Anne Brooks & Angelina Sparrow Chain Male

HAIN

-M

ALE

…Chad jumped when Jace’s bracelet clanked on the table.
“You like this?” Jace pulled back his sleeve.
“I love it. Where’d you get it?”
“Made it. Caught you staring a time or two like you were figuring

it out.”

Chad swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure he wanted Jace to know so

much about him already. He wanted to ask if the bracelet was heavy, if
Jace liked heavy things around his wrists.

Instead, he said, “Yeah. It’s different. I never saw one like that

before.”

Jace undid a hook and laid the bracelet out. “It’s not hard. It’s just

a Byzantine chain.”

“Not hard?” Chad stared at the intertwined links. Two links,

flanked by links in a vee that hooked into another ring with another
encircling the vee. It looked incredibly hard. He wasn’t sure he could
figure out how it went together. He handed the bracelet back. “It’s hot
on you.”

Jace wrapped it around Chad’s wrist. “It’s hot on you, too.” He

fastened it off and stroked Chad’s inner arm, sending little tingles
through his veins. “Bracelets aren’t all I make.”

“Really? What else?”
“I don’t do full armor. I like jewelry better. Earrings. Necklaces.

The coifs the ladies like to wear.” Jace leaned in close and whispered,
“Sexy kink stuff.”

Chad gulped the end of his coffee to hide his shock at having his

fondest hopes for the date answered. He took a breath and screwed up
his courage. “What kind of kink stuff?” he whispered, barely
managing the words…

LSO

NGELIA

PARROW

& N

AOMI

ROOKS

Alive on the Inside

The Curse of the Pharaoh’s Manicurists

Master Bear

CHAIN-MALE

ANGELIA SPARROW

& NAOMI BROOKS

MBER

UILL

RESS

, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

HAIN

-M

ALE

MBER

UILL

RESS

OOK

This book is a work of fiction.

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

author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales,

or events is entirely coincidental.

Amber Quill Press, LLC

http://www.AmberQuill.com

No portion of this book may be transmitted or

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

writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief

excerpts used for the purposes of review.

ISBN 978-1-60272-727-4

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Special thanks to Joy Coop and Cat Grant,

our indefatigable first readers. SCA and filk fans will recognize

the first song as the “March of Cambreadth,” written by

Heather Alexander, now copyrighted to Alexander James Adams.

The second is Rudyard Kipling’s “Song of the Men’s Side.”

CHAIN-MALE

CHAIN-MALE

Chad slid into the desk on the back row and opened his

textbook. He was just sitting in on the World History class and
didn’t want to make a nuisance of himself. He rubbed a sticky spot
on his fingers left from spending the afternoon repairing books.
The liquid plastic rolled up into a little ball, without taking his skin
with it.

He watched the students come in. Most of them were

traditional students, the kind he saw every day asking for books on
Thoreau and chemistry, psychology and Augustine. There was a
couple of older people, taking advantage of the free tuition to those
over seventy, and a young man with round glasses, a neatly
trimmed goatee and a short ponytail.

Chad watched him. He was probably taking night classes to get

CHAIN-MALE

the degree he couldn’t afford right after high school. Chad watched
his hands, callused and cut up, take out the text, a notebook and
pen. He wondered what the guy did for a living. It didn’t look like
he was a cashier or telemarketer or some kind of office worker. A
nasty mental voice wondered if the guy had the brainpower for
college. Chad shushed it.

Dr. Rea came in and passed out the syllabus and started the

“What to expect from this course” lecture. The cute guy’s pen took
very steady notes. Clearly he had some notion of how to study and
learn. Chad didn’t bother with notes. He was just here to listen.

Chad found he wasn’t doing much listening. He was watching

the cute ponytail guy, studying him. He catalogued the man’s
features like he would one of his books. Ponytail chewed his pen.
He wore a blue polo shirt with jeans, both so new Chris could
almost see the sizing in them. He must have thought class was
worth dressing up for. A bracelet of heavy copper links weighed
down one slim wrist. A nasty cut along the heel of his right hand
escaped both edges of the bandage.

Chad stifled a sigh. He was doing the same thing he always did

when he took a class. He was picking out a guy, crushing on him,
and would probably never even speak to him the whole semester.

Ponytail guy gathered his books and left with the rest of the

class at the end. Chad headed back to the library to finish his split
shift. He watched the guy head for the parking lot. Maybe he’d
find out the guy’s name next week.

“Until then I’ll call you Byron. Maybe I can be your Shelley,”

Chad whispered as he shut the library door and settled down at the
reference desk.

Chad found the next week passing him by in a haze. He went to

work. He went home. He ate, when he remembered. He

CHAIN-MALE

masturbated, his nightly routine adding a morning session and
sometimes one in the middle of the day, if it didn’t interfere with
work. The fantasies that accompanied these had not changed from
his usual, but now the handsome pirate who ravished him, the
sensual sheik who bore him to the silken bed, the leatherman who
slung him up against the wall, now they had a face. He submitted
to the wild desires, the savage plunderings of his dream-men with
rapt abandon, coming as hard at the fourth repetition of a fantasy
as he had with the first.

Tuesday class came around and he found his seat early, the

better to watch for Byron. Byron came in and this time Chad
listened to the roll call. Jason O’Neill. Not as nice as Byron, but a
solid sort of name. The cut on the heel of Jason’s hand looked
better, but he was sporting a nasty burn across his left knuckles.

Poor baby. Chad wanted to kiss the wounds all better. He

wondered what Jason did for a living that left him all battered and
burnt. He imagined taking the well-shaped hands in his, kissing
each finger and blowing gently across the burn to take out some of
the fire.

He barely noticed the class had started. The talk of the ancient

Egyptians washed over him in a wave. All he could do was watch
Jason’s poor hurt hands write out the notes from class. Once he
saw Jason flex the burned fingers with ginger reluctance. Clearly
Jason needed someone to take care of him.

“Greece next week and you need to get me your paper topics at

that session as well, class,” Dr. Rea said as he dismissed them.

Jason headed for the parking lot again. Chad sighed. Another

week of ponytailed ravishers and his hand. He wished he had the
nerve to talk to Jason. But he shouldn’t hit on students, not when
he was university staff.

CHAIN-MALE

* * *

On Thursday, Chad worked the closing shift. He was keeping

an eye on a kid who was working far too enthusiastically. He
strolled past the computer carrels to check what the young man
was doing. If the guy was surfing questionable sites, Chad would
have to boot him for a week. To his surprise, it wasn’t porn but
rather an electrical schematic. When the kid ran virtual current
through his design, a light bulb flared and exploded. The student
sighed, consulted his text and started adding resistors.

Chad sat back down and waited, doodling on a piece of scrap

paper. He snapped back to reality when a couple of books clunked
on the desk.

“Hi.” The greeting was businesslike, then Jason’s face melted

into a smile. “Oh, hey, hi. You’re the guy from the back row,
right? You on work-study?”

Chad felt his cheeks flush. “Hi. Didn’t think I’d be

remembered, back row and all.”

“I see you every week, sitting back there.” Jason shuffled a

little. “Anyway, I’m needing a book on,” he hesitated and cleared
his throat, then spat it out, “gay Greeks.”

Chad remembered the paper topic was self-selected. He put on

his professional face, hiding his interest in Jason now that he knew
Jason was at least interested in historical gayness. He pulled up the
electronic catalogue. “Sure. Pretty sure we have a couple.”

Jason turned out to be a chatterer. “I mean I know Alexander

the Great was. Weren’t Socrates and Plato lovers?” He watched the
catalogue bring up a couple titles.

Chad shrugged. “I think so. I’m not up on my ancient Greeks,

though.”

CHAIN-MALE

Jason quickly copied the call numbers. “I’ll take what I can get.

Wanna help me find these?”

Surely he hadn’t meant that to sound like an invitation to steal

kisses in the HQ section. “Yeah, I think Hubbard’s Homosexuality
in Greece and Rome will be your best bet.”

Jason followed him up into the stacks. They made it to the HQ

section and, as Chad reached for the book, he felt Jason press close
to him. Warm breath played over his ear.

“So what gays are you up on? Or up for?” he whispered.
Chad fumbled the book he was pulling from the shelf, but

caught it before it could hit him in the face. “That’s a secret,” he
whispered, wishing he had Jason’s boldness.

Jason laughed, a private sound that wouldn’t carry into the next

shelves. “Can you date students? I know you’re gay because you
didn’t deck me for that question.”

Chad glanced around out of worry. “I shouldn’t. But I’m not

faculty, just staff. And you’re not working for me or needing a
grade from me.”

Jason smiled a little too triumphantly for Chad’s liking. “Want

to get a coffee? After you get me set up with gay Greeks, since the
only ones I really know are Xena and Gabrielle.” The smile melted
into a wicked grin that Chad knew would play in his fantasies for a
long while. “Gay Greeks for a gay geek.”

“Sure,” Chad agreed, not certain if he meant the coffee or the

books. He pulled two more that might help off the shelf.

“When’s good?”
“After class tomorrow? I have to work until one tonight.”
“Damn, that’s late. So, let’s hit the Java Cup after class. I’ll

buy,” Jason said, taking the books and planting a light kiss on
Chad’s neck, “just ’cause you’re so cute. See ya.” He vanished

CHAIN-MALE

down the stairs before Chad could catch his breath.

Chad stared down the stairs after him, his neck tingling and his

breath coming much too fast. He composed himself before he had
to go down and face the work-study student.

* * *

Chad made it home in a daze, not remembering the rest of his

shift, not thinking of anything except Jason’s face and that sexy
little kiss. He locked the door and stripped, tangling in his jeans
and shirtsleeves in his haste, unable to wait any longer.

He didn’t bother with a shower, just shoved the notebook full

of printed net-porn off his pillow and threw himself on his bed,
cock in hand. He ran his fingers over the place where Jason had
kissed him and shot over his hand at the second stroke.

He lay still for a second, catching his breath, before he reached

for a tissue. His cock hadn’t gone quiet. It still bobbed, mostly
hard, as if beckoning him back for another round. He set the alarm
and turned out the light before he plunged headlong into his
favorite fantasy.

He was on his knees in front of a pair of highly polished black

boots. He had done the polishing, first with a rag and then with his
tongue. Black leather pants tucked into the top of the boots creaked
softly as his top circled him, tapping him here and there with a
crop to correct his position. He didn’t dare look up.

In the real world, he slid his fingertips over the length of his

cock, teasing it awake. Despite the frequent workouts of the last
week, it responded as if he hadn’t practically shot in his pants five
minutes ago.

He waited as his top circled him, looking at him. He stared at

CHAIN-MALE

the bare concrete between his spread knees. His hard cock
throbbed in its ring, begging for release, and his balls dangled
vulnerably only an inch or two from the cold floor. His knees
ached from the concrete and his thigh muscles burned from the
position, but he held it.

Sharp clamps bit into his nipples until the smallest passage of

air across their tips stung like a flick of his top’s crop. Sometimes,
his top would knock the clamps off with the crop. Chad shivered.
He flexed his fingers where they were folded together and cuffed
behind his back.

He kept up the slow tease with his fingertips. This fantasy was

always about deprivation until he could take no more.

A sharp crack of the crop across his shoulders shook him. The

cool air of the dungeon soothed it to a sting. A hand in a fingerless
black leather glove lifted his chin a little, the thumb teasing his
lower lip. When he licked the pad of the thumb, his top seized his
hair and yanked his head back.

He looked up and saw a nicely shaped torso, smoother than

usual for this fantasy, and Jason’s face grinning wickedly down,
his blue eyes burning with mischief.

“Sexy slut,” Jason hissed at him.
He gripped his cock and jacked, not caring about the

deprivation part anymore.

“I’m going to make you suck my cock before I bend you over

the horse and fuck you until you beg to come, boy,” Jason
threatened.

“If that pleases you, sir,” Chad whispered.
“Then I’m going to beat you, put lots of pretty stripes on your

sweet pale ass. Then see how far up your asshole I can fit my arm.”

Chad came as fantasy-Jason closed his right hand in a fist and

CHAIN-MALE

then slid the other hand over it and down his arm. He blinked
against the light coming in from the street outside his window,
wiped up, curled up under the acrylic throw, and fell asleep
imagining how top-Jason would taste if he ever managed to get to
the cock-sucking part of the fantasy.

* * *

The next day dragged interminably. Chad came in at ten, as

usual after a late night shift. He couldn’t focus on coding MARC
records into the computer, so he worked on filling interlibrary loan
orders. When he realized he’d typed “Truth or Consequences New
Mexico, consequences please” on a mailing label, he gave that up
as a bad job and shelved the returned books.

He ate a tasteless sandwich from the campus grill for supper

and loitered near the door of the building just to see what Jason
drove. He was half-expecting some big black American made
muscle car, a Mustang or Corvette, but grinned to see Jason get out
of a little dark blue vintage Beetle. The engine purred in a way that
told Chad Jason worked on it regularly, but one headlight was out.
He ducked inside before Jason saw him, but not before he heard
Jason cussing at the car.

