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Micah diffidently knocked on the door frame to Franklin's home study, his bodyguard standing two steps behind, warily examining the home's foyer. When the older man looked up, smiled, and invited him in, Micah paused a moment. "Would you please wait outside the room?" he asked Robert, his bodyguard. "I'd like to have a few moments alone, with Mister Pruitt." "I'm not supposed to let you out of my sight, sir . . . not even here." His tone of voice conveyed his belief that, considering the attempts on Mister Pruitt's life, he should not let his charge out of his sight, especially in Pruitt House. Franklin raised his voice. "You and Hank can stand in the open doorway and watch us, but my son has something to talk to me about, and we'd like a bit of privacy." 'He called me his son,' Micah thought, in amazement, as Robert, the guard, reluctantly joined Hank, Mister Pruitt's burly shadow. 'Does he expect me to call him Dad?' "Does the man follow you into the bathroom?" Franklin asked, in an undertone, from the far side of the expansive desk, nodding toward his and Micah's guard, who stood back-to-back, effectively blocking the doorway, prepared for any contingency. If the office had not been rearranged, and the window replaced with laminated glass, Franklin was confident neither he nor Micah would have been allowed even this small amount of privacy. 'My life is no longer mine, but, at least I'm in my own office, and not that windowless closet they had me using while the house was restored to order after the attempts on my life.' Micah softly snorted, slowly sinking into the chair at his boss' gestured invitation. "He's present when I shower, but, as Bailey would say, 'there are limits.'" Franklin laughed, tilting his chair back and watching the young man, who perched on the edge of the chair, facing him. "Relax," he said. "You're wound up tighter than the girdle of a Baptist minister's wife at an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast." He leaned forward, his manner suddenly earnest. "You haven't had anything . . . happen, have you?" Micah made a calming gesture, and did his best to relax. "No, but I would like to talk to you about something. I'm probably being silly, but . . ." he shrugged, his mouth twisting into a smile. "Are you being treated well?" Franklin asked. "You're not facing any sort of problems with the guards, or with the staff, are you?" "No . . . really, everything is fine." He smiled. "Elsie's a real hoot, whenever she's been by the apartment . . . just to check on things," he added, making Franklin smile, at the tone of voice, duplicating the maid's. "She treats Riley and Nathan as if she were their mother." Franklin's mouth twisted into a think smile. "She's been more of a mother to those two than Elizabeth ever was, that's for sure. Every time Riley would come home from college, he'd shake Nathan's and my hand, then give Elsie a big hug, and they'd retreat to the kitchen, where she'd invariably have made some favorite pastry of his. They not only think of her as their mother, she thinks of them as her sons. She's been with us since immediately after Riley was born. Elsie's a wonderful woman. "So . . . you're being treated well? I imagine, like Nathan, you're anxious to be away from that apartment. I'm sure you see the necessity of the confinement, though." Micah shrugged agreement. "I guess. I still can't believe that woman burned down my grandparents' house. When I saw the flames, and her driving that beat-up old car away at high speed, I wanted to twist her neck until I heard a satisfying snap." He cast a guilty glance in Franklin's direction, and received an understanding smile. "Don't feel bad for thinking such a thing. I have had that fantasy almost every day since I met the woman, for one reason or another." He paused, and shook his head, then grinned crookedly at the young man, who finally seemed to have relaxed. "Everyone seems to think Elizabeth must have abandoned her attempts to kill the boys and me. I disagree. Elizabeth will never give up, when she thinks her honor has been besmirched." Franklin cocked an eyebrow. "I must say, I am surprised you were able to convince your . . . handlers . . . to let you visit." "They didn't want me to," Micah responded, lowering his voice. "I had to do some fast talking, for the ever-present Robert to allow me to come to the house to visit. If I'd been asking to go anyplace else, I'm sure he wouldn't have allowed it." Micah sighed. "I'm looking forward to getting back to work, if you still would like me as your Personal Assistant, that is. I feel so useless, sitting around, watching television and playing on the computer. I still can't believe all that has happened to me, or . . ." he hesitated, doing his best to speak around a suddenly tight throat, "or how you've welcomed me into the family." He bowed his head. "I know I've said it before, but . . . thank you." Franklin cleared his throat, touched by the young man's sincerity. "You wanted to speak to me about something?" Micah nodded and sheepishly smiled. "I'd like to just sit and visit with you for hours n'hours. I've always wanted to do that, ever since Pruitt Builders bought the firm I was working for." He grinned. "I never thought I'd have much more than a chance to wish you a good morning. Now . . ." he spread his fingers and gestured to the office in which they sat, and, by extension, to their new relationship. "Maybe sometime we can feel free to visit, like that, but, for now, I want to talk to you about something