Jory Strong: Two Spirits

And still he couldn’t stop himself from catching glimpses of Trey out of the corner of his eye. Usually he found the call of the wind and rain irresistible. Usually he couldn’t wait to get home, to stretch out in front of the fireplace and let his spirit escape the confines of human flesh to become Thunderbird.

It was the overpowering need to take flight, to feel his spirit deeply connected to the Creator’s and to the land The People protected, that had brought him back to Hohoq. But as the air warmed in the Jeep and Trey’s scent invaded his senses, images of stretching in front of the fire with Trey, of kissing and touching, soaring with passion instead of with the storm, filled Tenino’s mind.

On some level he noticed the scenery as it passed on either side of the Jeep. He was aware of the slashing rain, the wind, the thunder and lightning, the presence of Thunderbirds high above them. But on another level, it was like driving through a tunnel with home marked by a light at the far end.

He rolled to a stop in front of the cabin. The rain was coming down in sheets, the blackness of night complete.

Tenino slid from the Jeep and raced to get under the porch roof. He had the door open by the time Trey grabbed his duffle and got to shelter. A flick of his hand over the switch and the inside of the cabin lit up.

His eyes went to the fireplace mantle and the Thunderbird image Ukiah had carved into it. There was no half-filled cup waiting as there had been for Tekoa when he took Clay and Jessica to his home.

Tenino swallowed his disappointment. Reminded himself he’d been a fool to hope there would be one—especially since Trey had a thing for women.

He stripped his jacket off and hung it on a peg next to the door. “I’ll get a fire started,” he said, the smallness of the cabin closing in on him with a coziness that promised an unrelenting ache in his cock unless he came to terms with Trey’s presence there.

For the most part it was one room with the kitchen separated by a counter and the start of the bedroom delineated by a carpet. The couch was oversized, plush, the TV an energy-consuming extravagance that had made more than one of the elders shake their head and mutter about the foolishness of youth, especially when they saw the collection of video games making up his “library”.

Tenino pointed toward an open door. “Bathroom’s there,” he said, crossing the wooden floor and kneeling on the thick, woven rug in front of the fireplace.

Even with his back to Trey, Tenino was acutely aware of Trey taking his jacket off. In his mind’s eye he went further, saw Trey peeling down the wet jeans, then the rest of his clothing before stretching out in front of the fire in a sexual offering.

Yeah, this was going to be a problem, Tenino thought. He got the fire going, the task second nature, so often performed it didn’t require nearly enough of his attention.

Trey disappeared into the bathroom, came out barefoot and wearing sweatpants. He stopped by the duffle he’d put on a chair and dug out a book.

Tenino’s jaw clenched when Trey claimed a spot at the end of the couch closest to the fire. He needed to figure out a way to handle this. For the next week or so, this was his job, keeping Trey safe. But short of having a tracking device on Trey, there was little chance of Patricia Veron finding him—which meant there was little danger of anything except dying of blue balls.

His hands curled into fists as he fought the urge to unzip and give himself some relief. Fuck!

An icy-hot bolt shot through his cock at the word. Tenino closed his eyes, took a deep breath then regretted it as the light scent of Trey’s cologne made his chest tighten.

Deal with it, he told himself. There are two choices here.

Kick back, have some fun. No commitments. No expectations. Just go with the flow, take what was offered even though doing casual with Trey would only make the cabin seem empty and the loneliness worse when he was gone.

Or he could hold out. He could fight the attraction and spend a lot of time jerking off in the shower.

Tenino grimaced. Yeah, that idea held a lot of appeal.

He turned away from the fire. Trey’s head was down, his attention seemingly on the book he was using to shield his erection. Tenino was willing to bet his badge that if he asked, Trey wouldn’t be able tell him what he was reading.

Why couldn’t Trey be butt-ugly? Or a flamer? Either would have made things easy.

Instead Trey was perfectly masculine. He was lean, mouthwateringly fit without the muscles of a guy who did serious bodybuilding. And the blond ponytail was about to drive Tenino crazy. He had a thing for long hair. He loved freeing his braid and having a lover comb his fingers through it. He loved doing the same to a lover.

Tenino shook his head slightly and admitted to himself he didn’t have a clue how to proceed. Say something about the chemistry that had him harder than he’d been in a long time? Don’t say anything?

It’s not like they were in a gay bar or set up by friends. They were snugged up in his cabin with one bed, one sofa and a whole lot of togetherness. Which meant he was going to be totally miserable in his own place if something didn’t give.

Tenino took a deep breath, opened his mouth and let the first words that presented themselves out. “Look. No surprises here. I’m gay. I—”

“I’m not,” Trey interrupted, swamped by deep-seated panic and reacting with denial before he could stop himself.

It was a stupid thing to do. As soon as the words were out Trey regretted them.

He was wearing baggy sweats and using a book to shield his hardened cock from view. Did he think Tenino was so clueless he hadn’t noticed?

“Okay, bi then,” Tenino said.

Trey managed to look up. To meet Tenino’s dark eyes. “I’m not bi.”

Even he heard the absolute truth in those three words. And the force with which he’d delivered them was like slamming a conversational door shut.

Tenino’s eyebrows went up. Trey’s heart thundered. His face flamed and his thoughts raced.

Maybe it’s time to stop pretending, a small internal voice whispered. Here’s your chance. The two of you are going to be sharing a cabin. He’s safe, a lot safer than anyone you’d meet in a bar or online.

Trey’s fingers tightened on the book. His breath grew shorter. Sentences formed, dissolved, reformed. But his throat closed, preventing any possibility of retracting his earlier denial, of openly admitting his sexual preference. He closed his eyes and ducked his head, not wanting to see himself labeled a coward in Tenino’s eyes.

Shock. Heat. Lust. A nearly overwhelming need to dominate scorched Tenino and just about cost him his control.

Tenino stood abruptly, before he gave in to the temptation to force the truth out of Trey. Gay. Not just gay, but probably a virgin.

Tenino retreated to the bathroom, admitting to himself he was very close to having most of his brains reside in his cock. Most of his blood was already there.

He stripped and stepped into the shower stall, went for hot water because there were only two cures for what ailed him and in his mind, taking a cold shower wasn’t an option. He lathered his hands, gave in to the fantasy it was Trey’s hand circling his erection, Trey’s hand cupping his balls.

Fuck, he had it bad. But short of handcuffing Trey—

Exquisite agony raced through Tenino’s cock as the scenario of cuffing Trey to the bed and gaining a confession played out. Shit, it’d be the sweetest confession he’d ever heard, made in the midst of gasps and pleading and moans.

Tenino groaned as he imagined using his mouth and hands to work Trey into admitting the truth. He’d take it slow at first, build the need, the anticipation, make Trey’s first time so good the only place he called home was the cabin and the only bed he wanted to be in was the one in the next room.