It took four of them to bring the eighty-foot oak down, although Rob supposed they could manage without him if they had to. He'd been the last one to join the team and he knew he'd be the first to go when -- if -- this busy spell faded. He was starting to worry about that, and not just because he needed the money.

Chris was in the truck lift, hoisted up high into the branches, wrapping the sling around them and cutting them free for Ian on the crane to winch clear and drop to the ground for Rob and Sean to deal with. Which involved chainsaws roaring, before they fed the brown and green of branch and leaf into the chipper to spurt out the other side, a teeth-numbingly loud howl of machinery later, in a shower and cloud of small particles.

If they'd been healthy trees, it might've depressed Rob, because he loved trees, always had, ever since the day his dad built him a tree house. That summer he'd discovered the pleasure of solitude, high and alone, with the breeze stirring the green leaves and keeping him cool, and the stars bright and high later on, when he crept out there, sneaking up the ladder, cat-footed and tingling with the awareness of breaking half-a-dozen rules.

And when he didn't feel like being alone, well, there was nothing, just nothing, that beat the thrill of taking Pete and Andy up there and dropping water-filled balloons on his sister Stacy's head, just to hear her squeal.

Even though she'd ended up marrying Andy, he wasn't sure she'd ever forgiven them for that summer.

These trees though, they weren't safe. Rotten, or with shaky roots, infested with wasps... they needed to come down, and unless there was something planned for the empty spot, Chris, the owner of the business, always planted a new tree as the final job of the day.

Rob heaved a log over to the side of the lawn and groaned as his muscles tightened. Still wasn't used to this work. Still went to sleep aching all over, his muscles screaming.

"Take a break, kid," Sean said, coming up behind him, his voice raised to combat the chipper. It cut off abruptly as Ian threw the switch and Sean grinned at Rob. "Time out. Chris says the client wants some of the branches for firewood and she wants to pick them out. Ian's going to haul them to her shed as he's just been sitting all morning. We can go grab a cold drink, if you like, maybe find a patch of shade? They won't need us for half an hour or so."

Sean nodded at the wood that lapped around the property, wild enough to be interesting, but not neglected.

Rob swallowed, feeling shy. Sean was about five years older than his twenty-one and just about hot enough to dry Rob's mouth every time he looked at him. Dark hair, straight and heavy, a deep tan that Rob could see a lot of because Sean worked with his chest bare apart from his orange safety vest, and a whole lot of strength in his lean, hard body.

And an ass that Rob's hands wanted to grab because, damn, it was as tight and sassy as the rest of Sean.

Brown eyes glinted with amusement. "You going to say yes or no any time soon, Rob?"

"Yes!" Rob blurted out. "I mean, yeah, I'd like a break." He swept the back of his hand across his sweat-slicked forehead. "Sure is hot today."

"Got that right."

They walked in silence to the cooler of drinks set up on a trestle table and Rob bit back a moan when Sean headed for the barrel of water beside it, stripping off his vest and then scooping up handfuls of water to sluice over his hair and chest. He smoothed back his dripping hair and flashed Rob a grin. "Feels good. Want to cool off a bit?" He stepped closer and Rob held his breath as Sean reached out and removed a chip of wood from the tangle of brown curls Rob was vowing to cut off at the weekend because he was sick of trying to get the sawdust out of them. "There you go."

This close he could smell Sean; sweat, yeah, but he smelled the same, so he sort of cancelled that out. And not sawdust either, because again, that was a scent they all carried, tree sap and green heavy on their skin. No, Sean just smelled ... male. Rob watched water trickle down Sean's face and gather in the hollow at his throat and wanted to taste it.

Which was stupid, because in the first place, it'd be kinda gross, and in the second Sean would haul off and hit him so hard he wouldn't have time to cry 'Timber!' before he measured his length on the floor.

Practical, Rob reminded himself. Be practical. You need the work, you need your nose not broken, and fuck if Sean didn't stop running his hand over his chest and stomach, chasing the rivulets of water that were tickling him, with that bright look in his eyes and that slow smile twisting his mouth, Rob was going to need a moment alone with himself and his hand.

And that's all it would take the way he felt right now with his cock straining against his jeans and the knowledge that men don't generally look that far down saving him from dying of shame. He should know; he'd been working for Chris for three weeks now and he'd jerked off thinking about Sean exactly nine times on the job, which, when you consider that they didn't work weekends, was starting to look like a habit.

"Right," he said, plucking at his T-shirt with fingers that shook just a little. "Cool off."

Lord, he'd need to dive into the sea off Antarctica to cool off, the way he felt right then.

