Chapter Five

Galen

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It was almost three o’clock in the morning and I was sitting at my desk staring at my open case files.

I was tired, exhausted really, but insomnia was a bitch who refused to let me crash so it looked like I’d be pulling another all nighter. Thankfully it was the weekend so I’d be able to sleep in, if my internal clock let me.

I glanced up at the small bar across from my desk and contemplated pouring myself another scotch. I’d only had two, and had finished the last one around midnight, but alcohol didn’t put me to sleep like some people. Sadly, it wasn’t a way to trick my body into letting me rest, it just made my mind spin.

Fuck it, let it spin.

I planted my hands on my desk to stand when my cell phone rang.

Who the fuck was calling me this late?

I grabbed my phone and looked at the number. I didn’t recognize it but could tell it was a municipal line.

“Galen Wells,” I answered, insanely curious as to who would be on the other end of the line.

“Um, hi, Galen. It’s Blaze.”

“Blaze?”

I almost dropped the phone. I’d recognized his deep, slightly throaty voice even before he’d said his name, and just hearing it sent a shiver down my spine.

I’d spent the better part of the last three weeks trying to forget the enigmatic man.

I was still confused as fuck and had no idea why, or how, he was affecting me so much, but I couldn’t shake him.

I could still feel the heat from his skin as I’d helped him up the stairs, and I remembered exactly how his hard body had felt pressed up against mine. The most distracting thing about Blaze were his lips, and that was the part that was really messing with my head.

I wasn’t a makeout kind of guy. I didn’t mind a little kissing to get the party started, but it wasn’t something I really enjoyed. Blaze’s lips looked so full and soft, and I imagined they’d be warm and strong. I hadn’t had the urge to kiss him while I’d been helping him, but I’d spent the entire drive home wondering how those lips would feel, and what he’d taste like.

Three weeks later I was still wondering, and now he was calling me at three in the morning from a municipal building.

“What’s going on?” I asked, shaking my thoughts and focusing on the fact that this most likely wasn’t a social call.

“I’m sorry, I thought I’d get your voicemail and you’d get the message tomorrow.”

“It’s fine. I was awake. Where are you?”

“The police station.”

“What happened?”

The flare of fear that went through me was unexpected, but then my brain switched into lawyer mode and I shoved it aside to focus on the facts.

“Cops picked me up in front of the bar I work at. Booked me for solicitation.”

“What? On what grounds?”

“No fucking clue. Do you think you could...I mean...”

“Blaze?”

I knew he was trying to ask for help, but I didn’t want to cut in and tell him I’d do everything I could for him. I had a feeling he didn’t ask for help very often, and the fact that he was asking meant he must trust me on some level.

“I need help.”

“I’ll be down there in less than an hour. Don’t say anything other than you want to talk to your lawyer and give them my name.”

“Thank you, Galen.”

“Of course. And Blaze?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you called me. We’ll get through this.”

“Thank you.”

His voice was soft and I heard the call disconnect a second later.

I ignored the flush that moved over my skin and stood up so I could change out of my athletic pants and into a suit. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but I didn’t care. Blaze needed my help and I was going to do everything in my power to help him out of this.

* * * * *

“So you’re telling me that the reason you approached my client is because he was a lone male standing near the doors to a known gay bar after hours?” I asked the cops in front of me, my voice cool and detached.

I’d managed to get to the police station in forty-five minutes and had found a very distressed Blaze sitting in an interrogation room. I’d stopped myself from hugging him to try and soothe the pained look out of his eyes and had sat down next to him. It was time for my lawyer face, I’d make sure he was okay after we got out of there.

“He was posing like he was ready to be mounted,” one of the cops said, not even bothering to hide his contempt.

“So you’re saying he was standing there acting too gay for you?”

“We found over two hundred dollars in twenties on him, and he has a record,” the second cop said.

“And that’s why you detained my client? Because he had cash in his wallet and priors?” I leaned back and covertly placed my hand on Blaze’s thigh to try and calm him down. As soon as the cop had said he had priors he’d tensed and I was afraid he’d say something to incriminate himself.

