Fandom:	Houston Knights
Series:	Other Authors
Rating:	NC-17
Pairing:	Joe/Levon
Archive:	Starwinder's
Title:	The Melrose Estate
Author:	Etch
Standard Disclaimer: Houston Knights belongs to Jay Bernstein and Michael Butler and Columbia Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended. This is fan fiction, written out of love for the shows. I am making no money off this. I have no money so please don't sue me. Any original characters that may appear in these stories are the property of the author.

Published in Cinda Gillilan's zine: ONE IN TEN #2

(written in 1995, published in 1997)

THE MELROSE ESTATE
by Etch

Reaching for a large, blue-stripped bath towel, Sergeant Levon Lundy, stepped out of the steamy shower onto the cool, damp tile floor of his bathroom. Levon used part of the towel to get most of the wetness out of his curly, blond hair before opening the door to his bedroom, knowing his partner, his lover, would want the pleasure of drying him off.

"Wanna dry me off?" Levon asked Joey LaFiamma, his partner of three years, who lay naked on Lundy's large double bed. The cowboy watched hungrily as the ex-Chicagoan, his lover of ten months, went into a cat-like stretch. Hands, arms stretching, reaching for the sky then back to the headboard; legs taut, toes borrowing under the sheets, tanned torso twisting from one side to the other.

Joey smiled inwardly, watching his lover's eyes and groin until his stretch got the affect he wanted. "No thanks, Lundy. I'll just watch," Joe said grinning. "You ever think of sunbathin' in the nude, partner? So, your bottom half matches your top half. Never seen such snow white buns as yours."

"You sure," Levon drawled forlornly, "you don't want to dry me off? Usually you want to."

"We got work to do today, Levon, and we need to get rollin'. Don't have a lot of time to lolly-gag. But hey, lover, bring that sausage you're growin' over here, will ya? I'll chew on it while you're dryin' yourself," Joey replied, reaching for Lundy's thigh as the man neared the bed. "Mmmmmmmmm, dish ist goud," Joey mumbled, his mouth closing over his lover's hard-on.

Towel draped around himself, Levon crumbled onto the bed next to Joey. Gasps of pleasure sprang from the Texan's throat as Joe quickly worked his lover to maximum height and explosion. "How... how do you do that?" Levon gasped, panting. "How can you get it to come so fast sometimes.., and other times draw it out forever?"

"I had a good teacher," Joey replied, slapping his lover sharply on his buttocks, "come on now, we got work to do."

"What is this special assignment? Lieutenant Beaumont said I was to do whatever you wanted, whatever was needed. Some secret you involved in here, that I don't know about, Joseph?" Levon asked, reluctantly moving off the bed. "How come you got to have the last two days off... and now you got the weekend too?" Levon asked, pulling his long white boot socks on, then reaching for the rest of his clothes.

"You sure ask a lot of questions, cowboy. In less than ten minutes, you'll see partner, you'll see. Oh, you better take along at least one change of clothes, maybe two. Might get messy," Joey chuckled. Levon gave Joe a suspicious eye as the Texan walked into his closet for a worn leather carryall to put together clothes for a weekend he knew nothing about.

"Ten minutes from here?" Levon asked, rolling up underwear, shirts, and jeans.

"Darn, I forgot!" Joey yelped, snapping his fingers, his back to his partner as he started to exit Lundy's bedroom, remembering his trousers were in Lundy's dryer. "You better pack some condoms, too. We're gonna undercover."

"WE'RE WHAAAAT?!" Levon barked, boring holes in his partner's back. "JOSEPH ANTHONY LAFIAMMA... YOU COME BACK HERE!" Lundy yelled, grabbing his carryall, and hot-footing it after the Italian. "Joe? We ain't had no gay bashing, no trouble at the gay bars, why us?"

"It's nothing like that, Levon. You'll see when we get there. That's all I can tell you," Joey said, opening the dryer, giving his pants a violent shake to get the wrinkles out. "Now, you ready? Got everything you think you might need? Shaver? Toothbrush? There's a hot tub and pool table waitin' for us. Better have everything you need for the weekend in that bag," LaFiamma said, gingerly hopping into the slacks.

"Pool table? Hot tub? What kind of undercover assignment is this?" Lundy quizzed, following his partner out of the house to Joe's royal blue, two-seater Cobra.

"Did I say this was an undercover assignment?" Joey replied with the straightest face he could. "I said we were going undercover. It's voluntary. An' our lieutenant volunteered you... to help me. Get in!"

