Adam in

a bad way, in a way that made him seem more than a little bit pathetic to Lucas. He paused in
front of a shelf of sauces and wondered whether he would ever get to that point, when his world
revolved around Adam. And around Tyler. Would he seem pathetic to outsiders? Or would they
be jealous of him, just as he could tell that Rory was of him?

Feeling strange about the encounter, he finished up his shopping and started home.
He took a looping route, just to clear his head and to enjoy the sights. And maybe in the

hopes that he'd give Ben time to leave on his own errands. Ben's bike wasn't in the drive of the
other cottage when Lucas finally arrived home so he figured he'd done something right.

Inside the cottage he shared with Adam, Tyler and Kip, he unloaded the bags into the

kitchen. He was in the process of putting everything away when Tyler staggered in, yawning
and scratching at his bare belly.

"It's nearly noon," Lucas said with a laugh. "Lazy much?"
"Fuck you," Tyler replied sleepily. His face was adorably creased with pillow wrinkles

and his hair stuck up like a cockatiel's. Lucas had slept in his own bed last night just to make
sure he finally got a good night's rest and he was glad he'd made the decision now that he saw
Tyler. It had apparently been a long, hard night in the master bedroom.

Tyler nosed the bags as Lucas shelved other items. "Hey, did you forget the -- oh, there

it is. What about the--"

"I got it. Whatever it is, if it was on the list you gave me it's here somewhere, Ty.

Relax."

"Shit, I'm not relaxing about anything when you're in the kitchen." Yawning again,

Tyler pulled out a bottle of guava juice and snapped it open. He drank straight from the
container as he leaned back against the counter and watched Lucas work. "You're doing a good
job there, new guy. Keep it up."

"Gee, thanks. You want these peppers in the fridge or --?"

"You don't put peppers in the fridge, you moron." He snatched the bag from Lucas' hand

and emptied the peppers into a hanging metal bowl above the sink. As Lucas turned to deal
with the rest of the groceries, Tyler said casually, "So Ben says you've been acting like a little
bitch lately."

Lucas nearly dropped the carton of eggs he'd pulled from the bag. "Oh, yeah? You and

him been chewing the fat lately?"

"Chewing the fat? Where the fuck are you from, Iowa?"
Forcing himself to be careful with the eggs so they could prepare omelets tomorrow,

Lucas said as he put them away, "When did you talk to Ben?"

"I don't know. Yesterday." Tyler capped the juice and shouldered Lucas aside so he

could put the container in the fridge. Once that was done he didn't move out of Lucas' personal
space. "What's with the drama, huh? What's your problem with Ben?"

"Who says I have the problem? Maybe he's the problem." Lucas knew he sounded like a

jackass but he was beyond caring with Tyler in his face.

"Why would Ben -- ohhhh." A smug looked slid over Tyler's face. His eyes drifted up

and down Lucas and then he grunted, "Huh."

Lucas glared at him but Tyler smirked and crossed his arms. He refused to move away

so Lucas backed up to the counter to put space between them. "Get over yourself."

"You found out we used to oil wrestle in the bathtub and play hide the salami." Tyler

looked pleased. Lucas wasn't surprised by his reaction. At all. Leave it to Ty to rub salt in a
wound. "Jealous, new guy? Hell, even the whites of your eyes are green."

"Would you prefer that I not care at all?" Lucas retorted.
That actually made Tyler think for a moment and thankfully wiped the smirk off his

face. "You're right. I like you being a jealous little bitch. Means I've got you wrapped around
my finger."

"Why didn't you or Adam mention that Ben used to be your third?"
"Because it didn't matter. Hell, we've had every pirate in our bed. Haven't you figured

that out yet?"

"But you had him more than the others. He was a regular." Like me.
Tyler cocked his head to the side, smiling slightly. "Why don't you ask the question you

really want to ask? You want to know if we liked him better than we like you."

Honestly, Lucas didn't want to ask that question because he didn't want to hear the

answer. How could he be a better lover than Ben, who was experienced with gay sex and who
didn't have the hang-ups that he did? There was no question in his mind who pleased Adam and
Tyler more. It wasn't him.

And yet all he said was, "I don't care." Because he was mature like that.
Tyler saw right through him.
"Sure you don't." Tyler sauntered forward. Lucas had plenty of time to duck out of reach

but he remained where he stood. He was angry and he welcome whatever Tyler was about to
bring.

"Ben knows how to suck dick," Tyler said. He braced his arms on the counter on either

side of Lucas, pinning him in. He stared at Lucas' mouth. "But I don't know if skill trumps the
feeling of shoving my dick into a mouth that's only known pussy, or if it's better than looking
into the eyes of a guy who's taking cock for the first time. That's its own kind of thrill. Not sure
anything can compare to it."

Lucas flushed. "So you get off on virgins. Maybe you should hang around high schools,

you perv."

"Maybe I'll settle with deflowering you."
"You already did," Lucas shot back.
Tyler sighed happily, his eyes lifting to Lucas'. "I did, didn't I? And nothing will ever be

hotter than taking that cherry."

Lucas stared at him. Then he grabbed Tyler by the sides of the face and yanked him

close to kiss him. Tyler moaned against his lips, the buzzy vibration curling around Lucas' groin
and squeezing. He shifted his grip so he could cup Tyler's tight ass. He rocked their hips
together, teasing them both with the rhythm. One of Tyler's hands slid up beneath Lucas' shirt
and traced his spine. The other carded through his hair and teased the tender skin at the nape of
his neck.

"Wanna fuck you," Tyler whispered as he broke away to suck a hickey into the side of

Lucas' neck. "Love it when you're jealous."

"If you could have him here right now," Lucas panted as he leaned his head to the side

to give Tyler more room, "would you?"

Teeth dragged across his jugular. "Fuck no. Why do you think he's no longer in our

bed?"

Groaning, Lucas grabbed a fistful of Tyler's hair and forced his face up. Tyler's cheeks

were flushed, his gray eyes dark as stone. "I think I'm going to have to fuck you for that
answer," Lucas told him. "And you can't stop me."

Tyler's grin was shark-like. "Who the hell said I'd try?"
They used olive oil from the cupboard, spilling too much into the sink and over Tyler's

shorts. Lucas bent him over the counter next to the basket of mangos and papayas. Tyler
accidentally knocked the bowl to the floor when Lucas pushed inside him.

"Bruising the fruit," Lucas chided him breathlessly as he drove his cock into Tyler.
"Bruise my ass and shut up," Tyler panted back. He reached back with one hand to grab

Lucas' right ass cheek and pull him deeper. "Come on. Fuck me like you mean it."

Lucas retaliated by grabbing the back of Tyler's neck and forcing his face to the tiles.
"Ah, fuck," Tyler moaned. He thrust a hand beneath his hips and began to jack himself.
"You like that?" Lucas smiled as Tyler moaned again. He kicked the other blond's legs

apart and held them open with his own. "Gonna fuck you deep and hard right here, Ty."

"Fuck, yeah," Tyler whimpered. "Fuck me, Lucas..."
He didn't think he'd ever grow tired of hearing Tyler beg him. Gripping Tyler at the

neck and hip, Lucas did his best to give him what he wanted, driving his cock in so hard it lifted
Tyler onto his toes and forced Tyler's hole to stretch to take him all in. Soon the kitchen was
filled with the sounds of flesh slapping together and Tyler's shameless, open-mouthed cries.

"Christ," Lucas groaned as he folded himself over Tyler's back. He snapped his hips

against Tyler's ass as he found the other man's ear and began tonguing it. "You're so fucking
sexy," he gasped. "The noises you make… Wanna fuck you all day."

"Fucking do it," Tyler groaned as he humped back.
Lucas gnawed on his earlobe, tasting salt. They were both working up a good sweat.

Tyler's shoulder and triceps flexed madly as he jerked himself off.

"Oh, fuck," Tyler suddenly groaned. "I'm gonna -- I'm gonna--"

"Do it," Lucas urged. "Cum on my cock, Ty." He straightened up so he could put more

leverage behind his thrusts until he was slamming Tyler so hard he knocked the air out of
Tyler's lungs and his ass cheeks began to turn red.

"F-F-Fuck!"
Tyler's screech probably penetrated the walls of the other cottages. Lucas could hardly

care as Tyler's ass clenched around him. With his own less than manly whimper, Lucas
clutched Tyler and thrust raggedly into him a half dozen more times before cumming with a
full-body shudder.

"Oh, my god," he moaned as he collapsed over Tyler's heaving back. "Your ass is

dangerous."

"Tell me something... I don't know."
As Lucas laughed, Adam walked into the kitchen and remarked, "Does this mean no

one's cooked lunch yet?"

He slapped Lucas on the ass before tugging Lucas' shorts down and running a thick

finger up and down his crease. Lucas shivered and turned his head to smile at the other man.
"'Morning, sleepy head."

"Your partner in crime kept me up all night," Adam said. He didn't sound like he was

complaining. "I'm surprised he had the energy for this." He touched Lucas' hole, eliciting
another shiver.

"Well, he pretty much just laid here like a dead fish. I did all the work, so--"
Tyler glared from over his shoulder. "Internal-fucking-muscles, new guy. Something

you might want to work on so fucking you doesn't feel like sticking my dick into the middle of
a monster truck tire."

"You must really like tires then since you always cum within ten minutes when you're

fucking me."

"Fuck you."
"If you can get it up again."
Chuckling, Adam moved away and began pulling out pans and ingredients to work on

lunch. Lucas gave Tyler a friendly pat on the butt before leaving the kitchen to clean up. When
he came back from the bathroom, freshly showered, he could smell sautéing onions and
peppers.

"Smells good," he said as he entered the kitchen. He nearly ran straight into Ben. "Oh.

Hey," he blurted awkwardly.

Ben gave him an uncertain smile. He held a bunch of finger-length red bananas in his

hand. "Hey, buddy. I was just giving the guys some bananas that some kid sold me."

"Ben's ears must have been burning," Tyler drawled from where he was sprawled in one

of the dining room chairs. His hair was wet and he wore only a towel around his waist and the
shark's tooth necklace around his throat.

"Oh, yeah? You guys been talking trash behind my back?" Ben grinned, but Lucas still

felt like crap about it.

Adam, at the stove, stirred something that looked like a stir fry with meat in it. "Have a

seat, boys. Keep yourselves occupied while I finish this up."

Ignoring Tyler's huge grin, Lucas took the chair beside him while Ben sat opposite. Ben

set the bananas in the middle of the table like they were a bouquet of flowers and leaned
forward with an earnest look on his face.

"Lucas, tell me what's up. You've been avoiding me."

Lucas ran a hand through his slightly damp hair and sighed. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't

know how to bring it up so I just... I don't know."

"Acted like a pussy?" Tyler supplied helpfully. When Lucas glared at him, Tyler

smirked and said to Ben, "He's mad you didn't tell him you used to sleep with me and Adam.
Poor widdle Wucas was jeawous."

"Fuck off, Ty."
Ben at least looked guilty about it. "Yeah, I admit I wasn't straight with you. I didn't

mean to be secretive, Lucas. Honest. When you first arrived I didn't think it'd be an issue. I
mean, I figured Adam and Ty would get their hands on you eventually, but then I thought that
would be that."

"You thought they'd move on," Lucas said.
"It's what they usually do," Ben said with a shrug. Tyler didn't appear to mind the

comment and if Adam did, his back muscles didn't show it. "I was ready to swoop in and grab
you myself after they gave you the heave-ho." He smiled a little. "I didn't think it'd matter that
I'd been with them, but it's looking like I was wrong about quite a few things."

Lucas nodded, feeling some pride over the fact that he still shared Adam and Ty's bed.
"To be fair," Ben went on, "it doesn't matter much that I used to sleep here. These two

clowns wouldn't look twice at me now even if I bent over this table and handed them a greased
up set of anal beads. They're hooked on you."

"Don't make me barf with the hyperbole," Ty muttered.
It was difficult to stay mad at Ben. Lucas didn't bother trying. "I should have said

something to you once I found out. It's no big deal now. Really. Forget it."

Ben's face brightened. "I'm glad you feel that way. And I mean it: I'm no threat to

anything. These guys are goo-goo ga-ga over you."

