按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
soft silken material。 Trevor's fingertips skated over the cloth； and his hand closed on the warm pulsing shape beneath。 He rubbed his face over Zach's ribs and the hollow of his stomach； pressed his lips against the silky cloth。 He heard Zach's breath sobbing in and out。
Trevor hooked his thumbs into the elastic of the briefs and tugged； and Zach managed to squirm out of them without untangling his hands from their grip in Trevor's hair。 Zach's penis…Trevor could not quite bring himself to think of it as his dick…bobbed up and brushed softly against Trevor's lips。 Trevor cupped his hands around it； felt Zach's heartbeat throbbing between his palms。 The skin of the shaft was textured； slightly rippled beneath the surface。 The head was as smooth as satin； as rose petals。 Trevor rubbed his thumb across it； squeezed gently； heard Zach suck air in through his teeth and moan as he let it out。 He could see blood suffusing the tissue just beneath the translucent skin； a deep dusky rose delicately purpled at the edges； crowned with a single dewy pearl of e。 It was as intimate； as raw as holding someone's heart in his hands。
Zach's body shifted beneath him。 Zach's legs wrapped loosely around him。 Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zach arching his back off the mattress； rubbing thick handfuls of Trevor's hair up across his belly and chest。
All at once it hit him： this was power too； just as surely as smashing your fist into someone's face； just as surely as putting a hammer through someone's skull。 The power to make another person crazy with pleasure instead of fear and pain； to have every cell in another person's body at your thrall。
And this way； the person was still alive when it was over。
〃Please suck my dick；〃 Zach said faintly。
〃I…〃 Trevor searched for the right thing to say。 〃I'd love to；〃 he whispered at last； and slid his hands under Zach's butt； and very carefully took Zach's penis deep into his mouth。 It seemed to nestle against his tongue and the walls of his throat as if it had been made to fit there。 He slid one hand up between Zach's legs； cupped his balls and felt them draw tight； felt the skin shivering； seething。 Zach was tossing his head and moaning； trying not to thrust too hard。 Trevor grabbed his bucking hips and swallowed him deeper； willing his throat muscles to open； to liquefy。 He almost gagged； but forced the reflex down。 He wanted this in him； this taste； this chance。
Chance？ he thought； what do I mean by chance？ But before he had time to ponder it； Zach screamed 〃OHHHH； TREV！〃 and snarled his fingers in Trevor's hair so hard the strands felt as if they would rip out of his scalp； and his whole thrumming body surged forward and seemed to pour its energy into Trevor。 He felt it spilling hot over his tongue and down the back of his throat； crackling from Zach's fingertips into Trevor's temples and straight through his brain； even emanating from Zach's solar plexus in steady waves。 His body was like some kind of big nervous battery。
Trevor kept sucking until Zach's penis was soft and slippery in his mouth； until his lips were buried in the crisp； glossy thicket of hair that stood out so black against the juncture of Zach's pale thighs。 The taste in Trevor's mouth was much like his own； but had its distinct notes： slightly herbal； slightly peppery。 He wondered if his own e would poison Zach's bloodstream with caffeine。
But Zach's body was slowly relaxing into him； twining round him。 Trevor slid up on the mattress so that Zach could lie fortably against him。 His fingers traced patterns in the sweat trickling along Zach's spine。 He kissed Zach's eyelids and the faint dark smudges beneath his eyes； savoring the tender crepey texture of the skin against his lips； the feathery brush of the lashes； the small secret motions of the eyeball。 He kissed the graceful arcs of Zach's eyebrows； the slope of his narrow elegant nose。 Then their mouths joined again in a long； lush； sated kiss。 It seemed that even with sore lips Zach could not get enough of kissing him。 Trevor had never known it was possible to feel this close to someone； had never dreamed he would want to。
〃So what do you think？〃 Zach asked after a while。
〃I think it was worth about a million drawings。〃 Trevor felt a guilty pang as he said this。 But if the Bird story hadn't been destroyed； this might not have happened。 He knew he had more drawings in his hand； in his brain。 Zach was right； he didn't need the house to dole them out to him。
Zach shook his head。 〃If it was enough of an asshole to tear up your story； maybe it'll be sorry。 Maybe it'll put the pieces back together。〃
Trevor snorted。 〃And Scotch…tape them。〃
〃Yeah； with the Magic Tape。〃
〃Yeah； with nine hundred thousand yards of it。〃
Zach settled into the curve of Trevor's arm。 Trevor felt the sweat cooling on their bodies； the damp morning chill that pervaded the room； and pulled the blanket over them。 Beneath it； Zach moved yet closer to him。 It was like being in a warm pocket of space reserved exclusively for them； like a safe haven； like a womb。
〃I'm sorry I hit you；〃 Trevor said。 It was way past the time for an apology； but he had to say it anyway。
〃I'm not。 It got us this far。〃 Zach yawned； pushed his face into Trevor's chest。 〃I was scared to try anything with you before。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Well…〃 Zach shifted position； draped an arm across Trevor's stomach； stroked the small sharp hill of Trevor's hipbone。 〃I don't usually have sex with people I respect。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃Because I'm a dumbfuck； I guess。 I don't know。〃
Trevor just looked at him。
Zach began to talk much as Trevor had done yesterday； spilling his sordid history； detailing more damage than he probably even realized： the condoms he masturbated with； the empty French Quarter trysts； the obsessive need to feel other flesh against his own but not to have to think about it。 By the end he was crying again； just a few slow shameful tears。
