STORY EXCERPT

“Is that all you want?” Armino asked. “To help me?”

Joey’s steady dark-eyed gaze held Armino captive. “Angel face, you have no idea all the things I want to do with and to you. You’d be smart to run as fast as you can from this old man.”

“How old are you?” Armino didn’t really care but was curious.

“Forty-two,” Joey answered. “If you have a problem with my age, walk away now.”

Armino wrinkled his nose. “You sure are trying hard to push me away. You haven’t even asked me how old I am. I could be fifty with a great work out regiment.”

Joey chuckled. “Darlin’, you aren’t a day over thirty, if that.”

Armino tried to keep his lip from quivering. His nerves were getting the best of him.

“I’m twenty-nine,” Armino admitted. “I’ll be thirty in a couple of months. I’m an adult and know what I want. Don’t run me off.”

Joey rubbed his thumb over Armino’s bottom lip. “I’m giving you a chance to make a decision. You should know that once I’ve claimed you, I’ll never let you go.”

“Claim me?” The word sounded so dominating and sexy.

Joey leaned forward until his lips bushed Armino’s cheek. “Fuck your mouth, then your tight ass, and finally shoot my seed over your face and chest.”

Armino jerked his head back. “How am I supposed to call my mother after you’ve said that? I can’t talk to my mother with a hardon.”

“Get on the phone, angle face,” Joey ordered. “I want to dance with you.”

His fingers trembled, but he managed to put the call through. Armino muscles tensed as he waited for his mother to answer.

“Hello.”

“Mama, I’m calling to let you know that I’m fine.” Armino braced himself for the avalanche of words to come.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were leaving? Where are you, my son? You shouldn’t worry your mama. How can you treat your mama with such disrespect? I raised you to be a good boy. Grandfather is not happy that you’ve upset me.  What would the family think if they knew of the sorrow you are causing your poor old mama?”

Joey moved behind Armino and pulled him back against his hard, warm body. This position was becoming one of Armino’s favorite.

“I have to go, mama,” Armino interrupted her continued tirade. “I’ll be home later. I want you to know that once I pack up my things, I’m leaving. I’ve decided to go on a vacation.”

Armino cut off his mother’s squawk of outrage by ending the call and turning off his phone. The tiny act of rebellion made him smile and chipped at the drudgery of his existence.

Joey released Armino, moved in front of him, and took his hand. Those dark eyes sparkled and held Armino captive.

“Dance with me.” Joey kissed Armino’s hand.

Breathless, Armino answered, “Yes.”

Somehow, Armino sensed he had agreed to more than a simple dance. He followed Joey around the house to the backyard where the wedding celebrations continued. The music changed from a pounding rock song to the beautiful melody of a ballad.

Once they were amongst the other couples swaying to the music, Joey turned. He lifted Armino’s hand in the air and delighted, Armino twirled under the bigger man’s arm. Joey finished the move by pulling Armino into his embrace.

“I wouldn’t have pegged you as a dancer,” Armino commented. The guy looked as if he chewed nails when he was bored and spit out the pieces into a copper spittoon. Joey’s dark clothes and the chains slung across his leather boots said biker all the way.

Joey’s lips curved into a crooked smile. “Darlin’, I’m afraid that’s the extent of my moves on the dance floor.”

Their bodies brushed together, and prickles of attraction performed the bunny hop over Armino’s skin. His cock filled and Armino thanked the stars he’d worn loose, dark, khakis to the wedding.

“I think you have a few tricks that you could show me in other places,” Armino teased and moved closer.

“That I will.” Joey led them in a slow sway to the music. His fingers caressed the small of Armino’s back.

“I like dancing with you.” He wondered how being with Joey seemed to push the stresses of life away.

“Good to know.”

Armino let the music and Joey’s scent settle over him. He breathed in the fresh aroma of soap mixed with a slight something he couldn’t pinpoint. Relaxed and happy, Armino decided to figure out that smell another time. He hoped there would be another time.

They shuffled to five different songs, fast and slow. Armino savored being enveloped in Joey’s strong male embrace. He would never take this small hint of heaven for granted.

“Are you ready for cake?” Joey asked.

Armino hated for this special moment to end. He forced himself to open his eyes and nod. Armino dared to touch the edges of Joey’s crinkly, yet, soft beard. When Joey smiled, Armino smiled back. The connection between them strong despite the newness.

ADULT EXCERPT

Armino opened his eyes to darkness. His heart sank when he realized he lay in bed, dressed down to his usual nightwear of boxer-briefs. The whole meeting, dancing, and riding a motorcycle with a man named Joey had all been a dream. An exciting, wonderful dream. Tears of deep disappointment welled up, and one slid down the side of his face.

A snort and small snore sent the small hairs on the back of Armino’s neck standing on end. Only when his lungs shuddered for air did he remember to breathe again.

