Date: Sun, 12 May 2002 04:43:46 +0800 From: cv saavedra Subject: Chad and Lee DISCLAIMER: All characters in this story are fictional. Any resemblance to any person, dead or alive, is untintentional and in no way depict their sexual preference. If you are offended by fiction containing graphic sex between men, prohibited to view such materials in your area, or under the legal age please leave now. All rights reserved. copyright (c) 2002 s.cv@eudoramail.com ____________________________________________ Chad and Lee by s.cv Chad followed the hauntingly romantic music and ended up in front of a closed ornate door. Its brass knocker gleamed in the dim light. Scent of candles and roses assailed him when he opened the door. Heart throbbing, Chad stepped inside...and was greeted with dozens of candles. White swan-shaped candles atop the polished birch bureau that lined one wall. Blue cherub-shaped candles on the pedestal table. There were even candles lining the windowsill. Their flickering flames bathed the room in a soft golden glow and cast blotchy shadows on the carpeted floor. A framed painting hang between the two shaded windows. A king-sized brass bed protuded from another wall, rose petals strewn all over it. Atop one birch night table that flanked the bed was a bottle of champagne chilled in a silver ice bucket. A long-stemmed white rose was placed on the other table. As Chad stooped to pick it up, brawny arms encircled his waist and pulled him in a tight embrace. "Like it?" came the husky whisper, lips against his throat soft and gentle as they moved hotly up his neck. The man spun him around to face him and engulfed him in a snug embrace. "Hey!" Chad whispered breathlessly. "Surprised?" The man chuckled throatily. Chad only smiled and nibbled at his lover's lips, nipping and sucking. The man captured Chad's lips in a hard kiss, mouth possessive and hotly persuasive. "I want you, Chad," his lover murmured against his mouth. He raised his lips and looked at Chad, the gray eyes burning into his. "I want you," he repeated huskily. Chad could only moan as the man's mouth captured his again. Perhaps he should stop him, but Chad didn't want to. His shirt was removed without the slightest objection. The man bent forward kissing Chad's nipples, sucked each one gently, slowly. Nipped. Chewed. Chad's fingers touched the man's nape; wound his hands into his hair. Chad was trembling. He was burning. He wanted to do the same. His hands lowered at the man's waist and began tugging at the shirt from the snug waistband. His palms tingled with anticipation of touching every part of his lover's body. His fingers slid into the top of the man's trousers, unbuckled the man's belt and slipped his fingers inside the loosened waistband to feel the rough hair that began there on his lower abdomen. The muscles tensed and with a sharp indrawn gasp, his lover pushed Chad to the bed. The cloying fragrance of the crushed petals assaulted his senses and aroused him even more. His hardness strained against the tight confine of his pants. Chad braced himself on his elbows and looked at his lover. Though the man's face was in shadows, the light cast by the candles was just enough to highlight the hollows under the prominent cheekbones, the firm jaw. The man was handsome. Tall. Lean. In the dim light, his eyes smoldered. His luscious lips curled into a seductive smirk. With his eyes fastened on Chad, he quickly removed his shirt and trouser. Chad stared, entranced. The powerful shoulders and streamlined chest, the sparse dusting of golden hair upon his nipples, and the flat stretch of his abdomen. As his briefs came down his legs, Chad watched his cock came into view. God, the man was hung! His lover collected their clothes and placed it on the upholstered chair. He gently snuffed out the candles. Their smoky haze curling into nothingness. When he turned around and caught Chad staring admiringly at him, he smiled. "Like what you see?" "Very much." Then the man's hard body covered his. He could feel the warmth of the man's mouth, the rigid body pressing into him, the quickening of the man's breath on his cheek. "Touched me, Chad," he whispered. Chad reached up to run his hands through the man's silky hair until it fell over his head. Then he placed his palm over his broad chest, moved them over his tautly muscled arms and shoulders and back. His skin was so smooth and so hot and slightly damp, and quivered under Chad's touch. Chad could feel the man's hard pulsing desire throbbed against him. Chad groaned and pressed his crotch against the man's hot arousal. Madness, Chad thought, as the man began to slide down his body. "Kringgg-wringg!!!" The insistent ringing of the alarm clock woke Chad up. Sleepily he fumbled for the stop button. He sat up, rubbed his face with his hands, and ran them through his sleep-tousled hair. Damn! It's the same old dream again. His phantom lover seemed bent on tormenting him every night. He stood up and staggered into the toilet to piss. Belatedly, he look at the time. "Shit, I'm late!" He showered. Took his coffee. Rushed to work. All in thirty minutes. * * * * * "This is a catastrophe!" Chad wailed. This just wasn't his day. First, he was late. Thanks to the crazy driver who hit his taxi ride. The two drivers bickered and argued ignoring the traffic