Code Blue

As a fire fighter, Justin has learned the hard way that bad things always seem to come in threes and the sudden turn of events in his life are no different. First, major budget cuts to the fire department force him to take a part-time job as a medic and his new partner hates not just him, but all men in general. Next, his rig gets stolen by some drunken bum named Indian Jack, who then crashes it into the local Planetarium. Then finally, some punk named Clayton shows up starts to stir up all kinds of trouble. Young and way too damn good looking for his own good, Clayton has come to Flint to claim back his first love, Dylan. There is just one problem with that, Dylan is already in a committed relationship with Justin's best friend, Kaleb. Since Justin loves Kaleb like a brother, he intervenes by coldly telling Clayton to leave Flint and never come back. To his annoyance, not only does the younger man refuse to leave, but he somehow manages to get a job at one of the local hospitals. So now not only does Justin have to face that problem three is not going away, but he has to see him every day--all the while fighting the growing attraction between them. Then Justin learns that everything about Clayton may not be as it seem. The younger man harbors a past and secrets from which he's never healed from. Despite himself, Justin draws closer to Clayton and knows that nothing will stop him from tying to protect the troubled man. Will Justin be able to help him become whole, or will Clayton be lost to him forever?

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author‟s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Code Blue Copyright © 2010 Stephani Hecht ISBN: 978-1-55487-675-4 Cover art by Angela Waters All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com

Code Blue EMS Heat By Stephani Hecht

Chapter One

T

he son-of-bitch, poser had stolen his rig. Justin doubled back and looked on the other side of the building, just to make sure that maybe in his sleep-deprived state he hadn‟t forgot where he‟d parked it. All that met him was more emptiness, aside from a few parked cars and a battered, chain link fence. The lack of an ambulance almost mocking him, as if God and his winged buddies were looking down on Justin and having themselves a great big, belly laugh. He stood there like some deer-in-the-headlights idiot as he cursed the way his day had turned out. First, they got the call that had brought them to this neighborhood. Once there they‟d encountered an angry, five-hundred-pound patient, who refused treatment, because if he wanted to eat himself to death it was his own damn business so his mother could take her 911 calls and shove them up her ass. Then Justin had the joy of dealing with said mother when she‟d gone off and slugged him for 1

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not being able to talk her little baby into going to get the help he needed. Then to add insult to injury, the mother‟s boyfriend had gotten into the act, trying to throw around all of his one-hundred-twenty pounds into the mix. This had continued until the next door neighbors and their eight hound dogs had joined in. Justin and his medic partner had been lucky to make it out of that mess alive. Eager for a quick getaway, Justin had rushed to get to the rig, only to find it had pulled a David Blaine and vanished. “Damn it!” Justin yelled at no one in particular. From across the street, a pair of men pointed at him and started cackling. Like many who hung out on this particular Flint street, they were homeless. Their thin, dirty bodies covered in layers of ratty, grimy clothes. The taller one wore a black, knit hat, shocks of his greasy, grey hair poked out from under it. The other heckler stood much shorter, his bald head shining in the midafternoon sun. “I‟m glad you two find this so funny,” Justin called to them. That just made them laugh harder. They kept at it for several long, anger-inducing minutes, even going as far as to lean against each other from time to time for support. Justin debated yelling at them, but knew that would only amuse them more. He balled his hands into fists and waited for them to 2

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finish. Justin‟s partner, Jessie, came lopping up. “What has Statler and Waldorf all worked up?” Justin blinked in confusion. “Is that really their names?” Jessie rolled his eyes. He tended to do that a lot at Justin. A younger man with soft, baby blues and spiked blond hair it would be easy to mistake him for just another airhead, boy-toy. That assumption would be a huge mistake though, because Justin had learned that Jessie was smarter than most and a damn good medic. “That was the names of the two old guys who used to sit in the balcony and make fun of Kermit and Fozzie. Didn‟t you ever watch the Muppet Show as a kid?” Jessie asked, his tone slightly outraged, as if Justin had committed some great sin. “I must have been busy on the days it was on,” Justin drawled, not about to admit that he hadn‟t watched any kid‟s shows period. “You must have felt really deprived as a child.” Jessie slowly shook his head. While Justin realized Jessie was only kidding, the man‟s comment hit close to the truth. Justin would never admit that aloud, however. He had never been the type to share his life story with others and damn if he was going to start now, just because he‟d found himself working on an 3

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ambulance and saddled with a partner. Until a few months ago, Justin had worked for the City fire department. Budget cuts and a crappy economy had forced him to take a part-time job at a private ambulance company, so now he found himself working as a firefighter on some days and a medic on others. Not exactly how he‟d planned things to work out, but he knew he should count himself lucky. Many other firefighters hadn‟t had a medic‟s license to fall back on, so when the city cut manpower, many of them were scrambling to find another source of income. “So why are Statler and Waldorf laughing at you?” Jessie asked. Justin turned and shot Jessie a tight smile. “Our rig is gone.” It gave him so much satisfaction to see Jessie‟s eyes nearly bulge out with shock. “Please tell me you‟re just shitting me.” “Nope, look for yourself. Notice something missing?” Justin gestured to the ambulance-free parking lot. Jessie‟s gaze swept the area before he did the same look-around-the-corner-of-the-building thing that Justin had done earlier. When he came back, he‟d started to mutter under his breath as he ran his hands through his hair, making it spike more than normal. “Oh, shit. We are so fucked,” Jessie exclaimed 4

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as he started pacing. “And not in a good way,” Justin drawled. Statler and Waldorf started laughing harder, their cackles drowning out the normal, everyday sounds of Flint. Jessie went to the edge of the curb to yell at them. “You two keep it up and I‟m never bringing you another candy bar.” That immediately sobered them up. “Sorry, Jessie. It‟s just a hoot watching your living Ken doll run around like an idiot,” the taller one said. “Did he just call me a Ken doll? I‟m not even a blond,” Justin asked from the corner of his mouth. He didn‟t know whether to be offended or complimented. He ran a hand through his short, dark hair, wondering if it had somehow managed to get into that combed-over-to-the-side style that Ken always favored. “Just ignore the jab. We need their cooperation if we ever want to figure out what happened,” Jessie returned in an equally low voice. “Why do we need their help at all? Just have dispatch use the GPS to locate the rig?” “I‟m sure that‟s exactly what headquarters will do, but I figure they may be less mad at us if we can at least tell them who hijacked our rig.” Okay, Jessie may have a point there. As it was, they would be lucky if they were only written up and made the butt of the company‟s jokes for a 5

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few months. Jessie pulled out a Snickers from the inner pocket of his uniform coat and swung it back and forth, much like a hypnotist. “Okay, Statler and Waldorf, who took our rig?” Both of the men‟s heads started to go back and forth, their gazes riveted on the chocolate treat. Justin bit back a laugh. He had to hand it to Jessie, the guy knew the community and people who lived there pretty damn well. “It was Indian Jack,” the shorter one burst out, before he put a hand to his mouth in a guilty gesture. “Now, why did you have to go and tell them that for?” the taller one demanded. Justin tuned out the rest of the argument, already keying his portable radio. “Alpha 321 to dispatch.” “This is dispatch,” came back a tiny, staticfilled, male voice. “Please be advised that we‟re out of service.” Justin tensed, waiting for the fury that would be coming his way. “Repeat, 321?” “We‟re out of service.” “But you were just off a refusal of treatment call so how is that possible? Your rig should be ready to go for another call,” dispatch demanded, sharply…well, as sharply one could over a radio that had been banged around too many times. 6

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Justin debated on how best to break the news, only to come to the conclusion that there really wasn‟t a good way to drop this kind of bombshell. “Indian Jack kind of borrowed our rig.” “What do you mean borrowed?” “Well, once we got out from under the Jerry Springer pile, I came out and it was gone.” “What, the pile or the rig?” Justin shot the radio a dirty look. “The rig.” He held in a groan. This conversation had really gone south and he was painfully aware that nearly every member of the EMS community was probably listening in by now. Their jabs and comments would make Statler and Waldorf look like puppy dogs, too. “Stand by,” dispatch commanded. While he waited, Justin glanced over at Jessie and his buddies. The two men were on either side of the small medic, all of them laughing at something. Knowing Justin‟s luck, it was probably him. He sighed as he wondered just how much worse his day could get. The only thing he could see missing at this point was a wave of locusts and a group of horsemen. The radio crackled to life, “Law enforcement is on their way and your company is sending someone to give you a ride.” “Thanks, 321 out.” He walked back over to Jessie just in time to 7

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hear the tall homeless man ask, “How come they don‟t let you ride with Randal anymore? I thought you guys were special friends.” Justin noticed that there wasn‟t a sneer or any other sign of derision in the question, just a genuine curiosity. “They don‟t like having a real-life couple working together.” Jessie shrugged as if it was not big deal. Justin knew better. He and Jessie hung out with the same group of medics and firefighters. Since they were mostly openly, gay men, they were all pretty tight. So he remembered how upset Jessie had been when he‟d found out he couldn‟t work with his life partner any longer. “That‟s not right,” the smaller man declared as he shook his head. “You guys made a good team. I‟ll never forget how you saved me from heat stroke this summer. A lot of others wouldn‟t have been as kind as you two.” “Justin is pretty nice, too.” Jessie winked at him. Not for the first time, Justin wished he was the one who had seen the cute, blond medic first. With his sweet smile, tight ass and smart mouth attitude, Jessie was the type of guy Justin always went for. Justin sighed. No sense in wishing for things he could never have because it hadn‟t been he who had seen Jessie first, it had been Randal and that 8

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man was smart enough to know to hold onto a good thing once he had it. Randal was lucky Justin liked him as a friend so much or he may have been tempted to try to seduce Jessie away from him. The tall one scratched his stomach as he squinted at Justin. “I thought you were a firefighter?” It shocked Justin that the man could remember him out of all the members of Flint Fire. “I still am. I just do this part time.” “You were one of the guys who showed up to St. Anthony‟s fire.” “Yeah, I was.” St. Anthony‟s had once been a fully functioning hospital until the bad turn in the economy had forced it to shut its doors. The loss had been huge to the city because not only had the hospital served many lower income patients, but it also had the biggest mental services center for miles around. As a result of it not being there any longer, all the remaining hospitals had been forced to scramble to keep up. “I heard that fire was set on purpose,” the smaller guy chimed in. “You heard right.” Justin didn‟t go into the more gritty details of how it‟d been a former psychotic patient who had returned and decided to burn out the devil who had taken over the city. “They also said the guy who done it got all 9

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burned up, but still lived,” the taller man added, his voice taking on a can-ya-believe-it tone. Justin just grunted. The last thing he wanted to do was even think about that call let alone rehash it. He still woke up from nightmares—the crazed man‟s screams echoing in his ears, the smell of burnt flesh searing his nostrils. “You did a good thing that night. I remember how caring you were when you took care of that man,” the shorter one offered. Justin recalled the large crowd that had gathered to watch the fire. At the time, he‟d been too caught up in saving the patient‟s life to think about it, but now he couldn‟t help but wonder why tragedies such as fires drew in so many of the curious. He‟d been around long enough to know that it wasn‟t just Flint either, but all over. What did it say about mankind that they took such a fascination in others‟ suffering? “I was just doing my job,” Justin returned gruffly. He‟d never been good at taking complements. “No, you showed compassion and that you actually gave a damn. That‟s something special in my book,” the small guy argued. Justin was saved from answering when an ambulance pulled up. He let out a sigh of relief when he recognized it as the one his buddies, James and Matt, worked out of. The last thing he 10

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and Jessie needed right then was to have to face some unfriendlies. As soon as they parked, Matt rolled down the driver‟s side window and shot off his famous cocky grin. He had on his usual dark shades, his blond hair slicked back stylishly. “Hey, I heard there were some lost baby birds, but I didn‟t know it was you two. Wait until the guys hear about this.” He then whipped out his iPhone and started pounding out a text, showing that the guys wouldn‟t be waiting long to hear their news. Justin let out a growl. Maybe it hadn‟t been a blessing that Matt‟s crew had shown up after all. At least Matt‟s partner, James, wasn‟t such an ass. He‟d always been the more quiet and serious of the pair. Even his appearance was in direct odds with his partner. While Matt was more flashy and in-your-face, James, with his dark hair and sharp, blue eyes, tended to exude more calm. Jessie had once described the pair as Lady Gaga meets Alanis Morissette—gay guy version. James got out of the rig and came over to them. “Are you two okay?” James asked, his gaze soft with concern. “Yeah, we‟re just suffering from bruised egos,” Justin replied. “Oh, no. Where‟s that located?” the tall man looked Justin and Jessie up and down. 11

