Do Real Men Believe in Romance?

"He looked at her alabaster thighs glittering in the moonlight and felt his hardened cock lurch in his tight pants. He wanted to be buried between those thighs and sunk into her wetness as deep as he could go, but for now he would settle for a simple taste of the dew on the lips hidden beneath her lower soft, auburn colored hair. Bending his head..."

A clang and a deep booming voice broke into his thoughts and his own voice. "Ten o'clock gentleman, get your sorry asses in your bunks if you ain't already there stroking that chicken, and if you are, you better stop, other wise you'll be licking up your own dew before the night is over. And you Joker, you tell that hot little bitch you got on the outside to stop sending you those porno books."

Joker had to protest just as he always did. "It's not porn Captain, it's a novel called "The Blushing Bride, it's a novel set in old time England. My girl doesn't read porno." He was proud of Dani, she was the smartest woman he knew and she did more then lay around reading books like this all day. Dani is a lady..."

"Well, I've seen your lady and she is still the hottest looking bitch I have even seen, even if she is a little too plump for my usual tastes." That came from a cell farther down the line and the laughter was good natured. "Hell, if she was my girl, I sure as hell wouldn't be sitting in this damn cell, I would be on the outside bending my head for a simple taste of her dew."

That produced more laughter and even the Captain chuckled as the lights went off in the cell block. "Good night gentlemen, and I use the term loosely. Get your selves some sleep, it's still two days before any of you get a look at Joker's fine lady or any other lady that comes for a visit. And in the case of some of you all, I do use the term loosely. Which is probably how all of you would describe what they got between their thighs."

There was the usual rustle of men settling down for bed, but Joker Gates simply laid back on his bunk and put his hands behind his head. His cock was throbbing, but not from the sex scene, it was from the thought of Dani. He couldn't help it, from day one, he had been hard for her.

Watching her walk down the street with his sister Candy. Her long golden brown hair swaying in the wind, and her 44 double D breasts moving in time to her loose hipped walk. He and the group of guys around him knew instantly that she was jailbait, just like his sister Candy was, but that didn't stop any of them from drooling and wanting even just a taste of those hot looking tits. They were all human and though some folks might disagree, they were all reasonably clean.

The two girls stopped as they reached the bottom of the steps. "What did I tell you Dani, there they are, the Brood. Now, tell me true, ain't they the ugliest group of men you ever did see?" Candy smiled as she spoke.

Dani looked at each one of them in turn, her smoky gray eyes lingering on Joker a fraction longer then the rest. "Oh they ain't so bad Candy, I can think of worse." She didn't have the soft southern drawl that was so normal to his ears.

Tom stood up behind him and took a bow. "Thank you darlin', nice to see a beautiful woman with some taste in this town at last. Now tell me you got an older sister who is just as hot and twice as horny as you, and I will be in love."

Candy laughed. "Actually she's got four. Dani's older sister Kate just bought that old road house out on the old highway. She's gonna fix it up in to a real club. Got a big settlement from her...what was it Dani, her third or fourth husband?"

"Fifth. Now that is a woman who is hot and horny. I pity the men around here once they all get going good. And poor little me, has to wait six more months before I can even think of finding out about the birds and bees." She gave a sigh and Joker knew his wasn't the only cock that lurched. "Well, maybe by the time my sisters get done, there will be one or two leftovers for us Candy." They went on in the house giggling and Joker decided that for even a feel of her body, it would be worth it to spend six months living like a monk.

The girl didn't make it easy on him. More then once he came home to find her sprawled on the living room floor with Candy and one or two of the other town gigglers and books scattered around them. More often then not Dani would be explaining something even he didn't understand. He would find him listening to her voice and imagining all kinds of things as he looked at her full round bottom in a nice fitting pair of jeans or a tight little skirt. More then once too, he found himself sitting across from her at the dinner table.

His folks had taken a real liking for Dani. She was nice, she was quiet, and she was polite. He discovered her parents had been killed when she was thirteen and she had gone to live with her older sisters who seemed to travel in a pack. Her words about them being man hungry had turned out to be true, and he knew of more then one man in town who had found happiness in their arms. None of them were what anyone would call small, but damn if they didn't have some looks and moves to go with them. They weren't shy about letting a man know they were interested either. A lot of the local woman were already creating a drive to get them out of town, but it wasn't working very well.

Not that he gave a damn about her sisters. Dani was all he could see day and night. He ached for her night and day and more then once he found himself so hard that he needed to jack off while at work or late at night. He could hardly wait until she was legal so he could do more then dream.

Dani seemed to feel the same way about him. He would catch her watching him when she thought no one was looking and the first time found the nerve to ask her out, she nodded shyly. "You'll have to get past my sisters though. You being so much older then me and all."

