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

[NavyVet]

I really like that cowboy picture, NavyVet, would you mind if I used it for an avatar?

Feel free!

Just in case anyone questions its origin, I should give credit:  I found it at 'Webshots'.

Sorry it took me so long to answer.  I just got back and I'm on page 561.

So, hey, gang!  I'm so glad to be home!!!

Seasickness is NOT fun - I'm still having dizzy spells.  And NO Internet all week.  DH wouldn't let me pay their rediculous price of $.75 per freakin' minute even though the sumbitch won a black jack tournament.

I'm exhausted - going ta bed soon.  I hope to start re-reading at Chapter 1 tomorrow.

G'night, y'all!

[louisev]

WB Navyvet!

I hope you enjoy "Dupree's Choice" when you wake up again!

[MaineWriter]

Re-readers! Chapters 31 to 35:

http://louisev.livejournal.com/10433.html

A little bit of Ellery talking dirty...

“Am I still drivin?” Ennis asked as they approached the car.

“You better, I see two a you right now, not that I have any objection, but I don’t think that extra is a real Ennis.”

Ennis smiled faintly, and unlocked the El Camino. “How you feelin?”

“Not feelin any pain any more, but I am thinkin about your hands, my back, my second bottle a Glennfiddle an some soft music, and not a stitch a clothes in sight."

and a few minutes later...

Ennis pulled the El Camino into the carport.

“You ready for a little naughty talk, backrub an Glenfiddle, lover?” Ellery said as they climbed out of the car.

Ennis took a sharp breath, old habit dying hard, and looked around him to see if anyone heard. Ellery laughed, seeing his reaction. “Yeah.”

“Then let’s go.”





L

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 32 is full of hot, sexy goodness...

They took the time to bathe, Ennis running the tub full of hot water, and helping Ellery out of his brace and then into the tub, and he knelt beside it, rubbing up and down those long, lean limbs with an oversized sponge, from time to time splashing him teasingly and then reaching his hands down under the soapy water to grasp his cock, massaging it to firmness while Ellery leaned back, moaning softly against the ceramic wall of the tub, yielding to Ennis’s hand... and then he would stop, rub his wet hands down his arms and back, turn him gently and start in scrubbing with the sponge down the length of his narrow back, taking care not to twist his aching spine.

“You done this before, Ennis.”

“I swear I have not, Deputy,” he said, humor in his voice. “It’s jest a natural instinct a mine.” But it occurred to him belatedly, he had done this before, bathed his little daughters, turning them this way and that in the washtub when they were tiny, making sure they were soaped up from head to toe before squeezing the sponge out and giving them a shower rinse, making them squeal with delight. His face colored slightly as he remembered... bathing his daughters, somehow associating that with bathing his ... lover.


L

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 33, Ennis introspection:

And what of Ennis’s sudden liaison with Ellery? Was this a weekend fling, which he would drive away from at Sunday closing time, with a wave and a slap on the ass? He felt a sharp pain travel through his gut, half pain, half longing. Could he even do that? He remembered what it was like, that first time, after that rarefied flight he and Jack made through the clouds on the top of that mountain, thrown together and then clinging without letting go, until the day they brought the sheep down, turned, and drove off. That pain which had never truly left, but grew less when Jack was back in his arms, then grew keen and sharp when they drove off in separate directions once again… all those years. Is that what this is gonna be? He thought, with a twinge of despair. What if I can’t bear to drive off an leave this one?

He felt, by alterations, a wild joy and corresponding despair. He pulled Ellery closer, the boneless relaxation of sleep made his light body resistless to the fierce embrace, and did not let go. He couldn’t let go. He needed this… this man, this contact, this pleasure – like a drowning man needs air. But how could he say so? When would the moment come when those grey eyes would fix coldly on his and say “well, so long Ennis, been fun.” Was it Ellery’s words he feared – or his own? Was he doomed to drive off in his truck, and let this one out of his sights too? Was he going to repeat the whole sordid, gut-wrenching history of self denial all over again? Had he changed at all, really?

He held tight to the sleeping body that had suddenly become a precious touchstone for him, a talisman, and sucked a deep lungful of Ellery’s Cuban cigar, feeling the sweetish aroma flood through him. He would never think of Ellery again without associating him with this unique aroma, alluring, sweet and yet underlyingly, deeply pungent – contradictions wrapped into one being, just as Ennis was paradoxically happy and grief-laden, all in the same moment.

L

[MaineWriter]

Some more from Chapter 33:

Ellery looked at him in puzzlement. “Ya know just because we’re getting busy here in the bedroom don’t mean it’s stamped in red ink across yer forehead for everyone ta see. Yer afraid that look a gratification gonna give you away to everyone else?”

Ennis frowned. “Gave it away ta Bill.”

Ellery laughed. “Bill thinks I’m fuckin the mailman, the milkman an half the customers in the bar too. That don’t mean shit.”

“Fair enough.”

“I won’t hold yer hand in the diner, Ennis. I promise.”

“You won’t say none a that stuff ta rile me up? You know how easy I get riled…”

Ellery grinned at him. “I promise. If I embarrass you a tall then we can eat meals in after this, fair enough?”

“All right then.” Ennis felt his fear edge off slightly at his easy reassurance. But he was still nervous as a cat, and Ellery was absolutely right: it felt like this bone-loosening pleasure that had so deeply moved him, was written all over his face like a neon sign sayin “I’m queer and I fucked a man silly all mornin.” But that didn’t make it true.


L

[MaineWriter]

Chapter 34 and we learn that Ennis has a thing for men in uniforms!

