A Trial of Strength

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH - PART 350 By Rob Williams

IN THIS CHAPTER:

1. Larry is treated to a jungle fantasy by Grady, the new movie Tarzan. They act out a wild scene ending with the muscular Tarzan spread-eagled on the jungle floor, fucked senseless. 2) Middle-aged Mike is still daunted by the age difference between him and his new boy Larry. But Larry's playful sexuality is irresistible as he lies naked on the bed. "Here I am, sir, your brand new boy – and I'm all yours."

CHAPTER 350 – "JUNGLE FANTASIES – REAL-LIFE PASSIONS"

************ In the previous chapter *************

Randy, the blunt-speaking leader of the tribe, said it best to the new boy Larry.

With his usual lack of finesse, he chuckled, "Hell, kid, you look like you just hit the jackpot. That glow can only mean one thing. You fucked, didn't you? You fucked a guy for the first time, am I right? The jungle drums round here have been keeping us up with your sexual exploits all day. Looks like you've been fucking your way through the clan pretty good."

Larry had been with them only a week but in that time he had earned his place in the tribe. More importantly for him, he had officially become Mike's boy. Better known as Uncle Mike, the middle-aged bar-owner from Palm Springs had been visiting the clan when Larry burst on the scene.

In his early twenties, Larry was new to sex with men, but despite their age difference and Mike's warning they should take things slowly, they grew ever closer. Larry's youthful, eager sexuality had eventually won the day and at last Mike had proclaimed for all to hear, "I'm gonna take care of him, I'm gonna teach him. He's coming to live with me."

And so Friday came, the day set for Mike's return home to the desert ... taking Larry with him. "So today's the big day, kiddo," Mike said as they lay in bed early that morning. "We'll leave this afternoon. And tomorrow we'll be joined in the desert by Mark and Jamie, Jason and Ben. You haven't had much to do with Jason yet, the hottest fireman in any calendar," Mike grinned, "so you'll have a chance to get to know him better. Should be an interesting weekend.

"But this morning, before we go, I wanna introduce you to my young nephew Brian. He's my only relative, he's in a wheelchair and lived a lonely life in an old trailer park in the desert until the tribe saved him. He now works up at the Grady House and we're invited for an early lunch.

Larry was tingling with excitement as they arrived at the big, solid gates that gave no hint of the luxurious house behind them. Mike pressed a button at the keypad and an excited young voice came from the intercom. "Uncle Mike, is that you? Come on in, we were expecting you." The gates swung silently open, Mike drove in and they quickly closed behind them. "That was my nephew Brian," Mike said.

"How did he know it was you, sir?" Mike pointed upwards. "Cameras at the gate and all round the place. Mark and Randy installed a heavy security system here. Look there's Brian."

A boy in a wheelchair came spinning out to meet them and Mike introduced them. Brian offered to give Larry a tour of the opulent house but first went off to clear it with Mario. Larry asked Mike, "But why all the secrecy and security, sir? Is this Mario famous or something?"

Before he could answer Brian came rolling back and said, "OK, dude, come with me." Inside, Larry looked around wide-eyed ... he had never seen such a big, beautiful house. They went upstairs in the elevator and as they walked into the wide corridor a beautiful, dark-haired man, casually but elegantly dressed, came out of a room and broke into a dazzling smile."

"Ah, che bel ragazzo. You must be Larry," Mario said in his lilting Italian accent, "and I was not here to meet you. Imperdonabile – mi scusi, Larry. We have heard so much about you from Uncle Mike, I think you have quite bewitched him. And now we get to meet you." He shook the hand of the dazzled boy who stammered, "Hello, sir."

"Grady will be home from the studio soon," Mario smiled. "He only had a few short scenes this morning – they're shooting the sequel already, you know." Apparently, Larry thought, Mario wrongly assumed he knew all about this Grady character. Must be Mario's lover. "We thought we would have lunch by the pool. Danny is preparing it right now and Brandon is coming up to help out. Come, let's go downstairs."

Outside Mike was with Danny who was wearing an apron and chef's hat and greeted Larry enthusiastically. Just then came the sound of tires in gravel outside, the gate swung open and in came a jeep with a man behind the wheel wearing cargo shorts, a loose tank top, a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes which were hidden behind sunglasses.

"Amico!" Mario shouted and ran toward him. The man threw off his cap, pulled off his sunglasses and opened his arms for Mario to fall into them. Larry's jaw dropped and his heart missed a beat. "That ... that looks like the Tarzan guy. His picture's all over St. Louis."

"All over the country, dude," Brian said with a touch of pride. "All over the world probably. Yup, he's Tarzan alright. His movie's gonna be real big."

"But he's ... I mean he's about the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen. And he's Mario's lover? I mean, he lives here?"

"That's why it's called the Grady House, dude," Danny grinned. "But don't be nervous. He's not a bit like a movie star. He's just one of the guys here." As if to prove the point Grady broke free of Mario and shouted across the garden, "Larry!"

Mario's greeting upstairs had been warm and a touch formal, but Grady was much more effusive. He bounded forward, scooped Larry into a tight hug and said, "Great to meet you, you young heart-breaker. I hear you're stealing Uncle Mike away from us. Well, it's about time he found a soul-mate and I'm real glad it's you."

Grady threw his arm round Larry and focused all his attention on him as he talked. The charismatic actor had the knack of making him feel he was the only boy in the world right now.

"But ... but ..." Larry sputtered. "Are you really the new Tarzan in that movie? I can't believe it."

"Hey, do you hear that guys?" Grady laughed. "If Larry don't believe I'm Tarzan the audiences won't either and the movie will bomb. Only one thing for it ... I guess I'll have to prove it." In an instant he pulled off his tank-top, dropped his shorts and held his arms out dramatically. He was wearing only his Tarzan loincloth that he'd had on under his shorts.

