Paint It, Black Page 4

  I heard a scuffle behind me and turned my head to see Leroy struggling to get through the crowd. Thank God for good Samaritans. I skidded to a halt, breathing heavily and ended up bent over with my hands on my knees as I watched two of my coworkers tackle Leroy to the ground. I was never more grateful than at that moment for their help on my behalf. I owed them favors for life.

  “You fucking cunt! I’m gonna have your ass, one way or another.” Someone told him to shut up. “You’re mine, you hear me? You belong to me!” And on he went until the cops arrived.

  I explained what had happened, as well as mentioning the previous incident at my place of employment. They put Leroy in the back of the car, and asked me to come down to the station to make a statement. Tired as I was, I just wanted it all to be over with. I ended up filing a restraining order against him, and I knew he would end up fired, too. Not that I wished evil on anyone, but damn, Leroy was a piece of work.

  When I finally got home and collapsed in bed after a long, hot shower, it was one in the morning. Geez. At least my meeting with Elias was in the afternoon. I smiled to myself, thinking it would be nice to see him. He was fast becoming an oasis in the ups and downs of my life, and a good friend. I was looking forward to our time together.

  * * * *

  “What’s wrong?” was the first thing Elias said to me when I turned up the next day at the studio. It could be because I hadn’t bothered to dress like I usually did in my flamboyant “fuck you, world” style. I simply wore a black muscle shirt and a pair of matching shorts and sandals, but no makeup or jewelry.

  “Why do you think anything’s wrong?” I replied as I entered the front office.

  “You have circles under your eyes, and you look like death warmed over.” He closed the door behind me and gently touched my shoulder. “What happened, Trent? Tell me.” He took me by the hand, and I let him lead me down the hall, past the setup for the shoot and into his back office.

  “Sit there and let me make you some coffee while you talk.”

  “But…” I started to say, and at his look, I gave up. “Fine.” I played with a loose thread on my shorts. “The guy you saw bothering me at the customer service desk? His name is Leroy and he attacked me at the end of my shift last night.”

  Elias almost dropped the cups he was carrying to the desk. “Shit! Are you all right?” He quickly set everything down and cupped my face in his hands. “Did he hurt you?”

  I shook my head as much as he’d let me. “He tried, but I managed to kick him in the face and run.” I told him everything, including my filing a restraining order.

  “Jesus, Trent.” Elias used his thumbs to caress my cheeks. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” He started to say something else, but stopped himself. Instead, he stepped back and handed me a cup of coffee. “You sure you want to do this today?”

  “Yes. I need the distraction.”

  He smiled. “That, I can provide. The outfits they want you to model are definitely ‘distracting.’”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Do I want to meet this shop owner?”

  “Make sure you gird your loins if you do. He’s definitely hot for you.” He winked. “Come on. Let’s get this done and I’ll treat you to dinner at my place.”

  “You can cook?” I asked as I followed him to the work area.

  “Yup. I’ll make you something that’ll taste better than sex.”

  I laughed at that. “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  I shook my head. “I say it can’t be done.”

  “It’s a bet. Winner chooses a prize. Anything goes.”

  Grinning, I replied, “I’ll take that bet.”

  My afternoon was spent in wet-looking garter leggings and evil black stilettos, and a denim vest; an off-the-shoulder top with lace and leather material and pleather shorts; a batwing sheer blouse and a gothic denim floor-length skirt; a trench coat, skinny tie and super short skirt. The makeup was adjusted as necessary.

  It was a lot of fun, and Elias and I laughed our way through the shoot, with his helpers scrambling back and forth to adjust lighting and props as necessary. At the end of the afternoon, Elias was satisfied with his work, and I was exhausted.

  “That food you promised me had better be good, mister,” I said to Elias as I helped him clean the room before we headed out. “And you still owe me ice cream.”

  “I’ve got it covered.”

