Monday, January 16, 2012

Guest Rec - Angelbethy


Greetings, everyone!  Bethy here, with my first-ever guest rec.  Thanks to the lovely and talented Naelany for having me participate in the yumminess that is Twislash Unveiled.

When Nae first asked me to write a rec, I honestly panicked a little.  She told me, “Don't worry about what has or has not been rec'ed. The point is to see what floats your boat as a slash author.”  Well, heck.  I’m reading all the stuff you guys are reading right now *cough-hard labor-cough*, so what could I bring to the blog that’s new and worth your time?  Lucky for me, there’s been a rash of new m/m slash stories in the past month or so that haven’t yet found a large audience.  So I’m gonna introduce a few of them to you all in the hope that you find them as slashtastic as I do.

First up is Dakota Skies by maryhell.  Set mainly in small-town Whitlock, Dakota in 1875, this story follows the lives of twins Rosalie and Jasper Hale who, after their lawman father is killed by an outlaw gang, are left as joint sheriffs of the town.  To bring in more money—and to try and discovery his identity apart from Rose and Whitlock—Jasper decides to become a bounty hunter and rides off into Texas with a bundle of “Wanted, Dead or Alive” posters in his saddlebags.  Stamped on one of those posters, with a hefty reward offered for his capture, is the name Edward Masen.

Maryhell starts off in Rosalie’s POV, and really takes her time setting the scene.  By the end of the first chapter, I felt like I could be in Whitlock and know everyplace and everyone there.  For those who like their stories to start with a bang, have patience.  The pace picks up pretty quickly and soon takes off at a gallop.

The author lets us into Rose’s mind and heart in a real way.  Sure, a female sheriff in 1875 has to be one tough bitch—and she is— but we get to see her vulnerabilities and insecurities, as well.  Her relationships with Emmett, the local barkeep, Carlisle, a traveling stranger, and Jane, a quiet shopkeeper’s daughter, blossom through a combination of Rose’s weaknesses and strengths, which drive her to connect emotionally with the few people she learns to trust.

OK, so far, so good.  But you want to hear about Jasper and Edward.  We’re getting there, trust me.  While Rose is holding down the fort at home, Jasper has a successful run throughout his journey, finding and killing or capturing a number of the criminals on his wanted posters.  After spending some months traveling, he decides to make his way back to Whitlock to see his sister and bring back the reward money he’s earned.  However, on his way back north, he is knocked over the head by a band of Natives and tied to a tree.  A mysterious stranger rescues him just in time.

He led me to a small cave and before long a fire was going. It was then that I got my first look at the man that saved me.

Sitting me on the floor by the fire, he knelt on his knees and shuffled closer to me. "Let's take a look at you," he said, examining my head as I studied his face.

He looked into my eyes several times during the assessment, but all too soon he returned to his task. His hair was dark, maybe with a bronze tinge, and fairly short, but not too short. I'm guessing it was cut by pond mirror because it was all sorts of lengths and stuck up in different directions. He had thick eyebrows and his eyes formed a look of concern as he evaluated my cut and the lump that was surely developing. He had a straight nose and a strong jaw that had some stubble on it. I couldn't really tell what color his eyes were in the current light, but I could see the man was fine, very fine indeed.

Retrieving a skin of water, he soaked a cloth before dabbing away the blood from the cut, making me flinch because it stung.

With total concentration, he continued with the job at hand, apologizing, "Sorry, this is going to hurt a little."

"No kidding," I replied, still reeling a little from the pounding in my head.

"Thought you said they wouldn't hurt me."

"They were not Wichita, they were Osage. You have a nasty cut on the side of your head."

"How do you know?"

"I can see it. I don't think you're concussed though."

"Uh, no, not the cut." Shaking my head slightly and quickly wishing I hadn't.

"Oh, colors, markings, territory. Stay here, I'll be back shortly." And he disappeared again.

This gave me a chance to look round. I didn't get up because I was afraid I might fall down, but I could see there were blankets and some other things in packages. Other than that it was pretty sparse.

Soon he was back with some leaves and bits of plants, which he mashed up into a paste in a bowl with a little water. Smoothing the pulp onto the cut with his fingers, it felt amazing. His touch was so light, I hardly felt what he was doing, but it was soooo soothing. He smeared the rest onto my forehead; the coolness of the mixture already had my headache abating. I couldn't help closing my eyes at the sensation.

The next thing I knew, I was being handed a skin of water with the instruction to, "Drink… then rest."

"What's your name?" I asked before gulping down the cool refreshing liquid.

"Tony."

