A Trial of Strength

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH - PART 364 By Rob Williams

CHAPTER 364 – "ZACK & THE MACHO LATINO"

IN THIS CHAPTER: Miguel is a handsome, macho Latino whose only sex with a man was one night years ago with a muscular black stranger he can't forget. Bob wonders if his buddy Zack was that man. When Zack finally confronts him Miguel protests, "No, Zack, I can't, you're so fucking huge – not my ass." Zack growls, "Dammit, man, look at me. It's me – it's what I do – I fuck. I know when a guy wants it – and you want it bad." _____________________________________________________________________

************ In the previous chapter *************

"We need to be pampered," Bob had said to the twins, Kyle and Kevin. And to do just that he took them down to the Ritz Carlton 50 miles down the coast past Laguna Beach. There he arranged a treat for them – a tour of the kitchens that, as gourmet chefs, they longed to see.

It was conducted by the sous-chef, Miguel a tall, well-built Latino with darkly handsome looks and curly black hair. He was such a hit with the twins that Bob invited him to have dinner that evening in their suite overlooking the ocean. The food was plentiful, the drink flowed and when they were lubricated to the point of lowered inhibitions the subject of sex reared its head.

At one point Kyle leaned across the table and kissed his brother passionately on the mouth, an action that was unremarkable in the tribe but which startled Miguel, who blushed and stared down at his plate. There was silence for a few seconds, broken by Bob. "Miguel, I'm feeling really relaxed around you so I think it's time I leveled with you. Kyle and Kevin are very close, always have been. In fact, as you just saw, they love each other. They, er, make love to each other. And they often make love to me."

"As a matter of fact," Kyle said, throwing all caution to the winds, "most of the guys in our house make love to each other. Most have boyfriends and they ..."

"Kyle, that's enough," Bob said gently. "Miguel, I'm afraid we've shocked you. I'm sorry, as I'm sure you never ... indulge in behavior like that."

"No, no," Miguel said, blushing again. "Well, not really, I ..." He shrugged nervously. "OK, you guys are really cool so you should know where I'm coming from. I'm divorced. My wife and I loved each other but it wasn't what you'd call a fulfilling marriage. And then I was unfaithful to her – the first and only time." He hesitated, "Shit, guys, I've never told this to a living soul.

"Anyway, one evening we had a fight and I stormed out to drown my sorrows in a local bar. I was at the bar when I saw this black guy come in – tall, built like a brick shithouse, wearing old work clothes. We got to talking and it turned out he was in the same position as me – drowning his sorrows in beer. He too had just walked out on his wife after a row and had taken a motel room for the night. He worked on a construction site a few blocks away, which accounted for his grubby clothes and his muscular build, I guess.

"Anyway, we got shitfaced and when the bar closed we got a couple six-packs and went to his motel room to get even more drunk. I ... I won't go into details but ... but that's when I was unfaithful to my wife. I mean, we were both wasted and it was just guy sex, ya know ... like groping each other, jerking each other's cock and ... and well we sucked each other off. After we busted our loads in each other's mouths we spat out the cum, confused and shocked about what we had done. I needed to get the hell out of there.

"As I left I looked back at him lying on the bed, wearing just his black jeans and boots, stuffing that huge cock back in his pants. Then I stumbled out of the room. But that was my only time with a guy ... actually the only time with anyone after that."

"You mean ... nobody? What, you still jerk off, don't you? What makes you cum when you do?"

Miguel looked sheepish and managed a grin. "You won't believe it but it's mostly thinking about him. God, I can still picture him clearly – muscular black guy with that gorgeous, rugged face, shaved head and the most amazing gray eyes.

"A couple of days later I still couldn't get him out of my head so I went back to the motel but he had checked out. The clerk told me he gone up the coast to a place where he had some kind of cabin on the beach. So I never saw him again, but god knows I still think about him. And you know what, I don't even know his name. We never got round to exchanging names – guess we wanted to keep it anonymous ... forget it ever happened." He sighed, "Except I can't forget."

As Miguel had told his story Bob and the twins stared at each other, all picturing Zack. But Bob mouthed a `ssshh' gesture so they said nothing. After Miguel had trailed off there were tears in his eyes and Bob wasn't sure what to do or say. But the twins knew. They worked their sensual magic on Miguel who resisted at first but soon fell under their spell and when they finally treated him to a double blow job he had a sensational orgasm, cumming twice in quick succession.

He had been in a fantasy world that was startlingly new to him, and as his adrenaline drained and he crashed back to reality he panicked. "I gotta go." He pushed the boys aside and stood up, clumsily stuffing his cock back in his pants muttering, "I gotta get out of here."

But Bob's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Buddy, you can't drive home like that – you've had too much to drink. You're welcome to spend the night here. The bedroom has two king-size beds and the boys will share one with me."

"No, I can't ... you don't understand ... I've never ... I gotta forget this ... it's all so ... I gotta go."

"Please yourself," Bob said gently. "The boys and I are about ready for bed anyway." Bob reached behind his neck, pulled his T-shirt off over his head and tossed it aside Miguel gasped. Up to now he had only seen Bob fully dressed and now he stared at the stunning muscle-god stripped to the waist in blue jeans. He was rooted to the spot.

Bob smiled, walked up to him and stroked his face. "You're just confused is all, dude. My boys have that effect on people. We would sure like you to stay. How about a nice warm shower?"

Miguel stared into the smiling dark brown eyes and was lost. No one could ever say no to Bob. "What? Yeah," he stammered. "A shower, yeah ... that would be good. Can I do it now ...?"

He stumbled to the bedroom and they heard the shower running. The twins were sparkling with excitement. "Sir," said Kyle, "that story he told. D'you think the guy he fooled around with was Zack ... you know, the one he can't stop thinking about and jacks off to? We gotta tell him."

"No, boys, I don't think we should."

"But sir," Kevin protested, "everything points to it – black construction worker, gray eyes, built like a brick shithouse – left his wife, went to a shack on the beach. When the guys first met Zack he was living in his beach shack. He said he had left his wife after fooling around with a guy. It's so sad, Miguel eating his heart out for a guy he thinks he'll never see again. We gotta tell him."

