Brother-in-Law

http://robcub32.tumblr.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors' imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

I felt my eyes starting to droop as I laid on the couch watching a rerun of "The Golden Girls".

A sudden pounding on the door startled me awake. I sat up and stretched and shuffled to the front door. I opened the door to find my brother-in-law, Sheppard Bannister, standing in the hallway looking pitiful, slumped over with a dejected posture. He had his hands shoved in his jeans pockets.

"Shep," I said with surprise. I glanced up at the clock and saw that it was 11:45 at night. "Is something wrong?"

"Hey, Billy. Can I crash here for the night?"

"Oh. Uh, sure."

I opened the door wide and gestured for him to come in. He picked up the duffel bag laying on the floor next to his feet. I shut and bolted the door behind him. I felt slightly embarrassed standing there in a t-shirt and briefs, but I wasn't expecting company. We stood in awkward silence for a moment.

Shep is married to my older sister, Wendy. I don't know how she landed a guy like Shep. Shep was the captain of all of his sports teams in high school. A big, brawny jock. Of course, that was more than ten years ago. He's a little softer these days, but he's still a total stud. He's got wild dark blond hair and blue eyes. Like his hair, his five o'clock shadow is thick and dark blond, as is his goatee. He's got long sideburns that reach almost to his jaw. I have always been jealous of Shep's ease at growing any style of facial hair. At 28 years, I can't even manage a proper goatee. At 6'5", Shep's eight inches taller than me. He's 32 years old, making him four years older than me. He's got a bit of a rebellious streak and he's a bit gruff, but he's mellowed some with age. He's a good guy. He's always been nothing but nice to me.

When Wendy first brought Shep home eight years ago, I was still in college. I was home for Christmas break and she brought him with her. I was immediately in lust with him, but after talking to him and getting to know him, I found that I really liked him as a person. For the life of me, I couldn't understand what he saw in Wendy. She's a shrieking harpy and a total nag. Nothing is ever good enough for her. They got married a year later and I figured if her 'bridezilla' behavior didn't scare him off, then nothing would.

"I wasn't sure where else to go," he finally said.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you need, if you don't mind the futon in my office."

"Yeah. That'd be great."

I walked down the hall to the second bedroom, which I use as a computer room. I turned on the light and pulled out the futon so that it was laying flat.

"Here ya go," I said. "You know the bathroom's across the hall. Let me get you some sheets and a blanket."

"Thanks."

I walked across the hall to the bathroom and opened the linen closet. I grabbed a set of sheets and a blanket. When I returned to the computer room, Shep was sitting on the futon staring at the floor. I stood there, not knowing what to say.

"I'm leaving Wendy," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, though I wasn't really sorry.

"Thanks for letting me stay here, Billy."

I watched his eyes go glassy and he turned away from me. I set the sheets and blankets on the futon.

"Anytime, Shep. Yell if you need anything."

I left the room, shutting the door behind me. I turned off the TV in the living room and got ready for bed. I went into my own bedroom and shut the door behind me. I tossed my glasses on the nightstand and crawled into bed. I couldn't help but think about Shep. I had never seen him so depressed. I really hoped he would be okay. Maybe a good night's sleep would help.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning and showered and got dressed for work. I went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. I got myself a bowl of Raisin Bran and sat down at the small table. When Shep walked into the kitchen, I nearly spewed my coffee all over the place.

He shuffled into the kitchen with half closed eyes. His hair was all over the place. He had on a pair of green boxer shorts. And nothing else. His chest and stomach were covered in dark blond hair, which was thickest in the middle of his chest and the line that ran down the middle of his body and disappeared into his boxer shorts. Despite having a little bit of a soft tummy, he's still in pretty good shape for a guy his age. He has various tattoos on his arms and also a large tribal spider pattern on the front of his lower left leg. The spider is really cool, but my favorite is the big cross on his left arm. I couldn't help but notice that those thin and flimsy boxers did nothing to hide the large lump that hung down the left leg.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and looked down at my cereal. I could feel that my face was warm and flushed. My dick throbbed in my briefs and I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself.

"Smelled coffee," he said. His voice was rough and scratchy and he cleared it.

"Help yourself," I said without looking up. "The mugs are in the cabinet above the pot."

He grabbed a mug and poured himself a cup and sat down at the table. He took a drink and set the mug down and stretched his arms over his head and groaned. He yawned and absentmindedly scratched at the patch of fur in the middle of his chest. It took everything I had in me to rip my eyes away from him.

"There's milk in the fridge if you want cereal," I offered.

"Thanks."

I quickly finished my cereal and made my excuses about heading in to work. I was going to embarrass myself if I hung around him any longer.

"You sure it's okay if I stay here?" he asked as I was about to leave the room. "Just for a few days. I won't wear out my welcome."

"Yeah. It's no problem. As long as you want. Here's a key."

I pulled the spare key out of the drawer and set it on the counter. I looked up into his eyes and smiled, then quickly hurried out. I walked to the parking lot and saw his red truck parked next to my Jeep.

Shep was a mechanic. He mostly worked on restoring and repairing classic cars and trucks. He drove a classic Chevy pickup truck. It was bright red and looked like he just drove it off the lot. It ran like new as well. He told me how old it was once, but I can't remember. I think it was from the 60's. Wendy was always trying to get him to sell it, but he wouldn't because he worked so hard over the years restoring it. It was his baby and he was proud of it. While I have no attachment whatsoever to my Jeep, I can understand Shep's attachment to his truck.

I ran my hand over the hood of the truck, then got in my Jeep and drove to work.

As I sat at my desk in my small gray cubicle, I found it hard to concentrate on the spreadsheets in front of me. All I could think of was Shep. If I wasn't wondering about what was going on with him and Wendy, I was daydreaming about his hunky body.

When I got home from work, I went to my bedroom and pulled off my khakis and my briefs. I had drooled into my underwear all afternoon. I tossed them into the hamper and laid out the khakis to get another day's wear out of them. I pulled on a clean pair of underwear and some sweat pants.

I decided to start dinner. I really liked cooking and it would be nice to cook for someone else besides myself. I decided on honey balsamic glazed chicken breasts with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Shep came home while dinner was cooking. He leaned in the kitchen doorway and watched me. He was wearing his navy blue Dickies branded pants and a matching mechanic's button-down shirt. He had a patch on his left breast that said "Midtown Auto". On the right was a rectangular patch with "Shep" embroidered in the middle of it. His pants had a couple of smears of grease on them.

"Smells good in here," he said.

I looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks."

"Need any help?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"Okay. Um... I'm gonna go watch TV if that's okay?"

"Sure."

He walked over to the sink and scrubbed his hands. "Need some gojo," he mumbled as he tried to scrub the grease and dirt from his hands and nails. After he cleaned his hands, he kicked off his work boots and picked them up and walked out of the kitchen. I let out a nervous breath and returned to smashing the potatoes.

I set the rolls on the table and called Shep. He turned off the TV and stood at the table looking nervous.

"You want something to drink?" I asked.

"You got any beer?"

"I got this Blue Moon wheat beer."

"That's fine."

I grabbed a bottle of Blue Moon for Shep and a bottle of water for myself. We sat down at the table and helped ourselves and dug in.

"Mm. This is fantastic, Billy." Shep let out a satisfied little grunt and took another bite. "Don't get cooking like this at home," he added. "Or what used to be home."

"Thanks, Shep. It's nice to cook for someone besides myself."

We made small talk while we ate dinner. Nothing deep. Shep was too busy eating to talk. He finished quickly and then got a second helping.

After we finished eating, Shep helped me clear the dishes and put the leftovers into containers.

"You can take this for lunch tomorrow if you want," I offered as I put the containers in the fridge.

"Really?"

"Sure. If you want."

"Yeah. Thanks, Bill," he said with a big grin.

I grabbed another bottle of water and gave Shep another beer. We went into the living and turned on the TV. We didn't really talk. We just silently watched TV and sipped our drinks. It was in the middle of the news that Shep finally spoke up.

"Thanks again for dinner, and letting me crash."

"You don't have to keep thanking me."

"You didn't hear from Wendy today?"

"No."

"We been fightin' a lot lately," he said quietly as he took the last swig of his beer. He thought for a few moments, then added, "It must be nice to not have any expectations piled on you. You're lucky. You just get to be yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"You know... You being gay and all."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I said with a frown.

"I don't mean it like that. I just meant, you know, no one expected you to be the best at sports. No one telling you to get married, buy a house, start a family. No one nagging at you to make more money. You know, guy stuff."

I bristled and my posture stiffened. "'Guy stuff'? What is that supposed to mean? Just because I'm gay?" The volume of my voice started to raise. "You think I like living in this little apartment all alone? You think I don't want to find a man and get married and have a family? Just because I'm gay?"

Shep held up his hands in defeat. "I didn't mean to upset you, Billy and I wasn't trying to say that you were a woman or something. I just thought that gay dudes didn't go for that stuff. I didn't know."

"Well, now you do. I think I'm going to go to bed."

