Omorphi (38 page)

Michael drew the huge Bread T-shirt over Christy’s head, leaving him nude as the day he was born. He gently laid Christy back on the couch and kissed down his adorable, sexy little body, emulating what Christy had done to him. Christy writhed and arched into his touch, moaning softly with each caress as Michael sought to perfect his love of Christy. When he reached Christy’s navel, he realized it was a point of no return. There would be no turning back from here. This was what it was like to make love. With great relief and acceptance of himself, he took the plunge.

Only the fingers clenching Michael’s shoulders in an iron grip eclipsed Christy’s urgent little noises. With a passionate cry, Christy let himself go, and Michael sensed he’d let himself live in the moment without reservation for the first time in his life.

Michael captured Christy’s labored breaths with a kiss, sharing Christy’s taste as Christy had with him. Michael drew away when the kiss ended, as breathless as Christy. “How did I do?”

“You must ask?”

Michael chuckled. “Do you remember the first time you kissed me? You asked if it was good.”

“I remember.”

“Well?”

Christy rolled his eyes. “You said better than good. I say better than magnificent.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel good.”

“I am not. If you give me a little time, I would like to do this again.”

Michael giggled.
God, what is with the giggle thing lately?
“You think I’ll improve with practice?”

“If you do, I’ll be in very good trouble.”

Michael laughed a full-bellied laugh. “Thanks, babe.” His cell phone rang. He looked around for his jeans, unwilling to leave the couch. Christy reached an arm over the edge and managed to pull Michael’s jeans off the floor and hand them over. Michael dug the phone out of the pocket and put it to his ear. “Speak.”

“I will kill you so slowly you will wish you had never been born.” The caller hung up.

M
ICHAEL
sat up quickly, leaving Christy to fall back on the couch.

“Who is it?”

Michael looked at the caller ID. Blocked call. “A wrong number.” Michael looked at the time. “Crap. I told my mom I’d be home around seven.”

Christy looked at the time. “It’s almost eight. Will it be trouble for you?”

“Hang on.” Michael dialed his mom. “Hey, Mom, sorry I’m not home yet. I, ah…. Oh. When will you be home…? Okay…. He did…? No, Christy’s still thinking about it…. Okay, I’ll give Jake a call and grab something to eat on the way home…. Love you too.” Michael breathed a small sigh of relief. “Rob called Mom and gushed about your self-defense class. He wants my dad to sign off on the release so you can participate in the class.”

“How did Rob know about the class?”

“You said it was okay for Roderick to call him.”

“Oh. I forgot I said this.”

Michael gave Christy a small smile as he ran a hand down Christy’s torso, worrying, seeking comfort. The call hadn’t been from Jason. He knew Jason’s voice. It had to have been Sanna. And he’d found Christy and was watching them.
So not good
. “Rob says you’re filmed while you sleep. Where’s the camera?”

Christy pointed to the light above the bed. Michael rose from the couch and walked to the bed. He looked up at the light and saw the half-inch lens at the base of the fixture. “Only one camera?”

Christy nodded.

Michael looked around the room.
Not a chance
. Michael would bet his next trophy the entire place was wired for sight, sound, and recording, if for no other reason than to protect Wellington. He looked up into the corners of the vaulted ceiling. Add motion and infrared sensors and you have continuous live surveillance. Surveillance that could be tapped into.

“Are you hungry?”

Christy held his hand up, thumb and forefinger spread half an inch apart.

“Do you want to get a burger with me and Jake?”

Christy nodded.

“Tell you what. You get dressed, and I’ll go let Rob know I’m taking you for a burger.” Michael threw on his jeans and T-shirt, sat on the couch to put his shoes on, and leaned in to plant a kiss on Christy’s pretty lips. “Wear your lip gloss.”

A smile burst across Christy’s lips.

“I’ll be back in five. Lock the door behind me.”

“Why?”

“I want you to be extra safe.”

Christy rose from the couch and walked across the room, now entirely comfortable in front of Michael with his scars. He plucked the keys off the counter and tossed them to Michael.