The drive was a lot shorter than Levon anticipated, and his jaw feel to his Texas belt buckle as Joe turned between two stone pillars marked "Private Drive."

"What we doin' here?" Lundy asked, as they drove back into a quiet cul de sac that held two large old houses. "This here's John Melrose's place," the cowboy said pointing to a frame and stucco, English Tudor looking two-story. "It's been empty for years. He's a writer, case you don't know, LaFiamma," Lundy said, as Joey did a slow roll toward the houses. "This is walkin' distance from the ranch. When Caroline got to drinkin' so bad.., I'd walk over here, peek in the windows, relax, unwind on the back patio," Lundy said, turning to stare at his grinning partner.

Leaning forward to a small tray of odds and ends, Joey picked up a garage door opener, clicked it once, and watched Lundy's eyes widened in amazement as the huge brown and white steel door of the Melrose garage opened.

"Yur house sitting, right?" Levon asked as Joey carefully eased his sports car into one side of the three-stall garage. "Guy must be moving. Look at all them boxes. You sittin' for the weekend, so it doesn't get ripped off, huh?" Lundy asked, figuring that's what it had to be. No way his partner could afford digs like this.

"John Melrose died in a nursing home three years ago, Lundy. The house has been tied up in Probate Court till early this year. I liked the history of the house, and the fact that most of it was still in good shape, and wouldn't need a lot of renovating. I went with an idea I had to the Historical Society, and they decided it was a deal they couldn't refuse," Joey said, opening the car door, and stepping out.

"YOU... BOUGHT... THIS PLACE!? On your salary!? No way LaFiamma! Uncle Mikey floated you a loan, huh. I told you the day would come when you'd take his dirty money!" Lundy said smugly, stepping out of the car without opening the door.

"I should have left you home, Lundy," Joey said sharply, jogging to the back door, to bar Levon's entrance into the back of the house. "I did not take money from Uncle Mikey!" Joey said emphatically. "I did use my status as a cop to find out information on the house that others maybe couldn't, and because of that I was the first one in line to pay the back taxes on the place, thereby becoming its new owner. The Historical Society offered to pay for the renovation of all but the servant's quarters, which since last week... is now where I live. The main part of the house will be accessible for tours on Sunday and Wednesday afternoons. The house itself is, as it was in the Twenties, when John Melrose and his family lived here. Most of the original furniture has been returned and restored, plus a few pieces from Chicago that belonged to my parents. Aunt Theresa had been saving them for me in her basement."

"Who's gonna want'a tour a house this old, LaFiamma? You been in the Texas sun too long, boy," Levon said, easing past his partner into the house.

"Now I knnoow... I should have left you home," LaFiamma said, closing the garage door behind them, ambling into the poolroom behind his partner.

"Wooowww... this place looks like it came right out of an Al Capone movie," Levon gasped wide-eyed, walking into a huge room that had an oak bar with brass rail along one wall, and a beautiful hand craved antique pool table that commanded center stage.

"Man, this table's got to be sixty, seventy years old," Lundy remarked, running his fingers over the green velvet edge.

"It's seventy-two years old, Lundy. And, Mister Know-It-All! John Melrose was a good guy, and a friend of Eliot Ness'. Who, by the way, stayed in this house whenever he was in Houston. Would you believe it... the Historical Society was even able to get some pieces from the set of the television series 'The Untouchables'," Joe said, slowly walking into the room, flicking on a row of Tiffany lights that hung over the table, as he went.

"I bet this sucker was custom made for this room, right? Man, after all these years, it's still in terrific shape," Lundy said, looking up at his partner with renewed interest.

"It wasn't in this shape when I bought the house, Lundy. A cousin of mine, from Chicago, restores antiques and renovates old houses, he came down and repaired it," Joey said, walking across the room to the bar.

"I bet that cost a pretty penny," Levon said, slowly walking around the pool table, looking at the cravings.

"Didn't cost a dime," Joey answered, intently watching his partner's interest in the pool table.

"Nobody does anything for nothing, Joe," the cowboy remarked, eyeing his partner, knowing that many of LaFiamma's uncles and cousins were mobsters.

