Friends and Family Series

Mac

By: Ron Robbins
(© 2010 by the author)
Editor: Frank Perry

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

Chapter 19

The Retreat

Mac hung up the telephone and said, "I'm so happy for Mike and Karl. They are two really fine people. They can have a wholesome life together if they work at it. I hope they can be as happy as we are, my love."

"Come sit next to me, my handsome farm boy," Drew said. "The babies and the Nanny are tucked in for the night. Now we can make out."

Mac wrapped his arms around Drew and pulled him close. "I love you, Drew," Mac said. "Let's take off to Paradise Island for a week of serious lovemaking. I'm anxious to do some sailing and play with you on our beach. What do you say, lover?"

"Great! Eric seems to have everything well in hand now. Thomas is safely in the arms of the DA. Let's plan on leaving early Sunday morning," Drew said. "I'm sure we can have everything in order by then. Lenore can stay with the children while we're gone. I'm sure she and Charles don't need us."

"Wonderful," Mac said. The intercom beeped and Mac reached over and picked up the telephone. "Put the call through, Kim," Mac said. "Oh Lord, Drew and I will be there the first thing in the morning," Mac said. "There's not much we can do tonight, he is in good hands. I want you to stay with him all night."

"Have them put a recliner in his room for you," Mac said. "Get someone to fill in for you until Doug is out of danger. I do not want him left alone under any circumstances. Call me if his condition worsens."

"What happened?" Drew asked.

"It seems that Doug has a bad case of dysentery according to Pete," Mac said. "He had all the symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, slight temperature and dehydration. He tried doctoring himself, but his condition worsened. It seems that he was sitting on the toilet when he passed out. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to pull the emergency cord next to the toilet as he fell."

"Pete said he pitched forward and his head struck the tile floor," Mac said. "He has a concussion and is unconscious. His condition has stabilized, but he has not regained consciousness. Pete said he has tubes and wires sticking out of him. He's not a pretty sight. They have him stabilized and don't expect him to come around for a day or so."

"What a bad break," Mac said. "He was doing a good job since taking over from Mike. I hope he doesn't have any lingering disability from this injury."

"Give him a little more time and he will be ready for another promotion," Mac said. "Doug and Pete have done well working together, they are a good team. Here I thought all along that Doug needed Pete's experience to pull him through, but as it turned out, it was the other way around. What surprised me more was the nonchalant way Pete took his divorce."

"Thank God, Pete was around to hear the alarm," Drew said.

"What time do you want to leave in the morning?" Drew asked.

"No later than five," Mac said. "You don't have to be there, baby. I should have asked you first before saying you would be there."

"Don't be silly, of course I want to be there. You did the right thing," Drew said.

"I'm so lucky to have you around to watch over me, my love," Mac said. "You have saved my life a couple of times."

"Come on, handsome, it's your bedtime," Drew said. "All this talk of love, marriages, and third honeymoons has made me amorous for your beautiful body."

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By six o'clock the next morning Drew and Mac were in Doug's hospital room. Doug's condition was unchanged. Pete was sitting in the chair next to the bed.

"You look tired, Pete," Mac said. "When your relief man arrives, I want you go home and get some sleep."

"Mac, would you mind staying with Doug while I walk down to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee?" Pete asked.

"No, we don't mind staying with Doug."

Pete said, "My assistant, Dan, should be here in a few minutes. I'll wait for him at the nursing station. I'd feel more comfortable if one of my security guys is on duty with you and Drew here."

"You're right, Pete," Mac said. "Please close the door and keep everyone out until Doctor Gordon arrives."

Mac walked over to Doug and placed his hands gently on either side of his head and stared at Doug's closed eyes. He held that position for several minutes. He asked Drew to stand on the other side of the bed and place his hands over his. "I've been able to reach Doug, but he doesn't want to wake up because of the pain," Mac said. "I've told him I will block some of the pain if he will open his eyes and talk to us. I have no guarantee he will obey, but we must make him try. I need your power as well to make it work. We will both send our brain waves at the same time and communicate with him now."

Doug opened his eyes and grimaced with pain.

"Doug, I want you to wake up and endure the pain," Mac said. "You fell off the toilet and injured your head. You now have a bad concussion. If you can't stand the pain, the doctor will give you medication to ease it, if you can show him that you can move your limbs. If you stay in the coma, you stand the possibility of staying under for a long period of time and that's not good."

