Welcome to the monthly  blogspot for author T.J. Masters. I promised that on Christmas Day my blog would be an exclusive gift to all my wonderful readers so hear it is. When I first published Hands of Power I was not prepared for the huge positive response to the story and I’ve had many requests for a follow-up because the characters were so likeable and readers wanted to hear more about them. This sequel works as that but also as a good standalone story for those who may not have read the first part.

Have a good read and a wonderful Christmas then do let me know what you think of the story too.

 

I

Match day dawned bright and sunny with all the promise of a glorious late-autumn Saturday. I lay in bed, mentally drifting on a cloud of post-coital bliss. There was no need for an alarm clock these days since my lover, Alan, had retained that part of his army discipline and was wide awake at six am on most days.

Yes. My lover. I was still getting used to that idea, but it was one that I relished.

My lover was a man. An amazing man, too. Alan Jennings was as masculine as they come. Ex-army officer, ex-married man, older, wiser, fitter than me for sure. Alan was my lover and had held that place for almost seven months now. Was it really that long? We’d met when I was referred to him by a hospital doctor for physiotherapy after a rugby injury. There was I, Richard Doyle, renowned ladies’ man, happily drifting through life, but still hurting from the split with my last girlfriend. Yes, I was rudderless at the time, but as always I’d dealt with the problem by ignoring it. My track record with women was not great but it never occurred to me that there was an alternative. I just chose to bury my needs for a while.

When Alan first seduced me, I offered little resistance. It was all lust and base desires. He showed me a world of sex that I’d never imagined. The reason that it worked and pulled me in was that it was a wholly masculine experience and a million miles from any impressions I might have previously had about what gay sex was.

That was another big mental step-change. Gay sex. Was I gay? I’d agonised about it on occasions because it really had taken me by surprise. Once Alan and I had become an item I’d tried to talk about the subject with him but his attitude was both frustrating and thought provoking.

 

When I’d asked if it was possible to suddenly turn gay at the age of twenty six he laughed and asked me if I was gay. I struggled to answer, and all he said was “Why do you need a label? You’re still the same person you where before we met. Just because some of your behaviour has changed does it have to mean that you have?”

 

At the time that answer just wasn’t enough, but over several conversations it was the only answer I got. Alan was a clever man, with a great way of teaching. He led by example and I really struggled to find anything ‘gay’ about him. He was Alan. He was all man. Alan was a man defined by his attitude and his behaviour and he needed no labelled hook to hang his coat on. Eventually I realised that he was right and I was wasting my own energy trying to decide which pigeon hole I should be in.

We were, however, all too aware that those around us might not be so laid back about our relationship. For that reason, as we grew our own bonds we choose to be very discrete about the whole thing. Both of us were committed to our chosen careers and in addition I was passionate about my rugby.

We’d had a great opening season and over two months in to it, we were still unbeaten. The Old Bannaventa Rugby Club was making a name for itself in the league and as its top try-scorer I was getting a bit of a reputation. Too many of our competitors knew that the player in the number eight shirt was Richard Doyle and he was a force to be reckoned with. That led to some less than gentlemanly behaviour in a few matches when opponents targeted me and I ended the games with more than my fair share of cuts and bruises.

Alan had become our honorary physio and attended most games. He was the sole of discretion and had very quickly endeared himself to the whole team, not just as our physio but as a great supporter, friend and advisor to all of us.

“Breakfast in ten!” The shout from the kitchen pulled me from my daydreaming and had me leaping out of bed.

“I’ll be there.” I called back as I stepped into the shower and allowed the powerful jets of water to waken me fully.

After showering I pulled on shorts and a polo shirt and then strolled into the kitchen drawn by the irresistible smell of grilling bacon. Alan had his back to me as I walked up to him and slipped my arms around his slim waist.

“Mmmm. That’s smells great.”

“Oh, you decided to get up after all then.” I playfully slapped his muscled rump.

“It’s your fault for being so demanding in the mornings. I needed to recover my strength for the game later.” Alan laughed at this.

“Yeah, right. How do you get tired just lying on your back with those gorgeous legs resting on my shoulders? I’m the one doing all the work you know.”

“It’s hard work being a greedy bottom for such a stud!” I spun him around and gazed into those sparkling green eyes.

“Anyway, waking up with you is the best start to any day.”

My acclamation was rewarded with one of Alan’s amazing broad smiles. We hugged and kissed before he pushed me away.

“Go pour out the juice and coffee. Your porridge is already out.”

I went over and sat at the breakfast bar grabbing the orange juice from the fridge along the way. Alan covered the bacon to keep it warm in the pan while we started on our bowls of creamy porridge. This filling breakfast was an essential element of my match day routine.

“Did you speak to Tom?” We were to pick up my team mate and best buddy Tom Casey on the way to today’s match.

“Yes I did, and I said we’d be at his place around one o’ clock.”

“Great. We’ve got loads of time then.”

“What did you have in mind?” I was all for lazing around the flat or just watching a Saturday morning cooking program on TV.

“We’re going to have a refresh day tomorrow,” he said. “Just you and I here alone. No phones or computers, no interruptions, just pure indulgence.”

“How does that work?” I must have sounded concerned, because he laughed and reached across to clasp my hand.

“Nothing to be scared of. Just go with it, but we need to do some shopping this morning to get ready for it.”

“Hey, I’m not scared! The idea of spending the whole day alone with you sounds good to me.”

“Great, then let’s get finished up here and go out for supplies!”