Trevor cupped Zach's face in both hands and licked the tears away。 His tongue darted into the salty corner of Zach's eye； rounded the curve of Zach's cheekbone； slipped back into Zach's mouth。 Zach pressed gratefully against him； and Trevor felt himself wanting it all to happen again。 He didn't know if it was possible so soon。 But Zach seemed to be showing him that anything was possible。
It lasted much longer this time。 Zach's hands worked him expertly； stroking； squeezing； fingering and probing； building up a rhythm so exquisite that Trevor thought he would spend his seed between Zach's warm slick palms。 That would have been fine； but Zach began to make his way back down； kissing him everywhere； tracing a wet glistening maze of spit along his body； then sucking him deep and slow； excruciatingly； maddeningly slow。 It was almost painful； yet Trevor wanted it to go on for hours。
Zach was sprawled between Trevor's legs； his left arm wrapped loosely around Trevor's waist； his right hand doing something ingenious。 Trevor felt Zach's penis growing insistently hard against his thigh。 He moved his leg against it； reached down and barely managed to graze it with his fingertips。 He wanted to do something to make Zach feel good too。
〃Can I…how do we both…〃
Without breaking rhythm； Zach shifted so that his hips were beside Trevor's head； his boner within easy reach of Trevor's mouth。 This position seemed a marvel of physics； but Trevor grasped its advantages immediately； it leaned their weight into each other； pressed the flat planes of their bodies tightly together； and stretched their throats wide open。 It seemed as if they could go on for hours this way。 And so they did； until their exhausted bodies were all but bound together by a moist web of spit and sweat and semen。
Then they slept again； easy sated sleep that lasted into the afternoon。 The house was silent around them。 Their dreams were set only to the soft patter of rain on the roof； to the slow even rhythm of one another's breathing。
Chapter Fourteen
A tourist from Atlanta was found murdered Tuesday in a warehouse used to store Mardi Gras parade floats。 Elizabeth Linhardt； 36； had reportedly been mutilated and an attempt made to burn her corpse。 An anonymous source stated that the victim's head was found in the mouth of a ten…foot bust of Bacchus； partially chewed 。 。 。
Travis Rigaud of St。 Tammany Parish accidentally shot himself while cleaning his collection of handguns…five different times with five different guns； twice in the left foot； once in the right calf； and once in each hand； severing two fingers。 〃I finally sold the handguns；〃 said Rigaud； 〃but I still have my rifles and this bad luck won't keep me home e hunting season； even if I should miss everything by a mile； no； cherie 。 。 。〃
A man was pulled over by state troopers near Chalmette with 148 poisonous snakes in his car 。。。
Eddy let the newspaper slip to the floor and draped her forearm across her tired eyes。 She wore only a pair of black bikini panties。 Her armpits were dusted with the fine dark hair she'd allowed to grow since she quit the Pink Diamond。 She still wore small silver rings in her nipples； but she had undipped the delicate chain that usually connected them。 She could smell the sweat on her skin； a faint odor of lemons and musk； and thought soon she might get up and take a shower。
After the cops left； she had gone straight to the bank； then scored the Tuesday morning and afternoon editions of the Times…Picayune。 Now she was lying on top of seven thousand dollars reading every article and squib and photo caption； looking for more clues from Zach。 Her fingers were smudged with cheap black ink。 She paid special attention to the weird news； but it was midsummer in New Orleans and there was plenty of genuinely strange shit going on。
But could anyone really shoot himself five times with five different guns？ Eddy frowned。 It didn't seem possible。
She picked up the paper again and reread the article； and a bell went off in her head。 Zach's mother's maiden name had been something Cajun。 She was pretty sure it was Rigaud。 The other fake story had had a byline of Joseph something…or…other。 Joseph was Zach's father's name。
Eddy thought these obscure references to the people who had spent fourteen years abusing him strange； sad； and slightly perverse； but there they were。 And this improbable item had his scent all over it； from the gibe at trigger…happy rednecks to the corny patois。 〃Even if I should miss everything by a mile； no； cherie？〃 What the fuck was that supposed to mean？
No； Cherie 。。。 N 。。。 C 。。。
She got up and pawed through the books Zach and the Secret Service had left； but of course there was no road atlas。 Either Zach had never had one； or he'd taken it himself； or They had snagged it； maybe hoping he'd plotted his escape route in yellow highlighter。 She should have gotten a map of North Carolina yesterday； when Zach's first clue appeared in the paper。
Eddy pulled on a pair of denim cutoffs and selected a black T…shirt from the pile Zach had left behind。 An artfully torn rag printed with the Bauhaus…like logo of Midnight Sun； a dreadful Gothic sextet that had played around the Quarter clubs last year； then disappeared into whatever void was reserved for truly bad bands。 She couldn't imagine why Zach had the shirt； unless he had fucked one of the band members。 Probably he had； they'd all been beautiful and stupid。
Those faithful old twin parasites； anger and pain； tried to worm up inside her。 Eddy pushed them back down。 Never mind who Zach had fucked。 She had put up with it and called herself his friend。 If she really was his friend； then she had to stay several steps ahead of his enemies； or try anyway。
Outside； the daily cloudburst had e and gone； and the streets were still steaming。 Trash piles at the back doors of bars and restaurants gave off a melange of smells： stale beer； rotting vegetables； fishbones touched with grease and cayenne。 She passed a bushel basket of oyster shells still slick with the mollusks' gluey residue； and caught a whiff of the salty seawater odor that always made her wonder for an instant if she needed a bath。
I was going to shower be