Trial Of Strength (Book 1)

Having spent a remarkable evening together, when their relationship became ever more intimate, the muscular construction worker, Randy, and the exotically beautiful young man, Pablo, were now lying in bed, where they had talked half the night. Finally Randy said it was time to sleep. Pablo turned over and pressed his back into Randy's chest. The big man folded him in his muscular arms, loving the feel of his smooth, velvet skin.

Randy's cock was resting against Pablo's spectacular ass, but they remained still. He had told Pablo that they should know each other better before Randy possessed his ass .... made love to him. For now he held him in a tight, warm embrace, and felt the young man's beautiful body relax against him with a sigh of utter contentment.

As they lay naked, scooped together, Randy had a strange sensation that there was something right about this, almost inevitable. His mind raced with thoughts of the past and the future. After a long time he spoke softly.

'You asleep yet, kid?'

'No, sir.'

Randy hesitated. 'Pablo, there's something important I want you to think hard about.'

'Yes, sir?'

'How would you like to become my son?'

Pablo's eyes snapped open and he stared into the darkness. He could not get his mind around what he had just heard. He must have been mistaken. Randy switched on a low light by the bed.

'Turn over, kid.'

Pablo turned over and found his face inches from Randy's piercing blue eyes.

Randy smiled. 'Well?'

'I .... I'm not sure what you said, sir. I don't understand exactly. Your .... your son?'

'I want to adopt you, Pablo.'

The young man's mind reeled. He could not speak.

'Sorry, kid. That was a lot to hit you with out of the blue. Bad timing. Sleep now. We'll talk in the morning.'

Randy snapped off the light, turned onto his back and pulled Pablo's head onto his chest. Pablo's mind still raced and he found sleep hard to come by. But as he lay cradled in the sinewy arms and his face rose and fell on the muscular chest as Randy breathed softly, he was finally lulled into a dream-filled sleep.

* * *

When morning sun streamed through the pool house window and the two men stirred, Pablo's mind again began to reel as Randy's words returned to him. Had he dreamt it? It couldn't be true. What did it all mean?

'Hey kid,' the soft, deep voice said. 'Sounds like nobody else is up yet. Wanna go and get us some coffee?'

'Right away, sir.' Pablo jumped out of bed, glad to have something practical to do, clear his mind of its confusion.

When he came back from the kitchen twenty minutes later Randy was in his boxers sitting on the edge of the bed. Pablo sat beside him, with the tray of coffee between them.

'OK, here's the deal,' Randy said. 'You say you've never had a family, you're all alone in the world. Well now you will have family. I want you to be my adopted son. I want to be your dad, Pablo. And don't forget, I always get what I want.'

'Wow,' was all Pablo could say.

'Since I first saw you in that desert garage I knew there was something special about you .... felt a kind of kinship. You're so much like me, like the way I was at your age. I admire your guts and respect your honesty and determination. I love you, Pablo. I've always wanted a son .... and you're just perfect, kiddo.

Pablo frowned. Alarmed, Randy asked. 'What's the matter?'

'Well, sir.' Pablo chose his words carefully. 'You know what you said last night about waiting a while, and then you would, well .... make love to me. Thing is, I really, really want that, sir. I've dreamed about it. I want to give my ass to you. I want to give myself to you. I want so bad for you to fuck me sir. But I guess that's all off if I'm your son.'

Randy threw his head back and roared with laughter. 'Is that your problem? Kid, I said 'adopted son.' It's a legality. You're an adult, you're 21 so it's your decision. But we wouldn't be blood relations so of course we'll fuck. Hell, it's inevitable. That gorgeous ass on you is enough to make grown men weep.' His tone became softer, more serious. 'But I want much more than that. I want to be your dad .... support you, protect you, train you, watch you grow. I want us to be best buddies, kiddo.'

Pablo frowned again.

'Does that mean I'll have to leave Darius?'

