The Truck Driver

Published by Silver Publishing Publisher of Erotic Romance

The Truck Driver Workplace Encounters 5

Serena Yates

Published by Silver Publishing Publisher of Erotic Romance

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the South African Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated and is punishable by imprisonment and a fine." Cover Artist: Reese Dante Editor: Nicole Hicks The Truck Driver © 2011 Serena Yates ISBN # 9781920501549 Attention Readers: This book uses US English. All rights reserved. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. The Licensed Art Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; any person depicted in the Licensed Art Material, is a model.

PUBLISHER https://spsilverpublishing.com

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER Dear Reader, Thank you for your purchase of this title. The authors and staff of Silver Publishing hope you enjoy this read and that we will have a long and happy association together. Please remember that the only money authors make from writing comes from the sales of their books. If you like their work, spread the word and tell others about the books, but please refrain from sharing this book in any form. Authors depend on sales and sales only to support their families. If you see "free shares" offered or cut-rate sales on pirate sites of this title, you can report the offending entry to [email protected] Thank you for not pirating our titles. Lodewyk Deysel Publisher Silver Publishing http://www.spsilverpublishing.com

DEDICATION To those who don't hesitate to look for romance and love —even in the most unlikely places. And to Tim C. who gave me insights into the world of trucking I would have missed without his pointers. Thank you, Tim!

TRADEMARKS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Ford: Ford Motor Company Petro Stopping Center: Petro, Inc. Material Handling Industry of America: Material Handling Industry BMW: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft HopGod Ale: Roma Pomodori, Inc.

The Truck Driver

Serena Yates

CHAPTER ONE "Pickup for Gordon Trucking?" Joshua Becket handed the guard at the gate to the tire factory south of Nashville, Tennessee his documentation, trying to suppress a yawn. Ten hours of enforced rest after delivering his last cargo early yesterday evening weren't much use when he'd been unable to sleep more than three or four of them. "Everything seems to be in order." The guard looked up, dark eyes peering into Joshua's cab. "Drive straight ahead about three hundred feet; loading dock is on your left. The guys there will know which trailer is yours." "Thanks." Josh closed the window against the chill of an early March morning and focused on getting his semi to where he needed to be without causing any damage. Fuck, but he was exhausted. The lack of financial security which endangered the plans for his future sat like a rock in the pit of his gut. It just wouldn't go away, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. He might have just enough money to make his rent and get some food, but recent pay cuts had reduced the amount left to go into his savings account this month. Gordon Trucking, a mediumsized company with ten trucks and five semis, was a little old fashioned and family owned. He'd thought the ownership would be an advantage, having hated his 1

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previous employer. They were big, very impersonal, and only did intrastate jobs. Barely out of high school, with a fresh commercial driver's license, he hadn't had much choice. Nobody wanted inexperienced drivers on long-haul jobs across the country. The minute he'd turned twenty-one just over three years ago he had applied for several jobs with small and medium-sized companies. Had he made a mistake going with these guys? They'd seemed nice and everything had gone well initially. But with the recent economic downturn, remaining competitive without modern equipment wasn't happening. Hence, the recent pay cuts. With a choice between losing their jobs and getting less pay all the employees had voted for staying on. Not even a union would have helped them. Shit, but he needed his own rig so he could go for the more lucrative jobs he knew were out there. Startled by his sudden arrival at the ramp, he stopped and looked for someone in charge. A large, burly guy in overalls emphasizing his considerable muscle mass stood on the dock, clipboard in hand. Josh rolled down his window so they could talk. "Gordon Trucking?" The overseer must have seen the logo on the outside of the cab. "Yeah, looking for a load of tires to go to Ford's 2

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Chicago Assembly." Josh wasn't thrilled with a shipment he could get to within his eleven hour work limit, without the next freight consignment in sight, but he had to take what was available. "Third berth from the back." Mr. I'm-In-Charge nodded at him briefly. "Don't forget to sign for it and drop the papers off on your way out." "Sure." Josh almost shook his head. What did the guy take him for? A rank beginner? He chuckled as he drove toward the back of the dock, having to admit that strangers often thought so. Even though he'd turned twenty-four recently, he still got carded on a regular basis. Baby-face was one of the nicer nicknames his colleagues called him. What they or anyone else thought didn't matter. They'd never accept him. Truckers were a tough crowd, and only the manliest of the machos really thrived in this sort of environment. He may have the muscles to show for it, but at barely six feet, he wasn't exactly a powerful presence. Not like some of the guys at Gordon Trucking, or some of the ones he'd run into on the highway, at one of the truck stops. Maneuvering the semi to connect with the trailer and making sure everything connected safely took his full attention for the next twenty minutes or so. Once done, he returned the paperwork to the overseer, made his log entry 3

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and drove out of the factory gates. Heading back toward the I-24, following the directions of his handheld GPS, he finally relaxed a little. The stops along the interstates were almost the best feature about his job. He loved being on his own, not bothered by anyone, and getting to see different parts of the country. What went on at those truck stops, though, was a real job perk. It gave him a national network for hooking up and anonymous sex. He'd been too scared to do anything while still doing intrastate jobs, irrationally afraid someone might recognize him in his home state. Coming out or being accused of being gay wasn't really an option in this industry. Sure, the Gay Truckers Association offered professional advice and resources for those courageous enough to admit their sexual orientation, but the day-to-day situation? Was still very much in favor of being straight, white and preferably male. Ideally with lots of muscles to prove your macho-ness. So, anonymous sex it would have to be. Which was a hell of a lot more available in his current job than it ever had been before. Thank God for 'truck chasers'! He may not be their ideal trucker, but the men and women (not that he looked at them) who cruised highway rest stops looking to fulfill their 'trucker stud' fantasies usually weren't too 4

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worried about the way he looked. The restroom corners and stalls they frequented were half dark most of the time anyway. A little over five hours later he was ready for lunch. With a Petro Stopping Center right ahead, which had a great restaurant, it was time for a break. Josh had planned to eat first, with the way his stomach grumbled. But when he went to do his business and wash his hands before looking for a seat in the restaurant, a cute twink with curly brown hair and a dimpled smile caught his attention. The guy leaned against the bathroom wall, provocatively licking his lips when Josh looked up from drying his hands. Where the hell had he come from? "Hey." The dimples deepened. "Hi." Josh threw the paper towel into the waste bin and straightened himself. "I love truckers." "Do you?" His eyebrow rose on its own volition. "Yep." The twink gave him a slow once-over, spending extra time on his quickly swelling bulge before turning his bright blue eyes upward again. "Are you even old enough to be here?" Shit, he couldn't believe he'd just said that, practically ready to card the guy. But Mr. Dimples didn't look a day over sixteen. 5

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Not really his thing, but hey, if he was old enough to know what he was doing, who was Josh to stop him? A blow job was a blow job, after all. The twink rolled his eyes and pulled what looked like a driver's license from his back pocket with a long suffering sigh. Josh knew the feeling and grinned as he checked. Nineteen, it said. He wouldn't be able to recognize a fake one, but he couldn't be expected to be that diligent, could he? "Cool." Josh motioned toward the stall at the end and the eager twink almost fell over his own feet as he practically ran into it, flattening himself against a wall to let Josh enter before he locked the door. No further words were needed. The guy went to his knees, greedy hands at Josh's belt before he could blink. The need in the twink's eyes and the speed with which he had belt, button and zipper opened flattered Josh and pushed him into full hardness. He couldn't wait to get started. The forbidden nature of what they were doing only increased his libido and a small moan escaped his lips when the other man pulled down jeans and underwear in one decisive, yet careful-not-to-hurt movement. His cock sprang up, hard enough to slap the other man's chin. The guy didn't seem to mind. With a quick grin, he took hold of the base, carefully bending it slightly 6

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upward, and licked from base to tip. Man, that feels good! The twink hummed and closed his eyes as he swirled his tongue around Josh's cock. Shivers of delight travelled straight from his cock to his balls, settling deep in his groin with an all too familiar warmth. It became hard not to thrust when the other man finally closed his lips around Josh's cock head and started to suck. He gripped the man's head just to have something to hold on to. The other man nodded, gripped Josh's hips and sucked his cock all the way down until his nose hit Josh's pubic hair. Tightening throat muscles just where they counted, around Josh's sensitive glans, made him tremble with arousal. "Gahhhhh!" Josh closed his eyes and threw his head back, colliding almost painfully with the stall's wall. "Yes!" Encouraged, the other man started bobbing his head in earnest, sucking Josh's cock like a pro. Josh started fucking the man's face. He tried very hard not to go too deep but the temptation overwhelmed him. Add the other man's clear desire to deep throat him and Josh lost it. The suction when he pulled back felt heavenly and the tight seal around his cock head made him a little crazy. He wasn't going to last very long. Fuck that, he was coming now. 7

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"Shit!" One last deep push and ecstasy raced from the tip of his cock all the way up his spine as he emptied his balls into the twink's very willing throat. Holding on to the other man's head for balance he stood there, trembling for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and pulling out. At moments like these, being a trucker rocked. **** By the time he approached the outskirts of Chicago, his maximum of eleven hours of driving was almost up. Thank God he'd taken two breaks. That and traffic had made him late, but at least there he had some leeway to find a place to sleep. The factory had round-the-clock shipment facilities so he'd be able to make his delivery. He was tired enough to not want to drive too much longer. Luckily, his clever GPS revealed a truck stop under a mile from his drop off point. Not part of a chain, it still looked to have plenty of parking. That was all he needed. Well, a bed would have been nice, but Gordon Trucking didn't have the money to buy the more expensive sleeper semis that were becoming more widely available. So, he'd be sleeping in his seat once again. Once the delivery had been made and he'd parked at the cozy-looking truck stop, he updated his log and called 8

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into the head office. He crossed his fingers for either an ongoing cargo from here or, at the very least, some freight to run back to Nashville. His bosses needed a break, and so did his income! "Kimberly speaking." The office manager's voice sounded gruff as usual. "Hi Kimberly, it's Joshua." He paused to clear his throat. Please let there be some good news. "Just checking in to let you know I made the delivery and wondering if you have another job for me?" "Sorry, but there isn't anything out in your direction at the moment." Kimberly paused and took a deep breath. "In fact, I've been told to recall you back to the office as soon as you can make it." "What?" Were they going to fire him? "I know it's very unusual but—there've been some major changes here and the boss wants everyone back here for an announcement and a discussion of the future." "I don't get it." They'd never had a situation like that before. Even the pay cut discussion had been handled with phone calls. It hadn't felt right, not even to Josh, who liked keeping his distance from people. The boss didn't easily get personal, preferring long-distance communication to faceto-face contact. It had been a good match. So, what had changed? 9

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"I understand that, but I really can't tell you any more than this. Everyone will be back here by the day after tomorrow. You should be too, right?" Kimberly rustled with some papers. "Ten hours rest plus eleven hour's drive back puts you in Nashville in the early afternoon." "Sounds about right." He could do with the extra time off. The financial issues weren't going to go away overnight, so he might as well try to rest. "Okay, unless you hear from me again, be at the office at ten in the morning on Thursday, please." Kimberly coughed. "Sorry, feels like I'm getting a cold." "See you on Thursday." He really had nothing much else to say, so he ended the call. He tossed and turned most of the night. The seat wasn't that comfortable to begin with, and the additional worry about the announcement and what it might mean didn't help. Somehow, he had a feeling he might be looking for a new job soon. The drive back to Nashville turned out to be thankfully uneventful. He took two breaks, but wasn't even in the mood for a rest stop encounter. Shit, he needed a life. Or more books, whichever came first. He loved reading and had been devouring fantasy and travel books as fast as the local library made them available. He preferred books since they weren't likely to talk back or leave him, like people 10

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tended to do. By the time he made it to the office on Thursday morning he'd turned into a nervous wreck. He wouldn't let on; maintaining a macho façade was a necessity if he wanted to survive with his pride intact. Most of the other drivers were already seated all over the reception area, the only place big enough to hold everyone. Someone had placed cheap folding chairs into the open spaces, shaping them into rough rows. A few more of his coworkers trickled in while he got some of the sludge they called coffee. Josh had arrived too late to snag one of the seats on the sofa, safely at the back and away from where he thought the boss would stand to make his announcement. With a regretful sigh, he took one of the uncomfortable chairs in the second row. At least he wasn't going to have to sit all the way up front. At ten on the dot, the door to the manager's office opened and a man in a suit walked out. Josh's mouth fell open. This guy didn't look like his boss. Tall, maybe six feet, the man had broad shoulders and a fit body. The gray suit fit him well and the dark blue tie made him look distinguished. He'd taken off his suit jacket and had rolled up his sleeves, revealing strong, slightly hairy forearms. His black, short hair looked chaotic, as if he'd raked it with 11

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his hands. The stranger, who vaguely looked like the Mr. Oldfield who used to be in charge, looked around the room with dark brown eyes that almost made Josh melt when it was his turn to make eye contact. Finally, the man moved to the spot next to the reception desk and cleared his throat. The silence that followed was immediate and deafening. "Good morning." The man's voice sounded deep and warm. "My name is Robert Oldfield and I have just bought Gordon Trucking from my parents. I thought it was only right I introduce myself and tell you about the changes I'm planning in order to return this company to some semblance of profitability."

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CHAPTER TWO Robert had been in a few tense situations in his life. Most recently the huge confrontation with his parents once they'd found out he'd bought the company via a broker so they wouldn't find out who'd made the offer. As far as he was concerned, it was their own fault. After all, they were the ones who had rejected him once he'd come out, and who had refused to even consider selling him the company. By all rights, it should have been his and even though he'd never expected to just be given it, he had still hoped they'd at least offer to sell it to him, despite the estrangement. None of that had happened, though, proving once more people were hypocrites and not to be trusted. Even after all the recent tension, the current situation with the company's employees all staring at him as if he were the devil incarnate made him feel uncomfortable. Why had he thought it couldn't get any worse? Truckers were a tough crowd. He knew that. Seven years of working in a logistics company in New York had taught him a few things about how people's minds worked in this industry. Now that he had to actually confront them with what they would consider more bad news after the recent pay cuts, his stomach twisted. 13

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He wouldn't let that stop him. The only way out of this mess was plunging right in and getting it over with. His parents had neglected modern technology for too long, almost driving the company into bankruptcy. No more. It didn't really matter what these people thought, he had the business degree and work experience to prove he wasn't an idiot. He had the funds to invest as well, thanks to a major lucky streak in the stock market and some clever investments once he'd seen the recession coming. When the silence had lasted long enough, he decided to take the initiative. It seemed these people needed a bit of extra stimulus to bring them out of their shells— ideally in a positive way. He wanted them to understand and buy into his plans. With the current shortage of good truck drivers the best of them were likely to leave if he didn't play his cards carefully. And that was not where he wanted this to end up. "Before I start outlining my plans, I'd like to get to know you." He paused, taking in the various reactions, ranging from frowns and raised eyebrows to smirks. Yep, those were the ones he needed to watch. He looked one of the sneering ones straight into the eyes. "You have a problem with that?" "Uhm…" The bear of a man at the end of the first row to his left looked around as if to make sure he was the 14

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one suddenly in the limelight. Since all his co-workers now had much more interesting things to look at, he must have decided he needed to come up with a response. "No?" "Good." Robert managed to keep the smile off his face. Like all bullies, the man had retreated once confronted with someone willing to stand up to him. "Now then, why don't we start with you?" "I'm Ted Stageman." Ted had stopped smirking. "And how long have you been with Gordon Trucking, Ted?" Of course he remembered all of this from the personnel files, but he needed some way of getting these guys to talk. "Almost six years." Ted folded his muscular arms across his chest as if he expected some sort of an attack. "Thank you, Ted." Robert looked at the man seated next to his first 'victim' and smiled. "What about you?" "My name is Peter Redsox. I've been with Gordon Trucking for five years." The man exuded a quiet confidence that made Robert hope he could get him on his side. He didn't know any details about this group, but the quiet ones were quite often those who determined what the group's reaction to a particular situation would be. "Thank you, Peter." All it took from then on was a glance and a quick nod from him for people to introduce themselves. When 15

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he'd finished going through the six people in the first row and let his eyes jump to the first guy in the second row he almost stopped breathing. The man looked absolutely stunning. The passport photo in his personnel file didn't do him justice in the least. He looked close to Robert's height of six feet, but his shoulders were broader, the chest covered with a tight white T-shirt was well developed and the man's abs looked great from what he could see. The muscular, jeans-clad thighs almost made him drool. But when he looked up into those bright blue eyes under a high forehead it really hit him. This man was stunning, and with his combination of physical strength and boyish looks, spiky blond hair included, he was exactly the type who would get Robert into trouble without even trying. "I'm Joshua Becket. I've worked here for just over three years." The blond god smiled and Robert's heart beat faster. "Thanks, Joshua." With an effort that really wasn't a rousing endorsement for his self-control, Robert tore his eyes away from his new favorite wet dream. Down boy! This was a work situation and he needed to set an example for proper conduct. Didn't he? When all fifteen drivers, the office manager and the guy in charge of planning had been introduced, Robert took 16

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a deep breath and tried to relax. This was it. "Thanks for introducing yourselves to me. It'll help me remember who you all are in the next few weeks. I said earlier that there are going to be some changes, and part of that will be a more personal approach to doing business." He stopped to let everything he'd said sink in. He suspected it would be one of the biggest stumbling blocks. Luckily, he had a few carrots to go with what some might see as a stick. From the looks on most men's faces, he was going to need them, too. "Excuse me." Not surprisingly, Ted spoke up first. "A 'personal approach', as you call it, ain't gonna make money." "Okay, what do you think is going to make money?" Robert suppressed a smile. The look on Ted's face was just too funny, but it wouldn't do for him to seem to be laughing at the man. "What do I think?" Ted's bushy eyebrows went all the way up to his somewhat receding hairline. "You're going to listen to us?" "Of course I'm going to listen to you. You've been in this business for a while, and you probably have a pretty good idea about what needs to be done." He almost rubbed his hands in glee. This was way better than he'd hoped for. "But I don't know anything about running a 17

