Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 17:34:32 -0400 From: mark corlis Subject: Taking Stock Chapter 4 Taking Stock Chapter 4 Copyright 2009 by Mark Corlis All Rights Reserved This is a copyrighted work and cannot be reproduced or distributed without the express written consent of the author. This is the continuing story of developing love between two adult men. If works such as these are illegal in your area, the you need to depart this site immediately. If you have hang ups about two men loving and making love to each other, then why are you here anyway? Comments are always appreciated at *mcnc1966@gmail.com*. All comments will eventually be responded to. *AUTHOR'S NOTES* Hello Dear Readers! My sincerest apologies for the extreme delay in posting this next chapter. After months of being unemployed, I finally rejoined the workforce in March. It has kept me ridiculously busy, and sapped a lot of my creative juices. A promotion later, things seem to be settling back into a more normal rhythm. Future updates, while not speedy, will be more predictable now. I've received numerous email comments (all positive I might add) about this continuing saga. Please keep those comments coming as they are my only encouragement to continue forward. I know I can be a bit anal about my story writing, but I hope this overly long wait has produced a chapter that all of you enjoy. This is by no means the end, only the beginning of a new era for our boys. I'll shut up now and look forward to reading your reactions! Mark Taylor sat up in bed, trying to shake the sense of confusion he felt. The dream had been a disconcerting experience, more from a meaning standpoint than that of a nightmare. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, wondering what he was supposed to think. Dreams of this magnitude always held some important definition, but figuring it out right then was not meant to be. The clock read 4:30 A.M. It was early, even for the over achieving Taylor, but sleep was not gonna return anytime soon. He swung his feet to the floor, found a his sweats and hoodie nearby, and quietly slipped out the door. "Coffee, lots of coffee should help," he thought as he moved groggily down the hall. Upon reaching the kitchen, he got a pot of black gold going post haste. As the machine gurgled away, his thoughts moved back to the dream. "Me with a kid?" he said aloud, shaking his head the whole time. His life had never been focused on anyone but himself. He'd never wanted it focused toward another. Now Jordan was here, and he couldn't imagine not focusing his positive energies on him. Wanting to share himself with anyone was foreign territory, and it was scary as hell! The thought of bringing something so fragile as a child into the mix only added to the terror. The whooshing of the nearby coffee maker ceased, breaking Taylor's focus on a random patch of air. He found a mug in the third cabinet he looked in, and began pouring the steaming liquid into it. Holding the pot at the wrong angle, though, didn't help accomplish the operation favorably. The hot liquid came out too fast, splashing out of the cup and onto Taylor's hand. "Mother fucker," he exclaimed, pressing his burnt finger to his mouth and then flailing his hand through the air. When no relief was forthcoming, he went in the freezer and grabbed a piece of ice, sighing happily as the cold numbed the affected area. Leonard had watched the event with some amusement. In the time Taylor had owned this house, the man couldn't remember ever seeing him at work in the kitchen. The usual visits involved checking on a meal's progress or grabbing something from the refrigerator. Observing the results of the boss's feeble attempt reinforced the reason for this. "Ahem," was heard as Leonard cleared his throat. Taylor looked up in surprise, then began to blush in embarrassment as he realized his recent clown act had an audience. "Would you like some coffee now?" Leonard asked with a shit eating grin on his face. "Not a god damn word," Taylor snapped, waving his finger in the butler's face. "Just bring it to me at the table," he said as he moved out of his self inflicted hell and out to the kitchen table. Leonard snickered softly as he triumphantly poured a cup. After getting one for himself, he joined his obviously bothered friend at the table. "So what's up with you today?" he asked. Taylor was silent for a short while, savoring the delicious aroma rising into his nostrils. "Just a bad night," he muttered. "Oh bullshit," Leonard retorted. "As long as I've known you, I've never seen you try to work in that kitchen. I'm shocked you even knew your way around it." "I just wanted coffee, and being the intelligent soul I am, I decided to make myself some," he shot back. Leonard laughed uproariously. "Well, we see how well that turned out." The blush returned hastily as Leonard continued belly laughing at Taylor's expense. He