Trial Of Strength (Book 13)

"GRADY IS GIVEN HARDCORE TOUGH LOVE"

The tribe is reunited as guys return home from out of town. One of them, the hunky action movie star Grady, is so exhausted after a grueling week of filming that he tells his lover Mario he’s quitting movies for good. But the tribe’s powerful co-leader Bob changes Grady’s mind in a wild scene of hardcore sex and fantasy that leaves the handsome muscle-jock broken and begging for more.

<><>    Ashes of Trout    <><>

The family feuds were over, the couples reconciled, and the reunited family of four were celebrating on a fishing trip.

The virile black construction boss Zack and his hot Hispanic lover Miguel had made love on the beach by the lake, where one of the topmen had fucked the other.

Meanwhile, the handsome young jock Darius and his sexy Thai boy Ryan were blissfully happy communing with nature in their rowboat in the middle of the lake.

They would have willingly stayed there until the sun went down and the moon rose.  But they had caught enough fish for a hearty meal and Darius said, “We better get back to Zack and Miguel.  They must have stopped banging each other by now.”

Ryan giggled.  “Don’t bet on it, sir.”

They hauled in the net, Darius untied the boat from the buoy, turned the prow round and rowed strongly to the shore.

Once again Ryan gazed lustfully at the man he idolized, his ebony muscles gleaming in the sun and spray as he pulled on the oars.  In no time the boat was skidding onto the sand, they got out and tugged it up the beach. 

They looked over at the grassy area at the side of the beach where the macho lovers, Zack and Miguel, were lying naked on a blanket that showed every sign of being rumpled and cum-stained by men indulging in vigorous sex.

Darius flashed his famous dazzling smile.  “So, can you guys take a short break from pumping ass now we’re back, or is that too much to ask?”

“Watch your lip, boy,” Zack grinned, “or it’ll be your ass getting pumped – by two big dicks at once.”

“Oh yeah?  And don’t think I couldn’t take it, dude.  I’m no stranger to big dicks – including my own ten-incher.”

Miguel laughed, “Can you guys get off the subject of big dicks for a minute and a half?  What have you been doing to that luscious boy there, Darius, after you kidnapped him in that pirate boat?”

“We’ve been slaving away over the fishing lines catching lunch for you guys.”

“And no sex, uh?”

“Well,” Darius shrugged, “give or take a blowjob or two, then lying in each other’s arms communing with nature.”

“Communing, fucking, what’s the difference?” Zack grunted.

“Animal,” Darius grinned.

“Seems to me you used to enjoy the animal in me.”  Zack got to his feet.  “Come here, you guys.”  Zack wrapped his strong arms round them both, and kissed Ryan on the cheek.  “So how about you, junior?  You having fun?”

Ryan smiled, “Sir, me in a boat in the middle of a lake, alone with the big strong man I love, you do the math.”

Zack laughed, “You’re the math genius, kiddo.  You heard what your man said, I’m just an animal ... an animal who needs to be fed.”

Miguel came up beside them and ruffled Ryan’s black hair.  “That’s about all you get with this guy, Ryan, real basic ... ‘fuck me... feed me... me fuck you ... me Tarzan ... me caveman.”

Amid rowdy laughter Miguel said, “Come on Ryan, show me the fish you caught and I’ll fire up the hibachi.  See what I’m reduced to?  A Ritz-Carlton executive chef cooking fresh-caught trout on a little hibachi on the sand.  And nowhere near the trees or bushes, mind.  We set the forest on fire, I’ll never be able to look Ranger Pete in the eye again.”

The chef and his Thai-boy assistant got busy and Zack threw his arm over Darius’s shoulder as they watched.  “This is the life, eh dude?”

“Pretty terrific, sir.  A whole ‘nother world from all that crap we put each other through.  If the shit ever hits the fan again we’ll think of this moment and run back to this peaceful world.”

“The shit ain’t ever gonna hit no fan again, kiddo or ...

“Or, you’ll start swinging those fists, sir?”

“Damn straight I will.”  

Darius laughed. “Like I said, Zack, you’re an animal.”  He kissed his cheek ... “wouldn’t have it any other way.”

They sat together at the water’s edge, letting the shallow waves lap over their feet.  Behind them they heard Ryan’s peals of laughter as Miguel protested, “No, you’re cooking them way too long ... unless you’re serving ‘Ashes of Trout’ for lunch.  Dude, maybe you should write a computer program for this.”

“Don’t think I couldn’t, sir.”  It was Miguel’s turn to laugh.

At the water’s edge Zack said, “Miguel really loves that boy of yours, Darius.  Better watch it or Ryan will be computerizing all the Ritz-Carlton kitchens.”

That was the lighthearted tone of the rest of the weekend.  That night they slept under the stars as a limbs-entwined foursome, whose occasional forays into sleepy sex featured random choices of partner.

The next day was again full of love and laughter – in, on, or out of the water.  By the time they reluctantly packed up the truck and said goodbye to the lake, they were, without doubt, a loving close-knit family of four.  All that was lacking to make it five was Miguel’s boy Finn, who was out of town on a job for his new landscaping company.

As Zack drove back along the bumpy, overgrown path to the road Ryan was once again in the back seat snuggled sleepily against Darius.  He said drowsily to Zack, “Sir, if you get lost again, like you did before, and need me and my phone to bail you out, just wake me up.”

Zack growled, “Darius my boy, you gotta take that cheeky kid in hand.  If you don’t, I will.”

“Yes please, sir,” Ryan murmured.

Darius said, “Be careful what you wish for, kid, you hear?”

