by D. J. Manly
“I heard what you had to say, Quincy. My answer’s still no.”
“I’m not finished,” Quincy told him, his chest heaving as he came closer. “You haven’t heard half of what I want to say to you.”
“I don’t want to hear any of it,” Tyler turned away.
Quincy grabbed his arm and pulled him around. “Maybe not, but you’re going to.”
Tyler lifted his fist.
“Hit me again if you want. It doesn’t make any difference. You can beat me black and blue. I’m not leaving,” Quincy told him.
Tyler lowered his fist. “I’m not going to hit you. I shouldn’t have hit you the first time. You took me by surprise, that’s all. I lost my temper.”
“And you figured I deserved it?” He lifted an eyebrow, then smiled faintly.
Tyler shrugged.
“Well, I guess I did. I wouldn’t have come to you if there was any other way. I thought this shit was over after Bruce died. I never knew this thing would bite me in the ass after all these years. What I don’t understand is why…after all this time they’re looking for this money.”
“It’s a good question. I don’t have the answer, so go and ask someone else. You shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place.” Tyler looked at him. “I warned you your brother would lead you into trouble one day. He was already heavily in debt by that time he got married.”
“Okay, you warned me. And I wished I’d listened. But he was my brother, and--”
“And you thought he was always looking out for you. But he was only looking out for himself. He used you and you let him.”
“And you were so goddamned obsessed with your shiny new police uniform, you wouldn’t even stand by me.”
That hit Tyler like a slap in the face.
“You couldn’t let anything taint your holier-thanthou police job. You just abandoned me to the wolves. So maybe you deserve a good punch in the mouth too, eh?”
There was silence. Tyler felt that silence, pregnant with resentment and hurt, deep in his soul. “You ruined my life,” Tyler said softly.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Quincy scoffed. “You’ve done pretty well, made detective, nice car, you’re looking good, must go to the gym three, four times a week… and tell me…what’s his name?”
Tyler shook himself. “What is whose name?”
“The guy in your bed now.” Quincy was staring at him.
“There is…no guy,” Tyler shook his head. “I’m not…into relationships anymore.”
“Become a priest, have you?”
“Not quite.” Tyler’s mouth twisted.
“Nancy thought I was some guy named Billy.”
“Nancy?”
“How do you think I found this place?”
“Damn it,” he muttered. He gave himself a mental reminder not to tell his sister anything.
“I wasn’t that surprised when she called me Billy. I recall you having a very active libido. Can’t see you out here all this time doing nothing but--”
“Don’t bother recalling my libido,” Tyler snapped. “That’s the last place I intend on revisiting with you.” He and Quincy had had one hell of a great love life, adventurous, free of inhibition, hard and deliciously tender sex…totally goddamned satisfying. He’d never met another guy who could give him what Quincy had given him in bed.
There was silence for a moment, then Quincy said, “It was a long time ago. I admit I was naïve in listening to Bruce. I wouldn’t have broken the law if I’d know what he was into. You never gave me the chance to tell you all I wanted to. As soon as I got arrested, you walked away, just abandoned me. You wouldn’t even hear my side.”
Tyler swallowed. He’d been so shocked and disappointed by everything that had happened, angry that Quincy had allowed himself to be taken in. He should have let Quincy explain, but there’d been too much pain, too much hurt. He’d regretted it after Quincy had gone to jail, even thought of going up to visit him…but…
“Well,” Quincy cleared his throat, “too late now to rehash all that.” He came closer, “I do need your help. I thought for old time’s sake, you’d--”
“I don’t know what I can do for you,” Tyler replied. “Who is this guy that threatened you anyway?”
“His name is Sidney Bengal.”
“Like the Tiger?”
“Yeah. He hasn’t been out of prison that long. He’s staying at Marty’s.”
“Your old halfway house?”
“How do you know that?” Quincy narrowed his eyes.
“Know what?”
“Where my halfway house was?”
Tyler shrugged.
“You kept track of me?”
