Stranger Things Have Happened: Dallas Read online

  Chapter One

  "Oh -- my -- God!" Rack collapses on top of Daniel, who has his legs wrapped around Rack's waist. Makes for a slightly awkward position, but hey, Daniel's not complaining. He rubs his hands down Rack's sweat-slick shoulders while he untangles his limbs. They feel rubbery and boneless, the sure sign of a good orgasm. Jism is sticky on his stomach from where he came when Rack angled his cock just right, and he knows it'll turn to glue if they lie there like that much longer.

  But once again, he’s not complaining.

  They've arrived in Dallas a day early, and are taking every advantage of the fact. Sure, they could have gone out to see the sights, but Daniel prefers the view from underneath as Rack fucks him from there to eternity. Okay, so no beach, but he still feels like he's flying when he has that long, fat cock buried inside him.

  He whimpers a little as Rack rises up on his arms and pulls out. The metal feels so good shoved inside that he actively misses it, and what's attached as well. Rack strokes a lock of hair off Daniel's forehead, kisses him on swollen lips, and then collapses on his side.

  Daniel knows Rack is dying for a smoke, and this hotel does allow it in some rooms -- which Rack jumped at -- but to give him credit, he doesn't automatically reach for his pack and lighter. Instead, he reaches for Daniel's left hand and tangles their fingers together.

  "Go ahead and smoke," Daniel whispers. "I don't mind." And really, he doesn't. Rack without the scent of smoke lingering around him just isn't the same.

  "In a minute, love." Rack scoots a little closer until their shoulders and hips are touching. "Don't go calling me a girl, but you feel like a bit of a cuddle for a while?"

  A smile touches Daniel's lips. "I could cope. Be warned, though, if I don't wash off soon we'll end up stuck together."

  "Oh, yeah, right." Rack's up and out of the bed before Daniel can protest, but he only goes as far as the bathroom, and returns lickety-split with a wet, soapy cloth in one hand and a dry cloth in the other. He crawls up onto the bed and rubs the wet material over Daniel's belly, sudsing down to his groin, and even his ass.

  "Talk about a wet spot," Daniel jokes. Rack laughs, and uses the clean side of the washcloth to clean himself up. The dry cloth is applied next, and then both are tossed carelessly to the floor. "Now, you said something about holding each other?"

  "Sounds better the way you put it."

  "Hey, nothing wrong with a good snuggle."

  "Oi, don't call it that. Makes me sound like a tutu-wearing old Nellie." All the same, Rack does cuddle down against Daniel. "Spoons," he orders. "Put your arms 'round me."

  Daniel obeys, turning on his hip so that he and Rack are lying like cutlery in a silverware drawer, hip to groin and back to chest. Rack's just the right height to tuck his head underneath Daniel's. Daniel takes in a deep breath of the smell surrounding his lover -- sex and smoke and old leather -- and sighs in contentment. "This is the life."

  "Don't have to tell me twice." Rack finally does reach for his pack and lights up, even though the angle is awkward. He lies there with smoke wisping from his nose and mouth, holding the cigarette out at arm's length. "Really should stop this, you know. Ever heard of passive smoking?"

  "You without cigarettes?" Daniel is genuinely shocked. He doesn't think he'd know what to do with a Rack who didn’t have a cigarette in his mouth or on his person. Or, he thinks with a wince, he doesn't want to deal with a Rack coming down off the smoking train. "Seriously?"

  "Eh." Rack waggles his hand. "Maybe."

  "So what brought this on?"

  "Mmm? Nothing, really. Just got to thinking 'bout how long I've been addicted to these things, and what the state of my lungs must be right about now. I fancy being around a long time for you, pet, and I want you by my side."

  Daniel can't say anything to that, either a yes or a no, so he hugs Rack tighter until Rack makes an "oof" sound in protest. "I'm just sayin' it's a maybe kind of thing," he grunts. "Don't get all soppy on me now. We've just had a glorious fuck, and I want me a bit of afterglow, right?"