'Hell, no! You and Darius are a great pair and I think you love each other. Darius is your lover just like Bob is mine. What I'm suggesting for you and me is something quite different.' He looked at the beautiful young face. 'Well? What d'ya say?''

A smile spread slowly over Pablo's face. 'You ..... my dad? Sir, there is nothing in the world I would like more. It would be an honor.' And he threw his arms around the naked construction worker and buried his face in his chest.

Randy held him tight. 'But get this clear, kiddo. There's gonna be no fooling around. I'm gonna be a strict dad. You get out of line and I whip your ass. Clear?'

'Yes, sir. That's the way I want it, too. But sir, are we still going to the Galaxy game?' Randy had promised to take him to a Galaxy soccer match on Sunday when the L.A. team would be at home to Seattle.

'Sure, kid, wouldn't miss it. But listen, this is important. First I have to run all this by Bob and Mark. So don't say anything to Darius just yet, until I say you can. You can tell him about last evening, how we wasted the skinheads and all, but just not this.'

'OK, sir. You're the boss.'

* * *

Randy poked his head into the bedroom where Bob was lying half asleep on the bed. Darius had already left to help Pablo make breakfast.

'You look bushed,' Randy grinned. 'Hard night, uh?'

'Bob stirred and smiled. 'Not really. We talked halfway through the night and then he fell asleep in my arms. It was terrific, just holding him like that. He's one hell of a guy.'

'Same story with Pablo and me. Well .....a long story, actually. I have to talk to you about that. In the meantime I'm horny as hell.'

'You and me both,' Bob grinned.

Randy sat on the edge of the bed. 'Buddy, there's a lot going on, and there's something big I want to tell you, need your advice on. But I don't want it to affect our relationship. So right now it's important to me to show you just how much I love you, how much you mean to me. You're my man and I want to prove it. I want us be as intimate as two men can be. I want us to do things we would do only with each other. Can you understand?'

'Randy, when did I ever not understand you? Of course I do, and you can do whatever you like, you know that.' Bob grinned. 'And you also know what turns me on.'

* * *

A bit later they were ready. Both of the bodybuilders were naked, and Randy stood at the foot of the bed and surveyed his work. On his back, Bob's muscular body was doubled over. His wrists and his ankles were tied to the posts at the sides of the headboard, so his ass was raised in the air, waiting, completely vulnerable.

Randy sighed. 'God, I always forget how incredible you look. You take my breath away every time. Look here.'

Bob looked down between his legs and saw Randy's long, thick cock with a roaring hard-on. He gloried in the sight of the swarthy muscle stud, his demon lover poised to overpower him.

'What're you gonna do to me sir?'

'What do you think, man?'

He climbed behind Bob's ass and rested his dick head against the moist hole. 'You want it?'

'Always,' Bob said. 'I'm never whole until I feel your rod in my ass.'

'Here it is, then.'

Easily and smoothly he pushed his shaft into the willing ass, deeper and deeper until it slid up into Bob's gut and rested there.

'Oh, God,' Bob breathed. 'God I love that.' He looked up at the gleaming muscles flexing over him, then he lowered his gaze to the stud's pubic hair resting against his ass, the cock embedded deep inside his body. The sight, and the feeling inside him, made his own cock rock hard. Randy began slowly to pump his cock inside the ass he owned, then faster and faster until he was hammering the hot, moist hole.

Both men were approaching that euphoric state where nothing else mattered except their orgasm, their outpouring of passion for each other. But Randy had other plans. Suddenly he stopped and slid his cock out of the quivering ass.

'I want more,' he breathed.

'I know,' Bob said.

Randy began to caress the soft hole with his fingers, inserting first one, then three.

'Yeah.....' Bob moaned. 'Let me see you arm inside me, sir. Take my ass. It's yours, master. Hurt me, man.'