But Ryan didn’t hear – he was asleep.

<><>    Eddie Shoots From The Lip    <><>

They arrived back home to a festive atmosphere.  The tribe’s co-leader Bob was in the garden like a circus ringmaster directing multiple activities, centered on setting up a longer-than-usual table for dinner.  A smile lit his square-jawed features as the foursome came through the gate.”

“Well, well, here’s a group that not only looks rested but positively gleaming.  Successful fishing trip, I take it.”

“Successful everything, Bob,” Miguel chuckled.  “You name it, we did it.  But you people are no slouches either.  What’s all the activity here?”

“We’re getting ready for a big dinner – call it a homecoming feast.”

“Killing the fatted calf, uh?” Zack said.  “What’s the celebration?”

“You guys are part of it, and all the other groups who’ve been away and coming home at last – a big reunion,” Bob said.  “To paraphrase Robert Louis Stevenson, Home are the sailors, home from the lake, and the surfers home from the sea. Not to mention the landscapers home from the hills – of Montecito.

“The big news is that Grady’s movie has at last wrapped principal photography and now goes into post-production. The final week of shooting was grueling apparently, racing to finish before the deadline.  Every day they were up at dawn and worked late so, for the whole week, Grady, Jamie, Nate and Eddie stayed in a hotel down there.  I’m sure Eddie will give us all a blow-by-blow account, so stand by for blasting.”

Just then another car drew up and in marched Finn, looking much different from the tense, wary young man from before he left.  With a huge smile he strode over to his man Miguel who pulled him into a passionate embrace.

They clung together, kissing ravenously until Darius laughed, “Hey, you two, you’ll frighten the horses.  Get a room.”

“Oh we plan to,” Miguel said, “just as soon as my man here tells us what he and Mario have been up to with their landscaping project among the rich and famous.”

“Guys,” Finn said, “to coin Eddie’s phrase, you would not believe.  Those Montecito estates up there are spectacular.  Our client, a film producer, drove us around and pointed out the celebrity homes, like ‘so-and-so lives there’ and ‘that movie star lives there’.”

“Weren’t you intimidated?” Ryan asked.

“A bit at first, but Mario just sailed through.  Hell, that classy Italian lives in the Grady House, just as luxurious as those places, and with a movie star who’s bigger than most of them.  So he’s used to rubbing shoulders with bigwigs and celebrities.  He got us this commission to redesign the producer’s grounds and, later on, the guy’s home in Bel-Air.”

“Where is Mario now?” Bob asked.

He dropped me off and went straight home.  It’s important he’s there to welcome Grady when he gets home.  They spoke a lot on the phone when Grady finished filming each day and now they’re prob’ly gonna fuck for days, so they won’t be coming to dinner.  I had a blast up there – except that I missed you like crazy, sir.”  He smiled at Miguel.  “Er, what did you say just now about getting a room?”

“I meant our room, dude, and, we’re headed there right now.  Grady and Mario ain’t the only ones can fuck for days.  We’ll hang out the ‘do not disturb’ sign, guys,” he laughed as he threw his arm over Finn’s shoulder.

The group of helpers grew and there was quite an audience for Eddie when at last he, Jamie and Nate came in.  The boisterous greeting that met them was worthy of three guys returning from an expedition up the Amazon, rather than a week filming in Malibu.

Jamie disentangled himself from the hugs.  “Great to see you again, guys, but I’ve got a horny cop, Mark, waiting for me in our bedroom, so I’ll see you at dinner.”

Nate said, “And I’m going home to Adam and Chad up the hill, but we’ll all be back here for dinner. Which I guess leaves Eddie to tell you all about the movie.  OK dude, you’re on ...”

Eddie took a deep breath, and he was off to the races.  “Actually guys, Hassan will be home in a few minutes so I better be there.  He’ll be missing me after a whole week..  And boy, what a grueling week, you would not believe.  We were racing to beat the shooting deadline, ‘cos if we missed it there would be all kinds of penalties and stuff. 

“We had loads of pick-up shots and reshoots to get through and the director worked us like crazy.  But nothing like he worked Grady, poor guy.  He was totally knackered ... you know, that blank look in his eyes when he’s completely exhausted?   

“He just now dropped us off in his limo and continued on up to the Grady House.  He had only one thing in his mind ... Mario.  While we were away he talked with Mario on the phone a whole lot – prob’ly a lot of phone sex too – but there’s nothing like the real thing, as you know. 

“And talking of the real thing, I gotta stop talking, get across the street and take care of mine – a certain hunky Arab Marine stud.  Don’t get any more real than that.  And that massive schlong will be needing my special attention ... I’ll probably get lockjaw ... won’t be able to talk for days.”

Bob laughed, “You, Eddie, speechless for days?  Nah, you’ll find a way to unlock that jaw or you’ll die of frustration.  Off you go, kiddo, and take care of your Marine.”

<><>    Home At Last – Exhausted    <><>

For all Eddie’s usual hyperbole, one thing he had not exaggerated was Grady’s total exhaustion.  Right now he sat huddled in his limo, feeling desperately alone now that he had dropped off his three buddies who kept him sane through all the relentless demands made of him as the movie’s star.

“Nobody understands,” he murmured to himself.  All except for one person ... Mario.  God he had missed Mario.  He had been away only a week but it felt like a month.  He desperately wanted to be home, with Mario, his boy Brian, and Danny.  He longed to hear those heavy gates close behind him, and to feel safe in his own secure world.

