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

[belbbmfan]

A few days off? 


Na, let's just continue. I haven't been without E & E for one day since i started reading back in June...

[MaineWriter]

Good morning re-readers...let's dive in! A Second Chance, chapters 1-5 today.

http://louisev.livejournal.com/50230.html

Chapter 1, we start off with some extreme hotness:

Ellery had made dinner, since Ennis had laid camp, and in the sticky heat, stripped down afterwards to take a dip in the still-icy stream. It was then that the desire struck him, and Ennis went over to his horse tack and grabbed the coil of his lariat, taking advantage of Ellery’s turned back before he launched a coil and it splashed into the water before tightening on his shoulders.

“Hey there, what are you, goin fishin with a lasso, boy?” Ellery said, turning as Ennis stood, feet apart, tugging slightly.

“You c’mere, I caught ya fair an square.”

“Shit Ennis I ain’t washed my hair yet.”

“I said c’mere, bathin beauty, I need ya,” He tugged again, gently, on the lariat, and Ellery pulled back on the length tugging him, yanking it free and diving in the water. He stood, frowning, reeling in the rope, and sat back down, lighting a cigar and taking a sip of whiskey before drawing a mouthful of flavored tobacco. Ellery had to get out sometime.

It was about fifteen minutes later, Ellery finally emerged, streaming water from his dark hair, shivering, that he climbed onto shore, and Ennis launched the lariat at him again, this time tightening the rope around arms and belly, and stood up, tugging him close. “I told you... I caught you fair an square, boy,” he said, holding his arms behind him, using the end of the lariat to lash his wrists together with multiple loops, and Ellery’s head flew up and around.

“Ennis what are you ---“

“I told ya I’d surprise ya some time, an now’s the time...” he said matter of factly, and as Ellery glanced at his face, he saw the molten expression of lust in those brown eyes, responding with a bolt of pleasure and excitement that stiffened his cock as he was marched to the tent, hands tied behind his back. “Get on yer knees,” Ennis ordered, a growl in his whisper as he spoke close to Ellery’s ear, and he dropped slowly, knees hitting the comparative softness of the air mattress, and he looked up from behind a screen of wet, dripping hair as Ennis unbuckled his belt and pushed his denims off his hips, stepping out of them, cock hard and ready. He held his cock in one hand, stroking it casually, while he unbuttoned his shirt, hunched over under the canted canvas roof, examined the tightness of the knot holding Ellery’s wrists before pressing his cock close to his mouth. “Now suck me.”


L

[belbbmfan]

chapter 1: extreme hotness indeed 


which led to Ennis thinking and feeling guilty about Jack again and Ellery reassuring him.

Ellery put a soft caress on his arm, looking down at him in the haze of brilliant sunlight and smoke, and said “Jack loved you, Ennis. He loved you with all his heart. An lovin you, he would want you to be happy for the rest a yer life. That much I know. If Justin Worrell had put a slug through my chest that night an I died right then, I would come back from the grave an haunt yer dreams ta tell ya ta get up an get over grievin me an go on and find someone else. Because love ain’t no jealous thing... an I don’t believe he would want you to suffer or be alone for his sake. An neither would I. I ain’t kiddin on this boy. You think on that.”

Ennis nodded, gulping down the lump that had risen in his throat. “You think... you think Jack loved me.”

“He wrote it in yer fuckin letter. Where is that letter?”

“Home, in the book.”

“Then you get home an open that letter up an see what he said back all those years ago, that he loved ya and couldn’t bear to be apart from ya. You think on that because I for one believe it.”

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 2, a little humor, and another picture to retrieve from the archives:

“Is that the sultry voice of my chief deputy I hear swearin like a sailor in the squad room?” the voice of Wes Brown rumbled out of his office. “Judge Worrell is bringin another motion an I want you in court tomorrow mornin.”

“Oh fuck me sideways!” Ellery exclaimed.

“No thank you,” Wes said. “Dress nice for it. Dress – like that.” he pointed.

Ellery looked down at his dress blacks. “I intend to. Anythin wrong with the way I dressed for last week’s motion?”

“Amos commented that you were out a regulation uniform an it reflected badly on the department.”

“Fuck him, what out of regulation uniform?”

“Blue socks.”

“Wes, I just had Justin Worrell tell me he thinks I fantasize about him in bed. Do I need ta be talked to about blue socks?”

“If you want off this case, which you argued so passionately to be put back on, I will gladly put you on the Robinson theft investigation again an your competent understudy with the bran muffin in hand can forge ahead with our murderer.”

“No, I was just sayin.”

