Guarded - 8. Chapter 8

Saturday afternoon arrived, and with it came a distinct eagerness. Corbin smiled as the big white truck drove toward him. He waited at the intersection of the highway, his, and Paul's roads. The sun shined bright on him and the day had warmed nicely. The big machine came to a stop in a hiss of hydraulics and the crunch of wheels on gravel.

The driver side window descended. "Howdy." The driver, a rough-shaven forty-something man, nodded to Corbin. "You're the one who paid for this load, and for the weekend delivery?"

"Yep. I'm Corbin Rae ... err, Blackwell." The driver didn't catch his near slip, but Corbin frowned at himself. He shook it off and refocused on the man in the truck. "Everything in order?"

The driver nodded. "Yup." He eyed the fresh-graded road with a practiced eye. "This should be a piece of cake."

Earlier in the late morning, Corbin met another massive machine in this same spot. That job had finished only a half-hour earlier. He had timed things well. Corbin had already had a busy day, and it wasn't over yet. "All right." He patted the side of the truck. "If you need anything from me or if there are any issues you've got my number."

The driver nodded and off he went. As soon as the machine hit the graded area, the gravel began to stream out of the back of the big truck.

Corbin grinned like a maniac. 'Today is a good day.' He couldn't quite remember a time he felt more satisfied with himself.

_____________________________________________

Harris was home in his New York apartment. He sipped herbal tea with honey and lemon from a misshapen and colorful ceramic mug. The mug was a treasured gift, one from his young daughter, one she had made for him years ago.

The liquid steamed, and he watched the vapor rise with eyes so dark they were often mistaken as black.

His relaxed expression belied how he felt. He forced his breaths to come slow and deep and willed his body to sit limp and relaxed. It was important that his mind be as clear and as non-emotional as possible. He needed to be right. Too much depended on him, and he had to make the correct choice.

Finally, he sighed. He needed to decide. It was his call, and he needed to choose. He looked again at the notice on his phone. 'Stefano Moretti: suspected flight from New York. Whereabouts - Unknown.'

A few times a week the FBI and Harris specifically would receive intel that Stefano was still in New York. It was always too late to do anything about it and pick him up, but it was assurance that they knew he wasn't on the move. Now there had been nothing at all for a week. The likelihood that he was still in NYC was so low that the statistic geeks discarded it as a possibility.

He stared at the notice. 'What good will it do to tell him? Will it do more harm? We know Stefano's not in New York, and we know he's not in Hailey, but we don't know where he is now.'

What Harris did have an intimate knowledge of was Corbin. That tends to happen when you spend every day with a man over a two-year span. He knew Stefano's flight from New York could send Corbin into a tailspin, and he had made progress. He had started on the path to having a life again.

Harris opened the folder that lay in his lap. 'Paul Boyd. Firefighter, licensed paramedic, certified wilderness rescue. Twenty-seven years old. Sister and parents are in Boise.'

He tapped the picture in the folder. It showed Paul in sharp detail and was only a few days old. He was in uniform, and stood in line at a deli, awaiting his turn to order along with a few other firefighters. 'Accomplished hunter, built his own home completely off-grid. Self-taught and practiced in survival. Avid backpacker.' Harris narrowed his eyes and nodded to himself.

"And Corbin likes him. He's starting to move on," Harris murmured.

Harris's fear was Corbin would request to move. If he knew about Stefano, then he would try to run, and that could destroy everything Harris had worked to do. Not to mention it would cost the FBI a massive amount of money to relocate Corbin if such a thing was even approved.

He closed the folder then steepled his fingers in front of his face, dark eyes losing focus as he thought. Harris couldn't see a scenario where telling Corbin would help anything. At least, not yet. Once he knew for sure, or even if there was a hint Stefano was making a move on Hailey then he would have to reassess.

Decided, he picked up his phone. He dialed, and it was soon answered. "Step up visual recon at all the locations on file. I want to know if Stefano sets foot in Hailey - the moment it happens." Harris listened to the response with a frown. “No, there’s no reason to suspect Stefano knows where Corbin is, but we’re not taking any chances. Understand?” He waited for the confirmation of his order then his lips twitched into a smile.

