Shawn Bailey Mark Me

Mark Me

It was bad enough to have some guy try to hit on him in the
men’s room of the video arcade last night, but to wake up and find

two tattoos on his body is just too much. Who in the hell is this
Dimitri person? And why is his name tattooed on my butt? Trey

and the other friends have pulled some pretty mean pranks on Eli
in the past, but this is just too much.

Dimitri takes one look at that handsome sleeping face and just
can’t resist branding his name across Eli’s bottom. Maybe it is the

way Eli had turned down his advances earlier that night that spurs
him to do such a childish thing. Or maybe he just hopes the
preppy violinist will seek him out to remove the tattoos and he’ll

get another chance to gaze into those big hazel eyes.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary
Length: 26,885 words

MARK ME

Shawn Bailey

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

MARK ME
Copyright © 2012 by Shawn Bailey
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-317-3

First E-book Publication: February 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of Mark Me by Shawn Bailey from
BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank
you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or
group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing
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The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying
readers high-quality reading entertainment.

This is Shawn Bailey’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect
Ms. Bailey’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION

Dedicated to Bonita Davis and Nikkol Stampley, and all the

friends I grew up with in New Orleans. Life was simpler back then,
and I thank God I had good friends to keep me out of trouble.

MARK ME

SHAWN BAILEY

Chapter One

Eli Coleman took a big sip of the soda his friend, Trey Brown,

handed to him. He choked as the acid from the drink burned the back
of his throat. He handed the soda back to Trey and then sat down on
the curb on the dark French Quarter corner.

Trey accepted the soda and sat down next to him while their other

friends, Henry Lacoste, Justin Marshall, and Holly Jupiter, remained
standing drinking their sodas. “Man you look tired,” Trey said.

Eli wrapped his arms around his legs and put his head down on his

knees. He didn’t care what Trey said at the moment. He just wanted to
sleep. He wasn’t used to hanging out in the streets at night.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have invited him,” Henry said. “You know

it’s past his bedtime.”

Eli lifted his head and blinked. Everything around him seemed

distorted, even his friends. He groaned. Why had he let these morons
talk him into going out with them after the graduation? If he’d had
any sense, he would have gone straight home with his parents after he
left the convention center when the graduation ceremony ended.

“He’ll be okay,” Trey said. “He has to grow up sometime. He

can’t be mommy’s little boy forever.”

“Fuck you,” Eli told Trey. Just because he was smaller than them

didn’t mean he was a mama’s boy. He rose.

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“Where are you going?” Holly asked, walking over to him. Holly

was the only female member of their group and had been the object of
Eli’s attention for the last ten years. Unfortunately, she didn’t see him
as anything but a friend.

“I have to pee,” Eli answered, barely making out her pretty face

and blonde hair in the darkness. He looked around for a clump of
bushes to relieve himself.

“Don’t you dare take a leak outside,” Holly warned him. “You’ll

not only get arrested, but it’s just downright rude.”

Eli rolled his eyes. She had some nerve telling him what to do.
“There’s a restroom across the street at the arcade,” she told him.
Eli squinted, barely making out the sign. “Got you,” he said. He

walked across the street.

“Maybe one of you needs to go with him,” Holly suggested to the

rest of their friends. “He’s still pretty sleepy.”

“No need,” Eli shouted back across the street. “I got this.” He

found his way to the front door of the arcade and stepped inside. The
bright lights nearly blinded him as he looked around. The arcade was
crowded with young kids and young adults for such a late hour. The
noise from the electronic games hurt his ears as he searched around
for the men’s room sign. He spotted it near the right side of the room
and headed in its direction.

Eli stepped inside the men’s room. The odor of piss met him at the

door. He turned up his nose and approached one of the vacant urinals.
Another young man around his age or just a bit older used the urinal
next to him. Eli unbuttoned his slacks, took out his dick, and relieved
his bladder.

“You’re kind of pretty,” the guy next to him said.
Eli ignored him and continued to piss. The foul odor of his own

urine assaulted his nose. He looked over at the other guy. His arms
were covered with tattoos. Eli turned his nose up at the sight. The
other guy pissing next to him had spiky, blond hair and blue eyes.

Shawn Bailey

And his choice of clothing, a pair of jeans, flip-flops, and a sleeveless
muscle shirt left a lot to be desired.

“Oh, you’re one of those arrogant, preppy boys,” the guy next to

him said.

Eli shook his dick dry and put it back inside of his pants. “No, I’m

one of those don’t-want-to-be-bothered, preppy boys,” Eli replied as
he staggered over to the sink.

“You’re a smart-ass,” the other guy said, following him.
Eli belched rudely. “No shit.” He turned on the tap, got some

liquid soap out of the dispenser, and began to wash his hands.

“What have you been celebrating?” the other guy asked.
“My high school graduation,” Eli replied. “My friends and I have

been having a blast.” He turned off the water and headed over toward
the paper towels. He tripped over his own foot and felt himself
falling. For some reason he didn’t hit the floor but landed in the arms
of the nosey fellow next to him.

“Hey, be careful. You could have cracked your head on this dirty

floor.”

Eli opened his eyes and looked up into his rescuer’s face. The man

looked down at him with concern in his light-blue eyes. The guy had
an earring in one ear and one small diamond stud embedded at the
side of one nostril. With the long, spiky, blond hair he looked very
much like a rock star. “Get your filthy hands off me,” Eli said,
struggling to right his stance.

“Why you ungrateful, little idiot,” the other guy said, lowering his

head and planting a kiss against Eli’s lips.

Eli opened his eyes wide as the other man pushed his tongue into

his mouth. He struggled, trying to break free of both the man’s arms
and his kiss. But the more he struggled, the more the other man clung
to him.

The man used his other hand to touch Eli’s chest and move it

down his body until it landed at the crotch of his pants. He squeezed

Mark Me

and Eli jumped. And then the man dropped him unceremoniously on
his butt on the floor.

Eli looked up angrily, huffing and puffing and trying to wipe the

kiss from his lips. “Why the hell did you kiss me?”

“Just look at it as thanks for saving your life.”
Eli rose on unsteady legs. “How dare you?”
The blond fellow looked down at him. “What’s wrong high school

boy? Haven’t you ever been kissed?”

Eli wiped his lips with the back of his hand. He hadn’t, but that

was none of this man’s business. “Not by a man. Are you crazy?” His
heart thumped in his chest as he studied the other guy’s face.

The blond smirked. “No, but some people may beg to differ.”
Eli glared at him and clenched his fists. He’d never been so

insulted or confused in his life.

“What do you think you’re going to do? I’m taller than you, weigh

more than you, and you’ve probably never been in a fight in your
life.” The other man walked around him. “Look at you. Expensive
clothes, salon haircut, and your nails are clean. You probably have
some nanny at home still taking care of you.”

Eli continued to glare at him, knowing he spoke the truth. “Still,

I’m not gay,” he said. He fought to keep the tears from streaming
down his face.

“I didn’t say that you were,” the other guy said. “But your body is

reacting to mine.” He pointed down to Eli’s crotch.

Eli refused to look down. He didn’t need to. A hard erection

pushed against his thigh. Even he knew this shouldn’t be happening.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” he said, pushing his way past the other guy.
“It has nothing to do with you. I’m just tired.”

The other young man laughed. “Sure. See you later, mama’s boy.”
Eli stalked out the restroom, angry and confused. He walked

quickly past the kids and out the door. He found his friends waiting
patiently for him.

“What took you so long?” Trey asked.

Shawn Bailey

“Nothing,” Eli said. “Let’s go.”

* * * *

Dimitri Miller exited the arcade and watched the group of kids as

they walked down Bourbon Street. His body still tingled from the
kiss. He ran his finger over his bottom lip. The young man’s lips were
the sweetest things he’d encountered in a long time. He sighed.
Maybe he should not have been so rough or so forward, after all the
young man was sleepy and in no shape to defend himself. He watched
as they walked down the sidewalk peeping into strip clubs they were
obviously too young to enter. Ah, youth, he mused as he walked away
from the arcade and headed down the street toward his tattoo parlor.
He’d only stopped in the arcade for a moment to play a few games.
He planned to go back to work and give Greer a hand with the
evening rush of customers. He would have done just that if he hadn’t
had to pee.

Fate, he suspected, put him in the men’s room just at the right

moment. The sight of the young man when he entered nearly took his
breath away. God, the kid was a looker, with full lips and the cutest
scowl. The rest of him hadn’t been bad either. He had a nice, lithe
body, a tight-looking, little ass, and a decent-sized cock. But the first
thing that had caught his attention were those big hazel eyes. Dimitri
dreamed of the young man’s face as he walked the crowded streets.
He sighed. Even he could tell that the guy was educated and refined,
and had impeccable manners. Dimitri shuddered. Why couldn’t he
meet someone like that and fall in love? Ah, no use thinking about
him now. I’ll probably never see him again. He turned another corner
and entered his tattoo parlor.

“Where have you been?” Greer Smith, the other tattoo artist on

call, asked him. The waiting room was packed.

“On a break,” Dimitri told Greer. “Just let me wash my hands and

I’ll be right with you,” he said to the customers. He walked into one

Mark Me

of the rooms behind the counter, washed his hands, and then exited
the room again. Just that fast he noticed that another group of people
had arrived. His eyes landed on one of them. The young man he’d met
earlier sat in the corner of the room fast asleep. Dimitri’s body stirred
and he smiled.

“What’s wrong with you?” Greer asked him.
“Nothing,” Dimitri lied.
Greer followed his gaze. “Cute,” he said.
“Yeah,” Dimitri agreed.
“Do you know him?”
“Yeah, we met a couple of minutes ago,” Dimitri answered. He

leaned toward Greer and whispered, “I think I love him.”

“No,” Greer said as if he didn’t believe him.
Dimitri nodded. “Yeah.”

* * * *

The alarm sounded. Eli’s eyes slid open. He tried to move but he

got a sharp pain in the pit of his gut. He groaned, sitting up. His head
throbbed unmercifully. He always felt like crap when he didn’t get at
least eight hours sleep. Served him right for letting Trey and the
others talk him into hanging out for most of the night. He rose from
the bed and walked into the bathroom to pee. The acrid scent of his
urine assaulted his nostrils. Eli sniffed at his arms. He reeked of
sweat.

Eli finished pissing, walked over to the shower, and turned on the

water. He looked in the mirror over the sink while he waited for the
water to heat up. “Yuck,” he said as he gazed at his reflection.
Bloodshot eyes stared back at him and he had cotton mouth. He
stripped out of the clothes he had worn since last night, tossed them
into the hamper, and then stepped into the shower. He jumped. Too
cold. Eli adjusted the water to a warmer temperature and then washed
his hair. He didn’t remember what time he got home this morning, but

Shawn Bailey

he suspected that it was before dawn. Henry’s older brother, Ross,
had dropped them off after the graduation and came back for them
and deposited him on his doorsteps.

Eli finished his shower. He wrapped a big towel around his head

and stepped out the tub. He was just about to dry the rest of his body
when he looked down and gasped. “No!” Right above his pubic hair
he noticed a fresh tattoo. He couldn’t see it too clearly because the
more he bent the more it disappeared into the folds of his skin. He
found a hand mirror to examine it more closely. It was small, but
obviously there. Had he fallen asleep again? His friends always teased
him about his ability to sleep anywhere when he got tired. He sighed.
They usually played tricks on him, too, when this happened. The last
thing he wanted was something tacky like a tattoo on his body. The
image of a tattooed arm flashed in his mind. Eli shook the memory
away. He didn’t want to think of that either. He looked down into the
mirror again, trying to make out the word. “L-O-V-E-R,” he spelled
out. Someone had branded him in ink. “I’m going to kill those guys.”

Eli continued to dry off, examining his body, trying to find other

tattoos. He didn’t find any on the front of his body, and he couldn’t
see the back of his body without being a contortionist. He turned.
There was a full-length mirror on the closet door in his room. Eli
dashed out of the bathroom and entered his bedroom. He opened the
closet and turned his back to the mirror. He groaned. There was
another one right at the base of his spine right above his behind. He
tried to look at it with the hand mirror but couldn’t see it, so he moved
the door close to his butt, tilted the hand mirror so it could reflect into
the larger mirror. He groaned again looking at the little tiny heart with
the name Dimitri spelled out. Who the hell is Dimitri? When he found
out, he was going to strangle him.

Mark Me

Chapter Two

“You came in pretty late,” Eli’s father said to him as he entered

the kitchen.

I just graduated from high school. Doesn’t that mean anything?

Eli sat down at the table and Emma, the cook, brought him his
breakfast. She’d been with his family for years and knew what he
liked. She’d arranged the eggs, bacon, and grits on his plate to form a
happy face. Eli sighed. No one in his home thought of him as a
grown-up. Fortunately, he’d be going off to college soon, and moving
into his own apartment in two weeks. He supposed his mother would
visit and put up curtains and bring casseroles Emma prepared for him.

His mother entered, kissed him on the top of his head, and sat

down across from him at the table. She wore a nice pink suit and
pearls, which meant she’d be going to some type of society function
later.

“I guess,” Eli said to his father. “We were having so much fun. I

guess I forgot about the time.”

“You need to be a little more responsible, Son. Anything can

happen to you out there,” his father said.

Like being tattooed. Eli reached for the glass of freshly squeezed

orange juice the cook put before him. “Yes, I know. We stayed in a
well-lit area and we all came home together.”

“You have to be careful. There are some pretty shady characters

in the French Quarter just looking to pounce on impressionable kids,”
his father continued.

The smell of bacon distracted Eli from the conversation and then

his mind wandered back to last night. Someone had called him cute.

Shawn Bailey

Oh! Now he remembered. Some guy tried to hit on him in a restroom.
Blond hair, blue eyes, tattoos up and down his arms, and a nice voice.
Eli shuddered. He didn’t even want to think about it.

“Are you listening?” his father asked, breaking the memory.
The cook placed a plate of food in front of his mother and walked

out of the room. “Let the boy eat in peace,” his mother told his father.
“I’m sure it won’t happen again.”

Unlike his father, his mother only saw the good in him. He looked

down at the stack of blueberry pancakes and his stomach growled.

“One time is all it takes,” his father said. “And I suppose you’d

been drinking.”

“No,” Eli said. “I won’t be turning into an alcoholic anytime

soon.”

His mother giggled but did not comment. She just added a sugar

substitute to her grapefruit.

Eli couldn’t remember the last time he saw her eat anything else

for breakfast in a long time. She was always on some diet, which she
didn’t need.

“Make sure you don’t. One or two beers can turn into hard liquor

real fast,” his father said as he buttered his wheat toast.

Eli loved his parents dearly, but his father preached too much and

his mother just looked at everything through rose-colored glasses.
Sometimes he wondered what they were like as teens. Probably
different than they were now since his mother was only nineteen years
old when she had him. Apparently his parents had gotten busy
sexually when they were his age. Why didn’t they want him to grow
up and experience life before he got married and had kids? Eli cut into
his pancakes and ate a piece.

“Do you have practice today?” his mother asked him.
Eli swallowed the food. He’d been taking violin lessons from Mr.

Dubisson every Saturday since he was five. “Yes, and I have
swimming practice, and I have an appointment to get a haircut.”

Mark Me

Nope, nothing had changed except he now had two tattoos that his
parents would never see.

His mother stopped eating and looked over at him. “I don’t

understand why you want to get your haircut. I think you look cute
with all those curls.”

He would scream if another person called him cute. “I just want

something different.” Eli broke his bacon into tiny pieces and
sprinkled it on his grits. “I need a more adult hairstyle. I can’t go off
to college with curls.”

His father chuckled from behind his newspaper. “No, that just

won’t do. I have to agree with him on this one, honey. Eli needs a
more masculine cut.”

His mother pouted. “The women in my book club think he’s

adorable.”

Eli frowned. He didn’t want old ladies admiring him.
“He’s eighteen going on nineteen,” his father said, lowering the

newspaper. “He needs something that says, look at me I’m a college
student, not hey, look at me, and squeeze my cheeks.”

Eli nearly choked on his food. His father rarely made jokes

anymore. He supposed it had something to do with being a judge.

“And he’ll have plenty of time to date older women once he

graduates from college and lands a job with an orchestra.”

So never going to happen. Older women didn’t do a thing for him.

Eli finished his breakfast. He wanted to get an early start to his day
and he wanted to ask the guys about last night.

“Drive safely,” his mother said. “And wear your seatbelt.”
Eli kissed her on the head. “I will.” He waved good-bye to his

parents and left through the back door. The gardener waved to him
from atop the riding lawn mower. Eli waved back and walked to his
car. Moments later he drove his BMW out of the front gate past the
security guard shack.

* * * *

Shawn Bailey

Dimitri got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to relieve his

full bladder. He and Greer had worked until three in the morning and
they had people scheduled to come in at eleven for tattoos. The other
tattoo artist, Jose, wasn’t scheduled in until noon.

Soft jazz music filtered into his apartment as he fixed himself

some coffee and toast a few minutes later. Hearing music in the
morning was just one of the perks of living in the Quarter. Dimitri
hummed along to the familiar song as he buttered his toast. Another
song followed as he fixed his coffee. This one had a big band sound to
it. Dimitri did a little dance and then he sat down at the table to eat.
He’d grown up in the heart of New Orleans and doubted if he’d enjoy
living anywhere else. The place was in his blood, like beignets and
chicory. And where in the world could he go to hear such a wide
variety of music? Nowhere. When he died he wanted a jazz funeral
complete with a second line procession. He wanted the mourners to
celebrate and drink White Russians in remembrance of him.