He wasn’t sure what Dr. Rea talked about that night. He just

watched Jason. Jason took notes. Jason chewed on the end of his
ponytail when he was trying to think. Jason turned bright red when
his bracelet clanked the desk.

When the rest of the class gathered their things, Chad

swallowed hard. He got up and trailed out the door, last to leave.

“Tell them they work you too hard,” Dr. Rea said, “or bring

some coffee next time.”

CHAIN-MALE

“Sorry, Prof. Long day.” Chad shrugged and escaped, his ears

and cheeks flaming, to where Jason waited for him in the hall.

“Hey you,” Jason said with a grin. “Ready for some coffee?

You look like you could use it.”

“Yeah. Better late than never,” Chad added with a glance at Dr.

Rea, who was still gathering his books. He followed Jason to the
campus coffee shop, nervous at being on a date. He waited, leafing
through the history text, as Jason got the coffee.

Jason spread some papers around and opened the book, to give

the appearance they were just studying. Chad watched, holding his
coffee.

Finally, he had to ask. He bent over the book and whispered,

“So, how did you know? Lucky guess?”

Jason nodded and turned a page. “You didn’t get all flustered.

And when I tried a leading question, you didn’t slug me.”

Chad smiled. “Slugging isn’t allowed in the code of conduct

anyway. Hasn’t been that long ago that I realized it. It’s been an
okay secret.”

Jason took a drink of the coffee. “You didn’t growl at me or

anything. Straight guys hate the idea of gays. They wouldn’t have
been so eager to help me find a book.”

Chad needed to know. “Do you get slugged a lot? I mean…I

never tried. I don’t know.”

Jason shrugged. “A couple times. I’ve got pretty good gaydar.”
Chad smiled and tasted his own coffee. “You’ll have to help

me tune mine up.

“It’s not hard. Observation, mostly. I noticed you noticing me.

By the way, I’m not sure you got my name. I’m Jace. You know,
like Joxer’s gay brother or Han Solo’s kid.” Chad blinked and
smiled. Jace face-palmed. “I am such a geek sometimes.”

CHAIN-MALE

“Geek is cute on you.” He leaned closer and whispered, “It’s

okay, I’m a closet Jedi, myself.” In normal tones, he continued,
“I’m Chad.”

“Yeah, nametag.”
Chad glanced down at his shirt and saw he was still wearing his

library nametag. Chad Jacobs, Interlibrary Loan. “Guess I’m
obvious.” He jumped when Jace’s bracelet clanked on the table.

“You like this?” Jace pulled back his sleeve.
“I love it. Where’d you get it?”
“Made it. Caught you staring a time or two like you were

figuring it out.”

Chad swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure he wanted Jace to know

so much about him already. He wanted to ask if the bracelet was
heavy, if Jace liked heavy things around his wrists.

Instead, he said, “Yeah. It’s different. I never saw one like that

before.”

Jace undid a hook and laid the bracelet out. “It’s not hard. It’s

just a Byzantine chain.”

“Not hard?” Chad stared at the intertwined links. Two links,

flanked by links in a vee that hooked into another ring with another
encircling the vee. It looked incredibly hard. He wasn’t sure he
could figure out how it went together. He handed the bracelet back.
“It’s hot on you.”

Jace wrapped it around Chad’s wrist. “It’s hot on you, too.” He

fastened it off and stroked Chad’s inner arm, sending little tingles
through his veins. “Bracelets aren’t all I make.”

“Really? What else?”
“I don’t do full armor. I like jewelry better. Earrings.

Necklaces. The coifs the ladies like to wear.” Jace leaned in close
and whispered, “Sexy kink stuff.”

CHAIN-MALE

Chad gulped the end of his coffee to hide his shock at having

his fondest hopes for the date answered. He took a breath and
screwed up his courage. “What kind of kink stuff?” he whispered,
barely managing the words.

Jace traced a finger through some spilled sugar. “Chain mail

bras with minimal cups. G-strings. Cock rings.” He looked up. “It
sells.”

“I want to see.”
Jace’s face lit up with pleasure. “I got pictures back at my

place. You want to come?” He drank off his coffee.

Chad swallowed at that invitation, then decided to pretend he

hadn’t heard the double meaning. He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll follow.
Where?”

“I live over on Chestnut.”
“Not far. I’d walk if I lived that close.”
Jace got up. “Yeah, but work is seven miles in the other

direction. I was almost late because one old geezer didn’t like the
way I rotated his tires.”

Surely he hadn’t meant it to come out quite like that. Chad hid

his grin and followed Jace. “I’m parked in the faculty lot. Let me
come around and follow you. The blue bug, right?”

Jace nodded. “I saw you watching for me.”
They parted outside the grill and Chad walked to his little

Honda. His stomach had gone all shivery with anticipation and he
kept licking his lips. He could still feel where Jace had kissed him
the day before. The bracelet weighed his wrist and he turned it as
he walked. He wondered if Jace made collars and imagined how
those strong, cut up hands would feel fastening one around his
neck, whether the touch would be as light as when he’d fastened
the bracelet.

CHAIN-MALE

He wondered how Jace would look with a chain mail cock-ring

attached to the leather harness of his fantasy. He shook himself.
Driving while horny—again—would distract him. He pulled
around to the student lot and followed Jason home.

Jason parked under a rusting canopy outside a cheap apartment

building. Chad found a visitor’s slot and joined him on the
sidewalk. Jace let them into the basement apartment. It was picked
up and vacuumed, but a strong metallic odor permeated it. It
wasn’t clean, not like Chad’s mom’s house, but it wasn’t a rat-hole
like a lot of student apartments. It reminded Chad a lot of his own
place. He glanced around, discreetly looking for the source of the
smell.

Some half-finished mail, with pliers beside it, lay on the end

table. Chad figured that was part of the source. A stack of DVDs
stood beside the laptop that sat on the coffee table. Jace had no
television.

“I kinda shoved all the work in progress into the spare room.

Hope you don’t mind. I make more selling mail than I do changing
oil and tires at Wal-Mart.”

“I’m cool. Can I take a look later? I might want to buy

something. I love your bracelet.” Chad made as if to unfasten it
and Jace stopped his hand.

“Keep it.”
Chad had a fit of daring and stroked Jace’s hand. Jace smiled at

him. “Thank you,” Chad said.

Jace moved in a little closer, whispering, “You’re welcome”

over Chad’s lips just before he kissed them.

Chad’s mind blathered, Oh God, oh God, oh God oh God, now

what! as Jace’s lips moved on his own, warm and tasting faintly of
coffee. He had the presence of mind to open his mouth when Jace

CHAIN-MALE

flicked his tongue over it. Then Jace was in his mouth, warm and
slick and hitting every button he had.

Jace kissed him softly a couple of times and then smiled at him.
“That…holy fuck. That was better than I imagined.” Chad felt

his mouth getting away from him. He wanted Jace to kiss him
again and shut him up.

“Imagined?” Jace looked a little surprised. “You’ve never been

kissed? How’d you get through college without even a kiss?”

“Spent it buried in books. Am I that obvious?” Chad blushed.
Jace led him to a battered secondhand couch. “A little. I can fix

that for you.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“You’re off to a great start so far.”
“A good beginning. Let’s see how the middle goes.” Jace

kissed him again, leaning into him, pressing him backward to lie
on the sofa. The kiss went longer until they were breathing for
each other, their mouths sealed together as their tongues met,
twined and released. Chad could feel the erection through Jace’s
jeans to match his own.

Shamelessly, he ground up against Jace’s hips, thrusting to

match the tongue shoving into his mouth. The smell of Jace, a little
sweat, a little oil, shampoo and coffee made his head spin. Just a
few more thrusts and he’d…

Jace quit kissing him and sat up. Chad whimpered and reached

for him. Jace kissed his fingers and opened both of their jeans.

“This will feel a lot better skin to skin.” He hesitated. “Chad,

you’re okay with this? You went kinda funny around the eyes.”

Chad nodded, horrified that Jace might stop. “I’m fine. I just

want you.”

Jace kissed him again, light and fast. “Then let me have a

look.” Jace pushed the open zipper aside and slipped warm fingers

CHAIN-MALE

into Chad’s shorts to fish him out.

Chad watched Jason’s eyes get big and a smile make its slow

way across his face. Jace got Chad’s cock out and just stared for a
minute.

“Oh baby. I’m almost ashamed to get mine out now. If I had

condoms, I would be riding that like it was a pony.”

Chad whimpered again, imagining Jace naked atop him, doing

just that. His cock jerked and a bead of pre-come pearled up in the
slit. Jace licked his lips.

“Ah hell, you’re a virgin. You gotta be neg.” Jace licked away

the drop.

Chad bit his lip to keep from coming right then and there.

When Jace closed his mouth over the whole head of his cock, there
was no hope. Three flicks of Jace’s tongue around the corona, over
the slit and across the bottom made him shoot like a fountain.

He couldn’t think, couldn’t see. It was better than his hand and

better than any fantasy he’d ever had. He wanted to stay right
there, until the universe resolved itself behind his eyes and Jace got
him hard again for another round.

He opened one eye and saw Jace smiling at him.
“You’re gorgeous, you know that?” Jace said before coming

down to kiss him. Chad shivered under Jace’s lips, under the salt
taste on his tongue. When Jace slid strong fingers along his soft
belly, he giggled. The giggle turned to a shudder when Jace
tweaked his nipples.

“Oh God,” Chad moaned.
Jace kept smiling. “Good, huh?”
“More.”
Jace obliged with another kiss. Chad could feel Jace’s hands

working down around their waists and almost jumped when a hot,

CHAIN-MALE

hard cock landed on his belly.

“Ever frot off? Just get with someone and rub against them?”

Jace asked as he shifted to line his hips up with Chad’s. “I like it a
lot.”

“Haven’t.” Chad lifted up a little toward him. “Er, no.”
“No, you haven’t or no, let’s not?”
“No, let’s.” Chad rubbed up against him, trying to get hard

again.

Jace kissed him deep, which worked the proper magic. Chad’s

cock woke up, ready for action. “Yeah. Now we both get to play.”
He aligned their cocks and started rocking, just a little friction all
along their shafts.

“Oh wow.” Chad pressed up for more contact. “More?”
Jace laughed. “Yeah, lots more.” He thrust more vigorously, as

if fucking, although his cock stayed right along Chad’s. After a
moment he wrapped his hand around both cocks and rolled up,
tugging Chad to sit up, too. “Phallic-worshiping manly sex,” he
teased.

Chad followed, wanting another kiss. “That kind of worship I

can do.” He relaxed into the arm Jace wrapped around him. Jace
wrapped his legs around him, too, practically sitting in his lap as
his hand jacked their cocks together. Chad took the lead and kissed
Jace first this time, moaning softly into it at the sensations coming
from his groin.

Jace’s hand moved faster and he gasped around Chad’s tongue.

Chad felt the warm splashes on his belly and cock as Jace came.

Jace.
Came.
Another person had had an orgasm from kissing and touching

him. The thought alone was enough to send Chad over the edge.

CHAIN-MALE

They lay together on the sofa kissing for a while. Jace got up

and brought back a few tissues and they cleaned up. The process
was considerably hampered by Jace stealing kisses.

Chad caught a look at the clock on the laptop. “I have to go.

It’s after midnight and I’m opening tomorrow.”

Jace caught him and gave him another kiss, this one playful,

but scorching. “Fuck, or rather frot, and run?” He nibbled Chad’s
neck. “It’s okay. I have to get up, too. When can I see you again?”

Chad fastened his jeans and settled back on the couch to enjoy

the last kisses of the evening. “I’m off Sunday and Monday.”

“I got Sunday this week. Let’s meet for breakfast and see what

comes of it? If we decide to walk, fine. If we decide to go to the
park or the zoo or the museum, that’s fine, too.” An idea occurred
to Jace. Chad could see it all over his face. “You willing to model
for me?”

Chad thought a moment and nodded. “If you’ve got something

to fit me, I’ll try it on.”

Jace grinned. “Bracelet? Necklace?” He kissed Chad’s ear and

neck. “Other?”

Chad swallowed hard. “Other? Maybe?”
“What you wanna try, cutie? Name it and I’ll make sure it fits.”
“Do you have”—Chad took a deep breath—“a harness?”
Jace raised an eyebrow. “Not in chain. Bet I could make one

though. So there’s some kink in the librarian after all,” he teased,
waggling both eyebrows with a leer.

Chad giggled and blushed. “Another secret. I just read about

it.”

“It’s okay. I do kink. Not hard stuff, but a little.”
Chad nodded. “That’s good.” He took a kiss and stood up. Jace

saw him to the door.

CHAIN-MALE

“Chad, you want just a little taste right now?”
He hesitated. This could go bad very fast. He was in a near-

stranger’s apartment and he suspected Jace was a lot stronger than
he was, for all that the other man was several inches shorter.
“Yes?” he said, finally.

“You’ll like this, I think.” Jace pressed him against the wall, his

hands around Chad’s wrists and kissed him, hard and deep, not
biting, but definitely letting Chad feel his mouth and tongue and
whole body pressed against him.

