Safe in His Arms (9 page)

Casey was still trying to figure Ash out, since the guy was shy and didn’t reveal a lot of himself. Devon was up-front about everything, and what you saw was what you got, which was usually someone who was willing to shag anything that had a penis. On the other hand, Casey was still unsure if Ash was straight, gay, or bi. Ash willingly went to gay clubs and hung out, but never made any passes at anyone and turned down all offers made to him. He commented on the attractiveness of both men and women, but never pursued either. The one time that Casey had asked him if he was gay, he’d shrugged and said, “I’m whatever I need to be.” That didn’t answer the question at all.

Since university was out for the year, both guys were on holidays and had given Casey a wonderful excuse not to hang around the park where he might accidently bump into Lon. The beach was a great place to sit and do nothing—beautiful scenery, usually plenty of eye candy, and best of all, everything was free. Ash was dressed similarly to him—Billabong labeled boardies, T-shirt, and bucket hat. But Devon had arrived in bright purple tartan shorts and a sunny yellow shirt that had a picture of a very gay-looking character, similar to a Mr. Men figure, with the caption “Mr. Wrong.” Ash had given Casey a long-suffering sigh and shrugged.

Of course it was Devon who spotted Lon and gasped, “Oh, my sweet dreams all come true. Father Christmas has brought me an early present.”

That produced a snort and a laugh from Ash. “Bullshit. You know you’re firmly on the naughty list and will probably be there for a number of years, just from the stunts you pulled in the last two months.”

Devon’s hands fluttered around his face and he wore an expression of anguish. “Oooh, but I promise to be extra good for years if I could only partake of that hulk of masculinity over there.”

“Honey,” Ash sighed (he often called Devon by that name, which confused Casey even more). “That man over there would never even give you the time of day, let alone give you a blow job.”

“But… but… but….” Devon looked close to tears, which was not going to be a good thing, since he was wearing eyeliner. And who the hell wore eyeliner to the beach?

“Honey, just look and dream. And if he happens to glance over this way, then you’d better be looking elsewhere. I’m too hot to run from some gay-bashing prick who dislikes being stared at while he’s at the beach.”

Casey could’ve educated them on several points. He could’ve told them that Lon would not be gay bashing anyone, that he only has problems with staring if you don’t get on your knees, and most importantly, yes, he had personal proof that Lon did indeed give blow jobs.

But now both Ash and Devon were transfixed on Lon’s manly torso and the naked bits under a flimsy towel, and Casey didn’t want to break their concentration.

“Do you think he’s gay?” Devon whispered urgently.

Ash didn’t reply, so Casey answered, “Would it matter to you?”

Devon’s eyes didn’t move from Lon. “Not really. They don’t need to be gay to fuck me, it’s just sometimes easier.”

From the mournful shaking of Ash’s noggin, he was despairing of his friend too.

Less than twenty meters away, Lon bent over and pulled a scrap of gray material out of a canvas bag. Casey should’ve known Devon would melt at the sight, and sure enough he gulped and whispered, “Holy spectacular gay sights, Batman! The man is a Speedo fanatic.”

Three sets of eyes did not move an iota, not even to blink, as Lon threaded one large foot into the opening of the brief swimming costume and tugged it up a muscled leg. Three identical gasps issued forth as Lon lifted the other foot, causing the towel to gape wide open and show three extremely interested men that his chest wasn’t the only large thing on him.

“Oh. My. God.” That was Devon, although he squeaked in the high ranges as his vocal chords strangled with shock.

“Fuck me!” Ash exulted loudly. Silence then descended over the group as they simultaneously drooled and swallowed.

Casey thought that perhaps Devon was speechless for the first time in his life. But they were all watching closely as Lon pulled up his Speedos and tucked himself away. It was a sad moment to see him all enclosed in that elastic.

The silence didn’t last long after that. Devon blinked and looked at Ash. “Really? You want that to fuck you?”

“Huh? What?”

Devon cocked his head to the side and looked at his mate. “You said ‘fuck me.’ I was wondering if you actually did want it?”

Ash looked startled. “Hell, no. I didn’t mean it literally. Shit. That mammoth would tear a guy in half. I meant that I was surprised at the size.” He paused and frowned. “Do you actually think he can get it up? I’ve read that guys that are massive have trouble holding an erection.”

“Probably not,” Devon ventured. “God couldn’t make something that fantastic without a flaw.”

