The Winter Lovers

By Steve Snow

For years now my roommate has been telling me about the yearly parade of men looking for their winter lovers. I always made fun of him and told him he was full of it... I even did some internet searches to show him that there was no literature out there that supported his crackpot notion. It seems so shallow for somebody to be looking for someone warm to fill their bed (and presumably their heart) just as the cold weather closes in... Over the years, though, I don't know if it was from the repetition or what, I came to embrace the idea, if just a little bit. I never really considered doing anything about it, of course. For years, this was a rite shared between us. With the coming of fall, he'd mention the winter lovers and I'd laugh derisively a bit while secretly my heart was warmed by the thought.

The date is Friday, March 16, 2007. The weather forecast has been marginal all day and the skies are gray. I'm at work and as has been our habit once a week, a bunch of us pile into someone's car and go out for lunch. The management encourages it as a team-building exercise and winks at it if we're back a bit late. This day, though, the freezing rain has started falling while we are eating and it takes us an extraordinary time to drive back to work. We are just getting back to work an hour later for a drive that ordinarily takes ten minutes. We're all tense, crowded six to a car, and we're relieved to arrive back and stretch out for a while at our desks. An hour later, the word comes down that the newly-elected Governor has released the state workers to go home early and has encouraged businesses to do the same. Our company sends us home as well. Waiting a while for the stampeding herd to disperse, I finally can get into my car and make my way toward home. I notice it's a little slippery underfoot and decide it would be wise to keep the speeds down for safety. I have only traveled a quarter-mile and here is a traffic jam before me. It looks as if everybody has decided to take the same route home as I have. Nothing to do but to wait it out, I suppose. Even if I wanted to change my mind, the traffic has closed in behind me, eliminating any escape route. I'm drawn along with the flow, moving at a pace that wouldn't challenge someone on foot. Fifteen minutes later, I'm barely a dozen feet further along. Occasionally there is a wailing police cruiser demanding we make way. I can't imagine how they can progress, but they do eventually. This particular roadway we're on has an odd structure: If you want to travel east, you need to go west a quarter mile then take a dogleg turn and drive the same distance back east. The problem is, the western trip is downhill; the eastern part is uphill. It turns out that there has been an accident on the uphill stretch and the police have blocked off the uphill section while the accident is dealt with. In the meantime, the freezing rain is continuing to fall, coating the uphill, now mostly empty road with a slick glaze of ice. When the officers reopen the eastbound uphill roadway, nobody can climb the grade. They are all spinning out and smoking their tires hoping to ascend by sheer force of will. This is not good. Nobody is going anywhere for a while. Through ice-glazed windows I'm trying to people-watch out of boredom while the news-radio station is turned on as a soundtrack and I notice one particular guy trying to desperately scrape away at his windows with an improvised scraper. It's not going so well and I notice he's also bare-headed and wiping his brow to keep the freezing rain out of his eyes. I've been getting out occasionally to scrape the windshield myself since the combined force of the wipers and the defroster is no match for the freezing rain and you need to keep up or when the logjam does break, you won't be able to drive away for lack of vision. I'm watching this guy and he seems to be getting increasingly frustrated and I'm taking some pity on him when I remember that I have an old snow brush-scraper in the trunk. I've just replaced mine and haven't had the heart to toss out the old faithful thing I've had for years. I go back and retrieve the scraper and also a spare stocking cap I keep in the car and walk them down to where he is working. I interrupt him and say "It looks as if you could use these."

He says "Are you sure? You won't need them?"

"No problem. They're extras. I should have thrown out the scraper weeks ago. Now I'm glad I didn't."

"Thanks, guy! This is a big relief. I'm almost out of gas and I've been shutting off the engine to conserve. I'm not keeping up with the ice so far. This will help."

"That's fine. Come back to my car later if you need to warm up. Be careful walking back, though. The street is so icy now."

"I almost took a header a couple of times. Thanks again!"

I walked back to my car and while I was standing, I grabbed my scraper and gave the ice an extra good treatment. I finally settled down to warm up and continued to watch him work at the ice for a while. It's a wonder what good tools can do. He's energetically scraping away and it looks as if he's making good progress. While I'm watching him, I'm also noticing that other drivers are looking worried and scanning the street up-and-down. I'm wondering if they, too, are running out of gas. Soon, I notice that a young Hispanic guy has walked down from the top of the hill carrying a gas can. He stops at a particular car, talks to the driver then empties the can into the gas tank. He takes off back up the hill at increased pace. This is interesting, I think. Soon come a couple of additional fellows carrying gas cans and the same scene takes place. I start to admire their ingenuity and smile at the wonder of it when I am shocked at the knock on my window. I look up to see the guy I've helped outside the window on the passenger side gesturing to me through the window. He's pointing at the door lock. I realize what he means and though the door isn't locked, the freezing rain has sealed the door in ice. I lean over, operate the door handle and give the door a shove from inside enough to break it free. He slides into the passenger seat to warm up.

