A gay story: The Way You Say My Name Ch. 12 Well, Dillon had asked for a sign, and he’d sure as hell gotten one. But there were several ways for two guys to make love, and as he stood waiting in the spacious lobby of the Preston Inn while Jamie checked them into a room, Dillon couldn’t help but wonder which way Jamie wanted things to go. Dillon was so nervous, he didn’t even realize Jamie was standing in front of him, again, talking.
“I said, are you ready to go up?”
“You got the room already?”
Jamie held up an old fashioned brass key. “Yep. Room four-sixteen is now officially ours.”
Dillon glanced over at the blonde-haired, uniform-clad desk clerk who was doing his best to watch them without looking like he was. “Did he give you any trouble?”
Jamie shook his head. “Nope. The guy took my card, scanned it, and gave me the receipt. After I signed it, he told me to ring down if we needed anything.” Jamie hesitated, the duffle bag Megan had given him rattling slightly from the tremor in his hands. “Are you, um . . . ready to go up?”
Dillon was pretty sure his palms were gonna start dripping sweat any minute. He’d never been this nervous, not even the first time he and Jamie had made love. Of course, back then he convinced himself it was nothing more than two buddies playing around. Now it was different. This time Dillon knew exactly what it meant. Clearing his throat, he managed to say, “Yeah,” before following Jamie to the elevators at the other end of the lobby.
Dillon barely remembered the ride up or the walk to the room. He waited in a type of trance while Jamie unlocked the door and led him inside. Jamie flipped a switch by the door, causing lamps on either side of the bed to come on, bathing the room in soft, romantic light.
The room itself was nice enough. The walls were painted a warm beige color with little red roses stenciled on top. Three floor-to-ceiling windows took up the east wall. Dillon wouldn’t have cared if the room had been painted green with purple polka-dots and had no windows whatsoever, though. All his attention was focused on the massive, king-sized oak bed taking up the middle of the room. Jamie’s eyes seemed glued to it, as well. So much so that Dillon was the one who had to shut and lock the door.
When he was done, the two of them suffered an awkward moment of silence, both of them just standing there, looking at the bed. Finally, Dillon said, “Did you call your aunt to let her know where you are?”
That snapped Jamie out of it. “I forgot all about that. God, she’s gonna be so pissed.” Jamie grabbed for the phone on the bedside table. “How do you dial out on this thing?”
Dillon pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Here. You can use mine.”
Jamie took Dillon’s phone, but hesitated before dialing the number. “I’m not sure what I’m gonna tell her.”
Dillon sat down in one of the overstuffed arm chairs located in a small sitting area not far from the bed. “Tell her the truth. As much of it as you can, anyway.”
Dillon could actually hear Jamie gulp for air. “You mean–”
“Yep. Tell her that the two of us are here in a hotel room in Chicago. Tell her we’re spending the night together.”
#
Sadie took it better than Jamie thought she would. “Am I to assume from this announcement that you and Dillon are about to begin a new phase of your relationship?”
Jamie sat on the edge of the bed, dying from the embarrassment of discussing this with his aunt. But she’d asked him a question, and he was gonna answer it. “Yes, ma’am. That’s the plan.”
“And is this something you’re ready for, Jamie?”
Was he? He’d been asking himself the same damn question. Before, he’d been nothing more than a quick form of release for Dillon, a toy to be played with and then put away when Dillon was done. But that was a different time, a different Dillon. As far as that went, they were both different people. Jamie might be nervous, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Dillon was what he wanted–what he needed. Jamie looked over at his guy, relieved to see that Dillon looked just as nervous as he did. That one thing, seeing the ever-confident Dillon come undone, helped Jamie give his answer. “Yes, ma’am. I’m ready.”
“All right, then. Put Dillon on the phone, please.”
Oh, no. “Aunt Sadie–”
“Jamie, do as I say.” Her voice softened, laced with love and affection. “Put him on the phone, son. I have a couple of things I want to say to him, and then I’ll let the two of you get on with your night. And Jamie?”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Remember that I love you, and that I support you no matter what. Now, give the boy the phone.”
Jamie walked over to where Dillon sat and handed him the phone. Dillon straightened from his slouch and said, “Hello?”
