Unlocking his door, he felt a faint buzz of Presence and froze, looking
all around. When he didn't see anyone, he took a pack of cigarettes
out of his coat pocket and shook one into his mouth, replacing the pack
before taking out his lighter so that his sword hand remained free at all
times. Lighting the cigarette, he propped himself against the side
of the car and waited. Licking the filter a little, he drew the smoke
into his lungs enjoying the slight burn and the vaguely superior feeling
that came from knowing he wasn't going to die from it. He kept a
careful watch of his surroundings and waited for the other Immortal to
make his move, but after a few moments the buzz faded. So Tyler shrugged
it off and got into his car.
He was halfway home when he confirmed he was being followed. He'd
suspected it for the last couple of miles, but with rush hour traffic had
written it off as paranoia left over from the earlier incident. He
turned onto a quiet residential street, went a couple of blocks and pulled
over to the curb. He waited and sure enough, the red sport utility
vehicle came along behind him. The car stopped far back enough that
Tyler couldn't feel the Presence of another Immortal, but he knew it was
the same one he'd felt earlier in the parking lot. He could only
see one person, but knew another could be hiding somewhere out of view.
He decided to trust his instincts, which said this was a solitary hunter.
He pulled back onto the street and drove away, with the other car following
much closer now that there was no more reason to hide. He led his
opponent to a side street full of dilapidated warehouses close to the river.
He parked his car and walked a couple hundred yards away to a sheltered
area between two buildings. He drew his sword, and lay it across
his shoulders in a show of casual confidence.
The other Immortal stepped out of his car, sword in hand and advanced
slowly. Tyler took note of any characteristics that might help him
in the fight. The other man had a youthful face that said nothing
about his actual age, and was shorter than Tyler but more bulky.
He carried his sword in his right hand, with a tighter grip than was necessary.
Could have been nerves, but Tyler wasn't counting on the guy being inexperienced.
The man stopped two meters away and announced, "Jim Lawrence."
Tyler tilted his head in acknowledgement and replied, "Tyler King.
Let's get it over with. I've got plans for the evening." Then
he lunged at his opponent, sword flashing in the fading light of sunset.
Lawrence blocked the flurry of blows, but gave ground with Tyler in pursuit.
For several minutes the two men danced back and forth, evenly matched,
each looking for weaknesses to exploit.
A particularly hard blow caused Tyler to stumble, but he kicked out
and brought his opponent to his knees. He jumped to his feet and
lunged for Lawrence's head, but the other man got his blade up in time,
blocking the swing and jarring Tyler long enough for him to get to his
feet. He met Tyler on equal footing once more with several quick
slashes that left him a little too open on his left. Ignoring the
long shallow gash that opened up on his chest, Tyler took advantage of
the opening with a jab to the gut that brought Lawrence to his knees for
the last time. The man instinctively grabbed at the wound, leaving
his neck completely unprotected from Tyler's blade. One swift blow
was all it took.
The thump of the head hitting the dirt was the last distinct sound Tyler
heard for a while as a deafening wind rose, whipping dust and bits of trash
through the causeway between the buildings. Tyler closed his eyes
and relaxed into the power of the Quickening, swaying gently as waves of
energy rolled off the dead Immortal and crashed into him. He cried
out in pain when sharper bolts struck him, but he remained on his feet.
And when it was over he felt powerful and more alive than he could remember
being in a long time. He also felt battered and aroused, jittery
and tense with the extra energy coursing through his veins.
Tyler went to the dead man's vehicle and was pleased to note he'd left
the keys in the ignition and had almost a full tank of gas. He drove
the car through the gaping doors of the nearest building, barely clearing
the door when his way was blocked by a large chunk of the caved in roof.
"Ah, that's good enough," he muttered, jumping out and going for the body,
which he dragged inside and propped in the driver's seat. He ran
back to get the head and then settled it on top of the neck.
After setting Lawrence and his vehicle on fire, Tyler calmly walked
out of the building, got in his car and drove away. When he was half
a mile away from the river, he lit a cigarette with shaky hands and kept
driving. He was glad he had tinted windows so no one would see the
red blood turning his blue shirt a deep shade of royal purple. At
least his coat was dark enough that the blood didn't show up too much.
If nobody looked closely, he could get up to his penthouse without any
trouble.
Approaching his door, Tyler shuddered at the feel of Immortal Presence
zipping up his spine. Keeping one hand on his sword, he took his
keys out, but the door opened before he had a chance to use them.
Cory stared at him, frowning suddenly as he noticed Tyler's condition.