"Seriously, Ben, you're gonna make me fucking hurl!"
"Now that Lucas has been assured he has nothing to fear," Adam said as he entered the

dining room carrying a stack of plates and a pan full of food, "Ben's going to apologize for
worrying him and then we're all going to eat."

"Adam, he doesn't need to say anything more," Lucas protested.
Adam gave him a look that shut his mouth. "Ben's going to do what I say and so are

you."

The familiar and welcome tendrils of lust began to uncurl in Lucas' body.
"What do you want me to do, Adam?" Ben appeared as eager as Lucas to follow their

captain's orders.

Adam pushed everything to the center of the table before he took a seat. He rested his

forearms on the table and gazed almost peacefully across the table at Lucas. "Ben, you're going
to crawl beneath the table and blow Lucas to show him how sorry you are."

Ben sucked in his breath. Then he grinned. "One heartfelt apology, coming right up." He

shoved back his chair and dropped out of sight. Lucas felt his hands on his ankles a moment
later, guiding his legs to spread.

"What do you want me to do?" Lucas asked, his heart pounding. He gripped the arms of

his chair as Ben, hidden out of view, began to lick the insides of his knees.

Adam smiled. "You're going to sit here and let me watch your face as he sucks you off."
"Oh, fuck," Lucas breathed as his cock throbbed.
"I guess I get to watch too," Tyler mumbled. "Woop-de-fucking-do."

"Trust me, Ty, you will enjoy this," Adam said, not taking his eyes off Lucas. "Ben, get

going. This has to be quick or the food will go cold."

"Yes, Cap'n!"
Lucas tensed as he felt Ben tugging down the waistband of his shorts. He assisted by

lifting his hips and allowing the shorts to be pulled down until they hung around one ankle. Ben
pushed his thighs apart and nosed Lucas' balls. Lucas was already hard but at that first touch he
felt himself lengthen another inch.

Ben licked his sac with the flat of his tongue, pushing Lucas' balls this way and that and

teasing the seam between. Lucas dug his fingernails into the wood of the arm rests. Across the
table, Adam smiled and said, "Faster."

A wet tongue dragged up the vein on the underside of Lucas' cock. He sucked in his

breath and had to forcibly keep his hips still as Ben did it again, dragging a wet stripe up his
length. Ben flicked the tip of his tongue back and forth over the circumcision scar. Lucas tasted
blood and realized he'd bitten his bottom lip.

"Eyes on me," Adam murmured.
Lucas stared at him probably much like a madman would as Ben began suckling the tip

of his penis. Ben's dug his fingers into the tops of Lucas' thighs to hold him in place before he
tightened his lips and pushed them all the way to Lucas' pubes, swallowing him to the root.

"Fuck!" Lucas gasped, vaguely hearing Tyler echo the curse beside him. His lashes

began to flutter as Ben deep-throated him again.

"Look at me," Adam ordered firmly.
Panting, Lucas kept eye contact even though his eyes kept trying to roll into the back of

his head. Having to maintain eye contact with Adam filled him with a strange, almost euphoric
sense of vulnerability. He could feel himself blushing. He was sharply aware of how his face
twitched as Ben sucked on him, and how often he bit his lip as he tried to hold back his moans.
Adam saw everything and it made Lucas feel weak and helpless and so fucking sexy.

"I just wanna--" Lucas cut himself off with a groan. He tried to thrust up against Ben's

restraining grip but the blond was using all of his upper body strength to keep him pinned to the
seat. Ben sucked him hard and deep, bobbing his head and slithering his tongue under and
around Lucas' cock. It was torture and pleasure, twined together.

"You just want to fuck his mouth, don't you, Lucas?"
Lucas tossed his head back and groaned. Ben sucked him harder as if thrilled to hear his

desperation.

"Look at me."
Agonized, Lucas brought his eyes back to Adam's.
"You want to grab him by the ears and fuck down his throat," Adam murmured, his dark

eyes enthralling, reaching down Lucas' body and gripping his cock. "You want to make him
pay for hiding the truth from you, even if he didn't mean anything bad by it."

"Yes," Lucas moaned. "Fuck, yes."
Adam nodded his approval. "I like this look on you, Lucas. I like you desperate and

horny. We should do this more often."

Ben ran a thumb across his balls. Lucas shuddered. "No, please... Adam."
"Fuck," Tyler whispered suddenly. "Let me stand up and fuck his mouth, Adam. I'm so

hard--" He pushed back his chair with a loud scraping sound.

"No." Adam was firm. He reached across the table and grasped Lucas' chin between his

fingers. "This is about Lucas and Ben. He's going to cum in Ben's mouth and Ben's going to
swallow him. And when they're done there will be no bad blood between them. Right, Lucas?"

"Yes. Whatever. Anything you say," Lucas gasped. "Fuck."
Adam smiled. "Give it to him, Lucas. Fill his belly."
Eyes squeezed shut, Lucas released the armrests and grabbed Ben behind the head.

Cursing, he let his orgasm rush through him and shoot out his cock like a bullet. He tried to
choke Ben with it because he knew Ben could take it. And Ben did, moaning around Lucas as
he pulsed shot after shot down his throat. Ben gently squeezed his balls to milk him of every
last drop, until Lucas was sure he wouldn't be able to cum again for a week.

He collapsed back in the chair afterwards, weakly pushing Ben away from his sensitized

cock. He shuddered a little as Ben pulled his shorts back up and kissed the tip of his penis
before covering it. Lucas grinned drunkenly at Ben when he emerged from the other end of the
table looking flushed and rumpled and proud. His beautiful puffy lips were swollen.

"You're too good at that," Lucas said with a tired laugh. "You nearly killed me."
"Helps when you've got a pretty dick," Ben replied, smiling. He licked his lips. "And

tasty cream."

Lucas slapped both hands over his sweating face. "Killing me."
"I love it when my boys play nice," Adam said. He began handing out plates. "Now let's

eat."

Everyone seemed enthusiastic except Tyler, who mumbled bitterly about his blue balls.

It was nice, Lucas decided, to have friends you could trust.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"I think you need to buy me this one."
Lucas shook his head without bothering to look over. "No thanks. Buy it yourself."
"It's too expensive. You buy it."
"That's how you convince me? Tyler, you're the worse salesman on the planet."
If a scowl could make a sound, Lucas was pretty sure he heard it. "But it looks good on

me. Put down that stupid thing and check this out."

Sighing, Lucas put down the sextant he'd been looking at -- he was toying with the idea

of collecting pirate and ship memorabilia -- and turned around. The interior of the little gift
shop was lit from above by two skylights that poured pale sunlight into the room. The light
turned Tyler's hair pure white and made him glow like an angel. What appeared to be a brass
chain hung from his neck, the charms it held hitting him just beneath the collarbones.

"What's on it?" Lucas walked over and lifted the charms. "A pair of keys? What do they

open -- a pirate chest?"

"Full of boots that I can use to kick your ass," Tyler retorted. He pulled the keys out of

Lucas' hand. "They're symbolic, but I guess you're too thick to figure it out, new guy."

Lucas didn't take offense. Honestly, it had been a relatively stress-free afternoon which

he definitely hadn't expected when he'd warily accepted Tyler's offer to join him for shopping.
Lucas thought they'd be looking for a birthday gift for Adam, but so far they seemed to only be
shopping for Tyler who, like a bird, was fascinated by shiny junk.

"So if the keys don't open a pirate treasure what do they symbolize?" he asked patiently.
"You had a girlfriend," Tyler sneered. "You figure it out."
Lucas' mind leapfrogged the most obvious answer, but then paused and came back to

sniff it curiously.

"You're not trying to tell me those keys are supposed to represent the keys to Adam's

and my hearts, are you?"

Tyler shrugged stiffly.
Lucas' fingernails dug into his palms. He was sure he was going to draw blood. That or

he was going to have an aneurysm from holding back the laughter that wanted to explode from
his mouth. He had to turn away and pretend to be interested in a plastic mesh bag of silver
pieces of eight that felt suspiciously like aluminum.

When he had himself under control he said, "That's really sweet, Ty."
"You can just fuck yourself."
Tyler whirled, but Lucas managed to catch his arm before he could leave the store. A

good idea too, since he was still wearing the unpaid-for necklace.

"Wait. I'm sorry."
Jerking his arm free, Tyler muttered. "I don't care."
Sometimes, Lucas thought, being involved with Tyler was like having a girlfriend.

"Tyler," he said carefully, "I admit I found it funny at first, but actually it's really cool now that
I think about it. You surprise me, you know? A lot of times I forget that you're, well, not who
you always pretend to be."

Tyler glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean? I don't pretend anything. You think

I'm fake?"

"I think you're one of the most honest guys I've ever met."
"Bull--"
"No, Ty. I mean it."
Tyler blinked several times, looking so vulnerable Lucas was glad he and Adam were

his partners and not someone who would take advantage of him.

"If you're happy, you let it show. If you're pissed, you don't hide it," Lucas said. "All

that's real. It's just the attitude that's an act. Half the time I think you try to be the biggest
asshole you can just because it amuses you." He grinned. "And you're usually successful."

Tyler shrugged. "People get on my nerves. Like you. So I do what I need to to drive

them away."

The keys glinted in the sunlight. Lucas touched them with a fingertip. "I'm going to buy

you these."

"Whatever. It feels stupid now to wear them."
"It's not stupid and you're wearing them, but only if you get rid of the shark necklace."
Tyler's hand immediately went to the tooth. It was the gift his ex had given him and

which Tyler continued to wear to teach him a lesson. Lucas was sick of looking at it and all that
it represented.

A sneer passed over Tyler's lips. "Fine. Whatever. This thing is chipped anyway." He

fisted the tooth and yanked it, snapping the cord. He dropped the necklace into a pile of 'gem'
stones. Lucas could have jumped for joy. He wanted to grab a phone and call Adam to tell him
what had happened. But he carefully hid his reaction, not wanting Tyler to pick up the shark
tooth out of sheer, stubborn defiance.

As Lucas turned to go to the register to pay for the necklace, Tyler grabbed his shoulder.
"I'm not telling anyone what the keys mean," Tyler said, almost defiantly. "I'll deny it if

you say anything."

"Why would I care about other people knowing?" Lucas ducked in quickly and kissed

him on the mouth. "I only care about the three of us. Wait here while I pay."

As he paid, he glanced back to make sure Tyler hadn't run off. The other blond stood in

the shaft of sunlight, his head down, arms crossed over his chest. One hand played with the
keys, making them jingle softly.

It felt good to buy the necklace and charms for Tyler. Lucas could tell, as the two of

them continued window shopping, that Tyler was embarrassed, not of the keys but of allowing
Lucas to buy them after he'd admitted what they stood for. But Lucas loved the idea of them.
He wished he hadn't laughed. Maybe he'd been embarrassed at first too. Hearing something like
that from Tyler had blindsided him. It was easy to think about Tyler in terms of sex. Deeper
emotion, well, that was something Lucas had begun attributing primarily to Adam. Tyler had
yet to open up the way Adam had, but maybe this was a step towards that.

"Are we going to pick up Adam's gift?" he asked once they'd stopped at a cart for cups

of frozen acai sprinkled with granola.

"We're not buying his gift." Tyler scowled. "We have to come up with something

unique. Now that you're here we have to make it about both of us."

"Are you sorry you're going to have to share the spotlight?" Lucas teased.
"I just don't want you to screw it up," Tyler shot back. "Which is highly likely since

you're such a prude."

"What's that supposed to mean? We don't have to put on a sex show or something for

him, do we?"

"What if that's what he wants?"
Lucas took a few seconds to consider his answer. "I get that you expect me to say I'll do

whatever he wants, but I've got some self-respect, Tyler. I'm not going to humiliate myself and
I doubt he'd want me to. He told me he's not into that."

Looking disappointed that he couldn't trick Lucas, Tyler dug into his cup again. "Before,

I used to set up some kind of scene that would end up with me looking so hot he'd have to jump
me right there."

"So lying in bed, basically?"
Tyler gave him a look. "I'm serious."
Lucas grinned. "So am I."
"You're so fucking cheesy it's amazing you're not dripping with grease. As I was saying,

there would be some kind of set-up. Like one time we sent him on a scavenger hunt and each
time he found an item I'd remove a piece of clothing. The last item he found was a bottle of
lube and the last thing I was wearing was a thong." Tyler smirked at the memory.

