Going With My Heart

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A Total-E-Bound Publication

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Going With My Heart
ISBN # 978-0-85715-891-8
©Copyright Stephani Hecht 2012
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright February 2012
Edited by Stacey Birkel
Total-E-Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination
and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or
places is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form,
whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of
the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound
Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil
proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs
and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator
of the artwork.

Published in 2012 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL,
United Kingdom.

Warning:

This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This
story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 1.

This story contains 52 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book
containing 10 pages.

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Sometimes your past can intrude itself into your future…and even kill the chance for your ‘happily
ever after’.

Four years ago, Brody thought he’d finally found his happily ever after in his best friend,
Dale. All those dreams were shattered, however, when Dale left to join the Air Force, leaving
behind a broken hearted Brody.

Dale knew from the moment he left Brody that he’d made the biggest mistake of his life.
Now, he’s back and trying to make amends. Not only does he have to deal with his own
disapproving father, but Brody isn’t ready to forgive or forget.

Will Dale manage to convince Brody that he’s here to stay this time? Or will Dale be the one
suffering a broken heart this time?

Dedication

For Kris—my fellow Bob and great friend.

Trademarks Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following
wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

VW Bug: Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Harry Potter: J.K. Rowling
Stepford Wives: Ira Levin
Blu-Ray: Blu-ray Disc Association
Playgirl: Playgirl.com
Coke: The Coca-Cola Company
Happy Days: Paramount Television & CBS Television Distribution
Monster High: Mattel, Inc.
Star Trek: CBS Studios Inc.
Dungeons and Dragons: Wizards of the Coast LLC
Game of Thrones: Home Box Office, Inc.
The Lord of the Rings: By J. R. R. Tolkien
The Sopranos: Home Box Office, Inc.
GI Joe: Hasbro
Polo: Ralph Lauren Media LLC
Call of Duty: Activision Publishing, Inc.
The Blob: Paramount Pictures
PFLAG: Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Inc.

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GOING WITH MY HEART

Stephani Hecht

Chapter One

Dale stared at the slightly weathered, red screen door and took a deep breath.

Just knock. Come on, it’s not that hard. All you have to do is lift your damn fist and hit it

against the wood a few times. You’ve faced enemy gunfire, missile attacks and bunking with guys who
didn’t take a shower for two weeks, so this should be a piece of cake.

Try telling that to his hammering heart, trembling hands and sweaty brow, though.

Because at that moment he couldn’t think of anything more terrifying than facing what may

be waiting for him on the other side of that door.

He took another deep breath…and hesitated again.

Damn it, he hadn’t come all this way just to stare at a door.

Then he felt it—the prickling sensation that always comes when somebody is watching

you. It was an instinct that all people were born with, but his four years in the military had

taught him to hone that skill into a fine art. So he had no doubt—he was being stalked…but

by whom?

He glanced at the curtains of the window that looked out over the porch. Maybe the

home’s occupant already realised he was present and they were getting ready for battle. His

unease grew when he noted the curtains remained motionless and tightly drawn together—

the thick brown cloth obscuring any chance of him seeing inside, let alone allowing anybody

to peek outside.

So that meant his stalker was somewhere else. He scanned up and down the street—the

very one he’d grown up on. While each house brought back some memory from the past, he

didn’t spot a single person. Nor did he see anybody looking out of the various windows. Just

as he was about to give up and leave, a high pitched giggle from the other yard drew his

attention.

Turning his head, he groaned as he found himself face-to-face with Ayla. When Dale

had lived there four years ago, she’d been the neighbourhood brat and it looked as if little

had changed. Sure, she now wore her brown hair in a fashionable pixie cut, had grown

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several inches taller and had given up her overalls for a pair of tight jeans, but the ever-

present smirk remained on her lips.

“I knew you would be back,” she declared, crossing her arms over her thin chest.

Dale cocked a brow. “You did?”

“Of course. There’s no way you can resist Brady. You’ve always had the hots for him.”

It took Dale aback that even somebody as young as Ayla had figured out his true

feelings for his best friend. Had he really been that obvious?

As if reading his mind, she rolled her big, brown eyes. “Please. You guys practically

drooled over each other.”

“So, does that mean everybody knows?” Dale ventured.

He wondered if Brady had faced prejudice and hatred for their obvious attraction and a

pang of guilt hit Dale over his friend having to face that alone.

“Yes, but most people don’t care. They like Brady too much to let something like that

make them think less of him. In fact, he’s very popular…” She drew out the last word for

emphasis, a malicious gleam in her gaze.

A bitter bite of jealousy stung Dale, even though he knew he had no right to feel it.

“How popular?”

“What do you care? You took off on him.”

Since when had Ayla become Brody’s advocate? Next, she’d be coming up and kicking

Dale in the shins for daring to hurt him.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Dale replied through clenched teeth.

Now it was she who cocked a brow and damned if she didn’t do a better job of it. “We

all have choices in life, Dale. Some of us are just too much of a chicken to make them.”

His mouth parted in shock as he realised he’d been put in his place…and by a

seventeen-year-old girl, no less. She tilted her head to the side, a grin forming on her face.

“What makes you think he waited for you?”

Panicked, Dale looked at the drive, looking for any signs of an additional car that would

indicate Brody was no longer living alone. All he saw was the same battered, red VW Bug

that Brody had owned since high school and one set of tyre tracks leading up the snow-

covered drive.

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“Is he in a relationship?” Dale asked, hating that he had to get his information from the

town snot.

“Why should I tell you anything? Knock on the door and find out for yourself. Unless

you’re too afraid to face him. After all, you have been standing there a long time. I’m

beginning to think that you’re just going to freak out and run the other way.”

“Now I’m beginning to remember why we always ditched you and whenever you tried

to tag along after us,” Dale shot back.

She gave an unladylike snort. “Like I ever wanted to be seen with you two losers and

before you ask, no—it’s not because you were gay.”

He blinked a few times, shocked at her bluntness. “Everybody knew about that?”

“Yeah, the way you two acted around each other, it was pretty obvious. I think the only

ones who were clueless were your family.” She snagged a nearby lawn chair that for some

odd reason was still out in February and settled into it, making herself comfortable. “They’re

still in the dark, if you ask me.”

“Oh.” Dale thought that one over, surprised to find it didn’t bother him that the rest of

their small Michigan town didn’t know his deep, dark secret. Then another thought occurred

to him and he shot her an offended look. “So, why are we such losers?”

She huffed. “You two were the only guys who I know that look hot, yet have this insane

addiction to Harry Potter.”

“What’s wrong with that? The books are good. The movies aren’t too bad, either. True,

they don’t always stay true to the novels, but—”

She cut him off. “See! That’s exactly what I mean. Nobody other than Brody gives a

damn about that kind of thing.”

“I’ll have you know that there were tons of people upset over that. You should have

seen some of the posts on the message boards…” Dale trailed off, realising just how lame that

did sound.

“As much as it upsets me, you two really are perfect for each other,” she sighed.

“Why does that upset you?”

“Because you broke his heart when you left to join the Air Force.”

Pain sliced through Brody, along with a bitter dose of regret. Damn it, he knew he’d

done just that, but to hear some kid put voice to it somehow made it all the more real.

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“I didn’t think I had a choice,” Dale rasped.

“And now?”

“I realise I made the biggest mistake of my life.”

“Then why in the hell are you telling me that?” She pointed at the door. “You need to

be saying that to Brody.”

“Does your mother know about your potty mouth?”

“Who do you think I learned it from? Now, grow a set and knock already.”

Properly chastised, Dale took a deep breath and lifted his hand to rap on the door.

While he waited, he nervously ran his fingers through his brown crew-cut, although there

was no way it could possibly be messy. For good measure, he also smoothed out his white T-

shirt and jeans, then straightened out his leather jacket.

After what seemed like forever, yet still too soon, the door opened and Dale found

himself facing Brody for the first time in four years. Dale’s heart thudded as all the memories

of their past came crashing upon him. Some were young and innocent, since they were from

their childhood.

There were also more carnal and sensual moments they’d had together, highlighting the

way too few times when they’d been intimate—at least, until Dale had gone and blown it,

throwing away the only man he’d ever loved.

Very little about Brody had changed. He still wore his blond hair short but a bit shaggy

so it looked stylishly messy. His blue eyes were as bright as ever, the long lashes that framed

them looking sexy without coming off as feminine. Hell, Dale felt pretty certain Brody was

even wearing the same University of Michigan tee he’d sported in high school.

The only thing that had changed was Brody’s body. Gone was the gangly teen build

and in its place stood the hard, compact, muscular body of a man. The tight jeans he wore

showed off every inch of those assets perfectly, too.

They both stood there, facing off like in some kind of old-time Western—Dale struck

dumb at the sight of the man he cared so much about, Brody shooting off a murderous glare.

Well aware of the fact they had a teenage audience and that they couldn’t stand there

all day, Dale nervously cleared his throat and said, “Hey, how are things going?”

Brody answered by slamming the door in Dale’s face, the loud sound seeming to echo

down the street. Stunned, he could do nothing but stare at the piece of wood, almost as if he

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Stephani Hecht

could look at it long enough for it to simply vanish and the incident to never have taken

place. Then he heard a soft giggle coming from the next yard over and he knew he had to do

something.

Turning to point a finger at Ayla, he warned, “Not a word from you.”

That only made her laugh harder. More determined than ever, Dale turned and

pounded on the door again. “Open up, Brody. We need to talk.”

“Fuck off!” was the muffled response.

Dale almost replied that he would like to do just that with Brody, but he held his tongue

out of respect for the young ears nearby.

“Come on. Don’t do this,” Dale pleaded.

“Oh, yeah. We wouldn’t want to inconvenience Mr Air Force by making him have to

stand outside in the hot weather.”

“It’s the middle of winter, so it’s not warm at all. In fact, I’m freezing my balls off. Plus,

I’m not in the Air Force anymore.”

“What? Did they kick you out for being a douchepickle?”

Dale pulled a face. Douchepickle? Brody always came up with the strangest comebacks.

“I don’t think they discharge people from the military for that.”

“You’re lucky then, because if they did, you would have been the first one given the

boot.”

“He’s right, you know? You would have been out on day one,” Ayla added.

Letting out a groan, Dale rested his forehead against the wood. “Please, baby. Just let

me in. All I’m asking for is five minutes.”

The door opened so fast that Dale actually stumbled a few steps before he recovered

and straightened. He glanced up to see Brody’s eyes shooting daggers. While it should have

alarmed Dale, the sight of Brody—all hot, his cheeks flushed with emotion and eyes dark

with fury—was a bigger turn-on than any porn site.

“You have no right to call me ‘baby’,” Brody seethed.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Dale held his hands up in surrender. “Will you at least give

me a chance to talk to you?”

When Brody still hesitated, Dale added, “Please?”

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Turning, Brody walked further inside the house. “Fine—you have the five minutes you

want. After that, you can get the hell out of my house and this time I never want to see you

again.”

Damn, but it hurt to hear those words coming from Brody, but Dale knew he deserved

them and so much more. He’d fucked up big time…he knew it more than anybody. But, he

also knew that he was willing to do anything to make it up to Brody. Even if it meant a

lifetime’s worth of grovelling.

Glancing back at Ayla, Dale had to bite back the laughter at the crestfallen look that

crept over her face. She even threw her hands up in the air and let out a moan of frustration

that she wouldn’t be getting the show she’d likely hoped for. Giving her a mock wave, Dale

closed the door behind him then followed Brody into the kitchen.

Since it was the same house Brody had grown up in, Dale knew the place as if it was his

own. Which was fitting since he’d spent most of his childhood here. Dale’s father hadn’t

exactly been the loving type, so Dale had often taken refuge with Brody’s family.

“How are your mom and dad?” Dale asked as they entered the neat but dated kitchen.

Leaning back against the counter, Brody crossed his arms over his chest. “Dad’s

arthritis seems to be doing better since they moved to Florida. Mom likes it there, too,

because she’s found a nice bridge club.”

“And how’s your brother?” Dale questioned, knowing he was just putting off the

eventual confrontation.

Brody pulled a face. “Just ducky. He’s on his third kid. He never fails to call me on a

weekly basis to let me know how proud he’s making Mom and Dad with his reproductive

skills and by having the perfect Stepford Wife.”

Tracing a circle on the opposite counter, Dale said, “Don’t let him get to you. From what

I heard, they’re just as delighted with you for the work you do at the women’s shelter. In fact,

they’re not the only ones who are proud of you. I am, too.”

Brody let out a snort of disbelief. “Sure, then why I haven’t heard from you in four

years?”

A multitude of emotions slammed into Dale, none of them good. Guilt, shame, regret

and even a bit of anger.

“I wanted to. You have no idea how much it hurt to stay away from you.”