"Look, guys, I know there are a lot of similarities but we don't know for sure. It would be one hell of a coincidence. It would be cruel to get Miguel's hopes up and then dash them if it's not Zack.

"Here's what we will do, though. When we get back home we'll tell Zack we met this guy, describe him, repeat what he said, and then leave it to Zack. Hell, maybe he doesn't remember the guy or doesn't wanna see him again. Just because the guy is pining for Zack don't mean Zack feels the same. So we'll tell him, step back and let him decide. Come on, one last drink."

They were all still shirtless, sitting at the table again, when the bedroom door opened and there stood Miguel – wet hair, naked except for a towel round his waist."

"That's more like it, buddy," Bob smiled. "Come join us. And just relax dude, no pressure. We're just happy you decided to stay." Miguel gazed at Bob, then managed a smile and joined them at the table. Bob poured him a brandy.

********************** CHAPTER 364 **********************

Bob and the boys had been impressed by Miguel when he appeared in the doorway near-naked after his shower. He obviously worked out regularly judging by his nicely defined, muscular torso and now, as he became more relaxed with them, they fell under the spell of his soft hazel eyes and deep Spanish accent.

At first the twins quizzed him about the hotel kitchens and how they managed to maintain such a high quality of food cooking for so many guests at once. But Bob guided the conversation to other topics and Miguel was soon asking about their home and the guys they lived with. They steered clear of mentioning Zack, not wanting to raise his curiosity prematurely, but he listened eagerly to their stories of the other men and boys.

Conversation drifted to movies they had seen, and out of the blue Miguel said he couldn't wait for the new Tarzan movie to come out. "I saw a trailer on TV and the guy playing Tarzan is outstanding ... I'm trying to remember his name ..."

"Grady," said the twins in unison, but Bob instantly flashed a look of caution. They knew better than to be indiscreet about their buddy the movie star and his boyfriend Mario, both part of the tribe. Discretion was essential on that topic.

As so often happens with new friends the conversation went on till late but finally Bob stretched and yawned, "Don't know about you guys but I'm bushed – ready to hit the sack. Taking their cue the twins stood up, but suddenly Miguel's easy-going manner shifted and Bob saw him tense. "Mind if I brush my teeth?" he said."

"Go ahead," Bob grinned. "Mi casa es su casa. Woops, I forgot, this hotel is `su casa'."

Miguel withdrew with a nervous smile and Bob had a quiet chat with the twins about who would sleep in which of the two king-size beds. They smiled and nodded at his suggestion, and he said, "You're quite sure you're cool with that, guys?"

"Sir," Kyle said, "are you actually asking if we two are OK sharing a bed with each other? Duh!"

"Besides," said Kevin, "we're dying to see what happens if Miguel agrees to share your bed. Maybe you wanna practice your own art of seduction, sir?"

Bob grinned and shrugged. "Well, maybe just a bit. But leave the talking to me."

They went into the bedroom and Miguel was just coming out of the bathroom, now wearing his white boxer shorts. He blushed and stammered, "Er, guys, you know if this is a case of `four's a crowd' I can always ..."

Bob's laughter cut him off. "You don't know who you're talking to here, dude. In our group a dozen wouldn't be a crowd. Our guys would love it." He smiled at Miguel's hesitancy. "Look, Miguel, you know us well enough by now to chill out don't you? Noting's gonna happen – we're all too tired. The twins want to sleep together as they always do, which means you get to bunk in with me, if that's OK with you."

Bob locked eyes with Miguel, who inhaled sharply. When it came to seduction all Bob had to do was look at a guy in that way he had. Of course, it didn't hurt that Bob was also shirtless and barefoot in blue jeans. The twins needed no further prompting and followed their usual nightly routine, which was simple – without a trace of inhibition they dropped their shorts and fell into bed together butt naked.

Miguel was momentarily surprised by their complete lack of shyness about being naked, but it actually helped to lessen his own inhibitions. However, his self-confidence took a dive when Bob matter-of-factly dropped his jeans and shorts and his long cock flopped out and swung between his thighs. "Just gotta pee," he said, making for the bathroom. "Make yourself at home, dude."

Feeling out of his depth again Miguel quickly got into the other bed and pulled the covers up to his chest to hide the bulge that had started in his shorts. Tense, he lay on his back and closed his eyes, but half opened them again when he heard Bob came out of the bathroom. He watched the naked muscle-god move easily round the room, folding his jeans and the twin's shorts over the back of a chair then walking around switching off the lamps.

Soon the only light was the moonlight streaming through the open French windows and Bob stood there a few minutes gazing out at the ocean below. Miguel's eyes were wide open now as he stared at Bob's back – at the thick dark hair that clustered round the square nape of his neck, at the muscles of his V-shaped back tapering down to his slim waist. His heart beat faster as he stared at the white globes of the stunning ass outlined by the tan marks above and below.

Miguel saw Bob's muscles ripple as he stretched his arms up contentedly and sighed, "This is the life, eh guys? Don't get much better than this." He turned round, his superb, naked body backlit by moonlight, cock swinging down from a black thicket of pubic hair. A smile flashed over his chiseled features and he looked directly at Miguel. "You sure work in a great place, Miguel – beautiful man in a beautiful place. Like I said, don't get much better than that."

By now Miguel's cock was rearing up stiff as a tent-pole under the covers and he rolled over on his side to hide it. Bob went back to the bathroom and returned with a glass of water that he put on the night table beside Miguel. As he leaned forward his huge cock swung inches from Miguel's face ... and he almost shot his wad under the covers.

He closed his eyes and yawned to hide his gasp. He felt Bob get in the other side of the bed and waited for sleep to come. Fat chance. How could he sleep with this beautiful man beside him? He knew he had to do something, but what? They were lying back to back and after a long silence he murmured, "You asleep, Bob?"

"Nah ... takes me a while – especially when I'm sharing a bed with a hot guy."

"Bob, could I ... I mean ... would it be OK if I touched you?"

"Sure, of course," Bob chuckled. "That's what buddies do, don't they?" Bob deliberately didn't turn over, though. He didn't want to come on to Miguel – he wanted him to make the moves.