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business." Ted sat back in his chair, as if physically withdrawing from a situation that had suddenly gone way beyond his ability to deal with. "Maybe you're not familiar with all the aspects of running this business, but I bet you have a good idea what would work and what wouldn't in your job as a driver." He looked around, making eye contact with a few of the other men. All of them looked totally stunned. Damn, his parents must have been total autocrats. Time to open the discussion up a little more, make sure everyone started feeling involved. "I bet all of you do." "Yeah, sure, but so what?" Leah, one of the two female drivers who looked as tough as her male colleagues, frowned. She sat on one of the sofas in the back and hadn't even pretended to listen so far. "Are you actually going to do anything about our ideas?" "I might." He lifted his hands to stop the sounds of discontent and disappointment from getting any louder. "Give me a minute here to explain. As you all know Gordon Trucking is in deep financial trouble. I've been going through the books in the short time I've had since I acquired this company. It'll be no surprise to you that things don't look good." "Is this your way of suggesting more pay cuts?" Peter frowned. "Because I gotta tell you, there's only so 18

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much of this shit we're going to take." Supportive murmuring in the ranks made the first bead of sweat roll down Robert's temple. Tough crowd? Try impossible! He was as confident as the next person in his ability to make this company profitable again, despite his parents' disdain once he'd come out to them. As if being gay suddenly made him less talented. But this sort of aggressiveness, even if expected, got to him. "No, this isn't my way of suggesting more pay cuts. On the contrary, I want to take them back as soon as possible. I don't believe in underpaying the people who are the lifeblood of what we do." Robert almost smiled at the sea of stunned faces. "Yeah, right, like what does that even mean?" Ted shook his head. "Empty promises won't make us happy or put food in our cupboards." "Who says they're empty?" He could see why they were thinking this, but he needed to establish a basic level of trust quite quickly or he would lose them. "I've come up with a monthly investment plan that will put this company back on track. I believe we need to modernize some of the office equipment, mainly upgraded computers so we can participate in the more lucrative online bidding processes that will get us more profitable cargo. We need to invest in the software that can calculate optimized routes for us, and, 19

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eventually, we'll need to buy more semis to replace the less flexible trucks. Getting your daily schedule back in line with industry average is also on this list." Some of the drivers now actually looked thoughtful. "Now, I'm asking you as the people who know this business and its day-to-day operations much better than I do, even though my experience in the logistics business does help me understand the general situation." With great satisfaction he noticed he had everyone's attention now. "If you had to make the choice, which would you do first? Get the tools we need to be more profitable, or increase everyone's pay back to the old levels?" "Humph." Ted managed to look upset and thoughtful at the same time. Peter and Leah nodded to themselves, and a lot of the other guys looked clueless. Joshua, the golden haired Adonis was amongst those who looked thoughtful. "I hate to admit it, but I think you're right. Without the proper equipment to operate with a profit, there's no way this company can afford the additional pay." Joshua shook his head. "I can't believe I just said that." "Neither can anyone else." Peter's red face attested to his anger. "Doesn't this just open the door for our pay remaining as low as it is for the foreseeable future?" "It would if we didn't put some sort of measurement 20

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system in place. I want to find a way that guarantees any improvement in profitability will not go into profit, but back into additional pay until you've reached your old levels." He still wasn't sure how he'd do this, but in a pinch he'd add his own money to make sure these people saw some sort of improvement—and quickly. The pay they'd been asked to exist on was ridiculously low and he didn't want to leave them there for a moment longer than necessary. But he needed them to prove that they were willing to follow him. "It sounds okay in principle, but how are we going to make this work in practice?" Joshua, at least, seemed willing to follow his train of thought. Good looking and clever? The man became more irresistible by the second. "What if we had some sort of benefit agreement? For each profitable load a driver delivers, he could get a payment, like a profit share." Joshua looked at his coworkers, most of whom were nodding. "That could work, since it wouldn't take any cash out of the investment budget. It might take a while, but at least you'd be getting some more money every week." The idea was quite brilliant, since it would enable Robert to give something immediately without endangering the longer term situation. "Does anyone want to speak against this plan?" 21

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The silence sounded encouraging this time around. "Okay, that's what we'll do then." Robert made a show of writing this down in a notebook he pulled from his pants pocket. Everyone needed to see that he took this seriously. "I'll work with Kimberly to upgrade the computers in the office and get the appropriate software. It won't take us much more than a week then we can start changing the way we bid for cargo and plan your routes." "Will we finally get electronic on-board recorders to replace the outdated logbook system we have to use?" Ted sat up straighter as if this would help him make his point. "Filling out those darned pages and doing the associated paperwork is taking a lot of time." "Sure, we'll get that done in the first week as well." Frankly, the use of paper shocked him. Maybe it shouldn't have after what he found out about his parents' way of running the business, but it was still somewhat unexpected they'd taken their refusal to use modern methods that seriously. "There is one more thing I'd like to announce right now. This has nothing to do with making the business more profitable. But it's important for me to learn more about how you work and what sort of situations you face in your jobs. My previous job in the logistics company I used to work for in New York involved a lot of back office work, 22

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route planning, and bidding for jobs. But I've never driven a truck, intrastate or long-distance. The only way for me to find out, I believe, is to accompany each of you on different kinds of trips. Please don't look at this as a way to check up on your work, it'll be purely a learning experience for me." "You going to help us drive?" Peter tilted his head, clearly happy with the laughter from his co-workers. "Sure, if that's what you want and if it makes the drive more profitable, why not?" This was going a lot better than he'd expected. "You mean to tell us you've got a commercial driver's license?" Ted's reward came in the form of a round of laughter. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." It was one of the first things he'd done when he'd gotten news about his parents selling the company from the Material Handling Industry of America. The MHIA was a trade organization with all kinds of useful information. He'd only just been able to squeeze in the eight-week course, but now he was glad he had. The additional credibility it gained him with these guys was crucial. "Oh." Ted looked nonplussed. Everyone else was clearly reconsidering their opinion of him. Good. Keeping them on their toes was hopefully 23

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going to help him gain their respect. He needed that as they were in need of his financial support of Gordon Trucking. When he looked at Joshua and saw the clear approval in the man's face, he was more relieved than he wanted to admit. Joshua's opinion, for some reason, was far more important than anyone else's. And if that wasn't going to get him into trouble, he didn't know what would.

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CHAPTER THREE Josh sat very still in his increasingly uncomfortable chair. He didn't like surprises; in his experience, they never meant anything good. An unexpected new boss counted as a major shock. As if that wasn't enough, the guy was more attractive than Josh wanted to admit, seemed ready to invest his own money into Gordon Trucking and had promised to return their pay to their old levels. Where was the catch? He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Nope, it hurt like hell. He looked up just in time to see a fleeting grin on Robert's face before the man continued his visual inspection of everyone's reaction. Shit, he'd have to watch that one. He seemed to be more observant than Josh had given him credit for. "Are there any questions?" Robert turned to Kimberly. "Please get me a printout of the next ten days' schedule so we can start working out the details." Kimberly nodded, her expression as shocked as everyone else's. She'd never been easy to surprise, she wouldn't have survived even one day at her job if she didn't have the personality of a bulldog. Fifteen truck drivers under her care kept her on her toes and ready for pretty much anything. This newest situation had her a little 25

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flustered, though. Served her right to be on the receiving end for once. "Thanks everyone. I look forward to working with all of you. If you have any questions, my door is always open. Unless I'm in a meeting, of course." Robert put the little notebook he'd been scribbling in back into his pocket. After one last glance across the room, lingering a little longer on Josh, Robert turned around and vanished into his office, leaving them to their own devices. It took only seconds for the buzz of intense discussions between several of the team to fill the room. Josh was glad he had a seat at the outer edge and wouldn't immediately have to talk to anyone. He needed time to collect his thoughts. The new boss's working methods might be a problem. Josh so didn't want anyone in the cab with him as he raced across the various interstate highways. The whole point of choosing this job was that he could be on his own with nobody to bug him, blame him or otherwise make his life miserable. His stupid uncle may have thought Josh wanted to be like him, but nothing could be further from the truth. Being accompanied on one, hopefully very short, trip presented him with enough of a problem. As gorgeous as the man looked, Josh didn't think he could stand being 26

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cooped up in the cab with him for any length of time without giving in to his attraction. Which would surely get him fired. Even if the man were gay, which he didn't look like, starting an affair with your boss was not a good idea. No, the real problem was that this new method of team driving would bring up the profits much faster. Lots of the bigger companies were already using this approach as standard. Sleeper trucks were a prerequisite for that, since the off-duty driver had to be comfortable enough to get quality rest. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, would be on their backs quicker than they could blink if they found out the Hours of Service weren't followed. Currently, Gordon Trucking only had five trucks with sleeper capability, but Josh was pretty sure the new boss would invest the necessary money if it made them more profitable. How come the guy was so rich anyway? "Hey, you okay?" Steven's voice came from right behind Josh and pulled him back into reality. "Sure." He tried to smile but the effort didn't even feel right. "Good, good." Steven wasn't the most sensitive type, and he seemed lost in his own world. "So, what do you think about all this?" "Not sure yet." He definitely wasn't ready to share 27

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his thoughts, but he had to give the guy something. "Guess we'll have to wait and see how this all plays out." "Yeah. I figure we don't have much to lose at this point. It'll take a few weeks to find a new job anyway." Steven scratched his head. "That profit-sharing deal sounded interesting though, don't you think?" "What do you mean?" He'd much rather have cash in hand than wait for some sort of commission that might never be paid. "Well, if we get paid based on the profits we make by driving more efficiently, then that could mean some real money. Almost like owning my own truck." Steven smiled. "Might even make me want to stay." "I doubt if they would pay us that much." And nothing would stop him from getting his own truck, profit sharing or no profit sharing. "We'll just have to see." Steven turned away from him clearly having exhausted his patience. The guy only associated with people who agreed with him. Well, tough luck. Josh looked out for himself these days, and himself only. He'd learned the hard way that nobody else would. This financial shit he was in because he'd felt some sort of misplaced loyalty toward Gordon Trucking when they'd asked people to accept a temporary pay cut represented only the latest example. He'd give this 28

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new guy until the end of the month to show what he was made of and to keep his promises. If Robert didn't make the cut? Josh was so out of here. When most of his co-workers had left with their newest assignments, Josh ambled over to Kimberly's desk and waited his turn. There were only two guys ahead of him, and he passed the time by making bets with himself as to where he'd be sent. Probably more crappy short distance deliveries. Not that he'd get a lot more money for the longer distance ones, but at least he'd be gone longer and hopefully see new parts of the country. He couldn't help throwing the odd glance at the manager's office. Robert had left the door open and Josh could see part of his desk and his left arm. The man may be an office worker, but the well developed muscles on his forearms, as well as on the rest of his body, spoke of someone who took care of his body. Josh blinked and looked away. And why would he care? Robert was clearly out of his league, and not just because of being his boss. "Your turn." Leah smiled when she noticed how distracted he must have looked. "Hope you get a good one." "Thanks." He sure needed a break. "Okay, let me see what I have for you." Kimberly closed Leah's file and pulled out his, taking a few job sheets from the top. "Okay, you're doing two one-day runs 29

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to Greensboro and Atlanta, day of rest on Sunday. Then I have you on what would normally be a five-day tour, but with the new team driving method it might take you only three or maximum four days." "Team driving?" Shit, there went his hopes for extended alone time. "Yeah, the boss man will do a two-day tour and a couple of singles this week, but wanted to see a longer one as well. He really is serious about this stuff." She shook her head and returned her attention to the job sheets. "You'll be taking one of our five sleeper trucks for the trip." Josh barely suppressed his groan. **** Monday morning and the ominous start of his multiday trip came much too quickly. He drove his car to the company lot, intending to leave it there while on the job. At least security would watch over it. Robert had already arrived and stood leaning against a black BMW as he lifted his face into the barelyrisen sun. Josh checked his watch, just to make sure he wasn't late. Seven on the dot, but it was only six in reality. Darned daylight savings time was more trouble than it was worth as far as he could see. They'd stolen a whole hour 30

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from him. And it wasn't even a weekday hour they took each spring, but part of the precious weekend! He couldn't really hold on to his anger in the face of the gorgeous man who stood there waiting for him. Well, not exactly, but it was a nice thought. Robert managed to look distinguished even wearing old jeans and a light gray flannel shirt. He'd rolled up his sleeves again, making him appear relaxed and comfortable with himself. Hell, maybe he was. Not like Josh who was a ball of nerves as he got out of his car, retrieved the duffel from the trunk and securely locked everything. He'd broken into a light sweat by the time he made it over to Robert's location. "Good morning." He cleared his throat. Should have had more coffee. "Morning." Robert opened his eyes and smiled, showing perfect white teeth. "Thanks for taking me along." Like I had a choice. It was very difficult to keep the scowl off his face, but somehow he managed. "I know you don't think so, but you do have a choice in this." Robert chuckled. "I'm sure Kimberly didn't tell you, but I really only want to learn from this. And I'm not going to force anyone to spend time with me if they don't want that. So, you can still say no." "Uhm…" Josh's jaw almost dropped. Was the guy a mind reader? He'd never tell his boss no. As awkward as 31

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the next three or four days were going to be, the man remained in charge. Anyway, he was making a genuine effort to get to know the people he worked with, and that couldn't be wrong. Funny it felt so intrusive anyway. "I promise, I won't bite your head off if you do say no." Robert tilted his head. "I don't mind letting you know I'd be disappointed, because I'm really curious what a threeor four-day trip is going to be like. I've done two-day trips, one with Peter and one with Leah, followed by an overnight return to Chicago with Ted over the weekend. But the one you've got coming up will be a much better test of the longer term benefits of team driving." "Sure." The man certainly liked to hear himself talk. Josh looked more closely and noticed that Robert's hands were slightly shaking. Maybe the guy was just nervous? "Sorry, I'm babbling." Robert raked his hand through his hair, making it appear even more messy. "To tell you the truth, I'm probably just as nervous as you are. What do you say? Should we call a truce and approach this on an equal footing? Full partners for the duration of this trip? I have a suspicion it won't work that well if we don't try to forget we're boss and employee, at least for a little while. We won't even have to pretend you can teach me a lot about long-distance driving, and I promise to follow your instructions where the job is concerned. I really have 32

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no clue what I'm doing, so I'd be grateful for anything you can teach me." "You make a convincing argument." It sounded as if Robert had really thought this through. "I try." Robert's smile was mischievous, but he looked somewhat relieved. "Okay, what you say makes sense. I'll try not to use my 'power', such as it is, and promise to teach you as much as I can." Josh shouldered his duffel and pointed at the dark blue truck they were going to be driving. One of the more modern machines at Gordon Trucking, it came equipped with a very comfortable sleeper cabin, a mini kitchen, and even a shower unit. "Good. I picked these up last night." Robert pulled the keys to the truck from his pants pocket and handed them over. "Thanks." He took them and started walking toward the truck. "Let's stow our personal gear first, then we'll do the technical inspection before we get going. I know someone will have checked it last night, but it's always safer to make sure everything is still okay before going on a long-distance trip like the one we've got planned." Robert nodded and followed him around as he went through the checklist. Once he confirmed that everything was in order, he filled out the basics of the logbook before 33

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turning to the trip planning part of their preparations. Kimberly had provided a printed map to provide a general overview, but he still needed to program the GPS system with the details. "Okay, so we've got a delivery of toothpaste to Kansas City, Missouri for our first leg of the trip. I suggest we each do about two hours driving with a lunch break after about six hours, which should put us around St. Louis. Plenty of good rest stops there." He looked up to make sure Robert was still with him, but the man nodded encouragingly, so he continued with his outline, pointing at the relevant places on the map with a pencil. "We should arrive in Kansas City around six or seven in the evening, at which point we'll make our delivery, pick up the load of canned fruit before we take a slightly longer break for dinner and start the overnight drive." "One of us can take a longer stretch so the other can sleep, right?" Robert had followed each of his movements and his gaze currently rested on Denver, Colorado. "So, with any luck, we'll be at our destination around ten in the morning." "Which is much better than getting there by the next evening if we only had one driver. I can see how this team thing might work if we have enough business to go after." If not, all it would mean was more idle time for drivers 34

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between cargoes. "Exactly. But then, getting more business is what will happen once we've got a more modern bidding system. I can't believe my parents didn't invest in that years ago." Robert shook his head. "Be that as it may, we'll certainly do so now and if this works out for you as well as for the company, there's nothing that can stop us." "Ready to go?" He didn't want to get into a discussion of team driving in general, or the company's future specifically. They'd have to see how all this went before any decisions could be made. The first part of the trip went surprisingly well. While they didn't talk non-stop, the discussions they had were varied and interesting. He discovered that Robert was as interested in reading fantasy as him, they shared a taste in music, and both supported the same football and baseball teams. Josh's only problem was dealing with the constant proximity of a man he was quickly beginning to admire not just because of the way he looked, but because he suspected he could genuinely like the person underneath the perfect façade. It was all ridiculous, of course, but at least he felt better about the next few days not being a complete waste of his time, or test of his patience. Lunch had come and gone before he realized, and by the time they had supervised the unloading of the truck 35

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at one warehouse and picked up the canned food at another, he was definitely hungry enough for dinner. Normally he'd have picked up something from a fast food restaurant, but Robert had different ideas. The place he picked for dinner turned out to be a really nice steakhouse and the relaxed atmosphere almost made Josh feel as though he was on a date. Shaking his head at his ridiculous thoughts he tried to push the increasing feeling of familiarity and liking Robert to the back of his mind. They decided it was his turn to sleep first, so when they came back from dinner he went into the sleeping compartment, undressed to his boxers and crawled into one of the sleeping bags. His thoughts went in circles for a long time as he considered everything that had happened. Just before he finally fell asleep he thought he heard Robert say "Night, Joshua. Sweet dreams." It was definitely odd, and he was pretty sure he'd dreamed it, but it made him smile.