He nodded once more. He didn’t have the balls to tell Ellery that the official uniform had given him an even more compelling presence, something that he found immensely alluring, but at the same time made him feel immune from the world around him, stronger, perhaps, because he was accompanied by The Law. Somehow, Ellery knew this, which may be a reason why he had donned the uniform for the trip out and to the hospital. It also instilled a sense of formality in his interactions with Ellery, pushing firmly into the background of their interaction with each other the sudden intense sexual intimacy that made Ennis so self-conscious.

“Glad ta hear it. I was sorta afraid maybe…” he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a barely heard whisper….”you might have some thing for uniforms.”

Ennis blushed brightly and set his mug down on the table, his eyes staring, and Ellery dropped his gaze. “Sorry,” he said, his voice if anything, even less audible.

“S’alright.” But Ennis was trembling, his eyes looking up and around to see if anyone around them had seen or heard the interchange. The two other patrons, hunched over their meals, seemed to not even notice them, and the waitress was in the kitchen. His breathing gradually returned to normal, and he picked up his mug again shakily.


L

[mariez]

Chapter 33, Ennis introspection:

And what of Ennis’s sudden liaison with Ellery? Was this a weekend fling, which he would drive away from at Sunday closing time, with a wave and a slap on the ass? He felt a sharp pain travel through his gut, half pain, half longing. Could he even do that? He remembered what it was like, that first time, after that rarefied flight he and Jack made through the clouds on the top of that mountain, thrown together and then clinging without letting go, until the day they brought the sheep down, turned, and drove off. That pain which had never truly left, but grew less when Jack was back in his arms, then grew keen and sharp when they drove off in separate directions once again… all those years. Is that what this is gonna be? He thought, with a twinge of despair. What if I can’t bear to drive off an leave this one?

He felt, by alterations, a wild joy and corresponding despair. He pulled Ellery closer, the boneless relaxation of sleep made his light body resistless to the fierce embrace, and did not let go. He couldn’t let go. He needed this… this man, this contact, this pleasure – like a drowning man needs air. But how could he say so? When would the moment come when those grey eyes would fix coldly on his and say “well, so long Ennis, been fun.” Was it Ellery’s words he feared – or his own? Was he doomed to drive off in his truck, and let this one out of his sights too? Was he going to repeat the whole sordid, gut-wrenching history of self denial all over again? Had he changed at all, really?

He held tight to the sleeping body that had suddenly become a precious touchstone for him, a talisman, and sucked a deep lungful of Ellery’s Cuban cigar, feeling the sweetish aroma flood through him. He would never think of Ellery again without associating him with this unique aroma, alluring, sweet and yet underlyingly, deeply pungent – contradictions wrapped into one being, just as Ennis was paradoxically happy and grief-laden, all in the same moment.

L

Good morning, Leslie.  Thank you for the wonderful quotes.  This one is a particular favorite.  I always love the introspection.  Really exquisite writing.  It's great to hop over here and be "comforted" by the E&E re-read! You've heard of comfort food?  Well, they are my comfort read!    E&E scenes always give me a nice warm, peaceful feeling (and even more so now that I know the ending!). 

I was thrilled to read about Louise's plan to write Ellery's POV.  There are so many times while reading this that I've wondered - and what exactly is Ellery thinking? 

Thanks - Marie

[MaineWriter]

Some more from Chapter 34...Ennis tries to set some boundaries, and Ellery teaches him about Indian girl therapy!

After getting into clear roadway away from other buildings, he suddenly pulled off onto the shoulder and shut the car off.

Ellery looked up, startled, but before he could speak Ennis leaned over toward him and grabbed his hand. “Now listen. One thing ya got ta understand about me, Ellery. An I hope I don’t have to say this moren once. You whisper somethin ta me like what you did in there, this is what happens.” He pulled his thin hand down and pressed it into his crotch, his rigid erection strained against his fly. “I ain’t had any fuckin like that for a coupla years and you got me goin just sayin that. You tol’ me you’d be careful but you got ta be a whole lot more careful, got that?”

Ellery let his hand go slack, looking into the fierce gleam of Ennis’s wide eyes, his expression an arresting mixture of lust and fear, and nodded, then said softly, “I’m really sorry. I wasn’t tryin ta –“

“I know,” Ennis said, releasing his hand. “You don’t know me all that good yet. Now you know one thing more. An whisperin is one thing that – well, it’s one thing that’s pretty much guaranteed.” He started the car again, his breathing labored as he tried to bring his arousal under control once more. “There’s a lot I don’t know bout me, never really had much of a chance ta find out. An me an Jack – well we never rode around anywheres where people were so I never had ta worry bout it. Now, I got ta worry about it all the time. There was this once – when we hadn’t seen each other since the time on the mountain – first time he come ta visit me, and the minute I set eyes on him, he stepped on my porch... I grabbed him right out there in broad daylight, with my wife behind the screen door. For weeks after I thought I was gonna be knifed ta death in my sleep, worryin about what she thought.”

“Shit, Ennis,” Ellery said, now thoughtful.

“That’s why we’d go up campin in the mountains. No one ta see me get roused an riled over a man. An I’m sittin here in a car right in the middle a Laramie with a boner so hard I could sharpen a knife.”

“Think a the Indian girl,” Ellery said.

Ennis stared at him as though he had gone insane. “Think a the what?”

“Think a that brown Indian girl on the butter box sittin in yer lap with that big red lipped smile, that oughta cool ya down. Does it for me every time I get overheated in an inconvenient locale.”





L

[MaineWriter]

Re-readers...

I leave this evening for a quick trip to Washington, DC, and tomorrow promises to be an 18 hour day from hell. I won't be online most of the day, if at all. I am posting the link to chapter 36 here (tomorrow's reading is 36-40) and I am going to count on you good people to come up with some great quotes...okay?

http://louisev.livejournal.com/11538.html

I should be back to normal (albeit exhausted) on Tuesday.

L