During the next two weeks, Jeff relaxed into an easy working relationship with Mike. He all but forgot the other man was a convict. Mike proved to be one of the best workers Jeff had ever employed. No sooner did a customer enter the office than Mike picked up on what the person wanted and was off finding it, searching the warehouse area or out in the lot taking it off a vehicle if necessary. Occasionally Jeff sent him on a run with the slider or the older regular tow truck, too. Mike seemed reluctant only to handle the money or deal directly with customers, so Jeff respected his unspoken wishes.
But Jeff still found Mike awfully taciturn and wondered, at times, if the lean man was really antisocial or simply shy. He’d shaved, gotten a hair cut and cleaned up pretty well. Even though he did get greasy and dirty crawling under cars and delving into the engine compartments, he started work each day in clean, though somewhat ragged, clothes. There was a lot about the guy to like. If he’d shown any inclination to open up, Jeff would have tried to cultivate a closer friendship, but it seemed Mike preferred to keep the world at arm’s length.
Well, I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to be in prison. He never said for how long but even a year would be too much. And the tales I’ve heard about brutal assaults, both sexual and plain old bullying are enough to curl my toes. I suppose it’s bound to leave a mark on a person. But I wish he’d be a little less standoffish. Given time, I think I’d consider making him a partner in the business and maybe even socializing some.
The blistering heat of early summer in the Arizona desert eased off slightly as the humidity began to climb for the rainy season. In some ways, this was even worse. Now the evaporative “swamp coolers” only stirred the muggy air. Since air conditioning was too expensive to use in the big old Quonset hut that served as the office and warehouse space for Castle Classic Cars, all Jeff could do was sweat and endure.
July third saw clouds piling up over the distant mountains, but it didn’t help much. Jeff expected a slow day and at eleven he almost hung out the closed sign. Instead he decided to work on the computerized inventory system he was trying to fine-tune to keep track of everything he had in the warehouse and yard. He thanked his high-tech background. It gave him a leg up on understanding and working with up-to-date automation tools. For several hours he lost himself in the work.
A crack of lightning striking and simultaneous thunder jolted him back to the present. “Holy shit, that was close!” Thank the gods I have a good surge suppressor and battery backup for my system.
The sharp ozone scent, coupled with the unique odors of desert rain, wet creosote and other aromatic plants, wafted through the building drawn in by the cooler.
His next thought came quickly. Where’s Mike? The last he’d noticed, his lanky assistant had the hood off the Mustang and his head stuck deep into the working parts of the old car’s innards. Rising from his computer desk, Jeff headed toward the back door into the yard.
Yes, there was Mike, trying to wrestle a tarp into place on the Mustang in the face of the rising wind. The first few hard-driven raindrops splattered to the ground, kicking up puffs of dust when they hit.
“Hang on. I’ll give you a hand,” Jeff yelled. Against the wind, he wasn’t sure if Mike heard him or not, but he headed that way at a jog. Another sizzling bolt of lightning dazzled his vision. He thought it struck either a vehicle in the back of the lot or the six-foot chain link fence. Without a doubt it was too close for comfort. He put a little more speed to his feet. The rain started falling harder and heavier, big solid drops just short of turning to hail stones. They stung when they hit.
Between them, they got the tarp stretched across the front of the Mustang and tied down with bungee cords. By then there was no question about trying to get back to the office. Mike’s trailer was right there. They tumbled through the door, dripping wet and feeling battered by the rain, now mixed with some hail.
Without giving it much thought, Jeff dragged his sodden T-shirt over his head. He could almost wring it out, and water dripped from his jeans to the floor. Mike was equally wet. He, too, shed his shirt, a faded chambray work shirt with the sleeves cut off. His darkly tanned arms gleamed like burnished mahogany with a mixture of sweat and rain. His near-black hair was plastered to his skull, and strands separated to reveal the jagged scar above his right ear, normally well hidden.
Jeff sucked in a sharp breath. Man, the guy is beautiful in a harsh warrior’s way. Bet there’s a story behind such a scar…He found himself wanting to reach out and trace a fingertip along the line and ask, “What happened? How did you get this?” Before he had time to censor his actions, he did just that.
Mike froze, his breath hitching as he went dead still. He shut his eyes for a moment as both hands clenched into fists and then relaxed, going suddenly limp.
“Broken bottle used as a knife. It was aimed at my throat but I ducked and twisted.”
“Is it sensitive? I didn’t mean to startle you. I guess I just didn’t think.”
Taking a step back, Mike shook his head. “No, it’s almost dead, no feeling in it at all. I was just surprised. Forgot it would show with my hair all plastered down.” He tossed his shirt over the edge of the sink. “Want to put your shirt over here to drip?”
Jeff handed it over, suddenly very conscious of his half-nude state, of both of them being bare to the waist. How would it feel to have Mike’s body pressed to his? Mike’s chest was less tanned than his arms, but still far darker than Jeff’s. Cursed with a redhead’s pale skin, Jeff burned and burned again before he ever tanned. He’d finally given up; figuring melanoma was too big a price to pay for a sexy brown look. So he still looked like the desk jockey he had been, except for his neck and forearms, which were usually more red than tan.
