by Lynn Stark
Tristan nodded and then a grimace twisted his mouth. “I keep expecting someone to tell me it’s all a joke. Can any place really be so perfect?”
“I doubt it’s perfect. But from what I’ve been told about Silver, the people here have always made an effort to accept people for who they are. It was founded by gay men. If I can have a life here, I’ll be more than happy. What about you?” He grinned, asking slyly, “Have you seen any more of those hot guys who came to get you? What were their names? Levi and Connor? Sexy names.”
His brother didn’t look at him, but a blush crept up his neck and into his face. “I’ve seen them in town once or twice. They were with the men who picked up Alex and Angel.”
“Jax and Lang. I hear they’re both single, too. It’s strange that neither you nor Alex talk about the men who came for you, but Angel talks about them all the time.”
“Angel talks about everything all the time.”
That was true. Angel was a chatterbox. But he was so sweet and adorable that no one had the heart to tell him to shut up. Well, with the exception of Gilly. He grinned. The two were like oil and water, but he knew Gilly really liked the little guy and was more bark than bite when it came to Angel. Avery thought they just liked fucking with each other.
“It was just an observation. Well, I have some people I need to apologize to. I’ll pick you up in the morning.”
“Thanks. Alex and I have a lead on a used truck, but the guy selling it won’t be back in town until tomorrow.”
“Good. Just don’t buy a piece of shit like that green lump of metal you bought way back when.”
“Fuck you, Avery. That car was a classic.”
“It never ran! It was a classic piece of shit.”
Laughing, Avery went upstairs and packed the few things he had brought into town with him. It didn’t take long. He probably would have brought everything he owned, but Gilly had talked him out of it. He was glad the guy was stubborn. He had possibly prevented Avery from feeling as if he had gone beyond the point of no return.
And he needed to go back. He needed Colt, Gilly, Clarissa, and Bliss like he needed his next breath. Now how did he tell them?
It wouldn’t be easy. But the things worth having were worth fighting for, or overcoming embarrassment for, were well worth suffering discomfort for. He’d do it. He had found somewhere he could be himself, where he was accepted just the way he was without being put down or made to feel as if he were a freak.
If he hadn’t jumped to conclusions Avery knew he would already be home with the people he loved. It had taken a while to get over himself. When he realized what Gilly had been telling him for days was the truth, he knew he only had one choice to make. Colt hadn’t been rejecting either of them. The man had just wanted them both to be sure that being with the others was what they wanted, that they hadn’t been rushed into something. Well, there had been some rushing. But he was a grown man. He knew himself and he knew what he wanted. Nothing had ever felt so perfect as the moment he had met the others.
As he reached the front door he looked to where his brother was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels. “You sure you’re gonna be okay without me?”
“Well, I might be a little scared tonight, but I think I’ll make it.”
“Just don’t look under the bed,” Avery said as he opened the door and stepped out. He chuckled as he heard the name Tristan called him.
Avery was still smiling as he opened the door to his truck and tossed the gym bag into the back. He was about to get in when a car pulled up beside his truck. He turned to see Clarissa and Bliss in it. The window slid down on the elegant black car.
“We need to talk to you. Get in.”
“I was just about to…”
Clarissa interrupted him. “No talking. Just get in.”
Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to see what they wanted. He had wanted to talk to all of them at the same time but he supposed he could talk to them first, and then Colt. He slid into the backseat.
“What’s up?”
“We want you to come home. Colt is worrying himself sick over what he did.”
“He blames himself,” Bliss inserted. “And he would. He says he was lost the moment he saw you. All he wanted was for you to be a part of our family. He believes he should have waited to make love to you, which is nonsense. You were, are, gorgeous. Anyone seeing you would want to make love to you. He couldn’t help himself and he believes he screwed it all up and made you think he didn’t want you.”
Avery blinked and frowned. It was difficult to keep track. Bliss was rattling off like an automatic weapon as she drove around the block.