else." Franklin nodded, making a slight gesture to proceed. "Um . . . you know . . . I mean, I've not tried to hide the fact that I'm sexually attracted to both guys and girls . . ." Franklin nodded. "Many people are. And . . .?" "And," Micah took a deep breath. "I'd like your permission to see if Nathan and I . . . might . . ." His voice trailed off. "I would think that would be between you and him," Franklin said, trying not to smile. "Um . . . does he know you're here, speaking with me?" "No! Um . . . no, he doesn't know." Micah inhaled deeply, wearing a sheepish expression. "We've also never . . . um . . . done anything. I've thought about it, a great deal, wondering if, in some way, he and I being together would be incest, or something. I don't see how it could be, but with you calling me son, people could wonder . . . and I don't want to add any more burdens to your life, sir." "You and Nathan are adults. It's up to the two of you to decide what is best for you." Franklin leaned forward, resting his forearms on the vast expanse of the desk. "Micah . . . son . . . I appreciate your coming to me and telling me of your interest in Nathan, but . . . really . . . as long as you treat one another with respect, you will not be adding any burden to my life. In fact, it will be just the opposite. We've all sort'a stopped living, 'cause of everything which has been happening. You've shown me that life . . . and love . . . goes on." Micah leaned forward. "I don't love him, sir . . . not yet, at least. I know he likes me, but love . . ." He shrugged, sinking back into the chair. "That takes a while to develop, I'm thinking." He looked up. "At least it does for me." Franklin turned a mischievous expression on the younger man. "I'm wondering, though, if your's and Nathan's guard, will be in the same room when you . . . um . . . get together." Micah's eyes widened. "Geez, I hadn't thought of that! Those guys really do cramp a guy's style. It's not like I had much . . . style . . . to begin with, but sheesh. I'm not much of an exhibitionist." He paused, his lips forming a crooked smile. "Well . . . that's not entirely true." Franklin laughed. "Well, as you may have already guessed, Nathan loves to show-off. Just like Riley, only more so. He'd think nothing of having the guards sit at the foot of the bed and grade him on style, or whatever." "He's that experienced? I didn't know." Micah adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and absently chewed his lower lip. "Micah, I'm only teasing. I have absolutely no idea what sort of sexual experiences Nathan's had. All I know is that he, Riley, and I would all hang around, naked, whenever Elizabeth and . . . the rest . . . were gone. It was nothing special. We'd visit, or watch a game on television . . . just hang-out, having a good time . . . just us guys. We stayed up on the second floor, so as not to shock the staff, but all the men in the family enjoy being naked. I'm assuming you do, as well?" "Well, sort'a. I haven't had much chance to hang out with guys, as you call it, though I think it'd be cool. I think locker rooms . . . y'know, the smell of the men n'all, are about the sexiest things around. Well, locker rooms, with lots of naked men in them, goes without saying," he smiled, boyishly. "Well, if you hang around the other two, you'll soon discover that being naked is second nature for them. I'm not sure what Bailey thinks, though I somehow expect he's not as much of a starched shirt as he sometimes appears." He shook his head. "Elizabeth hated the fact that I enjoy being nude." Franklin chuckled. "She accused me of leading the boys down the road to perversion. I wonder, now, if that's the reason I did it . . . just to irritate her." He made a dismissive gesture. "Who knows? Who cares?" "Then, it's okay with you, about Nathan and me?" "It's fine with me. Have you any idea if he might be interested in you? That seems more important than what I think." "Um, yeah, I think he'd be interested. We both get all flustered whenever we're around one another, but . . . with them around . . . meaning the guards . . ." He shook his head, unsure whether he wanted his bodyguard to witness him and Nathan together, even if all they did was hold hands. "Bailey told us to ignore them. He says they're like a servant. You're not supposed to realize they're around. Damn it, though, I'm nervous as all get-out, just thinking about being with Nathan. Having an audience, watching me be nervous, is prob'ly gonna be too much to handle. I'd hate to not be able to . . . um . . ." "Keep an erection?" Micah grinned, nervously. "Yeah." "Then invite Bailey and Riley to join you?" Franklin suggested, with a grin. "The more the merrier, you mean? That would mean four guards watching, plus Riley and Bailey! I can imagine what those guys talk about when they go home. He lowered his voice, in a parody of the guards'. "'Hey, Sweets,' one of 'em tells his wife, giving her a pat on her ample behind. 'You'll never guess what went on up at the mansion today. Hell," Micah continued, enjoying his . . . story, "'Hell, it's getting so a guy doesn't want to bend over, for fear of getting a rude surprise.'" Franklin grinned. "Micah . . . I have to agree with Bailey, about learning to ignore the help. They have their job; you have yours. There's no way you can control what they talk about whenever they go home, so don't worry about it. 