"The pain you are experiencing is bad, but I also know you can take a lot more than that," Mac said. "You are an exceptional person and will be able to control the pain. Now what do you say?"

"I will wake up now," Doug said. "Make sure the doctor comes soon."

They both removed their hands from Doug and stood on either side of his bed. "He's on his way now, Doug," Mac said. "Now tell me where the pain is and how it is affecting your body."

Doug tried to explain everything he was feeling. The doctor had arrived and was listening to Doug explaining his symptoms. The doctor left the room and returned with an RN carrying a tray with two needles that she injected into the IV tubing.

"The medication that the nurse just gave you will eliminate the sick feeling you are experiencing and help to relieve the headache," Dr. Gordon said. "You are still going to feel some pain, Doug, but you'll see a big improvement by tomorrow. We'll take good care of you."

"I'm going to find Pete and talk to him," Mac said. "Dan will be here to keep an eye on you two. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Pete was sitting in the lounge area waiting for Mac. "I want you to go back home and get some sleep. Doug is out of danger and is sleeping normally now. He should be able to go home tomorrow. I want you to work that out with Doctor Gordon after you've had a good rest. When did you realize you were in love with Doug?" Mac asked.

"When I thought he was going to die," Pete said. "How did you know that? I didn't know myself until this morning."

"How I know is not important," Mac said. "Pull yourself together and accept the truth about yourself. We both know that Doug is gay, and he is a great guy. You, on the other hand, have done well; yet you still have not reached your full potential. I know it hasn't been easy for you," Mac said. "You have had some lousy breaks, but you have the chance to change all that. I hope your feelings for Doug will give you the motivation you need. I've not given up on you, Pete. I still want you to stay on with me and work to your full potential.

"If you really love Doug, you need to tell him," Mac said. "Get it out in the open and deal with it. Do you have any idea how Doug feels about you?"

"I don't know, and that worries me," Pete said. "We get along great as roomies and on the job, but he's always acted straight-arrow with me and has never discussed his private life. All I know is that I'm crazy about him. I don't think I could live with anyone else now."

"I'll have Doctor Gordon give you something to relax you when you get home," Mac said. "We'll talk again when you are fully rested. You can relieve Dan later."

"I really appreciate everything you're trying to do for me," Pete said.

Mac patted him on the back as they walked over to the nursing station where Dr. Gordon was waiting. "Doctor this man needs something that will allow him to sleep for eight hours. He's Doug's roommate and will be keeping an eye on Doug after he's released. We need to hire a male nurse to stay with Doug after you release him tomorrow."

Dr. Gordon said, "You're the boss. I'll take care of that today."

Mac returned to Doug's room and told Dan to stay with Doug until Pete relieved him. Doug was sleeping normally once again. They had removed most of the tubes and equipment from around the bed.

Mac and Drew drove Pete to his townhouse at the Retreat and headed on to the office. Mac told Drew of his conversation with Pete when they were alone. "I must have been blind not to see that coming," Mac said. "I hope they can work it out."

"I believe Pete when he said he realized his true feelings when he saw Doug lying on the floor in a pool of blood. The thought of losing Doug brought this to the surface," Drew said. "That explains why he and Doug got along so well. I'm willing to bet he covered for Doug without mentioning it. Naturally it's the right thing to do, but he was doing it for another reason. I hope it works out for them."

Mac held Drew's hand, "I count my blessings for every day we have together, my love," Mac said. I'm still planning to take that trip, even with this little setback."

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Later that evening Pete took over from Dan. The night nurse came in, took Doug's vital signs, and gave him another shot.

Pete asked, "How is our patient?"

"He's doing better than expected," the nurse said. "He was able to take some broth and drink a glass of Ensure for lunch and dinner. He was awake before you arrived and talked a little. If he wakes up, he can have more broth, or apple juice. I'll close the door and put the do-not-disturb sign on the door. He's not due for another shot for at least four hours."

When the nurse left, Pete walked over to Doug, took hold of his hand, then leaned down and kissed him.

Doug opened his eyes and whispered, "Was I dreaming or did you just kiss me?" Doug asked.

"I kissed you. I couldn't resist any longer," Pete said. "You look so helpless lying there." Pete squeezed his hand, "I've wanted to do that for some time and it felt good."

"You don't have to let go of my hand," Doug said. "I want you to kiss me again to see how it feels."

Pete kissed him again this time much longer and with more emotion.

"You've passed," Doug said. "I don't want to start anything with you unless you're serious. I'm looking for a lasting relationship and I'm not about to get involved in a relationship with any bisexual man."

