Trial Of Strength (Book 3)

A four-day weekend and all the guys were enjoying some much-needed rest and recuperation with their boys. Randy and Bob had taken Pablo and the twins (and Pablo's dog Billy) up to their remote spot on the lake in the Angeles National Forest high above Los Angeles. Mark and Hassan were with Jamie and Nate at the shack in the Guadalupe Dunes. And Zack and Darius were at home, planning their own trip.

In the dunes the first day had been dramatic: Mark and Hassan had replayed the erotic events of their first meeting when they were enemy soldiers in the war. Jamie had angered Mark and been punished, but then treated to a sensational all-night love-fest. As for Nate, he was over the moon. He had told Hassan of his sexual fantasies and Hassan had taken him into a spectacular military fantasy beyond anything he could have dreamed of.

As Mark and Hassan walked along the beach the next morning Mark said, "Hey, buddy, whatever the hell you did to Nate last night sure transformed him. He's walking on air."

Hassan flashed a conspiratorial smile. "Hell, Mark, you should talk. You obviously made your peace with Jamie big-time. Guess you fucked his sweet ass most of the night."

"Pretty much," Mark grinned, with satisfaction bordering on arrogance. "Hey, I wonder how the guys are getting on up at the lake? I had a strong feeling that Randy wanted some time alone with Bob to ''get re-acquainted' as he calls it. I guess that means Randy reminding Bob who the boss is around there. Sure would like to be in the bushes watching that."

Hassan chuckled. "Yeah, well while they're at it they better keep an eye on those boys of theirs. What did Zack call it, a ''Truckload of Trouble'?" That boy of Randy's is a handful .... trying to grow up to be just like his dad. Pablo sees himself as some kind of master-in-training ..... and it looks like he's practicing on the twins. Wonder how that's working out for them."

******************

As a matter of fact, on the long drive up the Angeles Crest Highway, Randy and Bob were asking themselves the same thing, wondering if this had been such a hot idea. Their plan had been to have some private time, re-exploring some of their past adventures that had culminated in the forging of an unbreakable bond between them.

Side by side in the truck they should have been sharing the lustful anticipation of the action to come, but the exuberant noise from the back seat drowned everything out. It was a big truck with a double cab, but the back seat was a turmoil of three excited boys and a dog, tumbling over each other in a seeming contest of who could make the most noise.

Randy sighed and shook his head. "Now listen, you guys," he shouted over his shoulder, "if you don't cool it and stop behaving like animals I'll stop the truck, fuck all your asses one-by-one and leave you tied to trees for the weekend .... then fuck you again on the way back. Got it?"

"Is that a promise, sir?" Pablo grinned.

Not amused, Randy fired back, "You especially, Pablo. You're behaving like a damn boy."

He knew he could not have said anything that would hurt Pablo more at this point, and there was a sudden silence. Pablo always saw himself as a mentor to the twins and that made him feel good about himself ....... just as Hassan had said, a kind of master-in-training. So to have Randy say he was acting like a boy, in the twins hearing, hit a raw nerve. Still, he was a tough kid and sucked it up. "Sorry, sir," he said and switched immediately into his ''senior boy' role, starting with Billy.

"Hey, Billy," he said gruffly. "Quiet! ..... in the back .... lie down .... now!" Ever obedient to the boy he worshipped Billy leapt over the seatback and settled into his space behind them.

"Now, guys," Pablo said to the twins, all business now, "We're gonna do a whole bunch of fishing this trip ..... feed ourselves. Last time we came you got the hang of it pretty good but now's a good enough time to give you a few more tips to improve your technique. OK, Kevin, you first. You know the kinds of fish there are in this lake, and it'll be a hot day, so tell me what bait you would use.

Well, sir," Kevin began, and stumbled through his answer.

"Good boy," Pablo said. "Not bad. Now you, Kyle ......."

As the lesson continued Bob grinned at Randy and rolled his eyes. They had both noted that Kevin automatically called Pablo ''sir' and Randy had a self-satisfied look of pride on his face. Bob could almost hear the unspoken words ...... "That's my boy!"

******************

When they finally bumped over the long dirt trail through the woods and arrived at the lake they quickly began unloading their gear and stashing it on the small, secluded beach. They all had their own agenda and they were impatient to get on with it. The twins pulled the rowboat off the truck, with Pablo's help, and dragged it down to the water. They were eager to put into practice the fishing tips Pablo had given them.