  He drove us to his home half an hour later, and I was in awe of his house. It was a three-story building, with decks on every level. There was a huge lawn in the back, and a fence surrounded the lot.

  “This place is magnificent, Elias,” I said as I helped him carry his equipment inside. The living room and foyer had pictures lining the walls. The space was airy and light, with sparse furniture. I didn’t see a TV anywhere. Books lined the shelves.

  “I got it for a song from a couple who were moving out of the country. It needed a bit of work, but I took my time and got it done. I sleep on the second floor, and my studio is on the third. I love the natural lighting up there, and the view is gorgeous.”

  “It’s beautiful.” He had me set the equipment next to the couch, then I followed him into the kitchen. “So how can I help you with this ‘better than sex’ dinner?”

  He grinned. “You’ll be on prep duty.”

  “Tell me what to do.”

  * * * *

  “Oh my fucking…mmm.” Shit, this was good. Yes, Elias could cook the pants off a chef, as far as I was concerned. The food melted in my mouth and, dear God in heaven, every bite was practically orgasmic.

  Elias smirked. “So, did I exaggerate?”

  All I could do was shake my head and keep on eating. The moans and groans and the way I licked my lips were certainly reminiscent of good sex.

  “If I ate like this every day, sex might become second-rate. Where did you learn to cook with such…passion?”

  “I took some classes when I lived in Europe for a year. Slept with one of the chefs. I spent a month in his bed and kitchen learning what really constituted good food. It was hedonism at its best.”

  “I see.” Why was I feeling jealous of a man thousands of miles away and no longer in Elias’s life?

  Elias gave me a knowing look. “Gerard is now married to a fellow chef and they’ve adopted a girl and boy. He sends me recipes from time to time for me to experiment. This is one of them.”

  “I’m a believer,” I said, pretending I didn’t feel relieved. “I may never eat at McDonald’s again.” I felt like I should smoke a cigarette after it was all done.

  He laughed. “Never say never. Desperation makes us do crazy things.”

  “Jesus.” I closed my eyes and sighed over the subtle, fantastic flavors. Wait, was I sporting wood? I shifted in my seat. Yup, I was.

  “You sure you’ll have room for ice cream?” Elias asked as he helped himself to another portion.

  “Absolutely! It’s my favorite dessert and the perfect end to this meal.”

  Elias smiled.

  We finished pretty much everything on the table before I belched my satisfaction. Loudly. “Excuse me,” I said.

  “No worries. I take it as a compliment. Help me clean up? We can eat ice cream on the deck on the second floor.”

  “Sure.”

  It took us fifteen minutes, but eventually, Elias led the way upstairs. It was almost sunset by now, and I could see fireflies below us.

  “Man, you hit the jackpot with this place,” I commented as we sat next to each other in comfortable chairs. I had a bowl of mint chocolate ice cream, and he had peanut butter scoops in his.

  “I know. I thank the universe daily for my fortune. It’s a haven away from the craziness, and so quiet here. People are friendly, but they keep to themselves. It’s perfect.”

  “Well, you’ve seen my apartment. It’s not bad, actually. I have enough room for my drawing table and it suits my needs. My hours are erratic enough that I don’t have much more than a passing ac
quaintance with my neighbors.”

  We remained like that, sometimes talking, sometimes not, and watched as darkness fell. I loved that I could do this with someone who knew my dirty laundry and still wanted me around.

  I set my bowl on the wooden floor between us. “Thank you for today, Elias. I had a lot of fun and you helped me feel better. You’re a good friend.”

  He finished his ice cream before replying, “I’m happy I could help.” He put his bowl next to mine. “And if that asshole ever comes near you again, I have a gun with his name on it.”

  Was it bad that my cock, still half-hard from the excellent meal we’d eaten, perked up at his very butch behavior? Today Elias had worn orange knee-length shorts with a hot pink mesh shirt and yellow sandals. How manly was he?

  There was only one way to respond. I got up and kneeled before him, placing my hands on his legs. He gulped, his expression filled with longing and trepidation. “What…what are you doing, Trent?”