He already felt the tension lessen as the limo drove along the private road, with dense high hedges on either side, to the Grady House at the end.  And there at last, at long last, there they were, as the limo purred up to the high, sold gates. The chauffer looked back at him and grinned. “Home at last, eh Grady?”

“Dude, you don’t know how I love the sound of those words.  Fred, you’ve been a champ through all this, so patient, putting up with all my moods.  You know the studio won’t let me drive myself – they’re afraid I’ll get in a crash, and zip goes the movie. I can’t thank you enough, Fred, for taking such good care of me.”

“Grady, you are far and away my favorite passenger.  You know the whole crew loves you, don’t you?  And it’ll be my pleasure to drive you back to the studio when you’re called next.”  The big gates were swinging silently open.  “Now get that gorgeous body in those gates and have a nice long rest.”

Grady got out, hitched his backpack on his shoulder and walked through the gates, then turned and smiled as they closed behind him.  And suddenly there was his boy Brian racing toward him in his wheelchair.  “Sir, you’re home, your home.”

Grady frowned in thought.  “And, er, remind me who you are?  I’ve been away so long I forget.”

Brian giggled, pulled out a well-used notebook and waved it in the air.  “Perhaps this will remind you, sir.”

“Ah, the gossip notebook.  Now I recall – my king of gossip.”

“And it’s full of juicy stuff, sir.”

Grady reached down, heaved Brian out of his chair into a tight hug and swung him around. “Kiddo, we are gonna spend so many happy hours sitting in bed with you telling me all the lurid details of the tribe’s dramas while I was away.

As they spun round Grady saw Mario approaching.   He gently sat Brian back in his chair and frowned again.  “Kiddo, you’re gonna have to remind me who this guy is.  I’ve forgotten.”

Mario smiled with tears in his eyes as he listened to the charade.  “Oh,” Brian said, “this is just someone else who lives here, name of Mario. He’s Italian, but don’t worry, he speaks English ... kind of, if you can cut through the accent.  Actually he can be very demanding, makes my life hell.”

“Oh really.  I see I’ll have to take him in hand ... or maybe in my arms?”

“Arms, I think, sir.”

Grady held out his arms and Mario fell into them.  They hugged tight, with Grady murmuring tearfully, “Oh fuck ... fuck ... fuck ...”

After a while Mario pulled gently back and smiled, “So you do remember me, amico – the one with the Italian accent.”

“Well vaguely.  But refreshing my memory will take a lot of getting reacquainted.

“And the master bedroom is all ready, sir,” Brian said eagerly.  “I put everything in there you’re likely to need.”

“And after that, dinner in your room?”  That was Danny who had come out of the kitchen in his chef’s cap and apron.

“Now you I do recall, young man.  I recognize you from the chef’s hat and apron.”  Grady pulled him into a hug.  “Hey, Danny.  You been keeping these two well fed?”

“I got no complaints, sir.  But nothing’s the same when you’re not here.  So let me guess, first you get reacquainted with the Italian guy.  Then dinner in your room, plus a good old gossip with the gossip maestro here.  Am I right?”

“Almost, Danny.  But dinner in our room will be for all four of us.  Through all that work, one thing that kept me going was the thought of being together again with my family.”

“Right,” Danny grinned, “dinner for four it is. Now you two better get your asses upstairs before you make a spectacle of yourselves on the grass here.”

“Aye-aye, chef.  Mario, seems like we have our marching orders.”

<><>    A Warm Welcome Home    <><>

Grady had come home straight from the wrap party on the beach so he was still wearing his red lifeguard boardshorts and sneakers, and he had pulled on an old loose tank top. 

When they got to the room, Mario held him at arm’s length.  “Let me look at you, amico.” He stared at his lover and smiled.  “Yes, it’s really you.  Funny, though, I always forget just how beautiful you are, even when you’ve been away for only a short while.”

Grady’s reaction was unexpected.  His lower lip quivered, he thew his arms around Mario ... and sobbed.   Mario realized the extent of his lover’s exhaustion and pent-up tension and let him sob it out.  Grady moaned, “I can’t do it anymore, Mario.  I can’t.”

When at last his heaving body grew still and his sobs abated, Mario pulled back a little and smiled.  “I’m going to take you to bed, bambino.  Gently he pulled off Grady’s tank and gazed at him.  “Perfezione”.  He stroked his hands over his chest, then sank to his knees, sliding his hands down over his chiseled abs, as if in an act of worship.  

Grady stared down at the dark, Italian face with his tousled mop of black hair and watched as Mario unlaced his lifeguard shorts and pulled them down.  Despite his tearful distress Grady’s cock sprang out hard as a rod, pointing straight at Mario’s face.

Stifling the temptation, knowing by instinct to take this slowly, Mario merely licked the head, then got to his feet and gazed at his lover again, with the same murmured “Perfezione.”  He took Grady’s hand, led him to the bed and pushed him gently down on his back.

Mario was wearing his usual light tan cotton pants and white linen shirt open over his chest. Grady stared up at him and watched as his lover shrugged his shirt off over his shoulders, then pulled the drawstring of his pants and let them drop round his feet.”

Grady gazed up at his naked lover and tears flowed down his cheeks again.  Mario climbed into bed with him and lay beside him propped on his elbow.  Tenderly he ran the back of his finger down his cheeks to wipe away the tears. 

“Mi amore, we need to have a talk, but before that we will make love.  But before any of that I would like you to stop crying.  I know they are tears of relief, and love, but you are safe now, home with your family. 

“Danny is in his kitchen cooking your favorite dinner, and Brian is no doubt going over the entries in his notebook to make sure he doesn’t leave out any tidbits of gossip when you haul him into bed later this evening and sit with your arm round him gazing into his wide, eager eyes and as he tells you all the news.

