I'd never been so angry but I'd also never had so much to lose by showing it. Ezra needed me to accept his past and the idiots who'd hurt him so badly. I tucked the name of the asshole who'd tried to destroy him in the back of my mind and made myself a promise to make sure that he paid for what he'd done to Ezra.

The woman was something else. Ma had always said that women used to be protected but nowadays they had to be just as tough as their menfolk. I'd promised her that when I grew up, I'd take care of her. She had hugged me tight and laughed real low, like she did some times. 'If I'm not here, little angel, there will be someone who needs you.'

And how right she was. The fact that it was a man instead of a woman had kind of thrown me for a loop for a while. Now that I'd held him and listened to his halting confessions, I knew that he needed me as much as I needed him. And right now, he needed me to love him to pieces the way he'd just loved me.

If the damn plug would stop massaging me into hardness, I'd be able to think more clearly. He was still shaking a little and I wanted to get him into the hot water of our bath. I'd always been a shower man but damned if I couldn't see the benefits of a tub. He was so beautiful when wet.

He poured in some of the oil scented with magnolias and I could see his shoulders relax a little at the familiar smell. I would do what ever I had to do to get him to relax with me again. Not to mention love him to pieces like he'd just done for me. I've never felt anything so hot and tight in my life. There was none of the moistness of a woman, just heat and what felt like leather massaging me.

I shivered and he looked at me in concern. "Are you all right, Vin?"

"Just remembering the way it felt inside of you, Ezra. I never felt anything like that before." I stepped in the tub and held out my hand to him. "I want to feel it again if that's all right with you?"

He blushed and joined me. "When ever you like, Vin. Having you inside of me was better than Christmas and my birthday combined."

I knelt and gingerly got set down in the tub. "Well, if'n this plug don't make me come all on it's own, I plan on finding out what you mean."

He chuckled and started lathering the soap. "Not just yet, Vin, but I promise that you'll come and come hard when I get you back into bed."

It was good to see him smiling again and I tucked my anger away so I didn't spook him. His touch was so reverent that I felt kind of like one of those saints in the RC church - worshipped. His fingers slid over me like silk, tantalizing my skin into goosebumps. The hair on his legs teased my inner thighs and I opened them wider to get him closer. Suddenly, I wanted to be surrounded by him, penetrated and owned by him.

"Ezra!" I felt like I was on fire and only he could put out the flames. My hands tried to draw him closer while my skin rippled with every wave of water.

He pulled me into his lap, my legs around his waist while he ravaged my needy lips with the kind of kiss that I needed. His tongue surged into my mouth and started a rhythm that had my hips trying to imitate it. His hands palmed my cheeks apart and back together, pushing in the plug with every inward squeeze. Now, I was really on fire, my cock pressed against his stomach and the urge to come getting harder and harder to ignore.

We were both panting when we broke apart to breathe then he dove back in, taking my breath while he fisted my cock with one hand and pushed in the plug with the other. Somehow he knew what I needed and was giving it to me in spades. I couldn't get in enough air and just before everything went black, I felt my cock explode in his hand.

It wasn't but a moment before I was back with him and it was his voice that woke me. "Vin! Vin, come back to me."

Forcing my eyes open, I managed to raise my head from his shoulder and smiled. "When can we do it again, Ez'?"

He relaxed a little. "You're all right, then?"

"Better than all right, Ezra, I needed you to love me all out, no holding back and you did." I found a little energy to lean in and kiss him tenderly. He returned my kiss after a moment and this time his lips were soft and gentle.

"I was afraid that I'd hurt you," and I heard the unsaid words, 'like I was hurt.'

"Loving me won't ever hurt me, Ezra. I'm not fragile like a woman and I won't break if you take me hard." I scattered kisses over his face and felt the roughness of his evening beard. "You're a strong man and so am I, so don't ever think that I don't want all of you. Because I do want you inside of me as much as you want me inside of you."

He blinked a little at my blunt words but then he nodded slowly and I saw his eyes flame a little hotter. It was going to be all right, I could tell. Soon, he'd be ready to take me and I'd be ready to be taken. But right now, that damn plug was trying to harden my sated cock. All the blood in my body was headed south and I was feeling lightheaded again.

"Relax for me, Vin." Ezra's hand gloved my limp cock and while I was thrusting up, he plucked the plug out of my body and left me empty.

