Developing the Counsellor

www.total-e-bound.com

A Total-E-Bound Publication

www.total-e-bound.com

Developing the Counsellor ISBN # 978-0-85715-788-1 ©Copyright Serena Yates 2011 Cover Art by April Martinez ©Copyright October 2011 Edited by Stacey Birkel Total-E-Bound Publishing This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing. Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution. The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork. Published in 2011 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 2.

www.total-e-bound.com

New Horizons

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR Serena Yates

www.total-e-bound.com

Book seven in the New Horizons Series Emilio thinks his extra weight stands between him and love - can Ivan convince him to change his mind? Emilio Scarpino is a self development counsellor who can’t seem to lose the extra pounds he believes stop him from finding love. He likes eating and hates perfectly fit men like his personal trainer…until he meets ex-Army man Ivan Macer. The man is not only a hunk but very interested in Emilio. Ivan became a security specialist when he left the Army two years ago and now co-owns a small company with his friend Leo. Part of the reason he left the Army was that he couldn’t be himself - and he still hasn’t come out, but would for the right man. Can Ivan convince Emilio that he cares more about who he is than what he looks like? Can Emilio believe him and develop a new sense of self?

www.total-e-bound.com

Dedication For those who dream about giving their life a new direction.

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

6

Chapter One

“I hate this.” Emilio Scarpino gritted his teeth and kept running. The fitness trail was part of the FOSK resort’s offering, and as an employee, he was entitled to use all facilities during his time off. That included the personal trainer who was supposed to help him lose weight and get fit. It was Saturday morning and he wished he’d stayed in bed, consequences be damned. This was not fun. “It’ll become easier once you’ve lost all that extra weight.” Arnie threw another disdainful glance in Emilio’s direction. The man seemed to have an unlimited supply of them and had no qualms about doling them out. “Hmph.” Not having enough breath for a response wasn’t the problem. Not yet, at least. He might still have been able to give a two or three word reply. It was the guy’s attitude that really rankled. And he was supposed to be a professional? Did he treat his paying customers this way? “How did you ever let yourself go this much?” Arnie wasn’t breathing any more deeply than normal, there was no sweat on his forehead and his movements were balanced and graceful. He also looked like his famous namesake—well, when that man had been thirty years younger—and happened to believe everyone else should be disgustingly fit and good looking as well. “It’s not that bad.” Emilio shrugged. What was he supposed to say? His parents were Italian-American immigrants and had instilled a love of food in him from a very early age. He was also a comfort eater, so when the bullying had started, he’d sought comfort in chocolate and cakes. His job as a counsellor meant he sat around a lot, listening and talking to people. There just never seemed to be enough energy at the end of the day to go out and do physical labour…or exercise, as Arnie would call it. “Twenty pounds of extra weight is that bad.” Arnie frowned. “Haven’t we been through this?” Emilio nodded. They had. And he’d hated every second of it. Geez, he knew he had a weight issue—he hadn’t expected to be beaten up about it, figuratively speaking. He was www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

7

supportive of his clients, so he’d expected a personal trainer would be the same. He’d tried losing weight on his own, without much success. But this? If this was Arnie’s method of motivating him, he might as well buy the chocolate éclairs to celebrate his spectacular failure right now. It would save him a lot of grief. Arnie shook his head and picked up the pace. Shit. Why had he decided to try this? Oh, yes—his friend Felix had found the love of his life and had reminded Emilio how lonely he was. He wanted what Felix and Leo had with such intensity it made his heart ache. His mother kept trying to set him up with ‘nice girls’ every opportunity she had. He’d never said anything, not wanting to break his parents’ hearts, but a ‘nice girl’ was the last thing he was interested in. A ‘nice man’, however, was an entirely different matter. Emilio stared at Arnie’s ass. The man had pulled ahead of him, probably bored with a pace that was way too slow for Mr. ‘I’m-so-fit-it-hurts’. It was quite an impressive behind— well toned, taut muscles playing under the black fabric of the skimpy shorts the man called a running outfit. The rest of Arnie’s physique was equally stunning—broad shoulders, a well developed chest and biceps to die for. A flat abdomen that looked extremely lickable, narrow hips and long legs completed the picture. He was Emilio’s type down to the last well-trained muscle. But that’s where it stopped. The man had the personality of…he wasn’t sure what, but it wasn’t attractive. Openly despising a client, even a non-paying colleague at the resort, was not something Emilio could understand. Why was it so difficult to find a nice guy? Emilio wasn’t picky. Good looks, as far as he was concerned, were a bonus. It was all about the personality inside the body. And he’d make a passable partner, he was sure. He wasn’t ugly, even if he did carry a little extra weight. At thirty-three, he still had all his hair, he was friendly and tolerant, liked small animals and children, and his job was helping people regain control over their lives. And he was a good cook, even if he did say so himself. That should count for something, right? “Okay, that’s it for today.” Arnie had come to a stop.

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

8

Emilio looked up and just about managed not to run into his trainer. Apparently, they’d returned to the long-term staff housing at the edge of the FOSK property. He was too busy trying to catch his breath to wonder how he’d made it. “You’re really going to have to pick up the pace if you want to get anywhere.” Arnie shook his head and dabbed a non-existent bead of sweat from his forehead. “This slow pace is just not going to give you the results you need fast enough.” He nodded so Arnie would leave him alone. But really, who was talking about him ‘needing’ results? He wasn’t in any particular hurry. It wasn’t as if he had a date lined up or a set of clothes he wanted to fit into. He just wanted to find love! An hour later he had showered, eaten a meagre breakfast of half a grapefruit and some coffee—was still hungry—and had nothing but an empty, lonely day ahead of him. Sunday wouldn’t be much better, even though it was a ‘family Sunday’. He might not be physically alone during those monthly family meetings, but there were no kindred spirits. With a sigh, he decided to give Felix a call. It was a little early still, but he enjoyed their weekly talks. They always cheered him up. Living vicariously through Felix might not be healthy in the long run, but for now, it would have to do. Heck, it was a lot like following a soap opera, with all the recent drama in Felix’s life. It had all started with Victor the weasel—a disgruntled ex-boyfriend who had accused Felix of embezzlement. Worse, he’d proceeded to blackball Felix, making it impossible for him to find another job in the healthcare industry in Albany. Since Felix didn’t want to move away from his sister and her kids, Emilio had suggested Felix work as a waiter at the FOSK resort until he could find a new finance job. Once there, Felix had met Leo, a patient of Emilio’s trying to deal with anger issues. Leo was also the owner of Secure You, and needed alternate financing since his bank had suddenly cancelled their loan. Felix came to the rescue and had—as per their conversation at the end of last week—secured the money…and had moved in with Leo. It was high time to check on the newest developments. “Hey, Emilio!” Felix sounded happy to hear from him. “Hey, yourself. How are you doing?” Emilio made himself comfortable on the sofa. Knowing Felix, this might take a while. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

9

“Great.” Felix laughed. “You won’t believe what happened this week.” “That sounds like the start of another interesting instalment in the continuing saga of your life.” Emilio chuckled. “I must say, it does seem to have gotten a lot more interesting since you left Perfect Health.” “Well, it wasn’t as if I ‘left’ voluntarily, but, yeah, it’s been an interesting ride. Wasn’t much fun when I was trying to work as a waiter. What a disaster that was.” Felix cleared his throat. “But now, I’m thinking it was the best thing that ever happened to me.” “Clearly.” Emilio snorted. “You met Leo.” “Yep. And you don’t know the half of it. Do you know what he did this week?” Felix didn’t let him get a word in edgewise. “He made me Finance Manager at Secure You and even though it’s only a part-time job—since they’re still so small—it’ll really help me with the financial consulting job search you suggested. Then we went to this Chamber of Commerce function in the afternoon so he could let everyone know about my new job. And his exbanker publicly attacked me.” “No!” Emilio knew the guy was an asshole—he was not so lovingly referred to as Percival fucking Smythe III—but this sounded like he’d sunk to a new low. ”He did! But Leo was wonderful and I was able to stand up to him. He was humiliated for all to see. Then a journalist for the Albany Herald walked up to us—he wants to do an expose about all the shady deals he’s uncovered in Albany’s healthcare companies. He needs me as a witness, and I said yes.” Felix hadn’t taken a single breath. “Oh my God.” Just listening to his friend made Emilio dizzy. “I think I need a vacation to recover from all of that, and I wasn’t even involved.” “Yeah, you do need a holiday! You need some time in the big city to relax and forget about your job. And I really want you to come and stay with us. We have an extra room, so it wouldn’t be a problem.” “I don’t know…” It was a very tempting offer. He hadn’t taken any serious time off since he’d started working for the FOSK foundation. “Please?” Felix probably made puppy dog eyes as well, but at least he couldn’t see those over the phone.

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

10

Not that he could resist his friend anyway. They’d met when they were both still working at Perfect Health almost ten years ago and had been very close since then. So why was he even trying? The joyful scream when he said yes almost deafened him. Felix’s enthusiasm was infectious. By the time they’d agreed the details, he was really looking forward to it. Clearing it with his boss might be a bit of a challenge, but he realised he needed some time off. He’d probably known it before but hadn’t been ready to admit it. He also needed to get laid in the worst way. Not being very attractive didn’t help, and there weren’t many opportunities up here in the middle of nowhere, but there were a few gay bars in Albany that had some pretty dark corners where he might get lucky.

