FanningtheFlames (3 page)

What a rousing endorsement. "That's exactly what I'm looking for," Barry said, extremely impressed.

With the florist's help, he picked out a card. He thought long and hard about what to write. Was it too soon to say, "I love you with all my heart, please say you'll stay forever?"
Take it slow, and he won't go,
his conscience chided. He'd wasted four cards before deciding on, "To Adam, the best thing ever found on the Internet, from the package you unwrapped at

Christmas."

After handing over his credit card once more, and being assured that the shop made deliveries to the university all the time, he headed back to his office, safe and secure in the knowledge of a Valentine's Day done deal. Leaving the clerk his business card, he parted with,

"Please give this to your grandmother, in case she ever thinks about enlarging the shop."

The kid laughed, nodding and placing the card by the register.

Excitement caused the rest of the day to fly by. Barry passed by the nearest Chinese restaurant (ripe with memories of another horrifying date), stopping at the next-closest one. He ordered his favorite menu items, which, as luck would have it, were also Adam's. A visit to a package store and a bottle of wine later, he hurried home to tidy up before Adam came over.

Fanning the Flames - 18

Domestic Bliss

"What a day!" Adam stamped the snow off his shoes, hanging his too-light, I'm-from-Georgia-where-it's-not-this-bleeping-cold jacket in the closet. He slipped off his loafers and glided across the hardwood floor in sock feet, acquiescing to Barry's quirk of no shoes in the house. Only someone in the construction business could truly appreciate the workmanship of real hardwood floors, in Barry's opinion.

The moment Adam plopped down on the couch, two

mounds of black fur animated at the far end, pushing their way into his lap. "Hey, boys, you miss me?"

From the kitchen, Barry watched, enthralled by

Adam delivering ear scratches to Tom I and Tom II.

How perfectly Adam fit into his life -- and his home. A BYU game provided a fitting soundtrack for their evening of domesticity.

Barry served up Chinese takeout on two plates,

bringing them into the living room. "Hey, ... Adam." He barely cut off the "Hon" that tried to escape. What the hell? Where'd that reminder of his parents' endearment come from? Thirty-one was far too young to turn into his dad. Wasn't it?

Adam tilted his face up for a kiss, pushing the two cats off his lap. "How did your day go?" he asked, breaking the kiss to get up and enter the kitchen, turning his back to wash his hands. "Anything interesting happen?"

What a loaded question. Barry studied Adam's face when he returned, which gave nothing away. Did he suspect?

Easing down onto the couch, Barry replied, "Same ol', same ol'," attempting, and failing, nonchalance. He
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stuffed an egg roll into his mouth to prevent, "I got you great gifts!" from popping out. What was up with that?

"You do know Valentine's Day is coming up, right?"

Barry nearly choked on his egg roll. Oh, shit! Forget
suspect
, did Adam
know?
Barry took a mental inventory. Had he left a receipt lying around? Had he let something slip over the phone? "Yes, I believe it is," he squeaked out.

"There's this restaurant downtown that some of the faculty keep talking about, called Sebastian's. I've heard the food is good." Adam turned a look on Barry that could easily seduce away the keys to Barry's SUV. And his house. His heart was long gone already. "I made a reservation for us for Friday night at eight. Is that all right?"

Barry's previous dining experience at Sebastian's might be a real mood breaker if he mentioned it now.

"That'd be great," he replied, wondering where he'd put his tie after that painful evening.

"I've heard nothing but good things about the place,"

Adam continued.

That's only because I haven't talked to you about it
yet.
However, if Barry had gone with Adam the last time, it probably would have been a most memorable evening -- in a good way. Choosing to say something nice or nothing at all, Barry allowed, "It's gotten some outstanding ratings in the local papers."

"Good. If you don't mind, I'll swing by here around six after work and get spruced up a bit before we go." A raised eyebrow and smirk hinted at what "getting spruced up" entailed. Worked for Barry. Cleaning up tended to be more fun if you took the time to get messy first.

Out of the corner of his eye, Barry admired the view during dinner. When he'd first seen Adam's profile
Fanning the Flames - 20

picture on GetaDate.com, he
'd thought the man nice looking, yet rather plain. Sneaking glances at the striking profile, he swallowed hard. How had he ever thought Adam anything less than gorgeous?