"Oh," was all I could say while I think I may have pouted.

He smiled down at me and laid the rubber plug aside while his soapy hands washed my chest. Then he washed me from top to bottom before turning me over and washing my back. But this time after he rinsed me, he had me up on all fours while he leaned in to nibble his way down my crease. This whole rimming thing felt so good that I rested my head on my folded arms and just gave into the pleasure.

I got harder and harder until I needed to come in the worst way. "Ezra, please take me back to bed and make love to me."

He rested his cheek on my back. "Are you sure, Vin? I want to but I don't want to hurt you."

Straightening up, I twisted around to take him in my arms. "Sometimes a little pain just reminds us that we're alive. I promise to tell you if it's too much but I don't think it will be. I think that you're going to slide inside of me and very gently take that other virginity, I been holding onto."

His eyes were brilliant green and he couldn't help a shiver at my words. But I could also see his resolve steady and when he stood and offered me a hand up, I could see his cock standing proudly out from his body. Soon I was going to have all that solid flesh inside of me and I could hardly wait.

He dried me slowly while I stood and let him. Ezra threw the towels on the floor and led me back to the bedroom, which told me that he was indeed ready to take me. I was willing to bet that he'd never left a messy bathroom in his life and I couldn't help but grin at his determination. This was going to be good.

And it was.

He laid me on my stomach and coated his hands with oil, first massaging me into the sheets before sliding a finger deep inside of me. It felt better than good and when he sparked my gland, I started heating up again. Then one became two and I couldn't keep still, my hips restlessly moving while I hardened again. He helped by tucking one of our pillows under my stomach so my full weight wasn't on my cock anymore.

Then he slid back in with three fingers and for the first time I tensed a little. That felt so full that I had that urge to push him out again but I fought it hard and gradually, he flexed them a little so the heat came back. His other hand stroked my back just like I did to a skittish horse and I chuckled at the thought that we'd switched places.

"Feeling a mite skittish, Vin?" He read my mind and mimicked my accent.

"A mite, Ezra, you're doing just fine in settling me down." And I moved back a little to get those fingers where I needed them. The flash of heat told me I'd succeeded and I heard him squeeze out more of the thick oil/lotion that we'd been using. Part of me wished I could see him getting himself ready but most of me was just impatient at the wait.

"Over onto your side, Vin. That will be easier on you according to the Book." He guided me onto my right side and shoved the pillow away while one of his legs came between mine to hold them apart. "Breathe deep for me, my angel-Vin. And remember that I love you."

Then his fingers were gone, leaving me empty until the warm tip of his cock pushed slowly against my entrance. I relaxed as best I could and pushed out the way the Book had said to do. The crown pierced me, opening me impossibly wide while I shook with the pain. But he stopped once he'd gotten inside, his hand moving from my hip to my stomach where he warmed me with soothing strokes.

"Tell me when to move, Vin. Either out for now or in further." He kissed the back of my neck and I could feel his love everywhere.

"Hard part's over, Ezra." I couldn't help my voice shaking just a bit. "And you feel huge but it's getting better. Just give me a few minutes."

"As long as you need, angel. I'm about ready to lose it anyway. You're so tight." The wonder in his voice made me want to cry and laugh at the same time.

And that gave me the courage to push back and take a little more of him inside of me. I'd never felt so full before but then I'd never been so well loved. He groaned a little and moved in deeper. His hand had taken my wilted cock and was slowly stroking him back to life. There were so many sensations filling me that I was hard pressed to give them the attention they deserved.

Heat.

Pressure.

No longer pain but a restless feeling that demanded more.

And he gave it to me, sliding in all the way and sparking my gland to life. Then he was moving slowly out and back in again while I hardened completely and began to help. He kept his thrusts even and soon the pace began to speed up. I was panting again, trying to get enough air into my starving lungs. When he pulled just a little harder on my cock, I suddenly froze and came hard. A brief pain distracted me enough to keep me conscious and I realized that he was flooding me with his heat and his groan was muffled in the flesh of my shoulder.

I smiled to myself. Ezra'd branded me as his and that felt right because I was and always would be. He licked the site in apology but I just hugged him closer to show him I didn't mind.

"I love you, Vin." His voice was husky.

