80 comments/  301609 views/  304 favorites

Sweet Southern Comfort

By: DWSimon



*** Liam ***

I stood by the side of the grave, staring at my mother's casket, draped in flowers. For some reason, I couldn't cry. I'd been inconsolable when my dad died, but now, my cheeks were dry. Of course, she'd been sick for years. I guess at this point, I was just glad she didn't hurt anymore. The pain, never ending, heart wrenching pain, had been so difficult to watch. Now all I felt was relief.

Not as many people were here as at my dad's funeral. He had served four terms as the small town's mayor. Half the town had been there. But a huge number of people had shown their support at my mother's funeral. It was really, really touching.

I stayed as long as was necessary, shaking hands, kissing cheeks, thanking all those who came to see her buried. When it was all over, I left for home, at a loss as to what to do. Once inside the house I'd lived in all my life, I took off my tie and hung up the lone suit I owned, putting on jeans, a tee, and my boots. It was Saturday; I always spent Saturdays taking care of the yards of those folks who no longer could.

When I got to Mrs. Samuels house, I mowed the yard, weeded the flowerbed, and then took out the trash for her. I did the same at Mr. Jacobson's, then the Martin's. After I made my usual Saturday rounds, I made my way to my cousin Claire's place. She was a few years younger than my twenty-seven, but we'd always been close. Of all the people in town, she was the first I told I was gay. Pretty much the whole town knew now, but that first time, telling her, was hell. She understood me very well, and I guess now that my life was pretty much empty, I hoped she could give me some advice.

"Liam, sweetie, what has you here on a Saturday?" Her cute, perky face scrunched up in her little concentration face that almost always made me laugh. "Not that you aren't always welcome... but it was your mom's funeral today."

After we'd gotten a couple of drinks, we went out back to sit on her patio, near the garden I had planted for her. "I don't know Claire. I don't know what to do now."

Her laugh was soft, almost musical. "Sweetie, what do you want?"

There were so many hopes and dreams, things I'd buried so long ago. It had always seemed like something hopeless. But now... anything was possible. "I'm not sure. I have an idea." When she arched her brows at me, I rolled my eyes. "Okay, so I know what I want. I just don't know how to get it."

She jumped up from her chair, clapping her hands. "Oh sweetie, I've waited years for this."

Oh God! Now what had I done. "What are you thinking, cousin dear?"

She snapped her fingers and scoffed at the look on my face. "You want a man and now you can go and have one."

Something akin to panic crawled up my spine. "Now come on Claire, I don't need you to manhunt for me."

She slapped her knees with mirth and curled up in my lap. "I wouldn't dream of it. Besides, I'd find the perfect guy and want to keep him for myself. No, you need my help getting started."

I slung my head low. "Am I that bad?"

She tilted my face up and kissed my cheek. "Hell no! But you could use an update on your wardrobe." She ran her hands through my hair and along my beard. "And a new haircut, perhaps we could shave the beard off?" When she saw me shake my head, she backed down. "Okay, we'll trim it... perhaps a goatee."

I shook my head at her, laughing while I did it. "And when are we planning on doing all this? I work all week you know."

She just chucked me under the chin. "Of course silly! We'll go next Saturday."

I rolled my eyes. "You know I've got all those yards to care for."

Claire groaned out loud. "Oh come on, you can make it up a couple of nights during the week."

"I know." Like I'd always been, I was the most honest and vulnerable with Claire. "I'm scared."

She hugged me up tightly. "I know, sweetie. But that's why you got me."

"Thanks, Claire."

She shrugged. "That's why I'm here. Now... How much money can we spend?"

I thought about it. I didn't make a huge salary, but living with my folks and working constantly from the time I was sixteen had allowed me to squirrel away most of my salary. "As long is it isn't more than eighty thousand, we should be good."

Her look of shock was almost comical. "Why the hell do you still drive that beater truck then?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're gonna make me get rid of that too, aren't you?"

She nodded very emphatically.

"Okay, fine. Saturday it is."

*** Villain ***

He lay slumped in the front seat of his car. The drug had worked quickly, it always does when dancing is involved, all that heart pumping and adrenaline pushes it through the system that much faster. I'd found the combination quite by accident. I'd crushed up an ecstasy tablet and had some powdered drain cleaner. That first person was comatose within moments. When he started to swoon, I helped him into the back of his truck, near his home outside Sacramento. The bar was a dive and that guy had been a moron. I drove him a bit off the beaten track then crawled in the back of the truck and stripped him down.

When I peeled away his shirt and saw a wall of furred muscle, my cock lurched. I didn't care that he was straight and I'd picked him up in a country bar. After I got his boots off him, I spread his legs wide, rolled the condom down my cock, and had at him. It had been so good, I got another condom and did him again. I watched in the papers, after they'd found him, but they couldn't link anything to me. He never recovered from his coma. As far as I knew, he still lay in some ward in California, brain dead. But now I had the right combination of drugs.

This one had been too easy. They'd all been too easy. No challenge. No thrill. After stripping him down, finding a slight, small, but sturdy build, I almost decided to leave him be, not worth my time. But I'd gone to the trouble. I took out the condom and had at him. It took forever; I wasn't interested. He started to stir, and that made it more urgent, but it was still boring. There had to be someone more challenging. Somewhere. 

*** Jackson ***

I left the funeral feeling down. I hate funerals, ever since we laid Tante Maria to rest. Because it was expected of me, I went, despite how they always gave me the heebie jeebies. As Chief of police, and out of respect for a city employee, who also just happened to be the son of one of the longest standing mayors, I went and stood by the gravesite.

Liam McCoy was a good, hard worker. Although I'd only been in this small town for eight months, I had seen him out, working hard to keep the city's grounds clean, well maintained, and vibrant. More often then not, I found Liam out mowing the yards of the people who couldn't take care of them anymore. If I'd been inclined, I could have gone out and asked for an opinion of him, but I knew I'd find nary a person who would say 'boo' about him.

He was such a shy man, but a hell of a ball player. When the city held its annual softball games against the other city departments, his team always did well. Other then that, I hardly knew the guy. He was quiet and shy, almost withdrawn. He was the same height as me, but really solidly built. Other then that, I hardly knew him at all.

When I got home, I changed out of the damn tie and put on some sweats without a shirt, grabbed a longneck, and headed out to the garden in my backyard. After relaxing for a few minutes, the phone rang.

"LeDeux."

"What's your Cajun ass doing home on a Saturday? I thought you'd be out tomcatting."

My chuckle filled the phone. No one but Sam Dixon could get away with calling me a tomcat. "I love you too, asshole."

His own chuckle filled me up, and even though we'd only spent one night together, he could still make me sweat. "I got a problem Jackson. I need your help."

The joking dropped immediately. Hell! What could it be? Every thought ran through my mind. "What's going on Sam?"

His laugh was loud and quick. "Damn, I didn't mean to scare you. I meant I need your help on a professional level."

Relief poured through me. "Don't scare me like that." Belatedly, I added the usual refrain. "Asshole."

"I'm glad you left that hotbed of sin, lust, corruption and murder better known as New Orleans. I'm glad you're nearby, because I could really use your help."

"You got it. What's going on?"

"In the last two weeks, three men have died, two are in comas, and four more have been treated in the hospital; most have been raped. Someone at one of the clubs is dealing some bad X." I could picture him sighing. "It's at one of the gay clubs in town. But no one will talk to a straight cop."

My mind wanted to scoff at that. He wasn't that straight. He'd ridden my cock all through that one night. But I dropped it, because this was serious. "What do you want me to do?"

"You're new to the area, not well known. And no one knows you as a cop. You've always kept the two separate." I wanted to protest, but kept silent. "Go to the clubs, hang out, see if you can spot anyone pushing X."

"Let me guess. No backup?"

"If you spot anything, give me a holler."

I chuckled. Sounded like old times. "How're Melissa and the kids?"

His laugh was both full of humor and a touch of sadness. "They're great."

Oh well, it wasn't meant to be. I pushed it back for now. "I'm glad. Good night Sam."

"Good night Jackson."

*** Liam ***

I made it through the entire week, slowly dreading the coming weekend. Claire was a hurricane when she had an idea brewing in her head. But when Saturday dawned, I got up and headed over to her house at the agreed upon time. She made me bring my most comfortable shirt, jeans and shoes. We drove the forty minutes towards the ritzier parts of the big city where she dropped me off and put me in the hands of a hairdresser friend of hers while she went off to find me some clothes. Oh God! What had I gotten myself into?

Leo was a very competent, very thorough worker. Claire had given him very specific instructions for both of us. What she told him, I didn't have a clue. What she told me was to sit back and do whatever I was told. Jesus. The man was a freaking flame. He practically swished when he walked. I'm surprised he could hold a comb his wrists were so limp. Okay, so it was stereotypical as hell, but man, the guy didn't have to try to set off my gaydar. It was blipping hard.

Three hours later, I'd had my hair gooped up with chemicals, wrapped in foil, and spent a time under a dryer. After it was all done, my hair cut, my beard trimmed and my eyebrows plucked. Ouch. A few minutes before I was all done, Claire came back, smiling big and I knew at that moment I was screwed.

Leo spun me around, so I could see myself in the mirror. What greeted my eyes was a bit of a shock. My normally dull brown hair now had golden and a few red highlights. What had been a full beard was now a thin, nicely trimmed mustache and goatee. It made my eyes look larger, bluer. I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. Claire met my eyes in the mirror. "So do you think now you could trust me?"

Later, after a marathon of shopping, we were at my house, still toting bags into my bedroom. The woman was insane. She'd bought brand new everything for me. As I went through all the packages, I was amazed at what I saw: shirts, jeans, pants, a vest or two, new socks, and totally different underwear. What was wrong with my boxers? Geez.

"Okay sweetie, try it on. Let me see."

I waited for a few moments, waiting for her to leave. When she didn't move, I know I turned a few shades of red. "Aren't you going to wait in the living room?"

She smiled impishly at me. "Why would I do that?"

My voice held a lethal warning to it. "Claire..."

She rolled her eyes at me. She actually rolled her eyes. "Liam..."

I shook my head. "Fine."

I unbuttoned my shirt and pulled it and the tee under it off. When she gave me a wolf whistle, I actually felt so embarrassed that I held my shirt against my chest. "Claire. Please?"

"Okay fine." She rummaged through a few of the sacks and handed me some clothes. "Try these on. They go together."

As I undid my belt and started sliding my jeans off, she poked her head back in. "Try the new underwear too."