build-up around them. Cars honked and drivers shouted. Chad walked the two blocks to his office building. The elevator was not working so he ran up the stairs to the third floor. Huffing and puffing, he barely had time to catch his breath when the boss called him to his office and demanded for the manuscript he was working on. He left it on his apartment. And now this! Chad was staring aghast as firemen tried to stop the raging inferno that was his apartment building just this morning. The burning stench was too strong, the heat too hot, the people to busy scurrying. Dark smoke billowed from the building. The huge jets of water from the firemen's hoses seemed not to be doing anything to stop the rampaging fire. His precious sketchpads are burning! Along with the manuscript that might cost him his job.... As if in trance, Chad moved towards the blazing structure and entered it. Someone shouted but the voice was muffled. He walked faster, faster until he was running up the stairs. Flames crackled hungrily, devouring every thing in its way. Beams crashed and fell. Smoke swirled in thickening clouds, smarting his eyes. It was becoming more difficult to breathe. The smoke made him cough. He held up his handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth. He stumbled once, twice. Resolutely, he continued towards his apartment door, avoiding the lapping fire. But it was becoming more difficult. His hands touched burning embers as he navigated his way. But he ignored the pain. Once inside, he searched frantically for the manuscript and his paintings through the ever-thickening smoke. Finally! He tried to walked out. But it was getting too hot; the heat becoming more unbearable. The smoke too thick. He could just make out a figure moving towards him in the choking gloom as he lost consciousness. The sketchpads and the manuscript clutched tightly in his hands. * * * * * Men were lifting him, putting him in a stretcher, and strapping him down, and he was filled with pain. He couldn't keep his eyes open. The stretcher was rising in the air. Confusion after that. When Chad finally opened his eyes, the room was cast in afternoon shadows with only a few streamers of sunlight filtering through the window blinds. Everything looked hazy to Chad and he felt so disoriented that he couldn't recognize where he was. The room was barren except for the framed landscape painting hanging on the wall opposite him. The room was painted starkly white. He could hear the tick-tocking of a clock. A pitcher half-filled with water was placed atop the bedside table. Lord, he felt awful. Every muscle of his body ached. He tried to sit up in bed, and grimaced against the pain the movement caused him. His stomach grumbled but he didn't want anything to eat. He was just terribly thirsty. He tried reaching up for the glass of water but the effort seemed too much. He closed his eyes. Chad dreamed. He was eleven again. And living with his parents. People admired him and believed him to be a most gifted child. He was doted upon. His dream centered on one particular day. It was a fine day. Brilliant. No dark clouds threatened the horizon. The cool summer breeze was blowing gently, carrying with it the aroma of grilled patties and hotdogs. It was a Saturday and Chad's parents decided to have a picnic outside. Chad's mom was talking animatedly with his dad. Sometimes she would teasingly wiped sauce on his face. Chad was seating under a shade of the big oak sketching his sister who was playing with their dog. She would break out in hearty giggles as she tried to evade the dog's lapping tongue. The dream shifted. His mother had packed up their lunch and ushered them to the car. They just had a picnic in the park. And Chad had finished another sketch. He and his sister were bickering at the back seat. Their mother scolded them but they did not stop. His sister was trying to take his sketch pad. His father turned to look at them sternly. In that instant, a wheeler hit their car. The sound of crushing steel was grating. He escaped with only a few scratches and bruises. The rest of his family died on the spot. For days, Chad was in shock. "Noooo!!!" The roar was inhuman. Immense. Anguished. Chad was lost in the nightmare of seeing his parents' mangled body. Someone restrained him. He struggled. He fought. He heaved against the restraining hands. But it was no use; they'd shot something at his arms. He could see the darkness coming. Chad alternated between awareness and insensibility. At times, he could hear his phantom lover's voice. At times, it was the grating sound of crashing steel. Visions tormented him. He would see his lover's face cast in shadows. But when he reached out, it was his father's mutilated face he would see. His poked eyes accusing. At times, it was the fire. And he would see his mother burning. Bloodied hands pierced with glass slivers would pull him into the fire. Then the heat would be too much. At times, he could feel gentle hands touching him. At times, he could see amorphous shapes coming now and then, whispering inaudibly. At times those amorphous shapes would become his parents mangled bodies. Twisted. Severed. Most of the times, black nothingness surrounded him. Chad blinked his eyes against the white harshness of the room. Their was an unfamiliar warmth by his