Miguel turned over, edged forward and ran his hand over Bob's shoulder and down his back, then pulled back sharply when he reached his ass. Another pause. Then, becoming bolder, he wrapped his arm loosely over Bob and pressed his chest against his back. And what came next was inevitable. His stiff cock brushed the cheeks of Bob's ass.

Bob chuckled, reached behind him and felt Miguel's dick. "Shit, that's some boner you got there, dude. Do you wanna get your rocks off before you go to sleep?"

"No, I ..." Miguel pulled away in embarrassment. And that's when Bob finally turned over to face him.

"Come on, man," he grinned. "Tell me the truth – don't you usually jack off before you go to sleep like most guys? You said yourself that you jerk off thinking about that black guy you met. So cut the crap and tell me how you wanna spill your load."

Miguel smiled at Bob's easy-going tone. "Well, since you ask, Bob, yeah I jack off a lot thinking of that guy, and I could easily do the same thinking of you. But, just this once, I'd like to actually look at a guy while I'm beating my meat and ... well, even shoot my jizz over his body."

"That's more like it – nothing easier. But first, to really get you in the mood ..." Bob leaned forward and closed his mouth over Miguel's in a long sensuous kiss. When he finally pulled back Miguel sprang to life and leapt to his feet on the bed astride Bob. "Man, you're fucking incredible ... you got me so stoked, and I'm real close."

He stroked his cock lightly, trying to hold back his orgasm but it was a losing battle as he looked down at that Superman face and spectacular body. "Man, you are so damn beautiful I ..." His legs buckled and he sank to his knees astride Bob's waist.

To Miguel Bob was a fantasy, a homoerotic vision, and he tried desperately not to cum as he wanted to enjoy the view for as long as possible. So he relieved the temptation by raising his head and leaned back a little so for a moment he was not looking at Bob. But as he leaned back his hips went lower until his was sitting on Bob's crotch.

Bob's cock was lying along the crack of Miguel's ass, pressed lengthwise between Bob's stomach and Miguel's butt. But Miguel's mind was in such a whirl that he was hardly aware of what the bulge was between his ass cheeks – only that it felt damn good. He stared again at Bob's face that had changed from a serene smile to a look of lust, and his breathing had become more ragged.

Bob looked even more beautiful now, with the intense expression of a man in the throes of sex. As Bob's muscular body moved beneath him Miguel stroked his cock faster, abandoning any attempt at self-control. Reflexively he matched Bob's movement beneath him, sliding his ass back and forth over the bulge pressing against it. Bob reached up and ran his hands over Miguel's pecs and squeezed his nipples lightly.

"You're a handsome man, Miguel, sexy as hell. Your ass feels so damn hot sliding over my cock you're gonna make me cum. Yeah, beat that meat, let's see what you got, stud. Oh fuck, that's it, I'm gonna cum ... I'm gonna cum ..."

Miguel looked down in disbelief at the Superman face thrashing from side to side, his magnificent body bucking beneath him, his cock bulging under his ass. He had never seen anything so beautiful ... it was pornographic as the face grimaced, the mouth opened and ... "aaagh" ... he heard Bob howl, felt his cock jerk under him and felt his ass bathed in semen.

Miguel stopped still, holding his cock in his fist. Watching Superman writhing in the convulsion of orgasm beneath him he yelled, "I'm gonna shoot, oh fuck, yeah ... I'm cumming ... Yeaahh!" In a trance he watched semen blast from his cock and splash down on the muscular body, stream after stream pumping out over his abs, his pecs and his rugged face.

He stared in disbelief at the sight of the muscle-god on the bed, his chest heaving, his body smothered in the jizz – in his, Miguel's, cum. It was too much to take in, his feelings welled up and he sobbed as he fell forward onto Bob's cum-splashed body.

Just then a loud pair of gasps came from the other bed, then muffled laughter. The twins, of course, had been aware of everything, had silently watched and heard everything, stroking each other's dicks until the climax from the other bed made them blow their wads too.

"Hey you two," Bob growled. "That's enough. You're supposed to be asleep."

"We're sorry, sir," the twins said in unison, knowing Bob would not believe that for a second.

Bob had folded his arms round Miguel whose sobs had subsided into heavy breathing. "You know," Bob said gently, "you are one sexy dude, Miguel. I know you're new to all this and you've got a long way to go but one day you're gonna make some guy a helluva lover."

Miguel panted, "It was unbelievable, Bob. But I must've disappointed you. I mean, I know what you guys like to do ... I've seen porn flicks where one guy shoves his dick in the other's ass. I could never let anyone do that to me, but with you cumming against my butt was kinda like getting fucked wasn't it?"

Bob chuckled. "Not really, dude. Oh it was real hot and feeling your ass rubbing against my cock made me bust a helluva load. But take it from one who knows, there is no feeling like having a man's dick ploughing your ass. Maybe one day you'll find out. Anyway, you got your rocks off and right now I think you need to sleep." Bob looked over at the other bed. "And that goes for you two too."

Miguel lay next to Bob who said, "If you don't mind sleeping in your own jism you belong here," and he pulled Miguel's head onto his chest. Miguel's thoughts were still churning after so many new experiences, but there was one image in particular wouldn't leave his mind. And just before they fell asleep he said, "Bob, can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure you can, buddy. I love secrets."

"Well, you know that black guy I told you about, the one I still jack off thinking about? Well, like I said, we were drunk and ended up sucking each other's dicks. But ... but it's not blow-jobs I imagine when I jerk off. It ... well, it's the thought of that guy with his dick in my ass."

In the next bed Kyle and Kevin exchanged wide-eyed grins and quietly high fived each other.

The rest of the weekend they saw quite a lot of Miguel when he wasn't on duty in the kitchen. They walked on the beach a lot, drove down the coast one day for lunch in a beach-front shack of a restaurant, and they got to know more about him ... and liked what they heard. When Bob was alone with the twins they gave their verdict. "We approve of him, sir."

"Oh well," Bob grinned, "if that's the case the deal is sealed. He's accepted ... he's a buddy."

When they left on Sunday afternoon Miguel seemed reluctant to part with them. "Guys, I really loved meeting you. I wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you changed my life – or at least showed me the right path for me. I hope we meet again, either down here or in L.A. if I ever get up there."