Casey giggled and blurted, “Believe me, guys. He has no trouble holding one.”

Suddenly he found himself the center of attention—skeptical attention, that is. Devon was the first to scoff.

“What? You and him? Would you have me believe that firstly, that man over there is gay, and secondly, that he’d go for you?”

Well, jeez. Nice friend.
But sometimes you just had to take Devon with the bitchy attitude. “Why not? What’s wrong with me?”

As usual Ash jumped in to smooth over Devon’s faux pas. “He didn’t mean it like that. He just meant that… well, look at him. He could have anyone. He wouldn’t be dating a teenager.”

The three of them turned back to watch the arousing exhibition of Lon settling down on a towel to put sun cream on his chest. Casey hoped he wasn’t the only one who’d sprung a boner.

Devon sighed. “Oooh, do you think he needs help putting that on his back? Should I offer?”

“Better not,” Ash replied. “I like your face as it is. He’d be rearranging it in an instant.”

Casey flew to Lon’s defense. “No, he wouldn’t. Don’t be so judgmental. He’s actually a nice guy.”

That got Devon’s nose out of joint. “How would you know? I don’t believe you that you’ve had some of that. You’re just a rainbow-colored liar.” Casey narrowed his eyes as Devon smirked. “See. I knew you didn’t have the balls.”

Challenge accepted.

With a cocked eyebrow, Casey rose to his feet and started in Lon’s direction. There was a hiss of annoyance from Devon and a gasp of fear from Ash, who tried to stop him. Casey waved him off and approached Lon, who was sitting with his back to them. As he approached he saw Lon’s shoulders glistening as he rubbed the oily cream into his skin. Lon heard him coming, looked over his shoulder, and caught Casey’s eyes. His face lit up, and that gave Casey the courage to wrap his arm around Lon’s wide shoulders and take a seat next to him on the hot sand.

“Hey, Lon. If you’re done with flashing all the boys on the beach, would you like me to rub the cream into your back?” It was a risk to participate in a public display of affection, since Casey didn’t know if Lon was
out
out, or just out in private, but Lon didn’t flinch. He smiled and put a large hand on Casey’s bony knee while he took in Casey’s words and meaning.

Amazingly, a blush stole across his masculine features. “Shit. Did I?”

Casey grinned madly. “Yep. And we thank you from the bottom of our gay hearts.”

Lon turned to look over his shoulder at who he’d made happy, so Casey turned to wave at his two stunned friends. Ash’s jaw was hanging around his ribcage, and Devon was working himself into a snit by the looks of it.

“They didn’t believe you were gay,” Casey remarked. “I should’ve bet money on it.”

A chuckle resounded from the depths of Lon’s chest as he turned back to Casey. “They didn’t believe that you and I hooked up?”

Casey blustered a little. “I think we were a bit more polite and used the word ‘dated,’ but the meaning was the same.”

A sneaky look came over Lon’s features. “Well, what would they think of this, then?” He cupped Casey’s jaw and brought him nearer for an open-mouthed kiss that had all the circuitry in Casey’s brain frying in an instant. It seemed to last forever, but probably was only seconds long, so nowhere near long enough for Casey’s liking.

“Oh. My. God.”

Devon’s high-pitched squeal floated across the expanse, and Casey broke into giggles against Lon’s mouth. “Sorry. It’s just that you’ve made Devon’s day by being gay, but he can’t rejoice because that would mean he was wrong about you and me.”

Lon threw another look over his shoulder. “So, are they your friends, or something more?”

Casey plucked the tube of sun cream out of Lon’s hand and motioned for him to turn around as he answered. “Just friends. Devon has indicated several times that he wouldn’t be averse to taking things further, but he really isn’t my type.”

“What is your type?”

Casey was getting lost in the sensation of rubbing the oily cream over built muscles and tanned skin. He absently replied, “You,” then blushed red at how juvenile that sounded. But Lon didn’t laugh or rebuke him.

Once Lon’s back was covered and Casey had no more excuse to touch, Lon gestured behind him and said, “Do you want to introduce me to your friends, then?”

Casey was wary. “You do realize that Devon will make a serious pass at you and won’t take no for an answer for at least two hours.”

Lon shrugged. “I’m a big boy now. I can fend him off.”

