26 comments/ 113462 views/ 151 favorites When Irish Eyes Are Smiling By: TomNJus By Tom Collins and Jushorny *Joel * Coffee. I adore it. The rich fragrance that fills the air as it brews. The intense, bitter nuttiness of a fresh cup, and the way sweeteners only mellowed it. The cool creaminess as it flows over my tongue, making it tingle ever so slightly. The false, energetic boost as it hits the blood stream, making you feel like it might not be such a bad day after all. There really wasn't anything like it and nothing to dislike about it. I could drink it to the exclusion of all else but I become twitchy if I drink too much, so I'm forced to limit myself to two grande a day. I can't keep it in the house because if it were readily available I'd drink it, so I have to settle for buying a cup every morning on the way to work and a second one on the way home in the afternoon. I'm not by any stretch of the imagination a connoisseur, but it can be very difficult to find a place that'll let you have your coffee exactly the way you like it if you're an anal son of a bitch like me. I had lucked out when I moved to this neighborhood a couple of months ago, and found a little mom and pop operation right down the block from my apartment building. The first morning I stepped up and asked if I could tell them exactly how I wanted my coffee, or if I had to order from the menu. The owner smiled and pointed to the store's name. Espresso Yourself is now my double stop of the day. After a couple of weeks of ordering the same thing they even began to anticipate my arrival and would begin mixing it up as soon as I stepped through the door. The coffee isn't the only attraction. Many of the people in my building stop in for a cup of Joe on their way to work, but there was one man who caught my eye from day one. Every time I saw him, my stomach fluttered and my palms got damp. There doesn't seem to be any one thing in particular that I can pin down that attracts me to him. He's easy on the eyes, and looks wonderful in his suits, but it's not that. Perhaps it's the way he moves; it says to me that he's comfortable with himself, and I like that. He always came in after me, while I 'm getting my coffee and some sort of pastry. Once I have my morning caffeine and sugar fix, I keep my head down and leave the store; but I linger outside, watching. When I would see him coming to the door, I'd hurry the half block to the subway entrance, so he wouldn't become suspicious. All the while, I'd berate myself for not staying and trying to talk to him. I've never been able to strike up a conversation with someone I'm attracted to, and wind up spending most of my time alone. I should be used to it, but I'm not, and don't think I ever will be. I hate being alone, but I can't bring myself to take the first step. *Devlin* I stood in my closet deciding which suit, shirt and tie to wear for the day. I was feeling more flirtatious than usual, and wanted to choose clothes that would catch a few eyes. It'd been a few months since Cathy and I ended our relationship, and since that time, my real estate career had received my full attention, to the detriment of my social life. Truthfully, I was feeling extremely randy and I already had my target selected. He'd be in for some nice eye candy today, I thought as I made my selections. I didn't normally pursue men; but this particular guy caught my attention. Or, maybe, it was the fact that it appeared that I had caught his attention. I knew he was attracted to me, so the pursuit would be quick and easy, perfect for what I was after. Zipping up the pants to my recently purchased, solid black suit, I admired the fine tailoring job. The pants showed off both the front and back as well as accentuating my solid thighs, shaped through years of high school and college wrestling. I buttoned the thin white shirt over my sleeveless tee. The fit of well tailored clothing always boosts my self-confidence, making me feel as if I can accomplish anything. After adjusting my tie and sliding on some shoes, I grabbed the suit coat, slung it over my shoulder and headed to the elevator. The walk to the coffee shop was disappointing at first; disappointing in that I had yet to see my intended target. The glances I was receiving as I made my way cheered me up quite nicely, though. I was pleased to see that my morning's wardrobe choices were meeting with such approval and I was all smiles by the time I hit the door of Espresso Yourself for my morning 'coffee of the day'. And there he was. True to form, he was already in line for his morning caffeine fix. I spotted his tall frame and the distinctive fedora amidst the other early morning coffee junkies. It was the fedora that had first caught my attention...the style, not many men have the balls to wear one, and not many men can look as good as this guy in one. When my turn came, I tried to hold back my devilish smirk as I ordered; receiving admiring glances from the lady behind the counter as well as feeling his eyes running over my body. I slung my suit coat over the other shoulder to offer him a nice clear shot of my profile. Giving the lady behind the counter a wink with my thank-you, I turned to see him avert his eyes. He always did that, never making eye contact. Maybe he was afraid I would think he was gay, maybe he was shy or maybe he was too much of a prude to admit he liked to look at me. I wondered why he had never even said so much as a good morning. Enough time passed and glances traded, it was only natural for one to say something to the other. Not only did we see each other every morning here, but we see each other at the gym on occasion. Of course, I had to admit, I was equally at fault, as I hadn't said a word to him after all this time either. But, I wasn't the one lingering in a coffee shop just to stare at someone. I headed over to the condiment counter to add cream to my coffee. Knowing his eyes would be taking in my backside, I deliberately slowed myself to give him a longer view than normal. I half shook my head realizing I was going to have to do something about my sad state of affairs – or lack of affairs. This little morning show for my mystery man was arousing me more than it should. I turned and made my way towards the door, making sure that today I would pass by him before he made his quick escape. Once again, his eyes turned elsewhere as I approached, but I made sure I got close enough that he could smell the hint of cologne I wear. As I brushed by, I heard myself say, "Good morning." I wondered where that came from, as I opened the door to exit, but shrugged it off and headed down the street to the office. *Joel * I spent most of the morning at work too distracted to accomplish anything. Every time I would start something, I would suddenly hear his voice speaking to me, saying, "Good morning." I'd smell his musky cologne, and my head would start to swim again, the way it did in the coffee shop when he passed so close. An image of him would flash in my mind and my concentration would go right out the window. As I tried to read my emails, all I could think was that had to be a new suit because I'd never seen it before, and I couldn't believe that he would leave a suit that made him look that good hanging in the closet for two months. An hour before lunch, my mind began doing more than replaying every move he'd made this morning. I imagined him taking my hand, pulling me along with him, outside and around the side of the building. My mind's eye lingered over the image of him turning me to face the wall of the alley, pushing my slacks over my hips, caressing my cheeks for a moment. I could hear his zipper go down, and the sound of rustling cloth as he exposed himself enough to press his hot, hard cock against my ass. I actually shuddered in excitement when I imagined him pulling my hips away from the wall so that I had to lean over a little to brace myself against the bricks. He pulled my cheeks apart, his cock slipping into my crack, and my back arched as I pushed back against him, my fingers trying to dig into the mortar in the wall. The head of his dick rubbed in circles over my pucker, making me slick with his pre cum, and I actually felt it quiver and throb at the mere thought of this sexy stranger invading me. When my secretary came in to ask what she should order for my lunch, I was hard as a rock under my desk, flushed, sweating mildly and nearly panting. She expressed concern, saying that I didn't look at all well. I lied through my teeth, and asked her to tell Howard, my boss, that I was ill and taking the rest of the day off. I simply couldn't stay at work in this condition. It had been too long since I'd last had a lover and I couldn't stop the train of my thoughts. Not without masturbating, and there was no way I was going to do that at work. I quickly packed my briefcase and used it for a shield to collect my suit jacket and hat from my coat tree. I put on my fedora but draped my jacket over my arm because it was an even more effective shield than the briefcase. The subway journey home seemed interminable, every stop along the way eating at my nerves and patience a little more than the one before, I was up and standing in front of the door as the train approached my stop. I walked slowly up the block toward my apartment building. Now that I'd actually gotten to my destination, I felt embarrassed and ashamed of my behavior. I'd never taken off work with a feigned illness before and had always done my job to the best of my ability before today. I didn't even bother to stop for a coffee; I went straight home and changed out of my suit and into a comfortable set of sweats and a well-worn t-shirt. I sat on the couch, trying to watch a movie on HBO, but I kept losing the thread of the story to thoughts of the stocky blond in his perfectly tailored suit, or worse; in his short shorts and muscle shirt, working out in the building's gym. My hands wandered to my reawakened cock, rubbing slowly through the soft material of my sweats. I jacked off while thoughts of rimming the blond tumbled through my head and came fast, barely managing to catch it in a couple of tissues; the second time took longer but wasn't any more satisfying. What I desperately needed was contact with another person and there was only one way I knew that I could get it. I didn't really want to, though; I hated the anonymous sex of the gay clubs. A fast, hard fuck with a stranger wasn't what I needed and wouldn't be much better than my hand. It was only four o'clock and I knew the gym would be practically, if not totally, deserted at this hour. Standing and adjusting my clothes, I put on my cross trainers and grabbed a towel and my keys then headed downstairs to have a good, hard workout. I was relieved to find the place empty and went right to work, hoping to exhaust myself so I'd be able to sleep tonight. *Devlin* After such an interesting beginning, the morning progressed uneventfully. My head was more on the coffee shop hunk than on my work, but luckily, my workload was light. Around noon, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, imagining him there, kneeling between my legs, rubbing his hand over my bulge. His eyes looking up, begging me for the opportunity to unzip my pants, I nodded my approval and watched his fingers slowly slide the zipper, undoing the belt and snap with his other hand. Stifling a moan, I could feel his hand folding back the flaps of my pants to reach inside my boxers and pull my erection out. I whispered to him to go for it, feeling his tongue quickly lap across the head and down along the length. My fingers would run through his hair, encouraging him to continue, watching as he teasingly sucked me into his warm wet mouth. I nearly fell over in my chair when a colleague, stopping to ask if I wanted to join him for lunch, interrupted my thoughts. I told him it was too nice a day to stay inside, I was going to grab a sandwich and head to the park. Lunch was a bit more eventful. After picking up a sandwich and ice tea, I sat down on a bench in the local park to eat and relax in the warm sun. I had left my suit jacket back at the office and now took off my tie. Noticing two beautiful women across from me, I loosened a few buttons on my shirt and rolled up the sleeves while my eyes lingered on the shapely legs and full breasts. Knowing I had their attention I stood up to deposit the wrapper and bag in the trash, and felt their eyes trailing me, sending a familiar feeling through my body. On my way back to the bench, I nodded a greeting. The ladies smiled and let their eyes wander along my physique. Enjoying their appreciative looks, I decided to lie down on the bench and soak up a few rays before my lunch hour was over. The afternoon was busier and I hardly had time to think about my admirers from the park or the black haired coffee man. Once I had caught up on my work, my thoughts returned to my own needs. I was desperate for the touch of another, to feel someone's hands and mouth touching my body. I was hard as a rock by the time five o'clock rolled around. At one moment, I was visualizing myself lying naked in bed with the two lovely ladies from the park pleasuring me simultaneously. The next moment, I was kneeling in the sauna, providing expert oral service to my coffee shop stud. As I sat there rubbing my bulge I decided to head to the gym and take a nice long sweaty run, hoping that would relieve my tension. If that didn't work, I planned on heading to a neighborhood bar and catch some eye candy. Once at the gym I stripped off my suit and pulled on a pair of loose running shorts, opting to leave the shirt in my locker. Performing my stretching exercises effortlessly in front of a few people who had already arrived, I placed my hands together, stretched out over my head, and twisted my body back and forth. Next, I lifted one leg onto the bench and leaned forward, stretching the back of my legs. I could feel eyes on me and was thankful I'd worn the loose shorts instead of the spandex ones. I'm sure they still had a nice view of my ass but my arousal was better concealed this way. After completing a few miles around the track, I stopped to wipe the sweat off my forehead and noticed that my body glistened like the ones in advertisements for sports drinks. I took a few laps around the track at a walking pace, letting my heart slow and my body cool down before hitting the shower. I hadn't come across my unknown friend and began to think he wouldn't be here this evening. Standing in the shower, the hot water ran over my body, rinsing away the sweat, and I shampooed my hair and lathered my body with soap. I realized that I was alone and turned to face the wall, placing my hands against the tile while letting the water rinse the soap away. My thoughts turned to the man at the coffee shop again, mulling over why I'm so interested in him. True, he's a cutie, in a very masculine way, but I couldn't say specifically what intrigued me so much. I closed my eyes and envisioned him. He had a well-toned body and I considered what he would look like naked. I bet he has a hairy body, and wondered if he shaved his balls, whether he was cut or uncut, how long and thick his cock would be when hard. The vision of him naked, kneeling in front of me, his sexy green eyes looking up as he licked my cock was too much for me. I reached down with one hand and began stroking my already stiff dick, letting the water provide lubrication. I no longer cared if anyone entered the shower; I needed to get off. As I fisted myself, I imagined him teasing me with his tongue, licking along the length of my cock before sucking in my balls. I know I moaned when I imagined him biting gently on my smooth orbs. My hips were thrusting as I fucked my hand, pretending it was his mouth; his lips wrapped tightly around my thickness. I could almost feel his hands grab hold of my ass for balance as I pushed my cock head deeper down his throat. In a matter of minutes, I was grunting and spilling my seed onto the shower floor. I suddenly felt embarrassed as I turned the water off. True, I love to show my body off, but I had never done anything like that before. I glanced around; making sure no one had been watching me before heading back to my locker. *Joel* I was toweling my hair and wiping my face as I walked to the locker room, my clothes and hair were almost completely soaked in sweat and it just kept pouring off my face. I'd managed to do what I wanted, in part. I'd worked out hard for two hours and was exhausted, but my mind had lingered on Java Joe, as I'd taken to thinking of the blonde, but being physically tired seemed to make it harder to keep my thoughts on other things. I was wiping my face as I came around the wall of lockers set in the middle of the room, and stopped dead in my tracks. The object of my lust stood at an open locker, naked as Adam in the Garden, drying himself with a large, fluffy towel. My sneakers made a harsh squeak on the perpetually damp floor and it echoed comically off the tiled walls, alerting him to my presence. His head turned quickly, catching me staring at his ass. Averting my gaze, I went to my locker and dug out a fresh towel along with my shower kit. His locker and mine were almost directly across from each other so he was right behind me when he said, "Hey, I was going to head for a couple of drinks, want to join me?" I turned, in surprise, to look at him. He was just pulling up his boxer briefs and I had to keep myself from staring directly at his cock as it caught on the waistband and lifted with it before slipping under. I had an even harder time not looking when he reached into his shorts to adjust himself. Instead, I focused on his face, trying to seem as casual as he was while feeling my own cock swelling. I draped my clean towel over my forearm as he stuck his hand out for a shake, "Name's Devlin, by the way. Devlin Christianson." I took his hand by pure instinct and tried to make my voice work. I had to clear my throat a couple of times, but I finally managed to introduce myself to him, "Joel O'Shaughnessy." "Nice to meet you, Joel. So...drinks?" he said, raising a brow in inquiry. "Drinks? Oh, yeah...ummm...sure, that would be nice. Did you have a place in mind? I don't really know the neighborhood, and don't go out very often in any case." "Sure, there's a little place around the corner. It's called The Lounge Lizard." He saw the face I made and laughed, "Yeah, I know. It's a terrible name, but it's a nice place and they have a great bartender. He mixes the drinks right instead of making them weak to save money." "Alright, but I'll need to head back to my place first to change clothes. The only thing I have here is stuff for working out in." I said apologetically, he was putting that terrific suit back on while we talked and would be ready to go right away while I hadn't even showered yet. "Hey, no problem, I'm going to change my clothes before we go anyway. This suit looks great, but it wouldn't be comfortable for a night out. So, I'll pick you up at your apartment?" He said, grinning and slapping me lightly on the shoulder before pulling his suit coat from his locker. "Ahh...ok. That'll be fine. I'm in 1921." I replied, slightly stunned by the progression of events. I was trying to figure out how I was going to spend the evening with a man that I was this attracted to without making a complete ass out of myself. "Ok, see you in a bit then, Joel." I saw him smile again out of the corner of my eye as he patted my bare forearm in a friendly way, giving it a squeeze. The squeeze went straight to my straining cock, making it twitch a little. While I showered and put on clean workout clothes, I tried to decide if Devlin being a touchy guy was a good thing. While in the elevator I concluded that it was good if he was into guys, me in particular, and very bad if he wasn't. Sighing heavily as the doors opened onto my floor, I decided that it was probably going to turn out to be a very bad thing indeed. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 02 By Tom Collins and Jushorny *Devlin* I pulled Joel against me, grinding our crotches together while running my hands down his back to grab his ass. I was beyond being horny. He squeezed his fingers between us, pressing against my chest, before I took hold and slid them lower, down the center of my body until reaching the bulge in my pants. "Feel how horny I am, Joel? Feel how hard I am from being with you?" I let out a soft moan as Joel rubbed and squeezed my cock. My lips were inches from his ear when I whispered that I wanted to feel his hands touch me there and to feel his mouth there too. We both jumped, startled, not expecting the elevator to arrive at my floor so soon. Joel quickly pulled away and turned, stepping out of the elevator. As my eyes watched his ass, I heard him ask if I was coming. I pushed myself off the elevator wall and led us to my apartment, giving him a view of my backside. Fumbling with my keys, I mentioned not being the best housekeeper. He reached around to help me insert the key, whispering in my ear that he wasn't here to see how clean I kept my place. I could feel his body heat and his hard cock rub against my hip. Once inside the apartment I got drinks, vodka for Joel and a beer for myself. I watched as he casually checked my place out before sitting on the sofa. He looked incredibly hot, sitting back, his legs spread wide as if he was inviting me to come and play. "Sorry, I don't keep scotch around," I apologized after giving him his drink. "That's ok," he replied, his eyes shifting from me to the drink in his hand. He brought it to his nose and sniffed. "Scotch is my preference, but vodka will do nicely," he continued, with a small smile and took a sip. I headed over to turn some music on, wondering what would be best. I turned to look back at Joel and saw him staring at me. Distracted and unable to decide what type of music he might like, I walked over and sat down next to him, giving his thigh a slap. "Joel, why don't you pick out the music, something you want to hear?" While he perused the music, I downed almost half my beer. My hand immediately went to his thigh, squeezing and running back and forth, as Van Morrison's honeyed tones began issuing from my surround speakers singing Into the Mystic. My eyes focused on his bulge as my hand made its way there. I was very drunk, very horny and didn't plan on much foreplay. I rubbed and squeezed his crotch, feeling his cock jerk before my hand wandered up to the buttons on his shirt. My hand ran over the smooth silk shirt, feeling his chest until I reached the highest button and slowly, one by one, undid them all. I pulled the shirt open, licking my lips at the view before allowing my hand to touch him. My fingers ran down the center all the way to his pants before returning upwards. I squeezed him and toyed with a nipple, feeling it get hard. I didn't say a word, didn't know what to say. My hand continued down over his abs, fingers following the trail his hair provided. I leaned in and licked the nipple closest to me. Joel moaned as he felt the rough texture of my tongue. We both moaned when I bit down on the nub, although I was moaning at the squeeze my cock just received. I felt my legs open as I licked my way to his other nipple. He continued rubbing and squeezing until it was too much for me. I pulled my mouth off his chest, sitting back with my legs spread. I asked Joel if he wanted to see it, to feel it. I placed an arm around his shoulder and arched my hips, grinding myself against his hand. His hand began undoing my belt, then the snap and zipper of my jeans. I moaned at the anticipation of him about to touch me. "C'mon, Joel, go ahead, I need to feel your hand wrap around my cock." *Joel* I had Devlin's jeans open, the flaps of the fly laid back, and could see the ridge of his hard-on inside his underwear. I'd seen him putting these same boxer briefs on earlier in the locker room so I knew what his cock looked like soft; now I'd get to see it hard. He encouraged me to take him in my hand, his tone somewhere between demanding and pleading. I wanted a lot more than that and intended to have it. I kicked off my Birkenstocks and pushed the coffee table further away from the couch before rolling partially on top of him and sliding to the floor to kneel between his spread legs. Sliding my hands up his thighs, from his knees to his hips, made my palms tingle, but I kept my eyes focused on my goal. I hooked my fingers into the waistband of both his pants and his shorts and started pulling. He lifted his hips to help and I looked up into his eyes while pulling both down his legs. It took a second to rid him of his shoes and another to remove his lower garments. He pulled his own shirt off before I could even reach for it. Placing my hands on his knees, I spread them wide open and, leaning down, I ran my palms up the insides of his thighs. As I nuzzled my face under his sack, I heard him suck in a sharp breath. I inhaled deeply, taking in his intensely masculine scent, before snaking my tongue out. The tip slipped just inside his crack and, dragging my tongue upward, I took his left nut in my mouth. Sucking and rolling it around, squeezing it gently between the roof of my mouth and my tongue, I heard him groan, "Oh, fuck yeah! Suck my nuts, Joel!" as he combed his fingers through my hair. Sucking hard, I rocked my body back, adding even more suction, and let it pop out of my mouth. Leaning the other way, I let his right nut drop into my mouth and gave it the same treatment. He'd spread his legs about as far as they'd go and his muscles quivered slightly with an inborn need to thrust his hips. The sounds he was making, the feel of his hands in my hair, the smell of his heat and cologne were all sending flashes of burning need into my groin, making my cock throb achingly and leak like a faucet. Looking along the length of his body, I watched the pleasure on his face and wanted, more than anything at that moment, to fuck him long and slow but I knew there was no way in hell he'd let that happen. In fact, I had a good idea that I'd be leaving here with the same hard-on that I'd come in with and would wind up jacking off once I got home but I'd have the memory of this blowjob to do it by instead of just a fantasy. Sure, he'd said he was bi while we were downstairs but he was incredibly drunk and horny. I know men, being one myself, and most men will say just about anything if it'll get someone to help them bust a nut. Raising my torso up a little higher, I slid my hands across his hips and onto his stomach to either side of his cock. I stopped, burning his image into my mind's eye. He sprawled on the couch, his chest heaving, his eyes glazed with need. His cock was an angry purple at the head, fading to a light pink at the base, and drooling copiously, adding to the sheen of sweat on abs. Taking him into my hand and lifting his dick off his stomach, I leaned down and I ran the flat of my tongue from the base to the tip. While spiraling in and up the crown to the piss slit, I reached down and began massaging his sack, rolling his balls between my fingers and giving them the occasional squeeze. I tongued the slit for a second before taking the entire head into my mouth. Sucking and flicking my tongue against the seam, I gathered as much of his pre-cum as I could, his flavor spreading through my mouth and making me crave more of him. He was groaning loudly and looking up at him, I saw he was biting his lip hard, his eyes nearly closed, as he watched what I was doing through his lashes. Keeping my eyes on his, I slowly slid my hot, wet mouth down his length until the head was in the back of my throat and my nose touched his pubic bone. "Jesus...fuck, Joel!" he moaned, dragging out the vowels, as his hands clutched my head and his hips thrust up jerkily. *Devlin* My body was sweating, my cock was leaking, and my hands were fighting the urge to grab his ears and fuck his mouth hard. My ass was on the edge of the sofa, my legs spread wide to give Joel as much access as he wanted. His eyes were filled with lust as knelt before me, licking and sucking on my engorged cock. "Jesus...fuck, Joel," I moaned when he sucked me in completely, the head of my cock at his throat, his nose pressing against my skin. I don't remember anyone taking me in so completely and it felt like I had died and gone to heaven. I held his head and thrust my hips up, unable to stop their natural reflexive motion. His hands never rested while his mouth continued working its magic. One hand fondled my balls as the other rubbed my chest, pinching a nipple before sliding down the side of my body. Just watching Joel, with my half-open eyes, was enough to make me come. I had never seen anyone look like they enjoyed themselves so much while sucking a cock. I toyed with the idea of thrusting and fucking his mouth until my cream splattered his throat, caring more about my own pleasure than anything else. Yet in the back of my mind I wanted to slow this down, wanting to make this last longer. Somewhat reluctantly, I pulled him off my cock. "Joel, stand up, I want you naked while you suck me." My cock glistened with a mixture of pre-cum and saliva as I sat up, watching Joel stand between my spread legs. He tossed his shirt to the floor as my hands began to wander over his stomach and up his chest. His bulge was inches from my face; a small wet spot had formed on his pants. My hands ran around to his back and slid down to his ass. I could feel how well formed it was as I squeezed and played. I looked up at him and saw he was watching my every move. I licked his navel while undoing his belt and tugging at the zipper. His pants slid down his thighs and I went back to cupping his round globes through his shorts, as he kicked his slacks out of the way. Seeing his shorts stuffed full with his cock, the wet spot larger than I expected, only served to urge me on. I opened my lips and mouthed him through his shorts while my fingers pressed into the crack of his ass. His hips ground against me and his hand rubbed my head. I looked up again, smiling and winking this time, as my hands took hold of his hips, turning him around. My fingers slid into the waistband and teasingly pulled his shorts to expose his delectable ass. My tongue licked along the crack from the top down until I reached his shorts, my hand squeezing his cock, stroking it through the material. My mouth was kissing and sucking on the soft flesh of his ass, making my way around to the side of his hips. Now I could watch his cock spring free as I lowered his shorts until they were on the floor. My hand roamed up his inner thigh, from his knee to his balls. I went back to lick more of the ass I wanted to fuck, licking down the crack as my hand wrapped around his cock, just now realizing how thick he really was. My hand stroked him back and forth while I took a bite or two before turning him back to face me. Not only did I find him gorgeous, but he also offered me another treat, my first chance to see, feel, and taste an uncut cock. Sure, I had seen other men that were uncircumcised like him in the locker room, but never one up close, never one hard. I pulled the foreskin back watching as his head made an appearance. I rubbed a finger over the glistening head of his cock, bringing the finger to my lips to taste him. His moan directed my eyes upward to see his eyes blazing with lust. My tongue stabbed against his smooth balls as his cock rubbed against my cheeks leaving a trail of pre-cum. My tongue traveled the length of his cock and swirled over the head. I had one hand sliding and pressing into his crack with the other hand holding his dick. Taking the head into my mouth, I sucked all the juice he offered before pulling off to look back up at him. It was easy to see he didn't want me to stop, his face urging me to continue. I took hold of his hips and pulled him back down to his knees. My tongue licked a path up his body, sucking on his neck, biting his ear. "Suck me more, Joel. Get me off and I'll do the same for you." *Joel* What Devlin was doing to me just about drove me crazy. My knees kept going weak or my body would twitch and jerk at his unexpected caresses. He touched me like a lover, like someone who truly did enjoy men. There was still the possibility that it was the alcohol and a long denied curiosity. I couldn't discount that and wouldn't be able to accept that he actually was bi until I heard it while he was sober. I kept wondering how he'd known I would be interested and wondering if I was so obviously gay, but the sensations he provided kept overriding my thoughts and driving them out. He pulled me back down to my knees, telling me that he'd finish me off if I did him. I couldn't let myself believe that he really meant it, but it didn't matter because I wanted him to cum in my mouth regardless. I leaned on his chest so that my face was right in front of his and placed small, pecking kisses over his chin, switching to a string of open-mouthed kisses down his throat, licking and blowing on his moistened skin. I dipped my tongue into the hollow at the base of his throat, grazing my teeth over the edges, while taking his cock into my hand. I held it, smoothing the pad of my thumb over the head every now and then as I nipped and licked my way down his body. Groaning against his chest and rocking my hips into his just a fraction, I slowly swirled my tongue around the outside of his left areola, my free hand tenderly stroking up and down his ribs. His nipple contracted to a peak and his body rocked under me in time with his groans, while his palms pushed down on my shoulders. I slid further down at his encouragement, trailing my tongue along the contours of his muscles, pausing here and there to nip or suck when the impulse took me. Stopping at his navel, I sealed my lips over it, sucking hard and scraping my teeth around the rim. Lapping my tongue in and out with quick motions, I coaxed out all of the slick, saltiness of his pre-cum. I was deliberately marking him, making sure that, even if tonight were all he ever gave me, he'd be unable to deny that it'd happened until the ring shaped hickey faded to nothingness. The fingers of my free hand stroked and pinched his nipples, keeping them painfully aroused. His body quivered and he panted as if he'd been running a marathon. His hips kept trying to thrust his dick at me, but I had it pulled out of the way. His hands would alternately try to push my head toward his throbbing cock and grip it hard to keep me where I was. His words came in gasps, frenzied babbles of desperation imploring me to give him the orgasm for which he so urgently yearned. My mouth pulling away from his tempting flesh made a quiet, sucking sound as I looked up at him. His cheeks, neck and chest were flushed a deep red and his ocean blue eyes pleaded for me to end the teasing. I wondered if he'd ever been so aroused before. It fed my ego to no end to think that he hadn't, to think that no one else had ever taken him so high. I smiled slowly, hooding my eyes seductively and felt his cock twitch under my hand. Turning my head, I saw that the purple had crept further down his shaft and his balls had hardened, pulling up against his body. He was on the verge of orgasm, and I could probably push him over the precipice without stimulating his cock at all. I'd only have to use my hands and mouth on his other erogenous zones and he'd come for me, but I wanted him in my mouth when his seed erupted. I ran the head of his cock over my lips and felt him shudder and thrust against my teeth. I hooded my teeth with my pre-cum-slicked lips and took him into my mouth just as Maroon 5 started playing on the stereo. I quickly sucked my way down his shaft, his hips rocking up and pushing him into the tropical moisture of my mouth all the faster. Groaning wordlessly, he fisted his hands in the longer hair at the top of my head. He was so close to coming that every exhalation he made came out as a moan, his well-defined muscles stood out in bas-relief, his body motionless save for the trembling I could feel under my caressing hands. I bobbed my head back up his length, squeezing his shaft hard between my lip-sheathed teeth and felt his cock swell and throb, at the same time that I saw his balls draw up to either side of his shaft. I forcibly untangled his fingers from my hair, losing several strands in the process, just as the first, powerful jet ricocheted off the roof of my mouth. Lacing my fingers with his gave him something other than my head to grip. He clutched my hands, grunting deep in his throat, as his hips rolled in the uncontrollable rhythms of ecstasy. When his fingers slackened and his pelvis only gave the occasional twitch, I reclaimed my hands and gently held his still hard cock while I spent a little time carefully removing every trace of his seed with my lips and tongue. I savored his salty tang for as long as I could, wishing for more. *Devlin* It was different with Joel, different than it had been with any other person before. Normally I would have taken control. With other men, I would've had their head pinned to the sofa while my hips thrust my hard dick down their throat. Typically, I'd be using their mouth to get myself off, not caring about anything else. It wasn't like me to allow him to continue to tease and torture. "Ah...fuck, Joel...you're driving me crazy." His mouth sucked around my navel so hard my ass literally pulled off the sofa. He had my nipples so hard and sensitive they felt like they were burning with desire. I used all the persuasion I could to get his mouth around my cock, my hands trying to force his face to me, my body swiveling, squirming in efforts to slip my cock inside his warmth. He ignored me and did as he pleased with my body. My body was a quivering mass of emotions and sensations. I felt as if he'd teased and tortured me for hours. It seemed like he'd brought me to the edge and then backed off, prolonging the inevitable. His mouth continued to work its magic, his hands never laying still, continuously caressing, pinching, and moving over my heated skin. "C'mon, Joel...don't make me beg, man. Ohhh...shit...I need to come...please, Joel, suck me." For the first time in my life, I heard myself begging. I wasn't restrained in any way, my hands weren't tied down, my body was free to move, and yet, I lay there unable to take control, begging for him to give me what I wanted. I watched as he took my cock and rubbed the head over his lips, my hips squirming in an attempt to push myself into his eager mouth. My entire body centered on what he was doing to me. His lips opened slowly and my dick became surrounded by hot moisture. I tried to encourage him but all I could manage was deep guttural moans. This was it; I was over the edge, oblivious to everything but his mouth and my cock. His suction pulled my balls up as his hands pulled mine from his hair. I gripped tightly as my body tensed. I felt my cream surging through my dick with a force I rarely felt. My hips ground against him and my ass clenched tight as my seed splattered his mouth. A grunt accompanied every shot of cream as he milked my balls empty. My ass fell back on the sofa and my fingers went back to softly running through his hair. My heart was still pounding as he began cleaning off my cock, looking as if he truly relished the taste. My body was relaxing slowly and my breathing returning to normal. "Fucking 'A', Joel...that was intense." I could feel his cock still hard and leaking as it rubbed against my leg. A strange nervousness churned in my stomach. I knew how to suck cock but was unsure if I could do it with his same intensity. This had to be good if I expected Joel to want more, if I expected him to stick around tonight. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 02 I lifted his face; our eyes meeting again as I pulled him up, my hands held his face, making sure he wouldn't pull away as our lips drew closer. I licked the lips that made me feel so good, before biting the lower one softly. I pressed against him, sliding my tongue in tentatively, tasting the remains of what Joel had so readily swallowed. My hands slid around to his back, pulling him against me while rolling him over onto the sofa. His hard dick pressed against my stomach as we sucked on each other's tongues. He moaned softly, at the heated touch of my fingers gliding over his chest and stomach. I pulled away from his mouth and knelt between his long legs. "It's my turn to play." I knelt and let my eyes feast over his body, unsure of where to begin. It felt as if I was about to begin a journey never traveled before. My mind knowing what to do, yet sending signals as if I had never pleasured a man before. My hand instinctively moved to his cock, playing with it, in awe of his foreskin. My fingers rolled it back like a kid with a new toy. I saw all the pre-cum that had gathered and leaned in to lick it away. His hips pushed up and his cock jerked. My hand squeezed him wanting more liquid to taste. My tongue cleared away the fluid and then licked over his stiffness. His legs spread wider when I fondled and squeezed his nuts. I looked up and felt a tinge of embarrassment realizing he was watching my every move. I was desperate to make this good for him. "Tell me, Joel, what feels good, guide me and let me know what you like." My eyes turned back to the massive, thick dick I was about to suck. I wondered if I could take it all, wondered if my jaws could spread wide enough for his girth. His hand took hold and rubbed the head across my lips, giving them a few playful taps before telling me to open up. My eyes intently watched his cock as I opened my lips, letting him slide inside me. I sucked, letting my tongue twirl along the underside as my saliva coated his heated skin. He didn't force himself deeper; he slowed his thrust and let me take him in at my own speed. The knowledge that I had control over his cock began to kick in as experience took over. His hand moved over onto my shoulder as my mouth slowed, needing time before sucking him deeper. His scent filled my nostrils, reminding me what it was like to be with a man. My fingers squeezed his balls before I ran a finger lower, tracing a line to his hole. I had to feel him, I had to rub his pucker and feel the hole I intended to sink into later tonight. Joel spread his legs further allowing me to search as if he wanted me to invade him now. All too soon, his hand pulled my finger away and placed it on his chest. "Concentrate on what you're doing with your mouth, Dev; just think about sucking my cock." He was doing it again, he was taking control and I was willingly submitting to it, ready to do whatever he asked of me. *Joel* Devlin cupped my face, held it firmly with his fingers hooked behind the curve of my jaw, and he pulled me toward him. I was torn; I wanted to kiss him so badly, had been dreaming about it for weeks now, but I also didn't want to. I didn't want to be that intimate with someone who, most likely, wouldn't want to see me again once he'd sobered up. Unfortunately, the way he held me prevented me from avoiding it without making it obvious and being insulting. He just had to be a great kisser, of course. He couldn't have been one of those face eaters who make you cringe back when they lean in. No, his kiss just had to be the kind that made you want to fall into it. I was already so gone on this man and now he had to make me want even more from him. Everything that I did with him, every moment I spent in his company seemed to make my situation a little worse and I couldn't muster the will power to walk away. He rolled us so I was sitting on the couch and he was in my lap. I desperately wanted to pull his hips in closer and slide the crack of his ass along the length of my dick, but I knew that would be a deal breaker, so I contented myself with combing my fingers into his hair and kissing him slow and deep. I lost myself in the textures of his mouth, in his flavor, a combination of the dessert and brandy from dinner. I lost myself in his breath, lost my breath to him, and just when I thought that I'd lose my mind too, he pulled away and slid to the floor between my legs. He looked nervous and uncertain, which didn't surprise me. His obvious fascination with my foreskin didn't surprise me either. Nearly ever man that I've been with has found it intriguing. I figured that it must be something like a straight man's obsession with breasts. My last lover had found it captivating and would toy with it endlessly whenever the mood struck him. Devlin's tentativeness was incredibly erotic, the way he pulled my foreskin back and lapped at the head of my cock made my legs quake, my hips rock upward and my breath catch in my throat. I was getting off on watching him nearly as much as I was enjoying what he was doing. He was licking up and down the length of my shaft and fondling my balls when he happened to glance up at me and flushed a little, his eyes shifting away quickly. Well, shit, I thought to myself, that's the end of it then, he's just realized what he's doing and will be kicking me out any second. I felt the disappointment and bitterness setting in and I figured that I could count myself lucky if he let me dress before shoving me into the corridor. He managed to stun me speechless by asking me to guide him and show him what I like. He looked back at my cock as if it were a monster, apprehension coloring his features. I couldn't think what to say so I just took hold of myself and tapped his lips with the head of my dick, feeling vastly relieved and suddenly playful. "Open up and let me in, Dev," I whispered with a smile. I couldn't keep from pushing between his lips when he actually did what I asked, but stopped myself before getting too far to keep from putting him off. He surprised me again when he slid his fingers into my crack so he could massage my asshole. I couldn't decide what to think about him. Maybe he'd just been thinking about being with a man for so long that he had evolved elaborate fantasies and had decided that I was a perfect guinea pig. Perhaps, he'd actually had a little experience but not enough to gain confidence in his ability to pleasure a man. I could feel myself getting too close too quickly and grabbed his hand, pulling it up onto my chest. I told him he should concentrate on his sucking and began giving him the direction he'd asked for. I did it mostly out of self-defense. It was the best way I could think of to be able to enjoy what he was doing and watch him doing it without blowing too fast. I had to turn on the analytical part of my brain to be able to instruct him. I wanted to give him plenty of time to decide if he liked sucking cock, in case this really was his first time. *Devlin* I opted to forget about his ass for now, as I became aware of the control one has when giving a man oral pleasure. It was a rush to hear Joel moan, to watch his eyes glaze over, to feel his cock jerk inside my mouth as my lips kept him sealed inside. My cheek muscles and tongue tried to adjust to his size, but my mind was telling me I wanted him in the worse way, my dick was again rock hard. I moved my hands to his hips and tilted my head to accommodate more of him. I wanted to show him I could take his entire length, to prove to him that I had done this before. I looked up and saw he was still watching me, still enjoying the view of his cock sliding in and out. I did my best to suck deeper until I could feel the head at the opening of my throat. I had to back off a little, not being relaxed enough to let the head into my small throat opening. As I ran my hands over his thighs, my head bobbed up and down, alternating in speed. My tongue would glide along his cock licking any of it I could. I could hear more moans and feel his ass squirm on the sofa, his hips thrusting slowly and gently. I listened to his moans, learning what they meant, and made note of how his body moved depending on my actions. I sensed Joel trying to slow me down; maybe I was doing better than I had thought. I pulled off him, letting his cock plop from my suctioning lips. The flat of my palm pressed him against his abs as my tongue began its assault on his balls. I licked them over before sucking one into my mouth. I alternated between them, using my suction to pull them out from his body. His hands were running through my hair. After I coated his balls, I moved off and slowly licked the underside of his cock, while looking up into his eyes. "Damn you taste good, but I'm not stopping until I get the entire load, sexy." I spread my lips and tilted my head, determined to take him completely. I could feel his thickness sliding in, inch by inch, as if it would never end. His head reached the opening in my throat; I relaxed and continued sucking. I was breathing through my nose, which pressed against his pubic hair, filling me with his sexual scent. His hips jerked up and he groaned as he realized how deep he was, how hot and wet it was inside my mouth. I couldn't swallow with the bulbous head in my throat and my saliva was running down over his balls. I rubbed it in as my jaw tightened on his shaft, and I sucked harder. His hands encouraged my head to move up and down, letting his cock fuck me. His hips continued a slow thrust, working in time with my mouth. His dick was leaking more pre-cum and the taste just made me want more. I licked over the piss slit, gathering it up as quickly as it appeared. I reached between his legs, fondling his balls, noticing they were tightening up. I hummed over his cock, using one hand to stroke what wasn't down my throat. Joel's hips began moving more quickly and his grasp on my head tightened. This is what I wanted, him to be so hot, so turned on that he couldn't help but fuck my mouth, to use it to get off. I felt my cock release some pre-cum just as his head hit the back of my throat again. I needed to get him off, to feel his cock throb just before releasing his load, and wanted to taste and swallow his cream. I sucked harder, moaning over his cock. His hips kept thrusting and fucking my mouth. He'd reached the point of not caring what he was fucking as long as he could empty his nuts. I felt him throb and prepared myself for the first splatter of cream. I heard his grunt as he rammed his cock deep, his first shot went straight down into my throat, I couldn't swallow until he pulled back a bit. That's when he began flooding my mouth with his semen. I could feel its thick, creamy texture and taste its flavor. My cock jerked as I felt his orgasm continue, his dick spilling more seed into me. I swallowed and moaned, which only served up more come for me. I began soft, sensual licks to clean him as his body began to relax. I waited until he had completely recovered, his fingers caressing my head, before moving up and sitting along side. I