"I do care for you and I am looking for a meaningful relationship. I know I'm not bisexual. Let's take this a step at a time to see if we can work it out," Pete said.

"You're insensitive, Pete. How could you live with me for almost two years and not know how much I like you? I finally gave up on you and thought you were a lost cause. I had given up looking for a mate to concentrate on my career. Why did you wait so long to tell me?" Doug asked.

"Because I only realized last night how much you meant to me, when I thought I was losing you," Pete said. "I had a lot of time to think last night, sitting here with you. That's when I came to grips with my orientation and realized what you meant to me. I thought of all the good times we shared together at work or relaxing at home. All the great memories began to rush into my mind. Little things, like your smile and those little winks you would give me every now and then. Our long walks in the country discussing our future, or sitting by the fire on those cold winter nights together. All those warm memories made me realize that we were really compatible. It felt good tagging along with you to parties and social events. How appealing you were at those gatherings we attended. I observed that people admired you. Not just the women either, the men were a bit jealous of your handsome good looks. You have that charisma that draws people to you. I started to feel very possessive of you. Last night I prayed to every saint I could think of to save you. I was in love with you and I wanted you to come out of the coma, because I wanted you to know that.

"It was Mac who made me face the truth about myself and tell you how I felt. He was hard on me, but I deserved the lecture. He can be frightening at times, particularly when he confronted me about my feelings about you. How does he know these things? I didn't realize the truth about my feelings for you until last night, yet he knew!"

"Mac was responsible for waking me up from my coma," Doug said. "He was inside my head and forced me to wake up. You're right. He has some unusual power that I never knew existed. I'm getting sleepy again. Would you mind kissing me once more before I fall asleep?"

Pete leaned down to kiss him again. Doug reached up and took his face in his hands and said, "I wanted to make sure you're real. You are my knight in shining armor, and a very handsome one at that. Please stay with me tonight?" Doug closed his eyes and fell asleep again. Pete kissed him on the forehead again. "Let anyone try to keep me away."

The next morning Doug ate a regular breakfast and with the help of the orderly, he was able to take a shower for the first time in days. He was back in bed when Dr. Gordon made his rounds.

Doctor Gordon told him everything was back to normal and he could go home. "You must have someone at home at all times, until that lightheadedness disappears. Keep taking the medication until the headaches have completely disappeared. Mr. Schneider told me you and he would be leaving as soon as the orderly from the Retreat arrives."

When they arrived back home the orderly helped Doug undress and get back into bed. He slept for several hours that afternoon. The houseman set up a small dining table in the sitting room area of the bedroom where Pete and Doug had dinner.

After dinner, the orderly helped Doug get back into bed, then left for the evening.

Pete sat on the bed next to Doug and held his hand while he related the events of the day.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?" Doug asked. "You can't make love with me tonight, but I'm well enough for petting."

"I would like that," Pete said. "There will be plenty of time for lovemaking when you are ready. I'll be back as soon as I undress."

Doug had fallen asleep by the time Pete returned. Pete turned off all the lights except for the night light, and lay down next to Doug. He pulled Doug close to himself and laid his head on the pillow next to Doug. He couldn't fall asleep right away. He was enjoying the nice feeling of holding his handsome lover in his arms. He was content and at peace for the first time in years. Doug's steady, soft breathing lulled him to sleep. The next thing he remembered was Doug shaking him.

"I'm sorry to wake you up, Pete, but I have to use the toilet."

Pete helped him out of bed and put his arm around Doug's waist to steady him, then led him into the bathroom. He stayed with Doug until he finished, then helped him back to bed.

"You have a healing effect on me," Doug said. "I usually wake up before the pain pill is due. I'm two hours overdue and I don't feel that headache. I'm going to skip the medication until I need it. Can we sleep the same way again? I love the feel of your body against mine."

They got back into the same position as before. Doug pulled Pete to himself and gave him a long and passionate kiss. He could feel Pete's erection. "That proves that you're in love with me, or are you just horny?"

"You'll learn soon enough how much I love you," Pete said. "I get an erection every time I think about you. It's a paradox really. I'm in love with you and can't live without you on the one hand, and devastated by the fact that I'm a homosexual after all these years."

