Trial Of Strength (Book 13)

"FINDING THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE & LUST

After the party, men pair off for the night, not always with their own lovers. Deserted by their lovers, hunky Hispanic Miguel & hot blond doc Chad, have to share the only empty room.  Usually monogamous, their bed-sharing is just-good-buddy platonic. Until it’s not. Later. in the secret garden, Randy & Bob discover the essence of pure love, not in their cocks but in each other’s eyes.  

<><>    “Toil & Trouble”    <><>

The hosts of the big Grady House party for the tribe were action-movie star Grady and his Italian lover Mario.  They were assisted by the tireless efforts of their house manager and chef Danny, and Grady’s boy Brian. 

Grady would soon be starting to shoot his next big-budget lifeguard movie, and this party was his last chance to be just one of the guys, before the rigors of work and celebrity in the outside world.   Grady loved to gossip with Brian, and now, sitting in the garden, they surveyed the oversexed crowd of thirty-or-so handsome men and boys, and played the game of trying to guess what was going on with the various couples – or trios.   

Grady had earlier said to Brian, “You get around these parties a lot, kid, and you keep your ear to the ground for the latest gossip ... you know where the bodies are buried, and you’re expert at sussing guys out. So what gives here, kiddo?  Who’s with who, and who’s with someone they shouldn’t be?”

As they watched from the sidelines, Brian smiled, “Sir, we must look like some kind of Greek Chorus doing a running commentary on the action.”

“I don’t care if we look like the ‘Witches of Macbeth’, kiddo,” Grady grinned, “we gotta know what’s goin’ on.  I love a good gossip more than anything ... except making love to Mario.

“I’m glad you added that last part, amore,” said the Italian accented voice of Mario, sitting nearby.  “And by the way, there were three witches in Macbeth, but don’t expect me to join you chanting, ‘Double, double, toil and trouble – fire burn and caldron bubble’.”

Grady huffed, “Pay no attention, Brian, he’s only showing off his knowledge of Shakespeare.  That’s probably the only line he knows.”

Oh yeah?” Mario scoffed.  How about ‘Eye of newt and toe of frog – Wool of bat and tongue of dog ...?  Years ago I played one of the witches in a school play.”

“Ah, you played a witch, so that’s your problem, dude, I always wondered.  But give it a rest Mario – we’ve got more important stuff to worry about here.  So kiddo, what d’ya think?  Dinner’s over but most of the guys don’t seem in a hurry to go to bed.”

“No, and you know why, sir?   First they eat, then they drink – and drink some more – and then comes sex.  After all, isn’t that the sequence with you and Mario?”

Grady grinned over at Mario who, pointing two fingers at him, snarled and croaked, “For a charm of powerful trouble – Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.”

“I said give it a rest, dude.  There’s men at work, here.”

 “Bene, I will leave you two to stir your cauldron.  I have to check on the kitchen.  I’ll weave my spells later.”  Mario kissed Brian on the head and Grady on the lips and swaggered off.

Grady grinned, “Don’t you just love him, kiddo?  And he will weave his magic later, too.  In the bedroom.  OK, back to work.  So you were talking sex ...”

“Yes, sir, there’s all sorts of stuff at work here – currents and crosscurrents.  I could have saved myself the trouble of assigning guestrooms and putting their names on the doors, ‘cos these guys decide for themselves who sleeps with who.  I have my eye on Zack and Seth over there, they’ve been talking for a long time.”

“Well, they are both big macho bosses of construction sites, so they have a lot in common.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’s shop talk, sir.  You don’t talk nuts and bolts while you look at each other like they are, eating each other up.”

“Well, talking nuts maybe,” Grady smiled roguishly, “as in testicles.  So what gives?”

“Well, let’s see.  Zack’s guy Darius has gone off to bed with his boy Ryan, leaving Zack alone.  But he don’t let the grass grow under his feet, he’s practically eye-fucking Seth, who’s waiting for his boy Will to finish up in the kitchen and ... ah here he comes now.”

The young, freckled redhead ran out of the kitchen and up to Seth.  Seth said something to Will, who smiled and nodded.  They all got up and walked toward the house, Seth and Zack on either side of Will, their arms draped over his shoulders.

“Off to Seth and Will’s room I suppose,” Brian said.  “Looks like Young Will is in for a good time.  And look over there, sir.  Same kinda thing is happening with Adam and Jason. They’re both gym-jocks and flaunt their bodies, and they’re undressing each other with their eyes.”

“But Jason’s boy Ben is with him.”

“So? ... That won’t stop Adam.  Three’s not a crowd in this house, as you know, sir.  And there they go, all three, probably up to the room I assigned to Jason and Ben.”

“Hmm ...”  But where does that leave the lovers of Zack and Adam – Miguel and Chad?”

“Well, sir, that is the not-so-good part.  See, in any group skirmish like this, especially when guys have been drinking and they’re led by their cocks, there’s bound to be some collateral damage.” 

“Ah,” Grady said, “you mean that this time the victims are Miguel and Chad, two of the hottest guys you’ll ever meet.  Miguel’s got that dark chiseled Hispanic thing going for him with the body of death, and Doc Chad’s the blond Greek muscle-god.  And from what I hear, Miguel and Chad both used to be monogamous with their lovers at the start, and still don’t really like all this sexual jockeying for position.” 

Grady glanced over toward the kitchen.  “Oops, I think we’re about to be invaded.”