"Hi, I'm Pete."

He extends his hand to me but withdraws it slightly thinking it's cold and wet. I take his hand and shake it anyway. It is...

"I'm Steve. I see you're making progress."

"Yeah, it's almost clear but I got really cold. I hope you don't mind..."

"No problem, Pete. I've been people-watching here for a while and I noticed something you'll want to see."

"What's that?"

See the guy walking down from the top of the hill carrying a gas can?"

"Yeah..."

"Once he gets where he's going watch what he does."

We watched together for a couple of minutes and the scene repeated as it had before. Pete got the message.

"Hey, that's interesting. That's a real service, delivering gas just when it's needed most. I hope they aren't gouging for it. I'll have to flag one of them down and try to get some myself."

"I suspect they are getting big tips. They wouldn't try to over-charge for the gas... too much of a scandal."

"I suppose. The pity is, I'm almost out of cash."

"Look... I've seen some people giving them credit cards for the gas beforehand. The only cash they need is for the tip."

"Gee, I dunno."

"You have to trust somebody."

"No, that's not it. I only have a couple of bucks... doesn't seem like it's enough."

"Well, I've got some cash and I'd be glad..."

Pete cuts me off: "No, I couldn't. You've been so kind already."

"Pete, don't worry about it. I don't mind. Besides you're in front of me a couple of car lengths... call it insurance."

"OK, but I'm going to pay you back. We'll exchange phone numbers and I'll pay you back tomorrow."

"Fine. Take a twenty. These guys deserve it."

"As far as I'm concerned, they do."

I took a twenty from my billfold and gave it to Pete. Soon we noticed that where there had been a couple of guys shuttling gas cans in the beginning, now there was about a half-dozen guys busily earning their tips. Ingenuity pays big. Pete and I had to laugh at the audacity of it. I searched around and found a piece of copy paper and passed it to Pete with a pen. I figured that if he wrote it then he should be able to read it... He copied down his number then I told him mine. He split the paper in two and handed me half.

He was starting to warm up and reluctantly he said: "Steve, I should get out there. I need to scrape again and I need to snag one of those guys and get me some gas. Thanks for your hospitality and I'll call you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Pete. Come back if you need to. I'll talk to you."

I had been out here on the pavement now for an hour and a half and hadn't moved an inch. Then the whole thing got worse. Snow was falling. Soon we were battling not just the freezing rain but the snow as well. Now we all had to clear the wipers twice as often to keep them from getting blocked by the accumulated snow. It was getting tougher to see and I lost track of Pete in my scramble to keep the window clear. After another hour, the traffic started moving again slowly. We all inched forward slowly and halted often. I figure Pete had gotten some gas since we were moving forward. It was yet another hour and I was at the bottom of the hill. I decided to go whatever way the traffic looked lightest and worry about it once I was moving again. Fortunately, the clearest path actually led towards home. I didn't mind at all. I went as fast as the traffic would allow but the conditions didn't permit any quick movements. I was just grateful to be moving at all. A commute that should have taken forty five minutes took four and a half hours! Once I arrived home, I just fell into bed exhausted and my only thought before sleep was about Pete and if he had made it home too.

True to his word, Pete did call Saturday late morning. After greetings were exchanged and we compared notes about the trip home he invited me to dinner at a fairly upscale restaurant. I asked him if there was a more neighborhood place around, perhaps with better food and he laughed. He had just the place in mind. I said that I thought we would have a better time at a place where we could be more ourselves and with less formality. He gave me the address and we agreed on a time and I told him it was a date. That last was an intentional slip on my part... See, I had sensed something when we were together yesterday and I wanted to see how he'd react. He didn't react at all and we finished the call amicably. I told my roommate about Pete and our dinner plans and he was pleased about it and wasn't too upset to rearrange our usual dinner at home. When it came time for me to leave for the dinner he jokingly said: "Happy hunting!" and I swatted at him on the way out the door.

I arrived at the restaurant just about on-time and spotted Pete immediately. He waved me over to his table. It was just the type of place I'd hoped it would be. Nobody would even notice if you broke out into laughter. I hate those restaurants where they run them like mausoleums and the library monitor (you would imagine) would shush you if you made the slightest noise. This wasn't one of those... The atmosphere was lively and conversations were going on all around us. We soon started one of our own...