turned my face and pressed my lips to his, sliding my tongue in and sucking his back. My dick was hard and leaking against my stomach. I hoped that it indicated to Joel that I was ready for more. His neck tasted salty with sweat as my mouth sucked and licked. I ran a hand over his chest, running my fingers through his hair until I found a nipple to pinch. I wondered if he'd let me play with that cute ass now. My hand roamed down his stomach, along the hipbone and slid under him, squeezing his ass. *Joel* Devlin shouldn't have been able to bring me to the point that I lost the ability to think as quickly as he did. Of course, I hadn't made love with anyone in more than two years. It's possible that I was extremely sensitive to another's touch right now, and the worst blowjob in the world would feel good, but I didn't think that was the only reason I was climbing to what felt like a tremendous explosion so quickly. Devlin was either naturally gifted or mine wasn't the first cock he'd sucked. I nearly lost control when he took me in completely. Not everyone was capable of deep throating, and it had been a long time since I'd had the pleasure. It felt like pure heaven, and just the sight of his nose pressed against my pubic bone made my hips thrust involuntarily. He didn't even jerk back from that, didn't move at all, just let me thrust deeper into his throat. I knew now that I couldn't possibly be his first. I decided to give him what he seemed to want, and do what I definitely wanted to do. Taking his head in my hands, I guided him on me, thrusting gently in counter point to the rise and fall of his head. I started slow and easy, letting my pace build naturally by relaxing and letting my body do what it wanted. I knew I'd made the right choice because he kept moaning in pleasure and using his hands to stimulate me further by playing with my balls and stroking the base of my shaft. I tried to pull him off when I knew I was on the verge of coming, not everyone likes to take a load in his mouth. He resisted my feeble efforts, sucking harder, sinking further down my shaft and moaning. The sensation of being right at the opening of his throat was too exquisite. I felt my hands ball into fists in his hair as my hips thrust up hard. Every muscle in my body clenched and I held him down on me as my cock pulsed, twitched in his throat and released the first stream. When my senses returned, he was cleaning up what had spilled and obviously enjoying doing it. "Fucking hell, man!" was all I could come up with to say as I watched him. It looked like he loved sucking dick as much as I did, and if we had more than tonight I'd never doubt it again. He climbed up and sat next to me when he was done. Immediately, he pulled me in for a kiss. I could see that he was hard as a rock again and knew he wanted more action. I wondered if he wanted more oral play, or if he wanted to go further now. I got my answer when he slid his hand under my ass and started squeezing my cheek. I rolled toward him, onto my hip, and pulled him against me, letting my hand roam slowly down his back and over his uppermost cheek. I gave it a squeeze and slipped my fingers into his crack for a second before running it down the back of his thigh to his knee. I deepened the kiss as I hooked my fingers in the back of his knees and pulled his leg up and over mine. At the same time, I slid my thigh between his, snuggling the curve of my hip against his hard, leaking cock. I was slowly caressing my way back up his leg to his hip and his fingers were just starting to slip into my crack when I felt the pressure in my bladder become insistent. Reluctantly, I broke from his sweet mouth saying, "Damn, I need to piss so bad I can taste. I'll be right back." Squeezing his hip, I pulled him against me again, kissing him hard and fast before pulling away and standing. "You want another drink while I'm up?" I asked, carefully stepping over his sprawled legs. He said he did so I quickly got him a fresh glass of vodka and headed for the bathroom. It seemed to take a long time for my dick to soften enough to be able to empty my bladder, but I finally managed it. I finished up and came back into the living room saying, "So, Devlin, I was wondering what yo—," My thought completely disappeared when I saw him leaned back on the sofa, his head on the arm, his eyes closed. A soft snore escaped from his mouth. I glanced at the empty glass on the coffee table and back at him. He must have been drunker than I'd thought because that last drink seemed to have been too much for him. "Shit!" I moaned, and went over to rearrange him. I stretched him out and rolled him onto his stomach with his face toward the front of the sofa. Kneeling beside him, I laid my cheek against his shoulder and sighed as I caressed his back gently. Leaning into his neck, I inhaled the fragrance of his cologne before laying a trail of kisses over to the corner of his mouth where my lips lingered for a minute. I let myself dream that I would be able to do such things while he was awake, that he was mine and I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I fervently hoped that he'd do more than let, that he'd want me doing such things because he liked it as much as I did. I stood just as he let out a loud snort and I couldn't keep from chuckling while I started dressing. As I slipped my shirt on, leaving it unbuttoned, I wondered if he'd even remember any of this in the morning. I made sure to lock the door behind myself, even checking to be sure it was locked from the outside before walking down to the elevator and jabbing the call button a couple of times. It wasn't until my bare feet touched the cold metal between the corridor and the elevator that I realized I'd left my Birkenstocks in Devlin's apartment. *Devlin* My eyes opened slowly as the sun beat in through the sliding glass doors of my living room. The brightness forced a squint, making my already aching head hurt even more. I rolled over onto my back, slowly realizing I was lying naked on my sofa. One hand rested on my forehead while the other ran over my chest and abs to my morning wood. The feeling of crusty pubic hairs began to remind me of how I ended up here. I forced my eyes to open and looked around for Joel. The only sign of his presence were his Birkenstocks. Maybe he had moved into my bed, I told myself, while wondering why he would take his clothes with him. I sat up, trying to will the pounding in my head to stop. My throat was extremely dry when I licked my lips and swallowed, tasting remnants of vodka and come. I stood up slowly and headed for the bathroom, realizing as I passed through my bedroom that Joel was gone, my bed was undisturbed. A nervous feeling churned in my stomach as I emptied my bladder and brushed my teeth. What had I done to make Joel leave last night? I went back to the living room, searching for signs of Joel or even a note. After grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, I sat down and relived what I remembered about last night. Smiling, I thought about Joel between my legs sucking on me, taking my load in his mouth. I remembered myself returning the favor, devouring his cock as if I'd never get to suck on another. That's when it dawned on me; we were on the sofa, about to take things to the next level when he said he had to use the bathroom. I wasn't sure what happened after that until I saw the empty glass and knew I had drunk some more. Shit. Did I pass out? I hadn't done that since my college days, although, I hadn't drank like that since then either. Guilt filled my head as the hot steamy shower rinsed away the dried sweat and come. His mark around my navel was more obvious this morning after washing. Joel must think I'm a complete asshole using him just to get off, just for one night of fun. I racked my fuzzy, spacey brain for a way to let him know I was sorry. He most likely wouldn't even want to talk to me, much less see me again. I couldn't let it end this way, he was too good of a guy. It was more than his body that I was attracted to now. Last night was wonderful and unexpected, I had intended on being playful, showing off a little, teasing him because I knew he had his eye on me for a while, I didn't expect to like him so much. The water was starting to turn cold before I realized that his Birkenstocks were in my living room. Those were like a key to his apartment and hopefully to him. I dried off and dressed in a pair of shorts and sleeveless tee shirt, finishing the bottle of water while sorting out my plan. I didn't have his phone number so calling ahead wasn't an option. Coffee, yes, coffee would be my peace offering; it was one addiction we shared. I grabbed his sandals and headed out to Espresso Yourself, running over all the different ways one could order coffee until the way he ordered popped into my head. I grinned, happy with myself for remembering that I had overheard him order once. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 02 The lady behind the counter smiled as I ordered. "You don't usually order two and judging from your grin and the gleam in your eyes I take it as a good sign," she said as her eyes went to the shoes I held in my hand. I felt my face turn red as I told her it was too early to say but I certainly hoped it would be a good sign. She knew no one else besides Joel ordered coffee that way and was kind enough to remind me he also ordered a pastry in the morning. I let her select something she knew he would like. Balancing the coffee and pastry in one hand, his shoes in the other I headed back to our building. Standing at his door, I took a deep breath, too nervous to knock. What if he slammed the door? I thought about sticking my foot in the way as soon as possible, preventing him from being able to shut it. No, that would be the wrong approach. I rang his doorbell, waiting, almost shaking from nervousness. I began to panic when he didn't answer. I set his shoes on the floor and pounded on his door. I was just straightening from picking his Birkenstocks up when his door opened. His hairy legs came into my view as my eyes traveled up. I felt my mouth salivating as I saw his boxers, tented by his morning wood. My cock stiffened and I moaned softly when I viewed his chest, knowing I didn't get the chance to give it its due attention last night. He rubbed his red eyes and I realized I woke him up. His bed hair looked sexy as hell, my fingers twitched to run through it or grab it. "Good morning, stud, can you give a guy a hand here?" *Joel* It took me a bit to realize that what woke me up was the doorbell. I only figured it out when I heard a pounding on the door. I felt somewhat dizzy when I rolled to my feet and stood too quickly. Grabbing my robe, I stumbled down the hall while struggling into it. I couldn't imagine who it could be at this hour on a Saturday. Opening the door, I saw Devlin standing back upright from picking my sandals up off the floor. He asked if I'd give him a hand, while calling me stud, and I knew he definitely remembered last night. He had two coffees, one of them iced the way I take it, in one hand and my sandals in the other. Yeah, I thought to myself with a smile, I'll give you a hand, or two. The look of surprise on his face when I reached out, grabbed the front of his shirt, and used it to haul him across the threshold almost made me laugh. Shutting the door, I trapped him against it with my body. The snap of the deadbolt locking must have sounded ominous to him because his eyes widened dramatically. Nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck, I laid a trail of open-mouthed kisses up to, and underneath, his jaw. At the same time, I ran my hands down his back, my left cupped and squeezed his ass, pulling him into me, while my right slipped under his shirt, my fingers grazing up his side. He shuddered hard and groaned, rocking his hips into me. It amazed me that he already had a hard-on, and feeling him grind it against my morning wood made my cock harden further and throb. I couldn't keep from moaning as I dragged my tongue back down to the crook of his neck. The moan turned to a growl when I bit down hard enough to leave the impression of my teeth on his skin. Pressing my fingers into his crack, I scraped my nails up and down the seam of his shorts, while kissing and licking my way across his throat to the other side of his neck. His hips kept jerking softly against mine, and his panting breaths almost had a whining quality to them. I decided that either he was easily aroused or I instinctively knew how to push his buttons. Exploring his neck with my lips and tongue, I pulled the shoulder of his sleeveless t-shirt out of the way. I nipped and licked my way across his shoulder as my fingers skimmed further down the seam of his shorts and slipped between his legs. I felt his cock jerk hard through his shorts and my boxers when I pressed up against his perineum. Deliberately dragging my whiskers across his shoulder and up his neck, I felt him shudder violently and groan. Running the tip of my tongue along the rim of his ear, I whispered, "Goddamn, I wanna kiss you so bad." I kissed his temple before pulling away, "But I really need to brush my teeth and shave first. Bad breath and whisker burn wouldn't make it a pleasant experience for either of us." I made sure he was stable against the door before stepping away from him. He didn't look at all steady on his feet and his eyes were decidedly glassy. I pointed to make sure he followed what I was saying and said, "Have a seat over at the breakfast bar, Dev, and I'll be back in a couple minutes." I saw that he was still holding my shoes and wondered why he hadn't dropped them. The idea that he'd been too engrossed in what I was making him feel to think to drop them plastered a huge grin on my face. As I headed to the master bath, I wondered if he was strictly a top. While I brushed my teeth I thought about it and concluded that, being bi, he probably was. I figured that, if he'd never bottomed, it wouldn't take much persuasion to convince him it was a good idea. If I could get him as riled as I did with just a couple minutes of heavy petting, then it shouldn't be a problem to heat him up so much that he stops caring who's giving and who's taking, so long as it feels good. By the time I'd finished shaving, I decided it would be a good idea to take a fast shower and did so. Toweling off haphazardly, I threw my robe back on, not bothering with anything else, and closed it tighter this time. When I came back into the living area he was sitting at the breakfast bar, sipping his coffee. He was just beginning to turn on the swiveling stool when I reached him and I finished turning him to face me. He looked askance when I took his coffee from him and set it on the counter. His gasp of surprise when I hooked my fingers in the backs of his bare knees and pulled his ass to the edge of the stool, while stepping between his legs in one smooth motion, made me chuckle. I pressed him back against the back of the stool and gently cupped his face in my hands. I gazed into the blue-green depths of his eyes and my lips barely brushed his as I said, "Now, where were we?" Kissing him last night had been intense and this morning was no different. It almost felt like coming home after a long absence; a relief to be in a comfortable place, a place that welcomes you and knows you. Exploring his mouth, our tongues dancing together, was like singing along with Patsy; relaxed, sweet and hot, working smoothly with and against each other. I felt myself beginning to get lost in the kiss and gently broke it, trailing my lips over his jaw to nibble at the curve in front of his ear. There were things I needed to know before I could let myself go completely. I had to find out what his intentions, if any, were. I was hoping that catching him off guard while he couldn't think would get me some spontaneous honesty. Grazing my teeth over the tender skin beneath the curve of his jaw, I asked, "Devlin, what is it that you want from me?" His hands had delved under my robe and were running up and down my back, but stilled with my quiet words. I licked his earlobe and listened to his gasping breaths while I continued asking my questions, "Are you looking for a fuck buddy or are you hoping for a relationship?" I knew I needed to make my position clear, so he would understand why I was asking him these questions, "You have to understand that last night was a bit of a fluke. I haven't had a lover in more than two years and I don't do one night stands." I pulled my face back from his neck so I could see his face, watch his reaction to what I was saying and asking. *Devlin* I was completely taken aback by the force Joel used to pull me into his place and push me back against the closed door. Surprisingly, I found myself aroused by his actions. My body reacted, perspiration pouring through the pores of my skin, fluid leaking from my cock. I'd never been turned on so quickly before, it was clear he knew what made me feel good. Now, sitting on his stool, waiting for his return from the bathroom and drinking my coffee, I began contemplating what I had gotten myself into. The guy I thought I knew was so shy he couldn't speak to me and now he was shoving me up against the door, locking it, and rubbing his irresistible body all over mine. I had been concerned that he would think last night was a product of my drinking and nothing more. The way his mouth and hands attacked me just now made it clear that I could eliminate that worry from my head immediately. However, a new concern emerged. Where was Joel going with all of this? Perhaps he was just looking for sex, but possibly, he wanted a relationship. I thought about what I wanted in all of this for the first time. Sure, sex was something I definitely wanted and friendship with Joel was something I wanted to pursue. But, a relationship? One night of drinking, dinner and a fantastic blowjob didn't actually give one a chance to learn enough about someone. I began to turn, thinking I had heard Joel. When I saw him, I immediately began thinking with my cock instead of my head. His hair was wet, the robe wrapped around his body and tied in such a manner only the top of his chest was showing. He continued his aggressiveness, turning the stool so I'd face him directly and taking the coffee from my hands. Not sure of what to expect, my eyes followed his hand as he set it on the counter. I let out a gasp as both his hands went behind my knees, sliding my ass to the edge of the stool. He moved in and pressed my body back; forcing me against the cold, iron back of the stool. I felt more vulnerable than ever with my legs spread around his hips and laid back, as if he was about to take me. I could feel his arousal touching mine as his hands slid up my chest to cup my face. I braced my elbows against the counter as he stared into my eyes and, with an intensely slow motion, brought his lips to mine. I could feel pre-cum leak when his lips finally pressed against mine. His hands cupped my face as he slid his tongue into my willing mouth. I reacted to him, sliding my hands inside his robe and around to his back, pulling his body against me. I became more comfortable in my prone position as our tongues played and probed. My fingers slid over his skin, still somewhat damp from a shower. I arched my back pushing my crotch into his, wanting and needing more contact. I opened my eyes when he pulled his tongue from my mouth, watching him move to my jaw and ear, moaning as his teeth grazed the skin. His ass felt good in my hands and my fingers were just beginning to tease his crack when he pulled back and began asking questions. I groaned, laid my head back, closing my eyes as my fingers stopped the search. Shit, piss, fuck, I thought to myself. How many times before had I been in a similar situation, completely horned and charged up, ready to go, when the person I was with felt a need to discuss something they felt important. My mind reeled knowing how many times I totally screwed up at this point before and I didn't want it to happen now. I opened my eyes to find Joel staring into them waiting for an answer. His green eyes didn't have a mischievous twinkle in them; they were dead serious. My pits were perspiring and my throat was dry as I attempted to gather my thoughts. I forced myself to speak while my hands ran over his chest, knowing I needed to keep his arousal strong, yet not be obvious as to what I was doing. "If this was a one night stand I wouldn't be sprawled out on your bar stool this morning," I said, thinking this would be a good start. My hands began to spread the lapels of his robe, watching it reach the edge of his shoulders. His chest, now uncovered, made my cock twitch and add more pre-cum to the already apparent spot on my shorts. I ran my fingers over his nipples and though the hair before I spoke, adding to his arousal and delaying my answer. "Who doesn't want a fuck buddy?" I continued to say while keeping my eyes focused on his, trying to gauge his reaction. My hands wandered lower to the tie in his robe. He moved a hand over mine as if to stop me from untying it but I continued. I looked down to see his cock, jutting straight out, the head glistening. Licking my lips before forcing my eyes back to his, I could see he was doing his best to listen and not to succumb to my actions. He stifled a moan as my warm hand ran over his body, but avoided his cock at all cost. "But, I want more than a fuck buddy, Joel. I want sex, of course, but I want more." My hands ran over his abs, careful to avoid his shaft. "I want to explore every aspect of you, sexually. I want to taste and feel every part of your body, every curve and muscle. I want to get to know you, to know your likes and dislikes and to learn your values in life, what you treasure most. I can't guarantee a committed relationship yet, but it's not out of the realm of possibility." As Joel's eyes locked with mine, I felt weird, as if I had just bared my soul. I had said everything I knew to say for now so I slid the robe off his shoulders while pulling his lips back to mine. When our lips touched, I wrapped my hand around his cock. I held his face to mine, sliding my tongue into his mouth while my hand stroked him, feeling his dick grow harder. I wanted to pull back and ask him if what I'd said made sense to him, if it would work for him, but I was too afraid the answer might be no. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 03 By Tom Collins and Jushorny *Joel* It seemed as if Devlin were trying to be honest with me. I was wondering if he meant it when he said that he was open to the possibilities of a deeper relationship as he pulled me back down to him, capturing my lips in a slow, coffee flavored kiss. I held back a little as I thought about his words, trying hard to ignore his hand stroking my hard cock. It wasn't easy. Risk, I decided, is what it all came down to in the end. Life, and everything it entailed, was a gamble. The only reason people get out of bed every morning is that they didn't really believe that anything bad could happen to them. The simple act of breathing wasn't without risk, so why should I be so scared to lay my heart on the line? I knew the reason; I'd die from a broken head, but I'd have to live with a broken heart. What I was beginning to realize, as Dev pulled me closer, was that if I didn't take any risks I wouldn't make any gains. I'd discovered last night that I couldn't close my eyes without seeing his face, and my bed had been such an empty space for too long. I needed someone filling it, not just anyone, him, Devlin. Beautiful, confidant Devlin, who made me feel like trying again, like those grey clouds really could have a silver lining if I was just willing to look for it. Having decided to take the chance, I relaxed and let myself sink into the kiss. It was so easy to lose myself in Devlin's taste and textures. Before I knew it, my whole world revolved around the joining of our mouths and the mingling of our breath. The smooth softness of the skin on his back and the inside of his thigh tantalized my fingers, while his firm, skilled hand slowly stroked me closer to orgasm. Lifting my foot up onto the rail of the stool, I pulled his knee up onto my hip, slid my hand up the back of his thigh and as far into the baggy leg of his shorts as I could. He immediately rocked his hips to meet my fingertips as they grazed along the crease where thigh meets ass, and whimpered loudly into my mouth. I knew I'd just found a very sensitive spot and would use that knowledge to my advantage. He increased the pace and pressure of his hand on my cock, forcing me to return his moan with a groan of my own. It became impossible for me to keep myself from matching the rhythm of his strokes with my own thrusts. I felt a tingling spread from my groin outward, down the insides of my thighs and up into my abs, as my balls started to tighten and pull up a little. Grabbing his wrist, I broke the kiss, "Stop...you have to stop," I gasped. Resting my forehead on his, I gently pulled his hand away from me. Lacing my fingers with his, I tucked the back of his hand against my chest. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on calming down and slowing my breathing, but opened them and looked into his when he stammered, "Wha—why?" His wide-eyed expression and the tone of his voice were incredulous. I thought I saw a tinge of hurt in the set of his mouth and brows when he pulled his head back from mine, breaking contact with my forehead. "Because, I need to calm down, Dev. There are too many things I wanna do to you, with you. No matter how good you are at giving hand jobs, I wanna save it for when it'll really count. Besides, the longer you wait, the more intense it is when you finally let yourself come," I replied, grinning crookedly and giving him a slow wink. His expression softened and the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile of relief. My breathing and pulse were coming back to normal, but my throat had gone dry. I gave him a quick kiss before straightening up and shrugging my robe back up onto my shoulders. I let it hang open as I reached past his shoulder for my iced coffee. I pulled it out of the cardboard drink tray and stirred it with the straw, before taking several long sips from it to quench my thirst. The fact that he'd ordered my coffee exactly the way I took it told me he'd been paying attention to me for a while and I hadn't even realized it. He'd also gotten a pastry that I would have picked, a cream cheese filled, cranberry muffin. He pushed himself upright as I reached past him again and picked up the muffin. "Is this for me?" I asked, and he confirmed that it was. "You're awfully thoughtful, Devlin. Have you been stalking me? That's the only way I can think of that you'd know my preferences so well," I teased, as I set my coffee down and carefully pulled the top off the muffin, exposing the filling. "No, but I do make a point to learn about those who stalk me," he replied with a grin and wink. I shook my head and chuckled, "I wasn't stalking you. It was more like..." I paused to think of just the right phrase, "Bird watching. Yes, it was akin to bird watching," I nodded, affirming my choice of words. His hearty laugh turned to a quiet groan as he watched my tongue glide across the underside of the muffin cap, gathering some of the sweetened, cream cheese and bringing it into my mouth. His unexpected reaction gave me an extremely wicked idea. "Want a taste?" I asked, arching my brow and smiling. When he nodded, I took another lick and set the muffin on the counter then leaned in, wrapping my arms over his shoulders. I kissed him slow and deep, sharing the cream cheese back and forth until it had completely dissolved. While we kissed, I slid my hands down his chest and pulled the elastic waistband of his shorts and underwear down, exposing his achingly beautiful cock. I wrapped my left hand around his shaft as I reached for the bottom part of the muffin with my right. Peeking through my lashes, I could see he'd closed his eyes; he seemed totally focused on the kiss and my hand on his hot flesh. I gave his shaft a couple of slow, hard strokes before pushing the muffin bottom over the head of his dick and smearing it around. The sudden, strange feeling and cool temperature surrounding the head of his dick made his entire body twitch violently and his head jerked back, breaking the kiss with a startled gasp. "What the—?" he started to ask and cut himself off when he looked down and saw what I was doing, "Oh...shit, man..." he groaned, bracing his elbows on the counter behind him and lifting his ass off the stool a bit, his hips grinding slightly in midair as if he couldn't control himself. I crouched, bracing my knee on the foot bar of the stool, smiling at him before using my lips to pinch off a bite from the side of the muffin. "Goddamn, Joel!" he exclaimed. I took my time consuming the muffin, making sure I didn't touch his skin with my lips until it was all gone. I looked up at him while I swallowed the last bit. His face was flushed and his breathing had become ragged. I smiled impishly and watched him while I slowly cleaned the cream cheese off with the flat of my tongue. I loved all the sounds and exclamations he was making, I loved the way his fingers felt, running through my damp hair, the way he tried in vain to thrust deeper when I took his head into my mouth to suck and tongue the sweet filling out of his slit. Once I'd gotten it all and tasted pure pre-cum, I pulled off with a smacking sound and gave his shaft one last lick before standing. He tried to keep me down there, but I had other ideas. "I think it's time we moved into my bedroom, Studmuffin." *Devlin* I could barely breathe when he suggested moving into his bedroom. The seductive, teasing way in which Joel decided to share his muffin had my hormones raging. I knew he had a healthy dose of my pre-cum already and I was more than ready to give him a full load. My shorts fell to the floor as I stood up and gave him a quick passionate kiss. "Lead the way," I whispered in his ear as my hand slid down his back to squeeze his ass. Once inside his bedroom, I moved behind him and slid the robe off, letting it fall to the floor while my hands returned to rest upon his shoulders. The only thing I saw was the king size bed, and the strength of his upper back. His muscles were stretched to direct me to the center and his spine beckoned me lower. Joel pushed back against me and my mouth descended. My lips opened and closed against the crook of his neck, sucking his skin in until I bit down on him. His head tilted, letting me continue sucking and nipping at his shoulder, my hand moved around to his chest, pulling his body tight against mine. My cock found its home, nestling between his round, soft ass cheeks. He reached back and held my hips, while pushing his ass against me. We moaned together, finally being able to feel skin against skin. I found his nipple and teased it, squeezing and pinching until it was as hard as his cock. I licked behind his ear, nibbled on the lobe, and whispered for him to lie down. I smiled into his eyes as our bodies came back into contact on the bed, my legs fit nicely between his. Supporting myself on one elbow gave me a free hand to run over his chest and the side of his body. Our tongues rubbed against each other just as our cocks were doing, mixing our pre-cum for the very first time. I could feel his hand on my back, running his fingers slowly up and down the center. "Fuck, you feel so good, Joel." I slid lower, finally having the chance to spend time with his furry chest. My tongue traveled slowly from his neck. His scent was intoxicating, and feeling his hair against my tongue forced more pre-cum to leak from my already throbbing cock. His chest hair was wet, plastered against his skin by the time I paused. I licked across his chest to his nipple, feeling it harden against my tongue. Humming, I bit down on his hardened nubs, back and forth, letting neither soften. He arched against me, squirming under my weight. Today promised to be a delightfully long series of explorations. I kept telling myself to keep it slow, that we had plenty of time. From the corner of my eye, I could see his armpit and felt my cock twitch as my tongue instinctively licked its way over. With my head, I nudged him into lifting his arm to gain access, where I resumed licking and tasting. Joel's free hand held my head, running his fingers through my hair. "Damn, you taste delicious," I managed to moan between licks. I needed to kiss him again. Placing his arms over his head, I caught the look of lust and excitement in his eyes. I lowered and pressed my lips tightly against his. Joel opened his mouth as my tongue slid in, his tongue stabbing against mine. We played, letting the other take over, but for only seconds at a time, neither of us willing to let the other have complete control. Joel licked my chest while I slid up his body, taking his fingers into my mouth. Switching from one finger to the other, I sucked and licked until they were all wet. I groaned as his teeth sunk down onto my nipple. In reply, my body arched, pushing hard against him. "How about rolling over, Joel?" he looked into my eyes and I sensed something was about to change. Before I realized what he was doing, he was on top of me. He did roll over, only he pinned me beneath him, his gazed still locked into mine. "It's my turn to taste you, Studmuffin." *Joel* Devlin arched beneath me, panting in anticipation of my exploration of his beautiful body. I'd spent a lot of time becoming acquainted with his front the evening before, but I'd yet to play with his ass. Bending my knees so that I was above him, I worked my way down his body. I paid attention to all of his erogenous zones that I already knew about, and discovered a few more, but didn't linger for long in any one location. Avoiding his cock, I spent a little time licking and sucking the velvety skin of his inner thighs. He kept trying to encourage me to move back up and suck him, but like last night, I wouldn't let him rush me. Straightening up and sitting back a bit, I let my ass rest lightly on my heels and looked at him for a minute, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I finally had a man in my bed again. His impatience got the better of him; he reached for me just as I took hold of his hips and rolled him over onto his stomach. He exclaimed in mild surprise. I couldn't keep from laughing as I crawled up his body. I took my time exploring his back, starting with his shoulders and the nape of his neck. Deciding that now was a good time to test the waters, I settled my hips onto his, letting my cock snuggle into his crack. I couldn't tell if his gasp was from pleasure or surprise because he pushed up for a split second and hesitated before he tried to pull away from the contact. "Joel, don't," he said, trying to get out from under me. Holding very still, I whispered into his ear, "Take it easy, Devlin, I won't do anything you don't want me to." He didn't seem reassured, so I slid down his body enough that my cock dangled between his thighs and continued exploring his back, searching for more hot spots and sensitive areas. He relaxed and began enjoying the pleasure I was giving him. I was busily giving him a hickey on his tailbone, to match the one around his navel, while massaging his glutes. He panted loudly, grinding his cock into the mattress and clutched a couple of goose down pillows. Moving further down, I licked the length of the underside of his cheek. Moving back and forth between them, I occasionally lapped between his legs and into the bottom of his crack, while skimming my fingers along the split. Finally, he lifted his hips off the mattress, spreading his knees for balance, and pushed his ass at me as he physically begged me to do more than tease. Spreading his cheeks with my hands, I dipped my tongue back between his legs and ran it along the bottom of his fissure, pausing to flick his pucker before completing the trip to the top. He made a strange grunting sound, and thrust at me. I'd nearly forgotten how much pleasure I got from giving a rim job. I reveled in the slightly bitter tang and listened to Devlin's groans and shudders as I sealed my lips over his pucker. Sucking gently, I licked and flicked it, occasionally grazing the soft flesh with my teeth. I moved my head with him as he squirmed under my ministrations, probing with a stiffened tongue to test his tightness and resistance. Either he was resisting me or he was incredibly tight because I couldn't make my tongue stiff enough to get past the outer ring of muscle. I suspected that this was a new experience for him. Straightening up, I pushed on his hips, rolling him onto his side and then to his back. He looked at me questioningly as I moved between his legs. Leaning over him, bracing myself to either side of his shoulders, I tested him again. I'd just been rimming him, would he be willing to kiss me now? I leaned down slowly, giving him a chance to pull away, but he actually reached up and pulled me down to him, kissing me hard and eagerly opening when I sought entrance to his mouth. He surprised me by clutching my hips and pulling them down while rocking his. He had me lying on top of him, cradling my hips between his legs as we humped against each other's stomachs, our aching cocks rubbing together. I almost lost myself in how perfectly we were moving together until it occurred to me that this might be his way of asking me to take him. I wasn't going to ask because that could break the mood by causing him to think about what was happening. Instead, I slid lower and rubbed my shaft just under his balls. He reacted the same way he did before, pushing into me and groaning into my mouth before pulling away from the contact and breaking the kiss to say, "Joel, I don't..." I didn't reply this time; I just kept sliding further down as if that were my intention the whole time. I placed open-mouthed kisses down the length of his torso until I settled my chest between his legs, propping myself up with my elbow next to his hip. Kissing and licking along the groove between his hip and leg, I coated two of my fingers from pool of our combined pre-cum around his cock. Licking and sucking along the underside of his shaft produced the desired effect. He rocked his hips up, sank his hands into my hair and gripped it. He was pulling on my hair, trying to force me to take him into my mouth, so desperate to come that he had stopped caring if he hurt me. I resisted as I slid my slick fingers into his still damp crack and found his hole. "Oh fuck...oh god...shit, man," he cried as I mixed the pre-cum and spit together, massaging his pucker. I kept mouthing his shaft as I pushed my index finger past his resistance. It was easy enough to distract him, all I had to do was run my tongue over the head of his dick while I loosened him up to get him ready for a second finger. He grew accustomed to the invasion and relaxed around my finger faster than I'd expected. By the time I slipped my middle finger in next to my index, he was thrusting his ass up, clearly wanting more. Using my free hand to untangle his fingers from my wavy hair, I lifted my head and raised myself a little higher on my elbow. "Joel, c'mon man, what're you doing?" he growled, sounding extremely frustrated. "I'm not going to suck you." He took my hand and put it on his dick, trying to get me to jack him. When I moved my hand away and grinned at him, he reached for his dick to jack himself and I grabbed his left hand with mine, holding it in an arm wrestling grip. "Don't, Devlin, I want to see if I can make you come without touching your dick." I told him, looking him in the eye. He snorted, "I'm not sixteen, man. I won't come if you don't—Jesus fuck...holy shit...Ah God..." his words trailed off into unintelligible grunts as I worked the pads of my fingers over his prostate in a circular motion. His hips bucked against my hand, his neck and chest bowed up from the bed while his legs spread further apart and he gripped the brass bars of the headboard with his right hand. While his eyes were open, I knew they had glazed over completely. The entirety of his awareness had focused inward. Smiling, I watched his cock jumping on his abs and his nuts drawing up. He suddenly took in a huge gulp of air and froze just as his balls separated and rode up to either side of his shaft. The first blast of semen shot right over our joined hands to land in the middle of his chest. A long groan, so loud it had to have hurt his throat, accompanied it. Watching his hips buck into the air as he shot stream after stream onto his chest, our joined hands and his stomach, while hearing his cries of pleasure made me want to sink myself balls deep into him so badly that I almost gave into the temptation. He collapsed, going completely limp like a rag doll. He lay there, eyes closed, chest heaving, his body trembling and twitching from the occasional aftershocks. I moved next to him, lying on my side and propped my head on my palm while watching his slow recovery and licking his come off my hand. I'm certain that the grin I wore made me look foolish, but I couldn't stop and didn't care. *Devlin* When I stopped shaking and could breathe again, I saw Joel alongside me, grinning and licking come from his hand. I know I had a silly grin on my face, having just come down from a very intense orgasm. "That was fucking incredible. Never in my life have I felt anything close to that. Thanks, Babe." I rubbed some come over my chest before I reached around behind him, pulling him to me, and giving him the best kiss I knew how to give. The wheels in my head were turning, stopping, reversing, and spinning. There were so many new thoughts to file, and I needed to reorganize some old ones as well, before I could find a way to express how I felt. I held him, keeping him engaged in the kiss to give me the time I needed to clear my mind. My previous experience was limited. Sure, back in college, my relationship with my roommate did include finger fucking, but it was my fingers and his ass. I never rimmed him, yet I did fuck him. I wondered if what I had done to him was even close to what Joel had just done to me. Did the fact that I enjoyed the rimming so much mean I might enjoy more? When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 03 Joel's hard, thick cock lay pressing against my hip, and I knew it was only fair for me to get him off. The question was how; I could suck him, return the favor he just gave me, or fuck his ass, which I knew would be hot. Pressing a hand against his chest, I pushed him back, and moved on top of him, my ass resting on his thighs. Running my hands down his chest from his neck, I watched his cock jerk and leak. Sucking on his nipples, I let a hand wander over his abs and around his dick. I squeezed it and stroked him back and forth, feeling his length and girth. Our bodies rubbed together as I sucked and licked down the center of his chest. Taking small nibbles on the skin just below his ribs, his body jerked and I realized he must be ticklish. "Dev, I need to get off real bad." "Babe, I want to help you get off and I will, hopefully as intensely as I just did." My teeth nipped at the side of his hips causing him to wiggle and allowing me to slide a hand under him to cup his muscular ass. Feeling the hair along the crack, my fingers probed deeper. His cock jerked when the rough flat of my tongue raked over the soft, spongy head, taking with it all the pre-cum that he had drooled. I felt the moist heat of his ass and my cock began hardening again, wanting to sink into him. His fingers ran through my hair, encouraging me to take in more. My lips wrapped tightly around him, slowly sucking him in. He was close to coming, and I knew I could finish him off, but I wanted to explore more. I really wanted to fuck him, and I could imagine how hot and sweet his ass would feel, but I wasn't sure how he'd feel about it. I rolled him over onto his stomach, telling myself I needed to try; I needed to find out if rimming a man was as enjoyable as receiving. I lay my body over his, my semi-hard cock nestled between his ass cheeks. The muscles beneath his neck and upper shoulders tightened, responding to my mouth. When my teeth sank in, he moaned and squirmed underneath me, wiggling his sexy ass against my cock. I was beginning to think he wouldn't be averse to being fucked. I slipped a hand under him, pinching a nipple and rolling it in my fingers. Licking and caressing his body with my hands, I made my way lower; eventually my mouth reached his rounded globes. Instinctively, I took a big, delectable bite. He arched his back and moaned. "Damn, take it easy, man." Looking up, I noticed he was looking back at me, just as my hand came smacking down on a cheek, grabbing it hard while my tongue began its descent starting at the top of his ass, licking along his crack. He squirmed more and begged me to be gentle, although I had doubts as to his sincerity. My hand reached between his legs, fondling his balls. They felt so hard I thought if I squeezed them, his come would squirt out. I took a moment to admire him, the beautiful form of his body. His shoulders broad and his back tapered down to his butt, his ass lightly covered with hair. I liked men who were masculine in their look, actions and mannerisms; he was all that and more. Pulling up on his hips, I continued to lick while I spread his cheeks wide, giving me a view of the puckered skin that held his hole closed. I breathed in, taking in his man scent. I was a little tentative about sticking my tongue there to taste him, but I knew I wanted to do this for Joel as much as for myself. I pressed my face in, flicking my tongue across the skin. The squirm and groan I received from him was enough to keep me going. I ran my hands over his ass, caressing while keeping his cheeks spread wide. I slobbered over his hole while tasting my first ass, giving my first rim; pushing my tongue in deeper as Joel pushed back. His dick fucked my hand as my tongue fucked his hole. When I thought Joel was close to coming I made my move. I tugged his dick backwards until my mouth could suck him, while pushing a finger into his hole. His ass pushed back on my fingers, which in turn slid his cock deeper into my mouth. He grunted and began shooting his creamy seed. I continued rubbing the tight walls of his ass and sucking his come until he had no more left. Swallowing the last of it, I lay beside Joel, softly kissing the back of his neck as he relaxed. *Joel* My breathing had yet to return to normal, when I felt Devlin move off my back to lie next to me. Rolling up onto my side to face him, I scooted over against his side and draped a leg over both of his. Letting my palm glide up his sweaty chest to cup his cheek, I leaned down and brushed my lips over his. I kissed him lightly, a tender expression of the warmth I already felt for him. I barely knew him, but I'd seen enough to realize that I wanted to know more, as much as he'd let me. Pulling back slightly, and looking into his gem-like eyes, I murmured, "Have I told you how dead sexy you are?" "No, but it was only a matter of time," he responded, teasingly ruffling my hair with his hand, I had to laugh with him as I settled my head on his shoulder. What I wanted to do now was relax and enjoy the afterglow. I languidly played with the sparse patch of hair growing between his pecs and over his solar plexus. I let my eyes close as my thoughts wandered. My bed, my body, my life; all of them had been empty since Eric left me. My mother and one of my sisters saw him shortly after the breakup. Eric and the boy-man that had taken my place were in the Hot Topic at the mall. Naturally, I'd tried to grill them about the encounter and Mam told me not to try using my fancy lawyer's tricks on them. "He was nothin' but a tarted up piece of street trash with bits of metal pokin' more holes into him than can be found in the Single Bullet Theory, and has had, no doubt, a thousand miles of dick run through him," was all my mother would say about it. She shocked me into speechlessness that day. I never would have thought I'd hear such language from my sweet tempered mam. The first year was a morass of trying to outrun the pain by throwing myself into my work. Nothing I did filled the sudden void his departure created. My heart still lay bleeding in my chest, the damage seemingly irreparable. The second year blurred into a fog of achingly cold loneliness. Everywhere I looked in my old apartment, something reminded me of him, so I let my lease lapse and moved. I'd known for a few months that I was ready to try again because I caught myself looking at men, unconsciously searching for signs they were available and might be interested. Now, suddenly, my bed was warmed by someone else's body heat, my body would know the pleasure of being filled again, and my life might be something beyond work. I finally felt as if I had a reason to take the risk of getting out of bed every morning and going out into the world. I woke so slowly that it took several minutes for me even to become aware that I'd fallen asleep. I smelled warm moisture scented with my body wash, and realized that someone was taking a shower. When it hit me who it was, and why he was in there, I felt a stupid grin spread across my face. Stretching mightily, I rubbed my eyes and looked at the alarm clock. It was a little after one, which meant that I'd just slept three hours. That went a long way to explaining why I felt as if my stomach was trying to eat its way through my backbone. A thin cloud of steam issued from the partially open bathroom door, carrying the sound of Devlin's humming with it. It sounded as if he was in a good mood, I didn't recognize the tune, but it was upbeat and happy sounding. I took my time crawling out of bed, sitting on the edge for a few minutes before going into the bathroom to empty my bladder. "Hey," I said, peeking around the edge of the shower curtain and watching him wiggle his ass to the tune he was humming, "Are you—" "Fuck!" he bellowed in complete surprise. I was laughing so hard I could hardly see straight as I grabbed him, trying to keep him from falling because he whirled, both fists up to defend against an attacker. It wasn't long before he was holding me up instead of the other way around, as I became a helpless victim of my mirth. I finally had no choice but to let go of him, it was either that or piss all over the floor. I sat, since my legs wouldn't hold me, and tried several times to get a hold of myself, but every time I glanced in his direction, the laughter would claw its way back up my throat. It had been so long since I'd had anything to laugh about that once the engine cranked it just didn't