Larry gasped at the sight of this stunning muscle-jock with the perfect physique and handsome, smiling face, stripped down to a loincloth. "Still don't believe me, dude? OK, stand by for blasting." He cupped his hands round his mouth and let out an earsplitting Tarzan yell. The group bust out laughing and Larry said, "OK, sir, I believe you. It's just that I've seen your picture everywhere and never dreamed I'd actually meet you.'

"Well, if we're talking dreams here I guess I gotta give you something special to remember. Hey, Danny, how long do we have before lunch?"

"Oh, a good hour, sir."

"Great, so we have time. Larry, I'm gonna show you the ritual of the house. When I come home from the studio the first thing I do is take a plunge in the pool to wash off the sweat of the studio. Then I climb out and make love to my gorgeous Italian hunk here. And ... on special occasions – which this is – we can't even wait to get to our room so we do it right here in front of everyone." He grinned. "We have no shame – or inhibitions.

"And, here's the kicker. When there is a guest of honor we even invite him to join in. Now, today is a celebration of new love – the love between you and Uncle Mike. So guess what? You, Larry, are the guest of honor. You get it?"

Grady ran to the pool and the others followed him. He paused at the edge ... and dived in, a real Tarzan dive, body stretched, muscles rippling in the hot sun. As they all looked on he swam powerful stokes from one end of the pool to the other and back.

In a daze Larry looked at Brian and said, "Am I dreaming dude, or is this for real?"

"Oh it's real alright," Brian laughed. "We've all had the treatment, and now it's your turn. You ain't seen nothin' yet."

Grady swam over to them and rested his folded arms on the edge of the pool, his glorious face, streaming with water, beaming up at them. "Mario, mi amore, get naked. It's showtime."

********************* Chapter 350 **********************

Grady pulled himself strongly from the pool and stood smiling at the group with water pouring down his muscular body, his wet loincloth clinging to his hips and over the bulge of his cock. He held his arms out wide. "See, Larry, now do you believe I'm Tarzan?"

Larry was speechless. He had seen many previous Tarzan movies where the jungle-man swims across a river and pulls himself up the bank, but it had never looked as gorgeous as this Tarzan. And this time it was as if Tarzan had come down from the screen and was actually standing in front of him. "I ... I can't believe you're real," Larry stammered.

Grady laughed, "Well, if you don't believe your eyes you'll believe the touch, especially when the jungle man is wet." Grady wrapped his arms round Larry and he felt the warm, wet flesh of the muscular body pressed against him. "That real enough for you, kiddo? Make you feel like you're in the movie? OK, time to let your imagination run wild. One thing we like in this house is fantasy, eh, Brian ... eh, Danny?"

"Yes sir!" they said in unison.

"Good, so let's spice things up a bit. Where did Mario go? Ah!"

Grady went to a nearby tree where a rope was hanging from a branch, evidently something he had used in the past when playing games with Mario. He stretched up and grabbed the rope, took a few steps backward, then launched himself forward, like Tarzan on a vine, and dropped to the ground a few feet from Mario.

Mario knew the game well and loved to indulge his playful lover. It excited the handsome Italian to be part of this gorgeous jock's sex games and he played his part well. As instructed he had stripped naked and was now leaning back against a tree. And to `spice things up' as Grady had said, Mario's arms were stretched back round the tree and he had wrapped a short rope round his own wrists behind it.

To Larry's fertile imagination Tarzan had just swung in to rescue the naked prisoner ... Well that's how the movie usually went ... but this was no ordinary movie. Grady affected a surprised look as he gazed at the beautiful dark-haired man tied to a tree, his chiseled features wincing with dread (though his rock-hard cock somehow contradicted his look of fear).

"So, what do we have here?" the loin-clothed Grady said lasciviously, pacing back and forth in front of him. He reached out and ran his hand lightly over his muscular chest and ripped abs.

Mesmerized, Larry whispered to Brian, "What's he gonna do to him? Fuck him?"

"Dunno," Brian grinned. "Guess he'll do what comes naturally to a jungle-man. Feel free to stroke you're cock, dude. We always do at times like this." Just then Brandon arrived for lunch, and wheeled himself over to the group. He whispered to Danny, "The jungle scene again?"

"Of course," Danny grinned, "what else? This time it's for Larry's benefit."

By now Tarzan was stroking the bound man's face, neck, chest abs and thighs, avoiding (for now) his genital area. "Who did this to you? Does the handsome prisoner want me to release him? Maybe I will, but first ... mm, you're body feels so good." Grady gazed into Mario's brown eyes, grabbed the sides of his head, leaned forward and pressed his lips on his mouth, probing inside with his tongue.

"Mmm, you taste good, naked man – I wonder if the rest of you would be to Tarzan's taste." He kissed Mario's eyes, licked his neck, then all the way down his body, and lowered himself to his knees in front of him, gazing at his rock-hard dick already oozing pre-cum. For dramatic effect Mario struggled as if puling at the ropes to get free.

"You cannot escape, young man, until I have tasted your manhood."

Totally lost in the fantasy Larry was stoking his cock with one hand and squeezing Brian's hand with the other. He felt he was living a new Tarzan fantasy, though this one was unlike any Tarzan movie he had ever seen ... the jungle man in his loincloth on his knees before the beautiful, naked captive, gazing hungrily at his cock. "He's gonna suck his dick," Larry moaned, partly to Brian partly to himself. "Tarzan's gonna suck dick. Tarzan don't suck dick."

"This one does," Brian chuckled. "Just watch."

And that's just what Tarzan did, sliding his mouth over the long cock, swallowing it down to the back of his throat. He began to suck the shaft slowly making guttural groans while Mario rolled his head from side to side in ecstasy. Larry pounded his meat but Brian warned quietly, "Don't cum, dude, whatever you do. You're gonna need all your jizz soon."