could do nothing but hang his head in shame, knowing his old friend was absolutely correct. "Now instead of making me beat you senseless, why don't you just tell me what's going on in that warped brain of yours." "You ever see me being a parent," Taylor asked shyly. The question stunned Leonard into silence. For a few moments, he stared at the man across from him in utter shock. Truthfully, he never figured Taylor would rise out of self absorption long enough to put anyone above himself. "Well, I don't know. Never thought about it I guess," he replied carefully. "What brought this on?" "A stupid dream," Taylor said quickly. "I've never considered it, not for a second. Then I have this wild sleeping vision and I can't think of anything else." "It's a lot to take in," Leonard counseled. "I never really took you for the parenting type, but stranger things have happened. You aren't gonna figure out anything now, though. Life has a way of letting everything that supposed to happen do just that. So, I'd keep thinking about it but realize that your life is changing by leaps and bounds right now. Just follow the road my friend." Taylor smiled at Leonard's sage words. They were on the money as usual. The curious thoughts he now had weren't going away anytime soon, but maybe they were meant to foreshadow events to come. For now, he was satisfied to accept that he wasn't meant to understand. For the next ninety minutes, Taylor and Leonard talked about his life over the last year, culminating in the changes occurring rapidly before them. The house had taken on a new energy since Jordan's arrival, an energy everyone there saw as extremely positive. Leonard decided to probe further into that situation, since he and the boss rarely spoke of it. "I want you to tell me what you want from Jordan," Leonard summoned. "I'm not sure," Taylor began. "I want him to be happy, and I want to be a participant in that happiness. I feel so alive around him, more than I ever have before. He could give a flying fuck about anything I have, and while that's refreshing, the fact that giving him my heart would be enough is bone chilling. You know my record when hearts are involved." Leonard nodded, recalling the string of boys going in and out of his charge's life. Each time, the next boy was always "the one." In the end, however, the mere mention of seriousness caused pink slips to be issued. A large check bought peace and silence, clearing the way for the next dalliance to arrive. Each boy was better looking than the last, and, of course, more shallow. Then came Jordan. He was no super model, and no gold digger. He wanted love, and only love. No amount of money or extravagant gifts would supplant that desire. Leonard believed that Taylor could be working fast food and the younger man would be no less taken. A real possibility for the future existed here, but the poor track record threatened to derail this fragile train at any time. Vigilance would be paramount, Leonard thought to himself. The time wiled away, and soon it was 7:15 A.M. Thad Barber was due to arrive in a little over an hour. Leonard broke the conversation, encouraging Taylor to hit the shower. The men rose and began to move from the table, but Taylor wrapped his mentor up in a tremendous embrace. "Thanks again, old friend. Don't know what I'd do without you sometimes." "Die," Leonard offered with a wide grin. "Ha," Taylor scoffed as he moved toward the bedroom. He loved Leonard like a father, and always counted on his advice and listening skills to pull him through tough times. While thinking warm thoughts, he reached the bedroom door and re-entered quietly. The soft, even breathing of a young man dead asleep filled the room. Taylor grabbed a few necessities and moved quietly into the bathing suite. Once in, he looked between the jacuzzi tub and the steam shower stall, trying to choose between them. Not being one to rush, he chose the shower, figuring it would give him ample time to make final preparations for the lawyer's arrival. He worked the controls deftly, bringing the various water jets scattered about to a soothing temperature. Satisfied that everything was in order, he shed his boxers and stepped into the steamy box. The warm water pulsated across his skin, easing some of the tension built up inside him. He basked in the glorious rain, turning his body so all parts got equal time. As the jets pounded out their copious streams, Taylor's thoughts returned to Jordan. The boy definitely had an effect on him, one so strong it couldn't be ignored. He was the best thing to come into Taylor's otherwise rote life. The undercurrent of fear he felt, however, wouldn't ebb in the least. He yearned to become more intimate with Jordan, but was afraid that any attempts to that end would only screw up a magical start. Even though he was afraid, the thought of making love to beautiful Jordan took hold and a fantasy of what might happen seized