**** “You can’t be serious!” Ivan Macer used every ounce of control at his disposal to avoid dropping his jaw. It would have been undignified, to say the least. Clients expected security specialists to be in control. What was more important, he expected to be in control. At least of himself. “Excuse me?” Mr. Demartino raised his bushy eyebrows, which made his already wrinkled forehead look even more crumpled. “You can’t expect any self-respecting security company to provide a state-of-the-art security system for your mansion, not to mention the rest of the estate, for the kind of budget you just mentioned.” It might buy the guy a basic intruder alert and a few sensors in strategic places, but not the full-out, wireless CCTV get-up he seemed to want. “That is too bad.” Mr. Demartino shook his head and rose from his chair. “I was under the impression Secure You would be more flexible.” “You what?” He was too enraged to be able to speak without yelling at the idiot who was about to leave their conference room. “Where did you hear that?” “None of your business.” Mr. Demartino picked up his ancient, and clearly much used leather briefcase. “Unless you’d like to reconsider, I shall be taking my business elsewhere.” Ivan opened his mouth but no sound came out.

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

11

“Look, we may have a reputation for being flexible where innovation and creative ways of modernising existing systems are concerned.” Leo Taber, his old friend and now co-owner of their year-old company had the red cheeks that proved he was extremely upset as well. But, having finally managed to control his anger issues, he remained calm. “But we cannot do so without incurring certain costs.” “That remains to be seen.” If Mr. Demartino had put his bulbous nose any higher, it might have hit the ceiling. “I will obviously be getting other estimates. I’m sure I can find a company that is more reasonable than you have shown yourselves to be. I’m surprised you can afford to be so…principled in this economy. Good day.” And with that, the arrogant fucker left the conference room, banging the door closed for good measure. “Have you ever…” Ivan sank back in his chair and wiped his brow. Maybe he was the one who need anger management classes now. “I don’t believe I have.” Leo shook his head. “Can you believe his gall?” “I know! And after we spent half a day working on our proposal. Not that he’d know that, or needs to care, but still…” He shook his head. “Didn’t you love the way he used ‘principled’ as an insult?” Leo chuckled. “I guess it’s really true, you can’t win them all.” Ivan just grunted. Stupidity got to him almost as much as lack of morals, and having his principles attacked was not going down well. Thank God it was Friday, which meant a client-free weekend ahead of him. “Now that we have some extra time due to a very short meeting, I think I’ll go to check what Felix is up to. We have this friend of his—my former counsellor—staying with us next week, so I’ll see if there’s anything he needs me to do.” Leo rose. “And make sure you get some private time in?” Not that he minded—the two were clearly in love. “There is always that.” Leo winked and left the conference room, leaving the door ajar. Ivan took a moment to lean back and close his eyes. His next appointment wasn’t for another hour, so there was time to breathe for once. It was good to be so busy, with Secure You finally beginning to take off, but it did mean he had as little free time now as he’d had in the Army. He sighed, remembering that one of the reasons he’d left was to have more time to www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

12

himself. Hadn’t happened yet. The only part of his plan that had worked was that he’d settled down, owned a house and wasn’t expecting the next transfer at any moment. Oh, yes…he also didn’t have a boss breathing down his neck. There was only one thing missing to make his life perfect—someone to look at him the way Felix openly admired Leo. Not that it would ever happen. There was no way he could admit to himself or anyone else that he was as gay as Leo. Years under his homophobic father’s thumb, followed by the same intolerant atmosphere in the Army, had taught him not to tell, and shaking that habit would be extremely difficult. A noise outside woke him from his reverie. It sounded as though someone had entered the office building. Even though Sheila was on reception, she might need his help. And anyway, talking to a potential customer would be more fun than sitting around waiting for his next client. When he walked into the reception area and saw the stunning man who was chatting to Sheila, he stopped in his tracks. The guy was just under six-feet tall, had short jet-black hair and cornflower-blue eyes. His skin tone was olive, and his clothes—from the elegant leather loafers to the expensive slacks and dark-blue dress shirt—screamed sophistication. That and the few extra pounds he carried—and carried well—made Ivan think the guy was Italian. Definitely exotic. Just what Ivan wanted in a man. He smiled. This was beginning to look like a very promising Friday afternoon. The stranger blinked and smiled back hesitantly, as if he couldn’t quite believe Ivan had smiled at him. “Oh, Ivan…have you met Emilio Scarpino? He’s a friend of Felix’s and will be staying with Felix and Leo next week. He’s a little early, and I don’t want to disturb their meeting.” Sheila glared at him. What? Was there something on his shirt? He tore his eyes away from their gorgeous visitor and glanced down. No, nothing. He looked back up and found the other man staring at his toes. That was absolutely no good! He wanted to see those fascinating eyes again. They were totally stunning. Sheila was still staring at him, making shooing motions, as if she wanted him to say something. “Um, no, I haven’t had the pleasure.” He stepped closer and held out his hand for the man to shake. “Hi, I’m Ivan Macer. I co-own the company with Leo.” www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

13

“Nice to meet you, Ivan.” Emilio’s voice matched the rest of his appearance. It was smooth and sweet at the same time, and slid down Ivan’s spine, creating little shivers of excitement all over his skin. When their hands touched, the sudden desire almost made him gasp. Emilio looked up at him from under thick lashes, with burning eyes that clearly answered his desire. Just shaking hands with this man had him half hard. What the fuck was he thinking? He couldn’t give in to the attraction, insanely strong as it might be. He wasn’t gay, and Emilio was Felix and Leo’s friend. They’d never talk to him again if he messed up. All they could ever be was friends. That just had to be enough. At least it would give him an excuse to be around the guy while he was here. Yeah, that might work. “Would you like to come into my office until Felix and Leo are done?” Meeting my ass. The two were probably playing tonsil hockey, something he was suddenly immensely grateful for. Anything that gave him time alone with Emilio was a good thing. “You’re not too busy?” Emilio bit his lip. “Nah, I was just wondering how to fill the time until my next appointment.” That hadn’t come out the way he’d wanted and the immediate disappointment showing on Emilio’s face made him cringe. He was such an idiot sometimes. “I mean, it would be great to have some company.” Emilio didn’t quite buy it, but at least he stopped looking so damned hurt. What was up with that anyway? He seemed awfully insecure for a guy who looked to be close to thirty. Maybe what he needed most was a friend. “I guess?” Emilio looked at Sheila as if to obtain her permission. Thank God the woman nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, lead the way.” Emilio turned towards him and the smile was back. Much better! He walked to his office, offered the man a seat and coffee, and hurried off to get it. He felt very nervous for some reason, wanting to make a good impression on Emilio. Sheila had already made the coffee by the time he returned to reception and wordlessly handed him a little tray with the cups and all the sweeteners and cream they might need. He took his black, but Emilio might have different preferences. “So, have you and Felix been friends for a long time?” Ivan wanted to slap his forehead the moment that question came out. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

14

“Almost ten years.” Emilio didn’t seem to mind the question—in fact, he breathed out and seemed to relax. “We met at Perfect Health and stayed in touch even when I left to go work for FOSK.” “I know them. Focusing on Self Knowledge, right?” Ivan stirred his coffee, mainly to have something to do with his hands. “I was the one who picked up the brochures for Leo when he was beginning to spiral out of control.” “You’re clearly a good friend.” Emilio nodded then hesitated briefly before adding a third packet of sugar to the steaming brew. “Not many people would have had the courage to do something like that for someone else. I bet he didn’t like the suggestion at first, but you did the right thing.” “He was actually pretty good about it. Surprised, yes, but it wasn’t difficult to convince him.” And Ivan wasn’t easily intimidated anyway. “So you’ve known Leo for a few years?” Emilio sipped his coffee and closed his eyes for a moment. “This is great coffee, by the way.” “Thank you.” They had paid extra to get the good machines, and it had clearly been worth it. “We go back to high school, actually. Lost track for a few years when I went into the Army and Leo became a rock star’s bodyguard, but we reconnected about two years ago when we were both ready to settle down.” And why was he telling a total stranger all these details? But judging by the rapt expression on Emilio’s face, he was interested, so he’d run with that. “Interesting.” Emilio finished his coffee. “So…do you want to go out for a drink sometime?” Ivan held his breath. “W-what?” Emilio’s eyes widened. “W-with me?” “Yes, with you.” Ivan grinned. “I’d like to get to know you better, and I’m pretty sure Felix and Leo wouldn’t mind some alone time at some point in the week.” “Okay.” Emilio seemed to pull himself together and sat up straight. “Okay, I’ll talk to them and will give you a call if it works.” “Thank you.” Ivan couldn’t stop from grinning. There was just something about Emilio that made him want to get closer. A lot closer than he should probably want to be. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

15

Chapter Two

Emilio was still shocked when he slid between the wonderfully cool sheets of Felix and Leo’s guest bed that evening. Had he really agreed to go on a date with the most stunning man he’d ever met? At first glance, Ivan had looked exactly like his ideal man. He was a striking presence with his dark hair and pale skin, so different from his own olive. Dark-blue eyes had seemed to look straight into Emilio’s soul the entire time they’d talked. The rest of the man was just about perfect, hitting every single one of his hot buttons. Hadn’t he sworn not to fall for the empty-brained muscle and fitness fanatics like Arnie again? Luckily, he wouldn’t have to see his tormentor while he was on vacation, but he didn’t look forward to returning to the retreat. And yet, even though Ivan fulfilled his every type-driven fantasy, there was something more to the man. Emilio chuckled. Either that or he was even better at self-deception than he’d suspected. They did say that practice made perfect, and he’d been practicing nearly his entire adult life. God, he hoped there was something real behind Ivan’s interest. As much as he wanted a physical relationship with the man—however brief—they’d connected on a mental level as well. He wanted to explore that more, and if all that came from it was a new friendship—as he half expected—that would be fine as well. After all, how much interest could a perfect specimen like Ivan have in an overweight guy like him?

**** Falling asleep to dreams of Ivan being interested in him had been no hardship. Getting through the weekend without seeing him again proved to be a different matter. As much as he loved spending time with Felix and exploring his new friendship with Leo, the idea of having Ivan with him—so he didn’t feel like the third wheel—was firmly stuck in his stupid brain. He was ready to jump out of his skin by Sunday evening.