want to stop. I finally had to stop because I felt as if I were splitting in two. Leaning sideways on the toilet, I propped myself against the vanity and concentrated on breathing. When I was certain the fit was over, I looked back at him. He'd gone back to washing himself, but when he saw me look over, he arched a brow as if to say, "Are you quite through?" and a last couple of chuckles bubbled up. "That was positively orgasmic. I haven't laughed like that in...well, a long time." I said with a sigh, standing and stepping in front of the mirror to touch up my shave. "Hmmm...I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. What was it you wanted, aside from scaring the crap out of me and giving me a heart attack?" he asked wryly. "Oh, I was going to ask if you're hungry. I'm starving and was going to cook something for myself. Making you piss yourself was just a little gravy on top of getting to see you shaking your booty in the shower," I replied with a crooked grin and a wink. *Devlin* I woke with my arm still around Joel's body, his head still on my chest and a leg draped over me. This all felt so good, so right, except for my need to piss. I slid out as slowly and gracefully as I could, not wanting to wake him. The clock on the night table jarred me back into reality. I was due at a backyard barbecue some friends were giving. After relieving my bladder I helped myself to his shower, feeling the need to clean up a tad and too lazy to go back to my place. While showering, I decided I would invite Joel to go along with me to the barbecue. It might be a bit awkward introducing him, but I wasn't ready to separate from my newly found, gorgeous friend. My mood was the best it had been in a long time, and I was fully aware it was because of Joel. I began humming Jimmy Buffet's Cheeseburger In Paradise as I thought about Joel and what this all meant. I've never had a relationship with a guy that would prompt introducing him to my friends. My mind drifted as the scent of body wash filled the shower. Realizing it was part of his scent, I took a few deep breaths, relishing the smell. Damn, just the scent was enough to make my cock thicken. I began running through the friends that would be at the barbecue. In my mind, I was rehearsing my introductions. It was going to be strange to introduce to my friends a man I've been to bed with, a guy who I think I was falling for. They would all like Joel, providing he wasn't too shy to open his mouth and speak. Deb and Brian were hosting, both were best friends to me. I'd known Brian since elementary school and Deb ever since she began dating Brian. Both knew I was bisexual, and they had been around during my relationship with Cathy, including the break-up. Cathy - I was suddenly hoping she wouldn't show. More than likely, she would skip something like this, but sometimes she liked to surprise everyone. That's when Joel was kind enough to come in and scare the living shit out of me. I'm sure to him it was hilarious, and he had no qualms about laughing his ass off at my situation. So much so, I couldn't help but smile and feel smitten with him as I finished washing. He was drying his face when I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist. Moving over I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into me. "Nope, you're not cooking today, Joel, we have a barbecue to attend, one with plenty of food for your hungry stomach and plenty of beverages to quench any thirst." "A barbecue? What barbecue?" he asked in surprise. "A couple of my friends are having one, nothing fancy, just a backyard kind of thing. I realize you won't know anyone there, but I think you'll like this group, and I'm sure you'll have a good time," I replied, looking into his eyes with the best pleading puppy dog look I could muster. "You...want me to...meet your friends?" he asked hesitantly. He seemed pleased by the idea, but I could see his shyness peeking through again, as he continued, "I'd like that. If you're sure that's what you want?" Smiling, I good-naturedly punched him on the shoulder as I turned to head for my clothes, "I want my friends to meet you! I take it you'll go with me?" It really was true; I wanted them to meet the person I was so attracted too, and to have him meet the people who knew me. "It sounds like it'll be a good time. Can we take my ride though? It's been a while since I had the time to drive, and I was planning on going for a drive this weekend anyway." "That works for me," I said giving his ass a snap of my wet towel, "Now get some clothes on to cover that hot body of yours." I wondered what kind of vehicle he drove, betting it would be either an open top Jeep or sexy convertible sports car of some sort. As we dressed, I gave Joel some background on some of the people he'd most likely be meeting. Surmising that his shyness kept him from meeting many new people, I did my best to make him comfortable with meeting my friends. After filling him in on Deb and Brian I ran through a few more friends, making sure he knew that Jeff and Mike where two very good friends, but rather homophobic. I could see the disappointment and nervousness in his eyes. Hoping he wouldn't take my comments wrong, I continued to let him know there would be gays there as well as straights. "Just watch out for Robbie, he's quite the flamer," I chuckled as I pulled him in for another kiss, grabbing his ass cheek hard. "Harmless, but flamboyant. If you ever want to know the dirt on anyone, he's the one to ask, which is another way of saying: be careful what you tell him." *Joel* I took another fast shower, while Devlin dressed, and then went through my closet to find something appropriate to wear. I couldn't decide on anything because I didn't know what to expect from his friends. Deciding to ask, I poked my head out of the closet, "Umm, Dev? What's my status going to be at this party?" "What do you mean?" he asked with a quizzical expression. Stepping out of the closet so I didn't have to keep leaning over, I explained, "Well, am I a new, platonic friend, or are you going to tell them I'm your new squeeze? Am I arm candy, or am I a dude you've brought along and can wear any old thing? I'm not trying to pressure you into making any decisions about us, honestly. I'm perfectly fine with taking it easy and seeing where this whole thing goes on its own, but can't decide what sort of an impression I need to make. I mean, first impressions are important." "How about I introduce you as my new, very good friend? You're much more than arm candy, Joel, give yourself some credit. Besides, if anyone around here is any sort of candy it's me," he said, giving me a cheeky wink. "My friends will quickly figure out that this isn't a platonic relationship. They're good people; wear anything you want, something comfy." "Comfy...right." My nerves were starting to jangle. I hadn't gone through this in a long time, and meeting a lover's friends always made me nervous. One guy I went out with for a couple months actually broke up with me because his best friend didn't like me. I went back into the closet and pulled out my favorite t-shirt. It was a cream color with black lettering, and I'd washed it so many times it was starting to fray at the edges. It said, "It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of karma to burn off". The knees of the jeans I chose were on the verge of having a blowout. They fit perfectly, snug, but comfortable, and soft as chick down. It felt good to slip into my motorcycle boots; I'd been too busy lately to have cause to wear them as often as I'd like. I found Devlin in the living room, drinking his cold coffee. Grabbing mine, which was now warm, and stirring it with the straw, I took the lid off and gulped it down as quickly as I could. "I'm ready if you are," I told him, while he read my shirt, laughed and shook his head. He said that he needed to change before we left, so we took the elevator to his floor. I sat on his partially made bed, leaning back on my elbows with one leg on the mattress, my boot hanging off, and the other on the floor, while I watched him get ready. He kept looking at me with lustful eyes, as if he enjoyed the site of me spread out on his bed. Running my palm up the inside of my crooked leg, I licked my lips then massaged my bulge lightly, bit my bottom lip and gave him my best fuck me look. "Awww, damn it, Joel, don't tempt me like that. If we start fooling around we'll never get to the barbeque, and Brian will kill me if I don't show. I promised I would be there," he grumbled at me as he slid into his pants, never taking his eyes off my slowly moving hand. I gave him an evil grin, but relented. We took the elevator down to the parking garage, and I lead the way to my assigned spot. Stopping next to my bike as Devlin said, "This is what you drive, Joel?" I pulled the cover off, revealing my pride and joy. "Sure is." I replied with a big grin at his surprised expression. I carried the cover a bit away and shook the dust off. "Shit, it's fucking beautiful...but you sure...I...uh...mean isn't it more difficult to ride with another person?" "She is beautiful, isn't she? Not if the passenger is willing to work with the rider," I said, chuckling and folding the cover into a neat, little bundle, "I take it you've never ridden a motorcycle?" "Can't say that I have," he looked extremely apprehensive. "Well, this is my baby. I restored her myself, though I did contract the paint job out. She's a nineteen sixty-four, Harley Davidson, FLH Panhead, Police Special, commonly known as a Hog. She's got a big twin, 80 cubic inch, high compression engine," I told him, smoothing my palm over the pitch-black paint job on the fuel tank. The incredible depth in it came from layer upon layer of clear lacquer, the middle one impregnated with a fine gold flake, practically dust. Throwing my leg over the seat, I pulled her upright and kicked up the stand. "Ahh...I, uhh...see," he said noncommittally as I unlocked the gas cap. Peering in, I rocked the bike side to side, making the fuel slosh a little, so that it would reflect the light and I could determine how much was in the tank. He didn't sound as if he saw at all, but he clearly didn't want to admit as much. "You know," I said, looking up at him where he stood to my right and a little in front, "I'm not going to think less of you for not knowing anything about bikes, or for never having ridden one. I can see you're nervous, but there's no need to be. You'll love riding with me." Eric always did, I thought to myself as I gave him a Cheshire grin, and kick started her hard, getting her running on the first try. Leaning over to the right and back, I opened the saddlebag and pulled my helmet out then pulled a second one out of the other saddlebag. "Now, these helmets are the exact same model the cops use," I said handing him the extra one. "They have a light weight, Kevlar reinforced, fiberglass composite shell," I rapped my knuckles on the crown of mine for emphasis. "The chin strap is a quick release model," I slipped mine on to demonstrate, "And it even has an air intake system that'll keep your head cool." The paint on the helmets was a perfect match for the bike. "I'm not, in any way, trying to say I don't trust you," he said, wrapping his free arm around my waist and leaning into me for a slow, but brief kiss, "I already know this is going to be a great ride." When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 03 Giving his ripe ass a squeeze I said, "Good, hop on and we'll go." As he slid on behind me and adjusted his helmet, I told him, "Being a passenger is easy. All you have to do is relax, hang on and let your body move with mine. Don't fight me when I'm maneuvering or cornering and don't tense up." "Sure, Joel, don't worry, I'm fine." I ran my palms back along the outsides of his thighs to his hips, leaned back into him and looked over my shoulder at him. "You're way better than fine, Muffin," I said with a smile and slipped on my Ray-Bans. I made a brief stop along the way to fill the tank, using the moments when I didn't need both hands to slide along his jean-clad thighs. The attendant, in his little, bulletproof booth eyed us, but I couldn't have cared less. I didn't know him from Adam and his opinion meant nothing to me. When we got to Devlin's friends' house, I pulled us up into the driveway along side a couple cars, and gunned the engine a couple times, enjoying the macho roaring rumble of it. The nearby gate through the privacy fence swung open and a man looked out at us. He walked over, clearly recognizing my passenger, followed by a stream of other people. My eyes widened behind my sunglasses. It hadn't occurred to me there would be so many of them. Killing the engine and kicking the stand down, I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself. *Devlin* "I hadn't planned on being out in public when I threw these shorts on, Joel, it'll only take a minute for me to change." I pulled the olive green jeans and tan polo shirt from my closet, dismissing his seductive invitation to join him, as nicely as I could. I pulled my jeans on and slipped the shirt over my head, checking my hair in the mirror. I paused to check the fit of the polo shirt across my shoulders and caught a glimpse in the mirror of Joel sprawled across my bed, watching me intently. "Okay, let's go, before I change my mind and hold you prisoner in my bedroom." It didn't take long for Joel to calm my worries about riding on his Harley. A few blocks from our building he started playing with me, gunning the engine when he safely could do so, and taking the curves fast if traffic allowed. When at a stoplight, his hands would automatically reach to rub my calves and thighs, making my nerves tingle. The vibration of the ride, Joel's hands and the closeness of him had me very aroused. While stopping for gas, he continued to tease my legs; I gave his bulge a squeeze and told him how horny he made me, pushing myself against the small of his back while the station attendant watched in disgust. His hand slid back between us, feeling me up as if he didn't believe me. I moaned into his ear wishing we had somewhere private to take this. He laughed and told me to cool my jets before taking off back onto the road. He made a point of revving the engine in Brian's driveway, announcing our arrival. I squeezed his sides playfully before swinging my leg over the bike and taking the helmet off my head. Several of my friends were already heading towards us, and I'm sure they were wondering who in hell was pulling up with a bike like this. I should have expected Robbie would be the first out to greet us. "Oh...my...God! Super butch Devlin is riding bitch on the back of a bike. I'm so glad that I was here to see it!" Robbie exclaimed, snapping his fingers in the air dramatically before placing his hands on his cocked hips in a girlish way. Everyone else became silent; I stared at him showing my displeasure with his comment, and toyed with the idea of punching him in the face. Meanwhile, Joel carefully took off his helmet, set it on the tank in front of him and looked Robbie up and down. He took off his Ray-Bans, looked him in the eyes, and said, "You must be Robbie." Joel's delivery was so deadpan it was clear Robbie wasn't going to get the best of him. The others began murmuring and snickering as Robbie demanded to know how Joel knew who he was. Joel dismounted his bike and promptly assumed the same pose as Robbie. "Puhlease," he snapped his fingers in imitation of Robbie, "Your reputation precedes you." Joel said smirking. Then he shifted back into his normal stance, and looked around at the others as if he was trying to match names with faces. "Dev's talked about most of you actually." "Everyone, meet a new friend of mine, Joel. He thinks I like him for his sense of humor, but really it's for his bike." I tried my best to mask my anger with both Robbie's comment and Joel's equally flaming response. I saw Jeff and Mike in the back of the crowd, both with new girlfriends, whispering back and forth. Disgusted, I'm sure, by the outbreak of gayness. I don't know why I cared what they thought, but I did. Joel had stepped over to Robbie, shaking his hand while Brian made his way to me, whispering for me to chill and giving my shoulder a friendly squeeze. We've had many conversations regarding my feelings and Brian knew the type of man I was attracted to had to act all-man. I nodded my head and was about to say something when Deb reached up, putting her arms around me and giving me her usual innocent hello kiss, asking me where I found the hot biker guy and asking why they hadn't met him before. Deb could always calm my anger and bring a smile to my face. Eventually everyone wandered into the backyard, mingling on the expansive, wood deck. Joel placed a hand on my back as I was bending over the cooler to grab a beer. His touch felt familiar, warm and caring, and he asked if everything was all right. "Everything is just great, Joel, except, they don't have any of that old man's drink you like, no scotch. I bet you're not really a beer man either. Can I get you something else? Wait; don't tell me," I glanced over the variety of beverages available on the table, "Chardonnay?" My question came out more sarcastically than I had intended, but to make sure he realized how I felt, I gave him my best puppy dog look. "Sorry, that didn't come out right." I was still irritated about his interaction with Robbie, but I knew deep down I was just being foolish. He didn't seem to buy my lame attempt at an apology. Bending over, he grabbed a bottle and walked away. Great, I thought to myself, I'm going to have to explain my sudden rudeness to him later and figure out a way to make it up to him. As the afternoon progressed, I cooled down and enjoyed the company of my friends, keeping an eye on Joel when he wasn't next to me. Cathy, my ex- girlfriend had not shown up, which gave me some comfort, knowing a confrontation with her would be more than I could handle right now. For someone who came across shy, Joel seemed quite comfortable with my friends. We would sneak glances at each other and when we were close we would give each other knowing squeezes, not being able to leave the other alone. I was feeling good by the time we had all eaten, knowing my friends were accepting Joel into our circle. Feeling a need to show Joel I was sorry for my earlier attitude, I took his hand and pulled him with me. His confused look made me grin as I pushed him against the wall of the garage, out of sight from the others. Slowly, I licked his neck until my tongue reached his ear, "I needed to touch you, babe." I placed my arms against the brick wall and ground my crotch against his. Our lips touched briefly, before he opened and let my tongue sink in. Way too soon I heard our names being called and reluctantly pulled away. I took his hand and felt myself blush slightly as others noticed where we had been. "I, uh, was showing Joel the rest of the backyard." Later in the afternoon, Mike came up to me while I was grabbing another beer. "So, you going back to men?" he questioned. Somewhat surprised he was being so direct, I had to stop and think before answering. "Mike, you should know by now, you and I see things differently. I don't restrict my affections based on gender. If I find someone attractive and interesting I'll go after them, get to know them, if it leads to more, so be it. However, since you asked, I'd be willing to bet Joel sucks cock better than that blonde you got on your arm today." Ok, now I've made yet another rude remark, I really need to keep myself in check here, I told myself as I stepped away from Mike and headed towards Joel. Deb eventually cornered me, pulling me away from the others, and wanted to know how I met the dark haired man, how long I'd known him, and if it was serious or just a fling. I chuckled and explained how we had been eyeing each other for a couple of months, but had just gotten together. She could see the happiness in my eyes, but she still warned me to take it slow, that I was falling too fast for this hunk. I told her she knew me too well and not to scare Joel away with her big sister act. I was about to expound more about Joel when Brian walked up and asked if I'd bedded the guy yet. I slapped his back, and laughed, reminding him, "I don't kiss and tell, that's why Deb will never find out the truth about us," giving him a peck on his cheek. It was a standing joke between the three of us. Not much later, Deb had Joel over by the pond, deep in conversation. I continued joking with the guys, but in truth, my focus was on Joel and Deb, trying to read their lips, their facial expressions. When they both glanced my way, I averted my eyes, not wanting them to know I was watching. Of course, I was assuming the worst, that Deb was giving away all my secrets, and by the end of the day, Joel would decide our new friendship was not worth pursuing. Later, Joel and I were helping Deb carry in some of the leftover food. I looked his way, seeing the profile of his face, his thick black hair, his cheekbones, a glimpse of the green of his eye. I could feel a stirring, an urge to touch him again. As Joel placed a platter down on the counter, I moved in behind him, giving the back of his neck a lick and squeezing his crotch before taking his hand to lead him down the hallway and into the bathroom. Our lips pressed together as my tongue pushed into his mouth, hungry to taste him. He pulled back, his eyes showing concern rather than the 'get me naked' twinkle. "You ok, Dev?" I pushed him back against the counter, grinding my crotch against his, my hand running through his hair. "I'm fine now, Babe, but I didn't bring you in here to talk. I need some creamy dessert before we excuse ourselves from this party." I said, sliding down his body to kneel in front of him. Wasting no time, I undid his jeans, sliding them and his underwear down to his ankles. His cock was already thickening when my tongue snaked over it. Joel moaned softly, his dick jerking against my tongue as he asked me to stop, not to do this here, not now. I shook my head no, squeezing his balls tightly to let him know I was serious about this, and sucked him into my mouth. The power I had over him became clear as he stiffened in my mouth, my tongue rolling his foreskin back, exposing the head. Letting him plop out of my mouth just long enough to let him know what I wanted. "Babe, I'm not stopping until I get my dessert." I was sucking him back in, while his fingers ran through my hair, when suddenly there was a loud knock on the door scaring the hell out of both of us. I heard Joel say in a voice that was husky and filled with lust that the room was occupied. However, the person on the other side was persistent and once I heard Robbie's voice I knew it was no use to continue. I stood up, licking Joel's neck while whispering that we'd pick this up when we got home. I pulled his pants back up, reluctantly zipping them closed. As we opened the door, there stood Robbie, hands on his hips. "Well, well," Robbie said, giving us the once over, "Looks like I missed a private party." *Joel* Devlin was acting rather strangely at first, and I couldn't figure out why he was so snide when he asked if I wanted some wine. I didn't know what he meant for certain, but it felt as if he were implying that I wasn't a real man if I didn't like beer. I began wondering if he was going to treat me differently around his friends. I'd seen it happen to a close friend in college. The man my friend was dating professed to be completely out, and was very kind and sweet to him when they were private, but any time they were with others he would treat my friend terribly. The problem was that he was out and everyone knew him to be bisexual, but a little part of him was ashamed of it, and so he treated his male lovers like dirt in public because he didn't want anyone to know that he cared about them. I didn't know what his problem was, and I really didn't like where my train of thought was going. It wasn't easy feeling both angry and hurt at the same time without showing it, and I didn't know how long I'd be able to keep the front up. I accepted his apology without making an issue of anything, not wanting a potentially ugly scene in front of strangers, grabbed a Mike's Hard Lemonade, and excused myself for some mingling. I wasn't too sure what to make of Devlin's friends. Most of them seemed very nice and accepting, but others were verging on rude. Mike and Jeff kept away from me as if I were a leper. Robbie, who'd initially been quite friendly because he thought my imitation of him was funny, started giving me the evil eye when his lover, Mark, started flirting with me. It turned out that Robbie was a member of this circle of friends because he'd hooked up with Mark, much like my own introduction to them through Devlin. If I read the group dynamic correctly, the core people were Devlin and Brian. They knew each other from elementary school and all of the others joined the circle of friends in ones and twos over the ensuing years. I honestly didn't know what to think about Devlin. He acted angry with me and yet I could feel his eyes following me any time I wasn't at his side. When we were together, he didn't seem comfortable unless he had at least one hand touching me in some way. I couldn't believe he would wrap his arm around my waist and pull me against him if he wanted them to believe his only interest in me was sexual, and I seriously doubted that he'd kiss me or fondle my ass in front of them if he was ashamed. I wondered if he realized that when he looked at me the expression on his face was possessive. I knew I wasn't imagining it, I could tell that Deb was seeing the same thing by the way she looked so worried every time he glanced my way. She cornered me by the koi pond when I tried to get away from the crowd for a few minutes. "Joel, could I speak with you for a moment, please?" I knew what was coming, but I thought it would make her feel better if I let her do it her way. "Yes, of course. Why don't we get comfortable while we talk?" I responded, indicating the wooden bench that sat nearby under a lovely, old elm. We sat, and each of us sipped our drinks, then she took a deep breath and turned to face me. "I can see that he's falling for you, falling fast. Too fast, if you ask me, considering the short time you've known each other. He seems so confidant and self possessed, and he is," she laid her hand on my knee, to lend greater weight to her emphatically spoken words, "But he's easily wounded, and is still tender from his break up with Cathy several months ago. In fact, I would have told you that he wasn't even considering dating yet, if he hadn't brought you here today. "Look at him over there, Joel." Both of us turned our gaze to Devlin, and I realized that this was the longest I'd gone without looking his way since we arrived, "He's horsing around with his buddies, telling dirty jokes and drinking beer. He's obviously having a great time, but that's not where his attention is. His awareness has been focused on you since the moment the two of you pulled up on that bike of yours, and that's not like him. Even at the beginning of a relationship." I pulled my eyes away from Devlin and his crowd of friends, looking back at Deb. "I know you've noticed how he looks at you, and I get the feeling that it scares you a little. I don't know, but I've seen you backing off from him a few times, turning away when you see him looking at you from across the yard. Dev isn't worried for himself right now because he hasn't realized how far you've gotten under his skin. All he knows is that he's having a good time with you, and he's not thinking beyond that." "I don't mean to be rude, but all of this must be leading somewhere, Deb." I said trying to halt what looked to be a babbling spree in the making. "Well, yes," she said, looking surprised and amused. "The point I'm trying to make is that when he realizes how he feels about you, when it finally hits him, he's going be scared and he's probably going to try to push you away. If you let him pull away, or refuse to reconcile with him if he does, then both of you will wind up hurt. I'm worried about how fast this is going between you, but the fact that it's happening at all tells me that you two might be right for each other, and I don't want to see that ruined through misunderstanding or fear." "So, basically, you're placing the responsibility for a relationship, which might not even exist, on my shoulders?" I asked incredulously. "No, Joel, you've misunderstood. The relationship, and believe me when I say there definitely is one, should be an equal job between you two, but in any partnership there are times when one or the other must pull more of the weight. Should Devlin get scared by how strongly he feels for you, and I'm not saying that he will, simply that he might, you would need to carry a little more weight and pull him through the rough spot." "Isn't that your job as his best friend?" I asked, curious what she would say. "Yes, of course it is, and that's why I'm going to give you my cell number so that, if you need me, you can get in touch with me anytime," she said, pulling a scrap of bright pink paper out of the top of her flowery blouse and holding it out to me. I opened the folded paper, which turned out to be a Post-it Note. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 03 It was, of course, at that moment that Robbie decided he had to use the damned toilet, and wouldn't stop banging on the door. I was stunned by how badly I wanted to wrap my hands around his skinny neck and choke him. Not kill him, just take out some frustrations on him. "Don't worry, Babe, we'll pick up where we left off when we get home," Devlin whispered as we brushed past Robbie. I felt my frown turn up into a smile, thinking he might be ready to go further than we had so far. I was almost too distracted to drive safely the whole way home. Too much of my awareness was focused on him, and I couldn't stop thinking about how good his chest felt pressed against my back. It gave me a little taste of how incredible it would be to be pinned under his hot, hard body as he took me, making me his. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 04 Note to readers: Heyla, all, Tom Collins here. It’s been a while since chapter three of this story posted, and I’d like to thank everyone for their patience and continued interest in seeing the rest of it. There were some bumps for Jushorny and I that kept us from finishing it and it finally happened that he acquired a new job and wasn’t be able to complete the tale with me. With his go a head, I found someone willing help me finish writing it. That’s where 3113 comes into the picture. She magnanimously agreed to pull my ass out of the crack it was in by taking over Devlin’s POV. Jus and I’d already begun writing this chapter when the lapse started, so poor 3 took up the gauntlet not only in the middle of the story, but also with part of a chapter already written. I think she’s done a marvelous of fitting her own style in with ours, and I hope you all agree. Let me just finish by saying I’m sorry for the lengthy delay in completing this story, and I most sincerely hope y’all enjoy this chapter and the others that shall be submitted as soon as they come through the editorial process. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Pt.4 By Tom Collins, Jushorny and 3113 *Devlin* After an excruciatingly anxious ride home, massaging Joel’s cock the entire way, I finally had him where I wanted him: spread out naked on my bed. I knew I had some explaining to do about my behavior at my friend’s barbecue, but that could wait. “Just lay back, Joel, and let me play.” Raising his arms over his head, I licked his slightly damp pits, tasting his salty skin; smelling his masculine scent. I moaned right along with him, alternating from one armpit to the other, teasing his shaft with my fingers. When I glanced up, Joel peered at me with half closed eyes, and his thick, soft lips seemed to be asking for a kiss. He willingly let me slide my tongue in and along side his. He sighed as I moved lower to suck the heated skin below his Adam’s apple. I reached back, taking his hand off my head and placing it back over his, shaking my head no. I couldn’t seem to get enough of Joel’s hot, sweaty, squirming body as my thigh ran over his cock while pinching and tweaking his nipples. I knew he wouldn’t last long once my lips wrapped around his shaft. That was exactly how I wanted it to be. I wanted to get him off fast, get him nice and relaxed before I explained my rude behavior and the reasons for it. I noticed how sharply the thick, dark hair on his legs contrasted to the pale blond fuzz on mine as I shifted to spread his further apart. His cock was pointing up, a string of pre-cum connecting it to his abs. He jerked and squirmed even more as I pressed my tongue against his balls. I felt his hands on my head, attempting to guide me to his cock. “Joel, either you raise those hands above your head, and let me get you off my way, or the only satisfaction your cock will get will be from your hand.” I chuckled at how quickly he released his hold. He grumbled unintelligibly, but the tone was clearly pleading with me. Tilting my head, I slowly opened my lips and sucked his hardness into my wet, hungry mouth. I coated him with saliva, continuing to descend until he was completely inside, poking at my throat. The sucking sounds became louder the faster I bobbed my head. His vocalizations grew in frequency as his hips attempted to push in deeper. No longer did I want to tease and extend his agony. Now it was all about coaxing a deliciously creamy load from his balls. Running my tongue along his cock as it slid in and out of my mouth, I stroked his inner thighs lightly. His ass lifted up off the bed as I worked my magic. The feeling of having control over Joel, of controlling his sexual need and urgency, was intense. His pubic bone smashed against my nose while he grunted, sending a signal for me to get ready to accept his seed. I sucked down harder, licking his cock as it throbbed and jerked. His howl of ecstasy was perfectly timed with the first gush of semen. I swallowed around his girth eliciting yet another grunt, yet another spurt of cream. I sucked and swallowed until his body began to relax, eventually releasing his softening cock, and moving to lay along side him, kissing his neck. I rested my face on his shoulder, my lips inches from his ear and waited. I could hear his breathing slow; I sensed his heartbeat softening through the palm of my hand as it lay on his hairy chest. Opening my eyes enough to see his closed, I thought about what I wanted to express to Joel while he rested. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I felt his hand run along the side of my body. This time when I looked, his eyes were open, and he was smiling back at me. Now I could begin my apology and attempt to explain my actions, my feelings of earlier in the day. “Joel,” my voice soft, wanting him to know I was sincere, “I was way out of line at the barbeque. I’m not sure what got into me. I guess it was a combination of things. I wanted you to accept my friends, and I wanted my friends to accept you.” The deep green of his eyes seemed to beckon me on. All right, Dev, I said to myself, you can be yourself now, just tell this him how you feel. “I don’t hide my sexuality, but my friends…they’ve never seen me with a guy. Frankly, I’ve never been with a guy I wanted to introduce to my friends. I guess…I guess I was over-eager to show you off.” I could feel my heartbeat speeding up. I wanted to be honest, but I didn’t want to piss him off, either. “And I was hypersensitive about what they’d think. Especially when you mimicked Robbie.” He was quiet for one long, drawn-out moment. “You don’t think your friends will take you seriously if they believe you’re with a flaming queen,” he finally said. Trust a lawyer to get right to the heart of the argument. His tone didn’t condemn, but neither did it approve of my prejudice. Shit, fuck, piss. Was that strike one for me…or a strike out? “Pretty much, yeah. Look, it was a knee-jerk reaction,” I said quickly, “maybe due to my upbringing or just social pressure. Either way, I didn’t like myself acting like that. Truth to tell, I was…kinda surprised.” “You’ve never really tested how open you are about being bi, have you?” I winced. Got in it in one. “Not really. I thought I was more out than that, but I guess not. I mean it’s weird. I don’t give a shit what strangers think. But when it comes to my friends…I guess it matters to me.” Another pause. “Believe it or not, I can understand where you’re coming from. I worry about what others think too, which is why I’m not completely out myself. If I’ve learned anything it’s that I can’t censor myself to please others, not even those I want to please. I’m not like Robbie, but I don’t know that I’ll always act like you want me to. Can you be okay with that?” There is was: the deal breaker. I’d never had anyone be so upfront with me about it. I could feel his fingers run through my hair and his lips kissing the top of my head, trying to soften the blow. I wanted to lie, string him out and milk the relationship for all it was worth. With anyone else, I might have, but I couldn’t do that to Joel. “I…don’t know,” I confessed. “Look, I’ve only been with a few guys, but my first, my college roommate…all we did was fuck around. We didn’t even hang out together. Just studied for exams and screwed and that’s pretty much the way I’ve viewed guys ever since. I figure they want sex like I want sex and that’s all we’re going to have.” It wasn’t the biggest revelation of my life, but it wasn’t one I’d examined up close either. I was equal opportunity at first glance, guy or girl, if I liked them I wanted to bed them. But with the girls, I also thought about what might happen afterwards. Males didn’t get that consideration. At least, they hadn’t up until now. Up until last night. I added, with a forced chuckle. “There was this one gorgeous hunk I showed a house to. We exchanged looks in the kitchen, kisses in the bedroom, and blowjobs in the rec room. He didn’t buy the house, but he did say I was the best real estate agent he’d ever met.” Joel laughed, and I felt a relieved break in the tension. I relaxed at last and concentrated on his body touching mine. “Girls are the ones I’ve had relationships with and while I haven’t thought much about living happily ever after, I always kinda assumed I’d end up with a woman. Not that the idea of ending up with a guy feels bad or wrong or anything like that…” “What does it feel like?” he softly asked. “New and a little strange, like being without a compass. Like today, how do you introduce your sexy new guy to your friends…and let them know that you’re going to be giving that kind of a relationship a try? That you want them to take it seriously?” I rested my head on Joel’s wonderful pelt of chest hair and listened to his heart. I hoped he understood, because I’d never confessed so much to anyone. “Well, this is a mess,” he finally sighed. “What?” “You want me to provide a road map for us, but this is almost as new for me as it is for you.” He ruffled my hair. “You’re my first bi-sexual.” *Joel* I lay there, feeling the tension that had built up inside of him drain away slower than I would have liked. It was clear that he wasn’t used to introspection and didn’t like it much, especially when it wasn’t a private examination. I wondered what I could say, or do, to put him at ease. It seemed as if a lawyer ought to be able to find just the right words. “Well, the first one to stick around longer than their erection. I always knew I was gay, and as soon as I could, I cruised that scene. I've had the odd bi-curious guy, but they always wanted a quick fuck. A couple of them wouldn’t even kiss. Said it was too intimate. To be honest, I didn’t expect to see you again after Friday night. I expected you to blow me off the next day even before you came on full force in the elevator.” I sensed his tension mounting again, and felt that I must be saying something wrong, or maybe the conversation was getting too heavy for him. It seemed it was time to pull out the big guns. Rolling myself in his direction, I straddled his hips and settled my ass firmly on his half-hard cock. The look of surprise on his face made me smile as I covered his chest with my own, pressing us together nipple to nipple, our noses nearly touching. “So, what I’m babbling on about is that I’m flying as blind as you are. I’ve only had two actual relationships, both with purely gay men, so the problems that we’ll encounter aren’t likely to be ones I’ve dealt with before.” Sinking my fingers into his hair, I felt his hands gliding up the outsides of my thighs to grip my hips. I enjoyed the sensation of him coming fully erect beneath me as I spoke once more, “We’re just going to have to take it as it comes and figure it out together. For my own part, I’m quite smitten with the part of you that you’ve let me see so far. No, uhh…pun intended.” I’d let my lips butterfly kiss his on the word “smitten”, and ground against his hard on when I said “pun”. He huffed loudly, nearly grunting, and raised his head to catch my mouth with his own. This was no sweetly tender kiss; it was unadulterated passion. His hips rolled underneath me like the deck of a ship, mirroring the way the raw, animal hunger churned inside of him. I rode the swelling waves of his growing ardor, growling into his mouth when he squeezed my cheeks with both hands and pulled them apart so his hard shaft could slip between them. I was rigid as rebar again, and my body ached with emptiness. Tearing myself away from his demanding mouth, I said, “There’s only one thing I absolutely have to know before we go any further, Muffinman.” He groaned loud and long. Letting go of my ass, he looking into my eyes and demanded, “What, Joel, what do you need to know now?” his exasperation came through crystal clear, and I couldn’t keep from grinning. “What do you have around here that we can use for lube? ‘Cause if you don’t have anything we’re just gonna have to rough it.” “Oh,” he breathed, throw off stride by my question, “Uh…I’ve got a bottle in the nightstand.” I moved over to the one he’d looked at, and opened the drawer. Pulling out a good-sized bottle of KY, I scooted back to reclaim my position. Sitting on his thighs, I carefully warmed the slick liquid between my palms before heavily coating his cock. When I reached around to ready myself he stopped me, saying he wanted to do it. I scraped the KY onto his fingers from mine as he sat up and moved in so we pressed against each other again. He pulled one of my cheeks to the side, and I felt the cool gel cover my eager hole. I could tell how anxious he was when he immediately pushed two fingers in instead of starting with one. Grunting, I bit down on his shoulder as I pushed back against his hand, needing more. “Did I hurt you?” he asked, sounding concerned. “Hell no, it feels incredible. Give me another,” is what I told him, as I mouthed his neck and gripped his back. It burned when he added a third to the first two, but it was the pain of impending pleasure. My dick twitched between us, releasing a heavy trickle of pre-cum onto his stomach. I squirted more lube onto his fingers when he asked for it. He’d only just gotten the second coat of KY in when I decided that I couldn’t wait any more. The thickness of his fingers felt unbelievable, but it wasn’t enough. I needed deep penetration. Pushing gently on his shoulders I said, “That’s good, Dev, I’m ready,” and slid further into his lap as he lay back. He gripped the tops of my thighs, while I positioned him at my opening. I pushed down slowly and felt him slipping past the ultra sensitive ring of muscle. As soon as I was certain his glans was seated, I moved my hand out of the way and dropped onto him hard, wanting to get any initial discomfort over with. He gasped, grinding his pelvis up to meet my decent. I was holding my breath, but lost it in a gush as a fiery buzz of pleasure burned through me as his crown ran across my prostate. My cock, leaning at a forty-five degree angle, jerked up nearly to my stomach as it drooled more viscous fluid onto Devlin’s abs. “God…yeah…that’s what I’m talking about!” I ground out huskily through clenched teeth, while bracing myself on Devlin’s pecs and rolling my hips. Covering his chest once more, I assaulted his mouth with my own and rode him fiercely. He surprised me when he rolled us, taking the control from me. I laughed and said, “Oh, yeah…that’s it, Beautiful. Fuck me like you never would a woman,” as I tucked my heels against the small of his back and pulled his mouth back to mine. *Devlin* “Your wish is my command,” I said. This is what I’d lusted for all along, Joel on his back, my cock buried deep. But, damn, if my imagination had fallen short. Way short. The heat and tightness of Joel’s ass was incredible, and the way he looked, lying there, moaning, abs rippling. I’d never seen anything so hot. I gripped the back of his thighs pushing them back until they pressed against skin giving me complete access to him. I pulled slowly back, feeling the walls of his ass grasp my cock attempting to pull me back inside. I tugged at the hair on his chest as I pushed back, the mushroom head rubbing against his prostate. His moan was only one indication that he was enjoying this. He reached up, pulling on my neck until my mouth covered his. The rough texture of his tongue ran across my gums urging me to continue. I could feel his erection pressed tightly between our bodies, each thrust of my hips squeezing more pre-cum out. I pulled off his mouth, my eyes feasting on his body, his expression submissive, as if he wanted to be my little fuck toy. “Yeah, you like feeling my cock.” I slammed in until my hips slapped his thighs hard, his head pushed up against the headboard. “Fuck,” I grunted feeling myself bottom out before pulling back nice and slow. Wrapping my hand around his cock, I thumbed the head as I pulled back slowly, watching my lubed cock appear. Looking up, I saw his eyes roll back. I had him where I wanted him: spread out before me, taking my cock and so very close to begging. I pushed back in, feeling the walls of his ass spread as I bit down on his nipple, pulling back as if I’d never let go. His back bowed and his body squirmed sideways. “Shit, c’mon, just do it. I can’t take this, fuck, damn…” he said plaintively. I let go of his nipple and looked up with a devilish grin before pressing my lips against his, shoving my tongue in deep enough to feel the opening of his throat. I braced my body with my arms stretched while my hips continued to roll. “Oh, I’m gonna take you…I’m making your ass mine. You’ll never want anyone else inside you when I’m through.” Once again, I gripped his thighs, this time tighter, as my hips began to increase in speed. Sweat ran down my back and chest, the heat of his ass transferring through my body. He stroked his engorged dick in time with my thrusts. I could barely see the deep green of his eyes as his head thrashed side to side. His hips lifted to meet mine, his inner muscles gripping onto me while he fucked his hand furiously. My balls ached as they slapped his ass, so hard and tight they hurt. Joel’s were just as hard, it wouldn’t be much longer before our orgasm overtook us. I reached down, pinching and pulling his nipples, while encouraging him to come for me. First, I felt his ass clenching down, then saw his cock jerk, his teeth grind, and his back flex. He spouted out a few more curses before his cock began spewing thick, white cream, shooting with such ferocity it landed on his chest. “Goddamn!” I ground against him, rubbing his prostate with my cock as he rode his orgasm for all it was worth. Before he finished emptying his balls, I felt the surge in my own. I pumped fast, feeling him grip me, milking the come from my balls. My orgasm was more intense than anticipated, and my body took over, needing to ride the sensations to their fullest. I jerked and grunted as I shot my cream deep inside him. Our bodies streamed with sweat, his hole felt slick and slimy with a mixture of lube and come. I let go of his thighs and slumped on top of him, our cheeks touching as we panted into each other’s ears. He brought his arms around me, one across my back, the other resting on my ass. “Goddamn, you’re a sweet fuck, Joel.” *Joel* It was amazing how good I felt lying under him, his weight pressing me into his firm mattress. I enjoyed the sense of closeness until my chest and stomach started itching too much. I suggested we clean up a bit and untangled myself from him to retrieve a couple wet washcloths. After we cleaned up, I tossed the rags onto some of the clothes we’d strewn around the room. We talked about ourselves, playing the question game and telling anecdotes as the room slowly grew darker, until the only light left came from the green, glowing numerals on the bedside clock. That’s the last thing I recall before waking to muted morning light. Then it had read a little after nine p.m. and now it said half past five in the morning. Devlin lay partially on his stomach, and I covered half of his warm back, my eager morning wood pressed into his glute. With my head pillowed on his shoulder blade, the beat of his heart and breathing sounded strong in my ear. He shifted slightly, his restless legs moving mine too, and I realized that that’s what woke me. Shifting my own position a bit, I covered more of his back with my chest, nestling my rigid cock against his cleft. Grazing my palm over every bit of skin I could reach, I nibbled along the curve of his shoulder and neck. I heard him draw in a long breath then murmur quietly as he shifted again, rolling up onto his side. The move pushed his ass harder against my cock, making me shudder a little. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 04 My phone started going ape shit on the dresser across the room. The only time it vibrates that hard is when a call is marked urgent. I huffed, annoyed at the interruption, but knowing that it would take a while to stop bouncing around over there if I didn’t shut it off. I didn’t want it to wake Dev, so I carefully disentangled myself from his body. Regretting that I had to leave his warmth for even a minute, I hurried over and snatched it up. Flipping it open, I saw I had a text message, not a call. “It just better not be the boss, ‘cause if he thinks I’m comin’ in today he’s sadly mistaken. It’s not gonna happen!” I mumbled to myself while opening the message. It wasn’t my boss; I almost wish it had been. That at least I could put right out of my mind. A note from Eric, on the other hand, asking if we could meet for coffee and catch up, wasn’t so easy to blow off as if it hadn’t happened. I’ve never gone soft so fast in my life. “Fuck you, you fuckin’ fuck! There’s no fuckin’ way I’m fuckin’ interested in seeing your skanky fuckin’ ass. You can téigh trasna ort féin, you striapach!” I muttered to the words on the screen, calling him a whore and suggesting he go fuck himself, as I deleted the message. I must have been louder than I thought, or Dev was more awake than I thought, because I heard him shift on the bed, turning toward me. “Who’s that, sexy? What’s wrong?” his voice was rough with sleep. Turning my phone off, and setting it back down; I crawled back under the sheet saying, “Nothing and no one that either of us needs to worry about, babe. Now come here,” I pulled him up against my chest, running my hand through his hair and to the back of his neck, “I need to kiss me an angel good morning.” He chuckled sleepily, and melted against me, returning my kiss. He started to say something, cleared his throat, and tried again, “Man, I’m starving…and horny,” he sounded surprised by the last, “I was having the tastiest dream a minute ago. We were doing it in IHOP like a couple depraved rabbits and I was scarfing down Belgian waffles.” “God in Heaven! That’s one for the dream diary,” I said. I pushed him onto his back and slapped his firm abs just hard enough to sting. “I’m gonna take a shower then we can refuel.” *Devlin* I listened to Joel in the shower, feeling strangely—right. Usually, there’s a point in these “morning after” moments when I feel restless. Like there’s an intruder in my house. Joel didn’t feel that way. He felt like he’d always been a part of my life. Slipping into the living room, I booted up my laptop. Deb and Brian had probably been checking their email all last night waiting for some word from me. I hoped I could properly put into words what I wanted to say. I didn’t want to come across as a blithering idiot. Deb, Intervention may be necessary. Biker boy has me in his thrall. Did you like him? Did Brian like him? Should I stay or run? Please send advice or National Guard. P.S. Sorry for the dramatic entrance and asshole behavior. I’ve been suffering from testosterone overload. Love ya! Dev I hit the send button just as Joel came out of the shower, toweling himself dry. “What’cha say we make your dream come true, Muffinman? Breakfast at IHOP?” “Sounds like the start of a relationship,” I grinned, and shut the laptop. I’d meant that jokingly, but it turned out to be the truth. I don’t know which one of us had decided it, but that week and the next, we tried to move ourselves beyond the bedroom. I started that Sunday by showing Joel around my favorite park, the one with the hiking trails and hidden grottos. So, okay, I didn’t quite leave the bedroom behind. There was something about the sight of Joel, tee shirt bunched up under his arms, jeans jerked down about his hairy thighs, cock rising up beside the wildflowers—it drove me crazy. I’d planned on being quick, not wanting to give any fellow hikers an eyeful, but the taste of Joel’s musky cock mixed with the fragrance of crushed grass was too intoxicating. I licked and slurped and nuzzled my way up and down from piss-slit to furry nuts. His moans mingled with the hypnotic buzz of insects and the whisper of the wind in the trees. His strong body undulated under me, hips thrusting. I came off him long enough to chew his rubbery nipples, and smooth down his hairy chest. To kiss him deep and hard, before returning to his navel and follow his sweet treasure trail back down. Finally, I took him into my throat. He shuddered and spurted, his cream thick and sweet as honey. He got his revenge later on that week when we met up at the zoo. He blew me in the reptile room. It was a strange time. Part of what had worried me in having a relationship with a guy was how to act. With girls, I was always pretty macho, paying for dinner, opening doors, killing spiders. They cooked while I added motor oil to the car, that sort of thing. That was the way I liked it and why I always picked ultra-feminine women. With Joel, it was like being with a partner or that best friend in high school. Every morning we shared the shaving cream and straightened out each other’s ties. Every evening we lifted weights and spotted each other in the gym. Joel cooked dinner, being a darn sight better in the kitchen than me, but he also worked on the motorcycle while I handed him the tools. We alternated where we spent the night, his place or mine, and we walked together to Espresso Yourself every morning. The baristas behind the counter were charmed by our evident romance, and had our coffees ready and together on the counter. Off to work. We e-mailed each other throughout the day and video chatted during lunch. Now and then, we met up at the Lounge Lizard. If I got there first, I made sure to have a scotch waiting for Joel and the jukebox playing Patsy Cline. I could not believe how good it was going. There was only one odd thing. Joel kept getting these calls. His phone would vibrate, he’d glance at it, and I swear his face would darken. I asked him about it once. He insisted they were nothing, but I saw him angrily erasing the messages. Two weeks later, on Friday night, we met Deb and Brian at Buon Mangia for dinner. Deb had emailed me back that first Sunday: Adore Biker Boy. He’s one-in-a-million. Lose him and we’ll be forced to kill you. Love Deb and Brian. I was really glad to get a second chance at introducing Joel to them. Just us, no pressure. Brian and I traded tales of our wanton youth, stories that had Joel and Deb falling over laughing, crying into their napkins. It was going great, until Joel’s phone rang. He sobered up at the first ring, but visibly relaxed after pulling it out and glancing at the name. “Would you excuse me for a second, please? I need to take this.” He slipped out of the booth. “What’s that about?” Brian asked. “I wish I knew,” I murmured. “I think it might be one of his brothers or sisters,” I added. This wasn’t the time or place to lay out my worries to Deb and Brian. “Have you met any of his family?” Deb asked. “I get introduced next Saturday.” Joel’s parents had made the voyage from Ireland in ’61, leaving a crowded, dirt-poor and oppressive part of the Green Isles for the freedom and golden opportunities of America. They were just teenagers at the time, in love with this mythical country where an Irish-Catholic boy could grow up to be president. They’d worked at the worst jobs, saving their pennies until they were able to open their own pub, which they’d run ever since. All this while raising five kids, Joel being the youngest. Now Papa O’Shaughnessy was retiring and passing on the keys to the pub to his daughter, Rosie, and son, Matthew. It was at this soirée that Joel planned to introduce me to the family. Joy! “They’ll love you,” Brian said slapping me on the back. No hiding from him how anxious I was. “Just don’t be yourself.” “Very funny.” Joel returned and we all went back to my place to talk, staying up way too late. Deb and Brian finally left and Joel and I finally crashed. For all that, I got Joel up early the next day. I had something special planned. “Where are we going?” he asked. He’d seen me sneaking around, and I’d left the apartment while he was in the shower. “We’re celebrating our two week anniversary,” I told him. “A milestone,” he laughed, “and the skeptics said it would never last.” I grinned, but I wondered if he knew how true that was. I’d have never imagined I’d still be with my Java-man two weeks later. I certainly wouldn’t have believed that I’d be having what I’d never dreamed possible: a relationship like Brian and Deb’s. Friendly, fun, the sex still hot as ever. I knew one thing; I didn’t want it to end. In me was a kind of quiet desperation to hold onto this, hold on tight and never let go. We arrived at the park and I was rewarded by Joel’s surprise when I pulled out a picnic basket. “You can haul this, Biker-boy.” I handed it over and got out a blanket. A walk from the lot across the main meadow brought us to a large stage and crowd of people seated on blankets and lawn chairs. The band on stage, most of them wearing cowboy hats, was warming up. A lot of the people had brought their own picnics, some had even brought hibachis and the smell of hamburgers filled the air. I spread out the blanket and Joel started to remove food from the basket like treasures from a chest. “What the fuck—?” he breathed, pulling out grilled sausage sandwiches wrapped in foil. They were smothered in melted cheese and marinara sauce. There was an asparagus salad, a bottle of wine, and, yes, the tiramisu-for-two. “Ordered it up last night from Buon. You didn’t think I was going to make lunch, did you?” “You fucker! I can’t believe this!” “Wait till you hear the music.” His face went from suspicious to astonished as the band, after welcoming the crowd and introducing themselves, started on their first song: Heartaches. “It’s a Pasty Cline tribute concert,” I told him then, and laughed. Damn. Making someone else happy was fun! “How’d you find out about this?” he asked. “Mark—you remember him from the barbeque? He’s a Country fan. I asked him about concerts and he let me know about this one. Serendipity, huh?” We ate our sandwiches, drank our wine and listened as different stars appeared and sang Patsy’s most famous tunes. It was only when intermission arrived that our afternoon hit a snag. “Ah, shit!” “What?” Joel asked. “I forgot the coffee! I was going to get us a thermos from Espresso, but I just spaced on it.” I shook my head chagrined. “You wouldn’t have forgotten.” “Damn right,” he grinned, “No sweat though. There’s a coffee cart over there.” He leaned over to kiss me, his lips warming mine until my pulse beat in my ears. “This is the best afternoon!” he whispered, breath hot. “I’m going to have to think of something extra special for when we get back home.” He stood and stepped over my outstretched legs saying, “Don’t you dare touch that dessert till I get back,” his tone implying dire consequences for disobedience. “You’d better hurry then,” I called after him as he walked away. I admired his ass, outlined by his tight jeans, swaying mockingly, teasing me. I watched him stroll over the grass, around blankets, until his dark head was lost in the crowd. My cock was twitching and my body was humming with anticipation. I could still smell Joel’s cologne in the air. Shit. I wanted him now! A buzz. It startled me and, at first, I wasn’t sure what it was. Then it came again, and again. Joel’s phone. He’d removed it from his pocket along with his keys when he sat down. I glanced over quickly in the direction he’d gone, nervous, uncertain. Then I snatched it up. Eric. The name in the window was Eric. Eric? That was Joel’s last boyfriend. He hadn’t said much about the man except that they’d broken up after a three-year relationship. Had Eric been the one phoning him all this week? No wonder Joel had looked so disturbed. The phone buzzed in my hand yet again. I knew it was wrong, but I opened it up. It was a text message. I glanced about for Joel then quickly pressed the buttons to pull it up. Meet u week from this coming fri. If u r not there I’ll stop calling. Meet him? Meet him where? I nervously glanced around again. Joel was nowhere to be seen. Trembling, I pressed the buttons to erase the message. I quickly set the phone down, and lay back on the blanket. Ten minutes later Joel arrived, his shadow blocking the sun. He had two cups of coffee in hand. “Hey, Biker-boy,” I smiled up at him. “Ready for dessert?” *Joel* Over the next two weeks, spent almost exclusively in Dev’s company, I felt increasingly as if I were dancing through clouds, every one with a brightly shining, silver lining. The occasional thunderhead did make brief appearances on the horizon thought, in the form of calls or text messages from Eric. I never took the calls, and erased the messages without responding, but they kept coming. I’d put them out of my mind most of the time, but I couldn’t keep from fretting about them at odd moments when my thoughts weren’t occupied by Devlin. One night, I found myself asking God why he was doing this to me. Lying there with Dev curled up against my side, his warm breath washing across my chest and his heartbeat against my ribs a counter point to my own; I prayed Eric wouldn’t ruin my life a second time. Just the thought of this incredible person not being next to me made my chest tighten, and my throat constrict and burn. I didn’t know how it’d happened, but Devlin had managed to fill the empty caverns that Eric had left in my heart. I’d barely survived losing love the first time, and something inside told me that this was my last chance. I knew that I couldn’t withstand a second trip through Hell and come out the other side capable of trusting again. Mostly though, I walked around with a smile in my heart, feeling like sunrise was finally sending light through the nightmare my life had been. It must have showed clearly, because my secretary commented on it one morning after taking my lunch order. “I’m so glad to see you in love again,” she’d said. “You’ve been such a Gloomy Gus since you and Eric split up, I wondered if you were even going to try again. Whoever this Devlin is—I just hope he knows what he’s got.” She scooted out quickly, not waiting for me to respond. I sat there for several minutes, too stunned to do anything. I’d never told her I was gay, and I’d certainly never told her that Eric was my lover. I thought I’d played him off as a friend successfully until that moment. I thought Devlin had been taken as a friend, too, for that matter. I began to wonder if I’d been fooling anyone but myself about being in the closet at work. I got a second chance to meet Deb and Brian. Knowing how important they were to Devlin, I did my best to put everything negative out of my mind. I was working until my phone rang and Eric sprang back into my head. Luckily, it was my Mam, and I knew why she was calling. I excused myself briefly to take it. “Hey, Mam. How’s every little thing?” “That’s what I’m calling about, Sweetling. Did you put in the order for that special cake like I asked you to?” “Yes, Ma’am, I surely did. I didn’t go to that bakery you said though. I’m getting Massimo, Buon Mangia’s pastry chef, to make it.” She sounded pleased about that, wondering why she didn’t think of it herself, and I thought it was a good time to bring up the fact that I’d have a guest coming to Pop’s party. “Will you, now? And would we know this person?” “No.” “I see…would he have a name then?” “No, everyone just calls him, ‘Heyyou’,” I quipped with a chuckle. “Well, now…would you listen to yourself being a cheeky, little bastard to your loving mother? If that’s your new beau’s influence on you, I can’t wait to meet him.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “His name’s Devlin, and you’ll love him, Mam. He’s great, believe me.” “We’ll see. If he loves you, then I’ll love him, I’m sure.” “It’s too early to be talking about love. It’s only been a couple weeks.” “Too early to be talking about it, maybe, but not too early for me to hear it in your voice.” I sighed, not knowing what to say. My mother could always peg me without any effort. “Alright, love, I’m dropping it. I just hope your young man is strong enough to take the Hell this family’s gonna put him through till he’s proved hisself.” “So do I.” When I returned to the table, everyone was ready to head out, so we paid the bill and headed back to our building where the four of us spent the rest of the evening talking with music playing softly in the background. The next day Devlin surprised me with a picnic and concert in the park to celebrate our two-week anniversary. I couldn’t believe he was so thoughtful, especially since I hadn’t thought to do anything for it. I was used to being the one who came up with such things, and it threw me off stride a little. In a good way. At intermission, I went to get us some coffee to go with the tiramisu and encountered Robbie, here with Mark I assumed, who nearly managed to ruin my day. “Oh my God, Joel!” he called when he spotted me in the coffee vendor’s line. “Oh my God, Robbie,” I replied, mimicking his tone and flamboyant body language. He shook his head, tysking at me and making a no-no sign with one finger, “I’d be careful about doing that sort of thing, Sweetie. Haven’t you figured it out by now? Acting like that is what had Superbutch acting so pissy at the barbeque.” “Old news, Robbie. We talked about all that.” “Is the right?” He sighed heavily, rolling his eyes as if I were so stupid he needed to consider if it was worth trying to enlighten me. “I don’t know how you’ve lasted this long with him. I’m sure you know by now that he doesn’t like me much; in fact, he barely stands me. It’s not because I’m not a likeable fellow either, it’s because he can’t abide queens. I’d say he was a homophobe if he didn’t brag about his hookups with men. That’s what men are to him, hookups, and not just any man. No, the way he describes them, they’ve all been the Marlboro Man. Strangely enough, all of his women are Betty-fucking-Crocker. “I still can’t believe he even brought you to meet us. He’s never done that before.” I couldn’t help but grin over his indignant tone. “I’d even begun to wonder if he was telling fibs about his male conquests. I sure hope you’re not just another notch on his bedpost. If you want my honest opinion—” I didn’t, but knew I’d get it regardless. “—I don’t think most of his butt boys are even real people to him. They never have names. It’s always ‘this guy’. ‘This guy’ he saw in the grocery store, he showed a house to ‘this guy’. ‘This guy’ had a great ass, ‘that guy’ had a huge penis, or a sexy, hairy chest, whatever favorite attribute caught his eye.” “And that’s how he talks about me? Is that your point?” “Amazingly enough, no,” he said, sounding genuinely surprised. “He’s never once mentioned sex where you’re concerned, which makes me wonder if you’re even doing the deed, despite that little bathroom scene at Brian’s, and I have no idea how big your dick is.” He eyed me up and down as he said that. “All we ever hear about is your dates; absolutely no spice at all.” That made me happy. If Dev wasn’t telling tales then he wasn’t lumping me in with the other men he’d been with. Robbie broke into my thoughts, “You should’ve blown him, or even let him fuck you in the monkey house when you went to the zoo. He’s an exhibitionist to a large degree, and doing it with him in places where there’s a danger of being caught at it will definitely keep him interested.” When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 04 I laughed, thinking how close Robbie’d come to hitting the nail on the head. “I’ll remember that. Hell, maybe I’ll fuck him in the monkey house, eh?” “Like Hell, you will!” he said emphatically. “That boy is a confirmed top. Mark told me that he asked him about it once and he’d said that the day he let someone bust a nut in his ass, was the day he’d sign up for a sex change since his dick would have already fallen off anyway.” I didn’t like the sound of that. I wasn’t an aggressive top, but I was used to it. Eric always preferred bottoming; sometimes I’d nearly had to beg him to top. I’d been hoping Devlin would want to try receiving once I got him used to the idea, convinced that he’d like it. I wondered if Robbie was actually trying to be helpful and warn me, or if he was deliberately trying to undermine my growing confidence in my relationship with Devlin. I didn’t know if he was habitually sarcastic and catty or not. “Well, you don’t have to worry about me and Devlin, because I’m Betty Cocker. I ride a Harley, and I cook, so he doesn’t need anything that I don’t have.” I wished I felt as confidant as I sounded. That’s one of the advantages of being a lawyer. It’s not necessary to believe what you’re saying to sound like you mean every word of it. When I got back to Devlin, the music was just getting started again. I gave him the coffee, and settled myself behind him, enfolding him in my arms, needing the contact. Especially needing him to let me do it. I held the desert container while he fed it to the both of us, leaving each of us a hand free to hang onto our drinks. The kisses I placed on the back of his neck, cold from my coffee and sticky from the desert, made him shiver and laugh. When we’d eaten two thirds of the tiramisu, I made him put it away, saying that I wanted to save the rest for a snack later in bed. His breath caught in his throat when I whispered that into his ear, and I knew he knew exactly what I intended. Amazing as that Saturday was, I prepared myself for things to finally start tapering off. Surely Dev was getting tired of me by now. To my surprise, however, our relationship got even better in that third week, from lolling on the couch with our laptops catching up on work to playing Scrabble for a blowjob. As a lawyer and a logophile, I was sure I’d win that game hands down. Much to my chagrin, Dev beat me easy (“Quitclaim” was his winning word. Damn real-estate vocabulary), which meant he got to decide who got the blowjob. “Off with the clothes, Sexy,” he said, even I demanded a rematch, and then, shoving me on the couch, he sunk to his knees and gave my hard, aching dick the most loving attention it’d ever known. He told me it got him off knowing that I was watching him taking down my cock. He also, miracle of miracles, got me out of the house. I become something of a hermit in the last couple of years and wasn’t sure I was ready to venture out into the big, wide world, but Dev’s determination was greater than my own. He took us on an evening run for frozen yogurt, to a midnight showing of a film we’d wanted to see and even insisted we go to the local farmers’ market, which I'd never attended, but very much wanted to. Dev didn’t say a word when I ended up dragging home three bags of fresh produce. He just took two off my hands and shook his head when I tried to apologize for going overboard “I did this for me, Biker-boy,” he insisted with that boyish grin of his. “It’s my way of getting you to cook us dinner.” As if all this wasn’t enough, I was still hopelessly in lust with my golden guy. Spotting for him as he lifted weights at the gym, I’d stare, enthralled, at the way his teeshirt rose up, bearing his sweaty abs. And every morning I’d watch him get dressed, loving that moment when his pressed slacks came up over his tight ass. The morning of Pop’s party I woke with my cheek resting on Devlin’s shoulder blade. We always seemed to fall asleep with him holding me, and wake up with me holding him. I wondered if it was because he felt more comforted while he was asleep to be held rather than to hold, or if I was trying to assert I was equally masculine like I kept doing when we made love. I was still subtly trying to encourage the idea of him letting me have him. I was going slowly, asking with actions rather than words. I hoped his body would tell me when he was ready to take that step, until then I just had to be patient. I wasn’t feeling very patient this morning though. He had his ass snuggled against my morning wood, his crack cradling it in a warm invitation that was almost more than I could say no to. Aching to be inside of him, I stroked my fingers over his nipples, while grazing my teeth over the crook of his neck. His nipples hardened into nubs as goose flesh rose across his shoulders; I felt the shiver that ran down his back. He sighed softly when I lifted his upper leg onto mine so I could run my hand up the inside of his thigh to cup his lightly furred sack. Massaging his balls gently, I nuzzled my lips into the back of his neck, right at his hairline. It didn’t matter that he was undulating his hips, slowly working my shaft between his firm cheeks, because I knew that he wasn’t fully awake and didn’t know what he was inviting me to do. Having him right now would be taking advantage of him, and he’d probably never forgive me for it, but I was so tempted to do it anyway. I spotted the bottle of KY on the edge of the bed, on the verge of falling to the floor, and wondered if we could come to a compromise that would satisfy my anxious need to be inside of him without pushing him to do something he wasn’t ready for yet. Reaching past him, I grabbed the bottle then leaned away from him, nearly rolling onto my back. He started to roll with me, trying to stay in contact with me, but I kept him on his side, telling him I just needed a second. He was more awake, but still groggy, when I pressed up against his back once more, moving his legs so they were together and asking him to squeeze them together while I lifted my leg on top of his. “What? Why?” he asked sleepily. “I’m just—I just need to…” I panted into his ear as I hesitantly began to slide my aching, heavily lubricated dick between his legs, right at the juncture of his thighs. “What are you doing?” he said, sounding more awake as he looked over his shoulder. “Please, I really need this. Just trust me,” I said huskily against his cheek. Pushing harder, I glided forward as I wrapped my lube-coated palm around his shaft. After a couple of thrusts, I adjusted the angle so my dick would push against his perineum to massage his prostate externally. I stroked my thumb over his glans. He exhaled loudly in a hiss, his hips jerked, then angled so the head of my cock would jab his prostate harder before skidding forward. I was surprised at how good this felt. It wasn’t exactly what I was craving, but it was better than a hand or blowjob because I wasn’t lying docile while it was done to me. I was free to thrust as it pleased me, so it simulated the freedom and control of topping him well enough that I could nearly forget that I was clamped between his thighs, rather than buried in his ass. Gripping his cock harder, I began stroking him firmly from base to tip, rotating my fist around his helmet each time my hand reached the apex. I felt his legs tighten, his inner thigh muscles clenching around my pistoning shaft as he began driving his cock through my fingers. Growling almost loud enough to drown out his grunting breaths, I bit down on his shoulder and thrust harder between his tightly clamped legs. He reached back and clutched my hip as his back bowed, his moan merging with my continued growl. “Oh, man…yeah, yeah…fuck…I—Goddamn,” I stuttered into the crook of his neck between grunts. I felt myself rushing toward the precipice faster than I wanted to, but couldn’t make myself slow down. Intense pleasure crawled from the head of my cock, down into my inner thighs and up into my stomach, becoming a core of quivering tension that trembled on the ragged edge of bursting into pure gratification. It broke like surface tension, flooding through me like water through a burst dike. His cock throbbed in my fist, streams of sticky come bursting through my fingers. All I could do for several minutes afterward was gasp and shudder, while clutching him to my chest and hoping he wasn’t pissed at me. *Devlin * Oh, Jesus! Oh, Jesus fucking Christ! I was trembling, and I swear my guts had turned to water. It was all Joel’s doing and I didn’t know what to think. It had started with a dream of Joel fondling and spooning me, heavenly sensations. I remembered trying to keep close to him, murmuring something when he kept me on my side, as he reached over me. Then I’d felt his thick, hard cock poking between my ass cheeks, no dream, and an adrenaline spike woke me up. I almost panicked. “What are you doing?” “Please,” he’d said in my ear, his stubbled cheek rasping against mine, “I really need this. Just trust me.” Trust? Trust him? Fuck! My heart was racing now, but as frightening as it was to feel his cock, now slippery with lubrication, gliding between my thighs, it was also exciting. Exciting in a way I didn’t want to admit, exciting to have Joel in complete control, his steely arms enfolding me, his slick hand jacking my rod. His cock slid back and forth, rubbing the sensitive spot below my balls. Little electric shocks of pleasure flickered through my groin with each stroke and I found myself placing a palm on the bed so I could thrust my ass back against him. Soon, he had me rocking uncontrollably. As if that weren’t enough, his hand was twisting and gliding expertly up and down my shaft, stroking and caressing it until it felt ready to explode with pleasure. I was gasping and groaning, writhing in his hands and at his mercy. There came a moment, lost in exquisite sensations, when I knew I’d surrendered; he could have done anything right then, raped me blind, and I would have begged for more. My thighs tightened, squeezing his cock as he continued thrusting and I pressed a hand to his hip. Arching against him was almost like fighting him, fighting and losing as he was still toying with my pulsing cock. He released a loud groan and bit down on my shoulder as he shuddered and began coating my ass and thighs with his warm, milky fluid. At almost the same time, my own cock spasmed, shooting over his hand and the sheets. He left me weak and trembling. “Jesus Christ,” I managed to breathe at last. I had never experienced anything so intense. He held me for a long while, his heart beating against my back, and then, at last, he released me. I shifted until the sides of our bodies touched, my abs lying on the wet sheets. I rested an arm over his chest while keeping my face buried in the pillow. I was experiencing an agonizing mix of shame and excitement. I knew I was dangerously close to admitting I wanted his cock inside me. If I looked at his deep green eyes and soft, moist lips right now, I was sure I’d tell him that. Finally, I nuzzled my face against his neck, avoiding eye contact, and gathered my cloak of airy confidence about me. “Yum, you sure know how to wake a guy up, Joel.” He let out what sounded like a relieved breath and relaxed. “Glad you enjoyed it,” he said earnestly. Had he thought I’d be mad? “Of course, now we’ve got this mess on our hands. We’re going to need to change the sheets, but first, a shower.” I headed into the bath and my hands shook as I turned the faucets in the shower. I was still a bit shaken and confused by what had happened and how I’d felt about it. I was leaning against the tiles, letting steamy water pour over my head when Joel joined me. His arms encircled me and I turned around a bit more quickly than I’d intended. I guess I wasn’t so comfortable having him behind me at the moment. I smiled to hide my nervousness and brought our lips in contact, allowing our tongues to dance tenderly together. “You’re keeping me in a constant state of horniness, do you realize that?” “It’s my master plan,” Joel wiggled his brows. “Well, dial it down at the party, okay? As a favor to me. I don’t want your family to think I actually like you. I’ve a reputation to maintain.” He answered that by scrubbing me with a soapy washcloth until I groaned. After we’d rinsed and dried off, Joel slipped back into his clothes from last night and headed for his own place. Which was sad, as I loved it when he made us breakfast. I scarfed down a couple of bowls of Wheaties and a half-container of cottage cheese. I would have eaten more, hungry as Joel’s morning workout had made me, but he’d said there would be a ton of food at the party. That ton of food was going to include one amazing cake. Joel had ordered it from Buon and I’d been terrified that we were going to have to haul it to the party. We’d gone by the restaurant to see it last night. It was an enormous chocolate hazelnut monstrosity with white chocolate frosting. Joel had eased my near heart attack by assuring me that Lucia and her family would be delivering it. It’d been easier to admire after that: a masterpiece bejeweled with glazed berries and sugared roses. Across the top, delicate green calligraphy spelled out the words: Go n'eiri an t-adh leat! which Joel said meant “good luck.” Good luck. I was going to need it. I noticed that in spite of breakfast, my hands were still shaking. What Joel had done to me this morning had left my body vibrating, and shot my concentration all to Hell. Three weeks together and he was still able to make me feel like I’d just been released from hours of torture and teasing. It wasn’t fucking fair! I wanted to be able to do that to him. I turned my attention back to my clothes. Meeting the parents of girls I’d dated had always been easy for me. The girl was usually Daddy’s little princess and very much like her mom, which meant I was already halfway in the parents’ good graces simply by being tattoo-free and well groomed. From there it was just a matter of smiling and calling them “Sir” and “Ma’am” while exchanging firm handshakes. Since college, I’d also had the advantage of that question: “So, I hear you’re a real estate agent…” which was my invitation to discuss the housing market and compliment the parents on their cozy nest. Any reservations they had about me usually vanished in that instant and I was in-like-Flynn. People like to have their primary asset valued and admired. Somehow, I didn’t think that was going to fly this time. One thing I did know, appearances mattered. I’d picked out my wardrobe very carefully: a pale, apple green, linen shirt, sand-colored Dockers and closed-toed leather sandals, casual and summery, but respectful. The crowning touch was a pair of y-type leather suspenders from Italy. I knew Joel would be wearing one of his fedoras and I wanted to match his retro style. I also figured he’d like them. Everything was pressed and iron-crisp from the cleaners, the trouser pleats knife-edge sharp, and the linen shirt wrinkle free. With each article of clothing I slipped on, I felt my self-confidence notching up; like putting on armor. I attached the suspenders to buttons sewn on the trousers, adjusted them, and then brought them up. Damn. I had nice shoulders, and I liked the way the suspenders hitched up the pants over my ass. Slipping my hands into my pockets, I stepped back and grinned. There. That was what I was talking about. I rolled up the sleeves to just below the elbow. Behold: one all-American, golden-haired boy. No slick real estate agent here, no siree! Just a friendly, charming, honest lad. “I’m back!” Joel shouted coming in through the front door. “Ready to go?” I caught a glimpse of him and sucked in a breath. He was wearing his black fedora with charcoal slacks. They were matched up with a deep blue, cotton dress shirt. That was my favorite color on him. I never met a man who looked more beautiful in blue. “Dev?” he called impatiently. “Just let me get my wallet,” I said, stepping out. He stiffened and gawked, which was gratifying. “When did you get those?” he demanded as I deliberately bent to fetch up my keys. “The suspenders? I’ve had them for a while. Just waiting for the right place to wear them.” “The right place would have been in the bedroom,” he said, reaching out and grabbing them. He pulled me in and growled as he kissed me. “Preferably without a shirt.” That made my cock stir. I dueled with his tongue and bit at his lower lip. “Afterwards,” I promised. We drove to the pub. It was a freestanding, white building right on the corner of a fairly busy street. Joel parked in the crowded lot behind, and walked us around to the front. There was an old fashioned, wooden sign: a pair of decidedly feminine, green eyes surrounded by shamrocks and the words Irish Eyes Pub and Tavern. The place was already alive and hopping. There were folk seated at umbrellaed picnic tables out front, and kids darting about on skateboards. Chatter and fiddle music hit us as we stepped in, along with the malty fragrance of beer. The inside of the pub was both what I’d expected and not. There were the usual white-washed walls and wood ceiling beams, the stone fireplace that dominated one end, a dart board, and, of course, a beautiful oak and brass bar where patrons stood two deep, reaching, as bartenders handed out dark beers and pale ciders. What was unexpected was how airy and bright the pub was. I’d anticipated some place enclosed, but it had large, open windows that, on the outside, held flowerboxes filled with marigolds, asters and daisies. There were vases of these on the tables and festooning the fireplace mantle. The wall décor was equally uncluttered and eye catching: framed photographs of Irish meadows, brooks, stone bridges and quaint cottages. “Whoa,” I said, hand on Joel’s arm. “This is where you spent your formative years?” “It was my second home,” Joel acknowledged. “Everyone in the family had to do their share. Serving tables, cleaning up, stocking, and counting out the register. We were always threatening to call child services,” he added wryly. “As I wasn’t the most sociable kid, I usually stayed in the kitchen with Mam.” He guided us over to a buffet table, which was indeed loaded down with an impressive spread. There was soda bread and wheels of dark, yellow cheddar and creamy blue cheese. There were steamed carrots, a mountain of corned beef and cabbage, a leek and bacon quiche, shepherd’s pie, and an enormous poached salmon. There were also two men and two women, standing nearby, calling to Joel and waving. The next thing I knew, he’d been snatched away. They had to be his brothers and sisters, the way they pinched and punched him, ruffled his hair screamed of older sibs toying with a baby brother. Finished with the hugs and kisses and pokes to the ribs, he said something to them and waved my way. Green eyes fastened on me. Four pairs of them, five counting Joel’s, and except for Joel’s, none of them looked friendly. I put on my most confident smile. If they thought to intimidate me, they were going to have to think again. I stepped up, hand out. “This is John, and this is Rosie—” Joel introduced the two eldest. John looked like an older version of Joel, black hair threaded with a bit of silver, laugh-lines about his green eyes. Conservatively dressed, he was tallest of the siblings, also the thinnest and palest, as if he didn’t get out much; his expression was cautious, as if reserving judgment. Rosie had short, dark hair and a pixyish face. A plum colored, sleeveless dress revealed long arms. Her eyes were hard, and so was her handshake. She looked like she wanted to interrogate me and, if she didn’t like the answers, have me shot. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 04 “And this is Katie and Gabe,” Joel went on brightly. Was he missing the fact that his brothers and sisters already hated me? Smile still plastered to my face, I turned to the other two. Katie was the youngest next to Joel, also the shortest, which made her the only one shorter than me. Her long hair was a dark auburn, and her face softer, less angular than her siblings’ were. That might have been due to the fact that she was some seven months pregnant. She was the only one to offer me a tentative smile. Then there was Gabe. A few nights back, while stretched out on Joel’s couch, my head in his lap, I’d boastfully mentioned that I’d been on both my high school and college wrestling teams and asked if he’d wrestled. “I’m gay,” he’d responded, “of course I wrestled in high school. How else was I going to get my hands on all those hunky straight boys?” I’d laughed. “Bet I can pin you,” he’d said then, a lazy, cocky challenge. Well, there was no backing down from that. We moved the coffee table, stripped down to our underwear and went at it. There were some very sexy moments, like when Joel kept me from scoring on him by maintaining a tripod position. He deliberately ground his firm ass against my crotch as I tried to press him down. I called foul No arousing moves. I got back at him by hooking his knee and getting us leg locked. Naturally, I presumed that I’d out-wrestle him and I did get him down, time and again, but he managed to escape every hold! Every nelson, headlock and bear hug. Professionally or for fun, I’d never wrestled anyone able to contort or wiggle away so quickly. Finally, he trapped me in an embarrassing and very erotic face pin. “Where the fuck did you learn to wrestle like that?” I panted, staring at the bulge in his shorts, inches from my nose. Spots of excitement were appearing on the cotton. “My older brother Gabe,” Joel said. He was leaning over me, holding tight to my wrists. His chest hair was slick with sweat and drops of it were falling from his face onto mine. “He liked to wrestle and pin me down. Every time I learned to escape a hold, he came up with a new one. By high school, I could slip out of anything.” “Sounds like a nasty kid,” I said uncertainly. As an only child, sibling relations were a mystery to me. “Are you kidding?” He finally rolled off to lie on the carpet beside me, which ought to have been a relief, but left me strangely disappointed. “Gabe taught me how to swim, and ride a bike, throw darts. He took me to my first rock concert, gave me my first taste of whiskey, and showed me my first porn movie. He got me so drunk on my sixteenth birthday I threw up all over the inside of his Charger, and then on Pop when Gabe dragged me into the house.” Joel smiled fondly. “Other big brothers use to shoo away their little brothers, but Gabe always let me tag along, and the bullies in the neighborhood never touched me because they knew if they did Gabe would beat the shit out of them. He was the best.” So, here I was at last, face to face with the legendary Gabe. He was auburn haired like Katie, but the red highlights were more noticeable, they burned like fire in the sunlight. His face was squarer than his brothers’ were, as was his build; there was muscle under that maroon shirt, hard muscle. I half expected a crushing handshake from that broad hand, but he was surprisingly careful. His eyes were hard as peridots and never broke from mine. “Nice to meet you, Devlin,” Gabe said for all of them. Yeah. Right. The band finished off its set, and voices filled in the gap. The place was wall-to-wall people. “WELCOME!” a shout from the fireplace. “And thank ye all for coming. If I can have a minute of your time?” The voice was very like Joel’s, clear and lyrical, only with an Irish accent. “This is a very special day for the O’ Shaughnessy family.” “We’d better get up there,” John said, and the siblings pushed their way forward to join a balding, older man at the fireplace. I’d expected Joel to take after his dad, but the old man was neither tall nor lean. He was solid, with a fringe of fiery red hair, paling to orange and white. Only Gabe had inherited that square face and solid body. But the old man’s green eyes were familiar; warm and playful, just like Joel’s. It was his wife, Joel’s mother, who’d passed on the stunning bone structure and height to her children. She was taller than her husband, a slender, elegant woman with silver streaks in her ebony hair. The siblings had just stepped up when a bespectacled fellow, a fawn-haired woman, and a willowy young man joined them. Spouses undoubtedly. Seven kids came with them. They ranged from around sixteen to six and were all dark haired save for the littlest, a redheaded boy standing at Gabe’s knee. Every single one of them shared granddad’s green eyes. The family arranged themselves under a large, gold banner with the familiar Go n'eiri an t-adh leat! wish upon it. It was odd to see such a clan. Family holidays for me meant a restful vacation with Mom and Dad in whatever country they were residing. I wondered what such holidays would be like with Joel’s family. “Is that everyone?” the patriarch asked, and the room chuckled. “Right then.” His hands went into his pockets, as if preparing to tell a story. “Let me start over. Thank ye all for coming.” “Couldn’t miss out on the free food!” someone yelled. More laughter. “S’not free, Freddy-me-lad!” Dad retorted. “You’ve got to listen to my speech. Now where was I. Ah, yes. When Ula and I first started this pub back in ’65, I had this chauvinistic idea that my son, Johnny,” a wave over to his eldest, “would take up the reigns when I retired. One day, John came home from high school and told me that he and his friends were learning how to program computers. I told him there was no future in that.” Laughter, and a wry smirk from John. Dad shrugged with good-natured chagrin. “Still,” he went on, “even when it came clear that running a pub wasn’t for Johnny, I thought sure one of the other boys would want to walk in my shoes. We O’ Shaughnessys can be a stubborn lot, but once you convince us, you convince us. Eventually I got it through my thick skull that it was Rosie who always stayed after hours. And it was Rosie had all the good ideas, like serving up a Sunday brunch, or having Thursday dart night. And live music, too. Thing is, Rosie’s always had her Irish eye on Irish Eyes. She was even mercenary enough to marry our bookkeeper so the pub wouldn’t lose him.” A louder laugh and Rosie’s bespectacled husband ducked his head. “It’s long past time Ula and I let her and Matthew sail this ship, while we sit out on the deck and enjoy the cruise.” A grinning Mr. O’ Shaughnessy put his arm about his wife and lifted a waiting beer glass off the fireplace mantle. “So I’ll end with this blessing we got from our families when we left Ireland for our new life in America. I can’t think of a better or more proper wish for us all on this particular day: May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you—and all your heart might desire. Go maire sibh bhur saol nua.” “Go maire sibh bhur saol nua,” everyone echoed and, those with drinks, toasted and drank. There were hugs all around, and the band started up again with a lively jig. Joel waved me over and I got through the crush. He introduced me to his parents. “This is an amazing place, sir, ma’am,” I said shaking their hands. “I’m in awe of all you’ve done.” “Well, thank ye, thank ye very much,” Dad said. He seemed reticent, but this was hardly the best time for a get-to-know-you. His handshake was warm enough. Mom—Mom had eyes so blue as to be almost indigo, and they were gazing at me as if peeling back layers of skin. “Devlin,” Joel’s father said as if testing the name. “So you’re Irish?” “Typical, American mongrel, actually. Danish mostly, with some French and Russian mixed in. But I’ve been told that my Christian name came from a distant and infamous ancestor who was both Irish and a bit of a scoundrel.” That seemed to amuse and please the old man. Joel and I excused ourselves, letting the hosts have their turn with other guests. “Let’s plate up,” he said getting us back to the buffet, “I’m starving.” So was I. We heaped on food, and I managed to find an empty seat at one of the picnic tables outside while Joel fetched drinks. A beer for me, and a scotch on the rocks for him. “So what did that last part of the blessing mean?” “Go maire sibh bhur saol nua?” He took a bite of corned beef doused in creamy horseradish sauce. “May you enjoy your new life.” “Nice.” We tried to eat, but were interrupted repeatedly as friends and old time patrons came by to chat with Joel and exchange gossip. Eventually, his nieces and nephews got hold of him and dragged him off, insisting that he play darts with them. “Go on,” I urged as they pulled at his hands, and called him “Uncle Joel.” I didn’t really mind being left alone for a bit. The food was good and the beer was excellent, so dark it was almost black with a rich, frothy head. “Mind if I sit down?” It was Katie. “Please,” I urged her, half rising. “Need any help?” “No, no.” She settled awkwardly at the end of the bench, carefully adjusting her protruding belly. “I’m fine really. It’s just hard to navigate this wide load. Enjoying yourself?” I settled back down. “Everything’s delicious and I love the music.” “Good.” There followed a moment of awkward silence between us. “Joel says you’re an artist?” I felt my face warm as I said this, remembering how I’d told Joel at our first dinner that artists were passionate lovers. Had I’d known his sister was one— “Painting and photography.” “Are those your pictures inside?” I’d been trying to be polite, but now I perked with interest. “They’re fantastic. I mean, really fantastic.” She blushed. “You’re just saying that.” “I’m not. You’ve got the eye. Have you ever had a gallery showing?” “Not yet. I’ve been trying to arrange one, but I don’t have that many contacts—” “My ex was an artist. I’ll get some names from her and pass them on to Joel.” “Thank you.” She was quite stunned, though I wasn’t sure why. After a moment she ventured, “We weren’t real welcoming back there, were we?” I started to wave her off, but she ploughed on, “You’ve got to understand, Joel has only brought one other guy around to meet the family, which means he must be serious about you. As serious as he was about Eric, and that didn’t end well.” Eric. I’d almost forgotten about the text message I’d blithely erased. “Joel hasn’t said much about Eric.” “Talking about Eric, huh?” Gabe unexpectedly sat down in Joel’s vacated spot. I‘m not sure how he’d snuck up on us. He had a half-empty beer in his hand, and challenge in his eyes. He said Eric’s name as if it were something foul he wanted to spit out. “Gabe—” Katie looked uneasy. “Keep your voice down—” “Yeah, yeah.” He leaned in, speaking confidentially, “I’ll tell you about Eric. He was blond haired and blue-eyed. Sound familiar? He was smart and funny, and we all thought he was as devoted to Joel as Joel was to him. Then, one evening, Joel comes home from work to find Eric gone. No goodbyes, no explanation, just a note. Three years together and Eric dumps him for a punk barely out of high school.” He slammed a fist down on the table. “That’s enough, Gabe.” Katie never raised her voice, but there was steel in it. I imagine it was how their mother spoke. “What if you brought a girl for us to meet and we told her all about Fiona? How would you like it?” Gabe took a draft of his beer, a long swallow, and then stood up. “I’m telling him for his sake, not Joel’s. Because you know, Katie, you know, if Eric were ever to return, all contrite and sorry, Joel would take him back in a red-hot second. He’ll leave his new love for old faithful, even though Eric shattered his heart to pieces. You can bet on it.” He strode away. I felt—I don’t know what I felt. Like I’d just had the rug pulled out from under me, like I’d just been kicked in the nuts. My heart was racing, and my throat was dry with fear. Joel leave me? He couldn’t leave me. I hadn’t done anything to deserve it yet. “He’s wrong,” Katie said earnestly. “He’s thinking about himself, not Joel. The break between him and his wife was bad, and almost all of it was his fault. Gabe’s like that. He messes things up then realizes what he’s done too late and regrets it. If he gets a second chance, he’ll more than make up for it, but sometimes he doesn’t get a second chance.” That sounded familiar. “They are hard to come by,” I