***

In this relationship I was learning new things every day; new things about myself, things about other people, and the most unexpected of all, I was beginning to appreciate what I’d missed in previous relationships: pure, unselfish love. This incredible, sexy, masculine guy really cared about me and for me. That made me want to care for him too. It was an amazing feeling, and very easy to live with.

***

We finished breakfast and cleared up in the kitchen. I dressed to go out and Alan wrote out one of his trademark shopping lists. Soon we were off to the supermarket. When we got there I grabbed a trolley and set off in pursuit of my very focussed shopping buddy.

I marvelled at the slightly novel items that started to fill the trolley. In no time at all we were finished and home again. I did help to unload the bags, but I was quickly banished to the lounge while Alan did some mysterious food prepping in the kitchen.

A short while later, the smell of cooking encouraged me to go and investigate, but I was ordered to go and relax before rugby. With nothing else to do I sorted out some e-mails and listened to music until Alan appeared with coffee and a slice of warm quiche. It was delicious, and I guessed that the rest would appear for lunch sometime tomorrow.

When I was done I took the empty dishes to the kitchen and returned to find Alan sitting with his head back and his eyes closed, listening to the music I had put on.

I walked over to him and straddled his waist, kneeling on the sofa with my hands resting on the back. Alan looked up at me and smiled. With the words ‘Hello, sexy,’ he pulled me down to him and we kissed deeply. I was instantly erect, and when he realised it Alan pushed me away, laughing.

“Get off, you horny boy! We don’t have time for that.”

I groaned, but he was right, so I got up and we went off to gather up our gear and were soon our way to collect Tom.

It was Jess, Tom and Karen’s eldest daughter, who opened the door to us.

“Hey, Uncle Rich!” she said. “Dad’s not ready yet, so Mum said come in and wait for him.”

“Thanks, Jess,” I said. “How are you?

“I’m fine. Mum’s taking us to the cinema while you’re at rugby.”

We followed Jess in and met Karen in the kitchen.

“Hi guys!” she said. “Tom’s running late, as usual, but he’ll be down shortly. I should you to organise him, Alan. You’ve done such a great job sorting Rich out.”

I could feel the blood rush to my face. Did she know something?

Alan just laughed it off. “You can take the man out of the army, but you can’t take the army out of the man!”

“I guess not, but you’ve been a great influence on this layabout since the two of you became friends.”

Now Alan looked at me, and the sly smile on Karen’s lips made me unsure if she was genuinely teasing or if she really was goading us into saying something. Before either of us could answer, Karen turned to put the kettle on. “Tea or coffee?”

“Coffee for me, please,” I said.

“Me too!” Alan echoed, just as Tom came through the doorway.

“Hey guys. Sorry for the delay. Karen’s had me running errands all morning.” She turned and slapped at him playfully.

“Most of which I could have done in half the time!” She kissed him, and he turned to wag a finger at me.

“See, I told you once you get married your life is over.”

Alan was the one who chimed in with a quick reply before I could say anything. “You wouldn’t have it any other way, Tom. You two should be a poster couple for happy marriages.”

Karen laughed and pushed Tom away. “We can put on a good show.”

“You’re right,” Tom said, “but that’s because she’s my best friend and soulmate first.”

I pretended to be offended, and said to Tom in a whiny voice, “I thought I was your best friend?”

Now the banter was turning silly, as Tom rushed to hug me. “You are! You’ll always be my best buddy. But I can’t marry you.” He paused, as if remembering something. “Actually, I can marry you now. I could have a wife and a husband.”

He planted a playful kiss on my cheek just as seven-year-old Ellen walked into the kitchen. “Eew. That’s gross! Why are grown-ups always snogging?”

We all laughed as Tom approached his daughter as if to kiss her and she ran shrieking from the room. Tom returned to me and went down on one knee.

“Well, Tom, will you marry me?”

Karen cuffed him on the back of his head and looked directly at Alan as she said, “Stop it, or you’ll make Alan jealous.”

I was at a loss what to say, but the ever-insightful Karen reminded us that we needed to go. We all lined up to kiss her as we trooped out.

“Play nice, boys,” she said. “And try not to bleed too much.”

We all piled into Alan’s jeep as Karen and the girls waved us off from the doorstep.

“You’re a lucky man, Tom,” Alan said as he pulled away from the house.

“Oh, I know it!”

 

 

II

 

The game was one of the toughest of the season so far. Our opponents were fast and big, but not very well-organised. I was feeling battered and bruised by half-time, but we were leading by a small margin: 16-12. I also had two tries under my belt.

During the break, our manager, Gerry, had some words of encouragement for us all, as well as his usual tactics update. He always had a keen eye for strengths and weaknesses, and gave us a couple of suggestions to take on board.

First of all, the flankers and the scrum half were to protect me as much as possible. If the opposition realised what they were doing, they would concentrate even more effort on blocking me. This paved the way for the second tactic, which was to get the ball out to the wingers as fast as possible. With less focus on them, they had a good chance of running forward and getting the ball to a good fly half to kick a goal.

We went back out full of confidence and, just as Gerry predicted, our tactic split the opposition. We quickly added several tries and drop goals to our score. Realising their mistake late in the game, the other team focussed less on me and more on our wingers. Of course, that gave me a chance, and I charged forward to take my third try.

With only five or ten minutes left in the game, I had yet another opportunity. This time I wasn’t so lucky. After a good run I was in sight of the line when one of their full backs decided to take me down. Charging straight at me, he raised his arm at the last minute and smashed into my face. I saw stars and everything went black.

When I came to, Alan was leaning over me, but one of the guys from the other team appeared to be trying to hit him while his teammates held him back. I was confused, but then saw that my attacker was also being tended to next to me.