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CHAPTER FOUR Robert couldn't believe he'd spoken out loud. Since the guy hadn't reacted in any way he could always hope Joshua hadn't heard him. It would be too embarrassing to admit how strongly he felt about the other man after barely a day of working with him. He'd gotten along with the others,

but

with

Joshua

there

was

more

of

an

understanding. Some of the man's observations spoke of a keen mind underneath the gruff exterior and even though he had the impression Joshua was embarrassed about his lack of formal education, Robert didn't think it showed at all. Of course, the fact that the man seemed to read every opportunity he got, and not just fantasy books from what they'd talked about, would help with that. The next seven hours of driving were pure torture. And for once, the traffic wasn't the problem. The sleeping man laying not ten feet behind him remained uppermost in Robert's thoughts. He found himself daydreaming about dating the man and wondered if his friends called him Josh or if he preferred the full Joshua. He'd introduced himself with his full name and everyone else called him that, but Robert couldn't help but wonder. He longed to have the right to use a more personal approach. What the hell was he going to do about his attraction? 37

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At five in the morning he was ready to get some sleep. He'd made good headway, only taking one short bathroom break, and with any luck it would only be another five or six hours to Denver. He parked the truck near the facilities at Oakley, figuring a bathroom would be a priority for both of them. They could get gas and have a quick meal after taking care of business. He unbuckled and stretched, making sure the stiffness from his muscles was at least mostly gone before he got up. He didn't want to stumble and embarrass himself by falling all over Joshua. Fuck! Wrong image. Just the thought of touching the other man from head to toe, even with clothes between them, had him half hard. The soft snoring from the back that became audible now he'd switched off the engine did the rest. He tried to will away his erection but the snuffling sounds and the rustling of the sleeping bag as Joshua moved were too much. Finally, he gave up and rose. He'd just have to move slowly so he wouldn't do himself permanent damage. As soon as he laid eyes on Joshua, stretched out on his stomach, with his boxer-clad ass just as tempting as the smooth, muscled back, he had to use all his willpower to stop himself from pouncing on the man. Joshua's face looked relaxed in sleep, stubble giving his face a rugged appearance. His much too short hair stood up in adorable 38

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spikes and the half-light from the front of the cab bathed his skin in a golden hue that made Robert want to lick the man from head to toe. Before he knew what he was doing, every single filter between brain and body switched off by his growing arousal, he took the last two steps, kneeled next to the bed and cupped the back of Joshua's head, stroking the man's cheek with his thumb. "Time to get up, Joshua." He kept stroking even when Joshua grumbled. "Hmm." Joshua moved into the touch, turning onto his side but rubbing against Robert's palm like a cat. Robert's eyes widened as he realized what he'd done. But when he tried to withdraw his hand, Joshua followed it and lifted his arm to hold the hand in place, pressing it against his stubbled skin. "Don't go." Joshua opened both eyes and smiled, a far-away expression making him look happy. "This is a nice dream." Robert grinned. This is way better than a dream. He should have probably made sure Joshua awoke before he did what he'd wanted to do for days now. But he was human after all and with temptation like that—who but a total saint could blame him for taking a little advantage? He bent his head, going as slowly as he was able, 39

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just in case Joshua decided he didn't want this to happen. Joshua looked at him the entire time, but didn't make a single move. The man didn't even blink. When their lips touched, Robert felt it right down to his toes. Tingles of pleasure started to race up and down his spine, pooling in his groin and heating him up beyond what he'd thought possible as he went back for more. Joshua's soft skin against his made him shiver with delight. They stayed like that, just breathing each other's air, for what seemed like hours until Joshua's hand moved to Robert's nape and pulled him closer. Their lips collided in a sudden explosion of passion, and he couldn't suppress the moan that rose from deep within him. The soft heat of Joshua's mouth, the sleepy slowness of his reactions and the warmth of a just-woken man all assaulted Robert's senses and made him weak in the knees. With his last functioning brain cells he managed to get his body to move onto the bed. Once horizontal, he focused fully on the kiss. The world vanished around him as he felt Joshua's tongue hesitantly stroke his. He grabbed the other man's head more tightly and dove into an exploration of the willingly offered heat. Tongues tangling, they were both moaning and whimpering into the other's mouth in no time. He moved even closer as Joshua held up the sleeping bag 40

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that had become unzipped sometime during his sleep period and spread out like a blanket. Moving close to the other man's body, he pushed a thigh between Joshua's legs to give him some pressure. The hard erection straining against his hip really needed something more comfortable to rub against, so he reached down, opened his jeans and pulled out his pre-cum covered cock. He pushed Joshua's boxers far enough down to free the hard length trapped there and closed his hand around both of them. The relief was immediate. Skin to skin, at least where it counted most for now, their cocks got what they wanted while the kiss went on and on. Robert had no idea who started thrusting, nor did it matter, but within seconds they were both chasing their orgasms as if their lives depended on coming as hard and fast as possible. "Ungh." Joshua pulled back, his movements frantic as he pushed into Robert's fist. Robert clenched his teeth and held on, wanting to watch his lover come. It only took another few seconds before Joshua stiffened. His face went slack with pleasure and he spurted his release in shuddering spasms, adding heat to what little space there was left between their bodies. The sharp scent of his lover's semen combined with the sated look on Joshua's face was too much for Robert. His orgasm raced up from his balls and ecstasy made his 41

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entire body light up as he shook through his release. "Fuck." He dropped his head onto Joshua's shoulder as the other man fell onto his back. He felt as boneless as if they'd been at it for hours, not just an almost embarrassingly few minutes. "Yeah." Joshua's arms came up around him and held him close. When their breathing calmed and his heartbeat had returned to normal, he turned his head to look at a suspiciously quiet Joshua. But the man wasn't sleeping, as he'd half hoped. It would have made things a lot easier if he'd just been able to sneak away. No such luck. Joshua stared at him with wide eyes and a somewhat sheepish expression on his face. He looked wide awake now. "This isn't a dream, is it?" Joshua closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and blinking rapidly. "I don't think it is." Robert considered retreat, but since Joshua hadn't made a move yet he decided to stay as long as possible. He loved having this man to half-lie upon, bodies pressed tightly together. "We really just…?" Joshua swallowed and fell silent, but didn't look away. "I think we did." What the fuck was he going to say 42

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now? This needed some sort of an explanation, right? Should he apologize? But he wasn't sorry in the least and he wasn't going to lie about not wanting Joshua. "Oh." Joshua managed to put a world of surprise, delight and a ton of questions into that one word. He also stiffened as if preparing for an attack. What the hell was up with that? He'd have to examine that one later. First he had to try and salvage their relationship, whatever was left of it. "Look, Josh—" Josh's face lit up in the most amazing way as he tightened his embrace, making Robert rub against his warm body in the nicest way. "Josh?" He said it again just to see what would happen. Obviously he'd done something right, since all the tension between them suddenly vanished. If his lover liked being called Josh, he would do that from now on. "Nobody has called me Josh in such a long time." Josh shrugged. "It's just really nice to hear it again." "What happened?" He wanted to know everything about this man anyway, and this felt like a good place to start. "You'll laugh." Josh tried to pull back but Robert wouldn't let him. "Never." He smiled at the doubtful expression that followed. "You haven't known me long enough to get to 43

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know me very well yet, but I don't lie. Certainly not to someone who means a lot to me." Josh's eyes widened, but he'd stopped trying to move away. "So, will you tell me who called you Josh and what happened?" He held his breath. This was clearly important to the other man and would be a good way of establishing some trust between them. Well, sort of testing if they had any at all to build on. "My parents used to call me Josh when I was little." Josh's breath hitched and he shifted so he could hide his face against Robert's neck. Robert slid his hand up the other man's spine and cupped the back of his head, just letting him hold on and breathe for a moment. There were clearly some very deep emotions here and Josh needed to know he could take his time. He was about to say something when the silence got too long, but Josh took a deep breath and continued on his own. "They died in a plane crash when I was ten." A soft sob sounded against Robert's skin and Josh tightened his embrace. He had to swallow to get his own emotions under control. With so much pain in the way Josh said that, there had to be more. 44

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"Nobody has ever called me that again. I didn't let them." Josh sighed. "Look, if you don't want me—" He didn't want to hurt his lover. "But I do." Josh looked up through lashes that looked suspiciously wet. "Are you sure?" He also needed to know why, but that could come later. It was clearly hard enough for Josh to talk about this, even after all these years. "Yeah." Josh nodded. "I think there's more to this than meets the eye and I'd love to know the story behind it. But we have time. You don't have to tell me now." God, he sure hoped they had time. "Thank you. But I think you need to know. It's just that…" Josh looked lost for a moment, his eyes drifting off as if looking into the distance. "My father had an older brother who took me in. He wasn't married and I don't think he ever really liked me. And I'm pretty sure he hated the responsibility of having to raise a kid. It didn't really make a difference, since he was a trucker and gone most of the time." "He left you on your own?" Robert planned to beat the man, never mind that he was probably a senior citizen now. 45

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"No, he left me with neighbors until I turned sixteen and insisted I'd be fine on my own. He didn't really care, but I think he was glad to be rid of the hassle of having to ask Mrs. Deaglow if she'd take me in." Josh smiled. "I never let her call me anything but Joshua either. I think it was my way of preserving a piece of my memory, keeping something that was just between my parents and me." "I'm very flattered you're letting me call you Josh." Robert smiled and kissed Josh's nose. "You just feel like a Josh to me, you know?" "That's so funny." Josh grinned and snuggled in. "Can you tell me what happened with your uncle?" They might as well get it all out of the way and he suspected there was more of a story there. "Do I have to? This sort of stuff is kinda exhausting." Josh sighed again. "Of course you don't. You can tell me when you're ready." Robert caressed the side of Josh's face. "Just know I'll be here for you, yeah?" "Thank you." Josh closed his eyes and they lay there for a few minutes, just breathing and following their own thoughts. They'd need to get going at some point, return to their job, but for now, they'd take a little break from reality. When the pressure in his bladder became too 46

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uncomfortable to bear, he shifted. "Yeah, I need to go as well." Josh laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "You go ahead, I'll get dressed and will follow you out. Maybe we can grab breakfast and you can let me know where we are and what's next?" "Sure." He didn't want to give up their newfound closeness, but they had no choice. They had a job to do, after all. One bathroom break, a satisfying all-day breakfast buffet and a full tank later, Josh sat at the wheel, driving them toward Denver, Colorado. Robert lay on the narrow bed, Josh's sleeping bag tightly around him. He'd seen Josh smile when he grabbed the used bag instead of getting out the fresh one that had been intended for his use. But he refused to give up the small comfort of at least smelling Josh if he couldn't have him in his arms. This sharing of a job by working as a team was all well and good, but if they wanted to make the most of it economically speaking, they'd always sleep at different times as long as they were on the road. That thought made him stop in his tracks. This was just one job, and he was accompanying Josh to get to know him. Just like the other fourteen drivers. Well, eleven left to meet now. As nice as it was, and as much as he might want to spend more time with Josh, this wouldn't work in the long 47

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run. He had a job to do at the office, and Josh's job was to drive around the county. Possibly with someone else as his partner, if they managed to drum up enough business to make the team approach work for them. The thought of Josh working that closely with someone else didn't sit well with him. Not seeing his lover for days, possibly weeks as he drove trucks made him worry even more. He didn't know whether Josh was interested in a relationship, but they'd made a very promising start today and he couldn't help but hope it would grow from here. But how the hell were they going to make that happen with the ugly reality of practically separate lives staring them in the face?

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CHAPTER FIVE Josh had a very hard time focusing on the road. His head hurt with all the thoughts swirling around. Uppermost in his mind came the realization he'd had sex with his boss. Something he'd sworn never to do. But when he thought back to how nice it had been, he found it very hard to regret. The real problem was that he wanted more. It had been the best sex ever, and only a hand job. If they ever made it to actual fucking, he might die from the pleasure. Who could blame him for wanting to experiment, see if his suspicions about their chemistry were true? How the hell to justify it though? At first he'd honestly thought it was all a dream. An extremely arousing and very nice one to be sure, but he'd been so certain it couldn't be real that he'd thrown all caution to the wind. By the time it was over, and he realized it hadn't all been in his imagination, he'd felt too sated and happy to worry about it. Now that Robert slept, and he had time to think as he followed the I-70 West, doubts started to surface. First, there was the basic wisdom, or lack thereof, of fucking your boss. Just on sheer principle. It wouldn't be easy to keep their personal and professional lives separate. If anyone found out about them there'd be hell to pay. Who had heard of openly gay truckers? Well, okay, there was a 49

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professional association out there and lots of opportunities for hookups along the road, but in terms of his colleagues finding out? It would be a catastrophe. Secondly, if this team driving thing took off like Robert seemed to aim for, nobody would want to drive with him. Which would be nice and quiet, with nobody to share the driving with, but he wouldn't be getting any longdistance assignments without a partner. The two female drivers they had would surely want to stick together, which left him with exactly nobody and stuck with the more boring jobs. So, coming out, so to speak, was not possible. The third problem was the changing nature of his job. He wanted peace and quiet when he drove, that was the whole point of becoming a truck driver. But he might not get this at Gordon Trucking any longer. He'd have to switch companies, and he hated that idea. His need for independence and getting his own rig had grown, though, and if he changed jobs, at least he might be able to pull off a relationship with Robert, since the man would no longer be his boss. And what the fuck was he thinking anyway? Robert had probably just scratched an itch, he wouldn't be interested in a relationship. From everything Josh had experienced, starting with his parents who left, his uncle who'd never been interested in him anyway and had kicked 50

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him out as soon as he'd passed his CDL test, to his best friend Brandon whom he'd had a crush on in high school— they had all left him in one way or another. Robert wasn't going to be any different. Better to leave him before enduring another case of 'I'm not good enough'. On top of which staying around Gordon Trucking, even if they'd hardly see each other, wasn't an option. Temptation would get the better of him eventually, he just knew it. Better to leave before it's too late. With some relief he noticed exit 274 was coming up. He'd get the canned fruit unloaded then he'd pick up their new load, hopefully all with Robert still asleep. Once he finished they could have an early lunch then he'd hand the wheel back to his boss. He just hoped their conversation would be as easy as yesterday, but sex had a way of messing things up, in his experience. By the time they'd gotten everything done and were back on the road, this time on the I-25 heading south toward Dallas, all his worries about how they'd relate had been laid to rest. No awkwardness existed. Well, except for the heated glances and passing touches whenever nobody was looking. What was up with that? Did the man really want more? It sure looked like it. Josh stared out of the window, watching the mountains and trees roll by. They were about an hour south 51

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of Denver, lunch had settled and all he really wanted was a nap. He could have gone back to the sleeper department, but sitting next to Robert and listening to his favorite digital country music station was almost better than sleeping. Robert still threw him heated glances and that didn't change over the next few hours as they each took two-hour turns. Coming up on Amarillo, Robert suggested dinner. "Do we have time for that?" He wanted few things more than a good meal, a hot shower and some sleep. They'd been on the road for almost forty hours, and there were at least another thirty to go. "Of course we do." Robert, who'd watched him drive, looked indignant. "What about making this trip as quickly and profitably as possible?" Why the hell was he fighting this again? "Are you trying to blow me off?" Robert frowned. "All you need is to tell me you're not interested and we can go back to being all businesslike." "Huh?" What the hell was going on here? Robert sounded almost wounded. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed my interest." Robert definitely sounded slightly miffed. "I have." God, had he ever. He'd been half hard most of the day. "I just… I wasn't sure you were serious." 52

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"Oh. Well." Robert swallowed. "I am. Very. And I'd like to show you by taking the time to have a proper dinner." "Okay." Shit, what had he gotten himself into? This sounded serious. Over the next two hours he found out exactly how important Robert thought this whatever-they-had. Robert parked their vehicle at the gas station and got them a cab into town. Apparently his restaurant guide had come up with a Caribbean restaurant that met with the man's approval. The food tasted great, if a bit beyond what he'd tried before. He'd been at a total loss about what to order and when Robert suggested he try the goat stew with breadfruit and green papaya, Josh had focused on not dropping his jaw instead of stopping Robert from ordering. And once the waiter had left he'd realized it would be far too embarrassing to change his order, so he shut up and hoped for the best. Surprisingly, it had been worth it. The meat was tender and well spiced, the tomatoes added a certain zing and the breadfruit tasted a lot like potatoes. He decided it paid to be a little adventurous on occasion— when you had someone with you who knew what they were doing. When they returned to the truck stop, the cab driver 53

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having confirmed about five more times than necessary that they knew where they were going, Josh expected Robert to get straight back to the driving. But the man seemed to have other plans. "Let's talk for a minute." Robert led them back into the sleeper compartment and sat them down on the bed, which still had one used and one new sleeping bag folded neatly at one end. Robert sat, pointed at the empty spot next to him and took Josh's hand in both of his when he joined him. "There's a reason why I insisted on eating at a real restaurant tonight." "Beyond the fact the food was pretty good?" Josh felt rather nervous with Robert holding his hand. He still didn't know whether he should dread the fact that his boss seemed to be interested in him or whether he should celebrate. Robert was the most interesting man he'd met in a while. Even if Josh was fairly sure he'd stop being interested and leave in the foreseeable future, he'd decided to go with it for now. Enjoy the moment while it lasted, so to speak. Tomorrow could take care of itself for once. "The food was just a symbol of what's going on in my head." Robert smiled. "I think we both agree there's a certain chemistry between us. Over the past two days that we've been together, I've come to the conclusion that it's about more than sex for me. While I was physically 54