"You take the boat out yourselves for now," Pablo said. "Billy's going stir crazy, cooped up in the truck for so long, so I'm gonna take him for a long walk. That OK, sir?" he asked Randy.

"Sure, kid, whatever. Me and Bob, we've got some business to attend to. And you guys, be careful in that boat ..... water's pretty deep out there."

Pablo disappeared along the trail with Billy bounding eagerly ahead of him. Randy and Bob watched the twins maneuver the boat out to the middle of the lake ..... and then there was silence. Silence but not serenity. Instead there was a palpable tension between the two men as they gazed out over the lake.

After a while Randy turned to Bob. "You remember?"

"Everything." Bob saw the steel blue eyes boring into his and felt himself go weak. This was the place that had dramatically defined their relationship a long time ago. And subsequent visits had been just as steeped in sexual exploration, sometimes loving, sometimes painful ...... usually both. It had been some while since Randy and Bob had re-explored their intense relationship and they both knew that the time had come to take it to a new level.

Without another word Randy turned and walked off through the trees. Bob followed him unquestioningly. It was a tough walk through bushes and thick undergrowth, brambles tearing at their clothes, but at last they reached the clearing ...... the clearing that for them was still redolent of sex. It was a small space, surrounded by trees, the ground covered in dirt, gravel and mud left over from a rainstorm in the mountains a few days before.

They stood in the middle of the clearing gazing into each other's eyes. Both were reflecting on the paths their lives had taken together since they first met in that run-down Hollywood bar. They had been a couple of physically striking men exploring a new world .... exploring each other. Later, as other men joined them, they had come to head up a small tribe of extraordinary males, who respected them, loved them, challenged them, and even occasionally fought with them. But the whole group accepted that Randy was the undisputed boss ..... and that Bob was unquestionably his lover and soul-mate.

So their lives had undergone many changes, but throughout it all one crucial element remained constant ..... the love they felt for each other that bordered on the mystical, so profound that it defied description. And now, as they stared at each other, all the other trappings of their lives faded into the background. It was just the two of them, alone, gazing at each other as they had that first night in the smoky gloom of the bar.

Randy raised his hands and gently ran them over his lover's face, tracing the contours of his handsome, Superman features ..... the proud forehead above the soft brown eyes, the high cheek bones, down over the square jaw and the powerful neck. Sighing deeply he said simply, "I love you man." Bob remained silent ..... Randy always took the lead.

Randy unbuttoned Bob's shirt, pulled it off and tossed it aside, gazing in awe, as he always did, at his lover's spectacular physique. He ripped open Bob's jeans and pushed them down his legs. Bob kicked off his boots and stepped out of his jeans, standing naked, like an offering, before this rugged, powerful man. Randy said quietly, "You know I have to tie you up, man."

"I know, sir." Bob had seen Randy grab some lengths of rope from the truck as they left the beach, and he knew what was in store for him. He stood against a tree and Randy quickly, expertly pulled his arms back round the tree and tied his wrists securely behind it. Then he stepped back, pulled off his T-shirt and stood shirtless before him, his magnificent torso gleaming in the dappled sunlight glancing through the trees. Bob was mesmerized and Randy watched with satisfaction as his lover's cock rose up until it stood out stiff as a pole. Bob blushed ...... and that did it for Randy.

"Oh, shit, man, you are fucking spectacular." He reached forward and ran his hands lightly over Bob's shoulders and chest. "Fucking spectacular." Bob knew what would come next ....... Randy sliding his belt out of his jeans to use as a whip as he had done so often before. But this time Bob was wrong. Instead, Randy turned, walked to the opposite edge of the clearing, and leaned back against a tree. That was all. He stood there in silence, a rugged construction worker gazing in adoration at the muscle-god bound helpless before him.

The tension in Bob reached a pitch. What was happening? What did Randy have planned for him? Other times he had been whipped, then fucked, as Randy asserted his supremacy over him. But now? All Randy did was gaze at him ..... until finally Bob heard his deep voice.

"Man, that is fucking awesome. You are one gorgeous son-of-a bitch ..... and it blows me away that you're mine." He rubbed the bulge at his crotch through the rough denim, his blue eyes penetrating Bob's in an unwavering, almost hypnotic, gaze.