'Sweets' and her honey can laugh and carry on all they want to about what goes on up at the mansion. As long as they behave professionally, when they're on duty, neither of us can ask for more." He leaned forward, and lowered his voice. "My advice is to go for it! You and Nathan enjoy yourselves, and to hell if the guys are feeling challenged by watching you. Give 'em a good show!" Micah bowed his head. "I keep waiting for the other shoe to fall," Micah said. "Another attempt, y'know? I'm lookin' over my shoulder all the time. I feel rotten 'bout my grandparents' house. Angry, too. I mean, she doesn't even know me. Why does she hate me?" "Micah . . . son . . ." Franklin said, in a voice which demanded attention. "Elizabeth has always been trapped in her past. I'm sure she sees you as part of that past. That woman has never taken responsibility for anything which happened to her. Her mother was was the same way, and her father, to an even greater extent. I don't know how many enemies he made, as he climbed and scratched his way to be governor of the State. Elizabeth behaves very much as he did. Neither of them care about anyone but themselves. The moment her father showed that he was vulnerable, and some of his indiscretions became public, all those people he'd hurt, on his way to the capital, came out of the woodwork, and took delight in bringing him down. Elizabeth and her mother jettisoned him without a thought. "He blamed everyone . . . his wife, me, Elizabeth . . . everyone, for what was happening to him, just as Elizabeth blames you, for your biological father getting her pregnant, or Riley and Nathan for defying her by being born. As for me . . ." Franklin shrugged. "Well . . . the reasons are too numerous to enumerate. "However, if you are living in fear, always looking over your shoulder, wondering when she'll strike next, you're letting her win. The guards are the people who should be worrying about what she or anyone else might do, precisely so you, or Riley, Bailey, Nathan, or I don't have to. The FBI, and all the experts, believe the woman's acting on her own . . . without professional help." "An amateur can kill a person just as dead as a professional," Micah groaned. "If her goal is to worry me, she's succeeding. That night . . . when it happened . . . burning down my grandparents' house, I mean . . . well . . . Nathan held me as I cried. It felt so good to be held by someone and know that they . . . care. Y'see, I've never let anyone get close enough for them to care. I don't know why; I just never did. With Nathan, the closeness seemed so . . . natural. Still, I worry about her and what she'll try next. I try not to, but I just can't stop. I see her everywhere, and I'm afraid. I'm sick with worry. I sort'a wanna lock myself in a room and shut out the world." "Then, my advice, son, is invite Nathan to be with you in that room. After all," Franklin winked, "You and he will have to have something to do with your time." "Thank you, sir," Micah said, after sharing a laugh. He stood, wondering if he should wait to be dismissed. Franklin stood, rounded the desk, and opened his arms. "May I hug you?" he asked. "It'll do us both some good . . . and . . . it will show you that Nathan's not the only one who cares." * * * Micah looked up from where he sat on the edge of the bed, in what he had joined Riley in thinking of as the jail. As always, the bodyguard stood near the door to the bedroom to the dimly lit room, protecting him from anyone who might try to force their way through the door, or the expansive wall of windows. 'Never mind that we're above anything nearby,' Micah thought. 'Waaaay above anything.' "Robert," he said. "It's necessary that I be personal, for a moment, so forgive me, but have you ever had sex with another man?" "Is this a proposition?" the guard asked, his deep voice barely hiding a smile. "No, it's a question, because, I am about to go into the adjoining room, and ask Nathan if he would like to spend the night in my bed. If he agrees, I hope we will have sex. I've been told I should ignore your presence, but that's tough to do. I'm not much of an exhibitionist, and asking Nathan is difficult enough without thinking of you, and 'whatshisname,' hanging around, snickering and making comments." "We wouldn't do that, sir." "However . . . do you understand my position?" "Yes, sir, I do. And so that you understand 'whathisname's' and mine? This isn't only a job for all of us. We have become fond of you young men. I think of you, much as I do my own sons, and I don't want anything to happen to you, or any of the other guys. That's both a professional comment, and a personal one. "However," he added, after thinking a moment. "Why don't you go ask Mister Pruitt if he'll sleep with you? While you're doing that, I'll speak with my colleague, and, if Mister Pruitt agrees to your proposal, we'll promise to remain in the hallway and stay as far away from you both as we deem safe . . . but the door must remain open. Is that agreeable?" Micah sighed. "I guess it's the best I can expect, isn't it? Who do you suppose is going to get at us, situated up in the clouds, as this floor is . . . someone rappelling down the outside of the building and shooting us through the window?" "What you propose is possible, assuming, of course, my colleague on the roof has been taken out of commission. You're not safe, Mister Sutton. You may feel safe, but, as long as that woman is on the loose, you are not. We guards are doing our best to ensure your safety, but, given enough money, and manpower, someone can overcome everything we've put into place. All of us take our job very seriously. It is important for you, and the other young men, to do the same." Micah bowed