  “You never said what you wanted if you won the bet, which you did, hands down. I want to give you something as a ‘thank you.’ I hope you’ll think it’s just as good.”

  After pulling his cock out of those bright shorts, I had him down my throat in mere minutes. Elias’s hands were firm on my head and I wanted to suck him dry. I slurped him, nibbled on the sensitive tip, moaned around his dick and pretty much did everything I could to make sure he knew how much I was enjoying this, and how grateful I was.

  His grunts spurred me on and I gagged from time to time, once I learned he liked that. It made him thrust harder when I did it, and his fingers gripped my hair tighter until at last, he gave it up.

  “Shit!” Elias yelled as he spilled down my throat, right outside in the warm night air where anyone could see us. I stood and leaned on the arm rests to share his cum in a needy kiss. He attacked my mouth, though his hands were gentle on my face as he chased the taste of himself on my tongue.

  Licking my lips, I stepped back and rested against the banister. “You taste really good on my tongue, Elias,” I said while I shoved down my shorts and underwear enough to free my throbbing dick. It was wet and sticky at the tip and raring to go. “I want you to taste me. Right now. I want to hear you beg for it.”

  Before I finished speaking, Elias was on his knees before me, face buried in my crotch, his mouth seeking out my flavor as he sucked my balls. I petted his hair. So soft.

  “You want it, don’t you?”

  He nodded and I tapped his cheek with my cock.

  “How badly do you want it, Elias?”

  “Pretty fucking bad. Let me have it. Please?” And since he begged so nicely, I let him. God, he had a mouth on him, and that suction was incredible.

  He brought me to the brink, time and time again, and I started cursing at him. Now I was the one begging him to let me come. “Please, Elias. I can’t take it anymore.”

  I was sweaty and needy, and when I let go, I blanked for a split second before I howled.

  “Fuck!” I exclaimed as I pumped my hips and fucked his throat until I was completely spent. I slumped over him, but he helped me stay upright by standing and pulling me into his arms to kiss the living daylights out of me. I loved the way my cum tasted in his mouth.

  Jelly-boned as I was, I still wanted to get as close to him as possible, and climbed his body like a jungle gym. We made out like fools desperate for each other and my mouth was very sore, but I didn’t care. This went beyond sex and friendship and I could admit to myself, finally, that I wanted more of it.

  “Let me fuck you,” Elias murmured against my lips before he sucked my tongue. My toes curled, I swear it. He squeezed my ass as I clamped my legs around his waist. “God, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to be with you like this. I don’t want to push, but you seem to be—”

  I cut him off with a tongue-fucking that had him mewling and groaning and carrying me into the house toward his bedroom, I hoped and prayed. I ended up on the bed, feeling a little wicked wearing a shirt and nothing else since my shorts and underwear had disappeared somewhere.

  Elias never once took his eyes off me as he stripped down to nothing, grabbed a condom and lube from a bedside drawer, then pounced. We rolled around on the bed, hands and legs entangled as we tried to get as close to each other as possible. I pulled on his nipple rings, which made his hips thrust and his cock grow thick and long again. I used my tongue to play with his belly button, and licked his abs, nibbled the inside of his thighs and snorted his ass, because damn, he smelled so good down there.

  I pushed his legs against his chest so I could have better access and made a meal of him, his hands in my hair as he urged me on. I could tell Elias would spew like this, as turned on as he was, so I pulled back and kneeled between his thighs.

  “You wanted to fuck me, you said?” I queried as I grabbed the condom packet and opened it to roll the rubber over his dick. Elias nodded, then moaned as I lubed his cock and squeezed a bit, just to make him needy enough to plow me like a jackhammer. Yeah.

  I fingered my hole, riding my hand as I prepared myself for him and pumped my cock with the other. I was almost lost to the sensations, eyes slitted in pleasure, as Elias watched me. It felt decadent and sexy doing this, being like this, with him staring me with such want and quiet desperation.

