Trial Of Strength (Book 13)

"FIREMAN JASON VENTS HIS RAGE ON GRADY"

After grueling weeks fighting forest fires, blond fireman Jason joins his boy Ben at the home of movie star Grady and his lover Mario. He is still shellshocked and, before making love to Ben, needs to vent his rage. He is deliberately provoked by Grady, who acts more like a smug street hustler than a movie heartthrob. He insults Jason by trying to seduce him – and pays a savage price.

<><>    Planning A Hero’s Welcome    <><>

“How does he do that?” Eddie asked Brian. “Seconds ago when my new boy Angelo first met his screen idol Grady, he was shocked into near silence, babbling ‘You’re ... you can’t be ... you’re not Grady are you?’ Now he not only believes in him, he’s in the palm of his hand.  Grady is making him feel like his new best friend, the most important boy in the world.”

Grady’s Italian lover Mario had invited Eddie and Angelo up to the Grady house so Angelo could meet Grady at last.

In answer to Eddie’s question Brian smiled, “I’ve been Grady’s boy for a long time, Eddie, and I still can’t work it out.  I think it’s the same quality he has on screen, making fans all over the world fall in love with him.  It’s a basic ... niceness.  No, it’s more than that.  It's called charisma ...  not even ... there’s no real word for it.  It’s just Grady.  

“And in a way, for Grady at this moment, Angelo is his new best friend.  Grady is no phony, he already feels love for this boy.”  Brian chuckled, “And you know that Angelo right now has the biggest hardon.”

“He’s not the only one,” Eddie grinned.  “And Grady just gave the game away that I’m going to ask Angelo to become my camera assistant on Grady’s movie we’re shooting. I hadn’t told Angelo yet.  Grady embraced the idea right away, he even said not to worry, he would square it with the studio ‘cos they give him whatever he asks for. 

“Of course they do,” Brian laughed, “‘Cos they’re all in love with him too.  The entire crew is.  And get this – right now Grady also has a hard on, wondering how it will feel when Angelo fucks him ... which he will eventually, of course.  You know Grady loves to get butt-fucked ... not only by hot tough alpha guys, but by cute young rookies like Angelo too.”

They watched mesmerized as the two new best friends chatted – the international screen idol, and the enchanted young boy who had just met him.  Grady’s lover, the handsome Italian Mario, sat nearby, always making sure everyone felt comfortable.  Grady kept the attention focused on Angelo.  “So how do you feel, kiddo, starting work on our movie?”

“Sir, I didn’t know about that.  Am I really going to do that?”

Grady slapped his own face and looked aghast.  “Oh, no, have I done it again?  Have I let the cat out of the bag, me and my big mouth?  Mario, you should have stopped me, put a gag in my mouth or something.

Mario smiled.  “Amore, I stopped trying to silence you years ago.  When you are in full flood, there’s no stopping you.  The only time you stop talking is when the director yells ‘Cut’.  Maybe I should try that.  Eddie, will you rescue Angelo from my friend here?  I think, as Ricky Ricardo said so often to Lucy, ‘you got some ‘splaining to do’.”

“And I will butt out,” Grady said, running his fingertips across his lips and turning them at the end like a lock.”

“Hey,” Eddie said, “you’re stealing my material, Grady, I have the copyright on that gesture.”

As they all laughed, Mario went and sat next to Grady.  “Amore, if you can tear yourself away from the enchanting Angelo, perhaps Eddie can break the news to him himself.”

Angelo tore his gaze away from Grady and looked questioningly at Eddie, who said, “Dude, it’s the grapevine again.  I must have mentioned my plan to someone, but first I needed to consult Hassan.  He thought it was a terrific idea and treated it as a done deal, especially after your excellent work on his Marine video.  You made a terrific assistant, we worked like a team.

“Then Grady found out about my plan and, as you just heard, thinks it’s perfect too.  See, with anyone else, Grady on set would have to tiptoe around all the intimate stuff.  This way he can treat my assistant as one of the family, as you are already.  The only one I haven’t consulted is you.  Of course you don’t have to accept the offer if you ...”

“Of course I accept sir.  It’s a dream come true.  Working as your assistant on the new Grady picture?   And only a few days ago I was a hotel waiter.  I can hardly believe it.”

‘Well believe it kiddo, it’s no dream anymore.  So here’s the plan.  The movie resumes shooting the day after tomorrow.  I wanted to spend part of tomorrow editing the Marine video, and next day we’ll report to the movie’s DP at the beach bright and early.”

Grady said, “By then I’ll have spoken to the DP and he’ll agree, of course.  Then we plunge right back into work – literally plunge in my case, while you guys shoot it from the camera boat.”

