To Serve and Protect

By: BJ Williams
(© 2013-2014 by the author)
Edited by: Gerry Young

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 10

“So where are you taking me, because this is not the way to my house,” Michael said as he noticed that Andy was driving out of Springfield.

“To Longmeadow, where I live,” Andy told him without looking over at him.

Andy knew that if he were to get any kind of answers from Michael, he needed to get them while he was most vulnerable.

“Why, why your place and not mine,” Michael challenged. “I’d rather go home and sleep,” he lied.

I know what you're up to, Andy, and it’s not going to work, not if I can help it.

“You can go to sleep, but first I’m going to make us something to eat, seeing how we missed eating last night.”

“That’s not my fault; I told you that I had packed something for you,” he mused, but Andy was not … amused, he wanted more than to be kept at arms length, he wanted behind that façade that Michael had built around his heart.

“Here we are, home sweet home,” he said with a chuckle as he pulled into the driveway.

“You live here? My God, man, this is a mansion!” he said, as he gazed out at the house sprawled before him.

Andy hit the garage door opener and paused, while the door lifted, and once opened, he drove his car into the garage and signaled it to close with another hit to the device.

“Before you go taking me for rich or something, this was Thom’s house before … well, before he sold it to me.”

“Still, even if he cut you a deal, this had to have gone for at least five-hundred thousand or more.”

“You are not even close to what I paid for it, and besides, it’s not polite to ask such things.”

Andy and Michael entered the house by way of the kitchen and again, Michael’s eyes were wide. The kitchen had been done in an old farm house style, with a beamed ceiling, and it had copper pots and pans hanging from a wrought iron fixture that was attached to another beam. The cabinets were made of oak, natural in color, and an oak floor with the boards all a different width. WOW! Michael was astounded by it.

“Like I said in the car, this place is a mansion. Are there servants who come with it,” he asked, and Andy, who had been leaning against a counter, laughed.

“Only if you do the clean up, then you’ll be the hired help,” he said, which caused Michael to make a face, as if housework was beneath him. “Now sit and relax, while I make us something to eat.”

He moved to the refrigerator and looked into it, not sure what he wanted, but then, what he did want was not kept in a cold 'box'. He was still bent over and looking when Michael, came up behind him and after he had wrapped his arms around Andy’s waist, Michael ground his crotch against Andy's ass.

“You won’t find what you’re looking for in there,” he said as he straightened Andy and turned him to face him.

“I won’t? And what makes you so cock-sure of that?” he asked.

“Because if you really wanted something to eat, you would have found it before now,” Michael answered. “I know what you want, Andy, because it’s what I want, also,” he whispered against Andy’s mouth.

“And what is…” his words were cut off when Michael crushed his mouth against his, stopping them with a heated kiss.

Michael had Andy tight in his arms and used a foot to close the refrigerator door.

“Let’s go to the bedroom, although I do like the idea of taking on a counter,” he mused.

“I can’t Michael, not like this,” Andy whispered, his voice husky with desire.

“Now what? first you shoot me down in the park, and now, after you drive me here, you still shoot me down again. What is it that you want, Andy? What?” Michael asked.

“You, the real you and not this tough guy that you're pretending to be,” he told him, as he brushed aside an errant lock of hair from Michael’s face.

“This is the real me, you can’t get much realer then moi,” he said as he stood back and held out his arms.

“No, I want you to let me inside here,” Andy said and tapped him over his heart. “You and I both know that something really beautiful started between us that night that I slept over with you. But the next morning, that wasn’t the man who captured my heart, but an imposter who had something to hide. So, if you ever want us to be more than a roll in the hay, then open up and let me in.”

Michael turned and leaned over the kitchen island; he took several deep breaths and then turned back. Andy could see that his eyes were glossed over and that he was fighting with all his strength not to cry. It was then that Andy knew that he would forever love him, but he also knew that he had to tread carefully for the moment.

“I’m here … sweetheart,” Andy said softly as he slowly eased closer to Michael and gently placed his hands on Michael’s hips. “You have nothing to fear from me; you can tell me anything, but I won’t push you if you aren’t ready.”