“As for me, I am here to love you and reassure you that you are home with your family.”

Grady smiled up at him, sniffed and dried his tears, reminding Mario of a little boy being soothed by a parent.  “Sorry about that, buddy.  I must look pretty pathetic after that crying jag.”

“No, not pathetic, but definitely pretty.  You have never looked more beautiful than you do now.”

“Good enough for you to make love to, amico?” Grady smiled.

“Always that, Grady. And don’t forget, you’re not the only one who’s been missing his lover.  Phone sex is a poor substitute for the real thing, non è vero?”

Grady grinned.  “Dunno ... it’s been so long, I don’t recall the real thing.”

“Well, allow me to refresh your memory.  It usually starts something like this.” 

Mario bent his head and licked Grady’s cheeks clean, then kissed his eyes.  He ran his tongue down his nose and licked his lips, then brushed them with his own lips as a prelude to a kiss ... tender at first, then building into a passion that had been building for over a week.

Grady broke away, gasping, “Fuck me Mario. I dreamed about this moment all the time I was away.  I need to feel you inside me.”

Mario got up on his knees and pushed Grady’s legs back. “I too have dreamed of this moment amore.”

“Aaahh ...”  Grady sighed as he felt his lover’s cock slide gently inside him.  He reached up, curled his hand round Mario’s neck and pulled his face down into another hungry kiss.  His muffled moans of pleasure quickly turned into urgent shouts of lust as his eyes opened wide, his body jolted ... and his cock erupted with jets of warm semen that shot up and splashed on Mario’s chest above him.

Mario pulled back and smiled, “So soon, amico”

“Fuck, fuck,” Grady panted.  “Don’t stop, don’t stop.  Keep fucking me, I need it so bad ...”

“Don’t worry, amico, I can fuck you all night if you want.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Grady grinned, his frantic tone becoming lighter as his pent-up tension eased, and Mario resumed his cock’s gentle caress of his ass. 

“Aaahh ... this is it, Mario.  This is all I need – to make love with you like this every day.  Everything else, I’ll give it up.  We’ll go live in our little house in Laurel Canyon, just us two in our own little paradise.”

Mario smiled and let Grady’s imagination run free as he surrendered entirely to Mario’s tender love and weaved his dreams of the future.

“You should always look like that, Mario, handsome, naked with my jizz splashed on your chest and running down that long sexy waist and ripped abs.  You look ... how do you guys say it?  Spettacolare?”

“Very good, amico, we’ll have you speaking Italian in no time.”

“That’s what we’ll do, eh buddy?”  In our little house, me learning Italian, you learning English ... sorry, I mean flawless English, none of those mistakes where you get the wrong word.  Sorry, I didn’t mean ...”

“Grady, will you stop talking, or do I have to slap you, or stop your sexy mouth with a kiss?”

“Yeah, that’s it, dude ... the second one ... the kiss.  The slap too, if you like.  “I ...” 

Mario leaned forward kissed him, long and hard, muffling whatever words came next.  But when at last he pulled away, the stream of consciousness resumed unabated.  “This is fun, don’t you think, buddy ... you fucking, me talking?  Wait ... I’m starting to sound like Eddie, aren’t I?  OK, like he says, I’ll zip it while you fuck ... all night and the next and the next ...”

A calm settled over the house, sheltering the lovers behind its high walls and hedges, safe from prying eyes.   Downstairs Brian and Danny were in the kitchen, waiting, slowing down their preparations for dinner.  Brian said, “Do you think they’ll be fucking all night, Danny?”

“Oh, they’ll surface sooner or later.  It’s not only the physical thing.  You saw that hollow look in Grady’s eyes.  He needs to unload what’s on his mind, unload it on Mario.  So I guess there’ll be a whole lot of talking – during and after the fucking.  We’ve got a while to go yet, kiddo.”

Danny and Brian knew Grady intimately, and Danny was right.  In the master suite upstairs Mario was saying, “Er, Grady ... I haven’t cum yet and I have, how you say, ‘built up a whole heap of steam?”

“A head of steam actually, amico,” Grady chuckled, “but out of your mouth it all sounds good.  But I’m being selfish ... and I want to feel your juice inside me.  But only if you let me cum for a second time, same time as you.

So at long last they reached their climax together.  Grady stroked his own cock as he gazed up at the handsome Italian, his face glowing in the final throes of passion.  “I love you so much, Grady.  I think I’m going to cum.” 

The sight of the stunningly handsome face and body writhing beneath him, did it.  He fucked harder, faster, while Grady pounded his own cock, and the room resonated with their shouts of love and lust as Mario flooded Grady’s ass with his sperm while Grady pumped another load of cum over his own heaving body.

As their cocks drained they stared at each other in disbelief, then Mario at long last gave into his own pent-up emotions and fell weeping into his lover’s arms.

<><>    Mario’s Brilliant Idea    <><>

As he held him Grady said, “I’m sorry, Mario, I’ve been all about me since I came home, and I forgot about how lonely you’ve been.  It’s that damn job.  On the movie location it’s all about me – how do I look, what do I need, is that comfortable for you, Grady, your limousine’s here Grady ... blah blah blah.  And when I come home it must not be all about me.  You’re the king here, buddy, with our wonderful Danny and adorable Brian.

“That’s why when we have parties here I want to be just one of the guys – no special treatment, no ‘what does Grady want?’   But how can I just blend in when I’m so selfish, like I’ve just been with you.”  He paused and dried Mario’s eyes.  “And that’s why I’m giving it all up, dude.  I’m not gonna make the next movie.”