"And then you did the stripper in a box thing," Lucas prompted.
Tyler's smirk fell away. "That didn't turn out the way it was supposed to. But we had a

threesome anyway. Adam still liked it."

"Alright, so what are we doing for him this year? I'm game for most things but I'm not

having sex or dancing naked in front of the crew."

"I don't know. I'm still working on it," Tyler admitted with a sigh. "This year is

different."

Different because now there were three of them. Lucas was seized with another urge to

kiss Tyler. He said as much.

Looking way too smug, Tyler eyed him up and down. "I've figured you out. You get

turned on by sap."

"Says the guy who's wearing the key to my heart," Lucas laughed.
"Oh, fuck off. I just said that. They're actually keys to a cock and ball cage, and guess

whose cock and balls are going to be in it being tortured?"

"Since I have no idea what you're even talking about, I'm hoping the answer is Tyler."
"Virgin," Tyler taunted.
Knowing that Tyler wanted him to correct him, Lucas grinned and said nothing. Tyler

gave him a dirty look.

"Are we done?" Lucas asked, chucking his empty cup and spoon into the garbage bag

hanging off the end of the vendor's cart. "Nothing personal, but I'm not much of a shopper."

"No, we're not done. But I'll take pity on you. One more stop, new guy." Tyler leered at

him. "You'll get a kick out of it."

~~~~~

It turned out that Lucas did not, in fact, get a kick out of it.
He froze in the doorway of the narrow shop. "What are we doing here?"
Tyler continued ahead, navigating the aisles of collars, paddles, whips, and gear that

looked like it all belonged in a pet shop.

"Tyler..."

"Oh, pull your panties out of your crack and get in here. Nothing's going to bite you."

Tyler picked up a pair of nipple clamps. "Although these might if I'm quick enough."

Extremely uncomfortable, Lucas gingerly made his way down the aisle to join Tyler

beside a wall of hanging collars. Most were leather but there were some metal choker chains
that Lucas associated with training big dogs. Pyramid studs, D-rings, and actual spikes adorned
many of the leather collars. Some of the collars had a jump ring that he assumed was meant to
hold a tag.

"I'm not wearing a collar," Lucas stated.
"Don't be so sure," Tyler said mildly.
"I'm sure."
Lucas pointedly turned his back on the collar display but that left him facing the rest of

the shop and the other men who were cruising the aisles. When a muscular man wearing only a
pair of leather pants and two hoops pierced through his olive-sized nipples gave him the eye,
Lucas hurriedly spun back around and shifted closer to Tyler.

"Pick one," Tyler told him absently as he fanned his fingers through a dozen hanging

slim leather collars of various collars.

"I told you I'm not--"
"It's for me to wear."
The collars suddenly looked a lot more appealing to Lucas. He didn't miss the fact that

Tyler was entrusting him with something important. However unusual the request was, it
marked a major step forward in their relationship and Lucas gave it the respect it deserved.

"Do you have a preference on style?" he asked quietly.
"Nothing thick or heavy," Tyler murmured. He seemed unable or unwilling to meet

Lucas' eyes. His cheeks were faintly pink. "And nothing tacky, for god's sake. Don't make me
look like a whore."

Lucas smiled a little at the thought of Tyler wearing a pink studded collar. "Okay."
He could have questioned why Tyler hadn't asked Adam to pick out this collar, but he

figured maybe Tyler already had one from Adam. Maybe Tyler treated them like fashion
accessories and he had several, although the possibility disappointed Lucas slightly.

The assortment to choose from was daunting but he quickly ascertained that the ones

that were appropriate for Tyler -- slim and stud-free -- were grouped together for easy
browsing. Conscious of Tyler watching him like a hawk, Lucas carefully sorted through the
collars, rubbing them between his fingers to test for softness and flexibility. He wanted Tyler to
be comfortable. If Tyler were comfortable he might wear it often, and that gave Lucas a warm
thrill.

He tried to imagine which collar Adam would have, or already had, selected for Tyler.

Adam seemed a plain black kind of guy. Simplicity would appeal to the big man. So Lucas
deliberately separated the black and brown collars from the group, which left him with only the
colored ones. A pink one in the group made him smirk, but he moved that aside too.

After a few moments of deliberation, he pulled one collar off the wall. "This one. I want

you to wear this one."

Tyler's expression was unreadable as he regarded the buttery soft strip of leather that

had been dyed dove gray. The buckle was plain sterling silver and there was a single D-ring for
holding a tag or the clip of a leash.

"I guess I can live with that," he muttered with a faint hint of arrogance, but his blush

was brighter, which made Lucas want to crowd him against the wall of leather whips and kiss
him until his entire body was flushed that same rosy hue.

"Put it on," Lucas said eagerly.
Tyler sneered. "You suck at this."
Lucas quickly figured out what he meant. Holding the collar between his hands he

stepped forward. When Tyler's lips parted and his eyes widened, Lucas felt his heart begin to
pound against his ribs. Holding Tyler's gaze, he placed the collar at his throat a few inches
above the new necklace and carefully buckled it behind his neck, being sure to brush his fingers
frequently over Tyler's skin as he did so. He stepped back.

"Well?" Tyler asked after Lucas continued to stare at him.
"I think I could get into this," Lucas admitted, riveted by the way the dyed leather

enhanced the color of Tyler's eyes, how the narrow strip seemed to scream possession. He
swallowed. "It looks good."

Studying himself in the full-length mirror on the wall, Tyler made an unidentifiable

sound but Lucas didn't miss how dilated his pupils were. He was as excited to be wearing
Lucas' collar as Lucas was to see him in it.

Reaching up to finger the leather, Tyler murmured, "It'll be part of Adam's present. He

keeps going on and on about wanting us to be closer. I thought he'd like it if we gave him
collars that we'd picked out for each other." A corner of his lips tilted up. "But I guess we'll
have to figure out something kid-friendly for you since you refuse to wear one. Maybe a rubber
bracelet?"

Lucas frowned. "You're a jerk. You know I can't say no now. The gift won't have the

same impact unless we give him two collars."

Tyler laughed at him, the sound holding a hint of derision. "I think you've been faking it

and just want me to force you into a collar."

Lucas didn't bother to dignify that with a response or protest. Especially since now that

he'd seen Tyler in his collar he was sort of curious about how it would feel to have Tyler's
leather against his own skin.

"So now it's my turn." Tyler was gleeful and went so far as to rub his palms together,

villain-like, as he surveyed his choices.

"Remember that the collar I chose for you makes you look good," Lucas pointed out

without much optimism.

"More like I make your choice look good. I make anything look good, new guy. Even

you."

"I can't deny that," Lucas said, crossing his arms and leaning against a shelf of small

gadgets that he didn't dare study closely. Most looked like evil torture devices.

As Tyler sifted through the collars, Lucas glanced around the shop again, albeit more

covertly so he wouldn't inadvertently make eye contact with anyone who looked like they
wanted to become his Daddy. The place still reminded him of a pet shop, especially with the
large cages stacked in one corner. He was afraid to think about what use they had in a shop
meant for people. The place also smelled heavily of leather and rubber, nearly making him
light-headed.

"Do you and Adam shop here often?"
"Every once in a while. When the mood strikes for something new." Tyler threw him a

wicked look from over one shoulder. "Scared?"

"This isn't really my thing."
"I whip you all the time during the show, new guy. You go off like a rocket."
"But that's for the show. It's different. It's not... a scene."
He knew it sounded ridiculous. The pirate show was a scene as much as any BDSM

one. Maybe the difference was that in the show all the participants were acting, whereas during
a private scene everyone was supposed to be as honest and open as possible so no one would
get hurt.

"Wipe that sweat off your face," Tyler muttered as he dug through the collars. "We're

not into it like that. It's just a little fun once in a while. Adam doesn't like a lot of gear. He likes
to dominate without having to rely on tools and stuff to do it. A real man doesn't need it."

"I can agree with that. Adam's strong enough on his own, and I don't mean physically."
Tyler chuckled. "I know what you mean, trust me. Ah-ha. Here we go, new guy."
"Can you call me Lucas?" he sighed.
"Someday. Not today." Smirking, Tyler turned with something clutched in his fist so

Lucas couldn't see it. "Face away from the mirror while I put it on."

"I will hurt you if you chose something humiliating," Lucas warned as he turned away.
"Trying to be macho because you're scared is cute," Tyler murmured as he stepped up

behind him. "Poor little kitty."

Gritting his teeth, Lucas stood motionless as Tyler pulled the collar around his throat

and began to buckle it. The leather was cool against his throat but quickly warmed to body
temperature. It was thin and soft like the one he'd chosen for Tyler. He felt its presence when he
swallowed experimentally, but it was a light pressure and didn't bother him.

He tensed as Tyler's lips found the shell of his ear. "Now you'll be wearing my collar

whenever Adam wants to see it on you. Now it's official: you're my bitch."

"Yeah? Well, then you're mine too," Lucas replied, slightly breathless.
Tyler licked the back of his neck, just above the collar. "Turn around, new guy."
When he turned, he saw the collar before he saw anything else. It was the color of dark

honey and adorned with two bronze studs and a D-ring. More elaborate than Tyler's maybe, but
it was still classy. The metal complimented the color of the leather well, giving it a slightly
antique look.

"It matches my eyes," Lucas noted. He smiled at Tyler. "Copycat."
Tyler grinned slyly beside him. "Don't pretend you don't think we're cute. Adam's going

to jizz in his pants when he puts these on us." Watching Lucas in the mirror, he reached up and
hooked a finger in the ring of Lucas' collar. "I like you in this. It's making me horny. I want to
do something about it."

Before Lucas could ask what that something was, Tyler tugged, pulling Lucas down the

aisle.

"Hey!" Lucas grabbed Tyler's wrist but Tyler wouldn't let go. Other men in the store

watched Tyler drag him along and Lucas could feel his face and the back of his neck turning
red. "Ty, stop it!" he hissed.

But Tyler didn't unhook his finger until he'd dragged Lucas all the way to a rack of

hanging rubber paddles.

"No," Lucas said firmly when he saw them. "You are not hitting me with one of those."
"I prefer the term spanking. And I seem to remember you prefer to be spanked."
When Tyler pulled a paddle that looked like a cricket bat off its hanger, Lucas turned to

run.

He wasn't fast enough. Tyler hooked an arm around his waist and jerked Lucas tight

against his hip.

"Tyler, don't!"
whack!
The hard rubber smacked his skin through his shorts, shocking Lucas with the sting.
"Tyler, you ass--"
whack!
"Ow, fuck!" Lucas twisted but Tyler just shoved him against a shelf of dildos to help

hold him in place as he brought the paddle down again.

whack!
This time the sizzle on his ass was accompanied by a twinge in his groin. Lucas hated

himself.

"Stop," he pleaded, lowering his voice. "Please stop. I don't want to do this here in front

of strangers."

"You're awfully shy for a performer in a sex show," Tyler observed silkily. He tapped

the paddle against Lucas' right buttock. "We've done much more than this for an audience, new
guy."

"That's a job, this is personal. This is for you." Lucas twisted his upper body around to

plead with his eyes. "Please, Ty. I'll let you do this to me at home, just you and me or with
Adam there, but not with these people. It's private."

Tyler's eyes narrowed. He rubbed the paddle across Lucas' ass threateningly before

drawing it back for another strike. Lucas grimaced and lowered his head so he could hide his
facial expressions... but the paddle never landed.

Tyler stepped away and casually re-hung the paddle. "It's only fun when you're naked

anyway."

He reached for Lucas' throat and for a wild moment he thought Tyler was going to

strangle him. But Tyler only unbuckled the collar and strolled to the register with it. Lucas
watched him go for a few seconds before he touched his throat. He felt naked now, and a bit
like a lost dog who couldn't identify its owner. He was pretty sure he understood now why he
saw so many men on the island wearing collars. The sense of belonging was powerful and
comforting.

He didn't say anything about it when Tyler rejoined him with a bag containing two gift

boxes.

"Come on," Tyler said. "Too much testosterone in here. If we stay here any longer I may

end up having sex with someone."

"There's no way you'd have sex with someone now that you're with Adam and me,"

Lucas argued as they walked the busy sidewalk, sidestepping tourists. "A blowjob beneath a
table, sure, but anything more than that -- no way."

"You don't think I'm enough of a slut?" Tyler challenged, something ugly lurking at the

edge of his voice.

"I don't think you're a slut at all. I think Adam's right and you get urges that you have to

act out. But now that I'm with you there's no need to go outside our bedroom for what you
want."

"Sounds like you and Adam have my psychiatric profile all written up."
Lucas caught him by the shoulder and gently turned him. Tyler was so upset he wouldn't

look at him, pretending to be absorbed in the flow of motorcycle and scooter traffic.

"It's not like that," Lucas told him, wishing he'd chosen his earlier words more carefully.

He sometimes forgot that Tyler could be as prickly as a puffer fish. "We discussed you only
because I was insecure about my place in all of this. I had trouble believing you guys are really
interested in me. I thought it was just a fling."

Tyler finally looked at him with an incredulous expression on his face. "After all this

time and all this shit you didn't believe we were serious? Talk about slow on the uptake."

Lucas grinned, relieved to be the butt of Tyler's insults again. Better that Tyler get down

on him than turn that anger inward.

"What can I say? This whole experience has been a string of firsts for me." He squeezed

Tyler's shoulder. "But I'm pretty sure I've been convinced this is real and I'm glad. I'm real glad,
Ty."

"Because now you'll get more sex than you can handle," Tyler said dryly.
"That and it feels like I've gained two best friends. Or at least two friends who are

becoming the closest I've ever had."

"You think we're that good of friends?" Tyler's eyes glittered, shark-like.
Lucas wasn't fooled. He knew Tyler wasn't challenging the claim; he was hoping to

have it confirmed.

"Yeah, Ty. I do. And I think we're going to be even closer eventually."
He heard a jingle and glanced down to find Tyler playing with the keys again. When

Tyler noticed the direction of his gaze he flushed and dropped the keys.

"You'd look good in that collar right about now," Tyler commented, his chin lifted as if

he dared Lucas to complain about it again.

Lucas touched his own throat. "I wouldn't mind wearing it around the house," he

allowed, feeling slightly shy to admit something like that. Wearing it while he was with Lisa
would have been absolutely impossible. He would have felt like an idiot and less masculine.
But with Adam and Ty -- for some reason the prospect aroused him.

"After his birthday," Ty said, his voice quickening with excitement. His pupils were

blown again as if he were a junkie constantly shooting himself up. "Once he sees these collars
I'm sure he'll have us wearing them all the time. It'll be fucking hot."

"Yeah." Lucas had to look away from Tyler's rising intensity so he wouldn't get a hard-

on right there in the middle of the sidewalk. "Let's go home. He's probably wondering where we
are."

Adam wasn't home when they returned to the cottage though, much to Lucas'

disappointment. He stood in the living room, occasionally glancing at the master bedroom
where Tyler had gone to hide the gift boxes. He listened to Tyler moving around, opening and
closing drawers. He couldn't take it any longer.