his mind. His had grasped his lengthening penis, slowly stroking up and down the hardening shaft. Taylor crawled into bed, snaking his body hard against Jordan's. After closing the gap between them, his rising cock was pressed hard against the shapely globes of the boy's firm ass. Leaning forward, he brought his arms around, pulling Jordan's back flat to his chest. For a few moments, the two lay still. Jordan delighted in the warmth of the strong hug while Taylor deeply inhaled the scent of the man before him. It was a combination of pheromones, cologne and cucumber shampoo, the comforting smell of the man who took his breath away. Starting at the base of Jordan's neck, he began to flick his tongue across the warm skin. He flicked lightly upward toward the younger man's ear, delighting in the cooing sounds emanating from Jordan's mouth. Upon reaching the perfectly shaped ear, Taylor bit at it lightly, then continued the tongue bath upward along the perfect rim. The sounds coming from Jordan's mouth went from light and playful to far more heavy and guttural. Every contact the hot tongue made on his boiling flesh sent a huge spark straight to his balls. His cock had gone from semi excited to being fully erect in under a minute. Pre-cum began to form at the tip as Taylor began to tweak his already painfully hard nipples. Jordan laid back and surrendered his body to the expert handling it was receiving. Taylor turned Jordan's body toward him and joined their mouths. His tongue hungrily devoured everything in its path, marking each bit as its own. He moved atop his willing victim, beginning to grind his rock hard meat along Jordan's steely length. The free flowing pre-cum made their dick's dance freely together. Hips slid up then down, and Jordan's legs locked firmly around the man of his dreams. The oral assault begun earlier continued unabated, growing each man's lust for the other drastically. Taylor locked his fingers with Jordan's, and moved the younger man's hands above his head. Wanting to explore his muse's body further, he broke the kiss and paused to stare into the beautiful eyes below him momentarily. Satisfied that they were glazing over, he cracked a small smile and buried his face in the younger man's neck. Playful bites almost to the point of leaving marks ensued, causing Jordan's whole body to tremble with pleasure. He tightened his legs harder around Taylor, indicating he approved totally of the sensations being applied to his overwrought body. Never being one to lie idly by, Jordan decided the time had arrived to take some initiative of his own. As Taylor applied another mind dumbing bite, he grabbed his head and reattached their mouths, aggressively exploring the man's mouth in tremendous detail. His tongue dueled forcefully with that of his one time attacker's. He silently delighted in the light moans he felt escaping from Taylor's mouth into his own. The tongue war continued on, both men angling for the superior position. Feeling the time had come to inflict some of his own magic, Jordan wiggled his body from underneath Taylor's, ending up straddling his pelvis. He took a moment to survey the landscape, his eyes gently following the curves of the in shape body. Jordan admired every line, every freckle, and every cute dimple while he decided where to feast first. Unable to resist his man's supple lips, he dove at them once again, allowing his tongue to resume the dance it had become so adept at. A few short moments later, he broke the passionate lip lock and dragged his tongue slowly across Taylor's chin and seductively down his wind pipe and over his adam's apple. Taylor lay quietly, in utter shock at how tingly his body had become. Each time Jordan planted a playful kiss in a new place, his cock would lurch and expel a new pearl of shiny pre-cum. Never in his life had his cock produced more of the slippery liquid than it was at this very minute. As Jordan's mouth continued lower, Taylor felt his heart gain momentum in anticipation of the events to come. His skin became one large series of goose pimples, following the trail of his beauty's assault. Moving below the neck, Jordan came to rest at Taylor's diamond hard nipples. The raging purple nubs surrounded by a small smattering of hair looked absolutely delectable. His head descended, allowing his mouth to come to rest atop the right nipple. He briefly left his mouth motionless, the heat of his breath causing Taylor to reach a feverish new point of ecstacy. Satisfied at the results of his efforts, Jordan locked onto the obscenely protruding tip with a vacuum befitting a Hoover. He teased the tip with his teeth as his suction became even greater. If Taylor thought he'd reached the highest high in pleasure, he was dead fucking wrong. He could have easily lit the whole city of Miami for months with the electric currents streaming throughout his body. Jordan's nibbles set his cock raring upward