Mario said, “And in the meantime, you guys will stay here for dinner, of course, and stay the night if you would like.  We’ll celebrate Angelo’s new job.  And of course, we’ll ask your man Hassan to join us – it’ll give him a nice break too with his two boys.”

“Er, Mario,” Brian said, “could I ask my pal Ben to dinner too?  See he’s been alone for three weeks while his man Jason has been fighting those awful fires in Central California. They work nonstop for three weeks, then get relieved by other crews and get a week’s vacation.  Ben’s been worried about him, of course, but Jason’s safe and coming home tomorrow morning.  Ben’s crazy excited and I thought he shouldn’t have to cook dinner for himself ...”

“Of course he mustn’t, bambino, he must come here and stay the night.  And more than that, we must give Jason a hero’s welcome, and a restful week off.  He must spend the week here and Ben too, if his boss Pablo will give him time off from the mechanics shop.”

“Sir, that would be wonderful.  Ben told me Pablo’s already told him he can take the week off to spend with Jason.  Actually, one time before, after Jason came home from fighting fires for three weeks, they stayed at Uncle Mike’s house in Palm Springs, so this would be like another vacation for them.

“Assolutamente, bambino,” Mario smiled.  “And we will pull out all the stops for them. We’ll invite them to stay in our summerhouse in the grounds, it’s a very romantic place.  Ben should ask Jason to come straight up here when he gets back to town, so we can pamper him and make sure he has a good calm rest after all that chaos up there.  Those fires get worse every year and we have to do all we can to make their off-duty lives perfect.  What do you say, Grady?

Grady grinned.  “What do I say to a gorgeous young blond fireman staying with us for a week?  And that hunky Marine.  I’ll think I’ve died and gone to heaven.  Damn I could bust a load just thinking about them.” 

“Thinking about them fucking you, I suppose,” Mario smiled.  “Down tiger, sex is all you ever think about – especially when uniforms are involved. Jason will be busy making love to his boy.”

“You don’t think he spare a little time for a movie hero?”

“Grady, you play a hero in the movies.  Jason is the real thing, a hero for California, and he deserves the best we can give him.  Which may or may not include you.  One person we have not yet consulted is Danny.  Ah, here he comes now.”

The house chef Danny smiled.  “I may be buried in the kitchen, Mario, but I know the way the wind is blowing, and I sense we’ll have more than just us four for dinner.”

Only if you can manage it, Danny, on such short notice. Eddie and Angelo are staying, and we wanted to invite Hassan and Ben, Jason’s boy..  So that would make eight instead of the usual four.  Please feel free to tell me if that’s too much.  And tomorrow we hope Jason will be coming here when he gets home from the fires.”

“Really?” Danny smiled, “that’s great, we must roll out the red carpet for him. Tonight’s no problem.  I was making a casserole anyway, so it’ll be easy to make extra.  And Brian and I can cope the rest of the week.  It’ll be fun, eh, Brian?”

“Dude, we make a great team.  Of course we’ll manage.  What do you think of that, sir?” Brian said to Grady.  “Two hunks in uniform, a Marine and a fireman.”

“Way ahead of you, kiddo.  I’m thinking ... I’m thinking.”

<><>    Such A Bad Boy    <><>

When Eddie and Angelo went up to their guestroom (one of many in the Grady House), to clean up before dinner, Eddie said, “You OK with all this kiddo?  It’s a lot to take in, I know, so if you want to low-key it that’s fine.  We can just stay in our room and make love.”

“Of course I want that, but the rest sounds exciting, sir.  Everything moves so fast around here.”

“Yeah, never a dull day in this tribe.  I’ll call Hassan, I know he’ll want to join us.  He loves this house, and Mario and Grady.”

“And Grady’s ass, it seems,” Angelo grinned impishly.

“Yeah, Hassan is real familiar with that.  And he has huge respect for Jason.  The military works closely with the Fire Department on these fires, so they have a lot in common and speak each other’s language.   

“Maybe even when it comes to Grady, sir.”

“Now you’re getting ahead of yourself, you young sex fiend.”  Eddie made a quick call to Hassan to tell him what was happening, then said, “Come on, kiddo, quick shower, then we’ll go down and give the guys a hand.”

Actually it wasn’t a quick shower, and it wasn’t just soapsuds.  The new lovers, naked and wet, could not keep their hands off each other.  Their bodies slid against each other as they kissed under the pouring water. 

They could have cum just like that, but Eddie flipped Angelo round facing the wall.  He pushed him against the smooth tiles and slid his wet cock gently inside him.  As he made love to his ass, Angelo’s cock pressed against the wall ... and that’s how they climaxed together, with ecstatic sighs, shrouded in clouds of steam. 