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

16

“What’s going on with you?” Felix joined him on the sofa for after-dinner drinks while Leo was taking care of the dishes. “Nothing.” Shit, he didn’t want to drag his friend into this situation. “No way.” Felix elbowed him. “Come on, give. Something’s been bothering you all weekend. At first I didn’t want to intrude, but I’m kind of worried to leave you here on your own when we go back to work tomorrow.” “Oh, please. I’m not a baby.” He snorted. “I know you’re not.” Felix turned serious. “But I’m still worried about you. I’ve rarely seen you so pensive, and the few times you acted like this, there was always something wrong…or at least not quite right.” “Who’s the counsellor now?” But humour wasn’t going to make the problem go away, and he knew it. The tight-lipped expression Felix only ever wore when he was extremely determined spoke volumes. “Okay, here’s the thing.” Emilio took a deep breath. “I’ve met this guy.” Felix’s eyes widened. “But that’s wonderful!” “It might be. I’m not sure yet. I’ve been debating what to do all weekend.” God, he hated sounding so insecure. Problem was, where his love life—or lack thereof—was concerned, he was insecure. “Where’s the problem?” Felix tilted his head. “Probably in my head.” He chuckled. “The thing is, he even asked me to let him know when I might be available to go for drinks with him.” “That sounds like a date to me.” Felix smiled. “Do you want to go?” “Of course I want to go! But that’s exactly the problem. The man is too good-looking for his own good. How could he possibly be interested in me? Well, in anything more than just having a drink and maybe becoming friends.” It sounded even worse when he spoke his doubts out loud. It made them more real, somehow. “Stop it right there!” Felix frowned. “You’re just as good looking as the next guy, you’re friendly and fun, and why wouldn’t he be interested in you? And anyway, the question is moot—he already asked you for a date.” “He did.” That was the one thing that was abundantly clear. “So, go for it.” Felix elbowed him again. “Are you going to tell me who he is?” www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

17

“I’m not sure I should.” He’d be even more embarrassed if the whole thing turned out to be an error. “Why not? If I know the guy, I might be able to give you some advice.” Felix winked. “Oh, you know the guy.” Was he really going to do this? “Come on.” Felix clearly wasn’t about to give up. “It’s Ivan.” “Office Ivan?” Felix’s eyes were about to fall out of his head. “Is there another one?” “No, he’s the only one I’m aware of.” Felix shook his head. “I would have never thought it possible. The guy seems like such a loner. Now I know why.” “You do?” That sounded far too ominous for his peace of mind. “Well, I’m not sure, but the guy never struck me as gay. Not that that means anything, because my gaydar certainly isn’t perfect.” Felix grinned. “I guess you’re about to find out.” “Gee, thanks for the support.” He was still grateful to Felix for having mentioned it. At least this way he wouldn’t be completely crushed when the whole thing turned out to be the non-date he’d told himself to expect, just so he wouldn’t be disappointed again.

**** By Tuesday night, he was a complete mess. About to enter the downtown Irish pub where they’d agreed to meet, he was still debating the wisdom of his choice. But once he entered and spied Ivan sitting in a comfortable booth at the back, all doubts magically left his brain. So did most of his blood—rushing to his cock and making him half hard by the time he’d walked the short distance. “Hi.” He stood there like an idiot, unable to move. Ivan was even more good-looking than he’d remembered. “Hi, Emilio. I’m glad you could make it.” Ivan pointed at the seat next to him on the bench. “Will you please join me?” He nodded and slid in. Their thighs touched, but Ivan didn’t move away. I guess I have part of my answer.

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

18

They decided on drinks and snacks quickly and spent the next couple of hours talking incessantly, just like during their first meeting in the office. Ivan’s intense looks, the occasional touch of his warm fingers on Emilio’s hand and the way he hung on every word he said, made Emilio incredibly hot. There had to be some sort of interest there. At this rate, he was either going to explode from desire or have a very hot jack-off session as soon as he made it home. What he wasn’t ready for was the third possibility that began to unfold about an hour later, just when he started wondering whether Ivan wasn’t worried about having to go to work tomorrow. “Would you like to join me for a nightcap?” Ivan looked straight at him. Emilio took a deep breath and crossed his fingers under the table. “Yes, please.” Please, please, let that mean what I hope it does. He had no idea why this amazing man was interested in him and he didn’t much care. Even if all he had was one kiss, maybe a hand job, it would be better than the constant companionship of his right hand. He followed Ivan to the man’s car in a complete daze. If someone later had asked him where they went, he wouldn’t have been able to tell them anything. His sense of orientation wasn’t exactly helpful on a good day, so in his current state of arousal it was pretty useless. At least Ivan wasn’t an axe murderer, or Felix surely would have warned him. Emilio vaguely noticed a ranch-style house with a big double garage as the car stopped. Ivan got out and raced around the car to open his door. He thumbed the vehicle alarm as they ran for the front door, unlocked it then pulled Emilio inside. The light was switched on before he closed and locked the door. Ivan pushed him back against the door before he knew what hit him. Sliding one hand behind Emilio’s neck and the other down to encircle his waist, he pressed all those hard muscles right up against him. Chest to chest, groin to groin—and moving one thicklymuscled thigh between his legs in an unmistakeable attempt to get even closer—Ivan had him expertly pinned within seconds. Feeling Ivan’s hip against his straining erection made him impossibly harder. The look in Ivan’s eyes, now darkened with desire, was more intense than he’d ever seen it before. “If you don’t want this, you’ve got to tell me now.” Ivan sounded a little out of breath and his voice was even deeper than usual. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

19

“I want this.” Boy, do I ever. “Thank God.” Ivan bent his head down and mashed their lips together. Instinctively, Emilio opened up and welcomed the other man’s tongue into his mouth. The first touch was electrifying. Stroking and caressing Ivan was all he could focus on for a while. He had no idea how much time passed, but when he surfaced again as Ivan pulled back to draw a deep breath, he was harder than ever. In fact, he could probably come from thinking about it. “I’ve never done this before, and I wouldn’t have thought I’d even want to on a first date.” Ivan paused and took another deep breath. “But…?” If Emilio hadn’t needed the oxygen so badly, he’d have held his breath. God, he hoped the man didn’t discover his shy side now. “I’d like to take this to a flat surface.” Ivan blushed a deep red, making the rest of his pale skin seem even whiter. “I just don’t want our first time to happen as I’m pushing you up against a door.” “I don’t mind.” In fact, he quite liked it. He felt perfectly safe with Ivan. “But I do. I’ve had enough quick rub offs and anonymous encounters for a lifetime. I don’t want us to feel like one of those.” Ivan closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he pulled back a little more. “I’d really like this time to be different.” That was probably the most romantic thing Emilio had ever heard. Nodding quietly, he took Ivan’s hand and stepped further into the hallway. Ivan entwined their fingers and started walking towards the stairs. Shit, this is really going to happen.

Ivan was having a hard time not skipping as he led the way upstairs into his bedroom. He was the luckiest man on the planet. Emilio had actually agreed, not only to come home for a so-called nightcap, but to take things to a physical level in comfort rather than making it a hasty encounter. He switched on the light, closed the bedroom door behind them and pulled Emilio into his arms. The little break had reduced the intensity a little, but feeling the other man’s body against him quickly brought the heat back. “Thank you for understanding.” He kissed Emilio’s forehead. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

20

“I can see where you’re coming from.” Emilio shrugged. “I can’t say I’ve had many encounters—anonymous or otherwise—but I’d have to agree that they’re a little impersonal. Now that I think about it, I really do appreciate that you want to make this different.” “Good.” He bent down for another kiss, this one placed onto Emilio’s mouth. “We’re not going to do anything you don’t want, okay?” “I may want more than you realise.” Emilio looked down. “No problem.” He laughed. That was too cute. “Let’s just get comfortable, okay?” He led Emilio towards the bed. It was a little awkward with Emilio still in his arms, but he didn’t want to let him go. “What about the light?” Emilio had stopped walking and looked back at the door. “Is there another switch near the bed?” “Yes, actually there is.” He frowned. “Why?” “It’s just that…well, I’m more comfortable in the dark.” Emilio looked anywhere except at him. “Okay.” Actually, it wasn’t. He wanted to see. Emilio really turned him on, mentally and physically. Hell, he even liked the few extra pounds the man had on him. They showed that he enjoyed the good things in life. It was too bad Emilio seemed so self-conscious, and he swore to help him get rid of that problem as soon as possible. Just not today. It was too early in their relationship to cross that bridge. “Let me just switch on the light in the bathroom, or it’ll be too dark in here.” Emilio frowned a little but nodded in the end. Relieved, he returned to the bed and pulled Emilio into his arms once more as they lay down. Noticing how tense the other man had become, he relented and reached over to switch off the ceiling light. The effect was immediate. With an audible sigh of relief, Emilio moulded to his body as they started kissing again. Ivan slid his hands down the other man’s back then grabbed the ample buttocks and squeezed. Emilio stopped moving. He massaged and squeezed some more, grinding his hips so their erections got some action as well. It made Emilio moan and got him moving again. Now, how to get rid of the clothes? That was a skill he’d never needed in a bar or a club, but he hadn’t suggested they go up here to end up coming in their pants. He moved his hands between their bodies and started to pull Emilio’s dress shirt from his slacks. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

