Two Spirits

CHAPTER 2

Tenino’s stomach clenched. He doubted Trey had any idea just how expressive his face was. Fuck! He wished he hadn’t seen half the emotions Trey revealed.

No wonder his cock was standing at attention and his gaydar was pinging. Trey wanted what Tekoa had, a female lover and a male one.

Tenino polished off the last of Trey’s forgotten fries. He tried to keep his eyes from devouring the blond across the table and his imagination from stripping him. It was impossible.

For the first time since walking into the office and seeing Trey, Tenino hoped Patricia Veron got picked up by the Feds soon. Otherwise it was going to get tense in the cabin.

“Ready,” Tenino asked, standing abruptly and shooting a scowl at the waitress, a cousin whose eyes were practically dancing and whose fingers were no doubt tingling with the urge to get on the phone and tell everyone he’d left with a delicious blond.

Any other town and he’d have to worry about talk being unsafe for Trey, but not here. The People of the Thunderbird didn’t reveal sensitive information to outsiders.

Trey rose and reached for his wallet. Tenino nearly groaned at the sight of the hard ridge pressed against the front of Trey’s pants. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Meals are part of the pay here.”

They were greeted by rain when they stepped outside. The street was empty save for the Jeep. They hurried to it but still managed to get wet. Darkness was coming close on the heels of the storm, blending in so there was almost no differentiating the dusk with the gray of clouds.

Tenino concentrated on driving. Argued with his cock about acting on the attraction to Trey.

He was a fool. He knew he was a fool. Yeah, he loved watching Tekoa interact with Jessica and Clay. Loved the open sexuality when the four of them got together to play poker or watch a movie. Fuck. He loved Jessica. She was gorgeous, sinfully submissive when her men wanted that from her. She was a wet dream waiting to happen and if he’d been straight or bi, he’d have been green with envy that she belonged to Tekoa and Clay.

Tekoa and his brother Ukiah had both been given mates not originally of The People. Otherworldly cups had appeared almost as soon as they’d met their mates, the mystically created liquid inside proof of the Creator’s blessing. Drinking it had united Clay’s and Jessica’s spirits with Tekoa’s, Marisa’s with Ukiah’s, and allowed for a full joining so they became Thunderbird.

Tenino sighed. He was gay and not straight or bi. It’d rip his heart out to share a lover with a woman. So what chance did he have of gaining a true spirit mate when their physical union would never produce children? How would it serve The People? The Creator?

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.

There were teaching jobs close enough to Hohoq for Trey to commute back and forth. It could work, for both of them.

Tenino closed his eyes, slid his hand up and down on his cock. His buttocks flexed. His thighs bunched. The need for release built.

He began panting, thrusting through the tight fist of his fingers, the movements growing sharper, more violent, finally gained relief as his semen escaped in ropy jets, coating his belly and chest.

Tenino swayed, lightheaded. He freed his cock and testicles in favor of pressing his palms to the tile of the shower wall until he regained his strength.

Damn, if that was what happened when he came just fantasizing about Trey, then the reality of coming with Trey was probably going to make him pass out. A husky laugh escaped. He’d deal with it. Because one thing was for certain, Trey wasn’t staying a virgin for long. And if Tenino had his way, Trey’s first male lover was going to be his last one.

Tenino pushed away from the shower wall and lathered his hands again, this time to clean up the semen on his chest and abdomen. Now that he’d gotten a little relief he could think again, though he was very careful to keep his thoughts from straying into fantasy.

He needed a plan. The trouble was, he’d never been in a situation like this one. His past lovers had all been experienced, some openly gay, others more discreet about it— but none of them in denial about wanting another man as a partner instead of a woman.

Growing up, his sexual preference wasn’t an issue, at least among those belonging to the Thunderbird. There was even a name for it among The People. Two Spirited.

He’d never denied his sexuality. Yeah, he’d kept it private when he was a cop in LA, and to a lesser extent when he was in San Francisco. It’d just been easier that way. So he didn’t hold Trey’s denying being gay against him.

Hell, the guy had just helped the Feds bring down a family dealing child pornography. Trey was probably terrified it was going to destroy his career despite being innocent of anything but sleeping with a woman and pretending he was straight. On top of that, he had his female ex-lover out to kill him.

He was willing to cut Trey some slack. Some being the operative word. A phone call might come in tomorrow morning saying Patricia Veron was in custody. He had to make every minute count.

Tenino grinned. He could do that. In fact, he’d consider it his personal mission to get Trey so hot and bothered he had to retreat to the shower and jerk off—either that or face up to the chemistry between them and let Tenino show him just how much pleasure there was in accepting his sexuality and letting another man touch him.