The door to the tattoo parlor opened downstairs, which meant

Greer had arrived. Greer lived in an apartment a couple of blocks
away.

Dimitri finished up his breakfast, poured the remainder of his

coffee into a travel mug, and went downstairs to greet his partner.

“I didn’t expect to see you so early,” Greer said as he prepared

coffee in a maker in the tiny rest area of the shop. Greer had pulled
his long brown hair back in a ponytail and wore a pair of blue jeans
that rode low on his slim hips. He topped it off with a dark-blue polo
shirt.

“We have people coming in an hour,” Dimitri said. “Why

wouldn’t I be up?”

Greer walked away from the coffeemaker and over to him in the

work area. He hopped up into one of the chairs. “I thought you’d be
entertaining.”

Mark Me

Dimitri sat down in a chair next to him. “Who? We worked until

three.”

“That little hazel-eyed cutie from last night.”
“Him? No. His friends carted him out of here right after you left.

He was still asleep. He never woke up while I worked on him.”

Greer shook his head. “You passed up a pretty good opportunity.”
“For what? To go to jail? He was so out of it. I bet that was the

first time he’d been up so late.”

“You think he’ll remember getting those tattoos?”
Dimitri doubted it. But he probably noticed them as soon as he

undressed. The kid had a nice ass. He’d snuck a look at it while he
slept. And he had baby-soft skin. Just the thought made Dimitri’s
body harden with desire. “Anyway, the tattoos aren’t very large and
no one will see them unless they get up close and personal with him.”

Greer laughed. “Those rich kids are crazy. His friend with the

blond hair wanted this big assed skull and crossbones on his arm, but
I talked him into getting a smaller one. How did he think he’d be able
to explain something like that to his future employer?”

Dimitri chuckled. “Even the girl wanted something radical above

her butt. I gave her a small tiger paw. She’ll thank me later because
it’s so cute.”

The coffeemaker beeped. Greer got out of the chair and walked

over to the pot and poured himself a cup. “Do you think you’ll ever
see him again?”

“What’s with the questions?” Dimitri asked.
“I don’t know. I just have the feeling that you liked him.”
“I did and I doubt it,” Dimitri answered as he sipped his coffee.

“From what I gathered from their conversation, they had just
graduated from high school and they were celebrating. What other
reason would he have to come here?”

Greer walked back over to him and sat down. “Maybe he might

want another tattoo. Or maybe he’d come to see you.”

Shawn Bailey

Dimitri shook his head, remembering the conversation between

them in the restroom of the arcade. He didn’t have that kind of luck.
A rich kid would never give him a second thought, not even a drunk
one. “Don’t hold your breath. He’s probably going to be a doctor or a
Supreme Court Justice.”

“You should have asked him his name.”
“His name is Eli,” Dimitri said. “I heard one of the guys call him

that.”

“Cute name,” Greer said. “Biblical. It fits him.”
Dimitri rose and began taking out his tools and organizing them in

his area. Greer finally finished his coffee and did the same. The
doorbell rang about an hour later, putting an end to their conversation.
For now he would only think of Eli as the one who got away. Who
knew? Maybe the two of them might see each other again in another
life.

* * * *

Eli and the other violinist, Randall Watkins, got out of Mr.

Dubisson’s van and followed their teacher into the French Quarter
café. Mr. Dubisson had arranged for them to play for the lunchtime
crowd. The café owner was Mr. Dubisson’s childhood friend. The
café had just opened its doors for the day and had tourists lined up
outside waiting to enter. Mr. Dubisson’s friend was very glad to meet
them. He showed the young men where to set up. They had a prime
spot, outside in the courtyard, facing the street traffic.

He and Randall set up quickly and began to play. Within minutes

they drew attention and people started gathering to hear them. Others
entered the café, got their food, and sat down at the green tables in the
courtyard. By one that afternoon the restaurant had lots of customers
and the tip jar Mr. Dubisson had set up for them overflowed with
money. He and Randall knew beforehand that the money they raised
would go into a fund to help buy instruments for underprivileged kids.

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Both he and Randall came from two prominent New Orleans families
and didn’t need the money. But neither had a problem helping out
when they could. They’d done mini-concerts like this before since
they were kids, and they loved entertaining. Once he landed a job
with an orchestra, he’d look back on the experience as something
positive in his life.

* * * *

“I’m hungry,” Dimitri said around one. “I think I’m stopping for

lunch. Would you care to join me?”

Greer nodded.
They had worked on several tattoos that morning and they didn’t

have anyone coming in until three. Jose had arrived and could watch
the parlor for them.

“Where would you like to go?” Greer asked.
Dimitri shrugged. With so many great restaurants in the area, it

was hard to choose. “I have a craving for seafood.”

“Then let’s go to Tulsa. They have great seafood and live music

performances during lunch. Today they’re supposed to have two
violinists entertaining.”

Their shop was located a couple of blocks away from Decatur

Street so they could get there on foot. Violinists? He loved violin
music. He’d taken lessons as a child but gave it up when the lessons
got too expensive. “Let’s go check them out.”

The French Quarter was alive with tourists, street entertainers, and

horse-and-buggy carriages. The scent of beer and the seafood was in
the air as they walked by some of the local artists drawing pictures in
Jackson Square. A puppeteer performed for a group of people near the
Riverwalk, and people dined at Café Du Monde while two young
women sang for them.

The sound of dueling violins guided them to the sidewalk right

outside the Tulsa Café. In all honesty Dimitri didn’t really believe in

Shawn Bailey

fate, but this time someone or something had put the hazel-eyed
temptation before him.

“Isn’t that?” Greer asked, pointing to a curly-haired teen on the

right.

Eli hadn’t looked up or looked their way, but it was definitely

him. The teen on the left was also cute, with long, dark hair and
glasses. They appeared to be around the same age and must have been
practicing or rehearsing together for some time since they were both
very good. They played “Violin Concerto Number 5 in A major” by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a classical and difficult song to perform.
Dimitri remembered it. He’d just began learning the piece when his
father lost his job and Dimitri had to leave the music school.

The dark-haired violinist stopped playing while Eli did a solo

piece. He made the strings sing melodically, filling the warm summer
air with music.

Dimitri shuddered as the sound went from his ears to his nervous

system. God, how he missed playing. He closed his eyes and got
swept away by the haunting song. He opened his eyes at the sound of
applause. Intense hazel eyes stared at him. He gulped. Eli was even
more stunning awake and by daylight. Why hadn’t he noticed his
golden tan last night or those sun-kissed cheeks? If someone would
have told him that he would meet the man of his dreams in an arcade
men’s room, he would have laughed them right out of the city. And if
someone would have told him that he would fall in love on a crowded
French Quarter street outside a busy seafood café, he would have
called them crazy. He winked at Eli.

“There’s an empty table,” Greer told him.
“Do you know him?” the other violinist asked Eli.
“No,” Eli said.
Dimitri followed Greer into the courtyard. It felt like an arrow

shattered his heart.

Eli and the other young man played another song.

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* * * *

“What do you mean, how did you get a tattoo?” Justin asked.

“You got one just the same way the rest of us did.” He twisted his
forearm around and showed him.

Eli looked at the tiny skull and crossbones. “Very manly,” he

replied. Well, it was, compared to his.

Justin chuckled. “Holly got a tiger paw on her butt.”
Eli smirked. He’d give anything to see the tattoo. But that was

beside the point. “Let me rephrase the question. Did the words I want
a tattoo come out of my mouth, or did someone just assume that I
wanted a tattoo just because I was with you guys when you decided to
do something this foolish?”

Justin backed away nervously. “I don’t remember. Whatcha get

anyway?”

There was no way Eli was going to show him. “Where did we

have it done? Maybe it’s not too late to have it removed.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Trey said, walking toward them clad in a red,

white, and blue swimming trunks and beach slippers. His new United
States Marine Corps tattoo on the right side of his chest glinted under
the sunlight. In three weeks Trey would be leaving for boot camp,
leaving poor Holly unattended. “That’s permanent ink. The only way
a tattoo can be removed is with laser surgery.”

Eli frowned. Trey had answered both his questions. The ink was

permanent and Trey, no doubt had been the one who had him marked
for life. He didn’t remember when their friendship had changed, but
three weeks couldn’t pass fast enough for him.

“Aren’t you going to change into your trunks?” Henry asked.
Eli shook his head. “I’m not feeling well,” he lied. He couldn’t

risk someone seeing those tattoos. Since his so-called friends
wouldn’t give him the name of the tattoo parlor, he would find it
himself. Maybe he should have asked his new tattooed stalker from
last night where he’d gotten his done. Seeing him just show up at the

Shawn Bailey

café earlier had really blown his mind. Talk about the fates working
against him. He’d still had an appointment with his hairstylist but
he’d cruise around the area where they were last night to see if he
could spot any tattoo parlors in the vicinity. “See you guys later,” he
said as the rest of the swimmers started coming out of the gym. He
hurried off to tell the instructor that he would see him next weekend
for his last lesson.

* * * *

The door to the parlor opened around five. Dimitri was busy

finishing a design on a customer’s back and didn’t look up. Greer or
Jose could handle it.

“You have company, Dimitri,” Greer told him.
“I’m busy,” Dimitri said, still not stopping the needle or looking

up. “Can’t one of you guys handle it?”

“I think you might want to handle this one personally,” Greer

answered.

Dimitri raised the needle gun and looked up angrily. “Oh!” he

gasped. A gorgeous, hazel-eyed, preppy violinist stood in the waiting
area dressed in a pair of black slacks, a gray pullover shirt, and dress
shoes. He looked like he was on his way to some fraternity function,
or maybe a date with some young chick he’d gone to school with.

A stylist, not a barber, had gotten to Eli’s hair and shone off his

dark, curly locks. Dimitri moaned inside. He looked even hotter with
the new do.

“Are you Dimitri?” Eli asked.
“Yes,” Dimitri answered. “How can I help you?”
“We need to talk,” Eli said.
“I’m busy.” Who did the little cutie think he was anyway coming

into his shop looking like fresh meat to a starving man and smelling
like expensive aftershave and cologne? “Have a seat.”

“Who is that?” Jose asked Greer.

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“Dimitri’s new little thing,” Greer answered.
Eli glared at him but walked over to a seat.
“Hot damn,” Jose said in Spanish. “He’s yummy.”
Dimitri smirked, hoping Eli couldn’t understand Spanish. Like

him and Greer, Jose could appreciate a beautiful man, and Eli was all
that and a bag of chips. The pullover shirt showed off his young,
muscular build. He’d bet he worked out at the gym or something.

Dimitri went back to what he was doing while Eli flipped through

a magazine. The client on the table wanted an eagle and an American
flag tattoo on his back. Dimitri had just about finished it but purposely
slowed down so he could think. Dimitri didn’t flatter himself thinking
Eli had been swept away by all the attention he’d given him the last
day or so. No doubt he’d come about the tattoos. They were done with
henna and would be a memory in a couple of days, but he doubted if
Eli knew this. He’d probably come to punch his lights out or to stare
angrily at him like he was doing now.

Dimitri couldn’t stall any longer, and it wasn’t right to let the man

on the table suffer needlessly. “Don’t scratch or get this wet for at
least a week,” Dimitri told the man. He walked him over to a three-
way mirror so he could see his new body art. The man left and Dimitri
signaled for Eli with his finger to follow him. “Keep an eye on the
place,” he told his partners. “We’re going upstairs to talk.”

Both Greer and Jose looked at him questionably, but didn’t say a

word.

Eli hopped out of the seat and followed him like a fly being led

into a web by a spider.

* * * *

“Would you like a beer?” Dimitri asked Eli once they were in his

apartment.

“No thank you,” Eli said. He walked around looking at all the jazz

memorabilia on the walls.

Shawn Bailey

“You’re a very talented violinist,” Dimitri said. “How long have

you been taking lessons?”

“Thirteen years,” Eli answered.
“Would you care for a soda, some coffee, or perhaps tea?”
“No thank you,” Eli said. “This isn’t a social visit.”
Dimitri popped the tab off the beer can and sipped some. He

walked out of the kitchen and came into the living room area. He
leaned against the wall and watched Eli look around. He stopped
browsing and turned to face him.

“I want you to remove these tattoos you put on me.”
“Oh, I see,” Dimitri said, feinting shock. “What’s wrong? Don’t

you like them?”

Eli stood across from him with his arms crossed. He was actually

taller than Dimitri remembered, about five feet nine, but still shorter
than him. “No, how can I put this? They’re just not me.”

Dimitri smirked at him. He already knew that. “Awe, I think

they’re cute and sexy.”

Eli scowled at him. “If I wanted a man’s name tattooed across my

butt, it wouldn’t be your name.”

Dimitri put the beer can on the table and walked over to him.

“What’s wrong with my name? It’s a good Russian name. Consider
yourself lucky. I could have covered you in erotic pictures like your
friend Trey suggested.”

Eli stepped back like he’d just insulted him. Or did he not know

that Trey was the one who told Dimitri to tattoo Eli as a joke?
“What’s wrong? Are you afraid that I’m going to kiss you again?”

Eli blushed hotly under all that tanned skin. “Don’t you dare.”
Dimitri moved in closer. “What would you do?”
Eli stepped back. He didn’t have anywhere to run since Dimitri

had cornered him by a wall. “Will you please remove the tattoos? My
parents will kill me if they see them.”

Dimitri smirked at the admission. “Kiss me first.”
Eli glared at him. “I don’t kiss men.”

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“Well, you better get used to kissing me because that’s the only

way I’ll remove them.” Eli’s scent filled his nostrils. He smelled
divine. And he bet that was a real sapphire dangling from the silver
chain around his neck.

“I have money,” Eli said, not backing down from him. “I’ll pay

anything to have them removed.”

“Ah, that’s right, you have two tattoos. If I’m not mistaken you

have one near your cock, lover.” He closed in on Eli.

Eli dropped his brave facade, but he didn’t move.
“You can keep your money. I don’t want it. My reward is just

knowing that every time you get freaky with some young society girl,
she’ll see my name and run away screaming.”

Eli bravely braced up to him. “You’re not the only tattoo artist in

town. I’ll find someone else to remove them.”

Dimitri shoved him roughly against the wall and braced his hands

against it, trapping Eli. “Don’t you dare defile my work. No, I change
my mind. Go ahead and find someone else to do it. Laser surgery is
both painful and costly. And you’ll forever have two big, ugly scars
marring that perfect preppy body.” He lowered his head and stole a
kiss.

“Let me go,” Eli said against his lips.
Dimitri ignored him and pushed his tongue inside Eli’s mouth.
Eli gasped, shuddered, and tried to push him away.
The kid had some serious young muscles, but that didn’t deter

Dimitri as he tried to kiss Eli senseless. He felt Eli’s confusion as his
hands shook against Dimitri’s chest. He also felt the moment Eli’s
resistance shattered. He relaxed his lips and Dimitri took advantage of
the situation and ran his tongue around Eli’s mouth and played tongue
tag with him. Their bodies were so tightly pressed against each other
that he knew the moment Eli got an erection. The kid whimpered as
his body betrayed him.

Shawn Bailey

Dimitri broke the kiss to give him a chance to breathe. “Why fight

it, Eli? We both know the real reason you’re here. You’re just a little
curious.”

“You’re crazy,” Eli said, pushing Dimitri off him.
“Am I? You can call me what you want, but your dick’s about to

rip through the seams of those fancy trousers.” He lowered one of his
arms, reached between Eli’s legs, and squeezed gently to demonstrate.

Eli flinched and tried to get away from Dimitri’s prying fingers.
“There’s no need to be embarrassed. This happens to the best of

us.” He leaned in and kissed him again and continued to massage
Eli’s swollen cock.

Eli trembled and whimpered again.
Maybe he should take it easy. He remembered his first time with a

man. He nearly wet his pants. “I’ll be gentle,” Dimitri whispered to
him.

Eli continued to tremble as his dick hardened. “Please stop. I don’t

want this.”

Dimitri freed him. He didn’t want to take him by force either. He

felt bad for manhandling Eli this way, but the kid had his nose wide
open. He backed away. “Some other time maybe?”

His answer came in the form of a fist. The preppy boy punched

him in the face and then kicked his legs from under him. “Don’t you
ever touch me again. I hate you.” He ran from the apartment.

“Ouch,” Dimitri said, shaking away the pain in his jaw. The lick

had packed quite a wallop. And the little bastard had kicked him on
his ass. He’d laugh if he didn’t hurt so badly. Dimitri struggled to sit
up. “Oh?” Damn, he had a boner. He groaned and rose to his feet.
What kind of nut got turned on by physical violence? He hobbled to
the kitchen and fixed an ice compress. He placed it to his jaw for a
couple of minutes and then lowered his pants and placed it against his
dick. He grimaced as the cold got to his skin. Maybe he’d
underestimated Eli. Someone had apparently taught him how to
defend himself against predators. He raised his pants, tossed the

Mark Me

compress away, and limped back downstairs. Both Greer and Jose
looked up when he entered the shop.

“What happened to you man?” Jose asked. “You look like hell.”
“I’m fine,” Dimitri lied, limping over to his station.
Greer grinned at him. “Pretty boy too much for you to handle?”
Dimitri scowled at him. “I’m wearing him down.”
Greer scoffed. “He hightailed it out of here like the place was on

fire. You’re slipping, bro.”