"What happened to you?"
"What do you think happened?" Tyler countered impatiently, stripping
off his coat and tossing it into the closet. He shrugged his shoulders
and adjusted his pants over the erection that hadn't faded a bit since
the Quickening. His skin was on fire and his bones itched.
He was not in the mood to talk about it. He just wanted some quick
relief to get his system settled enough to enjoy the rest of the evening.
As Tyler turned away from the closet, Cory was there, reaching a hand
out to the bloody slash in Tyler's shirt. With concern in his eyes,
he asked quietly, "Are you okay? Need help getting rid of the body?"
"No." Instinctively jerking back, Tyler closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them, he stared over Cory's shoulder unable or just unwilling
to make eye contact. "I took care of it. Look, I'm just going
to..." He gestured vaguely toward the bathroom, and started to move away.
"Wait just a minute."
Cory reached out again, and Tyler couldn't stand another casual touch.
He knocked Cory's hand away, and snapped, "Don't! I'll take care
of this too."
"Ty, you don't have to. I'm here. Let me help." Holding
his hand out, Cory spoke in a near whisper as if he were gentling a wild
animal.
Tyler recognized what his friend was doing, but it started to work anyway.
He drew in a deep breath, and conceded, "I forgot that you know what it's
like." He tried a conciliatory smile, but knew that he most likely
failed. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, fighting
off the urge to flee to the safe haven of his room. Since it was
their room now, it wasn't much of a sanctuary anymore— not a place to
be alone, anyway. It had become a sanctuary of a different kind.
"Let's get this shirt off first." Cory started on the buttons,
but Tyler knocked his hands away again. This time following through
and pushing Cory's whole body away, pushing him up against the closet door
and attacking his throat with sharp, hungry teeth. "Or the shirt
can wait," Cory groaned, tilting his head so that Tyler could ravish him
freely.
Tyler ground his hips against Cory's and ran his hands through dark
silky hair, muttering, "Now you're getting it." He sank his teeth
into Cory's collar and ripped it out of his way, not giving a single thought
to the snow white silk. With that annoyance out of the way, he sucked
hard at the exposed collarbone then licked his way up to the corner of
Cory's jaw where he nipped sharply. All the while, he kept his hips
moving restlessly against Cory's, wanting more contact but unable to stop
petting Cory's hair long enough to undress either himself or his lover.
He groaned in frustration when Cory's fingers stopped stroking his back
and settled on his ass, squeezing and kneading and generally driving Tyler
insane with lust.
Withdrawing one hand from Cory's hair, Tyler grabbed one of the hands
on his ass and moved it to the bulging fly of his pants. Cory seemed
to catch on quickly as he lowered first Tyler's zipper and then his own,
while Tyler kissed Cory on the lips for the first time since he walked
through the door. It was a hard, devouring kiss, because that's all
Tyler could manage at the moment. He wanted more of this man and
relief from the raging arousal, and gentleness was just too far out of
his reach. His hands were wrapped around Cory's biceps, pushing him
back against the door hard enough to bruise, but the dark haired man wasn't
complaining.
By the time Cory had both of their pants open and out of the way, Tyler
felt like he might explode from the pressure building inside him.
The heat and friction of his cock rubbing against Cory's set him on fire,
and he thrust hard into it. Tearing his lips from his lover's, he
dropped his head back to Cory's neck where he bit and sucked hard enough
to break the skin, not realizing that fact until the rush of warm blood
flooded his mouth. With a mental shrug, he swallowed convulsively
just as his balls contracted and he sprayed his come over Cory's cock and
belly. He continued to suck the salty warmth from Cory's neck as
his lover screamed and stiffened, coming hard against Tyler's still pumping
hips.
Completely drained of energy, the two men slowly slid down the door
in a tangle of limbs on the cool marble floor. Tyler closed his eyes
and concentrated on breathing, until Cory's breathless voice intruded.
"What was that all about? You turn into a vampire today?"
Tyler raised his head from Cory's chest and looked into amused green
eyes. Reaching up to touch the healing wound, Tyler shivered at the
charge of energy on his fingertips. He really didn't know what to
say besides, "It was an accident. Sorry about that."
"It's okay. I understand." Cory rubbed soothing circles
over Tyler's back, and Tyler had to fight the urge to sink into his lover,
because this wasn't the best place and they didn't have time anyway.
"Thanks. Letitia... she never did." Ignoring the questions
in Cory's eyes, Tyler untangled himself and glanced at his watch.
"If we're going to make our reservations, we need to get going."
