Chapter Eleven

Dante ended the call with Jace smiling. Blaine noticed his husband's smile in the middle of his tense lips and asked gently, "Good news for once?"

"Dallas loves the house. He's overwhelmed. He's overwhelmed with a lot, but damned if he'd admit it."

"Then you have that in common with him."

Dante was still the most handsome man he'd ever met. Blaine's love for him had grown so huge, it felt as if it took up the entire sky. Blaine sat on the arm of the chair where Dante sat, took his hand and kissed the back.

"BB, I want this to work. I think it's a great idea, this place is beautiful. Roland is all about building green and lasting without taking out much of the actual nature. Everything on paper is perfect. Who the hell is trying to ruin this for us?"

"That's the right question, Dante. Who would want to ruin this? Bigots that know gay men will visit here all year round? Developers that possibly wanted to build a different resort, or another town, or condos? Dante, it could be anyone. The moment they heard the head of a mafia family?"

"Blaine!"

"Oh, Jesus, Dante, we're alone, there are no bugs, no one's listening and if the federal agents don't already know you run a mafia family, then they're really fucking stupid."

He laughed soundlessly and took his turn kissing the back of Blaine's hand. "I'm sorry for jumping on you, my love."

"You're worried. You're a little depressed, but I know you very well. Those things inevitably lead to more determination and stubbornness."

"You do know me too well, BB. I am determined, yes, to make this place into a success. The resort, yes, I want that for…for those like us, that have dealt with prejudice, to have a place to just…be. But more than that. The compound, here. We can have family around us. I want Selena and Antonio to come here and relax. With him taking over the family, he'll need it. Selena's always loved the woods and mountains. The kids, well, you know Antonia, she will graduate from college one day and will need a place to visit where there will always be family. Selestino has already shown an interest in coming here."

"More than an interest, Dante. He's as determined as his uncle, and he says he wants to come here and learn the business from you."

"How is that going to sit with my brother, his father?"

"He's learned from Antonio, my love. Now he wants to learn from you. In fact, it was Antonio that wanted it. After, of course, he tried to talk him out of it."

Dante stared up at Blaine, brows creased. "You've spoken to him."

"I talk to the kids all the time, you know that. I'm the one person he's not actually related to that has the ear of you and his father. I know you all wanted something else for him. I understand why, but, Dante, over the years I've seen how this family, this organization, is needed. To end it would mean a power vacuum, and into the glut, someone with no morals and no honor would move."

Dante stared at him, disbelieving. "BB, why is this the first I'm hearing this?"

"Because I wanted you to bluster on and on about one day making the family completely legitimate, how you'd run a regular business like anyone else. But…you are. You're running a business and you're actually less corrupt than most. You're at least up front with the fact you run a criminal organization. The other CEOs are pigs that pretend to be working inside the law."

"You are truly remarkable. I suppose you're right, but BB, if Selestino was our son…and we may have a son one day…"

"Or a daughter, or both."

"Either way, would you want them to run this?"

Blaine could smile readily at that question, as he'd had many sleepless nights thinking about it. "I would be proud of our child fighting the worst of the gangs and thugs and taking those with any sort of honor into the fold to make a difference. You told me long ago that the reason the mafia started was to give back to the people who'd been so taken advantage of. Those who'd been killed or run over by the rich and the wicked and give them a voice and a hero. You're still doing that, Dante. You may be one of the very few families that are, and for that I'm proud of you and I'd be fine with my child taking over when it's their time."

Dante pulled him down and once Blaine was on his lap, laughing with the sheer joy of it, Dante kissed him hard and pinched his cheek. "You're a scoundrel."

"I learned from the best. Say! Dallas's first night with his men in his own home. I wonder how they're doing."

"Stop wondering how they're doing, or I'll spank your ass."

"I said wonder, not picturing it."

"I say we go into the bedroom and try to recreate it."

*****

When he sat in the middle of the two on the couch, Ruben felt like he was protected from the world. They were both big men, handsome and so sexy, he could barely hold it in while around them.

Dallas was stressed. He hadn't been himself since the Carrillos moved in and promoted him. The house…well, it might have thrown his anxiety over the top. No more pushing, no expectations. Ruben had wanted to kiss him for almost two years. It could wait a little longer.