“Sayin you’ll wear black socks tomorrow, an don’t give Amos any additional excuses fer callin me up because it makes me want ta strangle em, an that wouldn’t be good for my chances a reelection.”



L

[MaineWriter]

And a little more from Chapter 2:

Ellery pulled out of the parking lot of the sheriff’s office, and headed for Dr. Sampson’s. He had just gotten approval for a clinical trial of the AIDS test, and Ellery and Ennis were his field subjects.

Ennis was already parked outside the clinic, smoking the last of a Havana blunt as Ellery pulled in. His face was drawn. They had agreed weeks before that if Sampson got approved for testing them, they would have it done together. The difficult part was wondering what would happen if one of them were positive and the other, negative, which might mean some difficult choices for them in facing the future. While unlikely, the possibility was always there, and loomed between them, even during their long weekends in the mountains, their leisurely horeseback rides, their nights of lovemaking... the looming anxiety represented by the test that they had yet to take.

Ellery had hoped for an information solution: that Justin Worrell would explain when he first got sick, whether and when he had slept with Jack Twist, but so far the taciturn, volatile prisoner had given him no useful information, only infuriating taunts meant to cause Ellery to lose his temper, disorganize the investigation, and mislead him as much as possible. The only real source of information they had, was their own bodies, which remained persistently healthy. And Ennis’s health, more than any other fact, had been their only real reassurance as the news about AIDS grew worse and worse week after week, crowding out almost all other news on the radio, television, and newspapers. The gay plague had arrived in force.

“You ready ta go in?” Ellery said as he came over to Ennis and took his hand, squeezing it slightly. Ennis did not pull away... after three months living together in Laramie, such gestures of casual intimacy had grown on him to the point where he no longer shied at a casual touch between them. He didn’t even look over his shoulder, returning that brief gesture of greeting and support, he nodded.

“Might as well. It ain’t goin away, so we might as well go face it.” And they walked into Dr. Sampson’s office together.


L

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 3:

Ennis came in the house, a cold, still look on his face which meant only one thing: someone had pissed him off.

“Uh oh. Did Nate say somethin?”

“Yeah he did. An he is damn lucky I didn’t tear up his fuckin business cards in his face.”

“What’d he say?”

“He said I had a nice sweet tight ass. Goddammit it Ellery.”

“Are you denyin the truth of the man’s words, Ennis?” Ellery said, unable to suppress a grin.

“It’s none a his goddamn business what my ass is! An he knows... he knows I’m taken.”

“Maybe he’s just givin ya a compliment. Other men have said that at the bar haven’t they?”

“Yeah but we weren’t in no queer bar. We were standin right out in the open!” He threw down his hat and slumped into the chair. Ellery came over and perched on the table, reaching out a hand to pat his knee.

“Just tell em next time that he’ll never know just how nice an tight yer ass is cause it belongs to the Sheriff’s chief deputy, how’s that?”

“I ain’t gonna say that.”

“If ya do it might discourage em. An it would really please the hell outta me.”

“Maybe.”

“You need a drink Ennis, you know the real reason yer upset.”

“Stupid fuckin blood test. Fuckin Denver. Why we got ta go to Denver?“

“Right. That’s the reason. Because they’re experimenting.”

“I don’t know if I want ta be part a no fuckin experiment on queers.”

“They’re just testin our blood. Try ta relax. Here.” Ellery rose and poured him a shot of Glenfiddich, handing it over. Ennis took it without answering, sipping on it, giving Ellery a brooding glance.

“Yer plyin me with alcohol.”

Ellery brightened, giving him a small nod. “How’s it workin?”

“Keep it up, boy, it might work.”

L

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 4, more hotness!

“Here, let me get ya a bit more comfortable, it’s hot in here ya know...” Ellery said, leaning over and unbuttoning Ennis’s shirt, sliding his fingers beneath it... “Oooh no t-shirt,” he murmured with delight, rubbing his thumb over the suddenly-puckered nipple and Ennis’s back straightened.

“Oh yer gettin me riled...” Ennis whispered, emptying the shot glass with a quick gulp, his hand coming around Ellery’s back and pulling him closer, just as his left hand was pushing back the light cotton of his white dress shirt and pressing firmly against his other nipple and his lips descended on Ennis’s collarbone.

“Yep... but I got a special request for ya, sweetheart... you were so good about the lariat an all...”

“Want me ta tie ya ta the bed this time?” Ennis rasped, head falling against the back of the sofa as he felt the soft wetness of Ellery’s lips zone in on his left nipple, sucking deeply before letting go, and he looked up.

“Nope... I want ta fuck you again, Ennis. From on top. On yer knees.”

