by Rick R. Reed
Sam’s erection was poised now at Thad’s crack, and for several minutes Thad waged an internal war between lust and common sense, both putting up the good fight. One part of him, the little devil on his shoulder, was telling him Just sink down on it, feel that dick inside me, skin against skin. This was a luxury no amount of common sense could convince Thad he really didn’t want. It would be crazy beautiful to just go with the moment and lower himself slowly on Sam’s cock. What were the odds, anyway? Thad had always been careful, and so he most likely would not be exposing Sam to anything.
And Sam? Come on, much as I like this guy and maybe am falling for him, and as much as he turns me on, I really don’t know anything about him. He could have been the town whore back in Sicily or could have gone to bathhouses and sex parties every night when he moved to New York.
The thought of Sam doing such things caused a fiery flame of jealousy to ignite in Thad, enough to cause a pang of nausea to swell in his gut and the temperature of his passion to cool by several degrees.
He pulled back and grinned at Sam, all but salivating at the thought of Sam inside him, and said, “Oh man, I want you in me so bad, but you have to give me a minute here.”
Sam eyed him and nodded. “Of course.” He added hoarsely, “Hurry.”
Thad rushed to the bedside table, only a few feet away, and snatched a bottle of lube and some Magnum condoms he had bought just for Sam, then rushed right back to him. He knelt between Sam’s spread and hairy thighs and took his cock in his mouth, lubing it up with spit and working his hand in motion with his bobbing head. Sam wriggled his fingers through Thad’s red hair, pulling just hard enough to make it hurt, but it was pain Thad welcomed. It felt as though Sam’s dick swelled by at least another inch or two with Thad’s ministrations, in both length and girth. The musky smell of Sam’s balls was causing precum to leak from Thad’s own dick and pool on the hardwood below. Part of him wanted to pause to lick it up. He was losing himself in the act, not even sure who was moaning anymore. Was he really grunting as he gobbled Sam’s cock, pausing every so often to take each ball in his mouth gently, like an egg?
Sam cried out. “Oh, you keep that up and it’ll be over… at least just for now. That what you want?”
Sam’s dick throbbed in his mouth and he knew the end was upon them. They were almost at the point of no return. He wanted so much to bring Sam off this way, to watch his cum spurting out. He wanted to rub his cum all over his face and bury his head next to Sam’s ebbing cock.
But a tiny part of his mind told him it would be even better if he did what he had started out to do. So, with a great force of will, he pushed himself away, like a starving man away from his favorite food, brought the condom wrapper to his mouth, ripped it open, and slowly rolled the latex over Sam’s cock.
He stood, straddled Sam, and smiling all the while, slid down the length of Sam’s manhood, feeling it fill him, stretching. He wanted it so bad, there was no pain, only the most delirious pleasure as Sam lifted his hips to sink even more deeply inside him.
Thad laughed when he looked down at their stomachs, next to each other. Sam’s was covered with Thad’s semen. Thad didn’t even know when he had come. The pleasure at Sam entering him must have been so great that he simply shot. Sliding down him was one intense, crazy orgasm.
Sam laughed too.
“I didn’t even realize it. You feel so good,” Thad said, breathless.
Sam smiled and gave a few quick thrusts upward. “You know, that doesn’t mean you are off the hook.” He thrust several times more, alternating his pace. And even though he had already come, it still felt delicious to Thad, and already his dick was slowly jerking back up to attention.
Sam stopped. “Let’s finish this on the bed.” Without waiting for a reply, he grasped Thad’s ass and hoisted them both up and off the couch, where he waddled over to the bed, holding Thad firmly on himself, and lowered him gently, if a bit awkwardly, onto the comforter. He got Thad’s legs up on his shoulders, splaying his thighs up close to Thad’s crack, kissed him deeply, then rose up to begin pounding into him ruthlessly.
When he came, Sam raised his head and howled.
