ELIZABETH MARSHALL STORIES

A Safari Drama

The lodge at the edge of the Kruger National Park was utterly, decadently beautiful, the details of Colonial splendor reproduced in modern form in a seamless blend of luxury and practicality. Real china, real silver, fast internet connections and flawless phone service.

Casey ran his finger idly over the cotton sateen pillow cover and sighed. Why hadn't his agent returned his call? It was true that there was no particular reason anyone should have reached out to him, he had no proposals pending, but...

"Knock, knock. Casey?" Jerome tapped him gently on the forehead. "You're a million miles away."

"Sorry, Jerome." Casey flushed. He wasn't supposed to have made the call in the first place.

"Do you feel okay?" Jerome asked. "Everything all right?"

"Yeah, sorry, I'm fine," Casey said, mentally crossing his fingers. "I think I'll take a shower, all right?"

"Good idea," Jerome practically purred, his blue eyes lighting up. "I'll be here." He leaned back against the pristine stack of white pillows, feeling light and happy and excited to be in South Africa with his lover.

Casey left his clothes in a heap next to the bed. Jerome shrugged. He was in too good a mood to bother about a little thing like that. He lay back and fantasized about what he would do to Casey when he returned, caressing himself idly.

Casey's cell chirped. Jerome fished on the floor, retrieving it from Casey's pants pocket.

"Hello?"

Casey inhaled the refreshing scent of the luxury hotel's premium milled bath soap and sighed.

Why would his agent not return his call?

This lodge had excellent cell phone reception; Casey had already double-checked at the desk while Jerome was out in the great room, mingling with some of the other patrons.

Stop it, Casey scolded himself. Concentrate. Think sex. Think Jerome.

But why wouldn't he get back to me?

Casey sighed. Trying to shake off his mood along with the last drops of water, he wrapped a thick terry towel around his waist and made his way over to the bed where Jerome waited.

"What's up?" Casey tried for a convincing leer. He dropped the towel and flopped alongside Jerome. "You ready for some fun?" He stroked a damp hand upward over Jerome's thigh.

Jerome placed his hand over Casey's, pinning it before Casey could reach his target.

"Your agent called while you were in the shower," Jerome said conversationally. "He seemed to think you left him voicemail earlier today. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Jerome..." Jerome felt Casey stiffen apprehensively as he cast about for an explanation.

"Do we have a rule, Casey, about vacations?"

"Yes, but..."

"Do we have a rule, Casey?"

"Yes." Casey dropped his eyes.

"Do we take work with us on vacation?"

"No, Jerome."

"If there needs to be an exception made, what do you do?"

"I ask you first. But Jerome, you would have said no! And I can relax better if I know what's going on." Casey swallowed hard, knowing too well the penalty attached to the rule. "Please don't spank me, Jer. It's not fair to spank me when we're on vacation."

"Does that make sense, Casey?" Jerome asked gently. "It's fair for you to disregard our rules, but it's not fair for me to spank you?"

"I'm sorry, Jerome, I won't call in again." Casey said repentantly. "Please don't spank me!"

"Please don't argue with me," Jerome said quietly. "I'm not going to enjoy this any more than you will, Case. This isn't my idea of vacation fun either, you know. Let's just get this over with." He swung his legs over the side of the bed.

Casey swallowed hard. A small part of him wanted to object, to point out that they didn't really have to do this, but the better, stronger part of him knew Jerome was entirely in the right. Casey maneuvered himself face down across Jerome's knees and trusted.

Casey's buttocks were still warm and damp from his shower. Jerome took a few deep breaths, grounding himself, and with a firmness that belied his reluctance, proceeded to turn the faintly pink mounds a deeper, darker shade of red.

The spanking stung painfully and the disappointment it implied stung even more painfully. Casey buried his face in his folded arms and cried quietly as Jerome delivered a final volley of sharp swats.

"Let that be a lesson to you," Jerome said. "I don't want to do this again, Casey."

"You won't have to," Casey promised. He drew himself upright, wiping his dripping nose with the back of his hand.

Jerome rose as well. Casey came to him and buried his face in his shoulder.

"All done. It's all right," Jerome said softly. "How can I help, Case?"

"I need air," Casey said tearfully.

"All right, Casey, I'll walk with you."

Jerome and Casey dressed silently and efficiently. Jerome locked the room behind them and they strolled slowly, side by side, through the hotel's quiet grounds, up to the deck overlooking the park. Jerome wrapped his arms snugly around Casey, holding him, as Casey looked out over the African plain, trying to steady his breathing.