Chad melted into the kiss, feeling his whole body open to it. He

wished he wasn’t spent, just so he could get hard again. He gave a
half-hearted struggle to see how tightly Jace was holding him. Jace
let go immediately.

Jace looked at him, worried. “Are we okay?”
“We’re great. Do it again.” Chad smiled and added, “And let

me struggle. You’ll know when I want loose.”

Jace gave a soft little chuckle. “Really?” He pinned Chad’s

wrists to the doorframe and kissed him again. This time he nibbled
at Chad’s lips, then worked down to suck at his neck. Chad felt his
cock trying to wake back up, but he didn’t have the energy for it.
He squirmed a little in Jace’s hold, loving the feeling of being
restrained, remembering it for later.

“Sunday can’t come soon enough.” Jace sighed against his

neck. “Next time, I’m gonna leave hickies, mark you so anyone
who sees knows you got lucky.” He sucked low on Chad’s throat,
not enough to mark him.

Chad shivered under Jace’s lips. “Yes, please?” he whispered.

“Tonight? Just one?”

In answer, Jace sucked harder, which sent more of the little

shivery sensations all over Chad’s chest and made his nipples stand

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up. He felt teeth scraping him and then a light bite, harder than the
nibbling earlier. His cock twitched, still trying to wake up.

Jace let him go with a harder bite and a wet sucking sound.

Chad just moaned under the bite. Jace looked at his neck and
nodded. “You’re so fair, that’s gonna show all purple. I’ll freshen
it up Sunday.” He kissed Chad again and opened the door.

In the car, Chad checked his neck in the rearview mirror. There

was a reddish circle with purple dots in it. He smiled. His first
hickey. He drove home and slept well.

* * *

Sunday didn’t come soon enough. Chad had known it

wouldn’t. His days were consumed with thoughts and memories of
Jace and his nights were full of fantasies. He awoke from dreams
of cowboys and pirates to masturbate in the shower. He
daydreamed at his desk, reliving the evening on the sofa, tasting
Jace’s kisses. Back home, he masturbated again, once to the
memory and once to his daydreams.

He had dreamed of a man like Jace, who would understand his

lack of experience, his shyness, and take care of him so well. And
Jace might just be a top, too. That thought, coupled with the
binders of printed net porn, left Chad counting the hours until
Sunday.

Saturday night, his phone rang. Chad stared at it for a moment,

since it almost never rang. He answered since the readout said
“Jace.”

“Hello?” he said, wondering why Jace would call him after the

news on a Saturday. Maybe he’d changed his mind and wanted to
come over. Chad quickly squashed that hope.

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“Hey, blue eyes,” came Jace’s voice, tired but cheerful. “We

still on for breakfast?”

“Oh hell yes!” Chad leaped at it. “I wouldn’t miss it. You’re all

I can think about.”

Jace laughed into the phone. “Oh, baby. The feeling is mutual.

Been dreaming of you until I had to make a chastity cage to keep
from getting my dick stuck in something at work.”

Chad just stuttered at that and Jace laughed.
“Look, let’s hit Early Watch. It’s right between our places and

they have great potato pancakes,” Jace suggested. “See you around
nine?”

“Make it eight. I can’t wait until nine. Oh God. Jace…”
“Yes? I know, you love me and crave my hot little bod. Well,

I’ll see what we can do on that front.” He laughed some more as
Chad stuttered some more. “Maybe I’ll wear the cage and let you
figure out how to get me out.”

“You’re wicked.”
“Wicked, evil, mean and nasty,” Jace agreed amiably. “See you

at eight, babe. I bought condoms.” He hung up before Chad could
stop sputtering.

* * *

Chad did not sleep well. In anticipation of the next day, he

decided to forgo his usual bedtime ritual of stories he’d saved from
the Internet with pictures inserted into them and his hand. He had
better things to think about.

Curled up under his blanket, he imagined Jace kissing him as

they had before. He pictured Jace’s cock and wondered if he would
be brave enough to taste it. Yes, he wanted to see how it would feel

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in his mouth, how it would taste when Jace came.

As he threw his sheets in the washer at three in the morning,

Chad decided that thinking about Jace as he fell asleep might not
be such a hot idea. He put new sheets on the bed and tried to get
back to sleep.

Anticipation woke him at five. He coasted for a while, halfway

between sleeping and wakefulness, until a full bladder made him
get up.

Chad showered and dressed, knowing he was much too early.

Somehow, three hours seemed like all the time in the world. He’d
never had trouble killing time before. But this morning, he couldn’t
get into the book, no movie distracted him and masturbation was
out of the question.

After staring at his latest book for twenty minutes, imagining

Jace kissing him, Chad got up and went for a walk. He made two
laps around the block, came in, freshened up and headed out. It
was only seven.

He walked to Early Watch, about a mile from his place. The

autumn morning was cool enough that he didn’t sweat. Seven-
thirty. Another half hour to go. He put away his phone for the third
time, resolving not to call. He hoped Jace was as overeager as he
was.

He walked around the restaurant’s block a couple times, then

studied the posted menu to speed up ordering. He smiled when he
saw Jace’s bug pull into a space near the door. Chad hurried over
when Jace got out.

“Hi.” He grinned, a little breathless.
“Hi yourself. Guess I wasn’t the only one hungry for breakfast

this morning.”

Chad nodded. “Can we take it to go? Because if I have to wait

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through a whole breakfast to kiss you, I’m going to go crazy.”

Jace laughed. “Sure. Back to my place?”
Chad nodded. They went in and ordered at the register. Jace got

the potato pancakes and Chad went for pigs in a blanket. Chad
caught himself staring at various parts of Jace during the
interminable wait. His mouth was going to be sweeter than the
maple syrup on the pancakes. Those big battered hands, Chad
noticed a new cut across the back of the left one, were going to feel
wonderful on his chest and cock and ass. He snuck a glance at
Jace’s jeans, dying to get at what lay under the zipper.

The server delivered the take-out bag and they practically fled

to the car. Chad held the food while Jace drove back to his place,
as fast as the law allowed. Chad pretended that last stoplight had
been yellow when they entered the intersection.

The take-out ended up dropped on the end table and Jace’s

mouth was all over Chad’s as soon as the door closed. Chad
moaned under the onslaught, as hungry for Jace’s mouth as Jace
seemed to be for his.

Once unencumbered with food, Jace’s hands were everywhere,

on his cheeks, around his waist, groping his ass and finally opening
his jeans. Chad felt his cock leap out of the zipper, straight into
Jace’s waiting hand.

“Gonna suck you.” Jace pushed him back against the door,

kicked his feet apart and shoved his jeans down his thighs,
essentially trapping him. Chad just moaned, desperate for this.

Jace went to his knees, pinning Chad to the door and sucked

him all the way down, pressing his lips to Chad’s groin and
sticking his tongue out to flick Chad’s balls. Chad just shook,
unfamiliar sensations wracking him with pleasure.

Jace slid off until only the barest tip of Chad’s cock rested on

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his lips. He flickered his tongue over the head, teasing the slit and
tracing the ridge. Chad closed his fists and tried not to come at the
second lick.

The task felt hopeless when Jace swallowed him down again

and started a good solid rhythm, complemented by wicked tongue
work. Chad gave himself over to it, feeling everything, absolutely
everything.

The hard door at his back held him up. The soft, warm breath

from Jace’s nose tickled his pubes. His jeans chafed and Jace’s
weight held him immobile. And the tongue, oh God, the tongue!
Jace created intricate scrollwork, fanciful poems on the bottom of
his cock.

Chad gave up and came without even a strangled warning. Jace

chuckled and swallowed then pulled Chad’s jeans up as he stood.

“You were fucking hot. Musta missed me.”
Chad caught his breath and, despite some light-headness,

tackled Jace, bearing him to the couch. “You have no idea,” he
said as he plunged down for a kiss, taking it as hard and deep as
Jace would allow. Jace met him with equal passion.

“Been fucking my own hand for days,” Jace said. “Pretending

it was your hand or mouth.” He pressed his hard cock against
Chad’s belly. “You gonna do something about this, or shall I
wrestle you off, force you to your knees and make you suck it?”

Chad knew Jace would do no such thing. Probably. The idea

was hot, though. Maybe later. He wet his lips. “I want to suck it.
You stay still.”

He opened Jace’s pants nice and slow, teasing the sexy man.

Jace tried to help and hurry the process, but Chad slapped his
hands away.

“My turn,” he insisted and revealed Jace’s cock. It stood

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straight up, hard and red, the first bead of pre-come welling up
from the slit. Chad licked it away. Now was his chance to try all
the things he’d ever read about.

He closed his mouth over the head, letting the velvety hardness

lie on his tongue. Chad felt Jace’s thighs tremble as he forced
himself to hold still. He swallowed more of Jace’s cock, tasting the
first inches of the shaft, sliding the head against the roof of his
mouth.

Jace groaned and one hand found its way into Chad’s hair.

Chad took it as a sign he was doing something right and licked
around the head. Jace tasted good. He felt right. Chad even liked
the smell, clean and Jace with just a hint of musk drifting up from
his balls.

Chad tried not to gag when Jace thrust into his mouth, clearly

unable to help himself. In response, Chad moved on his cock,
easing it in and out, teasing with his tongue. Slowly he started
working it deeper, trying to get it all.

He was an inch from the base when Jace shot with no warning.

Chad hadn’t decided if he wanted to swallow yet or not. Now, he
had a mouthful of cock and come and no graceful way to deal. He
tried swallowing, but found he couldn’t with his lips parted by
Jace. He pulled off of Jace’s cock, licking as he went, and then
swallowed once his mouth was free.

Jace smiled at him when he looked up. “Good first time?”
“Yeah.” Chad sat up. They scooted around and he curled into

Jace’s arms. “Wow.”

“Wow is right. First timer. Wow.” Jace cuddle him close. “I

think breakfast is all cold.”

Chad laughed. “Don’t care.” He nestled his head into Jace’s

shoulder and breathed the scent. Laundry detergent, deodorant,

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soap, shampoo, a metallic undertone and skin, and all of it together
made up Jace.

“I’ll put a buzz under it in the microwave. Why don’t you see if

you can find something on the computer to watch?” Jace kissed his
head and eased out from under him.

Chad watched Jace sit up and fasten his jeans. Once Jace had

taken the food to the kitchen, Chad started poking around on the
desktop of Jace’s computer.

He found a file called simply “Jace” just as the microwave

dinged. Half-hoping for porn, he clicked on it and looked up in
time to take his breakfast. Jace set a couple glasses of milk on the
coffee table.

“Oh God.” Jace sat down on the couch beside him and stuffed a

strip of bacon in his mouth.

“What did I pick?”
“Just watch.”
Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer filled the screen, followed by Joxer’s

brother, Jace, in an outfit that would put Liberace to shame as a
bunch of hunks in gold shorts pulled him in on a float. “Dancing in
the Moonlight” sung in a terrible Spanish accent filled the
apartment. Chad tried not to choke on his pancakes.

“Toldja I was a geek. I understand there are conventions where

they actually start off the dance party with that clip and everyone
has to do the dance.” Jace finished up his potato pancake.

Chad stifled a giggle behind a drink of milk. “I want to go to

one.”

“You sure? You off next weekend?”
Chad almost spilled his milk. “So soon?”
“Yep, Autumn Tourney is next weekend. It’s not a convention,

though, it’s a reenactment. You know, the last chance to camp

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before the weather turns really cold. You want to spend a whole
weekend with me? Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday? Camp in
my little Viking tent, share my narrow rope bed? Model my gear
for the fetish sales late at night?”

The barrage of questions left Chad stunned. He swallowed hard

and answered them all at once. “Yes. Absolutely. All of it. I’m
off.”

“How long can you stay?” Jace asked as he cleared away the

take-out boxes and rinsed the milk glasses.

“All day if you can put up with me.” Chad stretched out on the

couch.

Jace seemed to think for a minute. “I can stand you.” He

grinned. “Who am I kidding? I’d love to have you here all day. But
I gotta get some work done. You want to help?”

“Sure. Just tell me what to do.”
“You willing to model some?” Jace held up a digital camera. “I

guarantee not to get your face unless you’re wearing a coif.”

Chad just smiled. “Anything you want a picture of.”
Jace moved over him and breathed hard on the zipper of his

jeans. Chad could feel the heat of it through the denim. “Open-
ended offer there, Chad.”

“Yeah.” He had time for no more because Jace was kissing him

again, one of those deep, hard kisses that always felt like they were
sucking all the air out of the universe.

Chad moaned under his mouth. If Jace wanted to shoot his

cock, he would have no trouble at all being hard. When Jace
moved to nibble his neck, he shoved up against Jace’s belly.
“Should I have shaved? You know, down there?”

“Oh hell no. I can get busted for kiddie porn if you do. Hand to

Odin, it has happened, and to a friend of mine. Fortunately,

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DeCordene keeps all his models’ waivers on hand. Besides,” Jace
opened his jeans and licked the dark line of hair from his navel to
his crotch, “hair is sexy.”

“Mmm.” Chad almost giggled when Jace licked his treasure

trail again. “I almost believe it when you say—” He gasped as Jace
licked the head of his cock. “When you say it,” he finished.