"I'm Jasper. Thank you for coming to my rescue," I said with genuine sincerity.

"You're welcome… rest," he said, pointing to a blanket on the floor, and I do as told. It didn't take long before I was dreaming of wild hair and a strong torso.

“Tony” agrees to help Jasper make his way through the Native Territories, teaching him the skills he’ll need to survive along the way.  But Jasper’s already starting to succumb to temptation.

I stood up, feeling much steadier on my feet, but still groggy from sleep, so I ventured outside to take in the morning air and awaken the senses. I couldn't see much because of the trees, but I heard running water. Following the sound, I soon found that I was at a small pond that was supplied to and exited via a series of small waterfalls, the area was beautiful.

As I heard the water break, Tony surfaced, swimming towards a rock to the west of the pool where the entrance to the waterhole lay. I don't know why, but I hid behind a bush and watched instead of revealing myself. Reaching up to the rock with his strong broad shoulders, he hauled himself out. OH MY GOD, he was naked. My knees went weak and I had to kneel before I passed out at the sight before me; his V-shaped muscled back, his beautiful pert hairless backside, long strong legs. Holy mother of god, he was sin reincarnate, at least to me anyway. So much for thinking I could fuck a woman! After seeing this, there was only one thought my dick was ever coming to life with. The image before me would be forever ingrained in my memory.

He swiped off the excess water from his body. During the process he turned around to face the sun streaked glistening water that separated us, before he lay down on the rock to dry out. I had to regulate my breathing. Even though part of my brain registered his strong upper body and muscled thighs, I couldn't help focusing on the area at the top of his legs - he was truly blessed. The gods must have been smiling the day they gave him that piece of equipment, and he'd just come out of cold water, too. I whimpered internally, and I felt myself go hard at the sight and the thought of what I could possibly do with it.

He laid back, resting his hands under his head, his legs splayed over the rock beneath him to dry off. Time passed, but my eyes were still locked on the vision before me. Eventually he removed is right hand and let it roam over his body before it made its way south to the Promised Land. I, on the other hand, was rooted to the spot, wrong as it was, but unable to take my eyes off the unfolding action.

A soft groan drifted away on the wind as he took himself in hand and started playing with his balls. I nearly screamed at him - Nooooooo! - when his right leg bent upward, resting his foot on the rock, blocking my view. Thankfully it didn't stay there long, but during that time, my own hand had ventured south and was taking care of a little problem of my own. Releasing the buttons on my slacks, I hooked myself free from the restricting confines, before getting to work in earnest, my soldier already profusely weeping; I used the nectar and a saliva wet palm as lubrication.

By now he was stroking his considerable length with good rhythm and keening at the sensations it was creating. He released his other hand from behind his head, it too venturing between his legs, tugging and massaging his balls as his other hand slid and twisted over his member. He bent his left leg, giving him leverage to thrust into his hand. I could feel a coil tightening within me as his hand increased speed as he pumped up and down with abandon. Suddenly, he turned to the side away from my view and let out an almighty guttural groan that could only have meant one thing. This spurred on my own release. My eyes closed and my mouth opened with a silent scream as my seed shot from my body to water the roots of the bush in front of me. Calming myself for a while before opening my eyes, I looked around to find some leaves close by which I could use to wipe my hand on before tucking myself back in safely. Holy fuck, that was intense…

HAWT, right?  Well, as you’ve probably guessed, all is not as it seems.  “Tony” has a troubled family history (only hinted at so far), and Jasper is on the lookout for Edward Masen.  Seems like these characters are in for a wild ride in the Wild West.

Maryhell’s writing is quirky as hell, and laugh-out-loud funny at times.  Jasper has a loyal horse who’s smart as a whip and likes to cuddle with Jasper at night.  Rosalie’s cooking is so bad that she scares men away from her dinner table.  Not to mention, the first chapter’s A/N details the history of the condom.  The author certainly did her research.

On the other hand, maryhell also seems to be exploring some cannon themes and characterizations in an original way.  For instance, Jasper’s indifference to killing the criminals he catches is a twisted reflection of his warlike history in the Twilight series.  It also recalls cannon Edward’s rebellious period in the 1920’s, during which he justified taking human lives by only killing evil men.  Then there is Rosalie’s desire to connect with humanity, to open herself up to love despite the necessity of maintaining her icy exterior.

Dakota Skies is only three chapters in as I write this, and so much has happened already.  Be warned that Alice and Bella are not highly regarded in this fic, but you won’t care, as their characters do drive the plot to some degree in the delicious direction it’s headed.  I can’t wait to see where it all goes.