That perked Mario up and they sat on the bed facing each other.  “Ah, I was hoping we would get to that, Grady.  All that stuff you went on about, living alone in Laurel Canyon, just us two, no work, just fucking.  You must know that’s just a dream.  You would get bored silly after a week of that. 

“Grady, I know you don’t like the celebrity part of it – all the attention and applause, but you must realize that one reason everyone is so attentive to you is that their jobs, the whole venture, revolve around you.  Without you there is no movie.  Don’t get me wrong.  They take care of you because they all love and admire you.  And be honest, Grady, you love the work, all that action, and the company of Jamie, Nate and Eddie.

“Those three guys are what kept me sane.  They know the real me and I really am one of the guys.  They laugh and talk down to me, they call me out on all my bullshit.  I love those guys.”

“And you want them to lose their jobs when you quit? And you’ll fire Brian and Danny when we move into Laurel Canyon on our own?”

“Of course not,” Grady frowned.  “OK, maybe I haven’t thought it all through.  And you’re right, I do love the work, the team effort it takes to pull everything together.  The crew and I spend so much time together they’re like a second family. 

“And it’s true, I am protected from all the celebrity crap.  This house is a refuge where I feel safe, with all the security.  Randy Mark and Zack take care of that and they’re hugely protective.  And most of all, you and Danny and Brian, and all those other guys who would never blow my cover outside of the tribe.”

Mario smiled, feeling that Grady was at last coming out of his funk.  But then Grady hit him with a different problem.

“I know we’ve been down this road before, Mario, with me so exhausted I threatened to quit.  But that was in the middle of shooting the movie.  This time it’s different ‘cos the shoots over, and a month from now I’m supposed to start the new Hunter movie.  And the thing that really depresses me about that is all the negotiations over the new contract – the pay, the conditions, the demands. 

“You know I don’t care about all that, but I have to keep going to meetings with my lawyer and I don’t understand shit about what he’s saying.  My agent is fine, she’s been with me right from the start, but at this level of stardom it’s the lawyers who do all the talking and she’s a bit out of her depth.

“My lawyer’s a good guy, but he’s getting ready to retire and he’s running out of steam.  Also, he doesn’t really understand me, or know about my lifestyle so I have to tiptoe around a lot of stuff.  One reason I want to quit is all these endless negotiations, they drive me crazy and I feel so alone.

Mario looked thoughtful, then said, “I think I might have a solution, Grady.”

Grady smiled, “Mario, I love you to death, and you’re great as a personal manager when we travel, but I, er, don’t really think you could cope with legal issues at that level.”

“Not me, stupido.  I know less than you do about all that. As a lawyer I make a great landscaper.  No ... I was thinking about Bob.”

A light went on in Grady’s eyes.  “Bob?  As my lawyer?  Mario, you’re not just a pretty face, you’re a genius.  He would be perfect.  He’s already our financial adviser, files our taxes and all, so he knows all about our money and our, er, our lifestyle, everything.  Plus he’s a brilliant lawyer, he’d be perfect.”

“Hey, don’t go overboard yet, amico, he might be too busy to take this on.  He already runs the business side of the construction company, provides legal services to private clients, including many of the guys in the tribe, like Doc Chad and Doc Steve.  So let’s think about it some more.”

“No, now Mario.  Let’s call Bob right now ... please.  It would take a load off my mind.  Please ...”

“Grady, they’re preparing a big dinner down there for the whole tribe so I’m sure Bob’s up to his eyes right now.”  He looked at Grady’s pleading look and relented.  “OK, a quick call, that’s all.”

With his phone on speaker Mario called Bob’s cell and he picked up right away.  “Hey. Mario, hi Grady.  Welcome home.  I hope you two have been getting reacquainted.”

“With all the trimmings, dude,” Grady said impulsively.”

“Bob,” Mario said more calmly, “we hate to interrupt you at a busy time, but we wanted to run something by you real fast.  Grady here is talking about quitting the business and not making the next movie.  But don’t worry about it if your too busy.”

“Never too busy to talk to you guys.  But as I recall,” Bob chuckled, “Grady’s threatened that before.”

Grady leapt in and it poured out in a rush.  “But it’s different this time, buddy, this is a new movie and the lawyers are trying to hash out a contract.  I’m driven mad in meetings with lawyers I don’t understand and I’d rather chuck it all in.”

“But I’ve met your lawyer several times, Grady, and he seemed like a nice enough old guy.”

“That’s the point, Bob, he’s old, wants to retire, and I can’t talk to him like I can talk to you.  Which is why I want you, Bob.  I want you to be my lawyer.  Please say yes, Bob.  The whole movie depends on it.”

“Wow, no pressure or anything, eh?” Bob laughed.  “Slow down Grady and give me a chance to catch my breath.  You want me to be your lawyer in the contract negotiations?  That’s quite a big deal ... something I have to think about.”

“Great, I knew you’d say yes, didn’t I Mario? I knew you would.”

“Hey, whoa, that wasn’t a yes, Grady, it was an ‘I’ll-think-about-it.  It’s an interesting proposition, though, so how about I come up there tomorrow morning and we’ll talk?  Right now I’m besieged by chefs and boys trying to get this welcome-home dinner set up.”

“We understand, Bob,” Mario said, “and we’re sorry for the interruption.  We’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow.  I apologize for my impetuous friend here.”

Bob laughed.  “Mario, he’s an actor, and a sexy one at that.  Need I say more?  See you tomorrow, guys.”