As Casey's eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, he could see the small movements of nocturnal animals feeding among the hummocks of grass. But even that was not enough to distract him from his misery.

"Jerome?" Casey sounded sad and sniffly. "I'm sorry."

"It's over now," Jerome said firmly. ""You made a mistake, you were punished, we're all square. You won't do it again, I'm sure. Come here, let's just be close for a few minutes and then we'll get you settled for the night." He stroked Casey's soft hair gently and Casey cried a little more.

"Shh, shh, shh," Jerome murmured, petting Casey until he quieted and cuddled closer. "Shh, Casey, I've got you, it's okay."

It was dark and they were alone, with no one nearby to witness their embrace. Nevertheless Jerome was grateful for gay-friendly lodgings and for South Africa's new constitution. Who would have imagined it possible a decade ago? Jerome thought wonderingly to himself.

"Come on, Casey, we have a big day tomorrow. We need to get to bed," Jerome said after a bit. Casey nodded obediently. Taking Jerome's hand, he let his partner lead him to their room.

"Go on, wash up," Jerome coaxed Casey. Casey used the bathroom as Jerome quickly turned the bed down.

"I'm too exhausted to sleep," Casey said as he lowered himself carefully into the bed belly first. "And I'm too sore to do anything else."

"There's always the morning," Jerome said biting his cheek so as not to laugh at his lover's sulking tone. "Good night, Casey, sleep well."

"Jerome? We're good, right?"

"We're good, Casey. Everything's just fine. Now go to sleep." Jerome draped his arm over Casey's waist, spooning Casey to him.

"Ow," Casey moaned, as Jerome's thighs brushed his red buttocks.

"It doesn't hurt that much." Jerome sounded so confident that Casey allowed himself to be convinced. Closing his eyes, Casey fell sound asleep, his body snug against Jerome's.

Jerome had left an early wake up call, mindful of the day's full agenda. Casey did his best to ignore Jerome's bantering with the desk. He wasn't so sure he was ready to return to the world.

"Good morning, Casey," Jerome said cheerfully. "Come, let's get some breakfast; the others are already eating."

"Can't I eat here?" Casey asked uncertainly.

"Let me see what you look like." Jerome flipped down the covers "You're not even pink, Casey. Now come on, get up. We have an exciting day planned."

Squaring his shoulders, Casey sat himself upright, wincing slightly. Pulling on clean boxers, a fresh shirt and his shorts, he followed Jerome in to breakfast.

Breakfast was a light meal, just enough to sustain the guests through their early morning game drive. Buoyed by the general air of anticipation, Casey ate eagerly. Yesterday's tension and distraction gave way to joy. For the first time since they had left the city, Casey felt his stomach unknot.

Casey realized that he hadn't even been aware of how tense lying to Jerome had made him. It was a relief not to have to worry any more about Jerome's reaction to his phone calls. It was a relief to really be on vacation.

By the time breakfast was over, Casey was practically bouncing in his eagerness to get started. Jerome smiled at his reanimated lover. Casey needed boundaries, and sometimes, he needed them reinforced.

It was barely an hour past sunrise when Casey, Jerome and the four other passengers set out in the open Land Rover. They looked left and right, up and down as their guide instructed, taking in the wild and beautiful landscape, the variety of animals, the beauty of the African plain.

They were an hour and a half from the lodge, deep into the park, when their vehicle slowed abruptly.

"Lions," their guide said reverently. "To your left. They're hunting."

A pair of the giant cats were padding in tandem through the grass.

"They're huge," Jerome whispered under his breath. He and Casey grinned at each other, awed and excited at being this close to the beasts.

The lions separated. One disappeared in the grass, her white underbelly and her tawny top making it hard to keep her in view as she crouched low in the dry vegetation.

The second lion made a wide circle. She had spotted her prey, an impala grazing carelessly just a fraction too far from its herd. She crept closer, freezing each time the wary antelope lifted its head, only the tufted tip of her tail, twitching spasmodically, betraying her presence.

None of the human made a sound as they watched the elemental drama play out before them.

At last the lioness reached her goal. Not quite fifteen feet from the impala, she leapt forward, claws outstretched. The panicked impala sprang upward, seeming for an impossible second to float above the grass. Casey held his breath.

From beneath the grass came the second lion. She slashed at the impala's rump as it tried frantically to turn from her charge. Dry dust flew, the sky filling with it, as the doomed creature went down, rent neck to thigh by the lioness's teeth.