Pete was looking refreshed and a bit more handsome than he did last night and I told him so, diplomatically. He beamed at the compliment. He immediately produced a twenty and handed it to me. I told him: "Thanks! I have an idea, though: Why don't you make it my contribution to the tip? That way the same twenty will make two people happy."

He said: "Interesting... I like the way you think."

He took the twenty back again and put in his pocket for later. He smiled broadly and said, quietly: "Confidentially, I could never afford to tip this generously by myself. If it works out the way I think, our waiter will be overjoyed. I just hope he doesn't leave a puddle on the floor because of it." We both chuckled at the thought.

I said: "Just conceal the twenty between two smaller bills. He won't see it immediately. He won't look until he's left the table."

"That ought to work. You've done this before?"

"Yep. I'm no moneybags myself, but I like to be generous when it's deserved. An occasion like this should be celebrated." I let my eyes do the talking here.

He smiled again (in anticipation?) The waiter came over soon after and it was the one he was most familiar with. I figured the evening was off to a good start. He took our orders efficiently and brought us back the usual rolls and butter. I tried to make an impression on Pete and didn't just dive in with gusto as I would normally do then thought better of it and confessed. He laughed and said he was doing the same thing. This allowed both of us to loosen up a little and we could finally be ourselves. We both had rolls and butter 'til we were satisfied. While waiting for the appetizer to arrive, I thought a bit about wine at dinner. We hadn't ordered any yet and I knew that I might need to drive home later. I'll only have wine at dinner if I can limit my intake to one glass. I tend to show the effects if I have more. I asked Pete if he felt like having wine with the meal and told him of my limitations. He thought it was a good precaution and said he would leave it up to me.

When the waiter brought our appetizer, I asked him to add a glass of house wine to the order and bring it with the entree. Pete asked for the same. The meal went surprisingly well as did the conversation. I learned a lot about Pete and tried to reveal as much about myself. He was at least as truly nice a guy as I had imagined. Neither of us had made any big revelations here in the restaurant as you would expect but hints were dropped often and I was pretty sure I was on the right track.

The meal was drawing to a close and I could tell Pete was as stuffed as I was so we both begged off from desert when the waiter suggested it but we did take his offer of coffee. He went off to finalize the bill and Pete prepared his surprise package for the tip. When the waiter came back with the coffees and the bill, Pete gave him a credit card and the tip. He went off to process the charge and we barely got two swallows of coffee down before he was back beaming. He thanked Pete for his patronage and invited us back soon. Pete responded appropriately and while he signed the credit slip, I chimed in that I was impressed with the restaurant and the service and that I'd be in again soon as well. The waiter was quite happy at this and bid us a good night. Pete asked if I'd like to come back to his place for a night cap and I responded: "I think I'll take a rain check on the night cap..." I thought I saw a little shadow of disappointment cross Pete's face just then. I continued: "but I'd love to come by and continue the conversation. I'm really having a good time and I want to get to know you better." Pete brightened at this and he agreed. We left the restaurant and Pete gave me directions to his place and I told him I'd follow him if he didn't mind. He was OK with that and we did just that.

Pete took me to a downtown area and we parked together in a city parking lot. He led me to a storefront building and entered through a separate entrance. This was interesting and not what I was expecting. We walked up several flights of stairs which opened up into a gorgeous loft space above a furniture store. This was a wonderful environment and a dream home. I wondered aloud how he could afford such a fabulous space. He told me he would explain once we settled in. He took my coat and put it with his own and led me over to the couch. We sat down and I instantly relaxed and took in all the sights. Pete sat down next to me and asked: "Do you mind if I'm a little forward?" I nodded my agreement and he took hold of my face and kissed me passionately. This gave me all the answers I had been looking for.

When we were done, (and Pete is a really good kisser) I sat there and caught my breath. I then said: "Way to stop a conversation in its tracks..."

Pete smiled and said: "No, just a change of subject."

"I'm glad. I was getting tired of dancing around the point. I'm so happy it went like that."

"Me too. God, I really like you. Imagine meeting like we did."

"I can't imagine it any other way."

It was now my turn to kiss him. I didn't hold anything back. It was as if we had been intimate like this forever. He knew all the moves and responded in kind. There was no awkwardness, just joy. I suppose that is what comes of maturity. I really hadn't experienced that in a partner before. We were really well matched. Once I came up for air, I told him so. He smiled his agreement. Now, the conversation really began. I started: "I have a hundred things going around in my head all at once. One question is foremost... are we going to sleep together tonight?"

Pete responded: "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Well, then I'll take that nightcap if you don't mind."

