Chapter Four

TERRY COULDN’T sleep. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling of Red’s guest room. He’d heard Red move through the house and knew Red had stopped outside his door, and he’d known when he’d left, even though he hadn’t heard a sound. His thoughts swung wildly. He knew he’d been a fool, more than once. He’d let James dominate his life to the point where he hadn’t had one at all, and he’d thought that James would simply let him leave. He should have known better. James had left him alone for weeks without so much as a phone call, and he’d figured he was out. Then just when he was putting things back together, in came James once again to shatter his hopes. That bastard! Terry’s hands balled into fists at his side.

The king of fuckups. That’s what he was. His friends were mostly gone. Thank God not Julie. As Terry thought about her, he worried about Julie’s mom. He’d met her a few times, and she was a nice lady. He hoped she would be okay.

A soft squeak reached his ears, and then another. A door closed and then water ran. Red must have gotten back up. Terry rolled onto his side and pressed his eyes closed. He wished like hell Red would simply come into the bedroom and take the decision away from him. He thought about getting up, going to Red’s room, and joining him in his bed. The huge strong man fascinated him. Yeah, Red was massive, and Terry liked guys like that—guys he could climb like a freaking mountain. The thought got his heart racing.

So Red had scars on his face. Terry had seen them, and yeah, they weren’t pretty. But he’d touched them. He’d expected them to be hard and somehow yucky. But they weren’t. They were soft, and damn the expression on Red’s face when Terry had done that was worth a million bucks. Red had been surprised at first, but then his eyes had drifted closed, just for a few seconds, and the edges of his lips had curled upward. Red had liked it, and the huge man who towered above him had seemed a little smaller for a few seconds. It had been a real turn-on to have that kind of effect on him.

Terry smiled as he remembered that expression, and he held on to it as his mind finally settled into sleep. Of course, he didn’t stay asleep. He wasn’t sure how much later he startled awake, gasping for air, wondering where in the hell he was. “No, James,” he cried out before realizing where he was. His door opened, and Red stood in the doorway, just his silhouette visible in the hall light behind him.

“Are you okay? What happened?” Red asked breathily and rushed into the room.

“I’m fine,” Terry answered before swallowing hard.

“You were yelling.”

Terry took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. “I’m okay. It was only a dream.” He felt kind of dumb being scared of a dream like a little kid, but it had been so real. The dreamy fog was starting to lift, and he remembered where he was and why he was at Red’s house. His gaze stopped instantly. “You’re in your underwear.” Terry couldn’t take his eyes off Red. There wasn’t enough light to view much detail, but there was enough to see legs like tree trunks and superwide shoulders. It had to be the light, but he wondered for a second how Red made it through the door.

“I’m sorry,” Red said hastily and turned toward the door.

“Don’t be.” Terry’s voice sounded husky, even to him. He pushed back the covers and waited. Red turned around but didn’t move. Terry lifted a hand, and Red moved closer. When he reached the edge of the bed, Red slid his hand into Terry’s and slowly climbed onto the bed.

“Kiss me, Red,” Terry whispered and touched his cheek just like he had earlier. Red moved closer, and when their lips touched, Terry gasped into Red’s mouth as a jolt of electricity shot up his spine. “Fuck,” he whispered.

“I intend to,” Red returned and kissed Terry’s breath away. He made affirmative sounds. Red wound his huge arms around him, and Terry shook with uncontrollable excitement. Red kissed just the way Terry liked it—firm and strong, just like the rest of him. Terry pressed his chest to Red’s. He needed to be touched and held. Hair tickled his skin, and Terry shifted slightly, enjoying the roughness.

Red’s touches were just like his kisses—strong, assured, and forceful. He seemed to be devouring Terry’s body the same way Red’s lips were possessing his mouth. There was nothing tentative in the way Red took control, which both surprised and delighted Terry. When Red backed away, Terry whined softly, but Red hushed him.

“I just need to get some things,” Red whispered, his breath hot on Terry’s lips.

Terry nodded and watched Red leave the room. He heard him cross the small landing and then he was back, filling the freaking doorway. At first Terry didn’t move, but then he raised his hips and pushed his boxers down his hips and off his legs, dropping them on the floor. He needed Red to know just what he wanted. Red stepped forward and approached the bed. Terry rolled onto his belly and scooted closer to where Red was standing. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of Red’s underwear and tugged them down his legs. Red’s cock, in the same proportion as the rest of him, pointed directly at him. Terry wasted no time wrapping his fingers around it, and then he opened his mouth and sucked the head inside.