Mario came out of the kitchen with Brandon and approached the plotters.  “Dude,” Brandon said to his boyfriend Brian, “we’ve finished clearing up the kitchen and Pete has asked if you’d like to spend the night with us.  He’s in our room waiting for us?”

“Just as well,” Mario smiled “because I want this gossip monger here to come with me so I can put my witch’s spell on him.”

“Ah, you don’t need that ‘eye of newt, toe of frog’ nonsense Mario.  You know I’m already under your spell – have been since the day we met.”

So that ended the gossip session for one day.  Mario, Grady and the two boys headed for the house, leaving behind them an empty garden.

Except for two abandoned men, Miguel and Chad.

<><>    Miguel & Chad Talk Monogamy    <><>

Chad and Miguel had been having an intense conversation with Bob and Randy, and had only casually noticed their men leave.  But when Bob and Randy left too, the two abandoned men looked around and realized they were the only one’s left.  Everyone else had gone to bed – with more than sleep on their minds ... or in their loins.

They were sitting on opposite sides of the table, a few feet apart.  They smiled at each other ruefully and Miguel said, “Looks like we’re the wallflowers, Chad, left alone beside the dance floor while everyone else finds partners.”

“Guess so, Miguel.  Funny they didn’t say anything.”

“Ah, we were so wrapped in conversation with Bob and Randy they didn’t want to interrupt us.”

“Yeah, that must be it,” Chad agreed, shuffling down the table to face Miguel.  “Wonder where they went?”

Miguel chuckled.  “Give you one guess.  You know these parties.  After a great dinner, lots of laughs and too much booze, sex is the main thing on most guys’ minds.  Hell, I saw my boy Finn necking with Nate a wile ago and they’re probably in our room for the night.  I don’t wanna interrupt their little party so it looks like I don’t even have a place to sleep, with all the other rooms full of hot and horny guys.”

“Well, we can’t have you sleeping out here, dude,” Chad laughed.  “I’m sure Adam’s with Jason and Ben in their room, so that leaves me alone in our room.  Seems we’re the two odd men out at this party, so you’re welcome to share with me if you like.”

“Thanks, dude – sure, why not.  I’m told I don’t snore, so I won’t keep you awake.  Let’s go.”

They put their empty glasses behind the bar and wended their way to the house and up to Chad’s assigned guestroom.  “Hmm, nice room,” Miguel said.  “And will you look at that?  A bottle of brandy.”  He picked it up.  “It’s a good Courvoisier too.”

“Well you should know, Mister Executive Chef.  Brandon probably put one in every room. He’s such a great kid – knows that at the end of the day guys might like to kick back with a late-night brandy.”

Miguel chuckled.  “It’s the mantra of every five-star hotel, to anticipate the needs of your guests.  Five-star houses too, it seems.  Mario and Grady sure know how to take care of their guests.  You want a drink, doc?”

“Of course,” Chad smiled, sitting on the couch facing the window.  Miguel sat next to him, pulled the cork from the bottle and poured the gold liquid into the brandy glasses.

Chad said admiringly, “Done with all the panache of a connoisseur.  You’ve done this before.”

“Only about a trillion times,” Miguel laughed.  “You work in my business you develop a certain flair.”  They clinked glasses and sipped.  They had both dressed smart-casual for dinner – Miguel in jeans and a short-sleeve blue shirt untucked at the waist.  Chad was slightly more formal in tan slacks and a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbow.  Both guys’ shirts were unbuttoned halfway down, enough to give a glimpse of their pecs. 

“Mmm, this is perfect,” Chad murmured.  “You know, Miguel, I enjoy the quiet moments, kicking back with a good buddy, good brandy and good conversation.  Let the other guys fuck to their heart’s content.”

Miguel laughed.  “But not you, eh, mate?  You still like to hoist the flag of monogamy.  You’re not one for playing the field?”

“I never was, Miguel. See, I came late to sex with men and when I discovered where my inclinations lay, I looked for a guy to share my life with.  And when I eventually met Adam I knew he was the one.  But I guess I was still locked into the traditional, age-old pattern of boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married and live happily ever after.”

“I know, Chad, that’s kind what I was looking for.  My story with Zack is even more romantic.  I had just had a nasty breakup with my wife and I went to a bar to drown my sorrows.  I met this handsome black guy there who was there drinking for the exact same reason.  We swapped stories and commiserated ... and got drunk.  We had both been thrown out by our wives so we shared a motel room ... and had sex, the first with another guy for both of us.

“We blamed it on the booze, and In the morning we parted with an embarrassed handshake, and that was that – or so we thought.  But the hell of it was, neither of us could get the other out of his mind.  I went to work as executive chef at the Ritz Carlton.  Zack gave up his construction job and went to hide away in an old beach shack up the coast, where by chance he met guys from the tribe. 

Months later some of the guys from the tribe stayed at my hotel and I told them my story.  They put two and two together and arranged for us to meet.  Zack was coming down by train so I went to an outdoor restaurant at the station.  When the train got in I saw a tall, muscular black guy get off and look around the restaurant.  Zack spotted me, our eyes met, and I swear I knew right then this was the guy I wanted to spend my life with.

“Course, I didn’t realize he was part of a package, with his boy Darius and all the men of the tribe.  At first I wanted us to be monogamous but finally I thought, ‘if you can’t beat ‘em join em’, so I started fucking other guys in the tribe – including our host Grady quite recently. He loved it.”