  "Glow on," Daniel says, feeling sleepy. Forget glorious, that was spectacular, and there's nothing like coming hard enough you forget your name to wipe you out. He tucks his head more securely against Rack's. "You mind if I..." He breaks that off with a yawn. "Don't think I can help myself."

  Rack curls closer backwards. "Nah, love, you go on and rest. We've got hours before daybreak."

  "Not that many of them."

  "Enough for you to catch forty winks. Shut your eyes now, you git, and get some sleep."

  "Or you'll what?"

  "I'll sing you a lullaby."

  "Oh, God." Daniel shudders against Rack's shoulders, but then lets himself relax. The utter state of relaxation is taking him over, and he's drifting away, floating on a sea of whatever chemicals are released after sex, on a fluffy white cloud that smells like smoke. He'll just shut his eyes for a minute...

  When he opens them again, Rack has drifted off, himself. He wakes at Daniel's slightest movement, though, and sleepily nudges his head backward. "All right, then?

  "More than all right." Daniel hugs Rack closer. "Hey, can we stay like this all day? You and me, wrapped up in each other?"

  "Same thing we did yesterday?"

  "I'm a fan of reruns. So, can we?"

  "Sure," Rack answers easily. "No, wait, we've got this convention thing to go to."

  "Damn. What about all morning? Is that an option?"

  "Might be... but no, wait, I've got a booth that needs building and a chair set up. Need a handyman for that. Know anyone with a good hammer?" Rack wiggles his ass backward on Daniel's groin.

  Daniel groans at the contact, his tired member trying to rise to the occasion. But hey, twice in one night already, and his cock wants to go on having its naptime. "Until breakfast?"

  "Sounds about right." Rack reaches for his smokes again. "No need to go anywhere until then. Go ahead and shut your eyes again, love. I'll just have meself another one of these, and then I might nap too. We've got a wake-up call scheduled, right?"

  Daniel nods, his head bumping Rack's. "I phoned that in last night, right before you tackled me." He chuckles at the memory of Rack, so horny after the way Daniel had teased him all day, pouncing him and knocking him down to the bed as soon as his portfolio was secured.

  "See? We're all right, then. Just need to grab a bite and head down to the main floor by seven."

  "What time is it now?"

  "Mmm. Around four, I think." Rack squints into the darkness at the bright red numbers on their clock. For the first time, Daniel wonders if glasses might be in Rack's future himself. He doesn't have to worry about dropping any hints, though. The first time Rack can't see what he's tattooing with razor clarity, he'll be off to Lenscrafters before you can blink. He has to narrow his own eyes to make out the time, but Rack's right. They can snooze on a little longer.

  "What do you," he breaks off to yawn, "want for breakfast, anyway?"

  "Don’t want to spend my own money on it, for one. They'll have doughnuts and coffee downstairs, complimentary like. Maybe some bananas and such. Orange juice."

  "Mmm, doughnuts. I want a cinnamon cake one."

  "With a banana. Got to get off to a semi-healthy start. Plus some OJ. Nice and tart, tingling on the way down..."

  "Coffee?"

  "One cup, with your doughnut. Think that'll fill us up?"

  "Just might." Daniel yawns again. "God, I'm worn out."

  "Then go ahead and sleep, you nut. I'm not quite tired again, but I'm just fine lying here. When I get an itch, I'll wiggle out and take care of a few things. You stay put and keep me warm until then."

  "Can do,"
Daniel says with another jaw-cracking yawn. He's more conscious of falling asleep this time, drifting away with the smell of smoke and salty sweat and Rack in his nose...

  When he wakes up a third time, daylight is just peeking in through the window. He can tell this because the drapes are pulled open and Rack's sitting there, in this great built-in seat. Daniel takes a moment to admire the craftsmanship, but then he focuses on Rack instead. Both are great views, but Rack's the one that takes his breath away.