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attracted to you from the first moment I saw you, what I've seen during our trip is that I like your company, like talking to you and would love to spend more time with you. I have no idea how to do that beyond this joint job assignment, but I'm sure we'll come up with some sort of solution, if that is what we both want." "I don't know what to say to that." Josh tried to withdraw his hand to sit back and gain some distance, but Robert wouldn't let him. "You don't have to say anything. I realize we'll both have to get used to it." Robert sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you mean more to me than just the sex. Don't get me wrong, the sex we've had so far was fantastic, but I suspect there may be more. Am I the only one?" Josh just shook his head. He couldn't respond to that without totally embarrassing himself. Having these thoughts in the secrecy of his own mind was one thing, but hearing Robert voice what he'd been thinking was quite scary. "Good." Robert's smile turned predatory as he framed Josh's face between his hands. "I think that's more than enough talking for this evening." Robert moved their faces closer together. Josh's eyes widened as he realized what would happen. He didn't mind. Robert's eyes said it all. They showed a heady mix of 55

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determination and passion. The other man was too gorgeous for words. Josh closed his eyes and focused on the feelings Robert's kiss evoked in him. Heat, arousal and the need to feel the other man's skin made him dizzy. He let his hands go around Robert's middle and held on. Being held like this, kissed to within an inch of his life, made him want more. Never mind the long-term consequences, he'd live in the moment for once. He could always deal with the fallout afterwards. Past experience had prepared him well. "I want you." Robert had pulled back, still holding on to his face, and looked at him with enough desire to melt a stone. "I want you too." He kissed Roberts again, but just briefly. "Naked?" "Yeah." Robert grinned, let go of him and started pulling off his clothes. Robert unbuttoned and got rid of the flannel shirt with great efficiency, then his T-shirt flew up overhead and landed on the slowly forming pile. Josh was too fascinated with the well muscled, slightly furry chest tempting him to explore to remember that he still wore all his clothes. When Robert got up to get rid of his jeans, Josh realized his mistake and quickly rectified it by tearing every single piece of clothing off his body. He ended up 56

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being naked before Robert, crawled onto the bed and presented his ass in a clear invitation. There was no need for a fight. He liked both giving and receiving but figured it would be easier this first time if one of them made it clear what he wanted. He was too impatient to do any sort of negotiating. He turned his head to look back over his shoulder. Robert looked stunned and stared at the blatant offer with huge eyes. Just as Josh began to think the other man might need a reminder of what would come next, his lover blinked and started moving again. He bent toward his discarded jeans and pulled two innocent looking sachets from the back pocket. He tore one open and sheathed himself. When he opened the other and started dripping lube over his long fingers, Josh moaned. He'd rarely wanted someone inside him this badly. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of you." Robert stepped closer. "Please." God, this was embarrassing. He'd started begging before the other man had even touched him. Robert nodded, dribbled some more lube into his crack and started caressing the soft skin around Josh's opening. The little circles and soft caresses soon drove him crazy with the need for more and he started pushing back into Robert's touch. Luckily, the other man didn't seem a bit 57

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too much of a mood for teasing. He pushed one finger inside Josh, making him hiss with the sudden stretch. "Good." He wanted there to be no doubt he liked this. A second finger quickly joined the first, the third thankfully not far behind. Robert sawed the digits in and out of him until he was ready to beg for real. "Need you." Josh gasped for breath. "Fuck me." Robert moaned, clearly not unaffected, withdrew his fingers and crawled up onto the bed behind Josh. Gripping his hard cock with one hand, he held on to Josh's hip with the other and started pushing inside. Josh bit his lip with the burn, determined not to make a sound, which might slow down or, heaven forbid, stop Robert. When his lover had bottomed out and Josh felt his balls softly rubbing against his own, he moaned his encouragement. It felt so damned good that he wasn't even going to attempt words. Sounds would have to do. "Okay?" Robert's second hand landed on Josh's other hip. "Fuck. Me." Josh wiggled his ass, just to make sure Robert got his meaning. This time Robert moaned. His grip on Josh's hips tightened to the point where Josh was sure the bruises would show up within hours, rather than wait until 58

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tomorrow morning. He loved every second of it. "Hard and deep." He was easy. "Ungh." Robert pulled out slowly, torturing him as he dragged his thick cock over Josh's sweet spot. "Yes!" The hiss sounded foreign to Josh's ears. "Right fucking there!" Robert must have finally understood what Josh wanted. He thrust back in with enough force to rock Josh forward by a foot. Josh stretched an arm to ensure he wouldn't be fucked into the hard wall and pushed back as Robert thrust back inside. They came together with enough force to make the sound of skin on skin louder than any he'd ever heard before. It seemed to be the signal Robert had waited for. Still holding on to his hips with a near death grip, his lover started fucking him in earnest. The push and pull across his sensitive nerve endings made him see stars. His own cock was hard enough it bounced painfully against his lower stomach. Before he could even think to complain, one of Robert's hands snaked around his front, took his leaking shaft into a tight grip and provided a tunnel of warm skin for him to fuck into. "Gonna." This was all going to be over in seconds. "Come for me." Robert gasped for breath but didn't slow down. 59

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The other man pounding into him made Josh groan out loud with the pleasure of being stretched and filled again and again. His balls tightened as he started coming in jerking shudders, spurting his release on to the blanket that covered the bed. He closed his eyes and rode out the waves of pleasure as Robert fucked him through his orgasm with somewhat unsteady strokes, making him feel he was coming for minutes rather than seconds. "Fuck!" Robert stiffened behind him and shuddered through his own release before collapsing onto his back, taking them both down. He didn't even mind lying in the wet spot. No moving anytime soon. Not that it mattered one bit. After all, the best fuck of his life was worth a little discomfort.

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CHAPTER SIX Robert had very rarely in his life been this exhausted. They'd taken enough breaks and, technically, he'd gotten enough sleep over the last three days. But their sleeping and waking hours hadn't followed any kind of rhythm and being on the road, no matter how you looked at it, was draining work. He now understood, on a much deeper level, why so many truck drivers developed sleeping disorders. If he had to do this on a permanent basis, he was pretty sure he'd be one of the ones needing help. He carefully made his way to the warehouse ramp in southern Nashville where he needed to get their final cargo of paper towels unloaded before driving back to the office to dump the truck, pick up his car and go home. Except, he didn't want to go home alone. Focus on the job first! It was just after ten at night, and the nightshift people at any warehouse he'd ever come across or heard of were always less alert than their daytime equivalents. He made sure all the paperwork was dealt with properly then supervised the unloading of the truck, standing with his back to the loading ramp and sipping a can of soda. Josh continued to sleep peacefully in the back of the cab and would be rested by the time they returned to the 61

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office. Robert didn't even want to think about going back to reality tomorrow morning. He was proud they'd managed a run that would have taken a single driver five days in just under three, confirming that the team approach was workable. Well, he didn't need confirmation, but he had a feeling the other drivers did. They were used to the antiquated way his parents had run things and it might take a while to drag them into this century. Another thing that made him very happy was that he and Josh worked so well together. A permanent driving partnership with the other man still wasn't any more realistic than it had been three days ago, since they had very different jobs to do, but still. The kernel of personal satisfaction and warm happiness the knowledge caused deep in his gut was undeniable. There had been some very disquieting hints from Kimberly about recent business developments that he needed to get a handle on. She'd hinted at a problem with obtaining new bids. Not something he understood at this point, but if it was some sort of coordinated strategy by one or more of his competitors, it might do them some real damage unless he came up with some counter-measures. He'd have to get to the bottom of it tomorrow morning, since there'd been nothing much he could do about it from a distance, not with being this new to the situation. 62

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Tonight was all his and he intended to make the best of this newfound thing he shared with Josh while it lasted. He had every intention of making sure it continued, but the hesitancy he'd initially sensed in Josh hadn't gone away. This man, his lover, would make him work for it. Ever since they'd fucked that first time near Amarillo, barely twenty-four hours earlier, they'd been at it every opportunity they got. There'd only been two longer breaks for meals, one just east of Dallas, Texas and one near Brinkley, Arkansas, of all places. But both times he'd been extremely grateful for the comfort and privacy of their sleeper cab. The scent of sex and sweat in there even now, with the limited possibility for airing, was quite powerful. He'd have to make sure they got some sort of anti-odor spray to help remove the remaining traces of their activity before returning the truck to the company mechanic for checking and reassignment. Josh had been quite bossy each time, telling Robert in no uncertain terms what he wanted. Hard, fast, and pounding into the wall were only some of the descriptors that came to mind. Josh had given him a mind-blowing blow job in one of the restroom stalls, which made Robert blush even now. He'd totally lost control and fucked Josh's hot hips and tight throat as if he'd paid for it. Judging by the fact that Josh had come in his pants seconds after Robert 63

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had spurted his release down the man's throat, he had enjoyed it as well. Robert had paid him back at the next opportunity. Just before their lunch break around three this afternoon, he'd jacked him off while they were kissing hard enough to make their teeth clack together. By the time they were done with lunch and made it back to their truck, they'd had to withdraw to the bed and fuck the rest of the need out of their system. Not that it had lasted long, he was definitely ready to go again, even though his ass was decidedly sore from all the unusual activity he'd put his muscles through. But as much as he'd liked Josh's dominance and sheer determination to make things go his way, it was his turn to determine what happened. He not only needed a good fucking before having to return to reality, but he'd seen and touched Josh's cock and he wanted that in his ass, damn it. He had to laugh at his own desperation. He wanted the man really badly, but every time those big blue eyes stared at him, telling him what Josh needed, he gave in. He shook his head as he finished his soda. That had definitely never happened to him before, nor had he ever enjoyed sex with anyone so much. Not that he had a huge amount of experience, but he'd had his share of encounters. The only difference was he hadn't known the men he'd fucked, and 64

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hadn't had any intention of staying around. For some reason, as problematic as it was going to be, the situation with Josh was different. The foreman waved at him to signal they were done, and he went back behind the wheel to drive the few miles back to the office location. His parents had been lucky to find an office building so close to some land that had easily been converted into a parking area large enough to be a home to the ten trucks and five semis the company owned. They even had enough space for some expansion, and once they were out of the current mess, he intended to make good use of that extra space. Once he'd safely parked the truck got out of his seat to wake up Josh. The man slept like a baby and hadn't even awoken from all the loading activity. It was a useful skill to have, as a trucker. Josh's sleeping form held as much appeal as the first time he'd come back here to wake him up. This time he lay on his back, arms stretched wide and mouth half open. The sleeping bag, as usual, had slipped half-way off his body. The man produced too much heat while sleeping to be able to stay under a cover for very long. His amazing chest and ripped abs were clearly visible, the bulge between his legs promised significant morning wood and Robert had to restrain himself from bending down to lick every inch of 65

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skin in sight. It wasn't easy. But when he looked at Josh's face, his focus quickly changed to wanting to kiss the luscious lips. Having learned from past experience that trying to stay vertical, or even staying at any sort of distance at all, while kissing his lover was next to impossible, Robert slid onto the bed, took the sleeping man into his arms and buried his face in the crease between neck and shoulder to inhale one of his new top ten scents. "Are you sniffing me?" Josh sounded amused, even though his slurred speech indicated he remained half asleep. Robert took another deep breath even as his cheeks heated with embarrassment at being caught doing such a ridiculous thing. He slowly nodded, not looking up even though he was pretty sure that his embarrassment would show in the low light of the cab. "That must be the strangest way anybody has ever woken me up." Josh chuckled and slid his arms around Robert's middle. "Hmph." He didn't want to look up. First because the scent was just too good, but mostly because he didn't want to admit how much he liked it. Not that he could hide anything, since Josh had very clearly figured out what he 66

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intended to do. "I know what you mean." Josh snuggled closer and bent his head to place a chaste kiss on Robert's cheek. "I've been doing the same thing when you sleep." "You have?" Robert lifted his head to check whether his lover told the truth. Josh smiled, but there was just enough mix of hesitancy and amusement in Josh's eyes to convince Robert that the man wasn't lying. "Yeah." Josh shrugged. "I don't know what it is, but your smell drives me crazy." "Well, I know we can't bottle each other's scents, but I'd sure like to take the time to do some more exploring." He cleared his throat, suddenly nervous. "Will you come to my house and spend the night?" "Really?" Pure delight lit up Josh's eyes, before he blinked and collected himself. "If you want." Robert shrugged as if it didn't matter. After Josh's initial reaction, the hesitancy Robert had noticed before suddenly returned. He'd have to find out what that was all about one of these days. When he wasn't crazy with desire for the other man. "There aren't any new assignments for me right now, so I can go home when you get up." Josh nodded. "There's definitely something strange going on. Kimberly told me there's an unusual lack of new jobs. I'm 67

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going to have to go in tomorrow to find out what that's all about." He sighed. "But I don't really want to think about that right now. We have another few hours and I want to make the most of them." "Good plan." Josh pulled away and stretched himself the rest of the way awake. "I have no idea where you live, so I'll have to follow you." As much as Robert wanted them to share a car, he was realistic enough to realize it might look very strange if they came into the office using the same vehicle. It was way too early in to decide whether or not they'd be willing and able to see more of each other over the next few weeks. There was the impact on the rest of the company to consider as well. None of the guys had struck him as particularly homophobic, but you never knew. And he wasn't ready to find out by risking exposing Josh. The other man had a lot more to lose, after all. By the time they arrived at his house, he'd managed to forget the reality of the situation and was entirely focused on getting Josh into his bed as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, by the time they made it inside both their stomachs had decided they had plans of their own and they ended up ordering take-out. Not that eating first was a problem, but his impatience to do more than make out increased by the minute. 68

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Agreeing on pizza was a no-brainer, and he still had beer in the fridge, so with that decided, he focused on kissing the living daylights out of Josh. His lover, not to be outdone, gave as good as he got and they were soon both panting for release. Since they'd already stumbled to the sofa all they needed to do was open buttons and zippers. They'd gotten pretty good at that and the advantage of having a flat surface became immediately obvious when they switched into a sixty-nine position without even thinking about it. He lay on his back and greedily sucked on Josh's cock while his lover knelt over him, mirroring his actions. The feeling of Josh's hot mouth around his straining erection while having his own taken care of in the best way possible was indescribable. He couldn't have stopped the thrusting of his hips if he'd tried. Josh seemed to have the same problem, as he began to fuck Robert's mouth with abandon. Robert took it all, glorying in the fact that he'd made Josh lose control like that. Suddenly, Josh pulled back from his cock and before Robert could utter a protest, the other man stiffened and shot into Robert's mouth. He swallowed it all, but the scent and taste of his lover's semen pushed him over the edge. Josh bent his head to capture most of it then licked him clean. 69

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"Nice appetizer." Josh sat up and grinned at him, looking like the proverbial cat. Robert laughed. He loved the man's sense of humor. **** Early the next morning, having sent Josh out the door with a cup of coffee and a very passionate kiss, they still hadn't discussed anything. Robert had been much too busy getting fucked into the mattress, then again up against the shower wall. Once Josh let lose, he certainly knew how to use his cock. The demanding man had insisted on Robert fucking him again before they fell asleep. A real bed was a lot nicer and more comfortable than the sleeper cabin, and they'd both awoken fresh enough for the episode in the shower to be truly pleasurable. What a way to begin the day! By the time they'd had coffee and cereal, Robert couldn't help but feel that Josh was trying to withdraw already. He'd hated it, but they had no time to discuss a potentially life changing decision. It was going to happen though, he promised himself. "Morning, Kimberly." Robert walked into an eerily quiet office. "Morning, boss." Kimberly looked up from her 70

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desk, but she didn't smile. "So, tell me what's been going on." There was no point in beating around the bush, and he'd never liked postponing the inevitable. Best to dive right in. "Well, you certainly don't hold your punches." Kimberly picked up a file with one hand and pointed at the manager's office with the other. "I think it might be best if we discussed this in private." That definitely didn't sound good. He nodded and let her precede him into the generous space. His parents had shared the same room, so now that the second desk had been removed the office had more than enough space. He sat down at the round visitor's table and motioned for Kimberly to sit next to him. She placed the thick file onto the surface before sitting down. "This is the summary of our problem." A painted fingernail pointed at the folder as if its purpose hadn't been obvious from the moment she picked it up from her desk. "I mentioned the basics to you on the phone when we spoke over the past couple of days, but the real problem didn't start emerging until yesterday afternoon." "And that would be?" He was beginning to feel uncharacteristically nervous. "It'll be hard to prove. But I've tracked the job bids that came up over the last three days while you were gone. 71

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Usually, we miss only a few of the ones we want." She pulled out three sheets with rows of the numbers on them and spread them next to each other on the table's surface. Most of them were marked in red. "The numbers in red signify the jobs we lost because we were too expensive. As you can see, there were a few on the first day; they represent the normal sort of range. On the second day, there were about twice as many and on Thursday we only managed to obtain five jobs, and none of them were truly lucrative ones." "Someone has been underbidding us, haven't they?" He stared at the numbers as if they were going to answer his question. "It looks that way." She nodded and returned the papers to her folder. "Do we know who it is?" At the very least he wanted to know their enemy's identity even if it was unlikely he could do much to fight them. "That is what we're going to have to find out now that you're back." She grimaced. "It won't be easy." He'd put money on that being the understatement of the year. Where did they even begin to look for suspects? Never mind trying to prove what they were up to. And even if they did, who was going to do anything about it?