Harris hung up. He would have to justify the added expense of more agent time in Hailey, but he was sure the approval would come for the additions to his recon. Stefano was regarded by the FBI as extremely dangerous, and if he headed to Hailey, then more agents in place meant he would be that much easier to find and catch.

Besides, Harris had a debt to pay. He thought again of Corbin. Then his eyes softened as they landed on his mug. "I'm not going to fail, not after coming this far," he whispered. His fingers caressed the lumpy texture of the ceramic, then Harris raised the drink, and he downed the remains of his tea.

_______________________________________________

Sunday was a blur of activity for Corbin. The forecast for the next week had a startling amount of sun, and he wanted to use that sunny weather well. It was time for "Project Fresh Eggs." He would have plenty of time to build both the coop and the chicken run during the days since he only worked four hours a day.

His one big problem was the idea of predators. He set out to create a safe little space for his chickens, and he couldn't stand the thought that something would try and kill them in their own home. To that end, his supply list was a little more extensive than most.

Excited, he got into his pick-up. Now that the roads were clear of snow and ice he made the trip fast. And soon he pulled into the Hailey Ace Hardware.

Corbin purchased all the regular items for a chicken run and a coop. He had wood, chicken wire, fencing, roofing, nails, posts, and so forth. He also bought enough pavers to cover the ground of both the run and the coop.

During his research, he read about the digging powers of raccoons. And disgusting enough they loved to chew the heads off of chickens. He decided that was not to be the fate of his flock. He nodded with satisfaction at his materials. That included the pile of heavy pavers in the back of the pick-up. Now ready he headed back with all his supplies and tools.

The very first thing he did was level and clear the area he chose as best he could. He used a stiff metal rake for a lot of this, and soon a bare patch of ground greeted his eyes.

Next came the post-hole diggers. Luckily the warm weather thawed the ground, and he found digging the holes a lot easier than it would have been. This is not to say it was easy. He soon worked up a sweat in the 52F degree air, and his overcoat found its way off to the side on his pile of posts.

He kept uncovering rocks and roots during the process so it went slower than he would have liked. After a little more than two hours, he had the holes for the posts dug. He had finally completed that initial part of the project.

He put about two inches of leftover gravel down into the bottom of each hole. Happy, Corbin put his posts down into the holes he dug. He stood back and looked at his handiwork. A rectangle made up of eight posts now stood upright. They were two feet in the ground and extended another six feet above.

“These are going to be some lucky chickens.” He grinned. This was all he wanted to get done today, and he felt pretty good about his progress. Now he was hungry, and he went inside to find something for lunch.

He hadn’t had many vegetables lately, and he set out to remedy that. He made himself a salad with lots of greens, but he was doing a lot of physical work, and he knew he needed protein. He boiled an egg, sliced it up, and that went on as well. Corbin frowned at his salad then sighed. ‘Not enough.’ He opened a can of tuna, and as he ate his salad, he also ate the fish right out of the can.

He finished and grinned. ‘That’s better.’ He cleaned up, then looked at the time. ‘No use wasting daylight. Let’s get those posts tamped into place.’ His time on the ridge helping set the posts for Paul’s workshop made him confident. Corbin knew he could do something similar with his chicken project.

He went back outside and picked up a thick, heavy metal rod - it was a tool purchased with this project in mind. One end was blunt while the other looked like a chisel. He flipped it around to the blunt end. Corbin pushed some of the dirt from his earlier digging into the hole around the post, then the rod came up. He pounded the soil and compacted it tight around the post. Corbin continued doing this in layers until the level of the dirt was all the way up to the top.

His shoulders screamed from the effort, and he rolled them with a grimace. Back in his old life, he spent a lot of time working out to maintain his waistline and the little bit of abdominal development he possessed. He didn’t think he’d need to do that anymore. Corbin suspected working on his projects challenged his body more than he ever worked it in the gym.

