Disclaimers in Part 1

Warning: m/f in this, so it that squicks you, pass it by

Kiss Me, Kane

Part 16

In spite of his compact build and flamboyant good looks, Mike hadn’t scored in a long time. He had reached that stage in his life where he controlled his hormones, rather than the other way around.

And, quite frankly, he hadn’t met anyone he really wanted to fuck. Except, perhaps…. no. Kane was his good friend, and he wasn’t willing to jeopardize that friendship no matter what his libido might be thinking.

But David was one fine looking man!

Bemused by the fact that he was suddenly finding another man attractive, Mike barely noticed the petite brunette who was standing in the vicinity of Benita and her lover, Guy de Villiere.

Oh, she was pretty. Seriously pretty, her body toned and filling out that little red dress in all the right places. And when she walked, the fringe that decorated the hem and sleeve and neckline shimmied and trembled, enticing a man to slide his hands under it, to see if her skin was as soft as it looked.

He jerked himself out of his reverie. He wasn’t looking for a relationship, and he was sure she was the sort of girl who would settle for nothing less.

So he turned away from her, only sneaking occasional glances in her direction until a thoroughly sated David emerged from the walk-in closet, followed by a Kane who was clothed solely in unfastened jeans and a pair of handcuffs. And whose hair was a shocking shade of yellow!

It came out that David believed the brunette, his former roommate, was somehow behind the shocking change in his lover’s hair color.

Mike observed her closely then, observed her petulance and discontent and…unhappiness, and he wanted to ease her pain. Then he saw the way her eyes lingered on Kane’s lover, and he stiffened.

If Candy was bent on making trouble, then she was about to meet her worst nightmare, because Mike would let no one hurt his friend.

****

Sacks of groceries from an all-night supermarket filled Candy’s arms and she fumbled with the key to the apartment she had once shared with David McMillan.

Everyone was picking on her, and David didn’t love her anymore!

Kane had come to her for advice, and she had proffered it. He didn’t have to take it!

She wasn’t sorry she had persuaded Kane to color his hair, she assured herself.

She wasn’t!

But she could not get that last look David had pinned her with out of her mind. There wasn’t just anger there. There was rage. As if he would gladly find an excuse to circle her throat with his long fingers and just…squeeze!

She slammed the door shut so hard it bounced before swinging gently back in place, never noticing that the lock didn’t catch. The keys and her shoulder bag were allowed to fall heedlessly to the floor. The grocery bags were dropped onto the tiny table that served their…*her* needs. Frantic hands ripped at them and packages of chips, jars of marshmallow cream, bottles of soda cascaded to the floor.

Candy scooped up a package of Snoballs and tore it open with her teeth. She stuffed the coconut-covered white cake into her mouth, the creme filling smearing over her lips. The bottle of cherry pop she opened fizzed and spilled over and she gulped it mindlessly.

She took the second Snoball out and dipped it into the marshmallow cream, then twisted open a container of chocolate syrup, and covered the sickeningly sweet concoction with that.

The ringing of the telephone shattered the silence of the small apartment and jolted her to her senses, putting a halt to her feeding frenzy. Candy dropped into a straight-backed chair and buried her head in her arms. Ignoring the imperative demand of the phone, she began to cry.

****

Mike lost count of the number of times he let the phone ring while he waited for Candy to pick up. And he became concerned.

After all, there was a serial killer at large in the city.

And as much as he wanted to warm the seat of the little troublemaker’s panties for what she had done to his young friend, he didn’t want to see her seriously hurt.

Mike knew where she lived. Kane had walked him past the apartment house when he was in the beginning throes of his infatuation for the actor who shared it with her. Kane sneaked a peek at David’s personal file at the restaurant they both worked at to find his address, but had been too intimidated to pass it by unaccompanied.

So Mike had gone with him. He shrugged, that’s what friends were for. And now that information would stand him in good stead.

He slammed the receiver down.

“Hey, Butch…!” He turned to let his friend know he needed to leave but would return the next morning to supervise the clean up of the housewarming party.

Benita swallowed a smile. “You missed him, Mike. He and David have turned in for the night!”

Mike glanced first at his watch and then at the crowd that was still milling around the first floor of the remodeled house. He cocked an eyebrow at the petite psychic.

The man with Benita grinned unabashedly. “Ah, l’amour!” Guy murmured.

“He does have it bad!” Mike conceded. “Listen, I have to see about something that’s come up…”

The look in Benita’s eyes was knowing and he swore, having forgotten she was psychic. Her eyes became unfocused. “Go, Mike. Candy needs to have someone with her tonight. There’s danger…” She shook herself and forced a bright smile. “Go. Guy will give this lot his rich man in control of all he surveys look and they’ll be more than happy to go home!”

Mike expected the other man to take exception to her words, but Guy merely wrapped his arms around Benita’s tiny waist and pulled her back against him. Gently he rocked his hips forward, letting her feel his arousal, nestling it against the curve of her buttocks. His warm breath washed over her ear. She reveled in his closeness, knowing she would need it in the stressful times to come.

Mike felt an ache in his gut, and wished there was someone in his life who wanted to cuddle with him.

The door closed quietly behind the deli man and the roar of his motorcycle shattered the chill night air. Vintage World War I, he had rebuilt it from the wheels up. It was his pride and joy, and came complete with a sidecar. The only problem was the muffler. He was always meaning to replace the muffler, but somehow never got around to it.

****

It took him about ten minutes to make the trip from the part of town that housed Kane and David’s new residence to the neighborhood Candy lived in. It was still a nice area, but it teetered on the knife-edge of change, and the least breeze would send it toppling to the wrong side.

He parked in front of the apartment house and just sat there for a moment. Mike liked the feel of the antique cycle vibrating between his legs. He often wondered what it would be like to take a lover on that bike, to slide himself into the warm, moist depths of her body while the powerful machine idled. His eyes closed and he surreptitiously adjusted himself. It wouldn’t do to confront his friend’s bete noir with a raging hard on!

****

Eyes that were slightly mad watched from the shadows as Candy cradled her head on her arms, sniffling, but no longer weeping hopelessly. Now was as good a time as any…

A sharp rap on the door drew the attention of both occupants of the apartment.

“Candy? It’s Mike. Are you all right?”

Candy walked to the tiny foyer, taken aback to find the deli man hovering in the open doorway. “Mike!” Her lips were tight and her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “You could have waited for me to let you in!”

“The door was unlocked!” he defended himself. “I just knocked and it swung open!”

“Yeah, well, what do you want?”

“Maybe to offer you a little comfort?”

Candy’s mouth dropped in stunned surprise. Mike was Kane’s friend. Why didn’t he want to make her pay for what she had done to the young man?

And then she thought that maybe he did, that maybe this was just a ploy to put her at her ease, and then take his revenge. She gathered a breath to tell him what she thought of him.

Mike watched in fascination, as her breasts seemed in danger of spilling out of the little dress she wore.

Neither heard the window in the other room quietly sliding shut.

*****

Kiss Me, Kane

Part17

Rehearsals had gone on way over the allotted time, the author of the play growing increasingly frustrated and frustrating. Finally he threw a major tantrum and stalked out of the theater.

