by Sean Michael
Kendall propped up his leg, then stared at himself. "I'm wearing a skirt."
"You look sexy in it, baby." Barton sounded like he meant it, too, not that he was just blowing sunshine up Kendall's... well... skirt.
"You wear it well." More than well. Kendall thought it was a great look on Barton. Sexy as hell.
"Thanks." Barton took his hand, held on.
"Did they say anything, the guys at work, I mean? When you picked up my truck?"
"Not a word. No one asked what the fuck I was doing taking your truck. There wasn't a single 'how is Kendall.' I wanted to wring their necks with my bare hands, baby."
He couldn't meet Barton's eyes. Was he that...forgettable?
"Hey." Barton lifted his face until their eyes met. "They were too ashamed to even meet my gaze. That was what told me for sure that they'd done it on purpose."
"This sucks. I don't know what to do."
"You don't have to do anything yet, baby. But I honestly think you should sue. Then you can open your own place."
"Only if the judge says I win and then only if he pays..."
"Well, I think a judge is going to find for you. And if he doesn't, or the jerk doesn't pay, I know people who'd be willing to invest in a 'rainbow' garage."
"A rainbow garage." He chuckled. He liked that.
"Yeah. With no discrimination in workers or clients."
Kendall laughed some more. "I think a no shithead rule is okay."
"A no shithead rule ought to be mandatory everywhere."
"Yes. Yes, exactly." He looked over and had to ask. "You... I mean, even if it was wrong you wouldn't say so, but...it's not, right?"
Barton frowned. "If I honestly thought it was wrong, I would too say so. But it isn't wrong, baby. Love is love. No matter who you love. And hating someone for who they love is just being an asshole."
"I think so. I...you're way more than my friend."
"That's right, I'm not just your friend. I love you. As my life partner."
"Yeah. Yeah, my partner in everything." Listen to how that sounded. Could it be real?
Barton's smile lit his whole face up and suddenly they were kissing. "Yes. In everything."
Kendall reached out, thumping Barton accidentally with his cast. "Ow."
"Easy, baby. You can let me do all the work for the next few weeks. When you're feeling better, it'll be your turn." Barton waggled his eyebrows.
"I'm pretty much unemployed, huh? I need to file for worker's comp."
"Yeah, that's a good idea. It can wait 'til tomorrow. And then you can let Dorian know you want to sue. He can get everything rolling."
"You think I should? Really?" It felt a little...nasty.
"Baby. They've been making it uncomfortable for you to work there for weeks. And then one of them deliberately pushed you into the pit. Yes, I think you should. The garage and its employees. You sue everyone involved. Because they owe you and because if they think they can get away with it, they'll just do it, or something like it, again."
"Hold me?" It seemed like a pussy thing to ask, but he needed it.
"Always." Barton worked carefully so they were cuddled together, Barton's arm warm and solid across his shoulders.
He rested there, listening to the steady pound of Barton's heartbeat. Bang bang. Bang bang. Bang bang. He let the sound soothe him, not even caring what was going on in the movie.
His eyelids got heavy and he dozed off, sighing softly as the pills and Barton's warmth eased him.
Chapter 12
Barton sat in the waiting room, waiting. Ken was finally getting his casts off. Thank God because the man had been bitching about them since the beginning and it had only gotten worse the more time passed.
"They're hot, man."
"I can't move."
"They itch."
"I'm tired of this shit."
On and on and on.
Barton was going to miss the workout of carrying Ken around, though. Plus he was pretty sure his sweet baby actually enjoyed it, thought it was hot. They were going to have to work together to build up Ken's muscles, help him get strong. They had time. Ken's worker's comp was coming in and Dorian believed they had a good chance with the court case.
Ken was proving to be remarkably clever with mechanical things other than cars, too. He'd fixed their neighbor's dishwasher and helped Dorian build his lawnmower. If he didn't want a rainbow garage, he could probably make a go of it as a rainbow handyman. It made Barton smile--his lover had options. Even if the civil suit didn't come to anything.
Hell, maybe Ken would decide to go into engineering. It didn't matter to him. He wanted Ken to be happy.
He glanced at his watch. Ken had been in there for a bit, he hoped there weren't any complications.
Ken finally limped out. "That was disgusting. Let's go."
Barton managed not to chuckle, but just stood and opened the door for Ken. "Your chariot awaits."
"Uh-huh. I... That's...whoa."
He put his arm around Ken's waist, steadying him. "You okay?"
"Off balance more than anything. They said everything healed really well."
"That's great. The everything healing well part, not the off-balance part." He kept his arm around Ken, leading him to the elevator.
"Yeah. They said I'll be sore a day or two and then things will get back to normal."