Eddie turned Angelo round and kissed him long and passionately.   But even passionate kisses must end, and when Eddie pulled away he grinned.  “Dude, I could stay here all evening fucking and sucking, but we gotta go down and help those guys.

Downstairs they found Brian was wheeling himself round the table by the pool, his tray table piled with plates and cutlery, setting eight places for dinner.  “Hi, guys,” he grinned, “have a nice sexy shower?”

Eddie laughed. “Dude, do you know everything that goes on in this house?”

“Pretty much, Eddie.  Mostly it’s educated guesswork.  Picture it, two new cute lovers naked together in a hot shower ... things are bound to get steamy.  But I’m glad you’re here ‘cos Danny could use some help in the kitchen.”

Angelo was impressed by the size of everything in this grand estate, and the kitchen was no exception.  Danny said, “Actually there are two, for when we throw a big party here for the tribe, which we often do.  There can be up to six chefs so we need to use both kitchens.  OK, see all this wine here?  Could you ferry them out to the little booth near the table that we use as a bar?”

With all of them working together, everything was ready when the gate buzzer sounded and Brian picked up his phone.  “Welcome, sir.  And you brought Ben with you, perfect.”

He pressed a button on his phone to open the gates, and the military jeep drove in, with Hassan next to an excited Ben.  Mario and Grady came out of the house, and there were hugs all round.  Grady grinned at Hassan.   “Hey, soldier.  Looking sexier than ever.”

Mario nipped that one in the bud.   “Signori, I am making a rule here.  No sex before dinner, or we’ll never get to eat.  OK, Grady?”

“Not really,” Grady said sullenly.  “I just thought that ...”

“We all know what you were thinking, amico, but Hassan is here as our guest, not a fuck machine for your pleasure.”

After that firm Italian-accented decree, dinner became a festive event, mostly a celebration of new boy Angelo and his new job as Eddie’s assistant cameraman.  Grady and Eddie shared stories of the crazy things that can happen on a beach shoot. 

Grady laughed, “There was one impossible sequence where Hunter and his rival surf a big wave together while they lean over and grapple.  They both take headers off their boards and the fight continues in the surf and on the beach.  At least, that’s what’s supposed to happen, but it took all day and over twenty takes to get it right.  Everyone was fit to be tied and there were lusty cheers when the exhausted director said, ‘And that’s a wrap, guys – at last.”

Eddie said, “Not a job for cameramen with queasy stomachs, being on that rocking boat all day.  One guy threw up over the side, fortunately not on the side where Grady was surfing.

Danny pulled a face.  “Ugh, don’t even wanna go there, dude.  We are eating dinner after all.”

Angelo listened to all of the stories in wide-eyed wonder.  So this was the exciting world he was going into, guided by Eddie.  It felt a bit scary, but he was sure he had the knowledge and skills to do well.  He had spent years studying trade journals and manuals about cameras, lenses and all the paraphernalia that goes along with it. Above all, he wanted Eddie to be proud of him.

Then Mario sprang a surprise.  “Angelo, we have a ‘welcome aboard’ present for you.  Grady has had a rather nice truck for years, which now sits mostly idle.  If he goes out in it he’s quickly spotted and gets mobbed.  And in any case, for insurance reasons – protecting their most valuable asset – the studio insists that he be driven in a limo to and from the studio and filming locations.”

Grady smiled, “So, kiddo, rather than let the thing gather dust, we would like you to have it.” 

Tears welled in Angelo’s eyes.  “Really, sir?  A truck of my own. I’ve never had one – always taken a bus or hitchhiked.  How can I ever thank you?”

“Oh, I know a way, kiddo, but signore killjoy here has put an embargo on sex.  So later, dude, that’s a promise.  There is one thing, though.  Last time I drove the truck it was making some strange noises, so it needs a mechanic to check it out.  And since we have an ace mechanic sitting right here at the table...

“Of course,” Ben beamed, “I’ll be happy to take a look at it while I’m here with Jason.  Congratulations, Angelo.”

The dinner went on in a buoyant mood for so long that earlier thoughts of sex were replaced by thoughts of bed.  Mario said, “Too late to clear the table tonight, we’ll handle that tomorrow morning before we welcome the hero’s return.  You excited, Ben?”

“Of course, sir.  And thank you for letting us sleep in the summerhouse, it’s just right for us.”

Grady said, “Er, you say Jason will be coming here straight from the site of the fires?  Does that mean he’ll still be in his uniform?”

“Yes, sir – just the way you like him.”

“OK, that’s it,” Mario said sternly.  “Bedtime everyone.  Have you all sorted out where you are sleeping?  Hassan, you and your boys have two rooms, so you have your choice.  What about you, Ben?”

“Sir, Brian has asked me to share with him.”