arm. He touched his forehead. He was well-bandaged. The warmth by his side stirred. "You're awake," came the sleepy voice. Lee straightened and rotated his head to get the crinks out of his neck. He yawned stretching the soft material of his shirt across his broad chest. He looked exhausted but delightfully mussed. "Feeling better?" "H-huh? Y-yes," Chad stammered. Blushing when Lee caught him staring. "Though I feel like a mummy with all these gauze wrapped around me," he joked lamely. He could not believe it. Lee, here? "U-uh, how long have I been here?" And why are you here? "Three days," Lee answered, voice still husky from sleep. His blue shirt was wrinkled. He obviously fell asleep by the bed. "What happened?" Chad croaked. His throat hurts. "You rushed into the building," Lee answered. "A fireman called you but you seem not to hear him. He followed you and found you unconscious by the floor." Lee frowned. "That was stupid! What made you rushed into the fire?" "The manuscript?" Chad said. "They're fine!" "What about my sketch pads?" "They're safe!" Lee answered irately. "You still did not answer my question." Chad closed his eyes and turned on his side. "I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled. Lee sensing that Chad was upset just let it go. "Okay, we won't talk about it for now. I'll gonna go call the doc." He went to the door and said, "By the way, you are staying with me once you get out." With that he closed the door softly. A week later.... "You're staying with me." Lee was adamant that Chad should stay at his place. Tired of arguing, Chad agreed. So Chad ended up walking along the vaulted hallway, trailing behind Lee. And ended up in front of a door with its gleaming brass knocker. Lee pushed the door open and told Chad to come in. "Home sweet home. Come on, I'll show you to your room. You must be tired." Lee walked along Chad followed silently. His gaze roaming around the place appreciatively. The apartment was enormous - two apartments he had made in one, Lee had told him. "Here we are," Lee said with a smile as he pushed the door open and Chad preceded him into the room. Lee followed and put the carry-all bag by the bed. Chad was surprised and impressed. The room was spacious, yes. But what surprised him was its color. How did Lee know that blue was his favorite color? The room was done in several shades of blue, chosen for their soothing effect. And the textures had been chosen for the same reason - the velvet of the bed spread, the deep wool of the carpeting, the translucent gauze of the tall glass panels that comprised one entire wall. The sheer bluish drapes were pulled back so that the cerulean sky and the tall skycrapers with their glass walls that mirrored the magnificent sky became as much a part of the room as the robin's-egg blue carpet. Or the chairs upholstered in a rich sapphire hue that flanked a floor lamp in the corner. The colors comforted Chad. "Bathroom through here," Lee said prosaically. "Lots of cupboard spaces. Bookshelves and a desk in the alcove. Do you think you'll be comfortable?" "It's beautiful," Chad breathed, his eyes slowly taking in every detail of the room, his lips curving with delight. "What can I say?" Lee walked toward Chad and whispered, "Don't say anything." Then he kissed Chad on the lips lightly. Chad felt like a thousand bolts had coursed through him. Lee moved towards the door and with an enigmatic smile added, "Rest. I'll wake you up when dinner is served." With that, Lee stepped out and closed the door. Chad was left wandering. What was that? Chad moved towards the bed and noticed a wrapped package on the table. Chap opened it and found his tattered sketch pads, slightly burnt but still intact and unharmed. Chad sat on the bed and thumbed through them asbsentmindedly. A frown deepening on his forehead. A slip of paper fell on the floor. Chad bent down, picked it up and unfolded it. It was a note from Lee. Chad read the neatly scrawled note. Your clothes are in the closets. Chad lied on the bed, his bandaged hands throbbed dully but he ignored it. He was deeply wondering why Lee was doing all these. He fell asleep with the unresolved thought. * * * * * "Hey, lover," the man murmured, a satisfied smile curving his lips. Chad could feel the man's heat covering him. "So was it good?" he asked as he began to nibble again on Chad's lips. Chad sighed and murmured in contentment. "Better..." His lover laughed and rolled on his back then softly pulled Chad into his arms. Chad stretched out on his chest and yawned. He played with his lover's nipples, tweaking them, drawing circles around the nubs. Sometimes pulling on the hairs. He started rubbing his lover's chest, down his lover's stomach. He heard his lover gasped. "Hey, stop that!" "Uhm-hmm..." was all Chad said as his hands strayed lower. Chad could feel his lover's cock twitching. He started kissing the man's neck down his shoulders. His lover moaned as Chad started to suck on the base of his neck. Hands started rubbing his shoulders and chest. "Uhm- Chad..." Chad moaned louder. God, this man's driving him nuts. He just knew where to touch, how to touch... "Chad..." The voice became more insistent. And he felt arms shaking him. "Hey, wake up! Dinner is serve." Lee's voice penetrated through Chad's haze. "Uh-..." "It must have been