"I know that'll make you happy." Him, too, though he'd only had to put up with Ken's increasing upset at having to be in the casts.
"Yeah. Yeah, I have to start...I don't know. Doing something."
Barton waggled his eyebrows but didn't say anything, hoping that by now Ken knew him well enough to know what he would have said, if he'd actually said it.
Kendall rolled his eyes, playing along. "Perv."
"That's me." Still grinning when the doors opened, he held them for Ken, then moved in to help him stay steady.
This time Ken managed on his own feet.
"You're getting better already." He opened the door of the Mustang, standing by in case Ken needed a hand.
"Yeah. I just had to remember how to wear shoes."
That had him chuckling hard, and he was still laughing when he got into the driver's side and started her up.
Kendall whacked him. "Be good. No laughing at me."
"Sorry, baby, sometimes you say funny things."
"I'm a funny guy." Kendall winked, then twisted his wrist around and around.
"Should you be doing that?"
"Doing what, honey?" Ken asked absently, still watching his wrist move.
"Playing with your wrist. You only just got the cast off."
"Oh. I don't know. They didn't say not to."
"Okay. Just be careful. That's your jacking hand." Barton gave him a wink.
"I know, right? It's so clumsy the other way."
"More fun if you have help, anyway."
Kendall grinned, cheeks heating, but he nodded. God, Barton loved how Ken was becoming easier in his skin.
Sighing, Ken let his hand drop down to his thigh. "I'm going to take the longest shower in history."
"Oh, that sounds like fun. We haven't played with any of my shower toys yet."
Kendall groaned, hips lifting off the seat.
He shot Ken a glance. "Am I making you hard, baby?"
"You're alive, aren't you?"
"Oh, nice one. Now you're making me hard." He loved how Ken could tease now, be so easy when it was just the two of them.
"Pay attention to the road."
"I'm not going to have an accident. Trust me." He was getting them home safe and sound. They had some celebrating to do.
"I do." Kendall stretched again.
He could see his lover out of the corner of his eyes, but he tried not to let it distract him.
They got home and Kendall slipped out of the Mustang. "Home, home, home."
Laughing, he followed. "Yeah, baby. Don't run up the stairs." The last thing they needed was for Ken to trip going up them
on first day without the cast.
"I'm not. I'm going to take a shower."
"Which is upstairs. Just don't hurt yourself again is what I'm saying." He locked the door behind him, watching Ken's ass move.
"I won't. I promise."
"I have plans for that ass." It was mesmerizing.
"Be good."
"That's no fun, baby." No fun at all. And he knew what Kendall needed.
He walked slowly up the stairs, following but not chasing, not making Ken run. God, that really was a great view.
Now if Ken had been wearing that utility kilt commando about now... Chuckling, he moved a little faster once they were up on the third floor with its great big bed and his amazing shower.
Kendall started to get undressed, stripping down. Barton just watched as every bit of clothing stripped down. Man, that poor leg was just emaciated and hairy, God.
"Shower," he ordered. "Now."
"I told you, didn't I? It's gross."
"Not gross so much as... Okay, it's kind of gross."
Kendall grinned, shaking his leg at Barton, just like a boy. Look at this man, his shy, scared, worried lover was learning to love life, to laugh and tease and love.
"Don't make me chase you into the shower," he teased.
"I'll touch you with my hairy, stinky leg."
"That's okay, I'm going to touch you with my third leg."
Kendall looked at him and they both cracked up, laughing hard.
Taking Ken's hand, he walked them to the bathroom. "You're going to have to tell me which shower toy has intrigued you the most."
"I try not to think about them."
"You might try not to, but I know you do."
"Maybe a little bit."
"Uh-huh. So which one to you think about the most?"
"I..." Kendall's cheeks were on fire.
"Come on, baby. Tell me. I know you want to." He wanted Kendall to admit it. The reward would be using it.
"The plug one. The wide one."
"Oh, I would have guessed that one." He slapped Ken's sweet ass and pulled him toward the bathroom. "It fills with water, cold or hot."
Kendall moaned, shook his head.
"Don't say no, I know you want to."
He had ones that grew, ones that could fill Ken up, clean him out. He wanted to start with the one that made Ken want, that made his lover blush. Kendall started the water, stubbornly keeping his head down.
He stepped up close. "Look at them, baby. I know you're curious about what they all do."
"I've looked at them. Lots."
"Have you imagined having them all inside you?" He knew the answer to that was yes.
"Of course I have. I'm a horny guy."
"I know. One of the things I love about you." He goosed Ken.
Kendall got into the flow of water and started to scrub.
Barton followed, began inspecting the shower attachments. They were all clean, sterilized, so he just had to pick.
Ken started washing his hair, scrubbing, letting that right hand work.