Dimitri felt his jaw again. It still hurt like crazy. “I think I just

went about it the wrong way. He’s the type that needs to be
romanced.”

Jose laughed. “Did he hit you?”
Dimitri nodded. “I guess he didn’t appreciate my hands on his

dick.”

Jose growled like a tiger. “He’s an alpha male, hombre…a seme.

You should have crawled on your knees and begged him to take you.”

Dimitri frowned. What? He’d never been submissive to any man

before, and he wasn’t about to start now. “Never. There’s only room
for one king in my den. You’ll see, I’ll have him on his knees soon
enough. But first I have to find out his last name and where he lives.”

“You can start by asking his teacher,” Greer said. “The name on

that SUV he and that other violinist left in earlier said Dubisson
School of Music.”

Dubisson? That was the name of his music teacher and the school

he’d attended. Could it be the same? He limped over to the telephone
book and looked up the school. Yes, it was the same place. Tomorrow
he’d pay a visit to his teacher and catch up on old times.

Shawn Bailey

Chapter Three

Eli lay in his bed angry at what had happened and angry at himself

for responding to a man’s touch. What was with his body lately? He’d
gotten erections around girls plenty of times since puberty, but never
one so forceful. The thought shamed him. He wasn’t gay. So why had
Dimitri’s touch turned him on? Even right now his cock rose at the
thought of the other man and begged for relief. He shuddered and
tried to shake away the idea. He didn’t want to imagine Dimitri
screwing him lustfully and kissing him silly. He groaned. Why
couldn’t he forget what had happened or Dimitri? A week had gone
by already and he hadn’t seen him since then.

He got out of the bed because he had swimming practice. He’d

gotten out of it last week, but he didn’t think he could come up with
an excuse since this was the last class he’d be attending for a while.
He also had another practice with Mr. Dubisson. Today they would
begin practice for the upcoming annual recital, which meant all the
students would be there. Also, this year he would be performing a
solo since this was his last year as a student. After thirteen years of
lessons, he’d finally be graduating. And in a week he would be
moving out of his parents’ home and moving into his first bachelor’s
apartment. Eli was looking toward the experience with both
anticipation and dread. He’d never lived on his own before, but he
supposed he’d be too busy with college classes and activities to even
notice.

Eli went down to breakfast after dressing. His parents were away

for the weekend and Emma had his breakfast prepared and waiting for
him on the table. He uncovered the dish and found sausage, eggs, and

Mark Me

grits. In a week he’d be on his own and would have to cook for
himself. Luckily he wasn’t a complete idiot in the kitchen. Emma had
given him lessons over the years, and he could fix simple meals but
nothing extravagant.

Eli ate his breakfast while reading the morning paper. He flipped

to the entertainment section. The Seafood Festival was featuring a lot
of live bands. He’d always wanted to attend one of those types of
festivals, but he never seemed to have the time or anyone to go with.
Maybe he’d check it out if he could convince Justin or Henry to go
along with him.

Eli cleared away his dishes, grabbed his keys, and headed out to

his car. A half hour later he parked his car in a parking spot outside of
Dubisson’s Music School and went inside.

A lot of the students had arrived already. Eli waved to some of

them and continued to the auditorium where practice would be held.
He spotted Randall. The young man was trying to set up his music
stand, but having a hard time because his hair kept getting into his
eyes.

“Here, let me help you,” Eli said, tucking the long black strands

behind Randall’s ears. He has soft hair. “There, that should do it.”

“Thank you,” Randall said, smiling shyly. “I didn’t have a chance

to put it in a tail before I left home.”

Eli smiled back at him. Why hadn’t he noticed how handsome

Randall was, or how pretty his eyes were? Eli stopped smiling and
groaned inwardly. What was happening to him?

“You cut your hair,” Randall said as he adjusted his glasses on his

face.

Eli nodded. “I had it done last Saturday after we left the café.”
“I like it,” Randall said. “It makes you look like an adult.”
“Thank you,” Eli said, suddenly feeling a bit flushed. His eyes

landed on Randall’s lips. They looked especially pink and pouty. His
penis rose slightly in his briefs. Eli bit his bottom lip hard and turned
away.

Shawn Bailey

“Have you been practicing for your solo?” Randall asked.
“A little,” Eli said as he stopped panicking and started putting up

his music stand. He’d been so busy checking on the delivery of his
furniture and trying to find someone to get rid of his tattoos that he
hadn’t had time for much else. The tattoos didn’t appear as colorful as
they had a week ago. Maybe they were fading. Well, he hoped so.
“I’ll be performing ‘Danse Russe’ by Tchaikovsky.”

“That’s a very difficult piece,” the younger teen said, staring at

Eli.

Randall’s blue eyes seemed even larger behind his glasses. Eli

gulped, trying not to notice. “Yes, but I am confident I can play it.”
He couldn’t tear his eyes off Randall no matter how hard he tried. He
felt like a vampire checking out his prey. Randall was about his
height, but with a smaller frame. He was also a year younger and his
voice had finally stopped cracking a couple of months ago. His new
voice was soft, but manly.

Both Randall’s parents were lawyers, and like him, Randall was

an only child. They had been taking lessons together for twelve years
and he’d never noticed how close they’d become. They didn’t hang
out like he did with Justin and the others, but they’d been together
almost every Saturday since they were toddlers. “Where is Mr.
Dubisson?” he asked to distract him from undressing Randall with his
eyes. Maybe he’d have to seek out therapy if this continued.

“He was here earlier,” Randall said, pulling his violin out of the

case. “But he has a visitor…a former student.”

Mr. Dubisson had taught a lot of kids since he opened the school

thirty years ago, and some of the students had gone on to become
famous musicians. Eli supposed one of them had come to pay a
friendly visit.

“Mr. Dubisson seemed very happy to see the man. I think he used

to be a violinist.”

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Used to be? Did that mean the man no longer played? Eli couldn’t

imagine not playing the violin. Maybe the guy had hurt his hands or
something. Anyway, it wasn’t his concern.

Eli finished setting up the stand and took out his sheets of music.

Then he pulled out his violin. He’d had this one since he was ten. It
was a gift from his grandfather who’d played for the New Orleans
Symphony Orchestra until he retired ten years ago. He was the one
who discovered that Eli had talent at the tender age of five, when he
picked up his grandfather’s violin and mimicked a song he’d heard
the older man perform.

The other students piled into the auditorium. A few minutes later

Mr. Dubisson entered with a young man. The violinist? Eli looked the
other man over. He was dressed nicely in a suit and tie. His heart
thumped hard in his chest and his palms got all sweaty. He sighed.
Some days it just didn’t pay to get out of bed.

Mr. Dubisson brought the young man to the front of the

auditorium and introduced him. “Everyone, I’d like to introduce you
to a former student of mine, Dimitri Miller.”

He did remember seeing some trophies in Dimitri’s apartment, but

he assumed he’d gotten them for something like bowling or tattooing.

Eli never believed in fate. Nor did he believe in coincidences.
“Dimitri played the violin and was a gifted student.”
Mr. Dubisson was never one to give out stray or frivolous

compliments. If he thought Dimitri had talent, then he had talent. So
what had turned a gifted violinist into a tattoo artist and why didn’t he
remember seeing him at the school?

Mr. Dubisson walked Dimitri around and introduced him to some

of the kids. Apparently he was going to spend some time with them
today.

“This is Randall Watkins,” Mr. Dubisson told Dimitri. “He plays

second chair. He’s been taking lessons with me since he was four and
will be a senior when school resumes in the fall. I’m very proud of
him. He is truly a talented violinist.”

Shawn Bailey

If Randall recognized Dimitri, he didn’t let on. He did notice the

blush as it rose on Randall’s cheeks when he shook Dimitri’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Randall. Please keep up the good work.”
“And this is Eli Coleman, our first chair,” Mr. Dubisson told

Dimitri. “Eli just recently graduated from high school and has been
accepted at Loyola University’s School of Music on a full
scholarship.”

“A music scholarship? Wow. That means he’s pretty good,”

Dimitri said. He winked at Eli.

“I don’t mean to brag,” Mr. Dubisson said. “But Eli is a genius

when it comes to the violin. He’s been taking lessons with me since
he was five. He’s a straight A student, and led his school to several
music championships.” Mr. Dubisson paused. “His achievements just
bring tears to my eyes. He’s already gotten offers from several
orchestras around the world, even Paris.”

“A young virtuoso?” Dimitri asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Dubisson said. “I am proud of him. You must come to

hear him play at the recital. He’s performing ‘Danse Russe’ by
Tchaikovsky.”

Dimitri whistled. “That’s a very difficult piece.” He extended his

hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Eli Coleman.”

Eli hesitated at first but didn’t want to appear rude in front of his

teacher and peers. He accepted Dimitri’s hand. It encircled his. Eli’s
heart did that freaky little thumping thing again. The sound echoed in
his ears. “Nice to meet you,” he said. He slid his hand out of
Dimitri’s.

“I’m looking forward to hearing you perform at the recital. Your

parents must be very proud of you.”

“His father is a judge,” Mr. Dubisson said. “And yes, they are

very proud of him.”

Dimitri raised an eyebrow.
Eli looked away. If Mr. Dubisson didn’t stop singing his praises,

he was going to choke him. Dimitri just seemed to take all the

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information in, smiling sweetly at him. Eli’s cock stretched in his
briefs, more furiously than it had for Randall. He’d pay for the
psychiatrist himself. Someone had to cure him of this new passion
he’d acquired.

“Everyone take your seats,” Mr. Dubisson finally said. He turned

to Dimitri. “You can sit in the booth upstairs behind the bandstand,”
he told him. “You can get a perfect view of the students from there
and the acoustics are great in that room.” He led Dimitri to the room
and then returned to begin the practice.

Eli peered upstairs briefly and then raised his violin. It was a long,

grueling two hours, and once it ended, he gathered his things and
hightailed it out of the school and to his car. He didn’t expect to find
Dimitri leaning against it. How did the man know which car belonged
to him?

“What kind of parents give an eighteen-year-old a BMW?”

Dimitri asked.

“Kiss off,” Eli said, opening the backseat and gently placing his

violin case inside.

Dimitri didn’t appear offended by the rebuff. “I’d rather kiss you,”

Dimitri said.

Eli nearly bumped his head on the top of the door when Dimitri

said this to him. He looked around nervously, afraid their
conversation might be overheard. “What are you doing here?”

“I just came by to say hello to Mr. Dubisson. I never dreamed I’d

run into you here.”

“Liar,” Eli said, closing the back door.
Dimitri chuckled.
The chuckle did annoying things to the pit of Eli’s stomach.
“You have a nasty little temper and one mean right punch.” He

moved his jaw around with his hand as he leaned against Eli’s car.

“I hope you didn’t come here for an apology?”
“Nope, I came to invite you on a date.”

Shawn Bailey

Eli frowned at him. “Then you wasted your time. I don’t date

men.”

“I’ll remind you of that tonight when I’m thrusting inside of you.”
Eli felt his eyes widen and his dick move.
“Awe, come on. How are we going to get to know each other if

we don’t spend some time together?”

“I don’t like you,” Eli lied. “You can save yourself the trouble.”

Thrusting?

“Then why are you blushing?”
“I am not.”
“Oh, well. It’s probably my imagination. Hmm, since I can’t

convince you, I wonder if I can get Randall to accompany me to the
French Quarter Seafood Festival.”

Eli glared at him. “Don’t you dare go near him.”
Dimitri chuckled. “Ah, did I touch a nerve? Do you like him too?

He is something special with all that black hair and big blue eyes.”

There was no way he was going to let Dimitri get his hands on his

friend. “Randall’s not like that.”

“How do you know?” Dimitri asked. “Have you ever tried to kiss

him?”

“No, don’t be ridiculous. You’re the only one…”
“You’ve ever kissed. I’m flattered.”
“Lean off my car.”
“Not until you agree to go out with me tonight. I promise not to

try to hold your hand or kiss you while we’re in public.”

Some of the other students appeared in the parking lot. Eli looked

around nervously.

“We’re just talking,” Dimitri said. “There’s nothing to get nervous

about. Please go with me. You’ll hear some great music and eat
seafood.”

He knew the ball was in his court. “Will you remove the tattoos if

I go with you?”

“Yes,” Dimitri said.

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Eli raised an eyebrow. Dimitri had answered too quickly and he

didn’t really trust him.

“You’re hesitating. Are you afraid your parents won’t let you go?”
“They’re out of town for the weekend,” Eli said. “And I don’t

need their permission.”

“Good. Then I’ll pick you up around six.” Dimitri leaned off the

car.

“But you don’t know where I live.”
Dimitri smiled sheepishly. “I found you here, didn’t I?”
Eli frowned. Yes, he had. “Then I better give you my number.

Call me when you get to the gate so I can let you in.”

“You have a gate? I suppose you have guards too.”
Eli didn’t confirm or deny the statement.
“Wow. Do your parents expect some big bad wolf to come and

steal away their precious baby?” he teased.

“Yes,” Eli answered walking around to the driver’s side and

opening the door. “Be on time. I hate to be kept waiting.”

Dimitri bowed gallantly. “Wear something comfortable, like

jeans,” he said once Eli was safely in the car and rolled down the
window. “I hate slacks.”

Eli started the engine, glared at him, and drove off.

* * * *

Luck was with him, and he didn’t have to make an excuse for not

getting into the pool. The coach had left a message on his phone that
class had been cancelled. This gave Eli a couple of hours to relax and
prepare for his date. He groaned at the thought. He couldn’t nice this
up any way he looked at it. He and Dimitri weren’t friends. So what
were they?

Eli couldn’t believe that he was wasting his time trying to put a

label on their relationship, because they weren’t in one. He’d
accompany Dimitri to the festival, hear some music, eat some food,

Shawn Bailey

and then have the tattoos removed. After that he planned never to see
him again. He sighed. Why didn’t he believe himself? And why did
his heart gallop whenever Dimitri came near?

Eli walked into his bedroom. It was still early, so he had enough

time to pick out something suitable to wear. He smirked, looking over
the assortment of dress slacks in his closet. He had entertained the
idea of wearing his high school uniform just to irritate Dimitri. That
would probably get him a lot of strange looks from the tourists. The
two of them would surely stick out like a sore thumb by their vast
differences. He was Cartier and Versace, and Dimitri was Levi’s and
Gap. No doubt the two of them had absolutely nothing in common
except the violin.

He still wondered why Dimitri had given it up. Mr. Dubisson

hadn’t elaborated and it would have been rude to come out and just
ask.

Eli turned on the stereo in his room. A hip-hop beat from his

favorite group filled the room. He danced around while he put an
outfit together. Stupid Dimitri had no right to tell him how dress.
Sandals would be out since they’d be doing a lot of walking, so he
pulled out a pair of sneakers, just in case he’d have to run. It was hot
already, so short sleeves were definitely in order. His eyes landed on
the perfect shirt. He looked at his watch. Five. He’d better hop into
the shower. Eli continued to listen to the music while he washed. A
few minutes later he exited and dressed.

The telephone rang five minutes to six.
“Hello?”
“I’m here.”
So rude. “Give me a second.” Eli walked over to the security pad

in his room and punched in the code.

“I’m impressed,” Dimitri told him through the phone.
Eli watched the camera as Dimitri drove through the gates. They

closed as soon as Dimitri passed the sensors.

Mark Me

“So this is how the other half lives,” Dimitri said sarcastically into

the receiver of the phone. “Is that your home I see before me, or the
Tokyo Imperial Palace?”

“Smart-ass,” Eli said, shoving his wallet into his pocket and his

keys, while speaking to Dimitri through the speaker. He walked out of
his room and down the stairs to disarm the motion detectors.

Dimitri arrived at the door.
Eli looked him over, surprised the guards hadn’t shot him on

sight. Blue jeans, a tie-dyed T-shirt, and sandals. But at least he had a
nice car. He’d expected Dimitri to have something retro like a
Volkswagen Beetle or maybe a motorcycle.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Dimitri asked, leaning in the

door jamb.

He knew he probably shouldn’t, but he didn’t want to be unkind

even though Dimitri had gone out of his way to be annoying. Eli
stepped aside and let Dimitri in. He closed and locked the door
quickly.

Dimitri whistled as he walked around the marbled foyer of the

Saint Charles Street mansion. “Mr. Dubisson said your father is a
judge. Is he on the take? I don’t know any judges who can afford to
live like this.”

“How many judges do you know?” Eli asked sarcastically as he

took him on the tour of the rest of the place.

“I’ve been before more than I care to remember.” He stopped in

front of a fireplace and looked up at two huge portraits. “Are those
you parents?”

“Yes,” Eli answered. “It was taken a couple of weeks after they

were married.”

“You have your father’s eyes,” Dimitri said. He looked over at the

other portrait. “You were a cute kid.”

“As opposed to not being a cute adult?”
“No comment,” Dimitri said, walking away and peeking into the

dining room. “Are we here alone?”

Shawn Bailey

“Why? Are you planning to rob the place?”
Dimitri rolled his eyes at him. “No.” He approached and pulled

Eli into his arms. “This is why.” He kissed him.

Eli moved out of Dimitri’s embrace and wiped the kiss from his

lips. “I thought you said you wouldn’t kiss me.”