"You know, I had serious doubts about my orientation during my senior year in college," Doug said. "At that time, the University had a Chapter of the Gay and Lesbian Students Association, so I went for a couple of meetings. They helped me to accept who I was and how to deal with my homosexuality. Gradually my fear began to lessen and I didn't feel ashamed of what I was. I continued attending the meetings and met other men my age. I realized I was not alone in the world. When did you discover you were gay?"

"I've had my doubts for some time, but my true orientation was confirmed the night I found you on the bathroom floor, and again last night when I kissed you. I had no doubts about myself after that kiss. It was the most pleasant experience, and you turned me on."

"Do you remember what my life was like when I was married?" Pete asked. "You saw what my home life was like. You were a regular visitor before my divorce. You must have known that Carol and I had a loveless marriage. We made an arrangement several years ago to see other people, yet stay together for the sake of the children, to try to give them a normal family lifestyle for as long as possible. Carol was discrete in her affairs and there was never a breath of scandal. When a couple makes an arrangement like that, it's only a matter of time before one or both will find someone else. It happened that way for Carol, she found someone first."

"Going through a divorce is an emotional drain on everyone, under the best of circumstances," Pete said. "Our divorce was no exception. Everything changes in your life: your home, your relationship with the family, your daily routine; it becomes very unsettling. That's why I jumped at your offer to live with you. I had some serious doubts as to how long it would last. Working with your superior all day, then sharing a home with him does not always work out in the end. In our case, it worked out well. It took me back to my college days. Sure, we had some heated discussions, but they never became personal, or reached the point where they affected our relationship."

"We were compatible; we both liked the same things in sports, in art, and entertainment. We came from the same social background," Pete said. "You always treated me as an equal and bent over backward to be fair. You always came across as a straight arrow and I've always felt comfortable around you. Our relationship changed when you began working more closely with Mac, I think I became jealous of Mac, because he was demanding more and more of your time. That was completely out of character for me. That was the one and only time you took me to task. It was then I knew it was time to re-examine my relationship with you, as to why I would feel rejected. After all, Mac was our boss, and we were there to do a job. I felt it was time to find my own place and to move out.

"When Mac hired me, I was to give you all the support I could. He was reluctant to hire me unless I convinced him I could work under you without friction," Pete said. "Mac said you had the brains and the drive for the job, yet you lacked the management experience. He promised me that if I helped you I would not regret it in the future."

"I'm sure you remember our conversation when I requested another assignment," Pete said. "You convinced me to stay, and promised we would work out the problems. Really, all I wanted was your assurance that you wanted to keep me on your team. I couldn't see myself leaving you anyway. I also knew that I was becoming over-protective of you, and that made me feel uneasy because it forced me to face the fact that I was gay. So I found a good psychologist and have been under treatment ever since. The shrink told me I was not homosexual, that the feelings I had toward you were a result of the emotional baggage I was still experiencing from the divorce. You had become the only stable factor in my life for the past two years. His diagnosis made sense and he convinced me that I was not gay. That theory went out the window two days ago. I love you and I really want to marry you if that were possible. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, I will," Doug said. "I have loved you for some time and knew you were the right man for me. My family has accepted you as my friend and approves of you because we come from the same background. They would never imagine that we were gay lovers, even if they caught us in bed together now."

"I'm sorry, Pete, I can't keep my eyes open any longer. Forgive me?"

Pete smiled and kissed Doug again. Then Pete was wide-awake once again. In another hour, he would be getting up for work. He thought of the many nights he spent alone. It was exciting to have a love mate in his arms. Doug really turned him on. He had not felt so happy for a long time. He kissed Doug lightly on the head and neck. He couldn't reach his mouth because his face was resting below Doug's chin.

'God, what a wonderful body he has', Pete thought. Doug is perfect, with his thick blond curly hair and hazel colored eyes. I guess the old wives' tale is true about opposites attracting each other. I'm dark complexioned, with dark brown hair and eyes. I was blessed with those fine Spanish features that some people find sexy. I'm glad now that I keep up my swimming. I've never lost my muscle tone. My swimming and jogging every day keep me fit.

Pete could see the sky getting lighter and knew he had to get up from all this bliss. He carefully tried to disengage himself from Doug without waking him, but didn't succeed. Doug opened his eyes. "What kind of husband are you, leaving our marriage bed without giving me a kiss?"

"I didn't want to wake you my love," Pete said. "I've been stealing kisses ever since you fell asleep. Turn on your side so I can pull you close to me."

They embraced and kissed. "I want to get used to this," Doug said. "You are handsome, and delightfully sexy. I can't wait to make love to you."