Shep grabbed my wrist and kept me from leaving. "I'm sorry."

He looked genuinely sorry for offending me and I softened my attitude a little bit and tried to smile. "Don't worry about it. Maybe I'm just being over-sensitive."

I got up and got ready for bed, leaving Shep sitting on the couch. While I could tell he felt bad for what he said, I was still annoyed.

He didn't know what it was like. I knew that I was gay for so long. I came out when I was sixteen. My mom said she didn't care, but I could tell she did. Dad was 'fine' as long as we never talked about it under any circumstances. Wendy was so self-absorbed that if it wasn't about her, she didn't care. My younger brother Wilson thought I was a freak anyway and that just confirmed it in his eyes.

I was such a little nerd back in high school. It was until I went away to college that I finally really found myself. I had a growth spurt and filled out. I even got myself a boyfriend.

I still look pretty much the same as I did back then. Like everyone else in my family, I have brown eyes and dark brown hair, which grows in loose curls. I keep it somewhat short so that it doesn't curl out of control. I wear glasses like my brother and my mom. I'm kind of short at 5'8". My tummy is a little softer than it used to be these days, but I still have a fairly small build.

My first boyfriend Dave was wonderful. He was strong and confident and mature for his age. He was everything I wasn't and I wanted to be just like him. I fell head over heels in love with him. I gave him my virginity and we dated for over two years. He really helped me to come out of my shell. As we dated, I became less nerdy and became more confident. I was devastated when we broke up. As graduation approached, Dave seemed to be really busy. I thought it was just because of school and getting ready to graduate along with job hunting. I was shocked to find out it was because he was having an affair. But I picked up the pieces and tried to hold my head up high, even though inside I felt like I was dying.

After I graduated from college and moved back to my home town, I met Payne. He was an older guy. I was 22 at the time and he was 36. He was a big and husky guy. He treated me really well and we dated for nearly four years. I know our age difference made my family uncomfortable almost as much as the 'gay thing', but I didn't care. His age didn't matter to me. Unfortunately, it wasn't long after he turned 40 that he freaked out and went through a midlife crisis. I guess that's what it was. The whole thing was so cliched. He bought a little red convertible Mustang and then dumped me for a 21 year old. At the time I was devastated, but now I think back and realized that he was a total asshole. His age didn't matter to me, but apparently mine mattered to him.

That was a couple of years ago. I'm 28 now. I wouldn't say that I'm bitter, but I'm a little weary. I don't want to get hurt again, so I don't put myself out there. I would rather be alone than be hurt. Okay, maybe I'm just a little bitter.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast was a repeat... Shep in his boxer shorts getting me hot and bothered.

When I got home from work, I made a lasagna and heated up some garlic bread. Shep carried on about how great it was and that made me feel really good.

After dinner, we retired to the living room and turned on the TV. Shep pulled his shirt off and unbuttoned his pants and relaxed back on the sofa. He was just sitting there next to me, totally oblivious as to what he was doing to me.

"I talked to a lawyer today," Shep said suddenly.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm filing for divorce. My mom thinks I'm making a huge mistake, but I just can't do it anymore, Billy."

"Well, I don't know how you put up with her all these years."

Shep let out a little laugh. "Well. She had some good qualities," he said with a smirk that implied that I didn't want to know the details behind that statement.

"I do love her," he added. "It's not that I don't love her. I'm just tired... Tired of being told what to do. Tired of doing what's expected. I just wanna be myself. Like you."

I looked at him in surprise. He looked at me for a second, but I couldn't read him. He then took a drink of his beer and turned back to the TV.

The next day at work, I was surprised to get a phone call from my sister.

"I know he's staying at your place," she hissed.

"Yes. Shep's crashing at my apartment. And 'hello' to you, too."

"Whatever. Well, tell that lazy, good for nothing, limp-dicked bastard that he still needs to pay his share of the rent here. Maybe if he spent his money on viagra instead of beer--"

"First off all, I'm not his secretary and--"

Click and dial tone. I stared at the receiver in shock. She hung up on me.

Bitch.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Shep and I fell into a routine. Every morning, he would shuffle into the kitchen in his boxers and we'd have coffee and cereal together. Every evening, I'd make us dinner. He helped out around the apartment, washing the dishes and even cleaning the bathroom. He didn't mention finding another place to live, and neither did I.

We talked more comfortably over dinner and while watching TV. I opened up to him in a way I hadn't in a long time with anyone. I told him about my past two relationships and how I felt. He would tell me about life with Wendy and I would shake my head in disbelief. He told me how he didn't have any friends anymore. Wendy had chased them away years ago. When he left, I was the only person he could think of that would maybe take him in.

I found myself liking him more and more every day. I loved having him here with me. I wasn't lonely anymore. I found myself wanting more, of course. In my fantasies we were a couple. Except at night time, he'd go to the futon in the other room and I'd go to my bed. I would lay in my bed and pleasure myself, lost in images of a nearly naked Shep and imagining what lay beneath those boxers of his.

We hung out every night and on weekends we'd hang out as buddies. We'd go to the movies, or shopping, or go cruising around in his truck. I loved that the best. His old truck was awesome.

One Saturday night, we decided to stay in and watch a movie on On Demand. I wanted a snack, so I offered to make some cookies.

"'Make' cookies? Like homemade?" Shep asked with an incredulous look on his face.

"Yeah," I shrugged. "Cookies are easy."

"Chocolate chip?" Shep asked, grinning like a little boy.

I couldn't help but smile and let him have his way. "Sure."

"Yes!"

He clapped his hands together and rubbed them in anticipation. I laughed and went into the kitchen to get started. I got out the bag of chips, the flour and the sugar and started making the cookies using the recipe on the chocolate chip package. As I folded in the chocolate chips, Shep came up behind me and looked over my shoulder, then stuck his finger in the batter. He swiped up the raw dough and popped it into his mouth.

"Hey!" I said as I tried to smack his hand away.

"Don't worry. I just washed my hands."

He laughed and reach around me and I tried to push him back with my butt. He reached around me and grabbed another fingerful and ate it with a snicker.

"We're not gonna have any cookies if you eat all the dough," I said, trying to sound like I was annoyed, but I was laughing as I said it.

"But it's so fucking good."

I turned around and laughed as I put my hands on his chest and tried to pushed him backwards. He was big. He didn't budge. I looked up into his blue eyes and my heart skipped a beat. He was so close to me. My hands felt hot as they pressed against his chest. My blood pounded in my ears. He leaned towards me and I drew in a sharp breath. My stomach flipped as his hand moved behind my back.

He had a little smirk on his face as he brought it back up to his mouth. It was coated with cookie dough and he snickered and ate it off his finger. I swallowed nervously and tried to move away, but he stepped forward and pinned me to the counter. He brought his finger up again, but this time he moved it towards my mouth. He stared back into my brown eyes and I opened my mouth. I closed my lips around his finger and brought my tongue up along the underside and gently sucked off the dough as he pulled it out. I seductively swirled my tongue around his finger.

His eyes widened as if he was horrified and he stepped back from me. He tore his eyes from mine and then quickly left the room.

Shit. What did I just do?

I took a couple of deep breaths. I realized then that tears were falling down my face. I lifted my glasses and wiped my face. After I washed my hands, I then proceeded to spoon the cookie dough onto the baking sheet. My hands were shaking as I formed the cookie balls. I put the cookies in the oven and set the timer. There was still no sign of Shep as I sat down on the couch in the living room.

Shep walked in a few seconds later. His face looked slightly damp like he had just splashed it with water. He glanced over at me for a second and then quickly looked away. I couldn't help but notice that he sat down in the arm chair instead of on the couch with me like he normally would.

We sat in awkward silence for a moment until I picked up the remote and started the movie. I tried to concentrate on the movie and not on Shep and the tension that filled the room.

When the timer went off, I got the cookies from the oven and put them on a cooling rack and returned to the living room. Shep unpaused the movie and set the remote back down on the coffee table.

After a bit, I went back to the kitchen and checked on the cookies. They were still warm, but cool enough to eat. I put the cookies in a paper towel lined basket and returned to the living room. I sat back on the couch on the side next to the arm chair and I held out the cookies to Shep. He grabbed a couple of cookies and finally looked at me. He gave me a forced smile.

"I'm sorry, Shep," I said quietly.

"It's okay, Billy. Can we just go back to the way things were?"

"Yeah."

Shep took a bite of his cookie.

"Mm. Warm and chewy."

He looked at me and smiled. Some of the tension in the air evaporated. I smiled back at him and I grabbed a cookie and turned my attention back to the TV.

That night when I crawled into bed, I couldn't fall asleep. My dick was so hard it ached. I slid my underwear off and tossed them to the floor. I looked down at my crotch. My dick laid parallel to my belly. The shaft was smooth and slender, the skin stretched taught. The head was red and sticky. I ran my fingers up and down my shaft and a shudder ran up my spine.