“Perfetto.  And Danny, you told me that Tommy is coming to spend the night with you and help you out tomorrow.  So, Grady, the only one left for you to sleep with is me. Disappointed?”

“Dude, you know you are always first choice for me.  All the rest is me kidding around.  Gentlemen, goodnight.  I am going to put myself at the mercy of this brutal Italian who intends to punish me for my flippancy – I hope.”

Mario smiled.  “Incorreggibile.  Such a bad boy.  That’s why everyone loves you, amore.

The party disbursed, and Hassan and his boys decided to all sleep together again.  “Quite a day for you, Angelo,” Hassan said.  “How do you feel?”

“Like I’m in a make-believe world, sir.  I keep thinking I’ll wake up any minute to the real world.”

“Nah, this is your world from now on, kiddo.  What do you think, Eddie?  Time to instruct him in the ways of his new world?”

“You read my mind, sir.”

<><>    Out Of The Inferno    <><>

Next morning the first ones up and about were Brian and Ben ... Ben because he was too excited to sleep and Brian because he had work to do.  “Dude,” Brian said, ‘we gotta go down to the summerhouse and make sure it’s fit for a hero.  We should make sure it’s well-stocked ‘cos you two might not surface for a while after you go in there,” he giggled.

Ben’s excitement was contagious and Brian was happy to help his young buddy and be part of the ‘welcome-home’ group. They crossed the lush grounds and came to the old rustic house with a pointed roof.  “Gee,” Ben said, “it’s like a Hansel & Gretel cottage.”  Jason’s gonna love this.  It’ll be like leaving the real world behind, something he really needs to do.”

They went in and Brian said, “OK, lets make a list of his favorite food, drinks and everything else, and we’ll bring it all in here. 

They spent the next hour excitedly shuttling things from the kitchen to the summerhouse, making sure the bed was ready (turned down invitingly) and the small house was aired out. Ben had brought a load of Jason’s clothes with him that he now hung in the closet or placed in the chest of drawers.

Angelo joined them, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and Ben grinned, “You managed to tear yourself away from your new lover and new boss, eh, dude?”

My boss didn’t mind, but my lover would rather I stay for more sex.  He’ll get his later.”

Brian grinned, “Hear that, Ben?  This boy really is one of us.  OK, Angelo, we need help moving this couch from out of the bedroom.

A short time later, as Mario approached the summerhouse he smiled, hearing peals of laughter coming from it.  It was one of the attributes of the tribe that Mario loved most – the way they pulled together when one of them was hurting or needed special care, as Jason would when he arrived. 

Mario thought of it as concentric circles. The boys circled the wagons around their injured buddy, the senior boys supported them, and the men embraced the whole group, caring for the caregivers, with the leaders, Bob and Randy diving in to help when things got bad.  So now, junior boys Ben, Brian and Angelo were preparing for Jason, and everyone else in the house was focused on providing a healing environment 

“Everything going OK, amici?” Mario smiled.  Let me know if there’s anything else you need. Danny will have breakfast ready in a few minutes, so come and join us.”

Danny had been joined late last night with his ex-gymnast lover Tommy, generally known as the Golden Boy, and together they were assembling a buffet breakfast by the pool.  It was a merry group that assembled in anticipation of Jason’s arrival, and Eddie was pleased to see that Angelo was already part of the young team getting the house ready. 

Grady nuzzled his boy Brian.  “Not much time for gossip right now, kiddo, but you’re making notes aren’t you?”

“Always, sir.  I’ll be free for a gossip session after Ben and Jason have buried themselves in their house for heaven know how long.”  He noticed that Grady was looking sexier then ever in that rough-casual way of his – tousled hair, ragged old tank top and barefoot in red lifeguard shorts.  He could have been mistaken for a roguish street hustler rather than an international movie heartthrob.

You know why that is, don’t you, bambino?” Mario smiled when he and Brian had a few private moments together.

“Because of Jason, sir?”

Mario chuckled.  You know him as well as I do, Brian.”

“But I think Jason will have eyes only for Ben, sir, and drag him off to bed.”

“Mmm, that’s true, but there may be more to it than that.  Try to imagine what it’s like working in that inferno for three weeks ... it’s a hellscape, not something you can just blot out when you get home.  Sure, he must have imagined many times wrapping his arms round his sweet boy in bed, but think how tense he’ll be – sort of shell-shocked, what they call post-traumatic stress.  It might take something more dramatic than a pair of sweet lips to shock that out of his system.”

“Sir, I think Ben will be ready for anything that helps Jason get over it all.  It will be a case of whatever works.”

They didn’t have long to find out.  Breakfast was almost over when Ben’s cellphone rang.  “It’s him.”  Ben listened with a broad smile lighting his face.  “Okey-dokey sir, we’ll be ready.”