“And he does want you,” Clarissa inserted earnestly, her voice rich with emotion. “He’s never not wanted you. He just wanted you to have time to sort through everything, to be certain it’s what you wanted. And we want you, too. You’re a part of our family, if you’ll have us. It’s not just Colt who misses you.”
“I was on my way home,” Avery finally told them during the first lull.
“You were?” Clarissa asked, obviously dazed by that unexpected news.
“Yes.”
“Well, okay then. We’ll see you there in a little while.” Bliss stopped the car beside his truck.
Avery chuckled and got out. “I’ll see you there.” He closed the door on their laughter and started to get into his truck again when Gilly’s boring sedan pulled up beside him.
The window slid down. “Get in. I need to talk to you.”
“Is this an intervention?”
“Yes. Now get in. I can’t be gone long. Angel is practicing his new baking skills.”
Getting into the front seat of the car, he closed the door and waited. The heating vent was blasting hot air in his face so he reached out to change its direction. Gilly didn’t drive away, however. They sat there staring at one another for a few seconds.
They had become good friends, as well as lovers, the past few days. Avery knew he could count on the other man.
“Okay, you’re out of time. You’re torturing everyone. I know you were hurt, but no one meant to hurt you, least of all Colt. He’s had nothing but your best interest at heart from the very beginning. The guy loves you so much his heart is about to break. Is that what you want?” Gilly turned his head to look at Avery. “Well?”
Stung, Avery shook his head. “Of course it isn’t. How much time have you been spending with Bliss?”
“Some, why? I’m not home very much. Are you coming home or not?”
“Yes. I was on my way out when you showed up.”
Gilly grinned and gave him a playful punch in the upper arm. “All right, then! I’ll probably be a couple more hours. That’ll give you time to talk Colt, Bliss, and Clarissa.”
“I already talked to those two. Didn’t you see them pull away?”
The man shook his head. “Never saw them. I just saw you getting into your truck. Okay, so you’ll be talking to Colt then.”
“I will. As soon as I get home.”
After a lengthy kiss Avery got out of the car, wishing he could lick every inch of the guy. They had gotten past refurbishing the new store and Gilly was now working on recipes. He smelled like chocolate and it gave Avery a huge craving. He had never been a big fan of chocolate, but he had an idea that was changing fast.
Grinning, he had gotten as far as getting into his truck and starting it when a huge black SUV pulled up beside his truck. One look at the handsome occupant and Avery’s heart was pounding in his chest and his mouth became as dry as a desert.
Without taking his eyes off Colt he got out of his truck and slammed the door. Then he was getting into the SUV. Avery didn’t look at the other man right away. He took a moment to try to calm his pounding heart and the shaking of his hands. He gripped his thighs, hoping Colt didn’t notice his nervousness. Then his legs began jumping and he swallowed hard.
“Ever go parking in this?”
Though Colt hadn’t said a wo
rd yet, there was a stunned silence between them. Avery could feel it. Heat rushed into his cheeks. He felt like an idiot.
“Not this particular one. But there’s more than enough room, if that was a suggestion.”
“No. No. I was just wondering.”
“Perhaps if everything works out, we can go find a secluded spot sometime.” Colt’s voice trailed off.
It seemed weird to him that such a confident man could sound so uncertain. But what was he to expect? Avery had been a total asshole chickenshit for days. He hadn’t given Colt any reason to believe that he wanted anything to do with him, with them. He had left them hanging far too long and deserved much better treatment.
“Hey, listen,” Avery began. “I want to apologize. I should have come talked to you days ago. I’ve been a jerk.”
Colt didn’t argue the point. How could he? “I hope that’s behind us now. We’ll work on moving forward. If that’s what you want.”
“I want to. I want to be with you and the others. I’m just scared you’ll change your mind again.”
