The Adonis of Weho (12 page)

“Hardly!” Reese blushed and shook his head. “Porn. Not literature.”

“Porn.” Adonis narrowed his eyes as he tried to think of what that was.

“Two men.” Heath made a gesture with his hands, poking his index finger into a hole he had made with his other hand.

“Fucking.”

“Ahh.” Adonis nodded. “Eros-erotica between men. Sex.”

“Yes. Sex. I give gay men chubbies.” Reese smirked, sipping his beer.

Doug and Heath cracked up with laughter.

Adonis thought it through.

“Chubbies.” Reese cupped his own crotch.

“Yes.” Adonis nodded. “An erection. I get it.”

“I want to read your stuff.” Doug finished the last shrimp.

“I’d love you to buy it.” He removed his wallet and handed off a small card.

Adonis leaned closer to see. Reese gave him one as well. Adonis held it and looked at it. A naked man was on the small piece of paper, along with Reese’s name. “So you’re an expert in the art of man-love?”

Reese gave Adonis a seductive grin. “Yes. I won’t be modest. The answer is yes.”

“
Oooh
!” Heath and Doug made the same noise. Adonis was intrigued. “What will you do with a man if he wants pleasure?”

“Yeah, dude. Talk dirty.” Heath leaned across the table. Reese took another sip of his beer, and stared at Adonis. “I’d touch him. Everywhere.”

Adonis tingled.

“Slowly. First with my fingers. Then my tongue.”

Remembering Reese digging his hand between his legs, Adonis closed his eyes and shivered.

“How you guys doing?” Jet removed the empty shrimp plate.

“Good on drinks?”

“Another round?” Heath held up his empty glass, looking at Adonis.

“Anything they want.” Adonis waved, distracted by Reese’s seductive glare.

“Great. I’ll be back.” Jet left.

Adonis and Reese locked gazes.

~

Reese was losing his mind. This man made his desire for sex go off the charts. Wings? What wings? All Reese could see was Smith’s fabulous face, not to mention the huge cock growing under his white slacks.

As if no other person existed at that moment. Reese reached for Smith’s cheek. The second he caressed him, Smith parted his lips and made a soft sound.

Reese drew near, closing his eyes and going for that mouth. On contact, he felt his insides melt from the passion and his cock pulsating against the fabric of his jeans.

~

Zeus roared in rage and clenched his fists. He reached for the heavens and threw lightning and hail down on them.

~

Adonis felt a jolt and then ice cold pellets stinging his skin. He parted from the kiss and looked up.

Everyone on the open patio was running for cover.

“What the fuck?” Heath grabbed his drink and he and Doug rushed to the door of the club.

Reese reached out for Adonis to help him to cover. But Adonis knew what was happening. He looked up at the black clouds which showered ice and lightning. “Leave me be!”

~

Reese gasped as Smith’s wings spread out, like a great white hawk. And Smith shook his fist at the clouds and shouted at them as if he were talking to someone inside them. And maybe he was.

As the patio cleared of people, including Heath and Doug, Reese stood his ground, supporting Smith.

“I will not give in!” Smith screamed at the top of his lungs at an invisible foe. “Kill me, but you will never change me!”

Reese shivered and ducked as if something would strike them both.

“No!” Smith appeared to be in a shouting match with someone Reese could not see or hear. His wings flapped creating a great gust of wind. Smith held up his hand, shielding his face, to withstand the hail, gales, and dust being stirred up from the torrent. Inside the club everyone was at the glass looking at the bizarre weather and even more unusual behavior of the man with wings. How could they not see his wings?

~

“A woman, Adonis!”

“No!” He shook his fist skyward. “Don’t tell me what to do when you have ravished Ganymede! You hypocrite!”

“Hera will torture you! Beware! Find a female mortal and mate!”

“Don’t force me into something I can’t do! Father!” Adonis suddenly remembered where he was. He panicked and noticed the patio had cleared, but Reese was still there, enduring the hailstorm and wind. Adonis flapped his wings and began to move upward.

“No! Smith!” Reese reached for him.

Adonis needed to get away. He covered his face and jumped over the ropes and walls which contained the patio, wretched and enraged.