I reached into my nightstand drawer and pulled out the small bottle of lube. I held my dick upright and poured a bit of the slippery liquid onto the head. I tossed the bottle back into the drawer and slid my hand down the shaft. I drew in a hiss as my hand moved over the crown and sent a wave of pleasure through my body.

I rubbed my left hand all over my chest and belly as I stroked up and down with my right. I closed my eyes and Shep immediately invaded my fantasies. He was in his boxers. His furry chest and belly beckoned for me to touch him. His lips beckoned me to kiss them. That bulge in his shorts...

"Oh god," I groaned. My body tightened and I exploded. Warm bursts of semen shot out of me and covered my chest and my stomach. I fell back into the bed and panted as I tried to catch my breath. My juices began to cool and thin and started to drip down my sides. I grabbed my briefs and wiped my hands and my body. I got a clean pair of underwear and slipped them on. I padded down the hallway to the bathroom. After I cleaned myself up and used the bathroom, I returned back to my room.

As I passed by the office, I could hear Shep's snoring through the closed door. I listened for a second, then continued to my room to go to bed.

* * *

The next couple mornings, Shep didn't come to breakfast. When we ate dinner, it was in silence. I was sure that I had ruined things between us. But then again, he started it.

Friday morning, Shep shuffled into the kitchen in his boxers. He looked slightly embarrassed and he finally looked me in the eye and gave me a little smile. He poured a cup of coffee and then sat down at the table and fixed a bowl of cereal for himself. I got up to get ready to go to work.

"Hey, Billy. Don't worry about dinner tonight."

I looked at him with a confused expression. "You sure?"

"I'm going out with the guys after work. We're gonna grab some beer and wings."

"Oh. Okay then."

I tried to disguise the hurt I was feeling, but maybe I wasn't successful.

Shep looked guilty when he said, "You can meet us there if you want."

I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. "Oh, no, that's okay. Have fun tonight. I'll just... whatever..."

I quickly grabbed my keys and my bag and headed to work. Work was crazy busy. By the time I got home, I was tired. I plopped down on the sofa and sighed. I got up and went to the kitchen to see what I could make for dinner. Since it was just me tonight, I decided to just heat up a frozen dinner.

As I sat in front of the TV eating my tasteless but overly salty meal, it hit me how lonely I was. Shep had been here almost two months now. I hated that he wasn't home and was out having a good time with his work buddies. I knew that I was being petty and jealous and I kicked myself for feeling the way I did, but I couldn't help it. I tossed the rest of my dinner into the garbage and sat on the couch and sulked.

By midnight, Shep still wasn't home. I left a lamp on in the living room for him and then headed to bed. I laid on my side and curled up into a ball and resisted the urge to cry myself to sleep.

I was startled awake when I heard the front door open. I squinted at the clock and saw that it was almost 2:00 AM. I listened to Shep stumble through the apartment and make his way to the bathroom. He knocked into something and cursed. After a bit, he stumbled to his makeshift bedroom and went to bed. It took me a while to fall back asleep, but I managed to get some rest.

I woke in the morning with a groan. I squinted at the clock and was surprised that I had slept in so late.

I grabbed my glasses and got up and walked out of my bedroom to go to the bathroom. The door to Shep's room was open and I couldn't help but peek. He was laying on his back on the futon, all sprawled out. His mouth hung open and he was snoring up a storm. His left arm and leg were slumped over the side of the bed. The sheet was bunched up around his legs, which were spread wide. I realized then that he was too tall for the futon. His legs hung over the edge.

He was only wearing a pair of thin boxer shorts. I could see the outline of his dick laying along his thigh. He looked like maybe he was partially hard. Either way, it looked big. I burned the sight of him into my brain, then backed away from the door.

After I took care of my bathroom needs, I went to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. After it was done brewing, I poured a mug and sat down at the table and quietly sipped it.

"Need coffee," Shep grumbled as he shuffled into the kitchen.

His dark blond hair was usually mussy, but today it stuck up all over the place. His eyes were nearly shut. He still had a red spot and a couple of lines on his face from where the pillow pressed into him. He looked adorable. I couldn't help but smile at him.

He poured a mug of coffee and slumped down in the chair next to me.

"Good morning, sunshine," I said with a smirk.

He just grunted.

I tried not to laugh. "You need some ibuprofen?"

He grunted again and nodded his head. I got up and grabbed the value-sized bottle of pain killers from the cabinet. He poured two of them into his hand, thought about it for a second, then added another. He then popped them into his mouth and chased them down with a swallow of his coffee.

"Can you drive me over to get my truck from the bar?" he asked as he scratched the side of his head.

"Sure. You want breakfast first? Or don't you have the stomach?"

"Yeah, I could eat."

I got up and pulled out some eggs and bacon. I fried up the bacon and fried the eggs over-easy, the way Shep preferred them. I dropped four slices of bread into the toaster.

I served Shep his breakfast and then sat down. He gave me a genuinely warm smile for the first time in about a week.

"Thanks, Billy. You been real good to me. I appreciate it."

I looked at him and shrugged, then quickly looked down at my plate and began eating.

I would do anything for Shep. My feelings for him had grown stronger over the past couple months. I tried to bury them inside me, but they keep creeping up. Especially when he was nice to me.

I could tell that his eyes were still on me and I tried to ignore it and kept my head down to my plate. He then salted and peppered his eggs and began eating.

I felt awkward and nervous, so I tried to make small talk. "So, what did you end up doing last night?"

"Well, we went to a sports bar. Mac bought us a round of beers and bought some wing platters."

"Mac? Is that your boss?"

"Yeah. He's a cool guy," he said after he chewed a bite of eggs. "You'd like him. He's queer. Married his boyfriend in Massachusetts or Vermont or something. A nerdy little guy. Comes by the shop a lot."

I frowned at his use of the word 'queer'. I knew he didn't mean any disrespect by it, but still...

He looked up at me and saw my facial expression and his cheeks reddened a bit. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that..."

"I know. Just don't let him hear you call him that."

"I wouldn't do that. He's a good guy. A good boss. Anyway, after the sports bar, some of us went bar hopping." He cocked his head and looked like he was thinking hard as he joked, "I might have had a bit too much to drink."

I laughed. "Yeah, I figured that when I heard you come in."

"Sorry. I'm sure I was trying to be quiet."

I laughed again. "Yeah. I figured that, too."

Shep shrugged and laughed.

After we finished eating, Shep put the dishes in the dishwasher and we went and got dressed. He gave me directions to the sports bar and I pulled up next to his red pickup. He got in the truck and waved to me as he pulled out of the parking lot.

I decided to go grocery shopping. It would give me time to space out and not think about Shep as I pushed the cart up and down the aisle. Of course that didn't work, because every little thing I picked up I would think 'Shep likes this' or 'Shep doesn't like this' or 'Maybe I'll cook this for Shep'.

When I got home, Shep was in the living room, kicked out on the sofa in his boxers and a wife beater watching football on TV. He jumped up off the couch when he saw me and grabbed some of the bags out of my hand and helped me carry them to the kitchen.

"You should have told me you were going to the store," he said as he helped me put the groceries up. "I would have come with you."

I shrugged. "No big deal."

He pulled the receipt out of one of the bags. "Let me pay for half."

"You don't have to."

"You always say that. And you know that I'm not gonna let you do that. It's bad enough you let me live here for free."

He went and got his wallet and gave me enough money for just over half of the bill. I thanked him and put the money in my wallet

* * *

That night for dinner, I made spaghetti with Italian sausage. It was simple to make, but it was good. I also had garlic bread and a bagged caesar salad to go with it. Shep said he loved it and had two big servings. Afterward, he packed the leftovers into a plastic container to take to work for lunch. It made me feel really good that Shep was always so excited about bringing my leftover cooking to work.

After dinner, we relaxed on the sofa together. Shep kicked back and sipped on a beer.

"You're gonna make someone a good husband someday, Billy," he said.

"Yeah. Right."

"I'm serious. A guy would be lucky to have you. You know how to take care of a man. You keep a good house. You're a fantastic cook. And you're even kinda cute. As cute as your sister. Maybe even cuter."

He chuckled and nudged my shoulder with his. I looked over at him. What he said really touched me. Sure, it wasn't the most eloquent compliment I ever heard and he made me sound like a total girl, but it was heartfelt. My eyes started to sting and I blinked a few times and turned away from him.

His smiled melted. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

I didn't trust myself to talk, so I just nodded.

He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "You sure?"

He just sat there looking at me, waiting. I finally turned and looked at him. He watched me with such care and concern in his eyes. It had been a really long time since I felt a connection with someone and it killed me that I couldn't have him. I wanted so much to tell him that he was the lucky guy that I wanted to love and take care of. Even though I was sitting with Shep and he had his hand on my shoulder, I felt lonely. I was in love with Shep and even though he was here with me, I never felt more alone that I did right now.

A tear fell from my eye. He reached up and swiped it away with his thumb. He didn't move his hand from my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his hand. It was hard and rough, but so warm on my skin. I felt him shift in his seat as he moved closer. My heart pounded in my ears. I had to be imagining this. Was I asleep? Was I dreaming?