The call ended and Grady said, “Sexy, he called me sexy.  Do you think he ...?”

“Down tiger,” Mario laughed.  “Bob’s considering becoming your lawyer, not your fuck-buddy.”

Deflated, Gray pouted, “A man can be both, can’t he?”

Just then there was a knock on the door and Brian poked his head in.  “All done, sirs?  May we bring in dinner?”

“Yes you may, bambino,” Mario smiled, “just what we need.  Plus the pleasure of your company and Danny’s.”

“Dinner first, then gossip, eh kiddo?” Grady grinned

“I hear you, sir.  I’m ready,” Brian smiled and waved his notebook in the air.

<><>    Party Planners    <><>

So there were two homecoming celebrations that night.  One was a raucous, crowded affair as the reunited tribe let off steam. 

Finn was one guest of honor after his landscaping triumph in Montecito, sitting happily with a proud Miguel after their own, highly physical, reunion upstairs.  The others were Jamie, Nate and Eddie after completing the arduous film shoot and looking forward to a month off before the new movie cranked up.  Which rather depended on the outcome of Bob’s meeting with Grady, about which Bob said nothing right now.

The other reunion, of course, was Mario, Grady with their boys Brian and Danny – much less raucous but no less passionate.  Much more relaxed now, almost buoyant, was Grady who happily shared with a small, awed audience the events of his crowded week at the beach.

When dinner was over Mario introduced a final topic he had been mulling over.  “Guys, I don’t know how you feel about this, but as reunions seem to be in the air, do you think it’s time we had another Grady House party?”

He should have known this would be a crowd pleaser, greeted with wild enthusiasm.  “Terrific idea, amico, Grady said.  What do you think guys?  Could we pull it together?”

The boys grinned at each other and Danny said, “Actually, sirs, we’re way ahead of you.  We anticipated that you would say this and we’ve been making plans in case you did.  I’ve already planned some menus and Brian’s been compiling a list of our needs.”

Brian said, “We were thinking about next weekend, sirs, starting Friday for two nights.  That should give us time to get in the supplies and arranging staffing with the other boys.”

Danny added, “I would like to invite my boyfriend Tommy to come and stay with me as he’s the experienced party planner.  Actually, I already had a quiet conversation with Tommy, in case you suggested a party, and he is sure Steve and Lloyd would give him the time off.  He’s coming here later tonight to stay with me, as he often does, and he could stay here through the weekend.”

Mario smiled at Grady.  “Grady, I’ve often said we should let these two guys run our lives and make all the decisions.  All we have to do is stand back and let them do their thing.” 

“We already do run your lives, sir,” Brian said with a cheeky grin, “at least here at home.”

“So, Mario,” Grady asked, “while we’re standing back and leaving it all to them, what would we be doing?”

“I’m not going to answer that, Grady, because I know where you’re going with it.”

“That’s it, dude.  We won’t be standing back, we’ll be lying back in bed.”

Mario gave a resigned shrug.  “Danny, I can’t listen to anymore of this bawdy talk.  Let me help you take the dinner things downstairs and help you in the kitchen until Tommy arrives.  I think Grady and Brian have a lot to talk about.”

“You betcha,” Grady laughed.  “Brian, my boy, to the bed.”

Brian wheeled himself across the room where Grady hauled him out of his chair and sat him on the bed propped against pillows, then climbed in beside him.  “OK, dude, where shall we start?”

“Well, sir, I thought we’d begin with the saga of Zack, Darius and Ryan, ‘cos that’s a humdinger.  It all began in the warehouse where Ryan was working with Tyler, and Zack came in.  Picture it, sir, the shirtless black construction boss walking in horny as hell, and he looks at Darius’s cute boy Ryan.”

“Oh yeah, I picture it dude. I can just picture it.  So what next ...?”

Mario looked at Danny and rolled his eyes. Danny, that’s our cue to ... how you say, skebabble?”

“Skedaddle, actually, sir, but I get your point.  Let’s go.”

<><>    Bob & Mario Make A Deal    <><>

Next morning Mario and Grady slept in late as Grady had stayed up late gossiping with Brian.  When Grady had had his fill, Brian went to his own room where he called his boyfriend Brandon and told him the news of the upcoming party.  Brandon told motormouth Eddie next door, so it was all over the grapevine in minutes.

Mario took Brian’s place in bed with Grady and they slept soundly in each other’s arms all night, without waking up for sex – something of a first.

In the morning they were woken by Brian with their breakfast tray and the news that it was ten o’clock.  “I thought I should wake you, sirs, as you told me that Bob is expected at eleven for a business meeting.”

“Dio mio, we have to eat fast, Grady, Bob is always prompt.  This is an important meeting and we have to be ready.  Brian, Grady has asked Bob to be his attorney in negotiations with the studio.”

Brian took the news in stride.  “No better choice, sir.  You think he’ll say yes?”

“Of course he will,” Grady grinned.  “It’s a done deal.”

Mario was somewhat agitated but Grady sailed through a leisurely breakfast, sure of his powers of persuasion.  Just before eleven Mario got up and dressed.  Come on, amico, put some clothes on.  You can’t go into a business meeting stark naked.”

“Don’t see why not,” Grady shrugged.  “That would make Bob say yes, for sure.”  But at Mario’s insistence he grudgingly pulled on baggy old cargo shorts and a frayed T-shirt, whose loose fit could still not hide his classic physique.

“Promptly at eleven there was a tap on the door and Bob came in smiling. “Hi, guys. Brian let me in and I know my way up here after all this time.  I kinda thought you’d still be naked in bed.”

