Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2015 15:12:24 -0600
From: Jack Schaeffer <jack.schaeffman@gmail.com>
Subject: Forever - Book Two - Chapter 13

Disclaimer: This story may contain references and scenes of graphic male/male
sex, so if your country or state does not allow such material to be read or
you have come across this site by accident, please leave now.

Important: Nifty is a free service and relies on donations from authors and
readers to operate. If you are enjoying this story, please consider making a
donation to the site - http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

Author's Note: This story is copyrighted by the author, and no part of it may
be copied, linked to, electronically stored or manipulated, or used in any
other way without the express written permission of the author. This is a
work of fiction, and the characters, places, and events are not real. They
exist only in the mind of the author. Any resemblance to real persons, places
or events is unintentional.

Comments welcomed: jack.schaeffman@gmail.com

FOREVER
By Jack Schaeffer
Copyright © 2014-2015. All rights reserved.

BOOK TWO – CHANGES


Chapter 13

I opened my eyes Friday morning to Sam smiling at me from his pillow. "Happy
birthday, sleepy head," he said.

"Mmmm...morning, Sam," I said, rolling onto my back and stretching. "What are
you doing awake already?" Usually it required poking and shoving to get him
out of bed. Morning is never Sam's friend.

"I had a sexy dream about you, and it woke me up. I've been lying here
watching you sleep, trying to decide whether or not to make my dream a
reality."

"Why didn't you?" I asked, rolling sideways to face him again. He reached
over and stroked my cheek.

"Because...you needed the sleep. You've been working so hard. And...it was
nice to just look at you."

"Aww...cut it out, Sam," I said, my eyes welling up. Quiet little moments
like this with Sam were the best part of my life now.

"You sure we have to go into work today? You know...we could get your
birthday weekend started a little early," he teased as he stroked my left
nipple, sending a shockwave straight to my rigid cock.

"Ohhh...that feels so good," I moaned, my hips grinding into his. "Ugh! I
would so love to stay here in bed with you, Sam, you know I would. But you
have to meet with Clyde this morning and I have to meet Todd at the new
building. Nothing can move forward without those two things happening today."

He sighed, rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. I reached for
his hand. "I know, I know. I just want to be with you, Jack. I almost wish we
weren't having the party tomorrow, so I could have you all to myself for the
whole weekend."

I groaned. "I know, right? I'm so not looking forward to all the fuss. We'll
have tonight, though. Maggie says she has everything ready for the party, so
we'll have the place to ourselves. Well...except for Ben lurking around. He
needs to take a night off already."

"Yeah...about him. I think I've got a way to get him out of the house," said
Sam. "Let's buy him tickets to a Rockies baseball game tonight. They're in
town this week and I know he loves baseball. And maybe Todd can reserve a
room at some fancy hotel near the stadium so he can have a good time and not
have to drive home."

I laughed. "You mean so he doesn't come home and interrupt us."

"Well...hopefully...I mean...it is your birthday, Jack," he said. "Speaking
of which, have you decided yet what you want for your birthday?"

I knew he was going to ask. We had been playing this game for days now, and I
kept withholding my answer until I was certain. After talking with Billy
yesterday, I had no more doubts.

"Yes, Sam, I know what I want for my birthday," I said confidently.

"And..."

"And...I'll tell you in a second. I need to use the bathroom," I said,
rolling out of bed.

"Jack! Just tell me!" he demanded, slapping his hands on the bed.

I grinned and padded naked around the bed to his side, hoping my bladder
could hold for a few more seconds. "Well...Sam...I've been thinking...a lot,
actually...and I have a special request for my birthday."

"Anything you want. What is it?" he said impatiently.

Here goes nothing. "I think I'm ready to take things to another level," I
said.

"What does that mean?" asked Sam.

I leaned in close and half-whispered, "It means...sometime this weekend, if
the mood is right...but only if you want to...I would like you to fuck me." I
planted a kiss on top of his head and spun around, leaving a stunned Sam
behind. I made it to the bathroom without dribbling on the floor. It's the
little things.

I started the shower, thinking Sam would be right behind me. I figured he'd
want to attack my ass as soon as possible, now that he had a green light. My
fingertips were pruning by the time I realized he wasn't joining me. I'd
washed everything twice and the hot water was fading fast. After drying, I
wrapped the damp towel around my waist and went to look for him.

He was exactly where I'd left him - still sitting on the bed with a
distressed expression on his face. Was he angry? Confused?

I squatted on the edge of the bed, our knees touching. "Sam...what's wrong?
Talk to me," I said, stroking his forearm. His eyes focused on me as he ran a
frustrated hand over his head.

"Sorry...you caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting...your birthday
request."

"Sam...it's only if you want to. It's okay if you don't. I just thought...you
know, since you're always messing with my butt...and it feels so good...I
don't know...I figured you'd want to try it. I know I do."

"No, no - I want to, Jack. Believe me, I do. I just...ugh! This is so hard,"
he said, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his fists. I squeezed his
forearm a little tighter and waited. Finally he pulled himself together and
opened his eyes again.

"I'm such a mess, Jack. Why do you put up with me?"

"Oh no. No self-pity, big guy. Keep talking." He sighed.

"It's just...everything with you is so...different," he said.

"Different bad?"

"No! Different good - really good. But with...fuck...I hate comparing
everything to when I was with Jeremy. I'm sorry," he said, clearly frustrated
with himself. He looked up at the ceiling. "Why is it so hard to talk about
this stuff?" It was painful to watch him struggle with his past.

"Sam, look at me," I said. "You can do this. You can share anything with me.
I don't mind you talking about Jeremy. I get it - he was a big part of your
life before. All I ask is that you don't pull away from me, don't hide it
inside, okay?"

He still seemed confused, so I kissed him, which usually helps refocus his
thoughts. I think it worked, because when I leaned back, he was grinning from
ear to ear.

"You're amazing...you know that, right?" he said.

"I know," I shrugged, earning a playful punch in the arm from my partner. I
smiled, happy he was feeling better. "So...talk to me," I said. His grin
faded and he sighed deeply.

"I guess I'm realizing some things about myself I don't want to face," he
said somberly.

"Like what?"

"Well, when you asked me to fuck you, I flashed back to being with Jeremy,
and...this is so hard to say, Jack...but...I let him push me around with sex.
I realized it for the first time this morning. He was kind of an asshole to
me in a lot of ways. I wanted the relationship to work to the point
I...well...I guess I let him take advantage of me. It's so embarrassing." I
was shocked. I had a difficult time seeing Sam manipulated by someone else.

"What? Hard to believe?" he asked, seeing my expression.

"A little. I mean...you're always so self-confident and in control. It's one
of the things I love the most about you."

"Yeah...but Jeremy never let me be in control. He called all the shots,
especially in our sex life. You sure you're okay with me talking about this?"
he asked.

"Yes, Sam. Keep talking," I replied. He needed to get it out in the open. Sam
stared into my eyes like he does when he wants to explore my soul, and I let
him. Satisfied I could handle whatever was bothering him, he nodded once and
continued.

"Whenever Jeremy and I had sex, if we fucked, he always fucked me. He never
once let me fuck him, though I made it clear I wanted to. I didn't
particularly like being the bottom. Deep down, I'm more...I don't
know...dominant maybe? But Jeremy didn't care about what I wanted. He would
insist on fucking me, and I would always give in. And...he wasn't always
patient with me," he said. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "A
couple of times he hurt me, Jack. And the thing is...I never said a word...I
just let him do it, because I was weak and scared of losing him." He choked
on the last words and stopped talking.

I pulled his head to my chest and hugged him, hoping to somehow absorb his
pain. If Jeremy had been standing there, I'd have had Ben shoot him, but I
kept those thoughts to myself.

I spoke softly against his ear. "Sam, do you remember what we said back in
Hawaii? About how we would never do anything the other doesn't want to do?"

