STORY EXCERPT

Bruce split the Tarot deck while asking, “Will I ever find the perfect roommate?” Then he placed four cards as instructed.

Drake smiled. “Interesting question to ask the cards.”

Bruce chortled. “Well, if you knew the three past roommates I had, you’d understand why Natasha wanted me to ask the question.”

Drake’s brow lifted as he gazed at her. She rested her hand on Bruce’s shoulder and looked at Drake. “His first roommate was a slob who messed up the apartment the minute Bruce left for work each day. The second was a klepto who kept taking Bruce’s things without asking. And the third was the best of all. He never paid the rent and after a few months just plain disappeared from radar. One minute he was there, the next he and all his belongings were gone.”

Drake tilted his head and peered at Bruce. “Sorry to hear you haven’t had much luck.”

Bruce chuckled as he flipped over a card. “Well, maybe my luck has finally changed.” He placed in the first position the Two of Cups, in the second, the Sun, the third, the Lovers card, and in the fourth, the Ten of Pentacles. He gazed at the formation and scratched his head. Natasha had a wide smile that spread from one ear to the next. She surely knew that the cards Bruce picked were all good ones.

Drake exhaled a sigh of relief as he peered at the results. Bruce’s attention shifted from Natasha to Drake. “So what does this mean?”

“Well, you picked two major and two minor arcana cards. All four of these are in the right position facing you, not me. And so they are all favorable.”

Bruce leaned back and tapped his index and middle fingers on his full lips. “Ah, so that means the person who answers my ad won’t be a slob, a klepto, or go AWOL?”

Drake laughed. “Exactly.”

Natasha pointed to the Lovers card with a devilish grin. “What does this card mean?”

Drake sighed. “That is the third card, so it represents the soul. Your soul, Bruce.”

Bruce frowned. “Lovers?”

Natasha’s voice peaked. “Does that mean Bruce’s new roommate will be his soul mate?”

Bruce’s eyes flared as he stared at her. He lifted his hands in the air. “No, no, no. Don’t start with that again, Nat. I’m not looking for love. Just someone to help pay the rent. That’s it.”

Natasha huffed and placed her hands on her hips. “And if the right guy came along, would you push him away? Would you throw your chance of happiness away like that?”

“I don’t need love to make me happy.” He snorted.

Drake shook his head. “I think you’re wrong, Bruce. Being in love is one of the most amazing emotions to experience. Love is happiness.” His heart weighed down with his next words. “I was in love for many years and it was the happiest time of my life.”

Natasha placed her hand on Drake’s and with sympathetic eyes, said, “It will be a year soon, won’t it?”

Drake nodded. “Last week made a year Steven died.”

Bruce leaned forward. “Steven was your life partner?”

Drake’s eyes fell to the table top. “Yes, he was. We were together for eight years until he died in a car accident.”

In a soft, slow voice, Bruce replied, “My condolences. You and Nat have had a rough year, losing the loves of your life like that.”

Drake raised his gaze and stretched his lips into a forced smile. “Thanks.” He took a deep breath, letting his memories and emotions flood over him, memories of hugging and kissing Steven, of walking on the beach, holding hands, planning their future together.

The love he shared with his soul mate hadn’t changed or lessened over the year he’d been gone. He missed him more now than he did when he died. But nothing he did could change that or make his loss easier to bear.

And now as he stared at Natasha and Bruce and saw the pity in their eyes, he wanted to kick himself. This cross he had to bear was his alone. They didn’t need to see his suffering. They were here for a card and palm reading, not a lecture for Bruce about finding his soul mate to feel whole.

Wanting to change the subject, he asked, “Do you want to do another reading and answer another question?”

Bruce shook his head. “Nope. I’m too scared.”

Drake tilted his head, perplexed. “Why? The cards were good.”

Without looking at Natasha, he smirked, placed his hand to cover his mouth, and whispered pointing at her but gazing at Drake, “If the Lovers card comes out again, I’ll never hear the end of it from Nat.”

Natasha rolled her eyes and lifted his hands in defeat. “I give up.”

Bruce stretched his hands out on the desk. “Alleluia!”

Drake began to laugh at their theatrics. He crossed his arms.

Bruce turned his palms face up and grinned. “I’m glad you find this entertaining, Drake. Go on, why don’t you read my fortune now.”

“All right.” Drake cleared his throat and squinted to focus while he grasped Bruce’s hands. An electric shock shot through his fingers on their contact. Bruce’s hazel-green eyes grew in drastic increments until all Drake could see was the black chasm of Bruce’s pupils. Then a cloudy vortex manifested itself in Drake’s mind’s eye, making time and space halt. All that existed in that instance was a befalling image.