like never before. Pre-cum began to tumble freely from his violently aching head, preparing for events to come. As Jordan bit and sucked, Taylor could wait no more. He had to have this beautiful man's essence. Grasping his man tightly, he rolled them over once again, slowly sliding down the body until their rampant cocks met. He began to slowly slide his steel hard shaft against Jordan's equally turgid hard on. The huge amount of pre-cum both were producing allowed the men's pipes to glide against each other effortlessly. Each pass up or down nearly drove both intensely over stimulated men past the edge, but as Taylor sensed the coming crescendo he suddenly stopped. He resumed his slide downward, ending up completely off his boy's body. Jordan was a bit confused until he felt his ankles being lifted toward his ears. Sensing a pleasurable outcome, he willingly complied with the urgent pushing. With the younger man sufficiently splayed out, Taylor began this new phase by massaging the two plump, round and firm globes of flesh before him. Fingers dug into the plentiful muscles, squeezing to the point that finger marks were evident. He pulled the hairless orbs apart and observed the most sensual sight he'd ever seen. Jordan's hole twitched slightly at being regarded as such, making Taylor grin widely. He began by releasing one the of the wonderful cheeks, then running his pointer finger slowly over the wrinkled pucker. The heat coming off it was incredible, and the twitching he'd so gladly observed before only increased. Taylor pulled upward on Jordan's pelvis, placing the younger man in a nearly half summersault pose. Now the pristine orifice was completely at his beck and call, a fact that only excited both of them further. The face dropped and his tongue glanced over the rim of each cheek. Flicks hit at random patches of skin in an ever tighter circles, finally reaching their intended destination. He pushed his face in hard, allowing his tongue to give the trembling hole a full contact lick. As he pummeled it with his tongue, the target reflexively tensed and relaxed, eliciting an animal moan from its owner. Jordan's eyes rolled back in head as the scorching tongue slowly licked up and down the length of his opening. Sounds he never knew he was capable of making rocketed from his mouth. The feeling was so intense he willingly surrendered his being to the control of the man below him. The attacking tongue began to flip wildly across the overwrought crevice, causing the young man to see the world in a shade of green he didn't know previously was part of the color spectrum. He instinctively grabbed Taylor's hair gruffly, trying to force his face in deeper. He slid down slightly and forced the marauding tongue forward, willing the devilish organ to penetrate his fiery love channel. Never one to dissatisfy, Taylor pulled his head back slightly and lunged forward, giving Jordan exactly what he craved so badly. The sopping wet tongue met with a moment of futile resistance, then slipped neatly into the sacred zone. Jordan screamed out with the passion of ten thousand men crazed with lust..................... Taylor's balls reached boiling point and jumped off into oblivion without consideration. One, two, three, four, then five sticky, fire hot ropes of thick sperm blasted out of his violently purple cock head. Stars, spots and various abstract designs played out in an array of wild colors before his eyes as the most intense orgasm of his young life ran its course. The experience left him clutching the shower door's handle to keep from crashing to the tile floor below him. The numerous shower jets made quick work of washing the copious semen down the drain as the producer of it continued to struggle to regain some form of equilibrium. His chest heaved up and down as the world slowly took on some semblance of normal order. Five minutes later, his deflated cock lay listlessly like a defeated warrior and his breathing reached somewhere closer to standard. He looked around the Italian marble shower stall, deciding that his powers of focus and discernment had returned. Prying his clenching hand off the door handle that was so key moments ago, he returned to the business at hand. Starting at his hair, he applied a large dollop of shampoo and lathered vigorously. If he was a smoker, several packs to cement the enjoyment of his episode would be in immediate order, he mused. As was customary with his keen mind, thoughts began to run around in his always active cranium. This masturbation session was unlike any he had ever experienced. Never had the extreme pleasure of another been so important to achieve. The usual scenarios involved some innocent surfer types yielding to his advances and culminated in voluminous amounts of his sperm being injected into the formerly hesitant victim. This time, however, he placed his own needs on the back burner shortly after they appeared. As he