Red whined softly, the pleasure rumbling from deep in his throat. Terry could feel the sound caressing his body like a mild earthquake. Other than that Red was very quiet. But his body quivered under Terry’s touch, and his legs shook with what Terry hoped was excitement.

Terry added suction, taking Red deeper. Now he got sound, a needy whine. He backed off and said, “You know, it’s okay. Sound is perfectly acceptable.”

“Yeah, but what I want to say isn’t….”

Terry cut him off by sucking Red deep, and the groan he received filled the room. Now that sounded happy and excited. He relaxed his throat, sucking deeper.

“Oh fuuuck,” Red whimpered.

Terry held still, his nose buried in the skin at the base of Red’s cock, taking in his deep scent, driving him wild. He loved a man who smelled like a man… like himself. Scented body wash was fine, but what drove him crazy was just this. Red smelled like Red and no one else, and damn if that wasn’t heady in the extreme. He backed away and let Red slip from his mouth before taking him deep again in one swift movement.

“Terry, Jesus God,” Red muttered. “How… what….”

Now that was perfect—he’d reduced Red to one-word sentences. That was the sign of the perfect blowjob, and Terry was a pro. In fact it was one of his special talents. Being a swimmer, he had learned to control his breathing; this was just a happy side benefit. Terry held still once again, Red’s thick cock throbbing slightly against his throat. Then he slowly slid back. He loved the feel of a long, thick cock as it slid over his tongue, and he intended to make the very most of it.

Red stood stock-still when Terry’s lips formed a tight ring around the head and then let him slip out. Terry was tempted to try sucking Red’s brains out through his dick, but he had other things in mind. Instead, Terry kissed his way up Red’s belly and then his chest. Occasionally he encountered skin a little less supple than the rest. He knew they were Red’s scars, and he paid them special attention. They were part of Red, and he wasn’t going to shy away. If he was going to have Red, Terry was determined to have all of him.

When he reached a nipple, he sucked and licked until it jutted from Red’s chest. Red hissed when he lightly scraped it with his teeth and gasped when he sucked it like a bloody vacuum cleaner.

“You’re going to leave a mark,” Red whispered between panting breaths.

“Then you’ll remember me,” Terry countered and moved to the other nipple to give it the same erotic torture.

Red was gasping for breath by the time he was done. Terry moved on the bed and lay on his back. His eyes had adjusted, and he could see pretty well, so he figured Red could too, and he wanted Red to see him, to see what he was doing to him. “Come here,” Terry said when Red didn’t move.”

“But… I’ll crush you.”

Terry smiled. “No, you won’t. I want to feel your weight.” He moved to a kneeling position, cock jutting out toward Red. There was no mistaking his arousal, not in the slightest. “I want to touch you.” Terry wrapped his fingers around Red’s cock, stroking lightly. “I want you to touch me. I promise you aren’t going to hurt me. I like my lovemaking to be spirited.”

“Oh you do, huh?” Red asked with the first hint of amusement.

“Fuck yeah,” Terry whispered. He didn’t release Red’s cock as he pulled him down into a kiss that Red immediately took charge of. Red pressed him back on the bed, and Terry went willingly. He sighed when Red climbed on and pressed him into the mattress. He spread his legs and wrapped them around Red’s hips. Arms around his neck, legs embracing Red’s hips, he had Red exactly where he wanted him, and he’d have said so if Red’s lips weren’t kissing his very breath away. Red worked his arms beneath him and held him tightly. Damn—if they never moved from this position, Terry would be happy. He thrust his hips lightly and was rewarded when his cock slid along Red’s fur-rough skin. He adored that sensation. “I love hairy men,” Terry whispered when Red broke the kiss.

“You do?”

“Oh yeah. Not back-hairy men, but chest-hairy men, oh yeah,” Terry breathed. He wanted to somehow figure out how they could not part while he ran his fingers over Red’s hairy chest.

Red kissed him again and then released his lips, ducked his head slightly, and sucked on one of his nipples, the same way Terry had sucked Red’s. His nipples were very sensitive, and he arched his back and cried out loudly, pressing his chest to Red’s mouth so there was no doubt that Red was driving him out of his mind.

“I want you.” Red’s breath ghosted over his wet skin.

“Christ yes!” Terry whimpered.

Red shifted slightly, and Terry felt him reaching. The sound of a soft snick reached his ears, and seconds later, Red pressed a cool finger to his opening, making small circles against his tender flesh before pressing inside.