He sat up and nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

"Well...I mean it now. We don't have to do anything you don't want to
do...ever. And I won't leave you over it. I'm thrilled with our sex life the
way it is. It's more than I ever dreamed of, so you've got nothin' to prove
to me."

He smiled again, tilting his head downward, then looking up at me with
innocent eyes. "But, Jack...I really, really wanna fuck you."

"Yeah...you think so, big guy?" I replied.

"I've wanted to since our first kiss."

"Good," I said with a huge grin. "Because I really, really want you to.
But...not right now. We've got work to do, and I want to get home early so we
can take our time and enjoy each other with no distractions."

"Works for me," said Sam, giving me a quick, happy kiss and jumping off the
bed. While he showered and shaved, I raided the closet for whatever
appropriate work clothes we had left. Mr. Heywood wasn't coming until next
week with our new attire. I dressed and started putting on my watch when Sam
walked out of the bathroom, naked, his cock hard as forged steel. His damp
chest and pubic hair glistened in the soft morning sunlight beaming through
the bedroom window. I stifled a surprised gasp as my own dick swelled.

"Uh...I have a problem, Jack," he said with a stupid grin.

"I can see that, Sam."

"Could you maybe help me with this?" he asked, looking downward.

I took a couple of slow steps toward him. "What did you have in mind, big
guy?"

"Well...if you were to do that thing you do, I might be able to get dressed.
And we could maybe get home sooner tonight?"

"I think I can manage it, in the interest of getting home sooner," I replied,
grinning. So I knelt down and did what he likes best, at least for the
moment. Five minutes later Sam managed to squeeze into his khakis. The bulge
in front wasn't too noticeable.

"Thanks, Jack. I feel better," said Sam.

"Getting off will do that for a guy," I replied, tying my shoes and savoring
the taste of Sam on my tongue.

He chuckled. "Yeah...but I meant you talking to me. I was getting in my head
again until you pulled me out of it. So...thanks."

I stood before him, took his face in my hands and gently kissed him. I was
already on a slow simmer and I didn't want to start another raging inferno.
Looking up into his beautiful, deep blue eyes, I said, "Sam, whatever you
need, whenever you need it, I'm here for you. Thanks for talking. It means so
much to have you trust me with the hard stuff." He smiled and nodded.

"Now come on, before I either start crying or rip your clothes off, neither
of which we have time for right now," I said, heading for the bedroom door.

"Oh, fuck!" I heard him groan behind me.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm so doomed."

"Why?"

"Because...one look at your ass and knowing what I get to do to it
tonight...fuck, look at me...and I'm starting to leak, dammit!" He was
grinning bigger than ever. His grin wasn't the only thing looking bigger than
ever. Holy crap! How was I ever going to handle all that?

I giggled. "Come on, Sam. Let's grab breakfast. We need to find Ben and get
out of here. I suddenly want to get home in the worst way." He laughed. His
hand hovered near the small of my back as we moved down the hallway to the
kitchen. All was right in my world.

Ben was sitting at the kitchen table, chowing down on an omelet. He glanced
up from his USA Today, folded it, wiped his mouth on a napkin, and greeted us
with a smile. Today he had on black dress slacks, a dark gray dress shirt,
and black tennis shoes. His sidearm was tucked in its black leather shoulder
rig. A black, light-weight sports jacket hung on the back of his chair. Ben's
recent military style haircut made his head look like it was carved out of
granite.

"Morning. You guys want me to make you an omelet or something?" he asked. Sam
and I looked at each other. He cooks?

"Uh...where's Maggie?" I asked.

"She and Charles headed into town. She said something about needing a few
more supplies for tomorrow night. I volunteered to handle breakfast this
morning."

"Wow! Thanks, Ben," said Sam.

"Yeah. But we can just eat some leftover pancakes or French toast or
something," I said.

"Suit yourself. But I make a pretty good omelet, if I do say so myself."

"I'll have one," said Sam. "Make it two. I've got to keep my strength up
today." He gave me a seductive look and laughed.

"What am I missing?" asked Ben, watching our exchange.

"Nothing. Ignore him," I said. "I guess I'll have one, too, if you're sure
you don't mind making them."

"No problem. I like to cook. You want a traditional Denver omelet or
something else?"

"Sounds good to me," I replied.

"Put some jalapenos in mine," said Sam. "And lots of cheese."

"You got it," said Ben. I grabbed all the ingredients from the refrigerator
while he prepped his sauté pans. Sam busied himself with making toast. I
studied Ben as he made three omelets with precision and consummate skill. He
even flipped them in the air and back into the pan without losing a speck of
filling. If I tried that I'd be cleaning the stove for a week.

My omelet was melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. Sam was finished with his first
and starting on the next when I asked, "Where'd you learn to cook like this,
Ben?"

He looked up from his paper. "My dad taught me, actually. He was the main
cook in my house growing up. He wasn't much for cleaning or doing laundry,
but he could prepare just about anything you could want to eat. I picked up
the basics along the way, I guess."

"Don't tell Maggie, but these omelets are fantastic!" said Sam, talking with
his mouth full again.

"Yeah...my bodyguard is good with a gun and a spatula. Who knew?" I said,
teasing Ben. He just rolled his eyes at me, as usual.

"What's on the agenda for today, boys?" he asked.

I swallowed my last bite of toast with grape jelly. "Sam's going to the
lawyer's office, and you and I are going to the new building. We're hoping to
make it a short day. We want to get back here for an early dinner and a quiet
evening...alone." I looked right at him, hoping he got the message.

"Alone? What do you...oh, I get it...alone. You mean...like alone, alone. As
in, you want it to be just the two of you here...alone. Doing things
together...alone." He was teasing me now, the big jerk. "Well, don't mind me.
It's not like I haven't heard you two going at it in your bedroom from all
the way upstairs."

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open, utterly mortified. The instant
heat on my neck and cheeks could melt diamonds.

"He's teasing, Jack. Relax," said Sam, reaching for me across the table. "You
know, Ben, tonight is Jack's birthday. We might not wanna stay in the bedroom
all night." I looked for a sink hole in the kitchen floor to fall into.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm not welcome at this little celebration. Fine, I'll
do my best to not cramp your style, Sam. You guys have all the fun you want.
I'll just hide out in my room over the garage and play video games."

"Actually...we have a better idea. How about we get you a ticket to the
Rockies game tonight? And a hotel room downtown for the evening," said Sam.

Ben's eyes instantly lit up. "Seriously? But the game's sold out. I tried to
get tickets weeks ago and couldn't."

I spoke up. "But we have Todd. He can do anything. Baseball tickets are
nothing for him." Or so I hoped.

Sam's idea was spot on. Ben's eyes beamed with excitement. "I don't mean to
sound ungrateful or presumptuous, but do you think he could get two tickets?"
asked Ben.

"Oh? And just why would you need two tickets?" I teased. Two can play his
game.

"Well, if you and Sam can have fun tonight, I might like to have a little
myself, if it's okay with you."

"Fine by me. Does your `fun' have a name?"

"Yes, she does. But that's for me to know and you to never find out," he
replied with a grin. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Cool," said Sam. "So it's all set. We'll ask Todd to buy a couple of tickets
and everyone's gonna have a lovely evening." He grinned seductively at me
again and my ass twitched a little. Oh boy!

Watching Sam and me make eyes at each other, Ben cleared his throat. "Okay,
then. I can see if we don't get a move on, you two are gonna break it out
right here on the kitchen table. Let's roll." He stood up, shrugged into his
sports coat, and started clearing the table. Sam stood up to assist and I
couldn't help but notice the bulge in his pants. He looked over at me in
hopeless despair. I just grinned at his predicament. I might pay for it
later, but that could be fun, too.

Ben drove while Sam and I held hands and tried to restrain ourselves in the
backseat. Occasionally I would catch Ben looking at us in the rearview
mirror, smiling. I wondered if he knew what I was getting myself into
tonight. Or rather, what would be getting into me.