Sure, Adam's nose was long and slightly pointed, and lines formed around his eyes when he smiled, but that smile also lit the world. There wasn't much Barry wouldn't do to see that smile.

"What 'cha thinking?" Adam asked, catching Barry off guard. Oops! Busted.

"Oh, nothing," Barry blurted, ducking away.

Adam placed his plate on the coffee table and cupped Barry's face in his hands, bestowing a sweet and sour flavored kiss. "Thanks for dinner," he said. "I'll handle cleanup."

Barry put his feet up, watching the game and

listening to the sounds of clanking dishes from the kitchen, knowing better than to argue or offer help. He'd heard, "I'm not helpless," often enough until they'd established a comfortable he-who-provides-dinner-doesn’t-wash-dishes-afterward rule.

A short while later Adam appeared in the doorway, leaning provocatively against the frame. Once he had Barry's attention, he stretched, deliberately causing his shirt to ride up his belly. A sultry smile played across his lips. Blatant showing of skin, followed by a subtle invitation -- Adam's private signals for "I wanna play."

Crossing the floor in a few hurried steps, Barry slid a hand underneath Adam's shirt, a light dusting of hair teasing his fingers. Adam's smile shifted into a full-blown, come-hither enticement, and a hunger unsatisfied by fried rice and chow mein turned those sky-blue eyes smoky. No words were needed.

Tripping over feline bodies, Barry led Adam into the bedroom and flipped on the overhead light. The door
Fanning the Flames - 21

closed and Adam pressed him against it, hot breath fluttering over Barry's jaw. "Been thinking about you all day," Adam whispered, hands working furiously to strip off Barry's belt, and unbutton and unzip his jeans. Barry pressed his cock into Adam's cupped hand, rocking his hips forward with the need for more contact.

Rising up slightly, Adam fused their mouths together while his fingers fumbled with the buttons on Barry’s shirt. All thoughts of gifts, holidays, and "did I do the right thing?" vanished, replaced by a passionate lover demanding attention. Who could ever have guessed that this strait-laced, buttoned-down southern gentleman burned fiery hot behind closed doors?

Adam's mouth found Barry's neck, licking, sucking, teeth lightly scraping, his hands working up Barry's lightly muscled pecs. Moist heat caressed Barry's ear, and he rubbed his cock against Adam's thigh.

Adam's hands roamed lower, squeezing Barry's

glutes. Adam squatted, working denim down Barry's thighs. Barry lifted first one foot, then the other for Adam to remove jeans, socks, and briefs. One good shrug slipped his shirt from his shoulders. He stood naked, shivering in anticipation, before a fully clothed Adam.

That mouth, that glorious mouth, licked and sucked at Barry's abdomen, teasing lower and lower. Adam dropped to both knees, flattening his tongue to swipe up Barry's shaft from base to tip.

"Ahhh... shit!" Barry exclaimed, grasping a double handful of blond hair to steady himself. Adam hummed while he licked, the vibrations against Barry's eager flesh causing a shiver.

Adam blew on Barry's damp skin. When Barry

thought he couldn't bear the teasing a moment longer, Adam opened wide, taking Barry's cock deep. Working
Fanning the Flames - 22

slowly and methodically, Adam brought Barry to the edge time and again, only to back off, leaving him hanging.

"Please," Barry pleaded.

Adam laughed, a low, rich chuckle that trailed up Barry's spine. "Please what?"

"Finish me."

"All in good time." Adam unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, pulling it off over his head. It joined Barry's on the floor. In an erotic strip tease, Adam rose, gyrating his hips and easing his pants zipper down. He popped the button open, eyes locked with Barry's. With agonizing slowness, inch by inch, he pushed down his pants, revealing a pair of tight, low-rise AussieBums, a dark spot staining the front of the light blue fabric. The front panel bulged. He stepped out of one pant leg, then the other, grinding in time with commercial music from the television down the hall.

A hand on Barry's lower back urged him toward the bed, encouraging him to lie down. Adam, still wearing briefs and socks, climbed on top, rocking their groins together. Barry pushed up, locking both legs around Adam's thighs, joining the amorous dance set to "We're the folks to see when you rent an RV!" from the living room.