He pushed on the post to test it, The thing was solid and didn't move at all. He smiled. ‘Okay, one down, seven more to go.’ That elicited a sigh, then he grinned at himself. ‘You picked this life. You could have gone to live in Hawaii, but noooo.’ Then he thought of Paul, and his smile changed to something wistful. He sighed again. ‘No, this is good.’

With a determined look, he took position at the second post. Soon the sound of the bar ramming the earth around the post could be heard ringing on his property.

_______________________________________________

It was Monday morning, and Paul was tired. His forty-eight-hour duty was very busy. They had multiple calls for medical emergencies during both nights, and all of the firefighters were beat, but he wanted to stay awake because if he slept now, he would wreck his sleep cycle. He changed back into his regular clothes, and he left the fire-station at seven when the relief crew came on.

He headed straight to Hailey Coffee Company, a regular stop for him after work. Paul frowned as he drove into the parking lot. ‘Corbin’s truck? What … ahhhh.’ He remembered that Corbin started his employment at the coffee place that day. ‘Wow, I really must be tired.’ He sat in his truck a moment. ‘Will Corbin want to see me in there?’

He couldn’t spare the mental energy to process all the possibilities and was in desperate need of coffee. Paul got out of his truck and entered the shop. It was quiet for this time of day. Only a few patrons sat at tables, and nobody was in line.

As Paul walked up to the counter, he saw Karen talking to Corbin, and she pointed at something on the register. Corbin listened, his expression attentive and he nodded. He wore a brown and tan apron over his shirt, same as Karen wore. His blonde hair was short and looked soft. Paul felt his heart quicken when he looked at the handsome man.

“Paul!” Karen grinned. “How’s my favorite firefighter?” The amount of excitement this woman possessed was sometimes too much. Today there was no way he could match her enthusiasm, and he wasn’t even going to try.

“Tired. Hi, Karen,” he mumbled. Paul fished in his back pocket for his wallet and glanced up. Corbin’s blue eyes rested on him, and a slight smile graced his lips. “And howdy neighbor,” Paul said with a smile of his own.

“Hey, Paul.” Corbin’s smile broadened. “You just get off duty?”

“Yeah.” Paul stifled a yawn. “Was a busy one. I need some coffee.” It was evident from his voice he desperately needed caffeine.

Karen slapped Corbin’s shoulder. “Well, this man has been making it all morning. Give him your order, I’m gonna go put my feet up.” She laughed and disappeared into her small supply room and office in the back of the shop.

Corbin watched her go with a grin. “That woman doesn’t know how to put her feet up.” Paul laughed in agreement. “What would you like, Paul?”

“Americano. Quad shot, sixteen ounce. Stat.” He yawned and blinked, his expression sleepy.

“You got it.” Corbin smiled at him and began to make his drink. A few minutes later he handed it over, and Paul slid some bills across the counter in exchange.

He picked it up and breathed in the delicious aroma. “Gonna get the cream.” He smiled at Corbin. “Thanks.”

The blonde man nodded, his eyes still focused on Paul’s. As Paul turned away, Corbin asked, “You been home yet?” His expression was unreadable.

Paul looked over his shoulder at him. “No, not yet. I needed this before I could drive up that damn goat path leading to my place.” He held the cup of coffee.

Corbin’s smile returned. “Okay. Well, be careful.”

“Yeah, I will. Thanks.”

Paul poured cream into his drink, then he sipped it. Strong, creamy, hot, and had a jolt - precisely as he liked it. He sighed, turned and waved. “Talk to you later.”

“Okay.” Corbin bit his lip. “Hey, you wanna hang out later?” He looked over his shoulder. Karen was still in her office, and nobody was close enough to hear their conversation. He turned back to Paul. “I could bring something, and we could make lunch up at your place?”

This was a pleasant surprise. “Yeah!” Paul grinned, then tried to tamp down his obvious enthusiasm. He didn’t meet with much success. “Yeah, that sounds great.” He frowned. “Should I come to get you, you know what that road’s like?”