~

“Smith!” Reese struggled to get out of the enclosed area, but unfortunately he didn’t have wings. The moment Smith had vanished, the sun returned and the wind died out.

“Dude!” Heath rushed outside. “Where is Smith?”

Reese brushed the hailstones out of his hair. “Didn’t you see him?”

“See him? No. Where is he?” Heath spun around as everyone slowly returned to the patio.

Doug looked at the table, which was covered in white ice pellets. “Where’s Smith?”

Reese shook his head, completely confused.

~

Adonis sat in his car and pounded the steering wheel with his palm. Tears ran down his face. “Dad! Come on!”

But he could feel his father was not listening. He knew his dad meant to warn him of Hera’s wrath. But Adonis could not stop himself. This is who he was.

How his father was allowed to bed every young thing, male or female, marry his sister, and still reign over the heavens was beyond him. All Adonis wanted was to love a man. He didn’t ask permission. He didn’t need it.

~

“Smith!” Reese, Doug, and Heath looked up and down the street.

“I’ll call him.” Heath put his phone to his ear.

“Smith!” Reese ran in the direction Smith had come, looking for the red Ferrari.

“Voicemail.” Heath shut his phone.

“Do you guys know where he lives?”

“Yup,” Doug said, “Where did you park?”

“Up the street.”

“Follow us.”

~

Adonis kept wiping his eyes as he drove, trying to see past his tears. He pulled into his drive and ran into the house. Maria was there, shaking her head. “What did I tell you?”

“Go away!” Adonis headed to his bedroom, slammed the door, and dropped onto the bed, crying into his pillows.

~

Reese pulled his SUV behind Heath’s pickup truck near the egress of a long driveway. The red Ferrari was parked there. The three of them met up at the front door. Heath began to pound it. “Smith! Dude!”

A woman opened the door. Reese couldn’t catch his breath he was so worried.

“Hey, we’re here to see Smith,” Doug said.

“He is resting. Goodbye.”

As she went to shut the door, Reese pushed against it, bracing it. “Tell him we’re here!” He snarled, showing his teeth.

“Go away. You don’t help him by coming here.” She pushed at the door.

“Smith!” Doug shouted, joined by Heath.

~

Adonis was curled up under his wing, eyes closed, wounded to his soul. Yelling began to intrude on his meditation. He opened his eyes.

“Smith! Smith!”

Adonis’ wing folded back and he looked over his shoulder. He could hear Maria arguing with his friends. Adonis stood off the bed and looked out of his front window.

Heath, Doug, and Reese were there. It appeared they had no intention of leaving. Adonis peered up at the ceiling in apprehension and said, “What are you going to do? Blow my house down?”

~

Reese spotted Smith behind the woman. The relief he felt was great.

Smith said, “Go,” to the woman.

She gave him a warning glance and left. Smith stood at his door.

Reese could see how upset he was, how he had cried. “Baby.”

He reached out his hand.

Smith didn’t take it.

“Dude? We’re here for you. Why did you split?” Heath stepped closer. “We’re your backup, man. We don’t bail.”

“Sorry.” Smith didn’t make eye contact with any of them.

“The storm passed the minute you left,” Doug said. “There was no need to be afraid.”

Reese knew this wasn’t about the weather. “Smith. Let me come in.”

He backed up, allowing them entry.

Doug and Heath hurried inside, as Reese stood face to face with Smith. They met gazes. “Someone up there,” he pointed,

“doesn’t want a gay son.”

Smith’s eyes watered and he bit his lip.

“Who?” Reese asked, looking upward.

Smith shook his head, not replying.

“Dude.” Heath reached out his hands for Smith’s.

Smith gave them to him.

“We are your warriors. You can count on us.”

“You can’t help me in this war. But thank you.”

“Yeah. Don’t underestimate us,” Doug poked his thumb at his own chest. “We’re gays in the hood. We don’t take no shit.”

Reese judged Smith’s reaction. If anything, it appeared confused. As the other two tried to comfort Smith, Reese looked around at the dwelling. The house was enormous and very decadently furnished. A star’s mansion indeed.