“What happened?” I said, feeling disorientated.

It was Gerry who replied.

“You were knocked out and Alan here was running out onto the field almost before you hit the ground. Trouble is that he paused on the way to land a knockout punch to the guy who fouled you.”

I looked over at Alan, who appeared uncharacteristically sheepish.

“I’m sorry, Rick. I just saw red.”

“It was nothing he didn’t deserve,” Gerry said. “Let’s get you off and get this scrap over with.”

I was able to walk off the pitch supported by both men, and while the last few minutes of the game were played out Alan checked me for any concussion or other damage. The final score was 62-18 to us, and to his credit the losing manager came over to me to apologise for what happened. He even shook Alan’s hand before returning to his team.

Tom was full of concern for me, but apart from feeling a bit groggy and sporting a bloodied lip I was fine. A handful of the guys were up for an evening’s drinking, but most were going home. It was Tom who suggested that we should go early too, and I was more than happy when Alan agreed with him.

“I guess I don’t need to escort you home this time either,” Tom said. “I’m sure your guardian angel here will do a better job of looking after you.”

I glanced over at Alan, who tried to sound very practical. “Don’t worry,” he said, “I’ll sort him out.”

Tom placed a friendly hand on Alan’s shoulder, but he looked oddly at both of us. “Come on then, let’s get you home.” He picked up his kit bag and threw it into the back of the jeep. On the drive back he called Karen to tell her we were on our way, and also briefly told her about what had happened to me.

Before finishing the call, Tom turned to me and said, “Karen wants you both to come to dinner tomorrow, if you’re free?”

Remembering Alan’s earlier efforts to prepare for tomorrow, I was all for declining, but Alan insisted that it was okay. We soon dropped Tom off and then went back to my place, where Alan ordered me to shower before we did anything else.

It felt great to just stand let the hot water flow over my aching muscles. I’d only just started to shampoo my hair when I felt another pair of arms wrap themselves around me as Alan joined me in the shower.

“How are you feeling, stud?” he asked.

“Good. No lasting damage.”

“Glad to hear it. That thug really went for you. I’m surprised he didn’t break any bones.”

“I can’t believe you punched him. My guardian angel turned bodyguard.”

“He’s lucky that’s all I did!”

I laughed. “I don’t endorse violence, but there is something sexy about a man fighting for me.”

Alan pulled me close to him as the steaming water from the shower poured over us. He held me tight and kissed the nape of my neck. I melted into his embrace as he spoke softly into my ear.

“Do I get a reward, then?”

“Take it. The prize is all yours.”

I reached behind me to find that my lover was already rock hard. It had almost become a habit that while I was still pumped up with post-match adrenalin, my horny man would take advantage and we would find a way to have quick but wild sex.

“Really? All mine?”

“Yes, really. Do your worst.”

I was now so aroused myself that I was hungry for him. Sex between us never lacked variety. Alan had been an amazing teacher, and even though our bond was much deeper than this, there is no denying that it was sex which brought us together.

***

Previously, sex for me had been very ordinary. Yes, I was athletic, and seemed to be able to please the women I slept with, but if I’m honest I was always the one left wanting more. Alan had opened my eyes to such variety, from passionate, mutual love-making to wild, rough and powerful sex.

From the start I had been the bottom in the relationship. We hadn’t ever discussed roles, and indeed we had tried various options. It soon became clear, however, that our preferred configuration was Alan as a Dominant top and me as his ‘power bottom’. I could never be classified as passive, exactly, but my masculinity and strength seemed to fuel his lust, and we both loved the result.

Now it was clear that we were both horny and hungry for it. This was to be no gentle love-making, as he held me facing the wall and turned his attention to my sensitive nipples. Early on he had awakened me to the fact that my nipples were connected directly to my cock.

Now his efforts had me moaning and gasping as my cock rose to full mast and poked at the wall in front of me. As my powerful lover planted kisses on my neck and shoulders, I let my head fall back against him. He immediately began to nibble and lick at my ear.

I gasped aloud and reached back to pull his midriff into my back.

“My boy is feeling horny?” he said.

“Yes!” was all I could say.

“You going to let me take my reward now?”

“Yes please, take me!”

“Tell me what you want.” He knew that this kind of talk really got me going.

“I want you. Please take me. Just use me.”

“You want it hard, don’t you?”

“Just fuck me. Please, fuck me!”

“Good boy.” Now Alan grabbed my wrists and forced my arms up over my head. He used one hand to hold my crossed wrists against the tiles, while he used the other to manipulate me. From my nipples he moved his hand down over my stomach to grasp my straining cock and stroke it hard. I wriggled under his hold but he held me in place and now moved his free hand to knead the muscles of my back and on down to my arse.

Alan was always telling me how much he loved my round, muscled arse and he left me in no doubt how much he liked playing with it. Now he stroked and squeezed the hard globes, kneading the flesh. When he stepped to one side I knew what was coming, and when his hand left my rump I tensed up just before I felt the first wet slap as he brought his open hand down hard on my left cheek.

I grunted and tried to turn away, but of course that exposed my right buttock to receive the second hard slap. Again, I grunted and the action was repeated. After ten hard smacks I was gasping for breath and my arse was on fire.

“Please fuck me,” I said. “Please do it now!” I was now floating in subspace. The warm water, the sexy talk and the spanking had all done their job. I wanted him inside me.

“Please!” I wailed.

“Stay!” Alan released his hold but I held my hands in place and leaned my head forward against the wall tiles. I pushed my rump back as if it was searching him out, but he was gone. Part of my brain registered the sound of the door closing on the bathroom cabinet I knew he’d retrieved a condom before quickly returning to me.