“That’s it for tonight, people,” the director gritted out. “Let’s take tomorrow off and see if the prima donna can learn to string together a coherent sentence. Unless you hear otherwise, be here bright and sharp in the A.M. on Friday.”

There was tired grumbling from the cast as they stretched to get the kinks out of stiff backs. David scooped up his jacket and was on his way out the door.

“Hey, Davey!”

“Yeah, Sal?” David waited patiently until his friend could reach him. A onetime lover, Sal was still competitive enough to enjoy beating out the other man for the lead role in this production. David didn’t begrudge him his victory. There might not be too many more in Sal’s future. He had tested positive for HIV.

Sal slung his arm around David’s neck. “We’re going out for a few drinks to wind down. Join us!” He nuzzled the skin under David’s ear.

“C’mon, Sal, quit screwing around!” David slid out of the embrace uncomfortably.

Sal’s face seemed to fall apart. “You afraid you’ll catch it by being hugged by me?”

“Sal, you’re a pain in the ass, you know that? If I wasn’t afraid when I sucked you off, why would I be afraid when you touched me?”

“Then why won’t you come with us?” Deep in his heart, the blond hoped that if he could just get his former lover into the casual atmosphere of the clubs they used to frequent together, he might have another chance at loving him.

“It’s been a long day, Sal. And Kane’s waiting for me. I just want to go home and crash!”

Before Sal could protest, David ran a friendly hand over the short blond hair and turned to leave. Sal stood forlornly watching his back until the theater door swung shut, praying that the other man would look back at him just one more time.

But David’s mind was on his young lover, and he left without another thought to the other actor.

****

“Honey, I’m hooome!” David called as he closed the door to the house that was fast becoming the first real home he had ever known. It was late, but not so late that he wasn’t expecting his young lover to be waiting up for him.

He saw the blinking light on the answering machine and walked to the telephone. Hitting the message button, he took off his jacket and went to pour himself a drink as he listened to the messages.

“Hey, Butch, it’s me. I haven’t been able to find what you’re looking for yet. When I do I’ll let you know. Got a hot date with Candy tonight. Wish me luck. Later, kiddo!”

David scowled at the machine. He wasn’t too thrilled that Mike, the deli man, was so certain Kane would recognize his voice that he didn’t bother to announce his name. He muttered a couple of curses under his breath and pressed the button for the next message.

“Hi, baby, it’s me. Guy is taking me out to dinner tonight, so I won’t be able to do that reading for you. Call me and we’ll set up another time, okay? Bye, sweetie.”

“Shit!” He had completely forgotten that he had asked Benita to read Kane for him again. And after all the arm-twisting he had done to get Kane to agree to it. The last time the psychic had read the younger man, David had gotten him high on heroin. Kane had revealed his love for David, his cock hard with the fantasies that had swirled through his drugged mind. David had refused Benita’s offer to leave them alone, and she had taken care of Kane’s hard on.

David shuddered as he recalled Kane’s reaction to the knowledge that the petite woman had jerked him off. He hated to think how close he had come to losing his lover before they had ever become intimate. Fortunately, Kane had a forgiving nature. He had taken the older man home and they had rocked each other’s world all night long.

He smiled, relishing that memory. It went completely over his head that Benita had not announced her name either.

There was one last message. “David, it’s Bernie. Where are you? I need to see you. It’s important. Call me.”

David pressed the button to erase the messages, wondering idly how Bernie had gotten this number. He hadn’t seen his old friend since the late fall, when he had taken Kane dancing.

Benita was very uncomfortable around Bernie. She would have told him nothing.

As for Candy, she hated Bernie’s guts, and never lost an opportunity to tell David he was wasting his time on the misogynist.

But David was loyal to his friends. He might have made a piss poor lover at one point in his life, but he stood by his friends through thick and thin. He winced at the trite phrase, and raised his voice once more. “Kane? Are you up, baby?”

David suddenly realized how quiet the house was. And how dark. Only a small night-light burned in the kitchen, illuminating the area by the telephone.

Was Kane angry with him because he hadn’t called to let him know he’d be late? He couldn’t still believe David was seeing anyone else, could he?

Panicked by the thought that his young lover might indeed believe that and might have gone out looking for a little payback, David ran up the curving staircase to their bedroom, which occupied the entire second floor. If Kane wasn’t in their bed, he had no idea where to look for him.

It dawned on David that he really knew nothing about Kane’s friends, other than Mike. Kane could be anywhere in the city, with God alone knew who, and David would be unable to find him.

His mouth dry, David slapped the light switch, casting a restless gaze around the enormous room. His eyes swept past their bed, and then jerked back. He sagged with relief. Huddled in the middle of the bed, buried under a mound of blankets, was a decidedly forlorn shape.

Smiling softly, he braced a hand on the edge of the bed and rubbed the rump that was all he could identify. “Baby, I’m home. I’m sorry I forgot to call you, but Barton was making things difficult, as usual.”

There was no response from the younger man, only long shudders that rippled through his frame.

“Baby, what’s wrong? Please. Talk to me.”

Kane shivered so hard David was surprised he couldn’t hear his bones rattle. “Don’t be mad at me, David. Please?”

David had never heard that tone of voice from his lover, even at his most desolated. He tried to pull him free of the blankets, but Kane only burrowed deeper into them.

“Kane. I love you. Whatever it is, I’ll always love you. Tell me what’s wrong, and what I can do to make it right!”

“Nothing!” came the forlorn moan. “There’s nothing you can do to make this right! You’re going to hate me!”

“Baby, you’re scaring me, now!” David tried to joke, but his heart was making an attempt to climb out of his throat. What could have happened to the young man in his bed? Recalling the attack by the group of young street thugs weeks before, lurid pictures of Kane being raped flashed through his mind. “Have you seen a doctor?” he demanded, really scared now.

“Huh?”

“How badly are you hurt? Are you bleeding?” Frantic hands tore at the blankets, finally revealing his lover. Kane’s arms covered his head and he ducked it down, keeping his face averted.

Peeking under his arm, Kane was aghast at the fear he saw in the older man’s face. He threw himself into David’s arms, seeking to reassure him of his physical wellbeing. “I’m all right, honey man. I’m all right!”

Shudders now swept through David, and he ran his hands over Kane’s body, desperate to confirm those words. Abruptly, he recoiled.

“Oh. My. God. What did you do to your hair?” Everything fell into place. “*This* is what you didn’t want me to see?”

Shame-faced, Kane nodded.

The fear trapping David left with a whoosh of breath and he dropped down onto the bed, his legs nerveless from relief. Less angry than he otherwise might have been, he rubbed his chin over Kane’s startlingly hued hair. “Tell me what you did,” he instructed mildly.

“I know you were pissed because I bleached it, so I decided to dye it back to my original color. Only the salesgirl told me I had to strip the yellow out first and she sold me something that was guaranteed to do that. Only it turned my hair green!” he ended with a wail.

“You know what you need, baby?”

Glumly, Kane nodded. “You’re going to spank me again, aren’t you?”

“Well, you deserve a spanking, little boy.” Kane grew hard. “But this is my fault too. Apparently I haven’t been doing enough to convince you that I love you, and that you don’t have to change anything about your delectable self to keep that love. Just go on being you.”

“David!” Kane held on tightly.

