Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 21:46:54 +0800 From: paul sung Subject: The Ex-boyfriend 3 DISCLAIMER ========== This is a work of fiction; any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. The author asserts all legal and moral rights (copyright (c) 2004 - psun@hotmail.com) to this work and you may not copy it or transmit it in any way except in its entirety and with this disclaimer. This story features descriptions of sex between males: - if such material is prohibited in your jurisdiction, please DO NOT READ ON, - if you're under the legal age to read such material, please DO NOT READ ON, - if you don't like, or are offended by such material, please DO NOT READ ON. And any comments - brickbats or bouquets, send them over to psun@hotmail.com And if you find that you like what you're reading, visit my page at http://www.geocities.com/savante_2002 My resolution only lasted all of three days. Although I could have held on to my grudge for a longer time, there really wasn't much of a choice for me since I'd gotten an urgent call about a disturbance. Since I'd received the tip, I found Alex the first place I searched for him. The neighbourhood gay bar I'd first seen him. We'd been on and off regulars there since then and I'd gotten to know the owner, Jake, pretty well. Then there was the excruciatingly painful one hour advice/tirade from one of my best friends, Samantha which left me feeling less like a victim than a cruel, heartless monster with a crazy jealous streak who wasn't deserving of a beautiful innocent prince like Alex. Perhaps she was a little biased, no doubt swayed by Alex's tight abs, but that didn't mean there wasn't a shred of truth in what she'd said. Standing at the bar as was his usual, Jake noted my entry and gestured to the end of the bar with a raise of his dark brows. With his massive full back shoulders and those han-sized fists, he could certainly handle a casual disturbance but this particular brand needed my expertise. Thanking him for his heads up, I headed that way. It was a Friday night, still quite early by regular homo standards but a respectable crowd had already gathered by then. It wasn't all that hard finding him. Alexandre Verga sat by himself on a stool at the end of the bar. Once I saw him, it certainly came as no surprise to me that he'd been causing such a commotion. Dark, handsome, his gorgeous face clouded with a scowl and a five-o-clock shadow, his beautiful eyes stubbornly shut. Dressed in a loose white shirt and black jeans, they served to accentuate the power and strength of his lithe, well muscled form, the perfect curve and line of his physique promising physical perfection to any any who dared venture beneath the cloth. Unattainable, aloof, awash in his own grief and yet there was an almost palpable aura of sexual energy around him that he had half the bar discreetly checking him out. It was so potent that I could almost smell it in the air, the musky scent of his pheromones drawing me irresistibly close. It seemed that I wasn't the only one with a yen for Alex Verga's particular brand of sexual appeal. In the torrid concrete jungles of the gay world, the hungry predators could certainly sense his deliciously potent presence. It wouldn't be long before someone initiated the chase. Breaking apart from the fold, a dangerous looking blond with a perfect golden tan and a spectacular ass made his move, coming close enough for something approaching a come-on. Proving to me that the beast wasn't entirely tamed yet, there was a quick flash of Alex's brilliant green eyes, an unfurling of his full, sexy lips to whisper something and he had the blond hurriedly scurrying back into the masses. There was a pink flush of embarassment on the blond's face and his eyes glittered. Ouch. That certainly had to hurt. I had to hide my smile. The poor bastard had a passing resemblance to Drake and I was secretly pleased to see his nose get snapped off, no matter the reason. It would certainly match the nose I'd bashed in on Drake's pretty face. Braving his obvious anger, I slowly wound my way down to the end of the bar. As I came close, he didn't make any response, maintaining his silent communion with the half-empty beer mug in front of him. Throwing caution to the wind, I placed my hand on his muscled shoulder only to have him turn on me with a disgusted snarl. "Look, not fucking interested, okay." The proverbial heatwaves from his palpable fury practically seared the top layer of skin from my face. Evidently as I'd prophesied, the lid had blown off the volcano and if it had been anyone else but me, I could easily believe that my head would have been torn off - no doubt with one of his obscure but painfully effective Asian martial arts moves. From the looks of things, more than one of the persistent admirers of his gorgeous form had obviously been decapitated previously but I resisted the urge to look down on the floor for blood stains. Recognizing me in spite of his slightly inebriated state, he pulled back with a soft sigh. "Oh God, it's you. Sutton." The fierce savagery in his eyes faded away, the burning fires in those deep green eyes banked down for the moment. "Did you expect someone else?" The hard edge in my tone had him flashing me a glare and I quickly put up my hand in apology. No reason getting him all fired up for nothing. Taking the empty stool beside him, I sat gingerly, keeping a close eye on him. In this odd unpredictable mood, there was no guessing what Alex was capable of doing. "Yes, it's me." Along with the spicy cologne I associated with him, there was also a faint whiff of alcohol about him and I knew he was even more dangerous now. No one would doubt that Alex Verga could hold his alcohol, it didn't make him lose his head but it made him unaccountably mean. "Tricking again?" He sneered, a nasty glint in his