I slammed the door in her face, but did as she told me. As I pulled the silk boxer briefs up my legs, I was amazed at the soft, almost clinging feel of the fabric against my hairy legs. Damn, but it felt good. After pulling them on then reaching down to adjust everything to how it felt comfortable in the now confining underwear, I grabbed the jeans and shirt and got dressed. When I made it out to the living room, Claire whistled at me again. "Damn. I have great taste."

She pulled me into the bathroom and had me stand in front of the long counter mirror. I had to admit I looked pretty damn fine. The shirt clung to my chest and belly, accentuating the strength of one and the flatness of the other. My arms looked huge in the tight, shorts sleeves. As I turned around, she held up a hand mirror and I saw that the jeans hugged my ass, showing off a muscular, well rounded, rather fine looking work of art at me. I couldn't help but grin at Claire. With the new clothes and hair changes, perhaps it wouldn't be so hard to find someone.

When I finished doing my impression of a runway model, Claire and I sat down to dinner. We talked about all the new things I bought and what I should wear with what. After a bit of a silence, I looked over at my cousin, who had this warm, compassionate smile on her face.

"I'm gonna miss you, sweetie."

I was confused. "I'm not going anywhere Claire."

Her smile was happy and sad at the same time. "Perhaps not physically, but you won't be single for very long."

I took her hand. "No matter what, you'll always be my favorite cousin."

She chuckled at the old line we'd said so many times. "I'm your only cousin."

This time, I couldn't bring myself to smart-ass back to her. "You'll always be the one I turn to."

She took a sip of water to clear her throat from emotion. "So... where do you plan on meeting Mr. Wonderful?"

That made me pause. This part was easy; painful, but easy. "I'm not sure. Any suggestions?"

She shrugged. "There are all those clubs in the city. I'm sure you'll meet him at one of those."

The idea filled me with dread. "Come on, Claire. You know I hate those places."

She patted my hand. "I know sweetie. But this way, you can test the waters a bit."

She had a point. So I agreed to go over there that night, to see what was happening.

*** Jackson ***

Sam's plan was a good one. He was right, no one really knew who I was around here. I'd only moved from New Orleans eight months before and had lived my life as a monk. I was burned out, running ragged in a job that took me nowhere. At least here, I was in charge, and could make things happen. I liked the slower pace. It was refreshing to know that I could walk down the streets of my town, knowing that when I saw someone, they wouldn't stare at me as if I were diseased.

I saw Liam on Wednesday when he came to take care of the grounds at the police station. We tried to talk, but I couldn't come up with anything to say. He had such incredibly beautiful, gentle blue eyes. His beard made him look rough. Hell, the muscles and broad shoulders made him look like a bruiser. But it was his eyes, they were so warm, so gentle, that I found myself staring, feeling like an idiot. We'd talked maybe ten times since I'd been in town. Never before had I noticed him. More than anything though, he looked lonely and a bit lost; I tried to pay my condolences, but for the most part, it fell flat. Oh well.

Friday night, I'd noticed some petty drug deals, mostly grass. Not enough to warrant why I was there. Yes, it was against the law, but I was there looking for a shifty X pusher, not a misdemeanor grass charge. I nursed a beer for almost three hours, but when I saw nothing, I left and drove home. If there was someone slipping X into the drinks, like Sam thought, I sure as hell didn't see it.

When I got to the club Saturday night, the crowd impressed me. Lots of gorgeous men, dancing hard to a techno beat on the floor. The previous night, I'd danced a bit, even did some simple grope and neck work on the dance floor. Taking advantage of the upper balcony, I nursed my beer, watching the bar and floor below, searching for any sign that someone was tripping on some bad drugs.

Someone behind me pinched my ass. I saw some huge mountain of man walk out onto the floor and start to dance. He had this graceful air about him, but seemed awkward at first, until the beat sank into him and his mind shut off. The man had some incredible moves. Any thought of drugs left me as I stared through number after number. He seemed to move by his lonesome, but some men turned to him and moved with him. After the seventh number, someone got bold enough to pull his sapphire blue shirt out of his pants and raise it over his neck, leaving it wrapped around his shoulders. What a fucking chest!

Sweat matted hair covered his chest, belly, forearms, a bit at the base of his spine, and a smattering at his neck. God I loved rubbing a hairy front against my own. Something about the rasp and crinkly sound as all that hair fought made me hard. I moved before I knew it. When I got to the main floor, the sweaty, hairy mountain turned to some guy and landed his knee swiftly into his crotch. Oh fuck!

The man crumpled and fell backwards, knocking into some short guy, whose arm propelled, throwing his drink onto a couple smooching on the dance floor. All hell broke loose after that. I had one thought in my mind. Get him out of there. I grabbed his strong, rock-hard bicep and pushed him towards the door. By the time we cleared it, chairs flew, fists met faces, and general bedlam ensued. I pulled the man out of the club and into the alley, where I figured he'd parked, just like me. As we rounded the building, I heard sirens. No drug bust tonight. Damn it!

When we were in the parking lot, I noticed the guy I'd saved tugged his arm away from me. I spun around, pissed that he acted like this after I'd saved him from a night in jail.

"Take your hand off me." His voice was rough, deep and warm. It sent chills up my spine.

"Hey, buddy. In case you didn't notice, you started that riot back there. So I'd consider thanking me."

His eyes widened. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

I chuckled despite my irritation. "Then perhaps you shouldn't have kneed his balls into his throat."

Indignation sparkled in his deep blue eyes, the only thing I could make out on his face. "No, wait a minute. I never said the guy could grope my ass and rub his not very impressive hard on into my hip."

I rolled my eyes at his stupidity. "You were the prime, number one choice tonight. Of course men are going to grab your ass and hit on you. Jesus, first time in a gay bar?"

His eyes were downcast in the shadows. "Yes."

Oh Christ. Contrition filled me. I'm not often wrong, but when I am, I apologize. "I'm sorry. Someone should have told you that what you are wearing was lethal. And if it was your first time, hey, you were fresh meat in there."

The groan would have been comical, if it didn't sound so embarrassed. "Christ, all I wanted... never mind."

"Come on, before we get rounded up and taken to jail." He moved with me, deeper into the parked cars. I spun around when we were under the streetlight, so I could get a better look at him. I almost fell down when I did. "Liam? Liam McCoy?"

His face was just as shocked. "Chief?"

*** Liam ***

It had taken me fifteen minutes, sitting in my car, cursing my cowardice, before I could go into the club. Once I did, I headed straight for the dance floor. It took me a few minutes to relax, let the beat take over, and start moving. A few guys danced with me, a few touched me, offered sex. It wasn't what I wanted, not yet at any rate. I only wanted to dance, to see all these men, look my fill.


Sweet Southern Comfort



Then the shithead behind me started grabbing my ass. He leaned into me, letting me smell the alcohol on his breath as he tried to talk me into going home with him. "I'm a hot top, I can make your ass beg." I had scoffed at him, telling him no. Then he started grabbing my chest. I hadn't minded when that guy lifted my shirt; I was too warm on the dance floor and the breeze felt good against my sweaty body. Of course, if I were to be honest, the hot glances I got helped; a lot.

When the asshole behind me started grinding his hard on into my hip, I got uncomfortable. I didn't want to fuck. All I wanted to do was dance. After I repeatedly told him what he could go do with himself, I got fed up and kneed him in the crotch. It wasn't the most gentlemanly thing I could have done, but still... he had no right to grope me after I'd told him no.

Then the tall man grabbed my arm and propelled me out of the club. His hand was warm and sent tingles running through me, something the drunken moron sure as hell hadn't done. When we got outside and he started yelling at me, I lost it. How dare he. I hadn't meant to start a brawl, but still. It wasn't my fault. Then he dragged me out under the streetlight.

"Liam? Liam McCoy?"

Oh Jesus! I should have recognized that lazy southern drawl, but I hadn't. "Chief?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" We'd said it at the same time, causing both of us to pause. He started laughing; I couldn't join him.

"Oh shut up!" What an asshole. I knew that sympathy he'd tried to give me the Wednesday after the funeral was false. I'd actually thought it was sweet, how he bumbled his way through it. But any nice thoughts I had about our Chief of Police were now gone. I started to stomp away towards my truck.

"Liam! Wait." He couldn't stop laughing. I was absolutely humiliated. I sped off, with him trying to only open my door once. Bastard. 

Once I got home, I stripped off the clothes Claire had purchased for me, throwing them in a pile. Damn it! I threw myself into bed, staring at the ceiling for a long time. Who had I been kidding? This wasn't easy. The small kernel of hope I'd nursed for years flickered so badly, it almost went out.

*** Villain ***

As bedlam broke out in the club, I hightailed it out of there, moving fast and swift, ducking around the corner as the cops showed up. Had they caught on? Were they coming for me? After I made it home, my pulse still skittered, but not with fear. Who was that man on the dance floor? Tall, dark, handsome, incredibly sexy. I had to have him. No matter what, I must have him.

I moved through my condo, stripping off my clothes, imagining what it would be like to possess that man. Frantic, beyond desperate, I moved about, pushing things off shelves, throwing pillows off my bed, but nothing would calm this rampaging need inside. Finally, to calm the voices, the lust, the desire, I stepped out onto the balcony and let the cool air caress me, trying to calm the heated hunger. It didn't work. Grasping my flesh, I stroked furiously until I erupted, appeasing for a moment the ravenous need inside me.

I sank back against my pillows, chuckling. Soon. Very soon.

*** Liam ***

The next morning, my attitude had improved greatly. So big deal, the first night went south. I could handle all that. What embarrassed me the most was that Jackson LeDeux was there and had to save me. The man was nice looking to be sure. When he'd moved to town, I'd noticed him, just like I noticed every guy. There were rumors of course, but nothing that proved to be true. The man was a bachelor and didn't date. In a town this small, there was no such thing as privacy. You just learned to give it up when you lived in a small town. Hell, the whole town knew when Claire lost her virginity to Bobby Caldwell in the backseat of his car at the drive-in. Since the whole thing happened out of town, I could live with the embarrassment of him seeing me at the club.

Sunday afternoon, I usually had dinner over at Claire's house. I had just pulled up when a police car pulled in behind me. It couldn't be. Fate played a cruel trick on me. Jackson LeDeux. Again.

"Chief." Okay, so my voice was cold, but I was still mortified by what had happened.

"Liam. How're you doin'?" The man's voice did odd things to me. It never had before.

Sighing, I hoped this would be a quick conversation. "What can I do for you, Chief?"

His chuckle was smug, just like his lecherous grin. "Now after last night, the least you could do is call me Jackson."