“I said I wouldn’t kiss you in public,” Dimitri said, walking up the

staircase. “Where’s your bedroom?”

“Why?” Eli asked, following Dimitri up the stairs. He got ahead

of him and led the way. His parents’ bedroom was off-limits, even to
him. He opened the door to his room and Dimitri stepped inside.

“I expected to find a canopy bed with long, flowing mosquito

netting to protect the young prince,” Dimitri teased.

“We’re not that rich,” Eli said.
Dimitri raised a blond eyebrow.
“My grandfather was a famous violinist with the New Orleans

Symphony Orchestra and my other grandfather dabbled in oil.”

“And of course both grandfathers spoiled you rotten,” Dimitri

said, opening the closet and peering inside. “Wow, prep boy city.”

“Are you finished scrutinizing my life?”
“Not quite yet.” Dimitri closed the closet and walked over to

check out the bathroom. “You have a shower and a sunken tub.”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Eli asked.
“No,” Dimitri answered. “And you’re neat and orderly. That’s

good to know in a relationship.”

“What relationship?” Eli asked. He didn’t expect to ever see

Dimitri again after the tattoos were removed later. “We aren’t in a
relationship.”

Dimitri sauntered over to him. “We are most certainly in a

relationship. I’m in your bedroom and we’re about to go out on a
date.”

Eli turned on his heels and walked out the door. “We are not

going on a date.”

Dimitri followed him. “Have you ever been on a date before?”

Mark Me

“Sure,” Eli lied as they walked down the stairs. “Plenty of times.”
“Have you ever been on a date with that pretty blonde who came

into the tattoo parlor with you?”

Eli stopped at the foot of the stairs. “Holly and I are good friends.”
“But you’d like it to be more?”
Eli walked toward the door and opened it. “You have to step

outside,” he told Dimitri. “I need to set the alarm.”

Dimitri stepped out of the door and Eli set the alarm and followed

him out.

“You haven’t answered me.”
Eli locked the door and put the keys into his pocket. Dimitri had

asked him about Holly. What had he done that night to make him
suspect that he had feelings for the young woman? “Yes,” he finally
answered.

Dimitri opened the car door and Eli got in. He closed the door and

walked around and got into the driver’s seat. A few minutes later they
drove through the Garden District and headed toward the French
Quarter. Dimitri parked his car in the garage of his apartment and they
got out. “We can walk from here,” Dimitri said. “We’re meeting
Greer and some friends there.”

“Greer?” Eli asked.
“The cute, dark-haired tattoo artist.”
“Oh,” Eli said like he cared, which he really didn’t. So they

wouldn’t be alone. Good. The more people around, the less chance
Dimitri had to kiss him. No one would probably care he discovered as
they walked through the crowded streets. He spotted a lot of men
walking and holding hands.

* * * *

They met up with Greer and some of the other guys at the festival.

A live band played zydeco music and people from every walk of life

Shawn Bailey

danced and ate seafood while the hot summer sun beamed down on
them.

Dimitri introduced him to the others. Besides Greer and the other

tattoo artist Jose, there were two others, Nathan and Sal. Nathan was
about thirty, with sandy-blond hair, a mustache, and beard. A dark-
blue dagger tattoo peeped out from the short sleeve of his black T-
shirt. Sal, short for Salvador, had the best body Eli had ever seen. He
had a gorgeous face and a short, neat haircut. In one ear he wore a
gold earring that matched a chain around his neck. A see-through tank
top revealed his body art. Wild, intricate designs covered his trunk,
back, and arms.

Greer had a cobra tattoo on both his forearms, while Jose’s arms

bore a vintage Camaro and a Trans-Am.

Jose pulled Sal away for them to dance. He suspected they were a

couple but knew it would be rude to ask. Greer and Nathan joined
them shortly, leaving him alone with Dimitri.

“I saw you checking out Sal’s tattoos,” Dimitri said as he sat on

the ground, sipping from a can of beer.

“I can’t help but see them,” Eli said. “They’re covering the entire

top of his body.” He sat down next to him.

“And the entire bottom half,” Dimitri said. “Jose made him a

living mural.”

“Why?” Eli asked. “Why would someone want to do that to his

body?”

“It’s art,” Dimitri explained. “Instead of using canvas, we use

skin. And Sal’s body is made for body art with all those muscles and
great ass.”

Eli glared at him. “Were the two of you lovers?”
“No,” Dimitri answered. “He’s not my type. I’m into musicians.”
Eli rolled his eyes at him.
“Do I have a nice ass?”
“I haven’t noticed,” Eli lied.

Mark Me

Dimitri chuckled. “Your nose is going to grow.” He finished off

his beer and tossed the can into a nearby trash bin. He rose. “Come
on. Let’s go have a look around.”

Eli rose from the ground and dusted off the back of his jeans.

“Won’t they miss us?”

“Who cares,” Dimitri said. “They probably won’t even notice.

Those four like to dance and party.”

“And you don’t?” Eli asked as they walked.
“No. I prefer to do my partying between the sheets.”
Eli pretended not to hear Dimitri’s last remark. He still couldn’t

get the word thrusting out of his head, or the image.

They walked over to the food stands. Dimitri treated him to

servings of seafood jambalaya and alligator on a stick. Alligator, Eli
discovered, tasted a lot like chicken. After wolfing down two bowls of
shrimp creole and seafood gumbo, Eli couldn’t eat another bite.

A different band took the stage and Eli didn’t realize that he was

dancing until he looked over and saw Dimitri watching him with
interest.

“You have some smooth moves, preppy.”
“I’ve gone to a few dances, house parties, and teen clubs,” Eli said

as he rocked his hips to the soulful beat. “And regardless of what you
think, I’m not some sheltered, little, rich boy. I do the same things
normal guys my age do.”

“Even kiss girls?”
Eli rolled his eyes at him again.
Dimitri walked around him. “Do you work out?”
“I’m a swimmer,” Eli said. “I’ve been competing since I was a

kid.”

“I bet you have some sweet muscles under those clothes.”
“You’ll never find out,” Eli told him, rocking to the beat.
“Oh, yes I will,” Dimitri said, walking off.
Eli stopped dancing and caught up with him. “What do you mean

by that?”

Shawn Bailey

“What do you think I mean?” He pulled Eli into a secluded spot

between two food stands and kissed him.

Eli’s mouth opened and he melted into Dimitri’s arms. “I thought

you said you wouldn’t do this in public.” His heart rate accelerated as
Dimitri stared at him with intense blue eyes.

Dimitri wrapped his arms around Eli’s neck. “I couldn’t help it.

You were shaking that body of yours around me. Do you have any
idea what that does to me? All I’ve been thinking about since we’ve
met is stripping you naked and kissing you from head to toe.”

“I’m a guy,” Eli told him point blankly.
“Me too,” Dimitri said. “But I want to suck on your dick until you

lose control. Sue me.”

Eli’s traitorous cock responded to the vulgar words. “I’m not

gay,” he said, pushing Dimitri off him. He walked back to the opening
where he could breathe and clear his head of the new image Dimitri
had put there. Couldn’t Dimitri say things which didn’t set off his
imagination?

Dimitri followed him out. “Let’s not argue. Come on. There’s so

much I want to show you.”

The next thing he knew, they had left the festival and he and

Dimitri were seated in a horse-driven carriage. “You’re not old
enough to go into any of the clubs,” Dimitri said. “But I’d like to
show you around the right way, by daylight.”

“I’d like that,” Eli said. He settled back in the carriage while the

tour guide educated him on the parts of town he’d never seen.

The sun had just started to set as the tour ended. “I’ll take you

inside some of the museums someday soon,” Dimitri promised as he
helped him out of the carriage. “You’ll be particularly interested in
the jazz museum. One of these days I hope to see your memorabilia
there.” His cell phone rang. He reached into his pocket, pulled it out,
and answered it. “Hello. Yeah, I just took him on a tour. You guys
still rocking out?” Dimitri laughed. “I’ll see you later. I have a tattoo
to remove.” He disconnected the call.

Mark Me

Finally, Eli thought. His tattoos would soon be history, along with

Dimitri and his erotic teasing.

Dimitri led him down the infamous Bourbon Street. Half-naked

women danced on stage in the strip clubs they passed. He wasn’t old
enough to enter but that didn’t mean he couldn’t sneak a peek like a
healthy eighteen year old. One of the ladies came out one of the clubs
and walked around him. “Hey sweet thing.” She wore a pair of short
shorts that left very little to the imagination and a cutoff T-shirt that
displayed most of her breasts. “Want to come in for a lap dance?”

“He’s not old enough,” Dimitri rudely answered for him. He took

his hand and pulled him down the darkening streets.

“Hey, what did you do that for?” Eli asked. “She was inviting me

in.”

“And what do you assume would happen once you got inside that

club?”

“I’d get a lap dance,” Eli answered with a pout.
“If her shorts were any shorter you’d see her pussy,” Dimitri said

angrily.

“Exactly,” Eli said. “Every young man’s dream.”
Dimitri jerked him roughly around a dark corner, pushed him into

an alley, and stuck his hands down Eli’s pants. “A half-naked woman
just propositioned you and you don’t even have an erection. Face it.
The only ass you’re going to see wiggling in your face is mine. And if
you want me to give you a lap dance, just say it.” He leaned in and
kissed him passionately while stroking his cock. It grew hard as a
rock in Dimitri’s hand.

“Damn, damn, damn,” he cursed as he freed himself from Dimitri.

He re-entered Bourbon Street and walked angrily toward the tattoo
shop. He hated the fact that Dimitri just called his bluff. He hadn’t
expected him to stick his hands down his pants. And just because he’d
gotten a raging erection, didn’t mean he wanted to be screwed by
Dimitri, or have his cock sucked until he screamed either.

Shawn Bailey

“I’m sorry,” Dimitri said, catching up with him. “I didn’t mean to

do something like that to you. I really like you, and I shouldn’t make
you feel like a cheap one-night stand.”

“No you shouldn’t,” Eli said, continuing to walk. He was afraid to

look at Dimitri. Afraid he might see the truth. They arrived at the
tattoo parlor. Dimitri opened the door and they walked inside. Dimitri
turned on the light, closed the door, and walked over to his work
station. He began taking out towels and chemicals.

“You’ll have to take off your pants and lie on the table,” he told

Eli.

Eli nodded and slipped out of his sneakers while Dimitri locked

the door.

“Greer and Jose shouldn’t be returning tonight, but I don’t want to

take any chances of them walking in and catching you in your BVDs.
You’re nervous enough as it is.”

“Thank you,” Eli said. He didn’t feel so brave any more now that

the truth had come out and bared itself on a dark street corner. He was
gay, and the man who proved it to him was about to see his naked ass
and remove his brand off it.

“Come on, let’s get this over with so I can take you home,”

Dimitri said.

Eli undid his belt and lowered his zipper. He stepped out of his

pants and underwear with his back to Dimitri. He turned around
slowly.

“Oh, shit kid,” Dimitri said, eyeing him hungrily. “You’re hung

like a horse when aroused.”

Eli tried to cover his erection with his shirt. He lowered his head

in shame and tears seeped down his cheek.

“Oh shit,” Dimitri said again. He came from around the table and

wrapped his arms around him, placing a tender kiss on the side of his
head.

“I don’t want to be gay,” Eli cried. “I want to get married and

have babies.”

Mark Me

“Don’t you think I wanted those things too?” Dimitri asked. “But

I’ve accepted the fact that I’m attracted to men and there’s nothing I
can do or say that will ever change the fact.”

Eli continued to cry, trying to block out Dimitri’s words and the

lusty thoughts going through his head as Dimitri’s cologne worked its
way through his nervous system.

“I did a lot more crying than you when I found out.”
Eli wrapped his arms around Dimitri’s waist and laid his head

against his chest. “It’s just not fair.” His body shook off the last of the
sorrow, but his cock still wouldn’t go down. He tried to cover it again
with his hands as the embrace broke.

Dimitri chuckled. “Let me wipe off those tattoos and then I’ll get

you some ice for your angry cock.”

“Wipe off my tattoos?” Eli asked. “I thought you had to laser

them off.” He climbed up on the table and lay down on his stomach.
He grimaced when his cock made contact with the cold table.

“They aren’t permanent. I used henna.”
“Henna? Not permanent?”
“No. I couldn’t do that to you. Your friends were playing a joke

on you and I didn’t have the right to mark you without your
permission. They would have worn off in about a week or so.”
Dimitri went to work wiping his name from Eli’s butt. “Turn over so I
can remove the other one.”

Eli turned over on his back, and Dimitri rubbed his skin with the

towel. Some of the cold liquid seeped between his legs. Eli
shuddered.

Dimitri’s hand accidently brushed his dick. He didn’t stop

working or gave any indication that he meant to do it on purpose.
“There, it’s all gone.” He ran his hand over Eli’s clean pelvic area and
Eli moaned.

“Are you sure you’re eighteen?” Dimitri asked, continuing to rub

Eli’s skin. “You hardly have any hair down there and your skin is so
soft.” His voice cracked.

Shawn Bailey

“I have to shave most of it off when I swim,” Eli said, enjoying

the way Dimitri’s fingers moved across his skin.

Dimitri’s hand moved down lower. “I know I shouldn’t be doing

this, but I can’t seem to stop myself.” He grasped Eli’s dick and
wrapped his fingers around it.

Eli sat up with a start and moaned.
Dimitri continued to masturbate him and then his dick disappeared

into the man’s mouth.

Eli gazed down, groaned and sank back down on the table. “What

are you doing?”

“It’s called fellatio,” Dimitri mumbled.
Eli groaned. He knew that. He stopped fidgeting but remained

nervous.

Dimitri went back down on him, sucking gently and massaging

his balls. He made a wet, slurping noise when he lifted his head again.
The sound made Eli hot and bothered. And he nearly lost it as Dimitri
opened his mouth and took every inch of his dick in. “You taste so
good.”

“Oh!” Eli shouted as Dimitri palmed his wet cock and started

vigorously masturbating him. His butt lifted from the table and
Dimitri went back down on him, sucking, stroking, and sending such
wonderful sensations through his body.

Eli relaxed his legs and concentrated on breathing. The more he

tried the more he found himself panting and sweating.

Dimitri pulled at his balls and then slipped a finger inside of him.
Eli gasped and shot his load into Dimitri’s mouth. “Ah! Damn.”
Dimitri released him and swallowed.
“You swallowed!”
“That’s what you’re supposed to do, stupid.” He wiped his mouth

on one of the clean towels and then walked over to the refrigerator for
a bottle of water. “Believe it or not, rich, preppy cum is delicious.” He
drank some of the water.

Mark Me

Eli laughed, groaned, and clutched his aching stomach. He sat up

and found Dimitri gazing at him. Eli gulped. “What does your cum
taste like?”

Dimitri sat the bottle of water down, took his hand and helped him

off the table. “I’ve been told mine tastes like beer,” he said as he led
Eli upstairs to his apartment. “I think I must tell you that I am a very
selfish lover. I don’t share my sperm with just anyone. So consider
yourself lucky.”

“Huh?” Eli asked as Dimitri pulled him into his bedroom and

pushed him on the bed.

Dimitri removed the last remaining article of clothing from Eli’s

body, his shirt, and glared down at him. “Did I stutter? I am about to
make you mine. I want you trembling beneath me as I thrust into your
hot, little ass.”

Eli whimpered. There was that word again.

Shawn Bailey

Chapter Four

“Oh my,” Dimitri said as he looked down at Eli as he lay on his

bed amongst his pillows. He hoped, but never dreamed, the young
man’s body would be so fantastic. Eli had slim hips, six-pack abs, and
a tiny waist. Eli rolled over on his stomach, giving him a glimpse of
his backside.

Dimitri gasped and bit his bottom lip. “Your ass is to die for.”
Eli rolled back over to his back and sat up. “Now let me see you,”

he said cockily.

Dimitri tried to pull off his shirt.
Eli stopped him. “No, you promised me a lap dance.”
Dimitri raised a blond eyebrow. “You rotten bugger.” He helped

Eli off the bed and sat him down in an armless chair. He found a song
on the stereo and Eli looked totally shocked as he began to dance for
him. Dimitri removed the shirt, revealing his stunning Asian body art
Greer had done. He didn’t say a word, keeping his eyes focused on Eli
as he wiggled his hips and shook his butt to the saucy Latin song. He
smiled, recalling the numerous times he’d done this routine when he
was a stripper on Bourbon Street. He put his finger on the waist of his
pants, drawing Eli’s attention downward. If he wanted a show, he’d
give him one.

Dimitri unbuttoned his pants and slid them down his hips. He

stepped out of them, without pausing, and walked over to the chair,
clad only in a pair of black bikini briefs. “Ready, partner?” he asked
as he did a bump and grind in front of Eli. He looked down between
Eli’s legs. His answer bobbed wickedly in front of him like a cobra.

Mark Me

He turned his back and shook his bottom over Eli’s lap, exposing

a little of his behind. He teased the young man by turning around and
pretending to screw him in the seat. Dimitri reached down and raised
Eli’s chin with a finger. “Do you like what you see?”

Eli nodded absently, not taking his eyes off Dimitri.
Dimitri moved away from Eli, and slid the briefs down. Tiny,

blond pubic hairs appeared first. Just a little tease. He turned his back
to Eli again and slid the briefs down, revealing his ass. He stepped out
of the briefs and then turned around to face him just as the song
ended.