"Uncle Gino hadn't seen a table like this since he was a kid. He helped his father restore one, when he was twelve. He and a couple of his sons came down, looked it over, and said they'd do it at no charge ... if they could stay in the suite that Ness was known to stay in when he came to Houston. The Historical Society agreed, even though that room wasn't completely finished yet. I arranged to stay in the house at the same time... 'cause knowing this family like I do, I didn't want anything ripped off. Their wives came down periodically for sightseeing and shopping, and Gino wrote the whole damn adventure off on his taxes as an extended business trip," Joe said, moving from the bar to the side of his partner.

"Want a tour of the rest of the place... or want to play a game first?" Joey asked, slipping a hand into one of his partner's back pockets.

"You really own this whole place... the grounds an' everything?" Levon asked, awed that Joe could keep a secret like this quiet, leaning into the arm he felt behind him.

"Yeah, most of it. The fees for the tours are going into a trust to help keep the grounds up and for any repairs that might be needed along the way. I used the money I made on that stock deal, and money my folks left me that Uncle Mikey hadn't told me about, because he thought I would spend it," Joey said sheepishly. Money always burned a hole in his pocket, he was constantly chided by fellow officers about having no coffee money, and being over extended on his credit cards. "The house is paid for, Lundy! I bought it simply by paying off the tax debt. NOW... you wanna see the back of the house where I live? Two bedrooms and a bath up, an' a bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room down. I got a new bed... specially for us," Joey said, slipping his hand from Levon's pocket to around the cowboy's waist, drawing his lover to him for a long, probing French kiss.

Pulling back for air, Levon's eyes fell on a piece of furniture that immediately caught his fancy. "LaFiamma! What's... what's this?" Lundy stammered, using the pool table to steady himself from the intensity of Joe's kiss. "I've never seen such intricate carvings. Mahogany, isn't it?" Levon asked, walking unsteadily to an overstuffed blue loveseat. Sinking into the cushions, Levon's fingers gingerly touched the fine latticework, flowers, animals carved into the chest.

"It belonged to my great-grandmother," Joey said quietly, "she brought it from Italy when they immigrated to this country in the Twenties." Joey stared at the chest, he'd kept it out of sight in his storage locker. It held memories... memories of family, memories of lost loves, memories of a high school jock who seduced him on his sixteen birthday starting an on-again, off-again relationship that lasted for fifteen years. A union he wasn't sure Lundy would understand.

"Can we open it?" Lundy asked, looking up excitedly into his lover's face.

"No! We can't!" Joey said sharper than he intended.

"What? Something in here, you're afraid of?" Lundy asked, wondering why he'd never seen the thing around Joe's apartment. "This been in your storage locker for the last three years?"

"It holds memories, Levon. Memories I want to forget about. Things I've pushed out of my mind, don't want to deal with," Joey said, slowly walking over to his partner, letting his body sink into the blue loveseat next to him. "You asked earlier... about my finesse in sucking you off. Pieces of the only man, other than you, that I've ever been deeply in love with are in this chest. There's memories in that box, Lee-von, too many memories. Of my parents, a brother who died too young, a fiancee I lost to a tragic death. You bet, I've kept that thing out of sight. I hurt just looking at it," Joey said, closing his eyes, not fighting the hug his partner pulled him into.

Lundy gently stroked Joe's back, rubbing out the tension, realizing for the first time that Joey loved him enough to share intimate secrets with him. Now was not the time for wisecracking comebacks. Now was the time for comfort, love, and reassurance.

"This house... is the special assignment, Joanne said you were spendin' your weekends workin' on," Levon asked into Joe's ear, while softly stroking his lover's head.

"Yeah," Joey mumbled, pulling his head away from the blond's shoulder.

"Can you teach me... to suck your cock like you did mine this morning?" Lundy asked in all seriousness, his tongue gently lapping a tear off his lover's face.

"What?" Joey rasped, blank eyes staring into calm, soothing brown ones.

"Be my teacher, Joe. Teach me how to be a better lover," Levon said, "I'm a virgin at satisfying a man... at satisfying you. I knew from the start you were more experienced in this than I was. You bring me to heights I didn't even know existed. Pleasures never before enjoyed. Teach me to do the same to you," Lundy asked, bringing his hand up to touch his lover's unshaven chin.

"I like the way we make love!" Joey retorted, pulling away from his partner, surprised his lover was dissatisfied with their lovemaking. "I'm not interested in having you change into something you're not."

"Is it over between you and him... I mean... if this guy showed up on your doorstep, would he... would I?" Levon began, knowing the answer may not be what he wanted to hear, but willing to learn, and fight if necessary to keep Joe for himself.