M
ICHAEL
closed the door behind him and waited until he heard Christy turn the deadbolt before he pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed Jake. “Where are you, bro?”

“Home.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Munched on some blue corn chips. What’s up?”

“I just received a death threat. I think it was from that psycho who’s after Christy.”

“You sure it wasn’t Jason?”

“Positive. Definitely not his voice.”

“What’d the guy say?”

“He’s going to kill me slowly.”

“Shit. Where are you?”

“Wellington. Listen, I didn’t tell Christy, so don’t say anything. I want to get him out of his cabin so the security system can be checked. Can you meet us at Eddie’s?”

“How soon?”

“Half an hour.”

“You got it.”

Michael walked through the back door of the ranch house and strode down the hall quickly. Several counselors were in the process of putting children to bed. He pushed through the big oak door and didn’t see Rob in the main room. One of the counselors was herding the last three children to bed, and Michael approached. “Sorry to interrupt. Can I speak with you?”

“Sure. Last one to bed is a rotten egg!” The kids darted away.

“The name’s Patrick.”

“Michael. Where’s Rob?”

“Off tonight.”

Off?
Michael had never thought of Rob having a day off. Or a night. “Can he be reached?”

“In an emergency. Is Christy all right?”

“Christy’s good. I’m going to take him out for a burger and be back in an hour or so. Do you want my number?”

“We have it. Make sure to take security with you.”

“Will do. Do you think you guys should lock the back door?”

“It’s locked after 10:00 p.m., but if you’re concerned, I’ll speak to Rob about keeping it locked.”

“Please do that. Thanks, Patrick.”

Michael didn’t wait for a response. He strode back through the oak door, down the hall, and out the back door. He didn’t see security but knew they were out there somewhere so he motioned a “come here” gesture with his hand. Tad came around the side of the cabin. “Hey,” Michael greeted him.

“Is something wrong?”

Michael kept his voice low. “I just received a death threat.”

“A telephone call?”

“Yes.”

“Jason Whitman?”

“No, and I know his voice.”

“What did the caller say?”

“I will kill you so slowly you’ll wish you had never been born.”

“Can you describe the voice?”

“Male, older, but not old.”

“Accent?”

“Not that I noticed.”

“May I see your phone?”

Michael handed it to him.

Tad scrolled through it and handed it back to Michael.

“Do you know anything about the security system in Christy’s cabin?”

“Yes.”

“Can it be tapped into?”

“I never say never.”

“Can you check it while I take Christy out for a burger?”

“I’ll have it checked immediately. What’s caused you to be suspicious?”

“Nothing concrete. Only that the call came right after I… right after we had intimate….”

“Enough said. Give us at least an hour. Two will follow you to dinner.”

“Thanks, Tad.”

“You should tell Mr. Santini about the call.”

“I called Jake. He’ll tell his dad.”

“I’ll call him as well just to make sure all bases are covered.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

M
ICHAEL
flipped the CD player on and Alanis Morissette’s “You’re Uninvited” filled the air as he put the car into gear. “You look gorgeous.”

Christy met Michael’s gaze, his eyes filled with peaceful happiness.

Michael checked the rearview mirror as he pulled the car around and left the lot. The security SUV filled his mirror within seconds.

“I told Patrick we were going out because I guess Rob’s off tonight. Sounds weird to say this, but I never imagined him not being here.”

Christy looked surprised.

Michael leaned over to him and whispered, “Maybe he had a hot date.”

Christy laughed softly. It was the first time Christy laughed and didn’t cough. Things were definitely looking up for Christy.

Michael pulled into the parking lot behind Eddie’s and didn’t see Jake’s SUV. He parked, and they went inside. Jake waved, and they headed over to the booth.

“Hey, bro.”

“Hey, man. Hey, Christy. I heard you and Michael checked out the self-defense class. What was that like?”

Christy slid into the booth and sat next to Jake, and Michael slid in after him. Christy dropped his pad on the table and scribbled
Scary
.

“Why?”

Don’t want to be hit.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that. You may have to get yourself out of a tight squeeze or away from a weapon, but I don’t think you’ll get hit.”

“You talk to your dad?” Michael asked.