“But…” A gentle finger from Andy to Michael’s lips shushed him.

“Don’t speak,” he said and took his hand as he led him upstairs to his bedroom.

Andy knew that if they were ever to tear down that wall that Michael had built, he would have to do it in bed, because it was there that he had first met the loveable, tender, and vulnerable Michael.

His bedroom was dark and he didn’t bother with the lights, but used the light from the hall to cast a world of soft shadows into the room. He stood before Michael and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He splayed his finger over the soft mat of dark brown hair and eased them up and took the shirt with them, and then let it fall to the floor.

“No, no; let me do this,” he softly said when Michael went to undo his pants.

He undid the button, pulled down the zipper, and after he placed his fingers beneath the waistband, he seductively eased them down. He dropped to his knees and helped Michael to step out of the pants, tossing them aside to join his shirt. He looked up at Michael, who was looking down at him and Michael’s face was void of all expression as he slipped his fingers beneath the ribbing of his briefs and eased them down as well.

Michael pulled Andy to his feet, but when he tried to kiss him, Andy backed away.

“Stand right there and do not move,” he instructed and hurried into his bathroom and turned on the bath.

When he returned, Andy was naked and he took Michael’s hand and led him into the bathroom. All that there had been for light, was several candles placed around the garden tub. Andy stepped in, he pulled Michael in, and when they sat, he had Michael’s back resting against his chest, nestled between his legs.

“Andy…”

“Shhh, no talking; just relax there and let me love on you … my way, sweetheart,” he whispered with his chin resting on Michael’s shoulder.

His words alone acted like an aphrodisiac, causing Michael to relax back against Andy. Andy grabbed a large sponge, applied body wash to it and after he had created a good lather with the sponge, he began slowly to wash Michael’s chest. He worked the sponge around in circular motions, letting his fingers softly graze over a rock hard nipple.

Michael’s head lay back against Andy’s shoulder; his eyes were closed as Andy seduced him with the sponge. As he continued his circular motions, he made sure to slowly descend with each pass he made across Michael’s torso, as he gently nibbled on the lobe of Michael’s ear.

“Mmmmm,” Michael softly moaned, Andy could feel the tension as it left Michael’s body, and he smiled, for he was seducing the inner man, out.

He moved Michael forward and began to wash his back. He washed slowly, and ever so gently, and when he reached Michael’s hip, eased the sponge around to Michael’s manhood. It was rock hard and with soapy hands, he ran his hands up and down the length of his sex, until Michael was groaning with need.

“My turn … baby love,” Michael whispered when he was about to climax.

He repositioned himself with Andy, took the sponge and slowly worked the lather across Andy’s chest, all the while he gently bit on Andy’s shoulder. Michael didn’t linger up above, but quickly descended to Andy’s sex, which, like Michael’s, was up and ready for attention.

“Don’t touch it … not yet … oh, God, I'm so close that if you touch it, I’ll erupt,” Andy warned, and Michael stood Andy up and had him face him.

He engulfed Andy’s cock with one, swift gulp, allowing the throbbing rod to escape down his throat. Andy’s fingers dug into Michael’s shoulders and his head fell back as he erupted violently. Michael pulled back a bit and sucked, making sure that he got every drop that Andy had to give.

Once he was spent, Andy pulled Michael to his feet and kissed him. They stepped from the tub, Andy dried off Michael, then Michael repeated it for Andy, and together, Andy led him to his bed.

With their mouths joined in a passionate kiss, Michael eased Andy down, his body atop of Andy, whose limbs wrapped about Michael’s hips. Michael broke their kiss and lifted up so that he could look down into those liquid pools of blue.

“May I make love to you, not fuck, but make love, Andrew Butler?” he huskily asked. Andy nodded, because, at last, the real Michael had come out.

“I have wanted to make love with you since our first night together,” Andy whispered and motioned to the bottle of lube that sat on the table beside the bed.

Michael prepared them both, and with his eyes locked with Andy’s, he gently eased his length into Andy’s warm sheath. Andy gasped; he arched his back and closed his eyes, as Michael sank deeper and deeper into his body. His hands were digging into Michael’s shoulders until Michael’s descent ended.