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“Somewhere, between the pride and the shame,” Matt snarked as he got out, too. Great, once Matt got out and jawing, it usually took at least ten minutes to get him centered again. A point proved when he went over to the homeless men. “Hey, Statler and Waldorf, how‟s it hanging?” They returned the greeting, both of them calling Matt by name. While the medic could be over the top sometimes, all his patients loved him. “I‟m sure you guys won‟t get into too much trouble for losing the rig,” James consoled Justin. “Not so long as you were following procedure.” It gave Justin a small measure of hope to realize James may have a point. While the rig had been left running, that was common practice whenever going into a call. After all, it wouldn‟t be good to load a critical patient up into a rig, only to have the thing not start. Also, it was important and at times vital to maintain the temperature in the back of the vehicle. So it was frowned upon to turn the engine off. The rig had been left in the patient‟s driveway and the only reason Justin had left the vehicle was to assist in the patient‟s treatment. It‟s not like they were the first ones to have an ambulance taken either. Granted it happened more in Detroit, but it wasn‟t completely unheard of in Flint. “At least the drug box is locked up,” Justin 12

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mused. “And we all know Indian Jack isn‟t beefy enough to break it open either,” Jessie added. “Is that who stole your rig?” Matt doubled over in laughter. For once, his humor wasn‟t entirely misplaced. Indian Jack, who was the furthest you could get from a Native American, was a scrawny, redheaded, fixture of the city who hardly tipped the scales at one hundred pounds. Tweaked out of his mind half the time and delirious the other times, the sweet, but often befuddled guy was hardly the criminal mastermind. “He probably thought he owned the damn thing,” Justin surmised. The last time he‟d transported Jack, the guy had sworn he‟d just bought himself a brand new flying broomstick so a sparkly ambulance was probably a step down for him. Still, it did have all the pretty lights and sirens on it. The radio squawked before a voice came through. “Alpha 321, this is Dispatch.” Somehow Justin just knew this couldn‟t be good. He keyed the radio, “Alpha 321, what have you got for me?” “Is Alpha 304 there?” “Affirmative.” “Have them take you to the Flint Planetarium. Your rig has been located.” 13

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“Copy. Is it parked there or something?” “That would be a negative. It‟s inside the planetarium.” All the medics exchanged confused glances. “Did you say inside?” “That‟s correct, 321. It would seem that your rig has crashed into the building. Good thing was that there were no injuries though.” “Tell that to their egos,” Matt muttered. For once, Justin totally agreed with him.

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Chapter Two

B

reathe in. Breathe out. Slow and easy. You can do this. Clayton leaned his forehead against the back of the Greyhound seat as he gave himself an inner pep talk. It didn‟t work though. No matter how many times he told himself to calm down…to not make a spaz out of himself yet again, the panic attack refused to go away. A cold sweat broke out over his body as his lungs seemed to compress into flat pancakes that refused to fill back up with air. His heart pounded fast and hard in his chest. The ferocity of it so great, his entire body seemed to throb in time. A tingling sensation encircled his lips as a burst of heat came over his ears. “Come on. Please. Not now,” he whispered as his fingers curled up into claws. His only saving grace was that the back of the bus was dark so none of the other passengers could witness his humiliation. Even though they‟d 15

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already pulled into the Flint station, it was late enough that the streetlights didn‟t illuminate the interior. He tried to focus on good things, like Dylan and how wonderful it would be to see him again…to hold him. How things always seemed so much better once Dylan smiled at him. The way it had felt when they had touched. The problem with thinking about Dylan though, was it always brought back the bad memories, too. How wicked and defective Clayton had felt when he‟d realized he‟d fallen in love with his best friend. The terror of having to recognize that meant he was gay. The look of hatred in his father‟s eyes when the truth had come out. Then all those awful things that had followed… No, he couldn‟t go there. If he did, then he‟d really go off into the deep end. So instead, Clayton focused on one of the streetlights, making himself think only of that small dot of light. At the same time, he forced his breaths to go slow and even. For a few, dread-filled moments, he didn‟t think it would work, but eventually the tension seeped from his body. Not entirely, but enough for him for be able to stand when it came time to disembark the bus. As he stepped down the stairs, the crisp, fall air hit his face, drying away the remaining sweat. He 16

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took in a few grateful breaths because even the thick, city air beat the rank smell of the bus. He flung his backpack over his shoulder and walked away. Since he didn‟t have any other belongings, he didn‟t have to worry about gathering up any luggage. A bright neon sign advertised a low-end hotel chain. Not having the funds to be picky, he crossed the nearly deserted four-lane road to get to it. His feet splashed into a few puddles, the dirty, pollution-filled water soaking into his shoes. He shivered, the thin sweat jacket he wore doing nothing to hold away the cold, Michigan weather. He tried not to look at the things that might set off another panic attack—the tall buildings surrounding him, the dark alleys between them, the garbage-strewn curbs. It worked because he managed to get to the hotel without any further incidents. He pushed open the streaked, glass door to the small room that served as a front lobby. All the while, he refused to think about the last time he‟d been at a hotel. Or was the place he was at now a motel? He never did know what the difference between the two was. Shrugging off that question, he walked to the front desk. A thick piece of safety glass separated him from the clerk, an older woman, with short gray hair and tired looking eyes. She barely looked up at 17

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Clayton as she asked, “Will it be hourly or for the night?” Clayton blinked in confusion. Hourly? Were there really people who only used a room for only a little while? Maybe they just came in to get a few winks before moving on. Gosh, he had never felt more out of place. Raised by a strict Baptist minister father and dutiful Christian mother, he and his siblings had never been allowed to watch television or movies. And forget about rock music or secular reading material. The first time he‟d even seen a People magazine had been a couple months ago. “I‟ll take it for the night, please ma‟am,” he slid the required bills through the thin slot at the bottom of the glass. “Ma‟am.” The clerk laughed, the sound more gasping than anything. “Nobody‟s called me that in years.” She slid through a key on a large, brown key ring. He took it, thanking her. “Room 212 and don‟t cause any trouble because we call the cops here if that happens,” she warned. “I promise I‟ll be quiet.” Clayton took the key, resisting the urge to hold it between two fingers because they thing felt suspiciously sticky. He quickly found his room and opened the door, having to jiggle the key a few times to make it work. As he swung open the door, he had to stop 18

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himself from crying. His room, if he could even call the pit in front of him that, was the size of a small walk-in closet. That wasn‟t even the worst part though. The smell took that prize. It had the rank of old cigarettes, urine and vomit, all mixed in with other scents he couldn‟t even begin to identify. “You can do this. Think about Dylan,” he whispered. It‟s not like he had any other choice anyway. His options were pretty limited at the moment, unless he was willing to go back to his parents. He‟d rather live in this horrible hotel room for the rest of his life than do that. A loud banging sound that seemed to originate from several rooms down finally gave Clayton the motivation he needed to get his butt inside. Closing his door, he engaged the various locks and deadbolts before letting out a shaky breath. He had to be out his ever-living mind. What in the heck had he been thinking by coming to Flint? He didn‟t even know if the address he‟d managed to finagle out of Dylan‟s sister was correct. For all he knew, he could be on some wild goose chase and Dylan was living three states over or something. It was all he had though. His sole hope. Even after how things had ended between them, Dylan was the only one who Clayton could turn to. If 19

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Dylan slammed the door in his face and refused to talk to him, Clayton would have nothing. He looked around at his new home. The only furnishings were a large bed, with a hideous brown bedspread covering it, and a small, battered dresser that had an old looking television on top of it. Not exactly the high-end place his family had stayed at during the Prayer-for-All retreat two years ago. For a moment, he debated taking off his shoes, but one glance at the filth, encrusted carpet squelched that thought. He moved over and sat on the edge of the mattress as he tried hard not to allow himself to wallow in self-pity. Things could be worse after all. He could still be at the hospital or worse, the Christian Souls Health Facility. He opened the backpack, pushing aside the few items of clothing inside until he found a picture. Pulling it out, he stared at it, a smile coming over his face for the first time in days. The photo was of him and Dylan, taken two summers ago, when they had both been counselors at the local Bible camp. They both had their arms around each other‟s shoulders, all buddy-like because it had been before they‟d admitted their attraction to each other. They had on huge bright smiles to match the equally bright, yellow t-shirts they wore. Clayton‟s sandy blond hair was cut short, the ends 20

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not even coming close to reaching the collar of his shirt, per his father‟s dictates. A pair of sunglasses covered his brown eyes. While Dylan had his dark hair cut short, too, it at least had some style to it, the front falling slightly into his deep, green eyes. Clayton caressed the image of Dylan. The two of them had been friends ever since kindergarten and had been inseparable, even taking summer jobs at the same place. Dylan had been closer to Clayton than his own brothers. He wasn‟t sure when his feelings toward Dylan had changed into something more intimate. Probably around the time they‟d entered high school. All Clayton did know for certain was that when other guys had been checking out the cheerleaders, he‟d been noticing how cute Dylan‟s smile looked or the adorable way he liked to nibble on his bottom lip when concentrating. When Clayton had found out that Dylan had returned his attraction, he‟d been both terrified and thrilled. In the end, they‟d only shared one kiss, but the price for that single encounter had been huge. Dylan had been torn from his life and Clayton had been sent off to the Health center to be cured. Now, he could only hope that Dylan still cared for him and if so, that he could accept Clayton in his life again. Clayton had given up everything so they could finally be together. He‟d walked out of 21

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treatment, broken his mother‟s heart, earned his father‟s wrath and severed all ties with his siblings. All Clayton had left really did fit into that one, sad backpack. The only reason he had any money was because his grandmother had given him some so he‟d get out of town before he disgraces the family further. He dropped to his back, his feet still hanging over the edge of the bed. The distant sounds of bus station traffic mixed in with the muffled sounds of the other hotel occupants. All around him were the sounds of others and yet, Clayton had never felt so totally alone. **** Justin let himself into the apartment belonging to his buddy, Kaleb, then immediately went over to the fridge to look for something to drink. Since he‟d spent the better part of the previous evening consoling himself with his other buddy, Jack Daniel, Justin knew he‟d be seriously dehydrated. He‟d had to work through a terrible hangover all morning and most of the afternoon and didn‟t relish being miserable for the evening as well. “Is that you, Justin?” Kaleb called from behind the bedroom door. “Yeah, I just got off my shift,” he hollered back 22

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as he took a chair at the table. “Okay, we‟ll be right out.” Justin rolled his eyes, he‟d bet he‟d have to wait at least ten more minutes before Kaleb or Dylan showed their faces. Justin knew full well Dylan had just got off a shift, too, so he and Kaleb would have a lot of catching up to do. Ever since the pair of them had shacked up, they‟d been insatiable. He took a deep drink of water and reflected back on how the past twenty-four hours had gone. He and Jessie hadn‟t been written up for their rig being stolen, but they had been assigned new partners. While Jessie had lucked out and got Dylan, Justin was saddled with Hester, an older woman who hated everyone, men in particular. Even though she topped out at just over five feet, her voice more than made up for that. After she had told Justin not to get any fancy ideas about her, things had just gone downhill from there. By the end of his shift, he wanted to take a running leap from the rear ambulance doors…while the rig was still in motion. A soft knock interrupted his troubled thoughts. “Do you guys want me to get that?” he asked the closed bedroom door. When there was no response, Justin shrugged and went to answer it. He assumed it was probably Jessie or one of the others since they had plans to go to the bar later on. 23

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“I swear if you fuckers make laser light show jokes all night, I‟m going to stick you with my tab,” he said by way of greeting. The smile fell from his mug as he found himself facing a complete stranger. Correction, one of the most fuckable guys he‟d ever seen, but still a stranger nonetheless. The man stood several inches shorter than Justin and was also much thinner with slightly shaggy brown hair and the softest set of brown eyes. “Oh, sorry, I must have the wrong place,” the man, or better yet, kid, stammered as he nervously toyed with the zipper of his dark, blue hoodie. “Funny, I was just thinking this was my lucky day and Pandora’s had started delivering,” Justin countered, referring to the local gay club. “Huh?” The kid‟s brow furrowed in confusion. “Forget about it. Who are you looking for?” “My…er, friend. His name is Dylan.” That came as a shock. As far as he knew, Dylan didn‟t have any other friends besides them. Not since everyone back in Dylan‟s hometown had cut off all ties with him and his brother, Lucas. “And who might you be?” Justin asked. “Clayton.” Justin moved to the side. “Well, come inside. Dylan is in the bedroom right now, but he should be coming out in a second.” Clayton hesitantly nodded before walking in. 24