I watched the countryside fly by outside my window, enjoying the arid terrain
of dried prairie grasses, with clumps of sparse shrubs and lone pine trees
spotting the amber hillsides. The majestic Rocky Mountains rose high into the
sky at the horizon.

"What are you working on today?" asked Sam, kissing my neck softly. It
tickled, causing me to giggle.

"Todd needs me to review everything related to the building sale and
construction plans one last time. I'll probably have lunch with the team at
the bank later. We need to be ready for the closing on Monday." I tilted my
head back as he slid his tongue across my Adam's apple. I nearly whimpered.

"Clyde told me yesterday that he thinks he can get everything signed off in
the clerk's office late this morning. If it all goes according to plan,
Schaeffer and Associates should be an official Colorado corporation by noon,"
said Sam. Now he was nibbling on my ear. The zipper on my pants was going to
burst any second.

"Awesome," I croaked. "Then the closing can happen as planned, Walker can get
his crew in to start the work, and we can move into our new digs in a couple
of weeks."

"And you and I can properly christen your new office in the sky," whispered
Sam into my wet ear. I moaned, incapable of further conversation. I turned to
him, grabbed his head with both hands, and kissed him hard, no longer caring
Ben might be watching from the front seat. Sam pulled me down onto the seat
and we made out until Ben announced our arrival at Clyde's building.

Sam's chronic tumescence was quite noticeable as he struggled to rearrange
himself in his khakis. He gave me a long, lingering, sweet kiss full of
future promises before exiting the car. I watched his firm ass glide through
the revolving doors, then I leaned back in the seat and sighed.

"You okay back there?" asked Ben as he signaled and pulled into the crowded
street.

"Yeah, I'm great," I lied, looking out the window at the crowd of people
walking on the sidewalk. I missed Sam and we hadn't even driven a block down
the street.

"Things between you and Sam get any hotter, you two are gonna set the back
seat on fire." I blushed and looked down at my feet.

"Are you supposed to say things like that to a protectee?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Relax, Jack. It's cool. You guys obviously love each other, so
it's all good."

"Thanks, Ben," I said, doing my best to accept the comment with grace. I
looked at his face in the rearview mirror. He was smiling. There was no
judgment or ridicule in it.

Honking cars and jammed streets ended any more conversation as Ben did his
best to maneuver the car through traffic. Soon we were on I-25 heading south
toward the Denver Technological Center, or DTC as it's called, an 850-acre
business development zone heavily populated by high tech companies.

I zoned out the scenery and instead thought about the morning's revelations.
I selfishly hoped Sam wouldn't have any second thoughts about taking our
lovemaking to another level after his experience with his former lover. I
seriously contemplated asking Todd to track down Jeremy Reynolds so I could
find a way to make him pay for what he had done to Sam. But in my heart I
knew Sam wouldn't want me to. I closed my eyes and made a new birthday wish -
to give Sam control in our sex life whenever he wanted it. I smiled to
myself. I preferred Sam being in charge in the bedroom. I shifted position.
My cock was hard at just the thought.

The future home of Schaeffer and Associates rose twenty-two stories into the
sunny sky behind the Hyatt hotel. Entirely encased in blue-tinted, reflective
glass, the square spire exuded strength, stability, and confidence. For a guy
who only a few weeks ago had trouble making rent on a small, shabby
apartment, I still struggled with the idea I would soon own the entire
building.

Ben parked in the large, shared garage between our building and the hotel,
then walked with me across the glass enclosed pedestrian bridge into the main
lobby. Spartan in furnishings, everything was clean, contemporary and
functional. Almost antiseptic. Not exactly warm and inviting, but we wouldn't
be working in the lobby. I had plans to meet with the current tenants at some
point, and perhaps we could discuss making some changes to the decor.

I approached the main guard desk. The clean shaven young man behind the desk
wore a smart, dark blue security officer uniform, complete with a handgun on
his belt and a shiny badge pinned to his chest.

"Good morning. My name is Jack Schaeffer. I'm supposed to meet my team on the
twenty-first floor I believe."

He looked down at a clipboard. "Yes, sir. I have you on the list. Here is a
temporary security card that will get you through the turnstiles to the
elevators and up to your floor. Have a great meeting, sir," he said with a
smile. What a nice guy, I thought.

"Thank you," I replied. Ben casually reached over and took the security card
from my hand.

"Excuse me," he said sternly to the officer. The guard looked up from
whatever he was studying on his desk. "What is your name?" asked Ben.

"Excuse me?" echoed the guard, showing a bit of his own attitude. Uh oh. I
stepped back to avoid whatever pissing contest Ben was stirring up.

"I asked you what your name was."

"Officer Frank Tooms. Is there a problem here?" he said, standing up, his
right hand moving to his sidearm.

"My problem is you're supposed to be in charge of security for this building,
correct?"

"Yeah. I am. And you are?"

"I'm head of Mr. Schaeffer's security, and right now I've got a huge ass
problem with how you're doing your job, officer."

"Oh really. And what exactly is wrong with how I'm doin' my
job..mister...what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't. And that's the point. This man walks up to you, gives you a name,
and just because you see the same name on a list, you let him pass. You ever
think about checking his ID? And what about me? You didn't even ask for my
name. I could be headed upstairs to shoot up the place. Didn't you see the
gun under my arm, man?"

Officer Tooms took a fast step backwards and pulled his weapon, pointing it
at Ben. I jumped a foot. Oh crap! Ben didn't flinch. Instead, he grinned.
"Alright, then. That's more like it, officer. Good response to a perceived
threat. Except I'm not a threat, and you might want to put down your gun
before something accidentally happens neither of us wants."

Officer Tooms eyed Ben very closely, but did lower his weapon. I noticed he
didn't holster it again.

"How long you been doing this job, Tooms?" asked Ben with a much friendlier
tone.

"Two years, ever since the building opened. We've had no problems and I've
had no complaints."

"Look, man. I meant no disrespect, but I take Mr. Schaeffer's safety
seriously. And everybody on his team. If they're gonna be working in this
building, then you and I are going to have to work together to tighten things
up a bit. Can we do that?"

"Sure, sure. Yeah. I'm sorry. I see your point. I guess I have gotten a
little lax, since nothing ever happens in a building like this. Security has
become more of a formality."

"I understand. But that all changes - today. Agreed?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm Ben, by the way. Nice to meet you. Have a good one." Ben shook the
officer's hand then turned toward me and motioned toward the elevators.

As we rode up, I had to ask. "What was that all about down there?"

"What? That was nothin'," he said, shrugging his massive shoulders.

"What do you mean, nothin'? I practically wet myself when the gun came out.
Why did you push him so hard?"

"Because I wanted to see what he was made of. Right now he's the front line
of our defenses. I like him. Great reflexes. He'll be a good asset. I need to
get him out from behind that desk, though. Stupid setup. A guard needs to be
mobile, agile, responsive. Not chained to a clipboard and passin' out badges.
You can get any desk clerk to do that crap."

I didn't know what else to say so I zipped my lip. He could be a little over
the top, but Ben would keep me safe or die trying, and that's why he shadowed
my every move and lived over our garage. The elevator dinged as we arrived at
the twenty-first floor.

I stepped out into a huge mess. The previous tenants had apparently been
sucked away in a tornado, the storm debris all that remained now, resting in
front of the elevators in piles of jettisoned broken desks, chairs, file
cabinets and mounds and mounds of file folders and loose papers.

Simon Lawson was waiting for us. "Hey, boss," he said. "Ben, good to see you
again. Jack let you up off the ground floor today, I see." Ben just grunted
in reply.

"Morning, Simon. Don't rile him up. He's feeling a little trigger happy this
morning. What happened in here?"

"You like what we've done with the place?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Did they just dump all their trash and split? Who does
this?"