Next, I’d like to talk about a lovely little expanded o/s called Just a Coffee, Please by beckybrit.  Jasper works at a coffee shop, where regular customer Edward has quietly turned his world upside down.

[JPOV]

The sound of the door being opened snapped me out of my musings. One quick look at the clock told me what I already felt. He was here.

Shit!

I slowly looked up towards the front of the shop and there he was, in all his glory. Tall, lean body, muscles just visible under his fitted white t-shirt. Jeans slung low on his narrow hips, black biker boots finishing off the look. One hand running through thick, copper streaked hair, piercing green eyes now trained on me.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and gripped the edge of the counter to hide the slight shaking of my hands. It was always the same. He came in Monday through Friday at 12pm without fail, ordered a simple plain black coffee, and I always served him.

Edward Cullen.

Six feet, two inches of walking temptation.

"Hello, Jasper." His smooth voice washed over me, instantly relaxing and soothing my frayed nerves.

His eyes roamed up and down my body, pausing at my groin, one side of his mouth curving up in his trade mark smile. Nobody else, male or female had ever made me feel like this before. I was terrified and confused all at the same time, but I was also embarrassingly aroused. I could feel my jeans getting uncomfortably tight, and I knew he could tell.

"Just a coffee, please." It was the same every day. It had been for the last six weeks. Each time he came in, my reaction to him was more pronounced, my body now recognizing his presence and acting accordingly, always without my permission.

His green eyes stared into mine, his look intense and suddenly serious.

"When, Jasper?" I was momentarily stunned as I watched his lips move, before I realized he'd spoken.

"When what?" he chuckled slightly at my dazed response, before turning serious once again.

"When are you going to admit, that you feel it too?" He asked this at least once a week, and each time I gave the same answer.

"I don't know what you mean." I couldn't look at him when I said it because we both knew it was a fucking shameful lie. I just wasn't ready to admit it to myself. I also didn't want to see the flash of hurt that would mar his perfect features, before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. I heard him sigh in disappointment, and I felt a small stab of guilt because I knew I was the cause.

I slid his coffee over to him and took his money, watching as he picked it up and walked slowly over to his usual spot in the corner.

"What's holding you back Jasper?" I hadn't heard Alice come back out and I started slightly at the sound of her voice.

"What do you mean?" I asked, feigning ignorance. There was no fooling Alice though, and she huffed in annoyance.

"You know exactly what I mean, Jasper Whitlock. That beautiful man comes in here every day for one reason and one reason only, and its not for the fucking coffee! I know you feel something for him too, I can see it written all over your face." she cocked an eyebrow at me, daring me to disagree.

"That's not-" I started to protest, but she cut me off with a raised hand.

"Don't give me that crap! You almost drool over him." Her voice softened a little and she placed one of her small hands on my arm. "I just don't see what the problem is, since you clearly both like each other."

I rubbed my hand over my eyes, trying to think of what to say. I didn't fucking understand it myself, so I sure as fuck didn't know how to explain it to Alice.

"It's not...What I mean is … I don't know what's going on, Alice. I don't like men that way, I like women."

"But you like Edward?" She asked quietly.

There was no use denying it any longer, she knew how I felt better than I did it seemed.

"Yes." As I said the words, I felt a huge weight lift of my shoulders. "Yes, I like Edward." There, I'd said it, out loud. It felt like such a huge fucking relief to finally admit it to myself.

As Jasper slowly gives in to his feelings, his relationship with Edward deepens and intensifies.  Edward tries hard not to push Jasper beyond his comfort zone, but he can’t always resist.  When Jasper initiates their first kiss, Edward is so swept away that he convinces Jasper to let Edward “make him feel good,” i.e. suck his cock.

[EPOV]

I released him from my mouth but hesitated before looking up at his face. I'd not anticipated going this far tonight, but when we'd started kissing, after he initiated it, I kind of got carried away with wanting to show him how good we could be. I'd really had every intention of just talking tonight, I hoped I hadn't scared him away with my over enthusiasm. It had taken six weeks to get to this point, the last thing I wanted to do was fuck it up on the first night.

I slowly raised my head to look at him and assess the possible damage. My heart stuttered a little at what I saw. He had his eyes closed still, a lazy grin plastered across his face, looking utterly relaxed. My chest swelled, knowing I'd put that look there. I blew out a long sigh of relief as I sat up, reaching out to gently stroke the side of his face.

"Jasper?" I asked, softly, not wanting to startle him.