"I love you too, Ezra. And I think that I'm going to want you inside of me again." I realized that that was the honest truth. The pain had been fleeting and I was already forgetting it because the pleasure had been so very good.

"I've never felt anything like your heat, Vin." He was slowly kissing my neck until he got to that hot spot behind my ear and made me shiver. "I'm surprised that I lasted as long as I did. You felt so tight around me."

"Like brand new leather gloves when you pull them on for the first time?" I'd thought about it and that was exactly what it felt like inside of him.

He chuckled. "Exactly, my friend. You're a poet, Vin, and now I'll probably never be able to wear gloves again without thinking of you."

"Good. I'd hate for it to just be me lusting after your touch." I could feel him starting to shrink just a little.

"Never, Vin, I'll always want your touch. Don't let me hurt you now." He rocked a little and began to back out.

I clenched around him but that only hurried him along and all too soon he'd left me empty. Turning, I gathered him in for a kiss and he let me take control of our lips. I needed that and somehow he knew me better than I knew myself. When I pulled back, he looked dazed, just the way I wanted him to look.

"We're going to need a shower before we eat dinner. Then you promised me a new toy."

He laughed out loud. "I don't think that anything can match what we just did." I pouted a little and he smiled. "Perhaps I'll let you play with it tomorrow while we're at Chris'."

I drew back a bit and looked at his innocent look. "Not the plug?"

He shook his head. "No, indeed. Just a little something to ... remind you of me."

"You'll be right there, Ezra. I won't need a reminder."

He smiled that full out smile that made me glad to see it and I gave in. Laughing, he tickled me into moving back to the bathroom. I could still feel the stretched muscles deep inside of me and I knew my gait wasn't quite right when he slid an arm around my waist to help me walk and stroked my hip. I've never felt so cherished in my life. Ezra had a kind of stunned look on his face, like he couldn't believe that I was real.

I reminded him in the shower that I was his and he was mine, washing him from top to bottom. But he got his own back when he knelt to check my entrance to make sure that he hadn't been too rough. I could have told him that I was stretched but not torn but when he leaned in to lick me clean, it was all I could do to stay upright against the tiled wall. Locking my arms and leaning in took all my concentration.

Hell, I was half-hard again by the time the water started running cool.

But we'd made plans to go to Miss Daisy's for dinner and Ezra admitted that he was hungry for the first time since this assignment began. That was real good news to me because I'd been a mite worried when he couldn't even finish his soup. I know the medication had something to do with it but still, I wanted to see him enjoying his food the way he had on our first date.

That thought made me laugh and drew a quizzical look from him. "I was just thinking that our first dinner at Miss Daisy's was also our first date."

He grinned. "Indeed it was, Vin. That memory kept me from going completely insane while I got deeper and deeper into Munson's life. Well, that and your kiss."

I stopped pulling on my jeans and pulled him into a hug. "First kiss, too, I wonder how I got so lucky."

Kissing me tenderly, he postponed his answer for a long moment. Brushing his fingers through my hair, he shook his head a little. "I'm the lucky one, Vin. You thawed me out and burned away all the painful memories, leaving me with your beautiful love and caring."

"I never thought I could love like this, Ez'. It helped a lot when I realized that you were the one who made my heart leap. We got to think of something real nice for Buck and Chris. Without them clueing me in, I might not have ever understood what I was feeling." I leaned against him and breathed in his clean scent. There was still a hint of magnolias and I knew that no matter where I was, that scent would always mean home to me. Just like Ezra would always be the center of my universe.

"I shall endeavor to put my mind to the task." He chuckled and let me go slowly, his fingers lingering on my skin. "But if you would get dressed, I would be able to think a little more clearly. That's a sexy look for you but it's also very distracting."

I grinned and grabbed my last clean shirt. "I probably need to go home and pick up some clothes. Else, we'll have to run the washer for sure."

He nodded and I saw that little frown come back between his eyes. Something in what I'd said was worrisome to him. Thinking back over it, I suddenly knew what he was contemplating. 'Home' meant a lot of things but mostly a place. I really couldn't see Ezra living in Purgatorio where my friends mostly were. There were kids that I was mentoring, the Sisters who were trying to clean the place up, my elderly neighbors who needed errands run and a host of other obligations to think about.