Once more Adam claimed his mouth, hands lightly

thumbing Barry's nipples. One hand disappeared, the sound of rummaging coming from the drawer of the bedside table betraying its whereabouts. How Barry longed for a day when that drawer contained only lube and not reminders of the risks of his formerly casual lifestyle. "Casual" -- he'd like to strike that word forever from his vocabulary.

Breaking the kiss, Adam asked, "What's your pleasure tonight?" while slipping off his briefs. Given
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Adam's dominance up to this point, if it wasn't broke, Barry wouldn't try fixing it.

"You. In me," he managed to gasp. Adam's hand stroking his cock stole his ability to say anything more.

The soft sound of cellophane ripping preceded the pop of a bottle top. Placing both of Barry's feet on his shoulders, Adam worked a finger into Barry's hole, advancing and retreating, giving too much to let Barry's erection subside, not enough to bring release. Barry moaned, arching up to meet the gentle probing, wanting to speed things up. At long last, Adam lined up, pushing into Barry with shallow thrusts.

Barry met him halfway. They moaned in harmony.

Dayum, that felt right. Fused together, hands exploring each other's bodies, Barry breathed out, "I lo... "

changing the sound to "ahhhhh... " when he realized, just in time, what he'd been about to say.
Too soon, soon
soon,
his conscience chided.
He wants to take it slow,
don't scare him off!

That single moment of rational thought cost Barry momentum, taking the edge off his fast-approaching climax. Adam, curling over him, tongue lapping at his mouth, restored the faltering rhythm.

"How close are you?" Adam panted. He reared back, grasping Barry's thighs, movements now awkward and jerky.

Barry grabbed his cock, pumping hard. "Right with you!"

Head thrown back, eyes tightly closed, Adam made a magnificent sight. Barry stroked with one hand,

grasping Adam's hand with the other, and let loose.

Adam stiffened, crying out at the same moment that spatters rained on Barry's chest.

Fanning the Flames - 24

Adam collapsed, warming Barry's neck with his

labored breaths. They lay tangled together for a moment, Barry incapable of coherent speech.

He vaguely remembered being wiped down, rolled to his side, and an arm pulling him back to spoon against Adam's chest. "Good night," Adam said, drawing the covers over them.

Barry's last fuzzy thought before sleep claimed him was,
There aren't enough flowers in the world to tell this
man how I feel.

Fanning the Flames - 25

And It All Falls Apart

Somehow Barry managed to keep his secret for the next few days (mostly due to a stranglehold by his overly aggressive conscience), but on Friday his anxiety won the battle, begging to hear Adam's pleasure at receiving flowers. Adam would like the flowers,

wouldn't he? Wouldn't he? Oh, my God! What if he didn't?

Wait! Let Adam make the call, saying, "They're
gorgeous! Thank you,"
his conscience argued. Working as a team, Barry and his anxiety wrestled the protesting voice of reason to the ground, making short work of the binding and gagging.

Knowing Adam had a break between classes at ten, Barry watched the big hand's sluggish progression around the clock face, dialing at precisely one minute past. Instead of excitement, he heard, "
Cough, cough.

Hewwo." Adam's nose and throat sounded packed with cotton.

"Adam? Are you all right?" He'd been fine the night before.

Cough, cough. Sniffle.
"Yeah, it's jus' allergies."

Achoo!
"Florists have been swarming the place all morning, bringing deliveries. I'll be all right."

Voice scratchy and dry, it didn't sound like he'd be all right. Wait! Allergies! Oh, shit! "Errr... Are you allergic to all flowers, or certain ones?" Barry's hope held its breath. Barry, thinking that advisable, held his breath, too.

In the language of extreme stuffy-headedness, Adam responded, "I'm not really sure, so I avoid them all.

Definitely grass, pine pollen, hay, and about a zillion other things set me off. It was hell growing up on a farm, let me tell you."

Fanning the Flames - 26

Told ya!
his anxiety yelled at his captive conscience.

"Soaps, shampoos?"

"Dye-free, unscented."

"Cologne?"

"There's a few kinds that don't bother me."

"What about the boys?" Barry asked, worried that hard decisions lay in his future.

"Cats are fine." Adam won additional points by adding, "If they weren't, I'd finally break down and see an allergist."

Recalling Adam's scentless shampoo, sitting on the shelf next to his "botanical extracts" enhanced bottle, Barry realized that he needed to stop the florist before they reached the university, adding to Adam's misery.