Pete smiled appreciatively and went off to the bar and gathered the necessities and I could finally appreciate the sight of his ass as it receded into the distance. It was a grand ass at that, and the rest of him wasn't too shabby either. I felt I was truly blessed. Once he returned with our drinks and had set them down, I grabbed a piece of that beautiful ass and massaged it for a while. He sat down next to me and I nearly forgot to let go. We snuggled together and started a more intimate phase of the conversation. I asked: "What about this fabulous place?"

"My lover was a co-founder of this business. We lived together for years here. He needed to scratch an itch and moved to the west coast. He arranged to let me rent the space for just the cost of the upkeep and the utilities with the intention that if the business needed the space to expand then I'd move out with three months notice. Soon came a recession and all thoughts of expansion flew away. I'm such a lucky bastard, but this place can get lonely at night. That's where you come in."

"That sounds like a proposition. So this isn't just a one-nighter?"

"God, no. I want you all for myself. But it comes with strings..."

"Oh boy..."

"Not so fast. I hope they won't be too bad. I need to tell you more about myself. I've discovered that I'm a really horny guy when springtime rolls around. I get like a rutting animal then and I'm not satisfied with just one partner. I need to play the field from springtime through about Labor Day then my mind gets a lot more domesticated and I want to concentrate on one particular guy through the winter months. It's just how I'm wired. I hope I can convince you to be that guy."

"It sounds inviting, but I couldn't think about it if I thought you weren't being safe."

"No, I don't have a death wish... I get horny, not stupid. You have my pledge on that."

"Good. I'm sure I'd be all over you with worry if I thought you were endangering yourself winter or summer."

"Thanks, Mom!"

"I'm serious... I am over-protective about some things."

"Don't think I don't appreciate it."

"How about your former lover, how did he take to your activities?"

"It caused some friction between us... he never signed on for it. I shouldn't have concealed my needs from him. I regret it every day. We weathered that storm and had a good life afterwards. I never cheated on him again, though it nearly killed me. I just hope the memory of my infidelity didn't have something to do with his move to California. I don't think it did."

"So you started again once he left?"

"Yeah, it was so lonely around here without him. I started going out almost immediately. He left in the spring. When I started, though, I was feeling so guilty like I was cheating on him all over again."

"God, I feel so bad for you about all of that. Have you ever had a winter lover before?"

"I tried to convince one of the guys from the fall to become my winter lover, but he was just too weirded out by it. You know, my summertime lovers aren't all one night stands. Some of them are longer-term. Sometimes they want a reliable fuck buddy and I'm glad when they do. Darryl was like that. I almost thought he'd be the one. He tried, but he just couldn't adjust to the monogamy."

"So you're totally monogamous in the winter?"

"Yeah, strange isn't it?"

"And you expect your winter lover to be faithful to you as well?"

"Yep. From October through March, I'm a one-guy man."

"I'm so relieved to hear you say that. The door is definitely open. I need to think long and hard about if I'd be okay with the jealousy thing. I'm not a jealous person by nature. I understand your impulses though I don't share them. Springtime brings me so much joy and I appreciate seeing all the other guys but I don't necessarily take the next step and want them."

"Most people don't. I just feel as if I'll bust if I don't go out and act on the impulse. I guess it's an obsession."

"Well, it doesn't seem to be harmful to you or your partners as long as everybody knows what they are getting into..."

"I try to be sure they go into it clear-headed. It makes things a lot simpler."

"Has it ever ended badly?"

"Once or twice, in the beginning, I found expectations got in the way."

"Who wanted more? You or your partner?"

"It was always them. They wanted a lover and I wasn't ready for that."

"Ever been tempted?"

"Closest I ever got was with Darryl. I might have slipped into that with him. But I know I would have cheated on him when springtime came. We'll never know for sure, though."

"Pete, thanks for being so brutally honest with me."

"I don't really see it as brutal, though the memories do hurt some. For some reason it hurts less sharing them with you. You don't judge me, you only listen. You are really a good friend."

"Ow! It sounds like lover just flew out the window!"

"Nothing like that. If you want I'll take you to the bedroom and show you..."

"Soon enough... We're closing a deal here."

"Now it's my turn to say ouch."

"Pete, I feel so close to you. I wonder how I'll get through the isolation when we're apart for six months."

"I'm not thinking it will be like isolation. In my mind, we'll still get together for occasions - birthdays and anniversaries. And I was thinking we could meet monthly for dinner like we did last night."

"Will they end like this one will... with sex?"

"I don't rule it out. I'd need to be free to choose. I don't want to present you with a poor performance because I've just made love to somebody recently. That's not fair to you. But we could always sleep together."

"I like that. As long as we can touch once in a while, I can wait for you."

"And, I'm not trying to isolate myself from you. We can talk on the phone anytime. Every day if you want."