Still smiling Ben said, “He’s on his way.  The fire truck drove all night and they just arrived at the Fire Station – Jason’s the captain of the Engine Company, you know” he added proudly.  “And he’s coming straight here – about twenty minutes, he said.”

Brian raised his cellphone and grinned.  “I’ve got my finger poised over the gate button, dude.  Those gates swinging open will seem like the gates of heaven to him.”

<><>    The Firefighter Arrives    <><>

Jason didn’t even have to buzz the gate intercom because Brian was watching the security camera and opened the gate as soon as he appeared.  “Welcome to the Grady House, sir,” Brian yelled.  “Ben’s right here.”

There were two sets of gates, one at the street entrance to the private road and the other at the house itself.  Brian opened the house gates too and Ben raced out as Jason’s truck drove up.  When the truck came in Ben was hanging on, standing on the running board and waving his fist in the air – “Woo-hoo.”

When they came to a halt Jason jumped out, pulled Ben into his arms and kissed his eyes cheeks and lips.  “Boy, am I glad to see you kid.  I’ve thought of this for three weeks.”

When at last he set Ben down he smiled at the others.  He was still in the firefighting gear he had worn in the fire truck all night.  He looked exhausted, but as sexy as an icon in a porn movie – except that he was the real thing – a handsome blond fireman with black smudges on his face, his heavy fireproof yellow jacket open over his dark blue uniform T-shirt, chest bulging underneath.

Behind his smile there was something disturbing in his eyes, a vacant, troubled look, distant somehow, not really focusing on the scene before him. Nevertheless he said, “Guys, it’s so good to be here with you all in this beautiful place. Thanks for asking me and my boy to stay here.”

Mario walked up and kissed him lightly on the cheek.  “Amico, it is a privilege for us to be able to help in our small way.  While you are here we will do everything to help you relax after what must have been traumatic weeks.  Anything you want is yours ...”

“Yeah, anything, captain,” said a voice from the ground.  Grady was lying on the grass propped up on his elbows, grinning salaciously at the young fireman.  A cloud passed over Jason’s face, a look of confusion. 

Danny saved the moment. “You must want something to drink, sir, after that long drive.”

“I could kill for a beer, Danny.”  Danny twisted the top off a bottle and shoved it in his hand.  Jason threw his head back and gulped down half the bottle, paused for breath and downed the other half.”

“Sir,” Ben said, “You must be exhausted after an all-night drive.  Were you able to sleep at all?”

“Not much, kiddo.  You leave a place like that you can’t just drop off to sleep like nothing happened.”

“Sir, we’re gonna be in the summerhouse, it’s gorgeous.  Let me take you to bed there.”

“Soon, kiddo, not just yet.  I’m still a bit ... tense ... hard to focus, even on your sweet face that I’ve dreamed of so often.  Not quite ready for love ... in fact, I feel like I wanna hit someone for allowing stuff like we’ve seen lately.”  There was an edge of pent-up mania to his voice.  Danny handed him another beer and he gulped it down. 

Brian looked anxiously at Mario.  What Mario had told him earlier was true.  Part of Jason was still in the inferno and he wanted to lash out at someone.  It was rage against the flames, and he was certainly not in the mood for gentle love with his sweet boy.  He looked around wildly, veins standing out in his neck.  They were all on edge, as if a storm were about to break.

And then it did – prompted by Grady.  “If it’s any consolation, captain, you look hotter than a pistol, like you brought the fire back with you.”

Like a hustler trying to seduce him Grady grinned up at Jason.  “Raw sex, dude, that’s what you are, and what you need.  Don’t take off the gear, you’re giving all these guys a hardon – especially me.”

It was such a crude thing to say, especially coming from a kind, sensitive soul like Grady, that everyone knew on some level that he was goading Jason deliberately.  Even Jason must have known it in the deep recesses of his troubled mind, but that didn’t stop him from lashing out.

“What did you say, asshole?  Is that what you see when you when you look at me – an object of sex, a cheap porn character looking for a hustler like you to fuck in the ass?  Let me tell you something, punk.  I am damn proud to wear this uniform, like all my buddies who are still out there sweating and fighting, putting themselves in danger every day.

“Nah, what do you know?  You play some dumb jock lifeguard in a movie, and you get driven home in a fancy limo back to this fancy house?  You should see some of the broken folks I see who come home to a house that’s not there anymore, just a pile of ashes. They’re the real heroes, not a horny muscle jock who don’t give a shit about anything but getting his ass ploughed.