“Take us to paradise, my love,” Andy whispered, and while Michael and he kissed, Michael eased them into a rhythm.

Andy would thrust up to meet each thrust that Michael gave him, holding on to him as if, if he were to let go, somehow he’d lose him. They made love, each saying incoherent words and making sounds that only lovers understood.

“I’m close, Andy,” he whispered with his face buried against Andy’s neck. “But I want to wait for you,” he said even softer.

“I’m ready, babe,” Andy whispered back.

Michael’s climax was monumental, he thought as he thrust and shot over and over into Andy, while Andy, climaxed between their sweat-covered bodies.

“You may not want to hear this, but I love you, Michael Brady,” he swore that he felt Michael pause for a second, before he resumed his rhythmic motions.  “I love you, not your body, although that is awesome, but that man, the one that came to bed with me,” he repeated.

“Please don’t love me, Andy, I’ll only cause you to die,” Michael said with his face buried in the crook of Andy’s neck.

There it was, Andy thought, what Michael feared and had built a wall around his heart to guard against, he feared love, because if he did, he would lose them. Andy pushed Michael’s head up, saw his tear-filled eyes and kissed him and poured into that kiss all the love and strength he had to give Michael.

Michael eased out of Andy and rolled to his side and pulled Andy to him. His eyes said more, than any words could, to Andy, as he looked deep into them.

“I won’t die if you love me, Michael, but there is one thing that loving me will do to me,” Andy whispered, and he could tell that Michael had no clue as to what it was. “You’ll complete me; make me a whole man, because you are the half that I have wanted all my life.”

“But every person whom I've ever loved, has died to get away from me,” he told him as tears began to slowly leak from his eyes. “My mother died, then my boyfriend whom I loved more than life. My father always said that I was trash, and that I destroy everyone and thing that I touch.”

He couldn’t hold it back any longer and let his tears fall freely as years of pain, torment, and doubt, assailed his senses. And through it all, Andy held him and loved on him, because he loved the man whom he held, loved him more than life, and whispered words of love and hope into his ear.

“You really do love me, don’t you stud muffin?” he asked, and then it didn't bother Andy to be referred to as stud muffin.

“Yes, my precious Neanderthal, I love you more than you can possibly understand.”

“You never gave up on me, huh? Even after that morning with me being mean to you, you never gave up.”

“No, Michael, I never gave up even though I wanted to slap the shit out of you. I just could not tell my heart to stop falling for you. Also, for your information, I do not love trash. The man that I love is all man, with a hint of caveman tossed in.

They both laughed and after they calmed down, Michael made love to Andy again, and finally whispered the words that Andy had been longing to hear: "I love you, stud muffin.”

“You just aren’t going to stop calling me that, are you?”

“Nope, and do you know why, stud muffin?” Andy shook his head. “Because whenever I see your cute ass, I see two cute muffins on a stud.”

Andy playfully slapped his chest and Michael, grabbed him by his wrists and pushed him down, sunk his sex deep into him, all the while they kissed.

“Mmmmm, now fuck me,” Andy demanded.

Michael did just that, fucked him into the mattress until Andy was begging for mercy.

“Will you marry me, Andy, and let me make an honest man out of you?” Michael whispered, once they were done and still clung to each other.

“Yes, but where can we?”

“We don’t need some JP or minister to marry us. We’ll recite our vows before our maker and that’ll be it,” he said.

“Or…” Andy replied and paused.

“Well … or what?” he asked.

“Or … we could fly down to Key West and get married with all the fancy trimmings there,” Andy suggested.

“Really? We can actually get married there?” Michael was excited as he knelt beside Andy.

“According to Aaron, Key West legalized it for the town, and he’s planning on popping the question to Thom while they're down there. And I was thinking that Christmas would be a great time to hit the island and have some fun in the sun as well,” he said.

They both agreed on the holidays for getting married and they would ask Thom and Aaron to stand up for them.

*        *        *

Aaron had planned their evening perfectly with dinner at Michael’s Restaurant on Margaret Street and then a walk on the beach where he would propose to Thom.

