Ice Water in Hell Read online

  Ice Water in Hell

  By Carol Lynne

  Resplendence Publishing, LLC

  http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

  Resplendence Publishing, LLC

  P.O. Box 992

  Edgewater, Florida, 32132

  Ice Water in Hell

  Copyright © 2009, Carol Lynne

  Edited by Tiffany Mason

  Cover art by Les Byerly

  Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-128-3

  Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Electronic release: March 2010

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

  Hell aka “The City”

  n.

  · any place of pain and turmoil

  · the home created for Lucifer and those forced from Heaven

  · a world in which only the dead may reside

  · a world where sin is commonplace

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Nick Ramsey stood in his office overlooking the finished club, Ice Water. Everything in the place, from the white furniture to the huge crystal icicles hanging from the ceiling, said class. He was glad he’d agreed to go into business with his friend and ex-boss, Dominic.

  The longer Nick waited for his old love, Baz, to come around, the antsier he became. The months spent designing, building and furnishing the club had kept thoughts of Baz at bay, but now memories of his ex-lover seemed to follow him everywhere he went.

  “Looks good, doesn’t it?” Dominic remarked, stepping into Nick’s second-story office.

  Hands in his pockets, Nick turned to lean against the thick acrylic glass wall. “We did a damn good job for a couple of ex-soldiers.”

  Dominic pointed toward the balcony connected to his office. “I still think you should’ve put one of those in. You’ll be sorry.”

  Nick shook his head. The balcony was designed for fucking, not enjoying the view, unless, of course, you’re on the first floor. Nick could only imagine what kind of show the customers were in for between Dominic and Lucifer.

  “No need. There’s only one man I care to fuck, and Baz’s still playing hard to get.” Nick ran a hand through his short blond hair.

  “Impossible to get is more like it. That damn Spartan is one stubborn sonofabitch,” Dominic said with a chuckle.

  Stubborn or not, Nick still loved him. It had been over two hundred years since Baz had left Nick in Heaven to help right the wrong he felt was done to Lucifer. Nick rubbed his chest. The abandonment hurt as if it had happened yesterday. Sure, he’d cussed and said things to Baz that he shouldn’t have. What was he supposed to do? Send his lover off to Hell with a pat on the back?

  He knew owning and working at Ice Water wouldn’t be easy, but the longer he went without sex, the more daunting the task became.

  “Damn, I’m horny,” he admitted.

  Dominic glanced at Nick. “So, fuck someone before your dick dries up and falls off.”

  “Easy for you to say. You have exclusive access to Lu’s ass morning, noon and night. I only get the occasional sneer from Baz.”

  Dominic smiled unapologetically. “And it’s a good ass, too.”

  Nick rolled his eyes and turned to look down at the club. A few months earlier, Nick would have no trouble picking up some guy and screwing his brains out, so what was different? Baz hadn’t wanted him then and, it was obvious, he didn’t want him now.

  “Baz is coming, right?” Nick asked.

  “He’s supposed to come with Lu, but I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”

  Nick shook his head and walked toward his desk. “I don’t know why I even care. He treats me like a friend, not a lover.”

  Dominic chuckled. “I wouldn’t say that. According to Lu, Baz enjoys a friendly fuck.”

  Nick narrowed his eyes at his friend. “The longer you’re here, the more evil you become.”

  Dominic laughed harder and headed toward the door. “Yeah. Damn, I’m having fun.”

  “Get outta here.”

  Dominic waved before walking out the door and across the landing to his own office. With the walls made entirely of acrylic glass, it wasn’t hard for Nick to see his friend was still laughing. Nick gave him the finger, which made Dominic laugh even harder.

  “Fucker,” Nick grumbled.

  * * * *

  “Why aren’t you ready?” Lu asked as soon as Baz opened the door to his loft.

  “Well, hello to you, too.” Baz stepped back, allowing Lu and his ego into the room. He walked back to the couch and resumed his seat.

  Lu tapped his expensive black shoe on the shiny wood floor. “It’s opening night. You have to go.”

  Baz didn’t bother looking up from the television. “No, I don’t.”

  Lu let out an overly dramatic sigh and fell onto the couch beside Baz. “Seriously, why don’t you and Nick just make up already? The guy’s absolutely crazy about you.”

  “Yeah, he’s so crazy about me he just fucking cast me aside when he didn’t agree with me.” Baz didn’t know why he still let it hurt him so much.

  Years earlier, when he’d been an archivist in Heaven, he’d confided to the man he loved his desires to help Lucifer regain his rightful place in Heaven. Instead of being supportive, Nick had gone ballistic. He’d told Baz he would never forgive him if he went through with his plan to relocate to Hell.

  Actually, Nick’s precise words had been something like, “If you go to Hell, you can just stay there for all I care. Because if your tainted-ass ever shows up in Heaven again, I’ll kill you.”

  Well, color Baz surprised when he’d walked into Lu’s building and saw Nick standing there, looking all gorgeous and smug. Nick’s betrayal still left a scar on Baz’s heart too deep to heal.

  “Why does everyone expect me to forgive him?” Baz asked. “I went into battle and he refused to wait for my return.”