"That's comforting. We can get through anything if we can just talk things over."

Pete excused himself to go off to the bathroom and when he returned he indicated he was starting to get weary and would like to retire to the bedroom. I told him I only had one question left: the arrangement. Pete told me he wanted to be completely fair with me and I could see that was his clear intention. He told me I would only be responsible for the incremental costs of things like groceries and utilities and I told him I think I could be more generous than that. I told him I was concerned about how I would present the arrangement to my roommate and convince him I wasn't abandoning him. I knew he would be pleased for me but because of the unusual nature of our plan, I'd still need somewhere to live six months out of the year. Pete suggested the three of us should meet so my roommate could come to know Pete and he wouldn't be a mysterious figure but someone of flesh and blood and so he could sense our feelings toward each other. I thought it was a great idea. I told Pete that to some extent my loyalties would be tested and that our history went way back and that Joe and I had been lovers what seems like many years ago and I filled Pete in on our history since. I explained that the winter time was toughest at the apartment we shared and Joe might need a hand should circumstances require it. Pete was very accepting of my need to pay attention to Joe's situation and help out where needed. He told me he sensed I was that kind of a loyal friend and that was one of the things he liked best about me. That pleased me a great deal.

Finally satisfied that we had reached some understanding, I grabbed Pete in my arms and kissed him one more time passionately and asked him to lead me off to the bedroom while making a detour to the bathroom myself. When I returned to the bedroom, Pete was already under the covers and I wondered how he was able to get into bed so quickly. I chalked it up to his enthusiasm and undressed myself and slipped in beside him. We spooned for a little while then Pete turned over to face me and I had a chance to explore his body in earnest. I traced the contours of his chest and lingered a while on his nipples, fingering and squeezing them. All the time we were kissing deeply. I traced my hands down his flanks and over the curve of his hips. I cupped his ass cheeks and drew him even closer so we were dick-to-dick and reveled in the warmth. As we continued kissing he started to undulate so the friction started to build in all the right places. My curiosity got the best of me and I snaked my hand between us and took both of our dicks and held them together. I figured again that we were well matched. We were almost the same size and I was just surprised at the heat coming from his organ. He was radiating a soothing, intense heat that was no comparison to my own. This was something I guessed I could get used to. I was caught up in a reverie thinking about burying his dick deep inside of me and being warmed from the inside by its intense heat. It took me a while to realize that he was looking at me with an odd smile while I was away thinking. When I realized it I smiled back at him and he said:

"Welcome back. I didn't want to interrupt your thoughts."

"I was lost in a fantasy. I'm sorry."

I went on and told him exactly what I'd been thinking and he said: "Any interest in making that fantasy real?"

"You read my mind!"

He kissed me again and ground his dick into mine just a little to let me know what was ahead. He pulled the covers off of us in preparation for where we would be going and I got to see him nude for the first time. I let out an audible gasp at what I was seeing. He said: "Like what you see?"

"I'm overwhelmed. I had no idea..."

"I get that a lot. It's sort of what I live for..."

It was just that I really had no idea he'd be so beautiful. His body was like a work of art. When I'd been exploring him under the covers, I'd not really even scratched the surface. He was a chiseled god with tremendous definition in his chest, belly and abs. He wasn't heavily muscled which explained why I hadn't noticed it when he was clothed, but now I could see every contour and recognized that he must live at the gym to look like this. I started to babble: "H-H-How much time does it take to look like that?"

"Surprisingly, not as much as you'd think. I must have good genes or something 'cause I don't need to do that much, though I know I need to keep up with exercise to maintain the look. It will fade a lot if I stop."

"Don't ever stop..."

"Stop drooling, Steve."

"Oh, sorry!"

Just then he stood up and I got the full rear view and that also took my breath away. I reached out and traced the lines separating the various muscles in his ass and I just was stunned. I did start to understand better what Pete was about now and I could see that his obsession wasn't just the guys he would make it with but their reaction when they saw him naked. The looks of adoration he must get. Hell, the look of adoration he's getting right now from me. It must be a tremendous turn-on. I could see him looking over his shoulder watching my reaction. I smiled a smile of recognition and he could see I knew. He leaned down and pulled a condom and some lube from the bedside stand and I just knew I was in for one hell of a ride. I also recognized that at some level, he'd been playing me as well. It wasn't completely calculated, I could see, but it wasn't 100% genuine either. He never needed to stand up like he did, he did it for show. He wanted me to gawk at his ass like I was doing. I told myself I'd need to stay aware of the things Pete would do for effect. I suspected he wasn't conscious of it any more but had put on the affectation of seductiveness and wasn't able to turn it on and off when he wanted. It sure gave me something to think about. But thoughts were temporarily banned as he sat down and started rolling that condom onto his dick. I knew where that was going soon and I tensed up with anticipation. Once he was done with that he said: "How would you like to do this?"

