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whether the emotions he was feeling were his own or Liu s. The tension built and built until he
didn t think he could endure any more, then broke in a wave as Liu came inside him. Together
they lay gasping on the bed.
After a moment the ropes slid off his wrists and ankles, apparently of their own accord. It must
be nice to be a wizard at times like this. Then Liu slid off him, gently pushing him to turn onto
his side. He did, still panting. Liu pulled him into warm arms, gently stroking his hair and his
back.  Ah, gods, Danny. That was wonderful. He kissed Danny gently on the forehead.  Are
you all right? That wasn t too much?
Danny snuggled against him.  No, I m... I don t know. Fine seems inadequate. That was... I was
just trying to be sure you enjoyed it. I had no idea I could enjoy kinky sex that much.
Liu hugged him fiercely.  That s just the beginning. This is going to be a beautiful friendship.
Cherry - 54
Just Like Him
Dallas Coleman
"Tell them anything you want." It didn't matter.
Not anymore.
Hell, he wasn't sure it ever had, mattered, that was.
Trent picked up his duffle and headed for the door, listening to the sound of the dogs yipping up
a storm in the backyard. Fucking poodles.
"But, baby, you can't just walk out. We got a life& " Cristian's fingers were on him and, truth be
told, they made his skin crawl a little.
"No. You had a life. You and Nate and Rick and Steve and Jeff and Pete and all the other
assholes you fucked. I had a short term bout of psychotic stupidity. I'm over it now."
In fact, he was feeling clear-headed in the extreme.
His boots crunched the petunias (or poppies or geraniums or what the fuck ever Cristian'd
planted by the door) as he jumped off the stairs, landed in the flowerbed with a thud.
"You're a shitty fag, Trent! A shitty fag!"
Well, duh.
He hadn't been trying for his official queer boy rainbow merit badge; he'd just been trying to be a
guy in love. He was in way over his fucking head.
Way.
His truck was waiting, Rosie wagging from the front seat, her pit face all grins until she saw
Cristian. He tossed his duffle in the back and slid into the driver's seat, grinning as Rosie snarled
and snapped, keeping Cristian a few feet back.
"I know, baby girl. Shit, I shoulda listened to you from the beginning." That dog'd always been
smarter than him.
Always.
Cherry - 55
He let himself gun it as he left the curb, let himself have the conceit of blowing exhaust and dust
up into Cristian's tear-streaked face. Fucker. The little prick wouldn't even spend tonight alone.
He grabbed his phone as soon as they'd pulled onto 290, Rosie settling down for the long haul
out of Houston, and he dialed by memory, knowing that Ken would answer.
Ken always answered.
"Hey, Bubba."
"Ken."
There was silence for a long minute, then he heard the familiar sound of a Bic lighter being
struck -- clickwhoosh, and Ken inhaled deep. "So, you coming home to me?"
"Yeah." Finally. He should've done it way before.
He turned the headlights on, turned the radio down, and set the cruise control. "He fucked
anything that came to him, Bubba."
He could see Ken's head shake -- see it just like he was home, sitting across the porch and staring
at a face that was as familiar as his own. "Oh, shit, Bubba. That sucks."
At least that wasn't "I told you so" which was what, by all accounts, it should've been. Ken hadn't
liked Cristian, not from the first meeting.
"Yeah. I was careful, I mean, I never would& you know, without protection." He was in love,
not stupid.
"Still, it's a shitty thing to do to someone."
Trent found himself nodding, the ache in his chest more about shame and guilt than actual hurt.
After all, he hadn't been in love-love, right? He'd been&
Yeah.
Whatever.
"Too bad it's so late; you could stop in Brenham, take the Blue Bell tour, get a bite."
"I ain't in the mood for touring, Ken. I just want to be home." He wanted to be home, where the
smells of smoke and Old Spice and dogs were sunk into the walls, where he could wake up in the
middle of the night to go pee and know where every single stick of furniture was because it
hadn't moved in twenty years and, if Ken had his way, it never would.
Cherry - 56
God, he'd been a fool, running out the door ten years ago like a scared kid, heading south. He'd
worked the rigs, worked the land, worked factories and bars and highway crews. Hell, he'd
learned everything Houston could teach a man -- from the being high on the hog part to the
lowest part, and still, when it all came apart, it was Ken and home and the Hill country that
called to him.
Still.
"You get Miss Rosie?"
"Course I did." Like he'd leave his baby girl. "There room for her there?"
Ken's snort sounded just like his. "There's always room for you and yours here, Bubba. Always
has been."
Ken didn't say, "You're the one that left", but Ken didn't have to. They both knew it.
Some things you had to leave home to learn about.
"I'll be home in about four hours. Don't wait up." Like Ken would sleep.
"I will."
Trent grinned, nodded. "You want me to stop and pick anything up before I get there?"
"Milk, maybe. I went to the Wal-Mart just a couple days ago. I got dog stuff, bread, meat,
smokes. I got you them Little Smokies you like."
"Okay. I'll do it." He'd pick up milk and a couple of the snacks that Ken loved but never bought
because that was self-indulgent and his twin was nothing if not indulgent.
"See you, Bubba. Be careful."
"Ain't I always?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]