“Mr. Templeton had the cash on him because he works at the bar you arrested him in front of, and those were his tips for the night. There is no reason to address your offensive and downright illegal claim that his stance was provocative, and you have no proof that he was doing anything other than waiting for his colleague to finish up inside the bar so they could go home.” I gave Blaze’s thigh another squeeze. “His prior records have no bearing on what transpired tonight, and I think we can all agree that the charges are unfounded.”

I knew I had them. The cops had no choice but to cut Blaze loose, and I was still pissed they’d arrested him in the first place.

When they didn’t say anything I smiled. “I assume we’re free to go?”

The older of the cops nodded, his teeth clenching as he glared at both me and Blaze.

I didn’t bother with niceties or manners as I stood up, nodding for Blaze to follow me.

On our way out we picked up his personal effects, and he checked his phone as we left the station.

I watched as he read a couple texts and then sent a few out. When he was done he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at me with uncertain eyes.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I found myself reaching out to him so I could squeeze his shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“Tired, pissed off. Embarrassed.”

“Why?”

“Because I got dragged away in handcuffs while my friend watched, all because I was stretching in front of a gay bar.” His words dripped with venom and acid and I nodded for him to follow me as I turned to head to my car. “I swear to fuck, if it’s not bashers then it’s the fucking cops hassling me just because I like to suck dick.”

At the mention of him sucking dick my own reacted, and an image of Blaze on his knees in front of me, my cock in his mouth, his lips stretched over my length as he looked up at me flashed through my mind. I was so caught off guard by not only the mental image, but also the way my dick swelled and twitched in appreciation I almost tripped.

“Not all cops are bad,” I pointed out diplomatically. “I work with a lot of law enforcement and there are plenty of LGBT people on the force.”

“Maybe, but I never seem to run into them.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”

“I’m not. I’m glad you called me.”

“You’re the only lawyer I know.” He smirked. “I guess I owe you two now.”

“You don’t owe me shit, Blaze.” I stopped and grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at me. “I didn’t help you that night so you’d owe me, and I sure as hell didn’t come here for some hypothetical favor to cash in on in the future.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“Because you needed help. It’s called being a decent fucking person.” I studied him as I spoke, and by the tightening of his jaw I knew he hadn’t met a lot of those in his life. “I’m not that guy, Blaze. Remember I told you that?”

“Yeah.”

“Then trust me. You don’t owe me anything, okay?”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“It’s fine.” I let go of his arm and he fell into step beside me as I started walking again.

We reached my car about twenty seconds later, and as I unlocked the doors I nodded for him to get in.

“So, Thaddeus Templeton?” I asked, shooting him a sly look as I started the car and pulled away from the curb.

“Shut up. I swear my parents hated me even before they found out I was gay.”

“What happened when they did, if you don’t mind me asking?”

He looked at me, his eyes boring into mine for a moment, and then sighed.

“My family is very religious. My father’s a pastor and my mother is a church wife. I was always different, but I didn’t even realize I was gay until they sent me to conversion camp when I was thirteen.”

“What?” I felt my stomach clench as I glanced at him. “Conversion camp?”

“I was a small kid, pretty skinny and I looked kind of feminine. I didn’t hit a real growth spurt until I was sixteen so my dad tried to make me into a man’s man. I liked sports but wasn’t good at them. I hated hunting and loved music. I didn’t play with dolls or wear my mom’s heels around, but dad was worried I was too ‘girly’ so he sent me to camp to man me up.

“Twenty boys between the ages of twelve and sixteen, all struggling with their sexuality.” He smirked. “Even with all the lectures and praying, not to mention the back breaking work and fucked up therapy sessions, it didn’t stop us from exploring our urges with each other right under their noses.”

“What kind of therapy?”

“The kind where they’d make us watch straight porn, tell us to jack off to it while they watched and made sure we finished. Hell, they even brought hookers in for the older boys and would force them to fuck them.”