Cory grinned and flicked his torn collar. "You owe me a new shirt."
"You have plenty more," replied Tyler, as he made a mental note to get
Cory's sizes after he fell asleep so he could surprise him with a new shirt
and maybe a suit too. He stood up and said, "I'm going to take a
shower and you're not invited."
Laughing, Cory jumped to his feet and followed him into the bedroom.
"Fine, be that way. I'll just pick out your clothes while you're
in there."
"No leather!" Tyler called over his shoulder just before he shut the
bathroom door, locking it before realizing that wouldn't necessarily keep
Cory out if he seriously wanted in. Ordinarily, Tyler would have
been thrilled to have Cory's company in the shower, but he knew that would
make them late for their reservations. Still a little emotionally
raw from what happened earlier, he needed the distance to deal with the
confusion and guilt over how he'd treated Cory. He hadn't lost control
that violently in a long time.
He turned the shower on as hot as he could stand it, stripped and stepped
under the spray. Even though he'd known the guy for over two centuries,
Tyler had to get reacquainted with Cory's complete acceptance of everything
that had to do with being Immortal. Tyler's wife had been all too
mortal, as her fatal heart attack had proven so painfully. She had
loved him, and had been utterly fascinated by his stories of times and
places that she'd only heard of from history books. She'd claimed
not to mind that he didn't get any older while she did, and, in later years,
had only smiled and preened when someone thought he was her boy toy.
She hadn't minded having to move often or not being able to have children
of her own.
For all her understanding of some things, Letitia had strenuously objected
to the violence of immortality, and thirty years of marriage had not changed
that one bit. She'd hated it when he had to fight, and had complained
vociferously when he'd come home after a challenge bloody and crackling
with energy that had to be dispelled somehow. He'd learned to take
care of his physical response to the Quickening before he got home if at
all possible, and to get rid of any bloodstained clothes quickly and efficiently.
And most of all, he learned never to talk about it. Letitia had
begged him not to fight and not to hunt, but other than that she wouldn't
discuss the darker aspects of his immortality.
Living with Cory was a whole different world, because not only did he
understand all the violence and emotional turmoil, he'd gone through it
himself. They didn't have to have secrets for protection, emotional
or otherwise. It was a relief being able to be himself completely,
but it was also a bit frightening because Cory expected him to do so.
He wouldn't let Tyler hide behind the mysteries of Immortality.
Tyler sighed and rinsed the shampoo from his hair, then turned the hot
water off, letting the blast of cold take care of the arousal that had
started creeping through his body even though his mind was occupied elsewhere.
He could have just jerked off, but he was determined to wait until he could
get Cory in bed to take care of the fever that their earlier coupling had
scarcely lessened.
Turning off the water and quickly drying himself, Tyler walked out into
the bedroom to find that Cory had everything laid out on the bed for him—
designer suit, coordinated shirt and tie, even socks and underwear.
His lover brushed a kiss across Tyler's cheek as he hurried into the bathroom
for his own shower. Tyler slipped on the black silk boxers, socks,
pants, and shoes that Cory'd chosen for him. The navy blue shirt
and discreetly patterned tie were next. Saving the jacket until he
was ready to walk out the door, he went over to the dresser for cufflinks
and his spare watch to replace the one that had gotten fried in the Quickening.
He combed the damp spikes of his thick hair into order, and made a note
to get a haircut in a couple of days. As the door opened behind him,
he rubbed a hand over his jaw wondering if he had time to shave.
Striding into the room in a cloud of steam, Cory took one look at him
and said, "Leave the stubble. You look sexy." Then he threw
on his own clothes so fast that Tyler thought he must have practiced for
quick getaways.
Tyler noticed that all evidence of his earlier... violent...attentions
was gone from Cory's flawless ivory skin—either healed up or washed away.
Suddenly feeling unsettled, he left Cory to finish getting ready.
Tyler paced around the perimeter of the living room, drifting through
the dining room and kitchen before circling back and stopping by the wide
windows that overlooked the lake. After Letitia died and he'd sold
the big house in Denver, he'd had the strangest longing to live by the
water. Any normal person with such an inclination would have ended
up in a beach house somewhere, but Lake Michigan had suited his mood better.
It had an untamed quality that defied the fact that it was surrounded by
the city. The mystery of it appealed to Tyler the most, but tonight
the Lake wasn't having its usual soothing effect on him. He'd just lit
a cigarette to quiet his nerves when Cory came out looking as handsome
as one of those fellows on the cover of GQ.
Tyler smiled and felt a calm descend on him like a warm blanket.