"Do I detect the beginning of an erection?" Pete asked.

"Well, I do declare!" Doug exclaimed. "There is life down there again! If I can stay off those pills today maybe we can consummate our marriage tonight."

"Look, sweetheart, I want you to do exactly as the doctor told you," Pete said. "He said you were to take it easy for the next three days. You relax and get as much sleep as you can. I'm happy that we're able to sleep together. We have our whole lifetime ahead of us. There will be plenty of time for sex after your health is back to normal."

"If I don't get up now I'll have an accident all over you and the bed," Pete said. "You stay in bed until I finish dressing. Promise me you won't try and get up without help?"

"I'll lie here until you are ready for breakfast," Doug said. "Will you ask Dustin to serve us breakfast up here when you're ready?"

Dustin had set the table up in the sitting area in Doug's bedroom. Doug was sound asleep when Pete returned. He walked over to the bed and kissed him on the forehead.

"Would you like me to help you into the bathroom before breakfast?"

"Yes, that would be appreciated," Doug said. "You smell wonderful this morning."

Pete guided him to the toilet and stayed with him until he finished. Pete chuckled, "I know it may not seem funny to you, but helping you to the toilet like this reminds me of the many times I did the same thing for my kids. These are things you do for the people you love, so don't feel embarrassed about it. Now wash your hands and let's have breakfast."

After breakfast, Pete helped Doug back to bed. He sat next to him and took his hand. "The reality of knowing that you're mine makes me feel like a new man," Pete said. "I'm excited that we are a couple and knowing I'll be coming home to you every night as a lover. God is watching over us now, my love. We must thank Him every day for letting you live, and ask Him to bless our marriage. Please promise me that you will be very careful. Don't make a move unless someone is here to help you." He kissed Doug tenderly."

"I never knew how passionate you could be," Doug said. "I would rather you didn't rush home for lunch today, since I'll probably be asleep most of the day. Let Dustin know what time you will be home for dinner, because I want to have dinner with you again tonight. I'm sorry you have to do my work as well. Why don't you promote one of the staff? We're going to be adding more people anyway."

"See you later, my love," Pete said. "Don't worry about your job. Your health is more important."

The nurse arrived to help Doug shower and change. Doug elected to lay on one of the large lounge chairs in the sitting room while the nurse and Dustin changed the bed and tidied up the bedroom.

The nurse helped him back to bed, took his vital signs, and said, "Everything is back to normal again, Mr. Chatham," as he left the room.

"You received two phone calls," Dustin said. "One from Doctor Gordon saying he would be stopping by this morning, and the other call was from Mr. Mac, wanting to know if you were up to seeing him today."

"Please call Mr. Mac and tell him he can come by any time he wants," Doug said.

Doctor Gordon dropped by at nine o'clock and examined Doug. He told him everything looked good and to discontinue all medication. He could take Advil if he had headaches, and he was to continue bed rest until the lightheaded feeling disappeared. He wanted him to have another series of x-rays taken the next day at the medical building, just to play safe.

Mac arrived at ten o'clock. "You look a lot better today than the last time I saw you," Mac said.

Mac closed the bedroom door and sat in the lounge chair next to the bed. "I'm happy you have recovered so well," Mac said. "Thank God for that. Poor Pete was taking this very hard. He requested a meeting with me this afternoon, and I thought it would be a good idea to talk to you before our meeting. Have you two worked everything out?"

"It couldn't be better," Doug said, as he told Mac what had transpired over the last two days.

"Well, this is great news," Mac said. "I congratulate you on your engagement and wish you both the best of luck. I can breathe a lot easier knowing that I'm not losing either of you. You two are a great team."

"I want to thank you and Drew for pulling me back from that coma," Doug said. "Am I way off base, or can you read my mind?"

"You have discovered one of my closely guarded secrets, Doug," Mac said. "I want you keep this confidential and only mention it to Pete if you feel you must. I would never expect you to keep this kind of secret from him. I have the power to not only read your mind, but in the case of your coma, I can monitor your brain as well. Fortunately, with both Drew and me working together we were able to help. I have never used this power unless I felt it was absolutely necessary. I did use it on Pete because he was deeply troubled and devastated by the thought of losing you. He was overreacting to your injury and that concerned me. Your accident was the trigger that made him face the truth about his feelings. When I discovered that, I told him he had to tell you how he felt. If you didn't want him around, I would have transferred him to another area. I knew that you were carrying the torch for Pete some time ago, but didn't know what your present feelings were. You two are the ideal team, and I would hate to think of you separating."