Randy's fist was dry but the hole was moist. With a swift, smooth movement he pushed his hand into the velvet inside of his lover's ass, luxuriating in the feel of the warm, silky wetness as he stroked his fingers against the sides. He curled his fingers to make a fist, then pulled his arm back.

Bob gasped as he felt the big fist pull back to his sphincter, then plunge deep inside him. He threw his head back in a convulsion of joy as he looked down and watched this glorious man's hairy arm piston back and forth in his ass.

Randy had never before felt such a sense of power over another man, a total ownership of this magnificent man's body. As he plunged his fist inside him he watched the sculpted, sweat-soaked muscles flex and strain as the huge arm invaded his body, assaulted his very manhood.

He gazed wildly into his lover's eyes that streamed with tears. 'This is it, man. Only you and me. Feel my arm inside you, buddy. We're one .... now and forever. I'm wild about you, man. I love pumping your ass. Nothing could feel like this. Nothing in the world.'

The fist pistoned in and out of the ass furnace as both men soared into a world of euphoria, of pure, passionate joy. Their dicks were rock hard, quivering with the first burning sensation of their rising juice. Their eyes flashed with shafts of excitement as they felt their bodies spasm uncontrollably. Their gleaming muscles flexed and heaved, shuddering in a convulsion of ecstasy.

Randy looked down at Bob and screamed, 'I love you, man. I fucking love you, man! You bastard, son-of-a-bitch! It's now, man.'

'Yes, sir. NOW ........'

Bob's cock reared up and poured with huge jets of hot, white liquid. His body was doubled over so his cock was pointing straight at his face. He opened his mouth and let the stream of semen gush down his throat. He gulped as his cock pumped ever more juice into his mouth. Then he closed his throat and held a creamy pool of his own cum in his mouth.

Randy saw nothing but the beautiful, chiseled features, the wild eye and the mouth open wide, splashing with the man's own cum. Randy's body shuddered and his cock exploded, shooting a thick wad of cum straight toward the incredible face. It poured straight into the open mouth, adding to the pool of cum inside, and dribbling out over Bob's chin and chest.

Randy knew what he wanted. He reached up expertly and released Bob's ankles, so his legs fell flat on the bed. Then the big construction worker climbed on top of him, leaned forward and locked his mouth against his lover's. With a sharp intake of breath he sucked in a gulp of creamy cum from the pool in his lover's mouth. In a wild ecstasy they sucked back and forth, sharing the hot semen from one mouth to the other, glorying in the taste of the liquid that had poured from both their bodies.

They were joined more closely than they had ever been. Randy had been deep inside Bob's gut and now their mouths were locked, drinking each other's cum in a delirium of joy. Semen spilled from their mouths and Randy rubbed his cheek all over Bob's, smearing both their faces with the juice of their intense passion.

* * *

A while later they were in the bathroom about to shower and Bob asked, 'Have you taken a leak yet this morning?'

'No, and I have a whole night's worth of piss inside me.'

'Me too,' Bob said. 'And it's just as well, 'cause it's my turn now. On your knees big guy.'

They both dropped to their knees facing each other. Bob took hold of his cock and pointed it upward. Taking his cue, Randy did the same. There was a pause as their eyes locked.

'Something new, something intimate you said,' Bob smiled. 'Open your mouth. Follow my lead.'

A dribble of piss came from the head of his cock, and then the stream began. Steam came off the hot urine as it arced high in the air. Bob's aim was perfect. The piss splashed into the construction worker's mouth and he swallowed hard. At the same time Randy released his own pent-up river of piss that filled Bob's mouth.

Kneeling on the floor they watched each other drink from the amber fountains that shot in the air. The gulped as much as they could but some of the hot liquid oozed down their chins, over their chests and down to the floor. They had a huge reservoir of urine inside them and it kept coming. When it finally lessened Bob closed his lips, his cheeks bulging from the pool of piss inside his mouth. Randy did the same and their mouths came together.