Chad smiled. “I hear you, Miguel, I was the same when I met Adam.  I knew he was the guy for me, but at first I insisted point blank on monogamy.  I said it was the only way our relationship could work.  That caused real problems, almost broke us up. 

“But I had a shrink session with Doc Steve and he told me I was asking too much.  Adam had lived most of his life in Sydney, where he was a bar-hopper, one of the stars in town, everyone wanted him, and he slept with many of them.  Steve suggested I lighten up on my demands. To ask Adam to suddenly convert to monogamy was asking too much. 

“So, we made up ... I became more flexible and Adam toned down his prowling.  He said that in future when he felt horny he wouldn’t go looking for a new piece of ass, he would concentrate his lust on me – his love too.  The shift made it better for both of us and it’s working fine.”  But Miguel saw his brow cloud over a little.

“Except at times like this, eh. Chad?  I know.  At these parties, hormones rage, inhibitions fade and it becomes a free for all.   And sex is the currency the guys trade in.”

“I’m not like that, though, Miguel.  See, the first quality a surgeon needs is self-discipline.  I’m a very disciplined guy and I guess that spills over into my sexual urges too.  I’m led by my brain, not my cock – I don’t have to fall into bed with every hot guy I see.  I can be just good buddies with a man, just like we are, sitting right here.”

“I hear you, doc.  Here, have some more brandy.” 

<><>    Facing Reality    <><>

It was getting late and Miguel yawned.  “I gotta get some sleep.”

Chad smiled, “Miguel, you can’t go down the hall knocking on doors trying to find an empty room.  You’d interrupt too much of the action.  Easier to sleep right here if you don’t mind sharing a bed.  This house wasn’t designed with twin-bedded rooms, just California kings. 

“Fine with me, Chad.  I’m gonna be asleep the minute my head hits the pillow anyway.”  Miguel stood up and looked in the full-length wall mirror.  He stretched his arms up and yawned again, then unbuttoned his shirt.  As he shrugged it off he winced, reached across his chest and grabbed the opposite shoulder.  “Fuck ... damn.”

“What’s up?” Chad asked.

“Ah, I did something dumb at the gym yesterday.  On the bench press I loaded the bar with too much weight, pushed myself to do one lift too many and wrenched my shoulder.  And worse, when I tried to replace the bar in the cradle it tilted, a weight slid off the end and grazed the shoulder as it fell.  I was more embarrassed in front of the other guys, than hurt.  But later the pain increased and the shoulder’s kinda stiff.  Hurts even to take my shirt off.”

“Hm, shoulders can be real tricky, shouldn’t ignore them.  In my hospital I see more shoulder injuries than anything else.  Let me take a quick look, sit on this stool.

 Miguel sat and watched in the mirror as Chad took his own shirt off, draped it over a chair and stood behind him. He pressed against his back, touched Miguel’s shoulder and massaged it gently. The doc’s muscular torso gleamed under the ceiling spotlight as he worked.

“Raise your arm and rotate the shoulder slowly, Miguel.  Hmm, feels like a pulled muscle to me, but I’d like to X-ray it to make sure.  We’ll see how it goes over the weekend, and if it’s still painful on Monday I want you to come to the hospital for X-rays.  In the meantime, go easy on the shoulder – no matter what you’re doing,”

“Thanks, doc.”  Miguel could feel the bulge in Chad’s slacks pressing against his back.  His own cock stiffened at the sight and touch of the Greek-god doctor, and he tried to suppress the feeling.  This was definitely a no-sex situation, especially after everything Chad had said, so Miguel took his time standing up, hoping Chad wouldn’t notice his bulge. 

He turned his back on Chad as he took off his jeans and when he turned round Chad too had dropped his slacks. Both men were stripped down to their boxer shorts, and if Chad was impressed by Miguel’s sculpted physique he gave no sign of it.  Miguel thought, ‘hey, he’s really serious about this just-good-buddies thing.’

“I’m gonna brush my teeth, Miguel.  Come with me, I think there’s a new brush in there too.” 

They stood side by side at the twin sinks, smiling into the mirror.  “Yeah, here’s the brush, dude, it’s all yours.”  Miguel had stood with Zack like this countless times brushing their teeth and, for some reason, it always made their dicks hard and soon led to sex.  But not this time.  He and Chad brushed and rinsed, grinned at each other in the mirror and went back to the bedroom.

Miguel always hugged Zack, or his boy Finn, before they got into bed, and he now strangely felt that maybe he should show some sign of affection for Chad.  Not a kiss, certainly, or even a near-naked hug.  A handshake maybe?  Nah, Miguel grinned to himself, that would be ridiculous – two men shaking hands in just their boxers.  Better just hit the sack.

Miguel went round the large bed, pulled back the covers and lay down.  Chad did likewise on the other side and snapped off the bedside light – rather abruptly, Miguel thought.  

“’Night Miguel – it was a nice evening.”

“Yeah, real good Chad.  A nice change from those slam-bam-thank-you-man sex romps with other guys.”

They lay on their sides facing away from each other and there was a long silence as they fell asleep – or tried to.  Miguel had been wrong when he predicted he’d fall fast asleep.  His cock was still hard in his shorts, but he resisted the impulse to turn over and touch Chad, something he would have done as a matter of course with Zack or Finn.  But this was Chad, Mister Monogamy, and he had to respect that. 