a hell of a dream, huh?" Lee teased. Chad blushed, not knowing what to say. Lee smiled and led Chad to the kitchen. Dinner was breast of chicken cordon bleu with fresh broccoli and pimento, buttered new potatoes and pecan cornbread with chocolate cream pie. "So why are you doing this Lee? It's not as if we are related or something..." Chad blurted out, blushing over his blunder. Was he going to think I'm ungrateful? "I had my own reasons," Lee replied. He smiled noticing Chad's blush and the frown. "I had seen your sketches. They are quite good." Lee noticed the wariness in Chad's eyes. "So why had you stopped painting?" "They're part of an old life I am trying to forget," Chad answered. His voice remote. Lee decided to leave it at that. * * * * * Days passed and Chad was getting bored and restless. He had stayed at the apartment doing nothing. Lee told him to stay at home and should not worry about his job. Well, who was he to argue against the big boss. Lee owned the publishing house he was working at. Along with fleets of ships, chains of department stores, an a freight company. Though Lee told him he inherited most of it. His burnts were now healed and though there were scars, the scars were not hideous. It was found out that his apartment building was burnt by an angry tenant kicked out for not being able to pay his rent. The tenant was now awaiting his trial. Lee insisted that Chad paint again. Chad need not ask why. Lee had seen some of his works and knew he was good. Chad knew it too. But he dreaded it. He just rescued his sketches for they were the only remainders of a once happy life. The days that followed his parents' death were pure agony he blocked it from his memory. They resurfaced again. Now. Most nights he would wake up from a nightmare finding Lee beside him, comforting him. And he found himself thinking about Lee. More and more. The guy was gorgeous, yes. The way his lips would quirk into an easy smile. It transforms the rugged planes and harsh angles of his his face making him seem more approachable. More human. The way his voice would sparkle as he talked about his day. Strong and assured. Somehow Chad would find himself lost in its warmth. The times they spent together served to make Chad know him better. They were talking one night when Lee again broached the topic of Chad and his painting. "Will you paint me? In the nude?" Lee asked. Surprised, Chad answered,"I can't. I don't know how too." His voice quivered. He started pulling his hair. "Can't or won't?" Lee replied. "I had seen your sketches Chad. You're good. Very good." "Okay, fine! I won't!" Chad was getting angry. "So stop buggering me, 'kay? I'm sick and tired of it!" Lee calmly said, "I knew about your past, Chad." "Wh-wha-- how?! Who told you?" Chad was incredulous. How could Lee know. Nobody knew. Suddenly, he felt ill. His anger drained from him. He felt so helpless. A sob escaped. "Hey," Lee gathered Chad into his arms. A strange feeling for this young man suffused him. "You tend to talk in your dreams, Chad." "I-I..." "Sshh...it's okay. Want to talk about it?" Lee asked Chad softly. And Chad told Lee. That was two days ago. Now, Chad was at the park staring into space. He absentmindedly noted the little girl trying to get away from the dog. Her laughter distracted him. He could remember hearing the same voice. At a distance, two boys were playing with a Frisbee. A mother and her child was seated on a blanket under an old pine tree. For days, Lee's request had been bothering him. Was he too tied up with the past? At dinner that night Chad surprised Lee. "I will do it," Chad said. Lee looked at Chad, surprised. After their last encounter he was resigned to the fact that Chad was not ready yet. But this...his face was transformed into a beatific smile. "What made you decide to do it?" "I already said 'yes'. Don't push your luck," Chad grumbled. Lee laughed, eyes twinkling. And Chad was lost in its sparkling depths. "Hey, you are dreaming again..." came Lee's soft voice. "Huh?" Chad blinked. And blushed. Blood rushed through his face. "When?" Lee asked. "Wh-when what?" Chad shook his head. He must be losing it. "When would you paint me?" Lee answered, the enigmatic smile back on his lips. His eyes glinted silver. Feral. Dangerous. "T-this w-weekend," Chad stuttered. "I have to prepare." Chad averted his gaze. He could not meet the strange glint in Lee's eyes. "Okay, this weekend. In the cabin..." * * * * * The air was heavy and smothering. Closer now came the loud rumble of sound, followed by a flash of lightning. The heat fell heavy across the night, intense, stiffling. Dark clouds billowed up from behind the treetops like plumes of searing smoke blocking out the stars in the distance. Chad heard the reverberation of thunder. Perspiration beaded his forehead. Closer now came the rambling of sounds followed by a flash of lightning. A quick, brisk wind suddenly swept through the pine trees with the sound of a loud whisper, ruffling the magnolia leaves and slamming a door inside the house, plunging the room into darkness. The thunder rumbled closer. The lightning pierced the darknesss, and the rain fell. Chad felt restless. Since the first rumbling of thunder; Since the humid air first licked his skin. Since he and Lee arrived at the cabin. Chad stepped out of the