covered his still shaking body with generous amounts of designer bath gel, he began to talk out this situation aloud with himself. "What the hell is wrong with you, Bryant? You really need to get it together already," he admonished. "You've never truly given a frog's fat ass about anyone but yourself, and this situation is NO different," he continued. Inside his soul, he knew that last statement was a lie for the ages. This situation was totally different...territory he had avoided at any cost. A thought popped into his head that made him shudder to his core. "Face it, man, you're falling for the kid hard," he exclaimed. A million reasons why this wasn't the case ricocheted around his wickedly over taxed cerebrum. None was able to justify or overcome what he knew was the dead truth. Jordan had so completely captured his heart that it was lost forever. The strange thing was Taylor was perfectly happy letting someone else own it. Shaking his head in frustration, he finished his bathing ritual and stepped into a fluffy towel. Drying quickly, he completed his mission with a close shave, a thorough brushing of his teeth, deodorant and a splash of his favorite Ralph Lauren cologne. He then moved to the dressing area, where he donned his most official looking Brooks Brother suit and Kenneth Cole wingtip shoes. Stepping back into the vanity area, he considered his countenance carefully. Instead of seeing the usual in control, overly confident son of a bitch he usually saw, he observed a man with huge issues written all over his face. His eyes betrayed his troubles flagrantly. To his warped mind, he looked like a man that hadn't slept in days instead of someone standing on the brink of what could become everlasting happiness. Angrily shaking his head once again, he returned to the bedroom area. Upon entering, the object of his extreme desires and confusion came fully into view. Jordan was cocooned under the covers with an almost angelic smile on his face. The deep, rhythmic breathing indicated to Taylor that the younger man was still in the throws of REM sleep. A smile crept across his face as he listened to the soft, unintelligible sounds emanating from the sleeping figure. A lock of his soft hair danced lazily over his forehead as he conversed groggily with some imaginary person. Taylor took a seat in the high back chair next to the bed and stared at Jordan intently for what seemed like hours. He knew this wonderful young man meant more to him than anyone ever had, and it scared the living shit out of him. In a few short days, this remarkable man had transformed him from master of his own domain to someone resembling a love sick school girl. The realization of his problem with all this came to him as he observed the oh so cute dimple in Jordan's right cheek. Could he be fair to Jordan? Would he revert back to being the selfish, irreverent prick he'd always been in his personal life? Jordan deserved more than that and he knew it. The man deserved nothing less than everything he had to give and then some. Being in uncharted waters, though, a starting point was terribly elusive. "Maybe the fairest action would be to cut bait now and remain strictly business associates," he pondered silently. The thought held a minor appeal, but at the same time left a horrible taste in his mouth. He couldn't stand alone forever and, truthfully, had no burning desire to. Taking a deep breath, he lightly took the reposing man's hand in his own and began to speak softly. "Jordan, I realize we haven't known each other long and need to get to know each other a lot better, but you've hit me like a ton of bricks. I have no clue where we begin or where we go from here, but if there's a way to fuck it all up, then I'm sure I'll discover it quickly. I'm scared outa my wits, so I'll apologize now for not always doing the right thing." Without returning from his glorious slumber, Jordan grasped Taylor's hand tightly, like he was silently signaling his acceptance of the previous speech. Taylor took great comfort in the action, feeling minutely better that on some level the wondrous man before him accepted the words unconditionally. Quickly, however, Jordan released his grip and returned to mumbling incoherent phrases to the individual occupying his dreams. Taylor quickly rose and quietly padded out of the bedroom, heading toward his office and the day ahead. Deciding that burying himself in work was the cure he needed right now, he entered the work space determined to accomplish a great deal. He sat down behind the heavy oak desk and switched on the various monitors and tickers that were the crux of his business. He read the morning's financial headlines, noticing nothing of extreme interest. He perused the papers left by the latest temp employee, signing where indicated. In ten minutes, everything requiring his attention was completed, leaving his thoughts to consume the man once again. He rocked