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CHAPTER SEVEN Josh felt dead tired by the time he made it home on Thursday evening. There hadn't been any interesting jobs all day and tomorrow looked about the same. At least Kimberly had been able to pick up two short distance deliveries in the late afternoon, so he'd made a run out to Lebanon,

in

the

west,

and

another

one

up

to

Hendersonville. Why did local traffic seem so much worse than anything he came across on interstates? Maybe it was just all the idiotic drivers who seemed more intent on fixing their hair or making cell phone calls than paying attention to the road. He walked in the door of his apartment, closed and locked the door behind him and collapsed onto the sofa. All he wanted to do was go to sleep. Stupid, really. At only eight in the evening he shouldn't be this tired. Maybe it was the effect of the last three days of cross-country travelling, or possibly the fact that he hadn't seen Robert all day. The man had energized him with his charismatic presence, humorous remarks and, of course, his utterly sexy body hadn't hurt any either. That alone would have kept Josh more awake than he was now. Except, that part of his life was most likely over, or, at the very least it should be over. The more he'd thought 73

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about it, the more he'd realized that a relationship of any kind with his boss remained totally out of the question. Nothing had changed about the basic problem since the very beginning. The only reason he'd even considered it, was wishful thinking now that he had sampled what the man had to offer. But it had become clear to him during the day that being around Robert must have scrambled his brain to the point where he hadn't been able to think clearly. He shouldn't even have stayed with the guy last night. Resisting temptation, however, had never been one of his strengths. Josh sighed and rubbed his face, trying to rouse himself to a higher level of energy. He should probably make sure there wasn't a big job up for him tomorrow morning, so he checked his cell phone for messages. He'd switched it off while driving, since there was no hands-free facility in the semi he'd been issued for his second delivery, and had forgotten to switch it back on until now. To his utter amazement there were three messages. Nobody ever called him, so what was this all about? He glanced at his landline, suspicious that something was going on. The light on his answering machine blinked like mad. Anything work-related would be on the cell phone so he started there. Two messages were from an unknown number, and as soon as he started listening to the first he 74

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was grateful for being seated. Robert had called him midmorning to tell him he missed him. Shit, how was he going to handle that? The second message was from later in the afternoon and it sounded very mysterious. Apparently, Robert wanted to talk to him, but he didn't reveal what it was all about. The third message came from his co-worker Peter, asking if he wanted to meet him and Ted for a drink. What the hell was up with that? The guys almost never invited him along. He shook his head, but he had nothing else to do, and rather than give in to temptation and call Robert he decided he'd distract himself with a drink or two. It would be better to go and talk to Robert tomorrow morning while the man was at the office. Before he could change his mind, he went upstairs, took a quick shower, and changed into fresh clothes. On his way out of the apartment, he suddenly noticed the stillblinking light on his landline answering machine was still there. Luckily, that one was just from a marketing company wanting to sell him life insurance. He pressed delete with great glee. He took the bus to the downtown area where Peter and Ted had said they'd be. It turned out to be right on Second Avenue and looked far more expensive than he was comfortable with. But, hey, one drink probably wouldn't 75

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kill him. His budget had bigger problems than one evening out. Peter and Ted had grabbed a booth table on the left wall, not too far away from the jukebox that sounded about as ancient as it looked. It blasted some country music that nobody seemed to be paying attention to. The bar area was to his right, and little tables crowded the space in between the two walls. Almost all of them were filled with eating and chatting customers. The people he looked at while he made his way toward his co-workers all seemed very happy with their food. His stomach grumbled just looking at the wings, nachos and other bar food they were devouring. Getting something to eat was moving up his list of priorities fairly quickly. "Hey, good to see you made it." Ted held out his paw, which fit the rest of his bear-like body well, but was much larger than Josh's hand. He shook it and was relieved to feel restraint in the other man's grip. "I'll get the next round," Peter offered and pointed at the seat next to him before waving at the waiter for attention. "What'll you have?" "Just some beer, please, HopGod Ale if they have it." Josh slid into his seat and tried very hard not to stare at the hot dogs they were eating at the neighboring table. God, he was hungrier than he'd thought. 76

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Peter spoke to the waiter and Josh only started paying attention when he heard nachos and wings being mentioned. Before he could protest, Peter waved him off. "It's all right. We're on expenses." Peter grinned. "Expenses? You mean somebody else is paying for this?" Josh raised his eyebrows. Were these guys having him on? "Yeah, it's interesting. We both got a phone call from someone called Dustin Mackey at Speedy Trucking on Monday." Ted sat back, clearly settling in for a longer conversation. "Said he wanted to talk to us about some job opportunities." "But he's one of Gordon Trucking's biggest competitors!" Josh had considered leaving at the end of the month, depending on how well Robert managed to get the situation under control, but he'd never go to work for one of Gordon Trucking's oldest rivals. And he fully intended to give Robert a fair chance. He'd been there less than ten days. "Exactly!" Peter looked very happy about this. "And that is good—why?" He still didn't get it. "Because they'll be paying a lot more than Gordon Trucking. Don't you hate having less work and being paid a ridiculously low salary?" Ted's look said he was plenty fed up. 77

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"We've only had less work this week." Josh couldn't believe he was defending his employer like this. Hadn't he been ready to get up and leave when Robert had first come in last week? Did knowing this man on a personal, even intimate, level make that much of a difference? Was he still able to be objective? "Maybe. But the payment situation has been going on for months and, frankly, I don't think we'll see more money anytime soon." Peter leaned forward. "Are you willing to risk it by staying with a total newcomer to the company? Whose work experience is all from back east? Who doesn't have any local contacts and may or may not be willing to risk his own money to pull the company out of the shit it's in?" Josh shrugged. He felt overwhelmed and needed time to think this through. "Well, I'm not." Peter looked angry and leaned back, clearly done with his tirade for now. "Neither am I." Ted scowled. "I've got a wife and two kids to feed. Things are bad enough with the economy in the state it's in, I don't need a stupid employer on top of it. I'll be leaving as soon as possible." Josh was shocked. That sounded pretty final. Thankfully the waiter interrupted them as he brought their drinks, reassuring them that their food 78

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wouldn't be much longer. Josh took a few sips of his beer, glad to have an excuse for not saying anything immediately. "I'm not so sure what I'm going to do yet." Peter put down his beer glass and wiped his mouth. "But I can tell you that I'm seriously thinking about it. And I think you should do the same. You may not have a family yet, but at some point you will. Any money you can save up now will come in handy when you buy a house or a condo to make sure you have a good home for them." Family? Buying a home? The thought had never even occurred to him, but he couldn't very well tell his coworkers why. So he just shrugged and hoped the food would get here soon. **** When Josh came home for the second time that day, it was very late and his head hurt with all the new information his co-workers had given him to think about. He was surprised how strong his emotions were, but he felt almost like a traitor just listening to the other guys discussing their potential new employer. Maybe he was being stupid, old-fashioned, or overly loyal, but in his book things like abandoning a company to work for one that had 79

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been fighting them in the business arena for many years just wasn't done. It didn't even matter that he knew Robert better than he'd ever known his parents and previous bosses, over the course of the evening he'd realized that it was the principle of the thing that disturbed him. And there was only one thing he could do to start feeling better. Could he wait until tomorrow morning, or should he call Robert tonight? After all, the man had left him two messages. By the time he'd taken another shower and was ready to go to bed, the need to hear Robert's voice had become overwhelming. Three days of non-stop contact had apparently made him dependent already. And if not dependent, he'd liked it too much to just be able to let go now. Not good! Shaking his head at his weakness, he opened his cell phone and dialed the number he'd added earlier. "Hey." Robert's voice sounded almost as sexy over the phone as in reality. It had the same effect on his cock as well. He went from a semi to a raging erection in no time at all. He fisted his hand to stop himself from touching his hard cock to get some relief. This was a phone call for heaven's sake. He should have more self control anyway. It wasn't as if he was an inexperienced teenager anymore. Sure felt like it, 80

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though, when he was around this man. "How are you?" Robert cleared his throat. "I hope you didn't get back from your second delivery just now?" "I'm fine, thank you. And no, I've been back for a while." This discussion felt ridiculously formal. Maybe he shouldn't have called after all. He wasn't any good at phone conversations, so he should have waited until tomorrow. But it was too late now. He couldn't just hang up on Robert, so he took a deep breath, telling himself to pull it together and get on with it. "Good. I'm glad." Robert sighed. "Look, I know this will sound as stupid as when I said it the first time in my message, but I've really missed you today." "I know. Me too." Josh's eyes widened. Those words had totally come out without his approval. "Yeah?" Robert sounded happy. "We're going to have to talk about this at some point, and I really want to, but I'm afraid that I'm going to be a bit busy over the next couple of days. I just wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten about you." That was so nice to hear, but Josh didn't trust his voice to say anything. He didn't want to appear even more emotional than he'd already let on. "I wish we were on the road together." Robert sounded hesitant, not like his normal self-confident self at 81

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all. A little rough as well, as if he was aroused. "Yeah?" He could deal with that. "What would you do?" "I'd drag you into the back of the sleeper." Robert's voice hitched and clothes rustled in the background, sounding suspiciously like a hand sliding into boxers or pajama trousers. "I'd let you." Josh reached down, nothing there to stop him from gripping his rock-hard erection. "I'd pull you down with me so we can kiss and then I'd touch you all over." "Oh, God." Robert's voice sounded strangled. "Are you touching yourself?" He was so hot already he was ready to come as he began thrusting into his fist. "Yeah." Robert hissed. "You?" "Uh-huh." He wasn't going to last long. He tightened his fist and imagined it was Robert doing this to him. "I want to watch you bring yourself off next time." Robert breathed hard now. "Want to see your thick cock fuck your hand, leaking pre-cum all over the place. Want to smell you as you explode all over your chest and abdomen, then lick you clean." "Fuck!" Josh closed his eyes as his entire body seized, waves of pleasure racing from his cock up his spine 82

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as he spurted hot spunk all over himself. "That too." Robert's voice sounded strangled. "Shit. Coming." Silence reined for a few moments as Josh tried to catch his breath so he could hear what Robert was up to. Man, he wanted to be lying next to the guy, not miles away in a different house. "That was the hottest phone sex ever." Robert's smile could be heard across the distance. "You done a lot of it?" The raging jealousy surprised the hell out of Josh. "No." Robert chuckled. "Actually, this was my first time." "A phone sex virgin, I like that." Josh looked for a tissue to wipe the cooling spunk off his chest and stomach. "Same here." "Cool, we took each other's phone cherry." Robert laughed. Josh couldn't help it, he had to join in. This man was definitely good for him. He hadn't laughed so hard in a long time. "Yeah." He needed to talk to Robert but he was too sated and tired to do it now. "See you tomorrow?" Robert sounded so hopeful. "We could meet for lunch, have some time to talk without 83

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anyone overhearing?" "Sure, if my boss doesn't mind." He grinned. "I'm sure he'll be okay." Robert laughed again. "If not, I'll have a word with him." "Good." Well, this was awkward. Cuddling in when they were together, even in a small space like the sleeper compartment, was much easier. "Night, Josh." Robert's voice had turned all husky again. "Night." He switched off the phone quickly, afraid he'd say more than he should. Getting attached to this man wasn't a good idea. So he better not even try.

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CHAPTER EIGHT "So, what have you got for me this morning?" Robert stopped just after entering the office area, looking over at Kimberly's desk across from reception. The woman always managed to be here before him, and was usually relaxed and easygoing. Today, she looked nervous. "Nothing good, I'm afraid." She looked up from the stack of papers and shook her head. "It's difficult to figure out who is behind all the low bids, and I can't even prove that it's the same company. I just have a feeling that there's someone out there who's after us." "Thanks for trying. It's been a busy and eventful week, but it certainly doesn't look like we're going to get a break." At least it was Friday and he was determined to take the weekend off, no matter what. There was no point in working himself to death within the first two weeks of his arrival. "No, it certainly doesn't." Kimberly took a look at her planner before she informed him that there were three drivers who wanted to see him this afternoon. "That's strange, they don't normally come into the office, do they?" He didn't have a good feeling about this at all. "No, they're hardly ever here. And they most 85

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certainly don't make appointments. I've pulled the personnel files for you, just in case. They're on your desk." She attempted a smile but it looked rather hesitant. "Thank you, that will be very helpful, I'm sure." The next

thing

he

needed

was

some

decent

coffee.

Unfortunately, the machine they had here wasn't up to the task of making anything that resembled drinkable caffeine. "I've been thinking." "Oh?" She raised her eyebrows. "Yes, it happens. I have a question for you first." He pointed at the monstrosity in the corner that called itself a coffeemaker. "Are you particularly attached to that piece of machinery over there?" She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Good. I want it replaced by next Monday, if at all possible." This job was tough enough without having to drink the sludge that came out of that thing. "If you can get it done any sooner that would be even better." "Do we have the money in the budget to do that?" She tilted her head as if encouraging him to give a positive answer. "I'm sure we don't. But it doesn't matter, since I'll be paying for it with my personal funds. After all, it's my problem if I don't like the coffee that's being supplied by the company, isn't it?" He winked at her and started making 86

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his way to his office. It was great to hear her laugh. Much better than her slightly desperate look when he first walked in. Of course, the relief was sure to be only temporary, but still. By lunchtime he'd gone through some of the numbers and projections for the next month and had developed the basic investment plan for upgrading their equipment, starting with the trucks. He was also more than ready for his lunch date with Josh. The loud knock on his open door still startled him out of his planning. "Am I too early?" Josh wore tight jeans and a dark green sweater, and had gelled his hair into cute spikes. The man looked cute enough to eat. "Never!" Robert waved him in. "Close the door for a moment, please." Josh's eyes widened and he looked scared for a second before he managed to hide it. What the hell was the man thinking? As soon as the door clicked closed Robert got up, walked into Josh's personal space and took him into his arms. Luckily, this office wasn't one of those modern places with windows or glass doors, so they were now safe from prying eyes. Josh melted in his arms as he held on for a moment before tilting his head so he could kiss him. It was almost worth having to suffer through their separation. He kept 87

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things slow and tender at first, wanting to reacquaint himself with the flavor and feeling of Josh's lips against his. He stroked the other man's tongue and made him moan. Their erections touched as he ground their lower bodies together, looking for more feeling, just more of everything. "You're going to make me come if we don't stop." Josh pulled back. He looked a little dazed, which was all kinds of flattering. "As much as I'd like that, I can see your point." He grinned. "But if we can't do it now, we have to meet up tonight so we can finish what we just started. Please say yes?" "Okay." Josh looked startled. They were going to have to talk about that. He'd made absolutely no secret about his interest in Josh, and yet the other man kept hesitating. There was something holding Josh back, and Robert's determination to find out what that might be had only grown. First things first, though. "I've booked us a table at The Palm downtown and we should probably get going if we want to be on time." He reluctantly stepped back from Josh, who looked as if he'd been hit by a tuck. "The Palm?" Josh blinked. "Yes. I've only been once but I thought it was okay. Businesslike enough so people won't mind two men having 88

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lunch together." Of course, if Josh had a real problem for some reason they could always go somewhere else. "But that's one of the best steak houses in the city." Josh still hadn't moved. "So? That should be good, right?" It might not be the place for truck drivers and their bosses to go, but that was half the point. At least it was highly unlikely anybody they knew would recognize them. "Isn't that too expensive for lunch?" Josh looked extremely doubtful. "Not if I'm paying." Robert laughed and grabbed his jacket, making sure his key, wallet and cell phone were safely inside. "Oh." Josh stepped aside to let him take the lead. Robert stopped dead in his tracks. That had not sounded like agreement. "If you really don't want to go…" He wasn't sure where else Josh would be more comfortable, but equally, he didn't want to go somewhere the man felt totally out of place. "It's not about not wanting to go, I'm just surprised. A place like that, I don't know, it almost feels like this is a… you know, a date?" Josh didn't even look at him. "But it is." He'd thought that would be obvious, but clearly, that was a misconception. 89

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"Yeah?" Josh looked so hopeful for a moment, but then a frown darkened his features. "What about the other drivers? What will they think?" "We don't have to make anything official. I don't like sneaking around, but I can see why it might be necessary. I have no problem taking it as slow as you think it's safe. I don't want your co-workers to stop working with you any more than you do." He took Josh's hand in his and squeezed lightly as he looked straight into the other man's eyes. "But I'd like to get to the point where, at least between the two of us, everything is clear. That is part of what I want to talk to you about during lunch." "Okay, we can do that." Josh nodded and looked relieved. Half an hour later they were finally seated at a table, food orders had been taken and their drinks had arrived. Josh had become more and more quiet during the drive and Robert just knew there was something the other man wanted to talk to him about but didn't know where to start. He leaned back in his chair, deciding to let Josh proceed at his own speed. Not that he'd be able to do much one way or the other. Josh was definitely his own man, and he liked that about him. Finally, Josh looked up. "I don't really know how to do this, but there's 90

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something I feel I have to tell you." Josh took another sip of his water and looked relieved when Robert nodded encouragingly. "It's work related, but I wanted to make sure we get it out of the way before talking about anything personal." "Okay." Surprising, but he had to agree that it made sense to have anything connected to their jobs dealt with first. "When I got back from Hendersonville last night, I had a message from Peter, asking if I wanted to meet him and Ted for drinks. It was unusual enough that it made me curious, and I went." Josh shook his head. "It was one of the weirdest situations I've ever been in. The drinks and food were fine, but that wasn't why they called me. Apparently, both of them have had what they called 'very lucrative' offers to work for Speedy Trucking." Robert's jaw dropped. He just stared, unable to speak. The sheer audacity of such an approach was something he might have expected in New York. For some reason that now didn't seem to make any sense, he'd thought business practices were less corrupt around here. He'd clearly been very wrong. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Josh smiled ruefully. "But it gets worse." "Oh, I can see where this is going." Everything 91

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suddenly made a lot of sense, but he wanted to let Josh finish before rushing into action. "Well, then you won't be surprised to hear that they wanted me to join them. I have a feeling they asked others as well. Maybe they get a bonus for drawing as many people as possible over to Speedy Trucking." Josh chuckled nervously. "That could be really bad for us, couldn't it?" "Us?" Relief flooded him. Not that he'd thought Josh would leave Gordon Trucking, but he couldn't be sure. "Yeah, I basically told them to go take a hike. I would never go and work for a direct competitor of yours." Josh shrugged. "I admit that I'd thought about leaving if conditions didn't improve by the end of this month, but a company that's been fighting for our business for years just wouldn't have made the cut." "Thanks for telling me. I think this is the missing piece of information that makes everything that's been happening to the business a lot clearer." His throat was suddenly too dry for comfort, so he had some water while he collected his thoughts. "First of all I want to thank you for being so honest, and for being loyal enough not to leave to work for the one company that has always been after my parents' business." Josh smiled, clearly relieved he had gotten this little bombshell off his chest. 92