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His movements so timid, he nearly shuffled his feet the entire way. “He‟s still in bed?” “You could say that.” Justin shut the door, noticing how Clayton flinched a little, as if he feared being alone with a stranger. “Oh,” Clayton started fiddling with his zipper again. At the aggressive way he was going at it, Justin expected him to bust the thing.” I‟m Justin, by the way. Not that you asked or anything.” Clayton started, his eyes growing wide. “Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. How rude of me.” Justin cocked his head to the side. Had the kid actually just said gosh? Justin hadn‟t heard that word in a while. “Well gee, golly willikers, I promise not to take away your Miss. Manner‟s card.” He sat back down and kicked out the chair opposite of him. “Here, take a load off.” “I don‟t know,” Clayton hedged. “I was just here to talk to Dylan.” “It may be a while. Usually he and Kaleb can go at it for a long time.” Clayton scrunched his nose up. “Kaleb?” At that exact moment, the bedroom door opened and Dylan and Kaleb came out. Dylan had a huge grin on his face, his body draped over Kaleb so much it was a wonder either one of them could walk. Even though they were dressed, neither had done a complete job of the task. The 25

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front of Dylan‟s uniform shirt was unbuttoned all the way so his bare chest showed while Kaleb‟s pants were undone. Clayton let out a loud gasp, drawing everyone‟s attention. The smile fled Dylan‟s face, replaced by shock. “Clayton?” Oh shit, judging by the expressions on the other‟s faces, this was not good. Clayton let out a strangled cry before he turned heel and ran to the door. He fumbled with the handle for few seconds before he got it open. Dylan called after him, but Clayton didn‟t even so much as look back before he bailed so fast, Justin half-expected to see a vapor trail. “Is that him?” Kaleb asked Dylan. Dylan nodded, his face so white that he looked two seconds from passing out. “I should go talk to him. Do you mind?” Kaleb kissed him on top of the head. “Of course I don‟t.” Dylan took off, buttoning up his shirt on the way out. Once they were alone, Justin turned to Kaleb. “What was that all about?” “That was Dylan‟s first boyfriend,” Kaleb explained with a heavy sigh. “I thought you were his one and only.” “Not exactly. Before he left home, Dylan had a thing going with Clayton. They‟d been best 26

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friends all their lives and one day they both realized that not only were they gay, but they were in love with each other.” “What happened?” Justin knew it couldn‟t have gone down well or else Dylan would have never ended up in Flint and with Kaleb. “Dylan‟s father caught them kissing and flew off the deep end. He sent Clayton home and then proceeded to beat the shit out of Dylan.” “Holy shit,” Justin breathed, wondering why he‟d never heard any of this before. Maybe Dylan just didn‟t like sharing that part of his life. “Since Lucas had already been kicked out of the house for being gay, Dylan came here to him and the rest of the story you know.” “No, you didn‟t tell me what happened to Clayton after they were caught,” Justin pointed out, wondering why that missing fact was so important to him. Kaleb shrugged. “He cut off all ties with Dylan and never talked to him again.” “Until today,” Justin said, shooting the door a look. “Are you sure it was wise to let Dylan run after him like that?” “First off, Dylan and I don‟t have to get permission from each other to do anything. He only asked me out of respect. Second, I trust him totally.” “Why?” Justin blurted before he could stop 27

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himself. “Because I love him.” “So? My mother loved my dad. That didn‟t stop him from fucking around on her.” “Dylan would never do that to me,” Kaleb said with such simple conviction that Justin could almost believe him if life hadn‟t already taught him differently. “You‟re willing to bet your whole relationship on that?” “Yeah, because I know he loves me, too. Whatever Dylan and Clayton had is over. “

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Chapter Three

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layton ran so fast down the front steps of the apartment that he stumbled and almost fell twice. How could he have been so stupid? All this time he‟d actually let himself believe that he and Dylan could pick up where they‟d left off. Instead, he‟d been slapped with the fact that not only had Dylan moved on, but it had been with some guy that looked nearly perfect. There was no way someone as scrawny and dorky as him could even begin to compete with that. What did he have to offer besides panic attacks and shame? Heck, he didn‟t even have a real place to live or a job. From the looks of it, Dylan‟s new boyfriend had both. Their apartment was huge and the furniture in it didn‟t look cheap. It certainly wasn‟t some old, beaten up dresser with a hundred year old TV. Once he reached the end of the block, he paused to catch his breath. The exertion from his 29

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mad dash made his eyes well up and lungs burn. Or at least he told himself that was the reason. The only other option would be that he felt about ready to cry like some girl and he‟d vowed to himself that would never happen again. “Clayton, will you wait up!” He turned and groaned as he spotted Dylan running down the sidewalk. He‟d buttoned up his shirt, but it still remained untucked from his matching blue work pants. Even so, he still never looked more handsome. Crud, everything about him had remained perfect, including the way his dark hair fell stylishly over his eyes. “Look, why don‟t we just forget I ever came here?” Clayton said, once Dylan reached his side. “No, I‟m happy to see you. I was just surprised at first. I didn‟t think I‟d ever talk to you again after what happened back home. Or maybe I should say, I didn‟t think you wanted to talk to me again. From what I heard, you refused to have anything to do with me.” Clayton took in a sharp breath as he realized that Dylan knew nothing about the events that had transpired after they‟d been discovered. He ducked his head down, afraid his face would give him away. Dylan had always been so good at reading him, even when they‟d still been kids. He debated over how much he wanted to share. Was now the time to really dump something so 30

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big? Exactly how did one go about saying that they‟d first tried to commit suicide and then been committed to a loony bin? “They wouldn‟t let me contact you,” Clayton replied, skirting the whole truth. “I wanted to though, more than anything.” “Oh.” Dylan worried his bottom lip with his teeth, thoughtfully. “I was told that you were pissed and blamed me for the whole thing.” Clayton looked up, shocked and outraged at those who‟d gone out their way to lie to them. “I would have never done that to you. How can you even think it‟s possible? I thought I meant…we meant more to each other than for you to believe I could do something so low.” Dylan put his hands up in a helpless gesture. “Then where were you? I tried calling, emailing and you never once replied. When I never heard anything from you, I had no choice but to suspect they‟d been right.” “I can‟t believe it.” Clayton put a hand to his stomach, nauseous. “Now, looking back, I can‟t say I really blame you. Considering who your father is and the way they raised you, you were probably just scared. I forgive you.” Clayton roughly ran his hands through his hair, the pain only adding to his anger. I will not cry. I will not cry. I refuse to lose my last bit of dignity. “I didn‟t abandon you. They sent me away.” 31

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Dylan blinked a couple times. “What do you mean they sent you away?” “After your father found you and me kissing, my dad made sure I knew how much of a disgrace and disappointment I was to the family. I got the whole speech, complete with the promises of fire and brimstone. After he finished, I believed him. That I really was some freak of nature who didn‟t deserve to live.” “Oh, shit. Are you saying what I think you are?” Dylan paled several shades lighter, his eyes wide with horror. “After they patched me back up at the hospital, Dad had me committed to a Christian-based mental facility. Only it wasn‟t because I tried to kill myself, it was so they could treat my other disorder.” “Conversion therapy? Hasn‟t anybody told them that it doesn‟t work? That it usually does more harm than good.” Dylan gasped, his gaze softening. “What did they do to you in there?” “We are so not going there…ever,” Clayton declared firmly. “Let‟s just say as soon as I got away from there and managed to scrounge up enough money together for a bus ticket, I started searching for you. It took me a while to convince your sister, Saddie, to tell me where you‟d gone. Once she did, I hopped on the first Greyhound and you know the rest.” 32

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“So, you don‟t have a job or even a place to live?” “I have someplace to go, so don‟t worry about me.” Clayton wasn‟t about to admit the place was a dump and infested with what he suspected were bedbugs. The last thing he needed was more pity coming his way. He ran his hands through his hair again before asking the most dreaded question of all. “Do you love him? That guy you were with upstairs?” Dylan paused and started to nibble his lip again. Clayton had his answer. “Yeah, I love him. We‟ve only been together a little over a couple of months, but I know he‟s it for me,” Dylan said before taking in a hitching breath. “I‟m so sorry, Clayton. I never meant to hurt you.” Clayton stared at the ground, his heart too broken to look at Dylan. The fact that Dylan and his super stud had been together for such a short time only made it worse. If only I had managed to find him sooner. Just a few more darn weeks and I could have had him. “It‟s okay. I‟m, just happy you found someone.” Clayton‟s voice sounded strained, even to his own ears. He turned heel and started to walk away, only to have Dylan follow. “Wait. Please, I don‟t want to end things between us this way.” 33

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Clayton spun around. “What do you want? Me to act all happy for you? To make believe that it was no big deal that you were moving on while they had me tied down to a bed and pumped full of drugs?” “Of…of course not,” Dylan stammered. “Because it‟s not okay. I thought we had something special. Instead, I find out I was just something to get you by until you met Mr. Perfect.” Dylan let out a choked sob. “It wasn‟t like that, I swear.” “Just forget I ever came here.” Clayton turned to walk away only to have Dylan grab him by the arm. “Will you stop running away from me? Regardless of what‟s happened, you are still my best friend and I‟m not about to let you face all this alone,” Dylan declared savagely. “I can handle it,” Clayton lied, his throat burning from the need to cry. God help him, but he actually wanted to be back at his pit of a room. That way he could bury his face in the pillow and let all his emotions out. “No, I don‟t think you can.” Dylan pulled him into an awkward halfway hug. “Please, let me help you. If for nothing else, because we‟re such good friends.” “I don‟t want to interfere with your new life.” Clayton resisted the urge to curl up into Dylan‟s 34

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chest and take comfort in the familiar warmth there. “Just because I move away to a new city and get a different life, doesn‟t mean I want to leave you behind. If things were reversed, I‟d like to think you‟d do the same thing.” Clayton knew he would act the same way. If Dylan needed him, there was nothing he wouldn‟t do for the other man. For nearly as long as he could remember, it had been Dylan to who he‟d entrusted his secrets, his fears and his dreams. They had been there for each other during the ups of their lives and also the downs. Even though he now felt a small sense of betrayal, years of loyalty finally allowed Clayton to sag into Dylan‟s embrace. “I don‟t know where to go from here. Shoot, I don‟t even know who I am anymore,” Clayton confessed brokenly. “Then let me help out with that. You don‟t have to face all this alone.” “Won‟t your new boyfriend get mad if you start hanging out with me?” “Kaleb isn‟t the jealous type. Plus, since he and Justin are so tight, he understands how important good friends are,” Dylan assured him. “Are you sure? He‟s awfully big and I don‟t want to get on his bad side,” Clayton halfway teased. “He‟s a softy. So is Justin.” 35

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Clayton thought about the tall, muscular darkhaired man who he‟d only briefly talked to. Somehow he didn‟t see Justin as the warm, cuddly type. “If you say so,” Clayton replied dubiously. Dylan laughed. “Why don‟t you come up and meet both of them? You‟ll eventually see it for yourself.” Despite all his misgivings, Clayton allowed himself to be led back to the apartment because quite frankly, what other choice did he have? The entire time on the way there, he concentrated on his breathing, terrified that he‟d lose it and have another panic attack. After his grand exit, he didn‟t want to add freaking out to his list of embarrassments. Once they reached the door, he tugged on Dylan‟s arm. “Are you sure he‟s going to be okay with this?” Dylan smiled. “Yeah, I already told him all about us and the incident.” Before Clayton could argue any further, Dylan turned the handle and led him into the apartment. Both the brick walls of men were waiting for them, strangely though it looked as if Justin was the one who was pissed. His full lips were pressed together in a tight line and he had his arms crossed over his massive chest. He glared at Clayton, with raw contempt, as if he were one of the cockroaches from the hotel or something. “Kaleb, Justin, this is Clayton,” Dylan 36

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introduced, ever the polite one. “We already met,” Justin snapped, his smoky eyes so dark with fury that Clayton actually took a step back. “Oh, great.” Dylan smiled, not seeming to notice the anger that practically poured from the man. “Nice to meet you, Clayton. Dylan‟s told me a lot about you,” Kaleb said as he moved forward to shake hands. “You, too,” Clayton responded numbly as his smaller hand seemed to be swallowed up in Kaleb‟s mitt. “I‟ll just bet,” Justin drawled, as he glared at Clayton. Dylan hooked a thumb at the bedroom door. “Hey, Kaleb, can I talk to you in private for a moment?” “Sure.” Kaleb smiled, suddenly looking all cuddly just as Dylan claimed. “Excuse us for a minute.” Once they were alone, Clayton became all the more aware of Justin—from the way he continued to stare with anger-filled eyes, to the fact the guy had to be the best looking thing Clayton had ever seen. “I know what you‟re up to,” Justin declared in a low voice. Clayton stared, his heart pounding in surprise. 37