“Mmmmm, Michael’s; I'm impressed,” Thom whispered after being seated. “What’s the occasion?” he asked suspiciously.

“None, I just wanted to take you to a nice restaurant instead of cooking,” Aaron said.

They had their dinner and after, took a leisurely walk along the beach. The sun was setting, spreading shades of purple, red, and gold across the horizon. A light breeze was in the air and when they got to the end of their walk, Aaron paused and dropped down on one knee.

“Thomas Sullivan, would you do me the honor of being my husband?” Aaron asked and pulled out a small box, opened it and held up a beautiful gold ring, which had a half-karat diamond beside Thom’s initial on a backdrop of black onyx.

Thom was speechless as he looked from the ring, to Aaron, and then back at the ring.

“Yes,” he said and pulled Aaron to his feet, where Aaron slipped the ring on Thom’s finger, and then kissed him. “When did you find time to get a ring,” he asked as he fidgeted with a pocket.

“When I went out to the market yesterday,” he said and then gasped when Thom pulled a small box from his own pocket. “What’s this,” Aaron asked as Thom handed him the ring.

“Open it,” Aaron opened the box and found a similar ring.

This one was in platinum, where as Thom’s was gold, and it had the same onyx with Aaron’s initial and a diamond.  

“You sneak,” Aaron exclaimed as Thom slid the ring onto Aaron’s finger.

“Me, why I was going to propose later at the pool,” he said but someone sneakily beat me to it,” he replied and kissed him. “Let’s go home,” he added and with hands clasped together they walked back to the house.

Aaron began shedding his clothing once he had reached the pool, catching Thom off guard with his shenanigans. Aaron was definitely the first one in the pool. The water hit him with a delicious sense of refreshing coolness, and he swam from the deep end to the shallow, enjoying the cooling of his flesh and to his amazement, Thom was there, waiting for him when he surfaced. 

As he came up against Thom's length, Aaron was elated to feel the strength beneath the sleek flesh. His ink-dark hair was slicked back, and the green of his eyes seemed brilliant as his arms surrounded Aaron. 

“Skinny-dipping?” Thom asked. “How undignified, and is this something you do frequently?” he asked.  

Aaron smiled and said softly, “Actually, no. This is the first time I’ve ever been skinny-dipping in my whole life.”

“I’m flattered and honored,” Thom replied. 

He smoothed back a length of Aaron’s wet hair, Thom’s lips brushing his, hot and wet beneath the faint scent of chlorine. His arms tightened around Aaron, bringing the full length of Aaron’s body to his. Aaron’s chest was crushed against the powerful muscles of Thom’s chest, his hips molded to Thom’s, and the perfectly placed thrust of Thom’s sex against Andy’s was a titillation that thrilled and warmed Aaron with a heady sense of anticipation. 

“Does that mean that the entire concept of sex in a pool is equally new?” Thom asked huskily. 

Aaron started to answer, but Thom’s lips moved down the length of Andy’s neck and the words evaded him. Thom kicked away from the wall, the force slamming them more tightly together. Aaron was scarcely aware of the slick feel of the tile steps when they landed there. For a breathless moment Aaron met Thom’s eyes and then felt the full brunt of his body as he lifted him high against him, then thrust his sex deeply inside him. Aaron wrapped his limbs around Thom, and the fire that suddenly seemed to burn between them was an intoxicating contrast to the coolness of the water.  

Aaron cast his head back, felt again the fury of Thom’s lips on his throat, his nipples, the hollow of his collarbone. … Andy’s lips met his again as they moved in the water, the night sky high above them, the whisper of the foliage around them, and the thunder of pulse and breath taking over. Aaron buried his head against Thom’s shoulder as the power of need, and the agony-ecstasy of longing seemed to seep through him, spiral, and grow, seize him and shut away the world. Andy’s arms stroked Thom’s back; his fingers dug into his ass cheeks. Aaron arched and writhed, and wondered that he didn’t drown, but Thom kept them afloat, and in a cauldron of searing carnal mist until it seemed that the world exploded right along with night stars, and Aaron collapsed against Thom, still held tight and secure. Then Aaron began to shiver, for the night, without the fire of Thom, was strangely cool. 