agreed. “Hey,” Joel appeared. “You two better not be gossiping about me.” “No,” his sister said, with such aplomb I almost believed her. “We’re talking about me. Devlin likes my photographs. So there.” She stuck her tongue out at him, then patted my hand and accepted Joel’s help in getting to her feet. “It was good to meet you, Devlin. I hope we see you again soon.” “They’re about to serve the cake,” Joel said. “What say we have some, then make our farewells and get out of here?” I forced myself to smile. “You just want to play with my suspenders.” When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 05 *Joel* "You just want to play with my suspenders," he mockingly accused. "Not just, Muffinman," I parried, grabbing his suspenders and pulling him up to me. Tipping my head to the side, I let my lips brush his as I whispered, "My plans also include riding you into the sunset." My hands slid up and down his suspenders; I felt his nipples stand up through his pretty, green linen shirt as the backs of my fingers brushed over them. He shivered, and tried to pull away. Glancing around us at the other people, he said, "We shouldn't—" "Hell, if I had my way," I interrupted his objection, "We'd say, 'fuck the cake,' and I'd drag you into the walk-in so I could have my wicked way with you." I drew him back into my chest for a sensual, lingering kiss. He barely resisted— once my tongue slipped past his lips. Someone noticed and applauded. I reluctantly left Dev's soft mouth. He looked dazed. "But someone," I finished, "Would come looking for us since I'm expected to be in those family pictures, so we'd better be good, huh?" "Uh-huh," he agreed vaguely, while staring at my mouth and smoothing his palms up my shirtfront to my shoulders. Wrapping his arms around my neck, he caught my mouth for another kiss, soft and undemanding, but expressive of desire. I hoped it meant that he was going to be comfortable with my family, even though they'd not been welcoming to him initially. I also hoped that if they saw us acting like lovers instead of friends they'd be more accepting of him. More folks started whistling, banging mugs on the picnic tables and catcalling, "Way to go, Joel!" and "Get a room why don'cha?" which only served to fuel Dev's exhibitionistic nature. I knew the kiss was getting too hot when he broke away for a gulp of air, but he dove right back in for more. He was just too sweet to resist. His fingers wove their way into my hair, massaging my scalp as I caressed his strong back, teasing his spine. Beside us, Gabe loudly cleared his throat. Devlin nearly jumped from me. Flushed and breathing a little raggedly, he shoved his hands into his trouser pockets in an attempt to hide his partial arousal. With those sexy suspenders and his sheepish grin, he looked like nothing so much as a grown-up Tom Sawyer caught trying to reach under Becky Thatcher's skirts. "C'mon, loverboys, Pop's waiting to cut the cake." A resounding, "Aww!" issued from the folk at the picnic tables; it was mainly the ladies who were disappointed. "It was just getting good!" they complained. Gabe gave Dev and me a sour look that told me he wasn't amused by us making a spectacle of ourselves at Pop's party. He may have shown me my first porn flick, but Gabe was a bit of a stick-in-the-mud about public sexuality, any sexuality. "We're coming," I said, looping my arm around Dev's waist and drawing him towards the door. Gabe mowed a path to the table that held the cake. Massimo had outdone himself. The frosting on the sides had been expertly woven so the cake resembled a basket filled with candied flowers and ripe summer berries. It was almost a shame to slice into it. Most of the party guests had courteously moved back from the area, giving Katie space to set up and take family photos. She captured a few images of my younger nieces, Bethany and Ariel, and little nephew Conner ogling the cake. Then her husband handed her another camera, and she went to work on pictures of Pop and Rosie in loving poses. I shook my head. No one would've ever suspected that Pop and his older daughter had once screamed at each other like banshees over the running of this pub. That'd been back when Pop was sure Rosie couldn't know what she was talking about, being a girl and all. "Good Lord, what have you two been up to?" Mam demanded, stepping our way. "Never mind, I'm sure I can figure it out myself, considering you look as if you just climbed out of the back seat after a drive-in movie." She turned her basilisk stare on Dev. "You could've kept your hands away from his head, knowing we had a picture coming up," she said, pulling my comb out of my back pocket and running it through my mussed hair. "Although, he does have lovely hair, so I suppose I can understand." "Well, you know how it is, Mam, Dev can't seem to keep his hands off me—" I began. "What? It was you who—" Devlin protested, only to be interrupted by John's sixteen-year-old twin boys and Rosie's seventeen-year-old son. "Good afternoon, sir," Liam said and, along with the other two, smoothly encircled my date. "We couldn't help overhearing. Sounds like you might need something special for tonight..." God on high, I thought to myself. What are they into now? "We have a very comprehensive stock—" Brendan, Liam's younger twin, added. "And if you want something we don't have, rest assured that it can be procured without trouble," Erin, oldest of the grandsons and Pop's namesake, finished off. This was sounding worse by the minute. I thought of intervening, but Mam was still fussing with my hair. "Take a look," Liam pulled one side of his leather jacket open. I almost expected to see fake Rolexes dangling from the inner lining, "Need glow-in-the-dark rubbers? We've got 'em in five colors." He held up his free hand, fingers splayed, as if he wanted to be certain Dev understood how many the quoted number signified. "If you want flavored condoms, we've got the whole fruit rainbow," Brendan continued, briefly flashing colorful packets. "We've got ones that heat up with friction, ribbed ones, smooth ones, ones with built in ticklers, ones that play holiday music...you know, for those...special occasions..." Erin recited, wriggling his brows at Devlin. I desperately wished that I were invisible right then, for a two-fold reason. One: so I couldn't be seen in such an embarrassing moment, and two: if no one actually saw me do it then I couldn't be convicted of murdering my nephews. "Hell, we've even got ones that vibrate," Liam picked up the litany smoothly, flashing another wrapper for Dev to see. "And if you need a special size, we can accommodate that, too. We carry a line that has any size you could possibly need, from petite to jumbo." Devlin's eyes bugged when Erin flashed that last one at him. I decided on second thought that if I could truly get a jury of my peers there was no way they'd convict me, even if the DA was present when I cut their throats. "Not to mention the one that's pitch black," Brendan piped in. "It makes your boner look like it's been dipped in shinny, black latex," he grinned, holding it so the motto was visible. Never let them see you cumming, it read. Dev looked simultaneously appalled and oddly intrigued. I tried to get around Mam, to shut them up, but she blocked me. "Be still, sweetling. If he can take what them boys'er handing out then he can take anything this family can throw at him," she said for my ears only. "Now's the time for both of you to find out if he can." I'd hoped to avoid this sort of trial by fire, but I could see now that it was inevitable. Erin continued, smooth as a used car salesman. "Of course, if you happen to be allergic to latex, that's not a problem either. We've got a couple of lines that specialize in latex-free love gloves. We can get those colored and flavored too, by the way, though we don't have any on us." "Speaking of which," Liam's voice slipped in where Erin's had left off, "maybe you have sensitive skin or something, and need hypo-allergenic lube? We have access to stuff that's way better than that crap you get in a pharmacy. We could get some that's flavored, or that heats up. Anything you want, man." Having groomed me to within an inch of my life, Mam finally stepped in. "That'll be quite enough of that, younglings." She grabbed the twins by the scruff of their necks and steered them toward John, busy talking with Matthew and oblivious, as always. "You'll not be told again that you can't sell things you're not old enough to buy. Go stand next to your father before I see to it your clackers never drop." They took their appointed places, grumbling as they did. Devlin's head had been ticking back and fourth between the three as they spoke, now he settled on the only one left, Erin, who said, "Give us a call...remember, anything at all." With a conspiratorial wink, he produced a business card seemingly out of thin air, slick as a card sharp. Devlin took the card reflexively just as Mam hauled the boy away, but Erin managed to get in one last offer: "Oh, and if you ever want someone to guard the walk-in door for you, I'm your man." "Shut yer cake holes, the lot of ye. If ye set him to stampeding, ye'll have to answer to yer uncle, not me," Pop said, with a gleam of amusement in his eyes. "I won't tease him, Granda," promised Molly, John's eighteen-year-old daughter, the oldest of my nieces and nephews. I could tell she was lying by the way she was sidling up to Dev. "I think he's cute." "You think he's cute 'cause he looks like a grown up version of that kid who played Tom Sawyer in that stupid movie, Team of Badass Fictional Dudes," Gabe cut in, echoing my thoughts of a few moments before. "It's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and no he doesn't," she retorted, planting her fists on her hips and giving Gabe the evil eye. She looked so much like Mam in that moment it was eerie. "Sure he does. Look," Gabe snatched my hat up off the rack where I'd set it and plopped it on Devlin's head. "See? Looks just like him, only old enough to shave." Her eyes widened and her mouth made an "O" of surprise. "Oh, he does, doesn't he? You wouldn't happen to have a younger brother, would you? Or a cousin maybe...say about twenty?" Dev winced and looked like he wanted to drop his head in his hands. "Molly, enough of that." Katie pulled the girl into place. She'd centered Mam and Pop right behind the cake with Rosie between them, Gabe and John to either side, older kids in front. She stepped back, chewed on her lip, got the spouses where she wanted them, slapped Conner's small hand as he tried to taste the frosting, and shoved me into my spot. Satisfied, she turned to Devlin, "Would you mind taking the picture for us?" Without waiting for a reply, she put her most expensive camera in his hands. "It's real simple, just point and click." Poor Devlin looked like he'd just been asked to photograph the royal family...and feared being beheaded if he fucked it up. He stood there, lost. Finally, he brought up the camera, adjusted it for a wider view, and sucked in a breath. We all said 'cheese,' and were grinning like idiots waiting for him to take the picture when he suddenly said, "I don't have any siblings, Molly, and my only cousin is like, forty and balding. I suppose we could adopt some kid who looks like me for you to date, but Joel would have to mother him. I'm not really the nurturing type." The son-of-a-bitch snapped a picture of gaping mouths and bugging eyes instead of smiling faces. "Oh, and I suppose I am?" I demanded in mock outrage, throwing a flower from the centerpiece at him, which he ducked. "If the Birkenstock fits..." he quipped cheekily, and snapped a second picture of us all laughing. Dev took a few more of everyone smiling then returned the camera to Katie. Pop loudly invited people to gather round, and he and Rosie ceremoniously cut the cake. The band returned and started up again. As the waitresses began serving slices, my mother took a moment to thank Devlin for taking the picture. "You're very welcome, ma'am. It was my pleasure." "Enough of the ma'ams and sirs, you'll call me Ula, and him," she pointed at Pop, who was handing a plate to little Conner, "Erin. I don't care what you call the others. I'm certain that anything you decide on will have been well earned by them." He laughingly agreed, and I relaxed. My family was warming up to him at last. It wasn't long before everyone was happily chatting around mouthfuls of cake. I brought Dev over to sit with my siblings while we had ours. Katie, still taking pictures, insisted on a shot of me giving Dev a chocolaty kiss on the cheek, and another of the lip print left behind. It took me another hour to make my farewells. The family didn't care that I was leaving, but the pub's regulars, some who'd known me from boyhood, wanted to buttonhole me, either to get free legal advice or tell me how proud they were of the man I'd become. As if that wasn't enough, I couldn't find my hat. Connor had snatched it and was having a great time putting it on everyone's head, his own included. Finally, we climbed into Devlin's sweet, smoky-grey Beemer. As he put the top down and started up the engine, I set my hat on the floor and scrubbed my face with my hands, trying to think what to say about my family, how to apologize for their behavior. "I'm sorry about that back there," I began as we pulled out of the lot and merged with traffic. "I know my family's clinically insane, but they're also savvy. They act perfectly normal when they're in a shrink's office, and doctors won't come to see them in their natural habitat, so it's impossible to get them institutionalized." "So you're saying you knowingly handed me over to psychopaths?" The wind ruffled his blond hair, and the late afternoon sunlight made it glint like gold. "Um, yeah...something like that." "S'kay." Dev elbowed me and winked. "I don't blame them for being suspicious of me and protective of you. What I can't forgive is how you just stood there and let them come at me with hatchets and machetes, especially those nephews of yours. Coward. See if I save your sorry ass when the lynch mob breaks down your door." "I was going to attempt a rescue, but my mother thought it was a good opportunity to find out if you could take us. She was right, of course. I just wish it hadn't been all at once like that...or that it'd been anyone but Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, I knew my family wasn't going to make this first meeting easy, but I didn't know they were going to pull out the big guns. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for—" I ran my fingers through my hair, inhaling deeply through my nose. "I think everyone liked you. I know Katie, Pop and Mam did." "What? You're joking, right? Your mom chewed me out for touching you and—" "Not for touching me," I laid my hand on his thigh, "for messing up my hair right before the pictures. If she didn't like you, she'd've chewed my ass for letting you muss me, and she did say she understood why it happened, and she was smiling when she said it." "So her chastising me a like a little kid was a good sign?" "Very." "What about your dad? He barely spoke to me, and said he'd let the boys run me off." I sighed again. "Dev, if he wanted you gone, he'd've ignored the boys; pretended to be engrossed in the cake or something. Instead, he told them they'd answer to their uncle if they ran you off, and he didn't mean me, he meant Gabe. Believe me, that's a potent threat. Gabriel's never someone you want pissed at you, especially if he loves you." "Especially if he loves you?" He sounded skeptical. "Once he's not pissed at you anymore, he feels horrible about what was said or done. He's the most woefully contrite person you're ever likely to meet, and you wind up feeling ten times worse for whatever it was that pissed him off and got you in trouble with him. His remorse is far worse than his bite." "I'll take your word for it." "You were great, though," I said, watching the traffic and sliding my hand up his inner thigh until my pinky brushed his package. He sucked in a sudden breath through his teeth. "And in case you were wondering, I think you look like a 1920s hood." I turned in my seat, leaning over and bracing myself on the headrest behind him, my right hand picking up where my left had just left off. "Can I be your G-man?" I growled into his ear, while scratching my nails over the warp of his trouser material, sending little, erotic vibrations through his balls. A pained groan escaped his clenched teeth. "You're going to make me crash the getaway car, and Gabe'll be pissed at us both—and he doesn't love me, so he won't feel any remorse when he kicks my butt—" I was just beginning to nibble at his lobe when I saw we were turning into the entrance to the underground parking of our building and drew back. The guard in his little shack lifted the gate and Devlin almost flew past the ranks of parked cars to get to his space. "We need to go to my place tonight so I can dig out my camera," I informed him as he shut off the motor and opened his door. "What for?" "So I can get some mug shots of the infamously sexy outlaw I somehow managed to catch." Giving him a crooked grin and a wink, I put my hat on and climbed out. Before the elevator doors were even shut, I had him cornered, his hands held over his head in one of mine, the other teasing the crack of his ass through his trousers, and my tongue slow dancing with his. I rubbed against his already engorged cock lightly, giving myself a hard-on in the process. I could feel his heat and his hunger, and every time he tried to apply more pressure to my rolling hips than I wanted him to, I broke contact. I chuckled into his mouth at his wordless complaints, and rubbed against him a little more. I couldn't believe how hot my aggression always got him; he really got off on it when I took complete control of the situation. No matter how frustrated I made him he didn't even try to get his hands free, even though I barely held his wrists. I found myself liking our building's slow elevators for the first time since I'd moved in. I burrowed my fingers between his legs from behind and massaged his perineum, while devouring his neck and as much of his shoulder as I could reach. His pelvis danced back and forward in little jerks, as if his body couldn't decide which it wanted more: to grind against my hard-on, or against my fingers. He panted raggedly into my ear, nearly whining as he grazed his teeth against the crook of my neck. I think he was on the verge of coming when the elevator dinged merrily, announcing our arrival at the nineteenth floor. The doors retracted with a thump and the piercing yap of a small dog startled us. I disentangled myself from Devlin and took my time adjusting his collar so his shirt lay right. I noticed with satisfaction a silver dollar sized wet patch on the front of his tan trousers and grinned. The dog belonged to a sour, old bitch that lived across the hall from me. She was always gossiping about the other tenants and I couldn't stand her or her over-bred, Cousin It-looking pooch. "Do you mind?" she snapped in a voice made froggy by too many years of heavy smoking. Taking Dev's hand and weaving our fingers together, I stepped out into the hall. "Not in the least," I replied with a Cheshire grin and glanced down at the yapping little, shit factory. "Oh, look, honey," I said to Dev. "We should get one of those." The old biddy made a sound of contempt as she got into the elevator, and I spoke louder, "We could shove a handle up its ass and use it for dusting." She made a sound of outrage as the doors closed on her and the mutt. Dev snorted, trying to keep his rubbery legs under him as we hurried down the hall. We tumbled in as I unlocked the door and he moved past me. I barely got it shut behind us before he was pressing my chest against the door and himself into my back. He pulled out my shirttails out and ran his hands over my bared skin, his steely cock poking against my ass. I ground my butt into him for a second, reveling in the sensation, before escaping his groping hands. With a peck on his lips, I slipped away to find my camera. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 05 When I came back, the camera's strap looped over my wrist and a bottle of lube in hand, he was already undressed. He'd thrown his shirt over the back of the couch and kicked his sandals off; his trousers were in a puddle on the floor. He flung his shorts into the air with his foot and caught them. "Put your pants back on," I said, setting the lube aside and pushing him against the front door. Kneeling, I snagged one of the suspender straps and helped him back into them. I leaned him into the pose I wanted, and crab walked back until I encountered the couch. I took the picture from a low angle, then several different shots, a few with my hat on his head. With it pushed back, he looked guileless as a newsboy; with it cocked at an angle, he looked like a roguish bounder; with it tipped forward, someone who'd sooner shoot you than give you the time of day. He really got into it, coming up with his own poses and needing little direction from me. I think the photo session excited him almost as much as the scenario in the elevator; his erection never flagged, and the wet spot on his trousers grew. I was aching pretty badly myself, but I wanted one more shot before I put the camera away. I knelt in front of him again, my open mouth molding the material over the ridge of his hard-on, and forced a powerful blast of air through them. He groaned, gripping fistfuls of my hair and pressing my face harder into him. I undid the button of his trousers and slid my hands up to brush my fingers over his nipples. I nuzzled my lips around until I got the tongue of the zipper up so I could grab it with my teeth and draw it down. His cock leapt out, brushing the side of my forehead, eager for some long-awaited attention. His fingers relaxed, his hands resting on my head instead of gripping it as I burrowed my face into his pants, giving each of his low hanging balls an open-mouthed kiss. He murmured his approval when I nipped at the base of his shaft before tracing the winding path of one thick, blue vein up the underside with the tips of my nose and tongue. Gazing up the length of his body, I could see him watching me. I smiled up at him. In my lower periphery, I saw a large, heavy drop of pre-cum trembling on the verge of falling. I caught it on the center of my tongue, delved into his slit with the tip then pulled back, trailing a silvery string between him and me without taking my eyes off his for a second. Dev's eyes dilated and his cock pulled up toward his stomach, snapping the string. His musk spread through my mouth, making me crave more of him. "Take it," he said hoarsely, his tone neither demanding nor pleading, but somewhere between. I looked at his cock for several seconds, an angry purple for a third of its length, mesmerized by the metronomic quality of its bobbing with his heartbeat. Grabbing one of his firm cheeks in each hand, I kneaded them, while taking his crown into my mouth. I sucked and licked off the coating of pre-cum, feeling his legs shake against my arms. Sucking harder, I leaned forward, taking all of him in as his fingers clenched in my hair again. I moved from the hips, using my entire torso to drag my head back and I felt my cheeks cave in from the suction. I could see his head thrown back, he was biting his lip, and his eyes were squeezed tightly shut. I took a breath and dove down on him again, my stomach and groin muscles contracting at the sounds I was eliciting from him. I swallowed around his head several of times extracting a grunt from him for each as payment. Swabbing my tongue back and forth over the throbbing vein, I drew back to gasp several breaths through my nose and slithered my slick tongue under the ridge of his helmet. I'd only been intending to give Dev a little attention before taking my last picture, but I knew it was too late to stop when he swelled against my tongue, and I saw his abs tense. I readied myself to take the blast barely in time as his cock jerked and pulsed with the first burning gush. He cried out gutturally, his knees buckling. My balls tightened and pulled up, sending powerful waves of tingles through my abdomen as what felt like a river of pre-cum soaked my already wet boxer briefs. I gave him the support his legs couldn't, keeping him from collapsing to the floor, while he gripped my skull in his strong hands. Surge after surge of his tangy liquor flowed over my tongue and down my throat as I desperately tried to keep up with it. His hands dropped to his sides, limp and trembling. I climbed to my feet and moved back quickly, to get that last picture before he went soft. He stayed upright, the door at his back propping him up. His heaving chest glistened in the slanting, late afternoon light streaking across him from the blind covered windows. Runnels of sweat rolled down his six-pack; the left suspender had slid off his shoulder, letting his slacks sag low on his slim hips. One last, pearlescent drop of come clung to the tip of his cock. The words, God, he's beautiful, rippled on the surface of my mind like leaves on wind-ruffled water. Someone like Rodin or Michelangelo ought to carve a sculpture of Dev just like this, call it Mars Post-coitus, I thought, and grinned. Dev heard the snick of the camera and opened his eyes, his expression dazed. I set the camera on the end table next to the couch and drew him into my arms, kissing him deeply, caressing his hair and back; expressing with my body what I couldn't with words. There was the too real fear that if I even hinted I felt more than friendship and lust for him he'd disappear; one moment I'd have him in my arms and the next they'd be empty. I couldn't bear the thought, so I wouldn't chance it. Once I was certain he could to stand on his own, I went over to my small liquor cabinet. I was hurting with the need for release, but wanted to give him a chance to recover first. Taking out the open bottle of scotch, I looked over at him with a grin. "You want a drink?" I asked as I poured a generous three fingers of the golden brown liquid into a heavy whisky glass. *Devlin* A drink? I wanted more than a drink. I wanted—my throat went tight and I wished my body would stop shaking. I'd been coasting along in this relationship, my early doubts about it long gone, until this afternoon. That's when the O'Shaughnessys danced rings around me like mocking elves and shaken my confidence to the core. Joel had repeatedly said that they liked me, but I wasn't so sure. They'd made me feel like I was on trial, and guilty until proven innocent. Gabe told me why, as had just about everyone else. Joel hadn't noticed, but after our melting kisses, as he'd dragged me back into the pub, I'd heard a few people whispering, "Looks like he found another Eric," which had pretty well explained the relentless slew of familial hazing. Every member of the O'Shaughnessy clan wanted to conduct his or her own test and see just how deep that resemblance went. By the time the Three Musketeers came at me, I was so off balance I couldn't even find my sword, let alone parry their fencing. I must have looked like a total idiot standing there, all scandalized. Back in high school, I'd been the one selling the condoms, albeit just one or two, not a whole sex-shop's worth. Still, when had I turned into such a prude that kids could shock me like that? Then there was Molly's observation that I resembled some kind of wholesome teen heartthrob. At least I'd managed to pull myself together for the picture and tossed back a little of what had been thrown at me. By the end, however, my ego had been pretty well broken down into pieces and sold on EBay. There was little doubt that I'd fallen short of what Joel's friends and family wanted for him. I could see that as we were making our good-byes. They'd all exchanged these dubious looks, ones he didn't see, but I did. Ones that said to Joel, "I hope you've made the right decision in this guy." Hell, I almost wanted to say it to him myself. "Joel, buddy, as your friend, I gotta tell ya...you really could do better." That was the unarmed state I was in when Joel attacked. In the car, he'd played me like a fiddle, and if I hadn't realized it before, I did the moment he scratched his nails over my crotch. My Goddamn dick was his. I don't know when, I don't know how, but my traitorous cock had switched allegiances. It would do anything Joel wanted it to do. If his hand came near it, it jumped to attention, straining against the fabric of my trousers, begging like a dog for his love. By the time we were in the elevator, the rest of my body had followed suit. Complete capitulation to his touch, his kisses. He had my hands above my head and I didn't even want to break free. I writhed in his grasp, letting him do what he liked, my cock salivating for him, panting to get out. Feeling— What was I feeling? The elevator finally came to a stop and as we passed the weird, old biddy and her shaggy rat, I had a moment to catch my breath and recognize just how aroused and desperate I was for Joel. I couldn't keep my hands off him. We stepped inside and he barely got the door shut before I was pulling up his shirt and trying to run my hands over him. He broke away with a kiss that promised me more, and I fumbled off my clothes He returned, insisting I put my pants back on and helping me to get them up, suspenders in place. Then he put his hat on my head and started snapping pictures. The camera flashed and whirled and made its digital sounds. Joel directed me at first, but I wanted to regain some control, see if I could shake him up a little. I turned and put my hands up against the wall, letting him see the way the "Y" shape of the suspenders ran down my spine, the outline of my ass against the trousers. Then I pulled down the waistband, stretching the elastic of the suspenders until some of my crack showed. I heard an intake of breath from Joel and smirked. I could almost feel his eyes raking over me. Turning, I did the same at the front, displaying every chiseled line of muscle on down to the first hint of pubic hair. Joel growled in his throat, and my cock, still thick and waiting for him, got harder. That was always what I loved best, knowing he couldn't look away for want of me. Next thing I knew, he was on his knees, his fingers toying with my nipples, his mouth covering my cock, still there in the trousers. I don't know what he did but it felt as if a flutter of tickling fingers had gone down my straining length. I grabbed his hair. He drew down the zipper with his mouth, letting the folds of my trousers fall back, exposing my throbbing erection. I was so hard it was painful. He kissed my sensitive balls and twirled his soft, wet tongue up my straining shaft, letting me feel his nose, his lips, his shaven cheek, even the brush of an eyelash as he savored me. Now I was the one watching, enthralled by the sight of him devouring me like a special treat. I caught my breath as he tongued my piss-slit for drops of pre-cum, and my voice went rough as I finally urged him to, "Take it." He made me wait, made me wait with every part of my body quivering for him; my poor, starved cock screaming. Then, grabbing my ass, he took me into that warm, wonderful mouth of his. I moaned and gyrated with each pulsing suck, my stomach muscles clenching and rippling. I chewed on my lips until they nearly bled, the arousing sight of Joel's bobbing head, of him taking me down, making my balls fill up, my legs tremble. Perspiration started trickling down my neck, over my chest and belly. I couldn't stop rocking my hips or gasping for air. I felt Joel's hair under my hands, yet I wasn't fucking his mouth, wasn't forcing his head onto my cock. He was in command. He could go all the way down and torment the root of my captive dick—or come up and tease the crown—and no matter how I thrust, I couldn't get him to change the tempo. At last, his clever tongue gave me that fatal stroke, the one that tipped the balance. My buttocks clenched. I couldn't yell; the feeling roiled up from too deep inside—it came out as some sort of animal grunt and my whole body spasmed. Again and again, my cream shot into his mouth. I swear, I almost blacked out. The world spun around me. I felt Joel greedily swallowing down my come. Then, with a loving lick, he released me. My cock bobbed in the air, naked and ravished. One of my suspenders had slipped, leaving me nearly naked, but I hadn't the strength to pull it up. The electronic clicking of the digital camera brought me back. Joel, a smug expression on his face, brought the viewfinder down from those mischievous green eyes. He's captured my soul, I thought inanely. Setting the camera aside, he took me in his arms and kissed me, stroking my hair as if commending me for being a good boy. I trembled there in his arms. Then he stepped away and poured himself a scotch. "You want a drink?" That's when it hit me, the last blow of the day, right between the eyes. I don't know why it came then. Maybe it was because there was no way for me to deny Joel's complete control over me, over us, but I finally knew what I was feeling. Scared. It wasn't ecstasy alone that had me trembling. It was the terrifying knowledge that I was going to give myself to Joel. I'd been coyly flirting with the idea since he'd slipped his cock between my thighs this morning, but I hadn't been convinced. Not until Gabe had brought up Eric. If Eric were ever to return, he'd said, unaware that Eric was back, that he was leaving text messages on Joel's phone. If Eric were ever to return...Joel would take him back in a red-hot second. And my one, outraged response to that had been a challenging, internal why? Why would Joel take back an asshole like that? More to the point, what the fuck could Eric do for Joel that I couldn't? Give himself. You stupid, macho man! was the all too obvious answer. He can give himself like you can't. That was it. That's what it had taken to convert me. Had Joel asked me to do it, I'd have balked and accused him of trying to change me. But put me in a silent bidding war with Eric and I was ready to pass Joel the lube. It was screwed up. I shouldn't have needed that kind of incentive, but I did. I was not going to let Eric outbid me! Sweat cooled on my body; I shakily walked over to Joel. The one suspender kept up my open trousers just barely, and my softening cock, sticky and warmly damp against my thigh, played peek-a-boo. I snatched away his glass of scotch and took a swallow, wincing as it burned a fiery trail down my throat. "God, how can you drink that?" I croaked, but the heat was what I needed. A little Dutch (or maybe Tartan?) courage. My heart was pounding. Putting the glass aside, I gave Joel a very wet, scotch-tongued kiss. I wanted him identifying me with his favorite liquor; I wanted him to think of getting drunk on me. Drawing him to the couch, I pushed him down and got that blue silk shirt off him. I pinched and twisted his hard nipples between thumb and forefingers, gazing deep into his eyes. His lips were still parted with desire from the kiss. I sank to my knees, feeling his heart pounding as I stroked his hairy chest. With hands still unsteady, I unfastened the silver buckle of his crocodile belt and slid it free of the loops. A quick release of the button on his trousers and the zipper came right down. His bulge was hard and ready in his gray shorts, a damp spot waiting. I leaned in and licked at the spot, tasting a musky sweetness captured in the cotton, feeling the round head pressing up against the fabric. It twitched as I licked, asking to come out. Joel's breath grew short. Rising up, he let me hook my fingers into his shorts and pants and draw them down. He kicked and struggled to be free of them. I went back to his hairy thighs, nibbling and nuzzling, making him spread his legs. He moaned as I took hold of his cock and drew down the foreskin. There wasn't much to push back. His dick, naked and silky, had already left its sheath behind. The head was shiny with pre-cum. I reached for the lube, wet my hands with it and began to stroke. He moaned and brought up his knees, letting his balls swing free. I bent my head, inhaling his fragrance, lapping at his warm, furry sacks even as I tried to keep jacking him. His skin was redolent of sweat and bath soap. My tongue made his heavy balls swing, made the nuts within roll and shift. I burrowed lower, at the spot, which, upon me, he'd been rubbing through my Dockers, that smooth, firm spot behind his balls. I licked at it, pressing as hard as I could with my tongue. A deep groan escaped him and now Joel, arms braced on the back of the couch, had his ass lifted and bucking. I licked deeper and deeper into his crack until I stroked over his hole. He twitched and gasped and placed his legs on my shoulders, his back sinking down so his ass was higher, spreading open, offering itself to me. All this time, I had at least one hand greasing up his shaft. I let my thumb glide over his piss-slit, mingling lube and pre-cum until it was almost too slick to handle. "Fuck, Dev," he groaned, as I sucked and nibbled at soft inner flesh and tongued his earthy crack. "I hope you're ready to go again 'cause I need you." My cock gave a twitch, not quite up to it yet, but trying to do as he asked. "I don't need to be ready," I said, coming up for air. Joel's flavor was on my tongue, mingled with the aftertaste of scotch. I lifted his legs off my shoulders and got to my feet. Slowly, knowing he'd enjoy it, I let down the other suspender. My trousers fell, pooling at my feet. My throat tightened again, and my pulse raced. I didn't think Joel would mention my taking the bottom role to my friends, but what if they found out? What would they think of me? What would I think of myself, afterwards? Even as I wondered about all this, I knew it was nonsense. Why should it matter? It shouldn't. But it did. It mattered to me and I was scared. I sat on the couch and handed Joel the lube. I prayed he could read my mind, so I wouldn't be forced to ask for it aloud. Take me, I would say if I had to. That's all. I didn't care how; I didn't even care if it hurt, so long as it won over Joel. I rested back on the couch, knees up, and tried to breathe. *Joel* I watched him drop his pants and sit beside me on the couch. He wore the oddest expression as he did so and I tried to focus my thoughts. Every time I started to get them pulled together, they'd scatter like dog-chased pigeons in the park—wheeling about for a bit before beginning to reform into a sensible flock again. It took me a few seconds of looking between the bottle in my hand and Devlin's pose to stop thinking with my dick and conclude that he wanted me to get him hard again. Judging by the way that he'd braced his heels on the edge of the sofa—exposing his sensitive pucker—it was obvious he wanted a little ass play. Considering what my family and I put him through today, I figured he deserved as much pampering and attention as he wanted. Besides, there was little I loved more than pleasuring him. Any opportunity to worship his body was pure delight for me. Grabbing the throw pillows on my end of the couch, I crawled between his thighs and stuffed the pillows behind him, bracing his back up. I nuzzled under his sack and he tangled the fingers of one hand in my hair as I slithered my tongue into his crevice. I slid my hands down the backs of his thighs to pull his cheeks further apart with my thumbs. I kept watching him as I found his sensitive opening—alternating between flicking my tongue over it while grazing the edges with my teeth and laving it with the flat of my tongue. His muscles began relaxing, dilating in invitation. I slipped my tongue past his ring, feeling it open further to me. My dangling cock jumped eagerly hearing his moans as he writhed under my ministrations. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 05 Moving back up, I nibbled around his navel, while coating his crack with a thick layer of KY with my right hand and stroking his cock with my left. He gasped at the cold, slick touch on his hot hole; his face changed to that new expression I'd noticed earlier and his cock softened a bit. His pucker had tightened up again, so I worked on his cock, taking him to the root while stroking the pad of my thumb over his hole in spiraling circles. I watched him closely, working my thumb against his ring to loosen him while gently nursing on his slowly reviving cock. It wasn't long before I could replace my thumb with two fingers. "More," he grunted when I pressed my fingers against his prostate. It surprised me. He'd never been willing to take more than two at a time, but I happily accommodated him by inserting a third. Seeing his balls start shifting in his sack, I pulled off his cock and leaned up further, covering his mouth with my own. Was it wrong to want to be the hub of someone's life? Was it crazy to need someone who wanted to be the core of mine? I didn't know, but I wasn't ready to know if he thought it was or not. I put everything I had into that kiss. My body moved with a mind of its own, my hips rolling in tight circles, my fingers still inside of him, occasionally brushing his prostate. His fingers dug into my back, urging me on. I broke the kiss, needing to breathe, and flicked my tongue randomly toward his ear just as he began rocking his hips with mine. It felt like encouragement; there was no hesitation like before. Leaning back, I studied his face; looking into his eyes, I saw that new thing in them again. Cupping his jaw, I caressed his cheekbone with the pad of my thumb as the meaning of his expression finally sank in. He was terrified as well as aroused. Stark, cold fear warred with a lush blaze of desire and there was only one thing I could imagine that he could both desperately want and fear, but I needed to be certain that it wasn't just wishful thinking. I resettled myself against him hesitantly, positioning the head of my straining cock at his entrance, rubbing the tip over it in little circles as I'd done with my thumb. I expected to see denial flash in his eyes, but he immediately tucked his heels against my ass—flexing them a little to pull me against him. "Bear down," I whispered, "like you're trying to push me out with your muscles." I saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, and his heels pressed into my ass cheeks again. My hips leapt forward, eager to accommodate his unspoken request and my slick, mushroom head burst into what felt like the heat of a furnace; Dev sucked in a harsh breath. I stilled, biting down hard on my lips and urges, forcing myself to give him the chance make room for my invasion. His body quivered around me. The mere thought of where I was, inside Devlin, my Dev, for the first time excited and terrified me. I still saw nothing in his face that said I should stop—and I doubt I could have done so even if I had. The point of no return had passed, and there was no going back, but I forced myself to take it slow—verbally encouraging him to relax as I inched my way in. I was sweating heavily by the time I was fully seated; our bodies fitted together perfectly, as if we'd been made from complimentary molds. Still I held back, waiting for him to give me a sign that he was ready. He shifted under me, the walls of his tunnel massaging my shaft. My cock flexed, releasing a heavy spurt of pre-cum and I lost what little control I had. I thrust once, twice. No one and nothing had ever felt this good, like hot, slick, wet velvet. My balls started crawling up and I clamped down on my wild motions. Oh, Christ, not yet, not fucking yet! I thought, knowing if he moved even a little, I'd come and ruin everything. "Oh, fuck! Jesus fuck! Hold still!" I commanded through clenched teeth, shuddering in his embrace. Think unsexy thoughts...think unsexy thoughts, I chanted to myself—Babe Ruth in nothing but a jockstrap; Tony Blair in lady's lingerie; Hillary Clinton naked on a cold day. By the time I'd gone over everything I needed to do on Monday for the new case I'd been assigned Friday, my breathing was nearly back to normal, and my heartbeat had slowed from its hummingbird pace. Devlin hadn't said anything and he'd held as still as the sculpture I'd imagined his as earlier. He had a wellspring of patience that I never would have credited him with before now. I raised my head to look at him once more—the fear still lurked within his eyes—but his stubborn streak of determination looked to have gotten the upper hand, for the moment at least. I moved within the grip of his sheath, dropping my hips below his to drag the head of my cock over his prostate with each smooth stroke out, and rotating them as I hit the bottom of each silken glide inward. Before long, he was moving with me, gripping my triceps for balance while rolling his pelvis at the top of each outward stroke so I caressed his prostate from side to side as well as from front to back, and rocking in counter point to mine when I bottomed out. He grunted and groaned, wordlessly demanding a quicker tempo and a harder drive. Sweat rolled down my forehead, stinging my eyes. It dripped off my chin onto my heaving chest to slide between us. Coiling heat flooded through me, surging like a fever. Fiery coals settled behind my navel. They flared each time his body tightened with pleasure, burning away my control. The embers flared brighter without quite bursting into full flame. If I could keep the pace I could go on all night, but Devlin's writhing and frantically clutching hands finally brought the embers into full flame. I sped up and added greater force to my glide. His legs flexed around my hips urging me on. I tried to hold back, to prolong the experience, but he was having none of it. He broke my control by using my own method against me. He consciously began working his muscles around my painfully aroused cock. "Oh, fucking Hell..." I groaned. Burying my face in his shoulder. My discipline burned away to ash and my animal self seized control. All awareness narrowed to the joining of our bodies as my hips thrust with feral glee. A flood of exquisite sensation pushed me relentlessly toward the precipice of what felt like a potentially soul-shattering orgasm. Part of me wanted to stop and bank the fire, almost desperately wanting Devlin to reach the pinnacle first. However, the rest of my mind and body insisted it had waited too long and would have satisfaction now. A change in the deliberate rhythm of Dev's inner muscles and fresh passion in his vocalizations broke through the haze. Something hit the underside of my chin, making me look down from his shoulder and I saw his cock jumping on his stomach, firing long, sticky streamers of come. The sight of his pleasure shattered the fierce tension in my gut and for a split second, I felt weightless, like you do right before you fall. My awareness drained away with the violent jets of come that pumped up from my balls, filling him and sapping my consciousness, until there was nothing left of me but a shuddering mass of over-sensitive nerve endings. *Devlin* The crown of Joel's hot, hard cock was at my hole, making it flutter with fear and a need so intense it was almost blinding. His long, clever fingers had created the desire; one I didn't know existed until that first time Joel had touched me inside. He knew just how to caresses and tease that secret gland, sending waves of pleasure through me until my insides melted away like butter. Jesus, if his cock could do anything like that— He had left my ass stretched and slick with lube, empty and wanting him. I couldn't deny it any longer. I wanted this. He was tenderly touching my face, but it was his eyes that kept me aroused. Those deep green Irish eyes focused on me. Seeing me. Desiring me. I am not going to flinch or back out, I thought, heart pounding, but coward that I was I still couldn't say it. Do it, I just kept thinking, it's yours. Take it. The tip of his cock started rotating in tiny circles, making me gasp and perspire. I swallowed and pressed my heels into his ass cheeks. Inviting him in. His gaze softened then, which, damn it, was stupid. I didn't want to be thanked for giving him something we both wanted. "Bear down," he instructed me, "like you're trying to push me out with your muscles." I did as he said even as his cock head started to push in. I had to fight the urge to balk. The head wasn't even past the tender ring yet, but I well knew that Joel's girth was thicker than those three fingers. This wasn't going to be pleasant. It popped in quite suddenly, and I caught my breath. FUCK! My mind went white with a stab of pain and my ass instinctively tightened up. Fat lot of good that did. Joel's cock was still there, a demanding intruder. It felt huge and it hurt like hell. I clenched my teeth, determined not to show it. Sweat built up on my forehead and under my arms. Wimp, I berated myself, fucking sissy. I trembled and forced myself to go back to doing what he'd told me to do. It eased the discomfort. I quailed as he leaned in. "You're doing great," he murmured. His breath was short. He probably wanted to thrust in hard and fast; that's what I would have wanted to do and oh, fucking God please don't let him do that— He was inching in and I had to fight the raw, instinctive panic to shove him off me. I could tell he was putting all his effort into being careful, moving glacially slow, sweat gleaming at his throat. I took more and more of him, letting him fill me until, quite to my surprise, his tight, hairy balls nestled against my crack. My own nuts were nesting in his pubic hair. Amazingly, there was less pain. Even more amazing, my cock was stiff again. It didn't take long to realize why. His rod was resting on the magic button, starting to rub it. Automatically, I began to squeeze his thick, hard cock with my inner muscles. "Oh, fuck! Jesus fuck! Hold still!" he snarled, and I went still, wondering what I'd done wrong. His heart was racing against mine. The sweat between our chests made for a slippery embrace. I wanted to rock, badly. I wanted to writhe and buck so that his cock would go back to stroking my prostate, wiggle and moan so he'd know how crazy he was making me. I kept still. Joel was shaking and breathing hard, and I wasn't sure if he was enjoying or exhausting himself. His eyes locked with mine again, as if checking to see if I really had the balls to see this through. Then his hips shifted down and he began to pump in and out. "Oh, Jesus—" I groaned, as his slick, hard cock began to relentlessly glide over my prostate. It turned and twisted against the sensitive interior of my tunnel, but most of all, it rubbed at that gland as if trying to start a fire. All pain vanished. Sparks of ecstasy flared through my ass