Please God! Give me patience. "What can I do for you, Jackson?"

He sauntered over to me, showing off his tall, lean frame. He wore jeans and a white tee. It looked awful darn good on him. "I need to talk to you. There's some stuff goin' on that you don't know about."

Okay, so perhaps he wasn't such an ass. "What?"

His face got really serious as he looked at me. "There's someone pushing some bad drugs at the clubs. I want you to be careful."

"I don't do drugs."

His smile only arched up one side of his mouth. "I didn't think you did, but it doesn't matter. Whoever is doing it is slipping it into people's drinks."

I swallowed hard. Damn it. Perhaps celibacy wasn't so bad. "I didn't drink anything last night."

"I know that, Liam." His eyes were a rich, smoky brown that seemed to look deep inside, somewhere I didn't know if I wanted him looking. "But just in case, I think it'd be better if you let me know the next time you're gonna go clubbing. I'll watch your back."

That was the wrong thing to say. It pissed me off, really bad. "Why do you want to watch over me? Who the hell do you think you are?"

I must have surprised him, because he took a step back and raised his hands, palm out. "Look. I don't want you to get hurt. Okay?"

That mollified me. But damn it, I was still embarrassed. "Thanks, Jackson."

His smile returned, almost lethal with how it made my stomach flutter. "No problem."

I didn't know what to say or do, so I found myself shuffle my feet a bit. Then it dawned on me. "You're working the case, aren't you?"

His curse was quiet, but creative. "Yeah, I am." He looked up at me, from beneath a long set of dark lashes. "Promise you won't blow my cover?"

I never had the chance to answer. Claire stuck her head out the door, calling to me. "Liam! Get your ass in here. Hello Chief!"

He turned to my cousin. "Ma'am."

If I could have leapt over the rhododendron onto the porch to shut her mouth, I doubt I could have stopped her. "Want to join us for dinner?"

He looked over at me, smothering laughter when he saw how uncomfortable I was. "I'd be delighted to."

He leapt onto the porch, taking the four steps in one stride. While I admired what the move did to the jeans covering him and how they molded to him, I wished with all my might for the earth to swallow me whole. Little did I know that our conversation in front of Claire's house was to be the least unpleasant part of the evening.

Dinner went great, delicious like always. I guess that's why Claire's little diner downtown was so popular. Jack and Claire talked for a long time, about me mostly. She told him all about our trip into town the previous day. He asked about my hair, my clothes, everything. I was beginning to feel like a documentary subject.

When we went outside, after dinner, I was thrilled. This evening would be over soon. Or so I thought. Claire brought out some homemade brownies. I could never resist them. After I watched Jackson eat four, I knew he couldn't either. When the phone rang, Claire excused herself and went back inside.

"You know, what you did to your hair looks good."

As compliments go, it wasn't the best, but I'd take anything at this moment. "Dinner is over. You can go home now."

His chuckle was warm and it made my palms sweat. "But I'm having so much fun, Liam. You don't want me to have fun?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I do, Chief. But still... do you need to talk about me as if I'm not even in the room?"

His eyes grew compassionate, for a split second, and then they sparked with humor again. "Oh come on. Claire loved it when I told her about the guy you made into a soprano last night."

I rolled my eyes, so damn embarrassed; I'm surprised I didn't burst into flames. "I feel really bad about that."

He put his hand on my arm and all thoughts left me. "He had it coming."

"Thanks."

He leaned back in his chair and bit into another brownie. "So when are you going clubbing again?"

"I don't need a chaperone." 

He laughed outright at that. "You don't. But the guys do."

My eyes shut while I counted to ten, while I tried to hold in my temper. It didn't work. "Go to hell, Jackson LeDeux."

When all he did was laugh, I grabbed up a few glasses and went back inside, fuming. His warm, throaty chuckle followed me all the way inside. Damn but the man made me angry. Nice guy, my ass. He was a certifiable pain in the butt.

*** Jackson ***

As I left Claire DuPre's house, I couldn't help but laugh outright. I couldn't remember when I'd last had so much fun. Liam McCoy became a truly fun person. He was so easy to rile up, and I couldn't help myself. Of course I'd spent the previous night, once I'd gotten home from the club thinking about him. That chest of his... damn but I could still see it, glistening in the lamplight outside the club. I'd had several very nice thoughts and a few prurient dreams about that man. He'd been cute, with those eyes of his, before he cut his hair and got some new clothes. But now... he was almost lethally handsome.

Driving away from one of the nicest evenings I'd had since I moved here, I couldn't help but think about the sexy man I'd left behind. I doubted seriously if he'd ever had sex before. Rather than turn me off, it made me hotter for him. He was starting out, and he was going around it in the usual way. But my own experiences told me he was in for some hurt. The possessive, protective instincts that welled up inside me almost shocked me. He wasn't mine, but I knew I'd watch out for him. Now that I knew the man a bit more, I wanted him with a desire that was almost painful.

Liam McCoy might not know it yet, but I would get him into my bed. How long he'd stay there, I had no clue. Before too much longer, he'd be lying back and taking all of me. Somehow I knew that underneath all that shy bluster, was a powder keg ready to be lit. I had the fire for it, and like it or not, I would fan that flame.

When I got home, I called Sam and gave him an update on what I'd seen. Like me, he wasn't too concerned about the petty grass deals. Since it had only been two days, it was frustrating but not unexpected that I hadn't found out anything. Knowing how dedicated Liam was to his job, I knew he wouldn't be clubbing on a weeknight. At least I wouldn't have to worry about him if I headed back on a couple of nights during the week. But come Friday, I'm sure that tall, muscular, hunky man would distract me.

Wednesday afternoon, I made my way over to Claire's diner for lunch. What I really wanted was another of her brownies. When my sweet tooth acts up, there really is no other way to calm it than to appease it. Like a good boy, I ate lunch first. I had the grilled shrimp Caesar salad. I don't know where Claire got her seafood, because the shrimp was excellent: fresh, not overdone, perfect. It gave me an idea. When it calmed down in the diner, I went over to talk to her.

"Claire, darlin'. Where do you get your seafood?"

She looked at me with a half grin and her head cocked to the side. "I have a wholesaler from the Oregon Coast. Why?"

I felt kind of sheepish saying it, but I'd never backed away from anything. "Because most of the seafood here is frozen. It isn't like back home in Louisiana."

She chuckled. "Nothing like sticking your hand into the water and pulling up dinner huh?"

She got it. Someone from around here finally understood. "Yeah, exactly. I'm trying to lure a new deputy from out of town. If I were home, I'd have a big crawfish boil, but you can't get them here."

She drew her eyebrows into a frown. "So you want some shrimp for it?"

My grin was immediate. "That's exactly what I was gonna ask."

"Does it have to be shrimp?"

"No. But it'd be good if it were. Why?"

She grinned and handed me a sack with a couple of brownies in it. "Well, my guy can get me some fresh Dungeness crab. Wouldn't that be better?"

My mouth started to water, thinking about the spicy boil, filled with the sweet, succulent crab. "Darlin', that's the best idea I've ever heard of."

She grinned wide. "He's sending me a bunch of live ones for Saturday. How many do you need?"

Her generosity knew no bounds. "Well... how about we make it an even two dozen, provided you and Liam come over? It's Sunday afternoon, and I know you two have dinner together those days."

She grinned big. "I'd be delighted to, Jackson." She looked over my shoulder. "Here's Liam now, why don't we ask him?"

I turned to see him walk into the diner, looking hot and sweaty, dirt streaking his white tee. Man, that man was gorgeous, all tousled and mussed. It made me think that that's what he'd look like after some hard lovin'. Damn it all to hell in a little red wagon if he didn't cause me to get half hard. "So Liam... how'd you and Claire like to come over and help me woo a new deputy to town Sunday? We're gonna have an old fashioned crab boil."

Liam looked so disconcerted; I couldn't help laughing. "Um... sure. What can we bring?"

The blush that rose high on his cheeks made me grin even harder. "Just yourselves."

Claire piped in. "Liam, I think you know what you can bring."

Liam's grin was infectious. "Yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about. What time, Chief?"

That he called me Chief only slightly took the glow of the moment off. "Four. And it's Jackson."

He rolled his eyes, making me stare at his whole face, liking his thick eyebrows. "Okay, fine. Jackson."

"Great, it's a date."

His one word answer, "No," had me laughing all the way back to the station.

*** Liam ***

By the time Friday night came around, I was beat. I had mowed so many lawns, just so I could have my weekends free, that I was wiped. I had planned on staying in, perhaps taking a long soak in the hot tub, when there was a knock on my door. I had taken a shower, and figuring it was only Claire, answered the door wearing only my towel.

If I hadn't been so tired, and frankly irked that the man kept following me, showing up in odd places during my day, I'd have been flattered by the long perusal he gave me. But like I said, I was tired. Well not that tired. It only caused my stomach to flutter and my knees to feel weak when he looked in my eyes, fire lighting them. My voice came out as a croak.

"What can I do for you Chief?"

His irritation caused some of the fire to dim from his eyes, but not all of it. "Damn it, I told you to call me Jackson."

"Sorry... Jackson."

His grin was immediate and did cruel things to me. "Were you going clubbing tonight?"

I was so tired; the idea of dancing made my feet ache, not that I'd have told him that. "Yeah, soon. As soon as I get dressed."

He walked beside me, through my door. "Great, I'll wait here. We can drive in together."

Oh hell. Now what? Not knowing what to do, I went down the hall to get dressed. When I got back to the living room, I got a whistle. Between Claire and the Chief, I began to hate wearing these new clothes. "You look good, Liam. Just don't knee anyone else's balls, and all will be fine."

My blush got ten times worse. "Aren't you ever going to forget that?"

He stood there, fighting a laugh and rubbing his stubbly chin. "Nope."

Figures. Bastard. If he didn't look so gorgeous, I probably wouldn't have had this reaction. But damn, the man was fine. He stood at most an inch shorter than me. His black hair was wavy and almost always had a lock that drooped over his forehead. His shoulders were broad and he had a strong, but not huge musculature. His jeans hugged his ass and he wore a button down shirt that had the top three buttons undone, showing off a wealth of tan skin and dark body hair that made me drool. After staring for who knows how long, I shook myself and grabbed my jacket. "Are we going or what?"

The forty-minute drive was companionable. In his off hours, the Chief drove a jeep. It was several years old, well used, but lovingly maintained. We chatted a bit about what he looked for in the clubs, who he thought might be the dealer. I listened avidly, not that I thought I could help him, but as a note as to what to avoid. After we got to the club, Jackson grabbed a beer and headed up to the balcony. I headed out to the dance floor.