Still, I kept my arms over my head as, once more, my lover reached around to tease my nipples, driving me to even greater depths of lust for him. I pushed back and connected with his hard cock. I wriggled until I felt him slip between my cheeks and the head of his big hard cock rubbed over my greedy hole.

I moaned and squirmed under his powerful hold and his hands left my nipples to travel down. One went directly to my hard, bouncing cock while the other went behind and started to finger my tight hole. This was guaranteed to drive me wild, and I was now completely his.

In this state I knew I would refuse him nothing. I was completely lost in the incredible feeling of simply being the much loved plaything of my powerful lover. Neither one of us would be able to make this intensity last, and soon I felt Alan position himself directly behind me and line up his beautiful cock, ready to impale me on it. Teasing my hole for a few seconds, he took hold of my hips and asked me.

“You want this?”

“Oh yes!” I gasped.

“You want me inside of you?”

“Yes, just do it, please. Please fuck me!”

In one swift, smooth move the steel-hard cock forced its way inside, forcing an animal roar out of me as I was pulled back hard onto it.

Now there were no words. This was pure, hard sex. I was the eager fucktoy for this powerful man as he hammered into me with one long stroke after another. I was pushed hard against the warm, wet tiles and it should have felt uncomfortable, but in truth it no longer mattered. My senses were totally focussed on my arse and the incredible feeling of being completely dominated by this amazing man. I pushed back onto him again, wanting more.

“I love you. Do it harder. Fuck me.”

This drove him into a frenzy, and his powerful legs drove him into me repeatedly. Releasing my hips, Alan placed one hand over my still-crossed wrists and with the other he once more reached around to tease my sensitive nipples. That was the tipping point for me. I lost control and growled as the most intense orgasm took hold of me. Several powerful volleys sprayed the tiles and my legs started to give way under me. At the same time, my contracting muscles gripped hard around Alan’s pistoning cock and with a shout of “Yes!” he also blasted powerfully into the condom.

I clearly felt the pulsing inside me as he unloaded. Alan pulled me tight to his chest and held me firmly as we both breathed heavily and gradually came down from the intense euphoria of it all.

The following minutes were a bit of a dream as my man washed me down without releasing me from his supporting hold. Experience had taught us both that Alan had the ability to drive me into intense, all-freeing headspace. During the post orgasmic minutes I’m good for nothing, and that’s when my powerful dom becomes the most caring and protecting lover.

Slowly, my mind gathered itself together, joining the disconnected pieces and allowing me to go back to the real world.

I felt like a little boy as I was gently dried with a large, warmed towel which Alan then draped around me as he guided me into the bedroom. The towel was spread over the bed, and I was gently guided onto it lying face down. Now Alan’s profession came into play, and I was subjected to the most relaxing deep massage accompanied by scented oils and gentle words.

The words were almost hypnotic and I drifted into a state of deep relaxation as his hands of power worked their skilful magic on my tired muscles.

 

 

 

 

III

The next thing I knew was a dawning awareness that I was covered by a warm duvet and my nostrils twitched as the smell of cooking wafted in from the kitchen. I had no idea what time it was or how long I’d slept, but I felt well-rested and incredibly hungry.

I sat up and noticed that clean clothes had been left on the chair beside the bed, all neatly folded in a pile. I smiled at the order and neatness of it all and even more at the thoughtfulness. This man cared for me on a level that I marvelled at. Nothing was ever too much trouble and every detail was taken care of. I used to feel guilty because I didn’t operate on the same level. I felt that I should be reciprocating, but he quickly taught me to accept that this was the natural order of things between us.

Some men would be smothered by that level of attention, but I had never experienced it before. I loved it. For the first time in my life I felt truly loved and cared for.

The other thing that I had to get used to was that Alan had never tried to change anything about me. He said that he loved me exactly as I was and that we had no need to change ourselves. Indeed, we complimented each other in so many ways that it really did feel as though we were meant for each other. I dressed and followed my nose into the kitchen.

“Hello, sleepy head.” Alan walked up to me and kissed me gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Amazing, really, considering what I’ve been through.” I then itemised events and counted them off on my fingers. “Played a tough game of rugby. Got knocked out by a monster thug. Then got abused and raped by a bad man.”

“Sounds like quite an afternoon?”

“It was, but I’m confused about the ending.”

“How so?”

“Well, when he’d finished using me, the bad man put me to sleep and escaped. Now I wake up and there’s just my guardian angel here instead, and he’s creating amazing smells in the kitchen.”

The angel in question laughed and planted another kiss on my forehead.

“Which would you rather have? The bad man or the guardian angel?”

“Can’t I have both?”

“That’s my boy. Always greedy.”

I gave him my best coy smile and sat on the bar stool. “What are you cooking?”

“Stir fry. I’ve done all the prep and cooked some, so now that you’re awake I’ll finish it off. We can take it all through to the lounge and eat in front of the TV.”

“Sounds good to me. What can I do to help?”

“Nothing, but you need the fluids, so take some water and drink it while I do this, then you can open a chilled white to drink with the food.”

My forte in the kitchen was Italian cooking, but Alan was a master at Asian cuisine. It seemed like no time at all before a vast collection of small bowls and cups of raw ingredients were transformed into steaming bowls of pad thai, tempura king prawns, chilli beef stir fry and sweet and sour chicken strips.

We carried everything into the lounge, where he had already set the scene with dimmed lights, bowls, wine glasses and napkins. As I said, Alan was attentive to details. The food was delicious as always, and we passed a lazy couple of hours, first eating and then watching a great ‘feel good’ movie curled up together.