Jamie couldn’t hear what Sadie was saying, but he found the play of emotions moving across Dillon’s face fascinating. Dillon’s cheeks went from white, to red, and back again. More than once, he said, “Yes, ma’am,” and towards the end he answered something she’d said with, “No, ma’am. Never, I swear it.” To Jamie’s amazement, by the time he disconnected, Dillon looked far more relaxed than he had when they’d first entered the room. He stood up, shed his heavy jacket and tossed it onto the floor, then helped Jamie pull his own coat off and pitched it in the same general direction. Once that was done, Dillon put his arms around Jamie’s waist and pulled him close.
Jamie’s head came to rest on Dillon’s chest, the steady thump of his heartbeat the most reassuring sound Jamie had ever heard. He lifted his head only long enough to say, “What did Aunt Sadie want to talk to you about?”
The rumbling sound of Dillon’s soft laughter tickled Jamie’s cheek. “She wanted me to know where she stood on the whole ‘me-and-you-having-sex’ thing.”
Jamie moved back within the circle of Dillon’s arms so he could see Dillon’s face. “Really? And where exactly does she stand?”
Dillon grinned. “She’s cool with it, I guess, but she said if I hurt you again, she’s gonna come after me with her grandfather’s deer rifle. I believe she said something about using my balls for target practice.”
Jamie shuddered. “If that’s what she said, then how come you seem calmer now than you did a few minutes ago?”
Dillon trailed the fingers of his right hand up and down Jamie’s spine. Jamie felt the tingle, even through his shirt. “Because when Sadie warned me what would happen if I hurt you again, I realized something.”
Jamie could feel himself dissolving under the gentle pressure of Dillon’s hands. “What’s that?”
Dillon pulled him in even closer. “I realized that I could never hurt you like that again, because this time I’m going to put you first. This relationship isn’t about me, it’s about us. I want to please you, Jamie. I want to make you happy.”
“You do.”
Dillon shook his head, still holding Jamie tight. “That’s not what I meant.” He moved back, catching Jamie’s hands in both of his and stepping away so that only their fingertips were touching. “The times before, when we were together, I was always in charge, always on top. Tonight I want it to be different.” His voice dropped to a husky rasp that Jamie felt all the way to his bones. “I want you to top me tonight, Jamie. I want you to make love to me.”
Jamie froze. He’d thought about that so many times in the past, wondered what it would feel like to be inside of Dillon, to feel his flesh melting into Dillon’s warm body. Jamie wanted that, he really did. But not tonight. Tonight he wanted Dillon to take him. No, he didn’t want it, he needed it.
“It means a lot to me that you want that, Dillon. I do, too, but not tonight.” Jamie lifted Dillon’s left hand up to his lips and kissed each finger. “Tonight I want you to top me.”
Instead of the excitement Jamie expected to see on Dillon’s face, he saw only confusion. “I can’t do that, Jamie.”
“Why not? You’ve done it before. Why not now?”
Dillon dropped Jamie’s hands and started pacing the length of the sitting area. “That’s just it. Before, I used you. Mistreated you, even. I was always on top, and I used it to my advantage.” Dillon stopped pacing and gave Jamie the most helpless look he’d ever seen. “What if I screw up again? What if I do something wrong that makes you think I haven’t changed? God, I can’t lose you, Jamie. I can’t go through that hell again.”
This time it was Jamie who offered comfort. He walked over to where Dillon stood and held out his arms. Dillon all but flew into them, fitting rather nicely despite their differences in height. After holding him for a minute, Jamie led Dillon towards the bed. They sat down at the foot, holding hands but touching nowhere else.
Jamie gave Dillon a chance to calm down again and then said, “You won’t screw up again because, like you said, you know what’s at stake now. Don’t you see, Dillon? It has to be this way. You have to prove to yourself that you can do it right this time.” Jamie gave him a crooked smile. “You have to stop being so afraid of losing me. I’m not going anywhere, and I’m hoping this will help show you that.”
Dillon was listening, but Jamie could still see his uncertainty. “So you’re saying that by me taking you, so to speak, I’m going to gain confidence in our relationship?”