The roar was as much vibration as sound, as much felt as heard. Casey and Jerome touched hands, quickly, discreetly.

"Unhh, unhh, unhh," the lions roared, calling their pride to them. "Unhh."

Three other lions materialized, two female, the third obviously male, his mane thick and full, his head and body a quarter larger than that of the others.

"Unhh. Unhh, unhh."

The lions melted back into the grass. The Land Rover turned back toward civilization as the vultures settled over the remains of the feast.

"That was the single most exciting thing I've ever seen in my whole life," Casey said to Jerome as they climbed out of the truck. His brown eyes were sparkling, his face flushed. "Wow. Wow. Those sounds they make, the lions, you can feel them, the growls? And the dirt and grass flying, I never thought about that, and the thump when they took it down. Wow. Wow. I still can't believe I saw it! Wow."

"It's a thrill," Jerome agreed. They walked shoulder to shoulder to the lodge. "It's an incredible thing to witness. 'Nature red in tooth and claw,' there's nothing else quite as primal."

"That was so great," Casey enthused. "I feel so alive, so–" He flushed even redder.

"So hot?" Jerome laughed. "Yeah. There's something about a hunt like that–" His own cheeks colored.

"I'm so fucking hard," Casey said. "Something about...seeing that..."

"Yeah, it did it for me, too."

The two men locked eyes. Without the need for further speech, they retreated to their room. Casey shrugged out of his shirt. Undid his shorts and stepped out of them, draping them neatly over the back of a chair. Pushed down his boxers and stood quietly, letting Jerome take in the sight of him.

Jerome admired Casey's elegant swimmer's build. His evenly muscled torso and thighs were pale and hairless. Fine tendrils curled below his navel and around his balls. His uncut cock, turgid with excitement, bobbed at his thighs.

Jerome undressed, aware of his own well-shaped body, its muscles honed by faithful workouts.

Casey smiled at the sight. What a gorgeous man his lover was, his dark hair ebony against his ivory skin, his heavy cock erect and tempting.

Jerome stepped forward and drew Casey to him.

"Yes," Casey breathed, his lips parting. Jerome ran his fingers over Casey's lips and Casey drew them inside his mouth, savoring their rough texture, their slight salt taste.

Jerome tipped Casey backwards onto the bed and straddling him, stroked his moistened hand over Casey's throat and across his chest, his palm caressing his nipples, then moving lower, over well-worked abs to the soft trail of hair below. He took Casey's cock in his hand and stroked the hot, dry flesh. Casey arched his back, his ass tightening, thrusting into Jerome's hand. Jerome leaned forward, and tasted Casey, his tongue probing the now glistening slit. He dropped his other hand to his own cock and balls, arranging them more comfortably, feeling himself harden further, and then returned his attention to Casey. His hand tightened and he began to work Casey mercilessly, judging his speed by Casey's breathing.

"Oh yeah." Casey came hard, hot ropes of cum coating his belly. "No more," he gasped, as Jerome coaxed the last bit of fluid from him. "Please!" Casey sagged back against the pillows, panting. "That was so good, Jerome."

Casey tilted his head back and Jerome kissed him deeply and thoroughly.

"You're very sweet," Jerome whispered. "You're very hot."

Casey grinned and pressing Jerome back against the mattress, squirmed down the bed until his head was against Jerome's hip and took Jerome's cock in his mouth. Felt Jerome shudder with pleasure as he took him to the root. Casey savored the fullness of the hot column in his mouth, the head swelling against his palate. He drew back, outlining the engorged veins with a pointed tongue.

"You're killing me," Jerome moaned. "Don't stop!"

Casey teased him until Jerome could take no more. With a desperate thrust of his hips, he pressed upward into Casey's willing mouth, his body demanding release. Casey fastened his lips tightly around Jerome, not releasing his cock until it was soft and shriveling in his mouth.

"So good," gasped Jerome.

"So good," echoed Casey, snuggling into Jerome, relishing the pounding of Jerome's heart against his cheek. "So good."

They dozed a bit in the shuttered cool of their room. Jerome woke first. He stroked his hand gently over the planes of Casey's face, kissing him lingeringly.

"I love you, Jer," Casey whispered, opening his mouth to his lover, sucking gently on his tongue. He felt Jerome hard against his thigh, felt himself harden as Jerome deepened the kiss.

"I love you, Case." Jerome rolled his lover onto his back. "Let me show you."

***FIN***

Thank you, Dash, for inspiration, and Rusty, for your patience and good advice. EM