Bound naked, his cock standing straight up, Bob felt self-conscious under this steely scrutiny and instinctively he pulled against his bound wrists in an effort to get free ...... even if only to touch his own cock. As his muscles flexed and strained he heard Randy moan, the sight of the struggling man making him stroke his cock harder. Bob gave up the effort and had no choice but to stand motionless under Randy's implacable gaze.

It would be a paradox for a man to feel pride and humiliation at the same time, but that's what Bob was feeling ...... pride at being worshipped by such a rugged alpha-male as Randy, but humiliation at being bound naked, like a trophy, like a slave for sale, on display, waiting to learn of his fate.

It was uncanny how Randy always read his mind. "Shit, man, I once saw a picture of a guy like you ..... he was the big prize at a slave auction .... the trophy slave ...... captured, stripped naked and put up for sale to the highest bidder." Slowly he sauntered round the clearing as if sizing up the merchandise. "Oh yeah, I'd pay top dollar for this one, but they leave you ''til last while I check you out." He came close and ran his hands over the muscular body, squeezing the solid biceps, landing a light punch on the pecs and stomach, watching with satisfaction as they flexed to withstand the blows.

Bob's thoughts were reeling. Randy was toying with his mind, taking him into a fantasy that was making his cock pulse and his heart beat wildly. What if it were true? Here he was, a handsome, macho bodybuilder in bondage, a prisoner for sale. And, like an animal at auction, he was being inspected by this awesome man, shirtless, heavily muscled, with the swarthy square-cut features of a gypsy ...... and those hypnotic blue eyes. Crazily, Bob found himself hoping desperately that the man would buy him as his slave. He would endure anything for this man to become his master.

The buyer seemed satisfied. "Yeah, strong, tough, just as I like ''em. Beautiful, too. Must have been the dominant male in the tribe before you were captured." He lowered his eyes. "Fucking huge piece of meat too ..... rock hard ...... oh, man I can work with that." He reached down and squeezed the balls, making the slave wince in pain. "Great ball-sac, man, and hell, I love to see that gorgeous face in pain. Fuck, that turns me on .....big muscle-god like you writhing in pain."

He pulled the belt from his jeans. "Let's see how much you can take, stud." He raised his arm and whipped the bound slave's chest hard a couple of times, salivating as he saw the magnificent body twist and writhe under the lash, his muscle's flexing hard, black hair falling over his handsome face as it contorted in pain.

But the whipping stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Bob's body came to rest and he stared defiantly at his tormentor. "Yeah," Randy breathed triumphantly, "that's the look I wanted, a man who resists, a man who won't submit ... a man who needs to be broken in body and spirit."

He was silent for a moment. "There's just one more thing ..... the most important ..... could be a deal-breaker. See, if a man turns me on ..... and you turn me on big-time, stud ..... and I become his master, he has to really want it, has to desire me, lust for me, worship me. Trouble is, you are a gorgeous hunk of man ...... and so am I. If you weren't tied up there, for sale like an animal, we could be equals ..... and that won't do. ..... won't do at all. So you have to show me how much you want me to own you...... how much you want to become my slave. Stud, you have to submit to me!"

Bob braced for more pain ..... but again he was wrong. Randy turned, walked back to the tree at the opposite side of the clearing and leaned against it again, staring at his prospective slave. "See, he said, "I could whip you into submission but that would be too easy. I've broken many men like that. But you're special ...... I want something special from you. And I'm gonna get it without laying another hand on you."

In fearful anticipation, his body tingling with desire, his cock still hard as steel, Bob again pulled instinctively at his wrists, but he was hopelessly bound. He gazed at the dark demon of a man taunting him, leaning casually against a tree, stripped to the waist, rubbing his bulging crotch.

The man smiled lasciviously. "You know what? You remind me of the last slave I had ..... looked just like you ..... gorgeous face, incredible body. I had to break him too, and man was he tough. Took me months. Met him in a bar, seedy kinda dump, and we went to an even seedier motel for a few hours' sleep. But he came onto me in his sleep. Hell, I couldn't stand for that, so I fought with him ..... beat him, of course ..... tied him up and tortured him, stretching him on the bed like he was on the rack. God, he looked spectacular."

"But shit, that was just the beginning. I worked him over good, whipped him, dragged him to the bathroom and pissed all over him. Man, as he knelt before me and looked up at me with those pleading brown eyes he was one helluva hot stud ..... made my dick hard as a rock so I fucked his face. Finally I had mercy on him and let him go, but you know what? Fuck me if that gorgeous big stud didn't come crawling back the next day wanting more ..... and shit, man, I gave it to him."