"I think that dinner looks amazing."

"Dante cooked it," Marius said. "He comes from an entirely different part of Sicily, so don't expect much."

"Oh, really? That much of a difference, huh?"

Marius poked his nose. "Your cooking is the same as Baja California, is it?"

"No! That stuff is gross. All fish."

"You're not a fan of fish? How will I ever take you to the Amalfi Coast?"

"For the lemons. I've heard they make the best lemon desserts there."

"They do," he said with a wink. Ruben's heart fluttered when he did that.

Leaving Dallas out of the conversation wasn't gaining either of them any points, though. Ruben turned to Dallas and whispered, "Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine. I'm just, I guess I'm exhausted. My mind hasn't shut down since all this started and it can't now. I'm sorry if I'm a downer."

Marius laughed at him before Ruben could bitch him out. "You're just dealing with shit. We get it."

"I do, Dallas. This has been a lot. I'm just…happy. I've never been able to be me."

"That's what me and Marius were talking about. It's crazy how things have changed in such a short time. It's just taking me longer to get used to, I guess. I hate it. I wish I could just ease into all this and be happy too, and I am, but it's under all the stress. If I could just get things together better, I think I'd be okay."

"What do you need help with? You know I've been working ranches since I was a little kid, right? Bon and I have, so if you need help with that end of it, ask. I know, though, you're not one to ask."

Dallas smiled shyly, which was sexy. His lip curled, making his mustache wriggle. His eyes cut away from Ruben and Marius. Ruben had never pegged him for being shy. Marius teased, "Look at him blush."

"I'm not blushing."

"Yeah, you are, but it's pretty," Marius growled. "Makes me want to fuck you for hours."

It was like watching a basketball game. His head spun side to side so much in their interactions. Dallas countered, "I'm not a bottom, Dimples."

"You could be. For me."

"Hello, bottom right here," Ruben said, but neither of them heard him. They were revving up for a fight or a fuck. Who would win, he didn't know, but the heat rising between them was nearly suffocating him.

"Get that out of your head now, Dimples."

"You know, when you say that, all mean and mad like, it's even hotter. Call me Dimples again, Dally."

Puffing up like a blowfish, Dallas yelled, "Do not call me Dally!"

Marius laughed and said, "Why not, Dally?"

"You're a complete asshole, you know that?"

Dallas was pretending to be mad, but his eyes were shining. Ruben knew then that Marius was purposely goading him to take his mind off his stress.

Ruben didn't smile to tip him off to it, but he did fidget in his seat between them, because, he had to face it, they were making him hot with their arguing.

"Listen, we'll go slow. You can adjust, and if it's too much for you, you can always suck me off."

"Enough!" Ruben held up his hands then got up and faced the two of them. "This…okay, I'm trying to wait, but this is insane. I'm so hot right now, I could fuck the hell out of both of you and I don't like to top! So, please, stop!"

Dallas got up and loomed over him, making him crane his neck to look into those incredible eyes. Dallas's were hazel, that changed from blue to green to brown, depending on what he wore. That day, he wore a green T-shirt, which was reflected perfectly in his eyes. They were emerald, shining, and then they were closer as Dallas moved in, surprising Ruben by kissing him.

Marius chuckled while Dallas wrapped his arms around Ruben, keeping him still, not that he was pulling away or moving at all. The man's lips were miracles, firm and soft, bruising but healing. And when the kiss grew more passionate, Ruben felt his knees go weak, making him glad he was sitting.

Drowning in a sea of desire, Ruben finally got his arms around Dallas's neck, his little whimper the only way to express how much he loved the guy. Yeah, he'd fallen for Dallas McIntyre long ago. To kiss him…it was everything he'd dreamed about.

Suddenly, while the kiss continued, he was in Dallas's arms fully. Being carried, Ruben did not know where Dallas was taking him, but he didn't care.

Hearing Marius's laughter behind them, he knew he was being taken by both. Up the stairs, down the hall, and finally, the kiss ended while Dallas lay him on the floor gently. "I think we've waited long enough."

"For real?"

"Unless you want more romance. I could always go get the strawberries and champagne."