He could tell that Sean was watching him as he peeled off the clinging, damp T-shirt and made his way to the barrel. Threw in just a little saunter to his step and then hid his blush in a double handful of water, lukewarm, he supposed, but feeling fresh against his heated skin.

"Stay there," Sean said softly, coming to stand beside him. "I'll get your back."

Rob gripped the sides of the barrel, his heart hammering. "What? Oh..."

Sean dipped a mug into the water and placed his hand on Rob's shoulder, holding him in place, bent over. Then the water poured down over Rob's back in a splash of wetness, cutting through the dust and the sweat.

"Oh, God, that feels nice," Rob said.

Sean chuckled and did it again, then tossed the mug aside and dragged the side of his hand down Rob's back. "There you go."

Rob straightened, clutching his T-shirt in front of him and avoiding Sean's eyes. "Want water? Or juice?"

"Water's fine," Sean said, taking the bottle Rob held out to him and walking off, with Rob right behind him. "Come on. We've worked here before; I know a good spot."

"For what?" Rob said, the words leaving his mouth without being authorized by his brain in any way because fuck, that was a stupid thing to say...

He got a speculative look back. "To sit. Drink."

"Right." Of course. What else?

"Unless there's something else you usually do about now?"

Rob unscrewed the top of his drink and swallowed some water, more to give himself time to think. They were in the woods now, the silence swallowing them up, the sunlight filtered through leaves, soft and dim.

"No."

"Really?" Sean sounded interested, not scornful or mean, but Rob still felt panic stir to life.

"No"

"Whatever." Sean seemed to lose interest, taking them along a roughly defined path that led to a small clearing. An octagonal summerhouse was set in the center, sturdy looking, for all the intricate carving on it.

"Oh!"

"Like it?" Sean smiled, looking satisfied. "Come on; we can sit in there."

The inside was plain, with a bench seat running around the walls. Sean flipped up one of the seats and dragged out some cushions putting them on one section of the bench.

"Okay?"

Rob nodded and sat down beside him, both of them staring out of the window at the glimmer of a small lake about fifty foot away, looking blue and cool.

When the silence had built up to the point that Rob was scared to breathe in case he made Sean jump, Sean shifted around to face him, his face serious for once.

"You gonna tell me why every time I turn around you're staring at me? Like now?"

The buzzing in Rob's ears was from listening to the noise of the chipper all morning, he told himself. Had to be. Maybe his ear protectors hadn't been on right, or something...

"Staring? I don't --"

"Yeah, you do." Sean's voice was flat now, all amusement gone. "Man might think you wanted something. Something from me." His hand came up to scratch slowly across his chest, too studied to be anything but a hint.

Okay, that was ... not what he'd expected. "Maybe I do?" he said cautiously.

"Think you left 'maybe' behind last Wednesday, Rob." There was just a trace of amusement working its way back into Sean's voice now.

Wednesday? What the hell was so special about -- "Oh God. Oh fuck."

Sean was grinning now, the bastard. "Yeah, I seem to remember that being some of it. You really need to learn how to be quieter when you're jerking off." He laid his arm across the window sill so that his fingertips were brushing Rob's upper arm. "Not that I didn't like hearing you. Don't see how anyone could help feeling flattered knowing he was the cause of all those whimpers and moans." Sean raised a dark eyebrow. "Or am I wrong about that? 'Cause I could've sworn my name got slid in there amongst all the gods and fucks, but maybe you know a lot of Seans? Or maybe I misheard, seeing as I was torn between backing off so you wouldn't be blushing when you came out of the bathroom and saw me, and hammering on the door because I needed to do what you were doing myself."

Rob had been trying to speak all the time that Sean had been talking, but nothing was coming out. Scalding heat, this time from embarrassment, was sweeping over him and he was losing himself in listening, not to Sean's low, even voice, but the chant in his head that told him he was so very fucked.

Then Sean's hand slipped up to cup his face and he jerked, startled, and stared into mildly impatient brown eyes.

"I'm waiting," Sean said. He sighed, his eyes scanning Rob's face. "Have you been listening? Or are you too busy freaking?"

"F-Freaking," Rob admitted. "Fuck, I'm sorry, Sean. I didn't mean -- look, don't say anything. Please? I'll tell Chris I'm leaving tonight and I'll be gone by week's end, I promise."

"You really weren't paying attention, were you?" Sean murmured. "And you're wasting time, so I'm gonna make this fast."

"What? What are you going to do to me?" Rob said, knowing damn well if Sean meant a fight, he didn't stand a chance in hell. He was strong enough -- had to be for this job -- but Sean was heavier and tougher by far.