Bob's breathing had become ragged and his heart beat loud enough to hear. Randy was taking him back ...... back to the erotic, tumultuous days when they met ...... when, as Bob now knew, he had fallen hopelessly in thrall to this man. He was re-living the experience ..... the sight of his own humiliated face, the sound of his sobs and the smell of his urine-soaked body. He was there again, in all his delirious lust. But Randy didn't let up and continued his story.

"We stayed together after that but, being the man he was, he stepped out of line many times and I had to punish him. One time I caught him with another guy and I drove him to the desert, tied him to a rope at the back of the truck and dragged his naked body through the burning sand. I tied him to a lone pole in the empty desert and left him there to think about what he had done. When I finally came back he was sobbing with relief, begging me to take him back."

"Even brought him up here, to this very place. I thought I'd had enough of him so I tied him to a tree and left him. Then wham, a huge storm broke ..... thunder, lightning, the works ..... and suddenly I realized he could be killed. I ran back frantically through the brush to find him ..... and it was then that I realized I was in love with ......" He faltered. "Anyway, that's when I first fucked his ass. And after that I fucked his ass a lot ..... all the time ..... couldn't get enough of it. And neither could he. Shit, man, I owned that slave's ass."

There was a long silence as Bob became lost in the memories of those incredible scenes, with more pain, lust and longing than he had ever felt in his life. His body was now on fire and he wanted desperately to touch his cock and get release. He needed Randy to whip him again to make him cum. But Randy had other ideas.

"OK," Randy said, coming out of his reverie, "enough about him. What about you, my new slave ..... if I decide to buy you, that is. You still have to show me you want me, man. Let's see. The bidding will be something fierce and you won't come cheap. I'll have to shell out big bucks for you, so how do I get my money's worth? Hmm .... you know, I have a buddy who was captured in the Middle East war and the soldier who interrogated and tortured him lusted for him so much he threatened to take him back to his place in the desert, chain him up in his basement and use him as his sex slave.

"Turned out that never happened ''cause my buddy escaped. But I've often thought about that, wondered how it'd be to have a sex slave, a big muscular stud that I could work over whenever I wanted. And now's my chance. Oh yeah, makes me hot just thinking about it." Still leaning against the tree Randy ripped open his pants, yanked out his huge cock, thick as a beer can, wrapped his fist round it and began stroking it. Bob groaned and again struggled to get free.

Randy's eyes were gleaming as his imagination ran wild. "If I get to own you I'm gonna take you back to my place in L.A. and throw you in my basement. It's a kind of gym where I have a ton of equipment, ropes, chains, slave collars. I'll keep you there naked, chain you to the wall and you'll be mine. Picture it, man, a gorgeous muscle-god like you chained up as my sex slave." Randy was pounding his meat hard now. "Oh, man, the thought of it makes my dick hard as iron."

"Think about it, slave ..... you're a prisoner in that room, chained, naked, waiting for you master to come in and work on your body. He comes in, whips you, fucks your face, fucks your ass, pisses all over that spectacular body then shoots a massive load in your face. And he does that over and over ...... every time he gets horny ...... and he's always horny. Shit, I think it's turning you on, stud. Look at that dick, hard as a rod. Come on, man, prove that you want it .... that you want me as your master."

By now Bob was in a frenzy of pent-up desire, pulling frantically at his restraints, desperate to touch his raging cock. The picture Randy painted was pornographic. He wanted it, longed to be chained as a slave by this man, his master, longed to have his body fucked and broken day after day. Randy knew it ..... and took him deeper into the fantasy.

"You can see yourself in that dungeon, a magnificent, muscular slave. You've been chained naked all day, thinking about your big stud master. You want him so bad you've busted several loads already just thinking about him. Then you hear his boots on the stairs .... and there he is, big sweaty construction worker, covered in dirt and grease, staring at you. You see him?"

"Yes, sir," Bob moaned hoarsely, the erotic picture vivid in his mind. He pulled at his bound wrists and felt himself chained to the wall. It was real. He was the slave, at the mercy of his master!