Grady too pulled back, careful not to make Mario cum, and the captive groaned in frustration. He stood up and gave a lecherous grin. "I am not finished with you, stranger. If you are my prisoner ... so is your ass." Grady reached round and untied the ropes, then turned Mario round and pushed him face-first against the tree, his arms round it, and roped them to a stub of a branch high on the other side. "Now he's gonna fuck him," Larry said out loud.

Cupping his hands over the white globes of Mario's ass Grady groaned, "Yes ... yes ... I have to take it ... it is mine." He pressed his bulging loincloth against the flexed ass as Mario moaned "No!" and struggled again. Ignoring his pleas Grady pulled his cock out of his loincloth, spat on it, stroked it, and eased it between the cheeks and into the warm depths of the Italian's ass.

As Larry watched Tarzan ploughing the ass of his naked prisoner tied to the tree his cock was shuddering, about to unload, so he grabbed the hands of Brian on one side and Danny on the other. Mario was struggling and moaning out loud, "No ... barbaro ... basta ... basta!

But Grady continued fucking. Like a good actor and fantasist he was really getting into his role, much to the delight of the audience. "You are a beautiful man, stranger, and I will own your ass. I will keep you here as Tarzan's sex slave. You will be my mate, and all day I will fuck your face and your ass. You will never escape from me."

"No!" Mario shouted again. He struggled mightily and yanked at the ropes biding his wrists behind the tree. Of course they both knew that Grady had used the `escape knot' that Randy had taught everyone, and Mario now made use of it. He yanked on the dangling loose end, the ropes unraveled and his arms were free. He pushed back against Grady, forcing his cock out of him and sending him falling on his back on the grass.

Mario launched himself on him and they struggled fairly convincingly for a few minutes until Mario was on top, pinning Grady's arms to the ground above his head with one hand. "Now we shall see who the captive is here ... see how much Tarzan can suffer," Mario growled – again quite convincingly. He had played this scene before.

With his free hand he ripped a hole in the loincloth, pushed one of Grady's legs up high and (knowing exactly what his lover liked) pushed his dry cock through the hole and slowly into his wet ass. Tarzan howled in pain (as Grady howled in ecstasy) `suffering' the humiliation of having this handsome dark-haired stranger fuck his ass on the jungle floor.

Totally immersed in the graphic scene Larry shouted, "No, Tarzan don't take cock up his ass."

Danny chuckled, "He does in this house, dude – twice daily, sometimes more."

Mario heard their exchange and flashed a quick grin at Danny, then frowned as he returned to the serious task of fucking Tarzan. "Look at me, you savage. Feel my rod in your ass and your own stiff dick. I think the jungle man likes me, likes to get fucked by the stranger."

"Oh ... oh man," Grady groaned. Even his acting talent was not up to faking fear and anger and hide the ecstasy he was feeling as his Italian lover fucked him. But Mario determined to prolong the fantasy just a bit longer for the benefit of their new young friend. He suddenly pulled out and commanded, "On your knees, jungle man."

Obediently Grady turned over and knelt on all fours, positioning himself directly in front of Larry. Kneeling behind him Mario once again drove his cock into the muscle-jock's willing ass and Grady threw his head back and howled. As Mario jackhammered his ass from behind he reached down to the ground and picked up the fallen rope from before. He looped it round the captive's neck and gently pulled his head back so Grady found himself gazing up at Larry.

The boy stared in wonder at the pornographic sight of the macho muscle-god on all fours, naked except for his ripped loincloth, the most beautiful Tarzan he had ever seen. And he was actually getting fucked in the ass doggy style by the handsome, body-sculpted Italian who had escaped from captivity and overpowered the jungle man.

Larry knew he must not touch his cock so he stood between Brian and Danny gripping their hands tight as he gazed at the stunning spectacle. As the fuck continued Larry gazed in awe at the upturned face of the defeated Tarzan, a rope round his neck, his handsome chiseled features grimacing with (fake) pain and (very real) bliss, tears flowing down his cheeks, jaw sagging and dripping with drool.

Seeing the excitement in Larry's eyes Mario was ready to play out the final act of the drama. "You, boy," he said sternly to Larry, "You were spying on us all the time. Step forward."

Stunned at suddenly being included in the scene, Larry looked questioningly at Mike who was smiling broadly and nodding his encouragement. And so he did as he was told until he was inches from Tarzan's face. And he almost lost his load when the jungle man flicked out his tongue and licked the head of his stiff cock. Mario said, "I have beaten him, he is on his knees in surrender, and you, boy, will participate in his final degradation. I think you know how."

Instinctively Larry inched toward the pleading face as Grady strained forward against the rope round his neck ... and Larry's cock slid easily down the handsome jock's throat. The boy was now in a world of total fantasy. He was face-fucking this magnificent Tarzan while he watched the Italian's muscles ripple as he fucked his ass.

For the first time Larry noticed a trace of a smile on Mario's face and he found himself fucking Grady's face in time to Mario's cock plunging in his ass. And between them, the man whose pictures he had seen everywhere, the new Tarzan, one of the hottest men he had ever seen, was now kneeling between them ... getting spit roasted.

Now Mario broke into a gleaming smile. "He's beautiful, is he not, amico? So let's give him what he wants, what he needs. It will be your introduction to the Grady House, one you will not soon forget. I know you are close, and I know our prisoner is close too. And I have been wanting to cum ever since Tarzan swung into the scene. So, Larry, shall we?"

"Yes please, sir." Mario grabbed Grady's hips, Larry grasped his face ... and they pounded him from both ends. The boy looked down at the tear stained face, at the sparkling eyes, then raised his eyes to the handsome, smiling Italian ... and no force on earth could prevent the dazzled boy from releasing his load. His heart pounded, his breath heaved and he yelled, "Oh ... I can't stop it ... I gotta cum ... yeah, oh fuck ... fuuuck ..."