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“Huh?” “You‟re trying to weasel your way back into Dylan‟s pants.” “Why would I want to wear his clothes?” Justin let out a growl. “Is that supposed to be funny?” “I…don‟t know,” Clayton hedged, not wanting to make Justin angrier. “You know that Dylan is a big softie, so you come here all innocent and needy because you figure he‟ll instantly forgive you.” “That‟s not it at all,” Clayton protested, desperate to defend himself. For some insane reason, he actually cared what the meanie thought about him. “You probably think that Dylan will feel sorry for you and take you back.” “No, I saw the way he was with Kaleb. It‟s pretty obvious they‟re a couple.” Justin moved forward until he was only a few inches away. Clayton started to back away, but restrained himself at the last second. If big, dark and grumpy thought he‟d be able to bully Clayton, he had another thing coming. After the past few months, Clayton had grown tired of people pushing him around. Even though it was one of the hardest things he‟d even done, Clayton fought back every instinct that told him to run. Or at the very least, 38

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drop to the ground and curl up into a ball. His hands shook with trepidation and his body buzzed from adrenaline, yet Clayton managed to hold his ground. Finally, a victory. Maybe I can beat this whole anxiety and panic attack thing after all. He did have to crane his neck to gaze up into Justin‟s eyes though. At the same moment, Clayton became acutely aware of the warm, spicy scent coming from the older man. If circumstances were different, Clayton may have been tempted to lean in closer to get a better wiff. “You need to leave Flint and never come back,” Justin said coldly. “Kaleb and Dylan are happy and the last thing they need is you coming in and fucking everything up.” That could very well be true, but Clayton wasn‟t about to admit it. “You sure do swear a lot.” “Does it offend you?” The tone in Justin‟s voice screamed he could give a flip whether it did or not. “No, I‟m just not used to it. My dad was a pastor so we weren‟t allowed to use words like that.” “Well, you can just scamper home to Daddy.” Justin moved in closer, really invading Clayton‟s space. “I can‟t. He doesn‟t want me around anymore.” 39

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“Why? You piss him off, too?” “More like disappointed him because I couldn‟t change who I am,” Clayton shocked himself by admitting. Justin paused and for a second, it seemed as if his expression softened some. “Then go somewhere else, just make sure it‟s not here.” Clayton swallowed before lowering his gaze. “There‟s nowhere else for me to go.” He refused to look up because he knew there would be contempt or pity on Justin‟s face and at that moment, Clayton couldn‟t stand either one. “I won‟t cause them any trouble, I promise,” Clayton said, wondering why it meant so much to Justin. It wasn‟t like he had anything vested in that particular relationship or anything. The door to the bedroom opened, putting a halt to their conversation. Justin stepped back as Dylan and Kaleb came into the kitchen. “So, who wants to go to Coolers?” Kaleb asked. Clayton wrinkled his nose. “What‟s that?” “It‟s a bar we all like to hang out at,” Dylan explained. “I think you‟ll really like it there. The food is great and their drinks aren‟t overpriced like some of the other places around here.” “I don‟t know. I‟ve never been to a bar.” Justin let out a laugh that he muffled with a cough. “You‟ve never been to any kind of bar?” 40

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“No, like I said my dad is a…” “Pastor,” Justin finished for him. His lips curled into a grin so wicked it did strange things to Clayton‟s insides. “Let‟s get going then. I can‟t wait to introduce you to all kinds of sin.” Clayton swallowed nervously. He had a feeling that he‟d willingly follow the sexy man into trouble, which just plain scared him because Justin had made it perfectly clear that he couldn‟t stand him.

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Chapter Four

F

uck, did he have to be so damn good looking? Justin took a long drag of his beer as he contemplated that question for the hundredth time that evening. As wrong as it sounded, it would be much easier to hate Clayton if he didn‟t have those adorable doe eyes. Or if he didn‟t look so vulnerable when he clenched his hands together whenever something made him nervous. Or if his ass wasn‟t such a work of art in the way it slightly bubbled out. Or if… Justin let out a growl as he took another drink. He really needed to get his mind onto another topic. Even as he told himself that though, he glanced up, once more at Clayton. He sat sandwiched between Kaleb and Dylan, who had obviously made it their personal goal to protect the brat from all harm. The rest of their group filled the table. Even Calvin Dane was there and the ER doctor hardly got out anymore because of 42

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how busy St. Michael‟s had been lately. It was clear that Clayton felt out of place. He had the same beer in front of him that he‟d ordered hours ago. It remained full and untouched. Normally Justin would have called it a sin to waste a perfectly good beer, but now he found himself actually feeling sorry for the kid. Dear God, when had that happened? How was it that, even though they hadn‟t exchanged two words since they‟d left the apartment, Justin had started to feel a little overprotective of the intrusive twerp? He waved over the waitress and signaled for her to bend over so he could whisper in her ear. “Will you, please, get the Beaver a Coke? Why don‟t you grab him a burger and fries, too?” Earlier, when everyone else had ordered dinner, Clayton had claimed he wasn‟t hungry. As the evening progressed, Justin had come to realize the guy must be short on funds and too proud to admit it. “Hey, Clayton, if you need a job, I heard St. Michael‟s is looking for a couple more admission clerks,” Lucas offered. “Really?” Clayton asked hopefully. “Are you certain I would be qualified for something like that?” “Sure,” Lucas shrugged. “I‟m an RN there and I can put in a good word for you.” 43

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“You‟d really do that for me?” The hesitant way Clayton asked that made Justin‟s gut clench in sympathy. It was as if Clayton had been kicked so many times that whenever someone offered him a helping hand, it came as a surprise. “Of course I would. You‟re my brother‟s best friend after all.” Lucas smiled. Justin didn‟t know whether to be annoyed or relieved at the job opportunity. While it was clear the poor guy needed all the help he could get, a part of Justin still worried that he‟d try to drive a wedge between Kaleb and Dylan. Kaleb was more than a friend. The man was like a brother to Justin so he took any threat to Kaleb personally. Yet, the longer Justin spent with Clayton, the less threatening the younger man seemed. “Are you sure he‟s ready to work at a hospital?” Justin blurted. Lucas cocked a brow at Justin. “Why wouldn‟t he be?” “He‟s pretty green as far as life experiences go. It may shock him to see some of the stuff that will be coming through an inner city hospital.” Even though Justin had objected out of the strange protective streak he‟d suddenly developed over Clayton, the twerp had to take it personally. Clayton tilted his head up defiantly. “I can handle anything.” 44

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“You say that now, but we‟ll see the first time you have to handle Gladys,” Justin drawled. Everyone at the table, with the exception of Clayton, shuddered. Clayton looked at them all in confusion. “Who‟s Gladys?” Lucas opened his mouth to explain, but Justin interrupted, “I think it‟s better if we let Clayton find out for himself.” Before anyone could object to that plan, Justin got to his feet. He went around the table and pulled Clayton‟s chair out. “Come on, let‟s dance.” Clayton‟s eyes grew so wide it was almost cute…stress the word almost because damn if Justin would admit how attractive the other man was. “As in you and me, together.” Justin grinned. “Sure, why not?” “Well, for one thing, all the other couples are straight. We‟ll kind of stick out.” “Of course we will. I‟m a great dancer,” Justin countered, deliberately missing the point. “You know what I mean.” Clayton rolled his eyes. It was another move that would have been endearing had Justin allowed himself to think about it. “I thought you could handle anything,” Justin challenged. Even as he held out a hand, he knew there was no way Clayton would take it. His straight-laced, uptight morals wouldn‟t allow for 45

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him to actually be seen cheek-to-cheek with another man in public. “Justin, enough,” Dylan snapped. “No, it‟s okay,” Clayton defended Justin. “He‟s right, I did say that.” He shocked Justin by taking his hand and getting to his feet. “Good boy, I didn‟t think you had it in you,” Justin praised, before leading Clayton to the crowded dance floor. A slow song had started so as soon as they found a spot, Justin wrapped his arms around Clayton‟s hips and brought him in close. Those doe-brown eyes widened in shock before Clayton settled his hands on Justin‟s shoulders. “This is the first time for me,” Clayton admitted, breathlessly. His lips parted slightly in an invitation Justin so desperately wanted to answer. “What? Dancing in public with a man?” Justin asked as he gave his cock an internal at ease, boy! “Uh, dancing period. We were never allowed to back home.” Justin used his hands to guide Clayton‟s hips in a slow, sensual pace. “How very Footloose of you.” “Huh?” Clayton‟s brows drew together in confusion. Something Justin noticed he did quite often. “Wow, and Jessie thought I was behind on pop culture,” Justin muttered. “I‟m guessing you never 46

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watched the Muppets either.” “I did manage to catch one of their movies once when I stayed over at Dylan‟s. We were around eight then. My father found out and made Dylan‟s parents promise never to corrupt me with worldly influences again.” “You‟re kidding me, right?” Justin had heard of parents being strict before, but nothing as extreme as what Clayton had just described. Clayton‟s lips twisted into a tight grin. “Believe me, I wish I were.” “Man, and I thought Dylan‟s dad was rough when he kicked his sons out for being gay.” By now Clayton had started to catch on his body moving in time with the music, his fingers relaxing as they curled around Justin‟s shoulders. Even through the material of his t-shirt, Justin could feel the warmth of the younger man‟s touch. Almost on its own accord, Justin‟s head tilted down closer to Clayton. He breathed in deep, savoring the clean, fresh scent that he‟d come to associate with his little twerp. Despite all the resentment he had for the brat, Justin‟s body reacted, his cock swelling to life. His brain flashed a series of fantasies, each one more explicate than the last—he and Clayton, in the shower, wet skin sliding in the most delicious ways, of him pinning Clayton face-down on the mattress so he could bite every inch of that 47

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sweetly, rounded ass. Then of him bending Clayton over his kitchen table and fucking him before they‟d even finished breakfast. “Oh, Dylan‟s dad is no gem either. When he caught us together, he beat the crud out of Dylan,” Clayton said. His voice cut through Justin‟s sex-hazed mind. Justin stopped and gazed down into Clayton‟s face. “And what did your parents do?” The pain that flickered through Clayton‟s eyes nearly stole the breath from Justin‟s lungs. There is no way somebody could fake something so raw. Maybe he‟d been too hasty in his judgment of the little intruder. “My mother did a lot of crying.” Clayton shifted his gaze to the side. Justin cupped him by the chin and forced him to look back. “And what did your father do?” “Do you really want to know all this? It must be so boring to you.” Clayton sighed. “I wouldn‟t have asked if I wasn‟t interested in the answer.” Clayton gnawed on his bottom lip for a few seconds before saying, “He mostly yelled at me. Letting me know what a disappointment I was and how I would be going to hell.” Justin knew, without a doubt, there was more to it. The way Clayton‟s eyes filled with tears told him so, but he realized now wasn‟t the time to 48

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push. Maybe later, after they‟d gotten to know one another better. Crap, did I just think about us knowing each other in future terms? I want to get rid of this punk, not become his new shoulder to cry on.”I don‟t suppose there is anything I can do to convince you to change your mind and leave Flint,” Justin tried, even though he knew deep down his heart really wasn‟t in it. “I told you, I have nowhere else to go. Besides, what does it matter to you where I live?” Clayton tensed up again, his hands balled into fists, his fingers no longer caressing Justin‟s shoulders. “I don‟t want to see you cause problems for Kaleb.” Clayton let out a tired sounding sigh. “Are we back to that again? Let it go already. I told you, I won‟t do anything to break them up.” “So, you‟re going to try to tell me that it doesn‟t hurt at all? You come all this way for Dylan, only to find him the arms of someone else.” “Of course it hurts, but I‟ll get over it, just like I got over everything else that‟s happened in the past several months. I‟ve found I‟m very good at coping,” Clayton returned blandly. “So, what are you going to do with your life then? It‟s not like there are a ton of opportunities in Flint right now?” He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. “Maybe I‟ll take Lucas up on his offer and get that 49