“Ohhh....” Ennis breathed, a shiver going through him at the words, on yer knees.... and his arousal became obvious moments later, Ellery’s long fingers working open the buckle on his denims and unzipping him.

“I’ll make it real good for ya, I figured I could give you a good tonguin first of all to get you loosened up, an make you come real good...” he lapped at the nipple between words, his right thumb pressing the top of his cock as it pressed against his drawers, aching to get out, "an once yer all nice an muzzy then slide in an give you a real smooth ride, whattaya say, cowboy?”

“Yeahhhh just... be careful...”


and then, at the end...

“Well?” came the soft challenge, accompanied by the flash of steel grey eyes in the gloom. Ennis handed the cigar over, exhaling loudly.

“That was ... that was amazin.”

“Glad ta know I haven’t forgot how,” Ellery said, inhaling. “Guess it’s like ridin a bicycle.”

“It ain’t like ridin a bicycle,” Ennis replied.

“Well no, it is a whole lot more fun than that. An yer reputation is intact, sweetheart."

"Reputation?"

"Yeah, fer havin a nice sweet tight ass."


L

[MaineWriter]

A little more humor from Chapter 5:

“Not to change the topic off the essentials of my footwear, but did you cross swords with Sampson?”

“I did. An he said that he made a call ta get em to hurry up an you should plan to have the phone screenin tonight or tomorrow night, an make arrangements ta go down to the University a Colorado Health Sciences Center within the week after the screenin call. An I failed ta get mountains ta move ta avoid all that so you can take a couple a days off with Ennis ta go do it.”

“’ppreciate it, Wes. An I would also ‘ppreciate it if you talked ta Sampson about gettin a little more live an let live about queer men. We are his patients an he is the best in this town an it really gets our back up when he flinches every time somethin comes up about anal intercourse or homosexual sex contact.”

“He’s an old world doc.”

“Yeah, an old world docs have been pullin blood-an-gore soaked infants outa women’s cooches for hundreds a years without gettin nauseous, so they can sure as hell get used ta men kissin an pokin each other. Wouldn’t ya say?”

Wes gulped. “Thank you for those stunnin visual images Ellery. I will make mention ta him.”

Ellery dropped his feet onto the floor with a clatter. “Thank you, Sheriff.” He heaved himself up and out of the chair. “I’ll let ya know when we get a date ta go ta Denver.”

L

[MaineWriter]

An interesting exchange from Chapter 5:

Dupree looked at Joe, who returned his gaze placidly. “What was that about?”

“You hittin on his boyfriend Dupree? That is a dangerous occupation.”

“No I wasn’t hittin on his... shit Joe, I ain’t queer.”

“I don’t know, evidence is pointing the other way Dupree. You showin up at a queer bar, talkin to somebody’s steady live in man... you are treadin on thin ice...”

“Cut it out Joe... yer startin ta worry me.”

“Well did ya kiss em?”

Dupree stared. “Are you insane?”

“He’s a nice lookin man, I wouldn’t blame ya if ya did Dupree.”

“No I didn’t kiss em!”

“Well might want to clear that up with the Chief cause it sounds like somebody told on ya.”

Dupree hurried over to Ellery’s office and knocked on the door. “Hey, can I ask ya somethin Ellery?”

He looked up from dialing the telephone and set it down. “Sure Dupree, what’s on yer mind?”

Dupree closed the door, his pale face in high color as he sat down. Behind him, Ellery caught a glimpse of Joe laughing behind his hand and repressed a grin.

“I... I wasn’t down there ta ... flirt with... Ennis... or anything.”

“I know that. You told me you ain’t queer.”

“I just wanted ta... clear that up.”

“You don’t have to clear it up, Dupree. I just needed ta know the site for the report.” That mischievous look was back in his eyes.

“Okay then. So you don’t think that I...”

“I don’t think anythin at all about it Dupree. But if you go undercover next time you might want ta be less obvious than wearin military togs.”

“Right, Chief.” Dupree got up, feeling bewildered.

“For Chrissake Dupree, haven’t you got any sense of humor at all? I was givin ya shit.”

“Oh.” He cracked a little smile.

“Now go steal me one a Joe’s bran muffins.”


L

[MaineWriter]

And from the archives, just for fun, another one of our photostories:

RED SOCKS (by MaineWriter)

Yesterday we learned that Ellery wears a

with his

for work. He has some 



and some




but mostly he has



Because people can see his



we know he wears



not



for work. When Ellery wears his



Amos Marigold sees red!


Ennis wears



and



for work.

Ellery is thinking of getting Ennis a new pair of boots for Christmas. Do you think Ennis would like these?



L