They exchanged phone numbers and there were warm hugs all round, but as they drove away there was a certain feeling of melancholy in the car. Bob was driving, with the twins in the back seat, and Kevin said. "It makes me feel real sad. I can't stop thinking about that poor guy all on his own, jerking off at night thinking about the guy that got away. I think we should have invited him up to L.A. and show him what's he's missing."

"And what if the guy he lost really is Zack?" Kyle added. "I mean it sure sounded like it."

"Now listen, guys," Bob said patiently. "Not to rain on your parade or anything but I think we should go easy. Miguel is still finding his way and we shouldn't force anything. It's a big change for him and you can't rush stuff like this. All we did was open his eyes, and we should let him take it from there. Now that we've pushed the boat out for him he'll be encouraged to find a man for himself."

"But maybe he's already got one – Zack," said Kevin impetuously.

"Now stop that. I told you what we're gonna do. We'll tell Zack that we met this guy who told us his story of the guy he still thinks of ..."

"And jerks off every day thinking about," Kyle interjected.

"That too. Anyway, that's it, and we'll let Zack take it from there – or not – his choice."

And the twins had to be content with that, but they couldn't wait to get back home. When they did the house was fairly quiet. Only the fishing group – Randy, Zack, Pablo and Darius – had got home. The other groups were still away – at the Grady house or down at Jason's place.

"Well, at least that makes dinner a cinch," Kevin said. "Dinner for seven – piece of cake."

"I hope you don't mean that literally, kiddo," Bob said, "with that old `Let Them Eat Cake' thing. I don't somehow see you as Marie Antoinette, Kevin."

"Not hardly, sir," his brother laughed, grabbing Kevin's crotch.

There was a rowdy reunion of the two groups and the twins politely declined the offer of help in the kitchen from Pablo and Darius. (More trouble than they are worth, was their mutual opinion.) But the guys offered them the fish they had caught and in no time they had rustled up a substantial seafood dinner for them all, accompanied by a dry white wine, and they ate out by the pool as the sun set.

Darius and Pablo regaled Bob and the twins with stories of events by the lake, including the surprising tale of Randy and Zack actually making love to each other for the first time rather than the macho-a-macho butt-fuck or fight-then-fuck that they always indulged in in the past. Then Randy looked at Bob and asked, "So what lurid adventures did you have, stud?"

Bob glanced quickly at the eager twins and said, "Well as a matter of fact we did have kind of a little adventure, though I wouldn't describe it as lurid by any means. Actually we met someone new." He saw Randy stiffen and quickly went on to explain. "I had arranged for the twins to get a tour of the hotel kitchens and it was conducted not by the head chef but the sous-chef, a Latino guy by the name of Miguel.

"He was real helpful and friendly, not to mention a handsome, well-built stud of a guy. Afterwards, to thank him, we invited him to have dinner in our suite. After dinner, when he'd loosened up with lots of wine, the twins kind of seduced him and fooled around with him, and he ended up spending the night with us."

Randy's face clouded over and he asked, "Did he fuck you?"

Hearing the question he had heard so often in the past Bob smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "No Randy he didn't fuck me. As a matter of fact he's never fucked any man, nor been fucked. He's only ever had sex with one guy before and that seems to have been a drunken fumble in a motel room – what he called a guy thing where they groped each other, jerked each other's cock and ended up giving each other blow jobs.

"Actually it was quite a story that made us feel sorry for him. Apparently he was in an unsatisfying marriage and one night, quite a few years ago, he had a big fight with the wife and stormed out. He went to drown his sorrows in a bar where he met this guy who was in exactly the same situation – bad marriage, fight with the wife. So they commiserated.

"Long story short, they got totally shitfaced on booze, then staggered back to the other guy's motel where they got even drunker and... well, like I said, fooled around. It was the first time for both of them and it embarrassed the hell out of them. Miguel said after they shot their loads in each other's mouths they spat out the cum and he left pretty quick, with one last look at the big muscle guy lying on the bed, shirtless in black jeans and boots."

"So," Randy said, "two guys get drunk, fool around and get their rocks off. Two ships that pass in the might. What's the big deal?"

"Well, that would have been that except that Miguel said he couldn't get the guy out of his mind. He could still picture him clearly, he said – `muscular black guy with that gorgeous, rugged face, shaved head and the most amazing gray eyes'. He was so obsessed with the image that a couple of days later he went back to the motel."

"Yeah," said Kyle, itching to get a word in. "The clerk told Miguel the guy had hightailed it up the coast to a place where he had some kind of cabin on the beach. Miguel said he never saw him again, but he still thinks about him. "

"More than thinks," Kevin said. "Most nights he jerks off thinking about him. And, if you can believe it, that's all the sex he has, jacking off picturing the black guy he met and lost."

"Why don't he just look up his number and get in touch?" Randy said. "Not hard to locate a guy these days."

"That's the real sad part, sir," said Kevin. "They didn't even exchange names – wanted to keep it anonymous. So there's this handsome Hispanic guy all alone, jerking off and pining for a guy he'll never see again."

As the story had unfolded the similarity with Zack's own story became clear, and Zack himself looked agitated.

It took Randy, with his usual lack of tact, to say what was on everyone's mind. "Hey Zack," he chuckled, "that's just like the story you told us when we first met ... you know, fight with the wife, you were unfaithful to her with this guy you just saw the once, then went up to Guadalupe to live in your shack on the beach where Mark and the boys met you. Hell," he laughed, "you could be the same guy. Wouldn't that be a kicker? You should go down there and look him up for old times' sake."

Zack tensed, clenched his fists and blurted out, "And hook up with the guy who fucked up my life?"

His words hit like a bomb and Bob's eyes blazed. "Fucked up your life?! You call this a fucked up life?" waving his arm round the table. "Well thanks a lot buddy! In case you don't remember, we've all got stories of our past and I for one don't consider my life fucked up, and I would bet the other guys don't either – including your boy Darius here."

They were stunned by Bob's unusual burst of anger and Zack grabbed his wrist, "Dammit, Bob, I don't know why I said that. Guys, I'm sorry. Of course I love my life with you guys and especially with my man Darius, here. Darius, you gotta believe, I didn't mean it. It was just ... hearing about this guy kinda knocked me sideways. If this is the same guy – which I doubt – well sure I remember him ... that night ... getting drunk ... everything ..."