Why he had never heard of Smith Gold was confusing. But Reese wasn’t that big of a celebrity follower, and young stars were being born daily out of the Hollywood money machines. But…no entries on the search engines? No list of credits for films or television shows? That didn’t make sense. Smith moved back from the other two. “I’m really tired. I’m sorry. Can you go?”

Though they looked hurt, Heath and Doug nodded.

“All of us?” Reese asked.

“Yes.”

There was no way Reese was leaving Smith when he was this upset.

“Got work tomorrow, dude.” Heath bumped Smith’s fist affectionately. “Text me.”

“Same.” Doug gave Smith’s knuckles his touch.

They walked to the door.

Heath opened it for them.

Reese said, “Go, I’ll be a minute.”

Heath and Doug nodded in understanding and left.

Reese turned to look at Smith. His wings were tight behind his back, his expression was spent and tired.

“Baby.” Reese was in agony.

“I…” Smith shook his head as if words failed him. Reese approached him and took him into his arms. He held onto him around his soft white feathers and pressed their cheeks together. “I am here.”

“You’re the reason I’ll be punished. Am punished.”

Reese thought it through. He leaned back to see Smith’s eyes.

“So by me holding you, I’m creating more risk?”

“Yes.”

Reese released him and backed up. “Then it already is torture.”

“Welcome to my world.”

“Tell me who I can confront. Who I can talk to.”

“No one.”

Reese looked up at the ceiling. “You always shout at the sky. Is your father up there? Is he dead and a ghost?”

“No.”

Reese didn’t believe him. He yelled at the ceiling, “Leave him alone!” He ground his jaw. “We are who we are! It’s love!

It’s just love!”

“Love?” Smith tilted his head.

“Yes. Isn’t that what they object to? Two men loving?”

“Oh.” Smith left the room.

Reese closed the front door and followed him, keeping his eyes on the ceiling, as if hail pellets or dead birds would penetrate the roof.

Chapter 9

Adonis spun around when Reese stood at the threshold of his bedroom. “You didn’t leave? Why?”

“I can’t.” Reese stepped closer, then looked at the award trophies and photographs that filled shelves and covered the walls.

Adonis sat down on the bed, his hands laced on his lap. “This is useless. What I want and what they want for me are opposite.”

The bed shifted as Reese sat beside him, leaning on his shoulder. “I got lucky. My family supported my decisions. All of them.”

Nodding, Adonis said, “You are lucky. The opposite is true for me.”

“Well,” Reese said, sighing, “there comes a time when we have to behave like an individual and live our own life.”

“Yes. I agree. But I’m not able to do that. I would if I could.”

Adonis stared at the black work boots on his feet, feeling them wrapped tightly around his toes. He liked to be in sandals or barefoot, so he began unlacing them.

Reese instantly crouched down and took over.

“How old are you?” Reese tugged off his boot. “I assume you are over eighteen.”

Adonis smiled sadly. “Time. Mortals are so consumed with it.”

“What I mean is…” Reese paused and asked, “Mortals?”

“Never mind.” Adonis raised his second foot to get to the lace, but Reese again took over for him.

“Smith, I’m saying, once you’re an adult you can’t live for your parents anymore.”

“Oh? So I should just do as I please?” He coughed sarcastically. “I already got these for doing that.” He flapped his wings. “You have no idea what they’re capable of.”

Reese took off both his socks and began messaging his feet. Adonis moaned and his stiff posture softened to a slouch.

“That’s wonderful.”

“I told you I would touch you all over.” Reese began squeezing Adonis’ calves. “If you’ll let me.”

Adonis lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “Touch me…all over.”

~

Reese knelt on the floor beside the bed, massaging Smith’s legs over his white pants. Under the fabric Reese knew this man possessed a glorious body. That day on the beach he had seen him in a bathing suit, though with the wings distracting him, he didn’t admire him as he would have liked.

Maneuvering up Smith’s calves to his knee, then his thighs, Reese squeezed the large muscles of Smith’s upper leg and stared at the bulge between. The urge to rip his clothing off of him was powerful. Reese bypassed the area, only giving that enticing mound a grope, and knelt over Smith’s hips to massage his chest and arms.