Even though I was bone tired, once the music started getting into me, I started to move. Song melded into song, rhythm merged into rhythm, and number flowed into number; whether with a specific partner or alone, I moved to the music. After a while, someone pulled my silk tee off my shoulders and I tucked it into my back pocket, never missing a beat. We'd been there for maybe two hours when the Chief came back down to the floor. 

The music had gone slow when the Chief reached me. His eyes never left mine as he wrapped his arms around my hips, pulling me against him as we slowly rocked against each other. I had been sweaty and out of breath before, now my heart nearly burst out of my chest and I couldn't have caught my breath if I'd tried. There was a fire in his eyes and there was no way I could have avoided knowing how aroused he was. It felt like a cannon pressed against me, rubbing back and forth against my fly as my own body responded, dueling with him.

When the music stopped, he seemed to shake himself as I stood there, breathing hard, aroused beyond belief, shaking slightly. He grabbed my arm and steered us over to a table. He left me sitting while he went to the bar and got a couple of sodas for us to drink.

While he was away, I tried to calm myself. My pants were painfully distended. I went to push my hand through my hair, but it shook so badly, I immediately clamped both hands in my lap. I shut my eyes, trying to block out everything, remembering how good it felt to dance with Jackson. God! The man was beautiful. I stared at him as he walked back from the bar, watching as he ignored some come on. Many men looked at him, but what made me swallow was how he never took his eyes off me.

When Jackson sat down, placing my drink in front of me, it was with a timid feeling smile that I lifted the glass to my lips, swallowing the whole thing in one gulp. His laugh was low and deep and I could only feel it, because the music was too loud to hear. Just as he leaned forward, I heard a shout and we both turned our heads to see a man lay sprawled out on the floor. Another man turned a guy around and punched him square in the face. Oh no! Another brawl.

Jackson turned to look at me, raising his eyebrow. This time, it was definitely not my fault. He grabbed my arm and we ran out of the club, into the parking lot, into his jeep and were on the road in moments.

After we were on the highway, he turned his attention to me. "You're a curse, you know that?"

I couldn't stop the laugh. "I had nothing to do with that one."

He laughed too. "No, you didn't. But I'm beginning to wonder."

About halfway home, the breeze from the cracked open window made me cold. The sweat had dried on my chest and my nipples peaked out. I went to slip on my shirt, but Jackson's deep, rich voice halted me. "Don't on my account."

Just like that, all the calm I'd found fled. I stared across the car at him, watching how his hand rested on the gearshift. His fingers were long, strong and the top knuckles and the back of his hand were dusted in dark hair. A deep shudder ran through my body. So this was lust. The rest of the trip home passed by in a flash; before I knew it, Jackson pulled up in front of my house. I turned to wish him a good night, when his lips pressed against mine.




Sweet Southern Comfort



At first, all there was was pressure. Then his lips opened, pressing deeper against mine. My body shuddered again and my mouth opened under his. His tongue barely flicked against mine when I heard him moan deep in his chest. The next few minutes were a blur as we left the jeep and walked into my house. When I shut the door, he was against me, pushing me into the door, putting his lips against mine. I moaned this time, long and deep. It had been so long since I'd felt like this. 

My hands roamed his body, under his shirt, filled with the warm skin and taut muscles of his back. When he pressed his hips against me, I knew that what I'd felt digging into me before was no illusion. This man was hot and hard. I caused this. He wanted me, me, Liam McCoy. The mad rush of desire, the warmth of touching someone, the thrill of knowing that I had this power thrilled me, made me feel all powerful.

I got bold, pressing my hips against his, rubbing them once back and forth against his erection. His groan was torn from him as he pulled away and rested his forehead against mine, breathing deep. I heard him mumble, low and raspy. "I knew it. I knew it would be like this." He looked into my eyes, and grinned at me devilishly. "Come here."

Before he could do more than brush his thumb against my cheek, I heard a loud beeping. Jackson turned and muttered 'fuck' under his breath before turning to me, and smiled sheepishly. "I have to call. I'm sorry. Where's your phone?"

After I showed him to the phone, I moved towards the kitchen. "Don't go too far."

I turned and tried to smile, confused and more than a little weirded out. "I'm getting some water."

Once in the kitchen, I drank two full glasses of water, my hands shaking the whole time. What the hell had just happened? My God! I'd kissed the Chief. What the hell? Boy, it had been so good. My knees still trembled and there was no way my hard on would go away anytime soon. I turned when I heard Jackson clear his throat.

The look on his face led me to believe that whatever had just happened would go unfinished. "I'm sorry. There was another victim at the club we were at. They rounded up a bunch of people, I need to go back, see if I can find out who was near that person, perhaps see if I recognize anyone."

I nodded my head, disappointment filling me. This wasn't what I wanted, why was I so upset? "I understand."

Something akin to regret flashed over his eyes and I looked down. He was still as hard as before and it gave me the courage to look at him again. "I'm sorry."

My smile came out after a humorless laugh. "I know. Me too."

I watched, helpless as he stalked up to me, kissing me hard on the lips. "I'll pick you up tomorrow night at eight." My confusion must have been obvious. "I gotta see you dance again. It's hot."

I know I flushed ten shades of red. With one final brief kiss, he was out the door. I stood there for a few moments after he left, aching, trembling from what had just occurred. Exhausted, I made my way towards my room, shedding my clothes as I did. The act of sleeping naked was still new to me. My mother, being so ill, often required my help in the middle of the night. For her sensibilities and my own modesty, I kept my shorts and a tee on while I slept. But now that she had died, I luxuriated in sleeping nude. At first, all I could do was lose the shirt, because my new silk underwear felt so good against me. Now, I take it all off, loving the freedom of motion, the lack of cling to my body as I moved naked amidst my sheets.

It was a long, long time before I fell asleep, my mind racing with the memories of the night. To calm my heated body, I finally took matters to hand and relieved some pressure. It was with a contented sigh that I drifted to sleep.

*** Villain ***

God Damn it! My latest plaything collapsed before I could even get him out of the club. He took the drink, swallowed it down, then went out and danced. Usually they felt tired or nauseous and tried to leave. But no! He decided to dance and keep going. Fucker!

When another brawl started because he'd collapsed and knocked into some people, I hightailed it out of there. Because I was so furious, I drove recklessly. A cop pulled me over and my anger couldn't be contained. He pulled me out of the car and demanded to search my car. He found my bag and tasted it. Within seconds, the simple taste he'd taken took affect, not enough to make him pass out, but enough that when I suggested he have some more, he did. A willing slave was in my hands.

I ordered him into my car and I drove away, into the hills, towards the mountains. I found a secluded spot, the cop blathering incoherently the entire drive. He hadn't had enough to pass out, just become horny as hell. He kept chanting about how much he wanted his wife. When I'd stopped, I told him to get out and go towards the trees. He did everything I said and it pleased me. I was already hard and leaking. In a secluded spot, I told the cop to strip. Once naked, I told him to lie flat on the ground, on his belly and to spread his legs. Fuck the condom. I undid my trousers and pressed against him.

Once I popped in, fear and pain woke him up, not enough to fight me, but to fight the drug. I took the bag from my pocket and told him to swallow it all. The drug took effect as I pounded into him. His cries of pain became silent. When I shuddered into his body, shaking from it, more replete than I'd been since the first time, I felt for a pulse on the cop, but there was none. Whether he'd died earlier or later didn't matter. Now he wouldn't be saying anything.

I laughed all the way home after I'd covered the body with tree branches. It wasn't my car. I'd stolen it weeks ago. I'd miss the car, but I needed a new one. Oh well. Stupid cop.

*** Liam ***

I awoke early by Claire honking her horn in my driveway. I rolled out of bed and dragged my jeans on, not bothering to button them as I made my way to the front door. I wanted to yell at her as I yanked it open, but couldn't when I saw her enthusiastic grin.

"Hello sleepyhead. Time to go car shopping!"

I rolled my eyes and pointed inside. She followed me in while I dumped coffee grounds into the machine and turned it on. I said not one word as I trudged down the hall to the shower. Once washed, clothed and filled with caffeine, I was able to turn a civil smile to Claire's smiling face.

"What are we doing?"

She punched my arm. "Come on silly, you know we're going to go get you a new truck."

My sigh was heavy. I liked my truck. But she was right; it only had perhaps a year more to it before it'd give out. "Fine. But I pick... everything." When she laughed, I quickly added. "I mean it."

"Of course." Her giggle followed me all the way out the door and to the car.

By the end of the day, I was glad I'd brought my cousin with me. She let me pick out the brand, model and color that I wanted. Where she helped out was when it came to purchasing. I had planned on paying in cash, but she talked me into financing a part of it, so I could establish some credit. Hell, I didn't have a credit card. With the house coming to me once probate was over, I'd have more money than I could shake a stick at, but without any credit rating, even traveling would prove difficult.

On the drive home, Claire started talking to me. My giddy, new toy smile faded quickly. "So Liam, any prospects?"

My blush was obvious, but I didn't mention the Chief's name. When I didn't say anything, she kept talking. "So... have we been playing safe?"

My eyebrows drew together in consternation. "All I did was dance, Claire."

She put her hand on my arm. "I know sweetie, but you're gonna meet someone soon."

I shrugged my shoulders, feeling bad because I wasn't mentioning whom I'd met. But then again, we weren't really doing anything. "Perhaps Claire. Why are you asking me about this?"

"I want you to be safe. Do you have some condoms?"

I actually took my eyes off the road to stare at her. I know my face turned an interesting shade, somewhere between deep red and purple. "No."

She chuckled, but there was iron behind it. "Then I suggest you go buy some. Don't you agree?" To which I could only nod.

I put it off for three hours. I weeded a flowerbed that didn't need it. Hell, I even stopped by Mrs. Samuels's house to take care of her yard. But once it was all done, I couldn't put it off any longer and headed over to the drugstore. Ten thousand different kinds of condoms filled the aisle. Jesus! What kind did I need? The lambskin I immediately dismissed. Those did no good. I remembered that one time and how snug they felt, so I passed that box up. Would ribs be good? I didn't think so. Finally, I settled on a box of polyurethane, larger sized. Now... how many would I need. At the rate I was going, I'd only need a box of three. I left the box with a gross behind and chose something in the middle.

I only blushed a little bit at the checkout counter. This wasn't so bad. I could handle this. The walk back to my new truck was a good one. I had my new truck, I had a box of condoms so when I did meet that right guy I could have some serious fun with him, and life was great in general; at least until I heard that slow, sexy, deep voice behind me. Damn!