They stood together and grabbed Lon’s gear. Once it was apparent that they were headed back to join Ash and Devon, Casey noticed an attitude change in both friends. Ash tensed, narrowing his eyes as if Lon were a threat. Casey was a bit peeved. He didn’t still think Lon was a gay-bashing Neanderthal, did he?

But it was Devon—as usual!—who had Casey looking skyward, wondering if he had the patience to deal with what was about to come. He sat up straight, threw his shoulders back, and tilted his head downward and to the side in a beguiling manner as he threw a shy but saucy smile at Lon. He ignored Casey completely since his sights were fixed firmly on Lon’s manly frame.

It was all rather embarrassing. When Devon fluttered his eyelids, Casey couldn’t help but snort, but he rapidly turned it into a cough before he tumbled deeper into Devon’s bad books.

Cough, cough.
“Ah, Lon, this is Ash and Devon. Guys, this is Lon. He lives over in the park with me. Not
with
me—I didn’t mean to say that. I mean, he lives in the park and so do I. I live with my grandmother and Lon lives by himself. In the park.”
Okay, you can shut up now.

“Hi!” Devon’s
hi
came out more like
hhhhh-eye-ya.
Marilyn Monroe would’ve been proud of that breathy sigh.

Lon transformed into Casey’s superhero when he stuck his hand out to a slutty, take-me-now-I’ve-been-waiting-my-whole-life-for-you Devon and remarked, “Devon? That’s a weird name. It sounds like something you’d name a cow. I guess that it’s just because of Devondale milk. Weird.”

Devon looked like someone had slapped him across the face with a wet fish while he was sucking on an extremely sour lemon. He was used to guys either taking him up immediately on his unspoken offer, or shooting him down, at which he would shrug and try again two minutes later. He wasn’t used to being called a cow.

He pursed his lips in annoyance. “It comes from the area in England called Devon. You know? Like Devonshire tea?”

Lon nodded sagely. “Huh. Lucky for you they didn’t call you after Shropshire. We would be calling you Shroppy.”

Casey spun around and faced the water so he could hide his amusement. Unfortunately Ash chose to comment, saying, “Or Stroppy. Suits you, Dev. You are a stroppy bastard.”

The laughter came out of Casey’s mouth anyway, and even though he wasn’t looking, he still heard Devon’s gasp of dismay. He turned back to Ash, who raised his brows. “Don’t look at me. The only county in England I can think of is Cornwall,” Casey replied.

Ash grinned delightedly. “Corny?”

Lon frowned. “Or Wally?”

That did it. Casey dissolved into giggles like he was five and at his first fairy birthday party with all the girls. Extremely immature, he knew, but he couldn’t help it. Devon was trying to keep his dignity, but in the end his sense of humor came through, and he giggled too. The four of them grinned madly at each other.

Lon spread his towel on the sand next to Casey’s and lay down on his back, closed his eyes against the brightness of the sun, and placed his straw hat over his face. Casey saw Devon checking out his large, muscled body, eventually resting his eyes on that unusually large dick, its form revealed completely through the material of a pair of budgie smugglers. Casey continued to stand and glare mutely at his friend, then thrust his hands on his hips in consternation.

Eventually Devon caught on, and shrugged, silently mouthing, “What?”

Casey almost stamped his foot in the sand. He finally went with a frown and mouthed “Mine!” back at Devon, who looked at Lon’s Speedos and pouted. Since he was still looking at Lon, Casey gave him a swift kick in the ankles for his trouble. Sulkily Devon extended the pout and whispered, “Share?”

With a vigorous shake of his head, Casey opposed that thought and moved between the two guys so Devon’s line of sight was obstructed. Devon sighed in response. “Cockblocker,” he threw quietly at Casey.

“Man slut,” Casey tossed back with a smile.

“Daddy’s boy,” Devon jeered at his rival.

“Bitch,” Casey returned volley.

“Thank you,” Devon preened at that one, but soon flew back with the next quasi insult. “Twinkle toes.”

“Drama queen.”

“Jailbait.”

Casey narrowed his eyes at that one. It was a bit too close to the truth, which Devon and Ash were not aware of. He licked his lips and looked Devon up and down. “She-who-is-not-getting-any-tonight.”

Devon’s eyes flew open in outrage as Lon rolled to his side and said, “What the hell are you two saying?”

Ash had a broad smile on his face and said, “Territory defending. It’s starting to get a bit heated too. The claws have come out and next will be the measuring tape. How about we all go for a swim and cool down?”