He inhaled a deep breath, then blew it out and turned to Jessica. “Jesus, I hope you made pie!”
“I did,” she told him, then kissed his cheek. “And you and I, sir, have very different ideas of what it means to be a coward.”
Colin laughed. “OK. Enough. Let’s eat.” He picked up his fork, then turned to look at Joshua.
His husband was staring at him. His lower lip was clamped between his teeth and his face was wet with tears. At Colin’s glance he ducked his head, and his breath caught in his throat. Colin lifted Joshua’s chin and used his napkin to dab at his husband’s tears. He leaned forward and kissed his damp cheek then whispered against his ear. “Eat! You’re too thin!”
Joshua burst into laughter and returned Colin’s kiss. “Stop impersonating my mother,” he muttered. “It makes me nervous.”
Colin laughed out loud.
“Plus,” Joshua added, leaning toward him, “it’s a little creepy.”
* * *
After dinner the family,along with Jessica, gathered in the living room to chat. Colin and Abel began their never-ending game of chess with Joshua straddling a chair next to them, offering the occasional piece of unwelcome advice.
The chess tournament ended with Colin defeating his brother-in-law two games to one. And, as they climbed the stairs leading to their bedrooms, he taunted Abel mercilessly about his diminished ability at the chessboard.
“You fall in love or something?” Colin asked, reaching to poke Abel’s shoulder from behind. “Because I can’t think of anything else that could turn youthatbrain-dead.”
“That what happened toyou?” Abel teased. “Josh turn your brain to mush?”
“Beatyou,didn’t I!”
“Boys! Boys!” Joshua teased. “Put away your swinging dicks. Our mother is in the building.”
They entered their bedroom, still laughing. Colin sat down on the bed, then fell onto his back. “Oh, man! I haven’t whomped him that good since Christmas!”
“You mean sinceChrismukkah?” Joshua asked, grinning.
“Right. Chrismukkah. Sorry. Forgot we’re a mixed-religion family.”
Joshua moved to the bed, standing between Colin’s knees. He leaned forward and placed both hands on Colin’s chest, lowering himself inch by inch until he lay on top of his husband, their eyes so close that Colin could feel Joshua’s long lashes brush against his own.
“Well, this night suddenly got more interesting,” Colin noted. He captured Joshua’s face between his palms and drew him forward until their mouths were nearly touching. He opened his mouth just enough to slide his tongue between Joshua’s lips and touch their tongues together, tip to tip, smiling when he heard Joshua gasp.
“Problem?” he asked, eyes wide and innocent.
Joshua wrinkled his nose. “None that I can’t solve,” he whispered, then pushed off the bed, grabbing the hem of Colin’s T-shirt as he rose. He dragged the shirt over Colin’s head, then hurled it to a corner of the room.
His hands dropped to Colin’s shoulders, then slid down his chest to his jeans. In moments they were unsnapped and unzipped, then tugged over Colin’s hips along with his briefs, and hurled to the floor beside the T-shirt.
Colin tried to sit up, but Joshua took a quick step forward and pushed him back. “Stay there!”
Colin put his finger over his lips. “Shhhh! Quiet, baby! Abel’s right down the hall!” He cocked an eyebrow and scooted farther back in the bed. “Anything you say, boss man,” he told him in a stage whisper.
“Damn right,” Joshua whispered in return. He moved to stand beside the bed and began to take off his clothing, one piece at a time. His movements were languorous and sensual, each item easing itself from his naked skin in a smooth, dance-like motion. His jeans and briefs slid from one leg, then the other, then Joshua held his T-shirt in front of him, sliding the cloth over and around his hard, throbbing erection.
“Jesus!” Colin whispered, mesmerized by Joshua’s erotic performance. His own rigid erection ached to be touched, to be caressed, to thrust itself into the pristine body which undulated before him, taunting him with its satiny olive beauty.
“Want something, darlin’?” Joshua asked. He dropped his T-shirt to the floor beside the bed, and leaned over Colin, his naked body mere inches away. “Something I can...” Joshua bent over Colin’s face and breathed against his lips, “...dofor you?”
Colin’s teeth clenched. His breath was a choppy rasp in his throat. “I’m going to give you three seconds...” he muttered, his voice a gravely whisper, “thenI’mtaking over.”
Joshua laughed, and fell on top of his husband’s body, his lips capturing Colin’s in a wild, fierce kiss, their tongues dancing, licking, flicking, devouring each other’s mouths in every way they could. They moaned into each other’s mouths as their desire flared, a hot eager force that could not be subdued or denied, and Joshua slid one hand over Colin’s mouth, his moans changing to giggles. “You talk aboutme?”
Colin snickered against his fingers. “We do this every damned time. I justknowAbe has one ear pressed against his wall.”