“If I’d had any warning, we might have had towels,” Thom said, amused, his lips handsomely curved as he pulled ever out and away.  

“I was simply seized with overwhelming desire,” Aaron told him, and he smiled, himself, at his handsome lover. “Quite frankly, I’m not sure I could have planned skinny-dipping.” 

“Wait here, I’ll get the towels,” Thom said. 

“But it’s just as cold…” 

Aaron fell silent, because Thom had already leapt out and, naked and dripping, headed for the house. 

Aaron realized that it was colder outside the water than in it, so he waited. 

At first Aaron eased his head back and simply smiled. He felt so wonderful that he refused to let himself wonder if he weren’t being a fool, falling in love with someone who made no promises, someone who was so distant and had been a hustler. But there wasn’t a thing he would change about Thom, even if he could. 

Aaron’s eyes opened suddenly and he wonder why, aware that he was feeling the first pangs of love enveloping him. 

“Here we are,” Thom murmured. 

A towel was wrapped around his waist, and he had one for Aaron in his hands. The sight of him seemed to turn back the darkness, and illuminate his world with Thom’s light that seemed to always envelope them when together. 

“Thanks,” Aaron replied, rising, allowing Thom to wrap him in the soft fabric. 

“Thank you,” he whispered back and kissed Aaron lightly on the lips. 

The brilliance of his eyes touched Aaron’s, and he repeated the words very softly and tenderly. “Thank you.” 

He lifted Aaron up, and then headed for the house. In Thom’s arms, Aaron forgot the darkness of the night, and any thoughts of tomorrow, for he was content to be with Thom, then and there.*        *        *

Aaron and Thom had made love well into the wee hours of the morning, when Aaron had spooned against Thom, contented and sated from their long love making session. They were sound asleep when Thom heard a noise, which startled him awake.

Thom glanced over Aaron at the clock on the nightstand, six-thirty it read and grumbled. “What the fuck is going on at this hour,” he asked as he got up from the bed, pulled on a pair of shorts.

He grumbled as he stormed out to the patio, where he found a boy swimming, a boy who could not have been more than ten. He was a skinny boy with long, blond hair, which was slicked back.

“Excuse me, but you are trespassing,” Thom yelled out, startling the boy.

“Shit! I didn’t think the owner was here,” he replied and swam to the shallow end and climbed out. “Hey! You're the guy who owns this place,” he said with an accusing tone.

“I am now, and like I said, you’re trespassing. Besides that, where are your parents,” he asked as he grabbed the boy by the arm.

“I don’t got any … so let me go,” he demanded.

“What do you mean, you don’t have any? Every kid has at least one parent,” Thom angrily said.

“Hey, mister; make this asshole let me go,” he shouted to Aaron, who was standing in the doorway, wearing a robe.

“Shane? What are you doing here and at this hour,” Aaron asked as he came out onto the patio.

“You know this trespasser?” Thom asked and Aaron nodded.

“He lives at the end of the road with his grandmother,” he explained, and turned back to Shane. “Where is your grandmother?” he asked.

“She died last month from pewmonia,” he said, mispronouncing the word.

“It’s 'pneumonia', not 'pew-monia',” Thom grumbled as he corrected the boy, still holding his arm firmly with a hand.

“Ok, mister;  'new-monia', but she’s dead, so let me go,” he demanded a second time.

“Not until we find out where you belong,” Thom told him as he took the towel from Aaron and draped it over Shane’s shoulders.

Aaron knelt down to eye level with the boy and smiled as he removed Thom’s hand from the boy’s arm.

“I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother, Shane, but who is caring for you and your brother, Adam,” he asked.

“You mean that there's more than one of him?” Thom asked before Shane could answer.

Aaron looked up at Thom, “Shane has an identical twin brother named Adam,” he told Thom and returned his attention to Shane.

“I’m right here, sir,” an exact replica of Shane, said as he poked his head around the corner of the cabana.