They did the same now as they had done earlier with their cum, only this time it was with the sharp taste of piss. Just as they had mingled their semen in their mouths they now mixed their piss. They passed the warm liquid back and forth from mouth to mouth, swallowing a little then sucking in more from their lover's mouth.

Bob pulled Randy onto the floor that was now soaked with the hot, rancid liquid. Their mouths still locked together their bodies embraced and they slid in the deep pool of urine. In the bathroom mirror they caught sight of two bodybuilders, veins etched in their bulging muscles that gleamed with sweat, cum and now urine.

The intimacy was now complete. It could have been utterly degrading, the two big men grinding together, sliding and splashing in a lake of warm piss. But it was not. It was the most incredible, passionate, euphoric sensation they now felt as their bodies fused together, soaked and lubricated by the juices that had poured from their magnificent bodies.

* * *

An hour later they were sitting at the kitchen table, freshly showered and relaxed. Randy spoke.

'Man, that was unbelievable. You always give me exactly what I want. You can't possibly know how much I love you.' He hesitated and lowered his eyes. 'There was a reason I wanted us to be that intense, that intimate. I have to tell you something and I don't know how you'll feel.'

They were interrupted by Mark who poked his head into the room, dressed in his uniform, about to leave for work.

'Oh good,' said Randy. 'Do you have ten minutes, Mark? I really need to talk to you guys together.... get your advice.' Mark sat down with them.

'Sure, man. I'm on duty in half an hour but I can spare a few minutes. What's on your mind?'

Randy hesitated, almost embarrassed. 'Well .... I guess I better come right out and say it.' He paused nervously, cleared his throat. 'I want to adopt Pablo.'

He tensed, waiting for their reaction and was amazed to see them smile. Mark looked at Bob, pulled out his wallet and tossed him a ten-dollar bill.

'What the fuck ...?'

Mark laughed. 'We've been talking a lot about you and Pablo. When Bob told me you were spending the night with the kid he said he wouldn't be surprised if you adopted him. I bet him ten bucks he was wrong. I guess I lost the bet.'

Bob put his arm round Randy's neck. 'For some time I've watched you with the kid and saw a look in you I'd never seen before. I knew something was up, even before you did.'

'You freak me out, man. You always know me better than I know myself. So you're not against it?'

'It's a terrific idea,' Bob smiled. 'Go for it. You'll make a great father. Hell, if you weren't my lover and I was a kid again I'd want you to be my dad.'

'Whew, that's a relief.'

'By the way, there's an attorney friend of mine in the legal department at work who could handle this.'

'Yeah, what about that, Mark?' Randy asked. 'What about the legalities? You think it'll fly?'

'You're in the clear there,' Mark said. 'When Pablo first came here I did some checking with DCFS.

'Come again?'

'A girl I know in Family Services helped me. She'd do anything for me.'

'I bet she would,' Bob grinned.

'Anyway, she dug into the archives and found out that Pablo's parents had been big druggers. They both died of overdoses soon after Pablo was placed in the foster program.'

Randy frowned. 'Should I tell Pablo this?'

Bob said. 'You should tell him his parents are deceased, but not how.'

'Yeah .... guess you're right, buddy. You always know best. Now, about Darius.'

'Ah, yes,' Bob said. 'That's delicate. He told me last night he's crazy about Pablo. He sees himself as a mentor, a kind of big brother, as well as his lover.' He put his hand over Randy's. 'Buddy, I think you should let me break the news to Darius.'

* * *

There was a special bond between Bob and Darius. The young black man worshipped him, admired and loved him. Darius had been in heaven sleeping in his arms the night before, so when Bob said he needed to speak to him alone Darius trusted him implicitly. But the conversation turned out to be a rocky one. When Bob broke the news, at first Darius was speechless. Then he said,

'So he's splitting us up? Me and Pablo?'