"Ty?" he said as he poked his head through the doorway of the bedroom.
"Knew you'd come sniffing," Tyler taunted him from the closet. He emerged empty

handed and slid the mirrored doors shut behind him. He pointed at Lucas' crotch "That for me?
Better put it away. It's not going anywhere near my ass today, new guy."

Lucas squeezed himself. "Why not? I'll make it good."
Tyler gave him a filthy smile. "Rein in that ego until you deserve it." He pointed at the

carpeted area in front of the mirrored doors. "Hands and knees right here. I want to fuck you
and watch your face as I do it."

"Fuck," Lucas moaned softly. He couldn't jump out of his clothes quickly enough.

Naked, he hurried to the closet but paused to pull Tyler into a wet kiss. When they began to

grind their hips together, Tyler broke off the kiss and roughly shoved Lucas away. Lucas
grinned and dropped to all fours on the carpet.

Tyler found the lube and was soon kneeling behind Lucas, three slicked fingers up

Lucas' ass, his other hand fisted in Lucas' hair to control the angle of his reflection.

"Enough," Lucas gasped, eyes closed. "Just do it."
"Not until you open your eyes."
Lucas obeyed and sent Tyler a heated look. "You and Adam must have a kink for

watching my facial expressions."

"Maybe we both just like watching you break apart," Tyler panted. He slid the tip of his

cock up and down the seam of Lucas' ass, teasing him, before notching it at his hole and slowly
pushing. "Open up, Lucas. That's it. Take that big meat."

Lucas' arms trembled as Tyler trust shallowly, working himself in an inch at a time. The

act of being penetrated was still slightly scary and he couldn't deny that it came with
discomfort, but it was also the most exhilarating and mind-blowing sexual experience of his
life.

"Just a little more... nnnh... oh, yeah, there it is." Tyler, behind him, shut his eyes in bliss

as he bottomed out, his balls pressing up against the back of Lucas'. "Fucking hot inside, new
guy. Burning me up. Like fucking the sun."

"Talking too much," Lucas panted. He wanted to drop to his elbows but Tyler's grip on

his hair forced him upright, his back bowed. "Fucking move."

"Mmm, I'll move when I want to." Tyler leaned forward and licked a stripe across

Lucas' shoulders. "Give you a good deep dicking."

The necklace he still wore draped across Lucas' skin, the keys jingling with each deep

thrust.

Tyler fucked him for a good half hour, using his knees to force Lucas' legs wider and

wider until he was squatted like a frog and completely unable to move on his own; his body
rocked where Tyler forced it to. As much as Tyler watched his expressions in the mirror,
grinning each time Lucas gasped as his prostate was hit, Lucas enjoyed watching Tyler in
return. He watched how Tyler's eyes would slide over his body, admiring it, how his eyes
lingered on where Lucas' body opened to accept him. Tyler's expression became particularly
primal at those times, as if he fucked Lucas to breed him, not just for the pleasure of it.

When their eyes met in the mirror, Lucas smiled deliriously. Tyler's response was to

jerk back on his hair to make Lucas cry out and then slap him hard on the ass. Tyler's thrusts
quickened as he reached beneath Lucas to fist his cock.

"You feel this?" Tyler whispered savagely, watching Lucas struggle beneath him. "You

feel my cock up your ass?"

"Fuck yes..."
"You want more? Deeper? Harder?" He punctuated each question with a thrust and

squeeze of Lucas' cock.

"Yes, god, yes! Fuck me, Ty..."
"Fill my hand with your cum, you slut. Use your ass to milk me."
Tyler pinched the head of his cock and Lucas bucked at the pain. It drove Tyler's cock

deeper into him, pressing against his prostate. It was like a button being pressed that released
the floodgates. Lucas groaned as he squirted over the carpet and Tyler's pumping fist. His ass
clamped down tight on Tyler's cock.

The hand in his hair continued to force his face up as Tyler fucked him for another three

minutes. Lucas was exhausted by the time Tyler finally stiffened and then hunched over him,
filling his ass with cum.

"You're a sadist," Lucas complained once Tyler finally released him and sat back on his

heels. Lucas rubbed at his scalp. "Or you're trying to make me bald so you can make fun of
me."

Tyler slapped him on the ass again. "I think I just like hearing you whine and moan."
"Great." With a groan, Lucas climbed to his feet and staggered to the bathroom. He

didn't like the sensation of semen sliding down his thighs and was anxious to get rid of it.

While he was in the bathroom he heard Tyler call out, "Why do you know the head

groundskeeper at the Royal Capeside? Who the fuck is he?"

Lucas finished up and returned to the bedroom, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Tyler, still sitting on the floor, held up a business card. "I found it under the bed. It must

be yours. Adam and I wouldn't have this." He read the front of the card. "Brett. Who's Brett?"

Lucas' heart dropped. Brett was Nicole's friend who Lucas had met after a show. Brett

the bisexual, who wanted a threesome with Nicole and Lucas.

He reached down and plucked the card out of Tyler's hand as nonchalantly as possible.

"Probably a fan that shoved his card into my shorts at the bar or something. I don't remember
him."

"So many fans you can't keep track of them all, huh?" Tyler asked, his tone suspicious.
"Sorry if you don't believe it, Ty." Lucas rolled his eyes. "My bad. You're the only

pirate with fans."

"Shut your hole," Tyler muttered as he stood up. "At least I do something about my

fans. Like pay attention to them." He walked past Lucas, bare-assed. "Sometimes I even fuck
them if they're good-looking enough. Maybe I should start fucking yours."

He wasn't serious and Lucas wasn't worried about that, but he did wish he'd thrown

Brett's card away the minute he'd received it. The last thing he needed was a land mine now that
things were going so well.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The plan that Lucas and Tyler came up with after much brainstorming, ended up being

rejected by Adam after they ran in past him. Though Lucas felt bad that he hadn't liked their
idea, he was glad that they hadn't gone through with it in secret and let him down. Plus, he
ended up making things easy for them, admitting that he would enjoy a simple camping trip for
just the three of them. Lucas had been surprised but then excited about the idea. Tyler, not so
much. Apparently he had a thing about bugs.

As Lucas had feared, the rest of the pirates were disappointed to learn that Adam would

be going away with him and Tyler for a private birthday celebration. However that
disappointment didn't last long when Adam took the entire crew out to dinner, where later a
fight broke out over who would pay the bill. Tyler and Lucas ended up having to sit on Adam
to keep him away from the check. The group then migrated to a bar where Lucas consumed
more shots than he had ever had in a single night. He was pretty sure he made out with Kip and
Hewie simultaneously at some point but honestly, he wasn't sure of anything. The morning-
after was brutal.

They planned the camping trip for the day after the current cruise ship that was in port

left the island. With the ship gone, so too, went the majority of the tourists, granting the pirates
a break from the non-stop shows which had been demanded while the ship was in port.

Lucas took responsibility for finding the camping site and arranging for the supplies to

be rented since he figured Tyler, being less than enthusiastic about the trip, wouldn't be reliable.
This had to be perfect since it was Lucas' first time celebrating with Adam, so he was fine with
handling everything by himself.

To his surprise, though he supposed he probably shouldn't have been surprised, there

existed a camping site that catered to people who didn't want to rough it but wanted seclusion in
the unique setting of the jungle. Permanent tents which were basically cabins with canvas walls
offered comfortable beds and even an in-tent bathroom. After clicking through the online
photos, Lucas decided Tyler wouldn't bitch too much about having to stay in one.

The morning they were set to go, Lucas rented them a Jeep.
"This is real manly," Tyler said as he chucked his duffel bag into the back. "Trying to

compensate for being a bottom?"

"If that were the case your choice would have been a Hummer," Lucas replied as he slid

into the backseat. He didn't bother calling shotgun, knowing it would only lead to a fight.

"Boys, behave," Adam admonished as he adjusted the rearview mirror. "We're all going

to be one big, happy family."

"Never knew you were into incest," Tyler said with a leer. "Kinky." He reclined his seat

-- limiting Lucas' leg room -- and announced, "I'm taking a nap. Wake me when everything's
comfortable."

In the rearview mirror, Adam and Lucas exchanged a rueful shake of the head.
The drive out to the Finch preserve gave Lucas plenty to look at. The last and only time

he'd been in the jungle had been during Rory's pony game, and that had been at night with
darkness and his own anxiety casting a sinister shade to everything. The jungle during the day
was an explosion of color and texture. The exotic landscape drove home the reality that he lived

on a tropical island. He vowed this wouldn't be a one-off trip. If this was going to be his home
for the next several years he intended to embrace every inch of it.

Eventually, following the directions Lucas had printed out, Adam pulled them onto a

cleared road that led deep into the jungle. Signs guided the way until they found the tent that
Lucas had rented. It was a single room affair with a small porch. It faced a small clearing where
a ring of stones covered by a metal grill offered a place to prepare their meals and relax.
Surrounding the site was a wall of greenery that provided complete and absolute privacy.

Lucas was relieved that the place matched the photos he'd seen but it wasn't until he saw

Adam and Tyler's pleased, excited faces that he could fully relax.

"Great choice, man." Adam squeezed the back of Lucas' neck. "Thank you for this."
"It's my pleasure," Lucas told him. "Seriously. You deserve this and more."
Adam squeezed him again before he began unloading the Jeep.
"So maybe this won't completely suck," was Tyler's stamp of approval. He even helped

with the unpacking, which was more than Lucas had been expecting.

By the afternoon they were ready to go exploring. Lucas had read in the description of

the place that there was a stream within a half hour's walking distance, so he nudged Adam in
that direction. When they found it they were slightly underwhelmed by its size and depth. At
best it was a place for rinsing out utensils and taking a splash bath. But it was still beautiful to
look at and Adam expressed his appreciation of the view by pinning Lucas against a tree and
kissing him breathless.

"I guess you like it, then," Lucas said after he'd been let up for air.
Adam, thick and solid against him, grinned like a boy. "I dig it. This entire thing is

exactly what I've been hoping for."

"I don't know, this place is alright," Tyler said from where he stood in the shin-high

water. "Tough to have that water sex that Lucas keeps whining about."

"I don't need water sex," Lucas said, keeping Adam close to him with a grip around the

other man's waist. "Jungle sex sounds pretty good."

"Sounds like an invitation for a nasty rash," Tyler said, making a face.
"I wouldn't know. This is my only experience with nature," Lucas admitted.
Adam studied. "Your parents never took you camping? Not even your dad?"
"He's an accountant. He probably knows as much about camping as Ty does. But better

late than never, right?"

"My dad is big on camping," Adam said.
"You're lucky. I wish I'd had a brother who would've done it with me since my dad

didn't."

Adam's smirk was dirty. "I wish you had a brother who would've done it with you too."
"There's that incest again," Tyler said dryly. "Adam, in your fantasy is Lucas the only

one who thinks he's straight or do he and his make-believe brother both need to be converted?"

That made Lucas frown. "I wasn't converted. There isn't a switch inside me that was

flipped to 'gay'. I like who I like."

"I agree." Adam kicked Lucas' legs apart and then grabbed him beneath both thighs to

lift Lucas' legs around his hips. "You simply have good taste in lovers," he murmured as he
rolled his hips, pushing his cock against the seam of Lucas' shorts.

Lucas shifted his grip to Adam's shoulders. "Do you have--"
Busy sucking a hickey into the side of Lucas' neck, Adam mumbled, "Front pocket. Left

side."

"You're not leaving me out, are you?!" came the yell from the stream as Lucas fished

the tube of lube from Adam's pocket.

"Come over here and join in," Lucas yelled back. "You need an engraved invitation or

something?"

"Maybe," Tyler muttered petulantly. He said something more but Lucas was too

distracted by the blunt fingers pushing lube into his ass to pay much attention.

When Adam breached him it hurt, but Lucas gritted his teeth and tossed his head back,

determined to ride it out.

"Breathe," Adam told him, holding Lucas still and impaled on him.
"Sorry," Lucas panted as he struggled to adjust to the huge pole inside him.
"Don't apologize. I know I'm big and this is a new position for you. Probably could have

done with some stretching but I had to have you..."

Lucas huffed a strained laugh. "Never apologize for being swept away by lust because

of me. Does an ego -- oh, yeah, right there -- good."

His body rocked beneath Adam's upward thrusts. The tree Adam held him up against

was a palm, so the bark was relatively smooth, but Lucas leaned forward slightly, wanting to
feel the other man's muscles straining to hold him up.

"You're built like a bull," Lucas groaned, blindly running his palms over Adam's

sweating shoulders. "Fuck me like one."

"Think you can take it?" Adam's grip tightened and he began making short, hard jabs of

his cock in Lucas' body. "Think you can take this big meat? Oh, yeah, ride it, baby. Take that
cock."

A crunch of leaves and sticks. "If there are ants here I'm kicking someone's ass," Tyler

muttered, finally joining them. He kneeled in the leaves behind Adam. A few seconds later he
did something which made Adam gasp and thrust up hard into Lucas.

"Do that again!" Lucas choked out, his spine arching. "Ty -- whatever you did. Do it --

oh, god!"

"Christ, Ty," Adam groaned, his eyes clenching shut. "Your filthy mouth..."
The revelation that Tyler was rimming Adam while Adam fucked him pushed Lucas

over the edge. Well before he wanted to he was cumming, splattering the inside of his shorts
which were bunched up around his thighs because of his position.

Adam gave a grunt of awareness, his dark eyes opening and boring into Lucas as

intensely as his cock drilled Lucas' ass.

"You may be done," he growled, "but I'm not."
Lucas moaned and tightened around him. "Keep fucking me. Don't stop."
"Squeeze that ass," Adam groaned. "Yeah -- just like that."
Still riding out the tail end of his orgasm, Lucas could only grit his teeth and try not to

pass out as Adam continued to batter his prostate. "Fuck. Fuck! Adam--"

"You can take it. You can -- fuck -- take every inch." Adam's balls slammed against

Lucas' ass a handful more times. Then he froze, buried to the hilt in Lucas. "Ty," he groaned,
"Jesus."

"That's what they call me," Tyler panted, rising to his feet behind Adam. He lewdly

wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. His eyes were molten silver. "Now that you both
got off someone's gotta take care of me."

After a full-body shudder, Adam slipped out of Lucas. Lucas winced. He felt wide

enough to pass a cannonball. Adam slowly lowered him to the ground but Lucas promptly
dropped to his knees, his legs too rubbery to hold him.

"That works," Tyler declared and elbowed Adam out of the way so he could grab Lucas

by the ears and stuff his cock into his mouth.

Lucas, unprepared for such a quick entry and still trying to catch his breath, gagged as

the stalk of flesh entered his throat. It only made Tyler moan though, and begin fucking into
him with vigor.

Realizing he couldn't panic or he'd choke himself, Lucas forced himself to relax and

accept the face fucking. He was dizzy and his mouth and throat felt bruised by the time Tyler
stiffened and spurted down his throat. Tyler held him by the ears as his shivered through his
orgasm until Lucas reached up and slapped his hands away. Chuckling, Tyler staggered against
Adam and slung his arms around the bigger man.

"So that's birthday orgasm number one," Tyler told him, turning to kiss him.
Adam, all smiles, ruffled his hair. "Let's set a record."