"We are a good team," Doug said. "Pete is very supportive and we always manage to come up with the right solutions. I set the ground rules the first day we started working together, and we saw no reason to change. He is a great person to work with, and for that matter, to live with as well. I feel that we will become better as time goes by. Pete and I are compatible and he is everything I ever wanted. We have so much in common and are comfortable with one another. We enjoy doing the same things for amusement. We also come from the same social background and move in the same circles. This is not essential, of course, but it eliminates a lot of friction that could be uncomfortable in the future."

"Have you talked to Mike Lee lately?" Mac asked.

"We all have been so busy I haven't had time to talk to anyone. I've not seen Mike since you closed the plastic deal. Mike is a great guy and I miss him. We are still good friends. Why do you ask?"

"It seems that you both got lucky at the same time. He and Karl Landsdorf tied the knot."

"Super! I'm so happy for Mike," Doug said. "They will make an ideal couple. Karl is a great guy, and handsome to boot. Mike deserves the best. Pete and I must host a party to celebrate all the marriages and anniversaries for our good friends."

"Well, again, congratulations," Mac said. "I'll look forward to your party."

"Many thanks," Doug said. "Pete wants to honeymoon next week on Paradise Island and I promise to keep on top of things. I've told Pete to promote one of our executive assistants to help with the additional work load we have. If it's ok with you, I want to ask RW to help the new man while we are on vacation."

"That's fine with me, Doug," Mac said. "I'm sure RW won't mind helping out your new man."

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Doug was asleep when Pete called around five o'clock. Doug had Dustin helped him change into one of the new casual outfits he had purchased from Saks Fifth Avenue. They complemented his coloring and physique. He had decided to eat in the dining room, and had Dustin select a bottle from his best wines for the occasion. He was watching the news in his sitting room when Pete came home. Pete walked over and sat down next to him.

"You look sensational," Pete said. He took Doug in his arms and kissed him. "I want to shower and change for dinner. It's been a rough day. I won't be long."

Pete was back before the national news was over, sat next to Doug on the lounge, and put his arm around him. "I missed you today," he said. "This is the first day I've worked alone and I don't like it at all. I understand we're eating in the dining room tonight. Are you sure you are strong enough?"

"I've been a good boy all day and this will be a special night for me. Tonight I can sit across the table from you and gaze into your beautiful brown eyes. Now I don't have to sneak glimpses of you, as I did in the past. Please humor me, Pete. You are my first lover and I want to savor every moment."

Pete's voice broke as he said, "What took me so long to realize that you were my future? Honey, let's have dinner, because all I want to do now is hold you."

Dustin outdid himself and everything was perfect. The wine was excellent, but it made Doug lightheaded. After dinner, they retired to the bedroom.

"You have been in my thoughts all day," Pete said. "I'll be so glad when we are back working together, again."

"Why don't you select some dreamy music for the stereo and do what you would do with the person you love?"

Pete selected some CD's. He took Doug in his arms and they danced a while. "Honey, let's go to bed," Pete said.

Pete led him over to the bed and undressed him and helped Doug into bed. Then he went to his room and quickly undressed and took the small bag he brought home earlier from the office. He lay down next to Doug, took him into his arms and kissed him passionately. He laid Doug on his back and kissed his entire body. He then sucked his testicles and penis until Doug whispered, "Slow down, I want this to last."

Pete removed condoms, the KY gel, and a rubber glove from the bag. He placed a condom on himself and another on Doug, and turned him on his side. After he had prepared Doug's anus enough to accept him, he gently inserted his penis into Doug.

Pete reached around, took Doug in hand and slowly masturbated him. "I won't penetrate you any further until you're ready. If I'm hurting you, I'll stop"

"I want to feel you inside of me."

Pete slowly pushed until he was deep inside Doug. He remained that way until Doug was sensuously rotating his hips and softly moaning with pleasure. Pete didn't rush; he was slow and gentle in his lovemaking.

Doug was breathing harder as small beads of moisture appeared on his skin that made him feel like silk. Pete knew they were both ready, their climaxes were almost simultaneous. As Doug climaxed, all his muscles contracted, including his anus, and that triggered waves of pleasure that Pete never experienced before when he climaxed.

It took some time before their breathing returned to normal. Pete took the hand wipes and towel, and cleaned them both. He lay back down and put his arm around Doug.