"Mmm..?" he muttered

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah," he answered, he eyes still closed. "That was... it was just... wow..."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" I smirked, licking my lips slightly, a hint of his taste lingering there.
He opened his eyes, blinking slightly at the sudden invasion of light. He looked at me, then down at his bare bottom half and blushed furiously.

"Hey," I whispered, causing him to shift his eyes back up to me.

"Don't be embarrassed."

"I'm not... I just.. Well I guess I am a little." He gave me a small smile.

"Look," I said, trying to ease his discomfort. "Why don't you get dressed and I'll get us another drink. Ok?"

He looked instantly relieved at that prospect, so I immediately got up and headed to the kitchen area, giving him some privacy to put himself back together. He was obviously on the verge of freaking out a little about what we'd just done, and I needed to tread very carefully. There was nothing I wanted more than to leap head first into a relationship with him. It was all I'd thought about for the past six weeks for fuck's sake, ever since I first saw him. But the whole situation needed very delicate handling.

I took our drinks back in, to find him fully dressed and sitting upright on the couch. He still looked a bit tense, so I handed him his beer and reached for the remote to put some music on. Unfortunately I'd forgotten what I'd previously been listening to and as the dulcet tones of Etta James singing At Last, filled the room, I couldn't help but smirk and maybe cringe a little at how appropriate that song choice was for us.

I held up my hands and glanced over at Jasper, who thankfully was also looking amused.
"I didn't plan this, honest." I said, trying not to laugh, but failing miserably.

To my utter relief Jasper burst out laughing and the tension, that was threatening to ruin everything, was broken just like that. I'd never been so grateful to my father, for introducing me to the delights of old music.

We spent the rest of the night talking about anything and everything. Our likes, dislikes, favorite films, musical tastes, we had more in common than I could ever have hoped for and I was having trouble reigning in the hope that was building inside me.

All too soon, it was time for Jasper to go and I reluctantly walked him towards the door. I wanted to ask him the all important question, but despite how well the evening had gone, I was still unsure what his answer would be. I turned to him before opening the door and swallowed down my apprehension.

"So," I looked him straight in the eye, checking for any hesitancy "Can I see you again?"

He smiled and reached his hand up to cup my cheek.

"I'd like that very much."

Of course, their physical relationship advances quite nicely as the story progresses, but Jasper is afraid to come out to his family and friends, while Edward is afraid of Jasper getting freaked out and running away.  The development of their relationship, as well as the way they address their own and each other’s fears, is portrayed realistically, with just enough drama to make it interesting without taking it over the top.  At its heart, this is a story about new love.  With some awesomely hot lovin’, too.  Just sayin’.

[JPOV]

We'd reached my door by now and I wasn't sure if it was nerves, excitement or possibly a combination of both, but my hands shook as I tried to get the stupid key to go into the lock.

"Hey, are you alright?" Edward was right behind me. I felt his breath wash over the back of my neck and a delicious shiver rippled through me, calming my nerves and allowing me to open the damn door. I hastily pushed it open and Edward followed with his hands on my hips. He kicked the door behind us, spun me round, and pushed me up against the door.

"I am now," I breathed, feeling oh so much better.

His eyes darkened and he reached up to cup my cheek, stroking my skin with his thumb.

"Fuck, Jasper." He closed his eyes and took a deep, slightly shaky breath before continuing. "I'm not sure I can take it slow anymore."

Slipping my arms around his waist, I gently pushed my hips against his so that he could feel that I didn't either. His eyes snapped open at the contact and his hands swiftly moved down to my ass, forcing us even closer together.

It could have been the couple of glasses of wine I had with dinner, or the hungry way he was looking at me, but I suddenly felt bold and had the urge to take control.

My hands moved to his shirt, and with steady fingers I began to undo the buttons. He stayed perfectly still as I made quick work of it and slipped it off his shoulders. It fell softly to the floor revealing his glorious chest. My mouth hung open as I drank in the sight before me; from his broad shoulders to his pecs and those finely cut abs, he was spectacular.

I wanted to touch and lick: reaching out towards him I ran my fingertips over every inch of his skin, my tongue following in their wake. I heard his head hit the door with a soft thud and he moaned loudly, the sound going straight to my cock. I moved back up his body, nuzzling against his neck and breathing him in. He smelt fantastic and I could quite happily have stayed there, losing myself in his heady scent.

"Jasper..." he breathed, his hands coming up to cup my face, forcing me to look at him. "Where's your bedroom?"

I took his hand and walked the short distant to my bedroom. My steps faltered and I suddenly felt a little uncertain of what to do now that we were here. Sensing my hesitation, Edward grabbed me by the hips and walked me backwards until I could feel the bed at the back of my legs.