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job at the hospital.” “The pay isn‟t going to be that great,” Justin warned. “I‟ll manage. I don‟t need much.” It bothered Justin way more than it should have to think of Clayton trying to make it alone in a city like Flint. It was bad enough for someone who had actual street smarts. Somebody as innocent as Clayton would be eaten alive. Justin reminded himself that Clayton wasn‟t his concern. If the idiot wanted to be stubborn and stay, then Justin should just let him sink or swim. They‟d only known each other for a matter of hours, so wasn‟t like they had any ties or anything. So, then why did Justin‟s grip on Clayton grow so tight the other man winced a bit? Thankfully, he got distracted from his thoughts when he spotted the waitress returning to the table. Reluctantly, he let his arms drop. “Let‟s go back to the others.” They were within a few feet when Clayton pulled up short, his gaze locked on the full plate of food. “What‟s that? I didn‟t order anything.” Justin came up behind him and leaned down to speak directly in his ear. “I figured you might be hungry.” “But I can‟t…what I mean is I already ate something earlier,” Clayton stammered. “It‟s my way of saying I‟m sorry for being such 50

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a jerk earlier.” When Clayton still hesitated, Justin gave him a gentle nudge in the small of his back. “It‟s just a burger for fuck‟s sake. It‟s not like I bought you a Hummer or something.” “Okay, but only if you let me treat you out sometime in return.” Clayton‟s gaze remained fixed on the burger, making Justin wonder when was the last time the kid had a decent meal. “It‟s a deal,” Justin agreed. Clayton started to walk toward the table, but stopped once more. He turned and gave Justin a shy smile. “Thanks.” “It‟s just a burger,” Justin repeated gruffly as he went around the table to his seat. As he listened in on the conversation going around him, he tried hard not to give into the urge to look at Clayton. The task proved damned impossible. No matter how hard he attempted to fight it, his gaze strayed repeatedly to the younger man. Clayton ate with such gusto he probably didn‟t even taste the food. He finished the burger in a few bites before moving on to the fries. Justin‟s stomach clenched in sympathy. It was now abundantly clear the poor guy had been starving. A surge of anger went through Justin, but this time he directed it at Clayton‟s asshole parents. While Justin‟s own mother and father had never been exactly loving, they‟d never turn their backs on him either. In fact, when his socialite mother 51

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had found out he was gay, she‟d actually been pleased because gay was the new in-thing. At the time, her comment had revolted Justin because it had once again shown that she only viewed him as a possession, much like her diamonds and minks. Now, he realized her reaction could have been much worse. He glanced over to the side and caught Dylan staring at him, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Justin gave a slight shrug and what he hoped was his most innocent smile. No way was he willing to admit, that despite all his misgivings, he‟d begun to let Clayton get under his skin. “Where are you living?” Kaleb asked Clayton. Clayton paused, fry midway to his mouth. Justin could tell the guy‟s mind was working to come up with a suitable lie and, judging by the hard press of Dylan‟s lips, he‟d come to the same conclusion. “Just some hotel,” Clayton finally said. “Where is it?” Justin demanded. “It‟s by the bus station.” Everyone at the table exchanged looks of horror. While that area wasn‟t the worst in Flint, it was far from the best neighborhood. “What‟s the name of it?” Dylan asked, his eyes wide with concern. “I don‟t remember.” Clayton shrugged as he popped the fry in his mouth. “The place isn‟t that 52

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bad though. It‟s really clean and the staff is so nice.” And there went the lie. Justin decided to call him out on it. “Bullshit, the only hotels around there are the hourly kind.” “How did you know about that? I saw a sign advertising it, so I just figured it was a sales gimmick or something.” Now they directed all their looks of horror at Clayton. Could he really be that clueless? Then Justin remembered all he‟d learned about Clayton‟s upbringing and realized, as hard as it was to believe, yeah the poor sap was that innocent. “What?” Clayton gave the group a selfconscious once over. “That‟s not why they have hourly rates,” Dylan finally informed him. “Then why would they do it?” Dylan leaned down and whispered something in Clayton‟s ear. Even though Justin couldn‟t hear it, he got the gist of what was being said by the way Clayton‟s cheeks turned bright red from embarrassment. “Oh…wow, I guess that would explain some of the noises I heard last night.” Clayton gave a weak chuckle. Even though he was trying to laugh the whole thing off, Justin could tell the revelation unsettled 53

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Clayton. Dylan put a comforting hand on Clayton‟s shoulder. “It‟s okay. How could you have known about that? We came from such a small town and were sheltered.” “Yeah, but you wouldn‟t have been so stupid,” Clayton pointed out. “Sometimes I feel like Dad may have well raised me on a deserted island or something.” “You can‟t go back to that hotel,” Kaleb declared. “He can come live with me,” Justin quickly blurted, before Kaleb or Dylan could offer up their place. Clayton‟s mouth parted in shock as he slowly shook his head. “Oh, I couldn‟t let you do that.” “Sure you can. My house is huge, just ask Dylan. So I have plenty of room.” “I couldn‟t pay you much rent though.” “You can take over the cooking and cleaning. I suck at both.” For a second, Justin thought Clayton would refuse. He even shrank back in his seat, as if to put more space between them. Clayton finally nodded, “Okay, but only until I can get a place of my own.” Kaleb cocked a brow at Justin, his expression clearly saying, are you sure about this? Funny thing was, Justin didn‟t quite know the answer to that question. 54

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Chapter Five

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lone with Justin in the cab of his huge truck, Clayton had never felt more self-conscious in his life. At least back at the bar, he‟d had the comfort of having Dylan nearby. Now he didn‟t even have that since Dylan had to go home because he had an early shift at the hospital. While Clayton kept his head down, as if studying his fingers, in truth, he continued to look up from under his lashes so he could study Justin. Shoot, that guy was so hot it should be illegal. Not only did he have a body straight from Clayton‟s best fantasies, but with his dark hair and smoky eyes, he was handsome enough to be way out of Clayton‟s league. His body tingled as he remembered how it‟d felt to be held in Justin‟s strong arms. The entire time they danced, Clayton had to fight the urge to rest his cheek against the man‟s muscular chest. Stupidly enough, Clayton had actually felt safe for the first time since he‟d been in the hospital, which 55

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just showed how messed up he was because Justin had made it clear he didn‟t like him. “Why are you doing this?” Clayton dared to ask. Justin glanced over. “Maybe it‟s because I don‟t want you moving in with Kaleb and Dylan. Since they just started living together, the last thing they need is an extended houseguest with more emotional baggage than Lindsay Lohan.” “Ouch,” Clayton whispered. “How is it you know about Lindsay, but know nothing about Footloose and hourly rates?” “I read a couple of magazines on the bus trip.” “You sinner! Next will be the baby sacrifices and then dancing nude in the middle of the streets.” Justin‟s eyes went wide with mock horror. Clayton surprised himself by truly laughing for the first time in months. “No, next will be Harry Potter books.” “You mean they didn‟t let you read those either.” Justin shook his head. “I have the whole series at my house. One of the first things we‟ll do after getting you settled in, is get you the first one so you can start reading it.” “Is it really that good? I thought it was a kid‟s book.” “It‟s a classic and everyone should read them, adults included.” Clayton couldn‟t resist asking. “Do all the other 56

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fireman know that you like Harry Potter so much?” “Yeah, and they still let me use big boy silverware at the dinner table,” Justin countered, a teasing smile playing on his full lips. At that moment, Clayton would have read a hundred books just to be on the receiving end of that grin again. Then his good spirits plummeted as the hotel came into view. What was Justin going to say when he realized just how low Clayton had sunk? “My room is the second to the last on this row.” He pointed in the correct direction. As they drove by a couple, Clayton felt a heat of shame come over his face. The woman wore a skirt so short it could have passed for a belt and the guy had his hands all over her backside. Stupid! How could he not have realized what type of place this was? “I‟m such a fricking idiot,” Clayton muttered, using a word he‟d heard Jessie tossing around a few times that night. “No, you‟re naïve. There‟s a difference.” Clayton let out a soft gasp. “Are you actually defending me? I thought you couldn‟t stand me and wanted me the heck out of Flint.” “You‟re starting to grow on me. Although when you keep using words like heck, crud and shucks I don‟t understand why,” Justin drawled. “Damn it! I‟ll just have to try better then.” Even though the curse word felt foreign on his tongue, 57

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Clayton knew it‟d been worth it when Justin laughed. “Next time try not to blush when you‟re cussing and it‟ll already be a huge improvement.” Justin parked the truck. Clayton hesitated, his fingers curled around the door handle. “If you want, you can just stay here. I‟ll go in and grab my stuff real quick.” “I don‟t think you going anywhere around here by yourself is a good idea. I shudder just thinking about you staying here alone last night.” It sent a small thrill through Clayton to hear that Justin cared about his wellbeing at least a little. Then he remembered the guy was a paramedic and a fireman and told himself not to read too much into Justin‟s words. The man looked out for others for a living so it probably only came natural to him to watch over the dumb newcomer hick. “Okay, but the place is kind of messy,” Clayton continued to hedge, praying that it would make Justin stay put. Of course, the man had to be stubborn. “I‟ve seen worse, believe me.” “All right, don‟t say I didn‟t warn you,” Clayton huffed under his breath. He got out, then fished the key from his front pocket. It no longer stuck to his fingers since he‟d washed it off the previous evening. Unfortunately, he could do nothing about the door, which looked like it had 58

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actually gathered a few fresh stains. “Charming,” Justin observed as he looked up and down the battered, dingy white door. Clayton didn‟t reply, just opened the door and rushed inside. He hoped that if he quickly gathered his belongings, then maybe Justin wouldn‟t have a chance to see how the inside of the room looked worse than the outside. He‟d just reached for his backpack when he heard Justin‟s gasp. “Fuck, kid. How in the hell did you manage to sleep in here?” Justin asked. “Like you said, you‟ve seen worse.” Clayton refused to turn around, not wanting to see whatever expression may be on Justin‟s face. “Yes, but this place ranks in the lower end, too.” “It‟s all I could afford,” Clayton admitted as he clutched the backpack to his chest. “In fact, everything I own is in this bag. Which just goes to show you how pathetic I really am.” “Hey, don‟t be too hard on yourself, kid.” Clayton rounded on him. “That‟s just it. I‟m not a kid anymore. I‟m twenty-one and what do I have to show for it?” Nothing but a few items of clothing and twenty bucks. It‟s a good thing you are taking me in or else I wouldn‟t have even been able to afford this shit hole for another night. I would have had to sleep on the streets because I 59

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don‟t even own a damn car.” “Looks like someone is picking up on swearing after all,” Justin muttered. Clayton went on as if he hadn‟t heard. “If it wasn‟t for you taking in some loser who you‟ve only known for half a day, I would be totally lost, which just proves what a total dork I am.” Clayton sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes filled with unshed tears and he furiously blinked them away. He‟d rather take a brick to the head than break down and bawl like a baby in front of Justin. Things got harder when Justin came over and sat down next to him. “You‟re being too rough on yourself.” “No, I‟m not. Dylan‟s the same age as me and look at all he‟s done. He‟s a medic, has a great job and a hot boyfriend. What do I have? A ratty backpack, a few bucks—” “And a ton of pity,” Justin cut in coldly. “What?” Clayton could not have heard that correctly because Justin did not just tell him that… “You really need to lose the pity party.” Okay, so he had said just that. Clayton opened his mouth to tell the man off only to snap it shut as he realized Justin had a very valid point. Clayton did need to stop feeling sorry for himself and get a grip. At this moment, he had two choices, either to keep wallowing in the past, or he could man up and actually prove his father wrong by making 60

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something of himself.” You‟re right,” Clayton conceded. He took a deep breath and stood. “So, are you taking me home or not?” Dang, Justin‟s house was huge and coming from Clayton‟s perspective, that said a lot. Since Clayton‟s family was larger than average, his father had built an enormous farmhouse to accommodate them all. That place still didn‟t have anything on Justin‟s place though. Judging by the architecture, Clayton would guess it had been built around fifty years ago. Standing three stories high, it had thick, red, scrolled shutters and a matching roof while the rest of the house painted a creamy, white. A black, iron gate surrounded the property and the landscaping would have made Clayton‟s mother sick with envy. “How can you afford this on a fireman‟s salary?” Clayton asked as he got out the truck. While he realized that was a personal question, he wanted to make sure he wasn‟t about to cohabitate with a drug dealer or something because Justin obviously had to be getting some extra income from somewhere. “I inherited this place from my grandmother,” Justin explained as he started to lead the way up the red, brick path to the front door. “She must have loved you a lot.” 61