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As soon as Brody shot him a cold stare, Dale knew that’d been the wrong thing to say.

“You were hurt?” Brody let out a bitter laugh. “I was the one who was dumped and left

behind. Not only that, but you never even bothered to send me a follow up fuck-off letter.”

Dale reached out for Brody but let his hand drop when the other man flinched away

from his touch. “I thought if I tried to contact you, it would only make things worse.”

Brody clenched his hands into fists and took in a few shaky breaths, but not before Dale

caught the glimmer of hurt passing over his former lover’s eyes. “You chose the Air Force

over me. How could anything hurt more than that?”

“I was wrong to do that. I was younger then and desperate to please my father.”

“So desperate that you didn’t care if you broke my heart in the process,” Brody

countered.

Dale wanted to shout that it’d broken his heart, too, but he knew he had no right to any

anger, so he held it in. “All I heard growing up was how I needed to continue the tradition

and join the Air Force like all the other men in my family. It killed my dad that he couldn’t

do it because of his heart defect, so he drilled it into my head that it was my responsibility to

keep our honour.”

“Bullshit—that was just another way for him to manipulate you and we both know it.”

Dale finally took a tiny step forward, his heart soaring when Brody didn’t pull back. “I

realise that now, but at the time I was just a young, stupid kid who was desperate to make

my family proud of me.”

Brody glanced up, his eyes wet with unshed tears. “You were also terrified to admit

that you were gay. As long as we kept it secret, you were fine with it, but once the rumours

started, you couldn’t get away fast enough.”

Damn it, how Dale wanted to deny that, but he knew he had to ‘fess up. He owed

Brody at least that much.

“He threatened to kill me and you both, if I didn’t leave.”

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Chapter Two

Brody froze, his mouth parted in shock. “What?”

“My dad found some of the notes we’d written each other and he flew off the handle.

He was always bad, but I’ve never seen him get that crazy before. He got out his shotgun

and…” Dale trailed off, too ashamed to tell the rest.

How could he ever look Brody in the eye again if he knew how Dale had been forced to

go down on his knees and beg forgiveness for his ‘vile sins’? Or that he’d pleaded with his

father to spare Brody from a beating or worse?

Brody must have sensed some of the pain going through Dale, because he finally

walked up and laid a tentative hand on Dale’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you ever tell me any of

this?”

“Because I knew that you’d want to stand up to him and I couldn’t risk you getting

hurt. I’d rather have you hate me than for anything to happen to you,” Dale confessed.

“You can be such a stubborn jackass sometimes,” Brody replied, with no real

vehemence in his voice.

Dale allowed himself to feel a small spark of hope for the first time. “So, does this mean

that you forgive me?”

Brody’s eyes softened. “I’m not going to lie and say that I can just get over all that hurt.

But it does mean that I’m not going to kick your ass out in five minutes.”

While it wasn’t all that Dale had hoped for, he knew it was a good start. Nodding his

understanding, he asked, “So, what’s our next step?”

Brody flashed him a smile, the one that never failed to make Dale’s heart skip a beat. “I

happen to have the last Harry Potter movie on Blu-Ray. Do you want to watch it? We can

even order in pizza like old times?”

Dale found himself grinning in return. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more.”

* * * *

Brody put the DVD in the player before setting on the couch and hitting play.

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As the film started, he tried hard to focus on the screen, but it was an impossible task

given all the emotions that were whirling around inside him.

Dale was actually there…sitting on the couch…just inches away.

So often over the past four years Brody had dreamt of this moment, all the while never

daring to truly believe that it could happen again. Yet, it had and what’s more, Dale had

actually apologised for leaving.

Brody stole a glance at the other man, his heart hammering at the sight of the only

person who’d ever been able to capture Brody’s heart. He’d also been the only one who’d

had the ability to crush it.

Even after all this time, the pain of being dumped still felt raw and fresh. One would

think that Brody would have had time to heal, but if anything, his feelings for Dale had only

grown stronger.

Dale appeared so familiar, yet there were changes as well. What killed Brody were the

big differences—Dale’s short haircut and the rigid way he held himself now screamed

military, and there was an almost haunted look in Dale’s once warm, sparkling brown eyes.

Yet, if Brody looked closer, he could still see bits and pieces of his old friend, too. Like

the scar that marred the bridge of his nose—the result of a dirt-bike crash when Dale had

only been twelve. His front tooth was still a bit crooked, too. That wasn’t from an accident,

though, but from the time Dale’s father had got mad and punched him for denting the family

car.

“Why now?” Brody finally managed to get out.

Dale started as if he’d been shocked Brody spoke at all. “What do you mean?”

“If you were afraid of your father hurting me, then what changed to make you show up

here now?”

Looking down at this clasped hands, Dale said, “I finally got the balls to stand up to

him. When it was time for me to re-enlist I turned it down and came back here instead. Then

I went to him and told him that not only was I going to live my own life, but I was going to

be with who I wanted to.”

“And he didn’t threaten you again?”

The grin that crossed Dale’s face was so savage it made Brody shiver a bit.

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“Oh, yeah…he tried. Only this time I’m a highly-trained soldier instead of some scared

kid. It didn’t end well for him. He threatened me with everything I’d expected—that he’d cut

me out of the will, disown me and banish me from the family. I told him none of those things

mattered to me anymore, then he said that he’d make some trouble.”

That comment didn’t surprise Brody, not with everything Dale had just revealed.

“What did you do when he said that?”

“I made sure he knew that if he so much as breathed in your direction, he’d regret it.”

The menace in his friend’s voice sent a shiver down Brody’s spine.

“You…you didn’t hurt him did you?” Brody stammered.

“No, I just scared him a bit.”

Brody scooted closer to Dale. “Not that I would have blamed you if you had. Not with

all the abuse he piled on you while you were growing up. I just know that you’re better than

that.”

“How can you be so certain? People change and it’s been four years since we’ve last

seen each other.”

Reaching up, Brody lightly traced the scar on Dale’s nose. “Maybe, but some things stay

the same. I know that you’re still the same good person you were before.”

“You mean the one who dumped you and broke your heart?”

Brody pulled his hand away, his stomach clenching. “Yeah, that one.”

Reaching out, Dale grabbed Brody’s fingers, lacing them together. “I know I should

have written you or called, but I thought it was better that way. I was afraid that if you found

out the truth you’d go and confront my dad, and I wanted to keep you safe.”

Since Brody knew that was probably exactly what he would have done, he didn’t

bother to deny it. Instead he used his free hand to reach up and caress Dale’s cheek. “So,

instead you allowed yourself to be miserable and alone.”

At least Brody had had his parents and friends, all of who’d been understanding and

supportive of his orientation. In fact, his mother had been so much of an ally, she’d all but

thrown Brody a coming out party. As it was, she was president of her local PFLAG chapter

down in Florida.

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Dale gave him a tight grin. “I managed to make some friends. I wasn’t the only guy in

the closet in the Air Force. Up until just recently, we had to keep who we are a secret and that

tends to make people close.”

A spike of jealousy hit Brody hard. “Just how close were you with these guys?”

“It’s not like you think. The only one I’ve ever wanted is you. Besides, a lot of my

friends were women.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Heat rose to Brody’s cheeks as he grasped how telling his behaviour had

just been.

“Don’t be sorry. I would be jealous, too, if I heard that you’d seen somebody else.” Dale

paused. “There isn’t anybody else, is there?”

Brody shook his head. “No, I tried dating Conner Elkins once, but it was just a

disaster.”

A flare of anger went through Dale’s eyes and, even though it shouldn’t have, it gave

Brody a small bit of pleasure to realise that the jealousy went both ways.

“What happened?” Dale asked, his grip on Brody’s hand tightening just a bit.

“No matter how much he tried, I just couldn’t get interested in him.”

Dale rolled his eyes. “Let me guess…because he was the same arrogant, egotistical jerk

that he’s always been. He probably spent the entire evening telling you how much money he

makes.”

“Yeah, he did do that.” Brody chuckled, now able to see the humour in what had been a

painful, awkward night. “But that wasn’t the main reason why I couldn’t stand to be around

him.”

“So, what was it then?”

Tilting his head up, Brody nervously licked his lips. “He wasn’t you.”

Inching a bit closer, so their faces were just inches away, Dale asked, “Did you let him

kiss you?”

“No. He tried, but I turned my head at the last second, so all he got was my cheek. I

don’t think I impressed him too much with the tactic.”

“Really? What did he say?”

Brody moved in so they were even closer, their breaths now mingling. “He said I was

either some kind of prude or still hung up on some guy that didn’t give a damn about me.”

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“Well, Conner was wrong on both accounts. If memory serves, you are anything but a

prude, and I do care for you…very much so.”

Brody’s heart galloped a couple of beats. “Really?”

“I stood up to my father and basically told him to go to hell, just so I can be with you. I

know that’s just a start and I have a lot to make up for after the way I treated you, but if you

give me another chance, I promise to never let you down again.”

Putting his palm on Dale’s chest—and it was a damn muscular one, too—Brody smiled.

“I think that I may be willing to give it a try. Is that good enough for now? I really wish I

could snap my fingers and forgive you for everything, especially now that I know the

circumstances behind your behaviour. I’m just afraid of getting hurt again. I don’t think I

could go through that again.”

“I can live with that. If it takes the rest of my life, I’m going to prove to you how much

you mean to me,” Dale vowed, before crushing their lips together.

Brody whimpered as he tensed for a moment before he relaxed and began to return the

kiss. It was everything he’d remembered it being—carnal, wonderful and oh, so addicting.

This time, though, there was an added, almost desperate sense of urgency behind it. Maybe

because they both now knew how easily it could all be taken away from them.

He became dimly aware of Dale shifting them, so Brody was pressed back against the

couch. Not to be outdone, he wrapped one leg around Dale’s waist and continued to kiss him

back, their tongues sliding against each other in a quest for dominance.

“I missed this so damn much,” Dale said, before he began to rain soft pecks down

Brody’s throat.

“Me, too,” Brody admitted with a soft groan.

Brody’s cock pressed against the zipper of his jeans as it begged to be petted. Since he

couldn’t get that at the moment, Brody did the next best thing—he rocked up, grinding their

bodies together.

Pleasure shot through his body, making him gasp. Dale took advantage, reclaiming

Brody’s mouth and plunging his tongue inside. Thrusting up again, Brody let out a cry, the

sound muffled against Dale’s lips.

Dale began to move with him, the friction creating tendrils of desire that shot through

Brody. He knew that they were acting like a pair of kids, making out on the couch and dry-

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humping each other, but was damned if he cared. All that mattered at the moment was Dale

and how he was making Brody feel.

It’d been so long since Brody had felt the touch of another man that it wasn’t long

before he felt his pleasure cresting. Letting out a growl of frustration, he tore his lips away.

“Oh, crap. I’m sorry, Dale, but I’m going…” he trailed off, embarrassed over his lack of

control.

Dale gave the tip of Brody’s nose a soft kiss. “Don’t worry about it. Me, too.”

Having been given permission, Brody allowed his orgasm to overtake him—the sheer

intensity of it making him babble as his cock pulsated then made—literally—a hot mess in

his pants.

At the same moment, Dale cried out Brody’s name then shuddered. Burying his face in

the crook of Brody’s neck, Dale gasped. “That was amazing.”

Brody shifted, already aware of how uncomfortable the wetness felt in his underwear.

“Yeah, but now we have to get up and clean ourselves off. Not very romantic if you ask me.”

Dale started to laugh and Brody joined him, both of them slipping back into their

shared familiarity for a moment. Dale pulled back a bit and gazed down at Brody. The sight

of the intense, raw emotions playing in Dale’s brown eyes made Brody shiver.

“I meant what I said. I’m going to make everything up to you,” Dale vowed.

Damn, how Brody wanted to believe that. So much that he could almost taste it.

But…there was still some small part of his self that held back for fear of being hurt again.

Even though he now knew Dale hadn’t willingly broken things off, Brody still couldn’t let go

of all of that hurt he’d been fostering for so long.

As if noticing the shift in Brody’s mood, Dale frowned and got off him. Brody

scrambled to his feet then ran a nervous hand through his hair. “I’ll be right back.”

Going up to his bedroom, Brody quickly cleaned up and changed his clothes. He pulled

out an extra set of pants and boxers for Dale. Even with Dale’s added bulk, they looked to be

about the same size.

He walked back downstairs and found Dale sitting on the couch, watching the movie.

Nervous and suddenly a bit self-conscious, Brody shuffled his feet. “I left you a change of

clothes on my bed if you want to get cleaned up.”

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Dale got up. As he passed Brody, he paused. Reaching out, he pulled Brody into a tight

embrace. “I need to know that you don’t regret what just happened between us.”