"Give you something to stare at you haven't seen yet?" Sean said, brushing his thumb across Rob's mouth. "Hammer it into your thick skull that I don't mind you looking, but I do mind you not having the guts to take it further when I flat-out tell you it's okay."

A dozen looks, comments and actions from Sean over the past few weeks, overlooked or misunderstood, jostled for space in his memory and Rob swallowed hard, finally getting the message. "I'm stupid."

"Yep." Sean nodded slowly and then grinned. "Got sixteen minutes before we have to head back. Want to make some noise for me?"

"God, yes," Rob said devoutly, finally letting himself react to the warmth of the hand against his face, feeling his cock fill and harden with an arousal as sharp and sweet as a bite into a crisp, green apple.

"Wanted to do this for days," Sean murmured, leaning in. "Fucking days." His teeth nipped at Rob's lip, his mouth sucking at the swelling flesh a moment later. "God, you taste good."

"Next time, just come out with it and tell me that, will you?" Rob managed to say, sliding his hand up into Sean's thick, soft hair, damp enough to cling to his fingers, and feeling the shiver that ran through Sean.

Sean chuckled and shifted closer, his hands exploring Rob's back, settling it sparking in a dozen places when his nails dug in, just a little. "Won't need to be a next time, will there? Now you know it's mutual. Course, if you mean next time I want to do this, I have to ask, well, fair enough." He pushed back Rob's hair and licked around his ear lobe with a mischievous swirl of his tongue Rob couldn't help thinking would feel really nice on other parts of his body too, with his cock heading the list if he had a say in it. "I can say 'please' and I'd love to have something to say 'thank you' for."

"Don't have to ask," Rob said. "Or mind your manners that much." Deciding that he needed to redeem himself a little, because he wasn't a coward, dammit, he just hadn't been sure, he used the hand still locked around Sean's head to bring Sean's mouth into position to be kissed and felt a throb as his balls tightened just from the scrape of stubble prickling his upper lip.

Kissing Sean was too good to be a fantasy, even if Rob was still wondering if he had sunstroke or something and was dreaming all of this. Sean's lips parted at once and then Sean made up for that small surrender by what he did with his tongue, slipping it teasingly inside Rob's mouth and flicking it against Rob's tongue before retreating, in a clear 'come and get me' move.

Rob had had enough of waiting. And he was tempted -- almost -- to spend every second of the time they had left just kissing Sean, feeling those lips hard and hungry against his, dealing with the biting by biting back, until he knew damn well they were both going to look bee-stung by the time they were done.

Somehow though, with Sean's hand finding its way to Rob's lap and stroking over the hard thrust of Rob's cock and doing nothing to change the state it was in, Rob had a feeling that they'd be doing more than kiss.

"Running out of time," Sean whispered, his brown eyes half-closed as he leaned back just enough to be able to smile hazily at Rob. "We can do this properly later, if you want, back at my place. Take a shower, I'll feed you, fuck every ache out of you ..."

"Beats a night alone staring at the place I plan to put a TV when I can afford one," Rob said, his hips arching up in a plea he knew Sean could make him vocalize if he wanted to. "But fuck, Sean, I can't go back to work like this."

"Hard? Wanting?" Sean glanced down, not at his hand covering Rob's cock, but the outline of his own erection, drawing Rob's gaze with it and getting a moan and another jerk of Rob's hips because that just made it real somehow and it all slammed down on him and left his skin tight around a body just too close to coming to be controllable. "Yeah. Know how you feel."

Sean's hand moved and dealt with the button on Rob's jeans and the careful easing down of his zip. "Said we'd do it properly later. Didn't say I was going to leave you like this." Sean's eyes were darker than ever as his fingers closed around a cock that was sitting up and begging for a petting. He pulled Rob to him, across his lap, with Rob's head resting in the curve of Sean's shoulder, stroking his hand from Rob's throat to his nipples, hard despite the heat, and down across his belly.

"Touch me," Rob said, trying to make it a demand, settling for it being a choked out plea. 'Fuck, Sean, you don't, I won't wait for you."

His hand rose in a movement too familiar to be anything but instinctive and Sean growled at him without any heat behind it. "Impatient, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Rob said snatching a quick kiss. "You bet I am."

"Then start making some noise," Sean said, his tongue tracing his lips, as if he was tasting how much Rob wanted him. "Want to see what you look like when you sound that way." He grinned, his eyes narrowing. "Bet it's pretty fucking hot."

Rob bit down on his lip, bound and determined to come in silence, just to show him. From the first light touch of Sean's fingers across the underside of his balls, he knew he wasn't going to succeed.

"Oh, God!"

