From: <LaToot@aol.com>

To: <MRKS@onelist.com>

Subject: [MRKS] Snippet -- "Indolence"

Date: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 9:35 PM

From: LaToot@aol.com

This one is for Judi, to make up for any trauma I might have caused by

not giving a head's-up on the central twist of "Unbearable," but I hope you

all enjoy....

LaT

==

"Indolence"

Even though the window was open, the air in the hotel room barely

stirred. New Orleans in June seemed like a good idea when they'd made the

reservations, but when they got off the train Ray realized that it was New

Orleans in *June*. Even the locals -- people *born* in 110 degree heat, as

used to it as they were to breathing -- didn't *go* anywhere in New Orleans

in June, except to their air-conditioned, ceiling-and-floor-fanned living

rooms, their sitting rooms or, since this *was* the South, their "parlors."

Because nothing Ray ever did with Fraser was *completely* easy //well,

almost nothing//, the air-conditioning in their room was broken, and they

couldn't be switched to another room until tomorrow. It was so hot the very

air itself felt like a blanket, pressed and wrapped around them. The only

good thing was that the heat was an excuse //not like we need one// to be

naked. Which they both were. Utterly. Gloriously.

Naked and sprawled on the queen-sized bed, Dief on the floor at the foot,

and despite //maybe because of?// the heat, it all still felt good to Ray.

His head was pillowed on Fraser's stomach, cheek moist with the sheen of

sweat where it rested just over Ben's navel. Fraser's fingers twitched and

danced in Ray's air, raking random patterns through the dampened spikes. Ray

opened his eyes to see his partner watching him, blue eyes glinting, lips

curved in a sexy-sweet smile.

Almost of its own accord //but not really//, Ray's hand came up from the

bed, stopped to rest on the inside of Fraser's thigh. The fingers in his

hair paused their gentle, lulling strokes for a moment, then resumed as Ben

closed his eyes and widened his smile.

"It's too hot to move, Ray," he said, voice kissed with the barest hint

of laughter, touched with the slightest trace of arousal. Both signals

minute, but more than enough for Ray. He slid his hand down the pale, strong

thigh, through the wet, wiry thatch of hair, then closed his fingers around

his prize.

"Not if we move real slow."

==