“It is. And you’re sexy. You’re cute as can be, and so sexy, and

you really don’t know it at all. That just makes me hotter.” Jace
paused to lick his cock some more, and Chad whimpered a little.
“Sexy little virgin and all mine. I want to show you how good
everything can be.”

“Yeah,” Chad managed before Jace sucked him down and

made the late morning apartment go all fuzzy and blurry as his
spine tingled and his whole nervous system exploded out his cock.

Jace grinned up at him, licking his lips. “Cream topping for the

pancakes,” he said with a smirk. “Maybe someday it can be
whipped cream.”

Chad was too busy trying to get his eyes to focus to do more

than whimper at that statement. This couldn’t be real. He had
fallen into every fantasy he’d ever read, into every dream he’d had.
And now, he was going to wake up and find out he was really
drunk in the back room of some bar, letting total strangers indulge
on his body.

Just to be sure, he rubbed his eyes and pinched himself hard.

Jace’s sunny apartment didn’t fade to smoky darkness, so he
decided he was okay. He ran a hand over Jace’s face.

“You melted me.”
“‘What a world, what a world,’” Jace quoted in a screechy

voice and kissed the laugh away from him. “That was the plan,
sexy thing. You just rest. I’ll get the goodies.”

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“Okay.” Chad lay quietly on the couch, watching the dust

motes dance in the gap between the curtains. Jace rattled and
clanked and jingled in the spare room. He liked this. He wouldn’t
mind spending a lot of days just lazing around, having sex, eating.
The unexamined life had its pleasures.

“We’ll start easy.” Jace spread a black velvet cloth on the

coffee table. “Just drape your hand on the cloth there. Relax.”

Chad let his wrist relax as his hand lay on the velvet. Jace

snapped a couple pictures of the bracelet.

“I realized I didn’t have a good Byzantine pic,” Jace said. “You

have really nice hands, manly but nicely shaped and not all
battered like mine. You mind doing a couple more bracelets before
we get to the fun stuff?”

“Not at all.” Chad stayed comfortable while Jace draped his

hand in mail and positioned it as he liked. He was ready for a nap
and wasn’t at all sure he could get hard enough to properly model
Jace’s more interesting work.

Jace kept talking, telling him about the events, about food and

storytelling and the rows of booths where people sold stuff. Chad
rested, letting Jace move his hand and arm as he needed. He could
almost see all the things Jace was telling him about. He woke up
suddenly, knowing he’d heard it all, but aware that the sun was in
his eyes and Jace’s tongue was in his mouth.

He smiled and kissed back.
“Thought that might wake you up. I finished a little bit ago,

cleared everything away and nipped out to the grocery store for a
couple of pizzas. Hope that’s all right.”

Chad kissed him again. “As long as there are more kisses, it’s

fine.”

“All you want. You need a pop? I gotta caffeinate.”

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“Cola, if you have it.” Chad watched Jace walk to the kitchen.

The nap had helped and he was eager to get his hands on Jace’s
tempting ass.

“Always, baby.” The word rolled off Jace’s tongue with sweet

ease, telling Chad he already thought of them as at least a
temporary item. He set the bottle down on the coffee table and
joined Chad on the sofa.

“So, what do I need for this thing? Should I go out and buy a

Robin Hood costume?”

Jace laughed. “You have boots? Wear some non-jean pants and

boots. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Yeah. There’s a pair in the back of the closet.” This was better

than he’d hoped. It wouldn’t be a really expensive trip after all.

“What kind? Not cowboy I hope.” Jace gave him a salacious

eyebrow waggle and something that looked like a leer. “We’ll see
about spurs and whips later.”

Chad, almost used to Jace’s teasing, snickered at this instead of

stuttering. “Hiking boots.”

“They’ll do. I have a pair of jackboots that look really good.”
Chad thought about that and decided to keep it about clothes.

“Hmm, maybe I need to go shopping.”

Jace seemed disappointed about the lack of reaction. He leaned

in closer. “Here, I thought you were a little on the kinky side.”

Chad swallowed, the soda burning its way down. “In my

fantasies, yes.”

Jace leaned even closer, until Chad could feel his breath on his

ear. His voice sounded soft and silky as he traced the edge of
Chad’s ear with his tongue. “Do you fantasize about boots like
that?” He nipped Chad’s earlobe. “I do. I imagine wearing them
for a man who likes to lick them. I imagine him wearing them and

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letting me lick them, all the way up his legs.”

Chad could do no more than whimper and nod at that image.

He wanted to be the one licking Jace’s boots. He wanted Jace to
lick his, all the way up into one of those amazing, melting
blowjobs.

Jace nipped his neck and then kissed it better. “But I think we

need to work up to that. The first time you get to see them on me is
as Olaf Ringstad, armorer.”

Chad held him in, almost clinging to him. “Works for me.”
Jace grinned. “You’ll like Olaf, I think. Olaf, he likes his beer.

He likes a good story and he likes a pretty sexy person in his bed. I
got a little Viking tent and a rope bed that’s big enough for two, so
long as we’re friendly.”

“Friendly,” Chad breathed. “Yeah. Cuddle nice and close.”
Jace resettled them on the couch, into a more conventional

cuddled. “My blue tunic with the gold embroidery will look great
on you.”

“You embroider?” Chad looked at him, surprised.
“Nah. Had it done. Looks terrific.” Jace kissed his hair. “You

might want a dark turtleneck to wear under it. I have a spare cloak,
but layers never hurt. Here. I’ll make you a list.”

He cuddled Chad with one hand and scrawled a brief list on the

back of an envelope with another. Chad tried to read it as he went.
He tried remembering the last time he’d gone camping. His mom
had packed him then, and been cranky that she’d never quite gotten
all the mud stains out of his Cub Scout bandana.

“What time do you get off Friday?” Jace asked, handing him

the list.

“Early. About four-thirty.”
“I’ll pick you up from the library, okay?”

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“Perfect. How about an early dinner?” Chad suggested.
“Dinner?” Jace asked, licking one nipple then teasing it with

his teeth. “Or should I have another snack?”

“Both?”
Jace grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.” This time, he took

his time, licking and teasing his way down Chad’s body. Chad’s
cock was happy to stand up and greet the kisses.

Jace pulled away, smiling. “You have the most beautiful cock.

If you don’t mind, I’m going to decorate it and shoot it before I
finish this.”

“Please,” Chad said, unsure whether he meant for Jace to go

ahead or to finish him.

Jace took it for consent and vanished. Chad lay quietly, barely

breathing. The day had been a revelation to him and he wasn’t
ready to come off again. He wondered if Jace wanted to fuck him.

He decided he didn’t mind. He enjoyed his toy at home, and it

was bigger than Jace’s cock. He looked up at the rattle of the
plastic container and mail.

“Simple ring first,” Jace said. He hooked a delicately wrought

mail ring around Chad’s cock. It fit snugly, but so lightly Chad
almost couldn’t feel it except as a mild constriction. He listened to
the camera whir away, focusing on how it would feel when Jace
did fuck him.

Jace’s hands were back on his cock again. “This one is a little

more complicated.” The ring went around the base of his cock and
balls, but also had a chain that came up between his balls,
separating them. He thought it looked sexy and hoped the
customers thought so, too.

The next one was a series of linked rings that slid over his

cock, with one fastening very tightly just under the head. He

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watched the head turn red and harder than it had been.

Jace took note as well and set the camera aside. Chad felt his

eyes roll back in his head when Jace licked the throbbing head
right then and there, teasing enough to feel the prominent pulse
with his tongue.

“Oh God,” Chad groaned. “Gonna die.”
“No, you aren’t. You’re just going to come.” Jace sucked at the

head for a moment and then undid all the loops much faster than
Chad would have thought possible.

When Jace swallowed all of him, Chad did come, a long

wrenching stream that felt drawn out of his toes and spine. He
couldn’t do anything but sprawl bonelessly on the couch and hope
his skeleton re-calcified sometime before he had to be at work
tomorrow.

Jace crawled up his body and lay half-atop him. “Ever think

about coming out of the closet, pretty Jedi?” He kissed the spot
behind Chad’s ear where a Padawan braid would go.

“Every day.” Chad sighed.
“It’s not easy. It’s not safe. But it is worth it.” Jace kissed him

long and slow. Chad felt like he could sprawl there forever, the
couch lumpy in all the right places, Jace warm in his arms.

“I trust you,” he said. “Help me try?” As soon as the word was

out of his mouth, Chad closed his eyes. If Jace did a Yoda
impression now…

Jace just kissed him in response.

* * *

Chad spent the days until class dreaming of the afternoon with

Jace. They had shot more of the chain mail, enjoyed the pizza, and

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cuddled on the couch during a really awful sword and sorcery
movie. Jace groaned here and there at the weaponry and armor, but
seemed to enjoy it. Chad just enjoyed the cuddling.

He packed for the weekend, preparing to layer enough that he

looked like the kid in A Christmas Story, unable to put his arms
down. The fetish sale modeling worried him a little, but he trusted
Jace to not get him into something awful.

They had coffee after class, Jace groaning over the B he’d

made on the last test. “When I’m paying out of my own pocket, I
want to make all As.”

Chad understood that. He followed Jace back to the Beetle and

let him steal a kiss.

“See you Friday?”
“Four-thirty. I’m already packed.”
Jace laughed. “Yeah, me, too.”

* * *

When Jace pulled up at four-thirty on Friday, Chad saw why

that had not been an exaggeration. The little beetle was packed to
the roof and pulling a trailer. Chad hoped there would be room for
his little bag.

“Hey, cutie,” Jace called out the open window. “You ready for

a big adventure?”

The more he thought about this, the worse the idea seemed. “I

guess.” Chad didn’t move to get into the car. There was going to
be too much noise and too many people, and it wouldn’t be like his
nice quiet library or the nice quiet apartments.

“Then get in. We’re going for a ride.”
Chad steeled himself and climbed in. A weekend with Jace.

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How bad could it be? He could always hide in the tent if he had to.
The car was really packed and he had to fold up a little more than
usual. The seat wouldn’t scoot all the way back.

“Careful there. Sorry you have to ride with my tools under your

feet and your bag in your lap.” Jace gave him a smile. “One of
these days I’ll get a pickup.”

“Yeah? That’d help a lot.”
“What I really want is a vardo. But my persona’s all wrong.”
“A what?”
“A vardo. A gypsy wagon. Be really nice for those rainy

events. But I’m Norse, not Roma, so it’s not in character for me to
have one.”

“Where is this thing?”
“Not far. Just out at Schumer’s campground.”
Chad relaxed a little. The campground wasn’t far out of town.

He wouldn’t be lost in the woods with a bunch of lunatics. If things
got too bad, he could call a cab and go home. He looked at Jace.
He hoped he wouldn’t have to.

“We do a lot of events there. The Schumers like us because we

pay well and clean up afterward.” Jace took them out of town on
the highway. “Now the fun starts. We’ll pay at the troll-booth, pick
out a site, and pitch camp.”

Chad nodded, enjoying the ride. The late sun slanted through

the trees. He hoped they’d make the campground soon and that the
tents would go up easily. The sun set at about six-fifteen.

“You got any questions about this? You okay with doing

modeling for the late night sale? You’re gonna be so cute everyone
is going to want a chain mail G-string.”

“I might need a blindfold for that late night modeling. Is that all

right?”

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Jace bit his lower lip. “Guh. Sexy. It’s more than all right. Hey,

we’re here.”

They took the exit and Jace pulled into the campground

driveway, following a sign that said “troll.”

He parked and got out. Chad followed him, leaving the bag in

the car. At a little tent, Jace signed a roster and showed a card and
his ID to the lady in the long green dress and wimple.

Chad looked at the man in the black tunic. “What do you

need?”

The man pointed to a laminated sheet. Chad wasn’t a member

so he had to fill out six different waivers and forms. He paid his
forty dollars and flexed his cramped writing hand.

“All set?” Jace asked.
Chad nodded. “At least they’re thorough.”
“They gotta be. This is a contact sport. People can die, and the

corporation doesn’t want to pay anything, being nonprofit and all.
Let’s pitch.

They drove the beetle to a site near several other merchants. “I

always say I’m going to get away earlier, and I always end up
pitching in the dark,” Jace grumbled.

He yanked six long boards from the trailer. “Get the red and

black canvas, there, babe,” he said as he laid out the boards.
“Spread it between the boards.” He went back into the trailer for
three long poles.

Chad watched as he threaded a pole through a sleeve on one

side of the canvas and followed his lead on the other side. Jace ran
a third pole down the middle and pulled a couple of eyebolts from
his pocket. He ran them through grommets in the canvas and into
the middle pole, and threaded ropes through them.

“All right, get the poles into the holes on the board. Put the

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middle one through both boards,” he added, doing just that on his
end.

Chad did. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but it looked like

he had it right.

“Lift the middle pole up. Way up.”
The tent popped into existence almost magically, the wood and

canvas straightening into a nice triangle that looked like a giant
pup tent, with boards on it.

“Hold it steady.” Jace vanished a minute and Chad felt the

vibrations of him doing something. “All right, you should have a
board with two holes. Use it to make the base of a triangle,” he
called. “Then throw the ropes in through the little vent at the top of
the tent.”