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“Yeah, she did,” Justin‟s voice took on an uncharacteristic wistful edge. “She left me almost everything she owned, which was pretty significant. I guess you could say my whole family is pretty comfortable. I‟m the only black sheep in the bunch.” “Because you‟re gay?” Clayton shouldered his backpack and followed Justin. “No, because I chose to work for a living instead of living off a trust fund.” Clayton couldn‟t help but admire the man for that. “There‟s nothing wrong with making your own way in the world.” “Try telling my mother that. I wouldn‟t have been surprised if she tried to have me committed so they could examine my head.” Even though Justin had no clue about Clayton‟s past, the words still hit him almost as hard as a physical blow. Luckily, since he trailed Justin, his wince went unnoticed. Justin unlocked the door and gestured for Clayton to go inside. As Clayton took in the interior, he did everything he could to hide his shock. Though he‟d thought it couldn‟t be possible, the inside looked even more impressive than the outside. Grandma must have had a knack for decorating, or she‟d at least had the sense to hire someone who did. Dark, cherry hardwood floors 62

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covered every room, the thick crown molding, setting them off perfectly. Equally opulent expensive furniture graced the many rooms. Clayton‟s father had made a modest salary as a pastor, but he‟d offset his income with a successful farm, so Clayton was able to recognize some of the pieces as high-end designer names. Even so, his family had never had as many items as Justin did. What stuck Clayton as odd though, was he couldn‟t see all the pieces because a lot of them were covered with white sheets. It was as if Justin didn‟t go into all the rooms of the house or something.” This is nice,” Clayton said, feeling as if he were stating the obvious. Justin shrugged as he tossed his keys on a small table in the foyer. “It‟s not too bad, I guess. I don‟t spend much time here. I‟m usually at work or over at Kaleb‟s.” Clayton ran his fingers over the molding. “That‟s a shame. The workmanship in this place should be admired, not ignored.” “You into architecture or something?” Justin grunted. “No, one of my brothers is. When he was in college, I used to peek at his books.” Clayton jerked his hand away. “I didn‟t insult you, did I?” “How many brothers do you have?” Justin demanded, ignoring Clayton‟s question. “Six brothers and five sisters.” 63

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“Damn, your mother must have been pregnant and tired all the time.” “I guess so. I wouldn‟t know since I was the youngest.” “Why did they have so many kids?” Justin shook his head in shock. It was a common reaction Clayton received whenever someone found out the size of his family.” You know how it goes,” Clayton loosely quoted from the Bible, “And the Lord said, be fruitful and multiply.” “Did anyone ever tell your God that there are billion people in China alone?” Clayton‟s mouth parted in shock. He‟d never heard anyone talk that flippantly about religion before. His father would have even called it blasphemy. He quickly recovered. “According to my parents, he‟s not my God anymore either.” He let out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. “But enough about them for one night. Would you please mind showing me my room so I can shower?” Justin leaned in and made a big show of sniffing. “Why? You smell just fine.” Desire licked a wicked path along Clayton‟s body and he had to bite back a moan. Why was it all Justin had to do was stand close and Clayton felt ready to throw himself at the man‟s feet and beg for him to do all kinds of decadent things? “I 64

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feel like I reek of the hotel. I took a shower there this morning, but the water was cold and only trickled out.” “I guess I can‟t blame you for wanting a nice, hot shower then.” For some reason, the way Justin phrased that brought out a naughty visual of the two of them naked, wet and pressed together. Clayton‟s body grew hard with need as he wondered if someone as hot as Justin would ever look twice at a loser like him. Not likely. Clayton was alone in life and it didn‟t look like that would be changing any time soon. **** Justin walked in the next evening to the wonderful scent of cooking food. He went into the kitchen to find it empty so he tried the living room next. He found Clayton curled up on the couch, his gaze riveted on the television. While he wore a pair of baggy, black sweats, he had on the same dark, blue hoodie that Justin had seen on him the previous day. Justin waited patiently for several moments and when Clayton didn‟t look up, he cleared his throat. “I had a great day at work, thanks for asking.” Clayton jumped to his feet, his hand going to 65

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his chest. “Oh crap! You scared me.” “Sorry, I didn‟t mean to interrupt your program. You seem so riveted by it.” Clayton pointed at the screen. “Have you ever seen this show?” To humor him, Justin glanced over, but didn‟t recognize it. “No, but I hardly watch anything but sports. What is it?” “It‟s Jersey Shore.” Clayton spoke the name of the show with such reverence, Justin half-expected him to bow to the screen. “Oh God, tell me you‟re kidding.” “I know,” Clayton moaned dramatically. “I don‟t even really like any of the people on the show, yet I can‟t stop watching it. It‟s a marathon, too, so I‟ve been glued to it for over five hours now.” “Do you realize how sad that is?” Even as he said that, Justin had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the distress on Clayton‟s face. “See that one guy?” Clayton pointed excitedly. “The one with the killer abs?” “Yeah, they call him The Situation. That would be so cool to have a nickname.” Clayton gave a look that could only be described as eager puppy. “Give me a one.” “How about moocher?” Justin teased. “No, that isn‟t cool at all.” 66

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“Squatter?” “No, try again.” “Freddy Freeloader?” “Hey, that‟s not fair. I made you breakfast this morning and I have dinner in the oven. Just like our deal called for,” Clayton protested. Justin reached out and pulled him into a rough embrace before giving him a playful noogie. “I know, I was just trying to get a rise out of you.” “Why?” Clayton voice was slightly muffled, his face pressed into Justin‟s forearm. “To break the spell that show had on you. It was either that or hold an intervention.” “I watched that show, too. It‟s really good.” Clayton gave Justin‟s ribs a light jab, then ran away once Justin let go. “One day and you‟re already addicted to reality TV,” Justin chided as he followed Clayton to the kitchen.He walked in just in time to see Clayton open the oven. His mouth watered as he watched the younger man pull out a roast. Justin had discovered at breakfast that Clayton was one hell of a cook. “There‟s another one on tonight I want to check out. It‟s called the Amazing Race,” Clayton declared as he handed Justin a knife and nodded to the meat. “Make yourself useful.” Justin took it. “What? Don‟t they allow you around sharp objects or something?” Clayton 67

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paled and he instantly regretted the question. Justin didn‟t know why it had hit a nerve with the other man, but it obviously had. “You okay, buddy?” Clayton gave a weak smile as he waved dismissively. “Yeah, it just brought back some memories.” He turned and started to busy himself, getting plates down and warming up the gravy. Justin studied him thoughtfully. Why would Clayton react that way to a silly quip unless there was some ring of truth in it? So that could only mean at some point somebody had been concerned that Clayton would do harm to himself because there was no way the gentle twerp could be a threat to anyone else. “When did you do it?” Justin asked, gently as he began to cut the meat. He couldn‟t see Clayton‟s facial expression since he faced the stove, but the stiffening of the man‟s spine said Justin‟s suspicions had been correct. “Do what?” Clayton‟s voice sounded so strained it was a wonder it didn‟t break. “Are you really going to make me say it?” Clayton paused for several breaths before he let out a long sigh. “No, I won‟t.” “Look at me,” Justin commanded softly. When Clayton obeyed and Justin saw the stark pain…the fear, stamped on the man‟s features, a lump formed in his throat. “I won‟t judge you for it. I promise.” 68

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“It was a couple of days after my dad found out I was gay. I was locked in my room for my own good, but he still made sure to make hourly visits to let me know what a disappointment I was. He kept telling me that it would be better if I were dead, that way I wouldn‟t shame the family when my secret got out. After a while, I began to believe him. So, I went into my bathroom, grabbed a razor and…” Clayton took in a heaving breath as he brought a shaking hand to cover his face. Justin didn‟t even have to think twice. He crossed the room and pulled Clayton into his arms. Shit, more than just his hands shook, Clayton‟s entire body trembled. Still, a part of Justin knew it would be good for him to get this all out. “What happened next?” he prompted. “My sister, Gwen, found me and called 911.” Clayton let out a hiccupping sob as he buried his face in Justin‟s chest. “The sad thing is, I think if it had been anyone else but her who found me, they would have just left me there to bleed to death.” Justin held Clayton tight as he thought about how close he‟d come to losing the twerp, which was crazy because all that had happened before they‟d even met. “Your dad better hope I never see him.” God help the man if Justin ever did get his hands on him because he‟d rip him apart. Justin had never been one for violence, but at that moment, he wanted to hurt that asshole for all the 69

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pain he‟d caused Clayton. Clayton pulled back and looked up at Justin. “You don‟t think less of me, do you? I know we just met and everything, so if hearing all this freaks you out, I won‟t be upset if you want me to leave.” By way of answer, Justin dipped his head down and pressed his lips against Clayton‟s mouth. The move came so natural that Justin didn‟t even think twice about it, let alone pause long enough to reflect if it was a good idea or not. At first, Clayton just stood there, his lips pursed tightly. Justin gave an internal smile, stupidly pleased at the younger man‟s obvious inexperience. It gave him a heady sense of power to know that he‟d be teaching Clayton everything when it came to bedroom play. Justin used his thumb to pull on Clayton‟s chin until he got the hint and parted his lips. As soon as he had the opening, Justin plunged his tongue inside that mouth that had been both annoying and tempting him for the last twenty-four hours. Clayton tasted sweet, the lingering hint of Fruity Pebbles letting Justin know the brat had snagged his secret stash. It should have irked Justin, instead, it made him want to slide his tongue in deeper for a better taste. A low groan rumbled in Clayton‟s chest as he 70

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threaded his fingers through Justin‟s hair. He started to return the kiss, his movements hesitant at first until he seemed to get the hang of it. He even thrust his own tongue out to tangle with Justin‟s. His eagerness, but obvious lack of experience made Justin wonder what kind of kiss he and Dylan had exchanged that fateful day. It must have been one of those innocent, chaste closed mouthed ones and yet they had both paid a terrible price for it. Justin broke away so he could embrace Clayton once more. Holding him tight, Justin declared, “You‟re not going anywhere.” What Justin didn‟t speak aloud was that if he had his way, Clayton would stay for good.

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Chapter Six

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fter they‟d eaten, Justin led Clayton back into the living room. He stretched out on the couch and pulled Clayton down on his lap so his back pressed into Justin‟s chest. Once they were both comfortable, he turned on The Amazing Race. “Thanks for letting me watch this,” Clayton said as he snuggled in closer. Justin bit back a groan as Clayton‟s ass rubbed against his already hard dick. While Justin wanted nothing more than to take things much farther than just the kiss, he restrained himself. Until he knew that he wasn‟t simply Clayton‟s second choice, Justin didn‟t want to jump into things. What was going on? Before tonight, he‟d never turned down any fuck, casual or not. Yet, as he held Clayton in his arms, Justin couldn‟t deny the growing attraction he felt for the man. “Did I tell you I have a job interview with the hospital tomorrow for that admission‟s clerk job?” Clayton asked. 72

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“No, you didn‟t. Do you have something to wear?” “Yeah, Dylan is bringing something of his over for me to borrow.” “I guess that makes sense sine you‟re both the same size,” Justin conceded. Inside, he had a stab of jealously over Clayton spending any time with someone he‟d obviously been in love with. “I just hope I get the job. I could really use the money,” Clayton sighed as he absently twiddled with Justin‟s fingers. “You‟ll get it,” Justin replied with confidence. How could anyone who met Clayton not like him? “I just wish I would have been able to finish college. Then maybe I could get something better” “What were you going to school for?” Clayton stilled. “Promise not to laugh?” “Cross my heart.” “I was studying become a pastor like my dad.” Clayton craned his neck to glance up at Justin. “I guess maybe it was a good thing I didn‟t finish since I don‟t think I would have been cut out for that life.” “Not with the potty mouth you‟ve developed,” Justin kidded. “Truthfully, I never wanted to go into that line of work anyway.” “Then why did you go to school for it in the first place?” 73

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Clayton pulled a face. “Because my dad told me to.” “You could have told him no.” “I learned at a young age not to disobey my father,” Clayton said with a bitter laugh. “Even after my suicide attempt, I still obeyed his dictates.” “He sent you away, didn‟t he?” Justin placed a gentle kiss on Clayton‟s temple. “Yeah, to some place that attempted to reprogram me.” A slight tremble went through Clayton‟s body. “Did they hurt you?” Justin‟s gut clenched in dread as he recalled some of the horror stories he‟d heard about those kinds of places. “Sometimes,” Clayton whispered. “Until they did one time too many and I finally found the courage to leave. Since I‟m legally an adult, they couldn‟t stop me.” “How long were you there?” “Long enough to develop an aversion to electricity, ice baths, heavy narcotics and fourpoint restraints.” Clayton returned his gaze to their interlocking fingers. Justin had to take in several deep breaths to gain control over the rage boiling inside him. The last thing he wanted was for Clayton to think it was directed at him. “You have to be one of the bravest people I‟ve met.” 74