The bed jiggled, and Armino pushed down the covers, ready to get the heck out of there. A large muscled arm fell across his waist pinning him in place. An all-male scent, mixed with fresh soap, and something else, washed over Armino. Screaming nerves relaxed and excitement pulsated through his veins. He reached out a tentative hand and encountered the soft crinkly hair of Joey’s beard. He took a chance and rested his hand on Joey’s chest. Holy wonderful! Warm, bare skin and hard muscles galore!

The arm around his waist pulled him across the bed.

Joey’s nose brushed Armino’s cheek. “Angel face, you smell delicious.”

Joey’s voice had grown husky with sleep and emphasized the man’s edgy maleness. Granite County was full of men with what Armino called, “He-man Syndrome.” Bad boys, who were big, muscled and had a hero complex. Armino had always wanted one of them to be attracted to him. Now, he was in bed with the epitome of his lustful dreams. At least, the big and muscled part. Armino made a mental note to ask Joey what he did for a living. He would wait though. How disappointing it would be if Joey carried mail or worked in a library. That would totally ruin his vision of the hero part of his imaginings.

“Are we going to have sex?” Armino whispered. Please, please.

“No.”

The heavy hand of disappointment crushed the thread of Armino’s anticipation. Armino sighed and tried to tell himself that Joey was respecting him. Darn it.

“I’m going to love on you,” Joey stated.

Armino turned until he was facing the bigger man. “Is there a difference?”

The bed dipped, and Armino squinted when the light on a small table next to the bed turned on. Armino’s breath caught at his first sight of Joey’s naked chest. A thick Celtic tattoo covered tanned skin and prominent muscles. Tattoo sleeves ran down arms ripped enough to look as if they could crush someone. The man before Armino personified the image of a deadly warrior.

Instead of being afraid, Armino tried to decide if he wanted to trace Joey’s ink or play with his tight brown nipples. Joey took that decision out of his hands by moving over Armino and pushing him back against the soft mattress. Armino spread his legs to let the big man settle between them. The heaviness of Joey’s bare groin pressing against Armino’s cloth covered dick made drool pool in his mouth.

“Darlin’, before you’ve only had sex. I’m going to show you what real lovin’ is all about.”

Armino chuckled at the cockiness in Joey’s tone.

A burst of happiness had him teasing. “Promises, promises.”

“That I do,” Joey said. “Now open yourself to me.”

Armino wasn’t sure what Joey meant. And then it didn’t matter. His mouth was captured, and Joey took over. Joey wrapped his tongue around Armino’s and sucked. Armino’s hole clenched. In the past, kissing was fun and led to more fun. Now it became erotic stimulation in anticipation of mind-blowing ecstasy.

The world fell away until only the connection of their mouths existed. Tongues played, searched, and caressed. Joey bathed Armino’s bottom lip before pulling it into his mouth. Armino clung to Joey’s shoulders, part of him afraid he’d be swept away under the force of the bigger man’s dominance. His prick wept with need.

Armino wrapped his legs around Joey’s and thrust his hips, trying to ease some of the pressure in his balls.

Joey broke the kiss. “Let go.”

Stunned by the order, Armino released Joey’s shoulders. Why was the man stopping?

Joey dropped a brief kiss on Armino’s lips. “Your legs, too, darlin’.”

Armino wanted to object, but submitted to Joey’s will and untangled their legs. He found himself trembling in a mixture of dread and hope at Joey’s next order.

Joey backed away onto his knees. Armino couldn’t look away from the huge, hard, cock spearing out of a thick thatch of hair at Joey’s groin. He licked his lips, wanting a taste.

“There’s lube and condoms in the drawer.” Joey nodded toward the small table holding the lamp. “Get them so we can dance.”

Their gazes met, and Armino decided he’d like this new way of dancing with Joey. In an instant, he flipped over and reached for the drawer. Warm fingers spanned his waist and held him still. Joey licked his neck before sucking on the wet spot. Goosebumps rose, and Armino shivered.

Joey’s finger traced down Armino’s spine to his tailbone. “Do you have the stuff yet, angel face?” Joey pulled Armino’s underwear down to his knees and yanked them off. He pressed a kiss against one cheek of his ass and then the other. “You better hurry. You’re going to need your balance for what I’m about to do to you next.”

Armino jerked open the drawer. Joey licked along the crease of his ass and the drawer slammed shut again. In an effort to gain enough control to get the supplies, Armino pulled air deep into his lungs. All oxygen gushed out when Joey’s finger rubbed over the sensitive skin of his anus.

“Hurry,” Joey commanded.

Armino bit down on his lip and opened the drawer again. His fingers encountered a small plastic tube and sharp-edged foil packets. He grabbed whatever he could hold in his hand and dropped them on the bed.