“Ooooh yeah,” Terry moaned, like the hedonist he was. The firm but gentle touch was perfection. Forceful, but no pain. That was heaven. Red pressed deeper, and Terry yelped and groaned when Red pressed to his prostate. Stars shone behind his eyes. He used to love looking up at the stars when he was a kid, but he’d take these stars any day. Red pressed his finger deep, and Terry held him as tightly as he could. He was moaning like a cat in heat and loving every second of it. When Red added a second finger, he gasped. The burn was sensational, and he hoped it never ended.

He mewled when Red pulled his fingers out of him. He let go, lying back on the bed, watching with rapt attention as Red rolled a condom on his cock. Then, when Red was ready, Terry lifted his legs, placed his heels on Red’s shoulders, and stared in Red’s eyes.

“You sure know what you want,” Red commented huskily.

“Damn straight,” Terry retorted. He was shaking with desire. It had been months. After the whole mess with what’s-his-name, he hadn’t wanted to be with anyone. “I like to top from the bottom.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Red asked. He cut off Terry’s answer by pressing his cock to his opening and holding it there. Red rocked back and forth slowly without actually entering him. Terry groaned and grabbed Red’s beefy legs, pressing him forward, signaling what he wanted. “I won’t hurt you,” Red whispered.

“You won’t,” Terry assured him, but Red continued his action. Slowly, Terry opened for him, and Red slipped inside. Terry hissed and ground his teeth at the stretch. Red was big, bigger than he was used to, and God, it was amazing, overwhelming, and holy fucking hell all at once. Red stopped, and Terry did his best to stop the room from spinning. His blood rushed everywhere all at once. Red pressed deeper, and Terry groaned softly. “Yeah, that’s it,” he whispered breathily. “Jesus!”

“Should I stop?”

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Terry retorted desperately.

Red sank deeper, stretching him. Terry pressed toward Red, taking more and more of him. A massive sigh whooshed from his lungs when Red’s hips pressed to his. He panted and was forever grateful that Red held still so he could enjoy the way Red’s cock throbbed inside him. Damn, that was good. As Red leaned forward and kissed him, Terry wound his arms around his neck, holding on for dear life as Red began to move. Back and forth, slow and steady, Red gently began to thrust.

Terry felt enveloped in Red. The way Red held him, kissed him, and filled him was like nothing he’d experienced before. Red was giving in the extreme. If Terry’s breath hitched, he paused; if Terry panted, he repeated. It took him a few minutes to realize that Red was reading his breathing for clues to what he liked and wanted. Terry had never dreamed of anything so intimate in his life, and to think this was the first time they’d been together. Holy Christ, what would things be like with more experience? “Oh yeah,” Terry whispered and clamped his eyes closed as Red’s cock dragged over that spot. He trembled in Red’s arms and felt tears welling in his eyes. They weren’t from pain or sadness, but pure sensational overload.

They went on together for a while. Red wiped his cheeks with his thumbs without breaking his stride for a second. “Jesus, you….” Red gasped.

“Yeah….”

“I can’t hold back.”

“Don’t… fuck me like you mean it, Red. I want you to give me it all. Take me to the moon.” Terry held tighter as Red began moving faster. “Yeah, that’s just right. Give it to me, Red. Take me all the way. I know there’s an animal inside you just waiting to get out, and I want to see it and feel it.”

Red snapped his hips, slapping his hips against Terry’s butt. He moaned loud and long from deep in his throat. “Too much?”

“God in hell, no,” Terry countered. “I’m not going to break, Red. I want everything you have to give. I want it all. I’ll take it all and give it right back to you.”

Their movements went from intense to frantic. The bed rocked and shook. “Yeah,” Red yelled.

“Holy fucking shit, don’t you stop for a second,” Terry breathed. Red pegged his gland, and Terry knew he was going to fly apart in the best way possible. He clutched Red’s hips—it was the only way he could ground himself as the intensity built and built.

Red shifted back, towering above him. He held Terry’s hips and pistoned inside him. The overwhelming intensity had lessened his hard-on, but as soon as Terry touched himself, it roared back to life. He stroked a few times and felt the beginnings of his release starting from at the base of his spine. A mild tingling began and spread through him. Sweat broke out all over his skin. Terry gasped for air. Red’s skin glistened in the low light. He looked like a god towering over him, taking him all the way to heaven.

“Yes… yes… yes. Don’t you dare fucking stop. Yeah, right there, that’s it, don’t change a fucking thing.” Terry stroked faster and faster, his stomach muscles contracting with every breath. He leaned forward and then flopped back on the bed as the pressure of his upcoming release built deep inside him like the magma chamber of a volcano. The pressure became too much, and Terry howled at the top of his lungs. He had no idea what he said, and it didn’t matter. He felt come spray on his chest and belly; he even felt hot wetness on his forehead and lips. It kept coming, and he went with it, completely out of control of his own body.