“You’re the one I wanna hit, dude – teach you a lesson for insulting me and my buddies.”  Jason stood over Grady, pulled off his heavy jacket and tossed it aside.   He stood there panting, wild-eyed, in heavy fireman’s pants and sweat-stained blue T-shirt, muscles bulging with anger.

The group was shocked, of course, looking frantically at Mario for guidance.  But Mario quietly raised his hands signaling caution.  He knew what Grady was doing, and it was a daring move. 

Mario understood that one of the agonies of being in a fire inferno was that the outside world could never know the ferocity and danger they faced.  In the outside world their lives went on as usual, going to work, driving home in comfortable cars to a comfortable house.  It made Jason mad, he needed to lash out at someone. 

And right now that someone was the handsome stud grinning up at him smugly like a conceited hustler.

<><>    The Tortured Hustler    <><>

“Fuck you, man,” Jason yelled.  “OK, you wanna get your ass hammered.  Get ready, asshole.” 

Jason sprang into action.  He needed action to banish his fiery demons – now was not the time for soft loving words.  He bent down, yanked Grady’s shorts off and flung them contemptuously aside.  Then he grabbed his ragged tank-top, ripped it to shreds and hurled it away.

“Look at your fucking dick, roaring hard at the sight of a stud fireman.” Jason sneered.  “Dude, you may be a muscle-stud heartthrob to the world, pampered in your luxury mansion, but to me you’re nothing, nothing but a cheap hustler, bare-ass naked, begging for a fireman’s cock up your pathetic butt.” 

Jason yanked open his pants and pulled out his huge cock.  “So here it is, the rod that’s gonna torture your ass, pretty boy.  You have no idea how ruthless a fireman has to be fighting those fires, but you’re about to find out.”

Jason dropped to his knees, shoved Grady’s legs back and plunged his dry cock deep in his ass.  He pulled back and drove it in again ... and again, to sound of the hustler’s howls of pain.   Grady reacted instinctively by pounding his fists against Jason’s chest in a futile attempt to fight back, but Jason grabbed his wrists and forced his arms down on the ground.

“Give it up, dude, no way you can get out of this.  You’re a prisoner, at the mercy of a fireman who’s raging at the world.  And he’s taking it out on your sorry ass, you loser.”

Grady’s handsome face flew from side to side as the firefighter attacked his ass without mercy.  Jason released his wrists but Grady knew it was useless to fight back.  His ass was being pounded as never before.

Jason reached behind his own neck and pulled off his uniform T-shirt.  Grady stared awestruck at the blond fireman’s bare muscled torso – flexed pecs, ripped abs, biceps bulging as he slammed his ass.  Unleashing all the pent-up tension and rage of the last weeks, Jason used his wet T-shirt to lash Grady’s bare chest from side to side.  The he lashed his face, one cheek then the other, while viciously jackhammering his ass.

Grady howled.  “No more, please ... I can’t take anymore.  Please, sir ...”

“Shut the fuck up, man.  Your ass is mine, so take it.”  Jason stuffed the soaking shirt in Grady’s mouth, stifling his victim’s pleas.  He grabbed his wrists again and pinned him to the ground, a gagged, naked prisoner getting his ass tortured.

Naturally, this spectacle provoked strong reactions from the spectators   Hassan took it all in stride.  He had fucked Grady many times, often in his Marine combat gear, and he knew the movie star’s tastes for forceful uniformed men. He saw the look in Grady’s eye that, despite his agonized screams, showed his building lust for the savage fireman.

Danny and Tommy were not fazed either.  They knew how Grady loved rough sex, getting his ass slammed, especially by a man in uniform.

The three boys, however, were stunned by the savagery of the action.  Jason was usually so cool and kind and they had never seen this rage in his eyes.  They were afraid that Jason had lost control and could really hurt Grady.

Mario, of course, had his finger on the pulse of events, as always, and saw the boys’ anxiety.  He came and sat behind them and spoke quietly in their ears.

“Don’t worry, boys, this is not as bad as it seems.  I know Grady jokes about everything, but he is really a very sensitive man who knows intuitively what people need.  That’s why everyone loves him.  Like us, he saw that troubled vacant look on Jason’s face and knew that he needed to vent his anger in some way before he could revert to the normal, loving man really is.

“Jason was looking for someone to blame for all the trauma he and his men had undergone, and Grady welcomed the chance to play that role.  It was not completely unselfish either.  We all knew what Grady wanted from Jason, and he saw a way of giving them what they both needed.

“You know Grady would never normally have said those crude things to Jason, they were obviously meant to goad him into action.  And it worked.  Jason’s rage and Grady’s pain are real, but necessary. 

“And you have to admit, boys, it is a spectacular sight.  They are both captains – Jason in reality, Grady in the movies – both handsome macho men, and here you have the naked, captive lifeguard at the mercy of the bare-chested blond fireman.  Doesn’t get more pornographic than that.  Just watch what happens next, amici, and don’t worry.  If it gets out of control I will step in.”