  Looks like he must have showered while Daniel was asleep. He's dressed in his work clothes -- a black leather vest and a pair of tightly hugging jeans. His feet are bare, though, tapping out a soft rhythm on the window seat. The fingers of one hand drum on his knee, while he holds yet another smoke in his free hand. His hair, normally done up in a dozen-plus spikes, is soft around his face. Curly. Daniel wishes he could bury his hand in it and stroke Rack's scalp, run his fingers around the tattoo there, but he doesn't want to shatter this moment.

  Framed by the rising sunlight, Rack is a gorgeous man. Not that he isn't always, but still. Sometimes Daniel can't believe that Rack belongs to him, and he loves to take in the fact that they're together, and that he owns Rack just as Rack owns him. That man is his, from bright blue eyes to strong jaw to defined abs, and oh, maybe he's about ready for round three. His cock seems to think so, but again, Daniel doesn't want to shatter the almost-quiet with a demand for sex.

  He lies there by himself instead, admiring Rack with a frankly biased eye. With his now-free hand, he reaches up to finger the new tattoo they've begun on his right arm. It's a swirly, ornate design that reaches from shoulder to wrist. Rococo, Rack calls it, refusing to acknowledge that he's doing Celtic knotwork, which he still insists is "fiddly little shit". They've got the outline done already, working on it through the past few shows as a hands-on demonstration for the crowds that inevitably flock to Rack's booth.

  The shading will come next. He'll be a riot of rich jewel tones, saffron and indigo, royal blue and crimson, all up and down his arm. Rack's own blend of inks will stand the test of time and it'll stay looking this good for years to come.

  On his other arm there's going to be a simple tribal band that's not yet begun, although Daniel's seen the sketches for it. Rack likes the idea of asymmetry, and wants Daniel to keep the left arm unadorned save for that band and his tattooed ring.

  The thought makes him wish that they could coax Josh into getting a little ink of his own. The man always seems to stare so longingly at the chair when he sees Rack and Daniel there, lingering for just a few minutes before hurrying off on whatever errand he's busy with.

  Mind you, they've only seen Josh a few times since New York, and it's like he seems to be staying out of the way. Daniel frowns and shakes his head lightly. Josh is a riddle wrapped in a puzzle wrapped in an enigma, one he doesn't have a clue about figuring out, and for some reason that bugs him.

  His slight movements are enough to attract Rack's attention, and the man hops out of his window seat, stubs his cigarette out in the ashtray, and sits down on his side of the bed. One hand comes out to stroke down the length of Daniel's arm, top to wrist, tracing the lines of his tattoo design in circles and curlicues. "All right, then?"

  "Oh, yeah. More than." Daniel lets himself nuzzle into Rack's hand. "I've been up for a while. Watching you. You looked like a Botticelli angel sitting in the window seat there, with your curls and your face. I didn't want to disturb you."

  "You're never a disturbance, pet," Rack says firmly. He tosses up the covers and slides underneath, groping Daniel without the least trace of shame. His mouth quirks up at what he finds there. "Well, and good morning to you, too."

  Daniel chuckles. "Two of us are happy to see you."

  "So I notice. Wonder if we can do anything about this." Rack ducks his head under the blanket. Daniel feels the roughness of denim and the smooth rub of leather worming its way down his body, and then, without warning, the hard suction of a mouth on his cock.

  He gasps and bucks forward, coming to full hardness so fast that he can feel himself expand. Rack sucks encouragingly, one hand kneading Daniel's hip. Daniel senses that he's in a mood to just take it, so he bucks and humps forward, filling Rack's mouth until he feels the tip of his cock bump into the back of Rack's throat.

  And oh, yeah, Rack is loving this just about as much as Daniel. His tongue is busy as a busy thing, tapping and lapping and licking. The pressure never lets up, not for one second, and then to top it off he takes his hand off Daniel's hip and begins to roll Daniel’s balls in his palm, squeezing with just the right amount of pressure to- to-

  Daniel explodes, starting with his cock. Fireworks dance in front of his eyes, blocking out the natural sunlight, and he knows he's thrusting too hard into Rack's mouth but Rack doesn't seem to mind and this just feels so damn good that he keeps on thrusting until the last spurt of come pulses from his dick and he feels himself collapse back down into the pillows.