I felt his warm breath on my face and then his lips brushed against mine. They were soft and warm. My mind went totally blank. I let out a little whimper and pressed my lips back against his.

Shep pushed me onto my back and cradled my head with his arms. He kissed me slow and deep. He opened his mouth and his tongue slid between my lips. He ran it across my tongue and then explored every inch of my mouth. His mouth tasted of the beer he was drinking. I couldn't get enough of it.

I returned Shep's deep kiss with equal passion. His body was big and wide and covered mine completely in a way that no one else had ever before. I brought my hands up around his back and slid them under his wife beater. I felt the patch of hair at the base of his spine and I rubbed it for a bit, then slid up his back. As we kissed, I could feel his dick growing in his boxer shorts and pressing into my hip. He might have been a bastard, but he certainly wasn't 'limp-dicked'. All I know is that I was harder than I had been in so long and I knew he had to feel it through my jeans.

His goatee tickled my neck as he kissed down past my adam's apple and to the hollow. He ran his tongue over to the left side and began sucking on my neck. I opened my mouth and gasped. I pulled my left hand from under his shirt and gripped the back of his head, curling my fingers into his thick hair. I arched my back up to him and I shuddered.

"Shep..." I moaned. "Please..."

Shep's arms moved around me. He rolled us onto our sides so that we were facing each other. His leg moved in between mine and he leaned in and kissed me again. His large hand moved up under my t-shirt and his thick, calloused fingers rubbed up the bare skin of my back. I trembled in his arms from his touch and his kisses. I pushed my hands up under his tank and raked my hands through the thick pelt of hair on his chest. His pecs were hard and his belly was a little soft.

He was grinding his hips in little circles and I rubbed back. I let my right hand slide down. I gasped when I came into contact with the hot flesh jutting out of the fly of his boxers. I wrapped my fingers around the thick column and Shep moaned loudly. "Oh, fuck..."

I looked down between our bodies. Shep's cock was swollen and purple. The shaft was very thick and about seven and half inches in length. It felt heavy in my hand and it had a slight curve upwards towards his belly. His dark bush was untrimmed. I slid my hand down and gently pulled back his foreskin and uncovered the angry looking head.

As I squeezed it, a drop of pearly liquid oozed out of the slit. I ran my thumb over it, then brought it to my mouth and licked it clean. Shep let out a little grunt as he watched me.

I slid my way down Shep's body. I tugged at his boxers and he hesitated, but then lifted up. I slid them off and dropped them onto the floor.

"Billy... maybe we shouldn't..."

Before he could stop me, I moved so that I was kneeling on the floor. I bent down over his crotch and took him into my mouth. I slid down the length of Shep's cock until my nose was buried in his bush.

"Oh, fuck," he groaned as he slumped back onto the sofa.

I was going to give Shep the best blowjob he ever had. He would never forget it. I would ruin all other mouths for him. When I was done, he would never want another. I sucked hard as I pulled back up. I swirled my tongue around the head, tickling the sensitive spot underneath where his foreskin connected. Shep groaned and brought his hand up to my head. His fingers pushed through my hair to my head and he pushed down as he bucked his hips up.

"Oh my fucking God. Suck it, Billy. Suck my cock!"

Shep's body shuddered and he groaned loudly. His head tossed back and forth. His hand roughly pushed my head up and down his cock, while the other maintained a death grip on the sofa. My nose kept hitting Shep's pubic bone over and over as he fucked my face. I cupped his balls with one hand and rested the other on his furry stomach.

"Feels so good... Don't fucking stop... Oh, shit, I'm gonna come!"

Shep gripped my hair tight and grunted loudly. My mouth was filled with a burst of hot liquid. Before I could react, another pulse even larger than the first had my mouth overflowing. My body contracted and my dick throbbed and I began shooting my own load into my underwear while Shep's cock kept pulsing and throbbing. I swallowed down what I could, only to have my mouth filled again and again.

Shep's chest heaved up and down and his body shuddered as he came down from the high of his intense orgasm.

I cleaned Shep up with my tongue and gave him a couple of final strokes. His hooded prick lay limp and sated, still long and thick, against his thigh. I sat back on my heels and looked at Shep. He had tossed his arm over his eyes and he pulled it away and looked over at me.

"Christ, Billy. Where'd you learn to suck cock like that? God damn. You about gave me a fucking heart attack."

He started to laugh and I let out a breath in relief. He suddenly looked nervous and his eyes darted away from mine. He cleared his throat. "Do you need... um... I don't know if I'm ready to, you know, return the favor...."

I blushed beet red. "I came when you did."

He sat up on his elbows and looked down at my crotch. "Really?"

"Yeah. I, uh, come easy when I'm really turned on."

A smug grin slid across Shep's face. "Really turned on, huh?"

"Shut up," I muttered in embarrassment as I moved to sit on the couch. Shep moved his legs away to make room for me.

"I never heard of a guy coming without, you know, at least a hand or something."

I shrugged. "It's happened a few times to me. So... Are you okay with what just happened?"

"I'm trying not to completely freak out on you. But inside... Yeah I'm a bit..." Shep sat up and grabbed his boxers and pulled them on. "I just need a little bit of time to think, okay, Billy?"

"Yeah. Sure, Shep. I just... I don't want this to ruin our friendship."

Shep nodded once and then walked out. When I heard the office door shut, I slumped back on the sofa. I pushed my glasses up with my finger and let out a sigh.

What the fuck did I just do?

* * *

I was disappointed when I went to bed that night. Shep hadn't come out of his room. I thought maybe he was upset with me, but when I walked by the office, I heard his snoring loud and clear.

I wore him out. That's what I told myself as I crawled into bed. It's not because he hates me.

I tossed and turned all night long. I kept glancing at the clock, checking the time.

I must have eventually fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I was awoken by the mattress sagging and the whisper of my name. "Billy..."

"Wha-?"

I turned over to find Shep crawling into bed with me.

My voice quivered when I questioned him. "Shep? What are you--"

"Shh. No thinking... Too much thinking..."

Shep pushed me onto my back and kissed me. I brought my hands up to him and kissed him back.

He moved on top of me, bringing more of his body weight onto me. I spread my legs and he moved on top of me and settled between my legs. I felt the heat and rigidness of his hard cock through his boxer shorts. I arched my body up, trying to get more contact with his.

Shep's mouth nibbled and sucked at the base of my neck. I knew that I would have a dark red mark there. Shep's mark. I shuddered at the thought. I reached between our bodies and pushed my hand under the waistband of Shep's shorts. I fisted the length of his thick shaft. It rapidly hardened to full bone.

"I want you, Shep," I panted. "I want you inside me. Fuck me, Shep."

Shep pulled back and looked down at me. "Jesus, Billy. Are you sure?"

"God, yes. There's lube in the drawer there."

Shep crawled over to the edge of the bed and opened the night table drawer. He fished around and found the clear bottle. He came back to me and popped the top with a snap. I watched him pour a healthy amount of the clear liquid onto his fingers. He reached between my legs and ran his finger up the crevice of my ass. His slippery finger slipped through my crease until it found my hole. He traced along the rim of my opening, teasing it with the tip of his finger.

He's done this before. Maybe not with a man, but still....

His thick blunt finger pushed into me, slowly and gently. I let out a low moan and relaxed back onto the mattress.

"You okay?" he asked.

I looked him in the eye. "Yeah. Fuck me, Shep."

He pulled his finger out and slid in two. He pumped them in and out, twisting them around, wiggling and stretching. I writhed on the bed, practically delirious with need.

Shep grunted and pulled his fingers out. He squirted a liberal amount of lube along his cock. I pulled my knees back to my chest, exposing myself to him. He fisted it a couple of times and then aligned the head with my opening. He gave a firm push and the head slipped into me. I let out a long groan and I locked my knees against his waist and grabbed onto his sides.

"Christ," he groaned. "You're tight."

Shep's his thrust forward and he slowly sunk into me until I felt his thick bush against my skin.

"Oh God, Shep... That's it."

"You're... unbelievable... So fucking hot..."

Shep started moving. He slowly pulled back and then sunk back in with a groan. He shifted his weight and looked down at me. The look in his eyes was intense. I held his gaze as he pulled out, then snapped his hips forward hard. The head of his cock jabbed and slid across my prostate and my body was wracked with a shudder.

"Please, Shep," I cried out. "Do it again. Just like that."

To my pleasure, Shep did it again. And again. And again. He grunted and gasped as he increased the tempo of his thrusts.

"Can you take it harder?" Shep asked. His voice was practically begging. His eyes looked down at me. He was holding back and I wanted all he had.

I stared back into his eyes. "Give it to me, Shep."

Shep's eyes fluttered shut and he let out a groan. He slammed hard into me, stabbing my prostate, causing me to see stars. He thrust into me like a jackhammer over and over. I was moaning and whimpering like a bitch, but I didn't care. I wanted this. I needed this.