"His name's Henry Bertelli," Joey said, rolling the words slowly over his lips.

"Hen-re Bert-tell-ly! Isn't he the guy who came down here this spring? The one who knocked Joanne off her feet with his politeness. The one you worked extra hours for so you could have time off with him," Levon demanded, suddenly jealous.

"Yeah, he's the one. Contrary to what you're probably thinking, Lundy, Henry and I did not go to bed together," LaFiamma said, rising from the loveseat. We did take a shower together, a bath together, did it on the floor together, but bed... no!

"Ya' didn't go to bed, huh? But I bet you fucked him in the shower!" Lundy persisted angrily, jealousy raging through him, knowing that this man was here, in Houston, during the start of his relationship with Joe.

"Tell me, cowboy... if by some chance, Caroline had survived that explosion, and had been in a hospital for the last three years being put back together... if she walked in the door... and said 'Levon, forgive me, I won't drink anymore, I understand now.' Would you run into her arms? Would you drop everything and everyone to be with her? What's the matter, Lundy, cat got your tongue? When you come up with an answer... that will tell you how close Henry and I are, and always will be, regardless of what else is going on in our lives. We severed our relationship four years ago. A year before Uncle Mikey worked out the deal for me to be transferred down here! But Joseph Anthony LaFiamma and Henry 'Hank' Bertelli are bonded, cowboy. Bonded in a way that you will never understand. We've lived through hell together and survived. You said your ranch was within walking distance of this place, why don't you take your stuff and start walkin'? I got work to do. Tomorrow is the walk through for the Historical Society Board, and Sunday is the first Open House," Joey replied, jaw tightening as he returned his partner's icy stare. "I guess Henry was right after all. He said you were a fly-by-night person. That you'd let the jealous green horns rule you, rather than listen to your heart. I can see I wasted my time defending you," Joe said, disgustedly, turning his back on his partner as he made for the kitchen.

"Defend me? Open House?" Lundy asked soberly, realizing he'd made a grave error in judgment, an' that error may have already cost him his lover.

"Goodbye, Lundy! Use those sliding doors, will you? I don't want my neighbors to see the kind of trash I brought home," Joe said, rounding the corner to the Melrose kitchen.

Levon stood stock still, unmoving, his eyes following his disappearing partner. The Texan's eyes slowly surveyed the room, Joe was right, it looked the 'Untouchables' television series. Who'd pay money to see somethin' like this? He wondered. His eyes fell on the chest that started it all. "You're stupid, Lundy," Levon said quietly to himself, "Joey's got a box full of hurts and memories right here, and you just plastered more into it. You blew away the one person, other than Caroline, that you've loved more than life itself. Joe's had lots of women, and that never bothered you, why does Henry?"

"What? You still here?" Joe barked from behind him.

Turning, Lundy was surprised to see his partner dressed in jeans. No shirt, no shoes, no socks, just jeans. "Joe... I'd like to talk," Levon said, cautiously stepping toward his partner.

"I think you've done your talkin', Lundy. You don't mind that I've had a few ladies in my life, but the fact that I've had another man enrages you. Beats me how we ever made it together," Joey said dismayed, yet glad his partner was still here.

"Please don't sent me home, Joe. I'm here to help you get ready for Sunday's open house. I don't know what would happen if Caroline suddenly appeared back in my life. It was hell living with an alcoholic. We were on the verge of divorce when she was killed, but she's the only woman I've ever truly loved. Our relationship," Lundy said, gesturing with his hand to himself and Joe, "is new to me. I... I hope it will go as long or longer than yours and Henry's did. I've only known you for three years. You and Henry have a lot of history. Things I'll never know about. Things I shouldn't know about. I made a serious error in judgment, Joe. I admit that. But I do know that I don't want to lose what we have... or had together," Levon pleaded, watching this friend walk around the bar and duck down behind it, then come up with some white rags and spray bottles.

"Okay, Lundy. You came here to work. You're gonna work. See these spray bottles and these rags. Go through every room in this house, and clean... every mirror, every picture that has glass on it, every countertop, every toilet, and any other place that you see a speck of dust or dirt that this cleaner can clean. If you're done by noon, go into my private quarters and wait for further instructions," Joey said curtly. Looking at his watch, Joe continued, "lunch will be served in my quarters, the servants quarters, at twelve-thirty, SHARP! Don't be late! It'll be gone by one o'clock," Joe finished, eyeing his partner. I know you'll be there Lundy. I know you'll do anything you have to, to correct what happened here this morning. And I'm pissed enough at you, to work your buns off.