“See, Mario, I told you.  Bob, I told Mario that if you saw me naked it would make you accept the job.”

Bob chuckled.  “Nice try, Grady, but I rarely make business decisions based on what the prospective client is wearing ... or not.  We have to keep this businesslike.  However, I myself am casually dressed as you see.”  Bob was wearing blue jeans and his usual V-neck white T-shirt that stretched over his muscular torso and left little to the imagination.”

“Sure gets me hard.” Grady flashed that sexy smile known all over the world.

The three men sat at the small table by the window where Brian had served coffee, and Bob, ignoring all Grady’s sexual innuendos, became all business.  “Right, so let me say first off that I was flattered that you would consider me for this important job.  I gave it a lot of thought, my main concern being whether I could devote to it all the time and attention you deserve.

“One thing in our favor is that I am already your financial adviser, so I know all the details of your income, your lifestyle and your needs.  And you should know that I’ve worked in wealth management for years, cutting deals for my clients.  And many of them were in the movie business – producers, directors, performers – so I know the territory, the wrinkles and the tricks real well.

“It’s a tough business and, as I said, a big concern was whether I would have enough time in my schedule to devote the time and energy the job would require.  Some meetings with the studio bosses can go for hours and become pretty contentious. 

“However, as it happens, two of my private clients died recently and I’ve already wrapped up their affairs.  I wasn’t about to add more clients, but I was tempted by the prospect of working on your behalf, Grady.  Tangling with those pushy execs is a challenge I would welcome. You are in a powerful position Grady as one of the studio’s biggest stars, so we hold all the cards.  And you don’t come cheap.”

Grady flashed another smile.  “So all that means it’s a yes?”

“Yes, Grady, it’s a yes.  And you see, you didn’t even have to get naked to persuade me, sexy as that prospect is. The next step is for me to draw up a contract so we can go over the terms of my work for you.”

“Including your fee, Bob,” Mario said.  “I know you do a lot of pro bono stuff for friends, but we insist that you charge us your full fee.  We can afford it.”

“I know you can, Mario, so sure, I’ll include my fee in the contract.  It will basically define the services I’ll provide relating to the new movie, plus a catchall phrase, ‘and other serves as required.”

“I like that bit,” Grady grinned roguishly.  “‘Cos I may require other services.”

Bob fixed him with a steady eye.  “One thing I have to stress, Grady, is this is a business deal.  And there are rules about the attorney/client relationship.  Meaning no personal fraternizing.”

Grady looked startled.  “Does that mean no sex?”

“Among other things, yes.”

“But this ‘other services as required’?  You know what I require, stud, so can’t you write that into the contract?  ‘Course, I can’t make you do it if you don’t want to.”

“Any contract that included that, Grady, would be laughed out of court.  And it’s not a question of me not wanting you, Grady.   Millions all over the world would love to get you in bed, and that includes me.  But I’m not Randy, who fucks everything with two legs and a dick. I have just as big a sex-drive, but I’m also a professional lawyer.”

Grady pouted.  “I gotta use the bathroom,” and he stomped away.

“Not gone to jack off has he Mario?”

“I think he just needs to pee.  But, er, Bob, I would like to ask you something that is way off the professional rails and I don’t want to insult your ethics.  I know how grateful Grady is to you, we both are. When he came home, exhausted and depressed, he really meant to quit, but you have saved the day.  He really wants to thank you ... in his own special way ... by offering you ...”

“... his ass, Mario?”

“Oh dear, it does sound crude doesn’t it, and distinctly unprofessional.  But he’s always been crazy about you and told me how much he craves ... well, you know.  So, is there no way you could bend the rules by categorizing this as, maybe, sealing the deal between attorney and client, something like that?”

Bob laughed.  “Mario, you are adorable, and I admire your loyalty and love for him.  The truth is I’ve had a boner in my jeans just talking to Grady, so the desire is certainly there.”  He paused.  “OK, actually I’m rather good at bending the rules to please a client so, sure, I’ll seal the deal as you wish ... on one condition.  Next time we meet, I seal the deal with you.”

“It would be my pleasure, Bob, you know that.  Talking of boners, just so you know, I always have one in meetings with you.  Now I have to go down to the kitchen to Brian, Danny and Tommy.  We have a big party to plan.”  They hugged warmly, then Mario hastily left the room.

<><>    Grady & Bob Seal The Deal    <><>

When Grady came out of the bathroom he asked where Mario was.  “Had to go down to do some party planning,” Bob smiled.

“Oh yeah, the party.  So, Bob, I guess the tradition is for us to clinch our deal with a handshake.”

He held out his hand but Bob didn’t take it.  “Er, yeah, I was thinking about that and, er, maybe there are other ways of sealing a deal.  To hell with tradition, eh?”  He grasped the outstretched hand and pulled Grady into a tight embrace and churning kiss.”

When he pulled back Bob smiled, reached behind his own neck and slowly pulled off his T-shirt.  A stunned Grady watched mesmerized as the shirt rose up Bob’s slim waist to reveal his eight-pack abs then his rock-hard pecs.  He pulled it off over his head and stood holding it, a shirtless alpha male with square-jawed superman features

“You didn’t just whack off in there, did you, Grady?”

Grady found his voice. “No, er, no.  I thought of it but ... I didn’t.  And even if I had, I could cum again ... and again and again.  Dammit, Bob, you should be the movie star, not me.”  He stared at Bob, shirtless in beltless blue jeans.  “You are so fucking beautiful.”  He reached out and ran his hands over Bob’s bare chest, as if worshipping a Greek-God marble statue.  His legs went weak and he sank to his knees. 