his head, and spoke in a low voice. "I'm sorry you have to spend your time like this. I'm sure you'd rather be home with your wife and children, instead of standing here, talking about my love life, or lack of it." "I enjoy my job . . . long periods of absolute boredom, interspersed with moments of pure terror. It is my hope you never experience the terror." "Boredom is good?" Robert nodded. "As far as I am concerned . . . definitely." He took a deep breath. "I'm breaking rules, by offering to stand in the hallway, but I'm afraid it is the best I can do. "Go on," he added. "Ask him. Once you get going, I don't think it'll be too difficult to forget we're nearby. We'll even turn out the hall light, to give you a little more privacy. Agreed?" he asked, raising his brows, and smiling. "This will be your first time, won't it?" Micah ruefully nodded. "With him it will be. I don't have all that much experience, with anyone." "I'm surprised." Micah looked up, from where he sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Why are you surprised?" "Forgive me, but I would think you'd be in pretty high demand, looking like you do, and all." "Why, thank you, Robert," Micah grinned. "I'll try not to think of that as a proposition." "That would be appreciated. It was an observation." "Then, thank you." "We guards are human, too, Mister Sutton. We understand the need for companionship." He chuckled. "Believe me, having sex with one of the other men being guarded is much easier than if you'd asked to bring a girl up here. Such a thing wouldn't have been possible. We're here to make sure you live, so that you can do as you wish . . . later on." "I know," Micah sighed. "I'm thankful you're here, Robert . . . really. I hope none of us have made your life more stressful than it already is." "Y'all have behaved fine. Being cooped up, like you are, is stressful. There's no getting around that. But, until that woman is caught, being cooped up is the best any of us can hope for." "Nevertheless . . . thanks," Micah said, shaking Robert's hand with a firm grip, then glancing toward the next door room. "Best of luck with Mister Pruitt." Micah nodded his thanks as he passed, then greeted the guard at the adjoining bedroom, with a slight nod, took a deep breath, and knocked on the doorframe, as his guard spoke to Mario Lombardi, the man who'd been assigned to look after Nathan. "Hello," Micah said, in a low voice, as he quietly knocked on the doorframe to Nathan's darkened bedroom. For a reason he couldn't explain to himself, he was hoping Riley and Bailey . . . plus their associated guards, would not be aware of his late night visit. 'It's bad enough to have the men looking out after Nathan's and my welfare, aware of what I'm doing. From what Mister Pruitt says, though, Nathan would prob'ly like to invite 'em all into the room to watch. I wonder if Mister Pruitt was joking when he said he liked to hang out naked with the guys. That sounds like fun. Maybe, someday . . .' His thoughts were interrupted, as Nathan looked away from whatever he'd been doing on his iPad. Other than the soft glow of the device, plus the light from the hallway, and nearby office and apartment buildings, the room was dark. "Hey!" the naked man said, a smile in his voice. "Dropping in for a visit . . . I hope? I'm getting pretty tired of my book." He held up the iPad. "C'mon in." "I . . .," Micah croaked, his throat suddenly dry. He opened his mouth to start over, then practically stumbling into the room, as someone gently pushed him forward. "Hey!" he complained, looking over his shoulder. Nathan's guard, Mario, gave him a casual salute, and an unrepentant smile, then dimmed the hallway lights, leaving the bedroom lit only by Nathan's iPad, and the lights from the surrounding buildings. "He pushed me," Micah groused, gesturing to the hallway and the unseen guard. "I expect he wanted you to stop hanging about in the hall and say what's on your mind," Nathan laughed. "Same as you?" "Hmmmm . . . You've been spending most of your time being the hermit. I was beginning to worry about you. I know you've had a lot on your mind, taking in everything that's happened to you, but . . . Y'lonely?" Nathan asked. "Yeah, something like that." Micah took a couple more steps into the room, intensely aware of the guards' presence, as well as the naked man sprawled on the bed. 'Damn, but all this would have been easier if he was wearing something,' Micah grumbled to himself. 'My fantasies of Nathan have been nowhere near as good as the reality,' he thought. His body was long and lean, evenly tanned to a light brown, while his buttocks and crotch remained milky white. His hair was black, and uncombed. His chest appeared smooth, though, with so little light, it was difficult to tell for sure. His groin . . . 'well . . .' Micah thought, feeling a stir beneath his running shorts. 'I love thick pubes. And the goods! Damn!' He swallowed in a dry throat, cursing his lack of experience. 'He's four or five years younger than me,' Micah thought, in irritation, 'yet, there he lies, displaying himself to me. He knows what seeing him like that is doing to me. Any minute, I bet, he'll get an erection, just to see if I'll run screaming into the night, afraid to even talk to him.' "I'm thinkin' you've not seen very many naked guys," Nathan teased, his voice deeper than one would have expected, coming from a person who appeared to be so young. The slight drawl, typical of the Southern States, was accompanied by a lilt to his sentences, which was . . . unique, and hinted at a playfulness completely different from anyone Micah had ever known. 