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Clayton snorted. “You don‟t have to say that to make me feel better.” “I mean it. Even though it must have been hard, you eventually stood up for yourself and told them to all fuck themselves.” “Well, I didn‟t exactly use those words.” “Okay, you told them to go fudge themselves then,” Justin teased, hoping to get a genuine smile from his little twerp. It worked because the sweetest of grins spread out over Clayton‟s face. “Personally, I like the first way you put it. Fuck them all.” “You better watch it or else you‟ll get yourself the rep of a low down, dirty swearer.” “Damn straight.” Clayton settled back against Justin‟s chest and they became engrossed in the program. Although he‟d never seen the show before, Justin still found himself caught up in the excitement as the various teams raced to the next pit stop. After it finished, he glanced down to ask Clayton what he thought only to find he‟d fallen asleep. Justin took the opportunity to really study Clayton. In sleep, he seemed so much more innocent, as if he were free from all the shit the world had thrown at him. Justin reached out and lightly traced Clayton‟s full lips, remembering how soft they‟d felt, how sweet they‟d tasted. If Justin had anything to say about it, that kiss they‟d 75

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shared in the kitchen would just be the first of many. He wondered how this little brat had managed to mean so much to him in just the span of a day. There was no denying it though. At least not to himself. At that moment, Justin realized he‟d do everything in his power to make sure that nobody ever hurt Clayton again. He also realized that if Clayton were to leave, he would miss him terribly. What was he going to do? As if answering his unspoken question, his cell rang. He snagged it from the coffee table and let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was Kaleb. Talk about perfect timing. Opening it, he didn‟t even bother with a hello. “I‟m in trouble.” “Is he that bad?” Kaleb asked. “No, just the opposite. God, help me, but this kid is growing on me.” “How much?” “Just a few minutes ago, I was thinking of how jealous I was that he and Dylan ever had anything.” “Are you bullshitting me?” Kaleb demanded in a suspicious tone. “Believe me, I wish I were.” “It‟s just this is totally unlike you. In all the years I‟ve known you, you‟ve never even gotten a goldfish because you didn‟t want to become attached to anything. I don‟t think I‟ve ever seen 76

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you date the same guy twice.” “Trust me, no one is more shocked by this than me.” Justin sighed. “Where is he now?” “Asleep in my arms.” Justin couldn‟t resist leaning down to give the top of Clayton‟s head a kiss. “Did you guys just get done having sex?” “No.” Justin rolled his eyes. “We were watching TV and he fell asleep. All we‟ve done is kiss.” “Wow, that‟s another new one. Usually you don‟t waste any time before hopping into the sack.” “This is different,” Justin said simply. Since Kaleb was with Dylan, Justin hoped he‟d understand. “Damn, Dylan was right,” Kaleb breathed. “Come again?” “He predicted you two would end up together. Of course, I don‟t think even he believed it would happen this fast.” “We‟re not together. At least not yet. I‟m trying to take things slow.” “Why?” “Because I want to make sure he‟s over Dylan. I don‟t want him to come to me because he doesn‟t have any other options. “ “Boy, when are you going to start giving 77

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yourself more credit and realize that someone can actually care for you? Just because your parents were cold assholes, doesn‟t mean the rest of the world is the same way,” Kaleb admonished, as usual getting straight to the point. “Yeah, I‟ll believe it when it happens. Until then, it‟s just a fairy tale that happens to a select few, like you and Dylan.” “And Lucas and Matt, Calvin and James, plus Jessie and Randal.” Justin gave a soft chuckle. “Okay, I get the point. Everybody in our group has someone but me.” “I could have sworn you just said you were holding someone special in your arms right now,” Kaleb pointed out. “Yeah, I guess I am, but, it‟s only been one day. Nobody can fall in love that quickly.” “I did with Dylan.” “Funny, I thought you got pissed at him for walking out on you the first time you two fucked,” Justin said. “True, but I also fell in love with him at that point. My life would be nothing without Dylan and I can‟t imagine ever living without him. I just hope that you‟re willing to give you and Clayton that same chance.” Justin glanced down at Clayton and wondered if he dared to open himself up that way to 78

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someone else. He did know one thing for certain, if there was ever anyone worth the risk, it was Clayton. **** Clayton worked the kink out of his back as he eyed the clock on the wall of exam room two. He only had a few hours left in his shift and he couldn‟t wait to get home. Survivor was on tonight and he‟d made plans with Justin to watch it. He allowed a small grin to play on his lips as he thought about the past couple weeks and how much he‟d grown to care for Justin over that time. In the last fourteen days, Justin had shown himself to be so caring and considerate. Those weren‟t the only good things about him either, he had to be the best kisser ever. Not that Clayton had much to compare him against, but he couldn‟t imagine anyone being better. The only niggle was, aside from cuddling on the couch, that was all Justin seemed to want to do. Even though Clayton had dropped several broad hints that he‟d be willing to take things much farther, Justin hadn‟t made any moves. “You okay,” Lucas asked, breaking into Clayton‟s troubled thoughts. “Yeah, sorry I just kind of drifted for a moment there.” Clayton grabbed his clipboard and started 79

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to make a few notations. Normally he would be asking the patient a bunch of questions, but this time it was different. Standard practice was whenever a patient came in by way of ambulance and went straight to a room, one of the admission clerks would go to the bedside to get the information needed to register them. However, since this particular patient, an elderly woman from a local nursing home, was catatonic, he had to glean whatever info he could off the paramedic run form. “How are things going between you and Justin?” Lucas asked, a knowing smirk on his mouth. “Is this really the time to talk about this?” Clayton pointedly looked at their patient. “Ethel is out of it and even if she was conscious, she so far gone with Alzheimer‟s, she wouldn‟t remember the conversation anyhow.” As Lucas said the last part, he sadly brushed a stray hair away from the woman‟s face. “I still can think of plenty of other interesting things to talk about besides my love life,” Clayton huffed as he continued to fill out the form. “So, you‟re willing to admit there is a love life to talk about?” Clayton worked hard to get a hold of his irritation. Leave it to Lucas to grab onto that point. “What is it with you guys? Don‟t you have lives of 80

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your own? First it was Calvin this morning, Randal this afternoon and now you.” Lucas shrugged. “We‟re bored because hockey season hasn‟t really started yet. So we all decided you‟re our entertainment.” “Lucky me,” Clayton muttered under his breath. “Do you want to know what Dylan said Kaleb said Justin said?” Lucas asked eagerly as he walked closer. “Are we really playing the whole he-said,-thathe-said,-that-he-said game? What are we? A bunch of middle school girls? Next you‟ll be putting Justin Bieber posters up on your lockers.” “So, I guess you don‟t want to know then?” Clayton let out a frustrated growl and lowered the chart. “Of course I do. So spill.” “I heard that Justin is all tied in knots over you. That he‟s fallen for you hard, but he‟s too afraid to admit it because he‟s not for sure you‟re over Dylan yet.” “Sorry to disappoint the gang, but you‟re all wrong. Justin couldn‟t care less for me.” “If that‟s the case, then why did he take you in?” Lucas persisted. “Because we‟re friends, but that‟s it.” Clayton left the room and was mildly annoyed but not surprised when Lucas followed. “Ha!” Lucas mocked. “I‟ve seen the two of you 81

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kissing. Friends don‟t do that.” Clayton stopped and turned around. “That‟s all he‟ll do though. The other night I practically begged him to fuck me, but he didn‟t take the bait.” Lucas‟s eyes grew wide. “You actually said to him fuck me?” “No, but I threw out enough hints that there is no way he could have possibly missed them.” “Wow, that doesn‟t sound like him at all.” “Thanks for making me feel better. You want to make fun of my flat ass or big ears while you‟re at it?” Clayton threw his hands up in exasperation. “Sorry, I didn‟t mean it that way. I‟m just shocked because I‟ve never seen Justin afraid to act on his feelings before.” “He doesn‟t have any feelings for me,” Clayton said, frustrated that the conversation was just going in circles. “That‟s where you‟re wrong. Now I‟m realizing he likes you more than we all first believed. The reason he‟s not making a move on you is he‟s afraid you‟ll eventually reject him like his parents did.” “That‟s so stupid. I could never do that to him,” Clayton protested. Lucas gave him a wicked smile. “Hey, isn‟t that Forrest, the new medic over there?” Clayton barely glanced at the young, dark82

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haired man who was leaning on the nearby nurse‟s station. “Yeah, he brought in Ethel.” “He just got finished taking the medic course. Didn‟t you mention the other day that you were thinking about getting your license?” “Yeah, so?” Clayton began to get suspicious because of the look of pure deviousness on the nurse‟s face. “Why don‟t you go ask Forrest about the classes?” “Because I can just ask Randal since he helps teach them,” Clayton pointed out. “True, but if Justin were to come in and see you talking to Randal, he wouldn‟t care. Now a young, hot thing like Forrest would be a different matter.” “How do you know Justin is even coming in?” “Because I just heard him calling in a run report on the radio. He should be rolling in any second now. Maybe if he sees you with someone else that will finally motivate him enough to get his head out of his ass and finally show how much cares about you. “ Clayton hesitated. What Lucas suggested sounded a bit juvenile and silly, but a part of him couldn‟t help but wonder how Justin would react. He nibbled on his bottom lip as he worked it over in his mind. In the end, he came up with one thing—he had nothing to lose by trying. Taking a deep breath, he started to walk over to Forrest. 83

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**** “Make sure you mop the rig out properly this time. Last call you left streaks all over the floor,” Hester nagged. Justin lowered the cot from the back of the rig. “Yes, dear,” he replied in a dull voice. “And don‟t forget to fill the run sheet out completely this time,” Hester continued to peck as she zipped her uniform jacket up to her chin. As usual, she didn‟t hold one piece of equipment in her hands, leaving all the work for Justin. “I thought you were supposed to fill it out,” Justin objected. It was common practice that one partner cleaned up while the other did the paperwork. “My sister is working today and I need to talk to her.” Justin had to work hard not to grimace. The only one worse than Hester had to be her RN sister, Gladys. How either one of them ended up in the health care field was a mystery since neither one of them had a caring bone in their body. His only saving grace in all this was that their patient was some kid who‟d just had too much to drink and passed out at the local mall. A girl who didn‟t look a day over fifteen, she‟d slept the entire ride to the hospital and didn‟t show any 84

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signs of waking up soon. The only time Justin had roused her, she had given him a look of pure venom before calling him a faux doc. She‟d then rolled over and went back to sleep. After that encounter, Justin had been content to leave her that way. He started to wheel the patient in, all the while ignoring Hester‟s badgering. She may have been complaining about his job performance again, but he couldn‟t be for sure. In the two weeks he‟d had to suffer through with her as a partner, he‟d perfected the art of selective hearing. As they rounded the corner, his stomach dropped when he spotted Clayton deep in conversation with the new medic, Forrest. Clayton had on a pair of dark blue scrubs with a black hoodie and he‟d never looked cuter. That was until he gave the new medic a shy, yet flirtatious smile. Good „ol Forrest seemed to be eating it up, too. He even leaned in closer and briefly touched Clayton‟s hand. A red hot rage filled Justin. How dare that asshole even look at Clayton let alone touch him! Clayton was his and nobody else should be on the receiving end of the twerp‟s sweet smiles. Especially someone as hot and available as Forrest. What Justin needed to do was to make sure that jerk knew who Clayton belonged to. Hell, maybe it was time Justin showed Clayton that 85

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very same thing. “Take the patient to her room,” he ordered Hester, never taking his glare off Clayton. Hester started to protest, but Justin ignored her. He made a direct beeline over to Clayton. Once he got there, he didn‟t even bother with greetings, he just grabbed Clayton by the hand and started to drag him down the hall. “What do you think you‟re doing?” Clayton demanded. “We need to have a talk,” Justin didn‟t even look back as he made his announcement. “Now?” Justin found an empty staff changing room, ducked inside and shut the door behind them, making sure it was locked. Slamming Clayton‟s back against the wall, Justin pressed their bodies close together so there was no way the other man could miss his erection. “Yes, now and we‟re not leaving here until at least one of us comes.”