“And love me!”

*****

Kiss Me, Kane

Part 18

Kane lifted aside the heavy drapes that shielded the warmth of the home he and David were making together. Outside it was cold and blustery, a typical March day.

He looked at the curb-link platinum chains that nestled in his palms. A simple charm hung from each one. Together, the charms formed a perfect circle. Etched on the surface was the miz pah, an ancient shield against darkness.

The Lord watch between thee and me when we are parted one from the other.

Separated, the two halves looked as if they had been broken jaggedly in two.

Together, the charm formed a perfect circle.

****

David had not really been angry when he discovered that his young lover had wound up dying his hair green. But Kane had given him such a fright that he was determined to have him feel the weight of the pain that had torn through his heart.

“Get out of those clothes. Right now, little boy!”

Kane’s cock became so hard he whimpered. But he obeyed his lover and got to his feet, slowly peeling off the wrinkled jeans and shirt that he had worn to bed.

He stood before David, naked, tears streaking his cheeks.

“Don’t think that because I hate seeing you cry, I’ll let you get off easily. You’re going to be spanked so hard you won’t be able to sit for a week!”

“Yes, David,” Kane said softly, peeking at his lover through his lush lashes, thrilling to the stern look he saw on David’s face.

“Turn around and climb on the bed. On your knees, and brace your arms.” David began gathering his supplies while he waited for the younger man to obey him. “Now spread your legs. Wider!”

Kane jumped as a hard smack punished his right buttock. “Yes, David.” He shuddered and felt a drop of precome bead on the tip of his cock. Involuntarily his hips jerked and he reached to take his shaft in his hand.

Another hard smack caught his left buttock. “I didn’t give you permission to touch yourself, did I, little boy?”

“*David*!”

There was rustling behind him and he dared to steal a glance, enthralled to see the older man naked, his arousal jutting proudly before him. Kane felt something relax inside. David might be angry, but he still loved him. Even if his hair was green.

“What is it, little boy? Tell me what you want me to do to you.”

“Fuck me, David! Please!”

“I don’t think I’m going to do that. You’ve been very naughty, and you scared the shit out of me!”

Kane knew from the last that David had slipped out of character, and that he had been very frightened. Pain like white heat streaked across his ass, and he yelped. David was using the crop. Another blow fell on his upturned cheeks, and the heat became voluptuous.

After the fifth one, Kane lost count, wallowing in the warmth and the helplessness of his position. Tears were trickling down his cheeks, but the words flowing from his mouth did not indicate a cruel punishment.

“Harder, please, sir! David, crop me harder!” Kane’s ass was bright red, the skintight and hot to touch when the older man tossed the crop aside.

“Tell me what you want now, little boy!” But David was inserting a lubricated finger before Kane could answer him.

“Oh, yes! That’s what I want!” the younger man groaned.

Kane lowered his cheek to the sheet and raised his ass higher, trying to take the finger deeper into him. His lover withdrew it and he moaned a breathy protest. And then two fingers were sliding inside him, and a warm hand was stroking his weeping cock.

David pressed against the younger man’s prostate and Kane almost rose off the bed, whimpering at the delicious agony. This time when David removed his fingers, he replaced them with his condom-covered cock, forcing his way steadily into his lover’s needy passage.

When he was all the way in, the heat of Kane’s abused backside on David’s balls caused him to forget thoughts of further retribution. Instead of taking it slow and easy and tormenting the younger man by bringing him ever closer to climax, but never all the way there, David began pounding into him, his weight forcing the smaller man to hold still for the battering. David took his lovely cock in both hands and caressed him in time to his thrusts.

“*David*!” Kane was shuddering on the brink as his lover suckled the side of his throat, scraping his teeth across the sensitive spot. And then he was tumbling, falling, his climax so powerful he was insensate to everything but the man in him, on him, with him.

David stayed in Kane for as long as he could, but finally the trembling of the younger man’s thighs signaled his exhaustion. Gently, David eased out of Kane and discarded the used condom. Turning his lover onto his back, he licked the spatters of come that coated Kane’s chest.

He had come so hard that David found spatters on his chin as well. “I love you so much, baby! Don’t you ever forget that!”

Kane nuzzled against his lover, and smiled. “I’ll never love anyone like I love you, honey man,” he said drowsily.

David sighed contentedly and drifted into sleep, his hand lightly petting the younger man’s ass.

****

The next day David took Kane to a highly recommended hair salon and the damage he had done to his hair was corrected. It had taken all morning. Kane had fidgeted in the chair, his butt still sore from the night before. Every time he squirmed and looked over at David, the older man would give him a smile that had him squirming even more.

But by mid afternoon, Kane’s hair was back to its normal lustrous brown, although the golden highlights would have to return on their own. Barely pausing to give his stylist a hefty tip, Kane grabbed David’s hand and dragged him home, where he had every intention of spending the rest of the day in bed.

Waiting on their doorstep was Bernie. Kane felt his insides clutch.

“Bern! What are you doing here?” David asked, clouting his old friend on the shoulder.

“You never returned my call, David. I need to talk to you. Who’s this?”

“Bernie, you know this is Kane.”

“Oh, yeah, your busboy. Go ‘way, Kane. David and I need to talk.”

“Bernie, Kane isn’t my busboy anymore. He’s my …” David paused as he seemed to consider all the things that Kane was to him. A tender smile lit his face as he took in the younger man’s appearance. “He’s my everything,” he finished simply.

“David, he’s a fag!”

David stared open-mouthed at his friend. “Bernie, in case it hasn’t occurred to you, so am I!”

A dark flush crept up over Bernie’s cheeks and the look in his eyes turned ugly. “Don’t say that! You’re not! You’re not gay!”

“Bern…since junior high, buddy. You knew that!”

“No! Never! I couldn’t have loved you if you were queer!” Wheeling so sharply his overcoat flew open like a bird’s wings, Bernie rushed down the walk, going faster and faster until finally he was running.

“David, I’m afraid of him!” Kane whispered.

“No, baby, don’t be! He’s just…Bernie!” David shrugged helplessly. “But it might be a good idea if I urged him to seek professional help. The boy definitely looks like he’s unraveling!”

“David, this isn’t funny!”

“Do you see me laughing, baby? Bernie is one of my oldest friends, and I can’t do anything to help him!”

Kane slid his arms around his lover and held on. David dropped a kiss into his coconut-scented hair and urged him into the house.

“Hey, baby, I never gave you your housewarming gift, did I?”

”David, this house belongs to both of us! Having you here with me is the only gift I want!”

“Well, I’ve got something for you. Don’t tell me you don’t want it, you’ll break my heart!”

“And you know I’d never do that! All right, if that’s how you want to be, gimmee, gimmee!”

“Oh, baby, I do love you!” David opened the front door, then leaned down and scooped Kane up into his arms, carrying him across the threshold. He took his lips in a passionate kiss, and let him slide to his feet, making sure every inch of Kane’s body came in contact with every inch of his own.

Kane wound his arms around David’s neck and rested against his lover. David took the younger man’s left arm and brought it down. Between his fingers, the older man held a tiger’s eye sapphire in a scrolled setting. Kane’s eyes grew huge as David slid the ring onto his finger and kissed it into place.