21

Emilio smiled into his mouth as he got the hint and pulled it up and off, barely detaching himself long enough to let it pass. There was only one problem. The man wore cufflinks, so his hands were now stuck in the sleeves. A funny mix between a smile and exasperation crossed Emilio’s face before he started to laugh. “Man, you should see your face right now.” Emilio stopped laughing and lifted his still somewhat shackled hands to cup Ivan’s cheeks. “I’m not laughing at you. But you have to admit this looks pretty funny.” He shook his hands in their prisons and Ivan grinned. If he ignored the fact that his impatience had got Emilio into this predicament, he could actually see the funny side. At peace with the situation, he turned his full attention to de-cufflinking Emilio, placing the valuable looking pieces of jewellery onto a nightstand. Since they were focusing on their clothes anyway, he decided to get them a little more undressed while they were at it. Once they were down to their boxers, he noticed how reluctant Emilio suddenly seemed about making eye contact and decided a distraction was in order. He pulled Emilio closer. Better. He slid his arms around the other man and moved closer. Touching him skin to skin for the first time was thrilling. The soft stomach against his flat abdomen felt even more amazing than he’d expected. It was a very nice difference to what he’d felt before. Slowly pulling him even closer, he made sure their upper bodies touched as well. The small splattering of wiry black hair on Emilio’s chest tickled his own hairless body, giving him a deep thrill. He wanted to bury his nose in the crinkly hair and lick it as soon as possible. First, though, he was going to kiss Emilio’s mouth to erase that worried little frown on the guy’s face. He didn’t want to say anything, not right now, but they were going to talk about Emilio’s perception of his own body. Thrusting his tongue deeply into the hot, sweet heat of Emilio’s mouth made his full arousal return in seconds. Emilio was right there with him, kissing him back as if his life depended on it. Needing to go to the next level or explode with desire, he pressed even closer and pushed a leg between Emilio’s thighs. Having something to rub his aching erection against made everything even better. Their kiss turned passionate and almost desperate as they ground and rubbed against each other. When he slid his hands underneath the waistband of Emilio’s shorts to touch www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

22

naked skin, Emilio gasped and went wild. Making sure he kept his hands moving to create maximum sensation for Emilio, he pulled back from their kiss to watch the delight on his face. Chasing his own release became secondary as Emilio threw back his head and started coming in shuddering spasms. His face was a mask of pleasure. His breath came in short, gasping bursts and he clung to Ivan for all he was worth. When Emilio opened his eyes, his gaze was so full of emotion that Ivan couldn’t hold back any longer. He let his orgasm race through him, the pleasurable trembling making him moan. “Wow.” Emilio was trying to catch his breath. “I’m glad we’re already lying down.” “Yeah.” That had been one of his better ideas. He grabbed some tissues from the nightstand and started to clean himself up. Well, that wasn’t going to work. There was simply too much of a mess. A quick glance at Emilio’s groin showed the other man was in pretty much the same predicament. As much as he resented having to get up again, he’d hate waking up in this sticky mess tomorrow morning even more. “Shower?” At least he wouldn’t be taking it alone, and the idea of a naked, wet Emilio in there with him seemed a very good one. If the man was going to play. “Um…” Emilio’s hesitation was heartbreaking. “Look, I’d love to spend some real naked time with you in the shower. But if you’re not ready, that’s fine. We can always take separate showers.” God, he hoped not. “Are you sure?” Emilio took a deep breath and visibly forced himself to look at Ivan. “I know I need to lose some weight, and I’m working on it. I really am. It’s not that I don’t want to have a shower with you, on the contrary. I just don’t want you to be disgusted.” “How the hell do you figure that?” He was honestly taken aback by the level of cruelty in Emilio’s word choice. “Who told you you’re disgusting?” “Enough people over the years.” Emilio looked very sad. “It’s ridiculous for me to attach so much value to what other people think and say. I know that. After all, I do have a degree in psychology. But it’s very hard to escape the value system the majority of people seem to subscribe to. And I’ve never, ever met a man as attractive as you who was interested in me. Honestly? I have a hard time believing it’s not a dream.” “Well, I can assure you that it’s not. As for what other people think, I don’t believe they count in this case. I know it must be difficult for you to stop thinking like that, but I can www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

23

assure you, I am extremely attracted to you. I love the fact that your body isn’t like mine. There were enough muscular guys around me during my time in the Army for me to know that I’m not interested in someone who looks like that.” He bent down and laid a trail of wet, open-mouthed kisses and licks from Emilio’s mouth to his earlobe. “None of them ever turned me on as much as you do.” “None?” Emilio was a little breathless again. “Not a single one.” He nodded and made his most serious face as he pulled back so he could look into Emilio’s eyes. “Okay.” Emilio’s smile was slow to come, but it was there. “Okay what?” He grinned. “Okay for having a shower together. Just…don’t stare.” Emilio closed his eyes. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. I must be insane.” “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” More than fine, actually, if he had anything to say about it. “Hmm.” Clearly not convinced yet, Emilio nevertheless stood and pointed at the halfhidden bathroom door. “Through there, I assume?” “Got it in one.” Ivan jumped up and walked into the bathroom behind his lover. How was he supposed to resist following that perfect ass—unfortunately still veiled by boxer shorts? The shower was already running. Emilio was just about to step into the cubicle, having already rid himself of the soiled shorts when, with a devilish grin, he lifted his hand and made a come-hither motion. Ivan only too gladly complied and joined him in the slightly steamy atmosphere. Washing each other’s bodies didn’t exactly help bring his arousal down. Ivan had rarely got another erection so quickly, at least not in the last ten years. He wasn’t twenty anymore, but Emilio was beginning to make him feel as though he was. A very satisfying mutual hand job later, they emerged somewhat cleaner. After towelling themselves dry, they raced for the bed. “Please stay?” Ivan needed to make sure that Emilio knew how much he was wanted. “If that’s what you want.” Emilio was already burrowed into the pillows. All that was visible was the dark hair that stuck out from under the sheets. “Yes, very much.” He moved a little closer, hoping Emilio would let him snuggle. “Okay.” Emilio moved back into his embrace without hesitation. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

24

This was what had been missing in his life. Now, all he had to do was figure out how to keep it without losing everything else.

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

25

Chapter Three

“Hey, ready for our run?” Leo’s voice made Ivan look up. He dropped the newsletter he’d been staring at for the last five minutes without reading a single word. Was it lunchtime already? A quick check of his watch revealed it was. Where the hell had this morning gone? Instead of working, his mind had been on Emilio. The man was totally fascinating, including the little quirk about not wanting to show his body. What utter nonsense! Ivan thought he might be in love with the softness of his slightly padded stomach. He couldn’t wait to have the strong thighs wrapped around him as he made love to the handsome ItalianAmerican. And the man’s kisses had been out of this world. Blinking, he realised he’d done it again—gone off into a daydream about his newest conquest like a horny teenager. “So, did you have a good time last night?” Leo grinned and sat in one of the visitor’s chairs without asking. Not that he had to, owning half of them anyway. His friend was already wearing his running outfit, clearly ready to go. “I thought we were going running?” He was halfway out of his seat before Leo shook his head. “No? Changed your mind?” “Not about the run. There will be time for that.” Leo forwards. “I think we may have more important things to talk about first.” ”Yeah?” He wasn’t sure he was ready to reveal his tumultuous feelings. “Oh, yes.” Leo nodded emphatically. “Emilio didn’t make it home last night.” “You noticed that?” Shit, the man was persistent. Leo laughed out loud but kept looking at him, clearly expecting an answer. “Um…” What now? “Look, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I know you’re probably a little uncomfortable knowing someone else is aware of the fact you’re with another man. But you also know neither Felix nor I would ever say anything about it to anyone else without your consent, right?” Leo tilted his head. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

26

“Thanks. I appreciate it. It’s just that…well, you know what my father is like. If he ever found out…” He shrugged. “Let me ask you something here. And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you and Emilio, we’ll get back to that.” Leo narrowed his eyes. “But I’d really like to know since when you care about what your dad thinks? This is your life we’re talking about. You don’t depend on him for anything. Hell, you haven’t even seen or spoken to each other since you left the Army. So why would his opinion count?” “Whoa…” Ivan reared back in his seat with the impact of Leo’s comments. “It’s not that I want to butt into your personal life, you know that. But that comment did make me wonder.” Leo frowned when he didn’t respond immediately. “Or aren’t you ready to talk about it?” “I have no idea.” He raked his hair, still buzz-cut short even though there were no longer any regulations that required him to keep it that way. “No idea about what? The answer to my question or not wanting to talk about it?” Leo’s frown grew more confused. “Both. Neither.” Why was this all so confusing? “Fuck!” “Oookay.” Leo moved back in his seat and lifted both hands. “Butting out right now.” “No!” He was close to screaming. Instead, he jumped up and started pacing. Getting rid of the nervous energy helped him relax a little. He just needed a lot more calming down before he’d be ready to talk to Leo about this. “What I really need right now is our run. I promise we can talk about everything once we get back.” “Fair enough” Leo rose. “I’ll check my messages while you change.” Ivan nodded then watched his friend disappear. He changed in record time. Not five minutes later, they’d made their way to the city park two blocks from the office and were pounding the pavement. He set a gruelling pace and, five rounds later, he was physically exhausted but his mind was at last clear. “Enough.” Leo panted for breath. “Unless you want to kill me, this is about as much as I’m willing to take.” “No problem.” Ivan turned towards the office. “I’ll get Sheila to order sandwiches from the deli and we can talk.” www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