Chad slid the board onto the bottom poles. The sun was

vanishing rapidly. He threw in the ropes and felt Jace tug them. In
a moment, he saw the stake-loop poking out the bottom.

“Plant the stake in front of the board and just outside the poles.

Helps keep it steady.”

Chad stomped the stakes into the ground and hooked the ropes

over. They had a tent. He had a refuge.

Jace planted and lit a couple of tiki torches and set out the poles

and canvas for the shade. Chad watched, amazed at Jace’s packing
skills and speed.

He held poles while Jace guyed them down. It was full dark

before they had the shade up. Jace hung lanterns with candles in
them in the shade and started assembling tables from oddly shaped
pieces of plywood.

“This is a lot of work,” Chad said.
“Kind of. I could be lazy and use folding tables, but I like mine.

Tell me they aren’t cool as hell. Can you get tablecloths on them

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while I get the chairs made? Tablecloths match the tabletop paint.”

“Yeah, no problem.”
“It’s the container with the red lid. You might get the bed parts

around, too, the boards with holes along their lengths and the four
with little square holes in the middle. And the coils of rope.”

Chad couldn’t argue with the coolness. Where there had been a

bare patch of grass, there was now a little tent with carved wooden
slats, a sunshade and several tables. Jace had just put together two
chairs shaped like partial Xs. He settled on the shortest edge of one
and lit several large multi-wick candles.

Chad dumped the lumber in the tent and watched Jace carry a

candle in. As he covered the tables, he heard Jace putting wood
together and the slithery hiss of rope. He came up short on clothes,
and didn’t cover the table Jace had put back by the tent.

Jace called, “Set the containers on the tables, the lid color

matches the tablecloth and put the cooler on the uncovered table.
Put the little spool between our chairs. That’s for drinks and the
cashbox. Thanks.”

Chad picked up a blue-lidded container and nearly staggered

under the weight. He lugged it to the table with the blue cloth. He
couldn’t believe how heavy the boxes were. Used to lugging a lot
of books as he shelved, he got them to the tables. There was no
cooler, just a couple of large, ornately painted wooden boxes. Jace
must have invested a lot money and work in this hobby. He
remembered Jace saying he made more selling the mail than he did
on his day job.

“Chad, come help me,” Jace called from in the tent.
“Thought I was,” Chad grumbled, but went in anyway. By the

light of the candle set on a platform hanging from the ridgepole, he
saw Jace with his feet braced against the foot of the bed. The ropes

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were woven across the bottom to form springs.

“Get settled and pull that first loop as tight as you can,” Jace

said. They pulled at the ropes, tightening them until the boards
bowed inward just a little.

Chad just stared. How did Jace manage this all by himself? He

must bring someone else with him. He wouldn’t ask.

“If you can get the bed made, I’ll get the booth settled and

we’ll have some dinner. Oh, and throw our clothing containers
under the bed. Mine’s the box with the ring on the lid.”

“How do you do this alone?” Chad winced as he blurted it out.
Jace gave him a grin. “I usually hire some broke college

student to be my minion all weekend. I pay them in food and a
piece of mail. Girls work well, because chain mail bikinis are a
good draw for the booth.”

Chad returned the grin and got the big foam roll off the trailer.

“I have no doubt.” He unrolled the foam, only to find the bedding
was all still in it. He smoothed it and tucked it in. The clothing box
was easy and he added his own duffle under the bed.

Jace had a lot of the heavier pieces set up. “Almost there. And

it’s not even seven. An hour and a half is a new record. Can you
park a trailer?” Chad stammered. “I guess that’s a no. Think you
can arrange the tables neatly?”

“That I can manage.”
“Let’s get dressed before I take the car out.” Jace went into the

tent and the light dimmed a little. Chad followed and saw he had
blown out two of the three wicks.

Jace had a blue tunic trimmed with gold Celtic knotwork laid

out. He had shrugged off his own T-shirt and was shaking out a red
tunic with yellow entwined dragons around the neck.

Chad stared. He just realized he’d never seen Jace shirtless. All

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the kissing, all the frotting, all the blowjobs, Jace had stayed
dressed for them all. He stared a little more. Little silver rings hung
in both of Jace’s nipples. Jace saw him looking and grinned.

“Please.” Chad sighed, reaching out to touch one. The ring was

warm from body contact and Jace shivered when he stroked the
nipple itself. “Gorgeous,” he whispered, before lowering his mouth
to cover one nipple, ring and all. Jace thrust against him, hard and
ready.

“These are gorgeous,” Chad said, nibbling a bit before he

released Jace. He fingered the woven trim on the blue tunic. “This
is, too. Everything is so ornate.” He stole a kiss. “Even your body.”

Jace gave him another grin. “Wait’ll you see the tat, then.”
“You have a tattoo?”
Jace turned around. Chad gaped at the art. Jace wore a mural on

his back, his hobby indelibly marked into his skin. Chad traced the
intricate patterns, the knotted beasts and birds, the twining flowers,
all in glorious full color.

“You’re either speechless at its beauty or you hate it.” Jace

looked over his shoulder.

Chad softly kissed the potted plant that had flowers shaped like

little penises, near the middle of Jace’s back. “This is the most
ornate thing I’ve seen yet.” He kissed Jace’s mouth, then pulled his
tunic on over his long-sleeved T-shirt.

Jace got into his own tunic and pulled Chad close, sliding his

cool hands under both tunic and T-shirt to tweak Chad’s own intact
nipples. “You my pretty little thrall for the weekend? Get you
dressed, have you display my goods.” He pushed the hem up and
lowered his head to nibble at one of Chad’s nipples.

Chad groaned and ground against him.
“Will you keep or do you need something hot and fast?” Jace

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kissed him hard before he could answer.

Chad felt his face flush in the cool evening. Jace always got to

him. “Definitely a little something.”

Jace slipped one hand down the front of Chad’s pants. “Hand

okay?”

“Yeah.” Chad wrapped himself around Jace for support. Jace’s

big, strong hand closed around his cock and he looked down at
Jace’s face. Jace looked up and kissed him, his hand moving fast
and hard, but never painfully.

Chad sucked on Jace’s tongue, but when Jace squeezed his

cock just so, he was lost. He shot off in his underwear, with a soft
gasp against Jace’s mouth.

“We can play more later, babe. Let me get the car out of here.”

Jace kissed him again and walked out, licking his hand clean.

Chad sat down hard on the bed, finding it springy and more

comfortable than the average cot.

When his knees decided to work again, he stepped out and

started arranging the mail on the tables, hanging the earrings on the
rack, like Jace had started and standing up the little armored teddy
bears. He noticed Jace had put out a little wooden sign, carved to
read “Olaf Ringstad, Armorer,” with five interlinked rings and
some runes underneath it. Everything was in place when Jace came
back.

Jace strolled back, a candle lantern in one hand, a staff in the

other, looking like something out of a storybook. “Looks good,” he
said. “We probably won’t sell much tonight, everyone’s getting all
set up. But we might. I’ll stay open until midnight in case.” He
opened a lockbox and set it on the little spool table between their
chairs. “There’s a price cheat-sheet in here, but everything’s
labeled. I have a sales tax calculator as well. You hungry?”

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Chad’s stomach rumbled. “You said there was a cooler.”
“Yeah. The box with the big ring on top and the tree of life,

you know, the cock-flower one, on the side.”

Chad grinned as he opened that box and found it was foam-

lined. A couple bags of frozen stuff sat beside sausage, cheese and
fruit.

“I made stew for tomorrow evening. We’ll just heat it over the

brazier. There’s oatmeal for tomorrow morning. Bring the sausage
and cheese. There are some crackers in the storage box with the
little hammer on top.”

They ate dinner and watched the camp take shape around them.

Several merchants had already set up and Chad watched two more,
a clothing seller and a book vendor, get their tents in order. All the
booths seemed to be open late.

In ones and twos, people began to drift along the torch-lit path,

wandering in and out of the sales booths. Chad watched as Jace got
to his feet and made a small bow to a man in a brass crown. He got
up and followed suit.

He listened to Jace talk about mail and smiled when he sold the

man a pouch. Jace bowed again as the man left, and tucked the
money away, grinning from ear to ear.

“That’s the Crown Prince, just won last weekend. He wants me

to make matching coifs for his coronation.”

Chad shook his head. He understood the words, but not how

they went together. “Little words for the new kid, Jace.”

“He fought in Crown Tourney last weekend and he’s the new

Prince. He’ll be crowned King in March and rule for six months.
He wants me to do head pieces,” Jace laid his hand on a foam head
holding a delicate lady’s coif, “for him and the Princess. That’s a
couple hundred bucks, right there. He’ll pay for those, but I’ll

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throw in some extra goodies as a coronation present.”

They watched the people a little more.
“You can go shop if you want,” Jace offered. “I’ll hold the fort

if you let me take a leak before you leave.”

“Go on. I have the cheat-sheet.” Chad wasn’t too worried. Jace

headed down to a line of Porta Potties at the far end of the trail.
Chad just watched people.

A pretty girl in a low-cut red dress stopped and looked over the

teddy bears. She smiled. “Do you make them?” she asked, toying
with her hair, making sure he saw the tip of her braid teasing her
cleavage.

Chad hesitated. “No, my boyfriend does.” The word felt silly

out of his mouth, but it was apparently the right thing to say. The
girl checked her pouch and looked at the price tag. She wandered
on down to the next booth.

Jace came back and settled down in his chair.
“Sorry, Olaf, I lost a sale,” Chad said, gesturing at the girl.
“Oh. Her.” Jace waved dismissively. “She thinks she can get

anything she wants by being cute and putting out. Does her good to
know we don’t all swing that way. Now, shoo. Go shop. Wander
around. You want a lantern? It’s pretty bright out tonight.”

“Yes, please. City boy, you know.” Chad took the lantern Jace

handed him and walked out. Merchant’s Row was open, all the
tents well lit. Shops sold clothes and books, leather work and
tableware, armor and furniture. Anything he needed to get started
on this hobby could be had if he had a big enough bankroll.

He reached the end of the row and saw campfires through the

trees. The sound of drums and singing came to him, so he went
that way.

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“ …call the cry
How many of them can we make die!”

Everyone at the fire shouted the last line, until the echoes rang

off the tree line. The song ended and another began.

“Once we feared the beast
When he followed us we ran
Ran very fast though we knew
That it was not right for the beast to master man
but what could we flint-workers do?”

Chad found a spot on the edge of the circle and listened as the

singer told of the great god Tyr, who had sold an eye for a magic
knife to save humanity from the beast. A man rose and told the tale
of how he had ridden a pooka. A woman started a song about a
lady in love with the court fool, but married to a duke, and how she
switched their bodies with sorcery.

Songs and stories traveled around the circle, holding him

enthralled. Most of the people weren’t terribly talented, but they all
took a great joy in their performance. After the last song finished,
there was silence and he realized everyone was looking at him.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have any songs or stories.” Chad flushed,

glad it was dark enough they wouldn’t see.

“That’s fine,” the older man who seemed to be leading the

performances said.

Chad noticed the moon was much higher than it had been when

he left Jace. As the next singer started, something about mourning
King Harald Godwinson, he slipped away, heading back to
Merchant’s Row.

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Jace was sitting comfortably, working with a pair of pliers in

each hand on some mail. “Nice walk?” he asked with a smile.

“Yeah. All kinds of stuff to buy and I found people singing.”
“Yeah, there’s always a bardic circle at night. Tomorrow, there

will be belly dancers, too. And some idiot will drum all night long
and another one will take it into his head to pipe the camp awake at
dawn with a set of Great Pipes. Do you know,” Jace set the mail
aside, “the bagpipe is the only musical instrument to be banned as
a weapon of war?”

Chad laughed as he sat down. “What time is it?”
“Time to close up shop,” Jace said. He dowsed all the lanterns,

except one, and covered his wares with a black cloth. He took the
moneybox into the tent with him, after blowing out the last candle.

“You aren’t afraid of thieves?”
“I’m the only mail-maker out here. My stuff is pretty

distinctive and I have an official inventory sheet. Money? Money
has no maker’s mark. But my mail does.” Jace shut the tent flap
behind them.

Chad swallowed hard. It hit him that he was going to sleep with

Jace tonight. Sleep at least, maybe more. Jace stripped down to his
pants. Chad swallowed again at the sight of those sexy nipple
rings, shining when Jace reached over his head and took the candle
out of the ridgepole lantern. He sat on the bed, waiting, letting the
candle make strange shadows.

“Coming?” Jace grinned.
Chad gulped for air and stuttered. Jace just laughed at him.
“To bed, trashmind,” Jace added.
“Oh. Yeah.” Chad stripped off his tunic and shirt, the cool

night making his nipples peak, and crawled in quickly. Jace blew
out the candle’s last wick and covered them both with several

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layers of blankets, including one faux fur throw that looked like
bearskin. “No lights?”

“Can’t sleep with them. Beside,” Jace kissed his neck, “we’re

about to get busy, right?”