“Don’t make too much out of it. I knew when you got out. I’m a cop, remember?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think cops automatically got updates on every ex-con who walked out of the joint.” Quincy seemed to be waiting for an answer.
“What do you want from me, Quince? You want me to admit I checked up on you a couple of times?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Okay, so what? I did. I …just wanted to know you were doing okay, that’s all.” Tyler walked over to the sink.
“I’m touched. I mean that. Didn’t think you cared anymore.”
“Well, I felt sorry for your mother, that’s all. She lost one son in prison, and--”
“Oh, so it was about my mother, was it?” Quincy muttered. He looked at the floor.
“She was always nice to me.”
“Yeah. You were like a second son to her.”
There was a brief pause, then Tyler took a deep breath and leaned on the counter. “You see your mom?”
“Every once in a while.”
“Good. So, let’s get back to this Bengal guy. If he threatened you with a gun, he’s violated his parole. When I get back to the city, I’ll have him picked up. That way he can be questioned. Okay?”
“What do you mean, when you get back to the city?” Quincy demanded.
“I’m staying here for a week. This is my vacation.”
“Well, then I’m staying here with you.”
“No, you’re not staying here! No fucking way! What about Allison? Aren’t you worried this guy will go after her?”
“She’s gone to Disneyland with her mother. He’s not going to follow her there.”
“Look, you can’t stay here. There’s only one bed for one thing.”
“Well then it should get interesting,” Quincy met his gaze.
Tyler felt like a bunny stuck in the headlights for a moment. Then he grabbed a pen and paper off the counter and scribbled something. “Here.” He thrust the paper at Quincy.
“What is this?” Quincy glanced at it.
“The name of a guy I work with on the force. Go and see him. He’ll pick the guy up for parole violation and question him. You fill out a report, and—”
“This is your way of helping me?” Quincy met his gaze. “Passing the buck?”
“It’s all I can do.” Tyler met his gaze. “You know you took one hell of a risk coming way out here. How do you know you weren’t followed?”
Quincy didn’t say anything for a moment. “I…I doubt it. I hit the guy. He fell. I took off and rented a car. He couldn’t have followed me. At least, I…I don’t think so.”
“You’re not sure?” Tyler probed. “Damn it, Quincy!”
Quincy just looked at him.
“Fuck. Look, take that name I gave you. Tell him I sent you, and just get out of here.” Tyler turned his back. He waited until he heard footsteps, his heart racing. The door opened and closed.
Chapter Three
Quincy sat down on the porch, studying the paper Tyler had just given him. He crumpled it up and shoved it into his pocket.
When the door opened again, Tyler came outside holding a fishing rod. Quincy got to his feet, prepared for another argument.
Tyler glared at him. “I thought I told you to--” “Yeah, and since when do I do what you tel
l me to do?” Quincy cut him off.
“Well, you’re not staying here.” Tyler walked down the steps.
Quincy followed. “I have no other place to go right now.”
“Go to the police,” Tyler muttered and kept walking.
“You are the police. So, where we goin’?” Quincy ran a few steps and fell in beside him.
Tyler stopped and looked directly at him. “Weare not going anywhere.”
“Looks like we’re goin’ fishin’. Since when do you fish, anyway?” Quincy attempted a laugh.
Tyler quickened his step.
“Do we have a boat?”
Tyler stopped, looked at him again. “Will you stop saying we? There is no WE!”
“Okay, do you have a boat, then?”
Tyler sighed heavily.
“Are we going to fish off the pier?” Quincy persisted. He knew Tyler was pissed off at him. He thought maybe if he kept it up, Tyler would loosen up and laugh. It didn’t seem to be working so far.
Tyler walked over to the pier, cast the line into the water and plunked down on the wharf.
“What are you using for bait, your good looks?” Quincy wiggled down beside him. “You had one of those fancy lures on the end, didn’t you? Fish like worms.”
“Well, I would have hooked you on the end of the line, but you’re a little too heavy,” Tyler grunted.
Quincy pretended to wince. “That was nasty.” He thought he saw a hint of a smile. “So, how long you been fishing? We never went fishing once together.”