27

Half an hour later they’d both showered and changed in the gym on the second floor, for which they both had memberships. Ivan really only used the facilities in winter, or for weight training. “Right…so, you were going to tell me about you and your father.” Leo bit into his chicken club sandwich and started chewing. “Yeah.” Ivan picked through his salad, hunting for the little pieces of bell pepper he loved so much. “Well, you made an excellent point. I really shouldn’t care about what my father thinks.” “But?” Leo took a sip of his soda. “But…for some unknown reason I do. I guess it’s just force of habit, because I followed his value system for so long.” He put down his fork, needing to give his attention to what he was trying to say. “I mean, for a long time he was the only parent I had, my mother having walked out on us when I was two years old. He was my whole world. I even followed the same career path he did.” “So what made you leave the Army?” Leo also stopped eating. “We’ve never talked about the details—and we don’t have to—but I always thought the reason you gave me, of wanting to settle down, wasn’t all there was to it.” “Very perceptive. It was a large part of the reason, but you’re right, there was more. I fell for one of the guys in my platoon and thought we might really have something together. When I started talking about building a life, he laughed it off, saying that ‘gay men don’t do that white picket fence shit’.” Ivan shrugged. “It hurt more than I wanted to admit, but it did make me realise that I’d never find what I was looking for if I stayed on.” “So you left.” Leo nodded. “That took a lot of courage.” “Maybe. There was only one problem, and I can’t believe I didn’t see it until now.” He felt a lot better having discovered it. “I hadn’t adjusted my attitude from ‘nobody can know you’re gay’ to ‘it’s nobody’s business but mine’. No wonder I’ve been having issues finding the right guy.” “Didn’t stop you from grabbing on to Emilio, though.” Leo’s grin was wicked. “Leo!” He pretended to be shocked. “What?” Leo pretended to look innocent. “Am I wrong?” www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

28

“No.” He chuckled. “No, you’re not wrong at all. Except now I can go after him all guns blazing whereas, before, I think part of me was still holding back. From what I’ve seen, I may need every bit of help I can get as well.” “Doesn’t he like you?” Leo almost dropped his sandwich. “I hope he does. But he’s very shy, almost as if he can’t believe anyone would be interested in him.” Not that Ivan was going to let anyone come close now. “Oh, I see what you mean.” Leo grinned as he finished his sandwich. “Good luck, then.” Good luck, indeed! He’d take anything he could get in what he was sure was going to be an interesting next few days. He had to leave some sort of permanent impression before Emilio went back to the FOSK resort. It was only about an hour’s drive north, but staying in touch was going to be more difficult once Emilio returned to work. He needed to make sure they had something to build on by then.

**** Emilio got out of his car, glad he’d found the supermarket where they’d agreed to meet without too many problems. His next vehicle was going to have GPS, that much was certain. Maybe he’d get one of those portable sets instead—that would be quicker, since a new car wasn’t really on the horizon for another few years. He was really fed up with getting lost. Looking around, a little nervous because he was early, he immediately spotted Ivan standing right next to the main entrance. Good, he wasn’t the only one eager for their second date to get under way. Ivan was such an impressive male specimen, he took Emilio’s breath away. He was beginning to wish this was more than a vacation fling. He smiled as he started walking towards the entrance. Yeah, right. He was surprised enough that the other man had asked for a second date. He must have noticed Emilio’s extra weight, the way they’d carried on in the shower last night. Was it possible the man really didn’t care? But how could he not? He was so well built and fit that he didn’t have an ounce of extra fat on his body. How was it that Emilio didn’t repulse him? He didn’t like seeing his own body in the mirror. What was he missing?

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

29

“Hey.” Ivan balled his fists. “Ready to go shopping for our dinner? I can’t wait to try your cooking. I’m not very good in the kitchen, and I’d much rather spend the time with you undisturbed by other people.” “Hi.” He wanted to hug Ivan, maybe steal one of his wonderful kisses, but the other man looked strained. The stiff back and balled fists were not a good sign. They screamed ‘no PDAs’. That—and the comment about not liking to be around other people—did not bode well. His heart sank. Maybe Ivan was embarrassed about being seen with him? Oh well. The dream about a real relationship had been too good to be true. “I really look forward to this.” Ivan rubbed his hands and opened the door for him. “Well, maybe not the shopping, but I can’t wait to see you make my kitchen come to life.” “You haven’t really used it much?” He walked inside the store and grabbed a trolley. “All I can make without setting off the smoke alarm is breakfast. So, the kitchen is the most underused area in the house.” Ivan grabbed the trolley. “Let me do that—you focus on your list and getting the best ingredients we can find. I believe in healthy eating, so only high quality, low-fat stuff will do.” “Okay.” His voice sounded weak and despondent. Ivan gave him a sideways glance. Emilio shrugged and, luckily, Ivan let it drop, returning his focus to pushing the trolley without running into any shelves. Or people, for that matter. Shit, the man was a health fanatic after all. No real surprise—with that perfect a body, how could he not be? Next, he would start in on how Emilio could do with eating less, probably followed by a suggestion to start jogging. He snorted. Like he wasn’t trying that already. Well, not this week, but Arnie would be on his case as soon as he was back at work next Monday, for sure. He needed another fitness specialist in his life—especially during his vacation—like he needed a root canal. They completed the tour of the fruit and vegetables section, with Ivan nodding approvingly at all the fresh stuff he added. Coming around the corner, he had only a second to notice the bodybuilder pushing his trolley right into Ivan’s. The guy had been looking everywhere but ahead of him. “Sorry.” Ivan looked shocked and stepped back quickly. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

30

“Asshole.” The bodybuilder shook his head, looking disdainfully at the contents of their trolley. “Excuse me?” Ivan looked ready to go on the offensive. “You heard me.” The bodybuilder started walking away. “Just look where you’re going, will you?” Ivan let go of the trolley handle and started walking after the overblown muscle man. His face had turned red and his arms were stiff at his sides, fists looking ready for action. “Leave him be.” Emilio put a hand on Ivan’s arm, only to withdraw it as fast as possible when he noticed Ivan’s shocked glare. “He probably doesn’t know any better. All muscles and no brain, you know?” “What?” Ivan tore his eyes away from the bodybuilder, who was picking up some oranges halfway down the aisle. “There’s no point in going after him. People like that don’t know any better.” He shrugged. “People like that?” Ivan frowned. “Yeah, specifically good-looking men with lots of physical strength. Makes them feel superior to the rest of us or something. There’s no reasoning with someone like that. And I really don’t want you involved in a fight.” He smiled, trying to calm Ivan down further. Why was he frowning like that? Wasn’t it obvious the bodybuilder wouldn’t get it? “And a trip to the hospital would really mess up our dinner plans.” “You’re right, it would.” Ivan took a deep breath and stepped back towards their trolley. “Okay, let’s get the rest of our stuff and get out of here.”

**** “Whatever shall we do while the lasagne is in the oven?” Ivan wriggled his eyebrows. It made Emilio laugh. He’d been a little tense, realising that this was probably one of the last times they’d be together, if not the last time. The second Ivan started to tell him he needed to watch what he ate, he was out of here. Strangely enough, even though a lot of mozzarella, ricotta and sure-to-be-fattening sausage had gone into the dish, Ivan hadn’t said a thing. Yet. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

31

“What, no bright ideas?” Ivan pursed his lips. “Hmmm.” Could the man mean what Emilio thought he might mean? “Unless you come up with something better, I’d like to suggest a tour of the couch.” Ivan winked. “A tour of the couch?” Emilio laughed. “You mean to tell me that you have no etchings?” “Etchings? What would I do with etchings?” Ivan shook his head and held out his hand. “No flat surface to be had there.” “Oh, my God. That was so bad.” Emilio took Ivan’s hand, loving the feeling of sliding his fingers along the soft skin, the touch making him respond in seconds. “It was.” Ivan hung his head. “I’m sorry.” “No, don’t be.” He followed the taller man into the living room, tugging on his hand until he turned around. “It got me laughing, and we ended up where we both want to be.” “You’re right. Only upstairs would be better.” Ivan looked up and the mischievous glint in his eyes reassured Emilio that he wasn’t as crushed as he’d tried to look. “I just don’t want to miss the timer and risk that wonderful lasagne getting burned.” Not that he could get himself to care about the lasagne right now. And as much as he wanted to eat—much later—watching Ivan sit down, thigh muscles bunching, was by far more interesting than worrying about food. He stepped closer and slid onto Ivan’s lap, straddling his legs and pushing as close as possible to make sure their groins touched. The feel of Ivan’s arms sliding around him and Ivan’s lips on his were amazing. Add the hot tongue seeking entrance into his mouth, and he was likely to forget his own name. Kissing Ivan was his new favourite hobby and he pursued it with passion. Minutes or hours passed as their arousal rose. He didn’t know how long they’d kissed, but when he emerged to try to get some air, he was panting and about to come. “Food first.” Ivan looked a little wide-eyed and was out of breath as well. “If you insist.” He pulled back and slid off Ivan’s thighs just as the oven timer went. “It looks like you have excellent timing.” “It’s either my training in the Army, or pure luck.” Ivan laughed. “Not that it really matters. I’m hungry enough to eat for three.” www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

32

As if agreeing with his statement, Ivan’s stomach rumbled. The lasagne turned out to be wonderful, and they made quick inroads into the pasta, garlic bread and the salad. It was a joy to see Ivan eat. “That was definitely the best lasagne I ever had.” Ivan leant back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. “Thank you for making it.” “You’re welcome.” Emilio smiled, still amazed there was nothing left. Granted, they’d both had healthy helpings, but still. He’d expected there to be some leftovers for Ivan to enjoy… The man could definitely eat! “I don’t know about you, but I had a great time tonight. Yesterday was a pretty spectacular first date, but tonight has that beat by miles.” Ivan held out his hand, palm up. “Same here.” A little hesitant, not sure where the other man was going with this, Emilio took hold of the offered hand. “I’m so relieved you agree.” Ivan took his fingers and held on. “I know this is fast, but the idea of you leaving at the end of the week has had my stomach in knots all day.” “It has?” Wow, that was unexpected. “Yes, and I’ve been thinking about the best way to approach this, but I haven’t come up with anything brilliant. So I’m afraid I’m just going to have to come out and say it.” Ivan swallowed and his hand started trembling. “Sounds serious.” In fact, if Ivan hadn’t been holding his hand right now, Emilio would have panicked, despite the promising introduction. “I guess it is.” Ivan nodded. “Okay, here goes. I’ve had a great time with you this week and even though it’s only been two dates, it feels like a lot more. I don’t want it to stop when you go back to the FOSK retreat. I’d like to continue seeing you.” “But we have another three days left.” He frowned, slightly confused. Hearing this was wonderful, but it did make him wonder what the rush was all about. It wasn’t as if he was inundated by offers for dates. “I know we do—believe me, I’ll be counting the hours. The problem is that I found out today how distracting the thought of you leaving is. I just know that I won’t be able to enjoy my time with you if I don’t have the hope of our relationship lasting beyond your vacation time. And that is totally counter-productive. So I decided to take a risk and ask you now.” www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