“Oh hell yeah,” Chad was already unbuttoning Jace’s pants.
“We don’t want an audience.”
“Audience?” Chad gulped.
“No shit, there I was…” The way Jace said it, the words

sounded like “once upon a time.” “It was a camping event in early
summer, and night had just fallen. The tent was white. She was
married. He was married. But not to each other. They left the
lantern on. The rest of us pulled up our chairs and watched the
porn. We applauded when they finished.”

“Holy crap.” Chad gaped at the tale. “No lights,” he agreed
“No, babe. Just us.” Jace kissed him, slow and sweet. He trailed

kisses over Chad’s neck and ear, then whispered, “Tonight?”

Chad understood the question. “If you brought supplies.”
“Of course.” Jace rolled away and flipped open a box. The

moonlight filtered dimly through the heavy cloth and came in at
the vents at the tops of the doors. Chad heard the unmistakable
rattle of plastic and the thunk of a lube bottle being set on top of a
box. He rolled back to wrap Chad in his arms. “How?”

Chad swallowed hard. “You in me,” he said, the words almost

a squeak. He kissed Jace and felt Jace’s body molding to his. This
would be all right. Jace would take care of him.

“I’ll go easy.” Jace stroked his back and then wriggled out of

his pants. The heavy cock lay so hot against Chad’s belly, Chad
thought it would burn him. Chad got out of his own pants, his
underwear only slightly sticky from earlier. Jace never stopped
kissing him, that greedy hungry mouth demanding more from his

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own mouth, from his neck and ears and shoulders.

Jace slid down to suck his nipples and Chad’s cock came fully

awake at that. Jace’s hand was right there so it wouldn’t get lonely.

Chad squirmed under the stimulation, wanting more. Jace

teased and licked his nipples until he shuddered from the sensation.
They felt like they wanted to explode and each flicker of Jace’s
tongue sent shockwaves through him that bordered on painful.
When Jace closed his teeth, Chad’s squirming became an effort to
get away in earnest.

“Sorry,” he whispered, not wanting to disturb anyone out in the

lane. “Too sensitive.”

“It’s fine.” Jace came up and kissed his mouth, showing him

exactly how fine it all was.

Just a few more strokes of the big strong hand, Chad thought.

He shoved harder against Jace’s hand.

“You want to come now? It’ll relax you. That makes it easier

for me to fuck you.” Jace closed his hand a little tighter and jacked
Chad’s cock a little faster. “Gonna go right up your sweet virgin
ass, babe. You’re gonna be so tight. I’ll want to fuck you right
through the ropes and into the ground.”

Chad came, his whole body exploding, every bit of energy in

him pumping out of his cock. Jace kissed him as he came, holding
him close, not letting go of his lips until he finally relaxed. His
hard cock pressed against Chad’s leg.

“I’m about to get off just watching you,” Jace said.
“You can’t see me. It’s dark,” Chad mumbled, his mind still

blown. It wasn’t really dark. His eyes had adjusted to the moonlit
night and the tent. He could see Jace’s face, all shades of gray in
the darkness.

“Yes, it is, Captain Obvious. Now, roll away and let me at your

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ass before I die of blue balls, will ya?” Jace kissed him and
laughed, so Chad knew he wasn’t being serious and awful.

Chad obliged and rolled to face the tent wall. He heard Jace

open the condom and roll it on. The first kiss between his shoulder
blades soothed him. He was about to be thoroughly deflowered, he
realized.

Jace ran a searching finger along his crack. It found his opening

and probed, slick with lube. Chad lay quietly, boneless in the
aftermath of orgasm. Jace prodded him, testing the resistance he
was likely to meet, and then sank his finger in, all the way to the
palm.

Chad shivered, his cock twitching as if to wake up again. He

pressed back. If Jace’s finger felt this good, the rest would be
amazing. He rocked on the finger, enjoying the feel of something
alive penetrating him.

Jace pulled his finger away, but replaced it with his cock before

Chad could protest. He pressed it to the sphincter, and Chad eased
back, taking him in. The usual faint burn rippled through him, but
Chad kept sliding, pushing back to ride Jace’s cock to the base.

“So fucking tight, babe,” Jace whispered in his ear. He kissed

Chad’s neck and shoulder.

Chad breathed against the large invader, smaller than his toy,

but warmer, more pliable, and attached to Jace. Jace’s fingers came
around to play with his still-sensitive nipples. Chad bucked back
against his cock, the sensation right this time. He rode Jace’s cock,
his hips pistoning on the bedroll as Jace pinched his nipples. A
hard tweak sent electric shocks straight to his groin and he
slammed down harder, wanting all of Jace.

“Yeah, you’re gonna love nipple clamps, sexy thing. They’re

gonna make you whine and beg and move like you were the next

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circus ride.”

Chad shivered at the words and kept moving. Jace shifted a

little and skyrockets went off behind his eyes. “More!” he
demanded.

“Anything you want.” Jace moved hard and fast in the same

position until Chad could take no more and came with a wail. He
didn’t care if the whole campsite applauded.

“Oh,” Jace gasped. “Oh. Oh!” He shoved deep into Chad and

shuddered so hard Chad, still coming down from his own orgasm,
started to worry. Jace relaxed and sighed. “Oh, yeah…”

He kissed Chad’s ear and neck, staying inside him for a little

longer. Chad smiled and rested there in his arms.

Jace’s cock started to wilt, so he pulled out. He tossed Chad a

very cold wet wipe from a tub he kept in his clothing box, and used
one himself. The condom and used wipes went in the trash bag and
Jace came back to bed.

“That was great,” Chad said with a yawn.
Jace curled up behind him and cuddled him, just as he had been

a few minutes before.

“Least I could do.” Jace kissed his cheek. “Night, babe. We

have a long day tomorrow.”

* * *

Chad woke to an empty bed. Morning sun, cold and pale on

this late autumn Saturday, came in through the vents. Outside the
tent, Jace was whistling and banging around a bit. Chad heard him
swear when he dropped something.

Chad moved quickly, dressing before he could really feel the

chill in the air. He pulled his pants and boots back on, added the

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long-sleeved T-shirt and the tunic. There was a cloak hanging from
a hook on the ridge pole and he wrapped it around himself, letting
the big black cloth envelop him. The fake fur lining warmed him.
He made up the bed and headed out to see if Jace had brought
coffee.

The coffee perked away in a little tin pot hanging from a tripod,

sausages and bacon sizzled next to some eggs and another pot of
water heated at the side of the brazier.

Chad sat down. “This camping stuff is really your gig, isn’t it?”
“I love it,” Jace said. “In the summer, I have a solar shower rig

that I use to bathe and wash dishes. I have a solar oven, too, for
days I don’t feel like having a fire.” He scooped the bacon and
eggs and sausage off. “Biscuits in a minute.”

Chad watched as he banged a decidedly modern tube of

biscuits on the edge of the table and dropped half a stick of butter
in the frying pan. The biscuits sizzled in the melted butter. Jace
flipped them once, poured the coffee, and dished them up, too. He
scooped out two bowls of water before moving it to heat directly
over the fire. Instant oatmeal went in the bowls.

“I like a big breakfast.” Jace shrugged, tackling his oatmeal.
Chad ate slowly, enjoying it all. He could still feel Jace’s

pounding in his ass and the hard wood of the chair was a little
uncomfortable. Breakfast and coffee warmed him as much as the
cloak. The sun grew warmer as it got above the trees.

Jace washed the dishes with quick efficiency and hung them to

air-dry in a mesh bag on a nearby limb. He started folding the
cloths away from his tables.

“Time to go to work, babe.”
“You’ve been working since before I got up,” Chad said.

“Breakfast was terrific, thanks.”

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“Glad you liked.” Jace got the moneybox from the tent and

settled in his chair to greet the shoppers. “You don’t have to hover.
You can go watch the fighting, take another trip and see who’s
setting up today, or visit the arts and sciences display.

Chad nodded. “I like being here with you. A gorgeous

morning, a wonderful breakfast. Nice bird song.” He heard a
distant wail. Jace made a face. “Even the bagpipes sound good this
morning,” he teased.

Jace reached over and took his hand. “I’m glad you’re enjoying

it.”

They sat a while, just being together in the cool, fresh morning.

Chad felt something in his chest. It made him feel like singing and
laughing and crying and hugging Jace and running all over the
field shouting. He had a sneaking hunch it might be more than a
crush, that maybe he was in love. He was definitely in lust and
like.

Jace smiled at him and stole a kiss. “You are so cute.”
He let go and ducked in the tent. He came back with a pouch

full of stones and chessmen. “What do you play? I got Nine-mens’
Morris, Fox and Geese, Shut the box, checkers, chess and
mancala.”

“Never heard of most of them. I play checkers.”
“I can teach you the others.”
Jace set up the checkerboard, blue stones on one side, white on

the other. He played wickedly, with good strategy. Chad found
himself losing the third game in a row, and his temper as well.

“Teach me mancala.”
Jace spread out a cloth with twelve circles and two ovals. He

dropped stones in each cup. “The object is to get all your stones
into the oval at your right. The winner has the most stones.” He

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demonstrated how to sow the stones in each cup.

Chad caught on quickly and played hard. Jace won again. They

played twice more and Chad finally beat him.

More people were stirring in camp. Chad suspected Jace was

an early riser for this hobby. Some of the people he’d seen last
night had been very drunk.

They watched the shoppers, dressed in everything from simple

tunics and pants to elaborate court costumes with plenty of frills
and bells and jewelry wander past. Chad just took it all in.

A few people stopped by to shop. Jace sold a teddy bear, a set

of earrings, and some juggling balls. He smiled and sat down after
the last one wandered on.

“Having a good time?” he asked.
“A great one,” Chad said.

* * *

Chad passed the day generally enjoying himself. He wandered

through the shops. Several of the books tempted him. He picked up
a couple extra candles, since some of Jace’s were looking low.

At the clothing merchant, a soft beige tunic with bright red and

blue trim caught his eye. He liked the feel of it and it wasn’t as
expensive as he’d expected. It would be good for next time.

Chad grinned at himself. He was already planning for next

time. He wasn’t sure when it could be, since Jace had said this was
the last camping event of the season. Maybe there would be indoor
deals. Or maybe he’d wear it tonight.

He considered the cloak, but the price tag was a little steep. The

leather merchant had a nice belt and he bought a pouch with a
triskelion on it, which made him think of Jace’s backpiece. He

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couldn’t wait to get Jace naked and trace out all the pretty
knotwork.

His pockets felt empty once he’d transferred his wallet and

keys to the pouch. But he felt less like a visitor and more like a part
of the event.

Finally exhausting the merchant area, he stopped back by the

booth.

“Need anything?” he asked as he stashed the tunic in the tent.
“I’m ready for lunch. Grab the bag of fighter cookies and the

one of vegetables out of the cooler.” Jace added, “Oh, and a Coke.”

“Fighter cookies? Are those like breakfast cookies?” Chad

called as he rummaged in the cooler. He found the bag of carrots
and celery easily enough.

“They’re the sausage cheese balls. Kinda tan lumps.”
“Not particularly yummy looking,” Chad said setting the food

and drinks down on the spool table.

“Hot and sage sausage, sharp cheddar and biscuit mix. Trust

me, they’re yummy.” Jace helped himself to three and then
grabbed a handful of carrots and celery.

“You need the Porta-John before I take off?” Chad asked as

they cleaned up.

“Yeah, thanks.” Jace made a quick dash and came back in a

couple minutes. He settled himself on his chair. “You should go
watch the fighting. A field battle is always fun to watch.”

Chad got up and kissed him. “You’re okay?”
Jace gestured to the fine chain he’d been linking before lunch.

“Getting a lot done. I always do at events.”

“Not mad I’m gone?”
“Would I be sending you out if I was? Go, see everything you

want to. I get you all night.” Jace pulled him down for another kiss.

CHAIN-MALE

“It’s pretty sweet being out of the closet in a relatively safe space,
isn’t it?”

Chad nodded. “I think I can do this. Maybe even in real life.”
Jace smiled, then turned his head at a loud blatting noise.

“That’s the horn for the field battle. Go have some fun.”

Chad wandered off in the direction of the noise.

* * *

The massed armies charged at each other, archers laying down

a covering fire. The sound of wooden swords clanging off of metal
shields made Chad’s ears hurt. He watched as the men with blue
tape on their helmets battled their way to the castle of hay bales.
More archers in the castle thinned their ranks even more. The dead
warriors made their way to penalty boxes off to the side.

“What are they trying to get?” he asked the lady who sat

watching and knitting a sock on three needles.

“See the chest in the castle? That’s the prize.”
A horn sounded again. The woman with the staff who was

keeping the fighters in the penalty box shouted, “I am the
resurrection and the life, time in!” They thundered past her to
rejoin their sides.

The castle beseigers’ ranks swelled, but more archers came in

from the back of the castle. Finally, a small group holding very big
shields did an old Roman maneuver and broke the defenders’
ranks.

Chad wandered off to the shelter house not far away. All sorts

of objects, leather and mail, clothing and calligraphy, wooden
trinkets and paintings lay on the tables. He browsed along looking
at everything. A group of women sat spinning and he watched that

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for a few minutes. One couldn’t get the rhythm of it and kept
winding and dropping and nearly tangling herself in it. He grinned
and walked on when she let out a string of antiquated oaths.