and groin, up from my tailbone. It was indescribable. I felt impaled on his huge, pumping shaft, the rhythm obstinately steady, perfect for keeping me squirming. There seemed to be no escape from the relentless pleasure. I wanted to beg Joel to stop because I couldn't take it any longer. At the same time, I clung to his trembling arms, never wanting it to end. I couldn't even jack my aching cock, which he had trapped between our sweat-soaked abs. As we rocked, it was stroked, the nuts jostled. Like Joel's damnable thrusts, it was just enough to keep me in a state of maddening, quivering arousal. My lungs were pumping like bellows and I was sure I was going to die from sheer bliss. Joel kept going. I was lost now, completely lost. In desperation, I consciously flexed my inner muscles, squeezing him as hard as I could to get him to speed to the climax. "Oh, fucking Hell..." he groaned, and I felt his sweaty face against my shoulder, his hair brushing my neck. Suddenly he was pounding into me, beating away at my ass. I could hear myself screaming, could feel my balls boiling. My cock shot out its load as if releasing a firework into the sky. For a moment, my senses vanished. I couldn't see or hear or feel anything but a rapturous high. My body spasmed as I shot again and again. Finally, sensations returned, and I felt Joel go still. He jerked, sweat flying off him, and I felt his hot white jizz spurting into my tender chute. Done, he collapsed on top of me. His weight was both wonderful and uncomfortable. I wanted him there, but I was out of breath and he was smothering me. "J-Joel," I managed, "I can-can't quite—" I pushed weakly at his shoulder. He groaned and slid back, his softening cock leaving me. I actually whimpered. That glorious fullness was gone, and all that remained were the slick, sticky-cool remnants of lube, come, and sweat. Joel crumpled onto the other half of the couch. Wincing, I unbent my legs. For a while, the two of us lay there, cooling down, our breathing quiet. My mind was still spinning, and catching my thoughts was rather like trying to snatch brass rings on a merry-go-round. I did it, was my first thought. I'd done it and the world hadn't ended. Quite the opposite. A whole new universe of experience had opened up for me. Yet even as I realized this, I felt my face flushing and I curled in on myself, like some shy, deflowered schoolgirl. To my great chagrin, I found myself wondering if Joel had liked me and if he would still respect me in the morning. What the fuck was wrong with me? I felt Joel's hand on my arm, running down it to lace his fingers with mine. I cleared my throat, feeling I ought to say something. "Well, big guy, you're officially my first." He laughed breathlessly. "And once again, you're my first. I've never taken anyone's cherry before. Was it all right?" "Amazing." "Better than you expected?" "Better? Fuck, Joel, I didn't know what to expect. All I had to go on was my high school experience with Nancy Smith, who was my only virgin. She had a pretty painful and uncomfortable time, and I suppose I expected it'd be the same for me. I never in my wildest dreams thought it could end up feeling that fantastic, not on a first go." A kind of awe came to his eyes. I guess he'd never had any guy literally put his ass on the line for him. Which was really giving me way too much credit. "I saw how hard you worked to make it good for me," I added. "I'm guessing that made it less than stellar for you. Next time, I'll do better." He reached out and put a hand on my head, shaking it a little. "Are you fucking kidding? You were incredible." Yeah, I thought with a smile. That's the same lie I'd told Nancy Smith. I managed to get myself to the bathroom to clean up. Then I returned and collapsed back on the couch. Joel fetched us bottles of water and made us sandwiches. We ate and watched some television, leaning up against each other in companionable silence. I was so wiped out that I couldn't remember going to bed. I think Joel hauled me there. I just know that I woke the next morning with his arms around me. The sun was pouring in through the slats. I groaned, feeling sore and little tender. It took me a moment to remember why. "Morning," Joel purred in my ear. I felt his stiff cock at my ass and my pulse started racing. I didn't know if I was excited or worried. "Joel, man," I croaked, "I hope you're not planning a repeat of yesterday. Not saying I wouldn't enjoy it, but you fucked me pretty dry." He laughed and nibbled up my neck to my lobe, tickling it with his hot breath. My own morning hard-on throbbed with interest to spite my statement. It was at Joel's command, it reminded me, and I had not a thing to say about it. "We both need a little time off to refuel, Muffinman," he agreed. "I wish I could spend the day with you," I said, rolling on my back so I could gaze at him. It was the nature of the real estate business. Most people had weekends off, so that's when agents showed houses. I worked with a grandmotherly lady named Paula; she took Saturdays and I took Sundays. Sometimes, like that first weekend, I got an extra day off, but most of the time I did not. "I'd almost like to go back to your dad's pub," I said. Joel's brows shot up and I laughed. "The beer was amazing. I don't know how you could end up drinking anything else." He snorted. "You weren't raised surrounded by it, serving it and cooking big batches of Irish stew with it. I didn't exactly get sick of beer, but when I got to that age when a guy picks out his drink...well, beer was no longer on the list. I'm glad you like it though. Pop imports what he can from Ireland and puts it on tap." "I can tell. I liked the food, too. The poached salmon and the leek and bacon quiche...mmm...I could go back there for a slice of that." "Well, now," Joel smiled thoughtfully, "I might be able to accommodate you there. I think I've most of the ingredients. Irish bacon, mushrooms, eggs and such. Substitute green onions for leeks. You'll have to forget about getting any crust, that's too much trouble, but I could bake it up without." "Would you?" My mouth started to water at the thought. He kissed me. "I can't refuse you anything." He slipped out of bed. I relaxed back on the pillows, beginning to enjoy the morning. "Does that mean you'll fetch me a beer as well?" He smacked me on the head. "Ungrateful boy." Joel quickly washed up, pulled on some shorts and headed into the kitchen. He put on some B.B. King and I lay there listening to "Don't You Want a Man Like Me." I heard Joel's fine voice playfully singing along, a knife tapping on the cutting board. Three weeks. I'd known him three weeks, and I'd changed more for him in that time than I had for anyone in my life. I was startled by a loud, rattling buzz. For a moment, I thought Joel's alarm had gone off, but it didn't sound right for that. Buzz again. And again. It was Joel's phone. He'd left it on his night table and it was vibrating so hard it was about to fall off. I lurched across the mattress and caught it. "Don't you want a maaaaaaan like meeeeee?" Joel yodeled in the kitchen. The cell buzzed in my hand, the window lighting up. Eric. It was Eric again. I flipped it open. Another text message. See u Friday? was the first sentence. There was more, likely a reminder of time and meeting place. I didn't bother reading it. "Fuck you, Eric," I said, erasing the message. "He's mine." It was completely wrong and I shouldn't have done it, but I was not going to take any chances. I would not lose Joel. *Joel* Dev joined me at the table wearing only his boxer briefs. We shared the quiche and read the newspaper together. He took the real estate section and I took the funnies, reading them to him. When I'd gone through those, I read him the front page, while he kept checking to see if anything was new in the home listings, his bailiwick. He went back to his apartment to get ready for the day then we reconnected and walked down to Espresso Yourself. Taking his coffee, he gave me a kiss, and left me at a table doing the crossword. We'd been having a great run for the past three weeks with evenings and weekends mostly free, but on Monday morning, His Honor, Judge Douche Bag III, saw to it that this next week would be a complete bust for every romantic life in my office. Howard called everyone into the meeting room to tell us what was what. At lunchtime, I called Devlin and broke the news, hoping he wouldn't be secretly relieved. "Hey," I said to his professional announcement of his name, "bad news, babe. All the paperwork on the new case is due Friday morning. I have to work late today and I'll most likely be lucubrating all week. Ev—" When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 05 "Lucubrating? Lucubrating who and what'd he do to deserve it?" "Hahaha," I deadpanned a laugh. "Lucubrating means a lot of written work and prolonged study, in particular at night by candle light. "I knew that." "Of course you did. Anyway, for the rest of the week we're going to be burning the midnight oil. 'We spend our mid-day sweat, or mid-night oil; we tire the night in thought; the day in toile,'" I quoted for him then gave him my best upper middle class British accent. "Francis Quarles, an English dame known for her dignified whining through prose." "I love it when you pretend to be educated. So, okay, I'll put out a late-night snack and keep the bed warm for you." I winced. "I wouldn't count on me making it home to bed. I'll probably be sleeping on the office couch." He uttered a few, choice and very disappointed curse words, which pleased me. "You've got my key," he sighed. "If you can make it back, come on in. I don't care how late it is." I couldn't make it home that night, and when I managed to catch a nap, I slept alone for the first time in weeks. I talked with him briefly the next day, finally getting a few minutes online for a video conference. "The sofa in my office is lumpy," I complained right out of the gate. I was a rumpled mess in just my shirt, having discarded my tie long before. He, by contrast, was his usual freshly pressed looking self. Rubbing my gritty eyes, I said, "The clerks are working their asses off, God-bless-'em, but they can't make a cup of coffee worth shit." He mentioned that he'd be dropping in on his ex, Cathy, Thursday afternoon to get the gallery information he'd promised my sister. I wondered with bitter ingratitude why she couldn't just e-mail it to him. Because, of course, they're still friends, I reminded myself. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to concentrate on something other than him and Cathy talking and possibly being alone together. Finally, I stole a few minutes between stacks of depositions to dig the scrap of pink paper Deb had given me out of my wallet. It was dinnertime, but she'd said anytime I needed, so I dialed the number, anxiously hoping she'd be able to reassure me. "No," she said, sounding certain of her answer. "That's definitely not something you have to worry about. First, Dev and Cathy have run into each other now and then over the last few months. If they were going to get back together, they'd have done it before now." Maybe, I thought, but what if she gets him thinking about being with a woman again? "Second," Deb was going on, "Cathy's got a new guy who adores her, and she isn't the type to just throw him over in pursuit of an old flame. Believe me, Devlin had to fuck up a lot before Cathy gave up on him, and this guy will need to do the same." "I thought you said Cathy really wounded Dev—" "She did, but that doesn't mean he didn't earn it, which is the third thing. Dev may not be so good at insight or foresight, but his hindsight is excellent. He wouldn't try to get back together with someone he'd wronged, and he knows he didn't do right by Cathy." "I don't know how that could be. Devlin's such an incredible person—" "He is incredible, but that self-confidence of his lets him act without thinking, which is good if he's at the gym and runs into some hot, shy hunk that's caught his eye—" I blushed. "—he'll go right up and ask him out. But that kind of nerve isn't always so good in a relationship. I remember this one time that a gallery called up, they had an unexpected opening in their schedule and wanted to offer it to Cathy. Dev was the one who answered the phone, and he refused it for her because they had plans to go skiing that weekend. He didn't even think about it, didn't even consider asking her. Cathy was furious and Dev, in hindsight, was mortified. He didn't mean to fuck up, but like I said, he's not so good with insight or foresight." She paused, seeming to brood on that then switched gears. "Anyway, the point is, even if he wasn't nauseatingly happy with you, he wouldn't be tempted to get back with Cathy. You're more in danger of him falling for a stranger." "Wait a minute, wait—" I said, trying to figure out that hesitancy in her voice. "Back up. Do you think Dev's going to do something thoughtless to me, like he did to Cathy?" Another pause, then, "I'm worried that he's already done it." My words nearly stuck behind the lump that suddenly formed in my throat. "And what? You don't think I'm going to handle it well?" "Joel, I'm just letting you know what's coming. Sooner or later, Dev's going to step up to you, looking like a naughty puppy, and admit that he crossed the line, whatever that line is. You'll handle it however it deserves to be handled, smack him with a newspaper or kick him out of the house. The question isn't whether you can handle it, but whether you can accept it. He doesn't want to mess up, he's trying his best, but we all have our blind spots. This is his. Cathy...Cathy finally got tired of it." "I have to go now," I said reluctantly. One of the clerks was at my door, another stack of depositions in her arms. "Thanks for talking to me." I ate Thai take-out that night, being careful not to spill any on the paperwork. Finally, at one-thirty in the morning, I headed home for some proper sleep. I opened Devlin's door and showered in his bathroom as quietly as I could. Sighing heavily, I settled into bed next to him. Wrapping my arms around his familiar form, I burrowed my nose into the hair along the back of his neck and inhaled his fragrance. He stirred a bit, but was too deeply asleep to awaken. His warmth radiating into me had a powerfully soporific effect, pushing me into sleep's current, where the undertow caught me and pulled me down. The alarm I'd set in my phone woke me at an unreasonable hour, but there was nothing to be done for it. I had to get up and get back to the office. I carefully disentangled my limbs from his, kissing his shoulder and whispering things I'd never have said had he been awake. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 06 *Devlin* My alarm went off at its usual hour on Wednesday morning. Rolling over, I found that Joel was already gone. I remembered hearing him showering at some God-awful hour the night before, and the comforting feel of his body enfolding mine. I'd experienced a sexual tingle and a lurid dream. Now, gazing at the empty side of the bed, I half-wondered if I'd only imagined him being there. I touched longingly on the imprint of his head on the pillow then sighed and got ready for work. Later that afternoon, I managed to catch him for a quick video chat. He looked so forlorn and haggard that I envisioned storming the law offices and forcibly rescuing him from captivity. "Can I bring you lunch or something?" I asked. "Naw," he sighed. "We're eating as we work here. I just wish I could have my coffee. I had to be out the door at six this morning and Espresso doesn't open till seven." "So you'd rather have your coffee than me," I joked, "Is that what you're saying?" That got a grin from him. "We're talking about coffee here. I'm incredibly fond of you, but I'd sell you into white slavery at The House of the Rising Sun for a cup of coffee made the way I like it." "It's good to know your priorities. And your kinky fantasies." "We'll see about kinky fantasies come Saturday, luscious one," he rejoined. That sent a shiver down my spine. It also made me determined to do something for him. So when lunchtime rolled around, I took the car and drove over to Espresso Yourself. I ordered up two of Joel's favorite drinks, one with hazelnut syrup, one with almond roche, and got four of the cream cheese muffins, two blueberry, two pecan. There, I thought, pleased with myself, that oughta maintain his energy—and keep him thinking of me. I drove over to his offices, not expecting to actually see him, just to drop off my loving care package. I'd never actually visited his workplace, and I was a little nervous. I didn't want to disturb him or get him into any trouble. I was also worried I'd get lost, but I found the firm easily enough. "Got a special delivery here for Mr. O'Shaughnessy," I said to the woman at the reception desk. "Survival rations." A poised brunette with a decidedly feminine edge looked up from her monitor: pink dress, an understated strand of pearls, very much my type had I been on the prowl. Even if I were interested, however, she had a weighty pair of platinum bands on her left ring finger. Square cut diamonds left no doubt that she was taken. She blinked up at me, and a smile came over her face. "Let me guess. You're Devlin?" I turned on my own charm. "Recognized my voice, huh?" "My, oh, my." There was a twinkle in her admiring eyes. "Now I know what he sees in you." I laughed and put down my cardboard 'gift basket.' "Well, don't disturb him. I just brought this by in hopes of keeping him from going on a killing spree." "Oh, he's not in the office right now," she said. "He had some urgent, secret appointment he was determined to keep. Said the firm could damn well survive without him for an hour or two." She shook her head. "Like he hasn't been the one too paranoid to leave the office. I thought he was heading for an afternoon tryst with you, but I guess not." My pulse picked up. He couldn't be meeting Eric; I'd erased the message, and it'd been for Friday, anyway. Unless Eric had called to change the meeting? My stomach dropped, but I maintained my smile. "Should I let him know you came by?" the secretary asked. I shook my head. "Tell him a courier brought this." I touched on the coffee, a knot in my throat. "I wouldn't want him to feel bad about missing me," I added in explanation. The secretary approved of that, so I knew she'd keep my visit under wraps. I was sick with uncertainty now. Joel had insisted he couldn't take a break to see me, not even for coffee, but he'd left work to make this appointment. He wasn't even working through lunch like he'd said. He'd outright lied to me. Why would he do that unless...unless I was falling short of his expectations? Had he snuck off to do a little comparison shopping? And if so, with who? Late that night, I heard the key in the lock and his footsteps in the living room. I was already in bed, and still wide-awake with anxiety. I listened to him washing up and getting undressed, felt him slip naked into bed. I waited until his arms were around me, his breathing regular, then I turned and kissed his neck. I nibbled and licked my way on down. "Hmmm," he sighed, as I pushed him gently onto his back and bit at his nipples. Finally, I shifted on top of him and scooted down half under the covers to his flaccid cock. It was soft and heavy against his thigh, bundled up for the night in its cocoon. I lapped and sucked at the tip, then grazed the lose foreskin very gently with my teeth. He moaned and touched my head. "Jesus. That feels wonderful, but I don't think I can move—" "Which is exactly what I want," I said, locking one hand around his wrists and holding them out of the way. "You're completely at my mercy." I lifted his cock with the other hand and went to work, licking my rough tongue over his hairy balls until I could feel the soft skin tightening, the nuts within shifting. Under my stroking hand, his cock emerged from hiding. "No fair," he moaned, bucking his ass against the bed sheets. I grinned and started on his piss slit, delving into it, getting a taste of that sweet flavor of his. Fuck, he was delicious. Joel's breath was coming short now, his head was rolling side to side. I expanded out, swirling over the silky dome, flirting with the flared rim. His thick cock extended, eagerly leaving its sheath to enter my mouth. I obligingly got my lips about his familiar girth and sucked him down. My tongue glided over pulsing veins as I started to bob, and I inhaled his scent. Joel's wrists were still in my hand, twisting feebly. He squirmed on the sheets. A deep groan cued me. He tightened up, breath pausing. A shudder and his cock pulsed, its tip striking the back of my throat. Warm cream filled my mouth. I felt that rush, the one I got from controlling his pleasure, letting him know that I wanted him. Man, I'd missed it. I loved the sounds of his moans, the jerk of his cock in my mouth. Most of all, I loved being able to show him what I'd learned, a reminder that I could satisfy him. Whatever Eric had done for him in the past—was doing for him now?--I could do for him in the future. And I could and would do it better. I let his cock slide out of my mouth and released his wrists. Limp on the mattress, he murmured something and drifted off to sleep. Climbing back up his length, I kissed his lips. "Fuckin' A," I whispered, and with his flavor still coating my tongue, I went to sleep myself. *Joel* Wednesday morning I managed to get enough work done that I could steal a little time out of the afternoon to keep the appointment I'd set up. I let Gloria know that I had an important meeting that I couldn't miss, but that I would have my cell on me in case of emergency. I caught a cab home, not having time for the vagaries of the subway, and grabbed a change of clothes and my bike. It was great to be on the road for a while and take a good long break from the paperwork. The appointment went off without a hitch and when I got back to the office, I found Dev's little surprise. A Jewish fellow I'd briefly dated in my third year of college would have said I almost got fahklempt, choked up, but I prefer to think I was simply very pleased. How will I ever deserve to have this man give up all possibility of a normal life for me?, I wondered, gazing at those heavenly coffees and muffins. It was little things like this that made me think he might love me, or at least be falling in love with me. He was just as incredible that night, just as considerate and thoughtful. I came in late again, so late that it was early, and tried to get into bed without disturbing him. I thought I'd pulled it off until he turned over and started kissing his way down my chest. Before I knew it, he'd crawled completely under the covers to give my nuts a leisurely tongue bath. Cool, slow-moving waves of pleasure washed through me, but I was so exhausted I could barely move, and told him as much. He said something in reply, but the covers and my balls muffled it so that I couldn't understand. He just held my hands out of the way and started using that incredible mouth of his on my cock. Every motion of his head and caress of his tongue was so sweet, so tenderly done, and that's what undid me so quickly. Within a few seconds, I was writhing and panting in his clutches, feeling a ball of tension growing taut behind my navel. I came, faster even than the first blowjob I'd ever gotten. Came, hell, I thought the top of my head was coming off. He was the most amazing man I'd ever been with and how did I respond to his generous gift? SOP, I fell asleep. One second I'm floating from a marvelous orgasm, trying to tell him how spectacular it was; the next moment I'm sound asleep, without even trying to reciprocate. When my phone woke me a few hours later, I promised him silently that I'd find a way to make it up to him Friday night. I doubted that I'd be able to make it home tonight, but the paperwork had to be done by Friday morning. That meant I'd have that evening completely free. I could spend it devoting myself to him. It was the least he deserved after all the special attention and patience he'd given me this week. I watched him sleep for a few minutes, with his head pillowed on my shoulder, and his fingers splayed across my chest. I wondered why people always look so innocent while sleeping. Was it because this was the real them, that bit of their childhood self that they never lose, that part of themselves that most people never let the world see, or see only rarely? If so, I could understand why they'd want to protect it, because it looked so fragile, as if a harsh word, or a disapproving glance, would snap it in two. "Will you come and stay with me?" I whisper-sang the line from one of my favorite Gaelic songs into his hair before I carefully extracted myself from his embrace. I knew if he were awake enough to hear me, he'd never understand the words. I was completely gone on him; I knew it and it both terrified and thrilled me. Leaving him right now was the last thing I wanted to do, but duty called, and there was nothing for it but to get it over with, so I could finally spend some more waking time with him. *Devlin* The alarm went off and I started awake from a nightmare I couldn't quite remember. Something about Joel's arms leaving me, slipping away. Feeling neither his heat nor his embrace, I knew he was gone before I even saw the empty side of the bed. The lustful fragrance of last night's sex was in the air. God, I missed him. I jacked off in the shower thinking of him, remembering that first Friday at the gym, his shy green eyes flickering to and from my naked body. I thought of how I'd had him last night, helpless and coming. That made me shoot my seed right down the drain. When I got to work, I immediately checked my computer and saw that he was online. I called up a video chat and his face appeared a moment later. He still looked wiped out, but more relaxed than he'd been all week. "Hey. I never got to tell you how lifesaving those coffees were yesterday. Not to mention the muffins," he said. "I've reconsidered selling you into slavery." "Tsk. I was starting to look forward to it." "I bet you were. You know I had the weirdest dream last night, Shane West sucked my cock—" "Fuck you!" "—he was dressed like Tom Sawyer. Suspenders—" he teased, making motions in front of his chest as if he were playing with a set. "Asshole!" I fought a grin. "You'd better watch your mouth. You're going to be in my power again tonight." The mirth in his eyes didn't vanish, but it did quiet down. "Afraid not. There's a truckload of paperwork due at the courthouse tomorrow morning, and we've only organized half of it. I'll be lucky if I get a five minute nap on the office couch." I frowned at that. "If that's the way it's gotta be, that's the way it's gotta be, but I expect you to masturbate in the toilet while thinking of me. Twice at least." He stroked his chin. "Once with you, once with Shane West." "Asshole!" We talked for a little longer and then Joel had to sign off. I fielded a few calls from anxious homebuyers, then let my partner know I was taking a long lunch. Twenty minutes later, I pulled into the drive of Cathy's quaint cottage. I was actually looking forward to seeing her, which was a change from how I'd felt a few weeks back. In retrospect, I could see that I'd wanted a relationship with Joel from that first morning after, but I'd been terrified of swimming in those uncharted waters. Bringing him to the barbeque had been my way of taking the plunge. I'd shoved him down the throats of my friends and, in doing so, swallowed down the idea of a relationship with him myself. If Cathy had been there she'd have made me doubt that decision, which was why I'd been so relieved she was a no show. Now, however, I felt very differently. I wanted to see her, in part because we were still friends, and in part because I'd never completely figured out why she'd broken up with me. Uneasy as I was about Joel right now, I really wanted to understand that, maybe keep it from happening again. I went through the familiar back gate of Cathy's little house, and around to the sun porch, which was her studio. The screen door, which I'd always said I'd oil, but never had, no longer squeaked as I stepped through it. I found her sculpting as usual and felt my blood warm up. I'd forgotten how delicate her figure was, visible through the chocolate and cherry floral pattern of her summer dress. There were her small breasts, the nipples I'd loved licking and sucking outlined by the sheer fabric. Then there were her curves. I admit, I'm a basic kind of guy. Whether I'm admiring men or women, I always fixate on what they've got from the waist down. Cathy had nice hips and a pert ass; her bare legs were shapely and she peticured her toenails with had rose red polish. "Hey, Cath," I said fondly. "Dev." She spun, and smiled at me in a way I hadn't seen in almost a year. As if she, too, was actually glad to see me. Her satiny brown hair was kept back from her face with tortoise shell clips and her large doe eyes were accented with pastel shadow. She had the longest lashes I'd ever seen on a girl, a button nose and sweet lips. "You look terrific," I said, stepping up to embrace her. I'd gotten so used to Joel's firm, muscular body that I almost squeezed too hard. It was quite a change to hold a body so light, to experience the incredible, feminine smoothness of her cheek against mine instead of Joel's erotic stubble. I smelled that familiar combination of clay and Eternity perfume and feelings I hadn't had in a month washed over me: the desire to cradle a woman in my arms and nuzzle into her soft yielding places. She kept her hands, sticky and powdered with clay, away from me as she hugged me back, then she gave me a quick kiss. God, even her lips had a different sensuality from Joel's, moist and gentle as flower petals. "It's good to see you, too," she said. "Do you want some lemonade?" She motioned to the ice cream parlor table, the one that she'd mosaiced herself. I saw a cut glass pitcher of lemonade with fresh sprigs of mint, matching glasses and a plate of homemade brownies. That's Cathy, I found myself thinking, Always making things lovely and inviting. I had no doubt that she'd used fresh lemon juice and purified water for the lemonade. Me, I would have blended some powered mix with tap water in a plastic pitcher, put out Dixie cups and maybe opened a bag of Oreos. "Honey!" someone shouted from inside the house, making me jump, and in the next moment Cathy's new guy appeared at the kitchen door. Robbie had gossiped all about him, of course, some kind of electronics store owner. Cathy and he had hooked up recently and she was, rumor had it, crazy about him. He looked like a bulldog. Square and stocky with a big round head and a face ugly as a prizefighter. He was wearing a threadbare tee and a faded pair of boxers with some kind of paisley pattern. She left stunningly handsome me for this? I couldn't help thinking. "Have you seen my toolbox?" he asked, scratching his ass. "I want to fix that leak in the showerhead. It's driving me nuts." "Check the garage again. It's there," Cathy said, returning to her clay sculpture. "Ray, this is Devlin." "Oh, hey," he said, catching sight of me. I half expected him to go on guard and start posturing, but he came right over and shook my hand, friendly as friendly could be. He had a ripe, locker room smell about him. "Heard a lot of good things about you. Nice to finally meet you." "Good to meet you," I returned. He poured himself a glass of lemonade and wrapped up a brownie in a napkin, then crossed back to Cathy. "Don't make any plans for Tuesday night," he told her. "I got us tickets to see that performance artist you were raving about." Her mouth popped open and she squealed. Her arms wrapped about his thick neck. "You did? I can't believe it! I wasn't going to ask—" "What? You think I'd let you miss out on this?" "But won't you be bored?" "You can explain it to me afterwards. I love it when you do that." Cathy beamed and I felt a strange twist in my heart. It wasn't that I was jealous, exactly. I didn't want us back together again, but I felt bad that I'd never made her that happy. That she'd never, even at our best, smiled at me like that. Ray left and I stared after him. "I guess you wanted something completely different after me," I finally ventured. Cathy laughed. "Yes. He's considerate and flexible, and always puts me first. " "Ouch." I sat in one of the chairs and poured myself a drink. "What I meant is that he's not drop dead gorgeous." "I knew what you meant," she said, smirking. "He's ugly and he dresses funny, and I adore him. You all right with that?" "If you are." "Speaking of which," she went back to carving clay, "I hear you've got your own new fling. A motorcycle riding hunk with green eyes to die for." "Been talking to Robbie have you?" "Actually, that was Deb's description. Word is, you've been taking him to barbeques, concerts and the zoo. I have to admit I'm envious." That did hurt. "I took you places." "Dev, please! I was the one who arranged our outings to the county fair and the art museums. Even when we went to dinner, I always picked the place and made the reservations. Your only contribution was to do the driving." She'd said as much to me before, during the break-up, but this time there was no rancor in her voice. It was a simple fact she'd come to accept. "You would have never thought of taking me to see a performance art piece," she finished. "I would have had to buy the tickets myself or do without." I shrugged. "I always figured you knew how to make us both happy." "Which is precisely the point," she sighed. "You could have taken me to a baseball game or on a hike up one of those nature trails you like so much. I'd have enjoyed it just because you were trying to share yourself with me, rather than expecting me to satisfy myself and cater to you." That struck a bull's-eye. I'd barely known Joel two days before I'd shared one of my favorite, outdoor spots with him. Why hadn't I ever wanted to do the same with Cathy? Maybe because I'd never been able to envision her in that context. She was supposed to remain delicate and refined in her pretty dresses and open-toed sandals. She wasn't supposed to walk dusty roads in jeans and hiking boots. She wasn't...a guy, a buddy. She was a girlfriend. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 06 It hit me then, all at once. Fuck me. No wonder she'd wanted out of the relationship. I took a sip of the lemonade, needing to cool a suddenly dry throat. "I wanted things to be all my way," I admitted. "How you were supposed to act and be, how I was supposed to act and be. And whenever you asked for something to be your way, I thought you were trying to change me." She froze and gawked at me, gawked like I'd just unzipped my skin and revealed my true self. "I don't believe it. All those arguments, all these months, and you finally get it. The man finally gets it." I flushed with chagrin. Thinking back on it, yeah, Cathy had tried to tell me all this, sometimes calmly, sometimes shouting, often with tears of frustration in her eyes. Stubborn asshole that I am, I hadn't gotten it. Hadn't wanted to get it. "I just assumed—" I pressed on, "that we broke up because I was working too much." Her big brown eyes took me in, sad and sympathetic. "I know. We argued about that, too, remember? I kept telling you that I didn't care about that. You wouldn't believe me. I mean, Jesus, Dev, do you have any idea how much I—" She stopped then set aside her tools and crossed over to join me. Using a rag she had on hand, she poured herself some lemonade and lifted the glass without smudging anything with clay. "The problem," she went on, "was that you were so scared I'd mold you into something different, you wouldn't budge on anything. And there I was, bending over backwards to accommodate you, making myself into something that couldn't change or grow. Do you know how hard it was for me to admit that? I loved you enough that I was almost willing to let you do that to me." "I'm glad you didn't." The lemonade was sitting like acid in my stomach. "I always figured I was to blame—" "Don't—" "—now that I see it, I'm amazed you were so nice to me. You should have dumped me sooner and harder, right on my thick, stupid head." She laughed a little. "I wanted to. You can't imagine how mad I was at you; but the blame wasn't all yours. I needed you to change for me, and you couldn't. And you needed me to accept you exactly as you were, and I couldn't." She shrugged. "We're both better off." Our chat eased up from there, switching over to gossip on mutual friends. She fetched the gallery info she'd printed out for me. "I like what I'm hearing about this fellow you're with," she said, walking me out to my car. "It sounds like he's good for you. Maybe we can double date sometime—if you don't think that's too weird?" "It's weird, but why not?" We exchanged a friendly kiss and a final embrace. I felt rather odd driving away from that house where I'd once shared a life with Cathy, as if some dusty attic inside me had finally been cleaned out. Part of me was relieved that the clutter between us was finally gone, but the other part of me was appalled. With the attic empty I was able to see all the angles and corners of myself that I'd never known—or wanted to know were there. Like the fact that I was a self-centered fuck who expected his lovers to change to satisfy his fantasies. Like the fact that I was a lazy asshole who couldn't be bothered to return the favor. No wonder I'd only had serious relationships with feminine girls like Cathy; they were willing to bend themselves out of shape for me. A guy, especially the manly type that interested me, would have called me on my shit. Joel had. From the get-go, he'd been crystal-clear about what he wanted, and that he wouldn't take less. He'd also let me know that I'd better learn to love him for what he was, not for what I wanted him to be. If I couldn't, I could fuck off. Trapped between my infatuation with him and his demands, I'd done what I'd pretended for all this time that I couldn't do: I'd changed. Which, for the first time, put me the other side of the fence: changing anyway I could think in hopes of keeping Joel. To make it even more ironic, every change I'd made had led to another harder change: first was just agreeing to a relationship with a guy, next was examining my feelings. Last, I allowed Joel to take me. Now...now I had another change to make. Perhaps the biggest and hardest of all. I slept badly that night and was restless at work all the next morning on into the afternoon. Cathy was still on my mind. What she'd said about us, her new guy, even the feel and fragrance of her. I'd always thought that if I ever settled down it would be with a girl. Yesterday's self-revelations, however, had pretty much blown that assumption to bits. Hard to believe I was considering it after only one month, but there it was. I was thinking of a man for my life-partner. It would mean accepting not only monogamy, but giving up women as well. I might have questioned whether I could do that, but the way I was feeling made any doubts ridiculous. The very thought of seeing Joel tonight had me as excited as a kid invited to a birthday party. I get to see Joel tonight! I kept thinking. I get to have drinks and dinner with him, and afterwards....Ah. Afterwards. I trembled with anticipation. I get to see Joel! "You're fidgeting," Paula muttered. My partner was in her late fifties; stick thin with silver hair always perfectly coifed. Colleagues thought us an odd couple, and we were, but we worked well together, like tag-team wrestlers handing clients back and forth till the property was sold. "It's my personal life," I apologized, restlessly shifting in my chair and glancing at the clock yet again. "Hm, so I figured." Sitting at the desk next to mine, she filed her nails while scanning the new properties list. "Did I mention that our four o'clock canceled?" "Really?" I perked. It was three-thirty. Joel almost always went for coffee at around four, and he certainly would today, after being deprived of it for most of the week. Paula sighed. "School's over, Junior. Get on home. Anything comes in, grandma will take care of it." Her tone was always very dry and even I wasn't always sure when she was joking, but I took her at her word and snatched up my messenger bag. I parked at the apartment building and thought about going upstairs to change, but I was too eager to see Joel. Besides, he loved me in this suit; it was the same one I'd worn that fateful Friday when we'd finally come together. I straightened my tie and jacket, then made my way from the parking structure on down the hot sidewalk. There, standing right in the front, bay window of the coffeehouse, was Joel. No mistaking that black fedora. He had his back nearly to me, a coffee, muffin and the crossword on the table. I felt myself grinning like an idiot. Christ, did I have it bad for this guy or what? I was still grinning when I came into full view of the window and saw that he wasn't alone. Another man stood opposite him, big hands holding onto Joel's arms. A blond man in a sheer teal shirt, matching tank, and lose white trousers. My heart jumped into my throat and stuck there. Jesus Fucking Christ. Gabe was right, there was a resemblance. His eyes were a much lighter blue, hair a lighter blond, eyebrows more full, lips wider, but we had a similar facial structure. I didn't know which was the worse shock, seeing the likeness between us, or seeing the gray threading Eric's hair. He had ten, maybe as much as fifteen years on me, and it was eerily like looking at a time machine. I'd bet money that once he'd been exactly like me, drawing admirers in on looks alone. Joel's included. Eric hands were moving lovingly up Joel's arms, possessive enough to piss me off. The look in those summer blue eyes was regretful. He was talking earnestly, apologizing, I bet, just as Gabe predicted he would. Take me back, Joel. Joel wasn't moving away; alarmingly, he seemed to be listening. Fuck! I took a step toward the door. And then, quite unexpectedly, Eric jerked Joel into a kiss. Not like with me and Cathy, a friendly kiss, no. This was a kiss so intimate it knotted up my gut. It was a bedroom kiss filled with sexual secrets and private emotions. I saw Eric's arms go about Joel's neck, his fingers running through his hair. Joel—Joel gripping tight to his shoulders. He clung to them. When Eric finally pulled back, he wore a smile so disarming, so sincere it erased all age for a moment. He looked timeless. I've lost, I thought then, everything in me crumpling. I still couldn't see Joel's expression, but Eric's was enough. That air of triumph told me that he'd won his suit. I wondered if I'd even had a chance. Dismayed, I stepped closer to the window and Eric's euphoric gaze caught sight of me and my outraged expression. A brow lifted, angry-amused at what he undoubtedly took to be a homophobe's reaction to two men kissing in broad daylight. He gave me the finger. I spun around and hurried away, my tie flapping and my cell phone banging from within my jacket pocket. I darted around people in shorts and tee-shirts, cutting across the street and nearly getting hit by a car. My shoes on the pavement beat a hard tattoo. I'd thought Joel was mine. I'd been wrong. *Joel* I couldn't help but admire the glorious, late summer day around me as I strolled down the walk to Espresso Yourself. I'd just been over to Katie's to pick up Devlin's gift, and had it tucked under my arm with that day's paper. I was really looking forward to having a fresh, iced mocha and a nice muffin while I did the crossword. Mulling over whether I should have the almond roche or the hazelnut syrup, I pushed my way through the swinging door. The fuchsia cowbell over the door jauntily announced my arrival to the ladies behind the counter. "Well, where've you been all week? We was beginning to think that fella of yours had you locked away so's he wouldn't have to share your company with anyone else. Wudn't we, Bea?" the sweet, little Southern Belle of a girl said sassily. "Mmmm...yep," the owner agreed with a nod. "Something like that anyway. Wanna tell him what you were really thinking, Desiree?" Desiree giggled impishly, and I felt myself flush. "I did wonder if something wasn't wrong since that poor boy's been moping all week." "Well, except for Wednesday afternoon, that is. He was wearing a big ol' grin when he came in and got two drinks and muffins for you. Said he was on a mission of mercy," Desiree chimed in. "No, nothing like that," I said with a chuckle. "I've just been dealing with a huge case all whole week. Thankfully the hard part's over, and everything got turned in on time." The bell over the door jangled, and both of them glanced over at the person who'd come in. I didn't pay it any mind, though I wish I had. For whom does the bell toll? It tolled for me. "That's good news. What'll you have to celebrate?" Bea asked. "I think I'll go with the almond roche today, aaaand..." "The blueberry muffin with cream cheese filling...if you have them?" a voice said behind me. All three of us turned to see Eric standing there as if he owned the place, cocky-looking as ever. "That's what he always wants when he goes for almond roche," he said to the ladies. I stared, unable to believe he was really standing there, acting as if the last two years had never happened. His gaze shifted to me. "Well, you do. I can't help it if you've got well established habits." I didn't know what to say, and even if I'd had something ready and waiting, my throat had closed around my vocal chords. I couldn't stop staring either; I think I almost expected him to dissolve, like a mirage on the highway. He was real though, I never could have come up with the outfit he'd chosen on my own. The sheer, dark teal shirt, almost large enough to be a jacket, with a matching silky tank tucked into loosely flowing, white pants that nearly covered his whole foot. It was the sort of thing he'd wear when he was trying to impress someone. That someone had to me; this couldn't be a coincidence because he didn't show the slightest sign of surprise at encountering me here. He'd put on a little weight, and there was more grey sprinkled among the ash blonde, but he still looked great. Especially considering he'd turned forty-five back in April. "You look fantastic, Babe," he said, flashing his thousand-watt smile and pulling me to him for a hug. My brain had just started to reengage, but the unexpected, and unwanted, contact sent it reeling again. "You've obviously been taking good care of yourself." I felt myself stiffen, wanting to push him off, but not wanting to make a huge, public scene. "You feel fantastic, too. Just like I remember," he whispered in my ear. It was too much. I brought my hands up to his shoulders and disentangled him from me. Turning back to the counter, I paid for my coffee and muffin saying, "I look fine now, but you should have seen me six months after you walked out." I picked up my stuff and walked away from the counter. Knowing he'd follow, I kept talking. "I lost about twenty pounds the first two months. Gabe told me I looked like I'd been in a concentration camp or something." "Oh, God, Baby! I didn't know—" "How could you?" I interrupted harshly. "You changed your phone number the day you left, and you couldn't be bothered to worry your pretty, little head about how I was doing!" I set my stuff down at the small table by the window where I liked sitting when I had time to relax. I turned to take my seat and Eric grabbed my arms and pulled me around to face him. "Joel...I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, I just—I lost my head for a while." "Never meant to hurt me..." I sneered. "You thought what? That walking out without so much a simple explanation, completely cutting me off so I couldn't even call and find out what I'd done to drive you away, would have me jumping for joy?" I was trying to keep my voice low, not wanting an audience for this confrontation, but people were beginning to notice that something was going down. He moved his hands up to my shoulders, squeezing them with his strong fingers. "No! It wasn't like that at all. Please, don't be like this, Joel," he said, his eyes, the soft blue of a desert sky, locked with mine. The regret and longing I saw there made my skin crawl. I knew now that he wasn't just trying to clear his conscience; he thought he could win me back if only I'd let him explain. If I'd just be the old, reasonable, exonerating Joel, but he'd killed that man. I tried to turn away from him, but he caught me off guard when he jerked me to him, covering my mouth with his. I gasped in surprise, and he took advantage of my parted lips. I shuddered in revulsion at his presumption, my tongue trying to escape the touch of his. He held me firmly, his arms around my neck, his hands in my hair. He wasn't letting me turn my head, and the little I could move wasn't enough to break away. I gripped his shoulders hard, my fingers digging into muscles that weren't as firm as they'd once been, and thrust him from me. "Just like old times, eh, Baby?" he said breathlessly, giving me his most seductive smile, the one that'd always made my knees weak for him. He tried to lean into my chest. I held him away, still too stunned at his obliviousness and temerity to respond. His eyes focused past my shoulder, through the window, and his expression changed to annoyed disgust as he flipped someone off. I turned automatically to see who it was, and the sight of Devlin briskly walking away, close to running, made heart jump into my throat. He jaywalked, nearly being hit by a car; its horn blared angrily. My heart dropped into my stomach, and I felt like I was going to throw up. "Fucking asshole!" Eric hissed arms akimbo. I shoved him away from me, my anger sharpening to a razor's edge. He stumbled back, stunned into silence. "That 'asshole' is my boyfriend, you fuckwit!" "You never said you had a boyfriend," he said accusingly as I gathered up my stuff so I could go after Devlin. "You never bothered to ask, did you?" I pushed my way through the shop door. "Hell, no, of course you didn't. You waltzed in there assuming that I'd been pining away for you this whole time; thinking that all you had to do was strut your pretty self up to me and make your little 'apology' for using my heart like a doormat to wipe the dog mess off your cute, little shoes because everything's always about you. Isn't it, Eric?" I walked off in the direction Devlin had gone, hearing Eric's sandals scuff along behind me. "That's not true—" he protested weakly. "No, it is true, Eric. I only saw it after you left, but it most definitely is true. You took