A pulse of need went through Tenino’s cock with the thought. He hardened again. For a split second he was tempted to take himself in hand and give in to the fantasy of imagining Trey on his knees, blond hair freed from his ponytail, mouth delivering sweet torture and mind-blowing ecstasy as the water cascaded over them.

The grin turned into a grimace as the need built and Tenino realized his plan was going to involve a whole lot of suffering—for Trey and for him. He turned off the water and got out of the shower, toweled off briskly then frowned at the jeans.

No way was he putting them back on. He wrapped the towel around his waist. Don’t want to spook the schoolteacher, he thought, the grin returning.

How perfect was that? A cop and a schoolteacher paired up and playing house together?

A snicker escaped. It was better than a moan of pain. ‘Cause as soon as he opened the bathroom door and saw Trey look up long enough to get an eyeful, fire streaked through his cock and up his spine.

Tenino crossed to the area that served as his bedroom and quickly put on some sweatpants. He left the shirt off, mainly because more clothing didn’t seem desirable and the thought of the material touching his skin was unbearable. And then there was the fact he had a good body and he wanted Trey to see it—up close and very personal.

It wasn’t vanity speaking, just self-awareness and a confidence that came with being completely comfortable in his skin. The Creator had blessed him with nice looks to begin with. Being a cop and taking physical fitness seriously had honed that body into something other men had found attractive in the past, though what he really wanted was for one particular man—Trey—to find him irresistible in the present and the future.

Tenino rubbed his palm over his nipple. His penis jerked and his abdomen quivered. Oh yeah, this plan was going to involve a whole lot of suffering.

“You play video games?” Tenino asked, plopping down on the couch, guessing he was right on the edge of violating Trey’s personal space.

Trey closed the book. It was absolutely pointless to pretend he could read a single word, much less a complete page with Tenino in the room, shirtless and sitting so close.

“Some,” Trey admitted. He didn’t prefer them over reading, but he enjoyed them and they gave him a way to connect with his students, especially the boys. From time to time he’d found it very useful to take his PlayStation in and use minutes of playtime as part of a reward system for achieving certain academic and behavioral goals.

“What about a game then? We can even keep it tame, something like racing cars.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Trey said, hyperaware of Tenino’s smooth bare chest and tiny, hardened nipples, of the erection not any more hidden by sweats than his was.

Tenino rose from the couch to cross the room for the game controllers. Trey took a shaky breath. He felt exactly like what he was, a virgin on a first date.

Just go with it. Just ease into it. Let Tenino make the first move. Because there was no doubt in his mind Tenino would make a move. He may have backed off for the moment, but Trey didn’t think it would last—he hoped it wouldn’t last.

Nervous anticipation fluttered in Trey’s belly. Fantasies had assailed him the entire time Tenino was in the shower. He imagined himself going into the bathroom, stripping, stepping underneath the hot spray of water and admitting he was gay, admitting to the attraction as soapy hands explored and lips touched for the first time.

He’d be a fool to ignore this opportunity, to keep denying the truth about his sexuality. He wasn’t a kid anymore, didn’t have to worry about schoolyard bullies. Hell, at the moment he didn’t have to be scared about what acting on his fantasies would do to his career. He was unemployed, in hiding—free for the first time in his life to accept who he really was, and act on it.

Tenino returned to the same place he’d claimed previously, close enough Trey was swamped with heat and the scent of soap, with renewed images of Tenino as the water caressed his body. Trey took the offered game controller, looked away quickly when Tenino stretched his legs out and used the coffee table for a foot rest, his relaxed position making his erection press boldly against the front of his sweatpants.

Trey’s fingers tightened on the game controller. He saw a subtle dare in Tenino’s gesture, a blatant acknowledgement of attraction. But he couldn’t make himself lift the book off his lap and place it on the table next to the couch. Instead he used it as a shield, a place to rest his forearms as he manipulated the game controls.

His face flamed when Tenino laughed softly. But thankfully Tenino seemed content to talk about the game, to guide Trey through an overview so they could begin racing.

Trey relaxed, found himself smiling, joking, letting his competitive spirit rise to the surface. He lost, more than once, but made Tenino sweat for his victories.

It was past midnight when they finally quit, when Tenino tossed his game controller onto the coffee table next to Trey’s then reached over and plucked the book from Trey’s lap.

Trey’s breath caught at the intensity of Tenino’s gaze, the purpose written on his face. His heart thundered in his ears as his lips parted slightly and his penis pulsed. He didn’t fight when Tenino pushed him backward onto the couch cushions. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to stretch out, to have Tenino position himself on top, groin to groin, hard cocks lined up, separated only by soft material.

“You still want to claim you aren’t gay?” Tenino asked, his lips a breath away from Trey’s.