Randy's hypnotic voice continued. "He walks round you, running his hands over your flexing muscles. Then you see him rip open his pants and pull out his massive cock, this cock, in my fist right now. You know what's coming, man ..... it's what you waited for all day. He gets behind you .... you hold your breath.... and suddenly your body is speared with pain as he plunges his cock deep into your ass." Bob screamed. It was so real he felt the pain.

"Yeah, let me hear you scream. That's what you'll get every day, stud .... impaled on your master's cock. Come on, man, feel that piston pounding inside you. Feel those huge arms wrapped round your chest as your master jackhammers that ass. Show me you want to be my slave ..... give in, man ..... submit to me ...... Now!"

Bob saw it all, felt it ..... he was there! He gazed across the clearing at the dark gypsy face, at the magnificent body, and he knew he wanted to be his slave, wanted to get his ass fucked by him, to be thrashed and broken by his master. His body convulsed, he shouted "Yes, sir! Please, I want you, sir. I submit to you.....aagh!" His body tensed, he screamed, and at last his cock erupted, blasting jets of white juice in high arcs right across the clearing, falling at the feet of his master in an irrevocable act of surrender.

When his orgasm stopped at last his head fell forward and his body slumped, hanging from the tree .... a beaten man. Mesmerized by the sight of the broken muscle-god, semen still dripping from his cock, Randy walked forward, cupped Bob's chin and raised his exhausted face. "You are fucking spectacular," he breathed, still beating his meat with his other fist. "Here, this is for you, man ......aaah." And he shot a load of hot cum up high in the air, splashing onto Bob's tear-stained face, again and again until it flowed down over his heaving chest.

Randy's steel-blue eyes pierced Bob's. "Fucking spectacular ..... and you're all mine."

**************

In a daze Bob was aware of Randy walking behind him, presumably to set him free. But instead he felt the ropes re-tied, tighter than before, making him wince with the pain. Randy faced him again ...... but for Bob the illusion of slave-for-sale was gone. He had shot a massive orgasm and was exhausted, tired of being helpless, humiliated and treated as an animal at market. Enough was enough. Surely Randy could see that, knowing Bob as intuitively as he did.

Bob was a complex man ..... always the self-assured, successful, alpha male ..... except with Randy, to whom he loved to submit. And Randy's exhilaration was in dominating such a beautiful muscle-god as this. But while Bob willingly submitted to Randy's superior strength, he was still, at his core, a proud man. And now the paradox of feeling simultaneous pride and humiliation was upended. He had suffered enough humiliation and the strong alpha male took over. Now he was angry.

So when Randy picked up the belt Bob openly defied him. "OK, stud," Randy said, continuing the fantasy, "now that I own you let's see how much my slave can really take."

"Fuck off, asshole," Bob sneered as Randy strutted round the clearing, snapping the belt between his fists. Once again Bob struggled to break free but he was bound tight. Except ..... this time he felt something else ..... a piece of rope dangling from the complex knot. And from nowhere a thought flashed into his mind, a distant memory of Randy demonstrating bondage to the twins, explaining that on them he was using an escape knot, leaving one end hanging so that if they panicked one tug would unravel the knot and set them free.

Randy must have used that knot now without thinking. But Bob had no time to act, for just at that moment Randy was raising his arm, saying, "Here it comes, stud. Say hello to your new master." Bob felt the sting of the lash across his chest and howled, "NO!"

Everything happened instantaneously, by impulse, as the pain of the whip jolted Bob into action. He was able to twist one hand enough to grasp the dangling rope and pull. The knot loosened and his wrists fell free. At the same moment he braced himself against the tree, raised his knees and smashed both feet viciously into Randy's chest.

Taken totally by surprise the big man staggered backward and crashed heavily to the ground, stunned into semi-consciousness. Bob leapt forward and stared down at the dazed giant, sprawled on his back between two small trees. Spurred on by pure adrenaline, Bob pulled the ropes from his own wrists, knelt down and tied them round Randy's. He pulled his arms out to the side and tied the ropes round the narrow tree trunks. He sprang to his feet and smiled down vindictively at the shirtless bodybuilder spread-eagled on the ground.

Randy was blinking his eyes and shaking his head, still swimming in the fantasy he had created. As he focused on the naked man towering over him, the man who had been his slave, he yelled, "What the fuck?" He pulled furiously at his restraints but he was helpless. "Are you crazy? You know what I'm gonna do to your ass when I ......"