Eli smirked. “A violinist, a tattoo artist, and stripper. What a

colorful job history. My parents are going to love you.” His gaze ran
lazily over Dimitri’s body and landed on his cock.

Dimitri grinned as he made his cock swing. “Get ready, preppy.

I’m going to use this to make you scream.”

Eli quickly raised his gaze, gulped, and nodded. “What an

interesting tattoo.”

“Want to lick it?”
Eli looked away shyly.
“Oh, don’t go all frilly on me, Eli, my sweet. There’s nothing to

be embarrassed about.” He held out his hand. “You can do anything
you want in my bed. I won’t tell.”

Eli placed his hand into Dimitri’s hand, rose, and followed him

over to the bed. Dimitri sat down and Eli pushed him back and laid
his head against the tattoo. “I’m scared,” he said. “My brain keeps
saying no, but my heart keeps telling me to go for it.”

“Listen to your heart,” Dimitri said. “You can’t go wrong.”
Eli licked at his tattoo, tracing the pattern with his tongue.
“I’m yours,” Dimitri said. “Do what you want to do.”
Eli climbed over him and moved his mouth down Dimitri’s body.

His hand rubbed Dimitri’s abs as he lowered his head and captured
his dick in mouth.

Shawn Bailey

Dimitri whimpered this time as Eli’s warm mouth claimed him.

The music in the background set the mood as Eli lost every bit of his
nervousness and used his mouth to stimulate him. Dimitri shoved his
fingers into Eli’s thick hair and tugged lightly. His back arched as Eli
ran his tongue up and down both sides of the shaft. “Suck on it,
baby.”

Eli opened his mouth and went down on his length. He gagged a

little but soon got the hang of how to maneuver.

Dimitri rolled his hips.
Eli gasped and covered his knob in saliva.
Dimitri chuckled, pulled Eli to him in a sixty-nine position, and

buried his head between Eli’s legs. What an ass. He reached up and
fingered the tiny hole.

Eli moaned but did not stop trying to suck him to death.
Dimitri lifted his head, pulled Eli toward him and ran his tongue

up the crack of the young man’s behind. He half expected Eli to bolt,
but when he didn’t, he continued teasing the hole. He wet a finger
with salvia and pushed the tip inside. This did get Eli’s attention.

“What are you doing?”
“Getting you ready. This is virgin territory. You need a little

prepping, preppy.”

Eli groaned at his joke.
Dimitri slapped him on the backside playfully and went back to

work on stretching Eli’s rectum.

“Ouch,” Eli moaned as the finger entered him.
Dimitri added more spit to help work the finger in deeper.
Eli gasped, this time from pleasure. “My cock is getting so hard.”
Dimitri reached forward and stroked it with his other hand.
Eli trembled as Dimitri simultaneously screwed him in the butt

with the finger and masturbated him.

Dimitri introduced a second finger and Eli nearly sprang off the

bed. He chuckled. “I think I’m going to need some lubrication if I
want to get through this little thing.” He bucked Eli off him. “You’re

Mark Me

still too tight.” He walked into the bathroom for lube and rubbers and
returned already suited up in a condom.

Eli eyed him curiously. “It’s black.”
Dimitri looked down at the rubber. “Adds a little flavor to the

mix.”

Eli’s top lip curved into a gnarly, little snarl. “Dream on.”
“Roll over and present tail, smart guy,” Dimitri told him.
Eli obediently rolled over and knelt. He presented his buttocks to

Dimitri. “You won’t hurt me, will you?”

Dimitri crawled between his legs, opened the lube, and squeezed

some on his fingers. “No,” he said as he introduced two fingers into
Eli’s butt.

Eli yelped. “You lie.”
Dimitri laughed and worked the fingers in and out until he found

Eli’s prostate.

“Ooh,” Eli moaned as the hurting turned into pleasure. “I think I

can get used to this.” He groaned again. “Maybe not.”

Dimitri removed his fingers, mounted Eli’s hips, and guided his

dick to the tiny, pink opening. Seconds later he slipped the head
inside.

Eli moved around beneath him.
“I like this song,” Dimitri said, trying to distract Eli as he inched a

little more into him. He gasped as the sheath opened and accepted
him. The song provided good humping music, and the pillow
drowned out Eli’s groans.

Dimitri smirked as he spread Eli’s butt cheeks and rode his hips.

His dick moved in and out the greasy hole with ease now. Eli got into
the groove, backing up on him in a rhythmic manner. Sweat poured
from both their bodies as they screwed. He stopped riding Eli,
withdrew, and slid out.

Eli flopped down on his stomach. “I’m still hard.”

Shawn Bailey

“I’m about to remedy that,” Dimitri said, flipping him over on his

back and crawling between his legs again. “I want to fuck you
senseless.” He leaned forward for a kiss.

Eli’s tongue snaked out and plunged into his mouth. He wrapped

his arms around Dimitri’s neck and kissed him passionately.

“You really want this?” Dimitri asked once he caught his breath.
“Yes,” Eli said, spreading his legs. “Take me over the edge.”
Dimitri entered him again, plunging deeply as Eli clung to him.

Eli’s nails scratched his back as their passions intensified.

Dimitri moved his tongue in and out of Eli’s mouth, savoring the

sweetness as their bodies got to know each other.

Eli cried out against his lips as he came. He made pitiful little

helpless sounds that made Dimitri love him even more.

His body finally gave up the ghost and the nectar gushed from his

dick as Eli continued to tremble beneath him. They lay spent in each
other’s arms basking in the afterglow.

Mark Me

Chapter Five

Eli walked around in a daze the next week, avoiding his parents

and trying to practice for the recital. Swimming practice had ended,
which left him free time to spend with Dimitri. They’d sneak up to
Dimitri’s apartment for a quickie during lunch. Greer and Jose would
look at him with humor as he stumbled downstairs to leave with
swollen lips and with Dimitri practically clinging to him. Dimitri
would give him one quick kiss, slap him on his bottom and send him
away.

Justin called and invited him to an impromptu barbecue over at his

parents’ home. Eli didn’t want to accept because he still had so much
to do, but he hadn’t seen his friends in a while. He drove over even
though Justin lived down the street.

The entire gang was there, including Trey, who he really didn’t

want to see. Holly had cut her hair. It looked pretty. And Henry had
shed his dreadlocks for twists.

“Where you been?” Henry asked as they tossed a football in the

backyard.

“Busy,” Eli replied.
“When are you moving into your apartment?”
“In a couple of days,” Eli lied, catching the football and tossing it

back to Henry. He’d moved in yesterday but didn’t want to tell him.

“Do you need any help?”
“No, I’m cool. The furniture has arrived and I’ve moved most of

the heavy stuff already.”

“Are you sure?”

Shawn Bailey

“Yes,” Eli said. He hadn’t told them where his apartment was

located. He’d planned to. Now he didn’t think it was such a good idea
since Dimitri had promised to come over for sleepovers when he
could.

Trey and Justin joined them and before long they were all hot and

sweaty from the game. Eli removed his shirt to cool off.

“Ooh, what is that?” Henry asked, pointing to Eli’s chest. “It

looks like a passion mark.”

That got Trey and Justin’s attention. They walked their nosey

butts over to examine him.

“No wonder we haven’t seen him in awhile,” Trey said. “He’s

been humping some chick.”

Holly walked over with a can of soda. “What are you three staring

at?”

Eli tried to get his shirt on.
“Eli’s sporting a big purple passion mark,” Trey told her.
“What? Where?” Holly asked.
“On his chest,” Justin said.
“You guys are ridiculous,” Eli said, pulling his shirt down. “It’s

nothing.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Holly asked.
“No,” Eli said. He’d just blown any chance to be with Holly now.
“A boyfriend?” Trey teased.
Eli glared at him but didn’t answer.
Mr. Marshall called them over for burgers, ending the

conversation.

Trey smirked at him.
Eli just rolled his eyes and followed his other friends over to the

picnic table. His cell phone rang about two hours later after they had
eaten and were lounging around the pool. It was Dimitri. “Hello?”

“Hello, gorgeous. What are you doing?”
“I’m visiting a friend,” Eli replied. “His parents invited me over to

a barbecue.”

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“His?” Dimitri asked.
“My friend Justin.”
“Oh, the one with the skull and crossbones tattoo.”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to be there long?”
“No,” Eli said, realizing that his friends were eavesdropping on

his conversation.

“Is the bed set up at your new place?”
“Yes.”
“And are the parents still out of town?”
“Yes.” He smiled. Dimitri was so silly.
“I’ll meet you there around seven. I’m bringing dinner.”
“Great,” Eli said. “See you then.”
“He’s making a date,” Henry said.
Eli disconnected the call. “No, I’m joining a friend for violin

practice.”

“That geek, Randall?” Trey asked.
Eli sighed. Trey leaving for the Marine Corps couldn’t have

happened at a better time.

* * * *

Dimitri looked around the area as he got out of his car. Eli’s new

apartment was about three blocks from the university, in a quaint, old
New Orleans neighborhood. The building appeared to be a newly
constructed model, surrounded by lush landscaping and crape myrtle
trees. He walked up to the white, wrought iron gate and pressed the
button.

“Yes?”
“It’s me, gorgeous.” Just the sound of Eli’s voice made his heart

flutter.

“Apartment 3B,” Eli told him.

Shawn Bailey

He heard a buzzer and then a click. Dimitri opened the gate and

stepped into a courtyard. “Wow, this is nice.” He’d always wanted a
garden. He remembered his grandmother having one when he was a
child. He spent hours out in the yard of her Treme Street home,
helping her pull weeds and water flowers. On other days, he’d mowed
her lawn while she sat in a swing and watched him. His reward for
doing a good job would be a glass of mint tea or a punch-flavored
frozen cup. Those were some of his fondest memories, and he
remembered thinking he’d love to share such experiences with his
kids. Dimitri sighed. So never going to happen.

He took the elevator up to the third floor and searched for

apartment 3B. He found Eli leaning in the door waiting for him,
looking angelical, wearing a white T-shirt and matching shorts.
Dimitri etched the delightful sight into his memory. Being in love
made even the smallest things pleasurable.

“Please remove your shoes.”
Dimitri looked down. First he noticed ten perfect toes, and then

two shapely calves, followed by light crème-colored carpet. “You’ll
have to hold this first,” he said, handing Eli a bag containing their
dinner. He took off his shoes, stepped inside and kissed Eli. Instead of
meeting the usual resistance, Eli stood still and allowed the affection.
“Hmm, you’re in a good mood.”

“You’re here,” Eli said, closing the door and leading him through

the pristine apartment. For an eighteen year old, Eli really had it going
on. He had a fancy car, a scholarship to a prestigious college, and a
beautiful, energy-efficient, two-bedroom apartment. Am I insane?
This kid is way out of my league.

Eli led him to the kitchen and placed the food on a white marble

countertop, next to bright-red, small appliances.

Dimitri opened the stainless steel refrigerator and found it stocked

with food and a six-pack of his favorite beer. Touching. Eli had
thought enough about him to get someone to purchase it just for him.

“Let me give you the grand tour.”

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Dimitri nodded. He’d follow Eli to the end of the earth if he had

to. But at the moment he enjoyed the tour of the living room with its
formal French provincial furnishing. No doubt his mother had a hand
in the selection. Like the kitchen, the living room had that new, never-
been-used smell.

Eli’s violin rested on a stand in his den-turned-music room. On

the walls were pictures of famous violinists and one of Eli and his
friend Randall. Dimitri studied the picture. Both young men wore
white suits and it appeared to be taken at some music hall. They
looked happy together. He grimaced, not liking what he saw or the
way it made him feel. Jealousy had never been his thing.

Eli led him out of the room and up the stairs, first to the guest

bedroom and finally into his. Dimitri eyed the king-sized maple bed,
and winked at Eli who blushed profusely. He drew his attention away
from his lover to check out the matching dresser and chest of drawers.

Dimitri opened the double closet doors. Except for a couple pairs

of dress pants and two suits, everything else was jeans and T-shirts.
He also had too many shoes for a young man. “I’m going to miss
those preppy boy outfits,” he teased.

“I can’t go to college looking like a dweeb,” Eli said, heading

toward the master bathroom.

Dimitri followed him in and stared at the bathtub big enough for

two. The beige, brown, and green color scheme matched the master
bedroom. Little cakes of rose-scented soap rested in a white porcelain
dish on the back of the toilet seat. Dimitri spied two toothbrushes.
“You do live here alone, don’t you?”

Eli nodded. “I picked up another one just in case I got an

overnight guest.”

“Ooh, I like a man with high expectations.” Dimitri eyed the tub

again, noticing the bottle of lavender-scented bubble bath. “I haven’t
had a bubble bath since I was a kid. Do you mind?”

“What about dinner?” Eli asked.

Shawn Bailey

“I think I saw a fancy microwave in the kitchen,” Dimitri said,

turning on the water and filling the tub with a capful of the lavender
liquid. He removed his shirt and Eli looked away with an impish
smile. “Strip, preppy,” Dimitri ordered. “I need someone to wash my
back.”

Mark Me

Chapter Six

Regardless of what he thought, sex in a bathtub didn’t hold a

candle to sex in a brand new bed. They’d given the bathtub the old
college try, but Dimitri’s cock kept slipping out of him and porcelain,
though pretty, was hell on the knees. Dimitri just gave up, hauled him
out of the tub and carried him into the master bedroom. Moments later
Dimitri had found Eli’s new stash of condoms and fruit-flavored gel
he’d hidden and was now on his knees, licking the pineapple-flavored
lube off Eli’s greased-up pubic area.

Eli groaned. He felt like a sticky mess and he couldn’t do anything

but lay there since Dimitri had tied his arms to the headboard with
two of Eli’s expensive silk ties.

“This would be perfect if we had some whipped crème,” Dimitri

said as he ran his tongue along the base of Eli’s cock.

“I’ll remember to add it to the grocery list,” Eli said. “Ooh, your

tongue is lethal.” His cock disappeared into Dimitri’s mouth and came
out covered in saliva. “You’re really freaky,” he teased as pleasure
flowed through his body. He wanted so badly to touch Dimitri, or run
his fingers through his spiky, blond hair, but the ties restrained him.
“Ah,” he moaned as Dimitri inched two pineapple-lubed fingers up
his ass, while simultaneously sucking him dry. “Not being able to
touch you is killing me.”

Dimitri chuckled at his pleas.
Eli rolled his hips, sending more of his length into Dimitri’s

mouth. The fingers inched further inside his body, stimulating his
prostate and totally weakening his defenses. His body trembled. If
Dimitri kept this up, he wouldn’t last long.

Shawn Bailey

Dimitri introduced a third finger into his ass.
“Oh, sweet Jesus,” Eli moaned. “That feels so good.”
Dimitri continued to eat him alive, sucking, stroking, nibbling,

and probing him. He slid the fingers out slowly and then pushed them
back in again.

Eli’s back arched as he struggled against the ties. He hated feeling

so vulnerable and defenseless. He didn’t know how much more of the
seduction he could take.

Dimitri sped up the process. Eli saw his head bobbing up and

down and felt Dimitri’s fingers pushing in and out of him rapidly.
“I’m coming,” he shouted.

Dimitri’s head continued to bob up and down.
Eli exploded, sending his sperm deep into Dimitri’s throat.
Dimitri choked, but recovered quickly. He came up for air, licking

his lips. “You taste like piña colada.” He swallowed again. “And what
a gusher.”

“You’re so silly,” Eli said with a groan. He’d come so hard he felt

like he broke something inside his stomach.

Dimitri climbed on top of him and untied the restraints.
“Get off me. You weigh a ton,” he lied. Dimitri had a nice, slim

body. Eli rubbed his wrists to get the circulation going again.

Dimitri silenced his bitching by kissing him. His thick erection

pressed into Eli’s tender stomach.

“Okay, I get the message. Less talking and more sucking. Do you

want to be covered in cherry-flavored lube and devoured?”

“No,” Dimitri moaned, kissing Eli’s throat. “I’m way past the

point of foreplay. I need to be inside of you.”

Eli moaned too, swept away by Dimitri’s provocative words.

“Will you cherry-lube my ass?”

“Oh yeah,” Dimitri said, rising above him and gently turning him

onto his stomach. “But first I need to wrap the wiener.”

Eli heard the rustle of a condom package, followed by the popping

of a top. Moments later his buttocks and anus were slick with

Mark Me

lubrication. “I’m going to need another bath after this—Oh!” Dimitri
slipped into him. “You could have at least given me time to finish my
sentence.”

“No time for conversation,” Dimitri said as he ground into Eli’s

backside. “Must concentrate.”

“Ouch,” Eli cried as Dimitri passionately humped him.
“I’m sorry, babe. I’m too excited.” He slowed his roll and then

withdrew.

“What’s wrong?” Eli asked.
“I want to make love to you nice and slow.” He rolled Eli over on

his back. “And I want to look into those eyes and kiss you.” He parted
Eli’s thighs and slid between them.

Eli helped by spreading his legs and offering himself to Dimitri.
Dimitri sighed. “Oh Lord, you look delicious.”
Eli blushed. “Love me,” he said breathlessly, staring directly into

Dimitri’s eyes.

“Your wish is my command.” Dimitri lifted his buttocks and

penetrated him. Once inside he lay down atop Eli and proceeded to
kiss him.

Eli realized Dimitri liked to kiss him to express his affection and

in the future he would try to be more cooperative.