“I didn’t change my mind in the first place. I only wanted you and Gilly to be certain that you wanted to be with us. Everything happened so fast. You didn’t have time to think about what we wanted with you. We want you to be a part of our family, Avery. You are perfect, just as Gilly is. Perfect for us. I wanted to marry Clarissa and Bliss. It’s something we’ve struggled with for the past few months. I suppose I struggled more than they did. The three of us are bisexual. For them it’s easy. They have each other. To satisfy my own needs I have carefully selected a man to share our bed, from time to time. Needless to say, it has not happened often. Before I could marry them, however, I needed to tell them that I did not believe I could be completely happy if I could not satisfy both sides of myself.”
“What did they say to that?” Avery asked, knowing exactly how Colt felt. Being bisexual was very rough at times.
“They understood, of course. Then I met Gilly, whom they had purposely brought to the house to prepare supper for us. Their intention was for the two of us to meet. They thought he would be perfect for us.”
Avery nodded. “Gilly’s a great guy.”
“He is, as you are.”
His cheeks heated up again under the compliment. He fidgeted in the seat, wondering where they were going. Colt was driving toward the center of town from the north edge where his brothers’ rented house was located.
“Where are we going?”
“I’d like to show you my club. If you would like to see it.”
Avery had heard all about Colt’s sex club from several people, many of them members. He had never been in a sex club before and was eager to investigate. Maybe being there would inspire Colt to make love to him. His whole body ached, wanting the other man’s touch. It would do a lot to confirm to him that the man truly wanted him to be a part of their lives.
They parked behind a building that was very similar to others in the quaint town. It was made of red brick and had decorative stonework around the windows, arches and wide ledges. There were even stone angels at the corners and his eyebrows went up at that.
“Aren’t the angels a little out of place?”
Colt chuckled. The sound sent ripples of pleasure through Avery. “Perhaps just a little.”
They got out of the SUV and Avery walked around to join Colt. His hand was taken and given a firm squeeze. Without thinking twice about it Avery moved into Colt’s strong arms and lifted his face. The hat on his head was whisked away even as his mouth was captured in a heated kiss that sent fire all the way to his toes. They curled in his boots just as his fingers curled into the lapels of the long, black wool coat Colt wore. He held on for dear life as their tongues dueled.
The passion flaring between them was mind-blowing and when Colt released him Avery didn’t know if it was such a good idea to go into a sex club with the other man. It could only lead to one thing.
Then again, Avery thought, he was willing for Colt to take him right there in the parking lot. He was giggling when the taller man released him, gently brushing his thumb over his swollen lower lip.
“You have the most beautiful mouth. Would you be offended to know how much I would love to see it wrapped around my cock?”
Okay now, he thought in a daze, the man conjuring up all kinds of wicked images in his mind. They were in real danger of having a sexual encounter right there in the parking lot. Avery’s cock was hard, had been from the first touch of Colt’s mouth on his, and was ready to explode.
“Maybe we should go home,” he whispered as Colt once again guided him toward the rear door of the club. A discreet plate over the doors proclaimed it as the Silver Edge. “I want to suck your cock so bad.”
“Come see the club. Then I will take you back to get your truck. We’ll go home after that.”
Colt swiped a card in an electronic lock. The door released and they went inside. Music reached his ears. It was low but became louder as they walked side by side down a long hall. He had expected something rather tacky, but was shocked how elegant the club was from the halls to the stage area where several women were dancing provocatively, in the nude, while clinging to brass poles.
His cock twitched with excitement and expectation as his gaze traveled over the beautiful women. Though Avery was willingly committing himself to four others, he wasn’t dead yet.
“Beautiful, aren’t they?” Colt asked beside him.
Avery nodded. “Yes, very. I like the redhead.” She wasn’t as thin as the pole she was working, though neither were the others. They all had shapes, rounded curves. Hers were just a little more so. “Do they always dance in the nude?”