Besides, Miguel thought, he was not gonna be led by his cock like other guys.  He had more self-discipline than that ... didn’t he?  But damn, the guy was gorgeous.  Miguel breathed deeply and was actually half-asleep when he stirred and felt his back touch Chad’s.  It was like an electric shock, and he pulled away fast, but Chad hadn’t moved. Good, thought Miguel, he’s sound asleep. But he was wrong.

Miguel closed his eyes and was again half-asleep when he felt Chad stir.  He felt the covers slide over him, opened his eyes and saw Chad getting out of bed.  “Hey, what’s up, dude?”

“Sorry, I thought you were sleeping, Miguel.  I’m gonna go sleep on the couch.  See, I’m so used to sleeping with Adam and touching him, I find it hard to sleep with anyone else without doing the same.”

“And god forbid you should touch me in bed eh?” Miguel frowned. “Look this is all getting a bit silly, Chad.  This is your room and your bed, so if anyone’s gonna sleep on the couch it’s me.”  He jumped out of bed and walked toward the couch.”

“No, wait, Miguel ... please come back to bed.  You’re right, I am acting like an idiot.  I didn’t mean that about touching you.  Dammit, you’re so fucking gorgeous most guys would pay good money to sleep with you.”  He winced. “No that didn’t come out right, either.  I didn’t mean ... damn, I’m really fucking this up aren’t I?”

Miguel burst out laughing. “You know, Chad, you’re kind of adorable like this – the disciplined, self-assured surgeon behaving like a nervous teenager fucking up his first date.  So let’s cut the crap, dude, and behave like adults.”

They both got back into bed and lay facing each other.  Miguel smiled, leaned forward and impulsively kissed Chad on the lips, but then pulled back sharply.  “Sorry, dude, too much, I know.  Way out of line.”

He turned over, his back to Chad, who reached out and touched him.  “Miguel please ... I’ve got a hard-on.”

Miguel turned over and smiled at him.  “Well of course you do, and so do I. We’re two good-looking sexy guys sharing a bed after downing almost a whole bottle of brandy – you do the math.  When I looked at you in the mirror massaging my shoulder, that epic body of yours gleaming under the lights, your bulge pressing against my back, I almost creamed my shorts.”

“So did I.  That’s why I stopped and waited before I took off my slacks so you wouldn’t notice my stiff dick.”

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck are we doing here, Chad?  I’ve never seen anything so stupidly convoluted.  I tell you what we’re doing ... we’re playing at monogamy.  No, not Monopoly, that would be fun.  The game of monogamy, trying to convince each other that we can spend a great evening with a handsome hunky guy, even share a bed with him, without feeling any sexual attraction.  And why are we doing that?  So we can remain monogamously loyal to our men Zack and Adam who, at this very moment, are just down the hall fucking their brains out with two other guys.”

Chad grinned sheepishly.  “Does sound kinda weird, don’t it?  It’s just that, like I told you, I really enjoy the quiet moments, kicking back with a good buddy, good brandy and good conversation.”

“And then, as I recall, Chad, you added, ‘Let the other guys fuck to their heart’s content.’  Why leave the last part to other guys, dude?  Loving a great evening with a guy does not stop you from making love to him. Most guys would tell you that’s exactly where a ‘great evening’ ends up.  So this time I make no apologies for what I’m about to do ...”

Miguel reached forward and curled his hand behind Chad’s head.  He ran his fingers through the thick blond hair at the nape of his neck and pulled his face forward in a long, passionate kiss.  This time he didn’t pull back – and neither did Chad.  Their bodies locked together and they rolled over on the bed, kissing, licking, biting, unleashing the pent-up lust of two men emerging from the charade of playing platonic best buddies.

In time, they pulled back and smiled at each other, tracing the contours of the other’s face and the muscles of two perfect physiques.  Their lust peaked again, Miguel flipped over so they were head to toe, and sixty-nined each other, ravenously swallowing each other’s cock, sucking hard.

When they were on the verge of orgasm Miguel twisted back again and pressed his chest against Chad’s back and his cock against his ass.  “I wanna fuck you, Chad, now.”

“Yeah, yeah, do it, man.”  Chad sighed deeply as he felt Miguel’s wet cock slide inside him.  Miguel kissed the nape of his neck wrapped his arm over him and felt Chad’s cock.  “Wow, you really are locked and loaded, dude.”  He stroked Chad’s cock while fucking his ass gently, but it soon became too much for the horny doc.

“Easy.. Miguel ... I don’t wanna shoot yet ... I want to look at you, man.”

Miguel pulled out of Chad’s butt, flipped him over on his back and knelt between his legs, pressing his cock between his ass cheeks.  “Wait a minute, Miguel, let me look at you.”  Chad raised his hands and stroked Miguel’s dark square-jawed Hispanic features, then his neck and his chest.  He ran a finger down the deep cleft between his pecs, then clamped his palms on the solid pecs and dug his fingers in. 

“You are so fucking beautiful, Miguel ...”  Chad pounded his fists on the flexed pecs ... “So fucking beautiful.  Fuck me, man ... fuck my ass ...”

This time Miguel drove in hard, making Chad wince and howl, “Yeah ... fuck me ...”

Again Chad pounded his fists against Miguel’s pecs, then grabbed his bulging shoulders, ran his hands down his arms and grabbed his steely biceps.  Then he went to work on Miguel’s ripped eight-pack abs.  The frenzy of body worship, pec-punching and ab-punching while his own ass was pounded became more and more intense until the climax was inevitable.

