Horizons (29 page)

Jody stood on tiptoe and kissed me hungrily. I grabbed him by the ass and lifted him off the ground. He latched on, clinging to me with arms and legs wrapped tightly around my torso. I heard him making those needy, begging sounds that always went straight to my cock, and I could feel myself rising under his touch. “God, I’ve missed you,” I sighed, running my tongue around his lips. It had been months since I’d ached like this.

“Do we have a room?” Jody was breathless, covering my face with kisses.

I put him down and took his hand, practically running to our room, where I fumbled with the keys while he waited impatiently behind me. Finally, I got the door open, and Jody pressed me up against the wall, and attacked my mouth with a ferocity I’d never seen before.

“I need you,” he said gruffly, pulling my shirt up and running his hands over my chest possessively. He rubbed my nipples and moaned in satisfaction when they hardened under his touch. “Get rid of this,” he demanded, tugging at my shirt again. “I want some skin.”

There was nothing tender about this reunion. We were like two animals craving release. Months of denial were erupting in a frenzy of grabby hands and sloppy kisses. Every nerve ending was on fire. I was literally tearing the clothes off his back and moaning with pleasure as I was doing it.

We lay on the bed, naked, slippery with mutual desire, and grinding into each other. This wasn’t about love right now; it was sex, plain and simple. We had to have each other, and we wanted it rough and fast. His fingers tangled in my hair, pulling and twisting. “Have you been with anyone?” he whispered, all the while sucking on the soft skin under my ear.

“No.”

“Did you fuck her?”

“Never!”

He growled and said, “Good answer,” for the second time that night. He swallowed me then, taking my cock all the way down his throat and humming with enthusiasm.

I let him have his way, sighing in pleasure as I turned my life into his hands once more.

He pulled away from me for one second, and I was caught in the warm glow that emanated from his eyes. They were golden-brown tonight, sweeping over my face, familiarizing themselves with me again after so many months of doing without. His gaze was riveting, and I was pinned to the bed, unable to break away from the stare that was almost primal. Sounds came from my throat, needy sounds that only stopped when he said, “Come for me,” and he engulfed me again, making wet, sucking noises that were driving me wild. I exploded in hot spurts, and floated off on a cloud of pure ecstasy.

Jody nudged me, and I dragged him up my body, mashing his cock against my groin and stomach. He pressed his lips against mine, sharing my taste, which still coated his tongue, and I sucked greedily while his hips undulated against mine. “Please, Jo, make me scream.”

“Lube?”

“Pocket.”

Jody started to laugh, and we both said
good answer
at the same time. He found my jeans on the floor and fumbled for the small container of lube that I’d brought on the off chance that this would happen. He slathered some on his cock and my asshole, hooked my legs over his shoulders, and slammed into me, grazing the one spot that always made me scream.

“Love you,” he shouted, seconds before I felt the warm gush of his cum filling every part of me. I cocooned him in my arms and legs, holding him close as he shuddered to a spectacular touchdown.

Eventually, when our hearts slowed to a normal level, he rolled off and sat up, pulling my necklace off his neck. He gave it back to me, laying it tenderly against my skin, all the while staring at me with those eyes that had captured me a lifetime ago.

“Don’t ever take this off again.”

“I swear. Will you let me explain?”

“Later.”

“Do you forgive me?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Forever?”

“And even after that.”

Berkeley, California, 2007

“C
LARK
!
Mr. Stevens! Over here, please.”

I turned to my right and the flashbulbs went off, followed by several more, as Jody and I made our way outside the arrival area of the San Francisco International Airport. We’d just flown in from Chicago and already were being bombarded by the paparazzi that seemed to permeate our existence since my public outing.

Jody and I had become celebrities, gay icons of the sports world, and fodder for every tabloid from here to New York and back. When the public heard that I had outed myself for the man I loved, I became a national hero. Every gay man within a hundred feet wanted a picture of me or an autograph. Women found the whole idea romantic as hell despite the fact that we were homosexuals. They still thought that any man who would be willing to give up so much for the person he loved, regardless of the sex, was worth knowing. I received fan mail from gay teens who thanked me for helping them come to terms with their orientation. It was so unexpected, but very rewarding to know I’d made a difference in someone’s life

Jody took it all with a grain of salt, having lived under this kind of scrutiny once before with Rick. When the press found out whom I was dating, it got even more out of control. For weeks, all they wrote about was Jody and Rick, Jody and Clark, Clark and Jody…. Christ, you’d think we were movie stars or something.

“Dr. Williams! What are you guys in town for?”

“A wedding,” Jody replied, keeping his head down and trying not to get photographed again. The people at Northwestern Memorial Hospital knew he was gay, but I was pretty sure they wouldn’t want the new head of their trauma center in Chicago to be plastered all over the
National Enquirer
.

“Are you guys getting married?” a reporter asked when he heard Jody’s reply, hoping for a scoop.

“It’s not our wedding,” Jody answered, shaking his head. “It’s a friend.”

“Oh,” he replied, visibly disappointed. “Maybe you guys will be next?”

“Maybe.” Jody smiled that wicked smile of his, the one that made his dimple show up on his left cheek. I bent toward his ear and whispered, “You’d better behave yourself, or I’ll really give them something to talk about.”

Jody laughed and grabbed my hand as the limo pulled up. We got into the car as the cameras clicked and flashed, and were finally sped off to Berkeley, far away from the media scrutiny.

“When the fuck is this circus going to end?” I turned toward Jody. “It’s been over a year and a half. Don’t they have something more exciting to talk about?”

“Kit, I doubt that their boring news could generate as many sales as pictures of your chest.”

“Shut up.”

“Besides,” Jody said, leaning toward me and giving me a soft squeeze, “you know I get off when people turn green with envy.”