He shook off the fanciful notion and crushed out his cigarette in the heavy
crystal ashtray on the table by the window. Crossing the room, he
took the jacket Cory held out, putting it on with a last minute check of
wallet and keys. He took his sword out of the blood-splattered coat
he'd worn earlier, and got out another coat, slipping the blade into a
hidden inner sheath. It was almost too warm for a coat, but Tyler
didn't go anywhere without his sword, and he was trying to get Cory in
the habit. Since guns had become more popular and swords had gone
out of fashion, Cory had slowly stopped carrying his blade every waking
moment. The two men had had many discussions on the subject over
the years that usually resulted in Cory carrying his sword while Tyler
was around, but falling right back into his previous pattern as soon as
they were apart.
The two men went out to dinner as if it was any other night, and maybe
it was for most Immortals. Sipping his after dinner brandy, Tyler
thoughtfully watched his lover in the candle light, the golden glow lighting
up Cory's dark green eyes to a shimmering emerald. His straight white
teeth—amazing considering the lack of dentistry during his mortal life—
flashed in a charming smile as he related a recent adventure.
The last six weeks with Cory had been good. The loneliness that
had plagued him in his grief had dissipated, but the grief itself still
lingered in unguarded moments. He'd lost wives and lovers before,
and every time he went through the complete cycle, all the while telling
himself that this would be the last one, the last to whom he'd give his
heart. But someone else always came along...
Tyler didn't realize how long he'd been sitting quietly just staring,
until Cory broke off the story he was telling and said, "I lost you quite
a while back, didn't I? Want to talk about it?"
"What?"
"Why you're so quiet tonight."
"Gandhi once said, 'In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path
in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into
crystal clearness.' Did you know that?"
Cory shook his head. "And have you found resolution to whatever
it is that's bothering you?"
"Not exactly." Tyler shifted his empty snifter around on the tablecloth,
and finally asked the question that had been in the back of his mind for
the last few days. "You're leaving soon, aren't you?"
Cory nodded and said, "No." When Tyler stared at him in disbelief,
he smiled and shrugged, "Well, I may have to go out of town next week,
but I'll come back. If that's okay with you."
"Of course. Listen, do you want to get out of here?" Tyler
asked, signaling the waiter for the check and pulling out his wallet.
Cory grabbed his wrist and said, "I'll get this one."
With a small smile, Tyler acquiesced and sat back to watch his lover.
He was worried that Cory might be getting bored with him, so he looked
for signs of restlessness in the other man. Cory looked as relaxed
and contented as he always did, but Tyler could feel his own earlier edginess
returning full-force. He had to get out of here, away from all these
well-dressed people with their discreet chattering that was starting to
grate on his nerves. He huffed a sharp sigh of relief when Cory gave
the waiter cash and stood up to go.
Once out in the breezy softness of the late spring evening, the two
men walked down the street at a pace that didn't suggest a leisurely stroll
so much as a burning off of energy. By unspoken agreement, they headed
for a nearby park that would be quieter than the bustling street.
The park was one of the small pockets of greenery often scattered through
large cities— basketball court in one corner, baseball diamond in another,
a small playground, and the obligatory monument to some long forgotten
person who was only famous in that particular neighborhood anyway.
There were also paved walking and bike paths winding through the trees
and neatly trimmed shrubbery.
Sticking his hands in his coat pockets, Tyler could feel the reassuring
weight of his sword against his side as he started down a path with Cory
beside him. They walked in silence for several yards, before Tyler
asked, "So is this trip for business or pleasure?"
"Business that will be a pleasure." Cory grinned and nudged Tyler
with his elbow. "You could come with me, you know. I'll bet
you'd be a great bank robber."
"Oddly, I have no aspirations of being a wanted felon. Those banks
have got too many cameras for my taste."
"Well, it's not an actual bank this time..." Cory trailed off, and looked
at the grey-speckled pattern of the pavement beneath their feet.
"It's a check-cashing place that my research tells me has an unusually
high amount of cash on hand."
"You're not stealing from the mob again are you?"
After a long pause, Cory replied, "No."
"Where is this place? How long are you going to be gone?"
Tyler hoped that he didn't sound as anxious as he felt. For some
reason that made no sense yet, he was suddenly afraid to let Cory out of
his sight. They'd made no commitment to each other, and he had no
right to ask Cory not to go. The impulse was there just the same.
"Seacouver, Washington—I've got a place outside there. There's
another job I might do there... a couple of weeks should do it."
Cory moved closer and glanced at Tyler from the corner of his eye, and
said, "Gonna miss me?"