~~~~~

Lucas' annoyance over the ear grabbing episode faded quickly. He was having too much

fun with the other guys to hold a grudge. After cleaning up in the stream they hiked further
through the jungle, discovering a cave system where they spent a few hours exploring. Then
they returned to the camp to build a fire and fix dinner.

Lucas had packed a cooler full of steaks and accompaniments. They grilled up the

steaks and ate them along with cold salads and some roasted potatoes. Adam was a good sport
when Lucas brought out a small cake with an A-shaped candle on top.

"Make a wish," Tyler urged, watching Adam and the candle with wide eyes, as if

whatever Adam wished for would immediately come true.

Adam closed his eyes for a moment, then he opened them and blew out the candle. He

smiled. "I had trouble thinking of something to wish for. I already have everything I want."

As darkness crept over the jungle they unzipped a couple of sleeping bags and piled

them on top of each other and covered them with a large blanket to form a soft place to sit
beside the fire. Lucas had also brought a couple of folding chairs just in case. Tyler used one as
he roasted marshmallows and made a sticky mess of himself until he declared he had a stomach
ache.

Belly full and faintly buzzed on island beer, Lucas took the time to fully appreciate his

camp mates. Within the glow of the fire Tyler's eyes and hair glimmered like hammered gold
and the skin of his face and upper body shone as if dusted with bronze powder. If someone told
Lucas the true idol of Hidden Idol Bay was Tyler, he would have no trouble believing that
pirates past and present had fought over obtaining him. He would believe it of Adam, too,
except in the firelight Adam looked more like a hunter than prey. Where Tyler reflected the
light, Adam's darker skin and hair seemed to absorb it, as if he had to possess everything he
encountered, even light.

"Your tongue's hanging out," Tyler warned. He idly palmed his stomach, smirking as

Lucas zeroed in on the movement. Tyler traced the ridges of his six pack. "Bonfires get you
going, new guy?"

"You two get me going," Lucas told them. "You'd get anyone going who had a pulse."

"Not interested in anyone with a pulse." Adam took a swig off his beer, his eyes on

Lucas. "Interested only in you."

Lucas smiled. "Then I guess the right people are here."
Tyler stretched his long legs in front of him and crossed his legs at the ankle so his

crotch was slightly pushed up. "So now that we've established that we're all hot as fuck, what're
we gonna do about it? This is supposed to be a nonstop orgy."

"What are your suggestions?" Adam finished off the beer and tossed it near the growing

trash pile that they'd bag up later.

"This is your birthday." Tyler gave him a sultry look from head to toe. "Whatever your

wish is our command. Lucas and I are all yours tonight."

A flash of white as Adam grinned. Lucas loved how free Adam was with his smiles.

The man didn't feel the need to act macho and tough. He didn't believe that being an alpha male
meant he had to be serious 24/7. He was happy and he made the people around him happy. He
made Lucas very happy to be in his orbit.

"I'll have to be careful," Adam said. "So many options might cause my brain to

explode." He glanced at Lucas, still smiling. "Get me another beer, will you?"

Lucas scrambled to obey, hoping it would lead to something more. He dug the beer out

of their cooler and stood beside Adam, holding it out. The position put his groin at Adam's eye
level but the big man only accepted the beer with a nod of thanks.

Lucas lingered, hopeful. He watched Adam's lips tilt up into a smirk before he raised his

eyes to Lucas.

"Something tells me you want something," he teased.
"How about a birthday kiss?"
Dark eyes twinkled. "Another one?"
"Sure. Unlimited birthday kisses. That's how it is." Lucas touched Adam's hair, lightly

stroking the soft, sleek strands. "Besides, I don't think you can stop me."

"Thought never crossed my mind." Adam leaned his face into Lucas' cupping palm.

"Lay one on me. Make it a good one."

They're always good ones when they're with you, Lucas thought, but he'd never say

something that corny aloud. Instead of speaking, he straddled the other man and sank down
onto his lap. Adam settled his free hand on Lucas' ass as Lucas leaned in.

He kissed Adam chastely at first, teasing brushes of his lips over Adam's, savoring the

sensation of their stubble scraping lightly together. Occasionally he would slip his tongue out to
slide it along the seam of Adam's lips. When Adam opened for him Lucas nipped at his fleshy
lower lip before sealing his mouth over Adam's and sliding his tongue inside the other man's
mouth. Adam's tongue met his, played and danced with his, and the kiss grew wetter and gained
a rhythm.

Lucas wrapped his arms around Adam's bulky shoulders and dragged his fingernails

across the nape of his neck. When Lucas felt a shiver pass through the big body beneath his he
groaned into Adam's mouth. He loved turning Adam on, loved knowing he could affect him as
much as Adam affected him. He shifted, bringing their lower bodies together, and rolled his
hips to grind his cock against Adam's lower abs. Beneath his ass Adam's cock was a thick rod
of steel, not yet rocking, but throbbing with growing need.

The kisses turned hotter, wetter. Lucas found himself thrusting against Adam and

realized the other man was using his grip on Lucas' ass to encourage him to move.

"Want you," Lucas gasped, pulling away from the kiss. He sucked on Adam's earlobe

and breathed into his ear, letting Adam hear how excited he was. "I'll do anything for you.
Anything at all."

"Yeah?" Adam murmured, his voice thick and deep. His other hand found Lucas' ass --

he'd either dropped the beer or Tyler had taken it from him. Fingers squeezed the fleshy globes
of his buttocks. "Anything?"

"Anything."
"I can be a demanding guy." Adam pulled him down and thrust up at the same time,

driving his cock against Lucas' ass. "I want to own this ass, Lucas. I want to own you." He
nuzzled Lucas' throat, using his head to force Lucas' chin up. "Waited a long time for you. I
think you got a kick out of torturing me. Well, now it's my turn to torture you. Gonna torture
you so bad, baby."

"Ah, fuck," Lucas groaned, throwing his head back completely.
"You like that?" Adam licked a stripe across his throat.
"Yeah. Can't believe how much."
"I feel the same way. Watching you and Ty together..." Adam groaned and buried his

face against Lucas' chest. His lips found Lucas' left nipple and he teased its peak with the tip of
his tongue.

Sensitive, Lucas writhed against him, dragging his fingers through Adam's silky hair.