“Jesus.”

“It was all in His name.” Blaze leaned back against the seat and sighed again. “My roommate was my first kiss, and I knew for sure right then that I was gay. I played it straight after that, tried to be what my parents wanted, but they caught me looking at some pictures of naked men a year later and I was sent back to camp.”

I could hear the pain in his voice and reached over to put my hand over his, to offer some sort of comfort.

“It was more of the same, only I was one of the boys who was supposed to fuck one of the hookers. I couldn’t do it. I could fake it when I was looking at porn because I’d focus on the guy, but when there was a chick splayed out in front of me I couldn’t pretend and I couldn’t get hard.”

“Blaze?” I gripped his hand tighter when I heard his voice catch.

“One of the so-called therapists decided it was time for some intensive therapy...”

His hand gripped mine so hard my knuckles cracked.

“It’s okay, Blaze. You don’t have to tell me anymore,” I said softly. My heart was already breaking for thirteen and fourteen year old Blaze, and I was scared to hear the rest.

“I have to say it, if that makes sense. I’ve only told two other people.”

“Why don’t you take a minute? We’re almost at my place and then you can talk somewhere safe.”

He nodded but kept a grip on my hand.

I pulled into my building a few minutes later and parked in my spot. One of the nice things about living in a penthouse was the private elevator so Blaze wouldn’t have to see anyone while he was feeling so vulnerable.

When we were out of the car I grabbed his hand again, trying to give him something to anchor himself, and punched the code into the elevator’s keypad. It didn’t take long to get to my floor, and after putting the house code into the keypad next to my front door I led Blaze inside.

I didn’t have that many places to sit so I brought him into the living room and we sat together on the couch.

“Are you okay?” I asked, not bothering to pull my hand from his since he had a death grip on it.

“Yeah. It’s just hard to talk about.”

“Take your time.”

“The counsellor brought me into his office and made me take off my clothes. I had to stand there, naked, for almost an hour while he read bible verses to me. Then he told me to bend over the desk.”

My stomach lurched and adrenaline poured out of my glands and into my veins. No, I had to be wrong. What I was thinking hadn’t happened. It couldn’t have.

“He made me pray and beg for forgiveness while he fucked me with a dildo.”

“Oh god...” I had to swallow to stop myself from throwing up. I’d been half right.

“It hurt so much. I’d only ever kissed a guy so it was my first time, really. I was crying and praying, hoping he’d stop, but he didn’t. Not until there was blood.”

I didn’t think I could sit there and hear this anymore, but I couldn’t stop Blaze when he was bearing his soul like this. Instead of pulling him into a hug like I wanted to, I grabbed his other hand and bit my lip.

“After that I played the part and had them believing I’d been cured. They sent me home and I did everything I could to be the perfect son. I even started dating a girl, my dad’s best friend’s daughter. It was fine. Our religion forbid anything except holding hands so I didn’t have to fake anything with her. Two months before I turned sixteen I forgot to clear my browser history and my dad found out I’d been watching gay porn. He started ranting, slapped the shit out of me while my mother was on her fucking knees praying to God, asking Him why she’d been cursed with a perverted son. Dad packed me one bag of clothes, handed me the cash out of his wallet and told me to get the fuck out of his house and to never come back. That was the last time I saw either of them.”

“I’m so sorry, Blaze. I can’t even imagine what you went through being on your own.”

“A lot.” He dropped his gaze and tried to pull his hands free, but I held on.

“Is that what your record is for? Doing what you had to do to survive?”

He looked at me, surprise registering on his face before he nodded.

“It was the only way to get money. I hated it, but I couldn’t do anything else.”

“You survived, that’s all that matters.”

“You really don’t think I’m fucked up? I sold myself, my body.”

“You sold the only commodity you had.” I shook my head. “You did what you had to. I don’t think you’re fucked up, I think you’re amazing.”

His jaw dropped at my words and his eyes misted over. Even as he’d been telling me about the abuse he’d suffered, he hadn’t teared up. The fact that my words were affecting him as much as they were told me he wasn’t used to kindness, or understanding.