Much relieved, the boys relaxed and let their boners respond to the drama. 

All this time, as Mario spoke, the action had become even more intense.  Jason pounded harder and Grady stared up at the shirtless fire captain, sweat pouring down his rugged face onto his chest and dripping on the lifeguard’s writhing body.  Painful as it was, Grady was thrilled by the sight and feel of the contemptuous muscle-jock sneering down at him and mocking him. 

“You may have the kind of rugged looks that turn guys on, asshole, but to me you’re nothing, just a pathetic hustler at the mercy of a fireman who’s beaten and tortured your ass.  Fuck you, man, fuck you ...”

His words, his actions drove Grady over the edge.  He howled into his gag ... and his cock blasted streams of semen that rose high and splashed on the bare chest heaving above him.”

The anger intensified in Jason’s face and he yelled, “Motherfucker son-of-a-bitch, you dare to spray your jizz over my body.  Damn you, man, you insulted me again.  Damn you ...”  Jason pulled the gag from Grady’s mouth and used it to wipe the cum from his chest and smear it over Grady’s grimacing face. 

But he didn’t let up – the fuck intensified and Grady begged. “No, please, sir, I can’t ... I just shot my load ... I can’t take anymore.  I’m begging you, have mercy, cum in my ass, finish me off.”

“Nah, I’m starting to enjoy humiliating you, stud.  My cock feels good in you ... I don’t care if I rip your ass wide open, you had it coming to you.”

“Aaaghh, please, sir, I’m begging you ...”

As Jason heard the pleading words, the agonized face beneath him suddenly changed.  He looked down at the beautiful, chiseled features and sculpted physique of the man he knew and loved.  Their eyes met and it seemed the light around them changed from harsh red to soft white.  The myth of crazed fireman and captive hustler faded, and they were just two beautiful men in a beautiful house with their friends around them.

The anger drained from Jason’s face, the tension from his body.  And the pain eased in Grady’s ass.  This was the real world, not the world of hurt and rage, of fireman versus hustler.  They were equals, two beautiful men gazing into each other’s eyes where love replaced anger.

Grady smiled, “You are so beautiful, Jason ... I think .... I think ...”  He sighed deeply and climaxed again, this time spurting jizz over his own heaving chest. 

Jason frowned in confusion.  “Man, I love you, you’re so fucking gorgeous.  I’m gonna ... aaahh.”  With one last thrust, the fireman’s cock poured cum into his friend’s ass.  

<><>    The Dam Bursts   <><>

Reality crashed in on Jason, as he pulled his cock out of Grady’s ass.  At first he couldn’t grasp what had happened ... but then he remembered, to his horror.  “No!  What have I done, what did I do?  The things I said ... No!!”

He fell forward on Grady and sobbed.  The damn had burst.  All the pent-up tension he had been holding in check in the recent intense weeks finally spilled over.  “Dude, I lost my mind ... I didn’t mean what I said, or what I did, of course I didn’t.  Did I hurt you?  Are you OK?  Man, I’m sorry ... god, the things I said.  Forgive me, man ... Please.”

Grady wrapped his arms round Jason and let him vent his anguish.  Mario stood up and looked down at him but Grady smiled up and nodded that everything was OK.  The boys felt relieved, but not entirely sure it was over.

Mario sat next to them again and said softly, “Boys, this is what we hoped for.  Jason is back in the real world, with us, not still in the fires, toughing it out, jaw clenched.  He’s letting go at last, and Grady did it, it was all deliberate – a daring move but it worked.  Oh, and by the way, Grady got what he wanted too.”

Grady had cradled his hand round Jason’s head.  “Hey, dude, don’t feel bad.  That was one of the best fucks I ever had.  You are one hot fucking stud.”

“But I lost my mind, dude ...”

“No, I goaded you into it, Jason, with all those crazy ugly things I said to you.  Believe me, it worked for both of us, we both got what we needed.  Now get up ‘cos there’s a frightened boy you need to take care of.”

Jason kissed Grady, then pulled himself up on his feet and found himself face-to-face with Mario.  “Mario, I’m so sorry for what I did.  If you want me to leave I’ll take Ben with me and ...”

“Jason, you are staying here in our summerhouse with your boy for as long as you want.  I wouldn’t dream of letting you leave. Grady pretty much said it all, amico. He got what he needed and I hope you did too. Now at last you are ready to make love to Ben.”

Jason looked over at Ben who was standing nervously in the background.  He walked over to him and scooped him into his arms.  “Kiddo, I’m so sorry ... that wasn’t the real me ...”