Tyler glanced around to make sure they were alone and said, "Mmm, I
think I will." Then he put a hand on the back of Cory's head, pulling
him in for a kiss. He smiled against Cory's lips and murmured, "Oh,
yeah, I will, definitely will."
"I'll have to give you something to think about while I'm gone," Cory
whispered back, taking Tyler in his arms. Catching Tyler's lower
lip between his teeth, he nibbled and then soothed the abused flesh with
his tongue. Tyler opened his eyes and stared at his lover as they
devoured each other's mouths.
A low growl coming from just off the path broke the men apart.
Cory laughed while Tyler shook his head in frustration and sighed, "Not
again."
Tyler looked over and was not surprised to see a white wolf dog standing
there. He wasn't especially cheered by the fact that it seemed to
be snarling at Cory and not him. While Cory continued to laugh like
a hyena, not at all frightened of the creature that looked ready to rip
his throat out, Tyler looked around and wondered where the flannel guy
was. He was mildly surprised when the man showed up a moment later
in full dress RCMP regalia. Leaning into Cory, Tyler asked quietly,
"What's a Mountie doing in Chicago?"
"I'm still wondering what a wolf's doing in Chicago," Cory countered
under his breath with a big grin.
"Diefenbaker!" The Mountie snapped at the wolf before turning
to the two Immortals and saying, "I'm terribly sorry. I explained
things to him, but he's really very stubborn once he gets an idea into
his head. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Constable Benton
Fraser. I first came to Chicago on the trail of the killers of my
father. And for a variety of reasons, I have remained, attached as
Liaison to the Canadian Consulate. Diefenbaker is half wolf, actually."
This last was directed to Cory with a nod.
"My mistake," said Cory, with a tilt of his head that made Tyler want
to throw him on the ground and remind him to whom he belonged.
"Oh no, it's a common mistake," the Constable replied politely.
"Come Diefenbaker, we need to catch up with Ray. Gentlemen, please
accept our apologies, and... and carry on."
Tyler smiled politely as his lover went off again into another round
of snickers.
The Mountie blushed and murmured, "Oh, dear."
Shrugging one shoulder, Tyler rubbed his temple tiredly and said, "Don't
mind him. He's a freak."
The blush disappeared as the Mountie went pale and stared at Tyler searchingly
for a moment. Tyler was about to ask what the problem was when the
Constable suddenly turned his head without taking his eyes off Tyler.
A couple of seconds later, a voice called from around a bend in the path,
"Fraser! Hey, Frase, where'd you go?"
The wolf dog jumped to its feet, yipping madly, and Tyler would have
sworn it was grinning at them. His contemplation on the vagaries
of wolf dogs was broken by the Chicago-accented voice speaking again from
closer by.
"Hey, Dief, are you hittin' up strangers for pretzels now?" As
the vaguely familiar man bent over to rub the back of the wolf's furry
neck, his leather jacket swung open. Tyler caught a glimpse of the
butt of a gun in a shoulder holster and thought the guy must be a cop.
There was also something in the way he carried himself, an alertness that
suggested more awareness of his surroundings than the average person might
have.
And when he looked up at Tyler and Cory there was a subtle suspicion
in his eyes, even as he gave a friendly smile. "Hey. You guys
friends of Fraser's? Have we met before?"
Tyler glanced at Cory who was staring at the new arrival in silence
with an expression of surprise bordering on shock. The Mountie was
looking from Tyler to the new guy and back again in fascination.
It was getting on Tyler's nerves, but he smiled and said, "No. We
just met Constable Fraser. I'm Tyler King, and this is Cory Raines."
"Ray Vecchio. Nice to meet you." Tyler shook hands with
Vecchio, hoping that if he was a cop, Cory wasn't known to be wanted
for anything. The name rung a bell, so he decided to ask.
"I noticed the shoulder holster. Are you a cop? The reason
I ask is, I met a police detective named Ray Vecchio at a function for
the Mayor's Office about three or four months ago. But he was a green
eyed Italian, looked nothing like you."
Vecchio and Fraser exchanged a speaking look, and the blond turned his
attention back to Tyler and said blandly, "Must be another Ray Vecchio.
Chicago's a pretty big town."
Tyler tilted his head toward the wolf. "I used to think so, but
now I'm not so sure."
Vecchio looked about to speak when Cory finally let out a breath and
said, "Amazing!"
The other three men looked at him, and when he stepped toward Vecchio,
the wolf dog started growling again, stopping him in his tracks.