'No! God no!' Bob said. He explained that the two young guys would be closer than ever. They were regarded as lovers and would always be. Randy, Bob and Mark would always treat them equally.

'What does that make me, then? Some kind of son-in-law?'

Bob couldn't resist a smile. 'Buddy, you're Darius. You're strong, respected, loved by everyone here. Nothing practical is gonna change.'

Darius pouted. 'It's because I'm black.'

Bob never lost his temper but he almost did now. He snapped at Darius.

'That comment, young man, does not deserve a reply. And soon you'll come to me and apologize for it.'

Darius looked up at him. 'I'm sorry, sir. I apologize now. I can be a jerk sometimes. Please forgive me.

Bob softened. 'OK. We'll forget you ever said it.'

When the conversation was over Bob reported to Randy that the situation was still tense. Darius had a lot to take in, adjustments to make. As it turned out, the 'situation' resolved itself sooner than he thought ...... and in a spectacular fashion.

* * *

It was two days later and the two young men were working on the remodeling of the pool house. Randy had shown them how to erect a simple scaffold round the house to give them access to the roof and higher walls. Darius had learned a lot in his work at Randy's construction site and was taking the lead here. He was training Pablo, teaching him the tricks of the trade.

But there was still a tension between the two and the instruction sometimes became irritable. The strain between them was building. It was a Saturday morning. The scaffold was only half built, still flimsy, when the tension boiled over.

'No, idiot,' Darius shouted. 'You turn the wrench like this. That'll never hold.'

'That's not how you showed me before. Are you sure you know what you're doing?'

'What the fuck do you know about it? Just because you're gonna be his son doesn't make you the boss.'

'Well, he chose me, didn't he? He didn't choose you. What does that tell ya?'

Darius shoved him. 'I'm still your boss around here, though. Get it? Get it?'

'Fuck you, man. Go fuck yourself.'

Immediately they were rolling on the ground trading punches. Pablo was the superior fighter and had Darius in a headlock. But the young black man brought his fist down hard into Pablo's balls making him release the hold. They glared at each other.

Darius yelled. 'That hurt, didn't it, faggot?'

'You're the fucking faggot. I'll tell Randy you said that.'

'Yeah, well he can fuck himself too.'

'No, it's me he's gonna fuck. He told me. He likes me best and he's gonna fuck me.'

The shoving matched started again and Pablo pushed Darius hard against one of the scaffolding uprights. The pole shook, slipped from its foundation and fell, causing the whole scaffold to collapse. The two guys flung themselves clear and sprawled on the ground. It was then that they became aware of a shadow falling across them. They looked up startled.

Towering over them was the massive form of the construction worker. Randy stood with his legs astride, his arms folded across his chest. He was stripped to the waist, wearing only baggy beige cargo pants and boots. He looked incredible, and totally intimidating. He glowered down at them without a word. The two men jumped up.

They both swallowed hard. Pablo found the courage to speak. 'Have you, er, been here long sir?'

'Long enough to hear every word you two assholes said,' Randy growled through gritted teeth.

Pablo stood to attention. 'Sir, it was my fault, sir. I started it. Punish me, not him.'

Darius cut him off. 'He's lying, sir. It was me who started it. I'm the one you should punish.'

Their bid to take the blame became a contest and they began shouting at each other.

'SHUT UP!' Randy's bellow was followed by dead silence as the two young men froze. From the house Bob and Mark ran out, barefoot in jeans, pulling on tank tops. They had heard the huge crash and Mark asked, 'What the hell's going on?'

With one hand Randy grabbed Darius and Pablo by the neck of their T-shirts, pulling them both up so they were almost hanging from his fist. 'What's happening is this,' Randy snarled. 'These two assholes, these mother fuckers, these shitfaced losers think it's OK to fight each other, to disgrace themselves, insult me and call each other faggots. That will not happen in this house.'

Alarmed at Randy's blazing fury Bob took a step forward.