"Well," Bob said soothingly, "there's no harm done. Now that the twins and I showed this Miguel where his real preferences lie I'm sure he'll get out more and soon find a man of his own."

That possibility made Zack tense and frown, and he stood up. "I gotta go home ... I gotta just forget this ever happened. It's all in the past and I don't wanna rake it all up again. My life is fine the way it is. It's probably not the same guy anyway. Damn, I wish you'd never told me ..." He strode angrily through the gate and across the street to his house.

"Damn, I blew it," Bob said. "I thought I was being so cool, casually bringing up the subject in conversation. I fucked up, only succeeded in making Zack mad."

"No," Randy said firmly, "you did great, buddy. It was Zack's knee-jerk reaction. This is his problem, not yours. He'll come around. Anyway," he grinned, "the good news is that this ... Miguel, whatever ... didn't fuck you. Guess I'll have to make up for that."

"Randy, that's not the issue here," Bob said in exasperation. "Maybe I should go talk to Zack."

"No, sir," said Darius. "Let me go. I know Zack in all his moods. I understand him. That's why I'm his boy." Bob and Randy nodded their agreement and Darius got up and left.

When he appeared at their house across the street he found Zack slumped on a bench in the garden, brooding. Seeing his boy Zack jumped up and folded his arms round him. "Hey, kid, I'm sorry for what I said back there. Listen, all this is no reflection on you. Whatever this is all about you are still my boy, my number one man and always will be. I love you, kid, and nothing's ever gonna change that."

"I know, sir, but thank you for saying so. Come sit down and let's think this through." They sat on benches at a table facing each other. Darius reached forward, put his hands on Zack's and unclenched his fists. "The way I see it, sir, there's a lot of, er ... circumcisable evidence here."

"Circumstantial," Zack corrected him with an affectionate grin."

"Yeah, that too. I mean, it does seem real close to the story you've told me about that day. But here's the clincher. The guy you fooled around with that day... was he tall, dark and handsome like Bob described and ... most of all ... was he Hispanic with a strong Spanish accent?"

Zack looked Darius straight in the eye and said softly, "Yeah, kiddo, all of the above."

Darius squeezed his hands. "Then you gotta go check it out, sir. You'll never rest until you do. And besides, like Kevin said, it's real sad that this guy is confused and alone, jerking off every night to the memory of this stud he can't get out of his mind. Maybe it's not the same guy at all ... but, sir, you gotta go check it out."

"You're such a great guy, Darius, and you're right. But no matter what I find out it don't affect us at all. We're still ..."

"I know, I know, sir, but don't worry about me. Now why don't you take a couple days off work and head down to that hotel? Bob will make a reservation for you, he's popular there. Go mid-week when the place is not so busy. And whatever happens, we'll deal with it together, sir, you and me."

Zack smiled at Darius. "You know what I need right now, boy? You in my bed."

Darius stroked his chin and frowned in thought. "Hmm ... yeah, I guess that could be arranged, if you play your cards right."

"Fuck you, kid," Zack laughed.

"No, fuck you, sir," Darius said as Zack threw his arm round his shoulder and they went inside."

It was Wednesday morning when Zack hit the road headed south. Bob had made a reservation for him at the Ritz Carlton south of Laguna and had even offered to lend him his Mercedes. "No thanks, buddy," Zack had said. "I drive a truck, that's who I am. They take me as they find me, no matter how fancy this hotel is."

Bob had smiled, "OK, stud, I get it. But you, er, you will wear a shirt, won't you?"

Zack had done a little better than that. He still wore black jeans and boots but the jeans were new and his gray shirt was of a soft twill fabric that was somewhat dressy but still clung to the sculpted contours of his upper body. Wearing it tucked in his pants accentuated his slim waist and hips. And with the top three buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up above the elbows he looked kind of classy, macho-sexy ... with a hint of the construction worker he was.

As he drove down the coast road the question uppermost in his mind was, `What the fuck am I doing here?' First of all he didn't know if he wanted this to be the same man or not. Sure he remembered the guy from all that time ago, but he had long since buried the memory. In truth it had been a painful memory, in several ways.

At first what he had done with the guy was an embarrassing shock that he had recoiled from. He had stayed in the motel for a couple of days and thought about him a lot. The thought had even crossed his mind that the guy might come back looking for him and, yeah, he had to admit it, he had jerked off thinking about him. But he had put that down to confusion and loneliness.

He had suddenly decided to take refuge in the old beach shack he owned way up the coast so he quit the motel. He smiled to himself at how perverse life could be. Bob had said that the guy did go back to the motel for him so they must have just missed each other. If he had stayed there one more day his life could have turned out so differently.

Dammit, what the hell was he thinking? This probably wouldn't be the same guy – what were the odds?! And even if it was him, why should he worry? His life was just fine the way it was. After he had met Mark and the boys at the beach and then the rest of the tribe, that had become his life and he had more or less forgotten the guy. There again, if he had remained alone, as Bob said this guy Miguel did, he might still have been jerking off at the memory of him too.

"Fuck ... fuck." He pounded the steering wheel with his fists. He almost turned back, but Darius's voice came back to him. `You'll never rest until you know the truth'.

So he stayed the course and soon he was driving up the hotel's long driveway lined with palm trees. He pulled up in the elegant forecourt and drew little attention at first from the valets who were more used to cars like Bob's Mercedes gliding up. But when Zack leapt out of the truck the cluster of valets did a double take and he was surrounded with offers of assistance. He handed the keys to one while another young man said, "Take your luggage sir?"

"Nah, thanks kid, this is it." He declined the offer with a dazzling smile, swinging his backpack over his shoulder, all he had brought. As had happened before him with Bob, Randy and Mark, he turned many heads as he strode up to the reception desk. The clerk was on the phone but hung up the minute he saw the talk, handsome black man before him. "Oh yes, sir, your friend made the reservation for you – he's a regular here. We've given you one of our best rooms."

"Er, my buddy said to give his regards to the sous-chef. Is, er, is he here today?"

"Yes, sir, that would be Miguel. He's in charge of lunches today, they're prepping right now." Zack felt his heartbeat quicken. "I can pass the message on to him, but if you want to tell him yourself he usually unwinds after lunches are over with a drink at the pool bar."

