To Jim's mild surprise, the stranger led him to one of the city's more upscale hotels. It was only a few blocks from the bookstore, so they'd walked, neither one saying a word. As they were about to enter the lobby, Jim hesitated and finally spoke.
"Look, I'm not changing my mind here. I just really need a name. I mean, we could do without it, but I'd feel like a complete dumb-ass yelling out "Take me, whoever you are...."
His potential lover turned, fingers still gripping the door handle, and gazed at Jim fiercely. Ellison's heartbeat and breathing, which had begun to slow somewhat on the walk to the hotel, now kicked back into high gear.
"Upstairs."
"Is that a command or..."
"Upstairs."
Jim finally decided that if he didn't shut up, he wouldn't get what he needed, so it would be in his best interest to just stop talking, play follow the leader and go where it took him. Seeing his capitulation in his expression, the stranger turned and moved forward again.
"Okay, no big deal. What's so important about a name, anyway.... I didn't come here to exchange insurance information...." he murmured under his breath as he trailed the other man through the doors and into the hotel. While the other retrieved his messages, Jim hung back, studying the décor and plant life. A few minutes later, they were on their way up in the elevator. They were standing inside a slightly messy sixth floor room much sooner than Jim had anticipated, and he began to draw shorter, more shallow breaths as he tried to force time to slow down and let him catch up. His partner, however, had no intention of allowing him either space or the chance to think.
The door had been shut and locked for less than a minute before the shorter man headed for the bathroom, already stripping out of his clothes. Jim watched him toss his leather jacket on a chair and his shirt on top of a laundry bag then stride casually in to turn on and adjust the water in the shower, leaving the door open.
"Come on in here." He requested easily. Though long out of practice, Jim still heard the command that lay under the seemingly casual words. He responded the way his years in the military had hammered into him that he should; almost instantly and without questions, but beyond that, he found himself unable to initiate any further movement on his own. While his lover closed the door and performed other small tasks,, Jim merely stood, waited and produced frantic, confused thoughts that were no help at all.
{What the hell is wrong with me?! Why am I waiting for his permission? That's not how I do things. I need to change something here.... speak up, make a move, but.... I can't....}
"You planning on takin' a shower in your clothes?"
"Hmm? Oh... I guess not." Jim replied, slowly beginning to unbutton his shirt. By the time he had it and his jacket off and neatly hung up, the other was nude and had his hand in the shower stall again, testing the temperature. Finding it to his liking, he turned and faced Jim, grinning faintly at the lack of progress.
"Stand still."
Feeling the situation spin even more out of his control, and powerless to make it stop, Jim did as he'd been told. His new lover stepped close to him and crouched, swiftly removing Jim's boots and socks, tugging them off and placing them aside. The jeans and his briefs went next, just as quickly and efficiently. "Hmmph." He snorted softly as he rose to his full height again and stepped back. "Nice six-pack.... strong legs.... above average cock.... this'll work. In." he ordered, pointing behind him to the shower.
Blushing furiously, telling himself it was mainly due to the rising level of moist heat in the small space, Jim moved past the other man and slipped beyond the curtain. His new lover followed a few seconds later, growling almost inaudibly and reveling in the surge and tumble of water over his head and neck. He reached up, adjusted the spray so that it stung slightly when it struck his skin, then smiled. "Better. Stimulates the blood.... gets the juices flowing...."
Pulling a fresh wash cloth off a shelf, the shorter man held it under the water until it was thoroughly soaked then applied a dollop of liquid from a nearby squeeze bottle and rubbed vigorously to lather it up. At first, Jim simply relaxed and enjoyed the process of someone else washing him, but after a few minutes, he realized the warmth he felt was no longer coming just from the water.
"What.... what the hell.... oh.... oh, God...."
" Like it? It's my private formula for body wash.... all the regular stuff, plus a touch a'cayenne an' a couple drops of pure capsaicin. Like I said... I enjoy stimulation...."
When the bubbles and the cloth swept over his cock, Jim found himself panting again, neck muscles taut and eyes tightly shut against the flow of water streaming over his face. He could feel himself hardening rapidly and he tried to control his body's reaction, but the other man stripped that option away by whispering words in Jim's ear that were almost hotter than the body wash. "Go on... do it. Come everywhere.... I wanna see it.... on the walls, on the curtain.... on me. I wanna see how hard you blow.... been too long since you just let loose.... do it, Ellison.... c'mon.... that's it. Gonna be huge.... time to let it go. Yeah, pump my fist, man.... move your hips...."