  “He’s here because he loves you,” Lu said, ruffling Baz’s hair.

  Baz laid his head on the back of the couch and closed his eyes. “Love doesn’t mean shit if respect isn’t given. Besides, he’s never apologized. Telling me he still loves me does nothing for me.”

  The back of Lu’s hand brushed across Baz’s cheek. “If he hurt you that badly, forget him. But don’t crawl into a hole and shut yourself off. Come on, come play with me,” Lu pouted.

  “I used to love to play with you, remember?” Baz asked, opening his eyes to stare at his friend.

  Lu ran a hand down Baz’s chest to his cock. He gave the hardening appendage a nice squeeze before releasing it.

  “I remember. It was fun, but things are different now. That doesn’t mean you have to give up sex. Find another fuck buddy. Shouldn’t be hard with your looks. You could use a little work in the personality department, but I’d suggest keeping your mouth shut and flashing that huge piece of meat your packing. That should get you in the door in no time.”

  The thought of pounding his cock deep into a willing tight ass had Baz rock hard in no time. Maybe Lu was right. Maybe he should enjoy all the flavors The City had to offer
.

  “You know, Nick’ll think you’re pining for him if you continue to shut yourself off like you have been,” Lu remarked, adding more fuel to the fire in Baz’s belly.

  Baz narrowed his eyes at his best friend. Lu sat casually, checking out his most recent manicure. If Baz didn’t know better, he’d think Lu didn’t have a care in the world. But he did know better. Lu was up to something.

  “What kind of game are you playing?”

  Lu had the gall to look completely shocked by the question. “Me? I’m not playing anything. I just want to get out of here and shake my groove thing with my man.”

  What would Nick do if Baz showed up looking all hot and sexy? Baz grinned. Even better, what would Nick do if Baz showed up and didn’t give him the time of day? Perfect. Baz stood and held out his arms. He didn’t often allow Lu to use parlor tricks on him, but this was a special occasion.

  “Make me sexy,” Baz instructed.

  After a subtle wave of his hand, Lu grinned. “Excellent.”

  Baz looked down at his nude body. “Funny. Now whip me up something sexy to actually wear.”

  Lu shrugged. “You’ll catch more bees with your honey stick showing.”

  “Leave my honey stick out of it,” Baz said around a chuckle.

  Lu waved again and Baz was decked out in black leather pants and a fitted leather blazer. “What, no shirt? I thought this place had a strict dress code.”

  “They do. You can’t get in unless you’re wearing a jacket.” Lu gestured to Baz. “You have a jacket.”

  Baz glanced down at his bare chest. Even with the jacket, he could still see his shiny nipple rings. “Are you sure I’ll pass muster?”

  Lu stood and leaned toward Baz, eyes zeroing in on the piercings. “I’d forgotten how sexy you look without a shirt.”

  “You’ve forgotten a lot of things since Dominic showed up.” Baz tried not to sound bitter. He was glad Lu had finally found someone to love, but it sure cut down on his fuck buddy time.

  Lu smiled and gave Baz a chaste kiss on the lips. “I could never forget my best friend. That’s why my mission this evening is to find you a cute little plaything.”

  * * * *

  Stepping out of the car, Baz couldn’t get over the beauty of the outside of the building. What had once been a warehouse was now a glass-fronted icy wonderland. The two-story windows had been etched so it appeared they were frosty around the edges. The Ice Water sign looked like it had been carved out of a single block of ice with a light blue glow to it.

  “This is amazing,” Baz commented.

  “Yeah. Turns out Nick and Dominic really are gay,” Lu said, elbowing Baz in the ribs.

  Baz chuckled. It was hard to believe the two men had done all the decorating and design work on their own. “You didn’t help at all?”

  Lu shook his head. “I’ve only been here once. Dominic made me stay away.” Lu winked. “Said I kept distracting him, whatever that means.”

  Baz could well imagine. Dominic and Lu couldn’t be within fifty feet of each other without groping or fucking. “I thought sex was supposed to slow once you entered a committed relationship?”

  “You must’ve been talking to the wrong people. To know that big dick’s close enough to fill me at a moment’s notice is quite the aphrodisiac. Speaking of which, let’s go.”

  Lu led the way to the front door. Although the club had barely opened, there was already a line down the block waiting to get in.

  “Hi, Tao,” Lu greeted the huge man at the door.

  Tao grinned, his white teeth a stark contrast to his brown skin. The man had a myriad of tribal tattoos decorating what skin could be seen. Baz could only imagine what Tao’s body looked like out of the expensive suit he wore. Yum.

  “I’m glad you’re here, sir. Mr. Ramos has phoned me every five minutes asking if you’d arrived yet.”

  “I’ll spank him for you, Tao,” Lu said, a mischievous grin on his face.

  Baz nodded to the guy and followed Lu inside. “Who is that?”

  “Tao Kemoeatu. He’s fairly new to The City. Dominic brought him in.” Lu glanced over his shoulder and grinned. “Samoan,” Lu added as if that was supposed to explain everything.