“You’re not exactly a troll, you know. You’re the hottest doctor that’s ever graced the halls of a Chicago hospital.”

“Christ! It’s weird living there, isn’t it? Didn’t I swear I’d never shovel snow again?”

“I’m doing the shoveling, so stop bitching about it. Besides, it’s only temporary.”

Jody teased back. “Well, Mom and Dad are over the moon, so that makes it worthwhile.”

“I love Mom and Dad,” I grinned and felt blessed at their love and acceptance. Jody’s parents had insisted that I call them that as soon as we moved into their basement apartment. We’d elected to live with them, because we didn’t want to buy a place in Chicago. We wanted to keep the house in Berkeley without renting it out, and it would have been too complicated to maintain two houses. This way, everyone was happy, especially his parents.

“We’ll be back here before you know it. My contract with the Bears is half over.”

“I miss our hot tub and the deck.”

“We’ll be there in less than twenty minutes. Thank God you decided not to sell.”

“Or rent! I’d hate to have someone else enjoying my view while I’m here.”

Like a magnet, I drew Jody closer. The blackout glass between the front and back seat was closed. Even though this was the Bay Area, we were still a little cautious about public displays of affection.

Jody leaned his head back on the car seat and sighed.

Alarmed, I asked, “Are you worried, Jo?”

“A little bit,” he admitted. I knew this trip was going to be traumatic for us, but we had to face our demons once and for all. I promised Nikki I’d be the best man at her wedding, and damn it, I had to do it, even if it meant seeing my father and mother for the first time since we’d parted ways.

“Why is your dad walking her down the aisle, anyway?”

“Because her father’s still in jail.”

“And despite the fact that you and I put him there, she wants us at her wedding?”

“She was as shocked as everyone else, Jo. She had no idea that you were bashed or that her father did it! You know, she turned out to be pretty decent at the end.”

“I still don’t trust her.”

“You’re a jealous, possessive boyfriend.”

“Damn right, and don’t forget it!”

“Forget it? I love it when you’re this way. It makes me hornier than fuck.”

“Kit, growing grass makes you horny. The rising sun makes you hard. Birds chirping in the trees turn you on.”

“All right, all right, I get it!” I said, laughing at his teasing. “I’m a horny old dog.”

“No, I’m the dog—you’re the big kitty, remember?”

“Right.” I pretended to purr and meow my way up and down his neck, reaching for his zipper and pulling it down slowly. I slipped my hand inside his jeans and seized his rigid cock. “Who’s the horny dog, now?”

“Fuck.”

“If I blow you, will the driver watch?”

“It’s called a privacy window for a reason. Kit, stop doing that if you’re not going to follow through on this.”

“Do I look like someone who can’t complete a task?”

Jody’s smile was one of deep satisfaction. After months of cajoling, I’d finally let him talk me into taking the medication for the attention deficit, and the difference it made in my performance on and off the field was dramatic. “Not since you’ve started to follow your doctor’s orders.”

“I love my doctor.”

“Love you too, my big tiger. Now behave yourself. We’re almost home.”

I purred against him and held him in a tight embrace. I was so grateful to be holding him after losing him all those wretched months ago. We were exactly where we wanted to be in our relationship, and it seemed as if we had found our utopia despite all the conflict we’d had to overcome to arrive at this place. Our union had continued to flourish and grow, and now almost a year and a half later, we were about to confront two of the three men who had almost destroyed us.

“What if they do something rash?” Jody whispered.

“Jo, there’s a restraining order on my father and Zach. They are not allowed to talk to us or be within twenty feet. Plus, Nikki assured me that there would be security at both the church and the reception.”

“But if he’s walking her down the aisle, and you’re going to be standing with her husband-to-be; that’s a lot less than twenty feet!”

“I’m pretty sure he’s not planning on doing anything stupid. He promised Nikki’s dad that she’d have the best wedding ever, and since he’s the one who basically caused her father’s jail time, he probably feels guilty as hell that John’s not there.”

“I wish I could stop worrying about this.”

“You can’t help it, Jo. You’re the worrier in this family.”

“I don’t know how you can be so calm, Kit. It’s the first time you’re seeing them since we left.”

“I’m calm because we won, Jo. You’re here beside me where you belong, and nothing they can do or say will change that.”

“Will your mother be there?”

“I’m not sure. Mike said they’ve been visiting every week, and she seems more like her old self. She’s been asking about me.”

“She’s had the best physical therapy that money can buy, thanks to you. She should have made a full recovery by now.”

“Her speech is still a little slurry, according to the twins. But all movement is back.”

“Well, that’s a relief. Coming back from a massive stroke isn’t an easy thing. She’s lucky the paramedic picked up on her symptoms immediately.”

“They had their hands full that afternoon, between me and her being unconscious.”

“I don’t want to think about that anymore.”

“You’re the one that brought it up.”

“Sorry.”

I meshed our fingers in a tight grip. “No worries, Jo-Jo.”

“None,” he replied, kissing my cheek.

T
HE
service Jody had hired to maintain the property was excellent. The house was clean and aired out, and the hot tub was scrubbed and bubbling. It felt like a home. Jody did a brief walk-through while Clark was putting their luggage away, enjoying the sight of his own furniture and space.

His parents had bent over backward to make their apartment as comfortable as possible, and they’d succeeded, but it wasn’t home. Home was right here in Berkeley, and what better way to celebrate their homecoming than to sit in the hot tub and enjoy the beautiful view they’d been missing.

It seemed almost karmic that they ended up in Chicago when any other team could have picked Clark. Despite his father’s predictions, his value as a player and a media draw went up a hundredfold after his announcement on TV. Teams were scrambling to sign him up, and he settled on the Chicago Bears because of the distance from his family and because of Jody’s ties to Chicago.