"Right there, oh, god. Suck it."

Adam teased him instead, drawing a concentric circle around the nub. Lucas groaned

and tugged on his hair, trying to guide him.

"This a party for two or can anyone join in?"
Tyler crawled up behind Adam and swept his hair aside so he could bite the nape of his

neck. Raising his head, Tyler whispered into Adam's ear, "You're such a stud. You've got both
of us ready to beg you."

"Kiss each other," Adam ordered, half-turning his head so he could watch.
Tyler didn't say a word, just reached over Adam's shoulder and caught Lucas by the

back of the neck to pull him forward. He thrust his tongue between Lucas' lips, revealing his
hunger in the aggressive pump and slide of his tongue.

Lucas did his best to give as good as he got, grabbing Tyler's shoulder in return. He tried

to kiss back just as hard but Tyler was clearly in the mood to dominate. His kiss forced Lucas'
mouth wider and soon Lucas had no choice but to suck on the tongue that plunged again and
again down his throat. His hips rocked in time with Tyler's thrusts, grinding his cock against
Adam's body.

"Naked," Adam growled roughly. "Now."
Lucas laughed at having driven Adam to grunting out single words but that amusement

quickly vanished as Adam dumped him sideways onto the blanket and tore his shorts off his
legs with an aggression that temporarily stole Lucas' breath. Adam flung the shorts somewhere
behind him, narrowly missing torching them in the fire. Tyler stripped himself and tumbled
eagerly onto the blanket beside Lucas. Adam stood up, towering over them.

"Take it off," Tyler said hungrily, eying Adam's bulge-strained shorts. "Show us that big

cock of yours."

Eyes intent on their faces, Adam hooked his thumbs in his shorts and dragged them out

and over the length of his cock. He paused with the waistband tucked beneath his balls,
showing off their plumpness, before he shoved the shorts down and kicked them away. Lucas

gazed up in awe at Adam's fire-limned figure, at the huge breadth of his shoulders and chest
and the V-shaped taper to his thick waist and hips. His cock rose up like a python, thick and
veiny, and his balls were as huge as eggs. His quadriceps rippled and his cock bobbed as if
seeking to mesmerize them.

"If a guy can beautiful, you're it," Lucas breathed.
"Show me," Adam said.
Lucas rose up quickly and placed his hands on the front of Adam's muscular thighs.

Tyler, no slouch, took up a position directly beside him so Adam's cock rose up like an obelisk
between them.

"Last one to the top is a cocksucker," Tyler whispered with a grin. He surged forward,

laving his tongue over Adam's balls.

Lucas watched him paint Adam's balls with moisture, moving the sacs, stretching out

the wrinkles, before he sucked one full orb into his mouth. Tyler's enthusiasm for the act was
infectious. Groaning, Lucas leaned in pressed an open-mouth kiss to the base of Adam's cock.
He dragged his lips slowly up the hot, pulsing flesh, using his tongue to trace the vein beneath.
A big hand fell to his hair and rode the bob of his head as he moved up and down Adam's cock,
tasting its musky saltiness.

Tyler rose up and began to lick the other side of Adam's cock. Lucas met his eyes as

their tongues tangled around the smooth shaft between them. He knew the heat he saw in
Tyler's gray eyes must be reflected in his own brown ones. A hand fumbled against his hip,
found his cock and began to stroke it. Lucas quickly reached to Tyler to return the favor.

They kissed around Adam's cock when they weren't sucking or licking it. Everything

was sloppy and sexy. When Adam groaned at the way Lucas sucked the tip of his cock,
challenge flashed in Tyler's eyes. He used his lips to push Lucas out of the way so he could run
his tongue in circles all around the shiny, sticky knob. The clenching of Adam's fingers was his
warning that he was close. Tyler sealed his tongue around the tip, greedy for the juice, but as
Adam's cock swelled with impending release, he pushed Tyler off of him and aimed his cock at
Lucas' face. Lucas barely managed to close his eyes before he was drenched in hot, thick cum.

"Fuck," Tyler breathed. The tone of his voice was lustful, not envious, so Lucas relaxed.

"Keep him like that all night, Adam. Don't let him wipe it off."

"I was going to have you lick it off him," Adam panted, "but I like your idea better.

Looks like Lucas is going to be our cum dumpster tonight."

Familiar with the term used in a derogatory way, Lucas was surprised by how much it

turned him on when it was used to describe his role tonight. He cautiously opened his eyes as
Adam thrust gently against his slicked cheeks, rubbing the cum into his skin.

"You look like a fucking truck stop whore," Tyler told him, squeezing Lucas' cock

almost anxiously. His eyes moved avidly over Lucas' face where cum was cooling and
thickening. "Fuck, that's hot. I want to juice you too. Maybe I'll piss on you too."

Lucas reared back. "Hell, no."
Tyler and Adam shared a look. "Hold him," Tyler said.
Lucas tried to scramble away but Adam fell on him like a mountain lion, pinning him on

his back over the big man's lap, his head vised between Adam's palms. Tyler kneeled over
Lucas' face and jacked himself urgently.

"Oh, fuck," Tyler panted. With his free hand he rolled his balls between his fingers.

"Oh, god, new guy, gonna paint your face. Gonna make you so fucking dirty."

Lucas strained against Adam's hold but didn't throw any elbows or punches that would

have given him a true fighting chance against the much stronger man. Honestly, he was turned
on by the force being used against him to place him at their mercy. He dug his heels into the
blanket and arched his back, but that was the extent of his struggle to free himself as Tyler
brought his cock closer to his face.

"Fuck -- here it comes." Tyler's mouth fell slack and his eyes glazed over. His fist

became a blur. "Gonna jizz all over you. Open your mouth -- fuck, open your mouth!"

Lucas clenched his eyes shut when Adam grabbed his jaw and squeezed, forcing his

mouth open. Hot, thick semen spurted across his cheeks. It streaked over his lips, some dripping
inside to land in salty globs on his tongue.

"Fuck, take that," Tyler gasped. "Take it all, Lucas."
"He's taking it good," Adam's voice rumbled against Lucas' shoulder. "Plenty of cum all

over his pretty face."

Lucas' cheeks blazed at the comment but he couldn't deny that his cock was so hard it

hurt, and all because of the way Adam and Tyler were treating him.

The sleek length of Tyler's cock slipped and slid over Lucas' face, mixing Tyler's and

Adam's seed together.

"Nice," Tyler breathed, winded. He chuckled. "You can open your eyes now. I'm not

gonna piss on you. You drained me dry, new guy. Hey -- that rhymes."

Adam's hands gentled against Lucas' face as Lucas carefully opened his eyes. Having

experienced the sting and redness of getting cum in his eyes he wasn't eager to repeat it, but
nothing had landed on his eyes.

"You guys are sick," he declared, not really meaning it.
Adam smoothed his thumb across Lucas' chin. "I'd believe you if that cock of yours

wasn't hard enough to break stones."

"Can't help it," Lucas mumbled, red-cheeked.
"That's exactly what I want to hear." Adam sat back and reached for his discarded beer.

He took a long pull. "The night's still young. We'll put that cock of yours to good use, don't you
worry."

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Lucas wasn't interested in waiting for the other men to get hard again. He figured he was

erect enough for both of them. With a growl, he rose up and tackled Tyler backwards onto the
sleeping bag.

"You had your fun," he purred softly, into Tyler's ear, "now it's time I had mine."
Tyler moaned in response and spread his legs, allowing Lucas to slide between them.

Lucas kissed him, smearing the cum on his face onto Tyler's. As they kissed he thrust with his
hips, driven by a powerful need to be inside Tyler, to claim him in this wild jungle.

A hand slid down his spine -- Adam's -- and settled possessively over his pumping

buttocks. Lucas whimpered into Tyler's mouth as Adam's thick fingers eased between his
cheeks and slowly pushed lube inside him. A big finger followed, moving in and out of him
easily a few times before crooking forward. When Adam touched his prostate Lucas ground
down against Tyler with a gasp.

"I want you," he told the other blond before nipping his bottom lip. "Now, Ty. I need to

fuck you."

"Then stop talking and do it," Tyler panted back. He clawed Lucas' back, making him

arch with a hiss. "Come on, new guy. Fuck me."

The finger in his ass withdrew and a tube of lube was tapped against his hip. Lucas

kissed his way down Tyler's writhing body, pausing to lap at the head of his semi-soft cock,
before fumbling for the tube that Adam had waiting for him. The big man settled onto his side,
propped on one elbow for the show. He took himself in hand and stroked himself as Lucas
applied the lube to himself first and then threw Tyler's legs over his shoulders so he could
access his hole.

Lucas teased him for a while, just until he had Tyler moaning and hissing, and then he

eased inside the other blond. The tight clasp of Tyler's body was nearly too intense for Lucas to
handle after being strung out on lust for so long. He wanted to take a moment to savor being
inside Tyler while Adam watched, but he couldn't find the willpower. His body demanded that
he conquer and so he did, bending Tyler in half, pushing him nearly onto his shoulders as he
drove into him again and again.

The firelight danced over Tyler's contorted features. Lucas imagined the scene was a

sacrifice to the gods of lust and desire on Joyboy. Suddenly he knew what he need to make the
scene complete.

"Adam," he gasped, still pumping into Tyler, unable to stop, "can you -- in me too? At

the same time?"

Adam's response was to surge upright and rumble, "Both of you on all fours."
Tyler cursed and complained as Lucas withdrew and forced him over onto his knees.

But he moaned appreciably into the sleeping bag when Lucas pierced him once again from
behind. With his forehead on his folded hands, Tyler moaned, "Drill us both, Adam. I wanna
feel your cock through him."

"God, yes," Lucas gasped. He looked back over his shoulder as Adam's hands molded

over his ass. "Give it to us, Adam."

"Careful what you two wish for," Adam warned in a thick voice. He spread Lucas apart

with his thumbs and pushed more lube inside. Lucas slowed his thrusts and tried to relax as he
felt the head of Adam's cock against his hole. The initial push though, still stole his breath. The
burn made him feel weak and helpless.

He held himself rigidly, arms trembling, and struggled to continue breathing as Adam

worked himself inside him with short thrusts.

"Relax," Tyler muttered, turning his head slightly so he could peer beneath his own arm

up at Lucas. "He's going to tear you apart if you keep tensing up. Think about how your dick
feels in me."

"I'm trying... but it's Adam," Lucas gasped, as if that answered everything. When Tyler

just huffed a laugh it was apparent that it had.

Adam smoothed a hand across Lucas' shoulders. "Nearly there," he promised. With a

few more deep presses he was all the way inside. He throbbed inside Lucas like a pulsing
bomb, stretching him to his limits.

"Oh, god," Lucas whimpered.
"Adam?" Tyler asked, a note of concern in his voice.
Adam kissed the top of Lucas' spine. "Lucas is just fine, Ty. He's got it all now. Feel

that?"

Lucas gave a strangled laugh. "You're kidding, right?"
Adam chuckled. "Sorry. That's my ego talking."
"Less talk, more fucking!"
Adam made a test thrust which garnered another whimper from Lucas before he could

prevent it. The next thrust was deeper, pushing Lucas into Tyler, the dual sensations making
Lucas' eyes roll back in his head. Adam's fingers tightened around Lucas' hips, providing
support while keeping Lucas where he wanted him. With gathering speed, Adam pumped into
Lucas, his thick cock stuffing him to the brim. Lucas had no choice but to ride the action and
push into Tyler. They quickly found a rhythm, or rather Lucas quickly learned not to try to
resist the rhythm that Adam set on his ass. It was easier to let Adam do the driving, and drive
them he did, gradually using more and more force until Adam's thrusts crushed Lucas over
Tyler who bore the momentum and weight of them both with deep, pleasure-filled groans.

Lucas tried to differentiate between the sensations of penetrating and being penetrated

but everything was so intense that it was all he could do not to flop between his two lovers like
a dazed rag doll. He did his best to contribute, gripping Tyler's waist and aiming his cock at the
vicinity of Tyler's prostate, but mostly he was a tool of Adam's dick, a conduit for pleasure, and
unable to stop or fully control anything. This was all Adam's show, as it should be.