Bruce stood in the center of the image, facing Drake. He spoke to a tall, mysterious male who had his back to Drake. He and Bruce partook in a heated conversation, their flailing hands and body language depicted the tension and the negative tonality of their words and emotions. The stranger held a gun in his right hand. His anger and hatred toward Bruce could not be refuted. Bruce remained quiet, frowning, but then he lashed out, apparently with anger in his words.

The image suddenly morphed into a cloud of smoke and once the fog settled again, Bruce was on the ground, his dead eyes staring at an abyss of darkness, a pool of blood forming beside him.

As suddenly as the vision came to Drake, it disappeared. Bruce’s gargantuan pupil began to shrink in a quickened pace until it retracted to its normal size a few seconds later. Drake blinked and, releasing Bruce’s hands, rubbed his eyes, wondering what the hell just happened!

ADULT EXCERPT

Drake tapped his stomach as he waited for Bruce to return. His erect cock defied the odds of physics as it stood hard and super long in the cool room. They had forgotten the window open last night, and the chilly morning air slipping in through the opaque venetians brought goose bumps to his flesh.

Drake sauntered in a minute later, cradling several things in his folded arms. He placed them on the nightstand and grinned, rubbing his hands together. “So are you ready for some rough sex, baby?”

Drake smiled. He liked the terms of endearment Bruce adorned him with. They made him warm and fuzzy inside. He nodded and lifted his hands in the air so Bruce could handcuff him.

Bruce waggled his finger. “What? No foreplay?” He retrieved the blindfold from the pile on the side. “No, no, we can’t have that.” He kissed his lips gently and whispered into his ear, “Let’s take this nice and slow, shall we, sub?”

Then he blindfolded him and in a husky, demanding voice said, “Now lie down, sub.”

Goosebumps of pleasure channeled through him with Bruce’s authoritative tone. Mmm, he liked it a lot.

Drake silently leaned down flat.

Still in his deep, sexy voice, Bruce whispered in his ear, “Mmm, you are a scrumptious morsel.”

Scorching hot lips nibbled his earlobe, tugging it, then warm, strong, demanding hands roamed over his neck, chest, arms and abdomen. Drake took several panting breaths, anticipating where his caresses would expand to.

When their probing suddenly ended, he sighed in disappointment. Then a cold, hard, round instrument began to roll over his chest. He moaned as it sent shivers of pleasure shooting through him when Drake pinched his nipple. “Does this feel good, sub?”

“Yes, my dom,” he said in a deep, low rumble.

“Say that again.” Bruce pinched his nipple harder.

“Yes, my dom,” he said in short breaths.

“Mmm, I like how that flows from your lips.” He bent down and kissed his lips, then sucked and tugged his lower lip gently with his teeth.

Shivers of excitement surged through Drake and his cock jolted in reflex. Drake twisted and teased his other nipple. Drake’s cock jerked and he moaned.

When the cold metal rod-like apparatus moved lower, he held his breath in anticipation. Soon, something else, gelid and hard slid down his stiff shaft. Bruce squeezed his balls and pushed them through whatever it was. Then a tugging sensation came through his nipples, balls, and cock. That’s when Drake knew the nipple clamps and cock ring Bruce had placed on him were connected to a chain and whenever he moved it, it pulled and squeezed his nipples and cock.

“Do you want more, sub?” Drake said in a deep, authoritative tone.

“Yes, dom. Much more.” He bit his lower lip, anxiously awaiting more pleasure and pain.

A whip slashed across his chest, and he whimpered. “Turn for me, sub.” Drake flipped around and got onto his knees and hands, in a doggie-style position. A clinking sound followed and Bruce took Drake hands, pulling them up above him.

It didn’t take Drake long to realize Bruce handcuffed him to the bed’s brass headboard.

The whip came down onto his right ass cheek next, then his left. Drake groaned in gratitude and satisfaction. Next, something warm and soft made contact with his left cheek. It was Bruce’s lips. First he kissed his cheek, and then he sucked it. Meanwhile the cold, hard, and round instrument made its way to Drake’s ass. This time it was wet, most probably due to the application of a lubricant. Bruce slid it to the hole and pushed it in slightly. Another thrashing came down on his left ass cheek as the round tool was removed from his ass. He moaned in disappointment.

Bruce continued to torment him with the lubricated rod, the whippings and sucking. When it became too much and he feared he’d come before Bruce could sink his thick, hard, wet cock into him, he said, “Please fuck me, my dom.”