room and into the porch. He leaned on the railing. "Hey," Lee said. "What are you doing here?" "Watching the rain," he replied. "Better get inside now. Tomorrow..." Something in Lee's voice prompted Chad to look at him. "Yeah, tomorrow," he said. Resigned. And walked back inside leaving Lee behind. Lee stood there for a moment then followed Chad inside, a strange smile playing on his lips. * * * * * Chad was half-asleep when he felt the whisper of a kiss against his lips. He wasn't here. It was a dream, he told himself, willingly embracing the presence he'd waited for half the night. In his dream he felt the imprint of the mattress and crumpled up coverlet beneath his back. He heard the staccato ryhthm of the rain falling on the roof. His lover's scent tugged at his consciousness, seducing him into a sensual spell of touch and taste and loving. Hungrily Chad responded, parting his lips, sliding his tongue inside the honeyed taste, placing his arm around him, drawing his lover physically into his fantasy. A wave of heat swept over him as he heard the thunder and saw the lightning of the night before. Raindrops pelted the roof, the sound almost concealing the soft moan of the man in his arms. The dream intensified as his lover's tongue lapped at his chest. Sucked on his nipples. He could feel his lover's heated arousal slid against his thigh. His lover trailed a wet path down his abdomen. Tongued his navel. Then engulfed him in a heated warmth. Chad came shockingly awake, shaking with desire. The man let go of his organ. Slid up and kissed him. "I want you," Lee whispered huskily. "You've never left my mind. Not when I worked. Not when I slept. Not when I've been with people. And especially not when I am alone." Chad was too stunned to respond. And Lee's mouth captured his again in a hot kiss. Chad's heart thumped at the feel of Lee's warmth along his body and Lee's lips on his neck. "I know you've got questions," Lee whispered, "but this is meant to be." Chad's shock and resistance melted away as Lee kissed and licked down his neck and along his shoulder. He moaned when Lee sucked at the base of his neck. Lee's hands rubbed around Chad's chest as he licked and sucked those spots Chad never knew were so sensitive. "Your mine," Lee cooed, "as I'm yours." Lee's hand wandered along Chad's ribs, across his chest, fondling and then pinching gently at his tits, then tracing the center cleft of Chad's muscular abdomen over his navel and down to his pubes. Lee rubbed Chad's hip, slid his hand across Chad's inner thighs and caress Chad's balls, rubbing and squeezing at the same time. Then he grasped Chad's cock and began to milk it tenderly. "I want you Chad," he said. Chad opened his eyes and Lee was leaning over him, gazing into his eyes. Lee's steel gray eyes seared him. Branded him. Chad nodded his agreement. Looking into Chad's eyes, Lee slowly lowered his lips. Chad's mouth parted slightly on the delicious contact. Then Lee's tongue caressed his. Chad raised his hands until he could feel Lee's fine hair slip though his fingers. Lee laid down on top of Chad kissing him harder, deeper. Their hard cocks ground against each other in lustful passion and Lee's heavy balls rolled and bounced against Chad's. They explored each other with their hands and tongues. Passionately their lips pressed tightly together as their tongues wrestled from mouth to mouth and back again. Eternity spent in one kiss.... Chad closed his eyes and breathed huskily, "Oh God, yes!" Lee kissed Chad's Adam's apple, felt it bounced as Chad gulped in air. Moving to his side Lee licked Chad's neck and followed his collar bone to the shoulder. He licked. He kissed. Up Chad's neck to his ear. He tongued Chad's earlobe. Lee sucked and licked and chewed. Chad groaned and trembled. Lee leaned forward and kissed him again deeply. "I want you..." Lee dropped his lips to Chad's chest, tasting Chad's skin and the light sheen of sweat. He laved a nipple with his tongue, nipping and tugging gently until Chad hissed with desire. Ravenous for more, Lee licked Chad's nipple, felt it harden and stand proud as his tongue flicked it. He licked and sucked and bit at each one sending bolts of electricity coursing through Chad. Chad gasped and placed his hands on Lee's head guiding Lee's mouth to cover his nipple again and again. Lee's tongue swirled over skin, laved over the hardened buds. Chad was slowly going crazy. His hips raised and lowered in slow humping actions. Lee worked his way down toward Chad's groin seeking and finding, sinking his mouth, coating Chad's prick in moisture and swallowing it into his eager mouth. He took Chad's cockhead in his mouth and sucked on it, slowly moving lower and lower, taking more and more of Chad in his mouth. Chad watched as his cock slowly disappeared into Lee's warm wet mouth. Lee's head was soon bobbing up and down, taking Chad deep into his throat. He was massaging Chad's balls with one of his hands while the other probed the crack of his ass. Lee constricted his muscles around the huge meat, gripped and sucked, enveloping Chad's entire manhood in the velvety warmth of his throat. Chad uttered a fevered gasp and tangled his hands on Lee's hair. A throaty rumble came from his chest as he surrendered fully, his head thrown back, his eyes closed in ecstasy. Chad