Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll

[louisev]

oh and who could forget Ennis making his first pass?  Complete with patented Jack hand to cock move?

“Feels better.”   Ellery slid his hand up Ennis’s arm to the elbow and then looked at him once more.  “Thank you, Ennis.”

Ennis moved, then, the handful of inches between his face and Ellery’s, until he could feel the warmth of Ellery’s breath against his cheek, shifted slightly until their cheeks brushed, and his hand slid down the outside of Ellery’s shirt, seeking his hand, finding it half open against his knee, and grasped it, clamping his own hand hard and pulling it, as though testing the willingness of the man who owned it, to come to him, pulling it into the hard lump now straining against his fly.

“I do... want it,” Ennis said, his voice a harsh, barely heard whisper. 

And in answer, Ellery moved his lips against his cheek and toward his ear.  “All right.  Not here.  We’ll go ta my house.”  Ennis nodded, wordless now, the die cast, his willingness to fight against himself unwound by the whispered pact of their new intimacy.  Ellery brushed his knuckles meaningfully against Ennis’s trapped erection and then pulled back, untangling his hand from that hard grip, letting his lips brush once more against Ennis’s cheek before he spoke, somewhat more audibly.  “Let’s make sure we finish lookin here before we give up.  Then we got all night.  Got to put in a night’s work.  The big picture.”

“Right,” Ennis said aloud, his voice a trembling sigh, and he spread his hands out on his knees to try to catch his breath, not daring to look up now that he had spoken his desire to a man in the light of day.

Taking Chances, Chapter 22

[belbbmfan]

Fred,  you got to me with your quotes.  I am with you one hundred percent.

Fred has a way of doing that to me too, scudder.

Louise, that first pass in the rose hotel is a classic.

An other great one from Taking Chances, chapter 16:
'Ellery parked across from the bar and turned off the ignition, looking at Ennis carefully, quietly, as if sizing him up. Ennis was still gripping his hat, his silence loud, roaring in his own ears. Finally, as if tearing the words from somewhere deep in his guts he looked up at the man looking at him and said, in a low, tortured voice,

“What da you want from me?” And Ellery put his big, wide hand down over Ennis’s clutching hands, closing it slowly.

“Nothin you don’t want, Ennis. First – to get this shit with this slug Wilson straightened. And if there is anything more, if its friends or a drink in the bar or somethin else that is up to you. I ain’t no teenager, Ennis. I won’t put hands on ya. But you know where I stand, and if its what you want then its fine with me, whatever it is. No need ta be scared I’m gonna do nothin. I got a big mouth and maybe I am just a little to open flirtin an all that with somebody like you, but that’s just how I am with someone I feel good around. And that’s all it’ll be if that is all you want. But you don’t need to tear outta here because yer afraid I’m gonna put hands on ya because I won’t. Fair enough?”

[pastorfred]

Yet another of my favorite moments from A Second Chance, Chapter 36:

(Ellery has just had the second nightmare about Beagle. Ennis wakes him up.)

He stirred, feeling the abrading touch of a large thumb against his cheek. “Darlin, roll over darlin, ya got ta get up an put on yer brace, wake up.” His eyes fluttered open and he blinked in the gloom. It was full dark, light slanting in from the hallway casting the naked man crouching over him in deep shadow.

“Ennis?”

“Yeah, ya passed out. I guess ya got off good. Come on darlin, can’t have ya sleepin like this or you’ll be hurtin tomorrow.”


I love this moment because Ennis is showing such loving care for Ellery, just when he needs it most. It exemplifies the reason I am as happy for Ellery to have Ennis as for Ennis to have Ellery.

[scudder]

Yet another of my favorite moments from A Second Chance, Chapter 36:

(Ellery has just had the second nightmare about Beagle. Ennis wakes him up.)

He stirred, feeling the abrading touch of a large thumb against his cheek. “Darlin, roll over darlin, ya got ta get up an put on yer brace, wake up.” His eyes fluttered open and he blinked in the gloom. It was full dark, light slanting in from the hallway casting the naked man crouching over him in deep shadow.

“Ennis?”

“Yeah, ya passed out. I guess ya got off good. Come on darlin, can’t have ya sleepin like this or you’ll be hurtin tomorrow.”


I love this moment because Ennis is showing such loving care for Ellery, just when he needs it most. It exemplifies the reason I am as happy for Ellery to have Ennis as for Ennis to have Ellery.

You've done it again, Fred.  I think I will just say right now,  whatever Pastor Fred says is what I say too!  Saves me the trouble of looking things up.

[pastorfred]

You've done it again, Fred.  I think I will just say right now,  whatever Pastor Fred says is what I say too!  Saves me the trouble of looking things up.

Thanks, Scudder!

You've just made my day, twice today. 

[laurel]

I see nothing wrong with E&E calling eachother "Boy".   

It just has to be used in the correct context.

"Boy go fetch me a beer"  <---Wrong!

"Boy C'mere and git on your knees"   <---Hell yes. 

"Boy, you pop the clutch on my truck one more time and Mr.Coyote will be angry"  <--oh most definately!

I agree with you David, hunderd percent! 

I know you were more interested in hearing from other guys, but I just wanted to weigh in with my gal perspective on "pookie", "sweetheart", and the like.  I am not crazy about these overly sugary endearments.  I much prefer names like "boy", "coyboy", "Mr. Coyote" (yum), etc.  I think these are affectionate, without being sappy.

[laurel]

Yay!!  I'm not a tourist anymore.  I'm a Junior Ranch Hand!! 
Okay, I so need some excitement in my life!

[notBastet]

Re: pet names...I think you get to a point you use a name and don't even realize it. For example, because of this discussion, this morning I noticed I was calling my husband "sweetie" and franklly, if you asked me yesterday, I might have said I never called him sweetie in my life! LOL My children I call "sweetheart" and "honey" all the time, that I know.

I also think people have a few of these endearments in their lexicon..."babe" at certain intimate moments, honey, sweetheart, and sweetie. No darlings, lover, baby, cowboy, snookums, lumpkin, or pookie for us.

A few weeks ago, I called a patient sweetheart. Now THAT was embarrassing!!

Leslie

Leslie - living in the south, people call me dear and sweetheart all the time - clerks at the grocery store, customer service people on the phone!  Even my clients.  a few older men have called me honey (which sounds icky, but they're usually pretty sweet).

Calling your patient sweetheart - not weird down here.  A lot of my granpa's nurses called him "hon."

[notBastet]

I wish. LOL. No eye candy here at gate A17, either. Sigh....

that's the worst, huh?  when there's no eye candy on a flight.
 

[pastorfred]

Regarding endearments: I called my son sweetheart when he was a toddler. What can I say? I'm a southerner, and the mountain West shares a lot of language characteristics with the South.

I had a wonderful male dog named Pookie. My daughter gave him the name.

I don't remember ever calling my son, "Boy," or anybody else, for that matter. I don't object to it as an endearment. I tend to agree with David about the times that it might be less than appropriate because it seems more demeaning than endearing.