"I've never experienced such wonderful sex," Doug said. "I knew you would drive me into another world with your lovemaking."

"You have yourself to thank for the way you turn me on," Pete said. "You're beautiful when you are having sex, your whole body comes alive and your skin glows. I've never experienced that before. God, you astound me. This is the first time in my life I have had such an intense sexual experience. I wanted to make sure I could satisfy you. So I asked Mac this afternoon to explain the fine art of male sex. He is really a knowledgeable person. He approaches everything in a forthright, down to earth way. I was a little embarrassed at first, but he put me completely at ease. He told me how naive he was when he first met Drew. He knew nothing about sex at all, let alone male sex. It wasn't until he had a consultation with a doctor about male sex that he became more versatile with Drew. Leave it to Mac. Who else would have the balls to ask his doctor about having male sex?"

Doug leaned over and kissed Pete. "You are really a thoughtful husband," Doug said. "You think you know a person because he's your roommate, yet I never thought you would be so wonderful as my lover."

"I want you to know about my relationship with Mike Lee."

"You don't have to explain anything to me about Mike," Pete said. "That's all in the past now. Even a straight dude like me could see he had a thing for you. Evidently you didn't feel the same way or we wouldn't be married."

"You're right. It was a short affair that had run its course long before we joined Mac, if you could characterize it as an affair," Doug said. "Mike was a sex partner and nothing more. I was never in love with Mike. Unfortunately, Mike wanted a mate and I was not ready to make that kind of a commitment. As much as I enjoyed the sex, I had no choice but to end it. I knew we could end up hating each other if it continued. I think the world of Mike. He is a sweet guy and we are still friends. Mac told me this morning that Mike and Karl Landsdorf are now a couple and are very happy. I'm so happy for them. They are both good friends. They both had it rough for a time and I'm glad to see they are together. Mike will never have to worry about money problems again. I happen to know that Karl is a wealthy man."

"You're really a sweetheart," Pete said. "Are you absolutely sure you want to be my mate for life? You're such a gorgeous hunk and I've seen how people drool over you."

"What has gotten into you, Pete? In the two years we lived together, have I ever dated another man? I'll admit I dated other women, but I've never slept with them. I've been propositioned by other guys, but I've never slept with them either, even though I was tempted. If you are having second thoughts about marrying me, I think you should tell me."

"Wow, you fire without warning!" Pete exclaimed. "I was only kidding. I didn't mean to upset you, Doug. I guess my sense of humor was taken the wrong way."

Pete pulled Doug into his arms and they held each other for a long time before they kissed. "Forgive me, my love. If I've hurt you it was unintentional. I'd never hurt you or play any games with your feelings. I really don't give a rap about anyone else but you, for God's sake. I love you. I promise I will never try to make any jokes again."

"You are the only person in this world who could hurt me," Doug said. "You spoiled me for anyone else. I was willing to hold onto the relationship we had together just to be near you. I was in love with you from the beginning, and you didn't even know. I was pathetic. At least Mike had the balls to tell it like it was.

"I was young and naive when I came out and I thought that the same rules applied in gay life as in straight life. I thought you met a guy, you dated, and if you liked one another, you got serious. That happens not to be the case. The college crowd I hung around with had different ideas. I soon learned it's how fast you can get into the pants of the new kid on the block. Then if you're a good lay, they'll string you along until another new kid shows up. I have scars from so called lovers who have professed their love for me, then to be cast off for the next conquest. Naturally I'm wary, I didn't want to be hurt again. Who knows, maybe I became disillusioned after that whole scene. I felt I was wasting my life doing the gay bars and clubs. I could see where it was leading. Drugs and AIDS scared the hell out of me, and I knew if I continued I would end up dead. That's when I joined the CIA.

"Mike was the only guy I had sex with since I left graduate school. You happen to be the only man I've slept with since my brief affair with Mike. You are the first man I've had anal intercourse with. That's what triggered my response. We're married and I've not changed my mind about you. If we can't trust each other to be faithful, we have no basis for a marriage. I promise I will never deceive you, nor would I have an affair with another man as long as we are married."

"Baby, I feel the same way, and I am so sorry for my stupid remark. Won't you please forgive me? Please?" They were both crying.

"I love you, Doug, and I can't live without you," Pete said.

Doug kissed him, "Stop crying and answer just one question: Do you believe me when I tell you you're the only man I have ever loved?"

"Yes, my love, I believe you," Pete said.