“I know that, sir.  Welcome back, I’ve missed you. I want to give you whatever you need, sir.”

“Ben, the only thing I need in the world right now is you.  Just let me make amends to the other guys here.”  He turned to face the other men and boys.  “Guys, I’ve behaved like a crazy guy and ...”

“Hey, man,” Hassan grinned, “stop apologizing and take care of yourself and Ben.  I speak for all of us in saying that we understand what happened – the start of your healing.  I admire the hell out of you, man.”  They shook hands.

“Thanks, man.” Jason smiled at the stunned boys.  “And all of you guys, sorry I made such a fool of myself.  Especially you, young Angelo, you’re new to us and I must have scared you.”

“Sir, I came in my shorts watching you.”

“That goes for me too, sir,” Eddie grinned.  “We’ll jerk off thinking about that forever.”

“Come on, sir,” Ben said, “let me take you to our little house, give you a nice warm shower and take you to bed.  You must be bushed.”

“Totally wiped out, kiddo.  I’m gonna sleep for hours – with you in my arms, OK?”

Okey-dokey, sir, I’m your boy.”  He took Jason’s hand and the men watched them walk together across the grounds, the shirtless fireman and his boy, and disappear into the summerhouse.

Mario turned to Grady.  “Amico, I know they say you only play a hero in the movies, but what you did here was pretty heroic, bringing Jason back to earth the way you did.”

Grady laughed, “Ah you know me, dude, I’ll do anything for a good fuck.  What I need right now is to sit in that jacuzzi in our bathroom and back my sore ass up to a jet of hot water.  Then Brian can give me all the other gossip. Kiddo, how soon before the rest of the tribe hears about what we did here?” 

“It’s already on the grapevine, sir.  But I got lots of other juicy stuff too.”

Still naked, Grady threw his arm over Mario’s shoulder, put his hand on Brian’s shoulder in his wheelchair, and they all went into the house.

Tommy grinned at his lover Danny.  “Wow, they say there’s never a dull moment in this house, dude, and I believe it.  Come on, let’s go shack up in your room until we make a start on lunch.

That left Hassan, Eddie and Angelo. “So what do you make of all that, Angelo?” Hassan smiled.”

“Unbelievable, sir.  I already creamed by shorts, like I said, but I could come again, sir.”

“Eddie, I think you got yourself a young sex maniac here.”

“Yeah, he’s joining the club sir.  Later we gotta start work on that video, but before that we could hit the sack too.”

Hassan laughed.  “And make love, you mean?  Sure, why not?  There seems to be a whole lot of that going around lately.  So let’s join the club too.”

<><>    Peace Reigns    <><>

As expected, Jason and Ben did not surface for lunch, still fast asleep in each other’s arms. 

Eddie and Angelo together tended to their naked Marine, resulting in a triple orgasm.  Then Eddie pulled out his laptop and they spent a couple of hours going through the raw footage of the Marine recruitment video.  The conversation was spirited, with all three voicing their preferences on what scenes got edited out.

Angelo’s excitement was mounting as the day came closer when he would start work with Eddie on Grady’s movie, as an eager junior member of the crew.  Even so, hunger finally drove them to the lunch table that Danny and Tommy had set up outside.

The last stragglers to appear were Grady, Mario and Brian.  All three had had soaked in the jacuzzi together – Grady pressing his butt against a water jet, Mario next to him with his arm round his shoulder.  Grady rested his head on Mario’s shoulder, closed his eyes and listened to Brian reading from his notebook, satisfying his other craving – gossip of the tribe.  It was a relief to Grady to hear the news for a change, rather than make the news.

And so peace reigned over the Grady House, as everyone settled in for several mellow days of rest and carefree relaxation.

<><>    Meanwhile .... <><>

However ... the same could not be said for some other young members of the tribe.  Looming on the horizon was an event that would shake the tribe.  It began a hundred miles up the coast at the Santa Barbara Fiesta Rodeo. The star of this show was cowboy Charlie, the brother of the tribe’s boss Randy. 

Although Charlie was not sexually attracted to men, he was popular with the tribe and had taken a liking to two of the tribe’s young office assistants, Noah and Vic, who idolized him and thought of themselves as Charlie’s boys.  He did not visit the tribe often, only when the rodeo circuit came to Southern California, as it had now. 

At the final performance in Santa Barbara, Charlie, as usual, was riding round the ring bare-chested, triumphantly waving his shirt in the air, acknowledging the cheers of his adoring fans.

But apparently, not all the fans were so adoring.  As the cheers died down, two voices in the crowd rang out with a single word that set in motion a series of events that would rock the cowboy’s world.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 

TO BE CONTINUED IN “A Trial Of Strength – Book 14: Chapter 1