"Face-to-face if you please..."

"I get that a lot too..."

"I'm not surprised. Who wouldn't want to watch you fucking them? It must be spectacular."

"Let me know later... Right now just lean back and put your legs up on my shoulders and you'll see."

He lubed me up thoroughly and applied a good supply to himself and the game was on. He was gentle with me at first, applying just the right amount of force to enter me and being generous with the pauses as I got used to his presence inside me. He moved steadily forward once he was sure I was ready and eventually he was fully in me. Then the fun started. He pulled back only a bit at first then pushed back into me with some force. The next stroke was deeper as he pulled out a bit more then pushed it back in with more force. Slowly, he got to full stroke pulling back until the corona was threatening to pull past my muscle ring and reversing course at just the right moment so I was getting the maximum effect. A slight stimulation of a stretch at the full-out position and then the friction of a full insertion and the jostle of his thighs slapping against my ass cheeks. He knew exactly what he was doing, almost on a microscopic level. He knew what it took to achieve absolutely the greatest stimulation from a particular amount of effort, but he didn't spare the effort either. I was firmly in heaven, but on another level, I was outside of myself observing the scene. A little of the force of the experience was drained because I felt the need to be wary of the artificiality of some of it. I did, however, recognize that I was having a blast getting fucked by a master like I'd never experienced before. He was a virtuoso fucker and my body was filled with the sensation of it. He noticed that I was still fully hard and he reached down to caress my dick now. I was being taken away from my thoughts and letting the sensation wash over me. I could see the working of his muscles especially as he would reverse course. You could see each set of muscles surge and recede as he pushed in-and-out ever more quickly now. He was also pounding on my dick, squeezing and pulling with each thrust. As the head would pass by, he would bring his thumb over the head and add just that little extra stimulation by rubbing across the glans, stretching the slit. He had been kind enough to leave just the right amount of lube on his hand to make the sensations in my dick perfect for me. I didn't think either of us would last too much longer at this pace. I could see in the expression on his face that he was approaching an orgasm. Believe it or not, his confident expression went a bit slack which surprised me. I figured he might tense up and appear almost pained at the end like many guys do but instead his expression transitioned to a beatific smile. It was at that moment that I knew he had me forever. He also pulled another trick I didn't expect. He was still fisting my dick and at just the last moment he took his thumb and forefinger and made an OK sign and created an artificial opening through which he passed my dickhead and he tightened the opening so it was a struggle to pass through the space. I couldn't believe how much the sensation from that simple move enhanced what I was feeling. He kept this up for the last couple of strokes and I blasted off all over his beautiful alabaster belly in a powerful ejaculation stronger than any one I had ever known before. He tensed his back and the smile was erased as that pained expression came into view and he had his orgasm which I could feel inside me as a slightly painful white-hot blast of temperature. It left me amazed at the force of it and the temperature. I figured he had burst the condom while inside me. He dropped down onto my chest for a moment afterward then gathered himself up and withdrew from me. He went to remove the condom but I said: "Hold off for a sec... I want to see this."

He looked at me quizzically and he sat up on the edge of the bed while I stood up and turned around. I knelt before him and gently took off his condom. It was still intact and was full of his ejaculate. I touched the contents and found it was still uncomfortably warm to the touch. I squeezed a few drops out of the condom onto my hand and tasted them. The taste was familiar but different. Where most cum is slightly bitter-sweet his was more acidic like apple juice mixed with the bitter taste and thick mouth feel. It was truly different and bracing and I was looking forward to getting a whole lot more direct from the source sooner or later. I kissed him and shared his cum with him then I went to help him clean up.

I ministered to his wonderful body removing what I could of my own cum from him. He had laid back on the bed for this and I couldn't help but give his softening dick a caress and a kiss. He suggested we take a shower and I was all over that. We went into the bathroom and I let him adjust the shower just right and we climbed in. It was my turn to be obsessive and I soaped him up for seemingly days and lingered on all the sights and feelings. Finally, I didn't have anything more to do and I had to turn the honors over to him and he returned the favor.

He lingered a while as well paying particular attention to my dick and balls and my asshole which I imagined was still a little distended. He also had spent a little time sniffing at my pits before soaping them up and rinsing them off. We finally rinsed off and stepped out of the shower to towel ourselves dry. When we had dried, we went back into the bedroom naked and with our arms draped around one another and laid down in bed. I went to speak and he shushed me and said: "Save it for the morning. We'll have all day to talk. Goodnight, Steve."

