Rescue Party
Rescue Party Copyright © 2013 Cheryl Dragon
Want to read more about the residents of Lucky Springs? Also Available from Resplendence Publishing
Also Available from Resplendence Publishing
www.resplendencepublishing.com
Rescue Party
A
Lucky Springs
Story
By Cheryl Dragon
Resplendence Publishing, LLC
http://www.resplendencepublishing.com
Copyright © 2013 Cheryl Dragon
Edited by Darlena Cunha and Caitlin Green
Cover Art by Kendra Egert
Published by Resplendence Publishing, LLC
2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-692-9
Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Electronic Release: August 2013
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.
To all those who know love is color blind!
And to Cheerios for creating a great commercial!
Chapter One
Clay Fulton and his friends watched the skies nervously. The water rose slowly in the streets as rain pounded the town. A low-level hurricane had swept up the Gulf, and while most storms were nothing major for centrally located Lucky Springs, this one had produced excessive rainfall. Add in gusting winds, and it was a good day to stay inside.
“We might be in for a flood,” Clay said. The former Army Reservist’s brain planned in terms of emergency action. The small town he grew up in rarely had extremes in weather, but a lot of the land was low lying.
“You’ll just have to stay here. We’re on high ground.” Dean hugged Clay from behind.
Men still felt new to him, but Clay leaned back into it. Privately, he knew he was bisexual, but he hadn’t put it out there publicly yet. Before, he’d strictly done women, and the men thing wasn’t quite second nature yet. He needed some reassurance. “You’ll get sick of me.”
“Not a chance.” Steve sat on the window seat that looked out from the huge log cabin. “In this weather, we should stick together.”
Clay discovered Steve and Dean were a couple when he returned to Lucky Springs. After high school, he’d gone into the Army Reserve and got a college degree, but nowhere else could be home. He was big into cheerleaders in high school, and a little real life experience taught him he’d been searching for more.
Things had changed when Clay was invited to one of the sex parties and found them there, as well. An open secret for most of Lucky Springs, private sex parties kept things interesting since there wasn’t a BDSM or swingers club in town. Not even a strip club or adult bookstore could be found until the next big city…more than two hours away by car.
Being back in the small town where in high school he’d been a top jock and really wild felt oddly comforting and also a little bit of a let down. He wasn’t the stud with big dreams anymore. He’d peaked in high school and went into the Army Reserve to pay for college and receive some discipline. Being back home felt safe, and his job at the factory in the IT department suited him.
“You’re quiet.” Dean pressed into Clay’s back. The tall, sexy man had dark brown hair, brown eyes and was a year younger than Clay.
The desire hummed through their bodies. Being with men wasn’t something Clay had ever thought of until the Reserve where hot, hard men were all over and not shy about what they did or where. And even still, Clay hadn’t done anything with men until these two.
“He misses all the action. He’s bored with Lucky Springs.” Steve stood up and pinned Clay between the bodies of the other men.
The hunk sandwich made Clay’s blood pound in his veins. “Not bored. How could I be with you two around? It’s just this storm feels different.”
“I think he’s missing women. We need to hit another party.” Dean trailed his hand up Clay’s tattooed arm. The pattern went from elbow to shoulder.
“A woman is nice. The right woman is harder to find.” Steve kissed Clay softly.
Giving in to the distraction, Clay kissed Steve back. The confident man was an inch taller than Clay and a year older at thirty-one. He’d shocked many Lucky Springs residents by coming back from college with his best friend’s younger brother as a boyfriend. Dean swore he knew all along Steve was the man for him.
Steve pressed into Clay and kissed Dean over Clay’s shoulder. Clay still couldn’t quite believe he was part of their relationship now. Of course, before the party, he’d have bet every penny he had they’d never fuck a woman. Seeing how fluid sexuality could be opened new worlds to him.
“I’m not in the way, am I?” Clay wasn’t sure if this would be forever, for now or where he even belonged. He didn’t want to leave. Of that much he was sure. Men weren’t a replacement for women. In fact, he hadn’t lost his lust for women at all. It was different, and being bisexual answered a lot of questions for him.
“Never.” Dean slid his hands over Clay’s crotch and teased his cock through the denim.
“Sharing is good.” Steve nipped at Clay’s neck.
“I don’t think he can go too long without pussy. Remember all the stories of him in high school?” Dean teased.
Clay’s face felt hot, but he wrapped his arms around Steve’s broad shoulders. His dark hair and piercing green eyes had always intrigued Clay. Now he understood he was attracted to men even in high school, and facing it had been too hard. He’d instead certainly enjoyed all the girls.
“Half of it was probably made up.” Steve claimed Clay’s mouth again, and their tongues tangled.
Moaning, Clay backed off the kiss and shook his head. “Most of the stories were true. I wasn’t an honors student. I did a lot of girls. I had no idea it was because I wanted to try guys, too. No matter how many girls I did, it wouldn’t be the same as a guy. Doesn’t mean I don’t want women also.”
“You know now.” Dean nuzzled the back of Clay’s neck. “We’ll find the right woman and life will be perfect.”
Clay wanted to believe them. But he’d pleasured and screwed over a lot of women his age in this town years ago. He wasn’t as popular these days. If he came out as gay, they might forgive him. But wanting dick and pussy would only add to the greedy, cocky bastard image. Bad boys in high school were hot. Adult women wanted responsible and successful men. “The women here who know me will think I’m a jerk.”