"Thanks. Don't bother him now. I'll check the bar later." Zack was angry at how fast his heart was beating as he went up to his room. As he went into the room he thought, yeah, Bob had done him proud. Great room, overlooking the ocean with big French windows and a king-size bed. He chuckled to himself. A bit different from that long-ago motel room. Then, "Fuck ... fuck ..." he muttered, staring at the bed and remembering ... "Fuck!"

He was hungry and decided to go down for lunch, wondering which of his appetites was drawing him closer to the kitchen. But when he was seated he realized that kitchen was visible from his table as the waiters came and went from behind a screen that masked the kitchen doors.

At one point during his meal he gasped as he saw a uniformed chef come out from behind the screen to talk to a waiter, but it was on the other side of the room and his back was to Zack so ... dammit, Zack chided himself once again, there must be a whole bunch of chefs back there.

The meal was exceptional and Zack told the waiter. "Thank you sir. I'll convey your compliments to Chef Miguel." Suddenly Zack was nervous that the chef would come out to see who had complimented him and that could lead to an embarrassing confrontation, so he quickly signed the bill and went back upstairs.

It was nearly 1:30 and he guessed that the lunch shift must end in an hour or so, so he decided to go and lay out by the pool. He changed into swim trunks and was soon lying in a chaise in the sun by the pool, being served drinks by the over-attentive waiters who were all eager to serve the handsome black man with the chiseled features and shaved head, his muscular body gleaming in the sun.

Zack glanced over at the bar and realized that if the chef showed up and it wasn't the same guy he would never know. Could be any dark-haired guy. Right now there was only a couple there, a man and a woman, so he settled back on the chaise pillow and sipped his drink.

Half an hour went by, then another and he was getting restless. "This is fucking crazy, he thought. He felt like a lovesick adolescent waiting for the phone to ring. He was thinking about chucking the whole stupid thing and going back up to town to the guys he knew and loved.

He closed his eyes, but then suddenly he heard the bartender's voice. "Hey Miguel, how's it going? You're late. Tough shift eh? Your usual?"

Zack jerked his head toward the bar and his heart missed a beat. He knew instantly ... it was him. Same husky build, same handsome Hispanic face, same mop of black hair, same accent as he answered the bartender. Zack turned over on his stomach and murmured "Fuck," resenting the feel of his cock stirring in his shorts. "Fuck, fuck."

He stayed with his face buried in the cushion for a while, thinking vaguely that the man might have one quick drink and leave. Then he knew that would not solve anything so he turned over and saw the guy with his back to him still talking to the bartender.

Then suddenly the man turned round and stood leaning back against the bar, idly scanning today's crowd. He was wearing beach shorts and a casual shirt that hung open over his muscular chest and abs. To Zack the seconds seemed like minutes as the man aimlessly surveyed the scene.

Then their eyes met.

Miguel froze for an instant, blinked fast, then turned back to the bartender and ordered another drink. His hand was shaking, he was in a daze. His first instinct was to flee, but he couldn't move. He was rooted to the spot. He downed his drink in one gulp, waited, and waited, then turned sideways to the bar and looked again. The chaise was empty. He couldn't believe it. He had blown it again ... it was happening again.

Then he heard a deep voice from behind him. "Hey."

He turned round and found himself staring into a pair of gray eyes ... those eyes ... the same gray eyes he had thought about so often. Miguel swallowed hard and managed to croak, "Hey."

There was a long, uneasy silence. Then Zack said, "You ever walk on the beach?"

"All the time."

"Come on, let's go."

They walked in silence down the winding cliff path from the hotel to the beach. When they reached the sand they stopped, turned to face each other and Miguel held out his hand. "Miguel," he said. "I know," Zack said, shaking his hand far longer than is usual. "I'm Zack."

"With an h' or a k'?"

Zack smiled at the strange question. "K."

"Just wanted to get everything right," Miguel smiled shyly. The ice was starting to break.

They walked side by side for a while in the warm sun and Miguel took off his shirt and stuffed it in his shorts' pocket. Being mid-week the beach was almost deserted so they had it to themselves. They both felt an easy companionship, a strange feeling that they had known each other for a long time – which was true of Miguel as Zack had been in his thoughts for years.

Miguel stole quick sideways glances at Zack's superb physique. "How did you know my name was Miguel?" Zack told him Bob was one of his closest friends and had related the details of how he and the twins had met him. "In our group of men we tend to tell each other everything."

"Bob never said anything to me."

"He wasn't sure I was the same guy you had met, so he played it discreetly. He told me the story and ... and here I am."

"Well," Miguel said, "so you know a lot about me and I know almost nothing about you. Like, are you still a construction worker?"

"Yeah, only now I'm part owner of a big construction company along with Bob, his lover Randy and a few other guys. But I still work every day on the site, still get down and dirty."

Miguel smiled, "Let me guess – boots, jeans and no shirt?"

Zack chuckled. "Hell, and you say you don't know me? You got that part right."

"Lucky guess," Miguel said quietly. They walked along the beach in silence for a while longer, then Miguel grabbed Zack's arm, they stopped and Miguel gazed into the gray eyes. "Look, Zack, we hardly know each other, but at the risk of ruining everything right from the get-go I gotta tell you something. I have a roaring hard-on right now, have done since our eyes first met by the pool, and I'm this close to creaming my shorts."

"You too, uh?" Zack grinned. "So what d'you wanna do about it?"

"Well, Bob probably told you that I've jerked off almost every day thinking about you. Now I either just look at you and shoot my jizz in the waves, which would be a waste, or I do what I did to Bob. He probably told you about that too."

"He did," Zack grinned. "So let's go for it. Up there seems to be a good spot. They walked to the back of the beach where there were rocks below the cliffs with a small slice of beach hidden in a cleft. Zack threw himself on his back in the firm wet sand and smiled up at Miguel.

They were transported right back to that day in the motel. Miguel unlaced his shorts, pulled out his long, stiff rod and stroked it. "Oh Jesus ... you are even more beautiful than I remember, Zack. In my imagination I've jerked off like this so many times, but it never came close to this."