Corbin’s expression changed to a strange, knowing smile. “I think I’ll be fine to drive it. I’ll meet you up there once I get off work. That okay?”

A group of patrons entered and headed for the counter. Paul nodded at Corbin. “Yep, that sounds good.” He left with a broad smile and a wave which Corbin returned. Then the blonde man was busy at the counter with his line.

Paul exited and got to his truck. He jumped in and sat with his coffee in hand. He grinned like a crazy man. “Wooo!” He hollered in the enclosed cab and pumped his fist. He took a breath and started the diesel. Despite his feelings of excitement, he made the drive out of town, careful and slow. All the while he sipped the coffee and the drink went to work, he already felt more awake.

Paul still wore remnants of the smile when he came to the intersection of his road and the highway. His jaw dropped. “Wha …” His truck came to a complete halt in the roadway as he stared at his road.

What he could see of it was graded, and had a nice load of gravel. He gaped, then a horn sounded behind him. He shook himself. “Ah, shit. Sorry!” He threw up his hand in a wave, then pulled onto his road out of the way. The car passed, and Paul got out. He looked at the gravel, mystified, and he noticed another detail. There was now a nice ditch on the inside of the road, against the slope of the hill. It would carry any drainage down, away from the rest of the road, and dump it out at the bottom of the ridge.

Paul rubbed his face, then he remembered Corbin’s expression in the coffee shop. “Corbin!” He shook his head. “Shit. I can’t believe he did this.” His face screwed up. He was tired, happy, and surprised, and as a result, it was a struggle to keep emotions under control. He did, but it was close.

Paul pulled out his phone. ‘Corbin, how much do I owe you for the road?’

He sent the message then got back into his truck. With a deep breath, he drove and shook his head as he came to the top of his ridge. The whole thing was graded, trenched, and had a nice thick layer of gravel. It would be set for years.

He got out of the truck, and his phone buzzed. He took a look at the message. ‘Well, if you could help me with moving into my place, getting some firewood, teach me to build a fire, and save my life we can call it even. Oh, wait …’

Paul snorted. “Smart ass.” He grinned at the phone and tapped out another message. ‘Okay. Fine. Thank you, Corbin. This was really nice of you. Way beyond nice.’

He kept the phone in hand and walked into the house. Another message came. ‘Welcome Neighbor. See you in a few hours.’

Paul smiled down at the phone then he looked up. He could see into his backyard through a kitchen window. His partially completed workshop was visible, and Paul could also see the lip of the wood-fired hot-tub he and Chad built. His expression shifted as he stared at the tub. “Yep. See you later neighbor.” A smile slowly spread across his face. “Hopefully all of you.”

________________________________________

Corbin left the parking lot of Albertsons in Hailey. It was now twelve-thirty, and he was on the way to Paul’s. Beside him on the passenger seat was a sack of groceries. He had all the makings of burgers, and some frozen crinkle cut fries from the bag. Though he would have preferred the hand-cut variety, he didn’t have the patience today. He was already hungry.

Corbin made the drive out of Hailey, then grinned as he turned up Paul’s new road. His truck would have no issues with this road now. As expected, he drove up with no problem then parked. As he did, he noticed he still had the wrap from the clinic on his arm. Corbin removed the flexible bandage wrapped around the bend of his right elbow. He checked the tiny hole where a needle had taken a sample only an hour ago. He put his flannel shirt back on, his harness with his thirty-eight, then his coat.

Right after his shift at the coffee shop he had visited the clinic in Hailey. He had blood drawn for all the common STDs, and also had to pee in a cup. It had been a long time since he had to worry about such things. He and Liam were monogamous, and he hadn’t been with anyone since, but he also didn’t want to assume that’d be enough to please Paul.

Paul had gone out the morning after the events of the stream and found the gun. It was on a barely intact sheet of ice. Corbin oiled it well, checked to ensure it was clean, then put it back into his holster. The harness was in worse condition, and the water had done it no favors. But he'd managed to get most of the supple leather back into shape with patience and some mink oil.