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"And that's why I think your information is the missing piece of the puzzle. When I found out that my parents were planning to sell the company, it was via a professional association since we weren't on speaking terms. Still aren't. Only one other company showed an interest, and that was Speedy Trucking." He shook his head. "They must have seen their chance of finally buying up the biggest pain in their behind, and when I came in to snatch it away from them it probably angered them enough to pull out the big guns." "Meaning they're trying to hire away your drivers?" Josh looked outraged. It was a good look on the man. "Not just that, I suspect they're also the ones behind the price war we've seen that has taken so much business away from us in the last week." He scowled. "They must be pretty determined to finish the job they started by trying to buy the company from my parents." "Unbelievable. What do we do?" Josh tilted his head in thought. "I love that you say 'we' will do something about it." It warmed him deep down to know that he wasn't alone in this. "And I promise you we will get to that part. Now, I think it's time we talk about more personal things." "Yeah, about that." Josh looked at the table. The waiter chose that moment to bring their food 93

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and saved him from saying more, at least for now. They enjoyed the perfect steaks, the crispy salad, and the bakedto-perfection potatoes in silence. Now that Josh had agreed to come and see him tonight, the urgency of talking about their personal lives was less. The need to get back to the office and deal with the attack on his company, however, was a lot larger now than it had been before. Josh must have sensed this because he suggested going back to the office early. Robert thanked him for understanding and they made their way back. Josh still didn't have any jobs, so he went home with a promise to be at Robert's house by seven. Three hours after Josh had left, Robert was convinced that he hadn't made a mistake in assuming that Speedy Trucking was behind all his troubles. He'd spoken to the three drivers who'd asked for an appointment, and all three of them had handed in their resignations. Of course, he'd tried to hold them back, but none of them had been willing to reconsider. Their unanimous comment was that the offer they'd received was far too lucrative in comparison to what they could hope for at Gordon Trucking. Not only that, but the likelihood of their new company still being in business a year from now was high. They said they'd work their notice, but that was only one week. This didn't give him much time to find replacements. 94

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Not that finding new drivers was his most urgent problem. Right now there wasn't enough business around to keep the twelve he had left fully occupied. His first priority had to be finding a way to stop the price war. When two more drivers walked in around five and handed in their resignations without having made an appointment, he was at the end of his rope. He had no idea what to do to save his company. Five drivers down from normal numbers, no jobs to speak of and no prospects of finding the work needed to keep the company running was not a good situation to be in Shit, his parents had always told him he was incompetent, not able to run a business. They'd blamed his homosexuality for not being 'tough' enough, which was nonsense, of course. But the current situation with him floundering to make things work nevertheless seemed to prove them right. They'd never made any bones about what they thought of him after he'd come out, so the whole Nashville business community probably knew and was watching his inept fumbling with some degree of interest or, in Dustin Mackey's case, with some degree of excitement. Since thinking about it all afternoon hadn't helped him make any real progress, he decided to drop it for the moment and focus on enjoying his weekend. He wasn't 95

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going to come up with a solution in the next few hours, and he needed to rest and recharge his batteries if he wanted to make it back to full fighting force. What better way to do that than spend some quality time with Josh? He checked his watch and decided it was time to go home. The company would still be there on Monday morning, or so he hoped. He sent Kimberly and the planning manager home, locked the company doors and drove toward his house, leaving the whole mess behind him. He looked forward to focusing only on Josh and himself. They needed some more time together and hopefully that would show Josh how good it could be between them. Robert wanted a partner and he suspected Josh might just be the one he'd been hoping and waiting for most of his life.

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CHAPTER NINE Josh didn't have any trouble finding Robert's house. The man's directions were essential, though, since it had been dark the other night and he'd been too excited to pay much attention to the road. This time, the closer he got to one of the most upscale neighborhoods of Nashville, the less comfortable he felt. Belle Meade was beautiful, with well maintained streets and old trees. Almost none of the houses were visible from the street, and Robert's was no exception. A huge brick building with two gables, greenshuttered windows and a well-kept lawn sat on a nice piece of land that sported several old trees and low evergreen bushes. He swallowed. They so obviously came from different circles. He'd found Robert's sophistication and self-confidence very sexy, but being confronted with the difference in living conditions made him think about what he had to offer. Which was nothing much compared to this. Even people closer to his own social standing had left him eventually, so how could he ever hope to keep the interest of a man like Robert? Even though they'd only known each other for just under two weeks, he already realized he'd want to keep the man's interest. He was far too deep in already not to know that the pain of Robert leaving him 97

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would be way more devastating than anything he'd ever experienced before. When Robert had invited him to his house just after lunch this afternoon, he'd already felt a little pushed into a date that he wasn't sure he'd be able to deal with. Now, confronted with the extent of their differences without a lust-addled brain, he couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed. Not one to chicken out easily, he got out of his car, locked it and marched up the well maintained path to the front door. Before he could even knock, it opened and Robert stood there with a huge smile on his face. "You made it." Robert waved him inside and closed the door behind them. He looked around, just to check if his memories from two days ago were correct. The inside was still more intimidating than the outside. The foyer was enormous and spread over two floors, the staircase looked like something from Gone with the Wind, and the rooms off to the left and right were furnished with antiques. "Josh?" Robert looked at him with a small frown on his face. "I don't know what to say." He grimaced and focused back on Robert. "Your home is so beautiful, but I must admit, not at all what I expected. I didn't say anything 98

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last time because everything happened so fast and we were kind of busy with, um, other things…" "I understand that, don't worry. But, you see, I live here, but it isn't really my home." Robert reached out and took one of his hands, using it to pull him toward the back of the hallway where a door led into the ultra-modern kitchen. "Now I'm really confused. This isn't your home?" He looked around the intimidating space to find the small breakfast nook looking out into the garden where they'd had their coffee yesterday morning. Drawn to the comfortable area he started walking toward it without thinking. A slight pull on his arm and reminded him that he was still attached to Robert and, embarrassed about his actions, he stopped. "That's about the only area in the house I'm comfortable in as well. Let's have a seat and we can talk." Robert moved toward the rattan furniture and pulled him down as he sat. "Oh, sorry, you want a drink?" "I'm fine for now, thanks. I think I need answers more than something to drink." This was one of the most confusing situations he'd ever been in. "To make a long story short, this house was my parents' home. I moved in here only a few weeks ago, since they left it behind when they retired, and haven't decided 99

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yet whether I want to stay and make significant changes, or whether I want to sell it lock stock and barrel and find something I'm more comfortable with elsewhere." Robert sighed. "So much was happening that it just seemed more comfortable to live here, but sometimes I wonder whether it was worth it. This feels more like a museum than a home to me, and it's getting really old quite fast." "That makes sense." He couldn't quite suppress his sigh of relief. "I'm glad." Robert grinned. "Now, can I offer you something to drink before dinner?" "I think I'll have some iced tea, if that's okay?" He wanted to stay sober so he could drive home without worrying. A clean driving record was absolutely essential to keep his job, so he never touched alcohol within several hours before getting into any vehicle. "Sure." Robert got up, pulled a carafe from the fridge and filled two tall glasses before sitting opposite him at the breakfast table. "We're having lasagna, which should be done in about half an hour. I hope that's okay?" "You made it yourself?" He sipped the cold liquid, loving the hint of peach he detected. Robert nodded and they spent some time discussing food. He was no good in the kitchen, but Robert seemed to enjoy talking about his various 'experiments' as he called 100

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them, and Josh liked listening. The other man's voice made shivers of excitement run down his spine. Man, he had it bad for this guy. After dinner, which had tasted amazing, they made their way to the living room and collapsed on the sofa. He hadn't eaten so much in a long time and all he wanted to do now was take a nap. Not that he would to do that with Robert right next to him. The other man already looked at him as if he was dessert. He had no problem with that. "Come here." Robert opened his arms. "You're too far away." "What? Now that we finally have more space than the cab of a truck to spread out in you still want us to squeeze together?" He winked and moved toward his lover until their thighs touched. "I like being close to you." Robert embraced him, turning halfway to link his hands behind Josh's neck. "Yeah, I sort of missed it last night." Josh didn't like this half-awkward position, which didn't really allow him to touch any of the more interesting parts of Robert's amazing body. "The phone sex was cool and all, but you were too far away." "I agree. It's nice as an emergency measure, so to speak, but I don't want to do it on a permanent basis." Robert wiggled around for about five seconds before he 101

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moved backward, pulling Josh with him so that they ended up facing each other on the sofa. "Hmmm, this is even better." There were still too many clothes for his taste, but at least he could feel the hard planes of Robert's muscles now. Not to mention the distinct bulge between his legs. Yeah, this was what he'd been hoping for. "Yes." Robert pushed his hips into Josh's and made him groan. "Maybe we should take this upstairs." "Nah, not yet." Josh looked into Robert's eyes, seeing his own arousal mirrored in them. "I'd like to have more sofa sex with you." "Sofa sex?" Robert laughed but tightened his embrace with one arm while reaching for Josh's button and zipper with the other. "As long as we can follow it up with round two in my much more comfortable bed…" Josh nodded. He would have said yes to almost anything at this point. If he wasn't careful he'd come before they'd really started. When Robert's hand enclosed his cock the electricity that raced through his entire body almost made him forget that he had a part to play in this as well. He closed his eyes for a moment and enjoyed his lover's touch on his heated skin as he listened to his heavy breathing. Finally, and with considerable effort, he managed to 102

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reciprocate by freeing Robert's cock from its prison. The soft skin covering a very hard shaft felt good in his hand. He enclosed it to give Robert a tight tunnel to thrust into. God, this felt good. There was only one thing missing. He moved his head forward until his lips brushed Robert's for a second then he pulled back. The anticipation almost killed him, but the matching increase in arousal in Robert's eyes was its own reward. Determined to make this last as long as possible he slowed down his hand movements, making Robert groan and push against him more forcefully. "Shhh, we'll get there, just follow my lead for now." He placed another brief kiss on Robert's soft lips and his lover seemed to get the message. They relaxed back into a very comfortable rhythm of stroking, kissing and rubbing up against each other's bodies. The tension rose slowly, and looking at Robert as his arousal grew was almost too exciting. The feeling of the other man's body touching his from head to toe, their tongues caressing each other in the same rhythms as their hands stroked the other's cock and the sound of Robert's soft moans and harsh breaths were almost overwhelming. He closed his eyes and focused on kissing Robert with everything he had. The passion between them was 103

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matched by a sudden tenderness and a need to be as close to Robert as possible. Suddenly, it became too much. His hips snapped back and forth of their own accord, his movements now frantic. Robert matched him thrust for thrust as their kiss became so strong it felt almost violent. Robert pulled back, pushed into his fist one last time and sprayed heat between their sweaty bodies. Josh gasped for air as he stiffened and came so hard he saw stars. "Fuck." Robert buried his face in his neck. "Yeah." He leaned back against the sofa's backrest, glad for the support. For a long time the only sound was that of heavy breathing slowly returning to normal. Robert didn't move and feeling his sweat- and cum-covered abdomen pressing against his own felt strangely erotic. Even though there was no way he was going to get it up again in the immediate future, having his lover this close and knowing that he'd enjoyed what they'd done enough to be totally out of it now almost made him want to go for round two straight away. "Oh, no you're not." Robert licked a path from his collarbone across his chin in hand to his mouth, ending with a lip smacking kiss. "Not what?" He returned the favor, tasting salt and pure Robert. If he could only find a way of bottling this 104

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combination of scent and flavor. "Going for round two on the sofa." Robert shook his head but he was smiling. "You promised me bed sex after this, and I intend to hold you to it." "Hey, I have no problem with bed sex." He snuggled closer, making sure every available square inch humanly possible touched. "I just think variety is important." "So, what's stopping you now?" Roberts slid both arms around Josh. It didn't feel as if he was ready to get up any time soon. "Oh, nothing. Just want to take a little rest before we take this upstairs." There was no point in ruining the afterglow when it was this nice. Hell, nice wasn't even the right word. Spectacular was more like it. **** Josh didn't feel right as he walked across the parking lot from the part where he'd parked his car to the commercial section containing all the company trucks. Had he been honest with himself from the start, he would have admitted that nothing had felt right since he'd left Robert very early on Saturday morning. It had been a spur of the moment thing, a gut-level reaction that had seemed to be 105

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the only thing he could do to escape the increasing feelings of inadequacy that he'd developed. He'd done a lot of thinking since then. Not having had anything else to do over the weekend, that hadn't been difficult. By now, after not having spoken to Robert for two days, he realized that it might be too late to salvage anything. Robert had a right to be angry at the sudden desertion and the fact he hadn't called all weekend seemed to confirm Josh's worst suspicions. But then, Josh hadn't called him either, now had he? Shit, why did I give in to my fears? If he thought about it rationally in the light of day, Robert had given him no reason to be afraid. Then again, none of the other people who'd suddenly left his life had given him any warning. Not his parents, not the boy he'd thought of as his boyfriend until Brandon betrayed him by getting engaged to a classmate right before senior prom, and not his Uncle Larry. Well, technically, the man who'd given him a roof to stay under after his parents' car accident had kicked Josh out, not left him, but the effect on Josh's emotions was the same. He hadn't even risked a relationship in the six years since then, and not just because he couldn't risk his co-workers or old boss finding out he was gay. He took the paperwork from the mechanic and 106

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started the brief technical and safety inspection he always did before taking a vehicle on the road. He might not find anything that was really wrong, that was the mechanic's job, but doing at least a minor check made him feel better. Halfway through, he realized he wasn't paying attention. Shit! So he started again and half an hour later was finally ready to depart. It was only a short run to Jonesboro, so he'd be back by tonight anyway. If he found enough courage by then he'd go and talk to Robert. The very least he needed to do was apologize. Even if he didn't really expect anything to change he owed the other man an explanation. That settled, he got into the semi, went to pick up the machine parts he needed to deliver and was on his way. The I-40 West was well-known territory for him, so he did some more thinking. More like daydreaming, trying to imagine what would happen if and when Robert accepted his apology. It was good motivation to try very hard to get Robert to understand why he'd walked out. About a third of the way toward his destination, on one of the steeper hills, a few heavier trucks ahead of him had slowed down significantly to make sure their descent was as safe as possible. Even though they were going more slowly than he normally could have with his lighter and 107

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more modern semi, he decided to slow down just to be on the safe side. Pressing the brake pedal got him no reaction at all. His semi continued to barrel down the highway, approaching the heavy truck ahead of him much too quickly. The parking brake, which he hadn't ever used to try to stop this vehicle didn't help either. What the hell was going on? This wasn't supposed to happen. Still desperately trying to slow down his semi, he steered to the right, hoping for a runaway truck ramp in the vicinity. It was his only alternative. He never made it. The truck started fishtailing, hit the shoulder of the road and tumbled toward the ditch. His head hit the window and everything went black.

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CHAPTER TEN Robert didn't look forward to returning to the office and facing all the issues in his professional life. That situation was bad enough in itself, but adding the pain of Josh's leaving him without so much as a goodbye, never mind an explanation what had gotten into him, was mind numbing. Had he been into drinking, he would have spent the entire weekend drowning his sorrows in a bottle. Instead, he'd gone on more runs than was healthy and had made an almost visible dent into the punching bag in the fitness room. Why his lazy and out of shape father had ever equipped it so well he'd never know, but he was grateful he'd had that outlet for is anger and pain. At least he'd managed to stay away from the office long enough that all the morning departures had been handled. The weekend dispatcher had called him to let him know that three unexpected jobs had come in, all of them short one-day runs. One of the drivers was Josh, so Robert had decided to wait until the man had definitely left. Yes, it was cowardly, but he didn't want to have whatever confrontation might follow with his employees looking on. The drivers were usually gone by seven or seven thirty, so he made sure he didn't leave home before then. Kimberly greeted him with a big smile. He was about to 109

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ask her what made her so happy when she pointed to their coffee corner. An impressively professional looking coffee machine had replaced the old piece of junk. It gleamed and sparkled, managing to elicit a small smile from him. "Got delivered this morning." Kimberly got up to join him in admiring the superior piece of technology. "Thanks for getting that done so quickly. I love it." He did his best to find a smile for Kimberly and must have succeeded since she smiled back. "Invoice is on your desk." She grinned. "Now, do you need instructions how to work this thing?" "Yeah, it's definitely more complicated than the old one." And he wasn't going to rely on someone else making his coffee. One high-tech cup of coffee later he settled behind his desk and tackled his inbox. Once that was done he leaned back and started thinking about Speedy Trucking. They were the ones behind the price war, and they'd practically stolen five of his drivers already. Something had to be done to stop them, but what? He also needed to find replacement drivers. With the shortage in qualified candidates, the wobbly state of Gordon Trucking and Speedy Trucking's potential interference, that was a taller order than it should be. He was almost relieved when the phone rang just 110

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before lunch and pulled him out of his thoughts. Even though it might be more bad news, at least he'd be distracted. He'd been going in useless circles for a while. "Gordon Trucking, Robert Oldfield speaking." There was a lot of background noise on the other end. "How may I help you?" "I'm Sheriff Frank Peterson at the Davidson County Sheriff's Office." The man paused and Robert's pulse rate increased. "Yes?" The sheriff? He had no idea what to say. "According to our information you are the owner of Gordon Trucking. Is that correct?" "Yes." What now? "I'm sorry to tell you this, but officers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol have informed us that two of your vehicles were involved in accidents this morning." Paper rustled in the background. "One was on the I-40 West, on its way to Jonesboro, just over a hundred miles from Nashville, the other on the I-65 South, twenty miles north of Decatur. Both were related to faulty brakes and there will be an investigation by the Tennessee Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, of course." "What?" A loud buzzing sound in Robert's head prevented him from thinking clearly. He fell back into his chair, suddenly unable to sit upright. Josh was driving that 111