“It’s official now, baby. We’re engaged!”

“David, you don’t have to... I don’t need a…”

“Yes, I do and yes, you do! I love you baby and I want everyone to know it!”

****

Kane smiled as he recalled how they spent the rest of the afternoon. And then Mike had called, to tell him he had found exactly what Kane had asked him to keep an eye out for.

Looking down at the larger chain that he would place around David’s neck, Kane felt, now more than ever, that his lover needed something to keep safe.

Kane just hoped that his love would prove to be that talisman.

*****

Kiss Me, Kane

Part 19

It was the weekend, and as usual, Salante’s was mobbed with the after hours crowd. Kane whisked from one table to another, snapping his fingers to make sure his busboy refilled water goblets, replaced fallen silverware, and removed used plates.

David would be working late at the theater again. He had auditioned for, and been accepted into a very exclusive, very avant-garde repertory company that did daring, fringe playwrights.

And to pay the bills, they performed Shakespeare on the weekends. To pander to the snobist elite, it had been announced that the plays would be authentic, done as in Old Will’s time, with men portraying every character, even the female ones.

Kane was a little uneasy with that notion. This week Twelfth Night was scheduled. He had been to some of the rehearsals, and the actor who played Viola, the twin who survived a shipwreck and was forced to dress as a man to earn her way, made a very pretty woman.

He was an even prettier man.

Kane did not like that fact. He did not like David holding that…actor’s chin between his fingers and almost kissing that pouting mouth.

The paying customers adored it. They never knew from one show to another whether this would be the one where they would see a man kiss another man. And so they flocked to the theater.

David loved the hoopla. He loved the notices he was starting to get in the local papers. And he loved the fact that after he came home from those performances, Kane would crowd him toward their bed, stripping the clothes off both of them, and make passionate love to him.

Oddly enough, the actor who was turning Kane as green as his hair had recently been, was straight. He was dating the make-up woman, who was a few years older than he. David found the whole thing as amusing as Shakespeare’s more clever comedies.

Denis, who was known for chasing and bedding anything with boobs, had been thrown for a loop when he met Josephine. He went after her, but she merely smiled indulgently at the younger man and refused to take him seriously. And so his pursuit became more and more earnest. Until he found himself well and truly caught.

They were into the last few scenes of the play. “Come, boy, with me; my thoughts are ripe in mischief: I’ll…” David snarled in character, to find that Denis was nowhere in sight. “I said, Come, boy…!”

And then the young actor stumbled to his mark, his cap askew, the greasepaint on his mouth smeared. His eyes were crossed and he peered myopically in the general direction of David’s voice. “And I, most jocund, apt, and willingly, to do you rest a thousand deaths would die.”

David couldn’t help himself: he lost his focus and broke up. This was the night the audience got what they were salivating for. David grabbed the young actor and kissed him, to cover up his laughter.

Fortunately, this was the night when Kane was not there.

Unfortunately, someone else was.

****

What was David thinking of, kissing that slut in front of the whole audience? The lurker in the shadows of the mezzanine clenched his fists impotently. He turned abruptly and stalked past others who could only find admission in the SRO section.

Toes were trod upon and shoulders were brushed rudely past. More than one injured party opened their mouth to protest, then thought better of it when they looked into his eyes. Pausing in the lobby, he glanced around, then made his way out of the theater and down the alley that led to the stage entrance.

The old man whose job it was to keep unauthorized personnel out, was in the john, and the watcher was able to slip into the dressing room unseen. Thunderous applause filtered down to where he waited, and then excited laughter as the actors hurried backstage to meet with the wealthy ‘angels’ who sponsored this company and with the press who came for the free food and drinks.

Denis was even more euphoric than the others. Josephine had kissed him deeply, endeavoring to count each of the caps his dentist had been at such pains to implant in his mouth. And she had whispered her agreement to finally meet him after the show.

He threw open the door of the dressing room he shared with David and bounced in. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize someone was already in here. Are you waiting for McMillan? He should be right…Hey! Owww!”

To Denis’ shocked amazement, the stranger had struck out at him. He recoiled and stared stupidly at the thin line of red that appeared across his middle. His fingers reached toward it, and came away stained with blood. Staggering backward, he managed to get himself into the corridor before he collapsed against David.

David went to the floor with him, cushioning the limp weight. “Denis, what…?” He looked into the dressing room. “Bern, what are you doing here?” And then he saw the knife, and the blood beading its edge. “Oh, God, Bern! What have you done?”

Bernie’s eyes no longer held even a hint of sanity. “You’re mine, David! You’ve always been mine!” He stepped toward his friend and the actor flinched and tightened his hold on the unconscious man. Bernie touched him fastidiously with his toe. “He’s trash, David. You should have been kissing me! I’m much better for you! Why can’t you see that?”

“Get out of here, Bern! Just go!” David whispered harshly. He raised his voice. “Someone call 9-1-1! There’s been an accident!”

Bernie leaned down and took the earring the younger actor wore as part of his costume. With an abrupt yank, he tore it from his earlobe, and more blood was added to the streaks on his tunic. And then he was gone, and David was struggling to keep from vomiting.

The cast and crew gathered around, stunned by the violence that had been committed in their theater.

They backed away as Josephine came running. “Oh, mon Dieu! Denis!” She sank to her knees and cradled his head to her lush bosom.

David had carefully opened the tunic, and breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s not deep, just through the upper layers of his skin.”

“Why then has he fainted?” the make-up woman demanded.

David shrugged. If someone had pulled a knife on him, he was pretty sure he would have passed out too.

By this time the ambulance had arrived and the EMS techs took over. They appeared to agree with his assessment. They wiped off the blood and applied a pressure bandage, and prepared to transport him to the nearest hospital.

David staggered to his feet, his hands shaking. Who did he think he was, Cleopatra, queen of denial? Candy had warned him more than once that Bernie was not too tightly wrapped. And Kane had begged him to be careful…

He bolted for the pay phone and cursed his costume for being without pockets. “Whose got a coin? I need to make a phone call!”

One of the crew tossed him a quarter and he fed the phone and punched in the numbers to the home he and Kane now shared. It rang, and rang.

There was no answer. Not even the machine picked up. David felt his heart give a lurch.

“Shit!” He slammed down the receiver and retrieved the coin, then dropped it in the slot again and dialed another number.

“Candy, it’s David. Is Mike there? Please, I need to talk to him right now!” He chewed on his lip and would have paced if the phone cord had been long enough. “Mike!” He gave a sigh of relief.

“What’s up, David? You’re putting a damper on a hot date, you know!”

“I need you to go pick up Kane. He’s working at Salante’s.”

“David…” Mike wasn’t able to continue.

“Please be careful! Bernie sliced someone here at the theater, and I’m afraid he might go after Kane now.”

“I’m on my way, David. Try not to worry.”

“Mike, keep him with you, please. And have him call me here as soon as you have him.”

Feeling a little more at ease, David hung up the phone and waited.

He had been involved with a few cop shows, enough to know the drill. A knife wound would be reported to the police, and Denis would be questioned. They’d probably want to question him as well, since he had seen who had done it.

David lit a cigarette, although he had promised his young lover that he would quit, and began puffing. He really needed a drink too. He glanced at the wall clock and started pacing.