As he gathered his groceries, he was well aware of what his visit to the clinic meant. It meant he planned for things to get serious between them. At least, he planned for things to get serious physically. ‘No, you’re just being prepared.’ His inner voice tried to reason it out. ‘You’re not assuming anything. You’re not planning anything. It’s just in case.’

He walked to the front door and scoffed at his own mental monologue. ‘Yeah. Just in case. Remember, you don’t lie to yourself. Just in case is buying a box of condoms, not getting STD testing at the local Hailey clinic.’ He pushed his thoughts aside and knocked.

After a moment Paul’s head poked around the side of the house. “Hey, Corbin!” Paul grinned, and Corbin frowned at him, a little confused.

“Hey, Paul.” The fireman walked around the side of the house to the front door and opened it for Corbin. “What’s going on?”

“Ah, firing up the hot tub.” He watched Corbin’s face as he said it. He was gratified to see the happy surprise there. “As in literally, firing it up.” He laughed. “I’ll show you in a bit.” He and Corbin entered the house. “What’s for lunch?” The two men made their way to the kitchen.

“Burgers and frozen fries.” Paul helped Corbin unbag everything on the kitchen counter. “Hope that’ll work.”

“Sounds great to me.” Paul smiled at him. “And, I wanted to thank you again, for the road.” He shook his head. “You didn’t have to do that Corbin. I’m sure it was at least two thousand.”

It was actually closer to four, but Corbin wasn’t about to tell him that. “It’s fine, Paul. I wanted to do something for you.” He looked down and busied himself with his food prep.

Paul stood there, then he gripped Corbin’s shoulder. Paul gently turned him, so they faced one another. Corbin swallowed then he glanced up at his face. Paul looked down at him. “Nobody has done anything like that for me.” Paul shook his head. “I mean it. Nobody.” He leaned down, his lips so close Corbin could feel the heat from them against his own. “So, thank you.” He whispered. The fireman pulled on Corbin’s chin, and they kissed.

Corbin felt his whole head tingle, and the sensation ran down his spine. Paul’s tongue gently pushed past his lips, and he returned the favor with a low moan.

Too soon for Corbin Paul pulled back. His eyes searched Corbin’s face for his reaction. The blonde man swallowed and took a breath. Then he smiled at Paul. “If you don’t get out of here I’ll never get lunch done.”

The tall man smiled. “All right. I’m going to be in the backyard. Let me know if you need help with anything.” He turned, and Corbin caught his long cock in profile, hard down the leg of his Carhartts. Paul saw the look, and he only waggled his eyebrows with a grin.

Corbin went back to the burgers. When Paul left he reached down to adjust himself. ‘Yeah, just in case my ass.’ He chuckled at himself and formed patties to fry. Soon the nice sizzle of meat in a cast iron pan filled the kitchen. Corbin smiled down at the patties, lost in warm, comfortable thoughts.

It wasn’t long till Corbin put their burgers together. After some consultation with Paul, he realized their tastes in toppings were pretty close. Paul got tomatoes, and Corbin didn’t. The rest was the same. Avocado, bacon, pepper jack and caramelized onion all made for a happy burger.

He carried the burgers to the table, along with a healthy amount of baked fries. Corbin went over and opened the kitchen window. He could see Paul feeding wood into a little stove attached to a steaming tank of water. He frowned in confusion. “What the hell?!”

Paul looked up and grinned. “I told you!” He motioned at the contraption. “Wood-fired hot tub!”

He was apparently proud of the contraption, and Corbin laughed. “It works? Without boiling you like a lobster?”

“Yeah! Chad and I have already used it. A little fiddly, but totally safe.”

Corbin felt something he didn’t expect - an instant flash of jealousy. ‘Whoa, Corbin.’ He frowned and tried to push it aside, but he recognized it for what it was.

“Well, lunch is ready. Come on in.” It was hard, but he kept the edge out of his voice.

An oblivious and happy Paul soon entered the house. “Wow, smells good!”

“Thanks.” Corbin sat, and his eyes flicked to Paul. Paul took the chair next to him.

“Mmm.” Paul picked his burger up and went for a bite.