"I'm glad we're thinkin' along the same lines."

*** Jackson ***

When he whirled around on me, I actually took a step back. Boy, that man gets riled so easily. My humor was about ready to burst out into a chuckle, but I schooled it. Didn't want him to blow up too soon.

"I didn't buy them for you, Chief."

Chief? What was it about him not using my name? Damn but it pissed me off. Of course, I didn't want to analyze too closely how my stomach fluttered whenever he did say it, but he could at least call me by name.

"Ah, cher, you're breakin' my heart."

He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes; I swear I could see him counting to ten. "They're still not for you."

I chuckled deep down. "Well, I still have ten or so at home, but that won't get us through the evening."

His eyes got real big, and then he smiled a purely evil smile. "Oh Chief, I'm sorry you're so quick on the draw."

My scoff came out more like a snort. "Once I get you into my bed, sleeping won't happen, and ten times wouldn't be enough."

His blush became very endearing. Then he turned away and went over to a shiny, brand new truck where he laid his head on his arm against the roof. "All I wanted was to meet a nice man."

"I'm nice."

"Someone single and honest."

"I'm single and very honest."

"Someone to hold me, make love to me."

"I'd like to apply for that job."

"Someone to settle down with, perhaps eventually raise a family with me."

He hadn't heard me, but I'd heard every word. When he got to the settling down and family, I couldn't help my response. "Whoa!"

He looked up at me. "Yeah, whoa." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I think we want different things Chief. You're sexy as sin, and I know we'd have a lot of fun together, but..."

The thrill that ran through me when he admitted that he felt this too almost completely overshadowed the shock and panic I'd felt at the other. "We would have a lot of fun together. A lot, Liam."

His eyes were so sad when he looked at me. "And after the fun?" When I had no response, he smiled sadly at me. "That's what I thought." With that he got in his truck and drove away.

How come every perfect response to every argument always comes after the person has left? It happens every damn time. No one ever knows what you'll end up with when you meet someone who attracts you. Hell, I'd gone to bed with more men who attracted me to only to find that in the morning, they were no longer as attractive. It's a crapshoot when it comes to finding someone. Liam's naïveté was endearing, because deep down, there was such blind hope. Perhaps I'd become jaded. I'd only had two relationships that lasted more than a few days. The first was in high school. I'd gone away to school; he'd become a petty criminal who died a few years ago from a drug overdose. He hadn't been able to deal with being gay, so turned to drugs. The second had lasted for six years and ended a few months before I left New Orleans. The first time, I thought it would last forever. The second, I never thought it would last longer than a first date. You can never tell.

What I felt with Liam was brand new. I'd never felt this before. The raw lust and desire was familiar, but seemed to be magnified a hundred fold. Liam was bound and determined to find 'Mr. Right' immediately. I knew it wouldn't happen. Perhaps I didn't think in terms of forever, a house, and kids, but I wanted to let what was between us develop, no matter how it might conclude. Just because I knew that most things ended, didn't mean that I would deny either of us the journey. What had arced between us was too strong, too powerful to deny.

The kiss we'd shared the previous night was proof that we were combustible. When my lips had pressed against his, it'd nearly blown the top of my head off. I had left his house hard and stayed that way all the way back into the city. Only the horror of the hospital room in which the latest victim had laid calmed me down. I had seen him in the club. He'd danced, he'd drunk, he'd flirted. In no way did he go near any one man. Of the forty-seven men who'd been arrested, four I had seen dance with, talk with, or drink with the victim for any longer than a few minutes. None of them were our perp, they'd left his company far too long before he'd passed out, fallen to the ground, and caused the second riot.

The idea of Liam falling victim to this asshole had me in the grips of such incredible fear, that it would take wild horses to keep me away. Why I felt so deeply protective of him, I couldn't put my finger on. Somehow I knew that if we were to actually sleep together, that feeling would swell until it swamped me, took over everything. Normally, that would have made me run. But I wouldn't this time. There was something so strong in this that I was powerless to resist. Thankfully, the club was shut down for the night; I wouldn't have to watch over him. Instead, we could do what almost every other flirting, courting young couple would do. I couldn't wait to see him get riled up over it. With a happy chuckle, I got in my car and drove home, to count the hours until I could see him again.

When I got home, a package waiting on my doorstep greeted me. The smile I hadn't been able to dim all day grew bigger. My mama had sent me a care package from New Orleans. I ran inside and got a knife to open the box. I might have moaned when the box opened and I could see what was inside. Bless that woman. I asked for her to send me a box of spices for the crab boil and she went to town buying out Central Grocery in the quarter. Liam didn't know it, but we were gonna eat good tonight. There were three boxes of boil spices, two jars of spicy Cajun mustard, five kinds of pepper sauce, ten pounds of Andouille sausage, six pounds of Boudin, and four whole Mufelatta sandwiches. That boy was gonna be mine soon if I kept feeding him so good. As I put the things away and took out the butter and flour to start slow-cooking a roux, I called my Mama.

"Hey Mama."

"Jackson love, where y'at?"

My laugh was warm, tinged with sadness at how much I missed my family at times. "I had to stop saying that up here, they'd look at me funny and actually answer."

Her laugh was warm and like always, made me think she'd wrapped her arms around me. "I take it you got my care package."

"Yeah, Mama. You're way too generous."

"Bullshit. You're my baby, and a long ways from home. I know you miss the good stuff."

My grin was broad as I kept stirring my roux, getting it ready to go into the oven and bake for a while. "Well, the Mufalettas are gonna be good eating tonight."

"So you gonna share them?"

"Perhaps."

Her chuckle knew far too much. "You say that with that voice of yours, makes me think you have someone particular to share with."

That made me pause. "I'm not sure how 'particular' this person is yet."

Her scoff made me cringe. If I'd been ten years old, that wooden spoon of hers would have rapped against my backside. "He's obviously special, or you wouldn't have mentioned him."

"Mama tonight is our first date. Don't have us married before we've even seen each other."

Her chuckle meant she was in a better mood. "Okay, I won't push. But I want details if there is more than one date." Her voice got kind of quiet. "He's gotta be better than that bastard Nolan."

It hurt to hear his name still. We hadn't been in love for a long time when we broke up, but how we broke up will always stay with me. You should never have to walk in on your bed partner gagged while in a sling with your work partner fucking him silly. No one should ever have to see that, although it did make it easier to make a clean break with him. "He's a heck of a lot better than Nolan."

"That's all that matters my boy."

"Thanks Mama. I'll call you soon."

"I love you baby. Always."

After the call was over, I slipped the browned roux into a low heat oven then got showered, dressed, and the picnic basket and blanket together for our evening. I had some carrots and celery chopped up, some olives and pickles which would compliment the Mufaletta nicely, and I filled a cooler with beer, soda, and ice.

When I pulled up in front of Liam's house, I was over ninety minutes early. No one answered the door, but I heard music playing from the back. The side gate opened easy enough and I stepped through. What I saw nearly took my breath away. His backyard was almost identical to mine. Lots of trees and flowers, plants, ferns, planters covered the patio. Sitting in one corner of the patio was a hot tub with Liam sitting in it with his head back, listening to the classic rock playing out of a radio. His clothes were in a rumpled pile by the steps. By the fact that I saw jeans, socks, and underwear in that pile, I knew that Liam was naked. Damn but if my pulse didn't race and my cock try to leap out of my pants at the idea of getting to see all of Liam.

I cleared my throat and watched as Liam practically jumped out of his skin in fright.

*** Liam ***

I had left Jackson with a mixed feeling of relief, dread, and strangely, sadness. He was looking for fun, and he didn't disguise it either. The fact that I was looking for more, made it difficult to just give in and have fun with him. Each time I saw him though; it got more difficult to keep away. What he offered, what his kisses and long, hungry looks gave me, became harder to resist.

To work off my confusion and frustration, I went and took care of seven yards and got back to my place in plenty of time to meet the Chief by eight. Deciding that the warm day and my sore muscles could use it, I went out back and turned on the radio before shucking my clothes and lying back in the hot tub. Now before my mother died, I'd never have even considered sitting out there in my altogether. But now that she had died, I had a lot more freedom in my life. Not that I didn't love my mother. I did. Now, I could do all the things in life I wasn't able to do before.

I had shut my eyes, relishing how the bubbles pounded my sore muscles and gently caressed all the other parts of me, when I heard the cough behind me. My pulse went into immediate adrenaline overload. When I spun around and saw Jackson LeDeux behind me, I got pissed.

"Jesus Christ, Chief! You scared the hell out of me."

His relaxed stance, leaning against the house with his arms crossed across his chest, made me even angrier; at least until he chuckled. It was rich and smoky and made me think of tangled sheets and more of those long, drugging kisses. "Sorry, cher. I only hoped to catch you at home." His eyes tracked all across what was visible above the waterline. "I had no idea I'd get to catch all of you."




Sweet Southern Comfort



Damn but the man knew how to make me blush. I slid lower in the water to my shoulders. I looked at my arm, but my watch was in my clothes. "No Liam, you're not late. I'm early."

"Why?"

"The club's shut down for the night, so I thought we'd hang out."

I swallowed deeply. "And do what?"

I watched as he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off. He leaned over to untie his boots and slip out of them and his socks. My voice was mute as he undid his jeans and slipped them down his hips. He stood before me in plain, tight white briefs. "Perhaps I'll join you for a little soak before we go."

I think I squeaked. I know I didn't form any coherent sound when he shucked his briefs and sauntered towards the tub, flopping loose and mouthwateringly tempting. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he slowly climbed the steps and sank into the water.

"This is great, Liam. Damn, but it does feel mighty good."

If I could have burst into flames at that moment, I doubt it would have kept me from feeling embarrassed. My skin was flushed and I was really hard. The man was nicely hung and uncut. His chest was matted with dark, straight hair that clung to his skin rather than be bushy or curly. His stomach was flat and almost washboard strong, bisected with silky hair. I finally shut my eyes and put my head back, mortified beyond belief at my reaction to him. I know he teased me, but it still surprised me. I groaned out loud at how naïve and pathetic I was.

"I agree, cher. That is just how I feel."

I raised my eyes, to see he'd scooted closer to me. "What do you mean?"

He slid next to me, lowered his face to my ear before flicking my lobe with his tongue. "I nearly groan each and every time I see you too."

With that, he turned my face to his and kissed me slowly, leisurely brushing his lips against mine back and forth. "You've seen all of me, I want to see all of you."