33

Ivan looked him straight in the eyes. “You don’t have to say anything if you’re not ready, but I had to try.” “Wow. I don’t quite know what to say.” A relationship with this hunk of a man? It sounded like all of his dreams come true. Why was he even hesitating? “Please, say yes?” Ivan smiled hesitantly. “I’d love to find out what it feels like to be part of a couple. I’ve wanted to be in a relationship for a long time, but my father’s homophobic attitude and then being in the Army always prevented that. Now there’s nothing to stop me.” “You’re serious, aren’t you?” He had to be absolutely sure. One guy playing him for a fool then publicly embarrassing him was enough. Admittedly, it had been a juvenile bet and had happened in his first year of college, but it still hurt. “Very.” Ivan nodded. “I must admit that the idea is very tempting. But there’s one thing that’s been bothering me since we met at the supermarket.” It was his turn to swallow heavily. What if he messed it all up by asking a stupid question? But then, if he didn’t know, it would drive him crazy and possibly risk his heart at a much later stage. And that was sure to hurt even more. “What? Was it something I said?” Ivan frowned, clearly not aware of what was going on. “No, it wasn’t something you said. It was something you did…or rather, didn’t do.” He looked at the floor, as if inspiration could come from there. “You’re talking in riddles. I really don’t know what you mean.” Ivan squeezed his hand. “You can tell me anything, ask me anything. If we’re going to be in a relationship, I want us both to be completely open and honest with each other.” “Okay.” He looked up. “When I first walked up to you I was so happy to see you that I was about to give you a hug. But when I saw how stiffly you held yourself—your hands clenched into fists—I was pretty certain you didn’t want that sort of PDA.” “Oh, shit.” Ivan went pale. “I just need to know whether that‘s because you’re not comfortable being seen with me, or whether it’s something else.” Now was a good time to start praying. He really wanted there to be an explanation that was perfectly harmless. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

34

“It’s got absolutely nothing to do with you.” Ivan rubbed his temple with his free hand. “The problem isn’t being in a gay relationship, it’s that I can’t let anybody know I’m gay.” “What?” He pulled his hand from Ivan’s grip and sat back in his chair. The shock was making his heart beat faster. “Are you expecting us to have a secret relationship?” “Yes, I need our relationship to be a secret for now.” Ivan took a breath, clearly ready to continue. But Emilio wasn’t ready to hear more. Whatever the reason, he was never again going to be somebody’s dirty little secret. The thought of Ivan wanting to do that to him hurt more than he would have thought possible. He’d sworn he’d never, ever go there again and he owed it to himself to stick with that decision…no matter what the temptation. “No, I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

35

Chapter Four

Ivan’s jaw literally dropped at Emilio’s blunt refusal. Emilio looked ready to jump up and run out the door, never to be seen again. The bleak desperation in his eyes was heart wrenching. It had all been going so well. But then Emilio had just clammed up and completely shut down. Ivan had wanted to explain, realising what his comment about not being able to admit he was gay must have sounded like. How the hell was he going to do that if the man wouldn’t even listen? “Hold on one moment!” He was going to tie Emilio to his chair if that was the only way he could get him to pay attention. “Why?” Emilio crossed his arms, doing an excellent impression of a mutinous teenager. Damned, but that was cute as hell. He’d better not let him know, though. He was sure he’d never hear the end of it—assuming they’d have more time together. “Because I’d like the chance to explain what the situation is.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or don’t you believe in giving the defendant a chance to show his side of the story?” “I—Well, I…” Emilio flushed bright red. With his darker skin tone that was quite a feat. “I’m sorry. Yes, I’ll let you explain.” “There is more to this than meets the eye. I really do want us to explore where we can go together. I just hope you will be open-minded enough to really listen.” Because if he wasn’t, there was no point in explaining anything. He’d never believe him. Emilio’s lips were pressed together tightly, but he nodded. Something was really off about the whole situation. And then it hit him. “Who hurt you?” He was going to beat the idiot up. “What? How did you know?” Emilio’s eyes were wide as saucers. “I didn’t. But it’s the only thing that makes sense.” He leant forwards. “So, tell me. Maybe it will help me understand what’s going on in that head of yours.” “There’s no point in going into the details. What matters is that somebody pretended to be my boyfriend, asking me to keep our relationship secret. I was young, stupid, and thought

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

36

I was in love. So I did what he wanted.” Emilio closed his eyes for a moment and sighed before opening them again. “A few months later, I found out that he was married.” “Oh, shit!” Ivan sat back in his chair. “You see what the problem is?” Emilio still hadn’t lowered his arms, but he looked more emotionally drained than aggressive now. “I do. My situation and my reasons, however, are totally different.” Ivan held up a hand to stop Emilio from interrupting. “I have absolutely no problem telling the world that I’m your partner, boyfriend, or whatever else you want to call me. In fact, I’d like to shout it off the rooftops. But, there is a slight problem in the timing.” “The timing?” Emilio’s eyebrows went up. “Sounds horrible, doesn’t it?” He couldn’t believe he was being so open, but he was sure it was the only way to stop Emilio from running away. “Weird as well.” Emilio’s lips twitched as he uncrossed his arms. “So, what’s causing this problem in the timing? More importantly, is it going to go away any time soon? Because I’ve got to tell you, even if I understand the reasoning, I don’t think I can stand not being out in the open with you for very long.” “The reason is that nobody—not my father, not my friends—knows that I’m gay. I’ve kept it hidden…hell, have had to keep it hidden for so long, nobody has a clue. All I was hoping for was a chance to tell them myself before they find out from somebody else.” Ivan held his breath. “Oh.” Emilio sank back in his chair, totally deflated. “Oh?” Was that all he was going to get? “Is that a good ‘oh’, or a bad one?” “It is an ‘I’m very sorry I jumped to conclusions’ one.” Emilio looked up at him from under his thick eyelashes. “I am very, very sorry.” “It’s okay.” Now that it was all over, he could deal with anything. “You’re being very nice about this.” Emilio shook his head. “I’ve been an idiot…and mean to boot. You should probably stay away from me.” “Sorry, I can’t.” He held out his hand again. “I promise you, I will tell everyone who needs to hear this from me by the weekend. But I hope we can still do things together even though we’ll have to be a little careful? I just don’t want to waste the time while you’re here.” www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

37

“Neither do I.” Emilio reached out and put his hand back where it belonged. “I have no idea how all this will go with you here and me at the FOSK retreat. All I know is that I’d love to be your boyfriend, and I hope we can figure this all out.” “Thank God!” He did a quick little victory dance in his head. “I’m sure we’ll find a way, since we both want it.” Emilio just beamed at him. The man’s smile slid straight into his heart and made him happier than he’d been in a very long time…maybe ever. “So, does that mean I can give you the grand tour of the bedroom now?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “What is it with you and giving tours of pieces of furniture and parts of the house?” Emilio laughed. “I don’t know. I just think it sounds better than asking you if you’re okay with me taking you upstairs to ravish you.” He tilted his head, trying to look harmless. While he wanted Emilio in the worst way, he wasn’t going to push. Well, not too much. “Are you sure?” Emilio very uncertain all of a sudden. “Yes!” He wanted there to be no doubt about that. “And why do you even need to ask?” “Have you actually looked at me?” Emilio shook his head. “I’m probably an idiot for bringing it up again, but it’s still bugging me. I’d rather find out now than later on.” “What the hell are you talking about? Of course I‘ve looked at you. I’d like to spend more time looking at you. Scratch that. I’d like to spend more time touching you.” He had a feeling this was awfully important to Emilio. “Oh.” Emilio looked confused. “It’s just that you’re so gorgeous and I’m a little…well, the polite term, I believe, is overweight. I can’t believe a good-looking guy like you is interested in someone like me.” “Is that what has you worried?” It hadn’t seemed like a big deal to him, and he’d thought their first talk had solved it. Apparently not. Emilio had still been awfully shy last night, insisting on the lights being switched off and everything. It must have been more than just first-encounter jitters. “Yes.” Emilio didn’t know where to look and it took him a long time for his gaze to return to his. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

38

“Believe me, I like you just the way you are. In fact, I think you’re very attractive. And I don’t just mean your personality—I do mean your body as well. I hate people who don’t like to eat and spend all their time counting calories.” He liked to stay fit, but he’d never do it by starving himself. If he did want to lose weight, which very rarely happened, he upped his exercise. As far as he was concerned that was the only responsible way to do it. “You really don’t mind all these extra pounds?” Emilio cocked an eyebrow. “You’re not going to ask me to go on a diet, or start running, or something else in a few months’ time?” “Certainly not! I’d much rather spend my time with you cooking, or eating, or doing something else. I do exercise regularly, which is probably a left-over from my time in the Army, but that doesn’t mean you have to do the same.” Coming back from an invigorating morning run to jump under the shower and then back into bed to wake Emilio was one of his favourite fantasies. “So what were all those comments about healthy eating about? You know, when we were in the supermarket?” Emilio looked determined to get to the bottom of something that obviously still confused him. “Those were just my thoughts on healthy eating.” He frowned. “Oh! Did you think they were veiled hints about a diet?” Emilio nodded. “No way, sweetheart. That’s not how my mind works. If I want to say something, I come straight out and say it. Those comments were about my obsession with healthy eating. Just ask Leo. I drive him crazy on a regular basis.” Ivan hoped this was enough to prove his sincerity—he was ready to get to the good parts. “No diet?” “Absolutely none!” He grinned. “After all, a diet would mean that the wonderful lasagne you made for us tonight would be off-limits. And we can’t have that!” “Okay, that sounds convincing.” Emilio laughed. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, let me show you something.” He rose and pulled Emilio up with him then slid a hand down to the man’s ass so he could press their groins together. “What does this feel like?” “Um, very nice?” Emilio pressed closer, giving them both something to rub up against. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

39

“I think I’ll need help with that.” He grinned.