***

I was on the verge of falling asleep when something occurred to me.

“I just remembered you had plans for a day to ourselves tomorrow,” I said, “but now we’re going out for dinner.”

“It’s not a problem. We can have a relaxing time at home before we have to go to Tom and Karen’s.”

“Do you think she knows about us?”

“I wondered about that too. Women are clever like that, but I’m guessing that if she has guessed, it’s not a problem or we’d have been evicted.”

“That’s true…”

“Hey, it’s late,” he said. “Let’s clear up and go to bed.”

I grinned at him. “Will the bad man be there?”

“I don’t know, don’t you think you should sleep? I’m sure the bad man will be back to deal with you in the morning.”

“I do hope so.”

Once the dishes were cleared we went upstairs, where we wrapped around each other in bed for a last tender kiss before falling asleep.

***

I woke up on Sunday morning feeling refreshed and well-rested. The sunlight streamed in through partly-opened curtains and a glance at the clock revealed that it was almost nine-thirty. I’d slept for almost ten hours. My full bladder forced me out of bed to stumble into the en-suite bathroom.

Once I’d relieved myself I looked at my face in the mirror and saw that I’d developed quite a bruise after yesterday’s encounter on the rugby field. A quick check also revealed the usual collection of bruises on my arms, legs and chest. I also realised that my nipples were red and swollen and I recalled the reason for that non-rugby damage.

I stepped back into the bedroom to be greeted by Alan carrying a breakfast tray.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good, thanks,” I said. “You didn’t need to do this. I was going to get up.”

“Remember, I said today was going to be a day of rest, recovery and recharging. You don’t need to get up at all, so get back into bed now.”

“Yes, Sir!” I clambered under the duvet while Alan put the tray on the bed and climbed in the other side. My senses perked up at the smell of fresh coffee and croissants, but first I was handed a large glass containing one of Alan’s freshly-made fruit smoothies. It always surprised me that something which was often a dull, greenish-brown colour could taste so delicious.

The smoothie was followed by warm croissants with butter and jam, all washed down with some great coffee. We heard the Sunday papers tumble through the letter box, so Alan said that he would clear away the breakfast things while I showered.

The idea of this ‘refresh day’ was that we would basically chill out in the bedroom and eat light, healthy foods. Reading and music was allowed, but no TV. I kind of liked the idea, so I padded into the shower while Alan removed the breakfast things and returned with fresh fruit, water and green tea – plus the newspapers.

Alan dropped his robe before taking my place in the bathroom. I never tired of looking at his amazing body. I have a bit more muscle bulk, but Alan had perfect proportions: broad shoulders and clearly-defined upper body, both front and back.

As he walked into the bathroom I admired the perfect, gentle V of his back, down to his slim waist and stunning backside. All this upper body shape and strength was powered by his footballer’s legs. They were athletic, muscular and immensely strong, as I had discovered right at the start of our time together. Alan could be a real sex machine, and much of his skill and stamina depended on those powerful legs.

Trying to ignore the growing bulge between my legs, I pulled on some fresh underwear and picked up the newspaper and started to separate out the sections I wanted to read. When Alan came out of the bathroom I was kneeling on the floor with the newspaper open on the bed in front of me.

“Anything worth reading?”

“I’ve not got very far yet, but most of the actual news is depressing as usual.” Standing behind me, Alan scratched the top of my head like you would a puppy. He sighed.

“I don’t understand how we can live on such an amazing planet that seems to produce nothing but bad news.”

I reached behind and pulled his legs towards me.

“No bad news here, so let’s forget the big bad world for today.”

“Sounds good to me.” Alan also pulled on fresh underwear and added a crisp white t-shirt which, if anything, made him look even sexier. Knowing my lover’s newspaper habits, I passed him the Review section and the Homes page.

We passed a companionable half hour or so reading, mostly in silence. Then, having exhausted any worthwhile content, I crawled onto the bed and lay alongside Alan, who reached out his arm to gather me into his side.

 

IV

 

During our months together we had continuously evolved as a couple. We were both quite practical, but Alan often took the lead since he was good at planning and attending to detail. In our amazing sex life I had learned so much from him, and it was still an important part of our times together. When it came to simple physical affection, it appeared that neither of us had much experience, and so it was not a default behaviour.

When it did happen, however, it felt right, and it was comfortable. Now, with my head resting against his chest and Alan’s arm around me, it felt not just right but complete. I felt as if I was protected and safe, but more than that I felt that I’d arrived. I was home.

“I love you, you know.” It came out spontaneously, but again it was something I was not used to. Alan chuckled and kissed the top of my head.

“What makes you say that now? Is the big, butch rugger boy turning soft?”

“If I am, it’s your fault. But I do love you, and I should tell you more often.”

“Well, it’s nice to hear, and I think you know that I’m crazy about you too.”

“No, you’re just crazy!”

“Why. For loving you?”

“Yes. You must be mad.”

Alan dropped his magazine onto the floor and shuffled around to face me.

“Mr. Doyle, you need a reality check. We met at a time when we were telling ourselves and others that we were done with relationships. Maybe that’s when the best ones come along. I fell in lust with you even before you took all your clothes off that first day in my therapy room. Within days, I was in love with an amazing man of a type that I may have dreamed about but never expected to meet. You were masculine, open, charming, friendly, thoughtful and beautiful.”

“And straight,” I interrupted his list, but Alan put a finger on my lips to shut me up.

“Your only experience up to that point was ‘straight’, but you were ready for a change and you were open-minded about it.”

“No. You were a bad man and you took advantage of me.” We both laughed and once again he kissed my forehead.