Dimitri’s tongue entered his mouth.
“Umh!” Eli moaned against Dimitri’s lips. He tasted juicy and

delicious like pineapple lube and he was working that tattooed body
like a master. “Ah! That hit the spot.”

Dimitri chuckled, pushed up on his hands and moved his hips in a

circular motion. “Ah, you’re so tight. Ooh, shit. Work that ass.”

Eli tried to help Dimitri out, but at the moment he couldn’t think

straight. All of a sudden reality hit him. I’m in love with Dimitri! He
shuddered passionately. Could he tell him how he felt? Was it too
soon in their relationship? And if he did tell him, what would he do if
Dimitri told him he loved him back? Eli knew it was a foolish thing to
be thinking about during intercourse, but Dimitri had to know how he

Shawn Bailey

felt about him. It had to be love. How else could he explain laying
spread eagle in his new bed with a tattooed egotist humping his butt?

A deep plunge into his hole brought Eli back to reality. “Ooh.” He

moved his butt.

Dimitri moaned. “Good, you’re back. I was beginning to think

you fell asleep.”

“No!” Eli uttered as his cock hardened to near-dangerous

proportions. “Quite the opposite. I’m on fire.”

Dimitri laid down on him again, smashing his aching cock

between them. He rolled it around against his stomach.

Eli moaned. “Stop torturing me.”
“Maybe we should change positions.” He rolled off Eli. “You, on

top.”

“Huh? We’ve never done it this way before.” He moved and

allowed Dimitri to take his spot on the bed. “Will I be doing you?”

“Not a chance,” Dimitri said. “There’s only room for one lion in

this den.”

“But it’s my den,” Eli mumbled as he positioned himself over

Dimitri.

“You can be the princess,” Dimitri said as he helped ease Eli

down on his swollen cock.

“Ah!” Eli cried out as Dimitri slid up his shaft.
Dimitri chuckled.
I’ll show him. Eli lifted himself and then sank back down on

Dimitri.

“That’s it. Move that hot, little body.”
Dimitri looked so fucking hot, lying beneath him in all his blond

splendor and tattooed with Asian characters. The sight made Eli as
horny as hell. His thoughts turned all slutty as he moved his sticky,
cherry-lubed ass up and down Dimitri’s pole. He moaned loudly as
Dimitri’s dick touched his prostate.

Dimitri grabbed his hips and moved him quicker to intensify the

friction.

Mark Me

After a few minutes of this, Eli couldn’t take it anymore. He’d

grabbed his cock and began masturbating. He reached his limit and let
go a hot stream of cum all over Dimitri. His body continued to
shudder as Dimitri made a mess of his prostate. His body stilled, and
the gushing stopped. Dimitri stared up at him.

“Damn. Enjoyed yourself much?”
Eli slid off him and lay next to him on the bed. “Yes, very much

so. Thank you.”

“Yuck,” Dimitri teased. “You have me all dirty.”
Eli chuckled. “One of the privileges of being a princess.” He

sighed contently.

Dimitri took his hand and moved it between his legs. “Don’t get

too comfortable. You still have an angry lion to extinguish.”

Eli gulped. Dimitri felt huge. “Sorry. I forgot.”
Dimitri rolled him over on his stomach and hoisted his hips into

the air. “You forgot? Such a selfish princess.” He greased Eli’s ass
with lube again, spread the cheeks and slid into him.

“Oh!” Eli moaned as Dimitri screwed his sore hole.
His lover rode him vigorously, thrusting deep. “I have to teach

you who’s king here. Ooh,” he moaned.

All Dimitri’s bragging fell apart in about two minutes when his

passion took control and made him come. “Shit,” he groaned. “The
princess’s throne is too powerful.”

Both he and Eli fell to the mattress, chuckling.
“I want to be the lion next time,” Eli said as they cuddled together.

He sighed. He hadn’t had time to tell Dimitri how he felt about him.
The moment passed when things got silly between them.

“I’ll think about it,” Dimitri said. He kissed Eli on the side of his

face. “What about dinner.”

“I need a nap,” Eli said sleepily. “Being a princess has tired me

out.”

* * * *

Shawn Bailey

After dinner they decided to go for a walk around the

neighborhood. And when they returned to the apartment, Eli noticed a
familiar-looking car parked in front of the apartment complex. Justin!
Eli released Dimitri’s hand.

“Is something wrong?” Dimitri asked.
The car doors opened and Justin, Henry and Trey stepped out.
“Oh!” Dimitri said. “Busted.”
“So not funny,” Eli said as the three approached. “What are you

guys doing here?”

Trey walked around Dimitri. “We came to check out your new

digs. What is he doing here?”

“Isn’t he the guy from the tattoo parlor?” Justin asked.
“Yes,” Trey answered. “He’s the one who worked on Eli’s tattoo

and looks like they’re best buds now. They’re holding hands and
strolling around the neighborhood in broad daylight.”

“Mind your business,” Dimitri told Trey.
Trey braced up to Dimitri. “Eli is my business.”
Dimitri stared him down and Trey stepped back.
“Can we see your place?” Henry asked nervously.
“Sure,” Eli said, running a mental sweep of his bedroom and

bathroom to make sure they’d left it presentable. He led the way, and
Dimitri followed.

“How come he’s seen the place before us?” Justin asked Trey.
Trey just chuckled.
Eli opened the front door and allowed his friends to enter. They

walked through his place without him while he stayed in the kitchen
and talked to Dimitri.

“I think I need a beer,” Dimitri told him.
Eli smiled weakly. “I’ll get rid of them.”
They were still there an hour later checking out Eli’s music room.
“Where’s the nearest store?” Dimitri asked.
“Around the corner. Why?” Eli asked.

Mark Me

“I need more beer.” He rose and left the music room, leaving Eli

alone with his friends.

“What’s he doing here?” Henry asked. “I thought you said you

were meeting Randall.”

“No, you assumed I was meeting Randall,” Eli said. “Dimitri also

plays the violin.”

“Is he your new main squeeze?” Trey asked.
Eli glared at him. Trey had been quite annoying since he arrived,

making nasty comments and just being a bitch to Dimitri. “He’s a
friend.”

“I’m your friend, but I don’t ever remember you holding my

hand.”

Eli ignored him.
“I always thought you were a little sweet,” Trey continued. “Does

he screw you or do you screw him?”

“That’s not any of your business,” Justin said in Eli’s defense.
“Of course not. I don’t want it known that I associate with fags.”
Eli grimaced. Trey was in for a rude awakening when he went to

the military and found out that kind of talk wouldn’t be considered
acceptable.

“What will your parents say when they find out? Dimitri is not

exactly Harvard material.”

“My parents love me,” Eli said. “And they won’t care.”
“Sure they will,” Trey insisted. “What parent in their right mind

wants a fag for a son?”

Eli glanced at the clock. When is this evening going to end? He

and Dimitri planned a quiet evening on the man’s only day off and his
friends had ruined it.

Dimitri entered the apartment using the key Eli had given him.
Trey glanced at him and smirked. “Has he moved in?”
“No,” Dimitri said, entering the music room with the beer. “Not

yet. I don’t know if I like the neighborhood yet. I have a feeling this
area is swarming with snobs.” He sat down next to Eli.

Shawn Bailey

“Aren’t you going to give Eli a beer?” Trey asked, still kicking up

mess.

Dimitri shook his head. “He’s not old enough to drink.”
“You seem to know a lot about Eli. Do you know that his father is

a judge?”

“Yes,” Dimitri said.
Eli frowned. One of his parents must have given his friends his

new address.

“So what do your folks do?”
“Both my parents are deceased,” Dimitri answered.
Eli sighed. He didn’t know that. There was still so much about

Dimitri he didn’t know.

“Eli is going to be a concert violinist and travel around the world,”

Trey continued. “Do you plan to accompany him?”

Eli balled his fist. If Trey didn’t stop, he was going to punch him

in the face. “I’d rather have Dimitri accompany me than you. At least
he’s not judgmental.”

Dimitri chuckled. “I do have my moments. And to answer Trey’s

question, I love Eli and I’d follow him to the end of the earth if I have
to.”

Justin nearly choked at Dimitri’s confession. And quite frankly it

had stunned Eli. Did Dimitri really love him or did he just say that to
aggravate Trey?

“Told you that Eli is gay,” Trey said, finally putting a label on

him.

“I think you’re jealous,” Dimitri said. He sipped his beer. “In fact,

I noticed how you felt about Eli when you brought him into my tattoo
parlor and insisted that I tattoo your name on his butt.”

Eli glared at Trey. Dimitri should have told him.
“Of course, I didn’t do it,” Dimitri said. “His butt is just too cute

to mark.”

Henry groaned.
“I think it is time for us to leave,” Justin said rising.

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Henry and Trey rose too, but Trey glared at Dimitri.
“We’ll see you later,” Justin said as he hurried out of the music

room.

Dimitri escorted them to the door.
Eli just sat there, stunned and confused. What the hell had just

happened? His secret was out of the bag and his friends had hightailed
it out of his apartment like they were scared. Did that mean that they
no longer wanted to be around him?

Dimitri returned several minutes later. “Awe, what’s wrong?”
Eli wiped at the tears as they flowed from his eyes. “Nothing.”
Dimitri sat next to him and pulled him into his arms to comfort

him.

Now everyone is going to know, and Eli didn’t know if he could

handle the pain.

* * * *

“What’s up?” Greer asked Dimitri when he entered the tattoo

parlor on Monday morning.

“Nothing much,” Dimitri replied as he prepared for his first

customer.

“How was your weekend with Eli?”
“It started out pretty good, and it went straight to hell when his

friends arrived and caught us holding hands.”

“Oh,” Greer said, walking over to the coffeepot. “The proverbial

cat is out the bag.”

“Yes and the poor darling cried in my arms for hours after they

left.”

“I remember what it was like when I came out. All of my so-

called friends deserted me.” He filled the cup. “I was so traumatized.”

“Yeah. I’m just glad I was there for him, but he still has a rough

road ahead of him. His parents still don’t know.”

“I suppose you won’t be their first pick for a daughter-in-law.”

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Dimitri shook his head. “No, Eli’s grade A material. I think

they’re expecting him to bring home a princess, not become one.”

Greer chuckled weakly at his joke. “You have to have his back

when his parents do find out.”

“I plan to,” Dimitri said. “I think I love him.”
Greer gasped. “No, not you?”
Dimitri filled his coffee cup. “I’m afraid so. I keep having these

dreams of presenting him flowers after his performance at Carnegie
Hall. And then there’s one with us running along the beach in Maui
with a blond-haired kid in tow.”

“Oh, the family dream. I suppose the two of you will adopt.”
“I suppose,” Dimitri said absently. “Not unless Eli’s little, blonde

female friend, Holly, will be willing to be a surrogate mother for us.”

“I highly doubt that,” Greer said. “So how did his friends react to

the news?”

“Henry and Justin seemed okay, but Trey acted like an ass.”
“Trey would be the Marine Corps inductee?”
“Yes. He acted like a total bitch, but I think it stems from the fact

that he has feelings for Eli too.”

“I noticed that,” Greer said. “He kept watching Eli the entire while

he slept in that chair. I just thought he was concerned because Eli was
sleepy.”

“I’m afraid he’s going to do something foolish to hurt Eli.”
“Like what?” Greer asked.
“Like tell his parents.”
“Oh,” Greer said. “You think he would do something like that?”
Dimitri nodded. “He was pretty mad when he left.”
The first customer arrived and the conversation ceased. The man

was older than their normal customer, probably in his late fifties and
he appeared distinguished in his expensive suit.

“Can I help you?” Dimitri asked.
“I’m looking for Dimitri Miller.”
“I’m Dimitri.”

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The man looked him over. “I’m Judge Ambrose Coleman. Eli’s

father.”

“Oh,” Dimitri said, jumping to attention. “Then I don’t suppose

you’ve come for a tattoo.”

“No,” the man said. “Can we go somewhere to talk?”
Dimitri nodded. He led the way upstairs to his apartment. “Eli has

your eyes.”

* * * *

Eli sat in a leather chair in the library of their home, waiting for

his father. The judge had summoned him over, and Eli had not liked
the tone in his voice.

Ambrose entered and Eli rose to his feet.
“Sit down, Eli,” he father said.
Eli eased back into the seat.
“I’m going to make this short and sweet. I want you to end this

affair with Miller, and I don’t want you ever to see him again.”

Eli gasped. How did he find out? Trey! He moved around

nervously in his seat. Damn Trey. He was lucky that he’d left for boot
camp or he would have gone over to his house and kicked his ass. All
the years they had been friends, Eli never expected that Trey would
betray him this way. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

Ambrose sat down across from Eli and stared at him. “I know you

are having an affair with him. I can’t say that I agree with your
choice, and I don’t care that you are gay. Dimitri Miller is not right
for you.”

“He is,” Eli said. “I mean, he loves me, and I think I’m old

enough to decide who I want to be with.”

“Think about your future. What does he have to offer you? He’s a

tattoo artist and he lives above his business in a tiny apartment. And
he’s crude.”

Eli shook his head. He knew his father wouldn’t understand.

Shawn Bailey

“And you have absolutely nothing in common.”
At least he didn’t say that Dimitri was too old for him. “He’s a

violinist.”

“He was a violinist, but he had to give it up because his family

was too poor to keep up the classes,” his father said.

“How do you know all this?”
“I have my ways.”
That meant he had Dimitri investigated.
“Being poor does not make him a bad fellow. So he’s had a hard

life. Most people have.”

“You haven’t,” Ambrose said. “But you will if you don’t end this

relationship.”

At least he wouldn’t starve or be homeless if his father disowned

him. Lucky for him, his inheritance from his maternal grandfather
kicked in on Eli’s eighteenth birthday. He should be able to support
himself until he graduated from college and secured a job. His other
inheritance didn’t kick in until he turned twenty-five. He supposed
Dimitri would either leave him when he found out just how much
he’d be worth then, or stay with him and enjoy the ride. Either way he
didn’t care just as long as they were happy. “I can handle this,” Eli
insisted. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you want to give your mother a heart attack?”
No, he did not go there. “No. Does she know?”
“Not yet,” Ambrose said. “Your mother loves you. What will it do

to her when her friends find out that you’re gay?”

“I don’t really care about what a bunch of old women think.”
“You should. And what about your career? Do you think that the

world is ready for a gay violinist?”

Eli pouted. His father was being so unfair. “I’ll be discreet.”
“You might be, but your friends won’t be. Trey couldn’t wait to

tell me. I won’t say I wasn’t shocked at first, but I consider myself
very liberal when it comes to sexuality.”

“Trey is just jealous that I have no interest in him.”

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Ambrose cleared his throat.
“Would you have liked it better if I had hooked up with him?”
“At least his father is a lawyer, not the town wino.”
“That’s so not fair.”
“I offered Miller money to stay away from you,” Ambrose finally

said.

Eli moved to the edge of his chair. “What? You didn’t?”
“Yes, I did. You are my son, and I will do anything to protect

you.”

“Dimitri can’t be brought.”
Ambrose raised an eyebrow. “Oh, no? Everyone has his price.”
What did that mean? Did Dimitri take the money? Did he leave

him? Funny, he hadn’t heard from him in a couple of days. “How
much?”

“One million dollars,” Ambrose said.
Eli groaned. Damn.

Shawn Bailey

Chapter Seven

Dimitri stared down at the check. One million dollars. He still

couldn’t fathom that amount of money. Granted, he loved Eli, but a
million dollars could mend his broken heart. He sighed and ran his
fingers through his hair. He hadn’t called him in two weeks, and he
supposed by now Eli must have found out what his father had done.

Dimitri rose from the couch, upset that he had allowed Eli’s father

to turn him into the type of person he despised most of all, someone
motivated by money. He’d never been like that and he didn’t know
what possessed him to accept the check. Still, he hadn’t cashed it.
That should mean something. Dimitri walked into his kitchen and got
a beer. No, it did not change the fact that he accepted it. Poor Eli must
be so upset and so angry at him. One minute he’d professed his love
to him and the next he just took the money and walked out on him. Eli
didn’t deserve to be treated that way, especially since he had been the
one to seduce him and take his cherry. If it hadn’t been for him, Eli
would probably be a happy teen entering his first year of college.
Now, his friends had deserted him, and the two men in his life that he
thought he could trust had deceived him.

He walked back into the living room and sat down. He never

figured that Eli’s father would be a snob. The man had turned his nose
up at his apartment and at his tattoos. Just because he had money did
not mean that he was better than him, just had better advantages.

Yet, he could understand what the man felt from a father’s

perspective. Eli was his only child and a father needed to make sure
that a child would be taken care of. Right now he could not do
anything financially for Eli, but it would not always be that way. He

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planned to be useful to him in the future. He had dreams beyond
being a tattoo artist. In fact, he’d been thinking seriously of returning
to music or perhaps giving art another shot.

He got up again and walked over to his violin. Dimitri took down

the case and blew the dust from it. Then he opened and removed the
violin and bow. He placed the instrument under his chin and began to
play. The beautiful music filled his tiny apartment. Afterwards he
wiped a tear from his eye, amazed that the instrument still sounded so
sweet after all these years, and that he hadn’t lost his skill. Granted,
he wasn’t orchestra material, but perhaps he could start out small by
performing in some of the local clubs. He and Greer had been part of
a group once when they were teens. Greer played a mad set of drums.
Dimitri smiled. Maybe he’d like to get their act together again. He’d
run it past him later.