“Yeah. Where are your parents? He tried to call them.”

“Saint Elizabeth’s. A baby was born with major problems.”

Jake winced. “Hell of a job.”

“I could never do it. How was practice?”

“Good. Everyone’s still riding the high from Saturday, both the good and the bad.”

The server came to take their order. “Well, you boys look like you’ve had a terrific day. Nice bandages.”

“Boys will be boys,” Michael quipped.

She took their order with a plastic smile and promised she’d be right back with their drinks.

“Did you see Rich or Tony today?”

Jake made a face. “Come to think of it, I didn’t.”

“Curious.”

“Curiouser and curiouser,” Jake agreed. “Stephen made a hilarious request of me after practice.”

“What’s that?”

“He wanted to know if I knew any other gay boys. He wants me to hook him up.”

Christy started to laugh and coughed.

Michael rubbed his back as he calmed. “Look at that, Jake. You’ve become Cupid to the homos.”

“Bite your tongue. He had the balls to ask if we’d take him down to the twink zone.”

Michael cracked up. “No way.”

The server brought their drinks, and they shuffled them around so they each had the right one.

Christy reached for his pad and wrote
Twink zone?

“The gay part of town. It’s basically this one street we call DILF Street.”

Christy scribbled
DILF?

Jake snickered. “Go ahead, Michael. Explain it.”

“Do you know what a MILF is?”

Christy shook his head.

Michael leaned in and whispered, “A mother I’d like to fuck.”

Christy’s eyes went wide.

Jake leaned in and whispered, “A DILF is a dude I’d like to fuck.”

Christy whispered, “Crude.”

Michael smiled. “Very.”

“Twink?”

“Your turn, Jake.”

“Thanks a lot. Do you know what a Twinkie is?”

Christy shook his head.

“Yes, you do,” Michael said. “The kids had Hostess cupcakes and Twinkies for dessert at the barbecue. You remember the gold spongy dessert with the cream inside it?”

Christy nodded.

“That’s a Twinkie. Okay, Jake, I helped you out. Go for it.”

“Okay, the advertising slogan for Twinkies goes something like golden-delicious on the outside, creamy-delicious on the inside. Get it?”

Christy shook his head.

“Volley to you, Michael.”

“Ah, okay, give me a minute. Okay, in a gay relationship, we call the girly guy a bottom.”

“You are the top?” Christy whispered.

Jake looked from Christy to Michael, covered his mouth, and choked back a laugh. Michael’s face had turned a shade of pink he was sure didn’t exist in any rainbow he knew of.

“So far we’re… I guess ‘equal’ is the best word because… well, we haven’t… um…. Okay, never mind. We’re equal. Think about the girly bottom, then think soft on the outside and creamy delicious inside.”

Christy made a face.

“Okay, now you get it. That’s why we call it the twink zone, because it’s full of soft, pretty guys.”

Christy glared at Michael.

“What?”

“I’m not a dessert,” Christy said, indignant, his voice raw.

“Some might argue that,” Jake said through a laugh.

Christy gaped at Jake.

“B
OYS
,
hot plates,” the server cautioned as she set them on the table. “As a reminder, all guests must clean up their food-fight messes before they leave the restaurant.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll behave,” Jake assured her.

“Can I bring you anything else?”

“Ranch dressing,” Michael answered quickly.

“Tabasco,” Jake added.

“The red sauce,” Christy whispered.

“Catsup? It’s right there.” Michael pointed to the bottle on the table.

“Be right back.” The server sped away.

“You know what you should do, Jake? Have Stephen talk to Lisa. She can hook him up.”

Christy nodded his agreement as he tried for the catsup and couldn’t reach it.

Jake handed it to him. “Good idea. Are there any other gay guys in school?”

“How should I know?”

“Ah, gee, I don’t know, maybe because you’re gay?”

“You know I have lousy gaydar. It took a whole conversation with Christy before I figured out he was gay.”

Christy stared at him, his burger suspended halfway to his mouth, catsup oozing and dripping onto his plate.

“Seriously. Do you think you put enough catsup on that?”

Christy nodded.