Beside the firelight, Adam worked them over hard, his powerful hips churning like a

machine's. There had never been any question of who would break first. Lucas gritted his teeth
and tried to hang on but he'd been primed for too long. With a hoarse cry, he spilled inside
Tyler, who whimpered when he realized what was happening inside him. The clenching of
Tyler's anal muscles told Lucas that Tyler quickly came too. Then there was only Adam to wait
for, who didn't seem to be in any hurry. Lucas rode out the relentless thrusts into his body even
after he'd softened and slipped out of Tyler. He hugged Tyler who reached back and stroked
over Lucas' thighs in support until finally, with a thick groan, Adam reached his second peak.

Adam's cum dripped down the inside of Lucas' thighs as the big man pulled out and

rolled onto his back on the sleeping bag. Lucas felt stretched wide open, like someone could
drive a motorcycle up his ass. Tyler consolingly patted his cheek.

Adam mumbled, "Come here, you two."
With matching groans, Lucas and Tyler crawled to either side of the bigger man, each

claiming their half of him.

"Best. Birthday. Ever," Adam declared around a yawn as he wrapped an arm around

each of their shoulders and pulled them against him.

Lucas, still feeling aftershocks in his body, pressed his cheek against Adam's pec and

closed his eyes, content and exhausted. Something touched his fingers and he roused enough to
open his eyes. Tyler laced their fingers together atop Adam's chest. Lucas smiled and squeezed
the grip. Tyler smiled back sleepily.

~~~~~

They slept in the tent since the beds, once pushed together to form one giant one, were

more comfortable than the sleeping bags. Lucas slept hard, draped over Tyler's back with
Adam's breath against his nape, but woke up suddenly for an unexpected reason. His cell phone
was vibrating in his backpack. He silently cursed himself for not turning the thing off like he'd
planned to. He wanted nothing to interrupt Adam's birthday.

Afraid the buzz would wake his lovers, he carefully slipped out of Adam's embrace and

crawled over Tyler, immediately missing their warmth and mingled scents. Annoyed now, he
dug through his pack for his phone. He couldn't help glancing at the number, which was a
mistake. He stared in shock at Lisa's number. He'd told her to call when she arrived on the
island but that wasn't supposed to be for another two weeks, he'd thought. When the message
icon blinked on, he reluctantly called his voicemail as he walked outside and stood on the
porch.

At the first sound of her voice he shivered as memories flooded him. Some were good

but most were wrapped in negative emotions like shame, embarrassment, betrayal and anger.
Lisa had cheated on him, and only recently did he feel he'd gotten over it. The forgiveness was
possible because he'd moved on to Adam and Tyler, but that posed another potential problem.

"-- let you know I ended up getting an earlier flight because work was slow and

Maureen didn't mind and well, I just couldn't let this sit any longer so, yeah, I'm here, Lucas.
I'm on Anteros. I'm staying at the Arcadia Hotel. I don't know if that's close to where you are or
if we should meet somewhere else but I want to get together with you as soon as you're
available. Please call me back. Can't wait to see you and talk to you. Soon. If you're available.
I know I'm early, but -- um, I hope you call me back. Bye, Lucas."

"Damn it," he muttered as he saved the message. A part of him had hoped that she

would chicken out and not fly out to the island. But she was here now and he'd have to deal
with her. As quietly as possible.

He thought about his options and decided to get it over with sooner rather than later so

he wouldn't have it hanging around his neck like an albatross. He made the call.

"Hey, Lisa," he said after clearing his throat nervously. "It's Lucas."

~~~~~

"You've got to be kidding me."
Lucas grinned hugely. "Seeing is believing. And hopefully everything'll taste alright

too."

Adam and Tyler approached the breakfast spread he'd laid out beside the fire with

expressions of surprise. Lucas was thrilled that his little plan had paid off. He'd sneakily packed
pancake mix, frozen sausage patties, frozen egg substitute and frozen mango juice concentrate
with all the accompanying condiments in the bottom of his pack. Everything had thawed
perfectly and he'd had no problem cooking it all up over the grill.

"New guy, even though you're not allowed to cook in our kitchen you have my tentative

okay to cook whenever we're on vacations," Tyler said as he took a seat and began dishing out
portions for the three of them. "And to think I was expecting cold granola bars."

"This is great, Lucas." Adam caught him in a headlock and gave him a noogie. "Well

done, man."

"I was expecting better thanks," Lucas said as he wiggled out of the hold. Grinning, he

copped a feel on Adam. "Something involving this body part."

Adam stabbed into his scrambled eggs with gusto. "I'm positive something can be

arranged."

"God, it's warm," Tyler moaned as he shoved half a pancake into his mouth.
The three of them sat huddled together before the fire as the morning chill slowly lifted.

The jungle was alive with sounds, providing background music for their meal.

"This is the life," Lucas sighed after he'd cleaned his plate. He leaned back on his arms

and admired the view around them. "What if we just stayed out here? Would anyone know?"

"The park rangers would find us eventually," Tyler said around a mouthful of sausage.

"But they're probably sexy outdoorsy types with hairy chests so it'd be okay."

"If you like hairy chests you're in the wrong business," Lucas teased him since they all

shaved or waxed their chests for the show.

"I like all kinds of chests so long as they don't have boobs. Boobs are gross."
"Have you ever touched a pair?" Lucas asked him casually.
Tyler made a face. "It's everything attached to the boobs that I don't like. Although

boobs are also gross since they're so squishy."

"No female-bashing," Adam cautioned as he stacked his empty plate atop Lucas' and

mirrored his stretched out position on the sleeping bags. "Just because you're not attracted to
women doesn't mean you can insult them."

"Yeah? Well, what if I only insult the chicks who've screwed me over?" Tyler tossed his

plate out on the dirt. "They're fair game as far as I'm concerned. Oh, and as far as I'm concerned
every girl is out to screw me over."

"I don't think you're making friends with the right ones," Lucas said warily, knowing he

was standing in the middle of a mine field with this topic of conversation. "Back in Chicago I
had a lot of great female friends."

"Yeah?" Tyler leaned across Adam. "How about your ex? The one who cheated on you?

Who said, 'So long, sucker, your dick's no longer good enough for me?' Still friends with her? I
hope not because what kind of a bitch leaves someone like you?"

"Don't even go there," Lucas said, irritated. "You don't know anything about what

happened between us. She didn't cheat on me because of sex. It was -- we were growing apart,
that's all."

"Right. That's another way of saying she was bored with sleeping with you and wanted a

new stud. Get real, Lucas. Your ex-girlfriend wanted her itch scratched but was too much of a
bitch to tell you to your face that she wanted something else so she cheated."

"She wasn't a bitch," Lucas shot back. "You'll find out for yourself when you meet her."

Tyler blinked. "When I meet her? When the fuck would I meet your ex-girlfriend?"
Crap. Lucas wanted to slap himself for letting Tyler work him up. He jumped to his feet

and stalked away, hoping to bury the conversation.

But Tyler wouldn't let it go.
"What the hell did you really mean?" he shouted after Lucas. "You think you're bringing

me and Adam back to Chicago to show off to your parents and all your friends?"

"Just drop it," Lucas said, scrubbing his hair in frustration. "I don't want to talk about

my ex with you."

"Something tells me it's too late to just 'drop it'."
Lucas whirled as he heard footsteps crunching over the leaves. Tyler came up on him,

scowling. "Who the fuck called you this morning, huh? I heard you talking. Who would call
you out here? The crew wouldn't. They know this is Adam's day."

Lucas looked hopelessly to Adam but the big man shook his head at him, telling him

this was his business. And it was, but Lucas was petrified of saying the wrong thing and
messing up this good thing he had with them both. If he broke up with them he didn't know
how he'd be able to remain on Joyboy without them. He'd end up like Rory Donahue,
pathetically trailing after the two men. He needed them. Hell, he knew it now: he loved them.

So he did what he feared to, but which was the right thing to do.
"Lisa called me," he admitted. "Lisa, my ex-girlfriend. She's here on Joyboy to see me.

To clear the air or something. I don't really know what she wants but she's here."

The blood drained from Tyler's face.
"It doesn't matter though," Lucas insisted. "We're long over and I don't feel anything for

her, Ty. The only people I care about are you and Adam. You're my... boyfriends, and that's all
that matters." The word got caught on his tongue but it felt good once it was out, like he'd
stopped hiding. He took a step closer to Tyler. "I'll let her say what she has to say and then I'm
sending her away for good."

Tyler turned away from him. "Did you know about this or did he hide it from you too?"
Adam stood and joined them. "I knew. I trusted him to work it out, and that's what he's

doing, Ty. You need to trust us. Neither of us would do anything to hurt you."

"Trust you? You two have kept this secret from me, laughing about it behind my back.

Fuck you both!" Tyler began backing away, heading towards the deeper part of the jungle
though Lucas doubted he cared if he were backing towards a cliff. "This is just like what
happened before. Déjà-fucking-vu."

"This is nothing like what happened before," Adam said calmly, coming to stand beside

Lucas. "Lucas and I care for you. We want you to be happy. We're not interested in playing
power or head games with you."

"Then why the hell is his girlfriend coming to the island?"
"Not girlfriend, ex-girlfriend. She's my ex for a reason," Lucas said clearly. "I'm only

letting her talk with me so she'll never bother me -- or us -- again in the future. I'm closing a
door on my past for good because I care more about what we have."

"You're not gay," Tyler said bitterly, his voice wavering. "You're a straight guy

experimenting. I knew it was wrong from the day you got here. How could you suddenly like
guys? This is all bullshit. It always was. You've been laughing--"

"I haven't been laughing. Jesus, Ty. I've let you and Adam do things to me that would

make other guys laugh at me. You think you've been vulnerable? Well, what about me who's

never done any of this stuff before? I've been scared out of my mind half the time but I've done
everything with you guys because I can't help myself. I can't break away."

"So fucking romantic," Tyler muttered bitterly.
"And so fucking true," Lucas retorted. "I haven't lied about anything I've felt for you

and Adam. I've been confused, sure, who the hell wouldn't be? But I haven't pretended or lied
about anything. I'm here in the middle of the jungle with two guys I just had sex with and you
know what? I want to have more sex. Filthy, nasty, fantastic gay sex. My ex-girlfriend showing
up has no affect on that. She has no affect on us or what I feel for you."

"And what do you feel for us?" Adam asked him.
Lucas seized the opportunity that Adam gave him. He wasn't afraid of it like he would

have been a few weeks ago. He made sure he caught the eye of each man as he said, "I love
you. Gay as hell, right? But it's true. Somehow it happened and I'm not upset about it. I don't
want anyone else and if you dump me I'll probably walk the plank for real. This -- us -- is the
most important thing in the world to me right now."

Tyler turned his back on them, hugging himself.
"Tyler, I'm sorry this happened but we can handle it," Lucas promised. "It's no big deal."
"No big deal," Tyler repeated, still with his back turned. "Fuck. The worst part is that I

want to believe you. I'm too fucking deep into this now." Lucas' heart sped up. "But tell me one
thing, Lucas: who's the guy whose business card I found in the bedroom? Who's Brett?"

Caught aback by the jump, Lucas fumbled. "I told you. He's -- He's just a fan who--"
"I checked him out," Tyler said, turning around. His eyes were red-rimmed. "Nice guy.

Good-looking. He likes blond guys like you and me. But he also likes chicks. In fact, he likes a
girl named Nicole and she knows all about you, Lucas. She gushed like a fucking fountain to
me about how cute you are and that she feels bad that you're so confused about your sexuality.
She hopes she can clear your head or at the very least talk you into a three-way with her and
fucking Brett the gardener."

Lucas groaned beneath his breath. He couldn't believe Tyler had done that. Then again,

Tyler had always been suspicious of him. The business card would have been a red flag he
couldn't have resisted investigating.

Tyler's smile was wretched. "See? You're not the only one around here who can keep

secrets. I've known about your bi buddies all this time but I kept my mouth shut because I
wanted so fucking much to believe they were lying to me. Like an asshole I tried to believe the
best of you. And now your girlfriend is here. Joke's on Tyler, huh? Har-dee-fucking-har."

"There was never a joke," Lucas said, miserable. "I did lie about Brett, but only because

I didn't want you guys to get the wrong idea that I was thinking about doing something with
him and Nicole. I told the truth: I only want you guys. I'm ready and willing to be one hundred
percent monogamous with you. You have to believe me."