"Oh, yeah," Sean whispered, looking really fucking happy about being right. "Knew you'd look like that ... should see yourself."

Sean's fingers stroked gently along Rob's cock, making him squirm and start to pant because he didn't think anyone had ever teased him when he was this close to shooting and he was going to drive a hole through his lip if he chewed at it any harder. "Sean -- "

"Yeah? Want something?"

The tip of his cock got a rub from the ball of Sean's thumb, brief, but firm enough to send a flash of need through him. He could've ridden it out if Sean hadn't brought his thumb up to his mouth and darted out his tongue to give it an appreciative lick.

"Oh fuck, fuck -- Sean --" His eyes squeezed closed and his head rolled from side to side as he writhed in Sean's lap, feeling the nudge of Sean's dick, still hidden from view, against his ass.

"Now that sounds familiar," Sean said. "You shot about thirty seconds later last Wednesday and that's about how long you've got now." He sounded regretful, as if he was getting a kick out of teasing Rob, which was either worrying or promising, Rob couldn't decide which.

Rob forced his eyes open and gave him a glare that should've melted steel. "Need your hand on me. Hard," he gritted out. "Now."

"God, you're so fucking bossy, you know that?" Sean whispered, his eyes dancing with laughter. "Hold on to --"

"You?" Rob suggested, breathing shallow and fast.

"Might be an idea," Sean allowed.

Rob slid part way off Sean's lap, just enough to let his eager fingers get to where they wanted to go. The first touch of his hand against Sean's cock was enough to have him turning his head and seeking out Sean's mouth again, because Sean was the one making noises now, gasps that weren't words but got the message across just fine.

More. Harder. Right the hell there.

They settled into it then, letting their need dictate what they did rather than the time limit they were fighting. Rob had given up on not making a sound and was going for the second prize of coming last just so he could watch Sean's face, but even that wasn't looking within reach.

Sean, though, he was in reach. He was right fucking there, his teeth leaving a mark on Rob's shoulder that was going to mean he kept his T-shirt on all day, one hand working Rob's cock, the other just everywhere, skating over skin that might never been touched before the way it was reacting, all tingles and chills. Rob wished he had three hands, maybe four, so he could shove his jeans down just a few inches more, because Sean kept going back to Rob's ass, fingers sliding inside his jeans and getting stuck because the way they were up against each other Rob's jeans felt painted on, and there was no room for Sean to get what he was after.

"Going to get it later," Sean promised him, giving up and moving north with his fingers, making Rob writhe and arch and just about start to babble as his nipples got pinched and rubbed until they stung.

And Rob was doing his best to keep up because man, this was just perfect. Sweet hot kisses, getting more hurried and frantic and messy with every passing moment and the weight of a cock in his hand that wasn't his, although he owned it in the moment Sean came, shoving through the tight-wrapped fingers Rob was giving him to fuck, face flushed and eyes open for one startled second as he groaned out Rob's name and his cock went rock-solid and then jerked and spilled, his come warm and wet on Rob's belly.

Too much. Sean's hand slackened just a little on Rob's cock and Rob brought his, wet with spunk, to curve over Sean's, squeezing it so that Sean's hand went back to gripping him hard.

"Do it," he said, barely able to form the words with his heartbeat loud and hammering in his ears. "God, get me off, will you."

Sean ducked his head and bit down hard on Rob's nipple, flicking the abused flesh with his tongue a moment later and moving his hand in three perfect, ruthless strokes as he did it.

"Oh God, yes."

He was never going to laugh at porn movies with cheesy dialog again, Rob decided later, because really, there was nothing else that fitted what he wanted to say. He came with his gaze locked with Sean's, teeth pulled back in a grin of pure delight because his body was singing hallelujah right then, every bit of it feeling good, from the scrape down his arm where a branch had caught it, to the mosquito bite on his ankle.

And every bit of skin Sean had touched and kissed was beyond good, was still fucking tingling, like it remembered being stroked and licked and bitten.

"That was --" Sean shook his head, damp hair flying, brown eyes sparkling. "No. You tell me."

Rob grinned at him. "Messy?"

"Lake over there," Sean said, his face falling a little, as if he'd wanted something more than that. "Soon take care of that." He frowned. "Yeah. Better make it fast, too."

Reality snapped back into place and Rob braced himself for a brush-off, a retraction of the invitation. Couldn't have been that special for Sean, after all, even if it'd left Rob feeling good, wanting more.

They stood up and Sean tidied the cushions away, leaving the place as they'd found it.

"Lake," he said when Rob hesitated. "Come on."

