Ever so slowly, Dustin skimmed his fingers up and down Seth’s arms, nibbling at the hollow of Seth’s throat. Down and down he traveled, pausing to tease a circle around one crinkly nipple before lapping a swath over the slight bulge of Seth’s belly.
More relaxed and comfortable than he’d been in a long, long time, arousal zinged through Seth again. By the time Dustin’s mouth reached his groin, he was hard again.
Dustin chucked. “I guess it’s true that you can’t keep a good man down.” He took Seth’s cock into the warm cavern of his mouth.
This was no slow lovemaking—this was what Seth imagined happened in the back rooms of clubs, a sucking intended to get him off in the shortest possible time. He stared, fascinated by the hollows forming in Dustin’s cheeks. With nothing else to hold onto, he braced his hands on Dustin’s shoulders. Too soon, the familiar tingling started low in his belly, and he cried out, filling Dustin’s mouth. If anyone had been in the house, they’d have heard him. Right now Seth couldn’t bring himself to care.
Dustin climbed up the bed in one fluid motion and kissed Seth deeply, the taste of come lingering on his tongue. If Seth hadn’t already peaked three times tonight, sharing the flavor would have been enough to set him off again. Dustin pulled the covers over them both. “Good night,” he said, caressing Seth’s temple with his lips.
While Dustin slept peacefully beside him, Seth lay awake into the night, wondering how the hell he’d ever leave this behind to return to an empty life in Chicago.
Chapter 10
THATnight became the first of several dates ending at one of their houses, Dustin’s work schedule permitting. Having grown used to seeing each other daily, it came as a surprise when Dustin turned Seth down without offering much of an explanation.
“I’m sorry, Seth, but I’m busy tonight.”
“Busy doing what? Do you need some help?” Macaroni pie sizzled in the oven, the recipe procured from one of Aunt Irene’s handwritten cookbooks.
“Um… thanks, but this is something I have to do on my own. Can I come over tomorrow night instead?”
Only if you like leftovers,Seth nearly said, kicking himself for being needy. Though they’d seen each other regularly for the past week, Dustin had made no mention of being exclusive, or if their being lovers even held any meaning beyond sex.It’s not like he’s expecting you to stay,Seth’s conscience justified, pissing him off. His conscience was supposed to be onhisside.
“Yeah, it’s okay. I may go to the library tonight. Use the Internet.”
“Don’t!”
“Huh?”
“The library’s closed tonight. Mrs. Hopkins has the flu.”
“The library is closed because the librarian is sick? Doesn’t she have an assistant?”
“Assistant is sick too. Nasty bug going around. Highly contagious. She left my office not two minutes ago.”
“Oh.” Seth breathed a sigh of relief. “You could have told me you were working late. I cooked. Would you like me to bring you a plate?”
“No! I mean, dinner sounds wonderful, but my throat’s been kinda scratchy.” Dustin coughed on cue. “Maybe you should stay home, not risk catching this bug.”
“If you insist.”
A relieved-sounding Dustin replied, “Good. I’ll see you tomorrow, and remember, whatever you do, stay home tonight. In the house.”
Strange, but maybe Dustin was running a fever, making him delirious. “Okay. Take care of yourself, and call me if you need anything.”
“Will do. Good night.”
WHEW, what a close call. Dustin stood on the roof of his truck in order to get a cell phone signal in the clearing behind Irene’s house. The passel gathered, one-hundred-fifty-plus strong around him. Several women scattered the bounty of a late-night run to a bakery thrift shop on the ground. “No one is to go near the house tonight, understand? No one!” He made one more phone call, ensuring the perimeter guards were in place, ever vigilant against attack. A light breeze carried the scent of home cooking to his sensitive nose, adding an additional burden. Seth had cooked. For him.
“But ever since she got sick, we always met at Ms. Irene’s house to eat before heading out into the night,” one of the elders protested, bringing Dustin back to the here and now.
“Irene’s gone, her great-nephew is living there, and he has no clue about his family.”And he’ll be leaving soon and won’t ever be the wiser.Seemed a shame, though, to watch the McDaniel family legacy fade and die. For more than two hundred years, the passel had existed in harmony, for the most part, under the shrewd leadership of various McDaniels. And now the line had nearly died out. McDaniels made great leaders on the whole, but they weren’t the most prolific of families. Giving Seth up a second time just might rip Dustin’s heart out.
Monica approached, waiting while Dustin climbed down off the truck before assuming an “at ease, soldier” pose to his right, a position befitting the acting second-in-command.
“Are you announcing your intent to take Irene’s place?” This from Willie Timmerman from down at the Feed and Seed. Dustin fully believed Willie’s Uncle Junior put him up to asking. Willie seldom did anything without direction from his powerful uncle, one of the town’s leading citizens and the one most likely to issue a challenge. Why Junior hadn’t already done so mystified Dustin, but he fully expected opposition, someday soon.
“At the moment, I’m respecting the passing of our leader. When the time is right, I’ll recommend a successor or announce my intentions.” Aware of the sand trickling away in her hourglass, Irene had spent her last days coaching Dustin on what he’d need to do and say. At the moment, he felt he hadn’t learned enough and wished they’d been given a little more time.