  Finally, when neither of us could take it anymore, and Elias’s cock practically did a “come hither” bob, I positioned myself over his cock and slowly breathed in and out as I sank down. Fuck, it had been a long time since I’d had someone this big inside me. And the fact that it was Elias, my friend and confidante, made it even more poignant.

  Once fully seated, I placed my hands on his chest, with Elias gripping my hips. Our dance began, back and forth, round and round. I played his nipple rings like a musician, making him sing as he grunted through each plunge into my ass. The sweat ran off our bodies, the curtains fluttered in a light breeze, and it was perfect, sharing an act that seemed to wash away the past and create something special.

  “Come with me,” Elias whispered as he flipped us over so he could fuck me like he meant it. I wrapped my legs around his waist and dragged his mouth to mine, and we worked it, believe you me. He hit that spot inside my ass that made me growl, and we French-kissed our way to the finish line.

  It hit me, hard, and I was completely undone. Elias held onto me through it all, or else I would have fallen apart. Not long after that, he followed me over, and I found his unassuming features beautiful in the moonlight, and so precious.

  We collapsed next to each other, condom disposed of, and sticky skin and sheets ignored in favor of learning to breathe again.

  Elias murmured, “I would say that my cooking is orgasmic, but sex with you far surpasses it.”

  I turned on my side to stare at him. He practically glowed in the moonlight. “Let’s just say we’re both good at what we do, and leave it at that. You’ll feed me into heavenly bliss, and I’ll fuck you into an orgasmic coma.”

  He kissed my nose. “Deal. Now come here and let me hold you.”

  We snuggled, not caring if we ended up stuck together or not. I fell asleep almost immediately, and that night, I didn’t have any nightmares. Not one.

  * * * *

  “Girl,” Florina said to me as we stood next to each other in front of the Goth store on our break. “You are one hot potato.”

  We were looking at one of the new photos in the window, one that Elias had warned me about a week ago. It was the one with the open trench coat, my chest bare, and me wearing a skinny black tie and mini skirt, as well as red stilettos.

  “I’m still not used to seeing myself like this.” In fact, word had spread somehow that I was the model in the window and I worked in the grocery store. These days, half of the people in the customer service line were gawkers.

  Florina patted my hand. “You’ll be fine, sweetheart. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

  We headed back to work and Tammy stopped by briefly to make sure we were fully sto
cked with forms and had enough change for the register. The Monday after the incident with Leroy, the police had stopped by to get more information on his behavior. I’d been the subject of gossip, some of it mean, for a while, but I’d weathered the storm.

  Having Elias in my life as—whatever we were to each other now—helped. A lot. He’d convinced me to go into the Goth store to meet the manager, arguably my biggest fan, next to Elias. I’d agreed, as long as Elias went with me. The man had almost swooned when he shook my hand, and had offered me free clothing whenever I wanted it. Not bad, actually.

  I was supposed to meet Elias at my apartment later so we could work on some drawings together. I’d told him it would help to put the past behind him fully if he started drawing again. He’d also framed the sketches I’d done at that one photo shoot where I’d watched him work, and placed them all around the studio so everyone could see them.

  Elias told me that he received lots of comments on them, and he might have me do more. Hey, why not? I would be doing what I loved, and get to spend time with a man I was coming to care for deeply, something I never thought I’d have in my life.

  I had high hopes for our future together. I no longer felt like I was in a black abyss, tainted by past experiences over which I’d had no control. With Elias in my life, I could make the world into anything I wanted.

  THE END

  * * * *

  ABOUT J.D. WALKER

  J.D. Walker likes to keep her stories short and sweet, with the occasional novel or novella. A multi-published author, she is also a musician, artist, language enthusiast (German and Spanish), and lover of all things knit and crochet.

  For more information, visit lifebyjo.com/jdwalker.

  ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC

  JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!