Excerpt: Rust Belt by Jessica Freely
Rust Belt by Jessica Freely
Release Date: 09/2009
Publisher: Loose Id
ISBN: 978-1-60737-434-3
Buy Link: http://www.loose-id.com/prod-Rust_Belt-1015.aspx
Blurb: Times are tough in the Rust Belt, where once mighty industries now wither and die. As a city struggles for survival, two men find passion, comfort, and redemption in each other’s arms. Seth is scarred, body and soul, by his experiences in the Pit, an illegal fighting ring where men are brutalized for the entertainment of the crowd. Though he managed to escape, Seth will never forget those he had to leave behind. When he meets David, he is instantly attracted to him but knows that the sexy, bookish blond is far beyond his reach. Then David is attacked on the street and in an eyeblink, Seth alters both of their lives forever. For lonely, virginal David, Seth comes out of the night like a hero from one of his favorite books, only hotter. Seth’s passion and tenderness pierce the protective shell of isolation David has drawn around himself. In the wake of their shatteringly erotic encounter, David asks Seth to live with him. But just when it seems like happily ever after can happen even in Detroit, Seth’s past comes back to drag them back into the Pit.
Excerpt:
They lay together, spent. Seth felt like every bone in his body had been replaced with warm chocolate pudding. He was lying right on top of David, probably suffocating the poor guy, but he couldn´t move. He´d never felt so relaxed in his entire life. Relaxed and happy. He managed to turn his head and saw David still sporting that loopy grin.
He´d never known life could hold such wonders. Suddenly overwhelmed by it all, Seth hugged David hard and kissed the side of his face. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you, thank you." His eyes stung. Christ, he was crying; crying and shaking. Why?
He didn´t even know. He buried his face in the crook of David´s neck and clung to him for dear life as something enormous rose up inside him and obliterated all thought. He couldn´t even tell what kind of feeling it was; good or bad, happy, sad, or angry. Maybe it was all of those and more. Maybe it was everything he´d been unable to let himself feel for the past several years. Whatever it was, it had him in its grip and all he could do was hang on to David and keep repeating those words, "Thank you."
Eventually he became aware of David´s arms around him, soothing him. "Okay," said David. "It´s okay now. I´ve got you."
This had to be weird for David. The whole situation was just... Seth pulled his face out of the wonderful, warm, dark crook of David´s neck. It was the safest place he´d ever known, and it was soaked with his tears. Jesus. "I´m sorry," he mumbled, needing to make some explanation for the inexplicable. "It´s just been so long since I touched anybody..." And maybe that was the truth, right there.
"Yeah, me too," said David.
Seth didn´t point out that David hadn´t fallen apart like a cheap toy. In fact, David was made of pretty stern stuff. Even right after the attempted rape, he´d never cried. Not like Seth, undone by an orgasm, of all things.
He rested his head on David´s shoulder and stared at the books on the shelves around them. David stroked his hands up and down Seth´s back. There was some reason Seth should put a stop to that, but at the moment his overloaded brain couldn´t seem to remember what it was, and it felt so good. Then, David pressed a kiss to the top of Seth´s head and the unexpected sweetness of that nearly set Seth off crying again.
"Hey Seth. Look at me a sec, okay?"
Seth took a deep breath. Here it came, the thanks-for-everything-but-I´ve-got-to-work-in-the-morning speech. David would be kind about it, of course, but there was no avoiding the fact that Seth´s little trip to paradise had come to an end. But he´d known all along that would happen, and he´d come up here anyway. He´d be grateful just for the memory of it. He would.
But David was a never-ending source of surprises. With a deadly serious expression on his face he said, "I want you to stay here with me, Seth. Not just for tonight. For good."
Was he out of his mind? "That´s not... I wasn´t trying to get you to..." Christ, he couldn't even talk now? "You don´t have to do that," he finally managed.
The heartbroken look on David´s face sent a sharp pain shooting right through the middle of Seth´s chest. "Please," said David. "Please stay with me. Let´s not either of us be alone anymore."
And what in the hell was he supposed to say to that? This was insane. David was obviously under the influence of something. He´s a virgin, Seth remembered. Maybe even just rubbing off on another guy was a super big deal to him (as big a deal as it was to Seth?) Or maybe -- that had to be it -- he didn´t want to sleep alone tonight because of what had happened with the Lions. Well, that was different then. That still fell under Seth´s job description as David´s protector. "Okay," he said. For one night, he added, silently.
* * * * *
Only that one night became two, and two nights became a week, and before Seth knew it, David had made his warm, comfortable apartment Seth´s home too. He fed Seth and bought him new clothes so he could look for work. They made love. David even listened to the tale of Seth´s wretched past and offered nothing but sympathy in response. Seth couldn´t get over it. Even now, basking in the afterglow of their nightly lovemaking, there was a part of Seth´s mind wondering if it could be real.
He rolled over onto his side and looked at David. He was adorable with his hair mussed and his face all sweaty and happy. Seth felt his heart pound again, like it did from time to time. He´d always imagined that falling in love was something that happened in a day, and then, you were in love but not falling anymore. He was wrong. He fell for David every day and was still in love with him in all the between times.
"Night," said David, cuddling up close and resting his head on Seth´s shoulder. Seth wrapped him in his arms and closed his eyes.
* * * * *
The cold metal of the manacles binding his hands to the cage bit into Seth´s wrists. His knees grated against the concrete floor and all around him; the other men shouted for Howarth to get on with it. Sweat beaded on his naked skin and he shivered in the chill air of the warehouse. How the fuck had he wound up back here? Hadn´t he promised himself he´d die first?
Behind him, he heard Howarth rummaging around in his tool kit. From the clank of metal on wood, Seth knew exactly what was coming next.
David woke to the sound of a scream. Seth´s scream. Again.
He sat up and turned on the light to find Seth sweating, writhing. The pupils of his eyes were enormous, focused on some horror only he could see. "No!" he shouted and then gave a choked cry.
"Seth!" David grabbed him by the shoulders. "Wake up!"
Seth fought him at first, and then David got his arms under the long, slender back of his lover, and pressed a kiss to his head, and hugged him. Seth gasped, stilled, and then let out a huge sigh. "David?"
"Yes. It´s me, Seth. You´re here with me. You´re home."
Seth tucked his head into the crook of David´s neck and hung on tight. Neither of them said anything for a while. David wondered what he should do. Seth had one of these dreams every couple of nights or so. Then the next morning he´d pretend like nothing had happened. And he never acknowledged the screams. Even now, he could tell that Seth was starting to get embarrassed and wanted to pull away.
David couldn´t blame him. If he woke another guy up because he´d screamed in his sleep, he´d be mortified. But at the same time, if it were Seth comforting him, he´d want to hang on and never let go. "It´s cool," he said, wrapping his arms farther around Seth and soothing his fidgets with long, languorous strokes of his fingers up and down his back. The raised ridges of the scars there were a silent reminder that Seth had plenty of reason for nightmares. "I´m here, you´re with me."
He felt Seth relax and sink into his arms. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, knowing that if he were Seth, that´s the last thing he´d want to do.
"No." Seth´s voice was muffled against his neck. A few minutes later, the tall, lanky man was fast asleep again.