Burying his nose into the crook of Dale’s neck, Brody inhaled his masculine scent. “No,

I wouldn’t take it back for anything.” He pulled away and gave Dale a playful swat on the

ass. “Now go get changed. I’ll order the pizza. Do you still like it with double pepperoni?”

With a crooked smile, Dale nodded. “You remember?”

“Of course. I remember everything about you.”

After giving Brody one more heated look, Dale went up the stairs. Letting out a pent-up

sigh, Brody grabbed his cell and ordered the food before going back and sitting on the couch.

He stared at the screen, not really seeing the movie while he waited for Dale to come

down. It only took a few moments before he joined him on the couch.

“Do you recall the first time we made love?” Brody asked, his breath catching slightly

in his chest.

Reaching out, Dale pulled Brody into his arms. Brody allowed it, even going so far as to

rest his head on Dale’s chest.

“Yes, it was one of the few good memories that got me through the past four years.”

Dale let out a soft chuckle. “We were so young then.”

“We were eighteen, so that made us legal,” Brody reminded him.

“Yet, we still did it in our old tree fort.”

“Hey, don’t diss it. That was a cool set-up we had there.”

“It had the best collection of porn, too. Although, unlike most other boys, ours were all

old issues of Playgirl.” Dale ran a soothing hand up and down Brody’s arm.

“I was so scared that night. I was certain it was going to hurt like hell when you fucked

me.”

Dale stilled his hand. “Did it?”

Brody shook his head. “No, you took good care of me. Just like you always used to. It

ended up being one of the best moments of my life.”

Closing his eyes, Brody thought back to that night. How they’d somehow managed to

stretch out in the cramped space of the small wood structure. The way the dim glow of the

flashlight had made Dale look so sexy and alluring.

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“I was so afraid the entire time that your mom would decide to come up and surprise

us with snacks like she used to do all the time,” Dale said.

Brody laughed. “That would have made for an interesting situation.”

“Do you think she knew about us?”

“I’m sure of it. She told me that she knew how we felt about each other ever since we

were fifteen.”

“That was even before we knew it,” Dale replied, a bit of awe in his voice.

“Maybe for you, but I always knew that I liked you the way I was supposed to have

liked girls. I was lucky, though—my parents were always understanding and they never

judged me for it.”

Dale tensed. “My father, on the other hand, threatened to kill both of us for it.”

Brody mentally scrambled, looking for something to say that would make Dale feel

better. When he realised that there simply wasn’t any words available to take away that kind

of hurt, he gave the only comfort he could. Snuggling in deeper next to Dale, Brody wrapped

his arms around the man and returned the embrace. They both then fell into a silence as they

got lost in the movie.

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Chapter Three

“I still can’t believe I let you talk me into coming here,” Dale said.

His gaze swept over the interior of one of the bigger local gay clubs. Classy without

being too uppity, it had two different levels, each of which had their own dance floor and

bar. Multi-coloured spotlights flashed over the room, the different hues bouncing off the

numerous bodies dancing and milling around the place.

Brody glanced over his shoulder, a bright smile on his face. “Come on. You’re going to

love it here. We can’t stay holed up at my place forever. You have to fully step out of the

closet sometime and this is a great place to start.”

True, they’d spent the past two nights at Brody’s, doing nothing more exciting than

watching movies and making out…a lot. That still didn’t mean that Dale was ready for

clubbing.

“But I did come out when I stood up to my dad,” he reminded Brody.

Dale was still paying heavily for that act of defiance, too. Not only was his voicemail

filled with malicious messages from his dad, but most of the other family had called to tell

him what a disgrace and embarrassment Dale was to all of them. It looked like his father had

called on every branch of the family tree to attack Dale. If not for Brody, Dale would be alone

in the world.

Brody grabbed Dale’s hand and pulled him deeper into the club. Now there was no

retreating. Not unless Dale wanted to push his way through a sea of bodies, since the group

seemed to instantly swallow them up.

A flash of doubt crossed Brody’s sweet features. “Are you embarrassed to be seen with

me?”

Dale gave Brody’s body a look over. His lover was dressed in tight-as-hell jeans with an

even tighter V-necked tee. His blond hair was spiked up and he wore a ring in his bottom lip.

“Hell, no. Baby, you look so hot that any man would love to be with you,” Dale

declared in a husky voice.

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Brody gave a heated glance of his own, his gaze travelling over Dale’s almost equally

tight jeans and button-up long sleeved shirt. The top few buttons were undone, revealing just

enough of his chest to make Dale feel self-conscious, despite Brody’s repeated assurances

that he looked sexy as sin.

“You look really good, too,” Brody said, his tongue stealing out to play with his lip ring.

Reaching out to touch it, Dale asked, “When did you get this?”

“A couple of years ago. I don’t wear it all the time, though, because of work and stuff.”

“I like it. It makes you look sexy. It also makes me wonder how it’s going to feel when

you have it in while you suck my cock.”

A blush spread out over Brody’s cheek, making him look so tempting that Dale couldn’t

resist. Going in, he captured Brody’s mouth in a hot, slow, lazy kiss. At the end, Dale used

his teeth to give the ring a gentle tug before letting go and stepping back so he could gaze

into Brody’s face.

The dazed, almost stupefied expression gave Dale a heady sense of power. It felt nice to

know that even after all those years, he could still get that reaction from Brody.

Brody blinked, his expression clearing as he stared at something over Dale’s shoulder.

Pointing, Brody exclaimed, “Look! There’s Remi.”

Glancing back, all Dale saw was a mass of people. Nobody in particular stood out to

him. “Who’s Remi and why are you so happy to see him?”

“He’s my best friend. Come on. I can’t wait for you guys to meet each other.”

Grabbing Dale’s hand, Brody practically dragged him across the crowded dance floor to

a table that was on the other side. Only one guy was sitting there, so Dale felt safe in

assuming it was Remi.

Smaller and thin, the guy would have been cute had Dale not already been a goner for

Brody. Remi wore a striped, rainbow-coloured sweater, black jeans and had dark hair that

was styled in a faux hawk, with red highlights shooting through it.

Flicking his blue-eyed gaze up at Brody, Remi’s face lit up. “Hey, what are you doing

here?”

“I came to introduce Dale to the bar.”

Remi’s glanced over in Dale’s direction, the man’s expression immediately growing

hostile. “Oh, yeah. I forgot that you mentioned he finally decided to show up again.”

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Dale cocked his head to the side, somewhat taken aback by Remi’s reception. The guy

couldn’t normally be this much of a jerk or else Brody would never be friends with him. If

there was one thing Brody was good at, it was judging somebody’s character. No way would

he willingly hang out with an asshole.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Dale ventured, deciding to take the first step.

Remi gave him a tight smile. “Likewise.”

Dale wondered if maybe Remi was jealous. Could it be possible that the smaller man

had a crush on Brody and now he resented Dale coming in and staking his claim? If so, then

Remi would just have to get over it because Dale wasn’t going anywhere. This time he was

here to stay.

His heart sank when Brody pulled out a chair and joined Remi. Left with no other

option, Dale took the chair next to him and sat. He did make a point of putting an arm

around Brody. Maybe the gesture was a tad possessive, but now that he was on the verge of

finally having Brody back, Dale was going to be damned if he lost to him to some over-styled

boy-toy.

Resting his chin in the palms of his hands, Remi gave an overly-sweet smile. “So, what

made the prodigal Army man come home?”

“It was the Air Force and I came back for Brody,” Dale replied through clenched teeth.

God, if he made it through the evening without strangling the jerk, he should be

awarded a medal of honour or something. Remi was doing everything he could to goad

Dale. What’s more, the little brat was doing a damn good job of it.

Brody, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the situation. He just stared

out at the dance floor, his feet tapping to the beat of the music. They sat in silence for a few

moments, before Brody turned to Dale. “I’m going up to the bar to get something to drink.

You want anything?”

“Just a Coke, thanks,” Dale replied.

His stomach clenched at the idea of being alone with Remi, knowing the punk was

going to go in for the kill as soon as Brody was out of earshot. Sure enough, as soon as Brody

stepped away, Remi leaned over the table and said, “I don’t trust you.”

“Really? And here I thought you adored me,” Dale drawled back with a heavy layer of

sarcasm.

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“I hate you.”

“How can you even say that? You just met me.”

“I know how you treated Brody—that’s enough.”

“You have no idea about how the situation really went down,” Dale snapped back,

trying his best to hold back his temper.

“Maybe not, but I do know what a mess it left Brody.”

“How long have you even known Brody?” Dale challenged.

“For two years. More than enough time to know how much you broke his heart. He’s

never recovered from it and now that you’re back here playing mind games with him, he’s

not going to, either.”

“What’s it to you? Do you have a thing for him or something?”

After a brief pause, Remi smirked at him. “No offence to Brody, but I like my men way

more Alpha than him. We’re just really good friends. In fact, he helped me one time when I

was at my lowest, so I’m not about to let him down now and stand by and watch while he

makes the biggest mistake of his life.”

“I suppose it’s safe to assume that you think of me as that mistake?”

“I don’t think…I know.”

“Look, since you obviously only have Body’s best interests at heart, I’m going to do us

both a favour and not take what you said as an offence. But, get this through your pretty little

head—I care for Brody, deeply, and this time nobody—not even you—is going to stand

between us,” Dale said, doing his best to keep his voice level.

“And what happens to him when you leave and he’s left with only a broken heart

again?” Remi demanded, his eyes flashing with anger.

“That’s not going to happen.”

“And I’m just supposed to believe you?”

“Yes. Maybe you don’t have the best first impression of me…” Dale paused to take a

deep breath when Remi snorted at that comment. Steadying himself he continued, “But, I

love Brody and I would rather die than leave him again.”

A gasp sounded from behind him. Turning, Dale saw Brody standing there, drinks in

hands, his eyes wide with shock.

“What did you just say?” Brody asked, his voice trembling.

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Standing, Dale took the drinks from him, set them on the table then cupped Brody’s

face. “I love you.”

Blinking, Brody gave him a wavering smile. “I thought that’s what you said. I just

wanted to make sure that I heard right and the loud music wasn’t making my ears all

wonky.”

“Is that all you have to say back to me?” Dale urged, his heart thundering in

anticipation.

Brody nibbled on his lip ring, his brow furrowing in the way it always had whenever he

was anxious over something. “I love you, too.”

Dale’s chest filled with joy until Brody added, “At least I think I do.”

Everything came crashing down on Dale. His disappointment must have been written

all over his face because Brody reached out and put his hands on Dale’s shoulders. “It’s just

this is all happening so fast. Up until a few days ago, I didn’t think you even wanted me and

now you’re back and everything is kind of overwhelming.”

That shouldn’t have come as a shock to Dale. After all, Brody had basically told him as

much the first night he’d come home. It was just that some part of him had still hoped things

could go back to the way they were before. Maybe that was a bit childish on his part, yet he

couldn’t help it.

He still forced himself to smile. “It’s okay, baby. Take all the time you need.”

Still worrying his lip, Brody hedged, “You’re not mad at me?”

Pressing a kiss to Brody’s brow, Dale then stepped away. “I’m not angry with you at

all.”

No, he wasn’t angry. Disappointed, frustrated, pissed off at his past self…but he could

never be mad at Brody. Not when he was completely blameless in the situation. They both

sat down and Dale glanced over at Remi, expecting to see the guy smirking at him. Instead,

he found Remi giving him a speculative gaze.

“So, why did you leave him in the first place?” Remi asked, although this time there

was pure disbelief in his voice. “If I was madly in love with somebody, nothing could ever

make me leave him. I sure as hell wouldn’t take off for four years without at least giving

some sort of explanation.”

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“Ever since I was born, my entire family expected me to join the Air Force. Just like

every other able bodied man had done for generations. That is except for my dad. They

rejected him because he had a bad heart. He never got over the disappointment, either.”

“Which in turn made him a mean as hell drunk,” Brody cut in.

Not bothering to deny it, Dale nodded. “Yeah, he liked to slap me and my mom around

a lot. Which is why when he threatened to hurt Brody if I didn’t do my family duty and join

the Air Force, I believed him.”

Remi’s mouth parted in shock. “You really think he would have done something that

drastic?”

Finally! The little twerp was finally getting it. Maybe now he would stop acting like a

snippy lap dog who had its leash on too tight.

Brody leant forward. “One time when we were around ten, Dale had to stay the night at

my house because his dad had gotten so drunk that he beat the crap out of some guy in the

bar.”

“Where was your mother during all this?” Remi asked, his eyes wide.

“She was in the hospital because Dad had used her as a punching bag before he left. On

his way out, he shoved her down a flight of stairs and broke her arm.”

“Did the police put him away for that?”

“No, Mom lied and said it was an accident, just like she always did whenever he hurt

one of us,” Dale replied, bitterly.