"You'd be surprised. Chris Walker told me it's pretty common to have to spend
a whole day or more clearing out a space before they can get in and start the
real work. Come on, I'll show you around."

Simon led Ben and me through the entire space, pointing out changes to be
made and where certain offices and workspaces were planned. The kitchen space
in one corner seemed a bit small and needed a lot of work, but at least there
was a great view of the mountains from the standing counter at the windows. I
couldn't imagine Walker's team completing the build-out in only two weeks.

At the moment, with only a few individual offices framed in along two sides,
the floor was one large open space. From what I could see, all the walls had
rips and holes in them. I could see the mountains in the distance through the
blue tinted windows from several vantage points. The two main elevators
opened into the center of the space, with a bathroom for each gender on
either side. I smiled to myself. So far we only had guys working with us. The
elevator dinged.

"What the hell?" asked Todd, as he stepped off the elevator and dodged around
the piles of refuse. Seeing us, he frowned and sauntered over to where we
were standing.

"Simon! I told you to check out the place, not destroy it. What happened?" he
asked.

"Easy, Todd. The previous tenants apparently left us a present on their way
out," I replied.

"Great. That'll cost us. Simon, make sure you add this to our list before the
closing on Monday."

"What list?" I asked.

"Our punch list," said Simon. Seeing my confusion, he continued. "Later
today, after our little walk through, I'll notify the realtors of any
concerns we want resolved before we close the deal. We can whittle off a bit
more on the asking price to make any problems go away. Leaving a mess behind
gives a tiny bit more leverage to negotiate. I'll work it to our advantage."

"Wow. You guys play hardball," I said.

"There's a right way and a wrong way to do business, Jack. I intend to make
sure we do things right. And this...this is just plain disrespectful. Not
cool. Any word from Clyde on the final incorporation?" Todd asked, shifting
direction.

"Sam told me it should be completed this afternoon. Clyde will call once he
has the final paperwork in hand," I said.

"Excellent. Anybody know what's up with Deputy Do-Right downstairs? He made
me show two forms of ID to get up here. I swear he almost drew his gun when I
reached for my wallet." Ben snickered and Todd gave him a disgruntled look.

"That's my fault, I guess," I said. "Ben spoke with Officer Tooms regarding
the lax security. Apparently it had the desired effect. Sorry if he was rough
on you."

"Okay...I guess. But I don't know about all the guns and crap. Ben, is there
any way we can keep Jack safe without resorting to weapons?"

"Sure. He can stay locked in his house and telecommute. Otherwise, we'll do
what we have to do to keep all of you safe. We'll try to keep the weapons out
of sight," answered Ben.

"All of us? What do you mean? I thought you were here just to protect Jack,"
said Simon.

Ben sighed, pausing to decide how to explain himself. I stepped in, since I
had done a fair bit of my own thinking on the subject since the demise of
Arnold Turner.

"Simon, I hate to even acknowledge this, but apparently my inheriting the
Franklin estate has the potential to put a target on my back. You saw what
happened with Turner. We don't know of any current danger or threat, but
unsavory characters may try to get access to me at some point, or people they
think are close to me, in order to gain some kind of leverage or favor in our
business dealings in the future.  Ben's job is make sure they don't succeed.
We'll all have to work together to find the right balance of security and
freedom to go about our business."

"Ben, are you thinking more agents besides yourself and the guard
downstairs?" asked Todd. He had an edge to his voice which was starting to
annoy me. Something was up.

"I can't cover all the bases by myself. My primary focus is Jack. And Sam,
when he's with us. I'll put together a team of agents who will be on premises
keeping an eye on the rest of you."

"We can't have armed people roaming the halls! How will we get anything
done?" declared Todd.

"You won't know they're armed, and they'll have other skills at their
disposal. Some of them actually know a thing or two about business and
finance. You might find them to be helpful in a pinch," said Ben with a
confident smile. Todd sighed. I could tell he wasn't totally sold on the
concept of roaming security guards.

"Fine, let's move on. Simon, is Chris ready for us?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so," replied Simon.

"Well, let's talk with him and see if we can stay on schedule. I'm supposed
to call Sully this afternoon and commit to a move date." He sighed heavily
again, looking at his cell phone for messages.

Simon walked away to interrupt Chris, who was chatting with his foreman in
the far corner as they poured over large blueprints spread out on a makeshift
table of discarded boxes. Ben excused himself to use the restroom.

"Everything okay, Todd?" I asked.

"What...oh...yeah, everything's fine." He avoided my eyes.

"Come with me. I want to ask you something about the kitchen space," I said.

"What about the kitchen, Jack?"

"Follow me," I said, turning and walking away. He followed.

Once we were out of possible earshot of the others, I looked him in the eye
and said, "Now, let's try this again. What's going on? And don't say nothing,
because I don't believe you. Talk to me."

He sighed and looked out the window at the mountains and downtown Denver in
the distance. "Margie's pregnant."

"What?" I said, a little too loudly. Simon looked up from his conversation
with Chris and glanced our way. I smiled and lowered my voice. "That's
fantastic, Todd. This is good news, right?"

He looked sideways at me and shrugged. "I guess. I don't know. I'm in shock.
She told me an hour ago. I don't know what to think. You're not mad, are
you?"

"Are you crazy? Why on earth would I be mad? Todd, having a baby is a good
thing. Congratulations! I'll bet Margie is over the moon."

"Yeah, she is. I'm sorry, Jack. This was so not planned. Don't tell the guys
yet, please."

"Why are you apologizing to me? What's wrong with you? Why not tell
everyone?"

"Because," he said. "The timing sucks. We've got this big move. We're barely
off the ground with the new business. Everybody's working eighteen hour days.
Margie's already telling me about doctor's appointments and birthing classes
and I don't know what else. I don't have time for all that. The guys are
gonna think I planned this to dump more work on them. I need to be here with
the team."

"No they won't. They'll be thrilled for you. Look, I know this is sudden and
you need time to get your head around it, so I'll stay quiet until you give
the green light. But your number one priority should be your wife and kid.
You have to be at every doctor's appointment and every birthing class and
whatever else you need to do. Your most important job right now is to make
sure Margie's taken care of. I know you know this, but just so we're
clear...if you don't do right by her and your baby, you'll answer to me and
Sam."

"But how can I..."

"Stop it. I know you, Todd. I know your character, your work ethic, your
commitment to me and the team. You won't let us down. I'm not worried in the
slightest. The hardest part for you is going to be delegating part of your
workload to somebody else."

"Who? Everyone's slammed. If it wasn't for Sam pitching in, we'd be up a
creek. Will can't be the legal advisor and the IT guy. Danny's doing the work
of three, as is Mason. Simon's fine for now, but he's got to manage this
entire build-out and move. After the closing, he'll be balls to the wall for
the next month. Everybody's already doing more than one person's job."

I could see his point. We were all pulling a ton of weight to get our company
started. We need more help. "It's time to expand the team. Let's get
everybody together for lunch, and we'll brainstorm how to find the help we
need as quickly as possible. You should concentrate on finding a couple of
direct assistants for yourself. In fact, tell everyone to start thinking
about how to divide their work into thirds. We have two weeks before we move
in here. It'd be great if we were fully staffed by then."

"You want to hire ten more people in the next two weeks?"

"Yeah. More if we need them. Seriously, whatever the team needs, make it
happen. I don't want the guys regretting making this move with us, Todd. And
I'm not having any of my team burned out and working so much they can't enjoy
ordinary, everyday life. The only thing we can't do is steal any more current
employees from the bank. It wouldn't be fair to Sully and the board."

"I agree. Any ideas where we find them?"

"I'm sure there are executive and financial staffing agencies in this city.
Call two or three and see if they can meet with us on Monday afternoon. We
should try to have a list of our needs ready by then."

"Before or after I find two tickets to the Rockies game tonight?" he asked,
smiling.