His cock exploded in Tarzan's mouth while Mario shouted joyfully, thrust his cock in deep one last time and erupted in his lover's ass. The naked prisoner's magnificent body bucked like a tamed stallion and he blasted jets of semen onto the grass ... onto the jungle floor as Larry still imagined it. Suddenly Grady pulled back off Larry's cock which still spurted jizz, this time slashing into the jungle man's sculpted face.

When all three men were drained Mario pulled out and stood up, beaming at the stunned Larry. He hooked his foot under Grady's stomach and flipped him over onto his back on the ground. The closing shot of the movie was of the muscular Tarzan lying defeated, spread-eagled on the jungle floor, face streaked with tears and semen, cum oozing out of his ass and down his legs ... beaten, humiliated, degraded ... and fucked senseless.

It was as if the director had shouted "Cut!" to the enthusiastic cheers and applause of those watching. His eyes still closed, Grady's mouth opened with a gleaming smile. Then he opened his eyes and gazed loving up at Mario who reached down, grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet and into his arms. Ignoring Larry's cum on his lover's face Mario kissed him passionately, and then they both turned to look at Larry, still stunned and blushing to be the sudden focus of their attention.

"So, young Larry," Grady grinned, "welcome to the Grady House. We hope it was a welcome you'll remember for a long time."

"I'll never forget it, sir," Larry said shyly. "It was like being in a movie."

"That was the general idea," Grady laughed. "Mario and me are pretty good at that, don't you think?"

"We should be," Mario smiled. "We get enough practice."

"If you gentlemen will excuse me," Grady said, "I think I need another plunge in the pool, wash off all these bodily fluids."

He made another dramatic dive and the crowd cheered as his shredded loincloth came off and floated to the surface. Grady swam back to it and raised it in the air, spinning it round on his finger. "Plenty more where this came from. Studio wardrobe has dozens of them – they get pretty beat up in the action scenes. Here, Larry, this one's for you for being such a good sport. He hurled it from the pool and Larry caught it.

Larry's eyes glowed as he looked at Mike who smiled back. He was pleased to see Larry having such a great time, although something still nagged at the back of his mind. He would bring it up when they were alone again.

Danny said, "Gotta get back to the kitchen and check on lunch. Should be ready in a few minutes. Brian, Brandon, can you come and give me a hand?"

Lunch by the pool was a festive affair, led mostly by the exuberant Grady, as always the life and soul of the party. Larry remembered what Danny had told him earlier: "Don't be nervous, Grady's not a bit like a movie star. He's just one of the guys here." It was true ... he was so natural now that Larry soon forgot about his celebrity and lost all his former shyness.

As usual Grady was asked a lot of questions about life and work at the studio but he soon turned the conversation away from himself and concentrated on Mike and what Larry could expect in the desert. He had the knack of making Larry even more excited than he already was about his journey out there later that day with Mike.

The party could have gone on all afternoon except that Mike eventually said, "Guys, I hate to be a party pooper but Larry and I have to make the trek out to the Springs pretty soon. Lot's to do."

"And a new life to start," Grady smiled and raised his glass. "A toast guys – to Mike and Larry and their new life together. May it be long and loving and full of laughter."

The group raised their glasses and chanted, "To Mike and Larry!"

And so the colorful visit to the Grady House was over except for thanks, goodbyes and best wishes. Mario hugged Larry who said, "Sir, I'll never forget what we did. I hope ... I hope that Mike and me get to visit again sometime."

Mario laughed, "Certamente, tesoro. You are, as we say in Italy, il nostro nuovo amico, our new best friend. You will visit often and we will invent new jungle adventures to play out. But now your own adventure begins and I know it will be spettacolare! Ciao, bambino.

The other boys said their tearful goodbyes, and at last they were off, driving through the gates that closed silently behind them, protecting the private world of Tarzan and his mate.

There was silence in the truck for the first few minutes, then Mike said, "Well, those guys sure know how to put on a show, don't they? I er, noticed that glow in your eyes after you got to face-fuck the gorgeous Tarzan. Not surprising but ... but it kinda made me wonder a bit ..."

Another awkward pause, then ... "I mean, kiddo, you've had some real good times with the guys of the tribe, and this one was a real star-filled fantasy. So ... OK here goes ... Larry are you sure you want to leave all this glamor behind and come and live out in the desert with a stick-in-the mud old fogey like me, old enough to be your dad?"

Larry turned to him defiantly. "Sir, I wish you would get over all that bullshit. Ooh, sorry, sir."

"No that's fine, kiddo. I want you always to speak out and say what's on your mind."

"OK, sir. Well sure, since I got here I've lived fantasies I could never have dreamed of with a bunch of incredible guys, and I've loved it. I loved getting fucked by Randy and then the twins, jacking off to Dr. Steve and getting face fucked by Pablo and Darius. I loved fucking Brandon and of course Grady and watching Mario. They're all terrific guys, I love them all. But I'm not in love with them as I am with you, sir.

"See, after the life I've had so far I'm not looking for `glamor' as you call it and non-stop fucking. I want a life with a man I love and who loves me. I want you, sir. You're not a stick-in-the-mud and you know it. I tell you, sir, after all the excitement of this afternoon the thing that makes me more excited than anything is sitting in this truck with you and driving out on the 10 Freeway to my new home. It is the 10 Freeway, isn't it, sir?"

"Yes it is, kiddo, the road home. Well that was quite a speech there, boy, and I love you for it. OK, so let's go take our leave of the guys, throw our gear in the truck and head for home."

The farewells at the tribe's house were predictably boisterous. The boys were all over Larry with hugs and advice, especially from Eddie. "Don't forget those blow-job lessons I promised you, dude. Next time you come here, OK? Sure-fire way to keep your man happy."