Miguel knew Chad was close.  “Your ass is so fucking hot, Chad, I gotta unload my jizz in it.  But don’t you cum yet, dude.  Save it.”  Chad took his hands off Miguel, stretched his arms up and grabbed the bed posts in a sign of submission to the rugged Hispanic pounding his ass. “Fuck my ass, sir ... Please ...” 

Miguel groaned, “Damn that’s looks hot ... fuck, I’m gonna cum ... I’m gonna shoot ... yeaah ...”   Chad stared up at the wild-eyed man whose every sinew flexed as, with one last massive thrust, his cock erupted deep in his ass.  Chad’s balls were bulging and he closed his eyes, willing himself not to cum. 

“OK, doc, your turn.  Miguel pulled out and flung himself on his back.  As Chad got on his knees Miguel adopted the same submissive pose as Chad had, his muscular arms stretched up, biceps flexing as his gripped the bedposts hard.  “Now I’m the captive, dude, it’s payback time and you’re gonna punish the Hispanic hunk for what he did to you.”

Chad ran with the fantasy and Miguel watched the blue eyes flash as Chad tensed and his whole demeanor changed.  It was like a Greek marble statue of a blond god coming to life.  He leaned forward and clamped his hands over Miguel’s biceps pinning them to the bed.  He pressed his cock against the ass of the rugged Hispanic topman, his magnificent body writhing beneath him.

“You had this coming, big guy.  And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. You’re at my mercy now – that perfect body helpless while I spear your hole.”

“No ... Miguel groaned.  “I beg you ... I can’t take it ... I ... aaagh ...!”  The big man howled as Chad plunged in hard, then again and again ... and blasted hot semen in his ass.

<><>    “That’s Life, Chad”    <><>

A few minutes later the two exhausted men were lying in bed facing each other, waiting for their heartbeats to slow.  Miguel smiled, “Now that, dude, is what I call a real nice evening – along with the other stuff ... kicking back with a good buddy, good brandy and good conversation, followed by terrific sex.  It’s all part of the package, doc.”

“Yeah, I get it.  And tomorrow I’ll have to face Adam.”

“Not ‘face him’, Chad, like this is some kind of adversarial situation.  Listen, here’s what’s gonna happen.  Tomorrow morning you’re gonna go down to breakfast and meet Adam, who’ll no doubt have the afterglow of great sex with Jason and Ben, the same as yours, after great sex with me.  And Chad, that was my definition of great sex.

“You’ll share your stories, impress each other, laugh with each other and ... here’s the best part ... your love for each other will be stronger than ever – richer, more mature.  It will specifically be not all about sex, but sharing your adventures with each other – good buddies and great lovers.

“With the added bonus that Adam will feel under less obligation to be a ‘good boy’, which goes against his nature.  Just Imagine if, after he went off to have a raunchy night with Jason, you spent the night alone, stewing over what your lover was probably doing.  The conversation next morning would be much more strained – no joy, full of muted doubts, recriminations, guilt, grudging forgiveness. 

“This way, believe me, after sharing your separate stories you will be dying to get back in bed together.”

Chad grinned.  “And maybe, you and me ... like sometime in the future, a repeat performance?”

“Why not?  Adam would encourage it.  Or maybe you me and Adam, the possibilities are endless.  That’s life, dude, or at least life as lived in the tribe. 

“True, there’s a real problem if, in all this sleeping around, a guy happens to fall in love with a guy who’s not his lover.  That’s a whole different ballgame – and a case for our resident shrink Doc Steve.  But that’s much less likely to happen within the tribe, rather than in the outside world, like the time I met a hot black stranger named Zack, who changed my life.

“In the tribe there are no strangers, we all know each other well and there’s more support, everyone rallies around.  Sure, it’s a tangled web. but collectively we manage to unravel it somehow.”

“By the way, Miguel, how’s the shoulder?”

“Feeling no pain,” Miguel grinned.  In any case, I have this terrific doctor I’m gonna see next week for X-rays.  He’ll take good care of me.”

Chad smiled, “You better believe he will.”

And so at last they turned out the light, and Miguel and Chad had a loving night together. They slept in each other’s arms, woke up during the night, kissed, and went back to sleep.  And in the morning they woke up, guilt-free, ready to face the world.”

<><>    Eddie’s Big Announcement    <><>

Facing the world was as easy as Miguel had predicted.  When Chad and Miguel appeared together they were loudly greeted by their men, Adam and Zack.  They sat with their respective groups for breakfast and were soon immersed in cheerful conversation, swapping stories about last night’s sexual adventures.

As always, Grady and Brian were sitting on the sidelines with a running commentary – more benign than the Witches of Macbeth, but certainly a watered-down Greek chorus of two.

“You know what’s really great, kiddo?” Grady said conspiratorially.  “Watching the guys pair off last night and seeing if the same couples emerge together next morning.  Any surprises?”

“Not really, sir.  See, last night they had all of dinnertime to survey the field and make their choices, so there were no false matches. 

“One couple does surprise me, though – Miguel and Chad.  Like you said last night, those two tend to favor monogamy and they don’t usually play the field.  But their men, led astray by their cocks, kinda left them in the lurch.  They looked sort of abandoned, the last men standing, so they were thrown together by accident.”