"So fucking sexy," he mumbled against my skin as he kissed his way up the side of my neck and along my jaw. His grip tightened and he pulled me against him roughly, grinding his hips against mine.

"Oh, God." My head lolled back and I was lost to the sensation of lips, tongue and the huge fucking erection currently rubbing along mine.

He began to undo my shirt, smiling as he slipped each button through its hole before casting it aside.

"Do you trust me, Jasper?"

"Yes," I whispered, and he pushed me back onto the bed.

I watched closely as he bent down and first removed my shoes, then my socks before crawling over me and undoing my jeans. He paused, looking up at me and silently checking that I was ok to go further. I nodded my head in response; we'd not gone this far before, and although I was nervous at being naked in front of him, I wanted this. I wanted him.

Painfully slowly, he hooked his fingers in my waistband and pulled off my jeans and boxers together, peeling them down my legs until they joined my socks and shoes in a pile on the floor. Edward sat back on his heels and looked me over. I felt exposed and vulnerable, with the sudden urge to cover myself up. My hands moved to shield me from his gaze, but he was quick to grab them and placed them back at my sides.

"Don't be embarrassed, you're fucking beautiful."

I felt my cheeks heat as I blushed furiously, but when his eyes met mine all my embarrassment melted away at the look of lust and desire there. He wanted me. He thought I was beautiful. Fuck, I even felt beautiful under his stare. I relaxed back on the bed and closed my eyes as he leaned in to kiss my lips before moving back down to my neck. He lapped and nibbled at my exposed skin, moving slowly along my collarbone. I'd never had someone take so much care with me before. The few women I'd been with hadn't bothered to pay my body much attention, wanting to get straight down to the act itself before leaving soon after.

I bit my lip as his mouth closed around my nipple and gently nipped it with his teeth. I never knew it could feel like this. My cock throbbed and begged for some relief and I couldn't help but lift my hips a little, searching for anything to give me some.

I felt him chuckle against my skin.

"Patience," he whispered, before running his tongue along my abs and heading further south with each pass. My thoughts lingered on our first night together and the amazing blow-job he'd given me. I really hoped we were heading there again.

Fucking finally, his mouth and hands reached my hips and I almost cheered as his tongue found its way to where I desperately needed him. He took hold of me in one hand and licked all the way up to the head, swirling his tongue around and catching the drops of pre-cum that had gathered there. I let out a long moan, not caring if I was too loud. The feel of him was incredible and I didn't give a fuck who heard. He looked up at me and grinned before slipping his hot mouth around the head of my cock and sucking his way back down.

"Holy fuck!" I shouted, my hips almost flying off the bed until Edward held them down with a firm grip.

He sucked up and down my length, running his tongue along the head each time. Moving one hand from my hip, he trailed it across my skin before gently cupping my balls. He stroked one finger across the skin behind them, getting closer and closer to my ass. I tensed a little, not sure I was ready for that yet.

"Breathe, Jasper," he said, releasing my cock from his mouth and stroking it with his other hand.

"I'm not going any further tonight."

Instantly relaxing at his reassuring words, I groaned as he took me back in his mouth and resumed his sucking and stroking. Curses tumbled from my lips as he started to work me harder, tugging a little on my balls. When I hit the back of his throat and he hummed around me and, I was fucking done for.

"Fuck! Edward," I gasped. "Gonna cum..."

He hummed again and my whole body tensed as my orgasm ripping through me. He swallowed everything as it shot down his throat, not stopping until I was totally spent. With one last lick, he moved back up my body and kissed me. It was soft and sensual, and the fact that I could taste myself in his mouth made it as hot as hell. He pulled away and fell on the bed beside me.

I lay back and closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath and enjoying the after-glow of the fuck-awesome blow-job he had just given me. I felt the bed move slightly and I opened one eye to catch Edward adjusting himself in his jeans.

Fuck.

Of course he was still hard. I wanted to touch him, needed to make him feel as good as he'd just made me feel. I sat up and twisted my body so that I was now facing him.

"Can I...can I touch you?" I asked, tentatively.

"He immediately looked up at me, his eyes smoldering.

"I'd fucking love you to touch me. But only if you're sure?"

"I'm sure," I replied, and he swallowed deeply before lying back with his hands behind his head.

Jeez.  If that doesn’t make you want to read this WIP right now, I don’t know what will.  Check out beckybrit’s delicious Just a Coffee, Please… with lots of cream and sugar.

That’s it, folks.  Thanks again to sweet Naelany for letting me chat with you all.  I can’t believe it… my rec virginity has been taken.  Was it good for you, too?

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