'Hey, buddy. Let me ..... '

Randy ignored him. 'Seems these assholes no longer like each other. Seems they hate each other's guts. Well we'll see about that. Right now I hate their guts. I will not be insulted by two fucking scabby-kneed kids. Not a word from anyone. I'll deal with this in my own way.' And with one hand he heaved the guys off their feet and flung them in a heap on the ground.

* * *

A few minutes later Bob and Mark sat at the edge of the lawn watching in anxious astonishment. A big tree branch hung high over the grass and a rope was thrown over it. The other end was wound around the wrists of the terrified Darius and Pablo. They faced each other, chests touching, arms stretched straight up, their feet only just touching the ground. In two rapid moves, Randy ripped their shirts from their bodies. Then he undid their jeans so they dropped round their ankles.

Randy grabbed a piece of cord and reach down to their groin. He wound one end tight round Darius's balls and the other end round Pablo's. Then he wound the cord so their balls touched, bound tightly together. Randy grabbed a long piece of rope and coiled it around their waists, pulling them tight together. Then he wound it round and round their two bodies, up over their waist and chest and fastened the end round their necks.

The two young guys were now cinched tightly together, chest to chest, from their balls to their necks. Their arms stretched upward to the tree branch and their bodies strained. Their faces were inches apart, eyes gazing into each other's.

Mark and Bob watched in silent awe as Randy pulled his belt from his pants. He spoke to the bound men. 'I told you two that if you ever got out of line I would whip your ass. Back there you got so out of line you're lucky a whipping is all you'll get.' He looked down at the two asses, the perfect globes of Pablo's incredible butt and the black mounds of Darius's flawless ass.

He took a step back, raised his arm and brought the whip crashing across Pablo's ass. The kid yelled at the stinging pain and his body jerked, sending further stabs of pain through the tightly bound balls of both men. Randy repeated the move with Darius, and as the whip crashed over his ass he too bucked and strained, bringing more agony to their balls.

'You will never, ever, insult me or discredit this house again,' Randy snarled.

Again and again Randy lashed with the belt, first around one ass then the other. The round globes bounced and shuddered under the blows and the two young men howled at the pain in their ass and balls. Their asses were soon striped red under the unrelenting lash.

Finally Bob stood up and whispered in Randy's ear. 'I think they got the message, buddy.'

Surprised, Randy stepped back and looked round at Bob. His first impulse was anger but then he saw that soft, kind, gentle, half smile in the eyes of the man he loved and his arm dropped. He put his hand behind Bob's head, pulled him forward and kissed him long and hard on the lips.

He took a deep breath, then said in a perfectly calm voice to Bob and Mark. 'OK, guys, wanna go for a swim?' He kicked off his boots and dropped his pants. Naked now, he began to walk to the pool, but then stopped and went back to the bound men. His face came close to theirs.

'One other thing, you ass wipes. Not a word .... all day. One word from you .... one word .... and you're out of the house for good. Now we'll see how much you hate each other.'

And the three masters dove into the pool.

* * *

And so that strange day progressed. The three beautiful muscular men had a great time, swimming, sunning, eating a big lunch, then playing cards over plenty of beer. They laughed, shouted, rough housed each other and relaxed in the heat of the afternoon.

And all the time, a few yards away, the two young men stood stretched, their balls and bodies bound close together, sweating in the hot sun, jeans round their ankles, their ass still stinging from the whipping they had endured. They knew they were forbidden to speak. In fact they were terrified of doing so, after Randy's threat. But their eyes and mouths were inches apart and they could barely move.

From time to time they would rest their head on the other's shoulder. But always they pulled back and were forced to gaze into the other man's eyes. At first their gaze held the remnants of their anger and defiance, but slowly the look softened. Each saw his own reflection in the other man's eyes, and their steady, intense gaze began to penetrate deep inside.