As Jim's orgasm broke over him, conscious thought was temporarily blown away and the instinctive, hyper-reactive creature he harbored, the one he kept so carefully leashed, broke its bonds and took center stage. Wrapping one arm across his lover's shoulder and over his upper back, Jim dug his nails in deeply, drawing blood, but also drawing the smaller man closer to him. A moment later, he dropped his head down onto the solid shoulder before him and began to make wild and unintelligible noises. He grunted, whined, snarled and wailed, letting the warm, wet skin under his mouth soak up the sound.
It was several minutes before Jim was coherent enough to lift his head, reach around the man holding him up and turn off the water. Still a little woozy, Jim rested a hand on the shower wall and breathed deeply. When he saw that the water swirling down the drain was tinged pink, his expression turned regretful and he started to apologize, but the other man stopped him. "Uh-uh. Stuff the 'I'm sorry's'. I wanted that.... wanted you to know that passive ain't what this is about. Besides, I heal fast."
Jim nodded his understanding then showed it by stepping out of the stall first. When he turned to the wall opposite the sink, reaching for a towel, he was ambushed once again and pushed forward, avoiding a potentially painful collision by bracing his hands on the tile. This time, responding to his new lover's stated preference, Jim struggled to free himself, fighting to straighten up, but the hands on his back were incredibly strong and held him in place easily. Gradually, acknowledging he didn't really *want* to get away, he subsided, soothed by the powerful fingers kneading the muscles along his spine and in his lower back.
"What now.... as if I can't guess from the positioning."
"Yeah.... That's gonna happen, but not just yet. Right now.... I just want my turn at a little quick relief. You up for that?"
"Up? After that monster orgasm in the shower? Gimme another few minutes... but if you need to take the edge off.... go for it."
"The shower.... that was really wild. Never heard anybody make noises like that before... turned me on 'till I was ready to do some decoratin' myself... but I kept thinkin' about this..." he said, sliding his hands up and down over Jim's ass. " an' I held onto it. Don't play statue, now. If you feel it, show me... just like you did in there.... yell, talk, whatever...."
Slowly, Jim felt the globes of his ass being pulled apart and a slick, firm, burning weight was pressed between them. He cringed, anticipating sudden penetration and the pain that would come with it, but instead the other man slid up his back a few inches then lowered himself back down. After a moment, he repeated the move, and Jim understood. A few seconds later he moved beyond understanding into full, joyous participation, rocking slightly as he caught the speed and rhythm.
"Mmmm.... that's... I never....damn, it's so good...."
"It is.... keep movin' like that.... hot ass.... I love it. Can't wait to really be inside you.... my hard cock strokin' over your prostate... makin' you scream every time I move. I wanna hear those sounds again... out loud this time. Want you to claw me again.... claw, scratch, bite.... gonna make the cat come out, Ellison.... show you what it can do...."
Abruptly, the man behind Jim stilled then came with a deep groan followed by a flurry of frantic breathing that took a while to settle down. Eventually, he murmured one more word into Jim's ear. "Logan."
"What?"
"You wanted my name. Didn't feel like givin' it 'till we knew each other better."
"Oh. So are we headed for the bed at some point.... Logan?"
"Right now...."
********
As the pair moved back into the main section of the room, Jim trailed a step or two behind Logan, not out of any renewed sense of subservience, but because he found he liked the view from that position. His new lover might have lacked Jim's height, but he more than made up for it in sheer muscle tone. From his powerful calves to his stunningly tight ass and up into his back and shoulders, the man was a solid mass of power and Jim suddenly couldn't wait to see and feel him put it to use.
Logan stopped by the side of the bed, pulling back the comforter, blanket and top sheet, pausing only to look over his shoulder and toss a comment at Jim, who had hesitated a few feet away.
"You gonna get in bed, or stare at my ass all day?"
"I have a choice?"
"Yeah. You can look.... or you can touch."
"Touch." Jim mumbled, swiftly moving to join Logan. "Definitely touch...."
Finishing his task, the smaller man turned to Jim, studied him then spoke solemnly, his voice low and a little dark.