He felt Red throb deep inside and heard him add his own primal yell to Terry’s as he came. Terry stilled, and Red gasped a few times and then joined him.

The bed ceased moving and their cries faded away, the last echoes bouncing off the walls. Terry never wanted this feeling to end. It was the most intense and happiest he could remember feeling in a long time. Moving would break the spell, so he held still, not moving a finger, breathing as shallowly as he could.

“Oh my God,” Red whispered.

“Yeah, you can say that again,” Terry whispered back. He was going to be sore as hell, but he relished every ache and tiny pain. Jesus Christ, he was still trying to figure out what in hell had happened as their bodies separated. Terry gasped softly, and Red moved away. Terry slowly lowered his legs to the bed and scooted over to give Red room.

Red stayed where he was, and Terry wondered what he was thinking. Then Red climbed off the bed and quietly left the room. Terry listened and waited. He hoped Red would come back, and for a few seconds he wondered if he’d been used. Was Red simply interested in getting off? The faucet ran in the bathroom and then the toilet flushed. Terry began to shiver slightly where his skin was wet. He began looking around for something to clean himself, feeling exposed as hell and not wanting to mess up Red’s bedding.

Heavy footsteps came closer, and then Red loomed in the doorway. He entered the room and sat on the edge of the bed. A warm, moist towel touched Terry’s skin, and Red gently cleaned his chest and belly. Terry placed his hand on Red’s and took the towel from him, wiping his neck, face and forehead. He was a mess, albeit a happy one. When he was done, he handed the towel back to Red, who left the room once more.

Terry climbed under the covers. At least then he was less exposed, and he could hide under something if Red decided not to return. Terry had spent enough time when he was younger sleeping with random guys. He knew the drill and he’d been fine with it. But this hadn’t felt like one of those encounters at all. Those had usually been fast, perfunctory, and impersonal. This had been none of those things. It had felt special to him, and he hoped it was for Red as well. When he finally heard Red’s footsteps coming closer, he began to hope. The light outside the door went dark, and then Red entered the room once more. Terry waited, and Red silently joined him in bed. “You don’t talk a lot… during intimacy, do you?”

“I guess not. But you seem to do enough for two people,” Red said lightly as he lay down and pulled the covers over him. Red didn’t move, and Terry rolled onto his side to face him. “I never know what to do in situations like this.”

“Why? Do you think I’m going to rebuff you or not want you to touch me?” Terry asked. “We’ve just been as intimate and close as two people can possibly be.” He reached over and lightly stroked Red’s chest, like he’d wanted to do for a while. He carded his fingers through Red’s soft chest hair, and then he closed his eyes, enjoying the silky sensation that shimmered around his fingers.

Red turned onto his side, and Terry moved closer. Red wrapped him into his arms and tugged them together. He kissed him while cradling Terry’s head in his arms. The gesture was one of the gentlest he could ever remember, and so was the kiss. Red held him close after the kiss, and Terry rested his head on Red’s shoulders. Never in his life had he been so happy that Julie hadn’t been available when he needed her.

TERRY NEVER slept well when he was with someone else. He and James had been together nine months and lived together for three. He’d never slept well with him. Terry knew it was because James tossed and turned all night and because his damn phone rang at ungodly hours. Looking back he should have taken that as a sign of so many other things. But tonight he was warm and comfortable and slept like a baby.

However, he woke alone. Terry patted the bed next to him and cracked his eyes open to make sure. He was indeed alone, and the other side of the bed was cold. Terry listened and heard movement in the house. Checking the clock beside the bed, he groaned and figured he might as well get up.

He was definitely disappointed and wondered what he’d done wrong. They had been good together, and he thought they’d had a connection. But maybe he was wrong, and it had simply been the heat of the moment. Terry didn’t know what else to do, so he got his things and went into the bathroom. He found everything he could want on the counter: towels, extra toiletries, the works. But he saw no other sign of Red. He figured the least he could do was come say good morning and maybe join him in the shower for a proper wake-up. But there were no footsteps on the stairs, so he gave up on that notion, showered quickly, and got dressed. He had to be at the pool in a few hours, so he dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He’d change into a bathing suit once he arrived.

When he was ready, Terry went downstairs and found Red dressed, pressed, and in his uniform.

“Would you like some coffee?” Red asked without meeting his gaze. “I can make you something to eat if you like.”

“No, thank you. Coffee is fine,” Terry said lightly. Red poured him a mug, and Terry sat at the table. Red sat down as well but seemed intent on staring at his mug.

“Look at me,” Terry said softly.