“I think so.”
Dillon leaned in a little closer. “And what about you? What do you get out of this Jamie?”
Dillon was so close, Jamie could feel his breath. “I get to replace all the bad memories with new ones. Happy ones. I need this, Dillon. I need to see the difference in you–in us. I need to feel it.”
Those words had an immediate effect on Dillon, but not the one Jamie expected. Dillon stood up, grabbed his coat, and started for the door.
Startled, Jamie stood as well. “Where are you going?”
Dillon opened the door but paused at the threshold. He turned and gave Jamie a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I got a little ahead of myself. It’s just that, if you really want me to do this, I’m gonna need to get some supplies. There’s an all-night drugstore not far from here. I saw it on the way in.”
“That isn’t necessary.”
“Yes it is, Jamie. We didn’t use anything before. No lube, I mean. I could have really hurt you, and I’m not gonna take that chance again. You’re too precious to me to risk that.”
Jamie pointed to the small duffle bag he’d placed on the floor near the bed when they’d first walked in. “That’s not what I meant. Megan, um . . . gave us everything we need.”
Dillon closed the door again. Tossing his coat onto a nearby dresser, Dillon came back into the room proper. “I beg your pardon?”
“That’s what’s in the bag Megan gave me. See, she was counting on me having to make the first move, and she thought maybe she could help.”
Dillon groaned. “I’m afraid to ask, but do you have any idea what’s in that thing, exactly?”
“Not exactly, no. But I do know Megan called it a do-it-yourself gay sex kit.”
Dillon’s eyes looked like they were in danger of jumping out of his skull. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“’Fraid not.”
Dillon picked up the bag and came back to the bed. Sitting down, he began to remove the contents. Jamie sat down beside him and watched in amazement as Dillon pulled out three videotapes, two pairs of matching silk boxer shorts, a book titled The Joys of Gay Sex, a bottle of lubricant which neither of them paid much attention to at that moment, and a package of condoms. A large package of condoms. A package of forty-eight, to be exact.”
“Jesus Christ, what was she thinking?”
Jamie couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe she was just being optimistic.”
“Jamie, if Megan thinks we’re gonna use forty-eight condoms in one night she isn’t being optimistic, she’s just plain delusional.”
Jamie laughed. “Did you read the titles on those tapes?”
“Uh huh. Somehow I don’t think Ride ‘Em Cowboy, Hung, and Pounding the Ranger are classic westerns.”
“Wonder where she got gay porn?”
Dillon shook his head. “I’m afraid to ask.” He picked up one pair of the boxers. “These are nice.” He then reached for the second pair. “Look, she even got us the right sizes.”
“It was sweet of her to go to all this trouble, but I don’t think we’re gonna need most of this stuff.” Jamie put everything back in the bag except the condoms and the lubricant. He placed the lube on the nightstand and, studying the package of condoms for a second, said, “What about these? Are we gonna need them?”
Dillon seemed surprised. “No. Why would we?”
This was the part Jamie dreaded. Dillon knew about Jamie’s sexual history, because Dillon was Jamie’s sexual history. On the other hand, Jamie had never had the courage to ask if Dillon had been with anyone else in the time they were apart. He was about to find out.
“Well, just in case you’ve been with anyone that might, well, you know . . .”
Dillon took the condoms out of Jamie’s hand and tossed them in the direction of the bedside table, near the lubricant. “There hasn’t been anyone else, Jamie. There never could have been. You’re it for me.”
“Really?”
Dillon slipped both his arms behind Jamie’s back and, using the weight of his body, eased Jamie down onto the bed, coming down to rest on top of him. “I swear it. You’re the only one. If you want me to wear a condom, though, I will.”
Jamie shook his head, his body already heating at the thought of Dillon being inside him, encased in latex or otherwise. “No, I want to feel you, and just you.”
Dillon’s breathing increased at Jamie’s words. “I want that, too, but first I want to do something we’ve never done before.”
“Oh, yeah? And what would that be?”
Dillon grinned. “I want us to get undressed, slide under the covers, and just make out.”
“Make out?”