****

Kane looked up from where he was splitting the tips with his busboy. “Mike! What are you doing here? We’re closed, but I can get you a bite, if you don’t mind something cold.”

Mike’s face was pale, and the lines around his mouth stood out in bas-relief. “You’re coming with me, kiddo.” He noticed the young man’s hand go to the chain he wore around his throat.

“David?”

Mike shook his head. “He’s fine. You know he worries when you stay out late.”

Kane’s lips tightened into a determined line. “What’s wrong, Mike? The last time David wanted me watched was when my father…” He choked. After all this time, he still had trouble accepting the lengths his father had been willing to go to get him.

“It’s Bernie. Apparently he cut someone at the theater. Not David! Calm down! David is afraid for you. You’re not going to make me get ugly in order to get you to cooperate, are you, Butch?”

Kane shook his head and pushed the tips to where his busboy sat watching the unfolding drama with interest. “Take this. Go home!”

“David wants you to call him at the theater, Butch.”

“Okay, yes. I’ll…” Kane made the call and waited impatiently until someone finally answered. “I need to speak with David McMillan. This is Kane.” He listened in silence. “What do you mean, he’s not there. Where the fuck is he? All right, all right, I’m sorry.”

“Maybe he went home, Kane,” Mike said quietly, rubbing his young friend’s shoulders. Kane nodded his head jerkily and dialed again. His breathing was audible.

“There’s no answer. I want to go home, Mike.”

“Let’s go back to Candy’s place. It’ll be safer, and you can try calling him again from there.”

“I want to go home, Mike.” Kane’s mouth took on a mulish look.

“Kiddo…”

Kane shook his head. “Please, Mike!”

His friend sighed and nodded. He needed to get Kane someplace safe as soon as possible.

His motorcycle roared through the night. He could feel the tremors coursing through the young man’s body. And every now and then he could make out the words that spilled from his mouth. “Don’t let him be hurt. Please God. Don’t let him be hurt.”

*****

Warning: m/f

Kiss Me, Kane

Part 20

The man in the somewhat worn business suit slowed his pace. He was in a part of town that was familiar to him, but he had no recollection of how he had gotten there.

The clubs had closed down for the night, and the area was fairly deserted. A couple of junkies, hoping to cop one last score, a few hookers looking to make enough to pay the rent.

And him. His brow furrowed in confusion, he considered taking one of the hustlers back to his place, but he never shit where he slept. And besides, he didn’t need to pay for it: he could get it for free any time he wanted it.

It was just that lately…he wanted something different. He wanted David.

Bernie had waited years for him, accepting the meaningless one night stands, the impersonal sex that his friend substituted for love.

When David had gone east to the big city to try his luck in the theater there, Bernie was caught short. He hadn’t had time to make his move. That was when he started looking for something to take his mind off his friend. He had found it in those faceless, nameless nonentities, secretaries, hairstylists, students.

But then David returned, and Bernie was sure that it was going to be his turn. He was the one David loved, that he had always loved.

Only David didn’t seem to realize this.

Now the actor was involved with someone else. Bernie clenched his hand in his pocket and winced and swore. He’s forgotten about the knife he’d slipped in there. Pulling his hand free, he eyed the blood welling from the cut across his palm in disgust. This was something else he could blame on that tramp his friend, his…friend was living with.

Bernie knew how to get there. He had been there before, had even stayed overnight one time after he had disposed of that inconvenient bitch who had fought back and left him bloodied. David had believed him when he said it was the result of a brawl in a sports bar.

Sweet David. He was such a sexy piece of meat. But so stupid! Bernie had told him that night that when he was away he had missed him, but David acted as if that was only his due and had gone to bed.

Bernie was going to love getting into his cock into David’s ass after all this time. He’d show his friend what it was like with a real man. He’d fuck him so long and so hard David would never be able to get him out of his mind again!

He looked around and got himself oriented. Then he began walking in the direction that would take him to his friend.

****

Candy was in a petulant mood. What was it about her that caused the men in her life to drop her? For another man?

Mike, the man she was dating had split as if his tail was on fire. And what a nice tail it was, too, she mused.

That call from David, who had been her lover for about two seconds a few years ago, had sent him rushing out to find Kane.

David loved Kane. Mike was inordinately fond of the young man. So what was it about him, that drew both the men she was interested in?

She had worn that sexy little red dress in the hopes of luring Mike into doing more than making out on the stained futon. The last time she had put it on had been for Robert, the bartender who couldn’t decide if he was married or not. His lovemaking had left a good deal to be desired.

She sighed, recalling how, when he asked her if she had come and she replied it was fine, Robert had accepted her lukewarm enthusiasm. And she had let him fuck her without a condom, too. How stupid could one woman be, that she’d risk her life because she wanted to be loved?

So Candy had turned to Geri. She thought the schoolteacher might be able to give her what she sought, but something was missing there too.

She guessed she wasn’t cut out to be a lesbian. For her, being eaten by a woman wasn’t half as satisfying as being fucked by a man.

She had finally given up looking for that one person in the world who would have complimented her, who would have made her feel whole. That was when she found Mike, at David and Kane’s housewarming.

Their relationship actually started when Mike realized that she was behind Kane’s shocking change of hair color. He had come to her apartment, and somehow or other she found herself over his knee. His broad, calloused hand had edged under the hem of the casual romper she wore, palming her buttocks. And then a blunt finger had stroked the crotch of her silk panties, causing them to dampen.

The shock of his hand spanking her was so sudden that she struck out with her legs in protest. He wound his leg around hers, controlling her movements. Mortified by being treated like a child, startled by feelings that were in no way childlike, she swore at him, every foul phrase she could remember David using, but Mike ignored her cries. He just continued to paddle her lush tush while he stroked her moist folds.

And then, unexpectedly, she came. And it had been the best climax she had ever had.

That had been weeks ago, and Mike still hadn’t made love to her, but Candy was getting more determined to have his cock inside her. She had been positive that tonight was the night, and then had come that goddamned phone call!

She stalked around the darkened room, kicking her toe against whatever got in her way. She was deep in a fantasy of Mike, naked, his cock rising proudly, and she swallowing it, when a soft purring brought her back to reality.

Lying on the radiator was the cat that David always fed, but claimed not to. Candy had never permitted him to bring it into their apartment.

****

“Hey, McMillan! Phone for you!”

David glanced over his shoulder. He had about worn a path in the carpeting that covered the corridor that led to the dressing rooms. He pinched out the end of his cigarette and took the receiver. “McMillan.”

“David, it’s Candy!” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“What’s up, C? I can’t stay on the line long, I’m expecting a call from Kane.”

“David, I think someone is here in the apartment with me!” The fear came across clearly.

“Have you called the police?” David demanded.

“I want Mike.” Her tone was forlorn. “Oh, God, David, I’m so scared! That damned cat you were always feeding is sitting on the radiator right under the window. The window is open!”

It was too late in the year, too cold for Candy to have left that window open. David felt frigid fingers squeeze at his gut. “Candy, call the police!”

She wasn’t listening to him. “I tried calling your place, but the phone just rang. David, what should I do?”

“Fuck calling the police! Get out of there now Candy! Do you hear me?”