'I could listen to him speak for hours,' the older man thought to himself. "Well?" Nathan asked, as he continued to lie on his side, propping himself up on one elbow, his voice mischievous, as he idly ran his fingers through his pubic hair. Micah found he couldn't take his eyes off Nathan's fingers, and would have continued watching, if the iPad's screen hadn't gone dark. "I fuckin' love being naked," the younger man said, his voice low. "What about you, Micah? Y'like the idea of losing the clothes and . . . relaxing . . . with . . . me?" he asked, in a seductive voice, while slowly stimulating himself. "Huh?" He tore his gaze away from Nathan's groin. "Oh . . . um . . . I was thinking I could listen to you talk for hours. You've got a wonderful voice . . . not t'mention the rest." He inhaled a ragged breath. "Seeing you naked, like this, um . . . playing with yourself . . . Geez, it's driving me wild." He shifted from one foot to the other, and chuckled. "Damn, Nathan," he said, as he nervously raked his fingers through his hair. "When you're dressed, you're so friggin' handsome. Now . . . naked like you are, you go from handsome to awesome." "I've always thought I was sort'a scrawny, but," Nathan answered, bemused. "I think I like what you say about me better, especially coming from one of nicest, best looking men I've ever known." He grasped the base of his erection, and displayed it, pleased when Micah adjusted his own. Micah licked his lips, as he stepped closer to the bed, warily approaching, like a moth to a flame, unsure what would happen if he touched the object of his attraction, but confident the touch would forever change his life. His attention was jerked away from the erection at the sound of the playful voice. "Um . . . I got'a ask. Can you stay for a while, or were you just dropping by t'say g'night and give me a couple compliments?" Nathan asked, twisting to set his iPad on the bedside table, then turning back to the man who was now standing at the bedside, illuminated only by the light coming into the room from the surrounding buildings. Micah fidgeted. "Um . . . I can stay. In fact, I was hopin' you'd want me to. Y'mind if I have a seat?" he asked, gesturing to the edge of the bed. "Uh, no, of course not! Here I am, so flustered by you n'me being in the same room together, by ourselves, that I'm letting you stand there sweatin' like a whore in church." "You're nervous . . . about me being in here?" Micah murmured, as he eased himself onto the edge of the bed, and turned sideways, swearing he could feel the warmth radiating from the naked man. He reached out and ran a forefinger over the slight beard-stubble on Nathan's cheek, his earlier nervousness evaporating in an instant. "I thought I was the only one who'd be nervous. Ever since we met, back in the attorney's office, I've gotten sort'a all breathless, every time you're nearby. "Every time you've hugged me . . ." Micah inhaled an uneven breath. "Geez, it's been great." He trailed his finger over Nathan's cheeks and lips, flinching slightly when Nathan opened his mouth and welcomed the finger, caressing it with his tongue. "Aw, fuuuuck," he sighed. "If I thought a hug was good . . ." "Then this'll be better," Nathan murmured, as he leaned close and tenderly kissed Micah on the lips. "Stay with me tonight?" he asked, then returned for a second . . . tender . . . kiss. "Please," he murmured. * * * "Not at all what I would have expected," Robert, Micah's security guard, murmured to his colleague, tilting his head toward the darkened room, and the two figures silhouetted on the bed. "Fuck, there's more romance between those two than between the wife n'me." "Maybe you should take lessons," Mario grinned. "Yeah, maybe." Robert shook his head in wonder, surprised by how much he hoped whatever had just begun between the two young men would succeed. "Both of 'em are great guys. They're going through a lot." "Yeah," Mario Lombardi, Nathan's security guard, murmured. "When we were first hired, I figured someone was probably over reacting, and that the ol' woman couldn't be as bad as we were told. Now . . . after what she did to Mister Sutton's house, added to what little intel the Agency's given us about the attempts on Mister Pruitt's life, it looks like the young men really do need someone to look out for them. I'm surprised someone hasn't caught up with the bitch." "More from lack of trying, than anything else," Robert murmured. "I'm guessing someone figures since we're looking after the young men, and the FBI is guarding Mister Pruitt, that all the bases are covered. If the woman's going to be caught, the powers-that-be have convinced themselves they don't need to spend any more City money on duplication of efforts." * * * "Ohhhh . . ." Nathan exhaled, in an unsteady breath, as the man he'd fantasized about since the day they'd met at the attorney's office, ran a tender fingertip over his cheek. His cock was throbbing, anxious to relieve itself of the load building up deep inside his body. Corey and Jonah, back in Riverton, were fun . . . lots of fun . . . but being touched by the man who sat on the edge of the bed was . . . different. The simple touch . . . meant something. 'This isn't like the night he slept at my side, crying on my shoulder until he fell into a restless sleep . . . just because of Mother's actions, burning the only home he'd ever known to the ground, hoping to kill him. This is something else . . . something between him and me. He's with me because he wants to be, and ohhhh . . .' Nathan shivered with pleasure, as he opened his mouth and slowly sucked on his half-brother's finger. 