"Good. Looks like it's going to take the rest of my life to prove it to you," Doug said. "Now, do you have anything else to discuss before we make love again?"

"I want your word that what I am about to tell you will be kept a secret. You may not reveal this to another living soul. Can I have your word on that, Doug?"

"I can give you my word that I won't tell anyone. But I cannot guarantee that Mac won't find out," Doug said.

"How will Mac find out unless you tell him?" Pete asked.

"Because Mac can read my mind. That was his secret, until he brought me out of that coma the other day. He made me promise to keep his secret. I did promise him that I would tell nobody except you. Now that you know, you must also keep his secret."

"You have my word, baby."

"Mac was responsible for waking me up from that coma. He has unusual powers that allow him to penetrate my mind. That's how he learned everything I know. I gave Mac permission to read my mind any time he wants. I have nothing to fear from Mac, believe me."

"I accept your promise under those conditions," Pete said. "No one knows that Karl Landsdorf is my first cousin and that we are very close. Karl knows a lot about my side of the family, but not everything. I happened to be his confidant. He confided in me about his homosexual tendencies and asked for my advice. Naturally, I had no advice to offer except to contact a couple of good psychiatrists. He did select one whom he felt comfortable with, and claimed he felt much better about everything. I have always admired Karl's strength and his strong will to survive. It's true that Karl is a very wealthy man and is a major stockholder in many large offshore corporations. I don't like to brag, but I'm the heir to a larger fortune than Karl. I'm also a major stockholder of some very large diverse corporations. My father handles all the meetings and he takes care of all my proxies.

"My grandparents, like Karl's grandparents, were Germans. My family moved all their money out of Germany before the First World War. Karl's side of the family did the same thing, only twenty years later. My grandparents migrated to South America and invested the bulk of their millions in the USA, and the balance in Brazil. They amassed a huge fortune. You, my love, have married a very, very wealthy man.

"Carol, my former wife never knew anything about my family's background. She knew my father lived a comfortable lifestyle, but that was all. The cover story was that my dad had inherited money from some well-to-do relative. Carol was a bubbly, amusing woman and a complete air head. My dad thought I was crazy marrying a simple minded woman like Carol; he felt she would pass her bad genes on to our children. He was strongly opposed to my marriage. However, when he realized I was going ahead with the marriage, he made me promise never to reveal to her my true net worth, until we had been married for fifteen years.

"My father never got over the kidnapping episode with Karl, and he didn't want to see that happening to me, or any children I might have. He drew up a marriage contract that included a small but substantial trust fund that would protect Carol and our children if anything happened to me. As it turned out, our trust idea came in handy when we got the divorce. I signed it over to Carol and the children when we parted. I wanted to make sure the kids had everything they needed. Carol and the children are not aware of the security team that guards them 24 hours a day. When the kids are ready for junior high school, I plan to take them away from Carol. My dad will offer her a ten-million dollar settlement for complete custody. They'll be able to visit her as much as they want. I feel that they must learn about their inheritance and they must learn how to manage their vast fortune.

"What do you really think about those villas on Paradise Island?" Pete asked.

"They're beautiful," Doug said. "I lived in the model when I was handling that project for Mac. I thought we both agreed that they were something to strive for."

"I thought they were a good investment," Pete said. "I bought two of them when I first saw them, one for me and the other for Karl."

Pete pulled an envelope from his bathrobe pocket and handed it to Doug. Doug opened the card and read the note, 'With all my love, Pete'. Taped to the back of the note was a gold plastic card that read 'Paradise Island Villa 35', with Doug's name under the number.

"I can't believe this," Doug said. "What a wonderful wedding present." He leaned over and kissed Pete long and hard. "Thank you, Pete, I love your gift. Are you sure you don't want to change your mind about marrying me? Maybe papa will hate me and take your money away!"

Pete chuckled, "My father can't take my money away. It's all in a trust fund my great grandparents set up a long time ago. Anyway, you and my dad hit it off from the beginning. There is no reason to tell anyone our business. I'm sure you're not going to tell your folks that I'm your husband. I'm very happy with you the way things are. We may want to buy some land from Drew to build a house like Karl and Mike, but I'll leave that up to you, my love. Whatever you want to do is fine with me."

"The last three days have been the best I've ever known," Doug said. "You're a wonderful, loving partner and I'm extremely happy. Now, if you're finally finished, I want to make love with you again."

"God, baby, you know how to get into my head," Pete said. "I love you."

To be continued...

Posted: 03/09/12