Chapter 7
October
THAD WANTED to surprise Sam. As he walked Edith near Green Lake, he glanced over at the warm lights coming out of the Blue Moon Café and thought that he really hadn’t stopped in alone as he had the night they met. Wouldn’t it be romantic to repeat that evening, complete with capping it off in Thad’s apartment? The thought heated him, both in his heart and, well, lower. He could wear the same clothes he had worn that night and maybe even encourage a bit of role-playing, so that they were new to each once more.
Yes, we are a couple now. We really are. Ever since the night Thad had met the rest of the Lupino family a month ago, the two men had been practically inseparable. Work was the only thing that kept them apart. They spent nearly every night together, except for a few times when Sam had had to make a couple of out-of-town trips to visit his grandmother—he called her his nana—in New York. Sam had explained that Nana was happy in Queens, where she had a small apartment in an assisted living home, and was physically unable to make the trip to the Pacific Northwest with the remainder of the clan. She had raised a fuss when the family wanted to move and had only agreed to it when Sam and the others promised her they would visit regularly.
The only other nights they had not slept next to each other was when Sam was simply too tired from his work to come over. Even though Thad had told him that it didn’t matter if they had sex or not—having him near was enough—Sam explained that sometimes he slept better and more restfully if he was by himself. The explanation made sense to Thad, but it was still something he hoped to change.
Thad hoped that, on one of the trips east, Sam would take him along.
But tonight, as far as he knew, Sam was in town and working. Edith pranced along the lakefront trail a little ahead of him, stopping every once in a while to sniff at something particularly crucial on the ground or a tree trunk. The dog seemed to enjoy her chilly nighttime walks and behaved fearlessly, even though patches of the trail itself were quite dark at night. Thad provided her with a variety of sweaters to warm her on their outings. Sadly, Edith remained the one sore spot in his relationship with Sam. The dog’s dislike for the man had not decreased any since Thad had first brought him home. Familiarity did not lessen the snapping, growling, and barking Edith seemed unable to control whenever Sam arrived. The boyfriend and the dog had, however, reached an uneasy truce. Thad no longer put her in the bathroom when Sam came over, but she took her leave of them immediately when he did, as if in a snit, and would stay on her tiny bathroom bed until she was sure Sam was gone. Sam had said, with a wry smile, that Edith was alpha, and she was just ensuring her place in the pecking order. He really didn’t seem to mind.
But tonight, at least for a while, Edith had her master all to herself. If Thad hadn’t been so hopelessly in love with both Sam and Edith, he might have considered getting rid of Edith, but the thought, even momentary, broke his heart.
He appreciated this quiet time along the lakefront with her. The October air was cold, yet brisk and invigorating. Steam rose off the lake’s dark waters. Wind rustled the few dry remaining leaves that clung the most stubbornly to the trees surrounding the water.
And the water itself looked magnificent tonight, shimmering in the light of a huge harvest moon, full and glowing like a jack-o’-lantern.
HE PROWLS Capitol Hill once more. It’s still early evening, and the revelers have not yet made their appearance. He bides his time in a residential alley, grooming himself and curling into a small ball near an apartment building dumpster. If anyone should happen upon him, they would think he was only a stray. Curling into a tight ball like this is deceptive, concealing both his size and ferocity. His eyes—black as glistening coal—stare up at the large full moon, now partially obscured by thin streams of cloud. He longs to bay at that moon, but always the h
unter in him comes first, and he realizes even the slightest disturbance to his prey could mean he might go hungry tonight.
He has plans for later, when the revelers have trickled down to a determined and desperate few. On one of these, he will prey. One of these, he thinks, will no longer have to live a life ruled by his own twisted desires. One of these will no longer be around to spread disease and corruption.
He licks his chops in anticipation and closes his eyes to wait for the moon to shrink and the darkness to become inkier.