Tyler ground the heel of his hand against his left eye. "Adam, I don't know what's going

on anymore. Let's just..." He trailed off, his eyes averting to the ground.

"No," Adam said quietly. His shoulders rose and fell with a sigh. "Lucas made a mistake

in keeping secrets but he didn't cheat on us. I believe him and I know that deep down you
believe him too, otherwise you would have brought up Brett and Nicole sooner. So the only
issue here is his ex-girlfriend. I trust that he'll meet with her and that'll be the end of it. But you
have to decide if you're willing to trust that he'll come back. You have a history with unfaithful
people. No one is debating that. But Lucas isn't your ex."

"You promised me that things would be different with you," Tyler said weakly to Adam.

Blotches of color marred his cheeks. "You promised."

Adam smiled gently. "Haven't they?"
Tyler bit his lip and dropped his eyes.
"I have an idea," Adam said. "It won't be easy for either of you, but it'll put this to rest

once and for all."

"Whatever it is, I'll do it," Lucas said at once.
Adam smiled at him before checking Tyler for his response. The other blond nodded

slowly, and Lucas' knees trembled with relief.

Adam squeezed Lucas' shoulder. "Don't relax just yet," he said.

~~~~~

He asked to meet at a cafe on the beach. The mood was more relaxed and the

atmosphere was pure Joyboy. Plus, it allowed them to go shirtless and wear only board shorts.
"Them" being Tyler and Adam, who'd come with him. Lucas wanted to show them off.

Lisa, seated at a round table beneath an umbrella, lowered her pina colada with surprise

when the three of them walked up to the table. She slid her shades up and looked
uncomprehendingly from Lucas to the others and back again.

"Lucas," she said. Then she smiled and stood and she seemed to have shaken off her

surprise. She came around the table and hugged him.

Her breasts, cupped in a white bikini top, were soft against his chest and her arms were

thin and smooth around his shoulders. He could have picked her up, she was so small and thin,
and he remembered doing that many times when they were together, remembered playfully
tossing her on their bed or into a friend's backyard pool.

Her hair was longer and more blonde -- she must have gotten highlights -- and she'd

changed her perfume, probably to suit the weather. It made her slightly new to him, but Lucas
couldn't deny that the chemistry between them was as strong as ever.

Too bad for her that it wasn't enough to overcome the chemistry he had with the men

standing behind him.

He was the first to end the hug and he stepped back to put space between them. "You

look great," he told her honestly. "Island life suits you."

She smiled and blushed. "A girl could get used to a place like this." But he saw her eyes

flick around the beach to the abundant men and read the question on her face. She knew
something was up.

Her smile brightened. "You brought friends?" Frank appreciation was in her eyes as she

took in Adam and Tyler, but dismay was there too.

Of course she'd hoped for a private conversation but Lucas had readily agreed to Adam's

suggestion that all four of them meet. He waited to feel the heat in his cheeks as he introduced
Adam and Tyler as his boyfriends... but the embarrassment didn't come. Lisa did the blushing
for him.

"Your -- did you say boyfriends?" She laughed uneasily and glanced around again to see

if anyone had overheard, but the sea of men around them seemed only to fluster and confuse her
more. "Lucas, what's going on? Is this a practical joke?"

"Not at all. Have a seat, Lisa. We've got a lot to catch up on."

Warily, she sat. Lucas reached for a chair but Adam beat him to it, pulling one out for

him. Lucas did blush slightly then, conscious of Lisa watching, but he smiled and took the seat.
Adam sat on his right and Tyler was a storm of animosity and insecurity on his left.

"I came to see how you're doing," she began before he could speak. "We left on such

bad terms and I've always regretted that." She glanced uncertainly at the men bracketing him.
"We had a good thing together, Lucas."

"We did. I loved being with you. It's too bad it didn't work out, but I hope you've moved

onto someone who's even better for you."

Her smile was strained. "I recently broke off something. But I -- I didn't come here to

talk about that." She leaned forward. "Lucas, what is going on here? This isn't -- you're not
telling me you've become gay, are you?"

"I'm telling you I'm in a gay relationship with Adam and Tyler, yes." He spoke

confidently without a hint of hesitation and Lucas was proud of himself. He hoped his lovers
were too. He had traveled a long, wild and sometimes frightening road to get here. But he
wouldn't be anywhere else.

"I came to the island by accident," he told her, "but I decided to stay and stick it out and

I ended up learning a lot about myself. I learned I have the capacity to love a variety of people.
That's how I fell in love with them."

"But, Lucas, you're straight. I know that better than anyone. You never once showed gay

tendencies. You didn't even have any gay friends in Chicago."

"I didn't need to show 'gay tendencies', Lisa. You can't stereotype like that."
"You're right," she said. "I apologize for that. But, this is unbelievable." Her eyes

widened. "It's not because of me, is it? I didn't -- I didn't turn you gay, did I?"

"For fuck's sake," Tyler muttered.
Lucas elbowed him though he didn't take his attention off Lisa. "This has nothing to do

with our relationship."

"Lucas..." She pursed her lips, frustrated. "Could I speak with you in private? Please?"
Lucas shook his head. "Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of them,

Lisa. They're as important to me as you used to be, and you remember how close we were,
right?"

"You can say it," she said tightly. "We were close before I strayed."
"Strayed," Tyler spoke up again. "Nice word for being a fucking cheater."
Lucas kicked his ankle beneath the table. Tyler mumbled something but sat back, his

arms crossed over his chest.

"You don't like me," she said coolly to Tyler.
"Am I supposed to?" he shot back.
"He's upset about the situation," Lucas told her. "You being here, I mean. I told him he

has nothing to worry about because you and I were done a long time ago."

She didn't argue, though she pursed her lips again. Maybe she had come to test the

waters with him. He was glad now that Adam had suggested he bring them. He wanted to
remove any shadow of a doubt from her mind -- and from the minds of Adam and Tyler -- that
he could be swayed back to her side.

She eventually sighed. "I just don't understand what's happened to you, Lucas. This isn't

you. No offense," she said to Adam and Tyler, "but I can't help thinking you've been, I don't
know, led astray somehow. This is unbelievable."

"Does Lucas look trapped or unhappy to you?" Adam asked her.

She shook her head. "Actually, I was going to remark at how good you look. I've never

seen you this tan and your hair's lighter. And you're --" she waved at his upper body, "-- fitter
than you used to be. The show?"

Lucas smiled. "It's made me better in every way, Lisa. I love it so much, and I wouldn't

have been able to do it if it hadn't been for Adam."

She gave Adam a measuring look. "I have to say, I wouldn't have thought you were gay.

You, either," she said more cautiously to Tyler who snorted at the remark.

Lucas smiled. "That's because you're stereotyping. It's okay. I did it too, when I first got

here. Now I know better."

She rubbed her arms as if she were cold but Lucas realized she was covering her chest.

"You're really happy here," she stated. "There's no doubt in your mind that this -- this is what
you want."

"None at all, Lisa."
"We spoke of having children at one time, Lucas. You're willing to give that up?"
"I don't know what the future holds but I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything here."
She looked vaguely ill, as if Lucas' answers pained her. "I don't know how to take this,

Lucas. I can't help feeling you don't know what you're doing."

Her words hurt him but he flashed a carefree smile. "Then you can laugh at me later

when I come to my senses."

"Don't," Adam spoke up, a hint of steel in his voice. "Don't make this cheap just because

she can't handle it, Lucas."

Lisa stiffened while Lucas slumped. "You're right. I'm sorry, Adam."
"If you can't handle this you should get the hell out of here," Tyler snapped at Lisa. "We

didn't ask you to come here and insult us."

"I'm sorry," Lisa murmured, her eyes moving between Adam and Tyler before settling

on Lucas. "I actually am trying to come to grips with this. It's such a shock – but that's no
excuse for being rude. I'm sorry. To all of you. Clearly this isn't a prank or a game to you. I
want to understand."

"All you need to know is that I'm in love with them," Lucas sighed.
"And -- you really need two b-boyfriends?"
Lucas felt his cheeks warming. "Yeah. I need them both."
He was reminded of why she'd once meant so much to him when she threw up her hands

dramatically and said, "Then what can I do but be happy for you? I admit I'm still trying to
wrap my head around this -- I feel like I'm on Candid Camera -- but I can't ignore what I'm
seeing. You're practically glowing." She shook her head, still bewildered. "I keep waiting to
wake up. This is just – it's unreal."

Adam grinned. "Welcome to Fantasy Island. The only thing we're missing is a midget."
She surprised herself with a bleat of laughter. The remaining line of tension in her

shoulders released.

Lucas reached over the table for her hand. She gave it to him.
"Thank you," he told her simply.
"This was difficult for you, wasn't it?" she asked, her expression softening.
He nodded. "You're the only person from my old life who knows."
"Thank you for telling me, Lucas. Thank you for trusting me. I hope this works out and

that it's what you need."

"I'm sure it is."

She shook her head in wonder. "Two boyfriends." She smiled ruefully. "Now I feel like

I need to show you I can do just as well."

He looked her over. "I don't see why not. You're beautiful."
She squeezed his hand and let go. "You're going to have to tell me all about how you

guys met. How it happened. It must be – it has to be an incredible story."

Lucas felt himself coloring again. "Not sure if I'm willing to share all the details."
To his surprise, her grin was mischievous. "Sorry, Lucas. This is one girl who wants all

the dirt. I may even end up asking if I can watch." Her gaze flicked to Adam with interest.

Adam grinned beneath the attention. "Sorry, Lisa. It's all I can do to handle Ty and

Lucas."

"Oh, my," she sighed, disappointed. "The stories I must be missing."

~~~~~

Lucas stood with his arms wrapped around the waists of the men on either side of them.

The glittering turquoise waters surrounding Joyboy spread as far as the eye could see.

"I can't believe she asked for a ticket to watch the show," Tyler muttered. "Your ex is a

pervert."

"She seems to have become more adventurous since we broke up," Lucas said,

mystified. He squeezed Adam's waist. "Thanks for talking her out of it, by the way. I don't think
I could have handled having Lisa watch me being spit-roasted over the cannon."

"I would have gotten a kick out of it," Tyler said with a leer. "Show her what she's

missing. It would've haunted her for the rest of her life."

"I'm not sure you want to use 'haunted' to describe someone's reaction to watching us

have sex," Lucas said with a laugh. He kissed Tyler on the cheek. "By the way, thank you for
not dumping me."

"It was touch and go for a while but I'm too lazy to break in a new third so we're stuck

with you." Tyler pinched Lucas' ass hard enough to make him yelp. "But lie to us again and
next time I'll rip off a certain valuable part of your anatomy and use it to cook up a stir-fry."

"Ty's right." Adam ruffled Lucas' hair. "No lying and no hiding things. We're all big

boys. We can discuss matters without killing each other or breaking up. We're in this for the
long haul."

The long haul. Lucas liked the sound of that. He watched a pair of men flirting as they

built a sandcastle together.

"I have two boyfriends," he marveled. "How the hell did this happen?"
"How did I end up with a guy who used to be a card-carrying heterosexual?" Tyler

asked.

"We're lucky, that's how," Adam said in answer to both questions. "I've learned not to

question it."

"The guys are never gonna believe we're monogamous," Tyler said. He snorted. "Maybe

we'll set a trend." He cleared his throat, sounding self-conscious. "Yeah, right."

"They'll believe it because we'll live it," Adam said confidently. "Whether they follow

suit is up to them. No one's going to give us grief."

Lucas liked that. They'd be setting the example for the pirates. Maybe more of them

would find stable relationships. He was already looking forward to trying to set up Ben and Kip
with good partners.

"So what's going to be our first act as an official threesome?" he asked hopefully.
Tyler rolled his eyes. "If you have to ask you're dumber than I thought."
Adam tugged them towards the bikes. "I think it's time we go home and break the bed."
"Aye, aye, Cap'n," Lucas said with a salute.
"I'm prepared to be boarded, Cap'n," added Tyler.
Lucas groaned. "Awful."
"Bite me."
Adam sighed. "Looks like it's time to break out the ball gags."
"The what?"
"New guy, we have sooo much to teach you."

###

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