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Chapter Seven

“Y

ou have got to be kidding me,” Clayton gasped as he barely resisted the urge to grind his erection against Justin. “After all this time of ignoring my signals, you finally want to do this now while we‟re in the middle of St. Michael‟s?” Justin shut him up with a kiss so hot it nearly blistered Clayton‟s lips. By the time they parted for air, Clayton had started to let out these small, mewling sounds that would have been embarrassing in another situation. Then Justin reached down and grabbed Clayton‟s cock—that got a really loud reaction. “Fuck,” Clayton nearly shouted before he could censor himself. Justin let out a sexy laugh. “Language, language, you really have learned a whole bunch of interesting words.” “You‟re the one who taught all of them to me.” Clayton whimpered when he felt Justin working 87

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the ties of his scrub pants open. “That‟s not all I‟m going to teach you today,” Justin declared before he dropped to his knees. At the same time, he lowered Clayton‟s pants and underwear so his cock sprang free. Before Clayton even had a chance to be embarrassed or self-conscious, Justin parted his lips and all but swallowed Clayton‟s erection. “Ah, damn,” Clayton gasped as he thrust his hips forward. He‟d often wondered what it would be like to have Justin‟s lips wrapped around him. Now that it was actually happening, Clayton found it surpassed all his expectations and then some. It felt hot, wet and so decadent that Clayton didn‟t want it to ever end. “That‟s so good,” Clayton crooned as he curled his fingers into Justin‟s hair. Off in the distance, he could hear the familiar sounds of the hospital, but it did nothing to damper his passion. If anything, it amped it up some. Then Justin glanced up, his usual smoking eyes nearly black with passion and that threw Clayton over the edge. With a strangled cry, he came, his semen shooting off into Justin‟s mouth. “Sorry,” Clayton gasped, worried he‟d offended Justin by his lapse of control. Damn, he‟d manage to last all of three seconds before coming. He‟d shown himself for the inexperienced virgin he was. Justin didn‟t seem to mind though, he 88

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even groaned as he sucked Clayton dry. He went so far as to lick him clean, like he wanted to get every drop of Clayton‟s essence. “You have nothing to apologize for,” Justin said as he stood up. He pulled Clayton‟s pants up and started to retie them. “But I shot off in your mouth.” Clayton felt a heat come over his cheeks. While he‟d seen the guys come all over each other‟s faces in some of the movies he‟d found online, to actually do in real life was another thing. “And I loved every moment of it. I‟d been dying to know what you taste like and now I know.” Justin hummed as he rained kisses down Clayton‟s neck. “You taste fucking fantastic.” Clayton smiled. “Really?” “Yeah, I can‟t wait to do it again.” “So…” Clayton trailed a finger down Justin‟s chest. “Does that mean I would like it, too? You know, the taste of your cum.” “You can try it for yourself, later on when we‟re home,” Justin promised. Clayton licked his lips before he gave Justin a gentle shove in the chest so he had more room to work. “I don‟t want to wait that long. I think I‟ll find out for myself, right now.” “You don‟t have to do this,” Justin protested weakly. “I know. I‟m doing it because I want to.” 89

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Clayton dropped to his knees and clumsily undid the button on Justin‟s blue uniform pants. Slowly lowering the zipper, he let out a small sound of surprise. “You don‟t wear any underpants?” “They seem like such a waste of time,” Justin said, his voice sounding deliciously breathless. Clayton reached in and pulled out Justin‟s cock. Long and thick, with a drop of precum lingering at the tip, it made his mouth water in anticipation. “Just let me know if I do something wrong, since this is my first time.” “If you only knew how hot that was, too,” Justin groaned as his eyelids fluttered closed. With one final lick of his lips, Clayton parted his mouth and slowly took Justin in. At first, his gag reflex kicked in, but he was determined. He worked around it and soon established a slow rhythm that had Justin moaning. Clayton relished the sound, loving that those noises were for him and him alone. The salty tang of precum bathed Clayton‟s tongue and he found that Justin hadn‟t been lying, it was good. So much so that Clayton speared his tongue into the slit at the head of Justin‟s erection in an attempt to gather more of the liquid. “Fuck, babe, you‟re already good at this,” Justin praised as he stroked Clayton‟s hair. That prompted Clayton to suck harder and deeper, at the same time he reached up and gently 90

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cupped Justin‟s balls. He knew that had been the right thing to do when Justin threw his head back with a cry. “Shit, I‟m going to come. You need to pull back,” Justin panted. Clayton shook his head as he made the yummy humming sound around Justin‟s cock. He didn‟t want to pull away, instead he wanted Justin to fill his mouth. After a few more seconds, Justin did just that. With a strangled cry, he came, his cock pulsating before a wash of warm spunk shot out. For a brief moment, Clayton gagged again, before he pulled back just enough so he could swallow. He eagerly took in every drop Justin had to offer, his mouth making loud smacking sounds as he licked Justin clean. After it was over, Clayton even closed his eyes in bliss as he ran his tongue over his lips, looking for any stray drops. “Did I do okay?” he finally asked. Justin hauled him to his feet so they could share a kiss. “Are you kidding? I think that was the best blow job of my life. I can‟t wait until we get home tonight. I‟m going to fuck you so hard that you‟ll be feeling it for days.” Clayton allowed him a moment of satisfaction, If he‟d known that a little bit of flirting on the side was all it would have taken for Justin to finally give in to their attraction to one another, then Clayton would have done it days ago. “Promise?” 91

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he asked. Justin gave him one more kiss. “Babe, you can guarantee it.” **** After his shift was over, Justin drove to the hospital to pick Clayton up. As he entered the ER, Lucas met him. “Clayton isn‟t here.” “What do mean? His shift just ended.” The concerned expression on Lucas‟s face set Justin‟s alarm bells off. “What happened?” he asked. “We had an attempted suicide come in. It affected, Clayton bad,” Lucas explained as he put a comforting hand on Justin‟s arm. “Did he have a panic attack?” Clayton had confessed the other day to Justin that he sometimes suffered them. “No, but it was close enough that I suggested he go home.” “Why didn‟t anyone call me?” Justin demanded angrily. “He didn‟t want to upset you. Dylan drove him home and promised to stay with him until you got there.” Justin didn‟t reply because he‟d already turned around. He rushed through the automatic doors, jumped into his truck and sped home. The entire 92

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time there, he worried about how Clayton may be suffering. Damn it, he should have been the one there for him, not fucking Dylan. The drive home seemed to take forever and by the time he got there, Justin was nearly frantic with worry. He parked his truck and raced up the front steps. As he entered the house, he started yelling Clayton‟s name. “I‟m in here,” Clayton called. Justin found him, alone in the living room, standing in front of the empty fireplace. Justin searched for signs of distress, but other than a tear-streaked face, Clayton seemed calm. “Where‟s Dylan?” Justin asked, realizing for the first time that there hadn‟t been any other cars in the driveway. “I told him to go home.” Clayton wrapped his arms around his own waist. “Why?” “Because it wasn‟t him that I wanted.” Justin‟s heart raced with hope. “Who did you want?” “You,” Clayton replied simply as he slowly walked over to Justin. “As I was sitting here, waiting for a panic attack to hit me, I realized something.” “What was that?” “Ever since I came to live with you, I haven‟t had any attacks at all. It only took me a few 93

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minutes to figure out why, too.” Justin swallowed hard as he reached out and pulled Clayton into his arms. “What reason did you come up with?” “Because when I‟m with you, I feel safe. I know that you‟ll protect me.” “Of course I will. I love you,” Justin confessed, since Clayton was opening up and laying his heart out there, it only seemed right Justin do the same. Clayton pulled back, his eyes wide with shock. “What did you just say?” Justin took a deep breath to steady his nerves before repeating. “I love you. I know it may sound crazy because we‟ve only known each other for a couple weeks, but damn it, I‟ve fallen for you hard.” His heart soared when Clayton smiled. “I love you, too.” “Really?” Justin couldn‟t help but ask. “Yeah, I think I‟ve loved you since that night I fell asleep in your arms.” “Funny you should say that because I think that‟s when I realized I was in love with you, too.” Justin dipped his head down and captured Clayton‟s lips in a sweet, sensuous kiss. When they broke apart, Clayton whispered, “Make love to me.” “I thought you‟d never ask,” Justin replied, already tugging at Clayton‟s clothes. The first thing off was his hoodie. and Justin 94

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finally saw the faint, vertical scars running along both of Clayton‟s wrists. Justin reverently kissed them before promising, “Never again will you feel that alone. Not so long as I have breath in my body.” They started to slowly undress each other while making their way to the bedroom. While the progress was slow, it was efficient so by the time they reached the edge of the bed, they were both nude. “How do you want me?” Clayton asked, his voice slightly shaky. “On your stomach. It‟ll be easier for you since this is your first time.” Justin gave him a brief kiss. “Don‟t worry, I promise to take good care of you.” While Clayton climbed on the bed, Justin grabbed a condom and bottle of lubricant. He set them by Clayton‟s head before climbing on the bed and straddling the man‟s thin hips. He paused long enough to slide a pillow under Clayton to make him more comfortable. “You‟re so fucking beautiful,” Justin crooned before he licked a slow, lazy path down Clayton‟s spine. Clayton may have tried to respond, but all that came out was a guttural sound as he arched into Justin‟s touch. When Justin reached Clayton‟s perfectly rounded ass, he took the time to give each cheek a few love bites before he rimmed the 95

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man‟s tight hole. “Ah, damn. I should be embarrassed, but it feels too damn good to care,” Clayton panted as he fisted his hands in the covers. Justin smiled to himself, loving that Clayton was so verbal in bed. He‟d always preferred his lovers to be loud, and he could already tell that Clayton‟s reactions were going to put them all to shame. He spent the next few minutes licking Clayton‟s ass, just to see what other interesting sounds he could get from him, each gasp and cry jacking up Justin‟s passion even more. It wasn‟t until Clayton had started to let out breathless pleas that Justin finally reached for the lube. Squirting a very liberal amount on his hand, he slid one finger inside Clayton.”Shhh…” Justin soothed when his soon-to-be lover tensed. “Just relax and it will go easier.” When Clayton obeyed, Justin rewarded him with a gentle kiss to the shoulder before he slowly started to saw his finger in and out. Once he sensed Clayton was ready, Justin slid in a second finger. This time when he thrust them in, he curled them slightly so they pegged Clayton‟s sweet spot. “Fuck!” Clayton yelled, his eyes going wide with passion. “See, I told you it could be good,” Justin said as he hit the spot again. He did that several more times, eventually adding a third finger. He kept it 96

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up until Clayton was panting for relief before Justin pulled his fingers out and grabbed the condom. Ripping the wrapper open with his teeth, Justin took the condom out, then rolled it over his hard cock. He was already so worked up from watching Clayton‟s reactions that his own touch almost made him come. It was by sheer will alone that Justin held back. He slathered more lubricant on his dick before he lined it up to the opening of Clayton‟s stretched hole. “I love you,” he breathed before he slowly slid in. Clayton felt so hot, so tight, that Justin had to restrain himself from pounding into the man. Then Clayton started to squirm under him and it brought his need to near painful levels. Justin put a hand on Clayton‟s hip to still him. “Don‟t move. I don‟t want to hurt you.” “I can take it,” Clayton whimpered. “Just fuck me…please.” Justin moaned. How could he refuse that? He started to move in and out of Clayton. While he didn‟t set a hard pace, he wasn‟t exactly gentle either. Not that Clayton complained. He even started to thrust his ass up to meet Justin‟s strokes. “Help me come,” Clayton pleaded. Justin reached under him and grabbed Clayton‟s cock, then began stroking him in time to their thrusts. It took only a few passes before 97

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Clayton let out a long moan and shot off, hot waves of cum covering Justin‟s fingers. Only then did Justin allow himself to find his own release. He closed his eyes as the hardest orgasm of his life slammed into him. As he filled the condom, he cried out Clayton‟s name. After they had both caught their breath. Justin left Clayton long enough to get rid of the condom and wash off. Climbing back into bed, he tossed the covers over them before pulling Clayton into his arms. Clayton let out a satisfied hum as he nestled his cheek against Justin‟s chest. “I wanted you to know that the only reason I was talking to Forrest earlier was because I was asking him about the medic course.” “Why? Where you thinking of taking it?” Clayton shrugged. “I don‟t know. Do you think I could pass it?” Justin kissed the top of his head. “If there is one thing I know, it‟s you can do anything you set your mind to. I think you would make a great medic.” “Okay, then I‟ll sign up for it tomorrow.” “So, I guess this means I‟m stuck with you for a while now,” Justin teased. Clayton propped up on one elbow so he could gaze down at Justin. “You‟re stuck with me for a whole lot longer than that. You‟re it for me, Justin. 98

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I love you and I plan on being by your side for the rest of our lives.” “Nothing would make me happier,” Justin declared. It was true, too. So long as they had each other, Justin knew they could face whatever life threw at them. Pulling Clayton back into his arms, he felt truly happy for the first time ever.

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About the Author Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book.