He dropped to his knees straddling Zack's waist and took his hand off his cock to stop his orgasm. He reached down and tenderly stroked Zack's face, his neck, chest and abs. "So fucking hot, man. God, I missed you. Did you miss me at all?"

"At first a whole lot. Used to jack off thinking about you, but then I pushed you out of my mind `cos I knew I'd never see you again. Until now, of course. Man, I am so fucking stoked, I gotta cum. Let's do it – get it out of the way so we can relax with each other." Zack reached up and twisted Miguel's nipples in his fingertips."

"Aaah," Miguel gasped and lowered his ass onto the bulge in Zack's swim trunks. "Man," Zack said, "your ass feels good on my cock. It's your ass I thought of when I jerked off ... with my dick inside it."

"Me, too, Zack. Oh god, I'm so fucking turned on ... I'm so close. He reached forward and squeezed Zack's nipples ... hard. Zack reciprocated and Miguel yelled, "Fuck that hurts ... no don't stop ... more, do it more ... harder."

They were grinding against each other now, Miguel's ass under his thin shorts sliding along the bulge of Zack's cock in his trunks while his own cock slid over the ridges of Zack's abs. They squeezed each other's tits harder, fingernails biting into them. They gazed at each other, locked eyes, hearts beating wildly, chests heaving, and ... "Aaagh!" They howled together – and erupted together – Zack in his trunks, soaking them, while Miguel grabbed his own cock and blasted ribbons of semen over Zack's chest, neck and face.

In a trance Miguel looked down at the black muscle god, his chest and face smothered in cum and moaned, "That's it ... that's the picture I saw so often ... the man I hardly knew lying under me with my jizz all over him. Man, I can't believe it ... can't believe you're real ... at last." He fell on top of Zack and sobbed quietly.

"Yeah, I'm real, Miguel, and so are you. Listen, buddy, how much time before you work again?"

"I'm off till tomorrow noon – the head chef's doing dinner. You want me to come to your room?"

"What the fuck do you think, stud? Of course I do. Let's go."

Zack jumped to his feet, pulled Miguel up and they raced back along the beach, Miguel stuffing his cock back in his shorts as they went.

They pounded up the winding cliff path back to the hotel pool where Zack grabbed his towel and room key and Miguel led him to a little-used back staircase. They didn't trust themselves in the public elevator. They raced up the stairs and when they got to Zack's door he fumbled with the keycard but finally the door opened and they burst breathlessly inside.

Zack slammed the door shut, pushed Miguel back against it and suddenly they were like animals in heat, clawing at each other, groping, squeezing and kissing ferociously, their mouths churning against each other.

In a frenzy of lust Zack grabbed Miguel in a bear hug, carried him across the room and threw him bodily down on the bed. Miguel bounced on his back, staring wildly at the black muscle-stud who had turned into a raging stallion. He had never been more turned on in his life. Zack reached down, yanked Miguel's shorts down and tossed them contemptuously aside. Then he pushed down his swim-trunks and his massive cock sprang out stiff as a pole.

"Aaah!" Miguel gasped at the sight of the long black shaft and instinctively threw his arms out to the side in a reflexive gesture of submission.

"Holy fucking shit," Zack growled staring down at the naked, muscular Latino. Knowing he would cum if he touched his cock Zack linked his hands behind his head and paced the room naked, breathing heavily, his cock bouncing before him, biceps, shoulder and pecs flexing in the sunlight streaming into the room.

He tried to get control of himself, then stood at the foot of the bed, his eyes blazing down at Miguel. Now he touched his cock and said, "See this? Man, I am gonna fuck your ass, like I should have done all those years ago."

Alarmed Miguel propped himself up on his elbows and winced. "No, Zack, I can't ... I've never ... you're so fucking huge. I'm sorry, man. Not my ass."

Zack's eyes flashed. "Dammit, man, look at me. This is me ... it's what I do – I fuck. I know when a guy wants my dick inside him ... and you want it bad. Say it."

"Of course I want it, Zack, but I'm scared."

Zack dropped to his knees on the bed between Miguel's legs and leaned forward. "Look at me, Miguel. Look into my eyes. You don't have to be scared. You never have to be scared again – you've got me."

Miguel was drowning in the cool gray eyes. "Oh god ... man I want it so bad. Fuck me, Zack."

Zack reached down to his backpack on the floor and pulled out a jar of lube. "I'll make it easy on you the first time, buddy. In future it'll be just spit." He dipped his fingers in the lube and spread it the whole length of his thick black club. Again Miguel spread his arms out to the side on the bed in tacit surrender to the man he had dreamed of for so long.

With Miguel's legs hooked over Zack's shoulders he leaned forward and pressed his hands round Miguel's biceps, pinning his arms to the bed. He eased his hips forward until the head of his cock slid between his ass cheeks and pressed against his hole. "Zack, I don't ... I really don't think I can ..."

Zack ignored him and gently eased forward. Then, in one short thrust, the head pushed past the sphincter and came to rest just inside his ass. Miguel's reaction was instant. His ass jerked back, expelling the cock, and he moaned, "No, Zack, I can't ... it hurts so bad ... I can't."

"Miguel, look into my eyes ... keep looking at them. I am gonna fuck you buddy," he said gently, "that's not negotiable, because you and I want it so bad. So I want you to breathe deep, keep looking into my eyes ... and relax everything."

Again Zack pushed his cock inside the virgin ass and eased it slowly, gently, further in. But Miguel suddenly panicked again and his ass muscles clenched round the thick rod. "I'm sorry, man," he sobbed, "It's so fucking huge, I can't ..."

"Miguel," Zack said firmly. "My cock is in your ass. Look at me, the man you longed for ... I'm right here, in the flesh, and my rod is in your ass. It's what you dreamed of, what made you jerk off so often. Now relax your ass, deep breaths, and look at me. I won't move again until you feel ready."

Miguel did as he was told. He did relax, looking up at the body sculpted in ebony, at the rugged face, and saw his own reflection in the smiling gray eyes. And now he felt the cock in his ass, really felt it, like nothing he had ever felt before. "Oh yeah, Zack. Oh man, I want it so bad. I wanna feel it move inside me."