"No, asshole ......this time it's what I'm gonna do to you, man." Bob quickly pulled off Randy's boots and flung them contemptuously away. He tugged on the pants, pulled them down his legs and tossed them aside. "Yeah," he growled, "look at that big stud master now, buck naked, spread-eagled helpless in the dirt It's payback time, man ..... time for the slave to overpower his master and take revenge. Now we'll see how much the master can take."

Bob picked up the belt, leaned forward and without hesitation brought it crashing across the square slabs of the master's chest, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he heard him howl in pain. "That one was payback for the first time you whipped me." He lashed him again. "And that was for stretching me on the rack and torturing my body." Again the lash. "For all the times you humiliated and degraded me, using me like an animal. And you remember the time you dragged my naked body through the burning desert? That was agony, man, just like this ....." And the flogging became brutal.

Randy was writhing and screaming as lash after lash rained down on him, striping his body with angry red welts. Bob knew just how tough Randy was, how much punishment he could take, and he pushed him to the limit. He shouted above his screams, "Like you always tell me, man, you know how you can make this stop ...... beg me to fuck your macho ass."

"Fuck you, man," Randy yelled. "You're never gonna break me .... I am the master ..... I am the best. Aagh!" Again the belt smashed into him.

"That so, asshole? Well how about this?" Bob raised his arm and this time aimed lower down, across the solid thighs, then finally, the coup de grace, crashing down across the massive cock and balls with a sickening thud. The pain was instant and agonizing and Randy howled like a wounded animal.

"NO!" he screamed. "I can't take that, man. No more ..... I give up." The master looked up at his former slave, begging him, tears of pain streaming from his eyes. "OK, fuck my ass. It's yours ..... take it, man. Please, sir ..... fuck me."

That's all Bob needed to hear. He dropped the belt, fell to his knees, pushed Randy's legs up high and speared his ass, plunging his stiff rod deep inside his gut. "Yeah," he yelled in triumph. "You're finished, man ...... the master's getting his ass fucked by his slave. Feel that, man, feel that big rod torturing your ass." Bob remembered how savage Randy could be when he fucked him ..... and now it was the master's turn to feel the pain. Bob pulled all the way out, then slammed his cock deep inside him again. The heat in his cock was exhilarating as he viciously jackhammered the man's tortured ass.

He looked down wildly at the incredible sight of the rugged, dark gypsy face thrashing violently, screaming in pain as he felt his body being impaled on the iron rod. Bob was leaning forward gripping Randy's biceps, pinning his arms to the ground. "You feel that, man, you feel your slave's cock spiking his master's ass? You had this coming, man. Look at me ..... you're looking at a fucking muscle-god and you know it ..... and you're gonna beg him for mercy."

Bob had never fucked like this before, never felt so strongly the overwhelming need to dominate a man. His cock became a piston, plunging deeper and deeper into the raging cauldron of the shattered stud's ass. Randy was tough ..... he had taken many a savage beating ..... but he felt his strength ebbing. In a daze he heard himself start to beg.

"No more ...... you're fucking killing me, man ..... I can't take any more."

"Like you always say, asshole, there's one way you can make me stop. You know what you have to do ......"

Randy looked up into the beautiful face ..... wild, intense, gleaming with sweat ...... and he knew he was lost. Randy was a supremely dominant man, a leader, a master of masters, but to this man he was a slave. The pain dissolved as he felt the exquisite joy of having his ass invaded by this gorgeous man. This is the moment he longed for, when his defenses collapsed and he gave himself body and soul to the man he loved.

"OK," he moaned. "You win. I submit to you, man. You're the master." His went rigid, stared wildly into Bob's eyes and screamed, "I love you, man. I love you!" His cock exploded in a river of cum, just as he felt his lover's juice flowing deep inside him. As their cocks continued to pump semen they stopped still and gazed at each other. No words, no thoughts even, just pure, indescribable passion between two men.

Finally Bob leaned forward and untied the ropes. They fell into each other's arms and rolled over and over in the dirt and mud, laughing, whooping with joy, glorying in the spectacular re-affirmation of their undying love.

****************

For a long time they lay in each other's arms, unwilling to leave the world they inhabited together, a mystical world that defied explanation, peopled only by two enraptured men.

Bob smiled at Randy. "You OK? I know I hurt you. But man, I was so surprised to get free that I kinda lost it."