“Yes. All right. I’m on my way out. Oh!” Her voice became shrill. “What do you…*Bernie*? What are you…” and then the phone went dead.

David didn’t waste any time. “Someone, call the cops and get them to my old place!” He dropped the receiver and ran out of the theater.

Why was there never a cab around when you needed one?

He started running.

*****

Note: skint is flat busted broke

Warning: Language (I’m a lady, I am!), violence, character death.

Kiss Me, Kane

Part 21

Bernie had the little red dress that Candy wore down off her shoulders, trapping her arms and leaving her breasts exposed. He crouched over her as she lay writhing beneath him, helpless on the floor.

His knife glinted in the stray light that filtered in through the open window.

Candy’s flesh was pebbled with goose bumps from the chill air that was permeating the room. Her nipples were painfully tight, and stood upright, calling unwanted attention to themselves.

Bernie scraped the edge of the wicked blade up the curve of her breast and let it rest just beside a nipple. “Do you know how sharp this blade is?” he asked idly. “With just the least little pressure I could…”

He let the thought sink into Candy’s mind and smiled in satisfaction as he saw her imagination run wild. Her eyes widened in horror and her breath caught in her throat.

“No!” she could barely whisper. “Oh, please, no!” She hated the pleading tone in her voice.

Bernie grinned and eased back, his hands going to the hem of her flirty skirt. He frowned when he realized that he couldn’t raise it with her lying there like that. He lifted himself off her legs to slide further back.

“He wants to taste you, you know.” He leaned forward and started licking and biting a path up from her thigh. “Hot. Wet. Red!”

Candy screamed shrilly and bucked under his weight. Somehow she managed to get her legs free of him and caught him under the chin with her knee. Bernie reared back with a howl of rage and pain and Candy was able to roll away from him.

Before the unhinged man could seize her again, the apartment door burst open.

Bernie stared at the man that he wanted, had wanted for what seemed like a lifetime. //Look at me!// his mind wailed. //*Love* me!// But all he saw in those dark eyes was horror and sadness. With a cry of despair, he dropped the knife and fled the apartment.

David ran to Candy, who was sobbing helplessly, a hand over her mouth to hold back the hysteria that was threatening to overwhelm her. He stroked her hair gently back from her eyes as she burrowed into his arms. “Candy, I have to go after him!”

She nodded and rubbed her cheek against his sleeve. “Stop him, David!” She swallowed another sob. “I’ll be okay. But, please, be careful!”

David went out into the hall and listened carefully. He could hear the pounding of footsteps on the stairs leading up and he turned and began to follow after them.

****

Candy listened to the silence of the room as she dragged herself over to the phone. She dialed David’s home number and this time someone picked up.

“David?” Kane’s voice was pathetically anxious.

“Kane, it’s Candy. You’d better get over here right away. Is Mike with you? Can I speak with him?”

“Yes. Wait a minute.”

There was a pause as Kane handed the phone to his friend. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

She burst into tears. “Mike, Bernie was here. I …”

“Are you all right?” His panic soothed hers.

She nodded, although he couldn’t see her action, and tugged her dress up over her breasts. “Please, Mike. I need you.”

“I’ll be there as fast as I can!”

****

The entire ride to Candy’s apartment Mike cursed the fact that Kane’s Porsche was in the shop. The way his friend drove, they would have made the trip in record time.

He had tried to convince Kane that it wouldn’t be a good idea to go with him, but one look at the younger man’s white, constricted face, and he had given up on that. Mike climbed on his bike and Kane mounted behind him, holding on for dear life.

****

The door that opened onto the roof was just banging back against the wall. David went through it and up the short flight of metal steps that ended on the flat expanse of rooftop.

Bernie stood by the edge of the building, gazing down onto the street below. He was lost in memories of all the times he and David had shared a bottle of vodka if they had money, or a beer if they were skint. They would smoke a cigarette and read the newspaper on this roof. David had been so shocked when he realized Bernie was spitting over the side. “They never know where it comes from,” he had told the actor.

David approached the other man cautiously. “Bern, come on, get away from the edge.”

“Give me one good reason why, man.”

“You’re my friend, Bernie.”

“So’s that cunt, Candy. Not good enough, David. Not nearly good enough. You’ve got too many fucking friends.”

“What do you want from me, Bern?” David was close enough to his friend to touch his sleeve. He remembered when he had asked that same question of his young lover. //I just want to be your friend,// Kane had answered hesitantly, knowing that the next few minutes would change his life forever.

//I don’t need another friend!// David had spat.

//What do you need?//

//I need a lover!// David had been aghast at the words that had come unbidden from his mouth, and would have left, only Kane had opened his heart to him and taken him in.

Bernie spun around so quickly that David was unable to control his flinch, and the other man’s face hardened. “I want you, David.”

Now his breath fanned David’s mouth and he leaned forward to press their mouths together. The actor’s lips were a tight line. Bernie licked at the seam delicately. “Open to me, David,” he whispered.

David jerked his head back and turned his face aside. “I can’t, Bern.”

Bernie’s eyes reflected the madness within. “It’s Candy, isn’t it?”

“Bernie, I’m gay.”

“Then why not me, David?” He seized David’s mouth, biting at it brutally.

David stood unmoving, letting his old friend assalt his mouth. Bernie’s fingers wound in his hair and yanked it back so hard that tears formed in the other man’s eyes. “You’ll love me, David, or I’ll kill you like the others!”

“I’m sorry, Bern, I can’t. I love someone else!”

“It’s that kid, isn’t it? The one you were with at the arcade that time I bought some coke! Your busboy!”

David refused to discuss the younger man with his friend. “Why, Bern? Why’d you do it?”

The deep-throated roar of a motorcycle shredded the stillness of the night.

Bernie released his friend and shrugged. “Secretaries, hairdressers, cashiers. They weren’t important. They weren’t…you.” He walked back to the low wall that edged the building.

“Bernie, let me get you help.” The wail of the police sirens tore down the street.

“I need help? I need help?” He laughed bitterly, and a single tear curved down his cheek and clung to the corner of his mouth. He stepped up onto the wall.

David leaped forward and grabbed for Bernie. Their fingertips touched. For a single moment, Bernie’s eyes were sane. His smile was sweet, and he was the friend of David’s younger days. “I love you, David.”

Flinging his arms wide, as if to embrace the night, Bernie let his weight tip him backward and he went over the edge of the building.

David stood frozen, hunched against the sound of his friend landing on the roof of the police cruiser below. Vaguely he heard footsteps ringing on the metal steps, but he was too shocked by the events that had just taken place to connect that with the sudden appearance of Kane at his side.

The younger man’s arms went around his lover. He eased David down as his legs gave way under him and he collapsed onto the roof, curling in on himself. Desolate, racking sobs shattered him.

Kane stroked his hair and murmured softly in his ear, pressing warm, gentle kisses over his lover’s face. He pulled David deeper into his embrace and rocked him, as a trail of silver tears streaked his own cheeks.

His hand gripped the charm that hung from his lover’s neck.

*****

Kiss Me, Kane

Part 22

All through the misery of that night, David had clung to Kane, waking from nightmares in which his lover had been the one Bernie had at the mercy of his knife. Unable to reveal the horror of those dreams to the younger man, David had swallowed his terror, turned Kane onto his stomach, and slid his length into the snug passage that beckoned him home.