"Like that, Billy?" he asked with a cocky grin on his face. "Like that cock?"

"Yes, I love it. You're so fucking good, Shep. Oh god, you're so good."

"Fuck yeah," he smirked. "I got what you want, what you need. You need my cock, don't you?"

"Need it so bad, Shep," I moaned as I lifted my hips to meet his.

As I rapidly approached my orgasm, I gripped Shep tight. My nuts drew up into my body and I started to tremble. All of my muscles contracted and I clenched my ass tight around Shep. I opened my mouth to cry out and I let out a gasp as my dick exploded, sending pulses of white hot juices between our bodies. My ass rhythmically contracted around Shep's cock, squeezing and milking his thrusting girth.

"Holy fucking shit!" he cried out. "Oh fuck, I'm coming! I'm coming now!"

I tightened my arms and my ankles around Shep's convulsing body. With a loud grunt and a final series of short thrusts, his body shook as he unloaded deep into my bowels. "Oh fucking God... fuck fuck fuck..."

His arms faltered and he fell on top of me, his body still shuddering. My arms gripped him harder, holding him against me as I let my legs fall to the bed. Shep panted in my ear and I felt him press his lips against my neck. He laid light kisses along my jugular. His cock eventually softened enough for my body to push him out along with a trickle of his come. I would gladly lay in the wet spot if it meant getting fucked by Shep like this.

"Thank you, Billy..."

"Thank you, Shep. It's been a while for me..."

"Yeah, me too."

Shep planted another kiss on my neck. He nuzzled his nose in my ear. I ran a hand over the back of his head, twirling my fingers around the thick locks.

"I made you come," he whispered. "With my cock."

"Yeah," I blushed. "You were good.... The best I ever had," I admitted truthfully.

Shep chuckled softly. "You're good for my ego, Billy."

He pushed back onto his hands and knees. My drying, sticky load tugged at his body hair and he let out a little grunt as he pulled free. He pushed up to his knees and reached down and grabbed his boxers from the foot of the bed and wiped himself down, then wiped me off. He wadded his boxers up in his hands and turned towards the door.

"Shep? You can sleep here... if you want."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He thought for a second and then nodded. He settled down next to me on his side. I turned around to face him.

"Night, Shep."

"Night, Billy."

Shep reached up and lightly stroked my cheek with his knuckles. He gave me a quick kiss on the lips, settled on his back with his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes. Within seconds, his mouth was open slightly and he was snoring. I took the opportunity to reach out and touch him. I traced along his tattooed arm and twirled my finger though the hair on his chest. I lightly rubbed his soft belly, letting my fingers glide over the soft hairs.

I took a chance and moved in and curled up next to him. I put my arm around his body and laid my head on his warm chest. He let out a little snort and his arm moved around my shoulder and pulled me close. He started snoring again and I closed my eyes.

I love you, Sheppard Bannister.

* * *

I woke the next morning as Shep got out of bed with a grunt. He quietly padded out of the bedroom and I pushed myself upright. I swiped my glasses from the nightstand and put them on. I pulled on a t-shirt and pair of underwear and went into the kitchen. As I passed the bathroom, I could hear his loud stream of urine pouring into the toilet.

I started a pot of coffee, then opened the fridge. I bent over and looked around to see what I could make for breakfast.

"Hey..."

I looked up as Shep wandered into the kitchen wearing only a pair of boxers, like he normally did. He had an embarrassed look on his face. His eyes darted around nervously, not sure of where to look.

"Morning," I said. "I was thinking about making omelets for breakfast."

"Oh. Uh. You don't have to do that," he said as his eyes finally met mine.

"It's okay. I want to."

"Well... I guess... if you want to."

I dug around the freezer and found some frozen hash browns. I pulled out the eggs and several ingredients, and asked Shep what he liked in his omelets. He walked over and stood next to me.

"Not the green peppers," he said as he crinkled his nose. "Everything else you got is good. Extra cheese?"

I looked up at him and smiled. "Sure. Extra cheese is good."

We were both smiling and looking at each other. I wanted him to kiss me so bad. I wanted him to hold me and tell me that what happened between us meant something to him. He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it, then nodded at me.

I guess that would have to be enough for now.

Shep poured a mug of coffee and sat down at the table. We made small talk while I cooked.

"I feel like going for a ride," Shep later said as he put his plate in the dishwasher. "I'm gonna cruise around in the truck for a while. Get out of the house..."

"Okay."

Shep nodded and left the room. I put the frying pan in the sink and began washing it. My mind was going a mile a minute as I ran the sponge around the same spot on the pan.

Was Shep trying to avoid me? What did he think about what happened? Is he going to pretend like it didn't happen? Will it happen again? God, how I wanted it to happen again. I wonder what he would do if I made a move on him. Should I just let him make the next move? What if he never does?

"Billy."

I gasped and jumped in the air and spun around to see him in the doorway.

"Sorry," he mumbled, trying not to smile. "Didn't mean to scare ya."

I shrugged dismissively. "I just zoned out for a second there... I didn't hear you walk in."

"You wanna come? Riding with me?"

"Yeah? Sure. I'd like that."

Shep nodded. "I'm gonna take a quick shower."

After I showered, I met Shep in the living room. He was wearing a gray sleeveless T which showed off his big arms and his tats. He had on a pair of camo shorts and white socks and work boots. Damn, he looked good. My eyes lingered on the crotch of his shorts for a second and my dick got hard as I remembered what we had done together.

Shep threw his arm around my shoulder. "Ready?" he asked.

He had a cheery grin on his face and I couldn't help but smile back at him.

Shep started up the truck and turned on the radio as he pulled out of the parking lot. Classic rock.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Nowhere," he shrugged. "I just like cruising. It helps keep my mind clear... helps me to relax. We could both do with some relaxin' right about now."

I let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah."

We drove in silence for a while. It was a comfortable silence. We listened to the music and our heads bobbed and our toes tapped.

After a couple of hours of aimless driving, he pulled off the road onto a dirt road. It seemed like he knew where he was going now.

"Do you know where we're going?" I asked.

"Yeah. I've been here a few times."

The road veered to the right as it came to a small river. Shep followed the road along the river a ways until the road ended at old electrical station. Shep turned the truck around and pointed it back to the direction we came in. He parked the truck and cut the engine off, leaving the radio on. Shep took his seat belt off and I did the same.

I swallowed nervously and stared at the flowing water. My eyes moved to a fallen tree on the other side of the river bank and I watched the water swirling around it. My heartbeat pounded in my ears and my face started to feel warm. I wiped the dampness away from my forehead with the back of my hand.

Shep chuckled, then started to laugh out right. I looked over at him like he had gone bat-shit crazy. "What's so funny?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You look like you're 'bout to have a nervous breakdown. Sittin' there lookin' like I brought you out here to kill ya or somethin'."

He started laughing louder.

"That's not funny," I said, trying to sound mad, but then I started to laugh too. "You're a jerk," I managed to say between laughs.

I shoved his shoulder with my hand and he laughed harder. He grabbed my arm and shoved his hand under my armpit. I screamed and jerked back. I was howling with laughter as Shep tickled me. He pushed me onto my back and was all over me. I was laughing so hard it started to hurt.

"Stop!" I screamed. "I give! Uncle!"

Shep stopped tickling me, but he stayed hovering over me. My legs were splayed apart and he was between them. Our chests heaved in sync as we tried to catch our breath.

"Shep," I whispered. "I--"

Shep grunted and pushed his mouth onto mine. Our teeth slammed into each other, but I didn't care. He kissed me hungrily as if he was trying to devour me. I moved my hands around his back and pulled him down so that he was on top of me. His big body felt so warm and heavy as his weight pushed me into the bench seat. I linked my leg around his and I gripped his back tight.

Shep pulled my glasses off and tossed them onto the top of the dashboard.

He licked, sucked and bit at my neck. His rough beard whiskers and goatee scraped my sensitive skin, causing me to shudder. He sucked hard on my jugular near the base of my neck, pulling the blood towards the surface. I moaned and scraped my fingers down his back as I arched my back up towards him.

"Mmm," Shep moaned in my ear as he licked the hickey he just created. "Now you got one to match the other side."

I shuddered and let out a soft whimper. "Shep. Fuck me."

Shep's hand moved to my shorts and he unbuckled my belt and began shimmying the shorts down my hips. He pushed back enough so that he could pull them off. He pulled me up and maneuvered us so that he was sitting in the middle of the seat and I was straddling his lap. His fat cock was pressed into the crack of my ass. I took his face in my hands and kissed him hard as I ground my bare ass on his boner.

Shep brought an arm around me and he held me tight to his body as he leaned forward and popped open the glove box. He dug around and found a small bottle of lube.

I raised my brow and looked at him. "Prepared, I see," I said as I scraped my fingertips through his thick sideburns, then along his whiskered jaw.

"You never know," he said with a sly smile.

He poured the clear gel onto his fingers. He slipped his hand around me and found my hole. He swirled his fingers around, smearing the cold gel around my opening. "Are you sore?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head. "No."