"Yeah, good thing about that escape knot, eh?" Randy grinned.

Bob frowned and stared at him in confusion. "The escape .....? You knew about ....?" Suddenly a light went on and he understood everything. "You did that! You did that so I could get free. Shit, man, why would you....?"

"Oh, get with the program, buddy. You never get it ...... just how much I understand you and give you what you need? After all that bondage and humiliation (and I gotta say you were a spectacular slave ...... fucking spectacular), after all that I knew you needed to prove what a dominant stud you really are deep down. And I wanted it too, like crazy! Man, it was hot surrendering my ass to you .... pain and all. A man like me getting whipped and fucked by his own slave! Fucking spectacular."

Bob shook his head. "You son-of-a-bitch. You controlled the whole thing all the time. And that, buddy, is what makes you the real master .... why I always submit to you .... always will."

"OK," Randy said. "Now that you know I'm in charge, let's get the hell back to the boys and see what they're up to."

****************

What they were up to would have made the men's blood run cold. When Pablo returned from his walk with Billy his first thought was for the twins and he shaded his eyes as he looked out at the boat in the middle of the lake. He frowned as he saw a lot of movement out there. Before he left he had given last-minute instructions: "You'll be fine on your own as long as you don't fool around. Like I've told you, for safety sake sit low in the boat, don't move around too much, and whatever you do, don't stand up."

That seemed to be exactly what they were doing. "What the fuck....?" Pablo said out loud. It looked as if they had caught a fish and were frantically trying to land it. Kevin was standing up holding the rod while Kyle was leaning far out trying to scoop the fish in the net. The boat was listing dangerously and, just as Kevin yanked on the line he lost his balance, the boat tipped over and in an instant they were both floundering in the water.

"Holy shit!" Pablo said. He knew that the twins were poor swimmers. They splashed around in the pool at home but they couldn't swim well or far. Without another thought Pablo ripped off his T-shirt, dropped his shorts, yelled "stay!" to Billy and raced into the water. In many long sessions Randy had trained Pablo to become a strong swimmer and the boy now stroked confidently out to the rescue, leaving Billy barking frantically at the shoreline.

It was fear and adrenaline that fueled Pablo's determination and speed. Thoughts of what could happen, would happen, if the twins were harmed (or worse) filled his racing thoughts and he wished to hell that Randy was here. He came closer and closer to the boat, which had completely capsized and was floating bottom-up.

Pablo's heart sank ..... no sign of the twins. He was panting hard but managed to shout, "Kyle, Kevin ..... you there?" Relief swept over him as he heard a moan from the other side of the boat. He swam round and saw the two frightened boys clinging precariously to it. Their first desperate words were, "Sir, we're sorry, sir. We disobeyed. You told us not to ......"

"Be quiet," Pablo said commandingly. "Save your breath. Now here's what's gonna happen. We can't risk righting the boat ''cause it'll probably sink completely and then we're really fucked. So, Kevin, you see this rowlock at the edge of the boat? Cling onto it and don't let go. Kyle, you do the same on the other side."

They did as he said and he looked round for the oars, which were floating a short distance away. He swam over to them and pushed them back to the boat, giving one to each of the boys. "Put the oar under you other arm ..... it'll help you float."

Pablo knew there was only one thing to do. His mind went back to the day when he and the boys were stranded in the boat in the ocean with no oars, caught in the rip tide. Mark, in a Herculean effort, had towed them to safety, swimming with the tide and gradually inching them toward shore. Fortunately the surface of the lake was calm, no currents, but it would still require a hell of an effort to tow the boat and the twins to shore.

Pablo grabbed the mooring rope at the prow and looped it round his chest. He shouted behind him, "Now stay calm, and whatever the hell you do, keep your head above water. I'll do the heavy lifting here." But it was heavier than he thought. As he struck out toward shore he felt the drag of the boat behind him. Hell, this was gonna be touch and go, he thought. As strong as his arms were it still felt as if he was swimming in place, barely moving.

He exerted maximum effort and as the rope tightened painfully round his chest, he finally felt the boat move. But it was waterlogged and the drag was brutal. He knew it would be a long swim but he gritted his teeth and one thought kept him going. This is what Randy would do. And he wanted Randy to be proud of him. So he battled on, yard after agonizing yard.

***************

Oblivious of the unfolding drama Randy and Bob were sauntering though the brush, shitless in jeans and boots, hardly feeling the branches scraping their flesh, bathed as they were in the afterglow of their amazing sexual exploits.