Afterwards, David had fallen asleep still buried in his lover, and Kane remained motionless, reluctant to lose the warmth of the older man within him and around him. But eventually David’s cock slid out of him, and Kane lost his battle to stay awake.

And then the nightmares returned and the scenario was replayed. David’s fingers were gentle but implacable as he stroked the crevice between Kane’s buttocks and pressed his cock past the tight ring of muscle. Roused from a sound sleep, the younger man sighed in drowsy pleasure and spread his legs wider, content to let David thrust into him, savoring the glide and the burn of his lovemaking.

David had groaned and stiffened as he poured himself into his lover. His weight bore Kane down to the sheets and he murmured a protest at landing in the wet spot. Warm lips caressed the side of Kane’s throat, and then David’s breathing evened out to the deep, steady rhythms of slumber.

The next time the nightmares attacked, David was too exhausted to fight his way out of sleep. He tossed and moaned, finally crying out, “Kane! The knife!”

The younger man jerked up, his heart thudding in panic. David thrashed around, fighting the pillows, tangling the sheets. “Bernie, no! Please! Don’t hurt Kane!”

“It’s all right, honey man. I’m okay. Bernie didn’t get me.” Kane’s soft murmurs reached his lover’s unconscious and loosed the hold of the nightmares.

Easing himself out of bed, Kane took a moment to clean the residue of the night’s passion from his body, then got a fresh washcloth and dampened it. He returned to the large bed the two men shared and knelt next to his distraught lover. Running the cool cloth over David’s flushed face, Kane wiped away the tears and the sweat of the frightening dreams.

David opened his eyes, remembrance fading to nothingness. “Kane. What is it, baby?”

“You had a bad dream, David. That’s all. I’m here. I’ve got you. I won’t let you go.”

David sighed and settled deeper into his lover’s embrace. And this time, Kane kept the nightmares at bay.

****

Kane had held David, and comforted him, and cradled him in his arms through the dark hours of the night. The older man had roused once more; this time to the feel of his lover’s riotous curls feathering his skin as Kane licked a path across his abdomen to his half-hard cock.

Which did not remain half-hard for long.

The younger man had shown a remarkable talent for cock sucking, and he never hesitated in swallowing. David couldn’t remember ever being loved so unselfishly. The flutter of Kane’s tongue over the slit at the tip of David’s cock, the pressure of his teeth along its length, just short of painful, had the older man shuddering on the verge of orgasm.

Kane had squeezed the base of David’s erection and the need to come abated for a while longer.

But it couldn’t be halted, and eventually his thrusts became more and more erratic as he fucked Kane’s willing mouth. And then he drove himself deep into Kane’s throat and

erupted in a volcano of completion.

With a groan of satisfaction, he had slumped bonelessly onto the mattress and slept.

The sun was climbing high in the morning sky when David finally awoke, alone in their bed. The younger man was nowhere to be found in their bedroom, which comprised the entire second floor, but the alluring aroma of dark brewed coffee was wafting up from the kitchen below.

David slipped on what Kane loved to describe as his dressing gown, but which was in reality just a toweling robe. The hem reached to mid thigh, and Kane’s eyes always sparkled with interest whenever he could convince his lover to wear it.

Rubbing his hair absently, the actor made his way down the curving staircase to the first floor, grumbling at the chill of the bare parquet floors. He followed his nose to the breakfast nook, which faced the rear of the house.

A steaming mug of hazelnut coffee sat, abandoned, on the round table that had pride of place at the center of the nook. David picked it up and sipped, unerringly finding the spot that Kane’s lips had touched.

Standing before the windows, he contemplated the large, grassy lawn that spread from the house to the wooded area that edged the perimeter of their property. It was yellowed from the cold of winter, but he knew that come the spring it would become a sea of green.

A sudden vision of Kane, naked on that grass, with him comfortably between his thighs, made David’s sated cock twitch with interest.

A subdued splash caught his attention and he turned his head. Through the floor to ceiling glass walls that separated this portion of the house from the pool area, David saw his lover leisurely stroking across the length of the Olympic-sized pool.

When he reached the shallow end, Kane jack-knifed around and swam back the way he had come. He hoisted himself onto the deck, and as the water sheeted off his compact frame, it became apparent that he was swimming au naturel.

The way David loved best. He smiled to himself and refilling the mug, he walked through the short passage that led to the lower sundeck that bordered the inner half of the pool.

“Morning, baby.”

Kane’s eyes were tired, but they lit up when he realized his lover had joined him. “David!” He flowed into his arms and pulled his head down for a leisurely kiss. “Mmmm, you taste of coffee.”

He took the mug from the older man. David watched avidly as Kane’s adam’s apple bobbed with each swallow.

“I love you so much, baby.”

“What’s that in aid of?” Kane regarded him cautiously.

The corner of David’s mouth curved up and he retrieved the mug. “Can’t I tell you that I love you?”

“Well, yes. And I know that you do. You just don’t tell me very often.”

“My mistake, baby. I’ll have to remedy that. I love you today.” He kissed his lover’s lush mouth. “Tomorrow.” His lips traversed Kane’s cheek to his jaw. “Always.” His teeth latched onto the lobe that bore the silver earring that matched his own and bit down gently. “Will you do something for me, baby?”

“Anything, David! I’ll even marry you if you want me to! Oh, no, wait a minute!” Kane licked David’s throat. “I already promised to do that!” He dissolved into relieved laughter.

David smiled into Kane’s chocolate brown eyes. “Yes, you did, and I’m holding you to that.”

Kane snuggled deeper into his arms. “I wish you were just a poor, struggling actor, David.”

“Good God, Kane! Why?” David was distracted from what he had been originally going to say

“I’d give anything to keep you.”

David stared at his young lover. “Let me get this straight. You want me to be poor, so you can be my sugar daddy?”

“Yeah. That would be so hot.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sure!” Kane began to wax enthusiastic. “I’d take you to fancy restaurants, and show you off. I’d take you to those really snooty men’s furnishings shops and buy you all these expensive threads, and make sure all the salesmen knew you were mine!”

“Kane, you’re depraved!”

“But you love me anyway!”

‘Well, didn’t I just say so?” David began crowding Kane back toward a chaise longue, intending to ravish his body.

And the doorbell chose that moment to ring.

“Damn!’

“Well, hell!” Kane groused. David snatched a final kiss before the younger man scooped up his own robe and slipped into it.

“Are we presentable? Nothing’s showing that shouldn’t be, is it?”

Kane glanced down before he could prevent himself, and blushed. “I’ll get the door.” He hurried to the front of the house.

“Kane!”

The younger man stopped short, stunned at the fear in that one word.

David tried to smile, but it was a travesty of his usual insouciant grin. “Make sure you check the peephole first.”

Kane paled and nodded jerkily. But David was right behind him as he crossed the short vestibule that led to their front door. Hefted casually in his right hand, was the carafe of coffee, the best he could do for a weapon on the spur of the moment. He’d have to go out and buy a baseball bat. He’d be damned before he resorted to a gun!

It would be a long time before he would get over the nightmares that saw Kane substituted for Candy, and no white knight handy to rescue him.

