Race stood, hands on hips, searching the horizon, eyes squinting into the sun reflecting on the ocean waves. Ah, there he was, swimming back towards shore, his sleek red head flashing in and out of the sea. Wading out into the calm green water, he stopped waist deep and waited.

Sensing another presence, Benton slowed his crawl and put his feet down to the sandy bottom. Shaking the water from his face, he smiled at his bodyguard of fifteen years.

Race smiled back. "Johnny called from college. He and Hadji are staying at Tim's place. A better chance for girl-watching in Jamaica. So, I guess it's you and me this weekend."

"Really." Benton came closer, trailing his hand down the well oiled shoulder of his friend. "I wonder what we can do to pass the time?"

"Oh, I don't know," Race closed the gap and leaned forward to lick a few drops of water from the Benton's smooth throat. "You're the inventor." His voice dropped to a husky murmur. "Be inventive."

The red curls came to rest on the inviting shoulder and his lips unerringly found that hot spot behind Race's ear. "I strained my back the last time we got 'inventive'."

Race shuddered and brought his hands down over the familiar chest. "Gently, then." His hand kept moving lower. "Dr. Quest! You're not wearing any swim trunks."

Benton's own hands had been busy. "You should talk. Too much trouble. Saves time this way. Much," he gentled a kiss on a nearby nipple, "more" he gave equal time to the other nipple, "efficient."

Race's hand moved to a more intimate caress, loving the familiar feel of velvet over steel. Benton followed suit while their mouths met and tongues dueled. A lazy passion, born of the late afternoon and the coming night, began to rise and burn along their nerve endings. Race slipped his hand lower to cradle the twin globes that had begun to tighten in anticipation.

Taking a deep breath, Race ducked beneath the surface of the water and replaced his hands with his mouth. He felt rather than heard the groan from his lover and two hands cradled his head gently, rubbing the short white hair in tense circles. Two minutes of increased suction was all it took before Benton lost control and climaxed. His hands tugged Race up into a trembling embrace.

"You're too damn good at that, my friend." He licked delicately at Race's lips, sharing his own taste. "And what about you? What do you need?"

"You. I always need you." Race's voice was whiskey rough. Biting an earlobe and dropping his hands to caress Benton's cheeks, he pulled him closer and brushed a tender finger over the hidden opening.

"You've got me." Benton sighed into his mouth and pressed back onto the probing finger.

"On the beach." Race began walking back wards slowly pulling his lover with him. "Lotion." Words were getting difficult. "Don't want to hurt you."

"Never have." Benton was licking his way around the smooth throat. "Never will."

They tumbled onto the oversized blanket spread under the palm trees. Race's hand fumbled for the bottle of lotion but Benton beat him to it. Setting back on his haunches, he squeezed out a generous handful and began to sensuously stroke it onto the engorged flesh of his friend. Race hissed and tightened his control, repeating math sums in his head to keep his concentration from heading straight to his cock.

He sat up and grabbed the bottle. "Enough. It's your turn. Before I lose it."

Benton laughed and lay down on his stomach, cradling his head on his arms. Race settled between his outstretched legs and ran his hands lovingly down the long back muscles in sweeping strokes. But those firm white ass cheeks beckoned and he concentrated on running lazy circles around and around, moving ever nearer to his goal. Brushing against the opening then moving one oily finger within the tight ring of muscle. He continued the tiny circles inside the passage.

A little more oil and a second finger joined in massaging the opening. Benton was making low moaning sounds by this time, pushing back in short movements of his hips. The third finger brought him up onto his knees with a cry of burning need.

"Please. Please. Please." The low chant echoed in Race's ears. Removing his fingers, he gripped Benton's hips and slid full length into the tight hot depths.

They both stilled for a long moment, enjoying the sense of two bodies becoming one. Then Benton thrust back gently and Race began to move in long smooth strokes. Angling a little to one side, he aimed for the prostate and scored a direct hit. Benton gasped and tightened his muscles.

Race moved one hand around to fondle Benton's renewed erection. They established a familiar rhythm that heated to a frenzied climax. Benton's shout of completion coincided with a tightening of all his muscles that milked Race to his. Benton took all Race's weight, the tall man sprawled bonelessly all along his back. Long sated moments passed.

"You get me every time." Race murmured. He stirred and slowly pulled himself free. Gathering the limp body of his friend into his arms, he settled back with the drying red curls on his shoulder. Noticing again how much more gray threaded in among the auburn. Thinking back over the years, remembering when a job had become friendship and the friendship became love.

Benton stirred and pressed a kiss into the nearest collarbone. "Just keeps getting better, love. For two old men."

"Youth is vastly over rated. Maturity is much better." Race grinned. "When we were young, we were too busy working, planning, fighting, loving women, doing our jobs, to really see each other. This is better."

Benton shifted up and pillowed himself on Race's chest. "We have slowed down, haven't we? I've cut back on the conferences and trips so we spend more time at home."

"And with the boys off to college, we're alone more often. And I seem to be getting better at luring you away from the lab." Race teased.

Benton grinned. "You," his lips teased at Race's, "are," nipped at the soft skin beneath his chin, "very," licked at the spot behind his ear, "persuasive." And he took full possession of those laughing lips, parting them and dipping into the spicy depths.

They played until Race's stomach growled. Ambling back to the sprawling complex of buildings that mixed home and work, they argued over the dinner menu.

"Already had my desert." He grinned wickedly at his suddenly blushing lover. "After dinner, it'll be time for yours."

Benton threw back his head and laughed. "I'll hold you to that, Race."

"I know you will, love." And with that promise, they headed in for the beginning of another weekend in paradise.

*********************
End of part seven