impatiently back and forth in the leather chair going over everything he found necessary. Could a self absorbed shit brain like him actually pull this off? Could they work together and still be the lovers fairy tales speak of? His confidence in his abilities was no greater than it had been upstairs. Images of the sleeping Jordan, complete with the small smile and the irresistible dimple brought a warm feeling to Taylor's heart. Still, the feelings of horrible doubt still haunted him. He threw his arms down on the desk and buried his face in them, shaking his head in sheer frustration. About this time, Leonard entered with a tray of coffee, juices and a large assortment of fresh fruit atop it. Taylor had requested this the previous day in preparation for his meeting with Thad Barber. In mere seconds, the longtime butler and confidante picked up on the turmoil boiling over in his friend and employer. Knowing what Taylor needed and being the only person remotely able to get away with it, he stepped quickly to him and smacked him briskly across the head. "What the fuck was that for?" Taylor questioned angrily. "Stop it dammit! Stop this right fucking now!" the butler exclaimed loudly. "This isn't an execution for christ's sake, it's love you moron!" Taylor's angry gaze continued. Even though he knew his friend was totally right, the selfish child in him was not backing down. In a hot second, however, his gaze turned from brazen anger to unreal fear. What he had been horribly worried about had played out as expected. He got angry and reverted to being the spoiled little shit he'd always been. He pounded his fists against the desktop and screamed aloud. "See, that's what I'm fretting about," he said emotionally. "You did something I didn't like and I was ready to dig in and resist you for all I was worth. What if you'd been Jordan?" Leonard understood Taylor's inner conflict better than ever now. His reaction was unexpected, however. He beamed with pride toward the man sitting before him. It seemed that he'd taken on milleniums of maturity in a few short days. "I'm terribly proud of you," Leonard began," but sometimes you're the dumbest bastard I know." Taylor stared at the man in dumbfounded silence, almost hurt by the frank remarks. He fought back the tears of confusion that had been threatening to escape all morning. "The Taylor Bryant I've known and loved for years never took even a moment to realize his shortcomings. It's obvious you've changed for the better over the last few days and you have that amazing young man upstairs to be grateful to. Now that you know your downfall, you've got somewhere to begin to defeat it. That's wonderful news!" Leonard said, beaming still. The words soaked rapidly into his gray matter. He had it! He finally had it! The starting place that had eluded him so handily was spread out before him in all its glory. Working vigilantly to overcome his greatest fear was the oh so obvious place to embark upon this journey from. By being aware of his selfish tendencies and tackling them selflessly, the protection he desired for Jordan would come naturally. A long contained breath from his lungs escaped as tears of joy and relief began to stream from his eyes. Leonard firmly took his arms and lifted him to his feet. Wrapping his arms around the rapidly degrading man, he hugged him as a father would hug a child that just learned a very hard lesson. Without lifting his head from the cradling man's shoulder, Taylor began to speak. "I know I don't say this enough, but I really do love you and so appreciate all you do for me. I don't know where I would be today without you and Carl to shepherd me or kick my ass when needed." Leonard grinned and tightened his hold on the man he long considered his son. They stood like this for several minutes until Taylor's tears abated. He cradled his adopted son's face in his hands. "While I would love to stay like this for hours, you have an appointment shortly and I doubt you want a man like Thad Barber seeing you like this." Amazingly, Taylor had become completely blind to the events of the day at hand. He nodded in agreement and moved to the restroom to freshen up a bit. A cold face cloth and some eye drops improved his look by leaps and bounds. Regarding his reflection once again, he noticed the extreme doubt in his eyes had vanished. The fear was still there but he figured that was only natural. What he'd seen written all over his face earlier had been replaced by a look of steely determination. Not much had ever defeated Taylor Bryant and he was resolved to take whatever actions were needed to continue that course. He had to have Jordan in his life and couldn't imagine being without him. He looked forward to the new man he was becoming moving unashamedly forward through this exciting journey. He checked himself one last time and returned to his office to continue forward with the day's plans. TO BE CONTINUED.....