Dimitri put the instrument back into the case and placed it on the

shelf. He liked the idea of performing in front of a crowd again.
Maybe he would speak to Mr. Dubisson and get his opinion. Surely
he knew some people who could get him started in the right direction.
He sat back down on the sofa and stared at the check again. The idea
was good, but it didn’t help his present problem. Maybe he could use
some of the money to get his new career on track. He would still have
to stay away from Eli until he could prove to Mr. Coleman that he
was worthy. No. Eli wouldn’t understand. Dimitri sighed. He didn’t
know what in the hell he was going to do. But he had to make a
decision soon.

* * * *

Eli dialed Dimitri’s number. It rang a couple of times and then it

went to voice mail. He wasn’t surprised. It had been doing the same
thing for the last month or so. Damn him. Coward. Dimitri could have
at least told him good-bye to his face. Well, he wasn’t going out that
way. If he wanted to be a bastard, so be it. He was tired of sitting

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around in his apartment, moping about some man. He was young,
rich, fairly good-looking, and it was a Saturday afternoon. He reached
for his cell phone again, surfed through his contact list and dialed a
number.

“Hello?”
“Hey, Randall. It’s Eli. What are you doing?”
“Nothing much,” Randall said. “Why?”
“Would you like to go to a festival with me this evening?” He

wouldn’t be surprised if Randall hung the phone up in his ear since he
hadn’t hung out with him in a long time.

“What type of festival?”
“A music festival. There’s one in Lafreniere Park featuring a lot

of good bands. There’ll be some classical performances too.”

“Sure,” Randall answered. “What time?”
“Can you be ready in an hour?”
Randall chuckled. “That depends on if I can get my hair to

cooperate.”

“I’ll pick you up in an hour then. And wear something

comfortable. We’ll probably have to sit on the ground or something.”

“Will do. See you in an hour,” Randall replied. “Just honk and I’ll

come out.” He hung up.

“Yes,” Eli said excitedly. He’d made a date with Randall. Eli

hurried out of the music room and ran up the stairs to find something
to wear. After finding the perfect outfit, Eli took a shower, dressed,
and then dashed out of the apartment. He hopped into his car and
drove over to pick up his date for the evening. There were a lot of cars
parked outside of Randall’s Garden District home when he drove up.
Eli blew his horn and Randall came out of the house a couple minutes
later dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black T-shirt with Sebastian
from the anime Black Butler sprawled across his chest.

Eli smirked. Randall could be Sebastian’s double with the long

black hair, slim build and piercing, blue eyes. Why hadn’t he noticed
Randall’s androgynous look before?

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Randall slipped into the passenger’s seat and strapped the seat belt

across his shoulders. “I’m glad you called. Some of my mother’s
friends just arrived, and they’re gabbing and trying to fix me up with
their daughters.”

Eli chuckled and drove off. Randall’s mother, like his, was always

involved in some charity function or another. His father was the CEO
of a major engineering firm, and like him, Randall was also an only
child. “Cute shirt.”

“I just got it in the mail yesterday,” Randall boasted. “You can’t

find any great anime stuff in New Orleans. It’s all Saints, jazz, and
Mardi Gras. Downer.”

“You’re a trip,” Eli teased as he drove. He liked anime too. He’d

seen a couple of the Black Butler episodes but never got back to the
series. Maybe he’d invite Randall over to his place next weekend and
they’d make popcorn and watch a lot of anime.

“What possessed you to call me out of the blue? Your other

friends busy?”

“What other friends?” Eli asked. He hadn’t heard from any of

those losers in weeks.

“Justin and Henry,” Randall answered.
Eli noticed that Randall didn’t mention Trey. Randall never liked

Trey for some reason. Maybe Eli should have listened to Randall.

“Oh, those friends. I haven’t seen them since we graduated and

besides, none of them are interested in music.”

“Oh,” Randall said.
“Anyway, you were the first one I thought of though.”
“I was?” Randall asked, surprised.
“Sure. You’re my music buddy and I’ve always wanted to spend

some time with you away from Mr. Dubisson’s like we used to do
when we were younger.”

“Really?”
“Really,” Eli said, peeping over at Randall when he stopped for a

red light.

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Randall’s eyes twinkled. “You’re not wearing your glasses.”
“And you just noticed. I got contacts,” Randall said. “What do

you think?”

Eli studied Randall’s eyes and got the strangest sensation in his

balls. They tightened and pulled. He gulped. Maybe it wasn’t such a
good idea to be alone with Randall after all. “They’re nice.” Too nice.
“I always thought you had beautiful eyes and the best damn hair. If I
let mine grow that long I wouldn’t know what to do with it.”

“My mother has a fit every time I threaten to cut it,” Randall told

him. “I think she was a little disappointed that I wasn’t a girl.”

The light turned green and Eli drove toward the park. Cars lined

the avenue and the neutral grounds. He drove into one of the parking
lots and he and Randall got out. The band on stage filled the air with
music. By the time they made it to the bandstand area, people were
dancing around the stage and on the grassy area, while others
barbecued and picnicked.

“Wow,” Randall said. “Look at all the people.” He took Eli’s hand

and dragged him close to the stage. Of course they had to hop over a
lot of squatters and picnickers to do it. “It’s Brussels,” Randall
shouted excitedly.

“Brussels?” Eli asked.
“Man, where have you been? Brussels is one of the hottest indie

bands in California.”

“Obviously under a rock,” Eli said, finding Randall’s excitement

cute. He’d just turned eighteen two weeks ago, but Randall still had
that little boy charm and enthusiasm.

“Let’s dance,” Randall said.
Eli looked at him oddly. Here, out in the public where everyone

could see them? Hell, he didn’t even know Randall knew how to
dance. He’d always acted so shy in class. Eli watched for a few
seconds, transfixed by the way Randall’s hips swayed in the tight blue
jeans. He had some pretty smooth moves for an anime geek. What the

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hell? Eli thought. He was hanging out of the closet already so he
decided to step out. He might as well learn to enjoy it.

* * * *

“The band is good,” Greer said as he, Jose, and Dimitri walked

around Lafreniere Park. They closed the shop an hour early so they
could make it over to the park to hear the bands before it got too late.

Dimitri nodded. Mr. Dubisson had told him about the festival and

thought he could check out the competition so he could figure out
what type of music he wanted to start practicing. The older man had
agreed to give him lessons on Thursday nights and so far he’d taken
four classes.

Greer had jumped at the chance to get the band together again and

who knew that Jose used to play the trumpet in a band back in Fort
Worth before he migrated to New Orleans?

“Yes they are and I especially like the fiddling.”
“I like zydeco,” Jose said, dancing to the music as they strolled.
Greer stopped abruptly, and Dimitri almost ran into him.
“What’s up, man?”
Greer pointed. “Isn’t that your stuff shaking it down with that

other violinist from the music school?”

Dimitri looked into the direction Greer pointed. He paled. Eli.

He’d been avoiding him for a month and here he was dancing like a
wood nymph in the park in front of hundreds of people. “Yes,” he
said. “My ex-stuff.”

“You never did tell me what happened between the two of you?”
“His father told me to stay away from him,” Dimitri answered.
“And you listened?” Jose asked. “Why? He’s over eighteen.”
“Because apparently I’m not good enough for him.”
Greer continued to watch Eli and Randall dance. “He has some

mad moves, man. The other princess too. They look good together.”

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“Except Eli doesn’t look much like a princess now. He seems

more like the seme,” Jose replied.

Dimitri ignored Jose’s last statement. “No they do not look good

together. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“Don’t you want to go over and say hello?” Greer asked.
“No,” Dimitri said. “It’s over.” He walked toward one of the

concession stands in search of beer. Jose and Greer followed him.

“You think the two of them are dating?” Greer asked Dimitri once

they’d gotten their drinks.

“No,” Dimitri said. “Randall is just a good friend.”
Eli ruffled his hand through Randall’s long, black hair and

Randall ran behind him. Dimitri smirked. “They’re just two kids.”
Another older teen walked up and wrapped his arm around Eli’s neck.
The two of them wrestled a little and they slapped hands.

“Oh, oh, who is that?” Jose asked. “He’s fine.”
Dimitri kept his gaze trained on the newcomer. He had short,

black hair, a muscular build, and he was taller than both Eli and
Randall. Eli smiled as the newcomer spoke with him. Dimitri’s heart
quivered. He hadn’t seen him smile like that before. “Probably
another friend.”

“They look pretty chummy,” Jose said.
“Let’s go,” Dimitri said. He couldn’t stand what he saw or

himself.

“They’re coming this way,” Jose said.
“Damn,” Dimitri said. The look on Eli’s face when he recognized

him nearly broke his heart. First shock, then confusion, and then hate.

“Hey, aren’t you Mr. Dubisson’s friend?” Randall asked Dimitri.

“The violinist?”

“Yes,” Dimitri said. “Nice to see you again.”
“Don’t you remember him, Eli? He came to visit the music school

a couple of months ago.”

“Oh yeah,” Eli finally said, not looking him in the eye. “How are

you doing?”

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“I’m fine,” Dimitri said. “Who is your other friend?” The other

kid was practically leaning all over Eli. He seemed a little older that
Eli and Randall, but younger than him and his friends.

“This is my cousin, Dexter,” Randall told him.
Dimitri continued to look the young man over. He found him

decent looking, and he had a muscular upper body like he played
sports. And if he didn’t get his arm from around Eli’s shoulder he
might kill him. “Nice to meet you, Dexter. These are my friends Greer
and Jose.”

Dexter nodded at the other two men. “You guys have some great

tats. Who did them?”

“We did,” Greer answered. “We’re tattoo artists.”
“Cool,” Dexter said. “I’ve always thought about getting one.”
Greer pulled out a business card and handed it to Dexter. “Come

on over when you’re ready.”

“Thanks,” Dexter said.
“Are you a musician too?” Dimitri asked Dexter.
Dexter finally removed his arm and extended his hand to Dimitri.

“No, I’m a student at LSU in Baton Rouge. I’m on the football team.”

That would explain the build but not his invasion of Eli’s personal

space. Eli couldn’t look him in the face. He just pretended to be bored
by casually looking around the park.

“Dexter is a senior,” Randall announced.
“Are you kids enjoying the festival?” Dimitri asked.
“It’s okay,” Dexter said. “I just came out to see the band Brussels.

The other bands are pretty lame.”

Jose kept checking the young man out but not saying a word.
Dimitri smirked. Apparently Dexter had a tin ear. The other bands

were great. “You came all the way from Baton Rouge to hear one
band?”

Dexter shook his head. “No, I came home to go to Randall’s

recital tomorrow and to hear Eli perform his solo.”

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The recital. He’d forgotten about it. And he’d gotten tickets for

him, Greer, and Jose to attend.

“Are you coming to the recital?” Randall asked Dimitri.
Dimitri could surely see why Eli could be interested in Randall all

of a sudden. The kid had a beautiful face, nice hair, and an
enthusiastic personality that Dimitri hadn’t noticed until today.
“Sorry. I have other plans.”

Eli finally lifted his eyes and stared into his. “Come on you guys.

Let’s head over to Bourbon Street to see what’s happening.”

“Aren’t you a little too young for Bourbon Street?” Greer asked.
“We’re just dropping Dexter off there,” Randall said. “And then

Eli is taking me to the arcade.”

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. “What arcade?”
“The one near Canal Street, by the McDonald’s.”
“Try to stay out of the restroom. I heard it’s not safe,” Dimitri said

with a smile.

Randall smiled at him, but his statement went clear over his head.
It did get a reaction out of Eli. His cheeks turned red.
“We won’t be there long enough for that,” Randall continued. “Eli

and I are going over to his place to practice.”

“Oh?” Dimitri asked. “Alone?”
“Yeah,” Eli said. “I thought I’d give Randall the grand tour. He’s

been dying to see it.”

“Yeah, I heard his place has this awesome garden with a gazebo

where we can practice.”

Dimitri frowned.
Eli walked off, and the other two followed behind him like two

puppies in heat.

“See you guys,” Randall called to them.
“That didn’t go so well,” Greer said. “Eli could barely look you in

the face.”

“Forget it,” Dimitri said, continuing to watch Eli’s back. “It’s for

the best anyway.” God, his heart was breaking but he had to pretend

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he wasn’t in pain. Eli had all but hinted that he planned to bed Randall
later. And Eli usually did what he set out to do.

“Best for whom?” Jose asked. “You love the kid and you’re just

going to let him walk away.”

Dimitri nodded. His heart drowned in tears. Let him have his fun.

He’ll be mine again someday.

Shawn Bailey

Chapter Eight

“Are you nervous?” Randall asked Eli as they stood backstage

before the recital began.

“No,” Eli answered. He’d never suffered from stage fright before.

Randall didn’t either, but today he seemed very nervous about
something.

“I had a great time yesterday with you.”
Regardless of what he insinuated to Dimitri, he didn’t lay a finger

on Randall last night. They just practiced for about two hours after
they left the arcade and then Eli took him home without attempting to
kiss him. Then he drove back to his apartment, took a shower, and
then tossed and turned most of the night. Damn Dimitri. Why did he
have to go and accept the check? Was that all he was worth? Hell, if
he needed money for something he should have come to him. “We’ll
have to hang out again sometime,” Eli said as he straightened his tie.

“Really?” Randall asked excitedly.
He looked cute with his new neck-length haircut. Apparently he’d

gotten his mother to compromise. He wore his contacts, but for some
reason Eli missed the glasses. Randall’s bangs were shorter too which
meant they wouldn’t fall in front of his eyes and block his view.
“Sure. You’re pretty cool to hang out with, and you can dance.”

Randall smiled and Eli’s cock moved in his briefs, which wasn’t a

good thing because he wore a white tuxedo and the pants were snug.

Randall looked down at him, crossed his legs, and blushed. “Is it

warm in here?” He fanned himself with his hand.

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“A little,” Eli said, apparently feeling the heat radiating from

Randall’s body to his. He ran his gaze over Randall and let it descend
down between his legs. Randall too sported a gigantic hard-on.

“I’m so embarrassed,” Randall said shyly.
“Don’t be,” Eli said. “I’m flattered.”
“But…”
Eli stopped him from saying anything. “I know exactly how you

feel. We’ll discuss this later, but first we need to compose ourselves
for this recital. Try putting your attention on something less
confusing.” He practiced his solo in his head and tried to ignore his
body’s reaction to Randall. He’d practiced his solo for so many hours
this morning that he expected his neighbors to come banging on his
door to ask him to stop.

“I can’t believe this is the last time we’ll be playing together,”

Randall said, leaning against a table.

“It won’t be if you’re accepted to Loyola next year.”
“I hear the tryouts for the orchestra band are really tough.”
Eli smiled at him. “What are you worried about? You’re an

excellent violinist. I’m sure you’ll get in on the first audition, and then
we’ll take Paris by storm.” They used to talk about going to Paris and
performing before royalty when they were kids.

Randall gazed at him with sparkling eyes.
Eli sighed. No doubt he could have taken Randall’s cherry last

night. He didn’t know when Randall had fallen for him, but he could
see the love written all over his face at this very moment.

“Sounds heavenly,” Randall said with a sigh.
“Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t we go to the Lakefront after this

is over tonight and practice like we used to do before Hurricane
Katrina? I’m sure some of the gazebos and shelters must have
survived.”

Randall smiled and nodded. “We’ll perform for the fish and the

mosquitoes.”

“My favorite audience,” Eli said.

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Mr. Dubisson appeared. “Are you guys ready?”
Eli and Randall nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“The place is packed to the rafters, and there’s a couple of talent

scouts in the audience, so don’t be nervous.”

Eli didn’t care. He planned to finish college first, so the talent

scouts would have to wait.

“Come on,” Mr. Dubisson said, walking off.
“To Paris,” Randall exclaimed.
“See you in four years,” Eli said. “We’ll meet in front of the

music school no matter what.”

They hurried to catch up with their teacher.

* * * *

So this is what I missed out on. Dimitri looked around the Mahalia

Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts Building. The auditorium
was packed wall to wall with music lovers and families who’d come
to see Mr. Dubisson’s students perform.

“I’m glad you changed your mind about coming,” Greer said as

they walked to their seats. “I don’t think you’d forgive yourself if
you’d missed his solo.”

Dimitri had finally told Greer the whole story and Greer agreed

that he had made the right decision.

“I didn’t do it for him,” he said, sitting down next to Greer. “I

couldn’t come up with a good enough excuse to give Mr. Dubisson.”

“Eli probably won’t know you’re here anyway,” Jose said as he

sat down on the other side of Dimitri. “Look at all these people.
You’d think you’re at an actual performance for a world-class
orchestra.” He adjusted his jacket to his hips and sat back in his seat.

“These are some talented young people,” Dimitri said. “Wait until

you hear them. Some of Mr. Dubisson’s students have gone on to play
for those world-class orchestras.”

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“You think Eli has a chance of becoming a professional

violinist?” Jose asked.

“I think so. Wait until you hear him play.”
Moments later the lights lowered and the performance began.
After two hours of classical music, Eli and Randall were

introduced and they performed a duet with the rest of the orchestra
accompanying them. The song, “Violin Concerto Number 1 in B flat
major” was one of his favorites and up until a couple of weeks ago, he
envisioned himself playing it with Eli one day. The crowd applauded
wildly for them.