“Who’s Chad?” Corbin blurted it out, then he grimaced at his own tone.

Paul looked over at him, burger in mid-air and a little surprised. “Ah, he’s my best friend. We finished the hot tub project just before I had to go on duty.” It seemed to click in Paul’s mind why Corbin had asked. “Oh! Oh no. No, it’s not like that.”

Corbin tried to appear non-committal and only vaguely interested. “Like what?”

Paul laughed, and Corbin bristled despite himself. He looked at Corbin, and he could see the smaller man getting upset. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Paul put the burger down. “Chad’s my best friend. A local cop. We’ve known each other for years. I introduced him to his wife.” Paul put his hand on Corbin’s shoulder. “Though it would have been really handy if he were gay, and if I were attracted to him, neither of those things are true. Okay?”

Corbin frowned, but not because of Paul. “I … fuck, I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “And it doesn’t matter if he’s gay or not. You don’t belong to me. Even if you were screwing around, it’s none of my business.” He said it as much for his own benefit as he did for Paul’s. On an intellectual level, he believed what he said, but his emotional mind railed against it. Somewhere deep in his brain, at some point, he had laid claim to Paul.

“Hey,” Paul smiled at him, “I can tell you, right now, I’m not screwing around.” The fireman took a breath. “And I sorta hope the same is true for you.”

Corbin laughed at that. “Apart from what we’ve done, I’ve been responsible for my own orgasms for two years.” He picked up a french fry. “How’s that for not screwing around?”

Paul nodded and looked relieved. “Sounds good.” He wet his lips. “Well, I don’t have the right to ask it of you, but I’d like if it stayed that way.”

Corbin chewed his fry and looked over at Paul. The fireman stared at him, and Corbin swallowed. “Are you saying you want us to only see each other?”

Paul nodded. “That’s what I’m saying, and it’d stay that way until one of us decided otherwise, then we’d revisit.” He picked up his burger again. “You okay with that?”

Corbin tried to control the wild roil of emotion that suddenly hit him. Paul essentially asked to be monogamous without using the word itself. The last and only other time he had this conversation had been years ago with Liam. Wordlessly, he nodded, then he picked up his burger.

The two of them ate their fries and savored the juicy, flavorful hamburgers. They finished, and Paul stood to clean the dishes.

“Hey, could you go check the temp on the hot tub?” Paul wiped out his treasured cast iron skillet and cleaned off most of the grease left by the patties. “If it’s below 100 degrees toss a stick of spruce into the barrel stove.”

Corbin nodded and went out back. There was a little wooden platform built around the tub to keep bare feet off the muddy ground, and a small bench made from a split tree trunk was beside that. He smiled at the rustic but functional set-up. There was a temp gauge attached to the steaming tub, and he checked it.

‘101F.’ He straightened up and looked through the kitchen window from the outside at Paul. He raised his thumb, and Paul grinned at him through the glass. The tall man finished up and soon appeared outside with Corbin.

“Ready to try it out?” Paul dipped his hand in the water, and he smiled at the warmth.

Corbin rolled his shoulders and grimaced. “Well, my shoulders are sore from working down on my property.” He narrowed his eyes. “Though I know you’re just trying to get me naked.” He grinned at Paul and then he started to unbutton his flannel shirt.

Paul laughed, and the men stripped. By the time they had gotten down to bare skin, they both sported erections.

Corbin eyed him, and gingerly got into the tub. “Ahhh, oh man.” He stood, and the water level barely reached his balls. He held on to the side, and slowly lowered himself. Corbin settled on the bottom with a sigh.

Paul joined him, and he slid down the side of the tub until he was on the bottom. The water now covered his shoulders, and he closed his eyes as he appreciated the nice heat on his body.

Corbin looked around at the tub. “I can’t believe this thing works.” He laughed. “What a great idea.” He leaned back and looked up into the sky. “It feels so luxurious out here.”

He felt the water shift as Paul moved, and suddenly Paul was there, his face directly above Corbin’s. The fireman’s hands gripped the side of the tub to either side of Corbin’s shoulders. He stared up into Paul’s face.