  Rack backs off slowly, cleaning Daniel's cock with that same wicked tongue, and then wriggles back up until his head pops into view. He gives Daniel a come-flavored kiss, one which Daniel gladly returns, savoring the salty taste of himself on Rack's lips.

  Daniel sighs in contentment. "Now that's what I call a good morning."

  "Same to you, love." Rack kisses him a second time, swiping Daniel's bottom lip with his tongue. The stud running across Daniel's mouth gives him good shivers.

  He reaches for the fastening to Rack's jeans. "You want me to --"

  "Nah." Rack gently moves Daniel's hand away. "We'll have to get moving in a minute here, and I don't want to start what we can't finish." At Daniel's pout, he amends, "But you can finish me up tonight. And I want your promise that you'll do it right, like. Let me give it to you the way you just did with me."

  Daniel's mouth waters at the thought. "It's a promise," he says, just as the phone begins to warble.

  Rack groans and reaches for the receiver. "Yeah, we're up," he says without preamble, then puts the receiver back in its cradle. He gives Daniel's hip a slap underneath the covers, and then rolls out of bed. Daniel can see a bulge in those jeans, but he knows Rack well enough to see that he's already got his adrenaline up and working, and all his attention is focused on what the day's got in store for them.

  Daniel sighs and scoots off the bed, standing up naked and yawning. "Is there any hot water left?"

  "Should be plenty. But get a move on, yeah? Don't want to be late." Rack's tugging on his boots. "And here, just wear that black wifebeater today, eh? Shows your arms off a treat and I want to start by doing some of the shading on your tattoo. Blue first, I think. Yellow's fiddly, but after this the red, I think." He looks up with a wicked grin, tongue between his teeth. "We'll have you shining like a beacon by the time we reach San Francisco. Not that you don't already. Dallas won't know what hit it."

  Oh, yeah. Daniel's forgotten all of this, but it comes rushing back to him now. "Yeah, about Dallas. Have I mentioned to you how comfortable I'm not being in the heart of Texas?"

  "Balls and rubbish." Rack stands up, bouncing a bit on his toes to get the fit of his boots just right -- that and pure energy. "'S a tattoo tour, love. Anyone who has a problem won't be walking through those doors. And if we decide to go out and see the sights later, maybe we'll inspire you to save a horse and ride a cowboy, eh?" Rack waggles his tongue again, sexy as hell and well aware of the fact.

  Daniel likes what he sees, but he isn't so sure about the whole "going out" thing. "I don't know if it's such a good idea..." he starts.

  "Like I said, love -- utter balls. There's bound to be some open-minded folks as well as cowboys around here. Mmm, cowboys." Rack grins sharply. "Wouldn't mind doing me a bit of ink on a Marlboro man."

  Daniel throws a pillow at him.

  "Oi, what was that for?"

  "You're mine," Daniel informs him. "No cowboys allowed."

  "Oh, come on." Rack slides closer to Daniel, wrapping an arm around h
is neck. "Not even one to nibble on? You know I'll be the only body in your bed tonight, and you in mine, so where's the harm in flirting a little? It's not like you don't come over all fluttery when Josh happens to hurry past."

  "I do not -- do I?" Daniel's startled.

  "Yeah, and it's bloody obvious. No wonder he's in a rush to get past our booth." Rack doesn't seem to mind though, even giving Daniel's ass a light spank. "He's a treat, that one. I don't care if you look, as long as you know who you're coming home to." He moves back. "Go on, then, get your shower. You're whiffy; you smell like sex and sweat."

  "Love you, too," Daniel says wryly. Then, more seriously. "You know I do, right?"

  "Reckon so, at that." Rack gives him a light push. "And the same to you. Hurry up, now. I've had my stomach set on a doughnut ever since you mentioned them, and I want to get downstairs before the ravening crowd descends on all those pastries."