“Yeah,” Grady grinned, “but look at them now.  They obviously did the wild thing together and ditched the whole monogamy thing.  Wish I knew what they got up to last night.”

“Oh I can find that out, sir.  Miguel will tell his boy Finn, and Chad will tell Nate, and those guys will tell me.  I’ll chat casually to them and they won’t even realize they’re spilling the beans.”

Grady laughed. “As Adam would say, ‘good on ya mate’.  You’re so good at what you do, plus I love you to bits, so does Mario.”

Their little love-fest was interrupted by the gate buzzer.  Brian looked at his phone and his face lit up.  “It’s my Uncle Mike!  He said he and Larry would be here early.”  He tapped his phone, the gate swung open and a truck drove in and round to the garage area.  Brian raced off in his wheelchair and met the man and his boy as they approached the group, to lusty cheers.

The fatherly figure in his late fifties was a warm favorite of the tribe, universally known as Uncle Mike, although only young Brian was his real nephew.  Mike pulled him up out of his wheelchair, hugged him and swung him around, before replacing him gently.  Larry ruffled Brian’s hair affectionately and Mike said.  So let’s go meet our hosts and see what trouble they’ve been getting you into.”

Mario had joined Grady, who stood up and hugged Mike and Larry.  “You must have left Palm Springs at crack of dawn to get here this early, Mike.”

“Yeah,” Mike said, “after working my bar until it closed last night we got up early and got outa town.  Couldn’t wait to see you guys.”

He hugged Mario, who smiled, “And you must be hungry, signori, so help yourself to the buffet breakfast you see here.  And if you need a nap, your guestroom is all ready for you upstairs.”

“Oh, you can’t go to bed yet, sir!”  That was eager Eddie, rushing up to them.  “Hello, Uncle Mike.  How’s the bar?  Want me to come back as your barback?”

“Not on your life kiddo,” came the deep voice of Eddie’s Marine Hassan, “even if I have to chain you up to prove it.”

“Now there’s a thought,” Eddie grinned impishly.  “But seriously Uncle Mike, you’re just in time to hear me make my big announcement, as we’re already on the subject of chained-up guys.”

Hassan’s dark Arab features broke into a smile.  “Better let the boy talk, guys.  Even if I chained him up, that mouth would still keep rattling like a machine gun.”

“Thank you sir ... I think.”   Eddie moved into the center of the men and boys who were sitting around eating breakfast.  “OK, guys, listen up.”

“Do we have a choice?” Grady shouted.

“No you don’t, dude, but you really will wanna hear this.  See, guys, a while ago my hunky Marine Hassan took me to Uncle Mike’s place in the desert to help our leaders Bob and Randy patch up their quarrel.  

“We all went out to Hassan’s little house deep in the desert, the one with the dungeon in the basement.  And I kid you not, what happened out there ...” Eddie spread his arms out, palms forward, in the dramatic gesture they all knew well.  “What happened there, you ... would ... not ... believe.

“But I don’t have to leave it to your imagination, ‘cos ... wait for it ... I got it all on film.  And guys ... you ... will ...not ...  Oh sorry, I already did that bit.

“Anyway, I ‘ve been editing the video in my home studio and finally ... at long last ... drumroll please ... today is the big premiere!  Right here, in the Grady House media room. It stars my own hunky soldier Hassan, our very own Uncle Mike, and our leaders, Randy and Bob.

“Now, I could sell tickets for the big event, I’d make a fortune.  But as I’m not allowed to show the video outside the tribe – too graphic for public consumption – I invite you all to be my guests for what promises to be an epic event.  The media room, half an hour.  Be there or be square.”

He bowed and was rewarded with cheers, jeers and affectionate derision.  “Ah, the price of fame,” Eddie sighed.  “It’s tough being a celebrity, eh Grady?”

<><>    A Homoerotic Epic    <><>

Derision aside, they were all genuinely eager to see Eddie’s video.  Since the Palm Springs visit Eddie had dropped many teasing hints, and Larry, who had also been present, added details of his own.  But the general opinion was that the video had to be seen to be believed.  So the large, plush media room gradually filled up with boisterous men and boys, many nursing glasses of bloody-mary.

Eddie took the stage and held up his hands for silence.  When the din died down he raised his hands dramatically and took a deep breath.

“Picture it ... in the remote desert, a dungeon, a copy of an actual wartime cell where captive men were interrogated in chains.  In the middle of the room, under spotlights, two muscle-gods are stretched in chains, chest to chest, while their asses are ploughed by a rugged Arab Marine, and a way sexy older man.  The chained men are lovers, forced to stare into each other’s eyes while the man they love is humiliated and savagely fucked.”  He took another deep breath.  “Imagine if you will ...”

“What the fuck ...?”  Randy’s booming voice rang round the room.  “Kid, we thought this was gonna be a movie.  Instead, we’re getting a bunch of over-the-top promotional bullshit.  Is there a movie or ain’t there?”

Shouts and laughter followed and Eddie waved for silence again.  “That’s not promotional bullshit, sir ...  it’s called showbiz.  But, I understand your impatience to see this epic movie, so without more ado ...” 

Eddie went over to a console and a screen descended silently from the ceiling, the house lights dimmed and the title faded up ... “Desert Dungeon”.

The video certainly lived up to Eddie’s hype.  It really was a graphic record of how Uncle Mike had devised a dramatic way to ensure that Bob and Randy’s reconciliation after a near breakup was real and permanent, forcing the chained men to stare at their lover and comfort him with a long passionate kiss as each alpha male suffered a massive cock driving relentlessly in his ass.  