THAD STOOD in front of the mirror, wearing the same outfit he had worn that first night he made his way into the then-brand-new restaurant known as the Blue Moon Café. His black jeans, combat boots, and vintage Brit-rocker T-shirt made him look slim, mean, and sexy, he thought. With no amount of vanity…. Thad laughed and turned away from the mirror. Call me a hopeless romantic if you will, but I think Sam will love this idea. I’ll even ask him to recreate what he cooked for me that first night. Thad recalled how Sam had custom-made his dinner. Thad thought, sadly, that the culinary recreation might not be possible. Since its opening the restaurant had become hugely popular, in the neighborhood and well beyond. The write-up in Seattle Metropolitan magazine and positive reviews on sites like Yelp.com brought even more crowds in, making weekend reservations a must and weeknight ones a good idea.
But Sam will find me a small table, no matter how busy they are. I am, how you say, a VIP.
Thad took Edith out for one more quick bathroom break, grabbed his leather jacket—the one thing he did not need that first night—and set out for the Blue Moon Café.
Just as he was fishing his key out of his jeans pocket to lock his door, he heard the chirp of his landline phone. He debated whether he should go back to answer it and in the end decided to return just to check the Caller ID. It might be Sam.
Edith hopped hopefully from the couch when Thad reentered the apartment. He knew in her mind all that mattered was that he had returned, not the length of time he was gone. She began jumping up and down on his legs, excited to welcome him back home.
“Sorry, sweetheart, but I’ll only be here a minute.”
He glanced down at the cordless phone’s display and saw that Jared was calling. The two had become, as Thad had hoped, friends over the past month. Jared had even trained Thad so he could work on the front desk at Lifelong AIDS Alliance, getting him out of the warehouse, where filling bags with food quickly had become undeniably monotonous, no matter how charitable. When he wasn’t with Sam, he was usually with Jared, and the two of them made the rounds of Capitol Hill hotspots, Thad just looking for a good dirty martini and Jared looking for a dirty good time. The latter was the reason the pair usually ended up separated before the night was over. Still, Jared had a great sense of humor, and Thad did like his company, in spite of the fact that he never quite completely got the message that Thad was not interested in doing anything sexual with him. But that was okay too, since there were plenty who were interested… and the word “no” did not seem to be in Jared’s vocabulary.
Thad snatched up the phone before it went to the answering machine. “What’s up, slut?”
Jared snickered. “Oh, shut up! You’re just jealous because you have the same old corned beef hash every night and I’m dining at a smorgasbord.”
“You’re incorrigible. Did you call for a reason?”
“Well! Excuse me for being friendly! Yes, I was, actually. There’s a full moon tonight, and I’m in the mood to howl. The Eagle is having a full-moon party tonight, and I think there will be a lot of guys out in assless chaps. Want in on it?”
Thad sighed. He said no to Jared a lot, simply because he was usually with Sam. He hated to do it again. But the sight of leather men in chaps with their asses bare no longer thrilled him as it once had. He had enough hot visuals in his own home to keep him more than satisfied.
“You don’t have to do anything, buddy. Just enjoy the eye candy. You’re not too married for that, are you?”
“Well, I’m not dead. But I was actually on my way out the door to go see Sam. I thought I’d surprise him and walk in as an ordinary restaurant patron tonight.”
“There is nothing ordinary about you, sweetheart.”
“That means a lot, coming from you. Thanks. But I do have to send my regrets. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m sure I’ll find someone to keep me company.”
“Of that I have no doubt. Have fun and give me a call in the morning. Not too early.”
“You mean, like, when I’m getting home?” Jared laughed.
“Exactly. Have a good time.”
“You too. And if you change your mind, just text me. You can join up with me at almost any point. Well, almost any point.” Jared paused as if thinking. “I take that back. You can join me at any point. The more, the merrier!”
They both were laughing as they said their good-byes.
As Thad walked to the Blue Moon Café, he forgot all about Jared. Sam was waiting for him, whether he knew it or not, and that crowded everything else from his thoughts.