I pulled back and stared at him, knowing my blush got worse. "But... I mean... what?"

His chuckle was rich and smooth, although huskier than normal. "Got anything cold to drink?"

"Um... what do you want?"

"That's a loaded question, cher. How 'bout a beer?"

As I moved towards the stairs, I willed my body to calm, but to no avail. Girding myself, I stood and stepped out of the water, feeling Jackson's eyes follow me. I stepped inside and opened the fridge, hoping the frigid air would cool me. After I grabbed a couple of longnecks, I headed back outside. Once I opened the door, Jackson's gaze was intent. He watched my body as I moved and I swear what had started to calm came right back to life. This time, I felt my blush spread across my chest and up into my hairline.

"Beautiful Liam. Absolutely beautiful."

His husky voice and appreciative look quieted my skittishness. Not that I flaunted as I made my way back to the hot tub, but I didn't feel awkward about it anymore. I handed Jackson the beers before I climbed up the stairs and sank back into the water. "Thanks, Chief."

He just raised an eyebrow at me before tilting one of the bottles to his lips. I sat mesmerized, watching his throat work, swallowing the cold beer. When he finished drinking, he handed me my own bottle. "Why do you call me Chief?"

I sat and thought about it, slowly sipping my beer. "That's how I first knew you."

"Fair enough." He played with the label on the bottle for a few moments before looking straight into my eyes, the dark brown of them piercing in their intensity. "But I really like how my name sounds coming out of your mouth."

My throat nearly closed around the words, but I choked them out. "I'll try to remember, Jackson."

He shut his eyes and groaned before grabbing my foot and pulling me towards him. "Come here."

He kissed me again, bracing my face between his hands as his tongue swept into my mouth. I moaned around it before sucking on it, causing him to groan again, deep in his chest, where I could feel it reverberate against my hand. My fingers tightened in his chest hair, my palm pressing into his nipple and he pulled away, breathing deep. His cheeks were flushed a nice rosy color and my own breathing was ragged.

"We need to get out of here. I don't want us to be late."

My lips still tingled from the kiss and my mind was foggy. "Late for what?"

He only chuckled before hopping out of the tub and grabbed one of the towels I had stacked nearby. He was hard and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the sight of him with water running down his chest and belly, pooling around his hard cock. After he'd dried and wrapped the towel around his hips, I stood and did the same.

"Get dressed. I'll be in the car."

I went inside and threw on some clothes before locking up and meeting him outside at his jeep. I noticed the cooler in the backseat as I climbed in. "Where are we going, Ch--. I mean Jackson?"

"It's a surprise."

Great. I loved it when he surprised me. Not. After a few minutes, I just sat back and enjoyed the view out the window. We were headed out of town towards the mountains, but we hadn't gotten very far when he turned off the road and stopped before a locked gate. He got out and unlocked it before getting back in and driving through, only to stop and relock the gate. We drove up a hill and parked near a tree, overlooking the drive-in movie theater. 

I started laughing when he pulled out a large quilt and spread it under the tree. I could hear music from the theater's speakers. When Jackson got out the ice chest, he looked at me strangely.

"Isn't this breaking the law, Jackson?"

His laugh was deep and seemed to use his entire body. "No. This is city property. Last weekend, some kids came up here to make out and see a free movie. I told the theater owners I'd check it out. With me up here, no one else will come up here."

"But if you wanted to see a movie..." I let the thought trail off.

"I don't want to share you, Liam. We'll eat supper, watch some of the movie, and stare at the stars." His grin was pure masculine appreciation when he looked at me. "And whatever else might come to mind."

We sat down on the quilt once the sun went down. Jackson opened up the cooler and pulled out a huge sandwich looking concoction. He handed me a beer while he cut the sandwich into quarters. "Try this. It's a Mufaletta, from the Central Grocery in New Orleans."

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I took a big bite anyway. My taste buds were assaulted with flavor. The bread was soft, but chewy. There was an olive mixture on the bread that was tart, salty and spicy at the same time. The meats were tender, the cheese smoky and creamy. It was an odd combination, but I couldn't stop munching either. When Jackson laughed, I grinned at him, only to watch his eyes grow smoky before he shook his head and took a long draw from his beer.

By the time the movie started, my nerves were a jangle of firing synapses. I was aware of everything that Jackson did. Each shift of his legs, bite of food, swallow of drink, and sound he made stirred me deeper, made me more aware of him. I couldn't get the image of him naked out of my mind. His body was made for sin, and he was a guy I would really like to sin with. I knew what I'd told him earlier outside the drugstore was a defensive posture. Yes, I wanted someone to hold me, make love to me, settle down with, and yes, I would love to find someone to have a family with. I also knew that finding that in one man, especially so soon, would be hard if not downright impossible.

From where we sat, the movie screen was like watching a big screen television with the sound only slightly muted. We could hear it, see it, but it was still quiet and intimate enough that we could talk if we so chose. For the most part, we watched the movie. The old drive-in mostly showed older movies and charged cheap rates so families could go affordably. We'd both seen the movie and after about a half hour, I lay back against the blanket and stared at the stars above, trying to remember some of the names of the constellations.

"I was thinking about what you said earlier, Liam." His voice was near my ear, and I realized he'd reclined too. I turned to face him, seeing an earnest but charming Jackson leaning on his side, facing me.

"What about it?"

"This fire that burns between us, I don't think it's gonna go out anytime soon. Perhaps if it ever does, we'd find we have nothing in common or couldn't stand each other, but I don't think so." His voice was soft, quiet in the night, his eyes almost pleading. "I may not be thinking about settling down to raise a family, but everything else you're looking for, I'm able and glad to give you."

He made no move to touch me, although I could tell that his hand wanted to reach out to me several times. "We hardly know each other, Jackson."

"I know Liam. What would you like to know?"

I had a feeling if I asked him anything, he'd tell me, even if it were his most secret, dark, and painful memory. "What's your middle name?"

His laugh was relieved. "Michael."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-one."

The questions slowly progressed until he'd told me where he grew up, family information, and what he had done since leaving high school career wise. I wasn't that surprised to find out we liked similar music, movies and books. We had different views on politics, but it came mostly from our work than ideological differences. Seeing as how he answered everything I asked, I finally got down to what I was most curious about.

"Have you ever been in a relationship?"

His eyes got kind of sad, but he smiled anyway. "Yeah. Two of them."

"Why did they end?"

His eyes got even sadder. "The first ended when I went away to school. The second... well... you don't love someone who cheats on you."

"And you loved him a lot?"

His laugh was almost painful to hear, because it had so little humor in it. "I'm not sure if I ever did." His eyes got a distant look to them, as if he were looking inside. "I cared for him, I liked him at first, but for the most part, I don't think I was ever really in love with him."

I was digesting all that he'd told me when his voice perked up and he grinned at me. "Is it my turn now?"

I couldn't stop the chuckle even if I'd wanted to. His eagerness was charming and boyish. "Sure. Have at it."

His grin was almost devilish. "So how old are you?"

"Twenty-seven."

"What's your middle name?"

"Thomas."

The questions continued, some inane, some funny, mostly about information, the little tidbits that you would learn about someone when you started spending time with them. It wasn't until we had exhausted the topic of which was the best way to hit a softball left-handed that the questions got deeper and a little uncomfortable.

"Who was your first kiss?"

The memory sparked in my mind, causing me to laugh. "Miranda Forester, second grade."

His laugh was disbelieving and I could tell he meant something else, but I didn't want to go there.

"Have you ever been in a relationship?"

I wanted to look away, but couldn't. "No."

"Are you still a virgin?"

His eyes were so gentle, so kind, but I knew he wanted to know. "No." When I didn't expand, his eyebrows rose and his mouth tightened a bit. I rolled my eyes and started talking. "You know the cherry blossoms along the library?"

At his nod, I continued. "The previous mayor tried to woo some Japanese company to open a plant in town. When they chose a different location, to repay the kindness that they'd found here, they donated all those trees." I smiled, remembering the disappointment that had run through City Hall, but the happiness of the citizens at the very generous gift. "As head groundskeeper, it was my job to take care of them. But no one knew what to do. So the mayor drummed up some money to send me to Washington DC to talk to the people there who took care of their trees."

I spared no details as I told him of my trip. I remembered how excited I was to leave home for the first time. The flight had been long and in the middle of the night. I had turned twenty-one shortly after take off. I spent three days learning all I could about the trees we were getting and the night before I was to leave, I was determined to live life a little bit. Spending a few hours, I gathered my courage and went down to the hotel bar to have my first drink.

The awkwardness I felt, the feeling of being underdressed and outclassed was still with me. Hell, even though I was dressed in slacks and a white, button down shirt, I was very underdressed and far too casual for the place. Once I got there, I sat at a table and ordered a drink and sipped it slowly, letting the alcohol slowly burn down my throat. I didn't really care for it, but was determined to stay and finish it. The place was packed and when someone came in to get a seat, he asked if he could sit with me.

He was blond and taller than average but shorter than me. His eyes were piercing blue and his voice was nice and a bit rough with a Boston accent. He slammed down his drink and signaled the waitress for another round. After I'd had mine, he leaned over and asked if I'd like to go up to his room. There was no mistaking the gleam in his eyes. My mind clouded over with shock and repressed desire. Finally I'd get to know what it was all about. My own anxiousness at the idea of finally having sex propelled me out of my chair and into the elevator.

"For six hours after we left the bar, I learned more about sex than any imaginings I'd ever had. Over and over that night we came together, tasting, touching, and learning. It was the most amazing experience of my life." My wonder filled grin caused Jackson to smile at me and chuckle a bit.

"My plane left the next day at three. After my shower, I thought that perhaps..." I know I blushed, but even though I wasn't a beginner, there had been no one since that trip to DC.

"I couldn't get enough after my first time either. I'm surprised my cock stayed on. We almost wore them out."

That made me relax. "When I got out of the shower, I found him standing, looking out the window. I started kissing the back of his neck and was rubbing his chest with him moaning." I looked away, still mortified after all this time. "He stopped me when the phone rang."

My mind went back to the room with me standing there, blinded to the raging arousal running through me. Then the words he was saying penetrated through. 'How are the girls?' 'My flight gets in at eight.' 'I've missed you too, honey.' 'I love you too.'

"When he turned around, he grinned at me and said, 'where were we?' But I was done. I asked him if he were married. He looked at me funny and then said, 'yeah. So?'" I looked into Jackson's eyes, hoping he'd understand what I tried to say to him.