"Excuse me," Marius said, and they looked over to see he had the bowl of strawberries and bottle of champagne in his hands.

"You're a genius," Dallas said, then took a step toward him, knocked the bowl from his hands, and Ruben watched it thump hard on the floor. He was shocked it didn't break. Dallas then snatched the bottle from Marius and slugged some of the champagne before he grabbed the back of Marius's head, pulling him in for a kiss that was rough and heated.

Ruben leaned back on his arms to watch the two grappling. What a show it was, too. Dallas could be brutal. Biting at Marius's lips, grabbing his ass with both hands and lifting the guy off his feet. Ruben was so hard he could have finished the construction, pounding each nail through the wood without a hammer.

Giggling to himself, Ruben watched the kiss end and Marius staggering back a couple steps. "Goddamn, baby, you showed me. I'd bottom for you any damn day."

With a sinister chuckle, Dallas moved away from him and stared down at Ruben. "Romance another day. I just want to fuck the hell out of you."

"Romance can definitely wait," he said to the man, lying all the way down and unbuttoning his jeans. "Jump on."

"Problem. Hold on," Marius said, rushing out of the room. Dallas didn't wait. He got on his knees and unzipped Ruben's pants, then reached over and took a strawberry, moving it to Ruben's lips.

"Open."

Ruben let his lips part, then he opened his mouth a little and Dallas pushed the strawberry into the opening, then slapped him under his chin. "Keep it there. Don't chew, don't swallow."

The juice from the strawberry dripped onto his tongue and the sweetness of it didn't mesh well with the heat and intense gaze of lust in his eyes. Ruben bit a little, then realized he was about to bite too much, so he stopped.

Seeing Dallas the last few weeks dealing with so much, it was good to see him resembling a little bit of what he used to be like. Easily smiling, laughter, his shoulders not up around his ears with tension, and Ruben wanted to pat himself on the back a little.

At first, he thought it might make it worse, that their expectations might stress him out further, but it didn't.

Instead, he was staring down like a rabid bull, and he had a feeling he'd be bucked off and trampled if he didn't hold on tight.

"Good fruit?"

Ruben nodded spastically.

"Good fruit for the good boy," he whispered roughly as he pulled Ruben's pants over his hips and yanked them off his legs. "Oops. Forgot your boots."

Ruben was undressed from the waist down by the time Marius returned with the box of condoms and lube he'd insisted on bringing. Ruben argued they would not force him to fuck, but he was obviously right to bring them, anyway.

"Lost my fucking keys and couldn't get into the truck," he said as he kneeled by Ruben, laughing at the strawberry. "Edible ball gag. What an invention. We'll make millions."

"Defeats the purpose," Dallas told him gruffly. "What the fuck are you still doing in clothes?"

Marius stared over at him, and Ruben was sure he'd have some smartass retort, but instead, his shirt was stripped from his fine ass body and Ruben bit straight through the strawberry. As the other half fell to the floor, Dallas's eyes moved slowly back to him, one brow raised high.

Marius picked it up and placed it back in Ruben's mouth. "There! All better!"

"Tsk, Ruben. I told you to hold it still."

He didn't wait for any kind of response from Ruben, simply turning back to Marius, who was on the floor, struggling to get out of his pants and underwear. It would have been comical enough to laugh if he dared, which he didn't. Not with that forceful stare that Dallas was giving the both of them.

Marius exited his jeans and underwear after pulling off his chucks. Ruben's eyes and Dallas's moved to Marius's dick as he moved up to kneel. "What?"

"Nice cock," Dallas told him before grabbing the condoms and taking one from the box. "Who's getting fucked first?"

Ruben was shaking a little. He'd walked into the bathroom countless times as Dallas was exiting the shower, and he knew how big Dallas was. To see Marius was as big, and in fact, thicker? He knew he wouldn't walk right for a week.

Marius nodded over to him, though. "Him."

Dallas's eyes landed on Ruben and there was none of that sweetness or uncertainty that had been there since the ranch changed hands. Ruben knew that Dallas's cock was going to fuck him halfway to death, but if it helped him to take off some of that cloying stress, well, he'd do anything for the man. After taking the strawberry from his mouth, he affirmed, "Yeah, Dallas. Me."