He slid two fingers into me and I threw my head back and moaned. Shep clamped his mouth onto my neck and sucked and bit as he began pumping his fingers into me.

He pushed me back so that he could get to his belt. He unbuckled his belt and shoved his shorts down his thighs. His cock flopped out against his stomach. It was rock hard. The foreskin was pulled back to reveal the head, swollen purple with need. I grabbed the base to hold it steady as Shep squirted the slippery lube onto it. I slicked my hand up and down a few times and then moved so that the wide and blunt head was pressed against my hole. I let go of his dick and put my hands on his shoulders. Shep's hands gripped my waist and I began lowering myself onto him. I hissed as the head pushed past my sensitive ring. Shep squeezed his eyes shut. His face contorted with concentration as he tried not to thrust up into me. I paused for a few seconds and then slid all the way down.

I looked into Shep's eyes as I pulled myself up and then slid back down. The head of his cock rubbed against my prostate and pulses of pleasure rippled through my body.

I began riding Shep hard. His fingers dug into me and he thrust his hips up into me. We were frantic as we both slammed into each other. Our eyes never left each other. Shep's blue eyes were dark with lust. I was already falling over the edge and I let myself go. My body started to quiver as I struggled to maintain a rhythm.

"Shep!"

Shep grunted. "Billy. Fuck yourself on my cock."

I tried my best to keep my eyes on Shep's as I bounced up and down on him. But at the last minute, I couldn't hold it. They squeezed shut as my body froze and went completely rigid. I was aware of Shep's fingers digging into the flesh of my waist as his hips pounded up into me.

"Shep! I'm gonna--!" I shouted out as my cock exploded, pulsing hot jets of jizz in between our bodies and all over Shep's T-shirt.

"Billy, I'm gonna fucking come! I'm coming, baby!"

Shep pulled me down hard as he thrust up one last time. He let out a roar and I felt his thick rod expand inside me. It throbbed and jerked violently and I felt the hot wetness of his come shooting in thick ropes into me, then dribbling out around his shaft.

I slumped bonelessly onto Shep and let my head fall onto his shoulder. His arms wrapped tight around me. I closed my eyes as I felt his lips pressing small kisses along the side of my head.

We sat like that in comfortable silence for a few moments. His cock softened and my body finally pushed it out. I felt a warm trickle down the inside of my thigh and I clamped my hole closed to trap his juices inside me. I let out a quiet sigh and gave his neck a soft kiss.

"You bring all your conquests out here?" I asked as I nuzzled my nose against the coarse whiskers of his goatee. I kissed up the side of his jaw and rubbed my nose across his thick sideburn. God, I loved how hairy he was.

"Nah," he said. "Well, there was one..."

He gave me a quick side glance and I knew he was talking about my sister.

"Great," I muttered.

"Before we got married. She's too uptight these days to do anything like this. Not that she gives it up anymore anyway. Been at least eight months since I had any puss--"

"Okay then," I interrupted.

I felt really uncomfortable now. I didn't want to talk about Wendy. I wanted to pretend that Shep was mine. I let out a sigh and sat upright and looked at him.

"Not that I wanted it," he said with a shrug. He appeared to be deep in thought, but then turned to me with a serious expression on his face. "You think I can get your brother Wilson up here next?"

My mouth fell open in horror as I looked at Shep's serious face. The corner of his mouth twitched and he couldn't hold back and started to howl with laughter.

"You're a bastard," I laughed as I pushed his chest.

"I guess I can settle for two out of the three Harper kids," he said between laughs.

I slapped his arm. "Asshole! That is just so wrong."

He stuck out his tongue at me and I tried to nip at it with my teeth. When our laughter died down, I leaned in and kissed him slowly and tenderly as the thought rang in my head: I love you, Sheppard Bannister.

* * *

When we got back home, we took turns freshening up in the bathroom, then I went to the kitchen to start dinner. Shep walked in wearing only a pair of boxer shorts and a wifebeater. He grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge and slumped into one of the kitchen table chairs.

"Whatcha makin'?" he asked, then took a long pull of his beer.

"I got this flank steak and some tortilla shells. I was thinking of fajitas maybe?"

"Yeah? That sounds really good. You got chips and salsa too?"

"Yup."

I went to the pantry and grabbed the spices and olive oil for the marinade. I rubbed the marinade in the steak and then set it back into the fridge.

"We should let that marinate for an hour or so," I said as I washed my hands.

Shep got up from the table and followed me into the living room. I slumped on the sofa. Shep upended his beer and guzzled the last of it, then set the empty bottle on a coaster on the coffee table. I watched Shep reach down and scratch his balls. His cock looked like it was growing inside his boxers. I looked up at him and he was looking down at me. He licked his lips.

"We got an hour, you said?" he asked.

I nodded and managed to squeak out, "Yeah."

Shep stood up and stepped closer to me until he was standing between my knees. I looked up at him through my bangs.

"So fucking cute," he whispered as he cupped my chin in his hand. He ran his thumb along my bottom lip. I parted my lips and touched the tip of my tongue to his thumb.

Shep let out a groan. His voice was quiet and breathy as he asked, "You know what I want, don't you, Billy? You want it too, don't you?"

I let out a ragged breath and placed my hands on his thighs. I slid them up towards his crotch. I grabbed the waist band of his boxers and slid them down until they fell at his ankles. He kicked them away and spread his legs shoulder width apart. His left hand moved to his hip while his right slid behind the back of my head.

I took his half-hard cock in my hand and stroked the foreskin back and forth across the head. I leaned in and slicked my tongue over the wet head, and pressed the tip of my tongue under the soft skin. I kissed and licked all over and it slowly swelled until it was pointing towards the ceiling. I let out a soft moan and slipped to my knees as Shep applied pressure to the back of my neck. His dick slipped between my lips until the head nudged the back of my throat. I gripped it with my fist and sucked hard as I pulled off.

"Christ, you do that good," he groaned. "Suck me, baby. Suck my cock..."

I moaned and hummed around his shaft as I dove down onto it. I sucked, stroked, and slobbered all over Shep. I was drooling so much, it ran down my chin and dripped down his shaft into his furry ball sack. I pulled off and licked up the extra spit. While jerking him with my fist, I licked his fleshy sack, feeling the weight of his low hanging nuts.

Shep pulled off his wifebeater and tossed it on the ground. He groaned and tightened his grip on the back of my head. I sucked one of his large balls into my mouth, lolling it around my tongue. I let it fall and then gave its twin the same treatment. I slid my tongue back up along the vein on the underside of his shaft. I fluttered my tongue over the head and then plunged down to the root, burying my nose in his thick bush.

"Oh, FUCK!" Shep cried out.

I gripped his thighs tight and began sliding my mouth up and down his length, from the root to the head and back. Hearing Shep's appreciative groans and grunts, I was suddenly very grateful to Payne the asshole for teaching me how to do this properly.

Shep began to shake. His knees buckled and his breathing hitched. I pulled off and blew air along the wet shaft.

"Fuck, don't stop," he groaned, sounding like a whine.

I wrapped my tongue around the base, then slid it up and down the length of one of his veins.

"Billy, please... I gotta come. Please, baby..."

"Love your cock, Shep," I moaned as I nuzzled my nose and lips into the fur at the base of his organ. "It's so big and thick. So perfect."

"It's yours, baby. Anytime you want it. Just make me come..."

I grabbed the base and pointed it back towards my mouth. I slid my mouth down the shaft, fluttering my tongue along the soft skin. I twisted my head back and forth as I bobbed up and down. Shep's hips thrust forward.

"Oh, fuck, here it is. I'm gonna fucking shoot. Don't stop, baby! Oh fuck, don't fucking stop!"

Shep let out a roar and his hands gripped my head tight. He pumped into my mouth and I felt it thicken and then pulse along my tongue. It jerked in my mouth and a rush of hot liquid filled me. I let out a moan as a second blast splattered against the roof of my mouth. I swallowed over and over as Shep unloaded his nuts into my sucking mouth.

Shep hissed and stepped back when it got too sensitive.

I pushed myself up onto the couch and unbuckled my belt and pushed down my shorts. I grabbed my dick and started jerking off, while staring unabashedly at Shep's manly body.

Shep knelt down between my legs. He pushed my hand away and grabbed my dick.

"Shep, please," I moaned as I thrust my hips up towards him.

Shep jacked my cock in a steady rhythm, not too fast and not too slow. I pushed closer to him so that I could touch him. I ran my hands all over his shoulders and his arms. His biceps flexed underneath my fingers. He tapped the head of my cock against the middle of his chest, then rubbed it around his thick dark blond fur. That did it. I couldn't hold back even if I wanted to.

"OH GOD!" I cried out and I began spurting my load all over him.

I fell back onto the couch and looked back at Shep, who was staring at me wide-eyed. He had my come all over his chest, under his chin, and across his shoulder. The thick, white semen was caught in the fur and looked so damned sexy.

"Christ, Billy. I need a shower," he said and then laughed.