“You don’t fish.”
“Neither did you. I thought that’s what old men did.”
“Could you please shut up?” Tyler eyed him. “You’re scaring the fish away.”
“I didn’t know fish had ears.”
Tyler shook his head.
Quincy leaned back on his hands. He let his gaze wash over Tyler. My God, he was so beautiful, so beautiful yet so far away from him…so…off limits. Bruce, right now, I know you’re not supposed to hate the dead…but damn it, you’ve deprived me of what I could do right now, if only Tyler would let me.
Dare he believe there might still be a chance, a spark? Maybe all this mess had a silver lining. Fuck. Who was he kiddin’! He shook himself, trying not to recall how Tyler had looked coming out of that lake, his naked body glistening with water…all those hills and valleys…his cock and…damn! “So,” Quincy sat up, “if you don’t catch anything, what are we supposed to eat?”
“Don’t know what you’re going to eat,” Tyler replied.
“Any takeout places around here?” Quincy joked.
No reaction.
“Come on, Tyler,” Quincy nudged him with his elbow. “Give me a break.”
“I’ll give you a break if you don’t--” Tyler grunted as Quincy nudged him again. “Knock it off!”
“You know, I think the only way you’re going to catch a fish is to get in there and grab one.” Quincy gave Tyler a firm push, landing him in the lake.
“Goddamn it!” Tyler let out a yell. He reached up and took hold of one of Quincy’s leg, pulling him into the water with him. They wrestled around a while, Quincy grabbing Tyler around the waist. He wanted to hold onto him and not let go, but every time he got a grip on him, Tyler slipped out of his grasp.
“What in fuck is wrong with you?” Tyler demanded, waist deep in water. He pushed his wet hair back, glaring at him with those deep brown eyes.
His T-shirt was plastered to his heaving chest. He looked pissed, dangerous, and sexy as hell. Quincy moved closer. “Don’t you feel anything for me anymore?” he asked softly.
For a few minutes, only the birds answered. Tyler tried to move past him.
“Oh no,” Quincy said, reaching out and grabbing his arm. “You’re not getting away with that. Answer me.”
Tyler was so close to him, Quincy could feel his breath on his face. He was lost in those eyes full of sparks. Quincy pulled him closer and for a moment he was sure that Tyler would pull back, but he didn’t. The anger seemed to melt away as he asked softly, “What do you want from me, Quince?”
Quince clutched Tyler’s wet T-shirt with his fist, his heart hammering in his ribs. His gaze went to Tyler’s mouth, his full bottom lip reminding Quincy of their long gone sensual play. “You were one hell of a kisser.”
Tyler tried to back away, but Quincy held fast.
“Let go of me, Quincy.”
“I can’t,” Quincy shook his head. “I’ve tried. God knows I’ve tried, Ty. I’ve never wanted another man the way I want you.” Quincy pressed his forehead against Tyler’s chest. “The way I want you…right now.”
Tyler placed a hand on Quincy’s head and pushed him back. “Not going to happen.”
Quincy released his T-shirt, and Tyler waded out of the lake. A few minutes later, Quincy walked out of the lake himself and returned to the cabin. Tyler’s wet clothes were in a heap on the porch.
When he got inside, he could hear the shower running. He walked over to the bathroom. The door was ajar. “In need of a cold shower, Ty?” he called out.
Tyler extended his hand outside the shower curtain with one finger raised.
“Not nice. You’ve gotten real nasty over the years. Here I was hoping you left the door open for me.” Quincy pulled his wet T-shirt off.
“The door doesn’t close,” he called out. “There’s no invitation implied.”
Quincy pulled off his shoes and socks, then the rest of his clothes. Then he walked into the bathroom. He leaned against the wall. “I’ve always been a party crasher, Tyler, you know that.”
Tyler poked his head around. “Get out of here.”
“Oh what? You going to wrestle me to the floor naked? Please do.”
“Kiss my ass!”
“I’d love to if you’d let me.”