For a dozen breaths they simply stood and looked at each other. Jeff took the first step and then Mike responded in kind. A moment later they were face to face, chest to chest, and wrapping arms around one another’s wet bodies. Blistering heat sizzled through Jeff at the contact. He expected to see steam rise, it felt that hot. He was a little bit huskier, but they were of a height that put their faces level, so neither had to reach or tilt his head to bring their mouths together.
The kiss was urgent, desperate, as if they were both starved for it. Lips twisted and clung as tongues danced in a furious duel. Finally they both pulled back to catch their breaths.
“I thought…I wondered, but I was scared to ask…”
“I didn’t figure a guy like you would be interested in a guy like me…thought you must have a lady at home.”
Their gasped-out words revealed how parallel their thoughts had been running, how they’d both been afraid to make the first move. Now it had been made, completely unplanned. A dizzy relief swept over Jeff as he realized he didn’t have to wonder any longer.
As if from a distance he registered the rain still fell, pelting down in true desert storm fashion, a flash flood in the making, but here they were safe and starting to dry off. The yard sat on a ridge, well out of harm’s way. No worries.
“We ought to shuck our wet jeans, too,” Jeff said. “Not that we’re gonna catch cold or anything, but they don’t feel too great.”
When Mike laughed, Jeff realized it was the first time he’d heard the other man give more than a muted chuckle. Looking at Jeff, Mike suddenly grinned. “Are you tryin’ to get me nekkid here?”
“Down to the tighty-whiteys anyway.”
“Don’t have any on.”
“So much the better. I do, but I can lose them fast.”
Jeff kicked off his athletic shoes. Mike took a little longer to untie his high tops, but stooping to do it gave Jeff a great view. Damn, he’s got a nice ass. I noticed, but now I can really get an eyeful. For a lean guy, he’s got muscle in all the right places. Two pairs of wet blue jeans and one pair of Jockeys joined the shirts, draped across the edge of the kitchen counter.
When Mike straightened and turned back to face Jeff, he was already more than half hard, his cock jutting eagerly in Jeff’s direction. The expression on his face was equally avid. Once again locked in a close embrace, they stumbled sideways toward the couch in the living area of the trailer. Busy hands skimmed over each other’s bodies, stroking, squeezing, rubbing, and learning which touches drew shivers, shudders, or moans of pleasure.
They fell onto the couch, Jeff beneath Mike when they landed. That was okay. The weight of the other man’s body felt good, and the thrust of his cock between Jeff’s thighs felt even better. They kissed again, in hungry, eager nips, while Jeff tangled one hand in Mike’s hair and gripped the left cheek of his ass with the other. The muscle flexed beneath his clutching fingers, and he felt the fine shivers dancing across Mike’s skin all over his body.
“It’s been a while,” Mike said, his voice so low and guttural it was almost a groan. “And longer since it was consensual. Rape isn’t exactly fun, even if you don’t fight it, in order to save your sorry ass from getting beat to a pulp. That’s one of the ugly parts of being in the pen.”
“I’m sorry.” Jeff kept his tone gentle, almost neutral. “You don’t strike me as a guy who deserved to have to deal with that kind of shit. The guards don’t try to protect you?”
Mike shrugged. “How can they? They can’t be everywhere all the time, and some of them do turn a blind eye so long as nobody gets killed or there are no riots. I made it. Don’t worry about it. Not your problem.”
“My friend’s problems are mine,” Jeff insisted. “Right now you’re a friend, or I’d like to think you are. From the first I felt a pull in your direction, but you were so aloof, like you didn’t want anyone in your space.”
“I was just being careful. It meant a lot for you to trust me on your place here with a lot of valuable stuff and give me a chance to get some self-respect back. I was scared to fuck things up by coming on to you if you didn’t want me.”
“We wasted some time, but it’s not too late.” Jeff reached down between their bodies and wrapped his hand around Mike’s rigid prick. “First off, I want to give you my very best blow job and then whatever else you’d like.”
When Mike laughed again, the sound faded into a ragged sigh. “Oh, man, I think I died and went to heaven. Did one of those lightning bolts hit me? Pinch me so I know I’m not dreaming.”
He rolled off Jeff, turned and lay back on the couch, as Jeff dropped to kneel between his sprawled legs.
Mike had long, slender feet. They were one of the few parts of him that were relatively pale. Jeff massaged them, warming the skin chilled by being wet. Then he worked his way up Mike’s long legs, rubbing and kneading until the tense muscles relaxed. When he reached the upper thighs, he softened the touch and deliberately made it more sensual, more teasing. Mike’s cock jerked as the blood surged into it with each beat of his heart. He groaned and murmured slurred words of pleasure, leaning his head back on the couch and closing his eyes.
Finally Jeff again clasped Mike’s cock. He closed his hand around the girth and stroked slowly from base to head, eased down and did it again. “You awake up there?”