Suddenly in the distance they heard a dog barking. Had to be Billy, and he sounded frantic. Seconds later he burst through the undergrowth, barked at them, then tugged at the bottom of Randy's pants with his teeth, urging him forward. "Shit damn," Randy growled. "Come on, man." Together they crashed through the trees and bushes and finally came to the beach. It took seconds to size up the problem. They saw fifty yards off shore the upturned boat and the labored strokes of Pablo, apparently towing it.

Randy kicked off his boots and rushed to the lake. He launched himself into the water and with powerful strokes came close to Pablo, who was clearly at his endurance limits. He looked up and croaked, "Sir, I ....." and then his head disappeared below the surface. Randy grabbed him and pulled him up bodily, holding him as he choked up water.

"Hold on to me, kid. I've got you now. Don't worry, it's all over." Randy towed him and the boat a few yards until his feet touched water. He supported Pablo with one arm and towed the boat with the other. Bob had waded out and was checking on the twins. It took only minutes before they reached the beach and Pablo collapsed on his knees, coughing and choking up more water with rasping breaths.

Randy laid him on his back and knelt over him, checking him out, but it was clear that he was suffering from nothing more than exhaustion. His eyes shining with pride Randy smiled down at his boy, "Hey, kiddo, you did great ..... probably saved their lives. I'm real proud of you."

That's exactly what Pablo wanted to hear and he managed his crooked grin. "Thank you, sir." He gazed up at his hero, then frowned as he noticed the angry red welts across his chest from the belt lashes. "What happened to you, sir?"

Randy looked down at his chest, then up at Bob. "Oh that," he grinned. "That's payback."

****************

It wasn't long before Bob had the twins huddled at the back of the beach wrapped in a blanket and sipping hot coffee. Pablo quickly regained his strength and helped Randy to right the boat and drain out excess water. Then they jumped into it and Randy rowed them out to the middle of the lake to rescue the rods, fishing tackle and whatever else was floating in the water.

As Randy maneuvered the boat and Pablo pulled the floating gear aboard he asked, "Sir, did I make the right decision not to try and turn the boat upright out here?"

"Dead right, kiddo. It would probably have sunk and you'd have been fucked, out there with the twins clinging to you instead of the boat. Far as I can see you did everything right ..... a perfect rescue. Man, you are one tough young kid, dragging a boat and two boys behind you all that way." He stopped to consider. "One thing you could have tried is having the twins kick their feet behind them as they held on ...... would have given you more propulsion."

"I thought of that, sir, but didn't want to risk it. They were so scared that any movement could have sent them under. Best they just hold on tight."

"Yeah, good call." He gazed at his boy sitting facing him. "Man, I am so proud that you're my boy, kiddo. You're growing into a real macho young stud ...... a real leader."

"Like you, sir?" Pablo grinned.

Randy smiled at his boy. "You're getting there, kiddo.

*******************

They felt the boat scraping the bottom and jumped out into the shallow water. Bob ran down to help them haul the boat ashore. "How are they doing?" Randy asked.

"Just fine," Bob smiled, thanks to your boy here. "They were more scared than anything else, and now they feel totally ashamed of themselves. Here, see for yourselves."

Trudging down the beach came the twins, shoulder to shoulder, still wrapped in a single large blanket making them look more than ever like conjoined twins. The three men stopped dragging the boat and looked up at them. They were a picture of contrition.

Kevin cleared his throat and addressed Pablo. "Sir, we want to apologize. You told us to sit low in the boat ..... not move around a lot or stand up, and we did just what you warned us not to. We disobeyed you. We were really stupid and you risked your life to save us."

Kyle took over. "You're our hero, sir. We're real sorry, but we know an apology is not enough. We deserve to be punished. You are going to punish us, sir, aren't you?"

There was a momentary silence as Pablo gazed at them, then up at Randy. For the first time Pablo was feeling like a master and he asked himself, what would Randy do? He stood tall, his body flexed, his expression was tough.

"Damn right I'm gonna punish you, boy," he growled. "You disobey, you pay the price."

Bob flinched and flashed a look of concern at Randy who had been watching his boy with admiration. He threw his arm round Bob and said quietly, "Hey, no sweat, buddy. He's only doing what I would do. After all, I reckon they owe him."