"It's okay, boy," Cory soothed the wolf. He smiled at the Mountie.
"Explains a lot, doesn't it?"
Constable Fraser nodded. "I believe I mentioned the resemblance
the first time we met."
"Resemblance, yeah, but not this," Cory replied, waving a hand at
Vecchio and Tyler, who'd had quite enough.
"What? What resem—" Something clicked in the back of Tyler's
mind, and he stared at the cop. After a moment of careful consideration,
he admitted there was a similarity between himself and the cop. Tyler
took in the man in front of him with his spiky hair and rumpled casual
wear. He was a few years older than Tyler's apparent age.
"What resemblance you ask? This guy could be your twin," Cory
declared with a roguish gleam in his eyes.
"You know that's not possible and get that other thought out of your
mind right now."
"Aw, come on Ty, you gotta wonder—"
"No, I don't. And you better not be too curious yourself, Cory."
Tyler felt that thrill of possessiveness again, and told himself to ease
up before he scared his lover off. He patted Cory on the arm briefly,
hoping to imply they'd talk later when there wasn't a Mountie, a cop, and
a wolf as witnesses to their lovers'...squabble, discussion, whatever it
turned out to be.
And the Mountie, cop, and wolf were all watching them avidly.
The cop—Vecchio— was staring at Tyler with blue eyes that held hints
of gold that gave them an almost greenish tint in the amber glow of the
park's street lights. Tyler's own eyes were just plain blue, and
his hair was a darker shade of blond, but the resemblance was definitely
there. Maybe if it was possible for Immortals to have siblings, they
could have been brothers.
"You, ah...you think we could be related somehow?" Vecchio asked
with a furrowed brow, obviously trying to work it out for himself.
Maybe he was contemplating which uncle could have a son 'born on the wrong
side of the blankets', as they used to say in Tyler's youth.
"No. I was an only child, and so were my parents," Tyler lied
without a qualm, because that was true of his current identity. He'd
had brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but none of them were
actually genetically linked to him, so it was the truth when he continued,
"It's just a strange coincidence. Small world and all that."
"How can you be so sure? Were either of your parents descended
from Mateusz and Agnieszka Kowalski? Or Henry and Marit—"
"Look," Tyler interrupted. "I'm sure your family tree is fascinating
but we are not related. Now my friend and I should be going.
It was... interesting to meet you Detective Vecchio. And you, too,
Constable Fraser."
Not giving the two men a chance to object, Tyler took Cory by the hand
and led him back down the path at a quick clip. Cory naturally had
plenty to say about the strange meeting.
"Come on, Ty! You should have at least gotten his number.
I'd love to see how else you guys are similar." Cory pulled Tyler
to a stop and said, "Let's go back. Maybe he and the Mountie would
like to join us? For experimental purposes, of course."
"First of all... no. Second, I'm not sure they were a couple.
And even if they were and I was interested—which I'm most certainly not—
I don't think Constable Fraser's that flexible." Tyler started walking
again, reaching into his pocket for a cigarette.
"If they're not a couple, they should be." Cory grinned slyly
and said, "Don't know about the Constable, but his friend looked plenty
flexible—very limber. Probably a good dancer, too. I'll
bet he's got a spine like a snake."
"How could you possibly tell that just from standing next to the guy
for a couple of minutes?" Tyler was incredulous, and bordering on
hurt to hear Cory talk like this. He knew it was stupid because he
knew how Cory was, but suddenly these things mattered more than they
did when the two men were just friends. He was getting too attached,
but hadn't he already decided that?
"I've got an eye for these things," Cory replied, oblivious to Tyler's
upset.
Tyler wanted to shake his lover and ask why he wasn't enough for Cory,
but all he did was flick his Zippo open and light his cigarette.
Swallowing the sick feeling of betrayal, he blew out a stream of smoke
and asked casually, "You've got an eye, huh?"
"I can tell lots of things just by looking, but even a blind man could
see that you're jealous." Cory crooked a brow at him, daring Tyler
to deny it, but Tyler had no such intention.
"Yeah, a little." Tyler shrugged and hoped his weakness wouldn't
be used against him. "Is that a problem? Can you blame me?"
"No, not really." Cory sighed and looked away. "It's not
everyday you meet a man who could be your lover's twin. I can't help
being curious."
"Well. I guess... I guess that's understandable."
"You're pissed, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not. I just said I understand." Tyler pinched the
filter of his cigarette tightly between his thumb and forefinger, taking
one last sharp drag before dropping it to the ground and grinding it under
his heel much harder than necessary.