I ran my index finger through the thick jizz stuck in his chest hair. Shep took my wrist and guided my hand to my mouth. Keeping my eyes locked on his, I licked my finger clean. I scooped up the blob on his shoulder and brought it up to his lips. His tongue hesitantly flicked out and tasted it. He made a frown and licked and smacked his lips.

I was laughing at him as Shep grabbed me and pulled me up to my feet. He gave me a shove towards the bathroom. A grin spread across my face when I realized he wanted to shower with me.

The shower was slow and leisurely. There was a lot of gentle kissing and touching as we washed each other.

After we dried off, we ran into the bedroom and jumped onto the bed. We laid together on our sides facing each other. Shep kissed me tenderly as he ran his big hands all over me. One of his hands found my ass.

"Your ass is fucking perfection," he whispered as he gently kissed along my neck while stroking and squeezing my ass cheeks.

"You can have it whenever you want it," I whispered back.

"You make an offer like that and I'm gonna want it all the time," he growled as he nibbled on the skin of my neck. His goatee scratched at my skin. I was going to have whisker burn, but I didn't care.

"It's yours Shep. I'm yours. Whenever you want."

My face burned hot at my confession. I was laying it all out there.

Shep pulled back and looked down at me. His eyes were so beautiful. I couldn't turn away.

"You really want me like that, Billy?"

"Yes." I swallowed visibly. "Do you... do you want me?"

"Yes," he said quietly as he ran his finger along my chin. "For a while now."

"Me too.... for a long time. I never thought... never imagined that you would... that we would ever be together."

"I'm good at pretending," he confessed quietly. "Good at lying. But I can't do it anymore."

* * *

The next couple of months were simply amazing. Shep and I lived a quiet life together at home. He was no longer in the guest room. His things were moved into my room. My bed was plenty big enough for the both of us.

He still went out on Fridays with his work buddies. I suggested meeting them once, but Shep kind of freaked out, so I didn't press it. I had him to myself the rest of the week. I knew that he would come out when he was ready.

Shep's sex drive kicked into high gear. We made love almost every night without fail. In the mornings before he had to leave for work, I would give him head. He said he loved waking up to my mouth.

The first time Shep reciprocated and went down on me, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I only lasted about a minute and he pulled off before I came in his mouth, but it was still the best blowjob I had ever had.

I was comfortable and happier than I had ever been in my life.

What could go wrong?

* * *

"Smells good," Shep said as he walked up behind me and looked over my shoulder.

"Thanks," I replied as I gave the pot of chili a stir.

I grabbed the two round sourdough bread loafs and cut out the insides to use as bowls.

After Shep scrubbed his hands at the sink with his nail brush and his special orange soap, he dried his hands off on his hand towel. He then reached around me and popped a chunk of bread in his mouth. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and slumped into one of the kitchen chairs. Since he had just got home from work, he was still wearing his Midtown Auto shirt and navy Dickies. I could tell something was wrong. He usually gave me a kiss when he got home and would tell me all about his day.

He just sat in the chair, staring off into space, as he drank his brew.

I grabbed the cheese, diced onions, sour cream and jalapea�os from the fridge and set them on the counter. I leaned back against the counter and watched him daydream. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Shep's eyes focused on me and he shook his head. "Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. Oh. I got a call from my lawyer. We sign the papers tomorrow. The divorce will be final."

"Oh. That's good, right?"

"Yeah."

He finished his bottle and then stood up. "I'm gonna take a shower."

That night when we got ready for bed, he was still quiet and moody. I tried not to press him. I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't know what to say.

We crawled into bed and I snuggled up to him. He pulled the down comforter over us and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Do you want to talk about what's wrong?" I asked.

Shep let out a deep sigh. "I... I feel like a fucking failure."

"You're not a failure, Shep."

"I let my marriage fail. My parents are pissed. I could never please my old man anyway. This just gives him more ammo. I'm sick of it."

Shep rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling.

"And then there's us," he said after a moment. "How can I tell them that I'm... dating a man?"

"I know it'll be hard to tell them that you're, uh, bisexual, but--"

"I'm not bi, Billy. I'm gay."

"Oh."

"And what about your family? Huh? What are they gonna say when they find out that I'm your boyfriend?"

"I don't know. I'm scared to death to find out. I don't know what Dad will do. And then there's Wendy." I let out a deep sigh. "Thanksgiving is in two weeks. I guess we'll find out then."

Shep scoffed. "Yeah, right. Is it-- Is all this worth it, Billy? The pain and hurt? It's more than just us. It's both of our families."

"Yes," I whispered. "You're worth it, Shep. We're worth it. Don't you think so?"

"I don't know."

My eyes welled with tears. I rolled over so that Shep could see my face. "We are worth it, Shep. As long as we have each other, everything will be okay."

I love you, Shep.

Shep squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, they glistened with unshed tears. He didn't return my declaration, but when I looked at him, I knew that he did love me, even if he couldn't say it yet.

Shep pushed me onto my back and moved between my legs. He kissed me deeply and passionately. I reached over and got the lube I poured it into my hand and rubbed it between my cheeks. I held his thick cock in my hand and poured a generous amount of the clear liquid along the shaft and onto the head. I slid my hand up and down. I grabbed the back of my knee with one hand and raised it up as I guided him into me. When the head hit my entrance, Shep pushed forward and he slid into me until his balls rested against my ass. I brought my legs up and locked them around Shep's waist.

"Make love to me, Shep," I whispered.

Shep brought his head down to me and kissed me.

"I need you, Billy."

He made love to me slowly. His hips rocked and twisted, alternating between long and deep thrusts and short jabs. We kissed deeply. He sucked hard on my neck, leaving a dark bruise that I wouldn't be able to hide.

Shep cradled my head in his hands, resting his weight on his elbows. He stared into my eyes. The emotions in his eyes had me on the verge of tears. I felt so vulnerable. I knew the way he was looking at me that he knew. He knew that I was in love with him. It was on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to shout it out. As he slowly brought me to a loud and intense orgasm, I almost said it. But when I opened my mouth, only a choked scream came out. I arched my body upwards and threw my head back. Shep bit down on my neck as he let out a loud roar. I felt him pulsing inside my ass.

Despite having just come so hard, he was still rock hard inside me. He leisurely glided in and out and I knew that he could come again. I pushed him onto his back and I climbed on top and rode him hard and fast. Our loud panting, the slapping of our bodies echoed throughout the room, along with the squishes and slurps. I rode him until he came inside me a second time. He screamed out my name as he emptied another huge load into my guts.

I slumped forward and fell onto his chest. His hands slid up from my waist to my back. As I laid my cheek on his furry chest, I knew that I would have bruises on my hips where his fingers dug into me and I knew that my ass would be nice and sore.

I finally slid off him and moved to his side. We laid in each others arms not speaking. I'm not sure how long we laid there like that, but we eventually fell asleep.

I was exhausted when I woke the next morning. I got out of bed and felt a twinge of pain in my ass, reminding me of Shep's fat cock. It was a good pain.

After I went to the bathroom, I peeked in the office, the kitchen, then the living room. Shep was already gone, which surprised me a little. He wasn't a morning person and I usually had to drag him out of bed with the smell of coffee. I was also surprised that he was able to get out of bed and get ready for work without me hearing him. I must have really been out of it.

He was probably really nervous about the meeting with the lawyers this afternoon.

I was dragging ass all day at work. I managed to get through the day without falling asleep at my desk, but just barely.

As soon as I walked in the door to our apartment, I felt something was amiss. I looked around. Nothing looked out of place or missing. I walked into the bedroom and immediately saw a yellow sheet legal paper on the pad.

I drew in a deep breath and picked it up, trying to concentrate on the words written in Shep's nearly illegible chicken scratch.

Billy,

I'm sorry, but I can't do this.

Please don't hate me.

Shep

I choked back a sob and crumpled the note in my hand. My vision blurred as angry and hurt tears spilled down my face. I threw myself onto the bed and squeezed my eyes shut and curled up into a ball, where I remained for the rest of the night.

* * *

I pulled into the Midtown Auto parking lot at 9:00 AM. I spied Shep's red truck in the back with the other employee cars, so I knew that he was here. I narrowed my eyes at the truck. Fantasies of setting it on fire brought a slight smile to my face. I slammed my car door shut as I stormed into the building.

I stepped into the customer lobby and a tall, well-built man with a horseshoe mustache intercepted me and gave me a friendly smile. "Hi. Can I help you?"

"I need to speak with Shep Bannister. Please," I said, trying to sound calm as I twisted and folded the yellow paper in my hands. I looked through the wide window that overlooked the shop floor.

The man turned his head back towards the large man behind him. "Dirk? Can you get Shep?"

"Sure, Mac."

The bearded giant named Dirk stepped out onto the shop floor. Mac turned back to me and gave me a smile that I'm sure was meant to calm me down. "Can I get you a coffee or drink?"

"No," I snipped as I tried to look past him through the window to the shop floor.