"What will you be doing? In case, I need your advice on something," Lundy asked, glad Joe had relented on forcing him to leave. I always go into a cleaning frenzy when I get upset. I wonder if Joe remembers that. It's the best way I know to get your aggressions out. Don't worry, partner, I'll make you proud.

"I'll be in the kitchen... the estates, and mine. There'll be a some ladies coming in between eleven-thirty and twelve to set up tables an' others things for the open house," Joey said, setting the bottles and rags down on the carved chest.

"Take your shirt off," Joe said, holding out his hand, "I'll take it and your bag into my place. Don't get your hopes up cowboy, it's not for me. The women coming to work... asked if bare-chested Texas men would be working here," Joey said with a straight face. "I told them there'd be one or two here for them to look at... you know, sort of like the strippers that paraded around the speak-easys of the Twenties. Don't give me that look, Lundy. You're only for looking at... not for touching, and if they stick money in your pockets, give it back to them," Joey said, laughingly, as he walked around his partner to the leather bag that had been dropped by the back door. "Remember... twelve thirty and no later."

Levon looked at his watch. It was five to twelve and he had one room to go. He had to admit this was quite an awesome house, and maybe he was wrong about people wanting to pay to tour it. He just might pay the five bucks, some Wednesday afternoon, to go through it himself. Lundy looked around the bedroom and saw nothing that needed his attention, he was about to leave when a reflection in a half open door caught his eye, turning he walked into a small bathroom. It was not the mirrored wall that made him say 'oh, shit,' but the dressing table full of a collection of miniature hand mirrors.

"Just turn them all over, squirt them with your spray and wipe them off," a female voice said behind him.

"Excuse me?" Levon said, startled by the intrusion, checking his watch as he turned.

"Do you need to be done by a certain time? Maybe I can help?" A smiling, plumpish middle-aged woman in a green pants suit asked.

Seeing the five-dollar bill clutched in her hand, Lundy said graciously, "I'm sorry ma'am, I can't take that."

"Are you going to be late? You keep looking at your watch," she asked him, brushing up against his sweaty bare shoulders as she wiggled past him into the bathroom.

"Yes, ma'am, I need to be done by twelve thirty, or I don't get lunch," Levon said, sucking in a deep breath. Phew! This gal must have a whole bottle of stink water on.

"Let me show you," she said smiling, taking his glass cleaner and a rag. "Just turn them all over like this, then give them a squirt, then wipe them off."

Lundy watched her finish the last of his job, keeping an ear open for anyone else that might wander in here.

"I won't tell anyone," she whispered, "that I helped you. Get onto lunch now, and tell that nice Sergeant LaFiamma how much we appreciate him allowing us to come in to do some of our work today. Tomorrow's going to be such a busy day," she said, gently placing her hands on his sweat, streaked back, pushing him slowly through the bathroom door into the bedroom.

Lundy stopped in front of the door marked "Private." This had to be the entrance to the servant's quarters. The ladies in the kitchen said this is the door that Joe'd been coming and going from. Levon turned the knob and cautiously walked in. He stood in the threshold of the door, looking from the past into the present, the contrast was unbelievable.

Stepping in, he closed the door behind him, "Joe? LaFiamma?" Receiving no answer, he ventured into the vibrant colored rooms. Levon found the living room done in red, white and black, with huge, red leather, sectional sofa and contrasting chairs. The dining room was done in white and icy blue, the kitchen in white, yellow, and green.

"Man, Joe. This is gorgeous! It's bigger than my place," Levon said, hoping his partner was somewhere within earshot.

"'Bout time you got here," Joe said, coming out of nowhere, suddenly at Lundy's elbow. "Your bath is ready. You've got ten minutes before lunch is served."

"My bath?" Levon asked, realizing he probably did smell a bit after working all morning. "Where's the bathroom?" He asked, staring at the black, skin tight, leather pants, boots and vest his partner was wearing. "Is that what I have to wear too?"

"No. You won't be wearing anything for the rest of the afternoon. You're confined to these quarters until four o'clock. You'd best get to that bath... if you want lunch," Joe said evenly, his eyes moving slowly across his lover's bare chest.

Nervously walking into the kitchen with a bath towel around his waist, Levon said, "What happened to my clothes? I couldn't find any of them in the bathroom, and wasn't sure which way your bedroom was."