“Yes. Always. This is level one. Members come in to watch the show, have a few drinks. Some only want this. Others use it to prime themselves for the other levels. Would you like to see those?”
As Avery nodded a strong arm slid around his shoulders, pulling him close. His cock hardened even more, but he decided he didn’t need to worry about it. He doubted a hard cock was anything new in the room.
People greeted Colt as they moved past them. Colt introduced him to several of them. They greeted him warmly and felt it seep into him. They were almost to a staircase when a woman dressed in a crisp gray suit came down them. She smiled first at Colt, then him.
“Avery, this is Bambi James-Jessop, my assistant in all things business-related. She not only runs the Silver Edge, but the ski resort, the tours through the mansion, the Silver Star Hotel, and a few other businesses I’ve acquired here in Silver over the years.” He hugged Avery closer. “And this, Bambi, is Avery Crandall, a part of my heart and horse trainer extraordinaire.”
Taking the slender hand held out to him, Avery returned the smile she gave him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Avery. I think you’ll like living in Silver.”
Nodding, he said, “I know I will.” He looked up at Colt and knew his heart was in his eyes. He couldn’t help it. “It has everything I could possibly want.”
The look Colt gave him told him he would be rewarded for that answer. Avery couldn’t wait. After Bambi left them he was taken up the stairs to the next level.
“This is level two. Members come here to openly enjoy themselves in a more intimate manner.” He looked around the room. There were low couches, beds, chairs, sex swings, and what appeared to be a small stage with a yet another low bed. Obviously some people wanted to be the center of attention, he thought. There were several people in the room. One woman was being fucked by two men, something he would really like to try. Colt noticed his interest. “We’ll do that sometime soon. Both Bliss and Clarissa enjoy being taken by two men.”
He had so much to learn about his lovers. Obviously their likes and dislikes were first on the list. “What’s on the next level? And how many levels are there?”
“Five. We just added the fifth level, which is actually on this floor, but to the rear of the building.”
“Who uses that room?”
“Strictly gays and lesbians. Just different nights.”
Avery nodded. “That could be awkward.”
“Just a little. It’s become a very popular room. Why don’t I take you up to level three? It’s also very popular and the rooms there are generally booked a couple of months ahead.”
Once he saw the rows of rooms he could understand why. They were each occupied at the moment. Colt explained that there were narrow rooms between each where the occupants could privately watch what was happening in the feature rooms. The occupants of those rooms were fully aware, and had to agree, to be observed. Though they didn’t go into any of the viewing rooms, they did look into two of the larger rooms. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw four men on a bed. Two of the men appeared to be Japanese. They were also identical twins. They were each riding the cocks of the men beneath them and appeared to be in the throes of an incredible pleasure, if the expressions on their faces were anything to go by.
Shuddering, Avery wanted to go home at that moment. But if they couldn’t manage that, he wanted to find some dark private corner where Colt could fuck him into tomorrow. Actually, though he didn’t deserve it, what he really wanted was to stay in bed with his lovers for at least the next week. He wanted to get to know them in every possible way. But he wanted to know their likes and dislikes, their hopes and dreams. He wanted to know all of those things about them. Avery also wanted to know what they each enjoyed sexually. He wanted to learn all the secrets Bliss and Clarissa’s bodies held. He wanted to hold and love their softness, their full breasts, and their flared hips. He wanted to be held between their thighs as he buried his cock deep within their pussies.
“I think we should go to level four,” Avery whispered, hoping to get away from all the sex in the rooms which was amping up his own desires. “What happens there?”
Colt took him by the hand. They walked to a set of stairs at the rear of the building, taking it down into what he guessed was the basement. It, like the rest of the club, was a study in simplistic luxury. There was nothing tacky about the dungeon. Avery swallowed hard as they walked by a man dressed in a black polo shirt and black dress slacks. He had seen several men and women dressed like that as they went from one level from another. Obviously they were there to monitor what was happening in the rooms. The nodded politely but didn’t speak.