We were both quiet when we locked up his door and walked down to the garage. He handed me the keys to the Jag and settled in the passenger seat. I surely did love driving that car. There was power at the faintest touch of my foot or hand and it was intoxicating but also kind of fearful. You had to concentrate on your driving for sure or it would fly away with you.

And that's when I knew what his name was. I got us parked and turned to Ezra with a big grin on my face.

"What in the world, Vin?"

"Pegasus. His name is Pegasus, 'cause he surely would fly if you let him loose."

His laughter was totally carefree. "Only you, Vin, would still be thinking of naming my car. But you're right, there have been a few times on the open road when I have let him go free. Pegasus it is."

"Good, now let's eat before I have to bite a chuck out of his steering wheel." I made sure everything was locked up tight before joining him on the sidewalk. Now that we were back in the world, I had to be careful about touching him or getting too close.

He seemed to be having the same problem and his rueful glance told me that we'd be touching each other real hard at the earliest possible moment. The restaurant was pretty full but our booth in the back was still free. Miss Daisy sat us down and whisked a basket of corn bread and a pitcher of sweet tea onto the table, telling us briskly that we were having sweet potatoes and ham tonight.

Ezra was chuckling when she bustled away and I watched him relax with relief. He was already buttering some corn bread so I hurried up to get my share. When he sighed and smiled happily, I knew that I probably looked pretty foolish so I dropped my eyes and concentrated on my bread.

"Vin?" He sounded kind of unsure, like he'd done something wrong.

"It's okay, Ez'. I'm just having a problem with not being able to touch you and look at you the way I want to." I shrugged and looked up through my eyelashes to find him smiling at me.

"I have the same problem, Vin. We're going to have to work on that when we rejoin the Team. They seem to be all right with . . . us." It wasn't quite a question but I could see he was struggling with it.

"They're fine, Ezra, and we are, too. We were friends from the start and most people will just see that friendship." I nudged his foot with mine under the table and made sure that my voice didn't alter by so much as an iota. "Unless I just have to grab and kiss you because some woman is giving you the glad eye."

He looked real startled then broke into the quiet laughter that I loved to hear. "Oh, Vin, as if I'd even notice anyone else when you were in the room."

"Good." I nodded and finished my corn bread. He was still chuckling under his breath while he drank some of his iced tea.

Miss Daisy brought our food and patted Ezra on his shoulder. "Land sakes, child, you've lost weight again. I think it's time that you came in more often so's we can feed you up."

"I promise that I will be in much more often, Miss Daisy. I may even be moving closer." He told her with a smile while I tried not to let my jaw hit the table.

She left us alone and my shocked look made him blush a bit. "You love Purgatorio and the people there. I can't ask you to give up something you love."

"Ezra, you're more important to me than any place or person." I made sure that my knee was nudging his. "Maybe we could find something around here that would still let me coach some of the kids and help out my older neighbors once in a while?"

His smile was tinged just a bit with disbelief and I could see that he still didn't quite understand how committed I was to loving him. But that was okay because we had plenty of time to discover all those places in the middle where we could meet.

"There are some warehouses six blocks from here but closer to Purgatorio that are being converted to loft condos." Ezra told me kind of hesitant-like.

"Hey, that would be fun to make old space new. You could design it so it was comfortable and the rest of the team would help us build it." I could see the possibilities. "We have to have a bathroom like your apartment's. I'm kind of getting to like hot baths."
He tried to hide his smile but it was just too big. "A nice big bathroom goes without saying. But we also need a big window so your rocking chair has a place for you to rock and watch the stars."

"Yeah, and book shelves for all of your books." I spoke around my mouthful of fluffy sweet potatoes. "And your fancy stereo with all the CDs."

"Not to mention your exercise equipment and mine." He reminded me. "We'll also need space for a nice big table so we can sit all of the Team down to dinner."

"Or poker." It was my turn to remind him of something. "And your nice big bed."

"Our nice big bed." He threw me a little flirty look before taking a bite of ham.

"Yeah, our bed." Suddenly I wanted to finish dinner and take him back home so I could love him to pieces. "Think we can do it?"

Those beautiful green eyes met mine straight on. "I think that we can do anything we set our minds to, Vin. And there's nothing I've ever wanted more than a safe, warm space filled with you and our love."

I nodded, my heart too full to speak. We were going to be okay. Whatever happened in the days ahead, we'd face it together, building a new life filled with love and laughter.

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End part twelve