The band next played a Japanese song, “Shinjitsu no Uta.”
“Strange selection,” Greer said to Dimitri. “Isn’t that one of the

theme songs from InuYasha?”

Dimitri nodded. “It’s called ‘Do As Infinity’.” He chuckled. “I

think it’s cute.”

“You would,” Greer said. “You’re like one of the biggest

InuYasha fans in the world.”

The curtains were drawn and Mr. Dubisson took the stage.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for coming out tonight and
supporting these young people.”

He received another round of applause.
“It is my honor to introduce a young man who I’ve had the

pleasure of instructing since his grandfather brought him to me at the
age of five. At first I thought his grandfather was insane when he told
me that this young man could actually play a difficult piece until I
heard him perform. It shocked me, because I didn’t think a five-year-
old could play a violin like a trained adult. So I jumped at the chance
to be his teacher. Thirteen years later he’s still surprising me. Ladies
and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you the recipient of this
year’s Loyola University’s prestigious scholarship in music, Master
Eli Coleman.”

Mr. Dubisson left the stage and the curtain opened. Eli stood

center stage dressed in a form-fitting black tuxedo with tails. The rest

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of his classmates sat in the orchestra pit. Eli placed his chin in the
chin rest, raised his bow and began to play, “Danse Russe.”

Dimitri sat riveted in his seat as Eli played and made the strings

sing harmoniously, filling the air with music. Behind him, on a white
backdrop, someone played pictures of Eli performing with an older
man, probably his grandfather, and then with another dark-haired
child that resembled Randall. In each picture Eli had that same
angelic smile that he’d grown to love. At the end of the song the
audience rose to their feet and applauded Eli, while Dimitri wiped the
tears from his eyes.

“The little princess is truly talented,” Greer teased, watching him

wipe his eyes.

Dimitri nodded. “He’s going to take the world by storm.”
Randall rose from his seat, and then disappeared. He returned a

couple of seconds later carrying a huge bouquet of roses. Randall
walked up the stage to Eli, dropped to his knee and presented the
flowers to Eli.

Jose elbowed Dimitri, but Dimitri ignored him, not able to take his

eyes off the stage or the way the two young men looked at each other.

Eli accepted the flowers to the applause of the audience. And then

he did the most uncharacteristic thing. He helped Randall to his feet
and then hugged him tightly. To anyone else it might appear like one
band member congratulating another. But to him it looked like two
lovers congratulating each other. Dimitri’s heart felt like it shattered
into millions of pieces. He rose and walked quickly out of the
auditorium.

* * * *

Eli narrowed in on Dimitri as he walked out of the door. So he did

come. Oh well. He and the other students went down to join their
families as the other guests went home. His mother and Randall’s
made a big fuss over their performances, causing both young men a

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lot of embarrassment. His father shook his hand and Randall’s and
both families posed for photographs. A couple of the talent scouts
came over to talk with him and his father. Both father and son listened
but didn’t make any commitments. Like Eli, his father knew the
importance of a college degree. There were a lot of talented violinists
in the world, and Eli knew it wouldn’t be easy for him to come out on
the top of the heap without a backup plan. If he didn’t land a job with
an orchestra, he planned to teach music to kids like Mr. Dubisson.

“Are you two coming home?” Mr. Coleman asked Randall and Eli

when they finally made it outside.

“Nope,” Eli said. “We have a little celebrating to do. We’re

headed to the lakefront for our last hurrah.”

He and Randall said good-bye to their parents and watched them

drive away.

Randall took his hand and dragged him farther into the dark

parking lot toward Eli’s car. Then he put his arms around Eli’s neck
and kissed him.

“Wow, what was that for?” Eli asked when the kissed ended. He

couldn’t control his heartbeat or the way his body reacted for being
pressed so intimately close to Randall’s.

“It’s just my way of congratulating you for tonight’s performance.

And I’ve always wanted to know what it felt like to kiss you.”

Eli leaned against his car. “So what do you think?”
Randall smirked. “I liked it. Your lips are so soft.”
“Get into the car and let’s go to the lake,” Eli said playfully.

“You’re growing up much too fast, Master Watkins.”

Randall smirked at him.
The lights to another car came on in the parking lot and drove past

them quickly.

“Hey, isn’t that Dimitri?” Randall asked as the car zoomed out of

the lot.

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“Yeah,” Eli said. He thought Dimitri left earlier, but apparently he

hadn’t and had witnessed the touching scene between him and
Randall.

“I thought he said he couldn’t make it to the recital.” He climbed

into the passenger seat and Eli slipped into the driver’s seat.

Eli started the car. “I guess he changed his mind.”

* * * *

Apparently they weren’t the only ones with the idea of going to

the lakefront to play. When they arrived Eli and Randall found most
of their older classmates there playing music and hanging out and
having a good time. He and Randall got out of the car and joined
them. But most of them were gone by the time midnight rolled
around, leaving Randall and Eli pretty much alone under the gazebo.
There were a couple of other cars parked nearby and a few people
walked along the banks of Lake Pontchartrain.

Eli raised his violin and walked around Randall who sat on a

picnic bench. Randall’s eyes stayed glued on him as he performed a
medley of songs and then Randall joined him for a rousing rendition
of whimsical dual violin songs that they learned as children. Some of
the songs Mr. Dubisson forbade them to play, calling them childish.
But in the end both he and Randall laughed hysterically, hugged each
other, and shared another steamy kiss under the starry, moonlit sky.

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Chapter Nine

A loud knock at his door at three in the morning woke Eli from a

very sound sleep. “Who is it?” he asked, hopping into a pair of
drawstring pajama bottoms and hurrying to the front of the apartment.
Only a few people, like his parents, knew the security code to get past
the gate to his front door. “Who is it?”

“It’s me.” The male voice wasn’t his father’s.
Eli hesitated. “Go away.”
“Don’t have me kick the door in, Eli,” Dimitri threatened. He

continued to beat on the door until Eli opened it.

“What do you want?” he asked as Dimitri removed his shoes.
Eli looked him over and pushed his way inside. He looked pissed

at the world.

“Where is he?” he asked.
“Who?” Eli said, closing and locking the door.
“You know who, Randall.”
“Why do you think he’s here?”
“Don’t fuck with me, Eli. I saw the two of you kissing in the

parking lot of the auditorium and at the lakefront.”

“Stalk much?” Eli asked.
“You’re damn right. Now where is he?” Dimitri walked toward

the stairs.

“He’s not here,” Eli said.
Dimitri ignored his answer and headed up the stairs. “If he’s in

your bed I swear I’m going to strangle you.”

Eli smirked. “You have some nerve coming here and threatening

me after you disappeared from my life for a month,” he called after

Shawn Bailey

him as he climbed the stairs. He found Dimitri sitting in one of the
Queen Anne chairs with his face in his hands. “Are you satisfied that
Randall is not in my bed, unconscious from me loving him to death? I
dropped him off at home, and he’s probably fast asleep like I was
until you came pounding on the door like a lunatic.”

Dimitri looked up and glared at him.
Eli ignored him, walked over to the bed, and sat down. “Why are

you here?”

“I came to put a stop to this relationship you have with Randall.”
Eli shook his head. He supposed the two of them did look pretty

serious earlier.

“Did you fuck him?”
“That’s none of your business,” Eli said.
Dimitri rose and walked over to him. “It is certainly my business.

You belong to me.”

Eli laughed. “You don’t own me.”
Dimitri sat down next to him and sniffed.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to smell Randall on you.”
“You have no right to complain. You were the one who left me

and sold me out for a measly one million dollars. What happened?
Did you blow through it already and come here looking for more?”

“I didn’t cash the check,” Dimitri said, reaching out and stroking

Eli’s face with one of his fingers. “God, I miss you.”

Dimitri tried to kiss him, but Eli managed to wiggle out of his

grasp.

“I told you I didn’t cash the check.”
“Then you’re a fool. You better do so quickly, because it expires

after one hundred and eighty days.”

Dimitri pulled a check out of his pocket, tore it into several pieces,

and then tossed the paper into the air. He shoved Eli back on the bed
and rolled over on him.

“Ouch,” Eli said. “That hurts and you smell like beer.”

Mark Me

“I want to get you wet.” He shoved his hands into Eli’s pajama

bottoms and grabbed his cock.

“Let me go,” Eli said, struggling to get up.
Dimitri held him down. “No.” He lowered his head against Eli’s

stomach and continued to stroke him. “You are mine, and I won’t
share you with some little punk.”

“Randall is not a punk, he’s…”
Dimitri lifted his body and forced his mouth against Eli so he

couldn’t continue speaking. The beer-soaked tongue barged past his
lips and move down Eli’s throat. With his other hand, Dimitri stroked
Eli’s nipples until they pebbled.

Eli moaned and dropped his defenses. Dimitri had overpowered

him, assaulting him from every angle. His traitorous dick hardened in
Dimitri’s palm and dripped nectar over the edge. He could no longer
hide the fact that Dimitri turned him on. He felt ashamed for
surrendering so quickly.

“I want you so badly,” Dimitri said when he stopped kissing him.
Eli seized the moment and shoved Dimitri off him. “Forget it,” he

spat out. “It’s over between us.” He slid from the bed, leaving Dimitri
frustrated and shocked. “I’m worth more than a paltry million
dollars.”

Dimitri turned over and gazed up at the ceiling. “I know, but what

did you expect me to do? Your father doesn’t like me, and he thinks
I’m not worthy of you.”

“And you just proved him right by accepting the check. You

should have tossed it in his face. Now please leave.” He didn’t know
which one of the men in his life angered him more at the moment, his
father or Dimitri.

Dimitri sat up on the bed. “Is that what you truly want?”
“Yes,” Eli said, trying not to look him in the eyes. “I wish I’d

never met you.”

Dimitri rose. “You know you don’t mean that.” He bolted from

the room and ran down the stairs.

Shawn Bailey

Eli heard him slam the front door and drive away. He sank to his

knees and the tears he’d been holding back fell.

* * * *

Damn, damn, damn, Dimitri thought as he drove away. He

shouldn’t have tried to force Eli into having sex with him. Now what
am I going to do? He pulled over to the side of the road, took out his
cell phone and dialed Eli’s number.

Eli answered after a few rings. “What do you want?”
Dimitri could tell he’d been crying. It brought tears to his eyes

too. “I’m sorry, Eli. I love you so much.” He struggled, but the tears
continued to fall. “I just didn’t know what to do when your father
came to see me. He made some valued points. I know I’m not worthy
of you at the moment and I can’t afford to give you the type of life
you’re accustomed to. So I thought it was best to just walk away
before our relationship soured. I thought I could stay away and let you
go on to be that world-class violinist, but when I saw you at the music
festival with Randall I just lost it.”

Eli continued to cry on the other side of the phone. “I knew you

weren’t rich when we met, but that didn’t stop me from falling in love
with you. And when my father told me about the check it nearly
destroyed me inside. Why didn’t you fight for me?”

“I don’t know,” Dimitri whined. “I’m only twenty-six years old,

and I’ve never had to make hard decisions. I don’t want your father’s
money. I want to be able to take care of you. I have plans.” He wiped
the tears from his eyes. “I’m not going to be a tattoo artist all my life.”

“You’re not?” Eli asked between sobs.
“No, I’m thinking about starting a band with Greer and Jose and

performing in some of the local jazz clubs. And believe it or not, I am
an artist and could probably make a decent living that way.”

“You’d do that for me?” Eli asked.

Mark Me

“I’d give you the world on a silver platter if I could,” Dimitri

answered honestly. “Please don’t give up on me and please don’t
screw Randall.”

Eli groaned. “He’s so cute.”
“Don’t,” Dimitri begged.
“Okay,” Eli agreed.
Dimitri gazed over at Eli hoping he spoke the truth. Eli was an

alpha male and Randall had gotten under his skin. “Can I come back?
I want to be with you.”

“Yes,” Eli answered. “I want to be with you too. I’ll be waiting.”

He disconnected the call.

Dimitri turned his car around and headed back to Eli’s apartment.

Eli, true to his word, waited for him outside the apartment. He’d put
on a robe and slippers and covered up his chest, much to Dimitri’s
dismay.

“I’ve put on a pot of coffee,” Eli said. “And I’m fixing you

breakfast.”

Dimitri followed him through the gate, and past the garden. They

entered the apartment together. “Can I use your shower?” Dimitri
asked once they had removed their shoes and stood in the foyer. “I
think my clothes reek of beer.” It was four o’clock in the morning,
and neither of them had gotten any sleep.

“Go right ahead,” Eli said. “You know where it is. Breakfast will

be ready shortly. I’ll also put your clothes into the washer.”

Dimitri smiled at him and walked toward the stairs. He’d make

this right for both their sakes.

* * * *

Dimitri trembled at the sight of Eli on his back reacting to his

mouth around the head of his cock. Eli had one hand thrown over his
head and the other across his stomach. They hadn’t been together in

Shawn Bailey

over a month and after a rocky start earlier, Eli responded to him
more powerfully than before.

“I’m not going to make it,” Eli cried. “My heart’s thumping

wildly in my chest, and your mouth is so warm.”

Dimitri smirked at his drama queen’s statement. He too had

reached his limit and needed to feel Eli’s skin next to his. Eli had
come for him already, and he’d just about had him fully aroused
again, but if he didn’t stop sucking his cock, Eli would explode.

Dimitri moved in between Eli’s thighs. He wanted to take him

face-to-face so he could look into those amazing hazel eyes and see
them shimmer with passion when he took Eli over the edge. He
guided himself inside of Eli’s little hole. It surrounded his dick with
warmth. Dimitri nearly started crying again. Eli had cooked him a
delicious breakfast, sobered him up with coffee and was now beneath
him showing him his feelings through his actions.

“Make love to me Dimitri,” Eli said, rolling his hips in a circular

motion.

“I’m trying to, but I don’t want to rush and hurt you.”
“I don’t care if it’s painful. I just need you deeper.”
Dimitri groaned and buried his cock deep inside of Eli.
Eli gasped and shuddered. “Harder.”
Dimitri moaned. Eli would be the death of him. He pushed up on

his hands, raised Eli’s butt, withdrew a little and then pushed in
harder.

Eli’s eyes opened in surprise. He smiled and then he zoned out

again. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

His deep, sultry voice made Dimitri shiver with desire. He

humped him forcefully and he sweated profusely for his effort.

Eli moved with him, adding to the passion and the heat of the

moment. He gasped deeply and then shuddered. “Dimitri,” he said as
he came. “I love you.”

“Oh shit,” Dimitri said as he lost himself to the ecstasy. He

ejaculated deep inside of Eli’s tiny hole. “I love you, too.” He lay

Mark Me

down atop Eli, exhausted and sweaty, while Eli recuperated, and
rubbed his back tenderly.

“Move in with me,” Eli suddenly said.
The invitation stunned him. “What?” Dimitri rolled off Eli so they

both could breathe.

“Move in with me. There’s plenty of room and I want to wake up

in your arms every morning.”

“What about your father?”
Eli sighed. “I am legally an adult and I don’t need his permission

or money. This apartment is in my name, not his.”

“But I don’t want to come between the two of you,” Dimitri said.

“He loves you and is concerned about your welfare.”

“He will come around and accept you one of these days,” Eli said.

“And if he doesn’t, it’s his problem.”

“He’s right you know. I have to prove to him that I can take care

of you.”

“I don’t need you to take care of me,” Eli said. “We can take care

of each other.”

“I know,” Dimitri said.
“Have you ever thought of going back to college? It’s not too

late.”

“I’m not Loyola material,” Dimitri said. He had thought about it a

while back but had forgotten about it until Eli brought it up.

“There are other colleges. Xavier has an amazing art curriculum.

Just think about it. You won’t have to worry about paying bills, and
you can concentrate on your studies. You can attend classes and still
have time to practice your music. And in four years you can have
your degree and become anything you want to be.”

“What I want to be is the only man in your life and in your bed

forever.”

“That can be arranged,” Eli said, sighing contently.
“What about Randall?”
“I’ll let him down easy,” Eli assured him.

Shawn Bailey

“Don’t look into his eyes,” Dimitri said. “They’d get to you and

make you do things you’ve never dreamed of doing. And while I’m
on the subject, stay away from Dexter, too.”

“I will remember that,” Eli said, planting kisses against Dimitri’s

forehead. “Dexter isn’t my type. And while I’m on the subject, I did
promise Randall that I’ll meet him in Paris in four years, and I never
break a promise.”

“You can keep that promise,” Dimitri said with a yawn. “But I’ll

be right there to keep the two of you apart. Hopefully by then he’ll
latch on to some other alpha male to make all his dreams come true.”
He yawned again. “And yes, I’ll move in with you to make sure you
don’t get any ideas of bringing Randall home to practice with him.”

“Nothing happened,” Eli said with a chuckle. He snuggled against

Dimitri.

The next sound Dimitri heard was Eli snoring peacefully beside

him. The sun had come up and was trying to peep in through the mini-
blinds at the window.

Dimitri rolled over and watched him. Preppy boy had an angelic

smile on his face. Dimitri kissed him tenderly on the forehead. “Good
night, Eli, and pleasant dreams. I’ll try to be everything you want me
to be.”

THE END

WWW.SHAWNBAILEY.BRAVEHOST.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shawn Bailey writes from New Orleans, Louisiana. Shawn is an

avid manga and yaoi novel collector and watches a lot of Japanese
anime.

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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