I gave him a selfish grin. "After, please. We need to get Ben out of the
house tonight," I whispered.

He chuckled. "Planning a little birthday celebration, are we?" he teased. I
tried not to blush. "It's cool. Already done. I know a guy who had two
tickets in his company's skybox open up. They'll be at Will Call in Ben's
name, and I made a reservation for a suite at the Oxford Hotel a few blocks
from the stadium."

"You're awesome, Todd. Thanks."

"Remember that when I'm up all night with a crying baby and smell like spit
up half the time."

"Who are you kidding? You barely sleep now."

He smiled. "True, but I hear stories of new fathers who fall asleep at their
desk from exhaustion."

"You'll be fine. You and Margie will work it out. Come on man, aren't you at
least a little excited? I am. I can totally see you now, playing catch with
your son."

"And if it's a girl?"

"You'll be eating a ton of Easy Bake oven cakes and throwing tea parties," I
laughed. He groaned, but at least he was smiling again.

"When's the baby due?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. Margie's supposed to see her doctor in a little while. I guess
we'll know more after that," he said. I raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"What?"

"What do you mean, what? You're going to be there, right?"

"Jack..."

"Every appointment, every class. Don't start missing them now, Todd. There
may come a day when you truly can't help but miss an appointment, but not
today. You need to be there. Do it for Margie. If it helps, do it `cuz the
boss says so," I said, grinning.

"Fine. I'll go," he said. I caught him smiling as he turned away to text
Margie.

Simon and Chris walked up. "Morning, Todd, Jack. You want to walk through the
plans one more time?" asked Chris.

"Yes, please," I replied. For the next thirty minutes he and Simon reviewed
all the proposed changes with us. He reassured us his crew could still meet
the impossible deadline for our move, despite the additional repairs. Ben
tagged along and asked some key questions about security access to the floor.
Chris explained how the elevators and stairwell, as well as the bathrooms,
would be isolated and sealed in a glass-enclosed foyer of sorts. All direct
access into the office would require key cards or a receptionist buzzing
someone into the waiting area. Ben nodded his silent approval.

Simon and Todd got into a heated discussion about committing to a final move
date with Chris. Having nothing to contribute, I drifted over to the windows
to enjoy the view. My cell phone vibrated. I smiled when I read Sam's text:
"Ur ass is mine Schaeffer!" Anyone reading over my shoulder might have
thought he was angry with me, but I knew better. The more I thought about it,
the faster my pulse raced. I swear I could feel tremors of anticipation
pinging around inside my ass. This day couldn't end fast enough.

"Okay, have we got everything worked out?" I asked, walking briskly back to
the guys and interrupting their conversation.

"Yes. We move two weeks from today, assuming all goes according to plan,"
said Todd.

"Which it will, because you won't have it any other way," I said, smiling at
Todd. Simon chuckled.

"Whatever," said Todd.

"Alright then. Time to wrap this up. Chris, have a great weekend. Rest up.
You'll have all the heavy lifting next week," I said.

"Will do, Jack. Thanks again for giving us the opportunity. We won't let you
down." I nodded.

"Let's go, Ben. Guys, you headed back to the bank?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'll order lunch in for everyone," said Todd. "I need to make a couple
of stops. Simon, when lunch arrives, have the team meet in the conference
room. Start putting a final transition plan together for the next two weeks.
I'll get there as soon as I can."

"You got it. I need to speak with Chris for two more minutes, then I'm out,"
said Simon to me.

I walked to the elevator and pressed the down button. Nothing happened. I
pressed the button again. The light behind the button came on. I had pressed
the button three times before the elevator finally arrived. Ben followed me
on, chuckling.

"What?" I asked him, pressing the lobby button five times. "Ugh! These
elevators are so freakin' slow!" Ben laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You. What happened? Sam call you and rev your motor?"

"You know...never mind about my motor. Just get me to the bank, Mr. I-wanna-
have-some-fun-too. The sooner we get through this day, the sooner you can be
on your way."

"Works for me, Boss," he said, putting on his sunglasses as he slipped back
into professional agent mode. I smiled at his reflection in the polished
elevator doors. He smiled back. We were both getting lucky tonight.

True to his word, Todd had gourmet sandwiches and two kinds of soup delivered
to the bank around noon. Mason and Will arrived together, talking shop about
some business Mason wanted us to consider buying. It sounded like Will was
playing devil's advocate, but I couldn't really follow their conversation.
They nodded to me, grabbed plates, and loaded them with sandwiches and bags
of chips. I brought them each a cold can of Coke.

"Thanks, Boss," said Mason. He popped the top and quickly slurped the
overflowing soda.

"How's the office looking, Jack?" asked Will. "Did Simon show you the IT
Server room?"

"Yes. You have everything you need?" I asked.

"We will. Servers are on order. Software's all licensed and ready to go. I've
hired an outside tech firm to do the wiring and installation. They'll work
with Walker's team. We should be good. The rest of the computers we'll set up
after the move."

"Mason, how about you? You have everything you need?"

"Yes and no. Danny and I are keeping an eye on current investments and day-
to-day activities, but it doesn't leave much time for planning the future."

"But you guys are ready to transfer the trust's assets out of the bank's
control once we get the word, right?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. Transfer orders are all set. We push a few buttons, make a few
calls, and the assets will slide over into Schaeffer and Associates, no
problem. That's the easy part. Then the real challenges kick in."

"Like what?"

"Like accounting for all the transactions," said a new voice behind. "And all
the inconsequential stuff. You know...like payroll, payables, receivables,
and a shit load of government reports," said Danny as he flopped into a chair
at the table. He ripped open a bag of chips and started munching.

I nodded. Those needs I understood first hand. "Okay. What else?"

"We're gonna need a network administrator - maybe two - to keep an eye on the
servers and computers. Without computers, we'll be dead in the water. And we
need a viable disaster recovery plan in case anything goes wrong," said Will.

"We need an Office Manager," said Simon. "Someone who keeps the basic
functions of the office running smoothly. Maybe they can handle HR issues,
too. And we need a team to manage the building. Don't forget, we're not just
renting office space. We're the landlord for the whole building."

"That means maintenance, security, parking, dealing with the city, permits,
inspections, tenant complaints, and lease agreements," said Mason.

"Yikes! Okay, then. Time to call in some reinforcements," I said. "Todd and I
discussed it this morning, and I want each of you to come up with a list, as
detailed as you can, of who you need and what they need to be doing. Put down
as many qualifications as you can think of, and if you have any ideas on who
we might hire, let Todd know. You will each have a say in who we hire in your
areas since you will be responsible for their success. Todd has final
approval. The only caveat is you can't poach anybody from the bank."

"How many people can we hire?" asked Danny. "I need a team of accountants if
we're gonna do things right."

Todd stepped into the conference room. He looked at me and gave a thumbs up.
I nodded and smiled.

"Well, Danny, you know we're going to do things right," said Todd. "So hire
whoever you need. Guys, listen up. Until now, we've had the umbrella of the
bank shielding and supporting us. We are a successful team, and every one of
you is very, very good at what you do. But we're all about to enter the big
leagues, and it's time for your A+ game. I got a call from Clyde Watson, our
attorney, ten minutes ago. Schaeffer and Associates is officially open for
business." He grinned from ear to ear.

For two seconds we were all silent, letting the reality of what just happened
sink in. Then loud whoops and shouts accompanied flying potato chips and
cookies. As my guys celebrated, I was beyond proud to be a part of the team.
I had to fight back annoying tears of joy as my phone vibrated in my pocket.

The first text from Sam read: "S&A lives. Congratulations, Jack!" The second
read: "You ready, little man? The ASS-ault is coming!" I blushed, then
started texting him back. "Thanks, Sam. And yes, I'm ready. Bring it, big
guy!" My phone dinged immediately. "LOL. Be careful what u wish for. C u
soon."