Red slowly lifted his gaze and cleared his throat. “I forgot to ask you about James last night. I want to check into him, but I need some information.” Red reached for a pad from his pocket and opened it.

Terry had been about to sip from his mug, but he set it down on the table with a thud. Some of the liquid spattered out the top, and Red hurried to get a paper towel. He cleaned it up, ignoring Terry’s obvious frustration.

“What’s his full name?” Red asked.

“James Guthrie,” Terry answered in a clipped tone. If Red wanted to play this game, he could as well.

“Address.” Red’s pen poised over the page.

Terry recited an address in a swanky neighborhood in Harrisburg, and Red whistled. “Yeah, he likes people to know who he is and take notice of him.” Terry wished Red would pay him a little attention. But then maybe the only attention Red wanted from him was in bed. And people thought he was shallow.

“What does he do?”

“James always said he was in distribution. He had a warehouse in the city, that and a fleet of trucks and stuff. I was there once. It’s on Cameron near the State Street Bridge, the one with the pillars and eagles at the one end.”

“Do you know his birthdate?”

“His birthday is June 27, and he’s thirty-two,” Terry answered. He pushed his coffee away and watched as Red wrote down what he said. He was all business, and Terry wanted to kick him under the table.

“Is there anything else you can tell me about him?” Red asked.

“There are lots of things I can tell you. He has lousy taste in art. Like, flashy everything. He drives a red Porsche, and when he told me he was buying me the Mustang, he asked me what color I wanted. Anything but red, because that was his color.” Terry took a deep breath and decided a little payback was in order. “He was pretty good in bed, but fell a damn sight short of you, in many ways. Although at least he was there when I woke up in the morning.” Red flinched, but Terry had built up a head of steam and he wasn’t stopping now. “He likes fancy food and used to eat at Chars and Café Fresco all the time. You can tell if he’s there because Fresco parks his car out front for the show. He throws money around all the time because, hey, he wants to be the big man. Exactly how he earns it, I’m not sure.” Terry pushed his mug of coffee away. “Is there anything else you need?”

Red swallowed hard and looked down at his pad. “I think that’s more than what I’ll need.” He closed the notepad. “I have to go into work in an hour. We’ll swing by your apartment and make sure no one has been there. Then we’ll pick up your car, and I’ll follow you to work. I want to make sure you get there safely. Once my shift is over, I’ll meet you there and bring you back here. If there’s a place you can park your car that’s out of sight, I suggest you do so. It’s best if James doesn’t know where you are. Or we could leave your car where it is, and I can just drop you at work.” He seemed to be thinking out loud. “That would be best, if you’re okay with that.”

Terry stared at Red, trying like hell to figure him out. Red was giving him the cold shoulder to a degree, and yet he was going to extra effort to make sure he was safe. What the hell was with him? Maybe he could deal with the police business more easily than he could with what had happened last night. “That’s fine.” Terry stood up and huffed softly, leaving his coffee where it was. “You can drop me off at work. I’ll get a ride back to my car or whatever after I’m done. There’s no need for you to go to any extra trouble. I’ll be just fine on my own.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Red countered. Terry could feel Red looking at him, but he didn’t turn around. He was angry, confused, and feeling more sluttish than he had when he’d actually been sleeping around. It didn’t matter to him if Red thought it was a good idea or not. He needed distance and some time to think. What he really wanted to do was ask Julie what she thought about all this, but she was engaged in something more important than his love life, so he’d have to figure this one out on his own.

Terry humphed softly and didn’t argue. Red was much bigger and stronger, so instead of fighting or bickering, he’d simply do what he wanted to do, regardless. Terry would have to think about whether he wanted to come back here or not. He’d have plenty of time to think while he was sitting in the lifeguard chair at the pool.

“We have time if you’re hungry,” Red offered.

“I’ll have a protein bar when I get to work,” Terry answered as he turned around. Red did the same, keeping his back to him. Terry had noticed that he did that a lot, and especially this morning. “We can go whenever you need to.” It wouldn’t hurt for him to get in early. He figured he could swim some laps and get some exercise while the pool was empty.

“Okay,” Red agreed. He got his things and put on his belt, placing his gun in it before heading for the door. He squeaked when he walked, and Terry wondered how heavy that tool belt was.

They left the house and walked through the yard out to Red’s truck. Terry got in once Red unlocked the door and sat quietly as Red got in and started the engine. They checked Terry’s apartment and then rode over to the Y in silence, and when Red pulled up to the front door, Terry got out. “Thanks for….” He wasn’t sure what the hell to say. “Thanks.” He closed the door and strode inside.