couldn't handle it anymore. With his eyes closed and his chest arched from the bed he came. Hot torrents of come spewed from his cock. Chad twitched and shuddered as his orgasm peaked. Chad awoke still coming with spasms shooting through his lower back. Exhausted and disgusted with himself, he tried going back to sleep. What will tomorrow bring? * * * * * "Morning," Lee mumbled. "Morning. Breakfast? There's bacon and eggs, toast, and plenty of coffee. Apple or orange juice...?" After eating breakfast and cleaning it, Chad busied himself preparing. He arranged the bed, rumpled the covers. Hiding his nervousness in the little actions. When he was finished, he turned to Lee and said, "Would you take your clothes off?" What was little of it. "I thought you'd never asked," Lee said. A little hint of sarcasm. His mouth curled in a sly grin. Lee removed his boxers, and stood there naked, confident. Utterly unselfconscious. As he should be. Golden-skinned. Perfectly proportioned. Lean without being overly muscular. Broad and strong shoulders; pectorals firm and well-defined. His stomach flat with only a thin trail of hair leading to his groin. Long muscular legs. He had a body that people want to run their hands over. And he was hung! For a moment, Chad couldn't move. He was paralyzed looking at him. The dream flitted through Chad's mind. He felt guilty looking at him. "Come on, Chad," he said. "What's the matter?" Lee's eyes blazed and raked and taunted. "Nothing," Chad said. He told Lee to get to bed and do the pose Chad wanted. Lee lie naked on the bed covered with red silk sheets, rumpled to look slept in. He lied on his back, as if in repose, face partly hidden by shadows. The hair on his hands were a golden fuzz in the morning light. The silken sheets draped over his groin kept him from being totally nude. Thighs spread apart, arms crossed in his crotch, partly veiled by the red silk sheet. His body gleamed a golden sheen. His black hair mussed, curling at the nape. A stubble darkened his jaw. He was very still. Yet he was never stiff. He just drifted into it naturally, as if truly asleep. No stiffness, no posing. Though in repose, he still managed to look seductive. Chad started painting Lee nude on the rumpled bed. He could smell Lee's musky masculine smell. He was all things naked and good to Chad this moment. Chad felt that something would happen. Something confusing, something dangerous. Dangerous to him - somehow. Chad could not forget the glint in Lee's eyes. Nor the dream he had last night. But he put it on the back of his mind. For now, he wanted to capture something of Lee - the point of the nudity - the frankness and ease. He got Lee's face now. He was piling on the paints, creamy and thick and gleaming, and the likeness of him reposed there - seductive and serene - and Chad's brush was racing over the details, all that craft rising up without the conscious hindrance. It had been so long he had forgotten how it was. He felt wonderful. Everything was wonderful. After three hours Chad had a near-complete canvas of Lee. A few more hours, Lee's painting was done. "Done," Chad said. Eyes moving in to take any detail he might miss. "You can get up now." Lee opened his eyes and smiled, mischief frolicked in his silver eyes. With slow measured movements, he flung back the covers, stretched and then sat up. He got up from the bed and, without putting his boxers on, walked towards Chad. Chad could feel Lee standing only inches away from him and was conscious of his virility. Lee was totally, shamelessly male. Lee draped his arms around Chad's shoulders and said, "Hmmm...beautiful." With that, Lee turned Chad around and kissed him on the mouth. Lightly at first, then when he felt lips searching for his, Lee opened his mouth and felt the tip of Chad's tongue, offering his own. The kiss was gentle, coaxing, and chiding with devastating sweetness and Chad's response was instant - and explosive. Lee's hands dropped down to Chad's waist, pulling him fully against him while his other hand roamed slowly over his back. He deepened the kiss, encouraged by the hands that slipped around his neck. Chad felt his will melt by by the heat flowing into his veins. His legs grew unsteady as Lee pressed him against his hard frame. They were breathing hard when the kiss ended. "I love you, Chad." For a minute Chad was silent, not sure if he had heard Lee correctly or not. When he looked at him, Chad knew. It was in his eyes. "I've always loved you, since I first met you." "Lee," Chad sighed, his voice a mixture of relief and affection. "I love you, too." * * * * * "So what do you think?" I asked my friend Amanda. "Is it passable?" "Hmmm...maybe you should rewrite those erotic scenes? They suck!" "What?! D'you know how difficult it is to write?" I asked, incensed. "Rewrite it again," she said standing up. "I have to go. Just call when you need my hallowed advice. Ta-dah!" And she sashayed out of the room without a backward glance. That was my friend Amanda. We grew up together and she was the only one who kept in touch with me when I left our hometown and moved here. Did I forget to mention her on my story? Oh, well....maybe it really did suck! That was two weeks ago. A dull afternoon spent on tearing bit by bit the story of my life, or rather the story I wrote trying to