'Beautiful hands,' Nathan couldn't help but think. 'He's older than me, but he's nervous, prob'ly 'cause he has so little experience with a guy . . . even less than me, and that's saying something.' He scooted closer to Micah, wrapping an arm around his waist, and smiled, when his forearm encountered the erection straining at the fabric of the flimsy running shorts. He rubbed his arm over the prominent bulge. The only answer he got was a loose nod of Micah's head, which gave him silent permission to tenderly cup the nylon-covered mound, and gently squeeze. Micah exhaled a slow breath. "Oh, yessss." "I'm thinking you're enjoying this as much as I am," Nathan murmured, as he lay back and urged the unresisting man to rest on top of him. Their mouths met and both men groaned in pleasure, as their tongues began to battle one another's, their erections pressed hard against their partner's. Nathan's fingers dug into Micah's ass cheeks, pulling him closer, arching his back and thrusting himself against the older man's cock, while Micah squirmed and sighed with pleasure. It was as if floodgates had been cast open. All hesitation evaporated, as did any thought that their security guards might be watching from the darkened hallway. In fact, both guards were watching, Mario, Nathan's guard with more than casual interest. As Micah sat up and tugged off his T-shirt and shorts, Mario's cock thickened, as he recalled the times, during his wild college days, in which he and his buddies would "fool around," then claim drunkenness the next morning. 'I was never that drunk,' Mario thought. 'I knew exactly how many men had penetrated me the night before. I knew how many men's loads I had swallowed, and who had taken my cock up their ass. I remembered everything . . . just like the other guys, and, even though I don't think of myself as being gay, DAMN, but I'd like to be in the bed with Nathan and Micah.' He shook himself and grinned, as his colleague turned to him with a question in his eyes. "Nothing important," he murmured, not wanting to disturb the men on the bed. He glanced toward the nearby door to Riley and Bailey's bedroom, and saw one of the guards standing at the doorway to the bedroom, while the other made a circuit of the apartment and checked with the men on the roof, and in the building's lobby. "Oh, to be that passionate with someone," he murmured, barely loud enough for Robert to hear his words. The older man turned to him and nodded, wearing a crooked grin. "Sort'a exciting, isn't it?" Robert whispered. "Never would'a thought I'd plump-up watching two guys make love, but . . ." 'And . . . that's what it is,' Robert thought to himself. 'Love. They may not claim to be in love, but what they're experiencing is way more'n just plain old sex.' His breath caught in his throat, as Micah, now on his knees, leaned back, bracing himself on straight arms, and thrust his hips forward, his body . . . and, substantial erection, silhouetted against the light of the nearby high rise buildings. Robert watched as Nathan rolled onto his stomach and swallowed Micah's erection, causing his partner to throw his head back and hiss with pleasure. "Fuuuuck," Mario murmured, from nearby, openly adjusting his erection straining at the confines of his jeans. "Fuckin' hot," he murmured, casting a guilty glance in Robert's direction, only to see the other man was as mesmerized by what was happening within the bedroom, as he. Micah and Nathan were now facing one another, both kneeling, passionately . . . sucking tongue. Mario smiled, remembering the last man he'd had sex with . . . years ago. 'Now, he could suck tongue,' Mario thought, 'plus many other things.' He glanced toward the two men, who were writhing about on the bed, no longer making any attempt to remain silent. As he watched, Nathan crawled to his knees and straddled his partner, shifting position, so he'd be able to suck on Micah's erection at the same time Micah worked on his. When, after only a few minutes, Micah arched his back and loudly groaned, as he filled Nathan's mouth with his semen, it was all Mario could do to not barge into the room and demand a taste. 'I can still taste it,' he thought, recalling his tongue being coated with the thick semen of the last man with whom he'd had sex . . . years ago. 'It was thick, and slightly salty. He wasn't a shooter, like some guys, who gag you by shooting directly down your throat. No . . . each time his dick pulsed, my tongue was coated by some more of his delicious . . . juice. 'Fuck, I love the taste of a guy's sperm,' he thought, then almost laughed. 'And here I am telling everyone I'm straight as an arrow. How many straight guys fantasize about someone else's hot cock exploding in their mouth, filling it with white-hot sperm? How many straight guys would admit to loving the feeling of a man's erection pulsing in his mouth, or of the man's fingers holding his head in a firm grip as his orgasm spends itself? 'How many straight men would admit to love having their asshole stretched by someone's dick, or how wonderful it feels to have the weight of another man on top of you. And . . . what straight man fantasizes about another guy's tongue demanding entrance to you mouth, the moment his cock thickens, and begins to flood your insides with his stuff?' Micah's orgasm had swept past, leaving him exhausted. He barely had time to take a breath when Nathan's own orgasm overtook him, and it was Micah's turn to try to avoid gagging, as his mouth was filled, not only with the younger man's erection, but with what had to be a prodigious load. 