Coal to Diamonds Read online

  On his hands and knees, Cole crept up behind Cam and laid a hand that he hoped was comforting on the small of his friend’s back. He rubbed his cheek against the downy hair that covered Cam’s perfect ass. It was the oddest sex Cole had ever had. He felt like he was performing to please an audience rather than himself or his lover. But Cam’s skin felt so warm and soft that he wouldn’t have to pretend much longer. Already his cock swelled inside his tight black pants. He watched Thorn tug the head of Cam’s penis, chafing the fragile skin. Cam’s breath shuddered.

  “Use something. You’re going to hurt him,” Cole said.

  An arctic glare silenced Cole, and he turned his interest back to Cam’s ass, trying to ignore the slap of skin on skin and Cam’s gasps. All three of them had known going in that their endeavor against Thorn might cost them. Each of them expected to bleed, from one wound or another. If it didn’t get worse than this, they’d be lucky. But it would be the last time. Cole would kiss away Cam’s friction burns as soon as they got back to the cabin and into the one bed they’d made from three. Aloe and clover oil, combined with a healing spell, would ease the discomfort. Cole still had the recipe for the ointment his grandmother had put on his skinned knees.

  For now, Cole would keep up appearances. He clutched Cam’s cheeks and eased them apart as he felt Bobby’s nails graze his scalp. Cole felt Bobby’s presence blocking the draft from the curved window behind him as he dropped his face toward Cam’s crevice. Burrowing in, he pressed his nose against the knob of Cam’s tailbone and inhaled his familiar musk. He ran his tongue in long, slow strokes from Cam’s bobbing balls, over his wrinkled opening, and back. He let his saliva flow over Cam’s crack. Then he pressed the tip of his tongue against the ring of muscle, waiting for it to yield. Cam relaxed, and Cole slid his tongue into him. He slipped it in and out, trying to match Thorn’s speed. As he did, he felt the first droplets of precome moisten the inside of his pants.

  Trembling with bliss, Cam threw his head back and muttered, “Oh my God, Cole. So good. Oh, Cole!”

  Infuriated at hearing Cole’s name on Cam’s lips before his own, Thorn wrenched the slender man to the floor by his hips. A chill hit Cole’s damp face where Cam’s heat had been. He tumbled forward and caught himself on his hands. Bobby collided against his back. That need in Cam’s voice resounded in Cole’s mind. Even with everything that was happening, Cam wanted him. Despite his pain, Cam had relished Cole’s touch.

  Thorn wouldn’t allow them their love. He didn’t mind the three of them having sex; in fact, he often enjoyed watching. But, in a childlike way, he had to feel like the favorite. The unity between Cole, Cam, and Bobby posed too great a threat. Their power was too terrible when combined.

  Thorn seized a handful of Cam’s hair and jerked Cam’s head downward. He untied his silk robe to reveal his erection. Thorn’s cock, like the rest of him, was long, slender, and almost sharp-looking. Still holding Cam’s head, Thorn leaned back and propped himself on his elbows. Cam gagged the first three times Thorn thrust into his throat, but then he settled into a steady rhythm. Cole saw Bobby ball his fists at his sides. Both of them tried to be gentle with Cam, especially since he’d been so ill-used by others.

  “Watch your teeth,” Thorn whispered savagely. He stared up at Cole, then at Bobby. He wanted them to recognize what he was doing: taking their precious thing while they watched, helpless.

  Cam retaliated the only way he could. He scrambled from his belly to his knees, raising his ass and spreading his legs in invitation. Cole looked longingly at his pink crack and wrinkled opening at the center as he stood up and stripped. After tossing his dark clothes along the wall of the round room, Cole knelt down behind Cam. He stroked the sides of his thighs, raising gooseflesh. He danced his nails lightly along the buttons of Cam’s spine. Then he reached underneath him and caressed his ribs and belly. He loved the hair that meandered down from Cam’s navel, loved the furrow between his stomach muscles. He loved his round ribs, and how his waist tapered beneath them. Before he knew he’d done it, he mumbled “God, I love you, Cammy.”