“What about the guy at the bar?”

“He eventually refused to press charges and left town. My dad has that kind of effect on

people. Like I said, he’s a mean bastard. One time he killed our neighbour’s dog just because

it had wandered into our yard one too many times. He didn’t care that it didn’t know any

better, or that I was crying and begging him not to do it. He was pissed and that poor animal

paid the price.”

Remi gasped. “So, what do you think he’s going to do now that you’re back and out in

the open with Brody?”

Dale gave what he knew was a wicked grin. “I’m not a kid anymore. I’m bigger and

stronger than he is now and I’m not going to allow him to rule me with fear.”

“Do you think he’ll come after you?”

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“I’d love to see him try. Although, I think he’s going to be too much of a coward. He’s

older now and his heart condition is worse. He knows he wouldn’t win in a fight against me

anymore. At least not a physical one. He’s trying to make this emotional warfare, but I can

handle that, too.”

Remi shot a worried glance across the table. “What about Brody? Do you think your

dad will go after him?”

A cold fury filled Dale. “He better not. Father or not, if he touches one hair on Brody’s

head, he’s going to find out that he’s not the only one who can have a temper in this family.”

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Chapter Four

As they drove home from the bar, Brody found himself at a loss for words. So many

different emotions were swirling through him, he didn’t know how to digest them all.

Shock over Dale’s admission of love. Brody’s guilt over not being ready to return the

sentiment. The hurt from having to hear Dale tell Remi about his abusive past. Plus, there

was a great deal of anger—all directed at Dale’s dad for everything he’d done.

And not just to Dale, either. Thanks to his father’s hatred and vileness, he’d made

Brody and Dale lose four years in which they could have been happy together. Instead, they

were floundering with their emotions and fighting to make up for all that lost time.

“Are you mad at me?” Dale finally broke the silence, taking his gaze off the road long

enough to shoot Brody a worried glance.

Brody’s heart melted at the anxious edge to Dale’s tone. “No, although I’d love to

punch your dad in the nose.”

“As much as I would like to see that, it would only drag you down to his level. You’re

too good of a person for that.”

“Did you really stand up to him and tell him that you wanted to be with me?”

“Yes…and my only regret is that I didn’t do it four years ago.”

“So, where have you been living?”

“I’ve been staying with my cousin, Skeeter. He’s the only one from my family who is

still speaking to me.”

Brody wrinkled his nose. “Isn’t he the one who lives in the converted apartment over

his mom’s garage?”

“Yeah—something wrong with that?”

“I guess not. It just seems so Fonzie.”

Dale burst out laughing. “I see you still love watching old TV shows.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know that Happy Days is a classic. I still say that Potsie and Ralph

Malph were secretly lovers.”

“You continue to be stuck on that theory?”

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Brody grinned, loving that they were revisiting the old debate. “Just think about it—

they’re always together. Heck, they even went in together to buy the rest of the gang’s

Christmas presents.”

“I think you’ve been reading too much slash fiction again.”

“One can never read too much slash fiction,” Brody said with a wink. “Some of it really

turns me on.”

“Oh God, Ayla was right about us?”

“What, did she say we were pervs or something? Because if so, I wouldn’t pay her any

mind. She said the same thing about old lady Winters because she wore fishnet stockings one

Halloween.”

“What? No!” Dale shuddered at the image of Mrs Winters in a pair of sexy hosiery. It

was almost enough to make his stomach turn. “Did she really wear those?”

“Yeah, but in her defence, she dressed up that year as a Monster High doll—”

Dale held up a hand. “Just stop right there. I don’t need any more visuals than I already

have. As it is, my brain is forever going to be scarred at the thought of the old church

organist wearing fishnet. I don’t need to know the rest of her getup.”

“So, what did Ayla say about us?” Brody laughed.

“She said that we were lame dorks.”

Brody let out a small sound of outrage. “That little brat. See if I ever give her money for

the ice cream truck again.”

“She does have a point, though. I think we’re the only ones around who go to both Star

Trek and Dungeon and Dragons conventions.”

Pursing his lips together, Brody finally conceded, “I guess she does have a point. That

does remind me, though, have you seen that new series Game of Thrones?”

“No, is it any good?”

Brody nearly bounced out of his seat as excitement flooded him. “Are you kidding? It’s

like Lord of the Rings mixed in with The Sopranos. It’s the best show in a long time.”

“I’ll have to check it out.”

Feeling a bit bold, Brody offered, “You know, I have the whole first season recorded. If

you want, we can watch it tonight.”

“Won’t that be pretty late?”

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Heart thumping, Brody pressed, “You could just crash at my place. I know you have a

job interview at the airline, but it’s not until late tomorrow.”

Dale was trying to use the skills he’d earned in the military to get a job as an aeroplane

mechanic, something he actually seemed excited about.

“Are you sure I won’t be a bother?” Dale asked.

Growing even bolder, Brody reached over and put a hand on Dale’s thigh. “Not at all.

In fact, I have a huge plasma TV in my room. We could cuddle up on the bed and watch it

from there.”

Giving Brody a look so sizzling it almost made the windows steam up, Dale smiled.

“Why do I have the feeling that we’ll be doing more than just watching TV?”

Trailing his hand up so it was just shy of Dale’s cock, Brody let out a moan. “I was kind

of hoping that you would fuck me brainless, too.”

“Did you just decide this now?”

Since he was never a good liar, Brody shook his head. “No, I went out today and

bought a shitload of lube and condoms. No offence—as much as I love making out and

playing around like we have, I want all of it.”

“And what exactly is ‘all of it’,” Dale asked, his voice husky with need.

A heat came over Brody’s face. “You’re going to make me say even more? I already

asked you to fuck me.”

“I love it when you talk dirty, so I want you to spend the rest of the drive home telling

me in great detail what you want.”

Brody made a tsking sound. “Wow, Mrs Winters has nothing on you. The biggest perv

award is yours.”

“Said the guy who just asked somebody to fuck them brainless.” Dale’s smile took any

sting from the comment.

Chuckling, Brody leaned in closer, making sure that his hand stayed just shy of Dale’s

cock in order to tease. “I want to strip off all your clothes using nothing but my teeth.”

“That will be hard, considering how many buttons my shirt has, but hey, if you can be

patient so can I.”

Undaunted, Brody continued. “Then I’m going to lay you down on the bed and lick

every inch of you.”

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“Even my feet? As I seem to recall that part of the anatomy always made you

squeamish.”

“Then I’ll suck your cock until your ears pop.”

“Now that just sounds painful.”

Giving Dale’s arm a playful slap, Brody admonished, “You’re not making this easy.”

Then he saw the corners of Dale’s lips twitching and Brody gathered that Dale had been

teasing. Deciding two could play that game, Brody finally slid his other hand those last few

inches so he was cupping Dale’s cock. “Or we could just watch TV again. I am kind of tired

and you do have a big day tomorrow.”

Dale pulled into Brody’s drive and put the car in park so fast that it tested the limits of

their seatbelts. Letting out a yelp of surprise, Brody looked up to see Dale already getting out

of the car.

Since he was the one with the keys to the front door, Brody realised he needed to get his

ass in gear, too. The only problem was his damn seatbelt buckle refused to cooperate as his

fingers all of a sudden became too clumsy to complete the most simple of tasks.

The passenger car door opened, revealing an almost savage looking Dale. His eyes were

bright with passion and his chest heaved as he breathed in deep. Reaching over, he undid

Brody’s seatbelt then reached in, grabbed him by the waist and picked him up.

Throwing Brody over his shoulder, Dale then started for the front door. Brody started

to protest until he noticed the new position gave him an excellent view of Dale’s tight ass.

“Woo-hoo! Look who’s going all caveman,” Ayla yelled from her front door.

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?” Brody yelled from his undignified position.

“It’s a teacher work day tomorrow, so I don’t have to go in,” she called back.

“Keys,” Dale barked.

It was only then that Brody saw they’d reached the door. Squirming, he tried to get to

them. “In my back pocket.”

Dale retrieved them then opened the door. Still carrying Brody, Dale went inside and

kicked the door shut.

“Are you going to put me down?” Brody asked.

“Nope.”

Bypassing the living room, Dale bounded up the stairs and made for the bedroom.

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“But I have to be getting too heavy for you,” Brody continued to protest.

“I can handle it.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be my comment?” Brody snarked, right before he was

unceremoniously dumped onto the bed.

He barely had a second to register where he was before Dale was on him, tearing at

Brody’s clothes. Letting out a moan, Brody got into the action and helped, just as eager for

some real skin-on-skin action. Somewhere along the way the sound of fabric tearing filled the

room and Brody felt pretty certain that he’d lost his favourite shirt, but he couldn’t care less

at that point.

Soon he was blessedly naked only to realise that Dale still remained fully clothed.

Letting out a sound of frustration, Brody gestured at him, “I think for this to work, we both

need to be nude.”

Blinking down at himself, as if surprised that the clothes were still there, Dale finally

got the idea and began to tug at them. Impatient and eager for things to get going, Brody got

up on his knees to help. This time when the sound of ripping came, Brody winced. “Sorry

about that.”

“Fuck it,” Dale said as the tossed the ruined shirt to the side. “I can buy a new one

tomorrow.”

He made short work of his pants, although Brody noted a bit more care was taken with

that particular article of clothing. Once Dale was naked, he got back on the bed, crawling up

on all fours, forcing Brody on his back once more.

Gazing down at Brody, Dale said, “Now, I’m going to lick every inch of you.”

“But it was my idea in the first place,” Brody half-heartedly protested.

Dale shut him up with a heated kiss that took away all of Brody’s ability to think. Well,

maybe that wasn’t entirely true, since a few thoughts did get through but they were mostly

wow, fuck and damn that’s good.

Trailing a path of kisses down Brody’s neck, Dale began to do exactly what he

promised—he nipped, licked and caressed every inch of Brody’s body with the exception of

his cock, which soon had Brody moaning and thrashing with frustration.

“So impatient,” Dale crooned as he put his hands on Brody’s thighs and spread his legs

farther apart.

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Brody tensed, expecting Dale to suck in his cock, so when the warm, velvet glide of a

tongue went across his hole instead, Brody let out a loud gasp of surprise.

Glancing up, Dale gave him a savage grin. “Don’t tell me that you’ve never been

rimmed before.”

Brody shook his head. “I’ve only been with you, remember?”

“Sweet,” Dale whispered before dipping his head down again.

As he began to use his tongue again, Brody arched against the mattress, a choked sob

spilling from his lips. Holy crackers and cheese, had anybody told him how good this kind of

thing felt, he would have begged Dale to do it a long time ago.

Then a slicked finger entered the mix, the digit slowly pushing inside Brody.

“Where in the hell did you get lube?” Brody asked, his voice coming out as a high-

pitched wail.

“Magic,” Dale said as he began to saw the finger in and out.

“You are a dork,” Brody teased.

He let out another groan as Dale thrust in another finger, the added invasion stretching

Brody in the most delicious way. At the same time, Dale parted his lips and finally sucked in

Brody’s cock.

The moist heat surrounding his dick and the sensation of Dale’s fingers fucking him

was almost too much for Brody. In an effort to keep control, he bit his bottom lip so hard he

tasted blood.

He’d forgotten how good Dale could work a dick, too. Using his lips and tongue, plus

just a hint of teeth, he soon had Brody so close to the edge that he was holding his breath in

his fight to keep from coming.

Then all of a sudden, Dale pulled away and all the sensations were gone at once. Brody

let out a cry of protest, reaching out to grab Dale and bring him back. With the sweetest of

smiles, Dale gave Brody a soft kiss.

“I just need to get the condom on, babe,” Dale assured him.

Brody nodded his understanding, but it still seemed to take forever for Dale to rip open

the package and roll the latex over his erection. The entire time, Brody watched in rapt

admiration. Dale was large but not so much so that it was going to split him in half. Brody

couldn’t wait to get that cock inside him.

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Using some more lube on his dick, Dale positioned himself between Brody’s legs and

lined up his cock. When he paused and didn’t push in, Brody wanted to scream in

frustration.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Dale asked.

Somehow, Brody knew that the question was double-sided and at that moment Brody

knew the answer to both of them. Yes, he was ready for all of it. He was ready to be fucked,

but what’s more, he was ready for how this moment would change their relationship.

“Yes…yes, I want all of you,” Brody breathed.

“I love you,” Dale replied.

With that declaration, Dale finally thrust, going all the way in until his balls brushed

against Brody’s ass. Brody cried out, both from pleasure and the small bite of pain that

always came with sex. It made Brody realise just how much he’d missed sharing this

intimacy with Dale and the unfairness of it all made him tear up a bit.

“Hey, stay with me here. All that matters is now. The past is over,” Dale cooed.

Brody nodded before giving Dale a smile. “Yes, and now we have the future to look

forward to.”

