call and tell him to
come over and install anything that needs it.”
Jabez only half listened, as his eyes were on the other man‟s ass as he went up the
stairs. His pants were tight, molded to a taut ass. The tail of his shirt blocked Jabez‟s
view, and he wanted to pull it up so he could see—maybe even grab—that sweet butt.
“Sounds good,” he said when Andreas paused, waiting for his response.
The studio was at the end of the corridor beyond the bedrooms and above the
pool area. Glass enclosed the room above and on three sides. During the day, the space
would be flooded with light. Jabez rapped his knuckles against the glass. It wasn‟t the
real thing but Sturdi-glass, an unbreakable alternative. Even if a fighter got thrown up
against the wall, it wouldn‟t shatter.
He walked over to an easel on which a painting rested covered by a cloth. He
started to lift the material.
“Oh no. You don‟t want to see that.” Andreas followed and put out a hand to stop
him. “Loving art doesn‟t make you good at doing it. This painting is embarrassing.”
Cage Match
35
Jabez shrugged off his hand and threw back the cloth. The image was a jangling
riot of colors without recognizable form. He could feel the tension and confusion in it.
The painting looked like he felt most of the time.
“The rest are even worse.” Andreas indicated a stack of canvases facing the wall.
“I‟ll clear these out of here, if you‟ll help me carry them. We can take the whole mess up
to the attic, although I should just burn the things.”
“Why?” Jabez touched the surface of the canvas, feeling the thick ridges of paint in
chaotic swirls.
“They‟re awful. That‟s why I gave up painting.”
Jabez didn‟t say anything else. He carried several canvases while Andreas
transported several boxes full of painting supplies. A few trips to the attic emptied the
room, leaving it ready to utilize as a training area.
Before they went back downstairs from the attic, Jabez paused by the stack of
paintings tucked under the eaves. “Can I have it?”
“What? A painting?”
He nodded. “The one from the easel.”
“For your room? I can buy you a painting if the walls are too stark, but you don‟t
want to have to look at that piece of crap every day.”
He wouldn‟t say that looking at it made him feel like he was on the edge of
knowing something. Instead, he shrugged and turned away from the canvases.
“But if you really want it, you can have it. Sure.” Andreas paused, then added,
“I‟m, uh, glad you like it.”
Without replying, Jabez picked up the painting and carried it with him back down
to the second floor.
As the two men stood in the hallway, for a moment Jabez was certain Andreas
would invite him to come to his room. He wanted to go. Shouldn‟t but did. His body
burned for the other man‟s touch on his skin. But after a second, Andreas bid him good
night and went toward his room.
Jabez went into his bedroom and set the painting on top of the dresser, propping it
against the wall. He touched it all over, felt the ridges and dips, and examined the
bright colors. He liked how the paint was cracking in places where it was piled on too
thick. He stepped back and gazed at it as a whole. Messy. Chaotic. It was very lifelike.
He stripped off his clothes, lay back on the bed, and turned on the media-screen.
He flipped around until he found a porn vid, then settled back to watch the two men
fucking in the middle of a forest. The story was something about primitive warriors
from opposing clans who fell in love and met in secret. But the story didn‟t matter. It
was the hot and heavy fucking that was the point. The blond man liked it rough, so his
partner tied him to a tree and whipped him with a branch before fucking him. Then he
draped him over a rock and fucked his ass a second time.
36
Bonnie Dee
By the time the dark-haired warrior had the blond on his knees sucking him
come over and install anything that needs it.”
Jabez only half listened, as his eyes were on the other man‟s ass as he went up the
stairs. His pants were tight, molded to a taut ass. The tail of his shirt blocked Jabez‟s
view, and he wanted to pull it up so he could see—maybe even grab—that sweet butt.
“Sounds good,” he said when Andreas paused, waiting for his response.
The studio was at the end of the corridor beyond the bedrooms and above the
pool area. Glass enclosed the room above and on three sides. During the day, the space
would be flooded with light. Jabez rapped his knuckles against the glass. It wasn‟t the
real thing but Sturdi-glass, an unbreakable alternative. Even if a fighter got thrown up
against the wall, it wouldn‟t shatter.
He walked over to an easel on which a painting rested covered by a cloth. He
started to lift the material.
“Oh no. You don‟t want to see that.” Andreas followed and put out a hand to stop
him. “Loving art doesn‟t make you good at doing it. This painting is embarrassing.”
Cage Match
35
Jabez shrugged off his hand and threw back the cloth. The image was a jangling
riot of colors without recognizable form. He could feel the tension and confusion in it.
The painting looked like he felt most of the time.
“The rest are even worse.” Andreas indicated a stack of canvases facing the wall.
“I‟ll clear these out of here, if you‟ll help me carry them. We can take the whole mess up
to the attic, although I should just burn the things.”
“Why?” Jabez touched the surface of the canvas, feeling the thick ridges of paint in
chaotic swirls.
“They‟re awful. That‟s why I gave up painting.”
Jabez didn‟t say anything else. He carried several canvases while Andreas
transported several boxes full of painting supplies. A few trips to the attic emptied the
room, leaving it ready to utilize as a training area.
Before they went back downstairs from the attic, Jabez paused by the stack of
paintings tucked under the eaves. “Can I have it?”
“What? A painting?”
He nodded. “The one from the easel.”
“For your room? I can buy you a painting if the walls are too stark, but you don‟t
want to have to look at that piece of crap every day.”
He wouldn‟t say that looking at it made him feel like he was on the edge of
knowing something. Instead, he shrugged and turned away from the canvases.
“But if you really want it, you can have it. Sure.” Andreas paused, then added,
“I‟m, uh, glad you like it.”
Without replying, Jabez picked up the painting and carried it with him back down
to the second floor.
As the two men stood in the hallway, for a moment Jabez was certain Andreas
would invite him to come to his room. He wanted to go. Shouldn‟t but did. His body
burned for the other man‟s touch on his skin. But after a second, Andreas bid him good
night and went toward his room.
Jabez went into his bedroom and set the painting on top of the dresser, propping it
against the wall. He touched it all over, felt the ridges and dips, and examined the
bright colors. He liked how the paint was cracking in places where it was piled on too
thick. He stepped back and gazed at it as a whole. Messy. Chaotic. It was very lifelike.
He stripped off his clothes, lay back on the bed, and turned on the media-screen.
He flipped around until he found a porn vid, then settled back to watch the two men
fucking in the middle of a forest. The story was something about primitive warriors
from opposing clans who fell in love and met in secret. But the story didn‟t matter. It
was the hot and heavy fucking that was the point. The blond man liked it rough, so his
partner tied him to a tree and whipped him with a branch before fucking him. Then he
draped him over a rock and fucked his ass a second time.
36
Bonnie Dee
By the time the dark-haired warrior had the blond on his knees sucking him
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