"You are angry. Come on Tyler. Even if I did him, I'd
share with you." Cory grinned and winked, but Tyler was not charmed.
It must have shown on his face because Cory's grin faded, and he said,
"I'm sorry, Ty. I was just teasing."
"I know, Cory." Tyler licked his lips, nerves singing through
him. "It's all right. I've just been on edge tonight."
"I noticed. You've been like a cat in a cage. Something
you wanted to talk about?" Cory asked as they stopped on the curb
and waited for a car to pass before crossing the street to the parking
lot.
"No, it was... I don't know. It's not important." Tyler
took his keys out of his pocket, opening the doors and apparently changing
the subject, though it was the same one as far as he was concerned.
"So when are you leaving for Seacouver?"
"I haven't decided if I'm flying or driving yet, but probably Monday,
which leaves us the whole weekend to... make up."
"Hmm. Think we can get started even though it's only Thursday?"
Tyler started the car and pulled out onto the street, shaking his head
as Cory patted his knee with a lecherous grin.
Scrambling to capture Cory's roaming hands, Tyler ripped his mouth away
from his lover's and whispered, "Wait a minute."
"What for?" Cory thrust his hips hard against Tyler's and wrenched
one hand loose, thrusting his fingers through his lover's hair. He
tilted Tyler's head back and ran his teeth down the tensed muscle in the
side of his neck.
With a sharp gasp, Tyler closed his eyes and made an effort to pull
away. He wanted to take it slower, but Cory was burning him up and
it felt too good to stop. Unwinding Cory's fingers from his hair,
Tyler murmured, "Wait. Slow down...stop."
When Cory immediately stopped moving, Tyler brought their entwined hands
up between them, rubbing his lips over Cory's knuckles. He slowly
pushed Cory over onto his back and lay against his side, his hard aching
cock pressing into Cory's hip. Kissing him softly on the cheek,
Tyler whispered, "I don't want to stop completely. I just want to
take it easy, make it last instead of going at each other like wild animals."
Cory looked up through long lashes, the forest of his eyes gleaming
almost black. Tyler brushed a kiss over one high cheekbone and licked
delicately along the curve of his lover's jaw. He released Cory's
hands and ran his own up the corded length of Cory's arms, over his shoulders
and down his chest with a light soothing touch. Tonight, Tyler needed
to show Cory some tenderness even though it had never really been a part
of their encounters...their relationship...before. Maybe it was the
fear that he was going to lose Cory that led him to change the rules.
He was unaccustomed to such a fear because Cory had never been his in the
first place, nor at any time during their long acquaintance. They
were just friends who occasionally had sex, for fun, to let off steam,
out of loneliness. It was always good, but it had never meant much
before now. This was the longest time they'd ever actually lived
together.
"Mmm... That's nice," Cory murmured approvingly, bringing Tyler's attention
back to the task at hand.
"Nice, huh? How about this?" Tyler stroked his fingertips
over the flat plain of Cory's stomach, down to the waiting erection.
Circling the hardness slowly with just his fingertips, Tyler touched his
lips to Cory's throat and breathed, softer than a sigh, against the damp
skin Cory's faint groan touched some yearning thing deep inside Tyler
that made him uncomfortable yet hungry for more. He pressed his lips
to Cory's and sipped slowly, resisting the urge to devour his lover in
gulps.
Never taking his hands from Cory's body, Tyler varied the speed, strength,
and location of his touches so that the man writhing beneath him could
never anticipate what would come next. After several long moments
of this torment, his own body cried out for release, but he ruthlessly
ignored it as he shifted further down on the bed and took Cory's heated
erection in his hand once more.
Sliding his tongue down the length, Tyler kept his teeth carefully away
from his lover's skin, knowing that Cory was too sensitized right now for
anything rough. He licked the sticky drops of escaping fluid from
the head, then sucked Cory's entire cock gently into his mouth until the
tip bumped into the back of his throat. Pulling back, Tyler repeated
the motion, as his ears filled with the whimpers coming from above him.
When the whimpering turned to pleading, he crawled back to the head of
the bed and whispered breathlessly into Cory's ear. "What can I give
you, Cory?"
Kissing Cory's neck, Tyler continued. "I'll do anything you want,
but you know what I want? Hmm? I want you inside me. I want
you to fuck me long and hard. I want you to take me."
Opening his eyes suddenly, Cory shuddered and rolled Tyler over onto
his back. Leaning on one elbow, Cory tried to speak but nothing came
out. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Tyler rubbed his fingertips down Cory's cheek
and over his lips, reassuring them both. It wasn't what Tyler wanted
so much as what he needed. He needed the feeling of security that
would come from being claimed by this man who had come to mean so much
more to him in the last few weeks than in all the previous decades put
together.