It wasn’t lost on him that it was his first time speaking of them having a happily ever

after. Dale gave him a crushing kiss before he began to slowly thrust in and out of Brody.

“God, how I missed this,” Dale murmured.

He reached between them and grabbed Brody’s cock, giving it slow lazy strokes that

had Brody seeing stars. Then Dale shifted the angle of his thrusts, pegging Brody’s sweet

spot, and that shattered the last bit of Brody’s control.

“Fuck me hard. Don’t hold back. Pound me so hard that I can’t sit for a week,” Brody

yelled.

“Won’t that make it hard for you to do your job?”

“Just shut up and do it.”

Giving Brody a wicked look, Dale replied, “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He then grabbed Brody by the hips and began to thrust into him so hard that Brody had

to put his hands up and brace himself so his skull didn’t crack the headboard. Although,

even if he had hit his noggin, he doubted he’d feel it. Not with all the other wonderful

sensations swirling through his body.

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Dale gave Brody’s cock one last tug that threw Brody over the edge. Screaming Dale’s

name, Brody shot off, hot streams of cum painting their stomachs.

“Ah, fuck your ass feels so good,” Dale groaned.

Throwing his head back, he came, his dick pulsating then filling the condom. Brody just

held him as shudders ran up both their bodies, the sounds of their panting breaths the only

sounds in the room.

Dropping his forehead to Brody’s shoulder, Dale said, “That was better than I

remembered and let me tell you…that says something since I dreamed of you almost every

night I was gone.”

That thought sent a burst of pleasure through Brody. Then he let out a sigh. “We really

need to get cleaned up.”

When Dale groaned, Brody tempted him. “We can take a shower together, grab a ton of

junk food and veg out in front of the TV.”

Looking up, Dale gave a mock pout. “Is that all we’re going to do?”

Pursing his lips together, like he was thinking it over, Brody said, “I guess we can fuck

a time or three again.”

Pressing a kiss to Brody’s temple, Dale agreed, “That’s a plan I can get into.”

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Chapter Five

The past four weeks had been amazing. Not only had Dale landed the job as an airline

mechanic, but he and Brody had been spending almost every moment together. So much so,

that Dale rarely had to put up with Skeeter and his messy-as-hell apartment.

Dale was at Brody’s as usual when a sudden pounding on Brody’s door made him

jump. When he saw who was there—Dale’s cousin, Alden—he was stunned. While only two

years younger than Brody, the kid had barely said four words to him before. Shy and

withdrawn, Alden usually kept his nose buried in a book at all their family functions. So, to

have him all of a sudden show up at Brody’s door was a shock. Even more surprising was

the anger he was radiating.

As soon as Dale opened the door, Alden started in. “You just couldn’t leave fucking

well enough alone, could you?”

Dale took a step back, unsure if he should answer the question or slam the door in his

cousin’s face. Alden had on a heavy, long, black jacket, his hands tucked into the pockets. In

addition, he had the hood of the garment pulled up, so it obscured his short, blond hair. Both

observations made the soldier in Dale nervous. He couldn’t tell if Alden was armed and for

all he knew, Alden could be using the clothing as a way to obscure his features from any

witnesses.

In that instant, Dale became very aware of the danger he was in…and how Brody could

be, too. He lover was in the kitchen and could come to the door at any moment to investigate

what was taking Dale so long.

Holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture, Dale forced a smile on his face, even as his

body broke out into a cold sweat. “Look, why don’t we go somewhere else and we can

calmly discuss this?”

Alden normally soft blue eyes blazed with anger. “Like I would dare be seen in public

with you. Haven’t you done enough damage enough as it is?”

Despite the potential danger, those words sparked anger inside Dale. Damn it, why

couldn’t his family either accept who he was or just leave him alone? Did they have to make

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the whole thing so dramatic? At the rate things were going, they had more angst than an

eighties soap opera.

“What does it matter to you, Alden? Did my dad put you up to this?”

Alden countered with some of his own questions. “And did you ever stop to think

about how our grandfather would react to this? Or are you too self-centred to care about

anybody else?”

With a quick jerk, Alden pulled his hands out of his pockets. Dale jumped back to

defend himself, adrenaline shooting through his body, making his already rapid pulse race.

He let out a sigh of relief when he noted Alden’s hands were empty.

Alden let out a sound halfway between a sob and a cry of anger as he ripped the hood

off and ran his fingers through his hair, the movement so vigorous there was no way it

couldn’t have hurt like hell. The pain must not have registered with Alden because he

quickly returned his attention to Dale.

“You have to call and tell them that it was all a big mistake and you didn’t mean it.”

Dale blinked in shock. “Are you kidding? There is no way in hell I’m going to do that.”

“Don’t you see? It’s not too late.” Alden stepped forward and grabbed Dale’s arms. “If

you come back, they’ll forgive you and everything will be back to normal.”

He tried not to recoil from the not-so-gentle hold, his heart still hammering. “I’m sorry,

but that’s not going to happen. For the first time in my life, I’m happy and I’m not going to

fuck that up again.”

“Damn it, this isn’t just about you!” Alden yelled, his grip tightening.

After letting out a growl of warning, Dale was able to shrug him off. “What in the fuck

are you talking about?”

Alden’s eyes were wide and almost wild—somehow scaring Dale almost as much as the

thought of him having a weapon. This was a whole side of Alden Dale never seen before and

it was beginning to freak the hell out of him. He only prayed that all the commotion didn’t

draw Brody’s attention. The last thing Dale wanted was for the man he loved to be in any

danger, and at that moment Dale didn’t know what Alden was capable of.

“Don’t you realise…?”

“No, I don’t.” Dale shook his head.

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Eyes becoming even more feral, Alden declared, “Now that you’re gone, they’re

starting to notice me. Before, I could just melt into the background. I liked it that way.

Nobody bothered me and I didn’t bother them. Now that their golden boy has deserted,

everything has changed.”

“What? Are they trying to make you join the Air Force?”

Alden paused and gave Dale an ‘are you that stupid’ glare. “No., They’re…studying all of

us, trying to see if you somehow infected us, thinking that more of us may turn out like you.”

“So? What’s the big deal? You’re not…” Dale trailed off as all the puzzle pieces finally

locked into place.

How Alden had always taken great pains to not call attention to himself. The fact that

he’d never brought a girlfriend to any of the family functions. How Alden was always the

one who’d hung back—like Dale—whenever all the other male cousins would sneak off to

look at girlie magazines…

Oh, wow.

Dale locked gazes with Alden and the fear he saw in the other man’s eyes confirmed his

suspicion. “I am so sorry, I didn’t realise. Come in and let’s talk about this. I can help you.”

He reached a hand out to his cousin, only to have Alden back away, almost as if Dale

really were infectious.

“Are you out of your flipping mind? If they find out that I’ve been talking to you,

they’ll know for sure. It’s bad enough that they suspect.”

Those words felt like a punch in the gut to Dale. “Are they saying mean things to you,

or hurting you in any way?”

When Alden clamped his lips together and averted his gaze, Dale’s heart broke. He

stretched his hand out again. “Please, let me help you.”

That only seemed to make Alden angry again. He jerked his head back up and sneered,

“I already told you how to help me and you refused. So you can go fuck yourself.”

With those parting words, Alden turned around and left. Dale called after him, to no

avail. Alden got into his car and tore out of the driveway, never once glancing back in Dale’s

direction.

It worried Dale to know that Alden was suffering so much. Not only was he concerned

over the abuse their family may be heaping on the younger man, but Dale was stressed over

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the fact that Alden may be unstable enough to do something more drastic…like harm

himself.

The worst part was Dale couldn’t call and alert Alden’s parents, not without outing the

man.

* * * *

Dale was unable to keep the smile off his face as he glanced across the table at Brody.

Everything was perfect…almost. After the confrontation with Alden, Dale had struggled

with what to do and had finally told Skeeter, the one ally in his family. Without revealing too

much, he’d shared his concerns and Skeeter had promised to keep an eye on Alden. Dale just

hoped Skeeter did a decent job, since the guy wasn’t the most reliable person.

There had also been a couple of cases of vandalism. First Brody’s car and then Dale’s

vehicle had been keyed, the scratch marks forming derogatory, homophobic words in their

paint jobs. While Dale suspected it was his father or somebody else from his family, it could

have just been some bigoted kids. Although—since the incident hadn’t occurred until after

Dale had come home—he was leaning more towards the former. He just hoped it wasn’t

Alden.

Still, for all the trouble, Dale didn’t regret his decision to come out and be with Brody.

Although, as far as the two of them, there was one problem—Brody had yet to declare his

love for Dale. But at this point, Dale felt it was only a matter of time. While Brody hadn’t

spoken the words, the way he looked at Dale gave him away. Dale just wished that Brody

would finally say them out loud. Then he would know for sure that all the trouble had been

worth it.

For all of those four long, cold, lonely years, Dale had feared that he’d never again be on

the receiving end of that soft look of pure adoration. Yet, as they sat in the middle of one of

Clarkston’s more expensive restaurants, Brody was doling it out heavily.

“I am so proud of you,” Brody said.

Dale started. That had been the last thing he’d expected to hear. “Why?”

“Well, you faced up to your past mistakes, plus you’ve gotten a great job and are

making your way in the world…without your dad’s help. I always knew you could do it.”

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Reaching across the table, Dale took Brody’s hand. “I haven’t exactly done it all alone.

Knowing you were there, supporting me, kept me going.”

Brody scoffed. “Even if I hadn’t been there, you still would have managed. You’re a

survivor. Even after everything your dad put you through, you still managed to be a great

guy. I’ve never met anybody as caring and loving as you.”

“That’s so sweet, I’m going to barf unicorn farts,” Remi declared as he slid into a chair

next to Dale.

Brody wrinkled his nose. “Yuck, what kind of analogy is that?”

Rolling his eyes, Remi ran a hand through his already perfectly styled hair. “A fitting

one, considering the way you two were laying it on.”

“What crawled up your ass and died?” Dale asked.

He really wasn’t upset or offended by Remi’s statement. In the past weeks, he’d grown

used to the guy’s melodramatic moments. In fact, Dale would even go so far as to consider

Remi a good friend. Something that was amazing considering how their first conversation

had gone.

Giving their clasped hands a withering look, Remi said, “Just because you two are so

happy together doesn’t mean that you have to rub it in everybody’s face. Some of us are still

miserably single.”

“What happened to the shot boy from that club?” Brody asked.

Remi let out a dramatic groan. “He cheated…on me. Can you believe it?”

“I’m beside myself in shock,” Dale drawled.

“Look at this perfection. Who would want anything else?” Remi put a hand to his chest.

“The shot boy must be blind or just too stupid to live—there can be no other

explanation.” Brody shared a smile with Dale.

All of a sudden the mask that Remi always kept in place slid and Dale got a glimpse of

the real person underneath…and it was a depressing image. “Seriously though, what is it

about me that makes guys always want to dump me?”

Brody let go of Dale’s hand and clapped Remi on the shoulder. “I’m sure the right man

is out there for you. It’s just that you haven’t met him yet.”

Dale thought of his friend from Air Force, another former closet case named Van. He

wondered if maybe he should call up his old buddy and ask him to come for a visit. Van

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could be the perfect man to tame Remi’s wild ways. If nothing else it would be interesting to

see the two of them interact. The fireworks between the pair would be better than the local

Fourth of July display.

Giving Dale a watery smile, Remi said, “Sorry to be such a downer. This was supposed

to be your one month anniversary dinner and I’m being the poster child for the Third Wheel

campaign.”

Dale reached over and ruffled Remi’s hair, partly to comfort him and also because he

knew it would offend Mr Style. “If we didn’t want you here then we wouldn’t have invited

you.”

Remi glanced up, his eyes widening. “Oh, shit. It’s about to get worse.”

Brody cocked his head to the side. “How so?”

“Does Dale’s dad look like a retired GI Joe wannabe reject?”

Given how his dad always insisted on keeping his hair cut at military length and his

pants perfectly pressed, despite his despised civilian status, that description fit his father

perfectly. Dale’s stomach clenched. “Yeah, why?”

“Because he’s coming over this way and he does not look happy.”

Brody snorted. “That’s nothing new. He never looks chipper.”

Dale tensed as he sensed his father moving in closer. It was a skill that Dale had

acquired at an early age and it’d saved him from a few beatings. By the time his father

reached the table, Dale’s body was so tight, he felt ready to break. While he didn’t think his

dad would get violent while in public, Dale still did a quick scan to make sure there were no

tell-tale bulges in the man’s clothing that would indicate he was armed. Dale felt a tiny bit of

relief when he found none, though he knew there would still be trouble. Years of experience

had told him that his father could wield his words just as effectively as any physical weapon.