Mac motioned towards some chairs along the wall and he put a hand on my arm. I flinched and backed away, shooting him a glare that said, Don't touch me.

A familiar voice from the doorway asked, "You need something, boss?"

I looked up as Shep walked into the lobby with Dirk. He was wiping his grimy hands on a rag. When he spotted me, the color drained from his face and he looked back at me wide-eyed.

I walked up to him and shoved the paper into his chest. "A note?!" I shouted.

"Billy, calm d--"

"Don't tell me to be calm! You left me... with a note? Is that all I meant to you?"

Shep cut his eyes towards Mac, who was trying to pull Dirk out of the room.

"Sorry," I said sarcastically. "I forgot. You don't want anyone to know--"

"Billy!" Shep said forcefully. "That's enough."

"You're a fucking coward! And I hate you!"

I couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears started to stream down my cheeks. I shoved Shep out of the way and ran to my car. I threw it into gear and raced home.

I spent the night crying until I had no more tears.

* * *

Shep's breakup hurt more than Dave and Payne combined, but I got through both of those and I would get through this.

I operated on auto-pilot for the next two weeks, feeling a little better as each day passed.

The last thing I wanted to do was go to Thanksgiving at my parents house. I didn't have much to be thankful for. I tried to call and say that I was sick, but Mom wouldn't hear it.

When I stepped through the front door, I could feel the tension immediately. The first thing I noticed was Dad. His face was red and he glared at me with an anger I had never seen before. Mom stood next to him sniffling into a tissue. My little brother Wilson stood nearby, his eyes darting around the room, looking everywhere but at me.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw him. Shep. Standing with Wendy. Shep looked up at me and I saw tears in his blue eyes.

I never occurred to me that he had gone back to Wendy. My knees buckled and I struggled not to get emotional. The last thing I had said to him was "I hate you" but that was a lie. I didn't hate him. I loved him.

Wendy's chest heaved and she let out a snort of air. She walked up to me, hauled her hand back and slapped me as hard as she could across the face. The force was enough to knock me backwards into the wall.

I brought my hand to my face to try to sooth away the sting. I looked between everyone in shock.

Wendy shoved my chest. "You. Are. Disgusting!"

I looked to Mom and Dad.

"Get out of my house," Dad said. "Now."

I backed up towards the front door. The last thing I saw before I turned and ran was Shep. I should have been livid with him. But the look of anguish on his face and the tears that slid down his face shattered my heart into a million pieces.

* * *

I only got about a mile away before I had to pull the car over. I was shaking so bad I couldn't even drive. I parked the car and slumped forward, resting my forehead on the steering wheel.

I jumped a foot into the air when my cell phone started to ring. I picked it up and looked at the screen. Wilson.

My voice was shaking as I answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Billy. It's me. Are you okay?"

"Um... Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

There was a long pause, then Wilson finally asked, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Did you seduce Shep?"

"I... It wasn't like that, Wilson."

"They're inside freaking out... Mom, Dad, Wendy... She says..."

I heard Wilson take a drag of a cigarette and exhale, then he continued, "Listen. Where are you? We need to talk."

"I'm... um... At 5th and Grove. Kroger parking lot."

"Okay. Give me ten minutes."

Several minutes later, Wilson slid into the passenger seat of my car. He looked at me for a second, then reached over and gave me a hug. I could smell the smoke on him. He slumped back in the seat and pushed his black framed glasses up on his nose and let out a deep breath.

"I told them I needed to get some air," he said. "Grab a pack of smokes. I probably shouldn't be gone long."

I nodded and sighed. "I don't understand why Shep would tell them."

"He didn't. Not exactly. Wendy figured it out. She was being her bitchy self, ragging on him. I mean, for fuck's sake, he decides to try to save their marriage and she's acting like a raging cunt. You know. Her usual. Anyways, she called him a limp dick bastard, and then it was like a light clicked on. She accused him of cheating and he said he never cheated while they were together. Then she accused him of fucking you. Dude. He looked like he was going to puke, but he didn't deny it. The look on his face... We all knew it was true."

"I didn't seduce him, Wilson. I swear. I loved-- I mean, I love him. He left me. I didn't know he went back to Wendy."

"Dad threw him out. Right after you left. Right after Wendy punched him across the jaw."

"Jesus," I said with a sigh.

"Yeah. But I really need to thank you."

"What for?"

"I have been dreading telling Mom and Dad something. I was gonna tell them today. But you and Shep fucking... Well, that totally trumps me."

"Thanks," I said wryly. "So what's your news? Please don't tell me you're gay."

"Uh, no," he laughed. "Not gay. This girl I've been kinda seeing... Well, she's... pregnant."

"Oh, wow. Yeah. I can see why didn't want to tell Mom and Dad."

"I'll just sneak it in between Dad and Wendy's homophobic ranting. You know, something like... 'Damned queers are gonna burn in hell' ... 'Hey, I knocked up my girlfriend' ... 'That little faggot ruined my marriage'."

Wilson mimicked Dad and Wendy's voices and I couldn't help but chuckle at his sick sense of humor. "And after Dad gets out the shotgun to shoot Shep, he can use it for your wedding."

We both laughed and Wilson leaned his head back against the seat and sighed.

"God. I'm not ready for a kid. Mom's gonna want us to get married. Can't have a bastard in the Harper family, you know."

"Yeah. But you gotta do what's right for you, Wils. Don't try to please them, 'cause God know, you never will."

"Yeah, I know. And you too, Billy. He's gonna need you, you know."

"Who?"

"Duh! Shep? I saw the look on his face when you left. He's in agony for hurting you. I think he loves you. He never looked at Wendy the way he looked at you."

"I don't know... He just threw me aside... With a note."

"Ouch. Well, you should talk to him. Give him a second chance. And if he fucks it up again, I'll get Dad's shotgun and shoot him for you."

I laughed. "Thanks, Wils."

"Anytime, big brother. I'd better go. Wish me luck."

"Good luck, little brother. And thank you."

Wilson and I hugged tightly.

"I love you, Billy," he whispered. "No matter what."

"I love you, too. Call me if you need anything."

I pulled back and ruffled his hair.

"Hey! Knock that shit off," he grumbled as he slapped my hand away, but he gave me a smile and a nod, then got out of the car.

* * *

I spent the weekend in bed, contemplating what I should do. I over-analyzed the situation to death, but I knew what I was going to do even while I was talking with Wilson. Any conversations or lists I had in my head didn't make a difference. There were a million Cons, but in the end only one Pro mattered: He's Shep.

Monday afternoon, I left work a little early and pulled into the Midtown Auto parking lot. I took a deep breath and went inside.

Shep's boss Mac was quietly talking with a smaller man near the door to the shop floor.

Mac cut his eyes at me and I gave him an embarrassed smile. "Hi. Can I speak with Shep please?"

"Look, I don't need you making another scene in my shop. If you wanna talk to Shep, you do it when he's not here. He's off in 15 minutes."

"I'm really sorry... I just..."

My voice cracked and my face felt flushed. I opened my mouth, but words escaped me.

Mac's companion took his hand and leaned into him and said quietly, "Give him a break, Andy."

Mac sighed and stepped out onto the shop floor.

I gave the other guy a smile and said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'm Mike."

"Billy."

I looked past Mike as Shep followed Mac back into the lobby. Shep looked awful. His eyes had bags under them. His clothes were wrinkled. He hadn't shaved in a week and he was looking all-around scruffy.

"Come on, big guy," Mike said to Mac. "Let's give them some privacy." He took Mac's hand and dragged him onto the shop floor. They went into the office and shut the door behind them.

Shep shoved his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath, then finally said, "Hi, Billy."

"Hi, Shep. How are you?"

"I'm okay."

"Are you really?"

He shrugged and looked away.

"Where are you staying?" I asked.

"A motel down the street."

"Come home, Shep."

Shep looked up at me. His eyes started to water and his jaw quivered.

I held my hand out to him. "Can we give it another try? Come home, Shep."

Shep slumped down and his shoulders started to shake. I rushed to him and put my arms around him. He grabbed onto me and held me tight. After a few moments, he got his emotions back under control. He sniffled and I felt him run his face across my shoulder.

"I know you didn't just wipe your nose on my shirt."

Shep's shoulders started to shake again, but he was laughing this time. I squeezed him tighter and kissed his collarbone. Shep sniffled loudly, then pulled back so that I could see his bright blue eyes looking at me.

He brought his hands up to my face. "I love you, Billy."

"I love you, too, Shep."

His fingers tightened on my face and he leaned down and kissed me. His tongue pushed into my mouth and he kissed me deeply and thoroughly. The rough whiskers of his beard scraped my skin erotically and I brought my hands up to rake my fingers through it. I let out a soft whimper and Shep growled and kissed me harder.

The sound of clapping and cheering brought us back down to earth and we turned and saw all of the guys in the shop looking at us through the window. I wiped my mouth and turned my head into Shep's chest in embarrassment.

Shep flipped them off with a laugh, then turned back to me.

"Let's go home, baby."