A grunt that could be a word, but no word Ruben recognized came from him and Ruben took stock of all his internal organs. He knew they'd be mighty banged up after Dallas was done with him.

Dallas lubed up well, but before he could slide into Ruben, Marius pushed him back and explained, "I'm guessing he hasn't been skewered in a while. Let me get him ready, if that's okay with you, Dommie Dom."

Another grunt emitted from the guy as he nodded once, his pretty eyes narrowing. They weren't green any longer. They were bright brown, so bright they seemed to glow.

Marius moved over to lie on his side right beside Ruben, taking him in a sweet, passionate kiss as he moved his hand to Ruben's cock, stroking it slowly before he moved to his balls, then below them.

Ruben felt a splash of lube hit his balls, making him jump, and he looked up to see Dallas, a challenge in his eyes to say something, anything, about the less-than-considerate way he'd applied it.

Marius made him turn his head so he could be kissed again, and his fingers moved around in the lube until they were nicely coated right before he dipped them into Ruben's ass. Two fingertips were breaching the hole, gently. Marius put on a great show of being a tough guy, but he was gentle and caring. Ruben's eyes slid open to see it went all the way to his eyes, that care and affection.

As Marius prepared him, Dallas got undressed, closely watching them. Marius took one look at his amazing body and purred, "Goddamn. How the fuck do you cowboys have such great asses and bodies?"

"Horses," Ruben croaked. "We ride horses and work hard."

"I'm gonna have to get on a horse someday."

"You've never ridden?" Ruben asked in shock.

"In Cincinnati?"

"Enough, you two fucks. Damn, are we taking riding lessons or fucking?"

Ruben deepened the kissing while the fingers moved inside him up to the last knuckle. It wasn't easy, taking a breath while Marius was kissing him so lusciously, but he managed it, and soon, he was being fingered so well he was on the verge of coming.

It was about that time that Dallas slapped Marius's hand. "Enough. Let it hurt a little. I think he can take it."

With that vote of confidence, though a little strange, Ruben puffed up and assured, "I can take whatever the two of you have for me."

"I might let him fuck you tonight, but I wouldn't count on it. Depends on how he pleases me," Dallas said almost nonchalantly.

Marius chuckled darkly. "Turn me on, big Daddy."

"You're older than me, motherfucker," Dallas said then moved over Ruben, staring him in the eye. "I hope you"re ready. I don't feel like being gentle."

That was fine by him. When Ruben fucked, he liked it hard. He loved it to hurt, so he could be taken from everything and placed on a current of air that flowed over and under him and right the fuck through him. "Give me your best shot, Daddy."

"Daddy? I'm gonna fuck you in two. I'll show you daddy."

Marius chuckled darkly, but he stopped that as Dallas pushed inside Ruben none too gently. Ruben sucked in all the air in the room and his head was thrown back, hands balled into fists that pounded on the floor like Dallas started pounding into him.

Grunting deep, glaring, Dallas kept himself perfectly over Ruben as he rested on his fists on either side of Ruben's head, his arms corded and ripped as they flexed to keep him upright.

The burn was excruciating, but that didn't last, and feeling that bulbous head slamming across his prostate, he was lost in no time.

A hand touched his face, turning it. Marius's mouth was suddenly consuming his as he refused to be left out of things. Ruben was just fine with that, feeling both the men's touch, no matter how passionate or downright brutal. It swirled him on that current of air, the soft brush of Marius's tongue in contrast with the hard ramming he was taking from Dallas. He'd never imagined having two boyfriends, and nothing was official yet, but he saw it on the horizon.

Like he was the center of the world. That's how he felt on that hard floor. A mental note came through the activity that was moving his body steadily toward the wall over the smooth floor. They must buy thick, comfortable rugs…

The cock was taken from his ass just as he was revving up to the climax of his life. Dallas's face was red with exertion and arousal and his voice so deep, it felt like it rumbled the house around them. "Turn over. Gonna take you from behind." He turned his head to Marius. "Then you're next."

Ruben smiled up at Marius. "You're next. I'd maybe slip a couple digits in to stretch yourself. You're gonna need it."