* * *

Chad finished the stew and settled back in the chair with a sigh.

“You are such a good cook.”

Jace gave him a grin. “I like having an audience. It inspires

me.” He washed the dishes silently, throwing little smiles at Chad.
As he hung the mesh bag up to dry, he said, “Speaking of inspired,
wait ’til you see what I have for you tonight.”

Chad looked up sleepily. “Tonight?”
“Yeah. The private household sale. We are still on, right?”
“That’s where I wear your sexy stuff? Can I have a blindfold?”
“You can have anything you want, babe.” Jace bent in and

kissed him. “Except an orgasm. Gotta have you hard for that show.
They have a big tent set up and there will be some heaters under it.
I’ve got a little portable, just in case. Don’t want you catching
cold.”

Chad swallowed hard. He hoped he wasn’t in over his head.

This was really more than he was sure he could deal with on his
first day of no longer being unicorn bait. Jace would be with him
the whole time. Jace would make sure he was all right.

He watched Jace close the booth. He loaded a single chair, the

moneybox, one of the torch-holders, a single table and Jace’s
walking staff into the little wagon. Jace set a couple small totes on
it and the axles creaked. He dropped the big black cloak, some
black cloth and a batch of rope into the wagon as well.

“Now, if things get too intense for you, and they might, just say

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apples. Can you remember that?” Jace said as he took one of the
wagon ropes and gestured for Chad to take the other.

“My safeword is apples?” Chad quoted disbelievingly. “Jace,

you don’t even own a TV. How the hell can you be watching
Castle?”

“Streaming Internet. And I mean it. If you get uncomfortable or

nervous, just let me know. This should be fun and sexy for us both.
I fully expect you to jump my bones the second we drop the tent
flap.”

Chad laughed. “You are such a slut sometimes.”
Jace just grinned. “You got it.”
The big black tent looked like it was ready to house a small

circus. Jace went up to the guy at the entrance, who was bigger
than both of them put together and looked liked he could chew a
coil of wire and spit out mail. After a few words, the big guy
bowed them in.

“You have space number sixteen, my lord Olaf,” he said as

they pulled the wagon in.

Chad helped Jace find the space. He set up the table and chair

while Jace settled the torch-holder in the ground.

“Portable hole is set, let me have the staff.” Jace thrust it hard

into the holder, digging it down into the ground so it would stay.
“That’s not going to be really sturdy. You’ll have to stand still.
We’re going for visual effect anyway, not confinement.”

Jace arranged the wares and set the photo album beside them.

Chad swallowed hard.

“This is it, babe. You ready?”
Chad nodded. He sat down and took off his boots, then shed his

pants and pulled his boots back on. With a deep breath, he pulled
his tunic over his head and stood there naked.

CHAIN-MALE

Jace wrapped the cloak around him and took him to the staff.

“It’s okay. I’m just going to tie your wrists here like this.” Chad
relaxed. He could handle this. His cloak fell open and he blushed.
Maybe not.

“Let me get that blindfold on you,” Jace said as he rearranged

the cloak to cover bound arms, stake and Chad’s family heirlooms
all at once. He slipped a soft black blindfold over Chad’s eyes.
“You still okay?”

“I’m fine.” Chad was surprised to find it was mostly true. He

was fine. He felt secure here in the dark, all tied up and waiting for
his lover. He tested the wrist bonds and found he could get out of
them easily if he had to.

“Going to put a coif on you. This is going to look so hot.”
Chad felt the lightweight mail settle on his head, draping down

the back of his neck. He felt pieces of it along his cheeks and on
the bridge of his nose. He moved his head a bit and it jingled with
little bells.

“I’m going to take the cloak off. You’re all right with that? If

you get cold, I can put it back on.”

“I’m fine,” Chad repeated. He barely felt like himself. The

caress of warm air all over his body, even in parts like the back of
his waist and his thighs, electrified his skin. He felt his nipples get
hard.

“Baby, it is a pure crime to leave those bare. You mind some

light clamps? Let me know if they’re too much.”

Chad worried his lower lip as Jace closed clamps on his

nipples. They felt like tweezers, but not very tight. They pinched
just enough to stay on and keep his nipples hard. They didn’t hurt.
The chain between them lay cold against his chest.

“Too fucking sexy,” Jace said, kissing his neck. “I’m gonna

CHAIN-MALE

have a hard-on all evening. You ready for the last piece?”

“Ready.”
Jace’s hands slid around his cock, warm, followed by cold

metal. The device separated his balls, while pressing them away
from his body. Then it bound around his cock in several places. It
wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it didn’t hurt. He could stand it.

He heard a couple of camera clicks. “That one is going in the

scrapbook,” Jace said.

“Yes, please,” Chad agreed.
“You warm enough?” Jace put the cloak back on his shoulders

so it draped over most of him.

“Fine.”
“All right. It’s gonna be a couple hours. You tell me if I need to

change your position or your fingers go numb or anything, all
right?”

“I will. Jace, come here. Real close.”
Jace came close enough that his breath tickled Chad’s lips.

Chad stretched just a little and kissed him. “I’m really all right. Go
sell lots of sexy stuff.”

Jace kissed him properly and then moved away. Chad listened

to him move his chair close. He kept a running patter so Chad
wouldn’t feel alone in the dark. Eventually the words quit making
sense, drifting into a soothing drone as Chad stood and simply
experienced.

The smooth cool wood of Jace’s staff lay along his spine. He

liked the security of having his hands tied. This could be very
interesting to explore more. The darkness helped him focus, to just
stand and feel. The warmed air of the big tent crawled over his
bare skin, making him feel vulnerable yet very aroused. The chain
on his cock and balls was finally warming up, a delicious weight

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that made him plan ahead.

Their tent would be cold. They would snuggle down. Maybe

Jace would fuck him tonight. He wanted to suck Jace, he knew that
much. He craved the taste of Jace’s cock, the warm hardness filling
his mouth. He realized he was breathing through his slightly parted
lips and shut his mouth.

“He looks ready to come just from standing there,” a new voice

said.

Chad startled and looked that direction out of instinct. He felt

Jace’s hand on his arm. “Pretty, isn’t he? Found him around Frisia,
and had some space in the longboat. He’s a good little argr.”

The other man must have looked at Jace funny. Chad wasn’t

sure he liked the sound of that last word.

“Argr. It’s Old Norse for one who performs the same services

for a man as a woman would.”

Chad heard a slapping sound, as if the man had clapped Jace on

the shoulder. “Good word. Good research. I’ll take one of these,
for my girl.” Chad listened to the jingling sound as the customer
made off with the mail.

Jace rubbed his arm. “You still all right?”
“Still fine. This is really turning me on, Jace.”
“Kinky librarian,” Jace teased, stealing a kiss. “Hang in there

and we’ll fix that.”

Chad gave him a big smile, hoping it looked as much like a leer

as he wanted it to. “Having plenty of ideas about exactly how.”

“Good.” Jace tweaked his nipples and Chad squirmed in his

bonds. He sucked in his breath when Jace stroked his cock. “All
mine when we get back to our tent. I say fuck getting you dressed.
I’ll just pack up and lead you back still tied.”

“I like that idea.” Chad licked his lips and the tip of his nose.

CHAIN-MALE

“Get your argr thrall home in one piece and he’ll make you very,
very happy you did.”

Jace kissed him again, but turned away suddenly.
“How much for the thrall as well as the mail?” a deep voice

asked.

Chad froze. He didn’t know where Jace was going with this.

He trusted Jace. A couple deep breaths slowed his suddenly
pounding heart, but he flinched when a strange hand, soft and
damp, touched his arm.

“He’s badly trained,” the stranger continued, the too-soft hands

unpleasantly moist as they touched his chest and pinched his
nipples.

Oh God. “Jace,” he yelped.
“Get your hands off my lover,” Jace said, his voice cold. “Even

in a regular store, it’s bad form to handle the mannequins. If you
know so much about training, then you know that putting your
hands on someone else’s sub is not done.”

“Poseurs,” the newcomer sneered. “A real master knows his

boy is his and is not afraid of others handling him.”

“Chad is my lover and my display help tonight. We aren’t in

the scene.”

The stranger gave a nasty laugh. “So sure? I could have sworn

he was deep in subspace before that last customer interrupted
him.” He flicked Chad’s cock and laughed again. “I’ll see you at a
play party in a few months, I’m sure.”

“Apples, oh God, apples! Get him away from me!” Chad

twisted in the ropes.

Jace’s hands, warm, dry and callused, stroked his shoulders.

“You’re all right, babe. He won’t touch you again. Or I’ll have the
Brute Squad throw him out.” Chad could tell this last wasn’t

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directed to him. Jace’s hands reassured him. “Are you fine, or do I
need to untie you?”

Chad took a couple of shaky breaths. “I’ll be all right. I can

make it to the end.”

“Proud of yourself, are you, Lord Asshat? You made him

safeword with a bare touch.” Jace left one hand on Chad’s chest
but moved away a little.

The only answer was the same nasty laugh. “See you soon,”

drifted back.

“No,” Chad said. “No playing. Not with him ever.”
Jace cupped his face and kissed him. “Never ever. I don’t play

with asshats who don’t respect limits.” Chad relaxed under the
kiss.

“That’s sweet. And very hot,” said a female voice.
“Can I show you something?” Jace asked.
“Other than more of those kisses, yes.”
Jace took one more and Chad relaxed again. He caught his

breath when Jace quit touching him to go show the woman
something on the table. He was fine. He wasn’t hurt. He could still
hear Jace talking. He took some deep breaths and let the smooth
wood at his back comfort him.

“Oyez! Oyez!” came a loud voice from the center of the tent.

“The sale will close in thirty minutes. Begin making your final
selections.”

Thirty minutes. He could do this. His cock had started to flag,

the weight of the chain getting to it. Chad relaxed into one of his
favorite fantasies.

Jace stood over him, wearing the boots and leather pants and a

mail chest harness. Silver rings glinted in his nipples and his eyes
glinted just as hard. Chad waited on his knees, his hands bound as

CHAIN-MALE

Jace circled him.

“Such a pretty boy I have. Kinky little fucker, too.” His fantasy

had acquired Jace’s tendency to talk during sex. “Lick my boots
and we’ll see what else your tongue is good for.”

Chad imagined licking across the toe of Jace’s boots, the smell

and taste of leather filling his senses. He licked the whole instep,
then around the ankles. He was working his way up the top of the
boot when Jace touched him, jarring him out of the fantasy.

“Keep thinking sexy thoughts. We’re selling well. Not much

longer and then I can take that home and enjoy.” Chad didn’t
safeword when Jace’s hand cupped his balls. “You are so hot. I
don’t know how I’m going to manage to pack up with you just
standing there looking like that.” Jace stroked one finger along the
bottom of his cock and left to go make a sale.

The herald announced the fifteen-minute warning. Chad shifted

his feet. Standing around for two hours did get tiring. He heard
Jace starting to pack, then a sale interrupted. He was pleased Jace
had done so well and more pleased that he had helped.

The herald announced the sale was closed. All shoppers were

to vacate upon finishing the current transaction. Merchants had
fifteen minutes. Hurried clanking told him Jace was racing against
the clock. Chad felt Jace slide the staff out from the holder and
uproot the holder. He wobbled, unsteady and lost in the dark until
Jace guided him to the cart and looped the towing rope around his
chest.

“I could help,” Chad offered.
“You are helping. You’re motivating me. The faster I get this

loaded”—Jace interrupted himself—“ah there. The faster we can
go. Can you walk on a leash if I lead you carefully? I need you to
pull the wagon.”

CHAIN-MALE

“Sure, display case, draft horse, sex slave. Anything else I can

do for you, oh my lord and master?”

Jace laughed and gave him a kiss. He eased Chad to sit on

something that felt like a tote. “Stamp down. I won’t let you walk
barefoot in the woods.” Chad got into his boots with Jace’s help.
“Let’s get back to the tent.” He looped a thick chain around Chad’s
neck and secured it so it wouldn’t slide and choke him. Then Jace
tugged on the leash and helped him up before harnessing him to
the wagon.

Chad threw his weight against the wagon’s rope and it moved

more easily than he had expected. Jace had had a really good night.
He followed the gentle urging of the leash. Jace’s hand rested very
close to his throat and Jace kept him near.

He could tell when they stepped out of the warm, lit tent into

the October night. Cool air hit his face and the dark became
impenetrable. He hoped Jace would leave him blindfolded for the
sex part.

They walked slowly, Jace picking their path. Chad followed,

towing the wagon along the road. The broad road seemed easy to
walk by day, but at night it was a trap of uneven ruts, stones and
unexpected holes.

They made it back to the tent and Jace parked the wagon. Chad

heard him pick up the moneybox and then felt him tug the leash
again. The familiar smell of the tent surrounded him.

“Blindfolded and bound?” Jace asked. “You ready for that

much kink or shall I undo you?”