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truck to Jonesboro. "Are… are the drivers okay?" "Both of them were admitted to hospital. Leah Adams is at Decatur General, but I'm told she had only minor bruising and will be released within the hour." The sheriff rustled with some more papers. "The other driver, one Joshua Becket, is at Jackson-Madison County General and is still unconscious, last we are aware." Robert sagged in his chair and closed his eyes. Oh God, it hurts. Josh was in the hospital and it sounded serious. Never mind that he'd run away, left him without an explanation. This news made him realize how deeply he cared about Josh. Surely they could work out their differences. He wanted to race to the man's side to find out what was really going on. Make sure he got the best care possible. But he was so far away… "Sir? Are you still there?" The sheriff sounded impatient. "Yes." He could barely speak. Where was he even going to start figuring out this mess? "The officials from the Tennessee Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division are on their way to the sites of the accidents now. They will secure the vehicles and start working on establishing the causes of the brakes failure. They will then get in touch with you with any 112

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information they have, as well as to answer any further questions they may have." The sheriff cleared his throat. "We don't want you to leave the city without letting us know." "Of-of course." Shit, there went his idea of racing to Josh's side. "I'm not under arrest or anything, am I?" "No, not at this time. Unless they find proof of gross negligence on your part, you won't be. But we do need to establish what happened so that future instances can be prevented. I'm sure you understand that." The sheriff sounded patronizing all of a sudden. Robert almost lost his temper then and there. How dare the man imply he didn't know how to do his job? He took a deep breath and told himself to get a grip. This guy didn't know Robert from Adam, so, of course, he was making assumptions. Maybe not even that, he was possibly just being careful. Now that he thought about it, there was something strange about two vehicles breaking down at the same time, caused by the same malfunction. He'd been very clear about the need to follow proper procedures in all areas running the company. He had emphasized the need for special care in the area of vehicle safety. So why had two of them failed simultaneously? With everything that had been going on with Speedy Trucking, it all felt very 113

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suspicious. Maybe he needed to alert the sheriff to the fact that something more might be going on than met the eye. "Look, there's something else you need to know." Robert cleared his throat. "We've been having some trouble from a major competitor recently. So far it's been limited to them underbidding us on jobs to take the more lucrative routes away from us. However, at the end of last week they also hired five of my drivers. We haven't let that intimidate us, in fact we continued to bid for all available long haul routes as if nothing had happened." "And now you suspect them of sabotage?" The sheriff didn't sound so patronizing anymore. "Obviously, I can't prove anything, but I can't help but think that two incidents like this are too much of a coincidence to have 'natural causes', so to speak." "How long has this rivalry with your competitor been going on?" The man's tone of voice showed interest. Thank God he hadn't just dismissed Robert's theory as nonsensical. He didn't know what he would have done. Probably lost his temper after all, and that wouldn't have done him any good whatsoever. "Not very long. I only bought the company from my parents a few weeks ago, but I do know that Speedy Trucking, that's the competitor we're talking about, was very interested in acquiring this business as well." And 114

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they'd tried very hard to scare him off since then. "So, what you're saying is that these people realized the initial attempts to stop you from being successful weren't working and have now stepped up their campaign?" The sheriff paused and Robert held his breath. Would the man believe him? More importantly, would he do something about it? "You do know that this is a pretty serious accusation?" "Yes, I do realize that. But if my suspicion is true, we're talking about some pretty serious criminal activity." The longer he thought about it, the more certain he was that someone at Speedy Trucking was behind this. Probably that shithead of an owner, Dustin Mackey himself. Who else would dare to do something like this? Dustin was also the one most likely to benefit from all of this. "We are indeed." The sheriff cleared his throat. "Thank you for telling me about your suspicions. I can't promise anything, but this information will help us look for evidence in the right places. We'll keep you informed in any case." "Thank you." The relief was enormous, but the worry about Josh hadn't gone away. "Is there any way I can visit my injured driver? I'd really like to be there in person to make sure he gets the best possible care." "That's very admirable of you. Does Mr. Becket not 115

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have family who can take over that part? I only know he didn't have anyone listed as an emergency contact, which is very unusual." The sheriff actually sounded like a worried human being now, no longer just an officer of the law doing his job. "Joshua and his family are estranged." It felt weird calling his lover by his full name again, but that was what he'd wanted, so Robert would stick with it. "That's very unfortunate, but exactly what I figured." The sheriff paused, probably to weigh his options. "Okay, I'll tell you what. I know what it's like to have someone in your care in the hospital. It's happened to me and my officers too many times to count. So, since Mr. Becket has nobody else to take care of him and you're obviously willing to step up, we'll make an exception to the 'don't leave the city' rule. You'll need to be available for any interviews with the officers of the Tennessee Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. But I'll advise them of your location and I'm pretty sure they can clarify any questions they have either by phone, or by sending one of their officers to the hospital, should you still be there by the time they're done with their initial investigation." "Thank you for understanding." He couldn't wait to get into his car and drive out to Jackson to see Josh. It would take him a good two hours, and he might die from 116

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worrying, but at least there was hope that he'd get to see Josh soon. With hospitals as strapped for cash as they were these days, he didn't want to leave any decisions about his care to someone who was thinking of a budget rather than the best interest of their patient. Exchanging contact information with the sheriff only took a few minutes, explaining things to Kimberly and getting the necessary documents together a little longer, but twenty minutes later he was in his car on the way to see Josh. The only thing he knew for certain at that point was that the drive would feel a lot longer than two hours. **** Robert walked into the hospital with more than apprehension speeding up his heartbeat. His need to see Josh had reached gut-wrenching proportions. Fear that something had happened to worsen Josh's condition in the last few hours gnawed at his insides and made his knees weak. He'd never forgive himself if anything more happened to the man he was falling in love with, mysterious vanishing act and recent separation aside. After some initial jostling with reception and the station nurse about regulations, paperwork and employee insurance details, he'd finally been allowed to see Josh. At 117

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least Josh had never needed to be admitted to Intensive Care. Apparently, he'd only been unconscious for half an hour. He'd been diagnosed with a concussion, but his symptoms, miraculously, were so minor that he'd be released as soon as somebody was willing to take responsibility for his care. Robert's only question had been, "Where do I sign?" While this additional clarification and handling of details took up precious minutes he'd rather have spent at Josh's side, once they had the paperwork completed to their satisfaction, all Robert had to do was wait for a doctor to countersign the forms and he could take his lover home. He walked into the hospital room with slightly less apprehension than he'd felt when arriving. The picture of Josh lying in a hospital bed, whiter than the sheets and with a big bandage around his head, was still shocking. Thank God he already knew that Josh was going to be okay or he might have fainted after all. When Josh turned his big brown eyes on him the minute he approached the bed, Robert lost it. He ran across the few feet separating them, took Josh's pale hand in his and collapsed onto the bed as tears streamed down his face. "Robert?" Josh looked so young and lost. "Josh." He tried to stop the embarrassing flow of tears but it was hopeless. All the bottled up emotions from 118

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the weekend of worrying added to the last few hours of intense fear were too overwhelming. "You came." Josh smiled and it transformed his face. "How could I not?" He sniffled and grabbed some tissues from the box on the nightstand and wiped his face in a desperate effort to clean himself up. "I-I didn't know if you still wanted to see me." Josh closed his eyes for a moment and sighed when he opened them again. "I'm so sorry I left in the middle of the night without even leaving you a note. I just—I can't explain it better than to say I panicked. I wanted to apologize when I got back tonight, I really did, but then the accident happened and now…" "Of course I still want to see you." He threw the used up tissues into the convenient waste basket next to the bed and pulled himself together. "I admit that I was hurt and confused when you left, but there's no way I would have let that stand between us. It might have taken a few more days for me to come around if this accident hadn't happened, but I want you to know that I would have contacted you to find out what went wrong even without all this—drama." "That's good to know." Josh smiled brilliantly enough to light up the room and warm Robert's heart. "I 119

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didn't really want to leave you." "Good, because I have no intention of leaving you either. I'd still like to find out what spooked you so badly, but there'll be time for that later." First, he had to get Josh out of here. "Please tell me that they'll let me go? They told me I had a concussion, but that doesn't mean I have to stay here, does it?" Josh needn't have worried; Robert had already set everything in motion for him to leave. "They said I can take you home." Robert smiled. "As long as you let me take care of you for the next few days." "Great!" Josh frowned. "Will you? I mean, I don't want to bother you or anything." "You won't bother me. Just try and stop me." He bent down to kiss Josh's cheek, mindful of his status as a recuperating patient then reduced his voice to what he hoped was a sexy whisper. "If it's what you want too, I'll never let you go again."

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CHAPTER ELEVEN Josh hated sitting in a wheelchair as Robert pushed him through the seemingly never ending corridors of the hospital. He'd always thought this particular hospital regulation was a product of TV screenwriters' imaginations. Unfortunately, that turned out to be incorrect. He closed his eyes and hoped it would be over soon. Josh floated on cloud nine despite the nagging headache, which hadn't improved even though they'd given him some painkillers. Robert had told him he'd never let him go again—if that was what he wanted. Boy, was it ever! Nothing less than a dream come true, Robert was the best thing that had happened to Josh in a very long time. And now the man had told him he wanted Josh to stay? Nothing was going to tear him away. Damn his insecurities anyway. What had happened in the past should stay there. It was time to move on. "Okay, sweetheart, here we are." Robert's voice ended his thoughts. "Sweetheart?" Had he heard right? "You don't like it?" Robert looked adorably confused. "I love it. I just never thought you'd be, you know, the type." And wasn't that the most inane thing to say after 121

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his lover had just used an endearment for the first time. "The type?" Robert laughed as he retrieved his car key and thumbed the car open. "I do hope you don't think I've gone all mushy on you. I just think, I don't know, now that we've decided not to run from each other, we might as well have some of the perks." "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Using endearments as a perk of having a relationship? That is what we're talking about, isn't it? A relationship?" Josh looked up at Robert, totally fascinated by the mix of confusion and determination on his lover's face. "Oh yes, a relationship is most definitely what we're talking about. And if I have anything to say about, which I hope I do, it'll be monogamous and last for a very, very long time." Robert's cheeks reddened but he didn't look away. "You certainly don't beat about the bush, do you?" Josh grinned when Robert's blush deepened. "It's a good thing that we are on the same page then. I didn't dare hope you'd be ready to talk about it so soon, but I'm sort of glad we got that out of the way. I guess there are advantages to having an outspoken, direct, and extremely determined boyfriend." "And if that hasn't scared you away, we might actually stand a chance." Robert held out his hand and 122

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helped Josh settle into the passenger seat. Josh fastened his seatbelt and leaned against the head rest. His new boyfriend definitely was one of the most determined people he'd ever met. He chuckled as Robert got in, closed the car door, and buckled himself in before turning to Josh with a question in his eyes. God, the man's face was so expressive. "I was just admiring your determination. Once you've decided to go for something, you don't stop, do you? Never mind that we're in the middle of getting me out of the hospital." Josh reached over the console and took Robert's hand. "And before you misunderstand me, let me tell you that I think that's a really good thing. Most guys would have waited for 'the right moment' to say something. But after what we went through, more time spent waiting to find out what's going on between the two of us would not have been a good thing for me." "You really don't mind? I just couldn't wait to let you know. I was so mad at myself for letting your running away stop me from calling you to find out what was going on. My stupid pride should have mattered less to me than your well-being and our relationship." Robert carefully squeezed his fingers. "I'm glad you get that, and even like it, because I don't think I can change it. I've always been like that." 123

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"Please, don't change on my account." Josh grinned, surprised by the sudden yawn that interrupted his enjoyment of the moment. "I think we need to get you home as quickly as possible. Just close your eyes, get some sleep if you can, and I'll do the rest." Robert withdrew his hand and started the engine. Josh wanted to protest, but sleep sounded really wonderful so he let himself drift off, only waking up what must have been a couple of hours later. Robert had just pulled up in front of his house, and even though Josh had slept the last few hours, he was still tired enough to want to go straight to bed. So that was what they did. Robert, of course, wanted to keep him company. They undressed and slid under the blankets. He was too exhausted to do anything, and Robert had told him that any more strenuous activity was out until his doctor declared him healed. But still, cuddling into his lover's arms secure in the knowledge that he'd still be there in the morning was a wonderful experience. Three days later, when Robert was still treating him with kid gloves, he didn't think it was so wonderful anymore. He felt fine and was about to jump out of his skin 124

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from arousal. Robert was adamant they should wait with anything more than basic kissing until he'd seen the doctor. So, on Friday morning, which was the first available time for an appointment, he got that taken care of. Meanwhile, he'd had a lot of time to think. Not surprisingly,

the

Tennessee

Commercial

Vehicle

Enforcement officers had found proof of tampering with the brake systems of both trucks. They'd absolved Robert and the company of any responsibility, which was a major relief. Additionally, the saboteurs had not been clever enough to hide their tracks. Knowing what they were looking for, the Sheriff's Department collected DNA samples and had them analyzed. Since Robert had decided to press charges against Speedy Trucking and its owner, Dustin Mackey, the sheriff had been able to get samples from all of the employees at Speedy Trucking. The sheriff's report of his subsequent activities had been quite detailed. None of the samples matched completely, but one of them was close enough to suspect that a relative of the company's youngest driver might have been the perpetrator. It quickly became apparent that the guy's brother was an unemployed car mechanic who'd been promised the job of Gordon Trucking's in-house mechanic once Speedy Trucking had taken over. The guy started talking as soon as he saw the sheriff 125

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on his doorstep, revealing that Dustin Mackay himself was behind all the attacks. Needless to say, the guy was now in prison awaiting trial. They wouldn't put him away for a long time, but the damage to his business was done. Nobody knew yet what was going to happen to the company without its driving force, but Josh couldn't say that he really cared. Now that the price war had ended, they had to find a way to hire new drivers as quickly as possible. More jobs were becoming available every day and Robert was working with a vastly reduced crew of eight drivers, now that two were recovering from injuries, instead of fifteen. Josh was sure that at some point everyone would find out Robert and he were a couple. Robert didn't intend to hide. Even though Josh had asked him to think about it, Robert had been adamant. He said he'd rather know who was on their side and who wasn't. If they lost more drivers, so be it. They'd just have to find a few more new ones than planned. Robert had started putting some ads in the relevant places, both online and in magazines, but Josh couldn't help but think there must be an easier way of approaching people. Keeping in mind that they were looking for GLBT friendly drivers, why not start with the Gay Truckers Association?

Surely

that

organization

had

some

information on how to reach their members or other useful 126

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contact details. As soon as he'd finished at the doctor's, who had finally declared him fit and healthy to return to work, he made his way to the Gordon Trucking office. He planned to surprise Robert with the good news and discuss his ideas for finding new drivers at the same time. In a fascinating repeat of what had happened last time he'd visited Robert in the office, his lover waved him inside, asking him to close the door. He hadn't quite completed the action before Robert's arms were around him. Josh turned around so they were facing each other and moved his head close enough for a passionate kiss. Robert pulled back before he was ready, but then, they had a lot to talk about. "Everything all right, sweetheart?" Robert pulled him toward the newly added sofa and sat next to him. "Everything's fine. The doctor said I can go back to work on Monday and as for strenuous activities," he wiggled his eyebrows which made Robert laugh, "we can go back to those anytime." "Thank God!" Robert theatrically wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead. "I was beginning to think I'd need to see the doctor for blue balls." "You wouldn't!" Josh had a hard time not laughing out loud. 127

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"Who says?" Robert winked, which only made Josh laugh harder. "Right, I'm glad we avoided one embarrassing situation at least." And he'd make sure there were no more excuses tonight. He wanted Robert with an intensity that wouldn't be denied much longer. "So, what are you going to do with the rest of today?" Robert leaned back with an expectant look on his face. "I thought we could make a start on finding some of those new drivers we'll need now that Greedy Trucking, um, I mean, Speedy Trucking, has stopped sabotaging us." God, had he really said that out loud? He needed to stop thinking it if this was the result. "Greedy Trucking?" Robert threw back his head and laughed. "That's the best name for them I've ever heard." "I've been calling them that in my head for a while, but I probably shouldn't start saying it out loud. It could be extremely embarrassing." Josh shook his head at his own stupidity. "Anyway, as I said, I was thinking there must be an easier way of finding drivers than putting advertisements in different places and hoping someone will apply." "Okay, I'm listening." Robert leaned forward, suddenly very serious and all ears. 128

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"Well, I do sort of have a question before we can get into the details." Okay, this is it. Deep breath. "You told me the other day that you didn't intend to hide the fact that we're a couple. Never mind that it's going to be difficult because you're my boss and people are sure to accuse me of taking advantage of that. You haven't changed your mind about that, have you?" "Nope." Robert shook his head as if to avoid any possibility of misinterpretation. "Nothing is going to convince me that staying in the closet, even at work, is a good idea. I think both of us have done enough of that in our lives to know it doesn't really work. Well, it works in the sense that nobody finds out, but it doesn't make us any happier, does it?" "Okay, that's what I thought." He took another deep breath. It didn't really help, but it gave him something to do while he collected his thoughts. "Okay, here's the thing, I've been thinking. If we're going to be open about our relationship, we should probably try to find some gay friendly, if not gay, truck drivers." "I can see what you mean, but how are we going to do that?" Robert frowned. "We can't very well go out there and tell people we're discriminating in reverse and will only be hiring GLBTQ drivers, can we?" "Of course not. But there's nothing wrong with 129

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using networking to find people that might be interested in working for us on a personal basis first, then get them to apply, right?" Josh could see it all so clearly, but it was Robert's company, so the other man needed to agree as well. "You know what? I think that's a brilliant idea!" Robert jumped up and started pacing. "There's absolutely nothing illegal about it. It'll increase the percentage of successful applicants, which will reduce Kimberly's and my job." "Cool." More relieved than he was willing to admit, he sank back into the sofa and relaxed for the first time in days. "You're right. Very cool. We could be the first openly gay trucking company in the country." Robert winked. "I don't think it will happen tomorrow, but who knows? The word will spread, and while we don't need to be openly GLBTQ, those who know, our drivers and those who want to become our drivers, will know and appreciate what we stand for." "Glad you approve." He grinned as he slowly licked his lips while making come-hither eyes at Robert. "And I'm also glad it's Friday. With the weekend coming up, at least we'll have time for some decent celebrations." "Oh, you don't know the half of it. We have even 130

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more reasons to celebrate than you're aware of." Robert's grin was decidedly mischievous. "What did I miss?" Josh sat up. "While you were busy plotting world domination, or at least business growth by hiring gay truck drivers and making this a GLBTQ business, I put a few things into motion as well." Robert walked to his desk and retrieved a stack of stapled sheets from it. He brought them back to the sofa and handed them to Josh. His facial expression made it clear he considered this to be the solution to the world's problems. Josh stared at the cover page. It said 'sales contract'. "Is this what I think it is?" He looked at Robert's grinning face, but the man wasn't giving anything more than his glee away. "Look for yourself." Robert's tone of voice reflected his facial expression. Josh almost grumbled and being made to work for his revelation but he didn't want to spoil his lover's enjoyment. So he turned the page and started reading. There was lots of legal gobbledygook, but at least he managed to decipher the key details quite quickly. The grin spreading on his face matched Robert's, or at least he imagined it did. "You didn't." He looked up. 131

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"Oh yes, I did." Robert took back the sales contract and returned it to his desk before prowling back to Josh like a giant jungle cat looking for his mate. "You actually bought Greedy Trucking?" Josh had to say it out loud so he could make himself believe it. "Yep." Robert held out his hand and pulled him up and into his arms. "Although, as much as I like the name you gave them, I don't think I want them to exist as a separate company. I was thinking of integrating them into Gordon Trucking. They're about the same size as us, but they have more modern trucks. What do you think?" "What do I think? You're asking me?" He was glad Robert held him up because he might have fallen over from the surprise. "Of course I'm asking you. You're my partner, right? So you should have a say in this." Robert pulled him even closer and Josh found it hard to concentrate with all of that delicious body pressed up against him. "But—but I'm just your boyfriend, not your business partner, am I?" Josh looked for any sign of doubt in Robert's face, but found none. What the hell was he going to do now? He had no qualifications to run a company and Robert expected him to help? This was a disaster waiting to happen. He didn't want to disappoint Robert and end their relationship. But how 132

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was he supposed to make Robert understand that this wasn't a good idea?