Jamie of course would be seeing Mike and Larry the next day when he came out to the desert with Mark, Jason and Ben. But now he took Larry to his room and went through his clothes. "I know you arrived in L.A. in only the clothes you were wearing so I'd like to offer you some of mine. Mark keeps buying me new things all the time so I'd like to pass some of my stuff on to you. Take your pick, buddy."

Larry did so gratefully and Jamie said, "And over the weekend we'll find some time together to talk. You and me have got a lot of old stuff from the past to bury once and for all. I'm real glad the way things turned out for you, dude. If you are even half as happy with Mike as I am with Mark, you're in for a great life."

They hugged, then Larry turned to Randy and Bob. Randy said, "Way to go, kid, looks like you really turned your life around. Take care of my old buddy Mike and be a good boy. Anyone gives you a hard time, just give me a holler and I'll come out and take care of them – and you know what I mean," he grinned

Bob said, in a conspiratorial whisper, "And any time you feel confused or troubled, you just give me a call and we'll sort it out. It'll be just between you and me, OK?" Bob kissed him on the lips and Larry held on to him for long seconds.

By this time Larry had tears in his eyes. Only a week ago he had arrived here a lost boy, alone in the world, bitter and scared. And now he was leaving with a man he was sure he loved, leaving behind a group of friends who had embraced him and restored his self-esteem. Then Mike was tugging at his elbow. "Time to hit the road, boy. Time to go home."

As they drove away Larry looked in the rear-view mirror at the group of men and boys waving goodbye. Then he turned his eyes forward and gazed at the road ahead. He knew he was leaving one life behind and starting down this road to a whole new one. Mike knew this too and asked, "You nervous kid?"

"No, sir," Larry said confidently. "I'm excited. Why – are you nervous, sir?"

Mike chuckled, "Larry, one thing you'll find out is that older guys like me don't have the confidence of youth like you. We worry about things, all the things that can go wrong, as they sometimes have in the past. That's one thing I love about you, your optimism and faith in the future."

"But the thing is, sir, I'm confident `cos I know I'm right. It just feels right. So stop worrying. I have enough confidence for both of us." Larry reached over and rested his hand on Mike's thigh, and it stayed there for the next two hours until they swung off the freeway onto Highway 111, the turnoff to Palm Springs.

At first it was desert scrub to the left and the San Jacinto Mountains to the right but a few minutes later when they approached Palm Springs Larry stared with the wide-eyed wonder of a child. "Wow, it's so green ... I mean all the lawns and trees. I thought it was gonna be all sand.

Mike loved the boy's wonderment. "Well that's the `Springs' part, see. Kind of like an oasis, which it is to a lot of visitors. But we're not visiting – we're gonna live here, kiddo, year round."

"Yes we are!" beamed Larry, his eyes sparkling. They drove through the busy center of Palm Springs and on to Cathedral City which, despite its grand name, was the Springs' grittier sister, once just light industry and warehouses but recently spruced up. And it was in one of the upscale residential areas that they finally pulled up to Mike's house.

Mike cut the engine, turned and looked at Larry and heaved a big sigh. "Here we are kiddo ... home." Tears brimmed in Larry's eyes as he leaned over and kissed Mike. "Thank you, sir. You won't regret it, not for a second, I promise."

Mike wiped the tears from Larry's face and grinned, "So, don't let's sit here all day. Come and get a look at your new home." Together they went to the front door and Mike handed the key to Larry. "Here, you do it, kid. And there's a spare key inside for you." Larry unlocked the double doors, gripped Mike's arm and they walked inside.

"Wow, it's a big house, sir, bigger than I expected. It's gorgeous."

"It's the house that the bar built," Mike chuckled. "You can make a good chunk of change owning a bar for years, if you run it right. Let me show you around." They went through the living room, dining room, expansive kitchen, then on to the master bedroom with its big California king bed and a view of the grounds.

"This is great, sir," Larry said, his cock stiffening in his shorts as he gazed at the bed.

"There are three other bedrooms for guests ... well, only two now `cos the biggest one will be yours. Here, come and see." He showed Larry into a large comfortable room that also had a king-size bed and a view of the grounds.

"Wow," Larry said, but with noticeably less enthusiasm. Mike picked up on his tone and asked, "Anything wrong, kid?"

"No, sir, it's great. Except ... sir, I ... I thought we would be sleeping together."

Mike laughed, "Oh, is that all? Well of course we'll sleep together. But you've gotta have your own room, boy, your own space. I'll help you furnish it the way you want and it'll be your own private refuge from the world. There'll be lots of times you'll wanna be alone, to do your own thing, entertain friends, whatever. See there's a whole art to two guys living together. Mustn't crowd each other. Believe me, sometimes we'll get on each other's nerves but a few hours apart will take care of that."

"I guess I got a lot to learn eh, sir?" Larry smiled mischievously. "That's why I keep you around."

"Fuck you, boy," Mike grinned, "watch that mouth. Come and see the grounds." They went outside and again Larry was amazed. It's so big, sir – lawns, palm trees, old shade trees. And that pool is great."

"Yeah, and you know what? When we were at the Grady House earlier and I watched Grady do that dramatic Tarzan dive, you know what I flashed on? My own boy diving into my own pool ... this pool."

"Well we can soon take care of that, sir." Without a hint of modesty Larry kicked off his sneakers, pulled off his T-shirt and dropped his shorts. Smiling brightly he stood on the edge of the pool butt naked and said, "I can't compete with Tarzan, sir, but I can dive. Watch this." He raised his arms and did a perfect swan dive into the pool. When he broke the surface he swam a series of strong laps.