  In response, Thorn hauled Cam’s head forward and thrust up at the same time. Cam’s nose squashed against the patch of black hair that Cole knew from experience felt bristly and hurt one’s skin. Thorn’s eyes met Cole’s as he pushed deeper into Cam’s throat. A muffled gurgle and choke could be heard over cadenced slurping. Thorn’s face expressed no trace of pleasure. He watched Cam labor like he was reading a newspaper, his lips slack and eyes disinterested.

  Cole bit his lip to keep any more impulsive declarations of love from spilling out. When this was over, he could shower his lovers with all the affection he wanted. Now he had to perform. He spit on his palm and rubbed his length, moistening himself. Then he positioned the head of his cock just outside Cam’s hole. If only he had something to ease the entry besides saliva! Cole really didn’t want to hurt Cam. The edges of Cam’s anus still looked swollen from what they’d done on the couch the night before. It felt puffy and soft where Cole’s cockhead pressed against it. But it glistened from Cole’s earlier kisses, and Cam pushed back against Cole.

  “Relax for me, baby,” he whispered.

  The memory of that perfect fusion made more blood rush to Cole’s erection. It throbbed; the skin stretched so tight it hurt. Cole grasped himself and squeezed his head in his fist, milking a few pearly drops from his little hole. With his thumb, he spread the fluid over his darkening member, lubing it up as best he could.

  As gently as possible, Cole pressed into Cam until their balls bumped against each other. A pleased, grateful sound, dampened by Thorn’s cock, rose from Cam. Cole buried himself and then waited, feeling Cam’s muscles clench him in erratic spurts. If only they were somewhere, anywhere else! The sweltering pressure felt exquisite, and Cole wanted to return the favor. He enjoyed giving pleasure as much as receiving, and he adored watching Cam in the throes of ecstasy. He liked the noises Cam made, and the way his whole body shook just before he came, as if every cell of his body danced with delight. Most of all, Cole liked knowing he’d caused Cam’s rapture. As much as he wanted to reach underneath and stroke Cam, feel Cam’s hot seed explode against his palm, he didn’t want to accelerate the irritation caused by Thorn’s rough jerks. So instead he touched just Cam’s slit and swirled the precome around the ridge where the head met the shaft.

  Cupping both of their balls in one hand, Cole slid in and out of Cam. He adjusted the angle of his penetration, watching Cam’s reaction carefully each time he shifted his body. With attention to detail and care, he could make Cam orgasm this way, even barely touching his cock. Cole watched for Cam’s back to arch, listened for the familiar purr in his throat that would tell him he’d hit Cam’s spot. When he saw the signals, he made sure his cock hit Cam’s gland with each stroke. If Cam leaked, Cole used the moisture to touch him delicately, lavishing attention on the sensitive groove on the underside of his penis.

  Lost in concentration and pleasure as he was, Cole didn’t notice Bobby standing beside him until the larger man cradled his chin. He turned Cole’s face toward his erection. It popped out between the curtains of his white linen shirttails, looking dark against the light fabric. His tan trousers and blue-striped shorts bunched around his ankles. Bobby’s thick cock bounced with each beat of his heart. Inundated with blood, the veins twined over it like exposed roots. Bobby held it at the base with his other hand, steadying it as he guided it toward Cole’s lips. Cole opened his mouth and sucked hard on the tip. He felt for Cam’s waist, and he steadied himself, creating the tightest vacuum he could. Bobby moved his hand from Cole’s face to the ponytail dangling at the nape of his neck and wrapped it around his knuckles. Cole relaxed his neck and let Bobby pull his head forward. He inhaled the earthy scent of Bobby’s groin, working his tongue in furious circles beneath Bobby’s head.

  “Come on, Cole. Take it all. I know you can.”

  Since he was still focused on pleasuring Cam, Cole let the tension fall fro
m his shoulders and neck. Bobby supported the back of his head, and Cole allowed himself to be manipulated back and forth. He stretched his mouth wide and opened his throat. Cole knew that Bobby would never be overly rough with him, so he trusted his friend to lead the sexual waltz they engaged in. The three of them knew each other so well that every personal kink and subtlety of preference could be exploited to the fullest. When they were together, tiny, expert touches made magic. Like now, when the graze of Cole’s top teeth made Bobby’s cock twitch. What had made them think they needed this shadowy fourth? How had Thorn ensnared each of them so easily, when they already had everything?