Expertly Zack pulled back slightly, then slowly pushed his cock in deeper. He saw Miguel's expression change from fear to joy, then to ecstasy. "That's it, bro, give yourself to me ... give me your ass ... let me own your ass."

"Oh yeah, fuck yeah," Miguel groaned. "Fuck me, Zack ... come on, fuck that ass ... I'm all yours, buddy ... my ass is yours ... fuck me!"

Zack knew the man was his now and he accelerated the rhythm of his fuck and smiled at him. "You are so damn gorgeous, dude, and my cock feels so fucking good in your ass ... a perfect fit, like it belongs there ... like it always did. Tell me what you want, bro."

"Let me touch you, Zack. Let me feel that gorgeous body while it fucks my ass." Zack released his arms and Miguel reached up, touched Zack's face, his neck, ran his hands over his shoulders, down his arms, then back up his lats to his chest, feeling every sinew, every rippling muscle of his magnificent body. And it drove him wild.

"Oh fuck, this is unbelievable. Let me see that body fuck me ... come on fuck me ..." his voice grew louder as he lost all control. "Fuck me you beautiful black stud ... that all you got? Come on, man, pound my ass, shove that rod deep inside me, you son-of-a-bitch ... I wanna feel it ... hurt me ... hurt me!"

Zack gazed in awe at the man's face, transformed from tentative first-timer to a macho stud begging to get jackhammered. The sight of his face thrashing from side to side, wincing in pain and ecstasy drove Zack crazy. This was a real man, a man like him, who could match him, take all he dished out ... and Zack gave him just what he asked for.

Zack was capable of a savage fuck, the kind he reserved for his boy Darius and for Randy, and the kind he now delivered to this new man. He reared back and plunged his rod in deep, then again and again and again, ramrodding deeper each time. His cock was a merciless piston, driving faster and faster inside the flaming hot ass.

Miguel was in another world, one with no inhibitions, only raw masculine power and desire. "Yeah, plough that ass you gorgeous black mother-fucker. Give it to me ... show me what you got, asshole. I can take it all ... I'll never give up." He was clawing at Zack's chest now, digging his fingers into his pecs, and Zack realized this had become a macho trial of strength.

"Fuck you, asshole," he growled, "I can make any man beg. You'll submit to me like all the others do. Here it comes, you son-of-a-bitch." He had saved the ultimate weapon till last. Pulling all the way back he paused, then drove his cock in savagely all the way down ... and over the inner sphincter.

"Aaagh." Miguel's eyes opened wide and he gasped in shock and exhilaration. Fire shot from his ass and consumed his entire being. Then it came again ... that iron shaft driving in over the sphincter into the deepest cauldron of his ass.

Zack grabbed Miguel's wrists and forced his arms back, pinning them to the bed once more. Miguel stared wildly into the hypnotic gray eyes and heard the deep voice. "Never give up, eh stud? Any man challenges me like that gets to learn what I am. You won't bust your load till I say you can ... not until I hear you beg. And you will submit to me, mother-fucker."

Then Zack made the final submission move. He pulled the head of his cock back over the inner sphincter, then in again and out, massaging the sphincter with the hard corona of his cock's head. It instantly drove Miguel wild and he gasped, "Oh no ... oh shit, fuck no ... I gotta cum ... please, man, let me cum ... OK, I'm begging you, man, I give up, I submit. Please, I gotta cum."

"OK, that's better. You shoot your load when you feel my jizz in your ass. Here it comes, big guy. Now!" Suddenly Miguel felt the huge cock bulge and shudder inside him, then felt hot liquid pouring deep inside him. Zack was cumming inside him – he was his captive, pinned to the bed and the big black muscle-god was blasting his semen in his ass.

Miguel opened his mouth to scream but Zack clamped his hand over his mouth or he would have roused the whole place. Miguel shuddered, his head thrashed helplessly from side to side trying to shake off the gag, his body struggled under the weight of his captor ... and his cock erupted with the force of all the orgasms he had ever experienced jerking off to that imaginary man, that man who was now real, in the flesh, and pouring his semen inside him.

It seemed as if the eruption would never end, and the intensity of his endless climax was so overwhelming that ... everything went dark.

Many seconds later he became aware of warm lips pressing against his and then the voice. "Wake up, sleeping beauty." He opened his eyes and there was Zack smiling down at him. It took a while for Miguel to stumble back into the real world. Zack's cock was out of his ass and he frowned, "What happened, Zack? Man, you fucked me. You fucked my ass, and it felt ... Oh Jesus. Was I OK, Zack? It was my first ... was I OK? Did I please you?"

"Buddy," Zack grinned, "you were un-fucking-believable. One of the best fucks I've ever had. You are a man's man, and you are a keeper, that's for sure."

"Do you mean ...?" All Miguel's earlier confusion returned, his emotions crested and he began to sob. "Zack, don't go away. I don't wanna lose you again. After this I can't ... I can't ..."

"Hey, hey, dude, calm down will ya? After a fuck like that you're my bro, my buddy. Miguel, I'm in your life from now on and you'll never get rid of me. So far we haven't talked much – only fucked, and you won't hear me complain about that. But it's been all heart – and dick – and no head, so we got a whole lot to talk about, man. I think we need a brandy."

He went over to the room's small bar and poured them both drinks. He brought them to the bed, handed one to Miguel and licked the tears from his eyes. They sat cross-legged on the bed facing each other. "See, I gotta tell you a whole bunch of things – about my boy Darius, my buddies Randy, Bob, Mark and a whole bunch of other guys. We got a long ways to go, buddy, maybe some hurdles too. But first things first – can you stay here with me all night?"

"Dumb question, Zack," Miguel grinned. "Of course I can."

"Good. Now that we've got that first fuck thing out of the way, incredible as it was, we can relax and start enjoying each other. Agreed?"

"Right there with you, big guy." Miguel smiled and raised his glass. "To us."

"To us," Zack grinned, and they clinked glasses.

TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Part 365

Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter got you off, and I welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in planning future chapters. E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.

ALSO, I invite you to visit my Web-site www.atrialofstrength.com. You can read the whole story, all the many chapters, with extras, including pictures and biographies of all the characters. Click on the `Our Story' tab to read the current chapter, or click on the green button to browse all the chapter synopses. Enjoy

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