EXCERPT: Jessica Freely's Hero
An Excerpt from Hero
Jessica Freely
Genre: LGBT Contemporary
Length: Novella
Price: $4.99
http://www.loose-id.com/Hero.aspx
Series Note: Hero Features the characters from Rust Belt and was previously released elsewhere.
David is lonely, bored, and a virgin. He lives through books, but fears life is passing him by. Then one night he's attacked by a gang and rescued by a real-life hero. Sexy, mysterious Seth seems to have stepped right off the pages of an adventure novel. Yet he has no place to call home. When David invites him in, a thank you dinner escalates into passion, and Seth makes all David's pent-up fantasies come true.
Seth wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life loving and protecting David, but his brutal past makes that impossible. Just being around Seth puts David at risk and Seth will stop at nothing to keep him safe, even if it means breaking his heart.
David is determined to keep Seth off the streets and in his bed, but all is not as it seems. Seth has terrible scars he won't talk about, and sometimes, he wakes up in the night screaming. When David discovers Seth is linked to a murder, he's determined to learn the truth, but he may find out more than he wants to know. How far is David willing to go to rescue his hero?
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices.
~ * ~
David had never been so happy to return to his tiny apartment. It was warm and bright and wonderful. There wasn't much to it: a kitchen, a bathroom with a rust-stained, claw-foot bathtub, a living room lined with bookshelves, and a bedroom lined with more bookshelves. And now, a huge stranger rapidly filling the place with the smell of damp homeless guy.
Seth stood in the middle of the living room, staring at all the books, turning in a slow circle as he took them all in. "So, you like to read, huh?"
David nodded. "They keep me company." His heart pounded high in his chest, but he couldn't tell if it was from his near escape, thanks to Seth, or the fact that a guy was dead, thanks to Seth, or just thanks to Seth.
They stood there staring at each other in silence. In the light, Seth turned out to be really dirty. And he was too thin for his frame. But his eyes were this impossible blue. David swallowed, and his guest shifted uncomfortably.
"Can I take a shower?"
For a moment David was in the shower with Seth, the hot water running over both of their bodies, the dirt dissolving from Seth's skin, which turned out to be smooth and soft, pink with the heat of the water. Seth kissed him and pulled him close. His erection, hard and wet, pressed against David's belly, and David.
David blinked, shoved his fists in his pockets, and leaned forward, doing his best to hide his burgeoning erection. Seth was watching him. He couldn't make out the look in Seth's eyes, but suddenly he was having trouble breathing. "This way," he said, his voice thick, and led the way down the hall to the bathroom.
"The towels are on the rack." David opened the door, not looking at Seth. "Leave your clothes outside the door, and I'll throw them in the wash. There's a laundry room downstairs."
"Thanks," said Seth, and David hazarded a glance up, catching those eyes full force. Jesus.
After throwing Seth's clothes in the wash, David rummaged through his closet, looking for something for Seth to wear. He pulled out his royal blue terry cloth bathrobe. It was oversize on him, which meant it might just barely fit Seth, but it was the best he could do. He took it to the bathroom. The door was open a crack. David nudged it open and stepped inside to put the robe on top of the toilet seat. The room was filled with steam. On the other side of the semitranslucent plastic shower curtain, he could see Seth washing. David watched, transfixed by the murky hints of a broad back, tight abdomen, round ass, powerful legs. From the angle of his arms, Seth was washing his cock.
He should go.
Then David heard a moan, deep and husky.
God. He had to go.
Seth's head fell back, and another intoxicating moan escaped.
Oh God. You'd think that almost getting raped would slow a guy down, but apparently not. David felt like his cock was going to burst right through the zipper of his jeans. He was hard as a rock and so close to coming that --
"Mmnuuuhhh." Seth's smoky voice rumbled right through David's balls. David pressed a hand to the front of his jeans. His balls were clenched so tight he was surprised he could swallow. Seth arched his back. "Aaaaaah!" That voice. David palmed his cock once and -- God, he was a pervert! -- tumbled right over into sweet release, toes curling, head reeling, cum gushing all over the inside of his jeans.
What was wrong with him? David wondered moments later as he threw the steak in the microwave. He'd brought Seth back here to thank him for the rescue, not spy on him in the shower. Appalled with himself, David heated the frying pan and got out the eggs, determined that Seth would at least get a decent meal out of this increasingly murky arrangement.