  Cole relaxed his throat to take Bobby’s entire length, enjoying the salt taste and velvety texture of his skin. Soon his cock disappeared between Cole’s lips completely. Cole’s nose caught the stream of sweat that ran down Bobby’s torso as Bobby undulated his hips. Perspiration seeped beyond the tight seal of his mouth.

  Cole pretended they were in the cabin, basking in the light of the fire. He imagined Cam crossing his wrists in front of his face and resting his cheek on his hands, instead of in Thorn’s lap. Together they fine-tuned their movements, so that when Bobby pressed into Cole’s throat, Cole pressed into Cam. They moved with and against each other instinctively, as they always did. Only Thorn’s jarring tugs of Cam’s hair clashed against the lilting melody they created. Thorn didn’t belong; why hadn’t they seen it? He was like some foreign beetle introduced into their native forest. Too late, they’d discovered he would fatten himself by devouring their trees.

  Cole’s orgasm built, making his balls ache, but he bit it back. He’d hold it until Cam and Bobby came. His body, like his magic, became an instrument of his will. It would be him who drew the sacred essences forth from his friends. When the powerful Tantric energy exploded from them, he, and not Thorn, would absorb it. The time approached when Cole would need any extra power he could gather. Thorn would not be permitted to claim any more of Cam or Bobby. Luckily for them all, Bobby’s cock stopped their names from falling like autumn leaves from Cole’s entranced tongue. In his mind, though, he chanted them again and again.

  Bobby.

  Cam.

  Mine. Mine. Mine.

  It was close now. Their bodies moved like a single being, a graceful serpent whose body rippled through the clouds. Curves and arcs of energy traveled through them. The light of their auras formed a complete spectrum. Bobby’s wheat yellow bled to crimson around Cole’s head and shoulders. At Cole’s waist, it shifted to a lightning blue until it met Cam and bloomed green. At the head of the procession, Thorn’s black light drew the colors in like a hole in space. Chromatic snippets and streamers disappeared into the shadows surrounding him. The phenomenon bothered Cole, though he didn’t fully comprehend its significance. Later he’d inquire what Cam had seen. Best for now, he thought, to stop the flow.

  Saliva dribbled down his chin, and Cole scooped some up. As his cock pulsed against Cam’s gland in short, rapid bursts, he took Cam’s cock into his freshly slicked hand. Instead of stroking it, Cole contracted his fist, rhythmically squeezing in time with his thrusts. Above his hand, he felt Cam’s belly fluttering as he inhaled in irregular little puffs. As Cole knew he would, Cam came a minute later, spraying the elaborate pillows with his seed.

  After Cam’s orgasm, Cole stopped thrusting. But Bobby’s stabs still pushed Cole against Cam. Bobby tugged against Cole’s ponytail, knowing Cole liked a little coarseness. Cole craned his neck, turning his face up so that he could see Bobby regarding him. Bobby’s eyes were chocolate-colored slits on his flushed face. Cole resented the loss of the sweet, dirty things Bobby would say if they’d been alone. He bit his lower lip and took another step toward Cole. Plunging so deep into Cole’s throat his pelvis squashed Cole’s nose, Bobby shuddered from his toes to the tip of his cock. Cole quickly swallowed the torrent of semen that followed.

  Finally it was his turn. Bobby helped Cole along by kneeling behind him, yanking his head back, and biting into the muscle that stretched from his collarbone to his ear. He pinched Cole’s nipple with his other hand. Still spasming from his orgasm, Cam’s ass contracted around Cole’s cock. The feeling of being pressed between their bodies, the unique fragrances of their skin and sex engulfing him, made Cole’s flesh burn. He’d satisfied them, stored the strength they offered. Him. Cole. Not Thorn. He was coming. He was going to scream and release the power he’d soaked up, the power he desperately needed. Gods, he couldn’t stop himself. He’d scream their names until he lost his voice.

  Bobby sensed the threat. His power flowed steadily, like the growth of a tree, and Cam’s sprinkled like a rain shower. Cole’s magic, the three of them knew, came in short bursts, like heat lightning. If he let go of it now, they had no hope of defeating Thorn. Bobby forced the web of his hand, between his thumb and finger, between Cole’s teeth.