The dark, exotic Arab soldier and the rugged older man were perfectly cast as their tormentors, and the audience was hugely impressed by Eddie’s skill as cameraman and director.  He had added dramatic music that heightened the tension, and the room echoed with gasps and moans as cocks stiffened and some of the boys stroked them to orgasm.

After a long, increasingly erotic series of events and searing shots, the end sequence began with a full-body shot of the exhausted captives, their bodies sliding against each other on the slick semen they had both pumped, and their captors jizz running down their legs.  Slowly the camera panned closer to their legs, then up over their asses, their abs and chests, ending on an extreme closeup of the handsome faces locked in a churning embrace.

As the screen faded to black the cheers welled up into a crescendo of genuine and well-deserved appreciation of an expert, homoerotic movie.   Eddie took to the stage again and bowed to acknowledge the cheers.  “Guys, let’s hear it for our stars – Uncle Mike, macho Marine Hassan, and our own leaders Randy and Bob who suffered mightily to prove their love is as rock solid as ever.”

The four men rose to tumultuous cheers, until once again Eddie waved for silence.  “But wait, there’s more ...”  They all regained their seats.  “Just yesterday in this very garden, our adorable kids Vic and Noah wanted to send a message to their hunky cowboy Charlie, currently touring on the rodeo circuit.  They dressed up as cowboys and looked way sexy, like natural born models as they posed for a series of stills and a short video.  Here they are ...”

Again he worked the console, the house lights dimmed and on came the boys, wearing the cowboy hats and bandanas Charlie had sent them, jeans, cowboy boots and checked flannel shirts.  They brought the house down in macho pose after pose and then the video, where they kissed each other, then walked toward the camera and said to Charlie, and the audience in the room, “We love you ...” 

“And we love you guys,” Nate shouted as the room rocked with stamping feet, cheers and whistles.  Eddie turned on the lights, went into the audience and grabbed the boys’ hands.  He pulled them up on the stage, stood between then and raised their arms in triumph.   Guys, give it up for Noah and Vic.”  The cheering redoubled and the boys blushed scarlet.

When the noise died down Eddie said, “I have already uploaded the pictures and video to Charlie and the boys are waiting for his rapturous response.  And that, gentlemen, concludes the entertainment.  Now it’s up to you to entertain yourselves – as only you can.”

<><>    Uncle Mike Talks Sense To Randy & Bob    <><>

A short time later in the garden Eddie was still bathing in the glow of congratulations, most effusively from his man Hassan.  Vic and Noah were enjoying their moment in the sun with their man Nate, while Mario made the rounds, thanking all concerned, and the chefs brought out more food, as breakfast slid into brunch. 

Uncle Mike was sitting with Bob and Randy.  “After participating in the dungeon scene,” he said, it was kind weird seeing it on video from different angles.  Looked even more dramatic than it felt, and the guys certainly got off on it.  Not surprising ... you two, the alpha macho leaders of the tribe, looked spectacular suffering in chains.  Somehow I always associate you two with rough bondage sex.”

“Yeah,” Randy grinned, “we get into that a lot.  Goes right back to the first day we met when I roughed Bob up in that sleazy motel room.  And it’s continued ever since, one way or another.”

“Hmm, be careful though, boys.  That kinda rough sex can be so seductive that sex could become all about whips and chains.  It can become addictive, almost like some guys I know who can only have sex when they’re high on drugs.  They forget the thrill of simply making love.”

Bob said, “Oh, we make love in the regular way, Mike.” He shrugged and smiled.  “Though I gotta say, it often ends up with one of us dominating the other, eh Randy?”

“Hell yeah,” Randy grinned devilishly.

“See what I mean, guys?” Mike said. “Often it’s the setting that’s the trigger – the bed with ropes round the bedposts, the mirror where you always watch one manhandle the other.  You should use a change of location to strip away all those accoutrements, somewhere nice and peaceful.  Like while you’re up here.  These grounds can be real peaceful, Mario designed them that way.”

Mike had a gleam in his eye when he flagged down Brian as he passed by.  He said quietly, out of earshot, “Hey, kiddo, can you do me a favor?  Do you have a key to that secret garden?”

“Always, sir.  Mario wants me to have it with me in case a couple of guys need to get away by themselves.”

“Good, ‘cos I have a couple of guys like that.”  He glanced surreptitiously at Bob and Randy and Brian grinned, “Got it, sir.”  He raised his voice to the men. “Sirs, if you would follow me, please.”

Randy looked up in surprise.  “What?  Is this your doing, Mike?”

“Get out of here, boy, and take your man with you”

Bob smiled.  “Better do what he says, Randy.  You know how tough he can get.”

And so it was that Bob and Randy found themselves at the hidden gate of the secret garden.  Brian pushed the branches aside, unlocked the door and gave the key to Bob.  There you are, sir.  Be sure to lock it behind you when you leave.  Enjoy, gentlemen ...”

<><>    The Real Essence Of Love    <><>

Seconds later Bob and Randy were pushing their way along the overgrown path to the small clearing by the stream fed by a trickling waterfall.  Both wearing boardshorts and T-shirts, they lay down in the long grass, propped on their elbows facing each other.  Bob looked pensive as he trailed his free hand in the stream.  “Randy, do you ... do you think there was any truth in what Mike said just now?”