Todd was watching me, and I scooted past Mason, who was trying to eat his
roast beef sandwich and answer emails with his phone at the same time. He
didn't look as happy as the others.

"How'd it go at the doctors?" I asked Todd.

"Good. Margie's doing great. The baby's fine. She's six weeks along, so the
due date is like the middle of January or something."

"How are you feeling?"

"Good, I think. I'm slowly getting my head around it. Holy crap, Jack! I'm
gonna be a father!" I don't think he realized how loud he said it. All
conversation in the room ceased and every head turned to look at him.

"What?" he challenged.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" said Danny. He jumped up and scrambled around
Mason, giving Todd an enthusiastic high five, much to his surprise. "Your kid
will have the best fucking dad there ever was, man. Well done, stud!"
Everybody laughed.

Todd looked over at me. I smiled and mouthed, "Told you so."

More hand shaking and back slapping ensued. I remember thinking how strange
it was the guys were patting Todd on the back for doing what he'd done
hundreds of times before. But this one time, when something unplanned and
wonderful happened as a result, suddenly he deserved a gold star. It made me
smile. As far as I could tell, the one who had the harder job, and was
therefore more deserving of praise, was Margie, the mother-to-be. I couldn't
wait to see her and congratulate her in person.

"Hey, Todd, can we tell people?" asked Will.

"I guess. It's not a secret anymore," he replied. I wondered who Will would
want to tell. He started sending a text, a big smile on his face.

Mason was frowning at his phone's screen, dark thoughts running behind his
eyes. I didn't think it had anything to do with Todd's news. I thought about
asking him if everything was okay, but decided not to intrude.

I managed to get Todd off to the side while the rest of the guys continued
celebrating. "Have you noticed Mason isn't quite as engaged as everyone else,
today?" I said.

"Yeah, I did. But he gets like that sometimes. He's fine, and then he goes
quiet and somber on us. Never seems to affect his work product, though."

"I'm not worried about his work product, I'm worried about him. He looked
upset a little while ago when he was reading his email."

"Well, short of spying on him, we'll just have to wait for him to speak up.
Don't worry about it, Jack. Like I said, he gets quiet and moody from time to
time. We're all used to it. Forget about it, it's your birthday. Don't you
have some big celebration planned for tonight?"

"Yes. I gotta go," I said. I went around the room and said my goodbyes,
reminding everyone that the party started tomorrow at six.

"Can I bring someone to the party?" asked Will. Everyone looked at him.

"Of course you can. You all can. Or just come by yourselves, whatever. See
you all tomorrow night. Be good."

"Later, Boss!" they said in unison. We all laughed.

As I was opening the conference room door to leave, Todd stopped me with a
hand on my arm. "Got a sec?" I nodded, and he pushed us into the hallway.

"I just wanted to thank you, Jack, for this morning."

"For what?"

"For helping me get my head on straight. I can be a little obsessive about
work, and now that I've got a baby on the way, I need to rethink and refocus
my priorities. It means a lot you supporting me, and my family, like you
did."

"Todd, I've told you before. You and Margie, and your baby now, you're all
family to me. Tell Margie I said congrats, and I hope to see her tomorrow
night, if she's feeling up to it."

"I will. Have fun tonight, Jack."

"Thanks, Todd. You, too." I said. He went back into the conference room. As
the door closed, I heard him yelling for everyone to get off their asses and
clean this pigsty. Yeah, Todd was gonna be a great dad.

I rode the elevator down to the ground floor and found Ben chatting with
someone on his cellphone. He saw me striding across the lobby toward him and
ended the call with a smile.

"Ms. Fun, I presume?"

"Perhaps. How'd it go up there?"

"Good. We are finally officially a legitimate business."

"Congratulations, Jack. That's gotta feel good."

"Yeah, but you know what would feel even better?" I said. "A nap. Let's get
Sam and go home." He nodded and led the way to the parking garage.

Sam was waiting on the curb in front of Clyde's building. As we pulled up,
two young women about our age walked past him. They both tried to get his
attention, but he completely ignored them. I smiled. Sorry, girls. He only
has eyes for me.

Ben stopped the car and I opened the back door and stood there, looking at
him. He stood where he was, watching me, from ten feet away. Sexual
electricity arced across the sidewalk between us. Finally Sam moved over to
me, put a hand on my chest and looked deep into my eyes.

"I missed you, Jack," he whispered.

"I missed you, too, Sam." He kept looking at me. People stopped on the
sidewalk to watch us. Finally he nodded.

"Let's go home," he said. I sat back down in the seat and scooted across to
give him room. Once the door was closed and Ben had maneuvered the car into
traffic, Sam leaned over, put a hand on my cheek, and kissed me softly. I
melted into his arms, and he held me all the way home, his chin resting
lightly on my head.

Half asleep, I heard Ben talking to Sam as we ascended the driveway back at
Phillip's Mountain. "He'll be stationed down at the gate, but he'll do a
patrol of the grounds every couple of hours. If you need anything, you have
my cell. Remember the codes?" Sam nodded, forgetting his chin was near my
head. He struck the top of my head hard and I saw stars. I sat up and rubbed
my scalp until the pain faded.

"Sorry, Jack," he said.

"It's okay. What'd I miss?" I asked, yawning.

"Ben assigned a guy to be on the grounds tonight to watch out for us, but he
won't be in the house."

"Fine. When are you leaving, Ben? Are you picking Ms. Fun up and taking her
to the game, or meeting her there?"

"I'm picking her up."

"In that thing?" I asked, looking at his twelve year old, semi-rusted Chevy
Tahoe parked up next to the far garage. Cool ride for a tough guy, maybe, but
not so hot for impressing a girl.

"What's wrong with my truck?" he asked, pretending to be put out.

"Nothing, if your date's an ex-marine with more facial hair than you. Maybe
you should take the Beemer tonight, instead." I said. He rolled his eyes,
then mouthed a thank you in my direction. I just smiled.

In the mud room, we parted ways. "Have a great night, Ben," said Sam.

"You, too, Sam. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." My turn to roll my eyes.
Sam chuckled and followed me into the kitchen.

We each drank a water bottle, standing on opposite sides of the island. The
sexual tension was palpable. We both kept grinning. Finally Sam broke the
ice.

"So, we've got the whole house to ourselves tonight. What do you want to do?"

"Whatever you want," I said immediately, setting my empty water bottle on the
island.

"It's your birthday, Jack. It's your night. You get to decide."

Keeping my eyes locked on his, I moved around the island and stood before
him. "I want, more than anything, Sam, for you to be in control tonight. My
choice is to give myself to you. I'm yours to do with whatever you want,
wherever and whenever you want it."

His eyes narrowed and he looked almost angry, then I realized he was trying
not to cry. Crap! I said too much. I reached for his hands, and held each of
them tightly in mine. Finally he smiled faintly and pulled me into his chest.
I rested my cheek against him and sighed, listening to his heart beat.

I don't know how long we stood there. It might have been an hour or just five
minutes. All I know is when Sam loosened his hold on me and I looked up into
his eyes, I beheld a fire and passion I had never seen in him. I swallowed
hard.

"I want you, Jack. I want all of you tonight." The words were tenderly
spoken, yet rode on a demanding undercurrent. My pulse quickened and I nodded
in agreement.

"I want you to shower and get ready for me, Jack. Take your time, there's no
hurry. Relax, breathe, and think about the fact that you're mine tonight. I'm
going to give you exactly what you said you wanted. Last chance to change
your mind."

I looked up into his fiery blue eyes and nodded. I walked to the doorway and
turned to face him. "With all my heart, Sam. Every last bit of it." I turned
around and walked out.

I did what he had commanded. I showered and cleaned myself, taking my time,
grateful to Billy for his helpful advice and encouragement. At one point I
heard Sam showering in the bathroom next door. I decided to skip deodorant or
cologne. I would be completely naked tonight. I stood at the mirror, staring
at my face, and couldn't stop smiling. I thought I would be scared, but
instead I was excited and anxious.