“Or you were confused. Don’t underestimate people.” Steve understood the high school games since he was the current football coach, but Clay knew people remembered a lot and held grudges. The scars from teenage years didn’t disappear. As Steve worked his hands under Clay’s shirt, it was hard to care. “Let’s wait out the rain in a more fun way.”
Ready to agree, Clay tugged his shirt over his head. As the fabric fell to the floor, he spotted something through the window out in the road. “What the hell?”
Steve turned. “That car won’t make it.”
It was a small sedan creeping along as the water level continued to rise. “The water will cover the tail pipe and the car will drift.” Dean shook his head. “Fire and Rescue won’t get here in time.”
“We’re here.” Clay fished his keys from his pocket. “My pickup can handle that.”
Steve stood at the ready but looked unsure of what to do. Dean was a vet, so they had first aid if they needed it. Clay’s brain immediately calculated the needs and dangers. “Steve, you can handle my oversized pickup, right?”
“Sure. The thing is huge, but that’s good because this water will be nothing for it.” Steve took the keys.
“Okay, Dean you’ll be in the back with me. Get blankets or whatever just in case. Plus rope. Not sure how this’ll go. First aid supplies won’t hurt.” Clay shoved his stocking feet into work boots.
Dean gathered what he needed, and Steve helped, they knew where everything was stored in their house on the edge of town better than Clay. Technically, Clay still had a room at his uncle’s house, but he had been staying with Dean and Steve off and on. He never wanted to leave this safe space of open talk and sex.
Clay watched the car dip into higher water, knowing the engine would cut out in seconds because it couldn’t exhaust. The other two walked up, ready to go. As the trio dashed out the door and into Clay’s pickup, he was grateful he’d gone for the oversized and fully equipped gray Tundra. It had reminded him of the big military vehicles, and his uncle said it was too much car for a keyboard tapper with a desk job. Now that truck would prove its use.
Steve drove into the water and pulled up next to the small, red sedan with a sunroof. Looking inside, Clay recognized the gorgeous black woman behind the wheel. Kacy Hillen was smart, strong, put together, and had never once looked Clay’s way. The sexy woman now stared at him for help as her engine refused to turn over. The driver’s side window was cracked but not enough to pull her through.
“Don’t bother. It’s locked,” Clay shouted.
She popped the manual sunroof up. “Damn it! Help me; I need to get to the school.”
“Not now, you don’t.” Clay hopped over the side of his truck bed and stood on the hood of her car. He needed to move fast before it became buoyant and was washed away by the building current. They had to get her out of there. “Park it and put the sunroof all the way back if you can. We need to get you out.”
“What about the door?” She rolled down the window and looked. “Shit!”
“Water is coming up fast, come on,” Dean shouted as he tossed a rope to Clay.
Clay fixed the rope through the sunroof and open window before tying it off. They’d at least have a tether. She tried moving the sunroof.
“The pop up is manual, but the slide-back is electric,” she said.
“Cover your eyes.” Clay grabbed a crow bar from the back of his truck. When she was covered, he cracked the sunroof off the top of the car and kicked it into the water. “Be careful.”
Her purse landed on the car’s roof first, and he tossed it into the bed of the truck. “Take my hand, Kacy. I don’t bite.”
“That’s not what every girl in high school said.” She smiled and tugged the hood of her raincoat up over her head. He saw her mentally prepare herself for something out of the norm, and finally, she grabbed his hand and worked her way up through the sunroof hole until she stood on the seat.
“I’ve got you. Don’t worry.” Clay ignored the beating rain on his bare torso. He’d be freezing soon, but getting Kacy safe was the priority. Watching her wiggle free of her car was a reward itself. She slid down the windshield.
Her sexy curves and large, beautiful eyes had intrigued him even back in high school. She’d always been a good girl who didn’t get into trouble or give players the time of day. When her gym shoes landed on the hood of her car next to Clay’s, he was relieved. She’d dressed practically, in jeans, a T-shirt and sturdy shoes. Why she was out in this weather would be a question for later.
“Pull forward a bit,” Clay shouted to Steve.
The truck moved up, and Dean let the rope go more. Then he popped the tailgate down so Clay could get Kacy into the bed easily.
Clay exhaled as he stepped into the bed of his truck and locked it. “You okay?” he asked Kacy.
“Fine! Thank you. I didn’t expect to get so bad this fast.” She held the side and sat in the back of the truck bed. Steve had the windows open so he could hear what was going on in the back.
“Flash flood was no joke this time. The storm system stalled over Lucky Springs, and it’s not letting up. We’ll take you inside,” Dean said.
“You’ll be safe with us. Where the hell were you going in this weather? Every report says to stay home.” He shook his head.
Kacy met his gaze with a challenging look of her own. He didn’t mind rescuing people, but the question was valid. She seemed smarter than to run off into danger. Or maybe she was just the book-smart sort of woman?
* * * *
She pursed her lips. “I was trying to get to the high school. It’s the building the town owns that’s on the highest ground. The plan is to use that as a shelter.”
“Right. You’re the events coordinator for the town. I don’t think this is really an event up your alley. And if you can’t get there, no one else can either.” Clay sat next to her as Steve headed back for the house.