Brody shot off his best winning smile. “Hello, Mr Anderson. It’s been a while since I’ve

talked to you.”

Dale’s father glowered at Brody, the older man’s blue eyes colder than ever. A lesser

man would have cowered, but Brody just continued to grin. Turning his glare towards Dale,

his dad growled, “I can’t believe that you are out flaunting yourself like this. Have you no

respect for our family name?”

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“Not really, not if it means I have to be like you or all the rest of the jerks who have

been calling me. Whatever happened to unconditional love?” Dale replied bluntly.

A vein in the side of his father’s temple began to throb. “What would your grandfather

say if he could see you now?”

“‘Good job, Dale. You managed to serve four more years than your father ever did.

Plus, you have the balls to stand up and fight instead of being some coward who only picks

on those smaller and weaker than him’,” Brody cut in, for the first time showing a spark of

anger.

“Nobody asked you to speak, boy,” the older man snapped, his voice full of venom.

Brody gave an impish grin and tilted his head to the side. “No, and yet I am. Imagine

that—the gay boy you’ve always hated is finally letting you have it. Little did you know I’ve

been wanting to tell you off for years. I only held back so you wouldn’t take it out on Dale.

Don’t think that I—and the whole town—don’t know what a mean abusive prick you are. In

fact, if I were a betting man, I’d place odds on you being the most hated man in the state of

Michigan.”

Remi leant forward on his elbows and gave his classic snarky grin. “Oh, and you may

want to lose the Polo shirt with the alligator on the front. It just makes you look…well, as old

as you really are. Plus, the peach doesn’t really go that well with your yellow golf pants. The

pants are confusing alone as it is, since it’s winter and there is no way you’ve been spending

any time on the greens, so you have no reason to be sporting those monstrous things.”

Dale had to bite the inside of his cheek to hold back his laughter as his father gaped at

Remi as though the man was some sort of foreign species of animal he’d never come across

before.

“Dale, is this the kind of company you keep now?” Dale’s father asked.

Reaching out, Dale reclaimed Brody’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “Yes, and I’ve

never been happier.”

“You’ve broken your mother’s heart. How can that make you happy?”

“Yeah, and in the past, you’ve broken her arm, ribs and nose on numerous occasions.

So, who’s really the bad guy here? At least I don’t beat somebody I claim to love. If Mom has

an issue with me being gay, it’s only because she’s too afraid to stand up to you and tell you

otherwise.”

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“No, she’s just as disgusted as the rest of us,” his father nearly shouted, but there was a

flicker of guilt in his eyes that suggested otherwise.

“If you guys refuse to accept Dale for who he is, that’s your problem…not his. So, he

has nothing to feel guilty about,” Brody all but snarled.

While Dale didn’t like the threat of Brody facing his father’s fury, a part of him couldn’t

help but admire his lover’s spunk. Truth be told, it was kind of a turn-on.

“Dale will soon learn the error of his choices,” his father replied.

“Dale didn’t choose to be gay. You, on the other hand, chose to be a bullying, abusive

asshole and I hope I never have to speak to you again.” Brody curled his lip up, showing his

disgust for the older man.

“Do you honestly think he’ll be satisfied with you? He did the right thing and left you

once before, and he’ll do it again.”

Brody shot to his feet and faced off against Dale’s father. “This time is different. Brody

isn’t going anywhere and you want to know why? Because we love each other and we’re not

going to let you drag us apart ever again. I’m not afraid of you and I’m prepared to fight for

him. Even if that means I have to take you down.”

When his father made a threatening step towards Brody, Dale let out a growl, “Don’t

even think about it. You so much as touch him and you’ll find out just how many mean tricks

I picked up from you.”

Remi held up his cell phone. “Not only that, but Dale and Brody have forwarded me all

the messages your family have left them, plus the pictures of all the damage you guys did to

their cars. If anything happens to them, I’m going to go directly to the police and share every

little detail with them.”

For a brief heart-pounding second, Dale thought his father was still going to attack,

then the older man’s gaze flicked over his son’s body, no doubt taking in all the muscles and

bulk the years had added on. In the end, he gave them all a scathing look.

“None of you are worth me making a scene and embarrassing the family more than you

already have,” his dad seethed.

Remi tilted his head to the side. “So, I guess I can cross you off the invite list for my

annual Valentine’s Day party then?”

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Dale couldn’t hold back his laughter. It came out as a snort, but when Brody and Remi

joined in, he gave in and let loose—cracking up so hard that tears came to his eyes. By the

time they’d sobered, his father had beat a hasty retreat.

Brody sank back down in his chair. “I know I should feel bad for being so mean, but

damn, did it feel good to finally let him know how I felt.”

Grabbing Brody’s hand, Dale pressed a kiss on the man’s knuckles. “I am so proud of

you. A little freaked out that you stood up to him like that, but still amazed at your courage.”

Then something else occurred to Dale and his heart skipped a beat. “Wait. Did you tell

him that you love me?”

A blush stole over Brody’s cheeks. “You caught that part, huh?”

“Did you mean it or was it just the anger talking?”

Looking up from under his lashes, Brody said, “I meant it. I was hoping to set up some

romantic moment when we got home tonight and tell you then, but it kind of slipped out too

soon.”

Not caring that they were in the middle of a crowded restaurant, Dale got up, knelt

before Brody and cupped his cheeks. “I wouldn’t have cared if you told me in the middle of a

bowling alley during league finals. All that matter is that you say it.”

Nibbling on his lip ring, Brody finally said what Dale had dreamed of hearing for so

long, “I love you, Dale. More than anything in this world. Even more than my collectible set

of Harry Potter leather-bound books.”

“Oh God. You guys are so sweet, but such big dorks,” Remi cut in.

They both ignored him. After brushing his lips against Brody’s sweet mouth, Dale

pulled back and said, “And I love you more than my Dungeon and Dragons miniatures.”

Remi threw his hands up. “I give up. There is no redeeming you two. Remind me again

why I hang out with you guys?”

Brody laughed. “Because I’m the only one who knows how addicted you are to Call of

Duty.”

“Hey, you were sworn to secrecy about that.” Remi pointed an accusing finger.

“I promise never to spill your dreaded secret,” Dale vowed.

When Remi still looked doubtful, Dale made the cross my heart gesture. As childish as

it was, it seemed to mollify Remi who let out a relieved sigh. It did solidify Dale’s decision to

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call Van and have him come for a visit. Hey, who knew? If things worked out, Van might

end up becoming a permanent resident.

“So, did you guys buy each other anything special to mark the anniversary?” Remi

prompted.

For the second time, a blush stole over Brody’s cheeks. “Yeah, I did.”

Remi clapped his hands together. “Oh, I want to see. I love presents.”

Giving Dale a shrug, Brody reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box.

Taking it, Dale unwrapped and opened the box to find an elaborate, gold-plated key chain

inside. In the shape of a heart, it had the date of their reunion engraved on it and there was a

single key dangling from the ring.

“It’s a key to my house… I thought that maybe…well, you know, Skeeter’s place isn’t

the best…and I kind of like having you around.”

Dale saved Brody from his fumbling by swooping in and capturing his lips in a deep

kiss that left them both breathless. “It’s the best gift you could have given me.”

“That’s so sweet, but since it’s also touching, I’m willing to give you guys a sappiness

pass this time,” Remi said. “I do want to see how Dale is going to top something that great.”

After getting back in his seat, Dale took an envelope from his coat pocket and passed it

over to Brody. As Brody took it, Dale’s heart began to pound in anticipation. He only hoped

that he wasn’t blowing things by pushing too far with his gift.

Brody tore the envelope then pulled out and opened the card, his eyes growing wide

when he saw what was inside it.

“What is it?” Remi demanded.

“A pair of aeroplane tickets so we can go this year’s Toronto Pride event.”

Getting down on one knee, Dale clasped Brody’s hand. “I thought while we were there

we could make things official.”

Brody gaped at him. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

“Yes, I am. I would marry you here if we could, but we know how far in the dark ages

Michigan is as far as civil rights go. So, I thought, why not do it there?”

When Brody continued to sit in stunned silence, Dale felt a wave of panic hit him. “Was

it too soon? I know I promised not to rush things, but everything has been going so well

between us and if you think about it, we’ve known each other practically forever—”

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“Yes!” Brody cut in.

Dale blinked, hoping he’d heard correctly. “What was that?”

“Yes, Dale. I’ll marry you. In fact, nothing would make me happier.”

Letting out a whoop of excitement, Dale sprang to his feet and pulled Brody into a

crushing embrace. They must have been getting their fair share of confused glances, because

Remi loudly announced, “They just got engaged.”

Dale was surprised by the amount of applause they received, given the small

conservative town they were in. Once it died down, Remi demanded, “I better be best man.”

“Of course you will be,” Brody answered quickly.

Dale smiled as the last pieces of his matchmaking plan fell into place. “Wait until you

meet Van. He’s going to be my best man.”

Remi’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Was he in the Air Force with you?”

“Yes, we’re really close.”

“Not interested. No offence, but I hate the military type.” Remi gave a dismissive wave

of his hand. “They’re all too rigid and stuffy for my liking.”

Dale was willing to bet that once he got a good look at Van, Remi would be changing

his mind, but Dale kept that opinion to himself. Right then he was too overjoyed that Brody

had accepted his proposal to care about anything else. Even the bad taste that had been left

from the encounter with his father was gone, to be replaced by giddy relief.

Brody was his. Despite each of Dale’s fuck-ups. Despite the obstacles that’d stood in

their way, they’d managed to overcome them every one of them. It seemed that all those

sappy songs, books and poems had been right, true love could triumph over anything.

Pressing their foreheads together, Dale asked, “So, how do you think we should

celebrate our engagement?”

“I say you two should go home and fuck each other’s brains out, but not until after we

eat dinner. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starved,” Remi complained.

Laughing, Dale said, “Okay, but only if you help us plan this thing. I have no idea what

to do to make sure a wedding is great.”

Remi’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. I’m not

Michigan’s number one event planner for nothing. By the time I’m done, your wedding is

going to be the party of the year.”

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GOING WITH MY HEART

Stephani Hecht

Chapter Six

As soon as they walked into the house after dinner, Dale was on Brody like a man

starved. Maybe it was the excitement of having Brody finally say those three magical words.

Perhaps it was the adrenaline from standing up to his father. Or it could have been that Dale

now knew for certain he and Brody would be forever spending their lives together.

Whatever the reason, Dale knew he had to be inside Brody as quickly as possible. So no

sooner had the door shut behind them than Dale had Brody pinned to the wall and was

kissing him so hard that neither one of them could breathe.

Not that Brody was complaining. If anything, he seemed to be feeling the same

desperate need as Dale. Grabbing onto Dale’s shoulders, Brody wrapped his legs around his

lover and began to give back as good as he was getting.

Dale plunged his tongue inside Brody’s eager mouth, tasting wine and the chocolate

they’d had for dessert. It mixed in with the familiar masculine flavour that was all Brody.

Finally tearing their lips apart, Brody gasped, “The kitchen counter.”

Confused, Dale cocked a brow. “What about it?”

“It’s always been a fantasy for you to fuck me on it. Let’s do it now.”

“What would your mother say if she knew?” Dale teased.

Brody gave him a goofy grin. “Probably ‘there’s lube and condoms in the junk drawer.

Make sure you use them and have a good time’.”

Dale laughed because Brody had a point. His mother was so unconventional, that was

definitely something she would pop off with.

Still holding Brody, Dale walked into the kitchen. It was a bit clumsy, but he was loath

to let go of his man. Brody laughed, even as he rained kisses down Dale’s neck.

“What is it with you having to carry me everywhere?”

“It makes it easier that way. I know how easily you get distracted and tend to wander

off.”

Brody gave Dale a not-so-gentle love bite. “I don’t think there is anything that could

distract me from this.”

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GOING WITH MY HEART

Stephani Hecht

They finally reached the kitchen and Dale set Brody down on his feet long enough so

they could both quickly strip off their clothes. While they probably set a world record for

getting nude, at least this time they managed not to destroy any shirts.

Once Brody was naked, Dale took a moment to admire his beauty. He may not be the

most muscular man, but he was trim and built where it counted. Still, Brody could have

looked like The Blob and Dale wouldn’t have cared. He loved Brody for being Brody and not

for how he looked.

Opening the junk drawer, Dale wasn’t shocked to see a strip of condoms and small

bottle of lubricant sitting on top. He snagged them, then ordered, “Turn around and bend

over the counter.”

When Brody moved to obey, Dale nearly swallowed his tongue at the site of his lover’s

sweet ass, tilted up and ready for the taking. Running his palm over one taut globe, Dale

crooned, “You’re perfect, inside and out.”

“I love you, too, but can we get to the fucking part?” Brody asked, arching his back

farther.