When Cory put his hands on the inside of Tyler's thighs, the prone man
spread his legs and lifted his hips, eager for what would come next.
He forced himself to relax as Cory's cock pushed against his opening, the
broad head pressing inside and then stopping. Tyler cursed and thrust
his hips back, taking the throbbing intruder deeper into him. Cory
took control again, pulling almost out and then shoving back in until he
was buried completely inside Tyler. Shuddering and reminding himself
to relax, Tyler rocked his hips just a little against his lover, then groaned
as sharp teeth nipped at the back of his neck.
"Ty, are you okay? Is it good, baby?" Cory's whiskey hot
voice burned across his skin, intoxicating him as much as the physical
pleasure of the hard cock pumping and grinding in his ass.
"Oh yeah, good, it's all good, it's great," Tyler mumbled into the pillow,
and moved his hand toward his leaking erection.
"No, not yet," panted Cory as he leaned his weight on one hand to free
the other to grab Tyler's before he made contact. "Wait just a minute."
And with almost painful swiftness, Cory withdrew his cock from Tyler's
body. The stunned man didn't have a chance to ask what was going
on before Cory rolled him over onto his back and shoved his legs apart,
leaving it to Tyler to bend his knees and plant his feet. Stopping
just long enough to relubricate, Cory pushed his cock back inside and started
thrusting in long hard strokes. Tyler gasped for breath and reached
for his lover, wrapping his hands around his biceps and levering himself
off the pillows for a kiss. He thrust his tongue into Cory's mouth
in a matching rhythm until he couldn't breathe. Releasing Cory and
lying back against the bed, Tyler took his neglected cock in his hand and
stripped his fingers from testicles to tip quickly and efficiently.
He tried to match his movements with the pounding that Cory was giving
him, but his hand was shaking from the power of his growing feelings.
He'd been holding back for so long, but now the pressure was building and
he couldn't resist the lure of the spectacular orgasm that was building
in his guts and spine and balls. He roughly stroked his aching erection
a couple more times, and just let go...
When he finally stopped coming, Tyler was breathless, weak, and vaguely
surprised that he hadn't passed out. He was sure his eyes had rolled
back in his head at some point, probably about the time he cried out Cory's
name about five times really fast, each time higher than the last.
When Cory stopped thrusting and suddenly stiffened against him, Tyler opened
his eyes in time to see beautiful green eyes go hazy and that sweet mouth
mutter something unintelligible as Cory came inside him then collapsed
on his chest with a loud groan. Tyler wrapped his arms around Cory's
back and held him tightly, finally feeling secure. One hard fuck
shouldn't have had such an effect, but it did. It was more than just
a fuck, but as such things go it was stellar and Tyler was content to bask
in the afterglow for a while.
When Cory pulled away, Tyler let him go, but breathed a silent sigh
of relief when Cory only rolled off his chest and settled at his side.
He met Cory's kiss with eager affection, one hand languidly smoothing the
damp spikes of his dark hair.
When Cory broke the kiss with a yawn, Tyler asked softly, "So you're
coming back, right?"
"Yeah, if I'm able," Cory yawned again and laid his head on Tyler's
shoulder.
"That's good enough. Want to go get cleaned up?"
When Cory didn't answer, Tyler tilted his head just a bit and saw that
his lover was sound asleep. With a smile, he whispered to himself,
"Good enough."
Good Enough
by Amy B
Glancing at his watch, Tyler King walked out of his accountant's building
and headed for his car. Since the meeting had run long and it was
after five o'clock, he decided not to go back to his office. He and
Cory had plans for dinner at a new restaurant that had proven so instantly
popular that tables were booked weeks in advance. The owner just
happened to be a client of Tyler's firm, so he'd been able to get them
a reservation as soon as Cory expressed an interest. He smiled as
he thought of Cory and his own eagerness to please his old friend and recent
lover.
Tyler's heart leapt in his chest when Cory took his fingers in his
mouth, sucking hungrily before pulling them out and turning to get the
bottle of lubricant from the nightstand drawer. When Cory motioned
at him with the bottle, Tyler turned over on his stomach and sighed as
the cool slick fingers touched his heated skin. He shifted impatiently
as Cory took his time stretching him, slowly and thoroughly preparing his
body for entry. When a hooked fingertip brushing over his prostate
sent electric sparks all through him, Tyler moaned, "Please, Cory."