As Mike looked down at him he had a sudden vision of what it was going to be like to live with this lively, active young man, and his heart warmed. More than that, as he watched the rippling back cut through the water and saw the flexing ass cheeks just below the surface, Mike's cock stiffened under his jeans. It was a long time since he had a spontaneous erection like this and he suddenly knew exactly what he wanted – for the first time in many years.

Larry stopped swimming, dived down deep and shot to the surface laughing with joy, water streaming down his face. "Hey, what's that?" he shouted looking up at Mike and the bulge in his jeans. "You've got a hard-on, sir. Did I do that? Did you get that watching me?"

He pulled himself out of the water and threw his arms round Mike. "I knew it," the boy laughed. "I knew I could give you a boner. Hey, what say we go indoors and christen the bedroom? You know, like they say, start as we mean to go on."

Mike pulled away a little. "Hey, hey, take it easy, kiddo. You're making me all wet."

"Who cares? You're gonna take your clothes off anyway." Larry noticed Mike's hesitation. "Unless this is that stick-in-the-mud guy you warned me about. Come on, sir, it'll be fun."

There was that word again. Mike was far from sure he was ready for Larry's kind of fun but he did not want to prick his balloon and damper his enthusiasm so he allowed himself to be pulled back to the house and into the master bedroom. "OK if I pull the sheets back, sir?" Larry asked, his eyes dancing.

"I guess ... I ..."

"I'll take that as a yes, sir," Larry laughed and yanked back the bedclothes. He grabbed a towel from the nightstand, patted himself dry and launched himself onto the bed, his naked body bouncing and ending up on his back grinning playfully up at Mike. He stretched his arms out and said, "Here I am, sir, your brand new boy – and I'm all yours."

Mike was captivated, turned on ... and nervous as hell, all at the same time. He sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Larry's chest. "Larry, I'm scared is all."

"No, that can't be all ... you can't just leave it there, sir. Earlier today you told me you always want me to speak out and say what's on my mind. Well that cuts both ways. Don't you think a guy who loves another guy should always tell him the truth?"

Mike sighed and smiled down at him. "OK, kid, you're right. So here's the deal. It's that age difference thing again. I mean, you get a hard-on just looking at a bed ... look at you, you're rock solid right now. Me, I'm lucky if I get a woody even when I'm beating my meat watching porn. Did you know a guy can cum without getting hard, though it don't feel so great?

"You wanna know the truth, kid? When I was watching you swimming bare-assed in the pool I knew I wanted to fuck that ass but knew I couldn't. I mean, I'd be so nervous I'd never be able to get it up. I haven't fucked a guy for over two years ... ever since Ted ..." His eyes misted over as they always did whenever he mentioned his deceased former lover.

"But sir," Larry persisted. "That's the whole point ... that's why I'm here. That's the deal ... I get to learn stuff from you and you get to feel sexy again because of me. I mean I made you cum when I sucked you off and when I fucked you. This is just the next step." Larry was on a roll.

"See, I know all about it `cos when I was getting therapy from Doctor Steve he mentioned that some guys get what he called performance anxiety – not that the doc himself has to worry about that I can tell you. Sure, I'm dying to get fucked by you, but so what if it don't work the first time and you can't get it up? I don't care. I love you, sir. We can have fun either way."

"Course," Mike shrugged, "I know a lot of guys take pills to make their dick hard ..."

"Nah, I don't want you popping pills every time we have sex. You don't need it ... you got me!' Larry laughed. "I'm better than any stupid pill ... more reliable too ... 100 percent guarantee."

Larry's boundless youthful enthusiasm was breaking down Mike's reticence that had built up over the years, and his `who cares?' attitude was having an effect on him. Larry smiled, "Maybe, like you say, you haven't had proper sex for years, but I've had enough sex just in the past week to make up for that, and I've learned a thing or two – or three – along the way. The twins taught me that the first thing we're gonna need is a tub of lube. You got some of that, don't you, sir?"

"I, er, I dunno. I think there's some old stuff around." Mike rummaged in the bottom draw of a chest and pulled out a jar of lube he had long since buried.

"Bingo!" Larry laughed. "Now you have to take your clothes off."

"Shit," Mike grumbled, "it's years since I undressed in front of a guy who ..."

"Stop living in the past, sir. This is now ... this is me, and I'm your future, so get used to it."

Reluctantly Mike kicked off his shoes, dropped his jeans, pulled off his shirt and stood in naked embarrassment before the boy. But his cock was semi-erect. "Hey, that's a good sign, sir. You know, you have a really good body ..."

"... for a man my age," Mike cut in.

"That's not what I was gonna say. Turns me on, that chunky-hunky look – big shoulders, firm pecs, hairy chest. So let me give you a little help firming up that dick." Larry turned over on his stomach and flexed his ass cheeks repeatedly. Mike found the act amusing as well as sexy ... but it worked.

It wasn't so much the sight of the cute young ass as the boy's easy-going banter that made Mike's dick hard. This was not just a boy lying passively on the bed waiting to get fucked. Larry was not hung up on the sex act itself like so many guys were. He was a kid having fun, whatever form that took, and if the sex didn't work this time, so what? And that laid-back attitude reduced Mike's anxiety – and increased his hard-on.

"OK, kid, let's give it a try," he said. "But I'm warning you, don't get your hopes up. I'll probably lose my ..."

"Oh, sir, knock it off, please. Did you know you're whining? It's getting on my nerves. Just shut up and fuck, sir."

Mike was stunned to hear the boy speaking to him like that ... but it did the trick. He had to reassert his authority, show the boy who's boss, so he dipped his finger in the jar and lubed his cock. "Fuck you, kid. You don't get to mouth off to me like that. Turn the fuck over, boy."

Larry turned over onto his back, his eyes gleaming, excited by Mike's authoritarian growl. He put his hands behind his knees and pulled his legs back, offering his ass to Mike for the first time. Mike knelt on the bed behind him, pushed a greasy finger in his butt, and felt himself turned on by the soft, velvet touch of the young ass.