up with me because you didn't think you could do any better. Then, as soon as you realized you could do better, you walked out without even bothering to explain. I had no idea where you'd gone, and you had the number on your cell changed. You completely cut me off and cut me out of your life without a single care for what it would do to me." "No, it was never like that. I loved you...I do love you. I thought that since you were here you were free and wanted to see me." "What in Hell are you talking about?" I nearly screamed, coming to a dead stop and turning to face him. "You thought since I was getting coffee I wanted to see you?" "The messages I sent. I asked you to meet me here, and here you are." "You asked me once to meet you here, a month ago, and I didn't respond to that text, or any of them for that matter, so why would you think that?" I said incredulously. "No, I sent two others with the time and day of the meeting. I figured if you didn't come—" "Well, I'm sorry, but I never got them." I started to walk away again, and he caught me by the arm. "Please, Joel, can't we just sit here for a minute and talk about this?" he pleaded, indicating a bus stop bench. I sighed heavily and sat. "Fine, let's get this over and done with. For the record, I had no clue you thought you were meeting me. If I'd've known, I wouldn't've come, and you wouldn't've possibly ruined my life for a second time." I sucked down half of my chilled drink, giving myself a mild ice cream headache. I desperately needed the caffeine kick. "But—how long have you been seeing this guy? Are you serious about him?" "You know, that stopped being any of your business two years ago," I gritted out through clenched teeth. Opening my eyes, I looked him squarely in the face. "If you'd've come back after six months, I'd've taken you back with open arms and a glad heart. If you'd've come back a year ago, I'd've let you back into my life. Even a few months ago, I'd've resisted, but ultimately I'd've let you woo me back and spent the rest of my life praying you didn't hurt me again. Now it's too late." "Joel, hear me out. I didn't mean to hurt you like that, really. It's just—one day I was looking in the mirror and I couldn't see the man I'd always seen my whole life. It wasn't that young kid I remembered from high school and it wasn't the strong, handsome one I was in college...it wasn't even the man-about-town I was in my thirties. There was this stranger looking out of the mirror, he had grey in his hair and lines around his mouth and eyes, and he was starting to get a little soft around the middle. "I got scared, pure and simple. All my life, I've been my looks, they'd been everything I was to everyone I'd ever known, and suddenly I realized that they were gone...that I was disappearing with them. "A couple of days later I was in a store, looking for a new outfit. We had plans for the weekend, and I wanted to look as nice as possible. I was hoping to find something...I don't know, youthful, I guess, and there was this kid working there. He kept giving me the eye, and coming over to see if I needed any help with anything, and I just couldn't believe it. He'd just turned twenty, and he was so..." When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 06 "Pretty?" I supplied scornfully. "No—I mean, yeah, he was, but his attention was so flattering—" "Your looks were the least part of you to me. You were everything to me, and you threw it away, threw me away, for a piece of ass that made you feel young. Well, you waited too long to come to your senses. It's too late and this is why..." I picked up Devlin's gift off the bench next to me and held it out. "Read the card." I knew he'd be able to decipher the meaning of the Gaelic because I'd often said and written such things for him, so he'd learned enough to be able to read my little love notes. He looked up from the words, the hope that'd been in his eyes nearly dead. My heart constricted. I wished I didn't have to be so harsh with him. He'd never been treated like this before. All his life he'd been the Golden Boy, getting everything he wanted with a snap of his fingers, or a covetous glance from his long-lashed eyes. Even after what he'd done, it still wounded me to inflict such an injury on him. His spine suddenly stiffened, he squared his shoulders and lifted his head, gathering his bravado for one last sally. "What does he have that I don't?" "My heart." *Devlin* The jukebox at the Lounge Lizard was playing Elvis, thank heavens. No Patsy. Not tonight, please God. I sat at the bar, staring at the twist of lemon peel the bartender had dropped into my half-price, happy-hour vodka, my fourth so far. I hadn't reached the "stumbling all over the place" phase, but I was well on my way. I couldn't stop thinking that Karma had just given me a big, nasty bite on the ass. I'd thought I possessed Joel, but he'd been the one to possess me. I'd given myself to him in ways I'd never given myself to anyone, piece by most vulnerable piece. Irony of ironies, he owned me and I, apparently, had nothing. Payback for all the times I've done it to others, fucked 'em then left if they'd been guys, bleed their love dry if they'd been girls. What a piece of work I was. I couldn't even get mad at Joel. I'd been trying to for over an hour now and it just wasn't happening. Eric, on the other hand, I could cheerfully kill. Coming into my life and fucking up the best relationship I ever had. Him, I could hate. I could also be pissed that I hadn't been given the chance to compete with him for Joel. I still might have lost, but I wish I could have fought that swish face to face. I would have mopped the floor with him. I took a sip at the vodka and wiped furiously at my eyes. They kept threatening to spill over. I hated that. Come on, Devlin! Man up! So the ride's over, so what? Yeah, Joel's different. Yeah, the sex rocked your world. But it's only been four fuckin' weeks. Why go on about it? Did you really want happily-ever-after? You? The randy bi-sexual who'll fuck anything on two legs? "You look a little blue." A woman's voice. She was perched two stools down, sipping a pink lady. Her silky, chestnut hair was pinned up into a chignon, giving emphasis to her long neck and large brown eyes. "Shitty day," I muttered. She glanced slyly at the empty square of wood near the jukebox that served as a dance floor. "Don't suppose you'd like to take a spin? Get your mind off things?" Hold to another person, she meant. I was about to decline when Elvis finished singing about his blue suede shoes. The antique juke clicked and whirled and fetched out another single. "Crazy" started up. Wouldn't ya know it? "Sure. Why not?" I said, slipping off my seat. She came down as well. She was wearing a little black dress that outlined every magnificent curve. Wonderful hips and ass. She had great legs, too, elegant in three-inch heels. We moved to the dance floor, and I gathered her into an embrace, letting my hand drift down from back to hip as Patsy cooed. It was strange to once again have a woman's mascara-painted eyes gazing up at me. Her arm was soft and weighty, her hand on my shoulder light. Her manicured nails traced my neck, lifting up the hairs there. "I'm Pam," she said. "Devlin," I returned as she snuggled in closer. Her breasts pressed in against my chest and I could feel her warmth through the thin cotton of my shirt. Our feet moved and I leaned in closer, enjoying her perfume. "You doing anything tonight?" she whispered in my ear. I smiled bleakly at that. Besides getting falling down drunk, no, nothing. I heard a sound from the doorway then, and from the corner of my eye, caught sight of a familiar figure. Joel, fedora in hand, was staring at me. Patsy Cline came to an end. Joel gave me an unfathomable look. Then, setting down a gift-wrapped package upon a small table, he turned and very calmly, very deliberately left. Oh. Fuck me. I darted for the door, none too steady, and threw it open. It was still light outside, the air warm from the heat of the day. People passed by, laughingly making their way to evening events. I looked in all directions; I couldn't find Joel anywhere. I went back inside, pausing at the little table where Joel had left a slim, flat box about the size of notebook paper. It was very simply wrapped in silver with a black ribbon and a little black gift card. Pam came up to my side. "Something wrong?" she asked delicately. Which made me feel really bad because she was obviously a nice enough lady. "Yeah. Completely wrong. I'm sorry. I don't think...I don't think I'm going to be very good company tonight." *Joel* I tried calling Devlin, but all I got was his voice mail. "Shit! He must've turned his phone off," I said, hanging up and putting my phone back in its holster. Eric was still sitting next to me, still staring at me. "Look...I don't know why you think you've lost anything just because you're starting to age finally. You're still a great looking man, and will probably leave behind a fantastic looking corpse some day." He smiled feebly, tears cutting streaks into his foundation. I gave him my napkins, "What you have to do is stop relying on only your looks. You need to go out there, and find yourself a man who'll love you and who you love, but not because you look good in a bathing suit, or because he's twenty years younger than you are. You need to find someone who can be your partner instead of your boy-toy, arm candy. Some day you'll figure out that doing something for no more reason than because you know, or at least hope, that it'll make him smile is the definition of being in love. That the day you'll be ready to have the kind of relationship you pretended to want with me. "Now, I have to go find Devlin, and try to explain this déan praiseach de." "God, I am so sorry, Joel. This is all my fault...again. I just don't understand why you didn't get those messages." "It's not entirely your fault. If I'd've replied to even one of your messages, telling you that I had someone, this wouldn't have happened. "Unfortunately, I felt like my life was finally getting back on track, and I didn't want to deal with you suddenly coming back, so I tried to ignore it. It was cowardly, and just plain wrong. It's through now though, and I have to go." I stood up, dropped the rest of my mostly uneaten muffin into the can next to the bench, and looked back at Eric for a second. "I'm sorry about how things have turned out for you, and I honestly hope things work out for you. Sometimes, Eric...sometimes you've got to stop chasing the rainbow to get the pot of gold." I set off down the sidewalk, hoping like Hell that Devlin would believe me when I found him. He'd initially gone in the direction of The Lounge Lizard, so I was going to check there first. I figured I'd try his apartment next and if he weren't there either, I'd try at Deb and Brian's. If he wasn't at any of those places—well, I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. I paused as I stepped through the door, glancing around while I waited for my eyes to adjust to the much darker interior of the bar. Patsy's sweet contralto filled the room as I scanned the mostly empty barstools for Devlin's outline. I spotted him over by the jukebox. My heart faltered, plummeting into my stomach when I realized that he was dancing with some woman. Not just dancing with her, he was all over her, his hands groping her backside, while she giggled and snuggled up against him. He turned his head and saw me standing there watching him just as the song ended, plunging the room into a nearly oppressive silence. He had this look on his face, as if he couldn't understand why I was there. My heart started beating again, every pulse pure agony. My chest and throat were so tight I had to struggle to breathe. Well, this is it, I heard myself think, at the least sign of trouble the first thing he does is run into the arms of some bimbo. He's made his decision, and apparently, I'm not what he wants. Knowing I could never compete with a woman, I took the two steps needed to reach the nearest table. Gently, I set his gift down. The knot in my throat hardened, the silver wrapping paper blurred, and I knew I had to get out of there before I disgraced myself in public a second time that day. I kept my composure the full thousand miles to the door, but bolted as soon as my sneakers hit the sidewalk. I ran full out, the world a watercolor wash in front of my eyes. I tried to avoid the other pedestrians, but some of them dodged the wrong way, causing us to collide. I just kept going, moving as fast as I could. I had to get home, to be alone, away from questioning glances and possible words of concern. I ran as if the Huntmaster's Hounds were snapping at my heels. *Devlin* I picked up the gift, went back to the bar, and paid my tab. I had turned off my cell phone; I powered it back up long enough to call a cab, not trusting myself behind the wheel. Thirty minutes later, I was at Deb and Brian's door, the gift Joel had left still in my arms. The vodka had hit on the way there and the world, while not on its side, was tilting alarmingly. It took me two tries to ring the doorbell. "What on Earth—?" It was Deb who answered. "Can I come in?" She took my arm and got me into the living room. Brian shut off the television as I stepped forward and got to his feet, alarmed. "Dev? What's happened? What's going on?" "Joel left me." "Oh shit." They both sank down into chairs, giving me the couch. "What did you do?" Deb asked. "Deb!" Brian said, but I laughed bitterly and hugged Joel's unopened gift to my chest. "No...no, if she were me and me were me, I'd ask myself the same thing!" Brian frowned at that. "How much have you had to drink?" "Not enough. But Deb knows me. She knows me. I haven't got it. I'm some kind of emotional dyslexic. I hold on when I should let go and let go when I should hold on. I'm always the one who fucks it up." My long-suffering friend glanced over at his wife. "I'm guessing three vodkas." "At least," she agreed. "With a twist of lemon," I confirmed, then plowed on. "I blew it. I mean, either he saw me dancing with a woman and thought the worst, or he came to tell me it was all over, and saw me with a woman, and decided I didn't deserve an explanation, because he had no idea why I was with that woman. The gift—" I pointed to it, there on my chest like a shield. "This gift should tell me which, but I'm afraid to open it. It could be a break-up gift. Have you ever done that? I did that once. You hand someone a gift to let them know how wonderful they've been, but the relationship's over. Bye-bye. Can you believe I did that to someone? God, what a shit I am! Joel was so right to dump me. What was I saying?" "He gave you a gift?" Deb prompted. "Yes! How could I do something like that on a day that he got me a present? And I know what you're gonna say. There were all those phone calls—did I mention the phone calls?" "No," Brian sighed, "What phone calls?" he asked, but I was too busy talking to myself by now. "Maybe he's been seeing Eric for a while, so maybe this was some kind of guilt gift. Know what I say? So what? He and I were good. Fuckin'-A. What does it matter if he was seein' another guy. I shouldn't have freaked. Can I use your bathroom? I think I'm going to throw up." Brian held my head while I barfed up my stomach. Afterwards, Deb got me on the couch and forced me to drink plenty of water. None of us had had dinner yet, so Brian ordered up a pizza, the ancient cure for alcohol poisoning. I told them the story while taking down as much as I could manage of a plain double cheese slice, ordered in kindness to my tummy. "This is stupid," was Deb's opinion. "There's been a misunderstanding, crossed-wires or something. I don't even know what you're doing here. Go talk to him!" Brian, however, understood. "He can't. Not yet. Not when he can't even think straight." He put his arm around me. They let me crash in the guest bedroom, and I did crash for a while. Somewhere in the middle of the night, though, I woke and couldn't get back to sleep. That's when I finally got up the courage to open the present. I lifted up the flap of the giftcard, first. On the white interior was a single line in Joel's handwriting: A halainn stór, tá grá agam duit~Joel. I hadn't the foggiest what it meant. Him and his damn Gaelic. I removed the silver wrapping paper, revealing a white cardboard box. Something shifted inside. Breaking the tape at the sides, I lifted the lid. It was a black and white photo of Joel on his Harley, color accents here and there to make it pop. Its artistry made me suspect Katie had been behind the lens. It was set....My stomach flipped. The picture had been taken at the glade we'd hiked to that first Sunday together. The one where I'd made love to him in the grass. Katie had put it a little out of focus, but I recognized it. I could almost smell the wildflowers; hear the tree branches rustling. Joel, in jeans and a leather vest, was resting back on the seat of his bike, a bottle of whisky in hand. His fedora was hung on one of the handlebars, leaving his head bare, his dark hair ready to be mussed. His right leg dangled while the left was up and across the seat, giving me a view of one bare foot. Had he forgotten his Birkenstocks again? I wondered with a smile. The pose wasn't explicitly erotic, but it certainly invited me to fantasize. The vest was open, displaying his thick chest hair, that wonderful pelt that a man could run his fingers through. Down below were those jeans, the ones almost blown out at the knees. The top button was undone, just enough to tantalize, to make me want to reach in and undo the rest of those buttons. The Glenlevit rested near, the cap off, and I could imagine that he'd just set it down after taking a swig. If I kissed him, the scotch on his tongue would set fire to mine. The whiskey was one of the color accents, its rich hue matching the gold flakes on the Harley's fender. It drew the eye to that area, to Joel's hidden cock. I slipped my hand under the waistband of my shorts. My dick wasn't interested in arousal, but it wanted to be touched. I jacked it gently, unable to take my eyes off the photograph. I'd thought the vest was black, but I could see now that it was green, like the eyes. Joel's eyes, there above that whimsical smile. They were the last item in color, Shamrock green and with that twinkle. A softie at heart who could raise a little hell as well. Those eyes were looking right at the camera, right at me. I swallowed past the knot in my throat, and pulled at my cock, which had thickened, but refused to get hard. It wanted Joel's Scotch-flavored kisses, wanted me to run my fingers through his chest hair, lower those jeans and take his velvet smooth cock in my mouth. And I wanted the same. I wanted to smell Joel and have him. I wanted to show him how much I was willing to change for him. Most of all, I wanted his eyes gazing at me again. His eyes admiring me as they had at the coffeehouse, at the gym, while making love. When Joel's eyes were on me, I became something more. Without them, I wasn't anything at all. It was just a stupid misunderstanding, what had happened between us. Like Deb said. It had to be. But inside, I still quailed. "Jesus, Joel," I couldn't help whispering, "please, tell me this photo wasn't a farewell gift." When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 07 Gabe rubbed at his bruised abs, one auburn brow up and speculating. If he came at me, it would be over quick and we both knew it, but I held my ground. His lips twitched in amusement, and I thought I saw those peridot eyes reassessing me. Finally, he lifted his hands in mock surrender. I tried not to show my relief as I unlocked the door, half-furious, half-shaking with nerves. Shit, piss, fuck! I scooped up the picture and jacket and went into my place far enough to deposit them on a table. I wanted to change, but it looked like Gabe wasn't going to give me time to do that. He politely waved down the hall, letting me lock up and walk under my own steam to the elevators. As the doors closed on us, I wondered what I'd say to Joel. Why the fuck were you kissing that old swish! Besides, I was the one who'd screwed up, I just didn't know precisely how. It might take me months before I saw it, as with Cathy, but I knew it had to be my fault. Because Joel was…Joel was good. And I wasn't. It was simple as that, and even my most selfish wish to pin this all on him couldn't get around that. I could feel Gabe beside me, tense and brooding. We were almost at Joel's floor when he suddenly hit the neon red "hold" button, stopping the elevator dead. Ah, crap, what now? I wondered, resignedly facing him. Those green eyes were fastened on me again. "What's Joel told you about me?" he demanded. I shrugged. "A few stories of all the crazy things you two did as kids. Said you were the greatest brother a guy could ever have." His gaze shifted away at that. "That's him alright," he sighed, shaking his head ruefully. "What he left out, and would never tell you, is how I reacted when he came out. It was at a family dinner, and I can't begin to imagine the balls it took to tell us all at once like that, but he did. Know what I did? I stormed out. My little brother smiling and telling me he's a fuckin' homo? No fuckin' way, man! I couldn't deal with it, so I just turned my back on him and walked away. He came after me and tried to explain, but I couldn't hear it, couldn't listen to him. I said some things that…" Gabe paused, sucking in a breath, "well, I won't ever forgive myself for saying them. It was rolling right off his back though, and he wouldn't stop talking, explaining, so I blacked his eye to shut him up." My hands fisted and I bit my tongue. This might have happened years ago, but my temper flared with outrage. Son-of-fucking-bitch! "Four months, man," he went on, "four mother-fuckin' months went by before I'd talk to him. Four months of me refusing to be there for him when he was trying to come to grips with himself and needed me more than ever. Four months and all I could think about was me. Oh, poor Gabriel's got a fag for a brother! Boo-fuckin'-hoo! I made him feel like shit about it. Mam finally ripped me a new asshole and pulled my head out of it. Joel…forgave me." He punched the button and the sluggish elevator lurched to life. "He forgives too easily. That's what he does. He always has," he finished off. I didn't know what to make of that. Why had he confessed all this to me? To give me hope of Joel's forgiveness for my lapse last night? Or to prepare me for Joel's bombshell that he'd forgiven Eric and was going back to him? Maybe Gabe was simply urging me to think of Joel's happiness before my own. My gut dropped as the elevator doors rang open. God help me, I didn't want to lose Joel. I don't think I'd ever felt this way about anyone, not even Cathy, and I'd almost asked her to marry me. The very idea of losing Joel was driving me crazy and here was Gabe asking me, I assumed, to consider what was best for Joel even if that meant letting him go. We traveled down the hall to Joel's apartment. The door was unlocked. I gulped and stepped in, Gabe followed. The place was warm and a little stuffy. The maple blinds were shut and the sheer curtains pulled so that only a thin dotted line of sunlight marked the tan carpeting. The place smelled of Joel, his cologne, his sweat. For a moment, I shut my eyes and just inhaled. "Gabe?" Joel murmured from the overstuffed sofa. I hadn't expected to see him there and so hadn't noticed him until he stirred. "Where'd you—" He stilled as he saw me, setting aside a box of cereal and licking at his lips. He looked terrible. Unshaven, hair a mess, eyes bloodshot. He looked— Like he'd been crying. Ah, fuck. I wanted to sit down beside him and gather him in my arms, run my hands up and down his long back until he relaxed. I wanted to promise to make it right. Kiss his neck and mouth. Most of all, I wanted to beat the shit out of whoever had done this to him. Problem was that "whoever" was likely me. He didn't say my name, didn't say a thing. He just gazed at me, his eyes wary. Those wonderful eyes weren't admiring or desiring me anymore. They were looking at me as if I was going to hurt him, badly. "It was just a dance." That was the first thing that spilled out of my mouth, the first sin that came to mind. "It was stupid and thoughtless and it was two fucking minutes of nothing. I swear to you, it meant nothing." "It did mean something," he said quietly. His calmness unnerved me more than if he'd started yelling at me. He sounded so—distant. Once again, I wondered if I'd failed some secret test. "It meant you were hurting," he went on, "from what you saw at the coffeehouse: Eric, kissing me." Hell. His knowing I'd caught them kissing hadn't been part of the equation. My mind scrambled to fit this into my theories of what had gone wrong. "I saw you run off," he sighed, "I think…if I'd seen the same, I might've ended up in a bar dancing with a stranger. What I need you to understand is that I didn't expect to run into Eric. It was a complete surprise—" "Oh, shit." He stopped, frowning, and Gabe shifted. My expression must have been telling as the brothers exchanged looks. "What?" Joel demanded. "It was a surprise because I erased your messages," I confessed, and heard Gabe gasp. "The ones Eric sent you arranging the meeting." "You…erased…my messages?" Joel rose to his feet. Had he always been that tall? "Two of them," I admitted. Shit, shit, oh shit! What had I done? Joel's face went white with rage and his pupils dilated. Ah, hell. So here was the real difference between a relationship with a guy as compared to a girl. When I'd fucked up with lady-like females, they'd screamed at me or walked out. I'd gotten kicked in the shin, and on one memorable occasion, kneed in the balls. I was pretty sure, however, that Joel was about to punch me in the face. Gabe, of all people, looked ready to jump in and protect me. "I can't believe you did that!" "It was wrong," I wanted to back away; I forced myself to stay put. "It was wrong in…a lot of ways. But before you beat the shit out of me for it, I just want to tell you—I just want you to know…I'm flexible." "What? What the fuck does that mean?" "It means that you don't have to choose between your ex and me. It means our relationship was never set in stone; we can change the rules to however you like. You can go back to Eric and still see me on the side. I don't need anything exclusive." It made sense; at least it did as I was blurting it out. This way, I wouldn't lose him altogether. He could have the vintage auto, but give the sports car a second chance to prove itself. I looked at him expectantly, hoping that he'd be pleased or at least thoughtful. He looked—aghast—sick to his stomach. Ah, hell. Wrong again. *Joel* I heard the knob turn. "Gabe? Where'd you—" I began, looking up and froze. Devlin stood in the doorway. Gabriel was at his back as if he thought he might need to block an escape attempt. Which of us he thought more likely to bolt, I didn't know, and he probably didn't either, but his expression made it clear that he intended to see this situation resolved one way or another. I was so taken by surprise that I drew a blank. I couldn't think of a single thing to say. I hadn't had time to come up with anything, or rehearse my arguments for why it was me he should be with and not anyone else. He broke the silence by trying to assure me that the bimbo hadn't meant anything to him, but I'd already figured that out. I told him so, and started explaining what he'd seen at the coffee shop, that it had been an ambush rather than a tryst. "Oh, shit," he cursed and started trying to avoid eye contact, looking at my shoulder instead of my face. Gabe gave me a look that said, "This ought to be good," and I said, "What?" "It was a surprise because I erased your messages," he nearly mumbled and Gabe sucked air in through his teeth. "The ones Eric sent you arranging the meeting." It felt like everything in my head dropped right into my gut. I wanted to grab him and shake him until his head snapped back and forth like a bobble-head doll and scream at him, "Why the fuck did you do something so fucking stupid? If I'd've known Eric was planning to meet me there, I'd've never gone. I'd've gone to your apartment and made some coffee there or, fuck…broken into Mrs. Busybody's place across the way…anything but gone there!" but I couldn't because there it was—the expression that Deb warned me about. The look a puppy gives you when it knows it's in trouble for piddling on the carpet. I couldn't bring myself to give him the verbal thrashing he deserved while his Caribbean blue eyes were pleading with me to understand and forgive him. I was still trying to contain my anger when he dropped a second bomb on me. "It was wrong. It was wrong in…a lot of ways," he said quickly, "but before you beat the shit out of me for it, I just want to tell you—I just want you to know…I'm flexible." "What? What the fuck does that mean?" "It means that you don't have to choose between your ex and me. It means our relationship was never set in stone; we can change the rules to however you like. You can go back to Eric and still see me on the side. I don't need anything exclusive." The blood drained from my head again, but for a different reason. My stomach, which had settled thanks to the cereal, began roiling again. I felt like I was going to pass out, or puke, or maybe both at the same time. Steadying myself on the couch, I eased myself down onto the over-stuffed arm so my traitorous legs wouldn't betray me. I hunched over, clutching my middle and breathing deeply in hopes of calming my stomach. I took a minute, massaging my temples with my other hand, trying to ease the pounding headache that had appeared with his words, while I gathered my thoughts. "You don't need it, or don't want it?" I asked, my hand still covering my eyes, terrified I'd get the answer I least wanted to hear. "Is this your way of telling me that you want to see other people?" I looked up and he was still giving me that guilty puppy look. "By, what, magnanimously allowing me to take back up with someone I don't want anything to do with, while keeping you on the side for afternoon trysts and weekend get-a-ways?" I demanded hotly, my body language hitting heights heretofore unseen from me. I pushed up and began pacing, warming to the building tirade. "That isn't what I said—" "Well, news flash, Dev! I told you right from the beginning that I'm not a fuck-buddy. I stopped dating altogether in college because that's all anybody was looking for. It wasn't enough for me then, and it sure as hell isn't enough now!" Stopping suddenly in front of him, I grabbed the front of his shirt and finally did what I'd longed to do. I shook the shit out him. The shock on his face made me feel better, so I shook him some more while I continued my rant, "Are you wanting to see other people? Because if you are then go…enjoy!" I made a sweeping gesture at the door, "Just don't expect me to answer the phone when you make a booty-call. Is that what you want? You come clean with me right here and right now, Devlin!" He grabbed my wrists, startling me into silence. His eyes had gone cold and angry. "Like you came clean with me?" *Devlin* The man was strong and he was shaking me fit to break my neck, shouting at me. I tried to explain, but he wouldn't listen. Finally, I cracked. I grabbed his wrists and snapped at him. "Like you came clean with me?" I won't say I didn't mean it, but I regretted the words the instant they passed my lips. I'd gotten his attention, all right. He went still and a stricken look replaced the fire in his eyes. His hands, sweaty and knotted in my shirt, slackened and released me. I learned something in that moment: I preferred having him angry with me. Christ, he could have hit me and I'd have preferred it to the way he seemed to vanish into himself. I felt the pulse in his wrists, its racing beat slowing under my fingers, and let go. "I d-didn't—" I began. I shouldn't have laid hands on him like that. How could I have done that? He had every right to shake the crap out of me. "Joel, listen, please, you've got it backwards. I know you won't be my fuck-buddy and I don't want that. I wanted it when we met, I was honest about that, but I know you now. I'd never ask that of you. Never. But that doesn't mean—" I fumbled. Continuing that way was a dead end; I switched directions. "I knew about the phone calls, and I didn't ask. I was the one who dropped off the coffees on Wednesday. Your secretary told me you'd left for some secret meeting. I didn't ask. I saw you kissing Eric, and I—I wouldn't have asked. If you hadn't seen me running away, if we'd met that night, like all the other nights…I wouldn't have asked. I won't ever ask and you don't ever need to tell me. That's what I meant." I could hear his breathing and I could feel Gabe, still there, watching us from the corner. I wondered what he was making of all this drama. I wished to God that I could make sense of it. It was funny. Uncertainty in the real estate market excited me; uncertainty in who would win in a wrestling match challenged me. Uncertainty as to whether I'd end up fucking the sexy guy or girl got me hot. Uncertainty in a relationship, however, terrified me, and not knowing how to please someone I deeply cared about—that was Hell. Joel seemed distant again, his face expressionless. I didn't know what else to say or do. Sinking down into an overstuffed chair, I stared down at my shoes. "Please, don't yell at me anymore," I asked, "I hate this. I can't figure out what you want from me and all I want from you is to know that we can still be together. I don't care how. Honestly, Joel, I don't. I know I've put up this front about not being able to change, but it's all bullshit. Tell me how you need me to be to make you happy and I'll do my best. Or tell me to fuck off and I'll do that." I took in a shaky breath, "Just…I know you're hurting and it's my fault and I can't stand it. Tell me how to put it right." He settled down onto the arm of the couch, quiet now. He was near enough for me to see a hint of chest hair peeking over the open buttons of his shirt, for me to smell his musk. My gaze went down over him, down to the zipper of his jeans and damned if I didn't start having fantasy flashes of ripping open his fly and sucking him until he gave me his cream, of letting him fuck me until I turned to jelly. Gabe would have been scandalized, I'm sure. I didn't express any of this, much as I wanted to. I sat and waited. Finally, very quietly and calmly, he said exactly what I'd expected he'd say. *Joel* "You can't put it right," I said, taking in a deep breath, while scrubbing my face with my palms. Releasing the air in a slow hiss, I combed my hair off my forehead with my fingers and stood. He'd bared himself more completely for me than anyone before. I wouldn't have credited it, but in a matter of seconds, he managed to make me love him even more. The least he deserved from me was everything that was within my power to give him. Devlin was thinking the worst again; I could see it in his posture. He looked like he was melting into the armchair. It almost unmanned me to see the devastation in his eyes. Stepping over to him, I settled on the arm of his chair and pulled his head against my side saying, "You can't put right what isn't wrong. I mean, the only problem here is that we're both a couple of fucktards." He wrapped his arms around my lower back, pressing his face into my stomach. He held me so tight it verged on painful and I could feel him shaking. The sensation of moisture sticking my shirt to my belly made my breathing hitch alarmingly. I tried valiantly not to morph back into the weeping puss-baby I'd become last night. "If either of us had just said something, none of this would have happened," I added. Gabe caught my eye, indicating that he was going to leave. I nodded and motioned for him to lock the door. "You should've asked about those calls, but even more, I should have told you. Also, I'd like the record to reflect the fact that what you saw at the coffee shop was Eric kissing me. I did not kiss him, and if I'd known he'd grab me the way he did, I wouldn't have allowed it. His assumption that all he had to do was show up and I'd be his for the taking disgusted me." I heard the door shut behind Gabe and I slid into Devlin's lap. He clung to me, but I pushed him back into the cushions so I could see his face. Tears made his darkly golden lashes spiky and he gnawed at his full lower lip. He dropped his eyes, refusing to look at me and swallowed hard several times. "We need to be open and above board with one another," I told him, cupping his face in both my palms and using the pads of my thumbs to dry the damp circles under his eyes. "That's how friends and lovers should be." "That's what Deb said," he laughed weakly. Leaning in, I kissed the salty wetness from his left eye. A puff of his breath whooshed across my cheek as I breathed, "A stór." Repeating the gesture on the right eye I exhaled, "A ghrá." I was ashamed of how irresistible I was finding his vulnerability. My cock, wide-awake now, insisted I ravish him immediately, while he was defenseless and susceptible to my wiles. Firmly telling Junior that no one had given him permission to do the thinking right now, I did my best to ignore the dogged pounding behind my zipper. It was pointless to resist though. I knew I'd already lost the battle when the peck on the lips I'd intended turned into a minute long, achingly slow waltz of tongues. "You might be perfectly fine with sharing me," I said, sliding to my knees on the floor, "but I'm not." I opened his suit pants, "I'm even less OK with sharing you," I pulled them down, "and I won't do it, Devlin." Looking up at him while I yanked off his shoes, socks and trousers, I repeated myself firmly, "I won't." Discarding my shirt as I stood, I pulled him to his feet for another searing kiss. I walked him backward while his fingers ran through my hair, sending shivers down my spine. Hooking my foot behind his ankle, I pulled while shoving his shoulders. He fell, landing on the end of the brick-red chaise with a surprised grunt and a little bounce. Half a step and a leaning reach allowed me to snag the KY off the sandstone coffee table. I hoped the little left in it would be enough as I gave a flick and a jerk to the fly of my jeans. *Devlin* Jesus Christ. The man had no mercy. He came at me when all my defenses were down and I was lost in his smell and heat, hormones raging. His kiss, the rasp of his unshaven jaw, had sent blood right to my cock, making it weep pre-cum as our tongues met and tangled. He informed me he was not okay with sharing me, emphasized it with the removal of shoes and pants, and with such lust in his eyes that there was no doubting him. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears as he stripped off his shirt and drew me to my feet. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 07 He kissed me again, even as he walked me back. I was desperate for him now, running my fingers through his hair, trying, almost to swallow his tongue. I wanted to drop to my knees and show him that I was his, to apologize for erasing his messages and hurting him. Before I could do that, he caught me again, tripping me with a wrestling move so that I fell back onto the chaise. There I was, in shirt and underwear, feeling that I must look ridiculous. I saw Joel snatch up the KY from where we'd left it a week ago. Ah, man. My heart pounded louder in my ears and I started to sweat. If that's what Joel wanted from me than that's what he'd have, but it wasn't my best event. Couldn't we start with something I was good at? He tossed the bottle so that it landed near my head, flicked open the fly of his jeans, and climbed on. "Scoot up!" he growled straddling my chest. I scooted, but grabbed hold of his ass as I did so, sitting up to bury my nose in the opening. I nuzzled in, past the teeth on the zipper, finding his soft balls, his thick, hard cock straining at the fabric of his shorts. Putting my mouth to his nuts, I sucked and licked at them through the cotton. "I want to get you off," I murmured, as his hips moved invitingly. "Let me get you off." I delved into the window of the shorts, inhaling his odor, finding and shifting his hairy balls with my probing tongue. I gave a lick up the velvet skin of his hard shaft, over the vein throbbing there, and felt his cock twitch with pleasure. I got a taste of one delicious drop of pre-cum, and then I was shoved back. Joel, his face flushed with desire, yanked my shirt open, sending buttons sailing across the room. Hey! I almost cried out. I liked that shirt. Joel caught my wrists, holding hard enough to hurt as he brought them up over my head and captured them with one hand. His knees came under my ass, levering my hips. "Don't move," he commanded, and from his pocket, he brought out his pocketknife. Using his teeth, he opened it up. A bit of sunlight seeping in through the blind flashed from it. I went very still. Before this month, I wouldn't have believed that I had any desire to be this out of control, and I suppose that if it had been anyone else, I would have hated it. But it was Joel. Joel with his strong shoulders, sweat beginning to glisten under his arms; Joel, his green eyes hot with desire, Joel flashing that knife, wanting to expose me—that excited me. I felt cold steel creeping under the waistband of my boxer-briefs. My breath went shallow. My cock, already stiff and tenting my shorts, got harder. "Be very still," he almost sang, as the elastic snapped apart. He cut the other side, closed and tossed aside the knife, then ripped the fabric down the side seams. The shorts fell away, revealing my hard on. Having him gazing down at me, drinking in my nudity like that, thrilled me. He took a moment to roll my balls and jack my cock. I groaned at his touch and bucked, my hips begging for more. He scooped up the remnants of my briefs and leaned over me. I licked and bit at his nipples as he tied my crossed wrists with the stretchy rags. His hands stroked down the length of my body, brushing aside the flaps of my shirt, as he came up on his knees, there between my spread legs. His eyes never left me as he jerked down jeans and underwear. His heavy, pale cock rose up at a stiff angle from his pubic hair and fold of foreskin. The head was red and shiny with excitement. A pearl of pre-cum was there at the slit, making my mouth water. But Joel didn't offer it to me. Instead, he squeezed out the KY and stroked himself. An evil smile came to his face. He grabbed a pillow, and slipped it under my ass. *Joel* His gasp when I tore his shirt open made my cock jump and dribble; seeing him instinctively try to cover himself with his hands excited me even more, as did the shuddering groan that issued from him when I cut and ripped his shorts off with my pocketknife. His hips rolled wildly for a second, his rampant cock sliding back and forth on his pre-cum slicked abs. Seeing him lying under me, helpless because he wanted to be, because he was letting me take the power, made my heart pound like a jackhammer in excitement. Knowing he trusted that I wouldn't hurt him, that he believed he was safe with me even when I start waving a knife around, made me feel more loved than I'd ever dreamed possible. My shaft, as hard as fossilized wood, fairly dripped when I'd finished coating it. Looking up, I saw him watching what I was doing, and gave him a calculatedly devilish smile. Snatching a pillow from beside his head, I stuffed it under his hips to keep them at the angle I wanted. I reveled in the smell of sweaty rut that already surrounded him as I braced myself on my forearm next to his shoulder and positioned myself at his opening. I captured his gaze at the same instant that I began applying pressure to his entrance. He remembered what to do and must have bore down hard. The speed with which he enveloped me took my breath away, so I took my time in settling myself in comfortably. He sheathed me like silk, feeling so unbelievable I was barely able to check myself. "I'm going to tell you how I want it to be," I said, leaning in, pumping slowly, "sothere won't be any confusion, and no need for you to wonder…I'm for you. No one gets to muss my hair but you, or nuzzle into it, like this." I buried my nose in his hair behind his ear, inhaling deeply and groaning from the erotic surge his smell gave me. "Hear me, Dev," I whispered into his ear, and tugged at his lobe with my teeth, "Only you get to nibble on my ear." "Ah, fuck!" he moaned back, squirming as my cock delved into his tight, heated tunnel and relentlessly massaged his prostate. His cock, bobbing over his stomach, dripped a river of pre-cum onto his abs. His bound hands twisted and strained. God, he feels good! I bit my lip for a second, gliding in and out slower still, the better to relish the caress of inner velvet over my sensitive glans. "My mouth is yours only; anytime, anywhere." I savored his unique flavor with a quick, demanding buss then moved down his chin to his throat. "My neck is yours bite." I trailed wet kisses over sweaty flesh. He groaned something unintelligible, gyrating madly in counter point to my controlled motions. "My chest hair is yours to play with; only you get to lick and suck on my nipples." Pushing aside his sweat-dampened Armani suit shirt, I swabbed each areola, sucking at the hard nubs before licking into his underarm, tugging at the hair with my teeth. "And no one gets to straddle my hips but you." I intoned, gripping his hips and tilting them up further so I could hammer his sweet spot. "No one but you gets to taste me, gets to fuck me. My dick is for your pleasure." "Joel, man…" he moaned, his powerful legs jack-knifing into my ass. "C'mon—" His twitching cock, the head almost purple, was desperate for friction. I found myself speeding up. Bursts of pleasure shot through my stomach as his hot, pulsing interior caressed my cock. My sack tightened, rising with desire, striking his ass. I bit down on the inside of my cheek hard, hoping the pain would block it some. I wanted to draw this out. Dev had other ideas. Using his teeth, he freed his hands and grabbed me, desperately pulling me down. My sweat-soaked stomach grazed over his length. Not yet, I thought frantically, I'm not done. "I need to be yours, Devlin Christianson—oh, fuck—" I huffed, losing my breath. His inner muscles were working around my shaft, scattering my concentration. "And I need you to be mine…all mine!" His hands, one on my ass, the other clutching my back, pulled me into full contact with his starved cock. The feel of it there between us, slick and hungry-hard, excited me even more. Wiping the streams of blinding sweat from my eyes, I took a heartbeat to savor the sight of him, my golden man, tangled in his soaked shirt, eyes shut, his face angelic with ecstasy. Christ, how I loved him! Tell him, my mind whispered; stop hiding it…stop hiding from it! I was shaking now, even as I lengthened my strokes, pulling clear back to his entrance before sinking back into his steamy depths, making him cry out. Every one of his exhalations became a loud barking and I shuddered to hear them. No one had ever made such sounds for me. His thick nails bit into my skin, gouging my back and flank. I wanted to race to the finish, but I fought the urge and managed to go still. My heart sounded like a kettledrum in my ears as his eyes fluttered open to gaze up at me. "I wouldn't want to live if you didn't love me," I confessed into an eternal pause. *Devlin* "No one gets to muss my hair but you, or nuzzle into it, like this," Joel informed me, even as he buried his nose into my hair while relentlessly taking my ass. There'd been a burn when he entered, like the first time, but the second he'd settled into place, I'd experienced that heavenly, gone-to-jelly pleasure. Now he was giving me concentrated strokes that were driving me up a wall. I squirmed under him, my cock bouncing, getting only enough of a brush from his abs to make me buck for more. I was already fighting to get free of the damn underwear binding my wrists. I might have ignored what he was saying entirely, crazed as I was with pleasure and desire, except his words were the hottest thing I'd ever heard. "Hear me, Dev." He'd gotten a hold of my ear and was doing delicious things to it with his teeth and tongue. "Only you get to nibble on my ear," his hot breath whispered. "Oh, fuck!" I groaned. "My mouth is yours only; anytime, anywhere," he added, giving me a too-quick taste of his lips before heading down my neck, pressing at the pulse racing there. "My neck is yours bite." Oh, fucking hell! It was unbelievable. He was giving himself to me, surrendering utterly and completely even as he pinned and claimed me. His stiff cock never stopped pumping into me, gliding in and out, bumping his balls at my ass, even as mine were jostled against his pelvis. "My chest hair is yours to play with," he promised me, and I shivered. "Only you get to lick and suck my nipples." I felt my ruined shirt pushed aside and groaned with anticipation; his warm, rough tongue tormented my nipples, then tickled and toyed with my underarm. Shit, piss, fuck! "And no one gets to straddle my hips but you," he added, his lips and teeth leaving my flushed skin, his hands gripping and jerking me into a position that, incredibly, his cock head struck that gland of pleasure even harder. Stars appeared against my eyelids and I writhed beneath him, my aching dick desperate for a stroke. My torn shirt was clinging to my sweat soaked skin, and I could barely catch enough breath to go on. "Joel man, c'mon—" "No one but you gets to taste me," he panted, "gets to fuck me." He was dripping sweat, still going, giving it to me. Unlike last week, however, I got it. This time I understood: Joel wasn't trying to have a good time with an inexperienced lover; he was, with every gasping breath and gleam of sweat, trying to prove his devotion to me. It drove me beyond lust and need. Frantically, I squeezed my heels into his ass cheeks. He gave into my desire and sped up, his hot, sweaty belly grazing my cock, making me cry out. "My dick is for your pleasure." I never imagined that anyone's words could matter to me during sex, could hit me in the gonads and make me want to come, but miracle of miracles, Joel's words did. No one, and I mean no one, had ever said anything so fucking hot to me. I got free of the stretchy material about my wrists and grabbed him. "I need to be yours, Devlin Christianson—oh, fuck—" I heard him huffing, as I pulled him down. The perspiration running off him made him slippery and I dug my fingernails into him for purchase, scratching his lower back. Clenching