Emilio swallowed. Hard. The impressive erection he could feel pressing up against his quickly hardening cock left him in absolutely no doubt about Ivan’s intentions. Arousal like this couldn’t be faked. As good as it felt, it would still take some time for him to adjust to the idea that Ivan didn’t think of him as repulsive, but he was more than willing to run with it. Who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth? He’d be beyond stupid to reject Ivan after everything the other man had told him. Getting physical with someone who was as goodlooking as Ivan was not a hardship. Add in the fact that he really cared—enough to have been patient about his stupid assumptions and insecurities—and he’d be an idiot ever to let him go. “You’ve got my help.” Emilio tilted his head up for a kiss. As soon as their lips touched, the world vanished. Breathing in his lover’s spicy scent, Emilio let himself fall into the embrace. He opened his mouth and welcomed Ivan in, thinking about the other way he wanted to let him in. It made him so hot that he had to moan his arousal into Ivan’s mouth. The other man responded by pressing their groins together even more closely. A spike of desire raced through his veins and he had to pull back for some air or run the risk of suffocating. “I want you to take me, make me yours.” Emilio nuzzled into Ivan’s neck. God, the man smelt and tasted wonderful everywhere he touched him. “God, yes, I want that.” This time it was Ivan who pulled back, searching his eyes for confirmation. “Are you sure?” “Yeah.” He’d rarely been so sure of what he wanted. Who knew how this would end? He was more optimistic than before, but they’d only known each other for less than a week. It was enough for him to want to move this to the next level. But he had to remain realistic. Whether or not they were still together in a few months or even years from now remained to be seen. The only thing that was important at the moment was that he trusted Ivan enough to want to take the next step with him. The rest would follow in its own time.

www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

40

“Come on, let’s close up down here then go upstairs and do things right.” Ivan cupped his face between his large, warm hands. “And if you change your mind, all you need to do is let me know and we’ll stop.” “Okay.” He doubted very much that he was going to want to stop, but it was wonderful to know he had the option. It was just one more item he added to the long list of things he really liked about Ivan. They worked quickly and efficiently, both clearly impatient to move things to the bedroom. After the last dish had been put into the dishwasher, they’d locked all the doors and windows and had switched off the downstairs lights. Ivan then took Emilio by the hand and led him upstairs. Ivan closed the bedroom door and looked him over. It felt like a gentle touch and for the first time in his life he didn’t feel shy. This man liked the way he looked. Ivan clearly wanted him as desperately as Emilio wanted his new lover. He glanced at the light switch near the door, more out of habit than because he felt the need for darkness. This was quite a new development for him, but it felt right. More than that, it felt wonderful. “We can switch off the light if you want.” Ivan smiled. “I’d love to see you—all of you—this time. But I’ll do anything to make you feel comfortable. This is supposed to be good for both of us.” “I think I’m okay.” Saying it made it a little bit more real. He nodded. “I really am.” “Yeah? Trying out what it feels like to stop running from yourself?” Ivan had hit the nail on the head. “Feels great.” He stepped closer to the Ivan and lifted his hands to start unbuttoning the man’s shirt. “But I know what will be even better.” “I like the way you think.” Ivan stood very still for him. He slowly opened all the buttons, kissing each new piece of skin he revealed. Very different from his own torso, Ivan’s chest was almost hairless. As soon as he’d slid the shirt off the man’s shoulders, he started licking and kissing his way from one nipple to the other. The little buds stood straight up for him, and he loved the feeling of their slightly rougher www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

41

texture against his tongue. He caressed the flat abdomen and soon had Ivan pushing into his touches. “My turn.” Ivan moved his hands underneath Emilio’s summer sweater. As he touched and caressed the skin on his back, Ivan bent down to kiss him again. His lover was going to drive him absolutely crazy with need and they weren’t even naked yet. After a few more minutes of scorching hot kisses, Ivan pulled back and focused on taking Emilio’s sweater off. That task accomplished, he pulled him towards the bed. “Naked.” Ivan started undressing himself, his stare so intense that it made Emilio shudder. In the best way possible. “Shower?” Emilio always panicked about smelling, and with a new lover the fear of turning him off was twice as bad as normal. “I like the way you smell, baby.” Down to his boxers, Ivan stepped closer and took him into his arms. “But we can take a shower first, if you want?” “I sorta like your scent as well.” He felt his cheeks heat up, but he didn’t look away from Ivan, whose eyes crinkled with amusement. “Good.” Ivan let go of him for a moment to turn down the bed. “Scoot up for me?” Feeling slightly exposed, he did as his lover asked and lay down on his back. He supported himself on his elbows so he could see what Ivan was up to. His lover moved to the foot of the bed then crawled onto it, approaching him on his hands and knees. The twinkle in his eyes was close to predatory. He kissed the top of each foot, then his ankles, up his shins, past his knees and spent a long time on his thighs, alternating between them so they got equal treatment. Emilio spread his legs further apart, trying to issue a not-so-subtle invitation as he rocked his hips up, looking for friction. The soft caresses felt incredibly good, but he wanted that hot mouth where it really mattered. His poor cock was beginning to feel neglected by the time Ivan reached his groin. But still, the infuriating man continued to tease him by licking and kissing everywhere except where he wanted him to touch. “Please?” Was that pathetically needy little voice really his? Ivan looked up from his task and smiled. “God, please, Ivan, do something.” He was ready to get on his knees and beg, if that would help. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

42

Faster than he could follow, Ivan moved up and enclosed his cock with his hot lips. The suction he immediately started almost made Emilio come. He tried to hold back, but when a lubed finger—how had that happened?—touched his hole, he lost it and shot his load into Ivan’s willing mouth. Still shaking from the intensity of his sudden orgasm, he dropped his head back onto the pillows and tried to regain his breath. Ivan’s finger hadn’t moved any further inside him, but it was still very much there. He opened his eyes and lifted his head so he could look at his lover. The impish grin on his face not only showed that he was proud of what he’d done, it also made him look about ten years younger. “More?” Ivan wriggled his finger and Emilio shuddered in anticipation. “Please.” He wriggled his ass and made Ivan laugh. Ivan added more lube and slid his finger in all the way. Before he knew what was happening, his lover crooked the digit and found his prostate. “Shit!” Lightning bolts of renewed arousal shot through him and his cock was beginning to fill as if he hadn’t just come. “Do that again.” “With pleasure.” Ivan did it again and it was just as exciting as the first time. He kept stroking that sensitive spot until Emilio thought he saw stars. Then he added a second finger, soon followed by a third and kept doing the same thing over and over again. Emilio writhed with pleasure and kept his legs open. He didn’t want to miss a single second of this. Ivan was panting hard and sweat beaded on his forehead. He was clearly nearing the edge of his control. Emilio wasn’t any better off, so he pointed at the condom that had appeared on the night stand as if by magic. Thank God Ivan got the message. He tore the foil package open, sheathed himself and was kneeling between Emilio’s wantonly spread legs in no time. He put a pillow under Emilio’s ass and lifted his thighs over his. “Take me.” Emilio lifted his arms and pulled Ivan a little closer. He was determined to get more kisses out of this. Ivan groaned and started pushing in. The burn was exquisite, but Emilio exhaled and focused on relaxing so it wouldn’t change into pain. When Ivan bottomed out, they both breathed a sigh of relief—ready for the real fun to start. www.total-e-bound.com

DEVELOPING THE COUNSELLOR

Serena Yates

43

Ivan pulled out slowly, then pushed all the way back in. It felt like heaven. The pressure of being filled like this was intense, the stroking of his prostate drove him mad, and every nerve ending in his entire body lit up when Ivan bent down to kiss him. Thrusting his tongue into Emilio’s mouth in the same rhythm as he was fucking him made everything twice as hot. He slid his arms around his lover and held on for the ride. Ivan’s thrusts became deeper and faster, as his tongue continued to plunder Emilio’s mouth. He moved with his lover now, doubling the impact of each thrust. Ivan pulled back and stared into his eyes as he started coming. Emilio squeezed his ass muscles, slid a hand between their bodies and started jacking himself off. “Emilio!” Ivan started pummelling his ass, making him squeal in delight. “Yes.” He threw back his head and came. Hot semen splashed between their stomachs, and Ivan kept fucking him right through his orgasm. He felt as if he was coming for minutes. The moment he was done, Ivan relaxed and trembled as he let the pleasure take over. He collapsed onto Emilio and, for a while, the only sound in the room was heavy breathing. “I loved that.” Emilio needed to say something to acknowledge the enormity of what he’d felt. The echo of those sensations was still with him, and he hoped it would stay for a long while. “Oh, good.” Ivan pulled out, dealt with the condom then turned them onto their sides. “I was hoping you’d like a repeat.” “Right now?” He wasn’t sure his poor body could stand it. He wasn’t used to feeling this much pleasure. “Nah, let’s have a nap and see what comes up.” Ivan grinned, closed his eyes and tightened his embrace. Emilio cuddled in, loving the closeness and trust they already had. He was sure that it could only get better.