I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and stepped through the bathroom
door. I immediately noticed the candles. Twenty-five of them, I would find
out later. Sam's idea of a new birthday tradition. Different shapes and
sizes, all contributing to the overwhelming masculine scents of sandalwood
and cedar mixed with other spices. There was music, too. It came from every
corner of the room, soft but driving, a trance-like electronic groove. Sam
was full of sexy surprises.

The flickering lights cast soft shadows across the ceiling and down the walls
- and highlighted my lover's naked torso as he leaned against the bedpost,
watching me. I froze in place, staring at him, our eyes locked, my breath
slowing, body heat rising.

With laser focus, he studied me, his face a river of fluid emotions. The
initial smile, toothy and giddy with excitement, gradually morphed into
something raw and unrestrained. More animal. More...Sam. I could smell him,
the essence of his maleness, even over the candles. I breathed him in,
feeling his passion flow into me from across the room. A corner of his mouth
turned up just a little, acknowledging my reaction, as if to say, "Oh,
yes...your ass is mine. Resistance is futile." In that singular moment, I knew
it was finally happening. I was getting fucked tonight.

I stood there, gazing into his beautiful face, longing for him to take me.
Sam reached for his towel and slowly untied it, but didn't let it fall. He
looked at me, and with a slight twitch of his head indicated I should do the
same. On his signal, our towels fell to the floor, leaving us exposed,
vulnerable, wanting. I watched his eyes as they wandered down my body, like a
slow and loving caress. They narrowed when he reached my groin, my cock
jutting straight out, a drop of pre-cum glistening at the tip. He looked back
up at me with a sly, seductive grin. My dick jumped. The grin widened.

With a twirl of a finger in the air, he demanded I turn around. I swear I
could feel his eyes move along my flesh, sliding from the back of my neck,
inching down my spine, and coming to rest on my ass. I stood perfectly still.
Waiting. Trembling.

I felt him move across the carpeted divide from the bed to where I was
standing. He lingered behind me, the palpable heat from his flesh warming my
backside, relaxing and coaxing me to yield. He had yet to touch me.

Suddenly his arms reached around my chest and pulled me into him, a gasp
escaping through my lips. I felt a blast of hot breath as his tongue twirled
around the secret spot at the top of my spine where a bundle of nerves
intertwined and conspired to strip me of every defense, every instinct to
stop this assault on my senses. Instead I gave in, surrendering to his touch,
his desire, his need.

And his need was hard, wet, and pressing into my ass, slowly grinding against
me. I pushed back, trying to maintain my position, but Sam is stronger, so
little by little he succeeded in pinning me to the wall, my face pressed
sideways against the cool surface. Fingers traced my exposed jawline, sliding
down to my throat. Peripherally, I saw the pure animal lust in his eyes. He
grinned and tweaked a nipple, nearly causing my knees to collapse. I am
strongly hardwired, knowledge he has gained through prior exploration, and he
used it to his advantage.

Soon I was writhing in erotic agony, moaning and whispering his name as my
aching cock dripped and stained the painted wall. My nipples were on fire,
the sensations almost more than I could bear. But I would bear them, because
nothing was more important than Sam's need. And he needed this - to be in
control. It was my gift to him.

A hand slithered down my torso and wrapped my engorged dick in its warm
embrace. He stroked slowly, taking his time to smear a copious amount of pre-
cum all around the head and shaft. The assault on my nipples continued, his
tongue now dancing on my neck. He played all the high notes in an erogenous
symphony, pushing me relentlessly toward an inevitable release.

Like a sexual maestro, he knew the precise moment to stop, to pull back and
let the physical reverberations fade away. He mercifully spun me around and
slammed his mouth onto mine, his tongue piercing through any possible
resistance. I offered none. I yielded enthusiastically, doing my best to
match his intensity. He moaned and made guttural, incoherent Sam noises, his
rigid cock grinding against mine. I pinched his nipples and he nodded his
assent, urging me to go further. His tongue was a battering ram, demanding
oral domination. I fought back, using every ounce of strength to meet his
need, because I knew things, too.

I knew my kisses were like a renewal for Sam. There's life in them, love and
frenzied passion joining to create an energy that rejuvenates and heals. My
kisses gave him focus, vision, a purpose and a place to belong. He's mine and
I am his. Forever.

He was the first to pull away, his chest heaving, sweat glistening in the
thick forest of hair across his chest. I leaned back against the wall,
wheezing and shaking, overcome and out of focus. He smiled. He was happy. I
nearly cried with joy.

Our breathing slowed eventually, but the intensity in his eyes never waned.
He began to pace a few feet from me, our eyes transfixed on each other. The
tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood up, tickling a warning. Beware.
Danger ahead. I didn't move. I watched, mesmerized, as he deliberated with
his baser animal desires. His struggle for inner control ignited a deep
longing in the pit of my soul. Take me, Sam. Make me yours.

He stopped pacing and approached, eyes blazing, skin flushed. He reached out
and ran the back of his fingers against my cheek. I grabbed it and held it
there, closing my eyes, seeking comfort in the connection. "Come to bed,
Jack," he whispered. I opened my eyes to see his were now glistening. Don't
cry, Jack. Dammit, don't cry.

He led me by the hand to our bed, basked in candlelight and a wispy canopy of
peaceful electronic harmonies. Sam lay back on a pillow and pulled me on top
of him. We kissed again, taking our time, enjoying the taste of one another.
His hands ran up and down my spine, causing nerves to tingle and dance. As
our kissing slowly intensified, his fingers wandered into my crack, and I
inhaled sharply as one lightly grazed my hole. Sam's eyes watched mine,
measuring my comfort level. I moaned against his lips.

I could feel Sam's dick swell underneath my own. I pushed down on him,
eliciting a deep, lustful growl. His tongue became more insistent, more
intrusive. Fingers slid along the groove in my ass, pausing frequently to
explore the entrance to deeper pleasures. With each touch, my hips
involuntarily humped against Sam's. He pushed up against my thrusts,
establishing a cadence with his fingers playing at my hole.

There were so many wonderful sensations coursing through my body I was only
vaguely aware when my ass yielded to an invading finger. As it passed the
inner ring, I gasped and lifted my head. Looking down at Sam, I nodded and
urged him on. He increased the rhythm, in and out, in and out, stretching and
softening any remaining vestige of resistance.

Suddenly the welcomed invader was gone and Sam rolled me over onto my back,
his face only inches from mine. He looked down at me, and without warning
kissed me hard, dominant and demanding, and then just as quickly backed off.
He smiled sheepishly. His own need was threatening to overwhelm him again. I
smiled back, reaching up and caressing his cheeks. I pulled his head down
into my chest and held him close in a brief moment of mutual surrender.

A tongue licking my nipple caused me to giggle. He did it again, and I
giggled some more. Then he bit it - hard. I sucked in sharply, the
simultaneous pain and pleasure a shock. He bit again, softer this time, and
my cock responded with a gush of pre-cum.

Sam's tongue traced a path down the center of my abdomen, swirling around my
navel and heading south. He rested his face in my pubic hair, my rigid cock
pushed down by his chin, and just breathed. I couldn't remember sharing a
more intimate moment with him. I sighed. He looked up, his chin resting on my
pubic bone, and smiled. I fought it hard, but a single tiny tear escaped down
my cheek. I brushed it away and he smiled again. I shrugged. I couldn't help
it.

Sam's hands stroked my legs as he nuzzled in the crease of my thigh. I gasped
when he licked one of my balls, then sucked it into his mouth and rolled it
around. The sheer vulnerability of the act made me quiver and quake. He
switched to the other side and continued his scrotal ministrations. When I
was at the point of screaming, he took pity on me and reached under my thighs
and pushed my legs up and back. I grabbed behind my knees and pulled them up,
exposing my hole to him, a completely different vulnerability on display.