Their bodies were stretched and painful, but they were unable to verbally share, to commiserate, to tell the other man to 'hang in there.' Whatever sensations or emotions they felt had to be expressed through their eyes only. For hour after hour they stood stretched in the hot sun and their eyes learned to speak.

The other three men were still now, lying on the grass. Bob was concerned about the two young men and ventured to Randy, 'Hey, buddy. Don't you think ....... ?' but Randy cut him off.

'Watch. Not long now.'

For hours the two men had gazed into the eyes inches away from them and they began to enter a magical world, a world where the eyes can speak. Pablo looked into the beautiful green, almond-shaped eyes of his friend and frowned. Darius knew without any doubt what he was thinking. 'I'm sorry, dude. I must have been crazy. I love you, man. Please forgive me. Let's go back to the way we were.'

Darius's lips curled ever so slightly into a subtle smile. He knew what Pablo was thinking, and Pablo knew that he knew. Pablo smiled too. And from this simple beginning was born a growing understanding, an intensity, a love, a union of souls that they had never experienced before. They had never visited this world or anything like it. They were bound together in a mix of shared pain and pleasure.

'Watch,' Randy breathed as the other two men looked on silently, sensing that something remarkable was happening. They also saw something else. Pressed between the two stretched bodies were the two cocks, squeezed upright against their stomachs. And they were rock hard.

The faces now were wreathed in smiles. Even if they had been allowed to speak there was no need for words. Their eyes now said far more than mere words could ever convey. What happened next was inevitable. Their faces came closer and closer and they lightly licked the other's lips. Then their mouths closed over each other, gently at first, then building to a hard, grinding embrace.

At the same time their bodies moved within their rope restraints. They pressed together more tightly and their balls, tied together, rubbed against each other with a building frenzy. The three masters looked on in awe. They saw the bodies twist frantically together, balls grinding against each other, mouths exulting in a passionate exchange of oral juices.

Suddenly their faces separated and they gazed at each other one last time. Their mouths opened in a soundless scream and their bound bodies pulled slightly apart and shook in a spasm of joy. The cocks between them simultaneously exploded with streams of creamy liquid, shooting up over their chests and up further to their mouths. Their embrace was now lubricated by the white juice of their passion. They were in heaven, oblivious to space and time, unaware of the watching men, lost only in their intense, new-found love for each other.

Bob looked over at Randy, shook his head and smiled. 'You son-of-a-bitch.'

* * *

'So, what do you say?'

Randy had released the captives and they were standing, dazed, in front of him.

'Thank you, sir,' the young men said in unison,

'So. I wanted to see just how much you two hated each other. I think I got the answer.' Randy turned to Bob and Mark. 'Don't you think so guys?'

Mark grinned. 'Hate each other with a passion, I'd say.'

But Randy was stern as he turned back to the young men. 'Never, ever let me see you fight again. Go now. Make your peace. And later I'll speak to you both separately.'

With a final 'Thank you, sir,' they walked back toward the pool house, with Darius's arm over Pablo's shoulder. They were almost to the house when Pablo stopped and turned round toward Randy with a cheeky grin.

'Sir? Are we still on for the Galaxy game tomorrow?'

Taken aback Randy said, 'Yeah, yeah. Now get lost before I decide to whip your ass some more.'

'And that,' Bob whispered to Mark, 'is precisely why Randy loves him so much.'

As Randy turned round and walked back toward the house he could not smother the broad smile that spread over his face. He looked over at Bob and Mark and said, 'And what are you two grinning at? Assholes.'

* * *

Randy disappeared into the house and Mark shook his head. 'Wow, the guy is fucking unbelievable. No wonder they worship him. Has he made love to Pablo yet?'

'No, that comes next,' Bob said. 'But you know something strange? He's nervous about it. I've never seen him like that before. He wants it to be perfect.'

'I know that feeling.' Mark was silent. 'I wish there was some way I could help.'

Bob smiled at him. 'Oh there is. There's something you can do. Something real special.'