pass as the story of my life. Oh, yeah. I am Chad, if you did not recognize me. Today is another dog-day afternoon. Dull. Tiresome. The clock on the wall tick-tocked in nerve-wracking slowness. And I felt as productive as a sloth. As usual, as my habit these days, I was staring stupidly at the blinking monitor, my mind floating aimlessly in space, trying to think about my life. In a little more than two years, my life had changed dramatically. Me, drab Chad Taylor, copyeditor, had caught the attention of hunky Lee Rawlins, billionaire tycoon. And since then, my life had become one rollercoaster ride. So you thought I was a painter? Nope. I really did not return into painting. Just that one time deal with Lee. But I am getting ahead of myself. As I was saying, the man was gorgeous. I only have to hear his voice and I get gooey inside. He was intelligent. And indecently rich. And he loved me? Me, who can be best described as a 5'4" pole stick. An emotional ninny. No, just plain ninny. Sensitive. Cynical, at times. With a load of emotional baggage that could sink the Titanic without hitting an iceberg. I did not know what he saw in me. I did ask him but the man just guffawed. Not laughed, guffawed. That's one more thing about him aside from his megawatt smile. The man's got a crazy sense of humor which always happen to popped out at weird times. I mean, here was I asking him what I considered to be a really serious question and he just laughed at me. Really, the man just bugged me at times. Well, a lot of times. But he usually gets away with it. But I digress. So what's so funny with my question? I just asked him what he saw in me coz I surely did not see it. There's nothing extraordinary about me. Brown eyes. Not deep soulful eyes. Nor limpid pools. Nor enchanting eyes. Just dull brown eyes. Brown skin. Not the honeyed skin most Indians have nor the tanned ones sunbathing enthusiasts sport. Just sun-baked brown. Brown hair that refused to be tamed, ends sticking out every which way. Maybe it is my bee-stung lips. Yeah, right! So you thought I was gorgeous. Fabrication.... I am not tall. Not muscled. And definitely not rich. If I were, I wouldn't have tolerated my oh-so-boring job. Nor would have I stayed in a ratty apartment that should have been demolished ages ago. And I am certainly no Mr. Genius. Yeah, so I can do my arithmetic, but beyond that I am a hopeless case. It would have helped if I possessed the brains of Enistein though I looked like a mutt. Better yet if I have his brains and looked like those mouth-drooling models plastered on billboards in every nook and cranny in this labyrinthine city. Fortunately, I don't look like Einstein and possessed the brains of those models. Not that I am saying Einstein's a mutt and all models are dumb. But don't you think it's sinful to look that good and be intelligent too? Which Lee definitely was. Though he liked to pretend he's dumb and teased me mercilessly about it. Don't be fooled by those sad puppy eyes. Nor the vacant uncomprehending stare. He perfected it. He's intelligent and the man's a shark when it comes to business. He's one of the shrewdest and most successful businessman in the country. We came from two different planets. It was a wonder our world had collided. Sheer miracle that he noticed me. Maybe I should thank that arsonist.... And the man could cook too. Argh! He looked just at eased wearing a silly apron just as he did wearing a suit and tie. The first time he invited me to have dinner with him, I was in tithers. What do I know about those glitzy restaurants and hard-to-pronounce French cuisines. But he just smiled at me and told me to enjoy the night. Then there was that painting episode. I should have been on my guard. Better yet, I should have said no. Well, I did say no but the man was relentless. It seemed that being refused was not part of his vocabulary. So what am I gonna do, one defenseless guy against his awesome bullying tactics? He must have lots of practice. I should have known then that he was moving in for the kill. I ws caught off-guard. The next thing I knew we were on the bed kissing like crazy, devouring each other's mouth like there was no tomorrow. Yeah, he told me he loved me and I told him I loved him.... That was nearly two years ago. Six glorious months that left me breathless. The man was magnificent. And a wonderful lover. Warm. Thoughtful. Sensitive. He was beyond my league. I was just some ingenue he picked up. A fumbling nobody swept in a dizzying whirlwind romance that kept me craving for more. The first few weeks, we hardly worn any clothes. Hardly left the room at all. And then, suddenly it ended. I should have anticipated it. The way his eyes started to roam around and sized up every male in the room as if checking out their potentials. Or those high-voltage smile he flashed at them. Or his prowling. Or his uncharacteristic silence. Those things should have warned me. But I guess I was too engrossed in his magic to see. The way he touched me had become more poignant than passionate. The way he kissed me, no longer soul-searing but heart-breaking. I should have known then. Then it was too late. I can still remember vividly the day they walked into my office. I was busy finishing some manuscript the boss wanted on his desk by lunchtime. Yeah, I returned