“Adam,” Aaron called out, with his arms outstretched to him, and the boy came running to him. “I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother,” he told him as he brushed back his mop of hair from his face. “Now, why don’t we all go inside and I’ll make us all some breakfast, while you tell me all about what’s going on with you two,” he said as he led them into the house.

Thom looked closer at the two boys and he could see that they had been uncared for. Their clothes, although not old, were badly soiled, and Adam looked like he desperately needed a bath.

“Ah, Aaron,” Thom called out, which caused Aaron as well as the boys to stop and turn to him. “Are your names, Thom?” he asked sternly and both boys shook their head.

“I don’t like that man, Mr. Aaron,” Adam whispered to Aaron. “He barks at us like a mean dog,” he added with his big blue eyes staring at Thom, who stood still with a grim face and his hands on his hips.

“Don’t you worry about him, Adam, Mr. Thom’s bark is worse than his bite. He’s just a bit grouchy because he didn’t get enough sleep,” he told the boy, and Thom did his best growl at them. “He’s really a very nice man, when he has enough sleep.”

“Right, like that is going to happen now,” Thom interjected. “Before either of them sit down at the table, I want them bathed. This one…” Thom ruffled Shane’s hair, “…he’s managed to turn the dirt to mud on him,” and the boy grinned up at him.

“You know, mister, my grandmother use to say that men are grumpy cuz they don’t get ‘nuf sex,” he said, which caused Thom to roar with laughter and scoop up the boy.

“You know, kid, I like you, and that’s something for me,” Thom said and grabbed Adam around the waist and together, he leaped into the pool.

Shane came up and swam away, but when Adam surfaced, he clung tightly with his slender arms around Thom’s neck.

“I can’t swim, Mr. Thom,” Adam whispered.

“Well, then, Adam, wrap those arms around my neck and hold on, because you and I are going swimming,” he said and moved the boy to his back, where Adam held on for dear life as Thom and he swam after Shane.

“You boys swim, while I go prepare breakfast and grab some towels,” Aaron stood there for a moment and smiled, as he watched the three at play.

*        *        *

Nearly an hour later, Aaron came back carrying three towels. He told Thom and the boys that breakfast was ready and would be served on the patio.

“The last one to the shallow end is a horse’s behind,” Thom said as he swam off with Adam on his back, and soon, Shane passed him and beat them to the end.

Thom lifted Adam out first and Aaron surrounded his body with a plush bath sheet. Shane had been already out by the time that Thom pulled himself out. When Aaron removed the wet shirt from Adam, he gasped, the boy was covered with bruises, and when he looked at Shane’s upper body, he was as well. Thom saw the bruises also, but he shook his head at Aaron, mouthing to him not to say anything just yet.

“We’re a horse’s ass,” Adam said and Thom pulled the boy to him, knelt down to his level and gave him a stern look.

“We do not use language like that around here, young man,” Thom scolded. “Besides, I said a horse’s behind and not a horse’s ass, right?”

“He, he, you used ass … Daddy,” Adam laughed, but it was the word, 'Daddy', that caught Thom’s attention, as well as his heart.

Before Thom could say a word, Adam had wrapped his bony arms around Thom’s neck and was hugging him. Slowly, Thom raised his arms and surrounded Adam’s tiny waist, pulling the kid to him as the boy began to cry.

“Ahh, now don’t go crying, son, I’m not angry at you. All I wanted you to know is that, that kind of language doesn’t sound good coming from a big boy like you.” Thom explained as he held out the crying boy from him. “Would you help me out here, please,” he said to Aaron, who just shook his head.

“You are doing just fine … 'Daddy',” Aaron mused, which caused Thom to raise a brow to him. “Now, let’s eat before the food gets cold,” he quickly said, and both boys hurried over to the table.

They gobbled up their food so fast that it seemed like they hadn’t eaten in a month.

“So this is where you little bastards ran off to,” a man said from the gate of the patio.

Adam and Shane turned to the man and Thom could see the fear in their eyes. Thom turned to see a burly, older man who looked worse than the boys had, standing with a riding crop in one hand as he slapped the other with it.

To be continued...

Posted: 01/31/14