"I told you... you don't need clothes. You're confined to quarters for the rest of the afternoon. NOW, GIVE... ME... THE TOWEL!" Joey stated firmly, walking up to his partner, moving Lundy's hands off the towel, and unwrapping it from around his body. "The dining room is set for lunch, please go in and be seated."

"But... but that's a glass table top!" Levon stammered, gawking at it, knowing his most private parts would be visible to anyone who walked in.

"Then put the napkin on your lap. You wanted lessons, cowboy. Lessons is what you're gonna get. Let's go," Joey said, gesturing with his hand for Lundy to go ahead of him into the dining room.

Levon found his partner totally unsocial able for most of the meal. Joe ate slowly, almost seductively inhaling his fruit salad and the fresh baked rolls. It was his partner's eyes that bothered Lundy the most, their scrutiny was giving him goose bumps.

"I'm not sure you're ready for what's going to happen today, Lundy, but you wanted lessons... lessons is what you're going to get," Joey said reaching for his partner's empty plate.

Levon's eyes widened, his jaw dropped, he stared disbelieving into Joe's expressionless face.

"There are other things that need to happen first. Before you learn to suck cock. Get under the table. Sit Indian-style... cross-legged," Joe ordered, no emotion showing on his face.

"Aaahhh, Joe. If you think I do all right now... maybe we should... maybe I was wrong to push you into this," Levon said, his voice crackling, wondering if Joe was doing this to get even with him, or if this was really part of Henry's lesson to Joe.

"It's too late to back out now, Levon. Things have already been set into motion for these lessons you so badly think you need. Now move under the table, or I will put you there myself!" LaFiamma said roughly, pushing his chair back.

"Okay. But... when these lessons are done, do me a favor will you? Next time, tell me to keep my big mouth shut," Levon replied nervously.

The Texan moved his chair back away from the table and crawled under the table. As he did so, he watched LaFiamma push the chair he'd just been sitting in, back under the table, then move two other chairs under the table next to it.

Joey was surprised that Lundy had so obediently followed orders. "Lay your head back onto the chair you just sat in, grab onto the legs of the ones next to it with your arms. Good boy. Now spread your legs apart. Farther... till your balls touch the carpet. You're doing very well, cowboy. I'm surprised," Joey said, his eyes penetrating through the glass tabletop, racking over his lover's naked body. For five minutes, Joey stared down at his partner, sometimes walking around the table, but always stopping directly in front of the cowboy when he wanted to gaze at the full body.

"Okay, Lundy. Turn over. Put your chin into the chair. Eagle spread your legs till your buns are tight, and your cock's into the rug." Joey moved away from the table. Well, what else can I make up here for this dude to go through, so he thinks he's accomplished something. No way I can teach him what Henry taught me, and I don't want to. What else will drive this Texan up the wall and still make him hot?

"Okay, times up, Lundy. Get out of there, an' on your feet," Joey said, waiting for Lundy to get to a standing position before he gave further orders. "The master bedroom is down the hall, just past the bathroom you were in, it's all done in blues. I want you to get onto the bed and lay there until I come in. Whether I'm there in five minutes or five hours, you are going to wait, you understand?" Joey ordered, emotionless eyes staring into his partner's flushed face.

Lundy jumped as a phone ringing somewhere close unnerved him. He watched his partner walk into the living room and pick up what looked like a mallard duck. The Texan was startled to see it broke into two pieces, the top being a receiver of a telephone.

"LaFiamma. Yes, ma'am, I'll be there in a few minutes. You asked for black leather, black leather is what you're getting. You want the whip too?" Joe asked jokingly into the phone. "No, no problem. It'll take me a few minutes to unpack it, though. Why don't you go ahead and serve tea, while I'm looking for it. See you in a few minutes," Joe said, putting the phone back together, looking up, he saw Lundy looking at him strangely.

"Well, Lundy, if you hadn't been so insistent on having these lessons, you could be part of a living history lesson for the Women's Home Guild. Now, into bed with you, go!"

*************************************************

Levon stared at his nakedness in the overhead mirror. He'd never laid on a waterbed before. Though he'd seen them in stores, he had never tried one out to see what they were like. It felt like jelly under him as he moved. Like layin' on a raft in the middle of a swimmin' pool. It didn't seem to him that he'd had any lessons at all yet. Hell, all he'd done was stretch naked under the table. Though he had to admit, he really liked having LaFiamma look at him through the glass. Maybe that was part of the lessons. He'd always been self-conscious about being nude, an' Joe had always kidded him about it. Now he lay on Joe's new waterbed, staring into the mirrors of the canopy, looking at himself. Joey's right, he did look strange. The top half of him tanned, the bottom half white as the sheets he lay on.