“Yep.” Dillon wiggled his hips a little, causing Jamie to squirm underneath him. “Make out. You know, kissing and stuff.”
Jamie popped him on the shoulder. “I know what making out is, you jerk. I just never thought you’d wanna do it.”
Dillon’s eyes glittered as he braced himself on his elbows and ran the fingers of his right hand through Jamie’s hair. “Before, we missed out on so much of the good stuff because of my own stupidity. I want a chance to go back and do it right this time.” Dillon pulled himself off Jamie and stood, holding out his hand to help Jamie up. “What do you say? Wanna climb under the covers with me and suck face?”
Jamie took Dillon’s hand and stood up. He toed off his shoes and socks as Dillon did the same. Instead of undressing himself, though, Jamie reached for the buttons on Dillon’s shirt. Dillon hissed in a breath as Jamie slid first one button then the next through the holes until the button-up shirt Dillon was wearing over his t-shirt was undone. Jamie freed Dillon’s arms from the fabric, allowing the shirt to fall to the floor. Slipping his hands under the hem of Dillon’s t-shirt, Jamie pulled it up and over Dillon’s head, sending it to join Dillon’s other shirt on the floor. Dillon moaned and bit his lip as Jamie smoothed his hands over Dillon’s chest. But when Jamie’s fingers dipped lower to the waistband of Dillon’s jeans, Dillon stopped him.
“Better let me do that, or this is gonna be over before it even starts.”
That was the last thing Jamie wanted. He stepped back just enough to allow Dillon room to pull off his jeans. Dillon looked so incredible, standing there nearly naked. His body was perfect, but it was the man himself–the man Dillon had become– that took Jamie’s breath away. Clad in only a pair of gray boxer-briefs, Dillon moved in towards Jamie and returned the favor of undressing him.
Jamie stood stock still, enjoying the sensations as Dillon’s hands roamed over his body, freeing him of first his pullover shirt, then his jeans. Just as he’d done with himself, Dillon left Jamie’s cotton boxers in place. Giving Jamie a smile that made Jamie’s knees feel like Jell-O, Dillon said, “God, you’re beautiful. You ready?”
Jamie nodded. Dillon went to the bed and pulled back the covers, waiting for Jamie to slide under before doing the same thing himself. The minute they were both in bed, Dillon reached for Jamie, taking him into his arms and pulling Jamie underneath his hard body. Without saying a word, Dillon lowered his head and covered Jamie’s mouth, using his teeth and his tongue to tease Jamie’s lips apart. Jamie allowed him entrance as Dillon tasted him, kissing him with an intensity that left Jamie weak.
Jamie wasn’t sure how long they lay like that, whether minutes passed or hours. Dillon’s mouth made the journey from Jamie’s lips, to his chin, to the tender skin of his throat, time and again, teasing Jamie, making him ache deep inside. The heat and feel of Dillon on top of him was almost more than Jamie could stand, and at the same time, it wasn’t quite enough. Jamie was so hard he hurt, and judging from the velvet weight Jamie felt on his leg, Dillon was, too. It was time to do something about it.
“Dillon?”
Dillon paused, his teeth tugging on Jamie’s tender earlobe. “What is it, baby? Didn’t you like that?”
“God, yes.”
Dillon released Jamie’s ear long enough to smile down at him. He leaned forward and kissed Jamie’s nose. “Then what is it?”
“I’m ready, Dillon. The kissing is nice, but I want more.”
Dillon pressed his lips against Jamie’s cheek. “But I’m not done kissing you yet.”
“Dillon–”
“Shh. I just said I wasn’t done kissing you yet. I didn’t say where I was gonna kiss you.” And before Jamie could say anything else, Dillon began a slow trek down Jamie’s body with his tongue.
Jamie writhed in agony as Dillon circled first Jamie’s left nipple and then his right one with the tip of his tongue. Dillon was thorough, and showed Jamie no mercy. Using his front teeth, Dillon tugged and pulled, causing Jamie’s hips to come up off the bed. Who knew his nipples were so damn sensitive?