eye. Hardly subtle, it was a comment no doubt calculated to rile my own temper but I resisted the urge. Knowing Alex, he would love it if we both got into a drag-down, no-holds-barred bitch fight - that would certainly have me at a severe disadvantage. Not only would he be able to get his hands on me, he knew that I certainly wouldn't be able to resist him. Unfortunately I had a pathetic weakness and its name was Alex. One quick rub of his excellent physique against mine and I'd be cheap putty in his hot hands. There was no need to tell him that I was as irresistibly attracted to his fatal flame like the other homo-moths in the bar. It was a fact that the arrogant bastard already knew. Calling out my order to Jake as he walked by, I slowly turned back to him. "Actually no. This time I'm here for you." He slammed his forehead hard down on the bar, his fists clenching angrily. "Fuck. Are you here to dump on me again? I can tell you than you can't make me feel worse than I already do." The man looked mad enough to eat nails. Perhaps I could mollify him by telling him that I'd come expressly for him but I decided to try the unvarnished truth instead. "Jake called me. Seems you're scaring away his customers." I released a quick shrug of my shoulders. "Fuck." Flicking his handsome head toward me, he tried for a smile. "So you're here for an intervention? You gonna wrestle me down to the ground and haul me out?" Although calming the sexy beast seemed to be the main idea here, there was a growing twinkle in his vividly green eyes that irritated me for some reason. One thing with his terrible black moods was his uncanny ability to switch back to his cheery, irritating self. It was like some perverted gay version of Jekyll and Hyde. As Jake passed me a mug, I took a quick sip. "You'd just love that, wouldn't you." Despite his obvious desire to rumble, there was nothing wrong with his hearing - and his ready sense of humour - and his dark features softened as he finally smiled. "Certainly wouldn't hurt." "Damn." Talk about irresistible. One swift curl of his soft, sensuous lips and it was like he'd drawn the spotlight in the room onto himself. Some guys are just natural showstoppers, commanding attention wherever they went. All around me, I could hear the pants falling to the floor around the room as he finally flashed that all but irresistible smile of his. It was the curse I just had to bear. Alex Verga was always going to draw the attention of everyone, male and female and anyone who entertained any ideas about staying with him just had to live with it. "Fuck." The dazzling smile on his dark face faltered slightly at my barely whispered curse. "What is it?" There was no way I'd pander to his enormous Texas-sized ego by adding praise to his obvious good looks. On anyone else, the dirty stubble would have made them look unbearably derelict and unkempt but on Verga, he looked untamed, rakish - and just too-damned sexy. The ultimate bad boy in tight denim. It was almost impossible not to imagine him rubbing the bristles across my naked shoulder as he'd done many times before. Life was definitely unfair and I just had to bitch about it. "Look, just listen. Don't say anything." Keeping quiet certainly wasn't one of his good points. "I have to, Sutton. I never wanted this to happen. There was no way I could have seen it coming. We had that God-awful stupid fight over something absolutely inconsequential... Some brainless fag - meaning me - imagined that he'd be happier in a more open relationship. I really thought I wasn't prepared for a committed relationship. Stupid schmuck that I am, I felt as if I was being trapped. I didn't know if I had what it takes to remain with one guy for... for the rest of my life. After that fight, I got terribly drunk and high. God knows I wanted to make you insanely jealous..." Alcohol obviously loosened his tongue considerably making his points largely disconnected. An old story that had been rehashed in novels and movies since the first bad boy found his way into someone else's mammoth rug. Alex had never been fully contented in a committed relationship, he was a slut with a roving eye - and a dick that simply refused to be confined. I'd always maintained that the reformed rake only exists in badly written bodice-rippers. "Alex." I was about to stop him since I'd heard the same tirade before but he was having none of it. One large, tanned hand flew out to grab mine and as I tried unsuccessfully to tug away, Alex held on firmly, keeping his frightfully green X-ray vision fixed on mine. "You have got to believe me." "I do." "It took me less than a week before I realized what a shitbrained mistake I was making with you. What the hell was I doing trolling around for tricks when all I ever wanted was sitting at home. It was hell coming back, opening the door and you weren't there. Sutton, I need you in my life, perhaps more than you ever needed me." His words tumbled out in a surprising rush and he looked up at me through shaded lashes, his beautiful green eyes looking almost vulnerable. Unshed tears shone in the leafy green depths. "Then again, you probably never needed me." "You're wrong there." How could I not have him in my life? A gleam of hope flashed in his bright eyes and he edged closer to me. "I'm sorry, Sutton. You can't imagine how sorry I am. If I could do... but it's already over and done, so regretting what I did would be stupid. I promise.." Alex Verga was always a physically affectionate man and it didn't surprise me when he pulled me closer. It was a surprisingly delicious scent, the delectable melange of alcohol, his spicy cologne and the soap he'd used during the morning shower. Despite being as familiar as my own cologne, I couldn't help feeling the slight thrill that crept up my spine. "No apologies, Alex. And look, I don't want any promises from you