"If you're gonna have second thoughts about this, do it now. I have a feelin' once we get goin'.... it'll be damn hard for me to stop."
"And you don't take what isn't offered freely. I get it. No second thoughts. I want this."
"It's nothin' you've... wanted before, though, right?"
Jim grimaced, but he answered truthfully.
"I have. Never did anything about it.... but I can't say the desire hasn't been there."
"The long-haired guy in the bookstore."
This time Jim didn't respond at all, beyond a fierce blush and a quick shift of his eyes away from Logan's piercing gaze. "Don't worry about it. I could sense the connection between you two when you walked in. If today frees you up enough to tell him what's what...."
"It might. Thing is, I don't feel like dealing with the future yet. I'd rather focus on right now."
After a long pause, heavy with speculation and reflection, Logan nodded sharply. A moment later, he clamped one hand in Jim's ass, wrapped the other around his lower back and brought their bodies together. The sound of skin contacting skin was only part of what made Jim shut his eyes and moan softly. The residual warmth from the shower, the body wash and the memory of Logan's idea of 'quick relief ' were helping as well, but it was the utterly new sensation of teeth scraping and tugging on his skin that threatened to make Jim's climb back to release a short one. Feeling the cock laid against his begin to twitch and react, Logan pulled away, uncertain whether his control would hold if he didn't.
"Hey... come back here. I was enjoying that..."
"I'm not goin' anywhere. I just can't reach enough of you.... wanna kiss you.... run my tongue over your palate.... wanna suck you *then* kiss you.... so you taste me an' you at the same time...."
Jim's knees buckled slightly at the steamy, sensual words, and instead of wasting precious energy trying to remain standing, he dropped to the edge of the bed. Logan followed immediately, guiding Jim down onto his back and nudging to encourage him to move into the center. "Wanna lick you all over, Jim. You gonna let me.... hmmm? You just gonna let me.... or are you gonna show me what's inside..... what nobody else sees. Show me the cat... take me to where he lives, Ellison...."
Jim twisted to the left and whimpered faintly. Logan's talented tongue was driving him toward release much faster than he wanted it to happen and he was seriously considering surrender, fearing he was no match for the mind and body of the man lying on top of him. Logan's next words, however, awakened something inside Jim, and all thought of meekly allowing the other man to take him vanished. "You need this. You need it so bad.... Let the beast out to play. In the shower.... with my hand around your cock.... lost in the heat an' the smell, you almost managed it. When you came and you pulled me to you....that was just a taste.... now open the cage door all the way, Jim.... set him free for a while...."
The sudden spark in Jim's eyes and the growl that emerged from his throat earned him a brilliant, wicked grin in response. When the licking began again, Jim gave as good as he was getting, bathing every inch of skin he could reach in heated dampness and voicing his pleasure with little restraint. His hands never stopped moving, the need to touch overwhelming him with its intensity. Eventually, his boldness even extended to Logan's cock. Feeling himself respond, the smaller man backed off a bit. Jim grunted and tugged on his arm to bring him back, but his lover reassured him. "Relax. I'll only be a minute."
Rising gracefully to his feet, Logan moved into the bathroom. He was back in a few moments with the tiny bottle of body lotion provided by the hotel and a condom retrieved from his wallet. Sliding back into bed, Logan knelt between Jim's legs, caressing his inner thighs. Jim sat up, linked his fingers behind the other's neck and dragged him in for a deep, lengthy kiss. When the need to breathe finally forced them to pull apart, Jim moved on to tonguing and nipping Logan's throat and chest. "Yeah.... that's so good.... gonna have to finish this soon, Jim.... you're makin' me so hard.... I can smell the need on you.... it makes it worse...."
"How...."
"Elbows... and knees... face away from me."
Jim suddenly halted and found Logan's eyes again. "What?"
"I know it's gonna hurt. I accept that."
"And...."
"I won't break. Don't think you have to hold back."
"No. No holdin' back for either of us."
Jim nodded and turned over, rising onto his knees and stretching his torso forward, elbows resting on the bed. "God.... a body to make the gods green with envy... an' for the next little while it's mine. I'm a lucky SOB, that's all I gotta say...." Logan mused as he dribbled a small pool of lotion into his hand and warmed it between his palms. Once again, he parted the taut cheeks in front of him, his breathing becoming rapid and shallow at the sight. He rubbed the lotion around the area with both hands, sometimes using only his thumbs directly on the entrance, until Jim began to truly relax. Coating just one finger with more of the slick fluid, Logan pushed it in up to the first knuckle and waited for the initial tension to subside. After a moment, he drew the finger back then slid it in again. As he continued this pattern, Jim moaned loudly and tried to talk, but he was back to fractured sentences.