www.total-e-bound.com

New from Total-E-Bound Publishing :

The Blancmange A.J. Llewellyn and Serena Yates 10th October 2011

Excerpt Chapter One

Finn Garrison stepped out onto the sand and stretched. At six-foot-four, he was a big man and being scrunched up in a jury box day after day took its toll on him. Even his toes were happy to be back at the beach. He luxuriated in the chilly morning air and stared up at the sky. He studied the appealing mix of shades. Brilliant blue with streaks of egg white cloud, a hint of green and soft grey. A whisper of rose. So much better than where he’d been. It reminded him of a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Why did he always think about things in terms of ice cream? He longed to saunter over to Christopher’s house, which was just three doors down, and start his morning with a cup of coffee. Christopher was so much fun and always lifted his spirits, but he could tell by their closed patio door that Christopher’s lover, Marcel, was still home. When Christopher was alone, music and good baking smells poured out of the open doors. That’s how he and Christopher had first met—on the beach, discussing food. He gulped as he realised Marcel was not Finn’s biggest fan. For some reason, he seemed jealous of the budding friendship between Christopher and Finn—which was ridiculous. Marcel was older, but the Fire Court judge had Christopher’s heart. Finn was more like his…court jester.

www.total-e-bound.com

He found himself wondering, not for the first time, about Christopher’s relationship with the dangerous and powerful Marcel Paradis. They both held high positions in the Fire Council. They were part of the clandestine network of the super-secret elemental superpowers. So was Finn. Sometimes it made him feel like Batman, other times he felt like a lunatic. If he told any regular person what his life was like, he’d wind up in a rubber room. A juror for the Water Court, Finn was adjudicating a difficult trial right now. Being new to the Northern California beach community of Half Moon Bay—his temporary home—he’d been relieved to meet Christopher and Marcel. It had been a fluke really, since most people involved in elemental superpowers usually didn’t fraternise outside of their special elemental zone. Christopher was different, though. He had friends in all of the houses—earth, air, fire and water. Dang…maybe I do like him as more than a friend. This thought worried him. Hankering for the wrong guy had already landed him in a whole world of hurt. He could just quietly walk by their house. Christopher wouldn’t even need to know Finn was on the beach. But I want him to see me. I want to hang out with him. I think he’s seriously special. He’s not only the hottest guy I’ve ever met, but nobody cooks the way he does. Finn tried not to allow his romantic and sexual fantasies to filter into his brain. He had enough on his plate. Still, he wavered. He longed to talk to Christopher, who was not only sympathetic and understanding, but also made a fantastic cup of coffee. Not that he’d discuss the actual case with the man—or more appropriately in Christopher’s case, Mage—but Christopher could make sense of even the smallest peculiarities. He was a magic man. Finn had no idea what the guy put in the coffee he made, but it always left Finn feeling very mellow. Christopher Fire ran an incredible bakery called Fabulous Cupcakes with Marcel’s son, Daine. It had become the hottest bakery in San Francisco, both with humans and the ‘elementals’—as some people with superpowers called themselves. In fact, Fabulous Cupcakes had become a kind of informal meeting place for all the superpowers. For the first time in centuries, the members had started congregating on

www.total-e-bound.com

neutral ground…there at the shop. The human customers had no idea what the hell was going on right under their noses, which was kind of fun. But I go to that bakery just to see him. Oh, crap. I do like him, maybe more than I should. Fuckity fuckity fuck fuck fuck. He stretched again, every muscle in his back and legs aching. The Kennedy trial should have been a routine murder trial but it had turned out to be nasty and very, very complicated. He yawned. Maybe he could stop by for a small cup of coffee and try extra hard to laugh at Marcel’s jokes. He bit his lip, trying to strike up the courage. Something stopped him. The image of Marcel frowning came to mind. Finn had never actually seen Marcel do anything mean but he’d heard stories about the mercurial judge setting fire to talkative courtroom watchers’ hair. He’d given people hot feet and hot flashes. So Finn was always nice to the guy. He was aware that he, too, had powers and water could put out fire, but still…there was something frightening about Marcel. Okay, so maybe I should stay away. I just got a nice haircut. Flames wouldn’t improve it at all. Finn blew out a breath and began to run along the foamy shoreline, passing Christopher’s house, which was so near, and yet so far from his own beach bungalow. A huge wave crashed to his left, startling him. Water sprayed him from nowhere, almost completely covering him, but his attention and body were diverted by Christopher, who’d come out of his house, waving frantically. “Come and have breakfast. I tried calling you!” Finn tripped over his own big feet in his haste to get to the house. “Wow, you’re all wet,” Christopher said, handing him a fluffy blue towel. The man looked gorgeous. Wearing faded pale blue jeans the exact colour of his eyes and a white silk shirt, his tousled blond hair and ten-thousand kilowatt smile gave him the appearance of a supermodel. He was mesmerising. “I just got decked by a huge wave,” Finn replied. “Really?” Christopher’s brows knitted in a curious way. Oh, I want to kiss that spot between his eyes. I want to undo each button and lick my way down his torso until I reach his treasure trail. Stop, idiot. He’s taken.

www.total-e-bound.com

“But the water’s so flat today.” Christopher’s nose crinkled as he looked past Finn’s shoulder out towards the sea. Finn turned. He was right. But the wave had been there, coming out of nowhere. Finn brushed the thought aside. Half Moon Bay, just thirty minutes south of San Francisco, was a picturesque, secluded enclave, but it was also a super-secret big wave spot. Swells just popped up out of seemingly harmless ripples. Surfer Mark Foo had drowned here several years ago and people still talked about it like it happened yesterday. The smell of warm peach and lemon had him towel-drying himself in record time. He walked into the house, nodding to Marcel who sat on a high stool at the kitchen breakfast bar, in jeans and a mulberry coloured sweater, reading the morning paper. Finn knew that Christopher had knitted it. It had taken him ages. A lot of love had gone into it. The thought depressed Finn. He brought his thoughts back to the present. “Good morning, Marcel,” he said, putting a smile on his face. It surprised Finn to see that the great, distinguished jurist was reading a human newspaper, but then again, nothing about Marcel was…well, normal. “What’s good about it?” Marcel glowered at him. Maybe I should have sprayed my hair with fire retardant before I came over here… “Well,” Finn said, without thinking, “I have no jury duty today. It’s such a relief. This trial is killing me, I swear.” For a moment, desolation gripped him. He hated the trial. Hated that he’d been summoned from his lonely, but very comfortable existence back in Mermaid Beach, Bermuda, to sit in on the case. The powers-that-be had promised him it would take a week. He should have smelt a water rat when they’d offered to spring for accommodation. He narrowed his eyes now. It was Saturday. On Monday, he and the other Water Court jurors would be embarking on their second month of witness testimony in what some had dubbed the ‘Camelot’ case. As if reading his mind, Marcel glanced at him. “You’re working the Camelot trial?” He carefully folded up his newspaper, placed it by his left elbow then leaned on the breakfast bar, staring at him. For the first time since they’d met, Marcel seemed to be interested in Finn. Finn saw the crackle of fire cross Marcel’s pupils. He wished he had a glass of water handy just in case he’d need to extinguish a fire on his crotch or something. www.total-e-bound.com

“Take a seat.” Marcel held out the stool beside him. Christopher beamed and put two bread plates and a basket of what Christopher called breakfast cupcakes between the two men. Finn called these delicacies godsends. He’d never tasted such fantastic cupcakes in his life. Christopher slid silverware beside them, then—to Finn’s relief—poured him a cup of coffee. Finn took a seat, drinking from his cup the second Christopher stopped adding cream to it. He felt better, as if somehow Christopher had reached inside him and ironed out the spiritual kinks. Not that he would ever voice these thoughts aloud. To anybody. “So,” Marcel purred. “You must tell me. Have you seen Mr. Kennedy yet?”

Pre-order your copy here: http://www.total-e-bound.com/comingsoon.asp

www.total-e-bound.com

About the Author I’m a night owl who starts writing when everyone else in my time zone is asleep. I’ve loved reading all my life and spent most of my childhood with my nose buried in a book. Although I always wanted to be a writer, financial independence came first. Twenty-some years and a successful business career later I took some online writing classes and never looked back. Living and working in seven countries has taught me that there's more than one way to get things done. It has instilled tremendous respect for the many different cultures, beliefs, attitudes and preferences that exist on our planet. I like exploring those differences in my stories, most of which happen to be romances. My characters have a tendency to want to do their own thing, so I often have to rein them back in. The one thing we all agree on is the desire for a happy ending. I currently live in the United Kingdom, sharing my house with a vast collection of books. I like reading, travelling, spending time with my nieces and listening to classical music. I have a passion for science and learning new languages. Email: [email protected] Serena loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com.

Also by Serena Yates Elemental Superpowers: The Cake Elemental Superpowers: The Blancmange Scrolls of Vengeance: The Magic Thieves Men of Riverside: Finding Elliot Men of Riverside: Rediscovering Adrian Men of Riverside: Understanding Mark Men of Riverside: Saving Zeke Men of Riverside: Forgiving Jason Men of Riverside: Loving Vicente New Horizons: Rescuing the Librarian New Horizons: Discovering the Actor New Horizons: Encouraging the Writer New Horizons: Supporting the Director New Horizons: Saving the Bodyguard New Horizons: Noticing the Finance Manager Stealing My Heart: The Magic Thieves Mi Amore Collection: Max’s Italian Romance Sins of Summer: Summer Escape

Total-E-Bound Publishing

www.total-e-bound.com Take a look at our exciting range of literagasmic™ erotic romance titles and discover pure quality at Total-E-Bound.