Barton enjoyed watching Ken enjoy the shower, the liberty of having all his limbs cast-free.
"Yay shower, huh?" Ken said, rinsing his hair off.
"Yeah. You've been craving."
"I want to be normal again."
"You're plenty normal, baby." He grabbed Ken's ass and squeezed. "Actually, above average."
"Above average." Ken arched back into his hands.
"Yes. Much better than normal." He rubbed, slid his fingers along Ken's crack. "Top shelf."
"You're a dork. The best kind of dork."
He grinned. "I'm pretty sure that's not a compliment."
"No, it is. I'm...I have a home now. A partner."
"Oh." The words stopped him, made him smile and press close. "You do."
Kendall leaned into him, cuddled.
"I've got you. And you've got me, too." Barton knew they were each other's, forever.
"Lucky bastard," Ken said.
Laughing, Barton hugged Kendall tight. "I am."
"Me, too." There was no tension in that sweet body, nothing but warmth and need.
He took a kiss, his fingers moving to slide along Kendall's ass, teasing the little hole. Kendall wiggled, side to side, playing with him.
"Love how you need." He bit at Ken's lower lip, not hard, just a little sting. "Get me that shower attachment you like."
"Now?" Ken reached out blindly, grabbed the plug.
"Yeah, baby. Now's as good a time as any. We're celebrating, after all."
"No more casts."
"Amen to that." He stroked Ken's wrist, surprised at how thin it was. "You're going to have to jack off a lot to build these muscles back up."
"You think? It's weird, huh?"
"You mean how it's so skinny? Or how you have to jack off?" He couldn't help his tease.
"Butthead!" Ken turned around and grabbed him, kissing him hard, their laughter ringing out.
He pushed Ken up against the tile, kissing him and rubbing them together. How the fuck had he gotten so lucky? How had he found this? In the end, it didn't matter. What did matter was right here in his arms.
"Okay, baby. Let's fill you up."
Fill Kendall up and fulfill some fantasies. For both of them. The first of many.
God, he was happy his Mustang had broken down. That had been a lucky day for them both.
Him and his blue-collar man.
Epilogue
Kendall rolled his head on his shoulders, then made sure the shop was swept and cleaned, the gates locked. Looking good. The sound of the Mustang's horn let him know that Barton was there and waiting for him.
He headed out with a wave, grabbing his laptop and the deposit. "Hey, honey."
"Hey, baby. You ready for the party tonight?" The party to celebrate the opening of his very own garage.
"I am. I need a quick shower before people start arriving." There had to be forty people who had RSVPed, maybe more. It was going to be fun as hell.
"Not too quick a shower. Nobody will show before seven." Barton's gaze raked over him quickly.
"No evil ideas now." His body tightened in anticipation.
"Not me. All my ideas are entirely angelic."
"Uh-huh. Angelic. You." He made a show of looking around.
"What?"
"Just waiting for the lightning to strike."
"Butthead."
"Your butthead." He grinned over.
"Yeah, you got that right, baby."
Kendall had three guys working for him now. Three employees. Him. He had a lover, a best friend. Hell, he had a standing date with the guys every Thursday night for pool and burgers. And every now and then he had lunch with his oldest baby sister. It gave him hope that one day he'd sit down to a meal with all his sisters.
He owed his new life to Barton. Barton taught him to love, and more importantly how to let himself be loved.
Barton took his hand and squeezed. "Penny for them."
"Just being happy. Looking forward to the party." He let himself smile. "Love you, honey."
"Good. Because I love you, and if you didn't it would suck."
"No shit, man."
Chuckling, Barton pulled up to the house. "You wanna race up to the shower? First man there gets to choose the shower attachment."
Yeah, the winner got to choose, but there was no question who was going to take it.
No question at all.
And he wouldn't have it any other way.
Sean Michael
Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the Kama Sutra by channeling the long-lost spirit of John Wayne and si
nging along with the soundtrack to Chicago.
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, Sean is currently attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate-spinning and soap-carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
To learn more about Sean, please visit: www.seanmichaelwrites.com.
* * * *
Don't miss Digging For Gold, by Sean Michael,
available at AmberQuill.com!
Olympic beach volleyball hopeful Kenn Majors took out his shoulder during a surfing charity event. Now the whole world's on his back, from his teammate to his father, to get back into shape in time for the Worlds, and then the Olympics. Kenn's new trainer, Dusty, is just one more change that's happened since he injured himself, and he's not sure if he's coming or going. What's more, Dusty's a hot guy who's also gay.
Will Kenn be able to keep his attraction under control and manage to get his shoulder back to where it needs to be in time to win at the Worlds? Or does the whole situation have disaster written all over it?
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