"Good.... so good.... never knew...."
"Hang on. Second finger...."
"Ahhhh.... damn...."
"A little ache, that's all. Give it to the beast.... let him turn it into pleasure and feed it back to you...." Logan counseled as he moved his fingers apart, stretching Jim and preparing him. "Third finger."
This time Jim hissed and growled viciously, his hands clawing the sheets. "There he is.... don't chain him down.... not now. He can make this a hundred times better, Jim.... you know he can...."
Retrieving his fingers, Logan pumped his erection a few times to strengthen it, though it didn't need much assistance, then he quickly slipped the condom on and covered it with lotion. Reaching out, he slid his arm around Jim's waist and tugged him upright, laughing when Ellison snarled and fought against his grip. Logan then lifted the older man, held him easily an inch or so above his lap and guided the tip of his erection to Jim's entrance. "You ready?"
"Wha... what are you doing...."
"Giving you the ride of your life. You okay with that?"
"God, yeah.... do I just...."
"Sit... that's the idea.... use your thigh muscles to control the speed... don't force it.... mmmm.... so hot.... smooth and tight.... that's right..... down a little more.... lift up now....."
Just as Logan was starting to coach his lover on finding a rhythm, Jim began to pick it up on his own and the lesson was forgotten. Within minutes, years of hard-won language skills had deserted both men. Ellison returned to the vocalizations he'd made in the shower, Logan was reduced to variations on 'oh' and 'ah', adding in an occasional vivid curse when Jim slowed his movements or squeezed his internal muscles for effect. Knowing he was about to come, Logan sat back slightly, changing his angle of thrust and, as he'd promised, gliding over Jim's prostate. This also resulted in his arm sliding up Jim's chest to rest just under his collarbone. When the extra burst of stimulation hit, Jim's eyes flew open wide, a bright, surprised cry erupted from his throat and his orgasm struck. Disoriented and drowning in the waves of pleasure surging through his body and mind, Jim ducked his head and followed the lead of the animal spirit roaring its triumph in his head; he bit.
Logan screamed, thrust once more, then went still.
A long stretch of minutes later, Logan finally, grudgingly returned to reality to find Jim gently licking the wound he'd created, as if trying to heal it. He was also producing a fair imitation of a purr.
"Jim.... Jim, time to come back. Earth to Ellison...."
Slowly, the licking faltered and Jim gazed up, shaking his head. He gasped when he realized what he'd done, but Logan forestalled his apology. "Don't. It was the beast, not you. When you let it out of its cage.... things happen. It was worth it for an afternoon like this. Besides, like I said, I heal really fast."
"Human bites..."
"I don't normally get sick either. Part of who an' what I am. Don't move too fast when you get up. You're gonna be in a world of hurt for a while."
Jim took the advice and lifted himself off Logan's lap very slowly.
"Maybe. I agree it was worth it. Separate showers this time?"
"Good idea. I can go again, but you..."
"Right." Jim said, wincing as he rose to his feet. "You first?"
"Nah. You need the hot water more than I do."
"Thanks." Jim acknowledged as he hobbled into the bathroom and closed the door.
ONE HOUR LATER
"Sure you can walk back to the store?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. The heat helped. Hey, have a good trip back to... wherever."
"Good luck with making your friend more than that."
Jim suddenly realized that his little one-afternoon stand could cost him Blair and his face fell.
"Man... how do I tell him.... I'll have less than no chance with him now...."
"Don't be so sure. Tell him the truth. If he doesn't understand, he wasn't that great a friend to start with."
Jim smiled a little, held Logan's gaze for a moment, then walked out. As soon as he heard the elevator arrive, Logan moved to the bathroom, picked up the business card he'd left there and brought it back to the small desk. "Det. James Ellison. Cascade Police." He read, frowning slightly. Dropping into a chair, he punched a long series of numbers into the phone, waited, then entered another set.
"Charles, it's Wolverine. I've got a few questions for you....."