Dillon didn’t stop there, though. He licked a hot trail down Jamie’s chest, into the sensitive hollow of his stomach. Jamie sucked in a breath as Dillon tickled his belly button. When he felt Dillon reach the waistband of his boxers, Jamie was certain Dillon was gonna stop. Since Dillon was under the covers now, and his head was hidden from view, Jamie couldn’t see what he was doing. That’s when he felt a firm tug and the soft whisper of cotton as it slid free of his legs.
Dillon pulled down the covers and rose up on his knees, tossing Jamie’s boxers to the floor. The cool air hit Jamie’s heated skin, but it did nothing to cool the fire inside him. Especially not when Dillon lowered his head.
Again Dillon settled himself over Jamie, only this time, Dillon’s arms were wrapped around Jamie’s hips, trapping him in a tender embrace. Using the softest of caresses, Dillon flicked across Jamie’s most intimate skin with the tip of his tongue.
Jamie was gonna die. He just knew he was. Dillon took his time, working across Jamie’s flesh with his tongue. God, Jamie wanted so bad for Dillon to do more, but he couldn’t get the words past his throat. That’s when Dillon read his mind. Just when Jamie thought he couldn’t take it anymore, Dillon opened his mouth and took Jamie’s erection inside.
Jamie’s head thrashed from side to side against the pillows as Dillon increased the wet suction. Jamie was too large for Dillon to take all of him, but it didn’t matter. The moist heat, combined with the loving way Dillon’s hands cupped Jamie’s hips and rear, brought him to the brink in seconds. He issued a garbled warning, but Dillon refused to back off. Jamie could feel the rising contractions racing through his stomach–could feel the release coursing through him and flowing into Dillon. He half-expected Dillon to jump away in disgust, but instead Dillon stayed with him, taking all he had to offer until Jamie sagged against the mattress in a limp heap.
Dillon grinned and moved back up long enough to kiss Jamie softly on the mouth. Jamie could taste himself on Dillon’s lips, but if Dillon was bothered by Jamie’s flavor, he didn’t show it.
Jamie wrapped his right arm around Dillon’s neck and slid his left hand down Dillon’s side. When he got close to his target, though, Dillon stopped him. “Not yet, baby.”
“I want to touch you.”
“I want that, too.” Dillon kissed each one of Jamie’s eyelids. “But you’re assuming I’m done with you, and I’m not. Not by a long shot.”
“Will you make love to me?”
“When you’re ready.”
Jamie was confused. How much readier could he be? “I told you, Dillon. I want this. I’m ready, now.”
Dillon shook his head and, kissing Jamie one last time, pushed himself into a sitting position. “You’re not ready yet, but if I have anything to say about it, you’re gonna be.” And before Jamie could ask what he meant, Dillon put one hand on each of Jamie’s legs and spread them as wide as he could comfortably get them to go. While Jamie watched in amazement, Dillon got into position, his head level with his target, and once again used his tongue to work magic on Jamie’s body. Only this time, Jamie’s entrance was Dillon’s goal.
Jamie would have sworn he didn’t have another erection anywhere in his near future, but the minute he felt Dillon’s tongue circling his opening, Jamie could feel himself getting hard again. As much as Jamie enjoyed the painful pleasure Dillon was causing, though, he yearned to tell Dillon to come back, to make love to him. To make Jamie his. Before Jamie could get the words out, though, Dillon moistened one finger and slipped it inside.
God, it felt so good. As Dillon stretched him using first one finger, then two, Jamie did his best to talk, to tell Dillon he didn’t want to wait any longer. The best he could get out was a squeak somewhere in the vicinity of Dillon’s name. That was when Dillon added the third finger, and touched a spot deep inside of Jamie that made stars dance before his eyes.
Putting his hand on Dillon’s shoulder, Jamie said, “Dillon, please, I need you. I don’t want to wait anymore.”
Dillon came back up, his hands shaking, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “Are you sure about this, Jamie? Once I get started, I don’t know if I can stop.”
Jamie shook his head. “Don’t stop. I don’t want you to. But I’m dying here, Dillon. Please, come inside me.”
Dillon nodded. “Not without lube, though. Where did we put that stuff Megan sent?”
Jamie pointed towards the table. “I think I tossed it over there somewhere.”