Starting on the back of my thighs, moving from one side to the other, Sam
licked and stroked my flesh, moving inward inch by agonizing inch. I was
moving all over the place, trying to force his tongue and my asshole into
blissful alignment. Sam stopped and gave me a look which said, "Behave...or
else." I gulped, determined to submit. He was in control.

I concentrated on not moving while Sam concentrated on torturing me. His
tongue teased and prodded and probed for an eternity, sliding up and down my
crack, pausing to swirl across the perineum only to slide back into my hole
with hungry passion.

There was a momentary coolness when Sam reached over to open the drawer of
his nightstand. He extracted a bottle of lube and a pile of condoms. I shook
my head back and forth. He held up the lube. I nodded. He held up a condom,
and I shook my head again. He lifted an eyebrow of uncertainty. I slowly,
deliberately shook my head.

Sam leaned in and looked deep into my eyes, searching my soul for
understanding. He finally found it, and it was his turn to let a tear escape.
I trusted him. I knew he had not been with anyone since Jeremy. We were on
safe ground. He nodded, and I nodded back.

A lubed finger began exploring internally, seeking a place only men can know.
He found it, delivering light strokes, varying the pressure and the rhythm. I
moaned encouraging noises while I wallowed in overwhelming physical
sensations and a blissful mental euphoria.

A second finger added to the fullness in my ass. This was as far as he'd ever
gone before. Sam kept looking at me, waiting for my eyes to stop rolling and
connect to his long enough to communicate I was fine, please continue. Before
long my ass was relaxed and wanting more.

The third finger was a terrific jolt. I sucked big air, and Sam immediately
stopped. We locked eyes, and when the initial shock faded, I nodded. He
pushed in again, this time with no pain, only a pleasurable pressure. I
moaned and leaned back again, enjoying the stretched feeling of fullness. Sam
added more lube and continued his work, a happy smile on his face as he
watched me rolling along on the wave of sexual energy he created.

At some point, he pulled his fingers out, leaving behind a surprising
emptiness. I looked at him longingly, silently begging him to put them back
in. He smiled and shook his head slightly. He moved up and leaned through my
upraised legs to kiss me. I let go of my knees and wrapped my legs around his
back and welcomed his tongue into my mouth.

It took no time at all for our kissing to ignite a white hot passion in both
of us. Sam groaned into my mouth, his cock bobbing up against my hole, poking
and teasing, stripping me of all self-control. When he couldn't take it
anymore, he looked one more time into my eyes, seeking final permission. I
nodded vigorously. I wanted him in me now. I ached for it.

His eyes never left mine as he felt for my entrance with his fingers, guiding
his rock hard cock to my hole. As he pressed in fractionally, I kept nodding,
letting Sam know he could continue. Suddenly the head popped through, and I
winced. The look of concern and care on his face was priceless. He looked
more pained than I felt. I smiled and nodded. He took his time, a slow and
painless journey to the bottom, but eventually his dick was fully inside of
me.

It's a cliché to say I'd never felt more full. And that was true for me. But
it was more than a physical fullness. His cock buried deep within me filled
my heart, my mind, my very soul with all of him. I looked at him and squeezed
my legs in a tight hug around his waist. Then I squeezed my ass muscles. His
eyes flared at the corners and narrowed into something intense and animal. Uh
oh.

He was slow at first, moving only a little in and out. Gradually he increased
the length of each thrust while the speed remained constant. I nodded my
assent to keep going. He added more lube, making the movements easier. I
smiled and squeezed my ass around his cock again for encouragement. He
grinned and thrust in hard. I winced when he hit something unyielding inside.
He noticed and backed off.

Sam was a considerate lover. He kept a vigilant eye on my face, reading every
sign of pleasure or pain and adjusting accordingly. Soon he was pushing in
and out faster, and the constant rubbing against my prostate sent my body
into overdrive. I reached for my rigid, dripping cock, but he slapped my hand
away. I began to pull Sam into me with my feet on his ass. He pushed harder
and faster. I squeezed my ass tighter, and his thrusts quickened and
lengthened yet again.

He leaned back and balanced himself with one hand on my leg while the other
grabbed my engorged dick and started stroking hard. The combination of his
hand on my cock pushed me to the brink in seconds. My breathing became ragged
as I tried to fight against the rising tide. I didn't want this feeling to
ever end.

Sweat was dripping off Sam's face when I saw his concentration shift from me
to his own impending orgasm. He kept stroking my cock, and I did my best to
squeeze my ass and match his rhythm. He changed position slightly, and
suddenly his cock was pounding my prostate into submission. The pain and
pleasure overwhelmed any further attempt at delay.

"Don't stop. Please don't stop. Oh god! Oh, fuck, Sam. Don't stop. Keep
fucking me, Sam. Please don't stop. Oh...oh...SAM!" I screamed his name as
cum shot straight up out of my dick, hitting him on the chin. The powerful
internal contractions in my ass sent Sam over the edge. Suddenly his whole
body started to shake, disturbing his steady rhythm.

"Oh, fuck! Fuck, Jack. Oh my god. Jack...I'm cumming. I'm cumming in you,
Jack. Oh...FUCK!" I felt his cock pulsing in my ass, propelling jets of cum
into me. His thrusts were wild and irregular now. I squeezed my exhausted ass
gently against his sensitive cock inside me, and he gasped. I let go and he
breathed a little easier. His thrusts gradually diminished until he was
still. He started to pull out.

"No, stay! Please!" I begged, driving him deep into my butt with my feet and
legs. I pulled him down so he could rest against my chest and recover. I
kissed the top of his head and tried desperately once again not to cry. I
failed.

Tears ran into my ears as I relished the feel of Sam inside me. He was still
hard, and every slight movement brought another wave of pleasure. I didn't
want him to ever leave this place, the place where he belonged. At some point
he looked up, misread my tears, and panicked.

"Oh fuck, Jack! I hurt you, didn't I. Shit! I'm sorry. I knew I'd be too
rough on you," he said, trying to get up. I held on tightly with my legs.

"Sam, stop. Don't pull out...please!" He stopped withdrawing, then slowly
pushed his warm, hard cock back into my ass, watching my face closely for
signs of pain. I sighed when his balls rested against my butt again.

I pulled him down against my chest and hugged him. I squeezed my legs around
his waist as I spoke softly into his hair. "Please stay. You didn't hurt me,
Sam, I promise. It was so good. It was perfect. Oh Sam, you feel so good
inside me. I wish we could stay like this forever."

We remained locked in our post-coital embrace until Sam's dick eventually
deflated some and he slipped out of me. I released my hold and Sam pushed up
on his elbows and looked deep into my eyes.

"I love you, Little Man," he said. "Thanks for being you, Jack. And for
letting me be me."

"Are you kidding? You just gave me the best birthday present ever. I love who
you are, Sam. Never, ever be anyone else."

He grinned. Then he kissed me. Hard.


To be continued...


Author's Notes:
Jack and Sam's relationship has moved to a deeper level. The dynamics of
power and control are shifting. How will Todd handle becoming a father? Why
is Mason upset? Who is Will bringing to the party, if anyone? Will the move
happen on schedule? Stay tuned for more...

Once again, the editors have succeeded in keeping me out of trouble with the
grammar police. Any remaining errors are mine alone. Thank you, gentlemen,
for your time and care in making this story better than it could ever be
without you.

And thank you, dear readers, for your patience with this harried author. I
know it has been quite a while since the last posting. I hope what you have
just read was worth the wait. I appreciate all the well wishes and those of
you who check in with me on occasion.

If you would like to write and share your thoughts on Forever, please do. I
LOVE hearing from readers, as this is the greatest reward for my labors. I'll
answer every email as quickly as I can.

Email me at: jack.schaeffman@gmail.com