Chad smiled. “Blindfolded and bound. I’ll let you know if I

need to be untied.” He took a breath and eased himself to his
knees. “I need to suck you.”

Jace put one hand on his head and fumbled with the other. “Oh

CHAIN-MALE

babe.” He guided Chad to his cock and gently fed it into Chad’s
parted lips. Chad bumped his nose against Jace’s fingers. “Don’t
want you to choke.”

Chad licked along the bottom of Jace’s cock, his whole world

reduced to sound and smell and touch, with taste overwhelming
them all. He breathed deeply through his nose, taking in the scent
of the canvas and the cedar of the bed, of damp forest and Jace’s
own heady musk after a day without a shower.

The hard velvety head filled his mouth. The shaft parted his

lips, sliding gently across them. His own cock jerked in its chains,
dislodging the cloak and slipping out into open air.

Jace’s fingers tightened in his hair. “You suck so good. So sexy

like this.”

Chad came from the words and the whole night all at once. He

pressed down and nipped Jace’s fingers, wanting more of his cock.
Just as he took it all, Jace came, shuddering and gasping.

“So hot. I couldn’t last.” Jace eased him off and stroked his

face.

“I came, too,” Chad confessed.
“Sexy boy.” Jace helped him to his feet and took the blindfold

off of him. Chad almost missed the comforting blackness. The
single candle in the tent seared his eyes and he closed them again.

Jace untied his hands and rubbed them to get the circulation

going again. Chad flexed his fingers and them wrapped his arms
around Jace’s neck and pulled him close for kisses.

“Did you mean what you said to Lord Asshat? About me being

your lover?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Jace gave him a half-smile and kissed him. “You bet I

did.” He rubbed Chad’s arms. “Let me get the boots and chain off
you and get into bed. You’re getting all goose pimply.”

CHAIN-MALE

“That’s you making me feel sexy.” Chad grinned, pulling the

cloak around the rest of him as Jace started freeing his cock.

Jace stood up and dropped the mail on the chest that served as a

little table. “Only because you are sexy.” He yawned hugely and
pulled his watch out of his pouch. “It’s almost three. Bedtime for
pretty argr thralls that give amazing head.”

Chad kissed him and slipped between the blankets.

* * *

The next morning brought fog and a cold gray drizzle that

never quite turned to rain. Jace called it a day before breakfast.

“Let’s just pack it in. We can spend the rest of the morning in

bed. In fact, you stay put and keep it warm.”

He was gone about an hour and Chad had fallen back to sleep,

lulled by the fuzzy patter of the water. It wasn’t rain on a tin roof,
but it soothed him anyway.

“We’re all packed up. All we have to do is knock the bed apart

and take the tent down. I’m chilly.”

Jace slid off his boots and wet clothes, toweled off and slid

down into the blankets with Chad. Chad snuggled him up, not sure
if he wanted to go back to sleep or if he was interested in
something more.

Jace was indeed chilled, his skin clammy from working in the

cool dampness. Chad held him closer, rubbing his ass, that
eminently squeezable ass, which seemed to be the coldest part of
him. His cock woke up and took notice of what was in his hands.

“What do you want?” Jace asked, kissing his neck. Chad just

looked into those bright blue eyes and tried to decide if this was
the right time to ask.

CHAIN-MALE

“I want to fuck you,” Chad whispered, barely believing he was

saying the words.

Jace’s eyes got big and a wide smile crossed his face. “Thought

you’d never ask, babe. I’ve been dying for a ride since I saw your
cock.” He reached over the side and came up with a condom and
lube.

“Riding is good,” Chad managed, barely keeping from

laughing at the music in his head. He didn’t want to explain to Jace
the phrase “I wanna take a ride on your disco stick” had gotten
stuck on repeat.

Jace kissed him and the music turned off as his body woke all

the way up. His cock poked against Jace’s stomach and Jace’s
tongue slipped into his mouth, which felt like its second home
these days. He never expected a man to like kissing as much as
Jace did. Those full, soft lips were made for it, and he was pleased
Jace liked to use them.

Jace kissed down his throat to play with his nipples. Chad

arched and whimpered under the treatment.

“So sensitive. I could play with these all day just to see if it’d

make you come. That’s why I got mine pierced, to make ’em more
sensitive.”

“It’s really sexy,” Chad said, reaching for one of the rings. Jace

hissed a little when he tugged on it. “Sensitive part seems to be
working, too.”

“All the sensitive parts are working just fine, babe.” Jace thrust

his own hard cock against Chad’s thighs.

“Mine are getting oversensitive.” He stroked Jace’s cock and

watched. Jace rolled him onto his back and kissed him.

Jace reached over for the condom and caught one corner of the

package in his teeth. With a wink, he ripped it open and rolled it

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onto Chad’s cock with a flourish. Chad grinned goofily. Jace’s
move could have been cheesy or sleazy, but it actually looked sexy
and fun instead. Lube followed the condom, cool even through the
latex.

Jace knelt over him, taking another kiss. Then he tipped Chad’s

cock straight up and began lowering himself onto it. Chad held his
breath as Jace reached the tip and started pressing down. The
resistance of Jace’s body scared him. Horror stories of penile
fractures filled his mind. Then Jace opened around him, taking him
in with an almost-audible pop.

Jace slid down slowly, his eyes shut, his mouth open in ragged

breaths. Once he was settled, he opened his eyes and looked down
at Chad. “Damn.”

“Am I hurting?” Chad really hoped not. Jace felt amazing

around him, all hot and tight, a slow gentle massage as he clenched
and relaxed.

“No. Just been too fucking long with no fucking,” Jace said.
Chad laughed and thrust up lightly, not wanting to hurt or

dislodge Jace. Jace caught his breath sharply.

“Yeah, more.” Jace flexed his thighs and rose up a little.

Chad’s mind went straight to his balls as Jace rode him with slow,
gentle strokes. Nothing existed except the intense blue eyes, the
full mouth, the shining silver rings and the tight hot ass around
him. He was pretty sure he babbled, but had no idea what his
mouth was saying. All that mattered was the motion, the heat, the
explosion he could feel building in his lower belly and balls.

“Oh baby. Hottest fucking thing ever. Pound me. Get me off.”

Jace guided Chad’s hand to wrap around his cock as he rode.

Chad tried to oblige but after two good thrusts, the building

explosion cut loose, surging up and out of his cock, sending sparks

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flying along every nerve of his body and making his spine light up
like a Christmas tree.

“Ack!” Jace gave a strangled gasp and Chad blinked his eyes

clear to see he had a death grip on Jace’s cock. He loosened his
hold and stroked it with intent to bring his lover off.

“Sorry.”
“It’s all right.” Jace shoved into his hand just a little and came

all over his stomach. Before Chad could deal with the
awkwardness of trying to figure out how to clean up, Jace slid off
his cock, yanked the condom and was licking up his own seed off
Chad’s belly. Chad just watched, this kinky new trick seeming as
hot as anything else they’d done. He lay quietly, wondering how
Jace had that much energy when his own body seemed to be
spaghetti muscles over tapioca bones.

* * *

They lay together a while and listened to the noises of the camp

breaking around them. Finally Jace stirred and sat up.

“Wow.” He leaned down and kissed Chad. “That was terrific.

Thanks.”

Chad just blinked. “You’re thanking me? Jace, no one ever

wanted me enough to kiss me, let alone be naked with me before
you. I should be spending the rest of my life thanking you.” He sat
up and kissed Jace again, wrapping his lover up in his arms,
kissing until neither of them could breathe.

“We gotta go back to real life, now.” Jace sighed.
“Yeah. You go get the car. I’ll finish in here. I think I can take

the bed apart.”

Jace kissed him again and started dressing. Chad watched,

CHAIN-MALE

thinking how odd he looked in a T-shirt and jeans. He threw on a
jacket instead of a cloak, bounced his keys in his hand and left.

Chad sat up and looked around once more. He dressed slowly

and then rolled the bedroll up and stuffed it in its bag. He carried
the totes and boxes out, noticing that Jace had already taken down
the candleholders. He untied the bedspring ropes. The sound of a
car outside slowed his unweaving of the bed. It had been very
comfortable.

“The tent boards go on the sides. The bed goes in first.”
“Bed’s almost ready,” Chad said.
Jace came in and helped him finish, then packed it. So quickly

and precisely he almost couldn’t follow it, Chad helped Jace load
their camp into the trailer and secured the tarp. His stomach
grumbled and he yawned.

“We’ll hit a breakfast buffet on the way out,” Jace promised.
They ate a quiet breakfast, neither talking much as they

devoured bacon and sausage, coffee and pancakes with the appetite
that working out in cold damp weather creates. Chad watched out
the car window as they pulled into the parking space at Jace’s
apartment.

“When can I see you again?” Jace asked.
Chad didn’t look at him. “Anytime you come to the library.”

He stared a little more, not ready for it all to be over.

“Do you want to come in?”
Chad said nothing. He was tempted. If he went in, he might

stay all afternoon and overnight and he didn’t have anything to
wear to work except the new tan tunic. He didn’t think the director
would approve, not with a business casual dress code.

“Fine,” Jace snapped. “I’m sorry. Whatever I fucked up, I’m

sorry. Maybe—”

CHAIN-MALE

Chad turned and kissed him, suddenly and hard. “You haven’t

fucked up. I had a great time. In fact, I don’t want it to end. I’m
just not sure about showing up Monday wearing what I had on
Friday, or my new tunic.”

Jace laughed, a sound of pure relief. “Is that all? I was afraid I

had hurt you, like broken your cock or something.” He kissed
Chad. “I have a washer. If it’s clean and fresh smelling, who cares
if you wear the same outfit every day?”

Chad nodded. “I’ll come in, borrow your washer, mooch dinner

and beg crash space, if you’d like.”

“And he’s suddenly twenty.” Jace laughed. “Sure.”
“I’m twenty-six. Let’s go. I need a shower.”
Jace’s hand found its way down his chest and into his lap.

“Really? Want some company?”

“Down boy. We’ll snuggle after the laundry is started and after

the showers.”

“That works.”
They carried the cooler box, the food crate and their personal

clothing into the apartment. Chad started the wash while Jace put
food away.

The hot shower sluiced delightfully over Chad’s grimy, sweaty

body. Jace was an Irish Spring man, with a taste for Ocean Breeze
shampoo. He preferred Dial and vanilla.

He came out of the shower to something that smelled

wonderful. Jace gestured for him to take over on the spaghetti
sauce while he grabbed a shower. Chad had it on the plates and
ready when Jace came back toweling off his hair.

After dinner, they cuddled on the couch, watching Boondock

Saints, slow motioning through the nude scenes in the special
features DVD.

CHAIN-MALE

“Sexy.” Chad yawned and stretched as he looked at the clock.

“I have to get up in the morning.”

“Yep. I gotta take you to work,” Jace agreed with a yawn of his

own. “I’ll get the rest of the gear unloaded tomorrow. Gotta hang
the tent over the fence to dry and air out before I fold it away for
the winter.”

“Shame. I like it a lot.”
“There are winter events. They’re indoors.”
Chad gave him a sweet kiss. “Really? And when is the next one

for your pretty display thrall?”

“Tonight. It’s a special private sale. Customer base of one.”
Chad grinned and shoved Jace backward to the sofa, kissing

him deep and slow. “I like those best of all.”

NGELIA

PARROW

& N

AOMI

ROOKS

Angelia Sparrow is a librarian-turned-truck-driver who has been
writing off and on for over thirty years. She got her first
professional writing break in 2004. When not perpetrating
romance, she lives quietly in the Mid-South with her husband, four
kids and two cats. She enjoys crochet, cooking and gardening.

To learn more about Angelia and her writing, please visit her
website at: http://www.angelsparrow.com.

* * *

Naomi Brooks, International Woman of Mystery and Stalker of
Stockboys, is a retail escapee and technophile residing in
Northwest Ohio. She enjoys a life of feline servitude, and is
addicted to Netflix, The Sims 2, and World of Warcraft. Her first
professional piece appeared in 2006. When she grows up she wants
to be Errol Flynn, or Adam Lambert. Whichever.

* * *

Don’t miss The Curse of the Pharaoh’s Manicurists

available at AmberAllure.com!

In the roaring ’20s, Charlie Doyle, the ink still wet on his
Dartmouth journalism degree, answers an ad for a job as
secretary to Edward Kilsby, Lord Withycombe and renowned

flying ace of the Great War. The ad leads him to expect excitement,
but Charlie never expects quite so much.

When Edward is hired to find missing archaeologist Sir Alexander
Spencer, Charlie is about to go for the ride of his life. A whirlwind
tour of London, the Paris nightlife, a kidnapping by Edward’s
jilted fiancée and rival, Cairo, the Valley of the Kings, even the
Orient Express all pale compared to what awaits Charlie and
Edward in the tomb of Ni-ankh-khnum and Khnum-ho-tep,
Overseers of the Manicurists in the Palace of the King.

But not mummies nor jilted lovers, not malaria nor Anubis himself
can stop their quest…or their growing love for each other…

MBER

UILL

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, LLC

OLD

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UBLISHING

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OOKS

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LECTRONIC

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www.AmberQuill.com

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