“Dude, I’ve learned that there’s always truth to whatever Mike says.  He was right, we do have a lot of rough sex, bondage and shit.  I love dominating your ass, and you love it too.  So ...?”

Bob frowned, “I think he was saying a bit more than that, Randy.  He was saying that some guys he knows have lost the capacity to simply make love.”

“Yeah, but that’s not us, buddy.  We make love while we fuck. Dammit, when I see you tied up naked, I fall in love with you all over again.  OK, sure, when we met I didn’t even know what the fuck love was, didn’t realize I was falling in love with you.  That’s why I tied you up and worked you over, to prove I was the boss.”

“I know, Randy.  At first it was a kind of punishment, but then it was because you were scared I’d leave you, so it was like throwing me in a cave and rolling a stone across the door.”

Randy chuckled.  “Yeah that was the caveman in me.  Comes from those days when it was just me and my little brothers against the world.  I fought for everything I wanted, then fought to keep it.  But after I met you – actually a long time after I met you – I developed a soft side.  And I still have it.”

“I know you do, Randy.  I see it every time you talk to one of the boys.  But, I mean, about me.  Do you, like, ever jerk off thinking about me?”

“Sure I do.”  Randy grinned.  “Just the other day at work I was looking at a backhoe and my mind started wandering.  I half closed my eyes and imagined you tied to it, arms stretched up, wrists tied to the arching arm of the backhoe.  I fantasized about coming up to you, ripping your clothes off and fucking you butt naked.  I pulled out my dick and came in just a few strokes.”

Bob sighed, “Yeah, I thought so.  I think that’s the kind of thing Mike meant.  But you know, one morning last week you got up at crack of dawn to get to work early, and left me sleeping in bed.  When I woke up I reached over to you, but you weren’t there – so I imagined you. I thought of your naked body, of course, but more than that, I thought of your face.

“I thought first of your stubbled jaw that I find so macho and sexy, then those high gypsy cheekbones and your strong forehead with your hair falling down over it.  Ah, that long shaggy black hair.  I love when it brushes your shoulders and wafts over your face in a breeze. Your lips, of course, big lips that never seem to close all the way. I love to feel them pressed on mine.

“I thought of the crinkle at the corner of your eyes when you smile.  Ah yes, and those starling blue eyes that make men go weak at the knees, me included.  I could get lost in those eyes, often do, even when you’re not aware I’m looking at you. 

“So anyway, while I was thinking about you, it was, I dunno, like a wave of intense love crashed over me.  I was touching my cock, just touching it, and I came right there.  I came because I loved you.”

“Damn, that’s ... that’s beautiful, man.  I don’t think I’ve ever done it like that.  Not sure I could.”

“I’m sure you could, Randy.  Especially in this magical place, far from the real world, just you and me and the sound of the breeze, birdsong and running water.”  Bob eased up and pulled his T-shirt off over his head, and Randy did the same.  And they resumed their position, propped on their elbows, staring at each other. 

“OK, Randy, forget sex and orgasms.  When you think of me or watch me, aren’t there moments when you feel a kind of surge of affection?”

“Sure there are.  Like the times I get home and you’re there in our bedroom staring at your computer screen with a troubled look ... something you can’t work out.  I wanna come over to you, give you a hug and help you out, except I wouldn’t understand shit about your problem.  But I just wanna wrap my arms round you, squeeze you tight and take care of you.

“And that time you came home from Grady’s movie studio, your eyes shining, and told me you’d negotiated with the honchos there and nailed a deal of five-precent of the movie gross for Grady.  You looked so proud, like a kid who had just one first prize at school and I ... I dunno, I wanted to ... to fuck you, or something like that, as a reward.”

“So you do feel those things, Randy, you’re not all caveman.  Maybe all you need is to take a deep breath, relax, and stop craving a great fuck.  Listen ...”  They heard the ethereal silence, which seemed somehow to wrap round the soft sounds of the breeze, the birds and the trickling water, and embraced them all.  Everything blended together as they gazed at each other.”

Bob said, “Tell me you love me, Randy.  I’d like to hear you say it.”

Randy smiled, reached over and ran his finger down the bridge of Bob’s nose.  “I love you, dude.  Of course I love you.  I love your nose, your mouth, your eyes, and when I see you happy or sad I love that too because it’s ... it’s the ... what’s the word, the real you ...?”

“It’s the essence of me, Randy.  Forget for a minute the body, the face. It’s that thing we feel when we stare into each other’s eyes and don’t understand the magic.”

“And it makes us cum, Bob.  It really does.”

There was silence again as they gazed at each other.  Again Randy traced Bob’s features with his finger, then leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly against Bob’s for a long time, just barely touching.  When at last he pulled back Bob was surprised to see tears welling in Randy’s blue eyes, A tear escaped and ran down his cheek, then another.  “I love you man.”

“I love you too, Randy.”  Bob’s eyes were moist too as he saw what he knew was the essence of his lover.  Their eyes never left each other, they didn’t speak, didn’t touch, just let the wave wash over them.  Their breathing became heavy, they sighed deeply ... and both came in their shorts.

The tears still flowed, tears of love, and Randy smiled.  “See, kiddo.  Mike was right.”

He leaned forward, wrapped his arms round Bob and they fell asleep in the long grass.

 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

TO BE CONTINUED IN “A Trial Of Strength – Book 13: Chapter 36