  Baz had never met a Samoan, so he really had no clue what Lu was referring to, still, the man was a fine hunk of muscle. Before, and after, his relationship with Nick, Baz had always preferred lithe, younger-looking men, but he may need to give Tao a second glance.

  As usual, the crowd automatically parted for Lu as they walked into the club. There was so much to see, Baz had a hard time taking it all in. He swore the temperature had dropped fifty degrees as a chill raced up his spine.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said, spinning around. Huge crystal light fixtures hung from the ceiling. Their pale blue glow washed the club’s interior with soft illumination.

  “Come on. Let’s get a drink and go upstairs. I want to show you my favorite part of this place.” Lu didn’t give Baz a chance to answer before marching off toward the long bar.

  As Baz headed that way, he glanced at the dance floor. The Ice Water might be more upscale in dress and appearance than The Inferno, but the same show was all around him, bodies, and lots of them, kissing and writhing to the music.

  Baz ran a hand down his chest to brush against the erection pressing against his fly. The smell of sex was in the air and he couldn’t get enough. He’d gone too long without release and the vibe in the club had him ready to explode.

  Lu handed Baz a dirty martini while he sipped his customary Scotch. “Come on. I’ll show you upstairs.”

  Baz glanced up and spotted both Nick and Dominic staring straight down on them. The last thing he needed was to be anywhere near Nick while he was as horny as he was.

  “You go ahead. I’m going to release some pressure.”

  One of Lu’s black eyebrows rose. “See someone you like already?”

  Baz gestured to the dance floor. “Take your pick. There are a lot of beautiful men here tonight.”

  “Find me when you’re finished,” Lu said before walking away.

  Baz quickly finished his drink and ordered another. While he waited, he stood with his back against the bar.

  “Here you go, Baz,” the bartender said, setting a fresh drink beside Baz’s elbow.

  “Thanks, Cory.” He was glad Dominic had been able to hire the best bartender in the city away from The Inferno. Baz bet the other club was suffering without the delectable sprite behind the bar.

  “Hey, you have a break anytime soon?” Baz asked, turning toward the small blond man.

  Cory reached out and flicked the silver hoop in Baz’s nipple. “Sure do, but I’ve gotta study. I have a test in the morning.”

  Baz shook his head. “I’m proud of you for going to school. I got my degree after my death as well.”

  Cory smiled. “Thanks. It’s something I’ve always regretted not doing before.”

  Baz nodded. That he understood. The City was full of souls with regrets. Despite what the living assumed, a person didn’t lose their soul when they entered Hell.

  Before he could get turned back around, a hand squeezed the erection trapped behind the soft leather of his pants. Baz moaned. He didn’t care if the hand belonged to a man with two heads, he just wanted to feel lips wrapped around his cock.

  He barely glanced at the man as he pushed him to his knees. Picking up his dirty martini, Baz continued to sip as a warm mouth engulfed the head of his cock. The guy was doing a pretty damn good job although he didn’t take nearly enough into his throat. Baz reached down and threaded his fingers through the man’s short curls. He started a steady rhythm of fucking the guy’s mouth, making him take more and more with each thrust.

  Within minutes, Baz’s balls drew tight as he exploded down the guy’s throat. He eventually glanced down and watched the guy cleaning him. Not bad, but not quite what he was looking for.

  “Thanks,” he said, finishing off his drink.r />
  “I’m Thane,” the guy said as he stood to face Baz.

  “Okay. Thanks, Thane.”

  “Would you like to dance?” Thane asked, wiping some errant cum from his chin.

  “No thanks.” Baz pushed away from the bar and wandered through the crowd. He felt the phone in his back pocket vibrate and rolled his eyes, knowing exactly who it was.

  He flipped open the cell. “What?”

  “You’re an ass, you know? You barely looked at that guy after he gave you such a nice blowjob,” Lu said.

  “Hey, I didn’t ask him to suck my dick. He did that all on his own.” Baz glanced up toward the clear plastic of the balcony to see Lu staring down at him. “If I’m not mistaken, you used to be even worse when we went out.” How many times had Lu walked up behind someone and fucked them without ever seeing their face?

  “I’m a changed man.” From the way Lu was openly fondling Dominic, Baz doubted it.

  “The only thing that’s changed is you know the name of the man you’re fucking around with. You’re still as perverted as ever.” Although the words seemed harsh, Baz knew Lu would take them as a sign of affection.

  “Thanks. I’m glad I’ve still got the touch.”

  Baz watched as Dominic said something in Lu’s ear.

  “Ooh, gotta go. Talk later.” Lu hung up, and within a split second both he and Dominic were naked.

  Let the show begin.

  * * * *

  As soon as Dominic and Lu started pawing at each other, Nick removed himself from the situation. He should be in a fantastic mood. After all, it was the opening night of the club he’d worked so hard to make perfect.

  Unfortunately, the moment he’d witnessed the punk going down on Baz, his mood had soured. It wasn’t Baz he was pissed at as much as himself. He was the one who’d treated Baz like shit, not the other way around.

  Baz was acting predictably. It was obvious the man wore the sexy outfit just to drive him crazy, and it was working. He started to sit in his desk chair but changed his mind. Fuck that. No way was he going to hide in his office on his big night.