As he entered the restaurant, Thad immediately sensed something was different. Sure, there was the same lively Saturday-night crowd the restaurant had been enjoying as it was making itself known in Seattle. There were the sounds of glasses clinking, flatware on china, people talking and laughing. The same smells hung in the air—delicious—garlic, basil, and onion predominating. But it took Thad only a second to process what was wrong.
He looked around again at the bartender and the waitstaff and tried in vain to find a familiar face. Thad knew that, of course, the family had hired additional help to accommodate their growing success, but it was rare that he stopped by when at least one of the Lupinos was not working.
Tonight none of them were.
His heart fell as he hoped against hope that at least Sam was in the kitchen, whipping up some fresh gnocchi or something.
A young woman with short spiky blonde hair smiled and approached the reception desk. “Hi! Welcome to the Blue Moon! Do you have a reservation?”
How could she not know who he was? He was the owner’s boyfriend, for cryin’ out loud. But he would be even more upset if Sam wasn’t here.
“No, I don’t.”
She dialed her beaming smile down just a notch. “Oh. Sorry. We are completely booked tonight.” She glanced behind her at the bar. “We might be able to squeeze you in at the bar, and if you want something to eat there, we’ll be happy to set you up.” She peered closer. “But even that, right now, is packed.” She turned back to him. “Do you wanna stay?”
“Actually, I just dropped by to see Sam. Is he in the kitchen? You can just tell him Thad is here.”
The young woman nodded, and then her expression went blank. “Sam’s not in tonight.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, the whole family took the night off. They do that sometimes.”
“Do you know if they’re back in the apartment?”
A couple had come in behind Thad, and he could feel their impatience at his back like a hot breath.
“I wouldn’t know. Maybe when I have a minute, I could go check for you or see if anyone else knows. You a friend of Sam’s?”
“I’m his boyfriend.” Thad couldn’t contain the pride in his voice as he identified his relationship.
“Well, if you want to hang on for a bit, I’ll see what I can do to help out. But I have to tell you, we are swamped tonight.” Thad felt dismissed as she leaned over to peer behind him. “Hi! Welcome to the Blue Moon! Do you have a reservation tonight?”
Thad wandered away. A line had already formed behind him.
He stepped out into the cool night air, disappointed and, at the same time, a little hurt. Why hadn’t Sam mentioned anything to him about not being around? A similar thing had happened once or twice before, but it was during the week, so Thad hadn’t been too concerned. But they usually spent weekends together. Sam knew that.
Before I go getting all h
urt, maybe I should find out what’s up. Maybe he is indeed in the apartment with the rest of the family. Maybe they just needed a break. Nothing to get upset about, at least not until I know.
Thad pulled out his cell and punched in the number for the apartment. The phone on the other end simply rang and rang, at least fifteen times, before Thad disconnected. Odd. There’s usually voice mail.
He tried Sam’s cell, and the call went immediately into voice mail, as if the phone had been shut off.
Thad wrapped his arms around himself as a chill wind blew at him from across the lake. He looked up at the full moon above the water, smaller now and in a different place from when he had walked earlier with Edith, and felt confused, a little angry, and hurt.
Where was Sam?
THE STREETS have quieted. Traffic has slowed to a few cars now and then instead of the steady stream of honking and revving vehicles, circling endlessly to find parking. Voices on the streets have decreased to an echo, borne away quickly by the night breeze. The streets are almost deserted, the wind sending the trash skittering along the sidewalk to pile up in gutters and along curbs. A light drizzle falls and makes his coat sleek as he prowls the streets more heedlessly. His black sheen is one with the night, which is now full dark. Clouds have obscured the moon.
Still, he travels mostly alleys or stays close to buildings, hidden by their shadows.
One or two prospects pass by him, and he eyes them hungrily, then rejects them. He can smell the stink of addiction on them—or disease—and knows the meat will be tainted. The rain cuts away the car exhaust and fumes, damping them, so his senses are more attuned to his prey.