to my work. I could not just be an indolent boytoy, or whatever, waiting on his every whim. Lee was in Paris closing some business deal so I was surprised to see him walked in with his arms draped at his companion. The other man was simply stunning. Sultry eyes. Smoldering pouts. Perfectly sculpted muscles. Hair fashionably styled. Clothes that screamed Paris. He was the quintessential billboard hunk. From head to toe, the man's class incarnate. And I was a total wreck. My hair was a mess, glasses askewed, clothes rumpled. I felt like an undiscovered lifeform being scrutinized under a microscope. He definitely glowed. I flickered. And Lee introduced me as one of his employees. "Antoine, this is Chad. Chad, Antoine." Lee said casually but I noticed the way his silver eyes gleamed in proprietory manner every time he mentioned Antoine's name. "Hi. Nice meeting you," Antoine said suavely. His voice held a note of curiosity. I saw the proud smile he gave me. "Just thought to drop by," Lee offered. "I was just showing Antoine around. We'll be going now." There's nothing casual at the small intimate gestures they gave each other. I was so confused that I just watched them leave. "Hey buddy, you okay?" ask Melvin, one of my workmates. It was no secret that Lee and I were an item. I just nodded. "At least..." I did not hear the rest of what he said coz I ran out. I should have understood then. But what made me realize the affair was over was when I saw them fucking. Fucking in Lee's bed with abandon; fucking with wild frenzy the way we used too. Then and there I decided to move out of Lee's apartment. And went trudging towards Amanda's place. I should have gone there in the first place and none of these would have happened. And now, a two years after that incident, I still did not know what he saw in me. Maybe the answer lies at the dozen white roses and the note that accompanied it I received unexpectedly one day. I didn't have the chance to ask him again. So here I was, trying to write the story of my life. And my friend said it sucked. It nicely summed up my life. Two weeks after yet I was still unable to rewrite the damned thing. "Hello, darling!" Amanda's voice wafted through the doorway. "I just thought to drop by and check out how did the rewriting went." "Hello, Amanda. You're right, it sucked." "Hmmm...maybe you should put that epilogue after all," she said after reading the manuscript. "What epilogue?" I asked. "Don't act dumb on me now, Chad. Me, of all people know you better. Well, maybe after Lee." And she laughed like a loon. "You thought you're life sucked just because Lee asked you to stopped working," she said trying to catch her breath. "Wake up, boyo! You should feel fortunate that your husband adores you." So that's how I ended up writing the epilogue though I really am not sure it made the story better. And yeah, maybe you are wondering why I wasn't able to ask him again. It was because now, when I ask him, he just kisses me. He no longer laughed at what he thought was a silly question. He just kisses me and whispers, "I love you." And the note? Well, it said, "I love you. Will you marry me?" Epilogue A hauntingly romantic music was playing as Chad opened the door and the scent of candles and roses assailed him. Heart throbbing, Chad stepped inside the room bathed in a soft golden glow by dozens of tiny flames. Lee's likeness reposed in splendor above the bed, nude. Chad chuckled as he remembered how Lee duped him into painting the portrait. The king-sized brass bed was covered with the same red silk in the painting and rose petals strewn all over it. A table covered with white cloth was beside it. In the center, fat roses drooped over the edged of a cut glass bowl. The flames from the white candles kissed it, which refracted the light into a rainbow of colors across the room. Two glasses and a bottle of champagne chilled in a silver ice bucket was placed beside a long-stemmed white rose. Brawny arms encircled Chad's waist as he stooped to pick it up. "Surprise!" The man spun him around and engulfed him in a snug embrace. "Hey!" Chad whispered breathlessly. "Like it?" came the husky whisper, lips against his throat soft and gentle as they moved hotly up his neck. Chad only smiled and nibbled at his lover's lips, nipping and sucking. The man captured Chad's lips in a hard kiss, mouth possessive and hotly persuasive. "Very much..." "Happy anniversary," Lee murmured. He raised his lips and looked at Chad, the gray eyes burning into his. "Happy anniversary," he replied. Chad reached up to run his hands through Lee's silky hair until it fell over his head. Then he placed his palm over his broad chest, moved them over his tautly muscled arms and shoulders and back. His skin was so smooth and so hot and slightly damp, and quivered under Chad's touch. Chad could feel Lee's hard pulsing desire throbbed against him. Chad groaned and pressed his crotch against Lee's hot arousal. Madness, Chad thought, as Lee began to slide down his body. ____________________________________________ This is my first time writing an "erotic" story. I am not even sure if it is erotic. I really need help writing erotic scenes (hint, hint). But I do like writing. So please feel free to mail any comments, suggestions, and/or reactions you have to s.cv@eudoramail.com.