Jake lifted his head from Sean's shoulder and stretched hugely. "Wow. A giant step away from who I thought I was."

Sean chuckled softly. "You're a natural," he said.

"Ha ha."

"I'm not bloody joking," Sean said, looking into Jake's eyes. "I was surprised because Viggo said you were a very confident top. I thought you might have a little trouble surrendering control, but you were so sweet."

"Sweet?" Jake made a face.

"Yeah, sweet," Sean repeated. "It's not a bad word."

"I'm not sure how sweet I'd be with anyone but you," Jake said. "Um, am I nuts, or did you feel the same thing I did?"

"Complete?"

"Yeah." Jake's relief was evident on his face.

"Come here," Sean said, pulling Jake back into his embrace.

Jake went gladly, wrapping his arms around Sean, nuzzling close.

"You seem perfectly comfortable being affectionate with another man," Sean observed.

"I've always been like that," Jake said. "With everybody. Maggie says I have no barriers and precious few filters. She's scary smart."

"Maggie?" Sean's voice sharpened in a way that sent a dark little thrill wriggling down Jake's spine.

"My sister."

"Good." Sean said firmly enough to make Jake grin.

"You almost sounded jealous."

"Maybe I was. Is that a problem?"

"I've always thought jealousy was a really useless emotion."

"True," Sean said. "But we still feel it. Though I just met you, I can't help thinking of you as somehow mine. If someone were to show an interest in you, a sexual interest, I would feel jealous, because, unlikely as it may be, I already feel quite passionate about you."

"Does this kind of thing really happen?" Jake said. "I mean I understand that sometimes there's a sort of chemical thing that happens to two people and they can't help being sexually attracted even if they don't like each other. But I'm talking about something else."

"I know, and yes, I believe it happens. It happened to two very close friends of mine."

"I'm a little freaked out," Jake admitted. "This day has been … unprecedented."

"Poor lad," Sean kissed Jake's forehead. "The Vig and Orli Show can be overwhelming."

"Yeah? Well, the Sean Ride is pretty spectacular, too."

"Oh, I do like you, Jake," Sean chuckled. "You're going to keep Viggo on his toes. He's used to being the bloke with the clever remarks."

"So you think I'm going to be around for a while?"

"I bloody well hope so. Or are you like those drug dealers one hears about? The first taste is free, and then you're hooked."

Jake frowned charmingly. "You've lost me."

"Right. I'm not really sure where I was going with that, except to say that I can see myself becoming rapidly addicted to you," Sean said. "Let's get back to ground I'm familiar with. Are you thirsty or hungry?"

Jake laughed. "I'm buzzing. I don't need anything. Just being this close to you makes me … happy."

Sean cupped Jake's cheek in one big hand. "You're a very beautiful boy, Jake."

Jake had been hearing these words since he was old enough to know what they meant. Family, friends, photographers, agents, casting directors and countless others were constantly telling Jake how good-looking he was. He had never believed it until now.

Jake ran his fingers through Sean's hair to settle on the nape of Sean's neck. "I've never felt this way about anyone," he said. "I think … I love you."

"If you think you love me, then you do," Sean said. "Love is mostly how you think about someone, just thoughts really, when you get down to it."

"You keep saying exactly the right thing," Jake marveled. "I'm going to stop thinking how improbable all this is and just enjoy it. If my heart breaks, I'll only have myself to blame and I'll have learned a valuable lesson."

"Do you think everything through like that?"

"Pretty much."

Sean grinned. "Perfect. Orlando is the most impulsive creature on the planet; you'll balance him nicely."

"The way Viggo balances you?"

"Exactly. I'm a gambler; Viggo's a planner. Orlando's flighty; you're grounded. Does that sound like a match made in heaven?"

"When you say match, do you mean that you want me to join you guys … in the bedroom?"

"Eventually," Sean said cautiously. "Do you have any strong feelings about that?"

Jake glanced down involuntarily and Sean followed his eyes to Jake's hardening flesh.

"I see that you do," Sean grinned. "May I?"

Jake nodded. "Be a shame to end the lessons halfway through."

Sean had taken hold of Jake's nascent arousal, and he looked up into the boy's eyes, his face going sober. "Your courage is really quite breathtaking, lad," Sean saluted him.

"Are you kidding? This is like doing a high dive into a pool filled with … a lot of … um, very soft things. I'm trying to say that you guys have made this so easy for me."

"We're nothing if not easy," Orlando said from the doorway. "What's the hold up?"

Jake smiled at Orlando over Sean's shoulder. "Are we late?"