Paul leaned down and rubbed his beard against the side of Corbin’s neck. It dipped into the warm water as he did. “Tell me if I do anything you don’t like, or want," he whispered.

Corbin swallowed and nodded. He reached and put his arms around Paul. Their lips again found one another, and an intense, slow make out session began.

Corbin flirted with a loss of control. He felt that part of his brain as it strived to retain some grip on his actions. Paul’s hand found Corbin’s dick under the water, and he squeezed it firmly. Corbin groaned, and his illusion shattered.

Paul pulled his lips away and got off of him. “Stand up.” His voice was deep and rough with desire. Corbin obeyed almost instantly. Paul spun him, grabbed his hip with one hand, and put the other on Corbin’s back. The firefighter bent Corbin, so his hands rested on the lip of the tub.

Corbin felt a moment of stress, but only a moment. The next second Paul buried his face in his ass, and Corbin inhaled sharply.

“Ahhh. Ah fuuuuck.” Paul’s tongue ran from his balls up to his hole. Once there it stopped, and Paul moved his chin as he pressed his stiff tongue into Corbin.”

The blonde man had never had this done to him, he and Liam had just never explored it. For that matter, Corbin didn’t really play with his ass much. His body shivered, and his jaw dropped as Paul expertly rimmed him. His cock was so hard and oozed fluid into the water of the tub.

Paul’s hand found Corbin’s member, and he started to stroke it. He never stopped with his tongue either. The blonde man uttered noises he didn’t even know could come out of his mouth. Corbin's distracted brain off-handedly noted Paul’s other arm beneath the water as he also worked on his own dick.

An intense sensation began at the tip of Paul’s tongue inside Corbin, and Corbin’s legs started to shake. Paul could sense what was about to happen, and he spun Corbin around. He dove on Corbin’s cock, and his hand reached up between his legs, and he pressed a knuckle into Corbin’s ass.

Corbin grabbed Paul’s head, and he arched his neck. His eyes were wide open, and the most intense orgasm of his life crashed into him. He announced it with a loud moan, and Paul slurped and coaxed the fluid from him. One of Paul's hands were now on Corbin's balls, and the other still pressed a knuckle against Corbin’s hole.

He finished with a shudder, and Paul pulled off with a gulp. He looked up at the blonde man and a smile spread on his face. “That seemed to work well for you.”

Corbin laughed, his voice shaky. “Yeah, I’d say.”

A streamer of semen floated in the tub and Paul made an attempt to catch it. Paul had obviously finished himself as well. “Oops. Don’t tell Chad about that.”

The two men laughed, and they cleaned the tub of any evidence. Paul also put a quarter of a cup of bleach in the water.

They grabbed their clothes, and they made their way back into the house.

When they entered Paul turned to him. “I want to lay with you," he said as they went inside. “I just wanna feel you beside me, and I want to hold onto and touch you.” His eyes searched Corbin’s. “Is that okay?”

The blonde man stared back into those pools of emerald. “Yeah. That sounds nice.”

Soon the two men lay naked in Paul’s bed. Paul slid up behind Corbin and put his arm around the smaller man. He pulled close and sighed - the sound content.

Corbin lay there, and he tried to figure out what he felt. Paul’s hand slid over his chest and belly in a slow sort of stroke - up and down across his skin. It was comforting, and even though it was only around three, he knew it could put him to sleep.

‘Safe. I'm safe.’ It had been so long since he had felt that way. He swallowed. “I … I like this a lot.” His voice was small, and timid, almost as if it were a confession.

Paul nuzzled his neck. “Good. Me too.” Corbin heard his mouth and lips move in a smile. “You can go to sleep for a bit if you want. I’m going to be awake for a while - too much coffee. I’ll wake you up after an hour or so, that way you can still sleep tonight.”

“Yeah?” Corbin smiled. “Okay.” He stopped fighting against the urge to relax and rest. Paul continued to rub him, and gently, slowly, Corbin slid off to sleep.

‘Safe. Guarded.’