“I’m so glad that you did, because you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You’re the best bad man ever.”

Those intense green eyes sparkled and Alan smiled at me. This time it was me who kissed him, but the light peck turned into a full-on tongue wrestling kiss as we pulled each other tighter together. I rolled over on top of my sexy man and we lost ourselves in the moment. That romantic moment quickly became an erotic one and we were soon grabbing, kneading and wrestling each other’s muscled limbs.

Alan pushed me off and rolled us both over so that he was now on top. Briefly lifting himself up onto his knees, Alan peeled off his t-shirt, and I marvelled at his tight washboard abs as his arms were stretched above his head.

Falling forwards, my bad man grabbed my wrists and forced my arms up onto the pillows and once again kissed me deeply. I tried to pull my hands free, but he was having none of it, so I lifted my midriff up, trying to push him off me.

“Resistance is futile, you know that.”

“In that case…” Alan suddenly released me. “We need to restrain you.”

“Ooh, the bad man is getting kinky!”

Alan leaped off the bed and stepped over to the chair where our clothes from the previous day were draped. He quickly pulled the leather belts free from both pairs of jeans and brought them back to the bed.

I was in a giddy state, and just lay where I was. Alan quickly looped the belts around my wrists and tied them to the bed posts.

“Now you’re all mine. I can do whatever I want to you now.”

My stupid grin was replaced now by a lesser smile as I processed my predicament. I was not in the least bit scared, but my heart rate went up and my cock was in danger of bursting through my briefs. I had actually done this kind of thing with two of my previous girlfriends, but always with me as the one on top. This was a whole new experience and the anticipation was fuelling my lust.

Alan now straddled my waist and actually started to tickle my sides. This made me wriggle and squirm under him as I laughed out loud. I was getting hysterical, but of course it was a clever move because when he suddenly stopped I was a relaxed and weakened victim. I was happy to give in to whatever happened next.

Now my lover shuffled down along my legs. Pulling at my waistband, he slowly slid my briefs down until my hard cock bounced free and slapped my belly. Now it was Alan’s turn to smile down at me.

“Somebody likes being tied up at another man’s mercy.”

“What are you going to do to me?”

“I’m going to make you so horny that you’ll beg me to let you cum.”

“Yeah right. So how are you going to do that?”

I’d experienced edging before, and once Alan had done it to me the first time we occasionally did it to each other. I was such a cockhound that I always gave in and let him orgasm. When Alan himself was in control he really knew how to make it last.

He could take me to the edge and keep me there for ages. Now that I was restrained, I started to wonder about the advantage this gave him. My underwear was quickly removed, and Alan started to slowly stroke my rampant cock.

“I wonder how long you can keep this up for? What do you think?”

“Do your worse, but you get me so turned on it won’t take long.” I was convinced this was going to take no time at all.

“That sounds like a challenge to me.”

Alan leaned over and kissed the end of my cock. I wriggled and then he plunged his moist lips down over its head. I felt his tongue dancing around the sensitive head in his mouth and already it was driving me crazy. I tried to push more of it into him, but Alan released my cock and turned his attention to my nipples. In all my years bedding women I had never discovered how sensitive my own nipples were but this was man had changed all that.

In fact, I’d been awakened to the knowledge that several parts of my body were hardwired to my cock, and now it seemed that my bad man was going to make the most of that. I lost all sense of time as Alan played my body like some wild musical instrument. Running his powerful hands and talented mouth over the keyboard of my erogenous zones, he produced a myriad of sounds which varied in pitch and intensity.

At one point I almost lost it and was inches away from orgasm. A quick squeeze of my balls pulled me back as well as generating a loud yell at the pain of it. The orgasm was denied, but my cock remained hard. In order to distract me, Alan moved up the bed, planting his knees tight into my armpits.

This had the effect of placing his own hard cock right in the centre of my field of vision. I tried to reach it with my tongue, but that was denied too. Instead I was teased mercilessly with it. alan waved his cock over my face and even slapped me repeatedly with it.

“Give it to me!” I said. “Come on.”

“My boy is getting greedy for cock again.”

“Come on, let me suck you. Please!”

“Show me how much you want it first.”

I looked up into his eyes, and although there was a stern overpowering look in them, I also detected the merest hint of a smile leaving me in no doubt that no matter how kinky and dominant he might be, Alan was still making love to me.

Now I was made to go through all the stages he could invent before claiming my prize. I was ordered to kiss, lick, beg and suck his balls until finally the hard, beautiful cock was plunged into my mouth.

Alan grabbed the top of my head and pistoned into my greedy throat over and over. Every few strokes he pulled out to allow me a lungful of air. Now he was the one using me to edge himself. I was a sex toy for my powerful, dominant lover. I was loving it. The thought that using me like this was arousing him so much was a huge turn on for me.

It seemed that Alan was in no rush to complete either, and so he pulled out and moved back down the bed to sit between my legs. Draping my legs on either side of his waist, Alan then settled in for a long bout of play with my cock, balls, inner thighs and my arse. I know I was the one who’d nicknamed him ‘Hands of Power’, but there really were times when I thought that those hands possessed magical properties. Before long I was begging him alternately to stop and not to stop me cumming. All reason was gone and my mind drifted off into that headspace where time stood still and bodily sensations became non-specific but oh so intense.

I have no idea how long this went on for, but now I was almost crying with the intensity of it. My whole body was actually vibrating and I had reached the edge of orgasm only to be held there suspended at the tipping point.

I’d hardly felt Alan move, but I was now aware that he was leaning over me again and my legs were on his shoulders. His voice was inside my head.