Dillon shimmied out of his boxer briefs, sending them to the floor with the rest of his clothes. When he was done, he leaned across the bed and reached for the tube. He must have gotten a good look at it, because his whole body went still.
Jamie looked up at him through a haze of need. A need made even worse by the sight of Dillon in all his glory. But Dillon still wasn’t moving. “What’s the matter?”
“Uh, Jamie? I don’t think I can use this.”
“Why not? All you have to do is flip the cap. It may be a little cold–”
Dillon shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s just that this isn’t exactly the right kind of lube.”
Jamie sat up. “What are you talking about?”
Dillon handed him the tube. Jamie laughed out loud when he read the name of the product. Vagi-Slick Feminine Intimate Moisturizing Cream. Megan had one sick sense of humor. No wonder he loved that girl so much.
Jamie wrapped his arms around Dillon’s neck and pulled him back down. “Dillon, I wouldn’t care at this point if you used Turtle Wax. I need you.”
Dillon was so ready himself, it wasn’t really a hard sell. Popping the cap and squeezing a dollop into his hand, Dillon warmed it between his fingers and spread an ample amount around Jamie’s entryway. He then turned his attentions on himself, hesitating just long enough to say, “I’m gonna do it, but if my dick falls off and I grow boobs from using this stuff, you sure as hell better love me, anyway.”
Jamie panted out, “I will. I swear to God I will. Now come on, please.”
Dillon complied, slicking himself up and crawling between Jamie’s legs. “I want to make love like this–face to face–so I can see your eyes. Is that all right?”
It was more than all right. It was exactly what Jamie had been dreaming of since the two of them came together again. Jamie spread his legs and helped Dillon position himself. Without ever breaking eye contact, Dillon placed his head against Jamie’s opening, and, watching Jamie’s face carefully for any signs of discomfort, pushed until he was all the way inside.
Dillon immediately stopped to give Jamie time to adjust. Always before, there had been pain, but this time, Dillon had Jamie so ready there was nothing but a slight pressure and then the relief of having Dillon inside him, filling him, making him whole. Still, Dillon refused to move. That’s when Jamie took matters into his own hands. He wrapped both legs around Dillon’s waist, angling up his hips and bringing him all the way in.
Dillon slipped his arms up under Jamie’s back and pulled them flush. “I love you, Jamie. God, I love you.” And repeating the phrase over and over, Dillon started to move.
With each thrust, Dillon grazed against Jamie’s prostate, causing an unbearable friction as the tender skin of Dillon’s stomach did the same thing to Jamie’s penis where it lay trapped between them. It wasn’t long before Jamie could feel himself getting close again. But he wouldn’t come alone. Not this time. Not without Dillon. With that in mind, Jamie clenched his inner muscles over and over, joy flooding him as Dillon groaned from the feelings he was causing. Just when Jamie felt sure he couldn’t hold back his own orgasm any longer, he felt Dillon go rigid above him and then collapse into his arms as the spasms overtook him. That’s all Jamie needed. He closed his eyes and let the sensations carry him over.
#
Early morning sunlight streamed through the windows and dappled across Jamie’s face as Dillon lay propped on his elbow, watching him sleep. The shower they’d taken together the night before had left Jamie’s skin smelling sweetly of soap and that unmistakable scent that was uniquely Jamie. Dillon fought the urge to wake him, but it wasn’t easy. Memories of last night kept calling to him. In the afterglow, while he and Jamie were cuddling, Jamie had told Dillon how new it all was for him, how incredible. It was incredible for Dillon, too, but not because it felt new. No. For Dillon, being inside Jamie again was like coming home from a two-year exile. He hadn’t felt this whole, this complete, since pushing Jamie out of his life. Jamie had been right about Dillon taking the lead this time, too. All the bad memories had faded under the spell of last night.
As if he could read Dillon’s thoughts, Jamie rolled over and opened his eyes. “Good morning.” His voice was sleep scratchy, and so sexy Dillon’s morning wood grew even harder.
Dillon leaned in and kissed him, ignoring Jamie’s protest about wanting to brush his teeth first. Jamie tasted like Heaven to Dillon. Jamie must have thought Dillon tasted pretty good himself, if the way Jamie drew Dillon in deeper was any indication.