'Fuuuuck, I can hear Micah gulp, even from here,' Mario thought. 'That does it!' He turned to Robert. "Excuse me," he murmured, "but I've got to drop a load, or you're gonna have one hell of a frustrated man on your hands." He grinned. "Wanna watch?" "I'd love to, but both of us can't be gone from our post at the same time," Robert responded, in a low voice. "Don't be too long, though. I'm aching to shoot, too. I'm needing it bad, in fact." He made a shooing motion. "Don't be long," he repeated, amazed at how what he'd seen had affected him. "That can be taken care of. If you're as much in need of losing a load as I am, you don't want to wait." He approached Scott Chen, Riley's guard, at the adjoining bedroom door, and spoke for a moment, nodding toward Robert. Scott smiled and nodded, then turned to Ernst Hirsch, Bailey's guard, and spoke, as Mario gathered Robert and went into Micah's vacant bedroom. "I'm not gay," Robert began, suddenly unsure of whether he should be doing what he desperately wanted to do. "I'm not either," Mario responded, hurriedly unfastening his jeans and pulling his cock free. "What I am, though, is super-horny. I need to shoot a load, or I'm going to burst." "Damn," Robert said aloud, then shook his head, unwilling to voice his thoughts. 'I never thought I'd be turned on enough by watching two guys have sex, that I'd wanna beat my meat with another guy, thinking about what I'd just seen.' His eyes widened, as Mario's cock achieved full erection. "Nice dick, man," he said, as he pulled his own free, and began to slowly stimulate himself, recalling Micah's groan of release, as Nathan sucked his cock dry. "What'cha thinking about?" Mario asked Robert, who had closed his eyes and was slowly . . . very slowly stimulating himself. "'Bout how lucky Micah was to have someone suck him off. I've only had that done a couple times . . . back before I was married. The wife refuses t'even touch my thing. Claims it's dirty; yet she's more than content for me to lick her pussy." "I'll suck it for you," Mario murmured, not surprised when Robert's eyes flew open. "Don't get all bent out of shape! I've told you all that I love sex. I've sucked off lots of guys . . . but none since college." His eyes shifted to Robert's. "Y'wanna fill my mouth with your sperm?" he asked, in a husky voice. "I . . . Yeah, but, I . . . I don't know if I can do you," Robert stammered. "I'm not asking you to. All you need to do is stand still and let me do the work. Don't pull out, though, when you're ready to shoot. I want to taste your jiz. I'm gonna have to touch you, though. Okay?" Robert thought a moment, then jerked a nod, as he removed his hand from his cock, which bobbed in anticipation. He closed his eyes, hoping neither Scott nor Ernst, the other two guards, would come checking on them. 'It's not gonna take me long to pop,' he thought; and when Mario engulfed his entire erection, taking much of it down his throat, and began to expertly stimulate the underside, he knew he wouldn't last long. 'Shit, a guy could get used to this,' he thought, as Mario grabbed him by both hips and pulled him closer, stimulating him with slow . . . deliberate movements. 'It's so friggin' warm!' He grabbed Mario's head, and began to slowly fuck his face . . . two long strokes, then a pause, followed by two more full-depth strokes, and another pause. "I'm about there," he warned the man kneeling in front of him. When he looked down, he saw that Mario was jerking himself off at the same time. The kneeling man nodded, and, after another very, very . . . slow . . . stroke, Robert's body jerked, and his cock . . . erupted into the kneeling man's mouth, as his orgasm swept over him. "Ahhhh fuuuuck," he groaned, as he heard . . . and felt . . . Mario swallow at the same time the curly haired man jerked, and his own sperm blasted free, leaving a trail across the bedroom carpet. 'I guess Robert would freak if I sucked up my own juice from the carpet,' Mario thought, letting his colleague's softening cock slide free. 'I've pushed his boundaries as far as possible, but, damn . . . he tastes good. If he ever wants a repeat performance, I'm available.' He pushed himself to his feet, and was surprised when Robert gave him a brief, self-conscious hug. "Thanks, man; that was awesome." He backed away and began to pull up his underwear and jeans. "Makes me sort'a jealous that other guys get t'shoot a load in a hot mouth, and I'm stuck with the wife." "If you need a more-than-willing mouth, all you need t'do is ask, Robert. I'm more than willing to do you as often as you want." Mario grinned at the surprised man's expression. "I had fun." Robert nervously laughed. "Yeah, so did I. F'real, you'd do this again?" Mario nodded, as they left the bedroom and resumed their places in front of the bedroom door, and the now-sleeping men. He glanced toward the two men, who had fallen asleep. 'I'm glad you found the courage to follow your heart,' Robert thought, recalling Micah's fears of approaching the younger man. 