“I am now,” Mike said. “Yeah. I’m definitely awake now.”
Jeff fished a foil packet out of his wallet and rolled the rubber over Mike’s prick, then he bent down and ran his tongue around the head, under the edge of the mushroom-shaped cap to taunt the nerve buds in that tender area. He widened his mouth to slide down over as much of Mike’s erection as he could. The tight, hot power beneath it sent a thrill through him as he began to suck, building slowly in rhythm and pressure. Mike began to twist and heave then, fucking Jeff’s mouth as he bobbed up and down. Then Mike grabbed Jeff’s head, digging his fingers into Jeff’s hair and driving into his mouth in a final fierce thrust. He howled aloud as he came, erupting in a series of spasms Jeff felt all through his whole body.
“Oh, man, that was wild. Amazing. God, it was good.”
Jeff struggled to his feet, his legs numb and stiff from the length of time he’d knelt. “Good. I hoped it would be just right for you, something to push back some of those bad memories. Now what would you like?”
“I’d like for you to fuck me. I want you, and I want to give that much of myself to you.”
“Are you sure? Because I don’t want to do it unless you’re sure it’s what you want. And don’t just do it for me.”
“It’s for both of us. Me and you and us—together.” There was an earnest intensity in Mike’s voice Jeff couldn’t doubt.
Relief surged through him. Yeah, he wanted it with all his heart, but only if the other man was willing, and stirring bad memories was not what he wanted to do. “Okay. In that case, I’d enjoy it. What have you got in the way of lube? I’m not going into you dry.”
“Oh, shit, now why wasn’t I prepared? Let’s see, what would do in a pinch?”
“I don’t recommend 10-W-40.” Jeff’s tone came out dry and droll as he cited a common motor oil weight. “But WD-40 might make it. They say it’s good for arthritis and it is slick.”
“Yeah, WD-40 and duct tape will fix most anything. But wait, I got some hand stuff the other day, some kind of creamy junk. Washing parts in diesel had my skin cracking to beat all hell. It’s right there on the ledge above the bed.”
Already on his feet, Jeff went back to get it. He stopped to dig a second condom out of his wallet in his jeans. Then he squirted a generous dollop of lube onto his cock, spread it quickly, and next slathered a handful along the crack of Mike’s ass and worked some into his rectum with one finger, then two.
Before he was done, Mike began to squirm. “Aw, man, damn that feels good. But I want more.”
Jeff did, too. He grasped Mike’s hips and started to nudge his cock between Mike’s cheeks. It was all he could do to maintain enough control to take it slow and easy. I’m not going to do it like he had it in prison. I’m going to be gentle, careful, easy, and slow. He pushed past the first tight ring and almost moaned. It felt that good. He eased off for a breath and then thrust deeper, but still careful, still restrained.
Then Mike pushed upward against him, forcing his prick to drive deeper. Control evaporated. He began to fuck hard and fast, letting out the hunger and need flooding through him. Mike didn’t flinch, but met his thrusts eagerly and accepted the pounding pressure.
It was over too soon. Jeff came in a rush, hard and fierce. He slumped forward, resting half on Mike’s back and trying to take some of his weight on his arms, braced against the back of the couch. His legs trembled, barely holding him up.
After he caught his breath, he pulled free and straightened. Mike gathered himself and stood up also, turning slowly to face Jeff. Awe and amazement painted his angular face. He seemed to search for words for a moment, then finally spoke.
“I don’t know what to say. Thanks, I guess. That was incredible. You made it feel like you cared, like it was not just about you getting off, but something deeper, something real. I never experienced anything quite like it.”
Jeff gave him a quick hug. “I did want it to be different and I do care. For what it’s worth, I really do.”
Mike gave him a crooked grin. “For what it’s worth, I do, too.”
The rain had stopped. The sun chose that moment to slip out from behind the clouds, shining now at a low slant revealing it was late in the afternoon. Jeff hoped no one had come to the office and found it empty, but he really didn’t give a rat’s ass. His afternoon could not be termed a waste no matter what had happened anywhere else.
He cuffed Mike on the shoulder. “I better get dressed and get over there and close up for the night anyway. Why don’t I come by in the morning about ten or so and take you over to the house? I was planning to have a few friends over for a cookout in the afternoon. It’s about time they met you and find out I’ve got a new partner here.”
For an instant something close to panic flared in Mike’s eyes. Then it faded. He twitched one shoulder. “Sure, if you want to. I did get a new pair of Levi’s the other day and I think I can find a clean shirt without too many holes somewhere. I don’t want to look like some homeless bum.”
“My friends aren’t the kind of people who make careless judgments based on image, Mike. I wouldn’t have friends that shallow and crass. They’ll see the same qualities in you I see. Don’t sweat it.”
He could tell Mike was still dubious, but he’d agreed, which was enough for now. Not wanting to get too sentimental, Jeff turned away without saying anything else. He stepped out the door, squished through the muddy rivulets still running across the lot and headed for the main building. It had been an amazing couple of hours.