Silent now, Rob followed him along to the water's edge, shivering as he splashed the sun-warmed water over his belly, drying off with his T-shirt before tugging it over his head. When he'd smoothed it down he glanced up and found Sean staring at him.

"What?"

Sean shook his head. "Want to see you naked, and here you are getting dressed. Something wrong with that picture."

"You sound like you're used to getting what you want," Rob said, turning to walk back along the path.

"Hasn't felt that way the last few weeks," Sean replied, catching him up easily and setting a faster pace. "Felt more like banging my head against a wall, to be honest."

"Oh," Rob said. The thought that they'd both been wanting was taking some getting used to. Sean was -- well, out of his league. He never showed up to work looking tired but from stuff he'd said, he had a social life that involved a lot of parties, clubs and drinking. Rob, new to town, had found one bar close by to his apartment, but he couldn't afford to go there often and when he did he nursed a beer and made it last. And, yeah, he'd had a few interested looks, but never from anyone like Sean.

"'Oh'?" Sean mimicked, flashing him a quick smile that softened to affectionate. "God, you're blushing. Blue eyes and a blush. Tell me again how old you are?"

"Old enough for anything you are," Rob answered roughly. Fuck, that was it. He was getting a hair cut. Get rid of the fucking baby curls.

"Yeah..." Sean sounded doubtful. "On paper, maybe."

"Forget it." Rob pushed past him on the narrow path and started to run. Sean caught up with him, his longer legs giving him the edge. "All of it."

"Yeah?" Sean spun around and jogged backward, staring at him. "You changed your mind about tonight or something? What did I do?"

Rob slowed and glared at him. "I'm not a fucking kid, all right? Twenty-one, since you're asking, and that didn't happen last week either, or last month. And you're not the first guy I've done that with so don't go thinking you're special."

Even though you are.

Too late, he saw hurt and the beginnings of withdrawal in Sean's face. Fuck. He was touchy, he knew that, but fuck he shouldn't have said that.

"Right. Got it." Sean turned to face the way he was going again and shook his head. "Jerk."

Rob let him get ahead, slowing his own steps to a walk, and swallowed down a lump of misery big enough to choke him. Watching Sean move away was enough of an incentive to swallow his pride alongside it.

"Sean?"

No answer; if anything, Sean was running faster, the summerhouse passed, the edge of the woods visible. Rob raised his voice enough to carry.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean that."

Sean slowed, just a little and Rob began to run. "Really fucking sorry?"

Sean spun around, stared at him and then shook his head and curled one finger. "Come here and say that again; I don't think I caught it."

Rob caught up to him and kissed him, bumping their noses and not caring.

"Yeah, you did, but I'll say it again, if you want."

Sean slipped his arms around Rob and pulled him in, doing it properly even though the kiss lasted for no more than a second or two. "No. Guess it's my turn. Sorry. Didn't mean to piss you off." He rubbed his forehead against Rob's. "Asked you a question though; have you changed your mind? About tonight?"

Rob ran his hand over Sean's ass, cupping it and feeling that it was going to be a long afternoon.

"I'll take it that's a 'no'?" Sean murmured, wriggling against Rob's hand and grinning.

"Don't think that's something I want to say to you," Rob said. "Not in general, anyway."

"Oh I don't know," Sean said. "Sometimes it's a good word." He arched his eyebrow. "Still waiting?"

"Haven't changed my mind," Rob said. He stepped away from Sean, aware of how visible they were on the path should Chris come looking for them. "What you had planned..."

"Yeah?"

"Still want to do it all?"

"No."

It was a bad word. It was a fucking terrible word.

"But as I'm too kind to let you go to sleep dirty and hungry, I guess I'll stop fucking you for however long it takes for a quick shower and an even quicker meal."

"You could fuck me in the shower," Rob suggested as they went back out into the sunlight.

"You've never seen my shower," Sean said. "I jerk off in there and get bruises on my elbow."

"Poor baby," Rob said, grinning at him. "Want me to kiss them better?"

"Eventually," Sean said. "They're not high on the list of places I want your mouth, but trust me they're there."

"Anywhere that isn't?" Rob asked, wincing as he caught sight of Chris by the table in the garden, studying his watch and looking not pleased with them at all.

Sean turned so that only Rob could see his face and shook his head with the wickedest grin Rob had ever seen.

"Oh God."

"Thirty seconds..." Sean said. "Twenty-nine -"

"Shut the fuck up," Rob hissed at him, feeling his face heat up.

Sean kept on grinning. "No."

Okay, it wasn't always a good word... Rob settled for threatening him.

"I'll take a long shower.Really long."

Sean shut up, just like that.

Return to Home

Click here if you'd like to send feedback