Lundy bolted to a sitting position at the sound of a cracking bullwhip. Groggily he looked around, his watch said three-thirty, had he fallen asleep? "Joe?" When no answer came, he moved quietly to the edge of the bed. He remembered LaFiamma's words, 'if I'm there in five minutes or five hours, you're going to wait.' He rolled to the other side of the bed and looked but saw no one, heard nothing... yet he had the feeling someone was there. If it wasn't Joe, who was it? Joe had said it was too late to back out of the lessons, because things had already been set into motion. Was someone besides LaFiamma in on these lessons? "LaFiamma!" He called again.

Sergeant LaFiamma was pleased. The ladies had enjoyed the show he and Randy Rogards had put on for them, and now he stood in the shadows of his bathroom watching his partner, wondering how long before the Texan's curiosity would move him off the bed. Joe watched Lundy roll from one side of the bed to the other, eyes searching the shadows. Joe glanced at himself in the bathroom mirror. He'd taken off his vest and replaced it with tight, black leather, sleeveless shirt that revealed every muscle in his chest. For Levon's last lesson, he'd borrowed Randy's black hood. He didn't want to open his great-grandmother's box to retrieve his own.

"AAARGGGHHH!" Lundy yelped, as the hooded man stepped out of the shadows and walked to the side of the bed.

"Ready for your last lesson?" A deep monotone voice asked.

"Whooo... who are you?" Levon stammered, not liking the fact that someone besides Joe was looking him over.

"Joe said you were an interesting specimen. Thought I'd take a look while he's finishing with the Guild ladies."

Levon tried to distinguish the voice. It didn't sound like LaFiamma's. Yet it did. Nervously, Levon watched the man walk up to the bed and look him over. The cowboy froze as a gloved hand reached toward him, and descended to his genitals. Pushing his head backwards into one of the pillows, Levon stared into the canopy mirror. He was aghast to see his buttocks rising off the sheets, wiggling, trying hard to get that hand to work him harder.

"JOOOEEE!" Levon cried, half in pleasure, half in desperation.

Instantly the hand stopped, Levon watched the figure glance over his shoulder. Then cold blue eyes bent low, "Next time... I'll have you all to myself. No interruptions." Levon shivered as a finger trailed from his throat to his navel. Then he was gone. Lundy lay shivering on the bed wondering who that guy was.

Joey noiselessly slipped out of the room, stripping off his shirt and the hood as he went. Without a word, he handed it to his friend Randy Rogards, who was standing in his living room. Randy watched as Joe combed his hair and slipped back into the black vest he'd worn earlier. Then together they re-entered Joe's bedroom.

Levon swallowed hard, staring at his partner and the man walking next to him. Should he tell Joe what just went down? "Joeee? What's going on?" Lundy shouted, as the hooded man rolled onto the bed. No words were spoken as the man began to feel, touch, and lick the specimen in front of him. Joey stepped into the shadows, leaving his black leather friend with the pre-assigned task of arousal.

"JOOEEEE! STOOPPPP THIS!" Levon screeched at the top of his lungs. "COME ON MAN... THIS CAN'T BE PART OF THE LESSON...." Can it?

"Levon? Wake up! Lundy!" Joey said sharply, grabbing his partner's shoulder and shaking him, as Rogards slipped off the bed, into the shadows, out of the apartment, out of the house.

"Come on, Lundy. I'm sorry... I left you for so long. Got waylaid by preparations for tomorrow. You must'a been having one hell of a nightmare. I could hear you all the way into the kitchen. Ready for the last part of your lesson," Joey asked, staring into his lover's confused face.

"Dream? You won't let anyone come in here and... and...."

"And what Lundy? What... you having a wet dream?" Joey asked shyly. "I put some black leather chaps in my bathroom for you," Joey continued. "I want you to go in and put them on. They're pretty skin tight, you'll have to work them up your legs to get them on. I'll be in the kitchen getting a couple of beers, come out when your dressed. Oh, and Levon... those chaps are all you'll be wearing for the rest of the night," Joey said, turning on a dime. Lundy did not see the grin that covered the Italian's face as he walked out of the bedroom.