"I felt so dirty. Words flashed through my mind. I swear I thought a huge neon sign was flashing above my head. Adulterer. Home wrecker. I put on my clothes and left." I looked into his eyes and saw compassion in there and something else I couldn't quite recognize.

"Do you think I'm a horrible person?" I knew it sounded pathetic. I almost cringed in on myself the moment the words were out, but strangely enough, I needed to know. What Jackson thought of me was somehow important, and more so every day.

"Of course not." He touched my face, tilting my head back to face his. His eyes were warm chocolate and full of such unflinching need and desire that I couldn't have turned my head away from them. "You had no idea he was married. It wasn't your fault." He looked away briefly before turning back to face me, cursing under his breath. "I knew Sam was married and I still slept with him."

His words I had known were true for a long, long time, but hearing them from him put something to peace that I hadn't known lay just under the surface before. I had never told anyone about what had happened while away. Shame had kept me silent, even from Claire. Then his last words slowly crept inside, filling my mind with more questions.

"Every big city sends cops to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Excellent riot and crowd control training. Sam and I had roomed together at school." He laughed mirthlessly while staring off and seeing nothing but the past. "I attended his wedding. We were buddies. But I'd always been attracted to him."

He looked down into my eyes, almost pleading with me to not condemn. "When he came to New Orleans, I thought all that old attraction was gone. I'd just broken things with Nolan and it was obvious that he'd stay with me." I knew of Nolan, he'd told me about him. But Sam, he was brand new territory. "After a few days, I noticed that he wasn't calling home, talking to anyone. When I asked him, he told me he and his wife were going through some rough times."

His eyes focused on me, staring right into them. "One night, after a few too many beers, one thing led to another. The next day we both knew it had been a mistake and silently, without ever saying a word, we both refused to ever speak of it." He traced a finger along my jaw until he could brush his whole hand against my cheek. "We're lying to each other to save a friendship. So no, Liam, I don't think you're a bad person at all, because what I did was ten times worse."

The man obviously felt guilty, and he shouldn't have. The beer was only partially to blame, but Sam had played a willing part in all that had happened. "You're not a bad person either, Jackson."

When his eyes lit with fire, I realized how husky my voice was when I said his name. Without thinking I rolled into him, pushing him, pinning him to the ground as I started kissing him. My tongue swept his mouth as my hands grasped his back, pulling him closer. 

His flavor was sweet and musky and I could do nothing but breath him in, feel him brand himself on my mind. There was pulling and grasping, then the buttons of his shirt were undone and I feasted on his chest. His nipples were bitten, kissed, licked, and devoured by me. Hearing his groan and gasps fueled me on, making me bolder than I'd ever been before.

Untold time later, while I worked on his belt buckle, Jackson stopped me, pulling me to face him. "Liam, we can't."

My mind still clouded with need, my body trembling from desire, I answered the only way I could. "Like hell we can't!"

"No, stop."

When he'd pushed me away from him, the drugging effect of Jackson began to wear off. I could see his features clearly and he became the man again instead of the lustful object. "Why?"

He laughed deeply, but the pained expression on his face told me he wasn't unaffected either. I could still feel him digging into my hip and I pressed against him, causing his head to tilt back and a moan of sweetest agony leave his lips.

"I didn't bring any condoms."

I started laughing. It was either that or cry. "And I even bought some today I swore I wouldn't use with you."

"Did you bring any along?"

"No."

He kissed my forehead, letting his lips linger in such a tender gesture, my body calmed instantly, but my mind raced off in all sorts of directions, most of them sweetly poignant.

"I didn't want our first time to be in some field. We both deserve better." He chuckled deep and throaty, which sent chills up and down my spine. "Besides, I don't want the people down below to hear us when I make you cum."

We lay facing each other for a while, staring into each other's eyes. The fire was never really banked in his eyes, but it calmed and mellowed a bit. Smoldering embers of desire still burned inside me, but the time we shared, looking at each other was pleasant and gave our overheated bodies a chance to cool.

After the movie was over, I helped Jackson gather all the picnic things before getting into his jeep and heading for home. He pulled up in front of my house and turned off the car before turning to me, pulling me into another fiery kiss. When he backed away, breathing raggedly, his voice was less than steady.




Sweet Southern Comfort



"It's no longer a matter of if, Liam, but when."

My swallow echoed through the car. Our heavy, labored breathing filled the silence of night as I stared into his eyes, unable to tear my gaze from his. My hand shook as I raised it to smooth my hair out of my eyes. Jackson stared at me so intently that it only made the aching worse.

"Say it, Liam."

I swallowed again. "Say it!"

"Yes."

The word barely left my lips when he crushed me to him, kissing me incoherent. When he sat back I fumbled the car door open and left on shaky feet. After I had unlocked the door and went inside, Jackson started up his vehicle. He stayed until after I'd shut my door.

My night was filled with hot, erotic dreams and tangled, sweaty sheets. The sweet torture of unfulfilled desire kept me half dreaming, half awake throughout the night, causing me to oversleep until late in the morning. Even after a cool shower, my body was still drawn tightly, the slightest thought of Jackson rekindling the need for him I felt.

I ran to the store to pick up the items I'd need for what I would take to Jackson's later. After I gathered all my equipment and ingredients, I stopped by to pick up Claire and we made our way to Jackson's house. We drove in silence for a few minutes, but I knew it wouldn't last too long. I was right.

"You're glowing, Liam."

My first impulse was to pull down the mirror, to see if what she said was true, but a smart man wouldn't give her that much leeway. "I'm not."

"Who is he?"

I groaned, knowing that once I saw Jackson face to face, I'd be sunk. Somewhere between the night he'd saved me from being arrested and the night under the stars, something grew between us, something special, something undeniable. "It's too new to talk about yet."

Her hand on my arm melted my resolve and I turned to her, my eyes pleading for the reassurances I couldn't verbalize. "Liam, whoever he is, has to be pretty special. I know you too well."

My sigh sounded lonely to even my ears. "I'm scared."

With the ease with which she always moved, she unbuckled her seatbelt and slid across the bench seat of my truck, wrapping an arm around me, kissing my cheek gently. "I can't wait to meet him."

When we got to Jackson's, Claire helped me with my things and grabbed her pan of brownies. The side gate was open and we heard a zippy, tinny music playing. As we rounded the corner of the house, I smiled in recognition. Several years before, I'd helped the city's retired librarian redesign her backyard. It had a towering weeping willow in the back corner, lots of flowering bushes and beds filled with annual bulbs. A huge fire pit had been added near the back porch, with a pergola covered in tent awning. Under the canopy was a large picnic table covered in newspaper. On either side of the paper were huge garbage cans. An old tin washbasin was filled with ice and bottles of beer. The fire blazed and a large pot sat on a grill above it, boiling steadily.

Jackson appeared in the back door with another man, between them was a huge basket whose bottom was filled with potatoes. When Jackson saw me, he paused and his grin bloomed full force at me. I dropped the bag I carried, spilling some rock salt onto the ground that I didn't pay any attention to. Claire looked quickly back and forth between us then walked over to Jackson for introductions.

When his gaze turned from me, I paid attention to the man with him. If there were Viking gods walking the earth, this man was one of them. He was a huge, hulking mountain of man, blond haired, blue eyed, taller than me, with a smile as big and open as the Montana sky. As deputies went, his size would intimidate just about anyone, but the sweet, slightly dopey look of his face would put them at ease. He was handsome and once we started talking, proved to be sharply intelligent and very dry witted.

I went inside to set up the ice cream maker with my special mixture and started it to spin. When I made it back outside, Erik, the Viking god, put ears of corn into the boiling concoction while Jackson placed sausages on his grill and talked to Claire. I grabbed a beer as I passed and made it to the grill just as I overheard Claire talking to Jackson. "...If you hurt him, I'll grind your balls into soup and spoon feed it to you."

Jackson's chuckle was forced, his shoulders hunched and when I saw his face, I could tell he was both frustrated and amused. "If I do, I'll cut them off for you and place the bib around my own neck."

Claire hadn't seen me, but her shoulders eased up a bit. "I like you, Chief. But I love my cousin more."

I watched as Jackson leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I promise."

The concern of both of them really touched me. It wasn't necessary, but it was very moving to see them square off over me. "He prefers to be called Jackson."

Claire spun around, blushing sweetly. "You're right." Turning to Jackson, she smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Jackson."

Erik came up behind me and spoke with his soft, but commanding voice. "I think you were doing what you had to do."

Claire's face lit up. "Thank you, Mr. Johansen."

He chuckled and reached out to chuck her on the chin. "Do you always insist on calling men by something other than their first names?"

Her blush had me wanting to laugh, but I knew it would mean instant death to all three of us in the most gruesome of ways. Claire and Erik walked away from the grill and I felt Jackson stand behind me, sniffing into the back of my neck, nipping me gently with his teeth. "You smell good, cher."

Goose bumps erupted over my skin and I felt my body harden. "Thank you, Jackson."

His deep-throated chuckle made me powerless to move, unable to turn, only to feel. I felt his hands trail up my arms, reaching around me to brush against my chest. My breath hitched as my eyes shut, lost to sensation. I was ready to throw caution to the wind and turn into his arms and kiss him when I felt something hot touch my mouth. "Open, Liam."

When I complied, something hot and juicy entered my mouth that tasted salty and spicy. It was a bit of the sausage Jackson had been grilling. I bit down and chewed, letting the spicy meat replace the rampaging lust that Jackson had called to the surface. When I had swallowed and turned, Jackson stood over the boiling pot, his shaking hands the only sign that he had been as affected as I.

I watched as Jackson turned around, cupping his hand around his mouth, hollering, "time to eat!"

*** Jackson ***

When I left Liam's house, my hands shook so damn bad I'd only made it two blocks when I had to pull over and take some deep breaths. The man made me crazy. Achingly full, powerfully aroused, once calm enough to drive, I drove home, walked straight to the shower, and blasted my body with enough cold water to chill the raw lust I felt. Somehow, once he'd capitulated to agreeing to our affair, my own hand would never do. Standing beside him at my outdoor barbecue, I wish I hadn't been so stringent.

His scent filled my nostrils, over and above the spicy home cooking on the grills. I wanted him so badly; my teeth ached from clenching my jaw shut. I had only meant to tease him, but it was I who was most affected. When he bit into the sausage, I walked away, quickly, to keep from stripping him naked and fucking him in front of his cousin. Thankfully, dinner was ready.

