Page 24 of Heart of a Hero

“What’s that for?”

“We’re going to need to develop the ground around him with sand, maybe a pool for the plants behind him, but this way we can build that up without having to raise or lower him. We simply build that section later.” Conrad got started on the feet and while Forrest looked up plants and flowers from the Nile region and began putting them together.

“I’m going big,” Forrest said.

“Perfect. Since he’s big, the rest will appear out of scale if we make it too small.” He worked for a while getting the base of the foot right before adding the toes. The hardest part was that the legs would be angled, so he had to build that into the ankle as well as the design of the foot so everything flowed properly. He didn’t want it to look too straight, because the legs needed to come together in the middle above both feet. It really was a balancing act, so to make the legs stronger, he’d have to build them solid, while the body and head would be hollow to reduce weight and stress on the entire system.

They worked for hours, getting the base right and strong. Once they had the legs and the hips built, it was almost dinnertime. Forrest had created some amazing water flowers that they’d put in the background on the edge of their Nile.

“I think I’ve about had enough for now,” Conrad rubbed his eyes and stepped back. What they had looked good but was devoid of real interest. That would come later.

“Yeah. My eyes are starting to cross.” They stood back to look at what they’d made. “It’s strong and I think it will work really well, but I’ve had enough for now.” Forrest put the bricks aside and began putting the rest away. Conrad got the ones he had been using separated and put them back in their bins.

“Come on. Let’s go out to get something to eat. I’m tired of being inside. That is, if you’re okay with being seen together.”

“Sure.” Forrest followed him up the stairs, and they got their jackets and left the house, walking downtown to Molly Pitcher. After all their hours of work, they deserved a beer.

CONRAD FELT more energetic by the time they returned to the house after dinner and a couple of pints. “That was really good.”

“It was. I’d forgotten how good the beer is, and they make the best sandwiches.” Conrad was full and pleasantly happy. He unlocked the door and let them inside before closing it afterward. “Turn on the TV and see if you can find something fun to watch. I’ll get a few snacks and some sodas, unless you want more beer.”

“No, I’ve had enough, and I don’t want to get drunk. I know I’m big, but I never drank all that much, so a few beers usually do me in.” He sat on the sofa, and Conrad got some chips and sodas and set them on the coffee table before sitting next to Forrest, and they put on the original Star Wars.

“God, I love this. My mom talks about seeing this in the theater when it first came out and what a sensation it was. She and Dad went together on a date, and they stood in line for hours to get tickets.” Conrad nestled next to Forrest as the opening panned up the screen and then the battle cruiser chased Princess Leia’s ship. Forrest put an arm around him, and he watched the movie and settled in, relaxing quickly.

“My dad used to tell stories about it whenever we watched it. Apparently when he was a kid, the original action figures weren’t going to be available before Christmas, so they sold a card that said you’d ordered the gift, and the toys would arrive in January. Dad wanted those figures so badly that he got the card for Christmas. He got his toys. I wish we still had them.” Forrest sighed.

“I think everyone does. Who could have known what a phenomenon the entire franchise would turn out to be?”

They settled in to watch the movie, but Conrad had seen it enough times that his attention started to wander at about the trash compactor scene, and he let his hands begin to wander as well.

Chapter 11

FORREST WAS trying to watch the film, but it became increasingly clear that Conrad was interested in something else. At first he slipped his hand under Forrest’s shirt, resting it on his belly. But then it shifted upward and over to one of his pecs. Forrest squirmed in his seat, trying to pay attention to what was on the screen. But then Conrad leaned closer, his amazing scent intensifying as he kissed the side of his neck and tugged down his collar to kiss the top of his shoulder.

“You know, you really are a distraction,” Forrest said softly.

Conrad pulled away, but only for a second. Then he tugged Forrest’s shirt until it was up under his arms. “Maybe I’m trying to be. After all, we know what happens in the movie, but things right here… well, they could have many different endings.”

“They could?” Forrest asked, teasing a little, loving the way Conrad’s mind worked. “How so?”

“Well….” Conrad stilled for a moment, pretending to think. “Let’s see, we could go on a tasting trip, see if parts of you taste different from others.” He licked up the center of Forrest’s belly. “See, yummy, earthy with maybe a hint of chocolate. I love chocolate.”

He swiped his tongue over a nipple and Forrest rolled his eyes and groaned. “I see.”

“Yeah, you taste the same there.” His tongue played until it had pebbled Forrest’s nipple and raised the temperature between them.

Forrest cupped Conrad’s cheek in his hands. “You know, it’s not nice to tease.”

“Please,” Conrad told him. “I never tease. I may play a little, but I never tease. If I were that kind of guy, I’d get up now and tell you that I was tired and had a headache. But I’d never do that, because you give me energy and make me want things that scare me.”

“Why are you scared?” Forrest asked and wondered if it was because of how he looked. The expression on Conrad’s face that first time they met in the grocery store flashed through his mind.

“Because of how you make me feel. It’s like you’re everything I could want, and what if I do something to mess it up? Or what if you decide that I’m not worth it and you just walk away?” He rested his cheek against Forrest’s bare skin. “Relationships are scary sometimes, especially at the beginning, Wonderful, exciting, thrilling… and yeah, frightening too.”

“Well, you don’t have anything to be scared of,” Forrest said. “At least not from me.” He brushed his fingers through Conrad’s hair.

Conrad lifted his gaze, and Forrest used his fingertips to guide Conrad closer. When they kissed, it was electric as they came together—heat, attraction, and passion, all blended into one. Conrad managed to get Forrest’s shirt off, his hands exploring, adding more warmth. He closed his eyes, kissing Conrad harder as the passion between them built.