Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 51803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
To distract himself, Valenti heard himself saying, “So, we’ve established that I’m more manly so I get to play the ‘daddy,’ but what, ah, qualities does my lovely partner here have that make him so fitting to play the ‘boy’?”
“Don’t kid yourself, honey,” Twonnie said flatly, raising an immaculately groomed eyebrow at him. “Submitting doesn’t make you less of a man. In fact, it takes a hell of a lot more guts to take it than to dish it out, if you know what I mean.”
“Not really,” O’Brian murmured, giving Valenti a sardonic look from the corner of his eye.
“That’s right, and you better hope you don’t find out the hard way, stud.” Twonnie actually leaned across the table and poked O’Brian in the chest. “The RamJack can be a rough place if you wander into the wrong area. You want to keep your cherry, you better stay out of the Dark Knight and the Minotaur’s Lair.”
“The what and the where?” O’Brian looked as confused as Valenti felt.
“That’s just two of the areas you want to avoid if you want to keep your virginity, honey.” Twonnie smiled a little at their obvious discomfort. “I’d make you a list of all the rest, but there’s too many to go into. In fact, it’s really not safe for a couple of straights like you two to go to the RamJack at all. Too bad they couldn’t find some gay cops to do this bit. If Conrad figures out you two are not who you say you are, you’ll be in a world of hurt.”
O’Brian cleared his throat. “There are no out gay cops, Twonnie. Out to each other, maybe, but not out to the brass or their brothers in blue. You oughta know that, if you have any friends in the ‘scene’ that are in the department. Valenti and I were picked because we’ve been together a long time -- we’re comfortable together.” He put his hand on Valenti’s arm again and squeezed.
“Comfortable, hmm?” Twonnie regarded them skeptically and then nodded slowly. “Well, I can see that, I guess. At least you’re not sitting there all stiff and straight and afraid to touch each other. But in order to pull this off, your body language has got to be even more loose and natural than it already is. You need to be touching each other all the time.”
“But we do -- at least, most of the time,” O’Brian protested.
Valenti nodded, thinking how he used to take the easy touching between them for granted. That was before O’Brian’s hand on his arm sent a tingling fire straight to his crotch. He crossed his legs uncomfortably and wished O’Brian would take his hand away, but he couldn’t possibly say so.
“No, no -- not all this manly we-are-brothers-let-me-pat-you-on-the-shoulder shit. Pardon my French, honey. Detective Valenti --” He turned earnestly to Valenti. “-- you have to touch possessively -- put your hands on your boy with authority so everybody gets the message he’s yours. Otherwise, he’s up for grabs, and you don’t want that at the RamJack.
“Now, you --” Twonnie turned to O’Brian, who was watching him intently, his hand still on Valenti’s arm. “You need to work on acting like his boy. It helps that you’re blond and cute, and you should definitely work that as much as possible. And use your playful side, if you’ve got one, stud -- joke and tease a lot, play up to your man. Touch him like you need reassurance -- to make sure he’s still there and interested in you. Kiss the side of his neck, sit between his legs, put your head on his shoulder -- remind him you’re his one and only. Am I making myself clear?”
“Perfectly,” Valenti said miserably. It was almost like Twonnie was inside his head, making a list of all the things he wished he could do with his partner but could never dare. He couldn’t believe O’Brian wasn’t raising holy hell about some of Twonnie’s “suggestions,” but his partner just nodded, a thoughtful look in his green eyes.
“And can you do it? Because if you have any doubts, you’d better back out now. The RamJack is no place to play around, boys.” Twonnie looked so serious that Valenti almost turned to his partner and suggested that they do just that. Before he could say anything, O’Brian growled, “Valenti and me don’t back out of anything. We’re playin’ for keeps here, and we’ll do what it takes.”
Twonnie shook his head, a sorrowful look in his liquid brown eyes. “I hope you know what you’re saying, honey, and I hope you can follow through with it. Once you go in those big black doors, you’re in Conrad’s domain, and Lord help you if he suspects you’re not just another daddy and his boy out for some fun.”