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CHAPTER TWELVE Robert bit the inside of his cheek—hard—to stop his initial reaction of telling Josh not to be stupid. That would have done no good whatsoever. And while part of him believed seeing their personal relationship as somehow not sufficient was stupid, a bigger part of him quickly acknowledged that it was Josh's insecurity speaking, not his mind or heart. Both of those, or so he hoped, would give very different answers to who Josh believed he was to Robert. If not now, hopefully in the very near future. What he needed right now was to get Josh's mind to react and start becoming a stronger voice. Once he added his lover's heart to the equation, he might stand a chance of building Josh's self-confidence to where it should be. Since Josh's heart might take a little longer to understand what had happened to them, he'd start with the mind. "First of all, there is no 'just' about you being my boyfriend." Robert made an effort to look as serious as he felt. Josh needed to see as well as hear this message. "Second of all, this is our company now. I'd like you to be as involved in the day-to-day running as possible. Your perspective on driving a truck, which is what this company is all about, will be invaluable to help me understand more of the details. Third of all, I would love to work with you, 134

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not 'just' live with you. The only way our life can ever be a real success, I believe, is for us to be full partners. In everything." Josh looked at him for a moment, not saying a word. He was about to give up when a slow smile spread across Josh's face. "You really mean that, don't you?" Josh stepped even closer, pressing their bodies together in an extremely suggestive way. "I have no idea what I did to deserve you, and know even less about running a business, but I'm willing to give this a try. You clearly trust me a lot more than I do myself and since I haven't been too good at understanding what I can and cannot do, I think I'll follow your lead for a while. See where it gets me." "Thank you for trusting me." He was deeply touched. That was far more than he'd hoped for. "There's one more thing I want to share with you. While I look forward to working on building this business with you I don't want that to be the only thing we do together. I also don't want to remain the workaholic I've been in the last two years. Now that we're partners in every sense of the word, I'd like to spend a lot of time with you outside the office as well. Maybe even make a few friends and get a social life for a change." "That sounds wonderful." Josh laughed. "I love how 135

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you plan everything, even your personal and social life. At least now I know it'll get done. I can only hope there will be some space left for spontaneity." "Oh sweetheart, you can be as spontaneous as you want. In fact, I think I can learn a lot from you in that respect." He couldn't wait to see what Josh would come up with once his lover let loose. "Can

we

start

now?"

Josh's

smile

turned

mischievous. "There's just one more thing I need to ask you. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I have to know." Robert could only hope this wouldn't ruin everything. He knew himself well enough, though, to understand that he wouldn't be able to move forward without an answer. "Okay." Josh looked scared. That wasn't at all what he'd wanted, but it was too late now. He had to get it over with. "We've never really talked about this in detail, but I really need to know why you ran from me last weekend. The only explanation I remember is that you panicked. But I don't know what I did to make you panic. I just want to make sure I never do it again because I don't ever want to feel that sort of desperation and helplessness again." There, he'd said it. Now all he had to do was hold his breath and hope for the best. 136

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"Oh, shit." Josh had closed his eyes and gone white as a sheet. Not the reaction he'd been looking for. He was about to say that it wasn't that important after all when Josh took a deep breath and looked back at him. "It wasn't something you did at all. You did everything right, were completely wonderful to me and it overwhelmed me." Josh started to tremble. "I'm glad to hear it wasn't something I did, but now you're scaring me. You deserve someone in your life to be wonderful and spoil you a little. Why in the world would that make you run?" He tightened his grip on Josh to make sure the man didn't fall. "No, you don't understand. Nobody has ever been that wonderful to me and the few people I thought loved me, or should love me, all abandoned me. So when I realized how perfect you are, I expected you to abandon me as well. I wasn't thinking straight, so my reaction was to run before you could leave me." Josh shook his head. "Ridiculous, isn't it?" "If you put it like that, I don't think so. Impulsive, maybe, and emotional, certainly, but not ridiculous. There's a certain logic to how you reacted." He sighed. "Aside from the fact I wanted to find out who abandoned you so I can go and beat them over the head, at least now I understand 137

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why you ran. All I can do is promise that I will never leave you without trying everything to solve any differences I hope we never have. Does that even make any sense?" "Yes, it does." Josh smiled. "I also hope we never have any differences big enough to discuss breaking up, and I appreciate you being honest enough not to promise something we both know you might not be able to keep. It makes me trust you even more. And I promise you to tell you who it was that abandoned me one of these days, but not today, please." "We've done enough serious talking for today, haven't we?" Robert lifted his hand and caressed Josh's face, needing an outlet for the sudden tenderness he felt for his lover. He'd clearly suffered a lot more than he'd ever realized, but no more. From now on his man would be treated right. "Weren't we about to be spontaneous?" "I think so." Josh tilted his head and mock frowned, making it look as if he was deep in thought. "What would you say if I suggested we take the afternoon off and start the weekend early?" "I'd say I like your kind of spontaneity." He grinned. "And then I'd ask what we're still doing here." "Yes!" Josh pumped his arm in a sign of triumph that made Robert wonder what sort of a monster he had created. 138

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"Come on, sweetheart, let's go." He grabbed his briefcase, making sure he had his wallet and cell phone on him before he opened the office door. Kimberly's look of surprise when he informed her he was going home early was priceless. He waved goodbye to the dispatcher and pulled Josh with him to make sure they didn't lose any more time but unfortunately, they'd come in two different cars. The half hour trip to his house had never seemed so long, and imagining all the things they could do together over the next two and a half days didn't exactly help. When he finally closed the front door behind them, he was ready to pounce on his lover. Josh didn't look as though he'd have a problem with that, his erection clearly outlined by his advantageously tight jeans. "Ready?" Josh looked ready to pounce right back. "For what?" He knew the question was stupid, but he couldn't stop himself from asking. Knowing his lover, he'd tell him exactly when he was ready, not when Robert wanted to know what was going on. That was part of the joy of living with this man. "Last one upstairs and naked on the bed has to top." Josh was off and up the stairs like a rocket, leaving Robert in his dust without any effort at all. Robert was still trying to process the implications of 139

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what Josh had said when his lover's ass vanished around the top of the stairs. Josh's joyful laughter from the upstairs hallway made Robert grin. If his man wanted to be the one to get fucked through the mattress first tonight, that was fine by him. He'd get his later on. And even if he didn't, in the scheme of things, that didn't matter. The only thing that counted was they were together, Josh had been declared fit for sex, and the whole weekend lay ahead of them. By the time Robert made it upstairs, at a deliberately leisurely pace so there would be no disagreement on who was going to do what for their first round, Josh lay on the bed completely naked. He lay on his back, turned so that his wide open thighs and everything in between was visible from the door. With one hand around his already straining cock and the other busy stretching his hole with languid strokes, he was the picture of debauchery. There weren't many times in his life Robert had undressed this quickly. He was too busy watching his sexy lover to try and remember when it had been, but he had a sneaky suspicion all of them had happened since he'd met Josh. It was a sad statement to make about his previous existence, but he couldn't find the energy to care. As long as the rest of his life was as exciting as it had been over the past two weeks, he could deal. 140

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"What took you so long?" Josh kept stroking his cock as he stretched himself. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe I was busy developing a strategy for the rest of the weekend." Robert smiled when Josh's eyes widened. "See? I can be spontaneous too." "I love your kind of spontaneity." Josh grinned. "Now, stop talking, come here and fuck me. We haven't done this for a week, and this is one record I definitely don't want to break." "I'm totally with you." Robert approached the bed, getting a condom from the nightstand on his way, and was sheathed within seconds. He couldn't remember ever being more ready than he was now. When Josh started to turn around into their more usual doggy-style position, Robert quickly put a hand on his hip to stop him. He wasn't sure what possessed him, but after this week of hardship and revelations they'd become a lot closer. The need to see Josh while they made love surprised him, but he didn't fight his feelings anymore. It was too early to be sure, but he knew himself too well to deny that he could be very well on his way to falling in love with Josh. "Robert?" Josh pulled his fingers from his glistening pucker and sat up. "Just admiring the view." He crawled between his 141

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lover's thighs, positioning the tip of his hard cock at the invitingly twitching opening. "And I realized I wanted to see your face when you come for me." "God, I love it when you talk dirty." Josh pushed a pillow under his ass and spread his thighs even farther apart. Robert grinned and started pushing inside. Josh arched his back and opened up for him on a hiss. He paused when he was halfway, bending forward so he supported himself with his hands next to Josh's shoulders. "Look at me when I take you." Josh's eyes flew open and the sexiest little whimper escaped his lips as Robert pushed his throbbing erection the rest of the way inside Josh's hot body. He waited for Josh to nod and started moving. Slow, deep thrusts at first, making sure he found his lover's prostate. Josh gripped his arms for something to hold on to, slid his legs around Robert's waist and moved with him on every thrust. Flesh slammed on flesh, the sounds adding to those of deep breathing and the occasional low groan. Sweat started pooling on Robert's forehead and under his arms as he sped up his movements, keeping the strokes long and deep. The scent of Josh's arousal hit his nose and he moaned. But his arms started to feel strained, so he dropped to his elbows and gripped Josh's shoulders from underneath 142

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to keep them even more closely together. Chest touched chest now, and he could feel Josh's hard cock rubbing against his stomach. Josh's eyes widened as he increased his speed again, starting to really pound into his lover's spasming ass. "Yes! God! Robert! Just like that." Joshua was out of breath, his eyes were wild, and his grip had tightened to the point Robert knew he'd have bruises in the morning. He couldn't wait to admire them in the mirror. "Are you going to come for me, baby?" At this speed and intensity, Robert wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. He was determined to make Josh come first. "Gaghhhh." Josh tightened his abdominals and started convulsing as he sprayed their stomachs with his release. His face went slack with pleasure as Robert kept fucking him and prolonged Josh's orgasm until the other man fell back with a whimper, his entire body shaking with pleasure. Two more strokes was all it took. Robert's balls contracted and he filled the condom, ecstasy making every nerve ending in his body sing. He might have seen a few stars, but he couldn't be sure. He was too busy shuddering through the most intense orgasm he'd ever had in his life. When he was done, he collapsed onto Josh's heated body and tried to catch his breath so he could move. It took 143

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longer than usual, but he was finally able to pull back, got rid of the condom, grabbed some tissues to clean them up a little, and dropped back onto the bed. "Love you." Josh moved closer and embraced him, already half asleep. The sated smile on his lover's face said it all. "Love you too." How had he ever doubted it? He hadn't thought he'd be ready to say it so soon, but how could he not respond to Josh's words? That would have been just cruel. "Mhmm." Josh nuzzled his neck before moving his lips in for a kiss. A long, slow exploration of each other's mouths later he felt a lot more awake than he'd expected. Josh's wide open eyes told him that his lover was in the same situation. "I meant it, you know?" Josh looked so serious all of a sudden, this was obviously important to him. "So did I." He smiled. "I didn't think I'd be so sure so soon, but there's no point in denying it." "Are we ready for this?"Josh looked thoughtful. "Only the future will tell." As long as that future was at this man's side, Robert knew he could deal with anything. Josh brought out the best in him, and that was an excellent basis for a long-lasting relationship. 144

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"I can't wait." Josh tightened his embrace and put his head on Robert's shoulder as he closed his eyes. "Neither can I, baby." Robert smiled with the realization that he'd enjoy every minute of finding out. Whether on the road or at home, Josh was the man he wanted to share his life with. And it looked like he was going to get his wish. Go him! The End

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR I'm a night owl who starts writing when everyone else in my time zone is asleep. I've loved reading all my life and spent most of my childhood with my nose buried in a book. Although I always wanted to be a writer, financial independence came first. Twenty-some years and a successful business career later I took some online writing classes and never looked back. Living and working in seven countries has taught me that there's more than one way to get things done. It has instilled tremendous respect for the many different cultures, beliefs, attitudes and preferences that exist on our planet. I like exploring those differences in my stories, most of which happen to be romances. My characters have a tendency to want to do their own thing, so I often have to rein them back in. The one thing we all agree on is the desire for a happy ending. I currently live in the United Kingdom, sharing my house with a vast collection of books. I like reading, travelling, spending time with my nieces and listening to classical music. I have a passion for science and learning new languages. Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.serenayates.com/ Facebook: Serena Equality Yates Twitter: @SerenaYates Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show2964333.Serena_Y ates

ALSO BY SERENA YATES

Available at Silver Publishing: WORKPLACE ENCOUNTERS The Elevator Mechanic The Chauffeur The Ship Engineer The Carpenter The Truck Driver CELESTIAL JUSTICE Araton's Destiny Zuriel's Fate Israfil's Future KEEPING YOU: To Find and to Keep (print) Available at Dreamspinner Press: DÁLRIATA: Eye of Scota: Cináed MISTLETOE SCIENCE The Mistletoe Phenomenon, The Solstice Mistletoe Effect, The Mistletoe Experiment Mistletoe Science (print) KEEPING YOU To Find and To Keep To Keep and To Love Available at Total E-Bound: ELEMENTAL SUPERPOWERS (with A.J. Llewellyn) The Cake The Blancmange

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS Summer Escape Autumn Quest (November 7, 2011) NEW HORIZONS Rescuing the Librarian, Discovering the Actor, Encouraging the Writer, Supporting the Director, Saving the Bodyguard, Noticing the Finance Manager, Developing the Counsellor (October 17, 2011), Liberating the Security Specialist (December 12, 2011) MEN OF RIVERSIDE Finding Elliot, Rediscovering Adrian, Understanding Mark, Saving Zeke, Forgiving Jason, Loving Vicente, Convincing Landon (November 21, 2011) Max's Italian Romance SCROLLS OF VENGEANCE The Magic Thieves (novel) "The Magic Thieves" novella in the Stealing My Heart anthology "The Magic Thieves" novella version as audio book Available at Torquere Press: Sam's New Family

AWARDS The Elevator Mechanic Best GLBT Book 2010 Siren Book Reviews Best GBLTQ Author 2010 Love Romance Café Nomination

REVIEWS The Elevator Mechanic "Serena Yates has the ability to make her charming characters believable and multidimensional. Even during this short tale, the men evolved. Their mutual respect was clear and enhances their relationship." —Scandalous Minx, Literary Nymphs Reviews The Chauffeur "I enjoyed this read and would recommend it to my friends as top notch!" —Cia, Siren Book Reviews The Ship Engineer "I enjoyed 'The Ship Engineer' a great deal. It was passionate, exciting, emotional and intense. It's a great story to read especially when your spirit needs uplifting and your heart needs to be reassured of the special beauty which can be found in a loving relationship." —Lena, Queer Magazine Online The Carpenter "It's scripted with Serena's distinct touch – well written, great characters, lots of angst, passion, a moral and, of course, a happy ending." —Lena, Queer Magazine Online Araton's Destiny "Araton's Destiny is an enjoyable, sweet Christmas story with passionate, wonderfully written love scenes and a great happy ending. It's a marvellous tale about justice, passion and setting things right. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and out and if you are a romantic like me, it will have the same effect on you." —Lena, Queer Magazine Online Zuriel's Fate "Zuriel's Fate is an awesome book with a character to die for. Luke. He says it how it is, and I loved him for it. If something's not fair, he says so—and stands up and fights

for what's right." —Miz Love, Miz Love Loves Books Israfil's Future "As with the other Celestial Justice series installments, 'Israfil's Future' strongly supports the principles proclaimed by their dedication: "To those who believe there is more to justice than the strict interpretation of the law—whether in Heaven or on Earth." Bravo Serena!" —Lena, Queer Magazine Online