"No, Orli's just impatient," Sean answered. "Keep your knickers on, O; we're making our way there in our own time."

"Not nearly quick enough for me," Orlando said, coming into the room.

Jake swallowed hard as he watched the Brit walk gloriously, unabashedly naked over to where he stood. Moving behind Jake, Orlando pressed himself to the other young man's back and put his arms around him. Jake took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the feeling of being sandwiched between two hard, male bodies made him want to squirm.

"You all right, lad?" Sean asked immediately.

"Yeah, I just need a second to adjust. Feeling a little anxious."

Orlando was feathering little kisses across Jake's shoulders. "Is it me?" he asked.

"Kind of. Being between the two of you is making me antsy."

Orlando snaked a hand around Jake's waist and dove southward. "Is antsy some new slang for hard as a rock?"

"Oh, Jeez," Jake breathed as Orlando squeezed his shaft.

Orlando looked at Sean and a subtle message passed between them. Orlando backed off a little, stroking Jake's hair as he moved to the side of the other two men.

"Seriously, are you guys going to join us?" Orlando asked. "Please?"

"Can we?" Jake asked Sean, automatically deferring to the older man.

"If that's what you want, I'm hardly the fellow to deny you," Sean said. "I just hope I don't embarrass myself."

"You?" Orlando laughed. "How?'

"I might be a bit possessive of Jake just yet," Sean said. "And you know how Vig is about that kind of thing."

Orlando laughed again. "It never occurs to him that he's possessive of me, though."

Sean chuckled, meeting Orlando's sparkling eyes with mutual fond amusement as Jake looked back and forth between the two of them. It was clear that Sean and Orlando shared a deep, rich bond and Jake's heart contracted painfully with longing for what they had. In the next moment, he realized that was exactly what he was being offered here. Abruptly overwhelmed, Jake's eyes prickled with incipient tears.

"What's all this?" Sean said, when a warm drop fell on his neck. "Jake?"

"I keep getting ambushed by these powerful feelings," Jake said in a choked voice. "What if I hadn't taken that walk in the garden and never ran into Viggo? It staggers me to think …"

"I see your problem," Orlando interrupted. "You need to stop thinking now. Sean, give our lad a kiss."

"If I must," Sean said, dipping his head toward Jake's.

Jake met Sean halfway in a less than gentle impact, but once their lips touched the caress became a seduction in waltz time. Orlando watched admiringly as Sean slowly shifted his weight forward until Jake was leaning back against the circle of his strong arms. Jake's long frame went rigid for a second and then he relaxed, trusting his lover to support him.

"Now that's a pretty sight," Viggo drawled as he padded into the kitchen wearing frayed jeans and a big grin.

Orlando turned to him like a sunflower. "New development, lover. We have to get Sean's permission to play with Jakey."

"You're kidding," Viggo said dryly.

Orlando gasped. "You knew, you wanker! And you let me feel bad about fixing them up."

Viggo opened his arms. After a hesitation so brief there was not way to quantify it, Orlando went to his man and was enfolded in a loving embrace.

"You should feel bad," Viggo said, kissing Orlando's nose. "Meddling is a bad thing."

"I know, but look …"

Viggo turned his gaze from Orlando's flawless face to look at Sean and Jake. "I see what you mean," Viggo said. "Hey Sean, wanna swap?"

Orlando and Viggo chuckled at the look on Sean's face before Sean got control of himself.

"Yep," Viggo said. "Hook, line and sinker and he's about to go in the bucket."

"Spare me any fishing analogies," Sean said. "Unless they reference the length of my rod and the skill with which I wield it."

Viggo and Orlando laughed again. Jake joined in this time and Orlando shot him a wink. The glow started behind Jake's sternum and spread like spilled honey through his every fiber. It was the same wonderful feeling he got when his whole family gathered at home for the holidays. It was a safe and familiar harmony that he blended right into.

"So you think you're pretty good with that thing?" Jake said, grabbing Sean's crotch as he glanced at Viggo. "Do I get to do some comparison testing?"

Orlando's whoop of surprised laughter echoed in the timbers of the raftered ceiling, rising above Viggo's raspy chuckle and Sean's gasp of disbelief.

"He learns fast," Viggo grinned at Sean like a well-fed wolf.

"He had a good teacher, mate," Sean grinned back in the same manner.

Both men turned to eye their lovers with lustful intent. Jake exchanged a look with Orlando, and Orlando smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Jakey. We can handle the likes of them."

The Series continues with Rapture