"Goodnight, Pete." He turned over and I spooned him and wrapped my arms around his waist and that's how we fell asleep.

The next morning I was up before the dawn as was my habit. I got up hoping I wouldn't disturb Pete's sleep. He certainly deserved that in consideration of his yeoman work last night pleasuring me. I was pretty sure I had achieved my goal since Pete didn't even seem to stir as I left him in bed and put the bedclothes back over his sleeping form so he wouldn't feel a chill. I suppressed the urge to stare at him while he was sleeping though the incentive to do so was powerful. I had some things I wanted to do this morning. First, I felt like exploring what might become my six-month-a-year new home and I felt the need to find some paper and write down some of the thoughts and questions in my mind. I thought Pete deserved a break from the fifth degree treatment for a while and I wanted to give him as "normal" a Sunday morning as I could muster. I also wanted time to reflect on what I had been thinking and put some of my questions more diplomatically than I was able to achieve right now. I walked around the loft taking it all in, imagining that this is the spot Pete puts his feet up and just relaxes; this is where Pete pays the bills; this is where Pete dreams about the future... I wasn't thinking about snooping, just putting Pete in the context of his environment. And, too, I must admit, falling head-over-heels in love with Pete all over again. I got that "me" time I craved and thanks to Pete's marvelous circadian rhythms I had three blessed hours to just wander around and absorb Pete's environment and just think and yes, to dream. Pete interrupted my reverie by sneaking up behind me and planting a big kiss on my cheek. "Good morning, early riser of mine!"

"Good morning, Pete. I was expecting you soon. Hope you slept well?"

"Just fine. How about you?"

"I'm a little sore."

"Really? You want me to kiss it and make it all better?"

"Maybe later. Besides I'm only (mostly) kidding. I feel great. I've just been bumming around here and taking in all the sights. I didn't know how outstanding this place really was until I watched the sun come up this morning through the windows. I almost cried."

"I know... it affects me that way sometimes. By the way, feeling hungry?"

"You bet. You know, I want you to go about your normal Sunday morning routine today and see how I can fit into that routine so lead the way and don't do anything out-of-the-ordinary on my account. I'll just observe and make only the minimum demands on your hospitality. Think of it as an audition..."

"That's sweet. You know you have the job if you want it... you don't have to audition for the part."

"I know but I think it's the best way to get you comfortable with the idea of having me around long-term if I ease into the role and not just make like bigfoot and start pushing you around right away. There'll be time enough for that." I said that last with a twinkle in my eye so he wouldn't take me too seriously. I've had the experience of trying to step into someone's life before and I know it can be stressful at best and I wanted this transition in Pete's life to be as stress-free as possible. Pete led me off to the kitchen and started his morning and tried to encourage me to join in as I would like. Once we were settled in and were having our breakfast I asked him: "Any little rituals you want to indulge in? Maybe the Sunday paper? Anything?"

"I haven't done that lately but I remember finding it enjoyable some time ago. We may want to start that again once you're here full-time, but I do go out for a run most mornings though I usually hold off on breakfast until after I get back. I'll get back into that tomorrow morning. Perhaps we could walk around the city to partially make up for it?"

"I'd like that. As nice as this place is, I can see it getting a little claustrophobic without some time away. You know: `Absence makes the heart grow fonder' and all that?"

"Right. By the way, I hesitate to mention it but I had a little pang of worry when I woke up and you weren't there beside me. I was thinking `what if he went screaming out into the night?' You see, I have insecurities too. I'm certainly not Mister Perfect. You need to see that side of me, Steve."

"Thanks for pointing that out. I wanted to be there beside you but my head was a little too full of things and I wanted to touch you in a spiritual way by communicating with the place you obviously love so much. Besides if I was in bed with you I might have molested you."

"Would have that been so bad? I could use a good molestation from time to time."

"Yeah, but to some degree `less is more'. I know we'll get along just great sex-wise. I think we both can see where that is going..."

"It was good for me too..."

"Yeah, but if we don't stop talking this way we'll never get out of here. I'll spend the entire morning blowing you under the table."

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Never you mind. I don't want to wear you out all at once. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I still want to be making love to you fifty years from now. No sense in rushing it."

"Wow. You really believe in us."

"I do. I don't want to get all mushy about it but I will say this... It's starting to happen for me."

"I'm feeling it too. I think you'll find I'm a little slow to get started with the declarations but don't ever think you aren't getting to me as well."

We have been humming along for about a month now (Pete has given me an extra month's grace before he would declare summer has started...) and I am really starting to get comfortable with Pete. We are very much in love and I am so satisfied in every way I can think of. That's usually when all hell breaks loose. In a moment of weakness, overcome by my love for him, I suggest I'd someday like for Pete to wear my ring. He agrees to mull this over. The earth didn't crumble; the seas didn't boil! We finally decide to get married five months later.