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want to cum. Please, let me cum.”

“Good boy. Why should I let you cum now?”

“Please. I’ll do anything, just let me cum!”

Now I was aware that his hard but slippery cock head was pressing at my hole. I’d no idea where Alan had made the time to put on a condom and lube us both up, but I needed to feel him inside me. We were both teetering on the edge of completion now.

“Fuck me now, please. Fuck me and let me cum!” I could hear my words as though I hardly recognised the whining, begging tone.

Just pushing the head in enough to open me, Alan held himself there as he looked down at me. Every part of my body was vibrating and I lost sight of him as my eyes rolled back in my head. I heard a long, drawn out ‘Please’, which turned into a wailing sound as he plunged into me.

I should have felt pain, but all I felt was the most intense orgasm of my life. My whole body went rigid and briefly I heard Alan call out as he too tumbled into the orgasmic pit and came so hard himself that I could feel him pulsing inside me.

I’m not sure whether I blacked out or if my mind just took a moment to crawl back out of the pit to re-engage with the rest of my brain. Now, however Alan was crawling out from below me and stretching himself out alongside me again. I turned to look at him, but I couldn’t speak, so he just reached out and held me as my breathing and heart rate began to settle. Eventually I found words again.

“What have you done to me?” I said.

“Turned you into a squealing, begging sub boy by the sound of it.”

“I know. That was wild!”

“I’m adding that to the list of things needing further exploration.”

“You are so bad,” I said, teasingly.

“Yes, and you love it.”

“I know. That’s what worries me!”

Alan reached over and loosened the belt from my left arm. Once my right hand was freed we held each other tightly.

“What time is it?” I said.

“Guess.”

“I have no idea. How long have you been abusing me for?”

“Not quite three hours.”

“What! You’re joking?”

“No, I’m not. It’s almost one o’ clock. Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun?”

I was incredulous at this revelation. “That was incredibly exhausting…but incredible!”

“You should rest now. Just stay still a moment.”

Alan walked into the bathroom, but I was really so tired that I didn’t want to move anyway. Moments later my lover returned with a towel in each hand. One was wet and warm, and he used it to clean me up, removing all the sticky residue left over from our session. The second towel was dry, and Alan gently dried me with it. He spoke in a gentle, soothing voice.

“There is a really submissive streak in you,” he said, “and I hope we can explore it some more. For now you need to rest, so close your eyes and relax.”

He may have said more, but I heard none of it because tiredness and his hypnotic voice quickly sent me to sleep. This was the deep sleep of physical and mental exhaustion. When I woke Alan was once again sitting on the side of the bed, but this time he was holding my hand.

“Hey, sleepy head. How are you feeling?”

“I feel great, really. How long was I asleep?”

“Just a couple of hours. You looked so peaceful when you were asleep that I didn’t want to wake you, but we need to leave for Tom’s soon.”

“Oh, yes. What time is it?”

“Just after three. I’ve made you some tea, so drink up and then go jump in the shower.”

“Yes boss!” I grinned cheekily at this and Alan leaned in to kiss me again. We both showered and dressed, but the whole time I found myself stealing glances at my handsome man. I could not stop thinking about him, and how my whole life had changed since he came along. It really would be hard now to imagine my life without him in it. Of course, our efforts to be discrete meant that we were usually a solitary duo. I wanted to tell everyone about this amazing man, but for that to happen there would need to be a drastic step change in our lifestyle.

We were soon on our way to have dinner with Tom and his lovely family. It was a short journey, particularly with the quiet Sunday traffic. As we approached their house, I realised that Alan had become quiet – almost distant.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I said.

“Sorry. You know me, I was just planning.”

“What are you planning now?”

“Oh, nothing special. Just the week ahead.”

I was unsure of that, but we’d arrived and were soon being welcomed in by my buddy. We all gathered in the kitchen, where the familiar smells of Karen’s Sunday roast played with my senses.

“Okay, who’s drinking and who’s driving today?” Tom looked at us both, so I quickly declared myself the nominated driver.

“I don’t mind doing it,” Alan chimed in.

“Honestly, you guys are like an old married couple sometimes.” Tom looked at each of us, but Karen spoke up before either of us could.

“Tom, behave! Leave them alone.”

“What did I do?” He laughed cheekily.

“That’s okay,” I said. “I’ll have a soft drink now, and just a glass of wine with dinner.”

“You could always stay over,” Tom said. “Then you could both drink.”

“Tom, stop bullying them!” Karen scolded him.

“I’m not, love. We have a spare room and I’m sure the boys have shared a bed together before.”

Alan and I looked at each other, and our friends both looked at us. I turned to Tom and saw that he was grinning broadly. Again, Karen scolded him.

“Tom, you’re incorrigible!”

There was no quitting for Tom now. “Guys, I’m doing my best to make things easy for you here.”

“What do you mean?” I felt my face getting hot.

“Richie, you’re my best friend, but I’m not impressed. We share everything, or at least I thought we did. But you’ve been keeping something from me, and I’m not impressed.” Tom’s serious look had me completely flummoxed. It was Alan who broke the silence.

“I think we’ve been busted, Rich,” he said.

I had a moment of panic, and looked over at Tom, but he had that stupid big grin again.

“Well?” he challenged. My shoulders slumped, and at that moment Alan stepped up beside me and put his protective arm around my shoulders. Suddenly I felt strong, so I looked up at my friend and spoke up.

“I’m sorry, Tom,” I said. “But yes, we are boyfriends.”

“Hey, stop there!” Tom said. “Don’t you ever apologise to me for being you!”