Then came the moment of truth, where anxiety peaked and threatened his libido. As Larry pulled his legs back farther Mike reached up, grabbed his ankles and pressed the head of his cock against his hole. But old neuroses die hard – they have a memory of their own – and Mike felt a wave of insecurity sweep through him.

But Larry chose that moment to flash a sexy smile and said in a seductive tone. "Sir, all kidding aside, make me your boy. Fuck your boy, sir. I wanna be your boy so bad." Then he giggled. "No pressure or anything."

It was the impish grin that did it. Mike loved this crazy boy ... his boy ... and he wanted to fuck him. Forget everything else ... it was bullshit. This is all that mattered. He eased his hips forward and felt his cock entering his boy's ass, saw his eyes open wide and brim with tears. Mike had not felt a sensation this intense in years, his cock hadn't been this hard in years. He had not had a lover for years ... but he did now.

"Oh," Larry gasped. "That's it ... you're inside me, sir ... it feels so good ... I knew it would feel this good. Can I touch my dick, sir?"

"As long as you don't shoot, kiddo. I want this to last." Mike stared down at the enraptured boy, at his face rolling from side to side, moaning in ecstasy. And, as he watched, the face became more and more beautiful until it seemed to glow. All Mike's fears, all the aches and sorrows of the past, they all faded from memory, banished by simple love for this boy.''

Larry smiled up at Mike rising and falling above him. He reached up and ran his fingers through the hair on Mike's chest while stroking his own cock with the other hand. As he got used to the cock moving deep in his ass he had the strange feeling this was not new. It was as if they had done this before, they had been lovers before. And best of all, Larry knew they would do this as lovers again and again.

They settled into a long, loving fuck, and when the first flush of euphoria abated, their passion mellowed and made room for the fun Larry had predicted. "You see, sir? Once you do it it's like riding a bike ... you never forget and you never fall off."

"You better watch that mouth of yours kid or I'll give you one of those brutal Randy fucks that'll make your head spin."

"I love it when you get fierce, sir."

Mike laughed. "God, I love you, kid. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up, though." On Larry's look of alarm he chuckled again. "I don't mean keep my dick up. Hell, I think I'll have a boner all my life with you around. I meant keep this up without busting my load. I'm real close all the time. You wanna feel your old man's jizz in your ass, boy?"

"Duh, what do you think, sir? See, I've stopped beating my meat. Next time I touch my dick it's gonna explode."

"OK then, let's do it." Suddenly the playful teasing stopped and their true passion took over. The joking had held it at bay but now they allowed their sense of this pivotal moment in their lives to consume their minds and bodies and bring them to the climax that had, in truth, been building all week.

"Oh, man, this feels fucking great," Mike moaned. "I'm crazy about you, kid ... your ass feels so ... I'm gonna cum inside you, Larry ... inside my boy. Here it comes ... fuck yeah ... here it fucking comes, boy ... aaagh!"

The explosive orgasm shook his whole body. It was like nothing he had ever felt, a world away from his fumbling jerkoffs of the last few years. And as Larry looked up at his spasming body and euphoric face he saw a man rejuvenated, a man who loved him, who was pouring his sperm inside him.

The boy had only to touch his own cock to feel his juice surge from his balls, race through his cock and erupt in a shower of semen that rose high and splashed into the hair on Mike's chest. "I love you, sir," he yelled, reaching up and running his fingers through the cum-soaked hair. And when the eruption finally subsided Larry held his arms straight up and pleaded, "Hold me, sir. Please ... I wanna feel you ..."

Mike fell on him and felt the boy's arms fold round him. And that's how they lay for a long time – hugging, kissing, coming to terms with what had just happened and, more importantly, what they knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, would be their future for as far as the eye could see.

They lay on the bed for a long time, mostly in silence, until Mike said, "You know what you've done, kid. You've made me feel young again. Shit damn, my dick got hard and stayed hard and I fucked like a jackrabbit. Never thought that would happen again."

"Well now that it has, sir, how about I race you to the pool?" Larry wriggled out from under him, leapt off the bed and pulled Mike after him. Like two good buddies who had just fucked for the first time they raced out to the pool and dived in, horsing around, splashing, wrestling, until they were exhausted and pulled themselves out. They slumped into chairs at a poolside table laughing like kids, their breath heaving, eyes shining.

The most striking effect of all this was that their age-difference had disappeared. It had been such a stumbling block, especially for Mike, but now faded into total insignificance. Mike brought beers from the house and they sat and talked, mostly about the immediate future. The distant future they took for granted – they would spend it together, of course – but for right now they had the excitement of making plans for the weekend.

"You'll be the host too, Larry, so you'll help me get ready for our guests. You can decide which guestroom to give to Mark and Jamie, and which one's for Jason and Ben. Should be an interesting weekend. I mean, you know Mark and Jamie well, of course, and you worked with young Ben on the construction site. But his master Jason you don't know hardly at all."

"No, sir, but the twins showed me the fireman's calendar they keep under the bed, like most of the boys do, they said. Jason's on the August page and that's the hottest page of all by far. The twins say all the boys keep the calendar open at that page no matter what month it is, and it gets real sticky with jizz.

Mike chuckled. "Yeah, he's a gorgeous man alright, and he knows how to flaunt it too, especially in front of the mirror. You know, I see a lot of narcissistic guys in my bar, leather studs preening like they're god's gift to the world, and it usually puts me off. But with Jason it's fun – he has a great sense of humor, doesn't take any of it real serious. He says, hey, if you've got it flaunt it, and none of the other guys mind ... they get off on it.

"Actually, Mark and Jason know each other real well `cos they're in the same line of work, one being a cop and the other a fireman. There's even a great story of once when they were on a training exercise together and during one of their breaks they went off alone with each other into some distant bushes. In their uniforms they were all hot and sweaty from the training and horny as hell so ... well you do the math, kid."