The floor creaked behind him, and he turned to see Seth standing in the doorway of the kitchen dressed in the blue bathrobe, looking uncertain. David swallowed.
With the grime washed away, Seth was beautiful, his skin smooth and pale. His long, damp, dark hair clung to his forehead and his neck. He'd shaved off his beard, revealing high cheekbones and a long jaw. His nose was strong, curved just a little in the middle, and his wide mouth was generous. He looked, in fact, a lot like David had always imagined Scaramouche. Oh brother.
"Have a seat," said David, forcing himself to stop gaping. "Dinner'll be ready in a second."
"Thanks for this. The shower, the meal. It's really nice of you."
"Well, it was nice of you to save me from being raped." Suddenly David flashed on those guys, on their hands holding him down. Fuck. That had really happened. What an amazing job he'd been doing of just forgetting all that entirely. But now he remembered. Shit.
David tried to focus on making the eggs. He picked one up out of the carton, but his hand shook. He tried to hit it against the side of the frying pan, but he fucked it up. He smashed the shell down too hard and the egg splattered half into the pan and half on the stove. Fuck.
"David," said Seth behind him. David turned and saw him standing by the table.
Seth had killed that guy, the one who had almost raped him. But David wasn't afraid of Seth. No, that wasn't how he felt at all.
Slowly Seth came forward and took the eggs. He set them down on the counter and very slowly, giving David every opportunity to back away, lifted one hand to David's cheek. David couldn't move. He was mesmerized by Seth's eyes, looking at him so tenderly. His thumb caressed David's cheek, and David felt a twinge of pain. He gasped.
The cut. They'd cut him. How had he managed to forget that? How was it he only felt it now that Seth was touching it? He drew in a deep breath. He hadn't even looked in the mirror. "How bad is it?" he asked.
Seth shook his head. "Not bad at all. A shallow scratch. But if you have any antibiotic ointment, you might want to put some on it."
David nodded and reached into the cabinet over the sink where he kept his first-aid stuff. He got out the ointment. He started unscrewing the cap, but his hands were still shaking, and he dropped the thing.
"Goddamn it!" Sudden irrational anger boiled up inside him. Dropping a tube of ointment was grounds for rage now. He was losing it.
"Let me do that," said Seth. "Here, sit down." Gently, he guided David to one of the kitchen chairs. He picked up the ointment and then knelt between David's knees. He squeezed a dollop onto his finger. "Here." He carefully dabbed the stuff over David's cut. It felt good. Soothing, like Seth's calm gaze. "I'm sorry that happened to you."
David swallowed. It had happened. But he was okay. And now here he was with Seth, and Seth was. David wanted to reach out and run his hand through Seth's hair. Still damp, it looked so silky and dark. He could get lost in it. And why the fuck shouldn't he? Things were going to happen by chance no matter what he did; tonight proved that. He might as well take a few chances of his own.
Just as David was about to lift his hand, the microwave dinged, and Seth stood up. "I can cook, if you want," said Seth.
David found he was no longer shaking. Disappointed, but no longer shaking. "It's okay. I can do it."
David set a steaming plate of steak and eggs in front of Seth and watched as he fell upon it like the starving man he undoubtedly was. Seth shoveled up the food and crammed it in his mouth, closing his eyes and moaning with pleasure. His head rolled back on his shoulders just like it had when he was in the shower. David blushed at the memory.
Seth engulfed another huge mouthful, chewing fast. He was going to make himself sick if he kept that up.
"Hey," said David, daring to put his hands on the other man's shoulders. Seth flinched at first and then settled, leaned back into the touch. "Take it easy. You'll throw up if you go too fast."
Seth nodded.
David let go of his inhibitions and stroked his shoulders, hoping to soothe Seth as he had soothed David earlier. "It's okay. You've got all the time in the world."
Seth tilted his head back again and stared at David with wonder in his eyes. He took another bite and chewed it slowly. With regret, David let go of him, got his own plate, and sat at the table across from him.
"It's good," Seth said around a mouthful.
"Thanks."
"You're the nicest person I've ever met."
What was he supposed to say to that? "Thank you."
© Jessica Freely, July 2010
All Rights Reserved