either." Too late, it occurred to me that he'd never actually made any promises to me when we'd gotten together. There had been no soppy declarations of love or commitment. He'd never actually lied to me before since he'd never agreed to a lifetime of monogamy with me in the first place. It was all in my head. "I haven't given up on us, Sutton. If you think I'll just let you go -" His grip on me lessened as he realized that he was making a scene and he let me go. As I took my own seat, he turned back to his silent contemplation of his beer before speaking again. A shadow of his wicked grin curled up his sexy lips. "I know a better man would step aside for you to find the perfect love you're looking for somewhere else - and you deserve all that - but I'm a selfish fucking bastard. I'm not the perfect man so I'm not giving you that chance. I don't give up that easily. I made a stupid mistake and I-" The gauntlet was thrown. Never giving up was a trait he was well known for and I smiled. Okay, so he hadn't been totally brainwashed by some alien. "Enough. I don't need an apology. Unlike leather and denim, penitence doesn't become you." "Hey." Alex offered me a wicked smile. "I resent that observation. I have it on good authority that I can make anything look good." Arrogant bastard. "Whatever." But it had me smiling as he'd probably intended. "It was stupid of me to even ask it of you. You're a guy and a bastard, a horny, sexually active bastard, you make occasional slip-ups. You fuck around indiscriminately, if you didn't, we wouldn't be here together in the first place." "Sutton, I swear. I won't fuck around anymore.." Sincerity could be his middle name but I couldn't take any chances this time. "I said, no promises. Let's just take it one step at a time this time." It was difficult coming to such a painful compromise but it was even more painful trying to imagine coming home to an empty bedroom without Alex. He looked at me with those luminous green eyes and I could easily see how he had drawn all the attention in the bar. "Baby." "Look, I understand. I don't make things any better with my crazy jealousy." It was hard not to do get insanely jealous when half the guys on the streets craned their necks to ogle his ass when he walked by. Of course Sam claimed I turned a hideous shade of green each time it happened. Taking another deep breath, I then gulped down my beer before speaking again. "My Scorpio possessiveness, she called it." For once instead of pointing his finger at me and shouting smugly, the man decided to take the high road. Taking the mug away from me, Alex placed it back down on the bar and smiled gently at me. "Hey, it's not that crazy." There was a tenderness in his tone that had my pulse speeding up but I willed myself to keep it down. There was no way I'd repeat the mistake of shamelessly jumping his bones in the bar like I'd done that memorable first time. Since the one thing that would take my mind off his sexual magnetism was my friend's call earlier, I decided to mention it to him. "Believe me, once I heard it from Samantha, it did sound a lil loco. Correction, after one hour of yelling, I started to sound a lil loco too." Samantha was one of my.. well our best friends and she'd seen enough of the both of us to reserve the right for judgement. Smart enough to know when to keep quiet in spite of the booze, Alex just grinned wickedly. "You're always going to be the heartthrob and everywhere you go, all the guys are going to want to sleep with you." Well, a normal guy would have blushed and stammered. Alexandre Verga wasn't just any other guy. Giving me a devilish grin, he just nodded and took what was his due. "Hey, I have standards. I only sleep with some of them." I laughed as he'd wanted me to. It was amazing. No matter how mad I became at him, that could never quite sever the incredible connection we had between us. "I should punch you for that but I'm afraid in your drunken state, you'll kill me." "I don't kill the one guy I have plans for monogamy with. It would Bogart my plans for sex tonight." "Counting your chickens." Pleased that he'd finally gotten over one hurdle, Alex leaned over confidently. There was no reason for me to lean back this time however. As he moved even closer, his green eyes turned heavy-lidded and his breath burned against my cheek. I could already imagine the both of us tangled up in my sheets tonight even as the intoxicating scent of alcohol swirled around me. "You're gonna play hard to get, Dr James?" "Nah, tonight I'm easy." Why bother arguing the point? I had come to the table with a compromise in order and if Alex was all eager to celebrate, who was I to disagree? And I certainly wouldn't mind feeling that hot, hard body crushed against mine again. "That sounds about right." "And you're still an arrogant bastard." It wasn't the first time I'd levelled such an accusation at him and he just laughed unself-consciously. Could I say that I even found his low, deep-throated laugh sexy? When he finally got his breath back, Alexandre took my hand in his and gazed into my eyes intently. "Look, I know I look great, great enough that most guys would want to sleep with me as you so succinctly put it but that's all there is to it. They want my face, my body, my cock but that's all... not one of them would prepare soup for me when I'm having a cold. Not one of them would take me out for a dance when I'm feeling down. Not one of them cares that I like sci-fi and mystery novels. Not one of them loves me for who I am, instead of what I look like." It was the first time I'd heard this from him. And he didn't say it to make me laugh. It annoyed me that each time I tried to find something to hate about him, I just found myself falling even deeper for him. I gave him a soft kiss on his stubbled cheek and he chuckled softly. "Let's try this again, Alex."