When he could bring himself to pull away, Dillon looked down at Jamie and smiled. “Good morning, yourself. Sleep good?”
Jamie yawned and stretched, looking so darn cute Dillon had to force himself not to kiss him again. “Uh huh.” He looked up at Dillon with shinning eyes. “I slept better last night than I have in years.”
Dillon grinned. “Must be contagious. So did I.”
Jamie cuddled in closer to Dillon’s side. “What do you say we go back to sleep?”
Jamie’s stomach chose that exact moment to let out a loud growl. Dillon shook his head and laughed. “As much as I’d like to, we can’t. You’re hungry, and I’ve got to pee. I say we get dressed and go out for breakfast.” Dillon narrowed his eyes. “My treat, by the way. You paid for the room. The least I can do is feed us.”
Jamie leaned in and nipped Dillon’s collar bone. “I fed you last night. How about returning the favor?”
It took Dillon a minute to realize what Jamie was talking about. And it took the two of them a whole lot longer to get out of bed once Dillon caught on.
#
The plan, when they finally roused themselves, was to go out, grab a quick bite to eat, and then go to a payphone and call each number on Jamie’s stolen list until they found somebody who actually knew Ben. At least, it had sounded good at the time. And the breakfast part was great. Nothing like a night of hot sex to whet the appetite. But once they found an out-of-the-way payphone located in the back of a convenience store and put the remainder of the plan into action, Jamie began to see just how difficult his search was gonna be. His idea to use an alias, call each number, and then pretend to be a school friend of the boys on the list when speaking with concerned foster parents seemed to work well enough. The problem came when Jamie actually spoke to the boys themselves and realized that most of them came to live with Burke sometime within the last year or so, long after Ben had moved to Reed with Nora. It wasn’t that the boys didn’t try to help. In fact, Jamie was surprised at just how willing some of them were to talk to a total stranger about Burke and what a bastard he was. Oh, a couple refused to say anything at all, but most seemed to be forthright about everything. Out of all the guys he talked to, though, not a one was able to tell him anything he could use. It wasn’t totally unexpected, but still, it was disheartening. Jamie was just about to give up when he called the last name on the list, a guy by the name of Mitchell Harding.
A woman answered the phone. When Jamie asked for Mitchell, she sounded more than a little annoyed. “Who wants to know?”
“I’m a friend of his from school.” Jamie hoped his voice didn’t quiver.
“Uh huh. And I’m the Virgin Mary. Mitch ain’t been to school in almost four years. Try again.”
Four years? Maybe he had the wrong number. “This is the Mitchell Harding who just recently lived with Burke Carpenter, isn’t it?”
The woman’s voice took on a nasty, snarling-quality. “Listen here, you son-of-a-bitch. If you’re one of Burke’s customers calling to get your rocks off on Mitch–”
Jamie just knew she was going to hang up. He couldn’t let that happen. He wasn’t sure how, but he was almost certain this woman knew something. He’d have to take a risk and tell her the truth. At least part of it, anyway.
“Wait. Please. I’m not one of Burke’s clients. I just need to talk to Mitchell. I think maybe he might have known something about a friend of mine. I promise I won’t take up much of his time.”
Dillon was leaning against the cinder block wall, watching Jamie with concern, but not saying anything. As for the woman on the other end of the line, she’d gone so quiet Jamie thought sure she’d hung up. Finally, she said, “Okay, then. If what you say is true, tell me the name of this so-called friend you’re trying to find out about? I know most of Mitch’s friends, and if he knows your buddy, then I can almost guarantee I know him, too.”
Jamie took a deep breath. “His name was Ben Lewis.”
Jamie heard a loud noise and them a kind of scrambling, the sound of the phone being dropped. When the woman picked back up, she sounded as angry as ever, but there was a new element in her voice: fear. She said, “Is this some kind of sick joke? And what do you mean his name was Ben Lewis? Has something happened to Ben?”
Jamie’s heart started pounding in his chest. “Wait a minute. You knew Ben?”
“Of course I know him. Ben Lewis is my brother.”
{To Be Continued}