"Sir, that sounds really hot. You think they'll tangle again while they're out here and maybe we'll get to watch?"

"Here's hoping, kid," Mike grinned, clinking beer bottles with Larry. "If Jason has his way they will. Like I said, the man loves an audience." He took a swig of beer. "Anything special you're looking forward to, kiddo?"

"Apart from sharing a bed with you, sir, and getting fucked again?" Larry grinned roguishly. Then he got more serious. "Well, there is one thing I'm looking forward to, but it scares me a bit. That's getting to know Jamie better. I don't know how that's gonna work, though. `Course, you know about our past when we were running wild as a pair of skinheads and didn't give a shit about anyone. That was a long time ago and I hadn't seen Jamie since, not until I pitched up at the house a week ago.

"See, we had a weird kind of buddy relationship back then. I mean, we stuck together for survival more than anything else, but we used to argue a lot. I was really the wild one, he was more savvy than me. So in a way it wasn't surprising that, as things turned out after we crashed the house that first time, Jamie was the one who ended up with Mark and I went back to St. Louis, mostly to protect my mom from my dad."

He paused, unsettled by the memory of those times. "But here's the weird part, sir. Back then Jamie and me used to screw girls sometimes, but I sometimes had the feeling Jamie only did it to impress me. And maybe I was doing the same thing. And now that I know about ... you know, sex and everything ... looking back I wonder if we ... we ..."

"... you were sexually attracted to each other? Well, could be. But whatever it was, it's something you should clear up with Jamie. You can't have that hanging over you if you two wanna be good buddies from now on. And ... er ... I don't have to tell you again, kiddo. Whatever you wind up doing with Jamie, or any of the others, is fine with me. Just as long as you end up in bed with me, you and that cute ass of yours."

"Thank you, sir. I gotta say, in the last few days Jamie's been real friendly and generous to me – even gave me a bunch of his clothes. But as for the rest ... just have to see what happens."

There was one other thing that had to happen before Mike and Larry spent their first night together in their new home.

"I have to run over to my bar for a while," Mike said. "While I've been away my relief bartender Clay has been filling in for me. He appreciates the extra money but he needs a short break now I'm back. So I planned to go over there for a couple of hours to work the late afternoon beer bust, then he'll come back for the evening shift. Friday beer bust is not too busy – not like Saturday and Sunday, so ... well, I was thinking you might like to come with me."

"Try keeping me away, sir," Larry grinned. "And on the way home we'll go grocery shopping and when we come back I'll cook dinner for you. I used to cook for my mom, and last week the twins gave me lessons, so I think I can do it. And then we'll get the house ready for the guys and ... maybe have an early night?"

Mike was impressed and flashed a big smile. "Well, kiddo, you seem to have everything all planned out. What am I supposed to do? Just sit back and be pampered?"

"Pretty much, sir. You've got a boy now ... you've got me."

They went inside to get dressed for the bar. Larry had jeans and boots and was going to wear a loose gray T-shirt Jamie had given him. But Mike rummaged in the closet and came back with a sleeveless black muscle T. "Here, try this, boy. My lover Ted used to wear it."

Surprised by this generous gesture and realizing how much it meant to Mike, Larry felt honored and pulled the shirt on. Mike smiled at him. "Perfect. Looks hot, kid. Those gym sessions with Randy sure paid off. You look exactly the part for my boy, you'll be a big hit at the bar."

Larry realized that Mike would be showing him off to his bar buddies so he was a bit nervous as he followed him into to bar. Mike was greeted with a raucous welcome from the customers but before he took over from Clay he waved for silence.

"Guys, it's great to be back ... especially `cos I have a surprise. See, old Mike is in love. Yup, I've got a new boy. I brought him back from L.A. and he's gonna live with me. I want you to give him a big welcome, guys, so please give it up ... for Larry."

The cheers were deafening, with whistles, applause and shouts of "Way to go, Mike," and "It's about time, dude." They crowded round an overwhelmed Larry with handshakes, fist bumps and high fives. When the din died down a bit Mike shouted, "For the next ten minutes, guys, drinks are on the house!"

More cheers and they crowded round the bar. Clay grinned, "Congratulations, boss. Never thought I'd see the day. Hey, I'll stick around for the next fifteen minutes help you serve this crowd, then I'll be back in a couple hours so you can get home with your boy."

"Thanks, Clay. By the way, where's Javier?" Mike asked looking round for the young bar-back who was supposed to be clearing up around the bar.

"Ah, called in with a sore throat. Only thing making that kid's throat sore is the dick shoved down it. Guy's a bit flaky if you ask me."

"Don't worry, sir," said Larry who had been listening. "I can take care of that." He walked off and threaded his way through the customers picking up bottles as he went. He brought a bunch back behind the bar, tossed them in the bin and grinned at Mike. "Might as well start as we mean to go on, sir." And he was off again, accepting the crowd's greetings and congratulations as he went to work.

Busy as he was serving drinks, Mike glimpsed Larry through the crowed and from across the room the boy flashed a smile. `As we mean to go on,' Mike grinned to himself. Amen to that. So they were off to the races, he thought, and the first hurdle was the coming weekend with their four guests – the cop and his blond surfer-boy, the fireman and his shy young gypsy. So many possibilities – Mark and Jason, maybe ... Jamie and Larry? Whatever ...

Mike smiled in anticipation. His new life with Larry had begun.

TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 351

Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter got you off, and I welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in planning future chapters. E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.

ALSO, I invite you to visit my Web-site www.atrialofstrength.com. You can read the whole story, all the many chapters, with extras, including pictures and biographies of all the characters. Click on the `Our Story' tab to read the current chapter, or click on the green button to browse all the chapter synopses. Enjoy