Since Dale was just as eager to get buried inside Brody’s ass, he didn’t call him out on

his cheekiness. Instead, he opened the bottle of lube and squirted a fair amount of liquid onto

his fingers. He rubbed it all over one of his hands, he then grasped Brody’s hip with the

other.

Raining kisses down Brody’s spine, Dale slid one finger into the man’s crease and

sought out his tight hole. Once he found it, Dale began to tease, circling the tight ring of

muscle with his finger, but not quite pushing in.

“You are such an ass,” Brody growled.

Dale froze. “I’m a what?”

“Ah, I was just kidding. You’re a god, a warrior, a wizard…whatever the fuck I have to

call you to get you to stick something in me,” Brody panted.

Biting Brody on the shoulder just hard enough to leave behind a small mark, Dale

praised, “Good boy.”

Before Brody could protest the pet name, Dale thrust in one finger. Dale let out a moan

at the way Brody’s body hungrily sucked in his digit, showing that every inch of Brody was

eager to have Dale.

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GOING WITH MY HEART

Stephani Hecht

Dale plunged it in and out a few times before adding another one, scissoring them so he

could properly stretch Brody. After how perfect the evening had been, he didn’t want to ruin

it by hurting his lover taking things too fast.

Brody clutched the edges of the counter so hard, his knuckles turned white, his cheek

flush with the granite top. With his lips parted just slightly and his hair messed up perfectly,

he was a prime example of debauchment and the sight alone almost made Dale come on the

spot. Only the promise of soon being encased in Brody’s velvet heat held him back.

He finally decided that Brody was ready and grabbed a condom. As he was ripping it

open, Brody said, “I want us to get tested in the morning, so we don’t have to use these

things anymore.”

The sentiment touched Dale in so many ways. Since they’d only been with one another,

the temptation to go raw right then was great, but Dale had done a stint as a medic and had

been exposed to blood, so he didn’t want to risk harming Brody.

“Yes, I would love that,” Dale agreed.

He tossed the empty package to the side and slid the latex over his aching cock. Getting

into position behind Brody, Dale thrust inside in one hard move.

They both groaned in unison and Dale paused, both to allow Brody to get used to the

intrusion and for him to gather some control. It was hard though. Brody’s body squeezed

him like a tight, hot fist and it was the most exquisite thing Dale had ever experienced.

“Say it again,” he demanded as he began to fuck Brody in earnest.

“Love you,” Brody wailed as he rocked back to meet Dale’s thrusts.

They made love for a few minutes, the only sounds skin slapping skin and their moans

of pleasure. Then Brody let out a small yelp. “Ouch, my stomach.”

Dale paused, horror filling him. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, the edge of the counter. It’s biting into my stomach.”

Well, that was one problem Dale could fix. Pulling out, he turned Brody around, and all

but threw him on top of the counter. Brody’s eyes widened in shock as his back hit the

granite and several canisters went crashing to the floor.

Not reacting to any of that, Dale put Brody’s legs over his shoulders, then lined his cock

back up. Without waiting for permission, he slammed inside again.

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GOING WITH MY HEART

Stephani Hecht

“Better?” he asked, his voice coming out strained because he was fucking Brody for all

he was worth.

Brody let out a whimper, but he nodded, so Dale took that as a hell yes. The new

position gave him a perfect view of Brody’s cock. It was hard, leaking pre-cum and bobbing

in time to Dale’s thrusts. Unable to resist such a temptation, Dale began to stroke it.

Brody’s reaction was instantaneous. He let out a loud cry of pleasure as his fingers

clawed at the countertop like he was looking for purchase, but unable to find it on the slick,

hard surface.

Grabbing Brody’s hips tighter so he didn’t slide away, Dale continued to pound into

Brody. “You’re mine now.”

“I’ve always been yours,” Brody keened.

After making that declaration, Brody let out a broken sob as he came, semen shooting

up so high it hit his own chin. In bending down to lick it off, Dale tested Brody’s flexibility to

the extreme. It was a bit awkward, but worth it, because once the salty tang of Brody’s cum

washed over Dale’s taste buds, it set off his own orgasm. As he groaned out Brody’s name,

Dale came, filling the condom.

Brody ran a hand over his face. “Okay, that was way better than even I hoped for.”

Pulling out, Dale pulled off the condom and tossed it into the garbage before helping

Brody off the counter. They paused, looking around at the mess before sharing a shrug.

“There’s nothing that says we can’t wait until tomorrow to clean all this up, right?”

Dale asked.

“Nope. In fact, I say we gather up that junk food and crawl into bed.”

They hurried around, neither one caring that they were still nude, grabbing chips and

various other junk foods. After adding several cans of soda to their haul, they ran upstairs

and got under the blankets.

They snuggled together and proceeded to spend the rest of the night watching the most

horrible, cheesy movies they could find. All-in-all, it was a perfect night.

* * * *

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GOING WITH MY HEART

Stephani Hecht

The next morning, Brody woke up and turned over, a smile coming over his face as his

gaze fell on the still sleeping Dale.

Wow, even after everything that had gone down last night, Brody still couldn’t believe

that he would be waking up with Dale from now on. It was his every dream come true and

Brody was finally willing to allow himself to believe that he wouldn’t end up getting hurt

again.

Slowly opening his eyes, Dale smiled at him. “Hey, you.”

“I would have run away with you. You didn’t have to sacrifice everything to keep me

safe,” Brody whispered, reaching over to caress Dale’s stubble covered cheek.

“I know you would have. Believe me, I was damn tempted to ask you to do just that. I

even had my bags packed.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“I could have never lived with myself had I made you leave your family. Unlike me,

you actually have decent parents and I didn’t want to take that from you. Plus, I think even a

part of me knew then that I would never be truly happy until I learned how to stand up to

my father. I just wasn’t ready then.”

“I would have stood by you,” Brody said, his heart breaking at the thought of how

scared and alone Dale must have felt at that time in his life.

“I know, but it was something that I had to do on my own. My only regret was that it

took me so long to do it. I would give anything to get those lost years back.”

Brody put a finger on Dale’s lips. “No more regrets and no more if onlys, either. That

goes for both of us. We have each other now and forever and that’s all that matters.”

Kissing the pad of Brody’s finger, Dale said, “I am so damn lucky to have you.”

“Of course you are,” Brody teased with a laugh.

Sobering, Brody leaned in for a brief kiss. “You know what? I think we’re both lucky.

After all, we both fell in love with our best friend. How many people can say that?”

“Not many, but then there aren’t a lot of great guys like you out there.”

Brody cocked a brow. “Make sure you remember that the first time I cook for you. I still

can only cook macaroni and cheese…and maybe soup.”

Dale gave him a kiss in return. “No problem. I learned how to cook and I’m pretty

damn good at it. So you don’t have worry about anything, I’ll take care of you.”

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GOING WITH MY HEART

Stephani Hecht

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“That’s a promise I’m going to keep you to,” Brody declared as he snuggled close to

Dale, seeking his warmth.

“We just have one problem,” Dale said.

“What’s that?”

“How are we going to deal with both your mother and Remi as they fight over who’s

going to plan our wedding?”

Brody chuckled. “I don’t know, but it’s going to be interesting. Just like the rest of our

lives will be.”

Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:

Dragon’s Eye

Stephani Hecht

Excerpt

Chapter One

It was cold and snowing the night Duncan Moore sneaked into the house to steal his

dragon’s eye back.

He cursed the fact that Michigan had such harsh winters, as he hid behind a large tree

and studied the huge, opulent mansion. Too opulent in his opinion, with its long white

columns and large drive that circled a fountain, it even had a pair of frigging stone lions. It

was one of those houses where the people living in them were trying to give the rest of the

world a fuck-you-I’m-better-than-you message. It would have made him hate the bastard

who owned it, if Duncan didn’t already harbour a deep hatred for the recently deceased

man.

Several wet, heavy flakes had fallen on his face and got stuck to his dark lashes, making

it hard to case out the place. Not exactly the sexy, stealth missions he’d always dreamed he

would be doing when he was growing up as a dragon whelp. Then again, he’d never

imagined he’d be such a colossal fuck-up and disappointment to their ruler either. Especially

since said ruler was Brian, the big brother he’d always lauded, but never impressed.

He shook off those unpleasant thoughts. If he ever wanted to get back into Brian’s good

graces then he had to get his damn dragon’s eye back. Until he did, he would never be free

and his dragon would forever be trapped.

The lights to the kitchen snapped off and he knew it was time to make his move. Fail or

succeed, this nightmare of a decade was finally ending tonight. Sneaking into the back

servant’s entrance, because that had been the one he’d always been forced to use, he eased

the door shut behind him as he let his eyes get adjusted to the darkness.

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Since he was from the ancient race of dragon shifters, it didn’t take long and he was

soon able to make out the shape and layout of the kitchens to the mansion that he’d lived in

for ten years, but had never called home.

The aromas of fresh baked bread, steak and cheese hit his nose, making his stomach

growl so loud in protest it was a wonder the noise didn’t raise an alarm. That would be his

luck, to get this far only to have his gut give him away. He could just see the headlines now:

Thieving Dragon Shifter busted when his grumbling tum-tum gives him away.

As much fun as that sounded, he hadn’t gone this far to blow it now. It was hard

though since he hadn’t eaten in days and was halfway to starved. He still passed by the food

and stole up the back stairs. Since they, like the entrance, were meant for the poor working

saps, they were narrow, dank and dark. Several of the wood steps were so rickety he had to

walk on the balls of his feet so they didn’t creak and give him away.

The sounds of voices and clinking silverware drifted from the main part of the house

letting him know the wake was still under way. They were all honouring the deceased,

Richard, the sorcerer whom they considered to be the best thing to happen to their society.

He was their saviour, their leader and a hero to everyone. To Duncan he’d been a bastard, a

viscous killer and his tormentor.

Worst of all, the sorcerer had been his slave master.

Duncan reached the top of the stairs. The object he was seeking now so close it was all

he could do not to run down the hall to the room. It was only years of training and discipline

that held him back.

Now in the main part of the house, everything around him was rich and classy, from

the heavy oak walks to the red, plush carpet that nearly swallowed up his black boots,

muffling his footsteps. There were large portraits lining the hallway and despite his haste,

Duncan still stopped at one and studied it.

It had been of his master, the sorcerer who was now being mourned by the crowd down

below. Even though Duncan knew the man was dead, he still shivered under the hard,

penetrating stare of the painting. The artist had captured Richard’s appearance perfectly,

from his cruel thin smile, long grey hair and light blue eyes. How many times had he looked

into that same face right before he was forced to endure yet another punishment? Panic

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clawed at the insides of Duncan’s chest as he stared at the picture, irrational fear making him

shake from head to boot.

“You’re dead and you don’t control me any longer,” Duncan whispered to the painting.

He pulled the sides of his black leather jacket tighter together, as if to form a protective

barrier.

It was stupid to stand there and have this one-sided chat, but he couldn’t make himself

move forward until he’d proven he could stare down the sorcerer, even if it was just a paint

and oil replica of him. After several seconds, Duncan felt some of the fear and anxiety leave

his body, the dragon in him came to life for the first time in a decade. Not much, just a little

bit of shifting and it let out a long sigh of relief, as if it knew that their suffering was almost

over.

It was comforting, that small bit of movement. It let him know that, despite having his

dragon’s eye taken and used against him, he hadn’t lost the other half of his heart. His dragon

form was buried, yes, but it was there just waiting to be awoken again, after ten long years of

being held down.

But to do that he had to get his dragon’s eye back. Which is why he’d come here. It sure

as hell wasn’t to stop and gawk at pictures on the wall.

Even through his resolve, Duncan felt his gaze drift to the last painting in the hallway.

It was of the sorcerer’s son, Trent. Even though they’d met several times over the years, he’d

only spoken half a dozen words to Duncan.

For a while he’d though it was because Trent was a rich, snobby nancy. Then Duncan

had slowly come to realise that Trent was just as much a slave as he was. Sure Richard didn’t

hold his life essence like with Duncan, but his hold on his son was just as strong, pinning his

son down with hard discipline and a firm controlling hand. He made sure everyone around

knew what a disappointment his son was too. Trent was one of those rare individuals who

still believe in being honourable and always doing the right thing. To Richard that was a

personality fault and he’d done everything he could to break it.

Duncan raised a finger to lightly touch the picture. Where his father was cold and hard,

Trent had a warm sensuality that had always intrigued him. With dark brown hair, deep

blue eyes and a body that had just the right amount of muscles, he turned heads of both

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sexes. The most endearing thing about him though, was he didn’t realise his appeal and went

through life not knowing the affect he had on others.