'I hope something . . . strong . . . grows because of what the two of you have done this night, and that, once your mother has been caught, you both can live your life, being as happy as you are tonight.' * * * "Sounds as if Micah and Nathan have finally gotten together," Bailey murmured, from where he snuggled against Riley. "Good!" Riley sighed. "Maybe now they'll both settle down. They've been acting like a couple'a animals, locked in the same cage, afraid to even look at one another." "They're both oozing sex appeal," Bailey murmured. "I wondered what that was that I keep stepping in," Riley chuckled. "I'm happy for both of them. They've been lonely . . . Micah maybe more so than Nathan. At least he had some recent companionship, back in Riverton, with Jonah and Corey." "I want to be back there," Riley said, in a low voice. "I felt safe there . . . surrounded by friends." He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "D'you suppose Mother will somehow have discovered where we've been? That's all Owen and everyone else needs . . . my lunatic mother on a bloodlust rampage. Her plans have been thwarted so many times now, I figure she must be to the point where it won't matter who she hurts, as long as it's someone." "You still care for her, don't you?" Bailey murmured, propping himself up on an elbow at Riley's side, and running what he hoped was a soothing hand over his lover's chest. "Yeah . . . I guess I do. I can't figure out why, but . . . I want her to stop for a moment and see reason, then fade into the woodwork someplace." "That's not likely to happen . . . not after all she's done. She seems like the kind of person who won't . . . ever . . . back down, no matter what happens. Besides," Bailey continued. "If she's not caught, you, Nathan, Micah, and your father will always be wondering when she'll show up next. You'll never feel safe. She has to be caught, Riley. You know that. Not only for the welfare of everyone in the Pruitt family, but for anyone else who gets in her way. Look at what she did to Micah's grandparents' house, or what she attempted with your father. The woman is a danger to society. She needs to be put someplace where she'll be unable to hurt anyone else." "She won't survive a single night, in a place like that," Riley murmured. "I survived," Bailey responded, in a low voice. "I admit, I was in a cell by myself, but, I survived. Let's hope, your mother emerges from this whole thing as a better person." Riley silently snorted. "That's not gonna happen, Gen'rl, and you know it." Riley rolled onto his side, and lay half on top of Bailey, who wrapped his arms around the dark-haired man on top of him. "Without you, Gen'rl, I wouldn't have been able to handle any of this," he murmured, close to Bailey's ear. "Thank you." * * * Elizabeth angrily turned the map one direction, then the other, hoping in vain to find a, 'you are here,' arrow, pointing to her precise position. "It's just like those damned boys to do their best to inconvenience me by picking a place in the back of beyond, in which to hide," she groused. She glanced in the rear view mirror of the car, intending to check her make-up, but, instead of the Southern beauty she was accustomed to seeing, she was confronted with an old woman, who wore no make up, who had blotchy skin, and mousy-grey hair, the once vibrant blonde fading, as her hair grew out. Her dry lips were cracked, and the skin of her cheeks sunken, from lack of a proper diet. 'That can't be me,' she told herself, jerking away from the reflection, as if stung. 'I would never look like that!' She grabbed the mirror and tugged until it broke free, then tossed it out the window, barely missing another car, which was speeding past. A few moments later, she returned to the map, and never noticed the black vehicle which had stopped about a hundred yards behind her. There was a sharp sound, and, simultaneously, the back window and one of the passenger windows shattered into fragments. "WHAT?!" she screamed, as another gunshot hit the car. "What are they doing?" she shrieked, as she turned the ignition and pulled out onto the highway, pushing the gas pedal to the floor. There was another sharp sound . . . a third gunshot, which caused her to swerve across the road, and onto the shoulder. "You BASTARDS!" she howled. "You don't know who you're dealing with! Just you wait until I tell Gustav about you. He'll know what to do! No one lasts long when Gustav has them in his sights!" Elizabeth glanced to where the rear view mirror would normally be, then cursed, remembering how she threw it out of the car's window. When she chanced a quick look over her shoulder, she could see nothing through the shattered glass, which was beginning to bow inward. A moment later, the shattered window fell into the backseat of the car, causing her to jump, and swerve back and forth across the road. "They're still after me!" she howled, above the sound of the rushing wind coming in through the broken windows. "What have I ever done to them? Why me? I'm just a simple woman!" * * * "Have you finally decided to let the old woman free?" Maxine sneered, as the sheriff's deputy unlocked the cell door, wearing an unreadable expression. The uniform-clad woman thrust a bag in Maxine's direction. "These are your clothes. Change, then leave. Your six-month sentence is up." "What if I refuse?" Maxine sniffed, jerking her nose upward, wishing she had a cigarette. "Then I'll slam the cell door and we'll all forget about you," the officer answered. "Those are your choices. Take 'em or leave 'em. Makes no difference t'me. All of us have had enough of your bitching and moaning." "I have no way to get back home!" Maxine shouted to the retreating back. "Ask me if I care," came the half-laughing reply. "You've made the life of everyone around here miserable for the past six months. You're not likely to find sympathy from any of us. So . . . change, and get out!"
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