  Coming harder than he ever had, Cole bit and drew blood from Bobby’s skin. Rust flavor filled his mouth. He thrashed and yelled like a gagged, condemned prisoner as what felt like a gallon of come emptied into Cam. Throwing his head back, he crashed against the sturdy bone of Bobby’s shoulder until his vision went fuzzy. He held onto Cam’s cheeks as if they were the only thing anchoring him to the physical world, keeping him from plummeting into the abyss. Cole’s body seized from sensory and magical overload. But he held the energy balled in the hollow place between his ribs and hips.

  Through it all, Thorn had looked on with disinterest, like he was watching someone washing dishes and not having a transformative, religious experience. Even Cam’s expert mouth hadn’t been able to coax an orgasm from Thorn. The man possessed an almost mystical ability to prolong the act of love. He’d left each of them hurting on many occasions.

  Sighing, Thorn said, “I’m bored of this. Stop, Cameron.” He let loose of the blond hair, and Cam bolted toward his friends like a wild animal released from a cage.

  “Am I alone in thinking,” he continued, “that the dynamic between the four of us has changed?”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Cole responded. “Whatever we are, we can’t read your mind. If you want something, why don’t you just—”

  “What I want,” Thorn said, loud enough to drown Cole’s voice, “is for this to be how it was.”

  Cole couldn’t believe the irony. The past had been what he’d longed for and tried to recreate those years he’d been alone.

  “You’re the one who changed,” Cole dared to say. “We had fun in the beginning. Then you started demanding more and more from us. More time. More attention. More obedience.”

  “It’s my right as your teacher!”

  “You threatened us,” Cole continued. “Scared us. Hurt us. We were all equal in the beginning. We were just playing at it—”

  “What if we don’t want to be your students anymore?” Cam said quietly.

  Thorn sat up and snarled. The whites of his eyes showed around the black centers, making him look dangerous and deranged. “You think you’re so special? You think you did me a favor? You should thank your gods that I shared my knowledge with you. You should be grateful I let you in my presence, you filthy little piece of street trash!”

  “That’s enough!” Bobby slapped the floor and the crack resounded, Cole thought, like wood split by lightning. In his anger, Bobby didn’t seem to have noticed that Thorn knew Cam had been a prostitute without ever being told.

  “Of course we want you to teach us,” Cole said quickly. They had to keep up the charade. His words calmed Thorn, who leaned back into his pillowy nest. His erection pointed up, like a knife held ready for attack. Cole crept forward and perched on his hands and knees over Thorn’s reclining body. Hoping to distract him, he kissed Thorn, then wrapped his fingers around his cock and stroked him. “I want everything you’re offering, Darius.”

  Thorn yielded to Cole’s caresses. He pushed his tongue playfully against Cole’s, and traced the perimeter of the bite Bobby had made with his nails. Cole’s lids dro
oped. He lost himself in the pleasure of the moment. He’d loved this man, or at least lusted after him. Their nights in the study, the dining room, or the fenced-in yard had been amazing, whether he’d been alone with Thorn or sharing him with Bobby and Cam. Thorn drew out the potential in their bodies and souls, brought them nearer to their god-forms. If it could be like that again—

  Cole toppled on his side as Thorn shoved him off. “Not you,” he panted, breathless from Cole’s ministrations. “I want Robert. And I want the two of you to watch.”

  Bobby, seldom skittish, looked like a deer caught in headlights. But he bravely came forward. “Tell me,” he said.

  “Take off your clothes. On your back, Robert. And open your legs.”

  Bobby stripped shyly, brought his heels to his ass, and sunk backward.

  “I want to see more. Pull them up,” Thorn said, and Bobby complied.

  Thorn sat on his heels near Bobby’s ass. He pressed against the insides of Bobby’s knees, so his spine bent upward, exposing his cleft. The candlelight seemed brighter. The flush on Bobby’s cheeks was plain to see. He looked so ashamed, so unlike the proud, bright young man he’d been that Cole bit back a cry. Then, without warning, Thorn spit on Bobby’s flesh and plunged both of his thumbs into Bobby’s puckered anus. He wrapped his long, sharp-nailed fingers around Bobby’s ass cheeks for leverage. He pulled his thumbs apart until a two-inch gap appeared between them, as if he could expose Bobby’s very insides.

  “Enjoying the show?” he asked Cole and Cam. Neither could answer. “That’s a nice view, I think. Pretty enough for a picture.”