Frantically he pulled open Bob’s jeans reached inside and pulled out the long, thick cock, hard as steel.  “Aaagh,” he gasped, leaned forward and swallowed the cock down his throat. 

When Bob looked down it was hard to believe that this screen idol action star, known all round the world, was actually on his knees before him, and that impossibly beautiful face was jerking back and forth on, Bob’s own huge cock that disappeared down his throat.  He grabbed the mop of curly black hair and yanked his face down and back. 

Bob knew what Grady wanted ... he wanted it rough, an antidote to all the praise and deference he had in public.  He wanted to be dominated ... and Bob felt strangely empowered to become that dominant male

He suddenly pulled out, hooked his hands under Grady’s armpits and heaved him to his feet.  “Let’s get these fucking clothes off you, stud.”  Bob ripped the frayed T-shirt clear off him, then tore open his shorts so they fell round his ankles.  He picked up the naked jock and threw him bodily on his back on the bed.

Bob towered over him, stroking his cock sticking out of his jeans.  Grady stared up at him in awe and pumped his own cock in his fist.  “Fuck, oh fuck ... what you gonna do to me, man?”

“OK, contracts are well and good, but I’m gonna draw up a side contract just between you and me.  First, I may be working for you, but I’m the boss, always.  Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And my services don’t come cheap.  I get what I want when I want it, and that includes your ass. When we meet, I get to plough that ass whenever I want.  You may be my client, but the reality is your ass will be mine to plough whenever I want.  When I feel like it, I’ll tie you up and work you over, fuck your face, your ass and jerk off all over that gorgeous face and body. Capisce?”

“Yes, sir, whatever you want, sir.”

Bob could see how turned on Grady was, and decided he might as well go for broke and run with the fantasy. 

“When I feel like it I’ll even take you home to my lover Randy and we’ll both work you over ... we’ll make you crawl ... spit roasts, bondage, humiliation, whatever we want.  You’ll be our piece of shit fuck slave, chained to a dungeon wall, helpless, waiting for more abuse to your straining, naked body, waiting for two massive shafts to pound your ass in turn, then both cocks together. 

“Think about that.  Picture it – the musclehunk action star, a big-screen Tarzan then a lifeguard captain, now chained naked, broken and degraded, begging for release, at the mercy of a brutal gypsy and a superman.  Picture it .. imagine how it looks, how it feels.  Imagine it ... and jerk off.  I said jerk off, man, that’s an order.”

Lost in the pornographic fantasy Grady pounded his cock and moaned, “No more, please, I’m begging you ... aaagh ...”   His desperate shouts echoed round the room as semen spurted from his cock and splashed down on his writhing body.

Bob pulled off his jeans and stood naked over the shuddering muscle-jock.   “Good, that’s how I wanted you.  So it’ll hurt more when I really do fuck you.”

“You gonna fuck me now with that huge cock, sir, right after I’ve cum?”

“Damn straight I am.  Like I said, it’s part of the deal.”  Bob knelt on the bed, pushed Grady’s legs back and plunged his cock deep in his ass as Grady howled louder.  Bob’s cock was a piston, driving in and out of the macho action star, now beaten down to a submissive slave. 

Bob growled, “You may be a hot movie star to the rest of the world but to me you’re just a gorgeous piece of ass, my fuck slave to use how I want ... like this.  He leaned forward, pinned Grady’s arms to the bed and fucked harder and deeper.  Hurts don’t it?  And it ain’t gonna stop till I cum in your ass, boy.  I wanna hear you beg. You’re my prisoner, at my mercy, and you better beg good, boy.”

“Yes, sir.  Please, sir. You’ve broken me, I’m a worthless piece of shit. Please cum inside me, sir.  I can’t take anymore ... I beg you ...”

It was one of the sexiest sights Bob had seen, the handsome, virile action star, powerful, muscular, now reduced to a begging wreck, pleading for mercy, his chiseled face thrashing from side to side.  

At last Bob said, “It’s over ... cum for me again, Grady.  This is it, I’m gonna cum in your ass, that gorgeous ass.  Here it comes, dude ... yeah ... yeaahh!”

They howled together as they climaxed together, Bob pouring jizz deep inside Grady who lay mesmerized by the spectacle of the sculpted superman who had dominated him into abject submission.

<><>    Separating Business From Pleasure    <><>

Minutes later as they lay together panting hard, Grady found his voice.  “Un-fucking-believable, Bob, just what I needed.”

“Yeah, well a good attorney always understands his client’s needs.  And this one was straight out of Randy’s playbook, dude.”

“Yeah, but I expect it from a savage gypsy.  But you’re the cool, smart guy, gentle and loving, so it has more impact when you let rip. Say, is this how our attorney/client partnership’s gonna be?”

Bob chuckled, “A modified version, maybe ... and once in a while, not all the time.  But that ‘piece-of-shit’ sex-slave stuff?  Not so much.  That was a onetime deal.   And I think we can separate business from pleasure, buddy – if you can call that pleasure.”

“Sure I can, dude.  Brings me down to size after all that hero-worship I get from fans.  I’m thrilled you’re my new attorney, Bob.  Makes everything come right.”

“That being the case, Grady, maybe we should go down and help those guys with their party planning.”

“Ah the Grady House party, I almost forgot.  And this time we’ll have something big to celebrate.  So let the games begin.”

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

TO BE CONTINUED in “A Trial Of Strength” – Book 13: Chapter 16