Benita was waiting impatiently to be let in. She hugged Kane, and then David, eyeing the carafe. “Fresh coffee? Wonderful, I need it after the morning I’ve had!”

Kane did a double take when he saw the jug. David shrugged and gave a weak smile, then led the way back to the kitchen. He took down a mug for his friend and sat with her in the nook while Kane set about making some breakfast.

“Aren’t you going to ask how David is doing?” Kane asked as he broke eggs into a bowl and began whisking them.

“No, I can see his aura, and he’s going to be fine. I do have a question to ask, though.” Benita smiled into her coffee and watched the two men she was so fond of.

“But you’re psychic, Nita. You’re supposed to know the answer to all the questions,” David teased.

“Oh, I do. Sometimes,” she said, reminding him that while she had seen danger around him, she hadn’t been able to pinpoint the target. “I was just wondering if Kane does.”

“If I know what?” Kane asked absently as he slid the French toast onto plates. He drizzled them with maple syrup and then sprinkled confectioner’s sugar over them. With a flourish, he set the plates before his friend and his lover. Then he took the pitcher of warmed syrup and the butter dish and placed them on the table between them. “Let’s eat. I’m starved.”

They all took a bite. Kane’s cooking was surprisingly delicious. He took another sip from the mug he and David were sharing and realized that Benita had never answered his question. “What am I supposed to know?”

Benita paused with the fork halfway to her mouth. Her lips curled in a wicked smile.

“When you’re going to marry David.”

*****

Kiss Me, Kane

Part 23

David took Kane’s hand and rubbed his thumb over the tiger’s eye ring that the younger man was never without.

“So, baby. When are you going to make an honest man of me?”

Kane’s eyes softened and he leaned toward his lover, taking his lips in a kiss that tasted of want and need and love. And maple syrup.

Benita cleared her throat and hid her smile behind the rim of her coffee mug. “I really wish you guys would pick a date. Maybe that would get Guy off my back.”

“What?” David’s brows drew together in an impressive frown. As an actor, he knew how to do disapproval really well. “What’s the rich man been doing to you?”

“Back off, David,” the psychic bristled. “*I’m* the only one who calls him that!”

Her friend’s mouth tightened as he struggled to prevent a grin. Well, well. It seemed things were progressing between the dominatrix and her one-time client.

“Okay, sorry. What’s de Villiere been doing to get your panties in a twist?”

She scowled at him, but she was too concerned with the sudden turn of events with her own lover to maintain her snit. “He wants me to meet his family.”

“Well, it’s about time. You’ve been seeing him how long now?”

“You know very well how long it’s been, David McMillan! You paired with Kane around the same time!”

“So I did.” David smiled as he felt his young lover’s bare toes stroke up his calf under the table.

“I don’t see what the problem is, Benita,” Kane remarked, his foot comfortably in David’s lap. Absently he began rubbing his heel against the flesh that was hardening beneath it.

She looked exasperated. “Kane, I’m a…”

“Yes? You’re a…what? You’re a caring, loving woman. And Guy knows that.”

“Yes, but he’s…”

“He’s lucky to have someone like you in his life. Just like me. I’ll never stop blessing the day I saw David on the street and followed him to Salante’s.”

David’s head spun back toward his lover. “You followed me, baby? I never realized!”

Kane leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “You can be insufferable enough, when you want. Your ego doesn’t need more stroking.”

“Yes, it does, baby,” David contradicted. “When you’re doing the stroking.”

Benita cleared her throat. Two sets of eyes reluctantly broke off their silent communication.

“Anyway, I think it’s high time he introduce you to his family,” the younger man stated.

“They’re going to hate me!”

“They’re going to love you!”

“That’s what Guy said.” Glumly, Benita regarded the remains of her coffee, wondering if one could read the future in coffee grounds as well as in tealeaves. “But you know these old money types. They’re so protective of the oldest son. And they’ll want pedigreed offspring.”

David paused in massaging Kane’s foot against his arousal. “Who’s talking children?” he asked with interest.

“No one.” Her response was too quick.

“Benita, is Guy asking you to marry him?”

She looked miserable. “It’s impossible. I’m…”

“Don’t say it!” David snapped.

“…just not suitable. What did you think I was going to say?” The psychic was very aware of her friend’s protectiveness toward her. “Oh shit!”

The doorbell rang a split second later, followed by a thunderous knocking. “I wonder who that could be?” David murmured dryly. He gave Kane’s toes a final squeeze and released his foot. Then he rose to answer the door.

The pair remaining in the kitchen could hear the muted rumbling of the conversation in the front hall.

“It’s Guy,” Benita sighed, and Kane grinned at her.

“It could be Mike,” he suggested.

She curled her lip and folded her arms across her chest. “It’s Guy.”

David returned, projecting a cheerful front. “It’s Guy, everyone!”

Kane choked on his sip of coffee and began to laugh.

The Frenchman scowled at the younger man before turning to his lover. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“Not at all. I’ve had things to do.”

“Really?” His voice was so silky that she went pale. David stepped to her side. And then Kane was on her other side.

It was so reminiscent of the night he had first met them, that for a moment he was taken aback. He knew that if he took his foul temper out on the actor, the younger man would leap to his defense. Nothing would be settled. And he definitely wanted Benita’s agreement to meet his family.

He backed off.

To his surprise, the actor took his part. “Give the man a break, Nita. Don’t let wrong-headed notions keep you apart.”

She worried her lower lip, and the desire to draw that lip into his own mouth swept over de Villiere. As sophisticated as he was, he felt himself flush as he hardened.

Her gaze dropped from his and landed unexpectedly at his crotch. Guy was making no effort to disguise his arousal. Dark eyes tangled with dark eyes, and then she gave in.

“Where, Guy?”

He took her hand and raised it to his lips, caressing it with his open mouth. “You won’t regret it, I promise you! I’ve taken the small banquet room at Amore’s.”

David began to choke. “The small one?”

Benita looked suspicious. “What’s up with the small banquet room?”

Kane dissolved into a fit of snickering. “That’s the one that can seat one hundred and fifty people.”

“And that’s the smaller one? Guy, I don’t know a hundred and fifty people!”

De Villiere remained silent.

David grinned and turned away. “If people are going to come calling at such ridiculous hours of the morning, I need to get some clothes on. Come on, Kane.”

“No, that’s all right, David. I’ll be along shortly.”

“*Now*, Kane!” He took his lover by the arm and proceeded to drag him from the room.

“I was enjoying that, you know!” they heard the younger man complaining. “You never let me have any fun! Dav…!”

The rest of his gripe was cut short, leaving no doubt of how the older man silenced him.

“Bien-aimee.”

Benita looked away shyly. This was the first time that Guy had called her ‘sweetheart’, and she didn’t know how to react to it. She got down a mug and poured him a cup of coffee.

All she could give him was half a cup. “Sorry, this is all that’s left.”

Guy took the mug and set it aside. Then he took her in his arms. “N’important! Baise-moi, aimant! Kiss me!”

She turned her face away. “But, Guy. A hundred and fifty people!”

He wound his fingers in her thick hair and urged her mouth closer.

“Don’t worry about it, p’tite bijou. The rest of my family can meet you another time!”

*****