my inner muscles, I worked to give back some small portion of what I was being given. "And I need you to be mine…all mine!" he insisted, as that thick, hot cock of his, dragging its flared head back and forth, made me shout out sounds I'd never made before, felt things I'd never imagined a body could feel. Then, quite suddenly, Joel trembled and went still. I felt his heart hammering against my chest and blinked open my eyes. He was gazing down at me as if I was all that existed in the universe. "I wouldn't want to live if you didn't love me." I don't know how I heard him say it, I was so gone and dizzy with sensations, but I did. I also saw, through the sweat, Joel's green eyes, everything he felt for me in them. I almost laughed, I almost screamed. Completely horned and charged up, ready to go and he wants to discuss something important! I can't say I didn't want to hear those words, though, just that they made for one hell of shotgun wedding. Sometime in the future, there might be a proposal, likely mine on bended knee. There might be a ceremony with friends and family witnessing and some kind of holy man overseeing a public promise. This, however, was the real exchange of vows. Joel had just promised himself to me, every part of himself, utterly and completely in every way he knew how. Now he was asking for some token in return and for once, I felt not a single flicker of ambivalence. Any man who'd compete that hard to win me could fucking have me, forever and ever. Damn straight. "I don't want to live without you either," I somehow managed to breathe. "Everything you said back at'cha, sexy. You're mine, and I'm all yours." *Joel Dev trembled like a newborn colt beneath me, his body screaming for release, his blue-green eyes gazing up at me. I hung there, heart pounding, waiting for some response. "I don't want to live without you either," he panted faintly. There was an almost hysterical laugh to his breathless voice, "Everything you said back at'cha, sexy. You're mine, and I'm all yours." They were the most wonderful words I'd ever heard. That was it. I lost my breath and my control. My hips thrust jerkily, my cock taking short, hard jabs at his sensitive trigger. A siren-like sound built in my chest and crawled up my throat with the impending orgasm. Resting my forehead on Dev's, I reached between us. Taking his shaft in a firm grip, I jacked him quickly. I felt the first blast from his pulsing cock burst through my fingers. His body clenched around me, milking my hammering cock. The painful ball of tension in my gut snapped, shattering my senses and hurtled me into an abyss of brightly colored, swirling lights. When I came back to myself, I could barely move. The most I could manage was to yank the pillow out from under Devlin so we lay flat on the chaise and straighten out my legs to ease the pain in my knees. Having expended my last reserves, I relaxed on top of him and nestled my lips into the crook of his slick neck. *Devlin* I was a trembling, sweat-soaked wreck: still recovering from an orgasm so intense I'd thought I'd go blind. My ass was humming with pleasure, slick with lube and Joel's hot come, and I was all tangled up in my ruined shirt. For a while I worked on regaining my breath and to stop shaking, to straightent out my cramped legs. The moment my muscles and nerves began to quiet, however, all the stormy feelings I'd been holding back since walking through that door started leaking out. To my intense embarrassment, tears began to roll down my face even as I laughed with shock. "Dev?" Joel touched my face, concerned. I wrapped my arms about him and pressed my wet face into his sweaty shoulder. I was wildly, madly grateful to have him in my arms again. "I thought—" I started to say. I couldn't get any further. I thought I'd fucked us all up. I swallowed and tried to fight the tears. He held me close, murmuring into my sweaty hair. "It's all right. It's all right." He repeated it several times, holding me tight. Eventually, his words melded into soft humming in a soothing, pulsing beat. He began singing in Gaelic, "A store, a store, a gragh," it sounded like. "What the fuck are you singing and why does it sound so familiar?" I asked sniffing mightily. He obligingly switched to English, "My treasure, my treasure, my love," he sang, stroking my head and rocking me. "It sounds familiar because I say bits of it to you all the time. There's even some of it on the card with the gift I had for you. Please, tell me you didn't leave that at the bar." "God no," I wiped at my eyes. "I love the picture, but you confused the hell out of me with that card. You and your damn Gaelic. I spent half the night terrified that it was a farewell note. I'm going to start speaking and writing Danish phrases at random and see how you like it." He chuckled, "The card said, 'A halainn stór, tá grá agam duit,' which means, 'My beautiful treasure, I love you.' That's what the 'mystery meeting' on Wednesday was about, by the way. Iset up a photo session with Katie so we could take that picture. It's your four week anniversary gift." "Oh," I said in a small voice. Now I felt really stupid. "Happy anniversary." His arms tightened, "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" I shook my head. "You—you ripped the buttons off my best dress shirt." He pulled back, gazing at me nonplussed. "Um…I just enacted a prison rape scene, with you as the bitch, and you're worried about your buttons?" I laughed and hugged him tight enough to crack his bones. Under my fingers, I could feel the scratches my nails had made in his skin. I brushed them lightly, apologetically. No one, I found myself thinking once again, no one had ever fought so hard for me. Fought all my fears and all my stubborn, cowardly excuses, in order to keep me. "I'm glad you're not going back to Eric," I said, releasing him at last. "He wasn't worthy of you." He gave me a sly smile. "And you are?" "Hell no. I don't know what in the world you even see in me, except for the fact that I'm a living Adonis." He chuckled and punched me in the arm. "You're generous, caring and the most amazing person—" "Joel," I cut him off. I was actually blushing, which was new for me, humility not being one of my strong points. "I don't know who you're talking about, but it's not me. I'm vain and egotistical, selfish, thoughtless—" "Kind, considerate, giving…" he interrupted, gazing at me as if I were all he ever wanted to look at for the rest of his life. "The more I like someone the stupider I get," I insisted. "No one's ever been as good to me as you've been. No one's ever brought me care packages when I was buried under mountains of work. No one's ever planned an entire day to cater to my tastes. I did the planning for things like that concert in the park, or it didn't happen, and if it didn't happen I was in the shit." Now I really did want to kill Eric. The asshole! I may have expected the same of Cathy, but I'd never, ever given her shit about making or not making plans. "I erased your text messages for fuck's sake," I pointed out in exasperation. "Did it without a second thought, because I didn't want you meeting up with your ex." "It's why you did it that matters most to me." "Joel—" "—And you more than made up for it," he said giving my exhausted cock a stroke. Still overly sensitive, I sucked in a breath at his touch. "Yeah, well, I'd promise you I won't do anything like that again…but my track record says I probably will. My advice, you should stop going for pretty, blond, egotistical studs and find a loving, selfless guy who can give you the happiness you deserve." When Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ch. 07 He raised skeptical brows. "You don't really want me to follow that advice, do you?" "Fuck no. I want you to tell me to keep my nose out of your love life, and that you find my idiocy sexy and endearing." I forced a smile. "There is, however, one thing I'd need you to believe. I know I started off this relationship all hesitant and noncommittal, and you've no good reason to take my word for it…but I really am for you, Joel O' Shaughnessy. Crazy in love with you. So even if you can't count on me for anything else, you can trust that I won't be another Eric. Long as you can stand to look at me, you'll have me." "On days when I can't stand looking at you I'll take you from behind," he teased, nuzzling his lips against my ear and, flicking the lobe with his tongue tip, making me shiver. It was further than I'd ever gone with anyone. I was swearing not to do what I almost did today: turn tail and run when things got uncertain and rocky. I was promising, as well, to put his needs and happiness first and, if I could, to prove myself to his family, as they were a part of his life. Most of all, I was agreeing to change. It was the scariest thing I'd ever done, but there was no being any less or giving any less with Joel. I wouldn't have had it any other way. *Joel* I sat at my desk gazing at Dev's picture, the one of him in his suspenders with my fedora tipped back on his head and his hands stuffed in his trouser pockets, thinking about the last three months. Less than a month after our reconciliation, Devlin broke the lease on his apartment and moved in with me. We both agreed it was a stupid waste of money to keep both places when we never spent the night apart if we could help it. I'd tried to get him to do it the other way, thinking he'd be more comfortable sharing his space with me, but he insisted that he preferred it this way because my place was on the south side of the building, while his faced north. Apparently, mine got better light. We merged our furniture, keeping my couch and chaise; he said there was no way we'd ever get rid of the chaise. We traded my armchairs for his and his stereo found a home in the living room along with his wonderful collection of music. A month later, he started bringing home flyers from work for houses that were on the market. Ones that had caught his eye. Deb and Brian were stunned to hear his talk of settling down. A couple weeks later, I came along on an early morning showing because we were heading straight from that to the lake. His birthday was a few days away and we'd both taken the week off so we could go camping. I looked around while he showed the house to the interested couple, liking what I saw. It was the first one I liked the feel of and we weren't even looking at it for us. It had a sunken great-room and a den large enough for us to share for working at home. The kitchen would be perfect for entertaining, having all the amenities a body could ask for, including a built-in deep freeze and a huge range. The back yard was amazingly generous, with its flagstone patio, brick grill and a couple of huge trees. It even had rose bushes planted along all the fences. I could see myself out there creating beds of all sorts in front of the line of roses, sweating in the summer sun, Devlin bringing me a cold glass of iced tea. I didn't know much about flowers, but I wanted to learn. Hearing mewling, I went around the side of the house and through a gate in the privacy fence that led into the front yard. It didn't have a white, picket fence around it, but it did have a whitewashed, double rung pole fence with a little white gate. The sound of numerous kittens drew me next door, where I found a girl, maybe twelve, setting up a large cardboard sign advertising free kittens. "Hey, Mister, you like cats?" "I sure do," I said, kneeling next to the box full of active little bodies. They acted as if they were used to a lot of handling when I started examining them, not giving me any trouble. We chatted while I played with the kittens, sitting on my rump on her front lawn with her. After a couple minutes, her mother came out and we started talking about her flowerbeds and the ones next door. "Are you buying the house next door?" the girl asked. "I don't know. I admit I like it," I replied, looking up at the sound of Dev's voice calling my name from the back yard. "Over here, babe," I called, while I teased a particularly feisty, little calico with brilliant white socks and belly. He came over, joining us under the tree and glancing at the sign. The look he was giving me was forbidding. He opened his mouth, but I spoke first, "How'd it go?" "They loved it, but don't think they can afford it. They're going to keep looking. We can't get a cat right now, Joel," he hurried to say. "We're about to leave town for a week. We can't take that tiny thing camping with us." "Amy," I said, indicating the woman, "said that they'd be happy to hang onto her until we got back." He sighed. "Aw, c'mon, Dev. She's great, watch." I set her on her tiny feet, facing me, and made my hand into a spider. Sending it skittering toward her suddenly, she arched, puffed up to twice her size and started sidling away. Her ears lay back against a skull half the size of my fist and cut loose with the most violent hiss imaginable. It was tiny, somewhat squeaky and completely adorable. I saw Devlin's lips twitch as he tried not to smile. She hopped away, turned tail and ran behind Devlin's ankle. He actually leaned over to pick her up, but she crept out, crouched next to his arch, her miniature haunches working, and her ears forward in eagerness. Just before his hand made contact, she flew forward, a multi-colored streak, and pounced on the "threat." A ferocious little beast, she mock-mauled my hand, snarling like a miniature lioness on a gazelle. Devlin was grinning now and even gave a little chuckle. "Doesn't that hurt?" he asked. "Naw, she's a smart girl. She knows how to play without hurting, and if she does get too enthusiastic you just go, 'sssssss, ow'," I dramatically mocked pain and she stopped chewing on my fingers to look up at me, "and she eases up." Picking her up, I stood and held her in front of Dev's face. "How can you say 'no' to a face like that?" I asked. She stretched toward him, her head weaving back and forth while her miniscule, bubblegum nose twitched like mad. Enormous blue eyes that seemed to encompass half her face gazed at him with intense curiosity, but it wasn't until she put a paw smaller than my thumb on each side of his nose and gave him a squeaky mew that he melted. He took her from my hands and I'd never seen him handle anything so gently before. The girl, Becka, sighed in relief. "That was close. I was really starting to think he wasn't going to let you have her, and that would have been sad since you've already named her and everything." "You already named her?" Dev demanded with mock exasperation. "Yeah," I confessed, "Pixel. Look at her. She looks like what you see when you zoom in on a JPEG super close." He laughed, but quickly sobered, "Still, I'm not sure it's a good idea to get a pet right now. Now while we're still house hunting." "So. We'll stop hunting and buy a house." "You've hated every house we've looked at." "I don't hate that house," I pointed at the one he'd just finished showing. "That's a great house. This is a great neighborhood with great kids and great families and great lawns and…" I leaned close, lowering my voice, "a great Jacuzzi in the master bath…" We picked Pixel up the following Saturday and Devlin insisted on going straight to PetSmart. We bought two hundred and fifty dollars worth of stuff for a cat that fit in his polo shirt pocket. Monday he started the ball rolling on buying the house. Scroll ahead to today. We were closing escrow and meeting our friends and my family for a little celebration. "Joel," my intercom came to life, startling me out of my revere, "you're S.O. is here." Tearing my eyes from Devlin's picture, I set it back in its place. Grabbing my trench coat and fedora from the rack, I stepped into the outer office. I caught Devlin watching one of the clerks' butt wiggle under her tweed skirt as she walked past. I couldn't help but chuckle. I didn't mind him looking; it would've been too restrictive and unfair of me to try to keep him from admiring beauty. Hell, I did it myself, so I understood how impossible it was to avoid. Besides, he never looked at them as if he were hungry for more. He was a sated man feasting his eyes on a well-done fruit basket. He turned at the sound of my chuckle and smiled with his whole face, his entire body lighting up when he saw me. He hugged me, lifting me off my feet a little and nearly cracking my ribs. Stealing a peck I said, "Damn, you smell good, Muffinman. You've got coffee breath." "The new cologne for men, 'Coffee Breath' by Calvin Kline," he quipped. "I'd buy it for you for Christmas," I grinned. A short drive across town and we walked, my arm across Devlin's shoulders and his around my waist to the coffee shop. It felt incredible. It was fall, but we were having an Indian summer. Everything was fiery and golden, from the leaves on the trees to the sunlight flashing off the neighboring windows like coins in a treasure chest. Mam and Pop were already at Espresso Yourself, along with Deb and Brian, Gabe, and Katie who was rocking her new infant daughter in her arms. The rest of the family and some other friends would be meeting up with us later at Bono for dinner. "There's the new home owners!" Mam cheered and came up to hug and kiss us. "Escrow went through without a hitch," Dev assured my father, shaking hands, then heading to the counter to get our coffees. "We've been talking it over," Katie said, as I joined her at the window seat, "and we've decided that we're going to use your house for the holidays." "A Halloween party for the kids," Gabe put in. "An' Thanksgiving dinner for the family," Mam added. "Christmas and New Years parties," Deb said. "Boxing day," Pop finished off. "It's the grill out back, isn't it?" I asked. Everyone laughed. "I'll have you know that our house will be guarded by a vicious attack cat. She pounces on anyone who enters. You'll all have to sign release forms absolving me of any responsibility. You party there at your own risk." More laughter and more talk about future events at the new house as they all sipped lattes and mochas. I kept my gaze on Devlin. Easy on the eyes, I thought as he took our coffees over to the condiment counter. The sight of him still made my stomach flutter and my palms clammy. It was hard to believe that my spring infatuation had turned into a summer romance and, finally, into the birth of a new life just as the leaves started turning gold. We'd even had our trial by fire. Dev thought of it as our comedy of errors, finding it embarrassing. "Stupid mistakes with a lot of angst," is how he described that fateful weekend. I liked to remind him that Eric had made a mistake just as small and stupid, and broken with me out of fear. If either of us had given up, rather than sticking it out, we'd have gone the same way. Devlin always shrugged his shoulders at that and blamed it all on me because, he said, I'd refused to let go of him, but I knew our still being together was his doing. He'd had the confidence to ask me out, the courage to proposition me, and the willingness to put everything he was on the line in order to keep me. As I'd told him months ago, all I did was gaze at him in admiration, "bird watching." My guy brought over our drinks, handing me a perfect coffee. Everyone else was happily chattering, and didn't notice when he lifted his cup, privately toasting the two of us. "Walls for the winds, Biker Boy," he said, his voice pitched so only I could hear, "A roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer and those we love near." The dream I'd almost given up was coming true, only it wasn't quite the same dream anymore. It was a flesh and blood man who gazed at me, instead of past me. Looking at him I saw nothing but love, and my own smiling, Irish eyes reflected back at me. "—And all your heart might desire," I wished in return. "Go maire sibh bhur saol nua," we said in unison, and enjoyed our coffee. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling I went right to my walk-in closet, and desperately began trying to find something appropriate to wear for a casual evening out with a perfect stranger who was, almost certainly, straight. Considering several options took a little time. I decided that a t-shirt and jeans would make me look like I was trying too hard to be casual. Yet the sport coat felt as if I were trying too hard to look nice for something that should be nothing more than a couple of guys going out for drinks. Jesus, I thought to myself, where in hell did this Rugby shirt come from. Shaking my head as I stuffed it back into the cubbyhole I'd pulled it out of, I told myself not to get distracted; I was running out of time. I finally decided on an outfit, and laid it out on the bed then went into the master bath to get ready. I began to worry that I was taking too long to get ready while I blow-dried my hair, but I knew that it would look odd to go without a fresh shave considering what I would be wearing. Putting on the barest touch of cologne was a last minute decision. I like Hugo Boss, the smell of which I can only describe as making you want more; I certainly hoped it would, in any case. Every step of preparation kicked my anticipation of the evening up a notch. The soft, linen slacks, in a deep charcoal, would nicely compliment the short sleeved, smoke grey, brushed silk shirt. The buttons were giving me a lot of trouble because my fingers were trembling from a nasty case of nerves. I felt as if I was taking forever trying to pick out accessories. A silver, marine link chain, which rested just below the hollow at the base of my throat, would show nicely if I left the top two buttons on the shirt undone. A black, crocodile belt with a silver buckle would pull the whole ensemble together perfectly. I felt like I was getting ready for a date and the problem was that, no matter how much I might wish it were one, it simply wasn't. I took my black Birkenstocks into the kitchen, to wipe them down with a damp cloth, when there was a knock at the door. Supposing it must be Devlin, I breathed a sigh of relief that I was ready on time and went to answer it. I opened the door with my Birks still in hand and a small smile, hoping I looked acceptable. *Devlin* I heard the squeak of shoes on the tile floor heading my way. I turned saw my coffee shop hunk staring at my bare ass. I tried to suppress my smirk as he quickly swept his eyes upwards. It didn't completely confirm my suspicion that he was into men but certainly did support my theory. As I finished drying off, I thought about asking him to join me for drinks. Hell, it would at least assure me of conversation for a few hours. I turned sideways to pull up my boxer briefs while asking him to join me for a drink at the same time. I kept my eyes from looking at him, wanting instead to use my peripheral vision to see where his eyes headed. Sure enough, he followed my hands as I first covered myself and then made the necessary adjustments. As we introduced ourselves and spoke about where and when we would meet, he pulled his shirt up over his head, revealing his lean torso. The sight, in addition to his husky Irish accent, was even better than I had envisioned in my head just a short time ago. He had a nicely formed chest, but what I found to be very irresistible was the hair on it. It was just the right amount, enough to run your fingers over and enough to direct your eyes to the center and downwards. Unfortunately, his workout clothes prevented me from seeing where the treasure trail ended. I was in a much better mood as I arrived home to strip off my suit and change my clothes for the night. It would be fun to flirt with Joel, watching his eyes ogle my body. I made myself a bet that I'd have confirmation as to his sexual preference before our second drink was empty. I pulled on a pair of black jeans and yellow polo shirt. I left the buttons on the shirt undone and after sliding flip-flops on my feet, checked myself in the mirror. I liked the way the jeans followed the form of my body and the way the shirt clung to my chest, with the sleeves stopping at the middle of my biceps. I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but I was hoping I was the kind of guy Joel would be into. The first thing I noticed as Joel opened the door was his green eyes, even deeper and attractive than I remembered. They had that twinkle in them that I could get lost in very easily. Eyes that told me he was a softie at heart but could raise a little hell as well. I'd have to remember not to stare into them all night. My eyes lowered to catch the chain around his neck resting above, and inviting me to, the hair on his chest. I extended my hand for a shake and realized he was holding his Birkenstocks. "Hope I'm not too early, Joel." Smiling, he invited me inside which gave me a chance to take in his body. His linen pants clung to his ass making my cock stir, wanting to move in close and rub myself against him. The silk shirt only added to his sexiness as I felt my hands twitching to run over the smooth material. "Hey, Joel, you don't mind walking to The Lizard, do you? It's right around the corner and I make it a practice not to get behind the wheel after I've been drinking." "Walking is fine with me; it's a nice evening out. You're not one of those guys who stumbles all over the place walking home drunk are you?" I chuckled at Joel's comment and was surprised at it as well. I noticed his face flush slightly and felt awkward for him. He obviously didn't know me and didn't realize that I enjoyed that kind of humor. As we walked down the street we began talking, well, I was talking; Joel was listening. I was all right with that though, anything to get this stud to feel more comfortable worked for me. I decided to tell him about Cathy, an ex-girlfriend, to see if he would reciprocate with a story about an ex of his own. I'd be able to confirm his gender preference if he'd tell me about one of his past relationships. I also wanted to let him know I wasn't any sort of relationship with anyone now. "So, I haven't been seeing anyone for the past few months. I was dating this one girl, Cathy, but it just wasn't working out. For a while, I thought she would be the one for me. She, not only was gorgeous, but she was a talented artist as well. I should take you to her gallery sometime. We're still friends, albeit, somewhat distant friends. I think I became too engrossed in my career to be honest. That in my mind is why it didn't work out. I still feel as if I blew the relationship. Anyway, the saying about artists being great passionate lovers, oh that is so true." I gave Joel a nudge in the ribs and a grin. By now, we'd reached The Lounge Lizard. I opened the door for Joel as I apologized for doing all the talking and insisted that as soon as we had a drink in hand I wanted to hear about him. *Joel* Much to my chagrin, Devlin talked about his last girlfriend all the way to the bar, confirming my belief that he was heterosexual. I'd been quiet on the way over, still embarrassed by what I'd said about stumbling home, and now he made it clear that he expected me to tell him about myself. I didn't know how to tell him about my personal life without lying or making it obvious that I'm gay and could feel my nerves fraying again. We found a table and settled in. He sat beside, rather than across from me, making my jitters worse. He offered to get the first round, ordering a Guinness, while I had a single malt Scotch on the rocks. I was surprised, when the drinks came, to see a full three fingers in my glass. Most places would only give you two unless you specified. I killed half in one go, wanting to get as much in as quickly as possible. I desperately hoped the liquor would calm me and let me feel comfortable so I'd be capable of holding up my half of the conversation. He watched the second half of my drink go down a few seconds later with an arched brow as I raised my hand to call the waitress back over for a second round, which I paid for. I didn't know what he was thinking and after I got a little more Scotch into my empty stomach, I really wouldn't care. I felt the alcohol working its magic almost immediately. My tension eased as I sipped at my second Scotch and I started telling him about myself without mentioning anything terribly personal. I gave him my life history, pretty much, but was very sketchy and generic when it came to relationships. I caught myself looking him over more and more often as the booze loosened me up. I felt some of my inhibitions relax while I told him about my parents being from Ireland and that they'd been in the process of becoming citizens when I was born and told him a little about my siblings. I couldn't help but admire the way his shirt sleeves strained across his biceps as I talked a little about college and how thrilled my parents had been when I passed the Bar exam. I boldly stared at his chest through his tight shirt while he peeled the label from his bottle. I explained that I'd lived with a couple of people, because he asked, but really only said that neither relationship had worked. I kept seeing him in the locker room, gloriously naked, while I laid my life out in bare terms and didn't really give a shit that I had a hard on under the table. "So, do you have a girlfriend right now?" he asked, just as I was polishing off the last bit of my drink and Patsy Cline came on the jukebox. Distracted by the song and feeling a touch tipsy, I snorted and answered without screening what I was going to say, then had to cover my slip. "What the hell would I do with a girlfriend? I mean, I've just made junior partner in my firm. I don't have time for that kind of thing." I watched his brow arch at me again and decided it was a good time to lose myself in the music. Someone had picked I Fall to Pieces. It happened to be one of my favorites and I let myself fall into it, thinking that afterward I'd be able to change the subject and it would seem natural. Of course, I've never been able to listen to Patsy without joining her and this time was no exception. I quietly sang along in my light bass, blending with her sweet alto voice with an ease only acquired from years of practice, while signaling for a third drink. When She's Got You came on, I was surprised and delighted. I wondered if who ever picked them had recently been through a bad break up, or if they were just a lover of the Queen of Country Music like me. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes to immerse myself fully in the sound. This was my favorite of Patsy's songs, and I forgot the world around me for the duration. When the song ended, I opened my eyes to a peculiar expression on Devlin's face and flushed, realizing that he must think me very strange for singing along with a country star that died long before I was even born. Chuckling self-deprecatingly, I shrugged and said, "Sorry, I grew up listening to Patsy. She's my dad's favorite singer and he transferred that love to me. I've never been able to listen to her without singing along." I took a quick drink from my glass, trying to cover my renewed nervousness. *Devlin* I could sense some nervousness on Joel's part when I sat next to him, as opposed to across the table. I know I tend to come across self-confident and it bothers me when others are uncomfortable around me. I made a nod towards the large screen TV, telling Joel I like to keep an eye on the game. It wasn't really true; it was my feeble attempt at making this easier for him. When our drinks arrived, I saw how quickly Joel drank half of his in a single gulp. Again, maybe it was nerves I told myself, but, shit, if this is how he always drank then I would be the idiot stumbling on the walk home, providing he picked me up off the bar floor first. I could handle my share, don't get me wrong, I had the college experiences with alcohol like everyone else, but the rate at which Joel started out was beyond my capabilities. I had three-quarters of my Guinness left when Joel was ordering us another round. I was about to put my hand on the back of Joel's chair and tell him I was sorry if he was feeling nervous, it wasn't intentional on my part to make him feel that way. But before I could do that, he set his scotch down and began telling me about himself. I opted to keep both hands on the table and listen, while glancing between Joel and the TV, hoping it would help calm him. I could feel Joel's eyes on me as he began telling me about his family. Avoiding his scrutiny, I purposely averted my attentions to the label on my Guinness, draught in a bottle, fiddling with it as he spoke. I glanced over, smiled and gave an approving nod when he spoke of his Irish ancestry, then turned back to my beer. Joel seemed to be calming down and I was becoming more interested in him the more he talked. Occasionally I would sneak a glance his way, eyeing his body and imagining him naked. I knew as soon as I opened my mouth that I was a fucking idiot. All the ease that Joel had finally achieved was gone in a flash with just one, stupid question from me. Why the hell I would ask him about a girlfriend, when I suspected his preference towards men was beyond me. I felt like a total asshole. I guess I anticipated Joel would look over at me and simply tell me, "No, fuckwad, I'm into guys". Of course, given how nervous he had been, if I'd bothered to think I'd have known he'd never say that. I wasn't ashamed of liking both genders and if someone didn't like me because of it, then they really weren't a good friend. I assumed everyone would live this way. It's difficult for me to understand why Joel would be ashamed or reluctant to admit his preference for men. Still, it didn't excuse my ignorance for asking the question. It was obvious, however, that Joel had danced around this question before and he handled it very smoothly. My mind was reeling and I was thankful when Patsy Cline came on the jukebox. She was my favorite country artist, even though only a few friends knew. She was like musical comfort food for me. Patsy Cline was always playing at home when I grew up. When I was in college, I discovered how seductive and loving her music really was during a few hot relationships. Now, I connected Patsy Cline with comfort and love. What a coincidence that Joel seemed to be so into her music as well. I ordered another round of drinks and sat back in my chair just listening to Joel sing along with Patsy's voice. Subtly I would glance over at Joel, admiring his appreciation of her music. His voice was perfect accompaniment to hers. I thought to myself that he must be a good dancer as I watched his body move in his chair. Damn, he didn't even realize how much he was turning me on. Before the jukebox even got to She's Got You, and I heard Joel's version, I had decided what to do. I knew I had to let him know I was into men as well as women; and make it clear I was very interested in getting to know him better. His version, exchanging every 'she' in the vocal with 'he', only served to convince me of what I should do. When the song finished, I looked over at Joel. I probably had a weird expression on my face, knowing what I was about to say. I placed an arm on the back of his chair, turning my body towards him. My knee rubbed against his thigh and I felt Joel jerk slightly. I could tell he was very aroused which, in turn, aroused me. He looked straight forward, as he tried to explain the reason for getting lost in the music, as if there had to be a reason. I could feel his nervousness; I could see his body tense up and knew I had to do this right. I couldn't be the usual, blunt Devlin. No this required finesse. I gathered up everything I had learned in every relationship I ever had, in an attempt to form the words properly. He turned his face, looking, searching into my eyes. His sweet, shy expression threw me for a loop. "Joel, if...uh...we are going to continue...drinking like this... I need to eat." My lips smiled, but my armpits were perspiring profusely, I couldn't do it yet. I had never had something like this happen to me before. "Italian, steaks, or Mexican are my favorite. Any of those suit your fancy?" *Joel* Devlin leaned in toward me, his leg brushing mine, sending a bolt of heat lightning directly to my cock. My arousal had diminished while I lost myself in the music, but it returned full force with this slight contact. I found myself drowning in the deep wells of his blue-green eyes, and stopped breathing when he leaned in closer. I would have sworn that he was on the verge of kissing me, but knew that I was projecting my own longing onto him. All I really caught of what he was saying was something about needing food and him asking what I'd rather eat. Wrenching my gaze from his almost pained me, but I knew it had to be done; if I'd kept looking, he would have seen my desires reflected in my own and I couldn't have that. Not if I wanted his friendship. "I could really go for some Steak Pizziola." I said huskily and had to clear my throat to continue. "I know this really great Italian place that's only a couple of blocks away." I looked back at him but avoided staring into his eyes. "This place, Buon Mangia, is the best. They have the greatest Veal Parmigiana and their Lasagna is to die for." I could feel a smile spreading across my face as enthusiasm for introducing Devlin to my favorite restaurant took hold of me. I stood too quickly, making the room seesaw for a few seconds, and I had to lean over and grab the table to keep my balance. "Whew...head rush," I said looking at Devlin and laughing lightly. I straightened up slowly, wary of making the same mistake twice. "Ok, all is right with the world once more. Let's go," I grinned and headed for the door, and was pleased when he followed me onto the street. As we walked down the block Devlin asked, "Are you sure we'll be able to get a table if this place is as good as you say?" "Don't worry about it, Dev. The owners are good friends of mine. I helped them out with some legal troubles they were having while I was school. Pro bono, of course, since I hadn't taken the Bar yet. The only time I have to wait for a table is when they're swamped." I held the door for him this time and followed behind, using the opportunity to admire the way his jeans clung to his ass. The seam sank slightly between his cheeks, defining them and making my fingers itch with a desire to follow it. I stepped up beside him as we came to the hostess' podium and saw Lucia heading our way with a big smile. "Joel, how are you tonight?" she inquired, hugging me warmly and kissing my cheek. "Hmmm...someone smells very good tonight," She teased, with a wink. "Is it a table for two this evening?" her brow arched as she glanced at Devlin and I knew what she was asking. She wanted to know if Devlin was my date. "Yes, please, Lucia. We're famished," I replied, giving her a nearly indiscernible shake of the head, while quirking my mouth subtly in a negative way. I knew that she understood the message because I could see a trace of sadness enter her deep brown eyes, but her smile never faltered. She was like a sister to me and constantly nagged me to date more, to be more aggressive and stop being shy. "Well, I'll take you to your favorite table. It happens to be free at the moment." She showed us to a table in the back corner, where it was secluded by placement of a large, potted tree which acted like a partition. She lit the candle in the middle of the table while we got comfortable. "I know you'll be having the Steak Pizziola with a Scotch, Joel, but what would you like, sir?" she asked Devlin, holding out a menu for him. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling "How do you know that's what I want, Lucia?" I asked incredulously. "Because, that's what you always order when you've been drinking. I know you're not going to want any wine this evening because you've already been drinking Scotch and you never mix distilled and fermented alcohol," She replied matter-of-factly then looked back at Devlin with a grin. He had chosen, again, to take the seat next to me rather than the one across from me, but I'd had enough to drink that I was incapable of being nervous about his proximity. Leaning over so that I could stage whisper to him I said, "Get the steak, Dev. You won't regret it." When he looked up at me from the menu, I realized how much I was invading his space because we were nearly nose-to-nose. I leaned back in my seat, trying to make the move look natural. *Devlin* The Guinness was affecting me as much as Joel's scotch seemed to be affecting him, but I managed to maintain myself, standing up tall and walking straight to the restaurant. I was able to glance subtly at Joel along the way and my body was yearning to touch and taste him. I'd never been to Buon Mangia, even though it was in our neighborhood. I'd passed it many times and wondered if the food was any good. It was clear when we walked in and were seated that this was one of Joel's favorite restaurants. The waitress knew exactly what Joel would be having and looked over to me, grinning while handing me a menu. I opened it and began perusing the offerings, trying to decide. Joel leaned into me, his thigh pressing tighter against mine as he suggested I order the steak. At least, I think that's what he said; I was lost in his eyes and in his scent. It'd been a long time since I'd yearned for the smell of another man and it was going straight to my cock. Joel had gotten so close I thought that maybe he'd lost his shyness. Our lips were within inches and I involuntarily licked over my lower before swallowing hard. I forced my eyes away from Joel and towards the waitress, "I'll have the steak and a glass of red wine, please." I turned back to Joel, winking at him with a smile. Dinner was fantastic and the conversation even better. I found myself falling more and more for Joel and hoped the feeling was mutual. We both got to know each other a little better, although, it still seemed too awkward for me to let on how much I wanted him naked, in my bed. There was something so sexual about him that I remained aroused throughout dinner. I would rub myself when I thought he wouldn't see, trying to readjust myself to be more comfortable. As dinner came closer to an end and I had downed plenty of wine, I became a bit more playful, wanting to be a little more obvious in what I was doing. I made more of an effort to rub my thigh along his and I'd let my hand stay on my crotch until I was sure Joel had noticed. If I was reading Joel correctly, he was aroused too. The waitress stopped by, suggesting the dessert for two. I saw Joel's mouth open, but I quickly agreed she should bring us an order. I ordered a glass of brandy along with dessert while Joel opted for coffee. When the dessert arrived, I took a spoonful and lifted it to Joel's lips, while my other hand brushed against his upper back, my arm resting on his chair. "The...uh...first bite should be yours, since you were so nice to introduce this place to me." My cock jerked as I watched his lips open and slowly take the spoon into his mouth. I let my fingers lightly graze across his back hoping I was not coming on too strong. I imagined the dessert being my cock, his soft lips pressing against the head, his mouth slowly taking me in. I could feel my body begin to perspire and knew my scent was getting stronger. I set the spoon down and took a hefty swallow of my brandy before ordering another. While the waitress went for a fresh brandy, Joel turned to me, his thigh making firm contact with my knee. He leaned in close, his forearm braced on the table in front of me. With his lips only a couple of inches from my ear he spoke, his voice husky and his warm breath washing over my ear and neck, sending shivers down my back. "You realize that this isn't a dessert intended for two people, don't you? It's meant for a couple." I wasn't sure how to respond to Joel's comment, except to smile and take another spoonful of dessert, this time bringing it to my own lips. I let my tongue snake out and lick the creamy delight before opening my lips, just as slowly as Joel had done moments earlier. I held my mouth more open, tilted my head back and the spoon up, letting Joel watch it slide into my mouth. I swear I heard a soft moan escape his lips. Closing my mouth around the spoon, I moaned in appreciation of the taste. Slowly, I pulled the spoon out while sucking on it; then I licked both sides until it was completely clean of any creaminess. We slowly and seductively shared the rest of the dessert, my brandy glass was empty and the waitress had brought the check over. I reached for my back pocket and retrieved a credit card before Joel could reach for his. Placing the wallet back, I turned to Joel, one arm still on the back of his chair as I placed my other hand on his thigh giving it a slight squeeze. I leaned in close enough to gather another sniff of his body before looking into his eyes. "How about we move this back to my place?" I stood up making a mental note of how I had to use my hand on the table to balance myself and suddenly wished I had not downed all the alcohol. I waited as Joel looked up at me as if he was deciding what to do next. *Joel* What had begun as a physical attraction was becoming more the longer I spent with Devlin. The more we talked, the more I liked him. He was funny, charming, witty and so very pleasant to look at. He kept touching me all through the meal, keeping me in a constant state of arousal, and I began to suspect that he might be doing it deliberately when I noticed that he kept adjusting himself under the table. When Lucia came around and asked if we wanted the Dessert for Two, I gave her a look, but Devlin spoke before I could and she went off with a smirk on her face. I was surprised when he fed me the first bite, and even more surprised by how flustered he looked, setting the spoon down and reaching for his brandy. Suddenly feeling wicked and playful, I leaned in close to tell him about the dessert he'd ordered for us. I thought I saw a flash of surprise in his eyes, but then he smiled and deliberately taunted me with the way he ate his bite. It had to have been deliberate because no one could have accidentally eaten like that after what I'd said. The sight went straight to my groin and my lips, still parted when he held up the next spoonful for me to take, opened further to let him slip the spoon into my mouth a second time. Was he really going to feed me through the whole dessert? He was and he did. Nothing stunned me more than when he paid for the meal, until he put his hand on my leg and invited me back to his place. It seemed that his intentions were unmistakable, but we'd both drank so much that I still worried that I was reading him wrong. I was trying to read his expression as he stood there, waiting for me to stand, and couldn't. However, I couldn't mistake the hard on that rested behind his zipper. Everything that I thought of to say sounded lame so I opted to simply nod. I stood, pulled my wallet, put a generous tip on the table for Lucia, and then led the way to the door. As we stepped back onto the street, Devlin stumbled into me and I caught him. The full torso contact felt like an electric jolt and it took several seconds before it occurred to me that I should let go of him. When I did, he continued clinging to me, as if he thought he would fall if he let go. His arms circled my chest, his palms flat against my back. I could feel goose bumps raise over my entire body and my cock throbbed painfully. "Come on, Devlin, let's go home," I said quietly, pulling one of his arms from around me and draping an arm across his shoulders to help support him as we walked. As it turned out, he supported me as much as I supported him as we staggered, slightly, down the two blocks to our apartment building. The joyful flush I felt when I suddenly realized that our bodies fit perfectly together told me that I'd gone beyond infatuation at some point during the dessert. I was falling hard and fast, without a safety net and nothing in sight to grab a hold of to check my descent. I couldn't bring myself to do the only thing that would protect my heart from the ravages of a straight man playing at being gay. I couldn't make myself push him away, and I simply wasn't capable of walking away. I knew it would be nothing more than the illusion of what I was craving, but even so, a mirage could be powerful. He'd probably hate me come morning, but I'd have tonight to help me through the next few months of loneliness. I brought us to a sudden stop when I realized that we'd almost walked right past our building and turned us toward the door. It took me a couple tries to get the key in the lock, but I managed and got us inside and over to the elevator. I leaned against the wall, with Devlin leaning against me, and jabbed the call button three or four times. *Devlin* Just as Joel had predicted, I was the idiot who stumbled his way home. Of course, by now I was inebriated enough to not care. Not only did I stumble, but it happened almost immediately. When Joel grabbed hold of me, our bodies came into full contact and I was finally able to know what he felt like, finally able to get my arms around him. He was first to let go while my grasp lingered. His chest rubbing mine and his face breathing on my neck felt so good. I could tell he was as aroused and had to give a little rub, crotch to crotch. If this was any indication, I knew we would be enjoying ourselves soon. I wanted to kiss him right there, but before I had the chance, he pushed me back and placed his arm around my shoulder to support my body as we walked. "I guess I am the drunk who stumbles home," I said with a grin. "Sorry about that." As we staggered our way to my apartment, I began to wonder what was happening between the two of us. We had been eyeing each other for a couple of months, neither one of us speaking to the other. Now, in just one day, I had found a terrific guy and found myself wanting him in my bed. I did realize, of course, that this attraction might not be mutual. Sure, he was aroused, but maybe he was just horny, maybe he wanted nothing more than sex. Maybe he wouldn't be spending the night. Joel directed us into our building and over to the elevators. I couldn't help but lean into him as we waited for it to arrive. Damn, he smelled and felt so good. This was my chance to let him know just where I stood. I saw him staring into my eyes with a look that told me he was about to say something. I pressed my finger against his lips and leaned in closer. My cock jerked as it rubbed his, feeling what he had to offer. I licked along his neck slowly until I got to his ear. "Joel, I'm bi, and to be honest, I am very into you tonight." I sucked on his neck as I heard the doors open. Taking Joel's hand in mine I pulled us into the elevator just before the doors closed. I fell into the back wall pulling him up tight against me.