Lundy struggled for thirty minutes, before he realized that the pants he was putting on had no crotch and no butt. The leggings came up to mid-thigh with straps going from there up to and buckling around his waist. Not only did his buttocks stick out, but his cock and balls hung out too. He stared at himself in the mirror.

Lundy gasped eyeing himself in the mirror. "Joe's right. I do have a nice looking body. Must have, that other guy thought I did. Was that really a dream? I've never had anything that real before, if it was. Don't know why I've been so embarrassed to be naked around Joe... he's a guy too. Even with my wife, I undressed in the dark, too self-conscious about my body, not wanting her to see me until we were in bed together. That's what this has all been about, hasn't it, Joe? Getting me comfortable with myself, so I can relax, be at ease during our lovin'," Levon continued, doing a slow 380 degree turn, his eyes glued to the mirror.

"Hey, LaFiamma!" Lundy called, leaving the bathroom, striding across the middle of the living room. "I understand now... why you're doing this. The lessons... you know."

Joey turned from the wall panel he'd just slid open, and stifled a laugh as he watched his partner strut towards him. Back arched, shoulders back, do-dad flopping in the breeze. "And just what do you understand, Lundy?" Joey asked, opening a small steel door, revealing a set of switches, timers and buttons.

"What all this nude stuff's been about all day? I finally understand," Lundy said, grinning. Gazing at the panel of switches his lover was working on the cowboy asked, "What the hell's that?"

"It's called security, cowboy. Every window in the mansion is wired. There's a pressure plate under the rug inside every window. There are both audio and silent alarms. If a burglar disarms the window wiring, gets in and steps on the floor, a second alarm is activated. If that fails... a laser beam will acknowledge his presence in the room. Every room in the estate has it. I'm setting them now all except for this place, and the mansion's kitchen and pool room. Wanna play some pool?" Joey said closing the panels. Glad you understand what I was tryin' to do, Lundy. I sure the hell didn't know. Just wanted to put you through some humiliating experiences 'cause I was pissed at you.

"How much all that cost?" Levon asked, watching his partner slid the wall paneling back into place, hiding the security system in the wall.

"Fifteen thousand big ones. Got it installed at no charge, too," Joey said, his eyes wandering over his lover. You're more relaxed now, aren't you, cowboy. That will make your lovin' less artificial and more enjoyable too. You'll be able to give more too. Maybe I did know what I was doing after all.

"NO way! No one would donate those kind of bucks," Levon said, stepping nose to nose to LaFiamma.

"Levon Lundy... you don't know anything about the art of bargaining, do you? I called a cousin in Chicago... he's in jail for burglary. I took his suggestions to the Historical Board. A member of the board is chairman of Allied Security. They did it as a donation to the Foundation. Several things were done that way, Lundy. Heck of a tax write-off, too. You first." Joey held back, liking the new freedom his partner was exhibiting, feeling, watching the white buns he loved, sway in front of him.

"I have to do something," Joey said, as they stepped out of his quarters and into the hall that lead into the estate kitchen. "Something I've wanted to do since you walked in my house, but then you pissed me off so bad, it became the furthest thing from my mind."

Joey LaFiamma dropped quietly to his knees, hands gently grabbing, kneading the white buns of his lover, mouth swallowing the soft penis.

"joeohjoeohjoe. JOOEEE! Hooww...? I'm comin' already... Jooeee!" Lundy moaned, bending slightly to grab fistfuls of Joe's dark brown hair. Levon swayed, his legs sagging under him. He let himself be pulled to the floor, pushing his buttocks upwards, silently asking his lover to swallow more, to suck harder, to have him. It felt so good, so goood!

"Lee-voon. Kiss me," Joey whispered, watching his lover's response, taking the invitation, skating his tongue across the roof of Levon's mouth, wrapping his arms around Lundy's shoulders and propelling them into a roll. Rolling from the short hallway into the kitchen.

Pulling back suddenly, Joey jumped to his feet, bringing his partner with him. "We're going to finish this on top of the pool table, I've already prepared it. Then, partner, if you're up to it... we'll play a game of pool, an' I'll explain our duties for the open house tomorrow, then it's back to my waterbed for some serious love makin'."

"I like your house, LaFiamma. I like it a lot. Thanks for lovin' me so much, for sharin' the lessons with me. For not throwing me out earlier," Lundy said, making obscene gestures with his torso.

Joey watched Levon do a little dance, then skip into the poolroom. Hell! I should have done this to him months ago!

THE END