We sat around the picnic table as Erik helped me dump the basket out onto the table. I kept the boil juice. Hell, it made a great base for gumbo, soups, and even rice. We all dug in, cracking crabs, eating potatoes and corn, all of it spicy and sweet and just about perfect. I enjoyed the food, the company, and the ting of the Zydeco music playing in the background. The tension from before melted from me. At least until I saw Liam licking his fingers, taking the boil spices and butter from his corn with his tongue. That was it. I had finally had enough. I grew so damn hard and wanted him so badly, that it took a very strong force of will to keep me from leaping over the table at him.

When I'd finally stopped panting, by digging my fingers into the table, Liam turned and winked at me. The son of a bitch knew what he did. Two could play at that game. I looked him square in the eye as I grabbed a crab leg and brought it to my mouth, sucking at the end to pull all the juices out of it while licking around the tip with my tongue. I watched as his eyes dilated and he dropped his ear of corn to his plate. It wasn't until I heard the polite but insistent 'ahem' that I looked at Claire. She was blushing but clearly irritated. Erik looked from me to Liam then back before his mouth split in a wide grin before he nodded at me.

I watched as Liam's face erupted in a blush so deep it was nearly crimson. By tacit agreement, we stopped flirting and went back to eating. We managed to polish off a dozen crab, ten potatoes, six ears of corn and a bunch of biscuits. I still had a dozen crabs that needed to be shelled, but I simply put them in a bag and stored them in the refrigerator. 

Claire put away the dishes while Erik and Liam cleaned up the backyard and turned off the grill. When the household chores were done, Liam came inside and checked the ice cream maker and announced it was done. Claire whipped out her killer brownies and sliced them up and put them on a plate as we gathered around the living room and had dessert.

At the first creamy, sweet, vanilla-heavy bite, I actually moaned, as did Claire and Erik. Who knew that ice cream could be this rich or divine? We all slurped up the creamy wonderment, practically licking the bowls clean. Claire's brownies were heaven, but this ice cream was pure... ecstasy. 

"My God, Liam. That was delicious. Holy shit!" I said.

Liam blushed, but was obviously pleased. "It isn't anything special."

"Bullshit. That was the closest thing to a sexual experience. It isn't better than sex, but it comes close." Erik's words were honest and got a strange look from Claire. I thought Liam would burst into an embarrassed bank of flames.

"It is good Liam. Really good." I turned to Claire, trying to ease the tension a bit. "If you served this in your café, you'd have to turn the hose on the customers to get them to leave."

Claire patted Liam's hand and looked towards me. "I know. But it's Liam's recipe, and he won't give it to me."

"Why not?" I said, which Erik mimicked.

Liam looked uncomfortable, but finally answered. "It's my mother's recipe. I kind of like having that simple something that no one else has of hers."

Claire hugged her cousin and Erik began to look uncomfortable. When Erik stood to leave, Claire stood with him. I stood and offered a hand to Erik. "I hope you decide to come join us here. I hope you've found enough to like around here."

Erik turned and winked at Claire, causing her to blush. "I'll let you know."

Claire tuned in to the currents arcing between Liam and I and put her hand on Erik's arm. "If you wouldn't mind giving me a lift, Erik?"

"Not at all." His smile was warm and friendly, but just on the slight side of masculine possessive that told me that Liam and I weren't the only attracted couple in the room. Once they were out the door, Liam sat on the couch, staring at me as if he could consume me.

My blood thickened and slowed to molasses as my heart raced to push it through my veins. The wait over, I would have Liam that night, unless he absolutely begged me to leave him be. "If you are thinking of leaving at all, you'd better do it now."

Liam stood and walked to me, slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. "I'm not leaving. Not tonight anyway."

The words barely left his mouth before I took his face in my hands and feasted upon him. My lips roved over the contours of his face as I finally, finally got to sate myself, finally knowing that it wouldn't end with a kiss. His tongue brushed against my cheek as I bit his earlobe, causing both of us to moan. The excitement built so high, so fast, so hard, that I knew that this first time would be hard and fast, perhaps too fast for Liam. Changing my plans in mid kiss, I pulled at Liam's shirt as he ripped mine from me until we could press our chests together. I moaned at the sensation of his warm skin that practically scalded me. His chest hair was soft and crinkly against my skin, his back smooth and muscular beneath my kneading fingers. God damn, but I wanted this man, smooth and sleek, writhing beneath me. I could feel my desire like a caged beast, pacing inside me, pawing at the cage, trying to get out.

When Liam started at my belt, I pulled back and grabbed his hand, leading him down the hall to my bedroom. That morning, hoping that this would happen, I'd cleaned up and changed the sheets. I left the bed turned down, waiting for us to arrive, like a warm caress, a taste of home. I toed off my shoes and watched as Liam did the same. Once his shoes were off, I had my hands tearing apart the buttons on his jeans, separating them until I could see white underwear. Pushing down his hips, I got his jeans off until Liam stood before me in tented boxer briefs. I wanted what tented that fabric in my mouth. I needed that more than oxygen. As I started to drop to my knees, Liam caught my arms and kept me standing as he worked to remove my jeans until I stood before him in only my low-cut briefs, so hard that I hung over the waistband, leaking profusely.

"My God, you're beautiful, chief." The way he called me chief was like a prayer, warm and reverent. Hell, I didn't mind when he called me that anymore, not when he said it with such hunger.

"You aren't anything but drop-dead gorgeous, Cher." And I meant every word. I slipped my hands into the waistband of his underwear and tugged until it passed his rounded, muscular ass and slipped off his leaking, aroused length then I let gravity do the rest. He quickly returned the favor before stepping into me, letting me feel every inch of him naked, hard, and aroused against me. 

I let my knees unlock and pulled us both onto the bed, pressed into it by Liam's weight as my back came in contact with the velvety texture of my goose down comforter. Hot, hard heat against my chest, and smooth, soft pillowed comfort on my back, and I was in heaven, moaning as the sensations grew, almost to pain. My arousal had never climbed this high, been this needy. I had to have him. I wanted to feast on his mouth, kiss every inch of him, but not now, not after two long weeks of heavy foreplay. I couldn't wait. I hoped he'd forgive me.

Pulling Liam further on the bed, I rolled us so that we lay on our sides, still kissing him, still touching all of him as fast and as much as I could. I pushed Liam back and sat up, breathing hard, watching his chest heave to get enough air. "The fire burns too hot between us, cher. We need to bank the embers a bit."

"I know. What do you want?" The loaded question made my cock lurch. I preened as Liam caught the sight of it and gulped. Damn! This was going to be so good, but so fast.

"Taste me while I taste you." Liam nodded and dove down on me, licking against my length. I called out from the pleasure of it as I pushed him away again so I could lie out opposite him. Staring at his hard, shiny tip, I could feel my mouth water. "This is gonna be good, Liam. Real good."

Anything he might have said back disappeared as he engulfed me, taking me deep, flicking me with his tongue. Without pausing, I cried out then dove onto him, flicking, tasting, and taking his salty-sweet excitement on my tongue. I wove my arms so one went between his legs and the other over his hip, so I could wrap my arms around him and drive him deeper inside me.

Liam couldn't take me too deep, but he could do wonderful things with his tongue. He kept pushing down, but kept up this hard suction as if he could use my cock as a straw to get my semen out of me. Each time he pulled back, he'd pull my foreskin with his lips, sucking hard as he pulled beyond the head, but kept my skin in his mouth before licking around and inside the puckered foreskin. God damn, but he drove me wild.

His experiences might have been limited, not that he was awkward, only less able to experiment or take me deep, but he'd had a long time to imagine, and worked hard on me. When I buried my face into his pubic hair, taking his cock deeply into my throat, he moaned around my shaft as he moved up its length, causing me to moan too. We had been at it for less than a minute or two, and we both exploded. Our need, our desire was too strong as we came against the other's tongue, feeling the spasms of delight. His taste was so thick, so salty, so wonderful that I kept searching for more, swallowing his goodness. Liam kept working me, to the point where it got painful, before he pulled my foreskin up to cover the head, and it helped, it took the pain away and simply drew out my pleasure.

We collapsed against the bed, breathing hard. I kept chuckling, because I knew it would be like this. I knew it would. I stared at the long length of Liam's body, and saw that he was still rock hard. "Damn, Liam. You always like that?"

Liam shrugged his shoulders, "It's only the second time I've been with anyone, but probably. That first night, I told you we went at it all night long."

Oh my God. If this is what I had to look forward too, then I'd be dead by morning. What a way to go! "What did the two of you do together?"

He looked at me as if I were crazy. "We had sex."

I rolled my eyes and took his hand, pulling us both up so we sat, facing each other. Because I could, I kissed him, slowly, brushing my lips against his. When I pulled back, he had a silly grin on his face that I knew I mirrored. "No... what kind of sex did you have?"

Liam looked into my eyes, somewhat embarrassed, mostly nervous. "He liked to be fucked. That's pretty much all we did. It wasn't until that morning in the shower that I got to taste him."

This part would be tricky. Liam had no idea that I liked to be in control, I needed to be the top. "You've never had a man inside you?"

Liam looked at me, really looked at me. "No. No one."

Choking on my desire, I whispered my words to him. "I need to be inside you, Liam. I want you so damn bad I can taste it. Will you let me?"

Liam's smile spread across his face quickly, filled with boyish curiosity. "Sure." He rolled to me, kissing me deeply, taking my breath from me. I pushed him back, rolling on top of him, feeling his still rock hard length press into my belly as my own cock rose and pressed between his thighs. I broke from the kiss to taste his jaw and lick at his neck. "You taste delicious."

Liam's hand fisted in my hair as his voice became deep and groaned. "Christ! That feels good when you bite my neck."

Good? Great! I bit down into the flesh of his neck under his ear. Liam moaned even deeper, pulling on my hair, causing me to groan against his neck. I shook my head, Liam's flesh still between my teeth, trying to clear my mind, so I wouldn't end up doing nothing but hump against him, causing it to be over with before we started. I let loose my jaw and kissed down Liam's throat, trailing my lips and tongue over his collarbone, down his sternum, along his nipple. I slowly moved down his body, nipping his skin with my lips, watching Liam's skin break out in goose bumps.

By the time I hit his groin and bypassed it for his hips, Liam was a pile of willing, obedient jelly that I turned over onto his belly. I had seen his ass in jeans, in underwear; naked with water running over it, but never like I did at that moment. Full on vision, hot and tempting. Dusky dark hair covered his beautiful ass, thickening inside his cleft, each twin globe muscular and dimpled. My hands got the privilege of the first encounter with hot flesh and strength. After I had caressed, massaged, and molded him with my hands, I separated him and lowered my face, taking in the sweaty musk before my lips found his flesh, warm and inviting.