"Thanks for the tip."

"Oh, you're getting more than a tip," Ruben said right before he was slapped on the thigh. He jumped to do as he was told and spun around to his stomach, shakily getting on his hands and knees.

"Dimples, get him down to his elbows if he doesn't get down there in one second."

Ruben smiled as he bent his arms and leaned on his elbows the second before Dallas was pushing back into him. And that wasn't all. Dallas's big, calloused hand came down on his ass cheek in a blinding sting that made him yip in response.

He was screaming, but not from pain. His scream turned into a long groan that was only stopped when Marius's fingers entered his mouth. "Get ‘em wet for me, so I can stretch for this monster."

Ruben turned to smile at him, but Marius was a blur from the way Ruben's body was rocking from being fucked. Getting Marius's fingers nice and wet with his saliva, he felt the urge to bite them, to beg for his cock to push between his lips. But Dallas had other ideas. "Better come soon or suffer. I'm gonna fuck that cute, dimpled ass in about two minutes."

After his eyes slid shut, Ruben felt it move through him, the climax that he'd so nearly had before, but for the maniacal way Dallas was fucking him, he told Marius to use his free hand to play with Ruben's dick. "Make the fucker come, or you won't."

Marius, despite claiming his own dominance, seemed to enjoy the fuck out of giving Dallas that sole honor. Marius prodded Ruben. "Come fast or miss out."

With the sound of his gritty voice and the feel of his hand wrapping his cock, Ruben went over that edge quickly, tensing up and dropping so his face was pressed on the cool wood of the floor.

Before he could stop shaking, Dallas was out of him and slapping the shit out of Marius to get him on his back with his legs spread. "Watch it, man!"

"Shut the fuck up," Dallas said to him and was in him before Marius could say another word. Ruben lay on the floor, watching their coupling, thinking of the time he saw two male moose in the woods, brawling over a female in season. Their huge antlers clashed, the sound like thick trees splitting, and they fought until they were both falling over from exhaustion.

Ruben had watched that, captivated. It was the same that day, in that bedroom, on that floor. The snarls and grunts were primal, their eyes flashing hatred and love simultaneously, overshadowed only by the lust that permeated the air itself.

They were sweating, rutting, and Ruben couldn't look away if he wanted to. And he didn't want to. Thinking he might be jealous, like how he felt the first time he saw Marius flirting with Dallas, he had been tentative about wanting to see it get to the point they fucked.

Seeing it? It confirmed for him that not only did he enjoy seeing them together; he was happy to be there with them both.

Dallas had a fistful of Marius's beard, holding him down while he slammed into his ass. Marius was babbling, drooling from the corner of his mouth, and holding onto Dallas's arms like he'd be pushed through the wall if he didn't.

Dallas's wicked smile showed he enjoyed topping the self-proclaimed top, and his dominance of him was complete. That fast and their roles were set. Ruben seriously doubted that any of them had expected Dallas to be the dominant of them both, but there it was, plain to see.

Not that Marius wouldn't have his moments. He'd never shown submissive tendencies to Ruben. That gave Ruben the shivers, thinking of having both dominate him while Dallas dominated Marius too.

When Dallas finally came, it was after Marius had shot all over his lower stomach. He pulled out of him, discarding the condom into one of the plastic buckets that was already holding the construction trash, and sat on his heels, panting hard, before he broke out in laughter.

"Fuck, I needed that."

Marius was shaking and panting on the floor, but he picked his head up enough to stare at Dallas, dumbfounded. "Did ya?"

"Yeah! That was great!"

Ruben laughed and flipped over onto his back. "I think we took off some stress."

"You have no fucking idea," Dallas agreed as he moved to lie between them. "I needed that more than I've probably ever needed anything. You two…thanks."

"Thanks?"

Ruben looked over Dallas to Marius and snarked, "It's a word conveying gratitude."

"Fuck right off, Ruben, or I'll get hard again and fuck the hell out of you."

"Oh, that's a threat. Big man! Gonna fuck me hard, are ya?"

Dallas turned his head to Ruben, and he had both staring at him in complete disbelief. Dallas grunted, "Get ‘im, Dimples."