“Damn it, Quince!”
Quincy heard a thump. “You didn’t just hit the wall, did you?”
“Yeah. I imagined it was your head. Will you please go home? Unless you want another poke in the jaw?”
Quincy pulled the curtain back.
Tyler glared at him.
“I’d love a poke somewhere else.”
“Fuck off.”
“You know I’m not going back without you. So unless you plan to kill me, I’m staying.” Quincy stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain closed. “I smell vanilla.”
There was shampoo in Tyler’s hair and he was trying to wash it out so he could escape, but there was no way he was getting out of the shower that fast. Quincy moved closer. His cock was hard and damn it, for old time’s sake, why not fuck? He told himself his heart could take it, that he could just say goodbye after some reunion sex, and…”Tyler?”
Quincy’s arms moved around Tyler’s waist. He rested his head against his back. Tyler didn’t move. He just stood there. Quincy moved one hand up over Tyler’s abs to his chest as the other one slid down.
Tyler suddenly covered the hand headed downwards with his own. He clutched it tight in his. “Don’t,” he pleaded softly.
“Why?” Quincy moved his lips to his ear. “Because you’re hard?”
“Um. Yeah,” he groaned. “I’m hard.”
Quincy nudged Tyler’s thigh apart with his knee, pressing him forward. Tyler’s palms pushed against the tile. “Please,” Tyler pleaded softly.
Quincy freed his hand as his fingers slowly tweaked one of Tyler’s stiff nipples. “Please, what?” His hand continued its journey to the base of Tyler’s cock. He wrapped his fingers around his cock, grasping Tyler’s hardness in his fist. Quincy began to stroke him slowly while the fingers on his other hand still rolled and plucked Tyler’s nipple. Quincy trailed his lips across Tyler’s broad shoulder as his own erection pressed against Tyler’s ass. He wanted to kiss his mouth so badly.
Tyler moaned softly, a sound that could well make Quincy lose his mind. “Please,” Tyler pleaded again.
Quincy pulled Tyler back against him, watching Tyler’s cock
as he fondled it, handling his balls, stroking him straight out and up. “God, you’re so beautiful,” Quincy grunted. “I’m missed you so much.”
Tyler’s head fell on his shoulder as he began to thrust his hips. “God, please,” Tyler cried out. “I’m… begging you, Quince!”
“What do you want, Tyler?” Quince’s lips caressed Tyler’s cheek. He couldn’t believe he was holding him again. He wanted Tyler to fuck him so badly. “Tell me,” Quince pleaded, licking his lips as Tyler’s precum coated his fingers and his palm. “I’ll give you anything. I’ll do anything. What do you want, baby?”
“Please.” Tyler’s head fell forward. “Stop.”
Quincy’s hand froze. He let it fall to his side as he stepped back. Tyler didn’t turn around. Quincy slid back the curtain and got out. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. Stunned, he went to sit in the kitchen.
* * * * * * Tyler let the water run over his skin. He was trembling like a leaf. Quincy touching him like that brought back everything, all the memories of them together, reminding him of how much he loved this guy and how his body still craved him like some lethal drug.
Damn it. It was over years ago. Why couldn’t he just let go? To get involved with Quincy again…no, especially now when it seemed he was after some money his brother had hidden somewhere. Goddamn him!
Tyler dried off and came out of the bathroom in his terry cloth robe. His gaze went to Quincy, who sat at the kitchen table staring off into space. “We just can’t pick up where we left off, Quince,” Tyler began.
Quincy put up a hand. “Let’s not talk about it at all.”
Tyler sighed. “Sometimes old memories make--”
“No,” Quincy stood. “It’s not old memories for me. I still love you. I never stopped. And I know deep down you feel something for me too. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have stopped me.”
“You should just leave.”
Quincy looked at him. “It’s getting dark. Let me stay the night at least?”
He couldn’t just send him out there in the dark. He’d shared a life with this man, would have been a lifetime if …if…
“Can we just act like we’re old friends for a while? Let’s just do away with all the bullshit, okay?”