“You were fifteen and had been cast out by the people who are supposed to love and care for you, all because they couldn’t accept who you are. You survived and you’ve kept your humanity even after all the shit that was done to you. You’re amazing, Blaze. I’m fucking in awe of you.”

I watched as he blinked a few times, pulled in a deep breath, and then seemed to get lost in his thoughts for a few seconds. When he looked at me again the tears were gone and the pain had been replaced by acceptance.

He let go of my hands, but as he did he swiped his tongue over his bottom lip, and that simple, almost innocent move, made my cock swell as lust hit me like a lightning bolt.

Before I could stop myself, or think about what I was doing, I reached out and grabbed the back of Blaze’s neck, pulling him toward me.

His lips crashed down on mine, his hands grabbing my thighs so he didn’t fall over, and I was lost.

A deep moan escaped my body as his lips began moving against mine, and I’d been right about them. They were warm and soft, but still firm and demanding. I didn’t even have time to think about the fact that I was kissing a guy before my mind shut down and all I knew was physical pleasure.

My other hand came up so I could hold Blaze by the neck, angling his face so I could take over the kiss. My lips teased his, and then I gently nipped at his bottom lip with my teeth before soothing the soft skin with my tongue.

The moan of pure pleasure Blaze let out sent my instincts and arousal into overdrive and I needed more. My tongue thrust between his lips, and Blaze immediately opened for me so I could taste and touch every part of his mouth. Then he sucked my tongue into his mouth and teased it with the tip of his and I almost saw stars.

I had to pull away from him so I could draw in a deep breath as my vision started to go hazy. My eyes opened and all I could see was Blaze’s expression. His beautiful green eyes were dark with lust, his lips were swollen and glistening from my kiss, and his cheeks were flushed. He was breathing just as heavily as I was, but he didn’t make a move.

I wanted him. Fuck me, I wanted all of him. I didn’t care that he was a guy or that he had a dick instead of a pussy. In that moment I didn’t see Blaze as a man, I saw him as a beautiful and perfect person, and I needed him.

Instead of saying anything that might ruin the moment, I let go of his neck and reached for the waistband of his jeans.

Blaze gasped as I pulled the button open, and then his mouth was on mine again as he ran his hand over my aching cock.

“Fuck,” I hissed as he squeezed me through my pants. “Stand up.”

He didn’t pause. He just dropped his hand from me and stood. Without another word I took his hand and led him down the hall to my bedroom.

As soon as we were inside I grabbed him by the hips and pulled him against me so I could kiss him again. I tried to go slow but the moment I felt his hard cock press against mine I lost my tenuous hold on the little control I had left.

Still kissing him like he was my source of oxygen I shrugged off my suit jacket and then yanked my shirt free from my pants. As soon as the tails were out I ripped open my pants and shoved them down so I could pull my cock free.

Blaze had already pushed his own pants down, and when his hand closed over my hot flesh I gasped and pulled away.

“I’m too close. I need to be inside you.”

He nodded and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. I watched as he thumbed out a condom, and I grabbed it from him, knocking the wallet on the floor as I gripped his shoulders. He didn’t protest as I spun him around and pushed him face down on my bed.

The moment I saw his ass on display, ready and waiting for me, my need doubled and I hastily ripped open the condom and rolled it on. I spit on my hand and rubbed it over the condom to slick it up a bit, then used my hands to split the globes of Blaze’s ass apart. When I saw his hole, pink and quivering, I almost shot right then.

“Fuck.” I took a second to spit on him, then pressed the head of my cock against his hole.

It had been almost six months since I’d had sex, and that had been with an escort I hadn’t kissed. It had taken me awhile to get worked up enough to come with her, and one look at Blaze’s ass and I was teetering so close to orgasm I didn’t know if I’d actually make it inside him before I spilled.

Taking a deep breath I gripped his hips and started to push into him, crying out as the tightest, warmest channel I could have ever imagined enveloped me.