“So you don’t mind?” I should have known better than to ask that. Tom said nothing, but stepped up to me and planted a big kiss directly on my lips.

Karen let out a gasp. “Oh my god!” She was standing with her hand to her mouth. “Am I the only one who thinks that’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen?”

That was like an icebreaker ploughing through the emotional tension. We all laughed loudly and swapped warm hugs all around.

“So who else knows?” I had so many questions pouring into my head now. “How long have you known?”

Tom shrugged. “We’ve not discussed it with anyone else, and nor have I heard anybody say anything about it. You guys have done a good job of covering your tracks and throwing everyone off the scent. As for us, I guess it started with me making a few comments about my best friend’s behaviour, but it was Karen who joined the dots a while ago. At first I thought she was mad, but once she’d said it everything else started to make sense.”

“I was so scared of you might react to it, Tom,” I said.

“This is where I’m supposed to say that you should have known me better, but if I’m honest I was unsure at first. It’s not something I had any experience with. We don’t have any gay friends that I know of, so I’d just never considered it. Karen knew I was confused, so she said something which shocked me out of it.”

We looked at Karen, who was just smiling proudly at her husband while he continued.

“She pointed out that I was lucky to have the chance to consider my feelings before one of our daughters comes home with a girlfriend. Of course I love my girls to bits, and I knew I would support them unconditionally. By default I knew that I could support my best buddy and still love him unconditionally too.”

Again, Tom and I hugged as I heard Alan say, “You’re a clever lady, Karen.”

“No, I just know my man, and he doesn’t have an unkind bone in his body.”

“Well, Rich is really lucky to you have you both as friends.”

Tom pulled away from me and looked over at Alan. “I love this guy to bits as a friend, but you’re both our friends now.” He turned back to me and prodded his finger at my chest as he continued. “You’re not off the hook, though. You and I have some serious catching up to do. I want the whole story, and all the gory details.”

“All of them?” I said.

“Yes, all of them!”

Karen flicked a tea towel at him. “Don’t you take any notice of him, Rich. He’s teasing you.”

“Oh, you think so?”

We were saved from by the sound of the doorbell and the girls returning from a swimming session with their friends. Ellie ran into the kitchen and hugged me, as she always did.

“Hey, uncle Richie,” she said. “Have you got a new girlfriend yet?”

This was almost her standard greeting by this point, but it made me pause. Before giving her the usual flippant denial, I looked at both Tom and Karen. Tom put his arm around his wife and just said, “Go for it.”

Now his older daughter, Jess, walked in. “Go for what?” she said.

“Hey Jess,” I said. “You didn’t like my girlfriend, did you?”

“Nah, she was pretty, but a bit stuck up.”

We all laughed at the bluntness of her response. “So how would you feel if I had a boyfriend this time instead?”

It was Ellie who responded first, although it was more of a squeak than real words. “Really? That’s so cool! My friend Linda at school has a gay uncle and she says he’s the coolest. He always buys her the best presents.”

“That’s my girl,” said Karen. “Practical as ever.”

It was Jess who made the obvious connection first. “Is Alan your boyfriend?”

I realised that I was about to say something that had remained unspoken by me. I reached out and took Alan’s hand, then looked again at Jess.

“Yes, he is,” I said. “Is that okay?”

“Sure. But when you get married, can I still be your bridesmaid?”

We all laughed, but then Alan surprised me with his response. “We’d be honoured, Jess.”

“Cool. Mum, when is dinner? I’m starving?”

And that was that – subject discussed and dismissed in the in the purely pragmatic way that kids always do.

***

We all sat down to a great Sunday dinner full of good food, loud conversation and much laughter. We’d compromised on the drinking since this had become a bit of a celebration.

At odd moments during the dinner I was aware of Alan staring at me, and he was once again being a bit thoughtful, even reflective. I assumed that the events of the day had all been a bit overwhelming.

Much later, after the girls were in bed, we sat around in the lounge chatting idly over glasses of brandy. Tom must have picked up on Alan’s mood, because he asked if he was okay.

Alan glanced up and said he was fine, but then he looked at me and there was a shift in his body language as if a worry had been lifted from his mind. Realising that he had our attention, he sat on the edge of his seat and spoke to all of us.

“I’m not usually one for spontaneous behaviour, but you guys have completely disarmed me today. I need to do this before I overthink it and change my mind.”

“What’s up?” I asked, concerned now.

Alan smiled. “That’s just it, Rich. There’s nothing wrong. Everything is perfect, so I want to know something. I’m sure this is supposed to happen on some special day at some memorable location, but being here with amazing friends covers all of that for me.”

“What are you on about?”

Alan looked straight at me and said, “Rich, will you marry me?”

There was total silence in the room, and then I realised that he was right. It was the perfect place, time and way to ask. I’d never even considered it, but I didn’t need to.

As if to reduce the pressure, Alan started to say something like, “You don’t need to answer now.” I didn’t really the rest of what he said, but I held my hand up to him.

“Stop. Stop right there.” Now all attention was on me.

“Today has been one of the happiest days of my life. You just made it the very best day of my life ever. Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”

Karen squealed, Tom cheered and we stood up and hugged each other. We only stopped when I heard Tom say, “Oh my word!”

“What’s up?” I asked.

“I’ve just had an amazing thought!”

This time Karen asked, “What is it?”

Tom broke into his characteristic cheeky smile.

“I’ve just seen a vision of the whole rugby team forming a guard of honour at their first gay wedding.”

We all fell about laughing at the thought of that. Alan sat down again, so I sat down on the floor at this feet. With my head resting on his thigh and his fingers running through my hair, I could not be happier if I tried.