It is Labor Day and Pete and I are getting married in a beautiful, friendly little church. I've insisted that Pete invite all his long-term summertime lovers and I especially want to meet Darryl. Once we are married, I take the time to shake the hands of all Pete's summertime lovers and thank them for coming and look them in the eye and let them know I am OK with their continued relationship with Pete. Some of them are overwhelmed, others are a little reticent. A couple pull me into a bear hug and I like that. I also observe the variety of men I am faced with. Pete, I must say, has really good taste. Not for the reasons you might think, though. I'm amazed with the variety among his summertime lovers. They are clearly not clones of one another. His choices are amazing. There are a number of guys I would classify as hunks and there are just as many average looking men. I also am pleased to greet one fascinating mixed-race man in the crowd. Pete is truly an eclectic stud and I'm so pleased with what I see. I make sure to tell Pete so when we are alone later. Finally I come to Darryl. He has hung back somewhat and when I get to him, I wrap him up in my arms and kiss him on the cheek. I whisper to him that I think he should plan to come visit us at the loft for a couple of days once the snow falls and he says: "Are you sure?" I tell him that I would be most pleased if he would. He smiles at me sweetly and says he will think about it. I know I'm playing around with dynamite but I am counting on Pete to be Pete all the way. I forewarn Pete afterward that I have made the offer and he seems so excited by the prospect.

With the first snowfall, Darryl does visit us. After we have dinner and welcome him to our home, I try to fade into the background and let Pete and Darryl reconnect. The structure of the loft was such that it affords only a little privacy for the two but I am secretly pleased that they are making joyful lovemaking noises soon after they retire. In fact, I indulge myself and jerk off to the rhythm of their shared love. The next day we are reunited as a trio and we enjoy each others' company all day and late into the night and I come to know Darryl as a lover. He is the very embodiment of "eager to please." In fact I have to mock-threaten him with shoving a tranquilizer up his ass just to get him to calm down and start experiencing some pleasure himself. Pete sees a lot of humor in this. I can see what Pete loves so much about Darryl. They are truly polar opposites. The contrast is making me dizzy. Pete and I exchange glances and I can see what he has in mind. I take one end and Pete takes the other and we commence putting Darryl into pleasure overload. I get his succulent ass and Pete takes up position on his dick. We both get to work at the same time and we have Darryl squirming and begging for mercy almost immediately. I am rimming him like I am giving a dying man the breath of life and with almost the same force. He responds positively to the sensation and I'm sure a good part of it is Pete's expert sucking (bless that tongue of his...) Soon, though, Darryl gets really quiet. I wonder if we have made him unconscious with the sensations. I decided to test him and take a little gentle nip on the edge of his hole. Well, you'd think I've hit him with a cattle prod. He bucks up off the bed and unfortunately, impales his pole deep into Pete's throat. Pete is gagging a bit and once he recovers his rhythm, I can hear him grumbling and I know I will be in trouble later. I repentantly try to soothe the spot with my tongue where I've nipped him as a form of long-distance apology. Soon it is Darryl's time and I suppose I deserve it but when he rises up before he comes he buries my face up his ass and I am forced to hold my breath the whole time. I am able to experience Darryl's orgasm on a very intimate basis actually feeling the cum flow up and out of him and the twitching of his hole pressed tightly against my face while he spasms. It is some amazing experience!

This started a yearly ritual I called Pete's wedding present. Every year at about the same time Darryl would visit us and just about the same pattern would repeat itself. Darryl also started seeing Pete again in the summertime. In fact, Darryl showed up on my doorstep one summer day as well. I needed to talk to Pete and get his consent but soon Darryl and I were spending some quality one-on-one time ourselves. Darryl was truly becoming a part of our lives and Pete and I couldn't have been happier about it.

Pete and I developed one other ritual: when I was ready to move out for the summer, Pete and I would make an occasion of it and we'd observe "The Removal of the Ring". Pete would ceremoniously remove his wedding ring and put it in its box on the top of his dresser. He'd hide the ring away somewhere safe and then we'd pretend we were on our first date together. Pete would make me his first summer lover of the season. Those dates were some of the most outstanding lovemaking sessions of our relationship, even if we had just made love the previous night. He filled them with all the enthusiasm he felt for his summertime lovers and treated me like I was a fresh conquest. I always looked forward to those times and it strengthened me for the long summer without Pete constantly by my side. I knew then that I couldn't object when he shared himself with other guys all summer. He was just Pete. That's what he did.

Author's note:

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