There was a reserved almost shy aura around him that made Duncan want him all the

more. So many times he had to stop himself from reaching out to touch the sorcerer as they

passed each other in hallway. To stop himself from seeking out the male, just so he could

hear the soft tones of his voice. To accidently brush against him, so he could inhale his warm

scent. Duncan shook his head as he brought his hand down. Even if Trent noticed him there

could never be anything between them.

Sorcerers and dragons made war not love.

Finally reaching his destination, Duncan found himself frozen in place again. Before

him stood the massive black door that led into Richard’s private bedroom. His gut clenched

at the memories of all the punishments he’d endured in here. Whippings, beatings and being

forced to grovel on the ground, begging for forgiveness. To anyone else this would look like

just another room. Lavishly decorated, yes. Dangerous and forbidding, no. But then again,

they wouldn’t have been through what he had.

“Just open the damn door and get what you came here for before you find yourself

some other sorcerer’s bitch,” he growled to himself, he knew it was only a matter of time

before some other asshole stumbled upon the dragon’s eye and realised what it was. He had to

get to it first, before he found himself under some other sorcerer’s control. The self-pep talk

helped and he managed to force himself to open the door.

Despite the fact Richard was dead, his bedroom remained as always. Rich mahogany

furniture, deep, red bedding and more of that damn fluffy carpet. Some would call the room

tasteful and even comforting, but they would be wrong. Duncan knew better because he’d

seen some of the horrors that’d taken place here.

With a slight shake of his head, he pushed those memories to the back of his mind and

rushed to the armoire. It stood so large and wide it almost took up the space of an entire wall,

but he knew instantly what drawer to go to. At first it seemed like all the others lining one

side of the piece of furniture, but when he pulled the clothing out of it and tapped on the

back, a hidden compartment opened.

“Bingo!” he whispered, letting a triumphant grin spread out over his face.

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For the first time in a decade he felt a small blossom of hope building up in his chest.

His hands shook with excitement and a bit of fear too. After all this time of wishing and

suffering, he half expected something to block his way to freedom once again. He was just

starting to reach in when a voice interrupted him. “I should have known you would come.”

Whirling around, hand going to his gun he found himself face-to-face with Trent. With

a growl of frustration, Duncan pulled his weapon out and trained it on the man’s face.

Despite having the barrel of a gun pointing at him, the young sorcerer didn’t show any fear,

the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile, one dimple making an appearance on his

cheek. It made him appear more endearing than usual and Duncan found himself nearly

lowering the gun in response. Trent wore dark slacks and a matching dress shirt, showing

he’d come from the wake. The clothes fit him nicely, accentuating his thin, yet muscular

body.

“How did you manage to sneak up on me?” Duncan demanded. It wasn’t easy to get

the drop on a dragon shifter since they usually heard or smelt their opponents from several

yards away. He’d even heard tales of some ancients who could detect trouble as far away as

a mile.

“I transported here,” Trent replied, simply.

“Impossible.” Duncan tightened his grip on the gun and wondered what kind of game

the sorcerer was playing. “Only the strongest of your kind can do that.”

“I’ve been able to transport for years now, ever since I was eighteen.” Trent shrugged,

still acting like it was no big deal Duncan had a weapon aimed at him.

“Then how come I’ve never seen you do it?” Duncan challenged. He didn’t add how

he’d spent a lot of time watching Trent and it wasn’t to see what the sorcerer could and

couldn’t do. From the first day he’d been forced to live at the mansion, he’d longed for Trent.

“Let’s just say that my father controlled a lot more individuals than you.” A flurry of

expressions went over Trent’s face; fear, pain and then anger. No sadness or regret, which

Duncan would expect from someone who was still wearing all black and supposedly

grieving.

“Well, I have to admit that’s a pretty neat skill you got there, but you’re not going to

stop me from getting what I came here for.” Duncan waved the gun even though he knew

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he’d never be able to bring himself to shoot Trent if it came right down to it. Not even if it

meant he’d lose what he’d come here for—his very life.

“I’m not here to stop you from taking the dragon’s eye,” Trent said, his eyes growing

soft. When Duncan didn’t respond, too shocked to speak, the sorcerer continued, “I know

what it really is and I don’t blame you for wanting it. If someone had taken all my magic and

basically my soul along with it, I would be fighting to get it back too.”

“If you understand so much then why are you even here?” Duncan croaked. Fear and

shock had made his throat suddenly dry.

“I came up to help you find it. That and to say goodbye.” A slight flush appeared on his

cheeks as he averted his gaze to the ground. “I know as soon as you get the eye you’ll go back

to your kind and I’ll never see you again.”

Now Duncan knew the punk was playing games. In all the time he’d known Trent, the

sorcerer had never looked twice at him. “Just stand there and don’t move. Make sure you

keep your hands up too and don’t even think about using magic,” he ordered as he slowly

took a step back towards the armoire.

Still facing forward, he twisted one arm behind him and reached inside the hidden

compartment. When his fingers found nothing, but empty space, his heart clenched in horror

and a cold sweat broke out over his entire body. Desperate now, despite the fact the truth

was literally at his fingertips, he continued to blindly search the compartment.

Nothing…nothing…nothing!

“Where is it?” he roared, thrusting the gun forward.

“What do you mean?” Trent seemed so genuinely perplexed Duncan almost believed

him before reminding himself that all sorcerers were lying bastards.

“The dragon’s eye, where did you put it?”

“It’s in there.” Trent gave a slight shake of his head as all the colour drained from his

face.

“No, it’s not,” Duncan bit back around his clenched teeth. His finger caressed the

trigger of the gun, but despite his rage he still couldn’t bring himself to pull it. Perhaps the

years in captivity had made him weak and now, even when he did get his eye back, he would

be useless. That thought enraged him even more and he let out another roar.

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“Calm down,” Trent snapped, casting a worried glance over at the door. “Do you want

to bring everyone up here? Even though my dad is dead his bodyguards are here and they’re

still carrying weapons.”

“Good, because you’re going to be needing them if you don’t tell me where the fuck my

dragon’s eye is!” Duncan rushed forward so the gun was inches from Trent’s chest.

“I didn’t do anything with it, honest. I’d been planning on giving it back to you so why

I would I take it?” Trent held his hands up in the surrender pose, panic making his eyes so

wide they seemed to take up half his face.

“Bullshit!” Duncan spat. “Getting a dragon’s eye is the biggest prize to all sorcerers. Yet

you’re going to stand there and tell me that you had these grand plans on handing mine back

to me, like it was some great big fucking present wrapped up in a bow?”

“Yes.” Trent’s voice was sharp with exasperation. “Are you going to believe me or

would you rather sit around arguing about this long enough for the guards to discover you?”

“I could just shoot you and then look for it. Cut out the whole arguing factor all

together.”

“You won’t do that.” Despite his brave words, Trent eyed up the gun nervously.

“Are you so sure of that?” Duncan challenged, trying his damndest to sound

convincing.

“Yes, I am. You may be desperate, but you’re still good.”

“A sorcerer calling a dragon good. That’s rich.” Duncan gave a bitter laugh.

“It’s true though.” Trent looked up, his gaze so earnest it did strange things to Duncan’s

emotions. The sorcerer swallowed hard before continuing, “I’ve seen how, even with

everything my father put you through, you always remained kind and caring to those

around you. I’m unarmed and, unlike my father, I’ve never done anything to you. So no

matter how bad you want your eye back, you won’t hurt me for it.”

“You’re just trying to guilt me into lowering my weapon,” Duncan scoffed. Sadly

enough it worked. With a deep sigh, he dropped his arm and lowered his head in defeat.

“I’m going to look too, just to make sure you didn’t miss it,” Trent soothed as he slowly

edged his way around Duncan. As he went by, their bodies brushed for one second and even

though he was at his lowest, Duncan couldn’t help but notice how nice it felt. He breathed in

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deep realising, not for the first time, how Trent had a sensual, unique scent. It was mix of

herbs, oils and other plant life that sorcerers used in their spells.

“You’re right, it isn’t here. Something is seriously fucked up here,” Trent said, his brow

creasing in confusion.

“Yeah, some thief is running around with my magic and life force. I would say there is a

lot fucking wrong with that,” Duncan snarled as he ran a hand through his hair in

frustration.

“But nobody except you and me should have been able to get through the spell I wove

around it.” Trent waved his hand over the compartment like he hoped to grab onto the

elusive magic that had beaten his shield.

“You were protecting it?” The suspicious part in Duncan wondered if Trent was

thinking of using the dragon’s eye himself. Duncan had seen the guy in action when it came to

using his gifts and he was so powerful at times he was scary. With the added magic Trent

could get from the eye, he could be an even more dominant sorcerer than his father.

“Of course I was. I was going to give it back to you.” Trent turned to look at him. Hurt

marring his face. “You believe me don’t you?”

Before Duncan had a chance to answer, the door flew open with a loud bang. Both men

jumped and spun around in time to face half a dozen sorcerers. Duncan’s heart dropped as

he recognised them all as members of Richard’s bodyguard team. Since he knew they would

be out for blood, he instantly went on the defensive, raising his gun up.

One of the guards raised his hand, throwing off a magic bolt. It hit Duncan hard in the

hand. He let out a cry of pain and felt his fingers go limp. A shock wave went up his arm,

like he’d been hit with a brick. The gun slipped from his grip and went flying across the

room.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Trent asked the guards. His tone so hard

and commanding it reminded Duncan a lot of Richard. He barely suppressed a shudder by

reminding himself it was Trent and he’d never shown any signs of being anything like his

father.

“Protecting you from this animal,” the guard sneered, his lip curling up in repugnance.

While sorcerers may covet the magic from dragons like Duncan, they still thought his kind

was inferior and one step below dogs.

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“Hey asshole, Duncan is in my protection.” Trent gave the guard a dour look. “I took

him on as my personal guard the day Dad died.”

“You don’t honestly expect us to believe that, do you?” The guard calmly reached

inside his suit coat and pulled out a gun of his own.

“Why shouldn’t you?” Trent asked, wearily watching the guard. Alarm bells, whistles

and trains started going off in Duncan’s head. Suddenly the group of sorcerers were starting

to look a lot less like bodyguards and a lot more like assassins. He wanted to grab Trent and

shove him behind him protectively, but he resisted knowing if things went down the way he

thought they were, he would need all the help he could get.

“I guess it really doesn’t matter.” The guard shrugged as he raised the gun, the other

sorcerers behind him did the same thing. “In fact it makes it so much easier for us to kill you

both since you’re together in one place.”

“Shit!” Trent cursed as he waved his arm in one large circle, at the same time the

sorcerers all fired.

Duncan cringed, waiting for the hit, instead he was amazed to see all the bullets freeze

in midair. Shocked, he felt his mouth drop open as he gasped. Even though he’d spent a lot

of time around magic, he’d never seen anything quite like this. Even the guards were frozen

in place, except for their eyes. The pupils raced back and forth in panic and fear. In a

different situation, he may have felt sorry for them.

“We need to get out of here,” Trent announced, in a hurried manner.

“How long can you keep them like that?”

“Not long, which means we’re going to have to travel my way.” Trent walked in front

of him, so they were facing each other.

“You don’t mean—”

Trent cut him off, “That’s exactly what I mean. I’m teleporting us out.”

Before Duncan could argue, Trent grabbed him by the sides of the face and brought him

down into a kiss.

The move stunned Duncan so much that it took him a few seconds to realise one of his

greatest fantasies had come true. Trent’s lips were on him. Then the sorcerer slid out his

tongue and ran it along the seam of Duncan’s lips and he really got into it. Using one hand to

cup the back of Trent’s head he brought him in even closer.

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Duncan slanted his mouth over Trent, so he could get at him better and took control of

the kiss. The sorcerer fisted his hands into the front of Duncan’s shirt and parted his lips in

an open invitation. Not needing another, Duncan slid his tongue inside Trent’s hot mouth so

he could finally find out what the man tasted like. For years he wondered, dreamt what his

flavour would be and finally now he got his answer.

Honey and cinnamon. Nice.

His cock swelled as the blood roared in his head. More. Now that he had this one taste,

he needed more. The bed was just feet away and Duncan’s every instinct screamed at him to

lead Trent there so he could quench the fire ripping through his body. He didn’t even give a

damn that they had an audience.

When a bright yellow light surrounded the two of them, at first Duncan thought he was

having one of those sappy stars and moon moments that was in all those teen movies. Not that

he’d ever watched one of those. Honest.

It wasn’t until he felt some unseen force grab him around the waist and jerk did he

understand that Trent and done just what he’d promised. He’d zapped them the hell out of

Dodge.

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About the Author

Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born and raised in Michigan, she
loves all things about the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings
hockey team. You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next
book.

Email:

archangelwriter@yahoo.co

Stephani Hecht loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information,
website and author biography at

http://www.total-e-bound.com

Also by Stephani Hecht

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