Joker didn't consider his twenty-six years being so much older, but these days who knew. Used to be a man could find a woman and age didn't matter, now if he looked at her or touched her wrong, he became marked as a sex offender and wore the tag for the rest of his life.

The night of the date, he showered, shaved, and made sure he looked his best before leaving the house. Even Candy looked shocked as he came down stairs in clean jeans, a crisp white shirt and sports jacket he had borrowed from his dad. His boots were high polished and you could smell the cologne he wore.

"Damn big brother, you look good."

"Think I can get past her sisters?" He smiled as he checked his reflection.

"I would be more worried about them attacking your ass. Those women are sex happy, or so I hear..." His dad John grinned from his chair. "I know a few of my boys have been wearing a lot of smiles lately." The Gates Construction company was one of the local companies Dani's sister had hired to help with the remodeling.

"I've only met one of them, Lucy I think. She seems a nice lady, a little loud for my tastes I admit, but still not at all what some women say about her." His mom Karen looked up from her novel. "And I can only say good things about Dani, not like some of them women you've dated in your time Joker."

Joker nodded. "She is different mom, she's beautiful, she's smart, she's all the things I been looking for and never knew it until I met her." He heard the mantle clock chime the hour and grabbed his keys and ran out the door. "Later you all."

Dani and her sisters lived in a big house at the edge of town. Like the roadhouse it was undergoing remodeling and as a tall, very well developed woman answered the bell, he saw her eyes move up and down his tall, slender but well build frame. Her tongue darted out to lick bright red lip that were full and lush and a sparkle entered her bright blue eyes.

"Well hello honey, and who might you be?" Her voice was husky but sexy at the same time and Joker saw what his dad had meant.

"I'm Joker Gates, I'm here to see Dani. We have a date tonight."

The woman didn't hide her disappointment. "She told me she had met a hunk but I was beginning to doubt there was such a thing in this town. I'm her sister Mattie. Come on in."

He moved into the hall and as he did, he had the feeling that Mattie was checking out his ass. He knew he was too slender, but he had a good body and it was clear she approved.

"Down Mattie, he belong to little sister. We got to learn not to be selfish." Another woman appeared at the foot of the stairs. She was just as beautiful as the other one, but more dignified somehow. She held out her hand and Joker took it. "I'm Kate. The oldest of this group of sluts. Dani will be down in a minute. Come on in the living room and have a seat while you wait." She took his arm and led him into a room filled with fancy furniture and paintings that looked like something out of an erotic dream. All of them were of women who were large but just as beautiful as the women in real life and he had to admit that it was the look of the paintings that caught his attention more then the subject matter.

Kate followed his eyes to the last painting. "Beautiful aren't they, Dani painted them. She 's the artistic one in the family. Mattie is the writer, and our other sister Anne is the musical one. Me, I have the brains for business and Lucy is the more material type. She runs the house. Such good taste too, give her a good look at furniture and she can tell you if it's a Chippendale or a replica."

As if on cue, another of the sisters appeared, bearing a tray of coffee, sugar, cream and a plate of what smelled like home baked cookies. Dressed less formal then the other two she smiled at him. "I also do windows. Hi, I'm Lucy."

He shook her hand and they sat down with the coffee. He had the feeling of being a steak in the butcher shop, but Kate did her best to make him feel at ease. She wanted to know where they were going and when he would be bringing Dani home. She also told him that she was impressed with his dad's business sense and how pleased she was with the work his company did.

"Of course, my second husband told me that when you hire some one to work for you, you hire the best. All your dad's prior customers gave me nothing but glowing reports. So nice to meet an honest man and so careful in his work."

Lucy mentioned the brief meeting with his mother and again nothing but praise. When she was finished, a voice floated down from the stair case. "Watch them Joker, when nothing but sugar comes out of their mouths, you know the vinegar won't be far behind." Dani came into the room and her eyes glittered with a mischievous glow. "Well, you're still in one piece."

"Didn't you expect me to be?" He smiled as he stood up and walked over to her. She looked gorgeous. The well fitting top revealing the fine lines of her body and the flirty little skirt going well with her nylons and boots. "You look beautiful."

"And you look gorgeous. But you didn't have to get all dressed up for me, I like how you look even when you've just come in from work." Still, she looked happy and that made him feel good.

"Is dinner at the café okay, then I thought we'd go see the movie they got going."

"That sounds great. I think we should go though, before the other one comes down stairs and you don't get out of here alive."

He helped her on with her jacket and she took his arm as they went out the door. In the car, he looked at her one more time, and wished to god she was legal before turning the key.

"It's okay Joker, I understand."

"What do you understand?"

She gave a soft giggle. "About sex, and the human body. I can imagine how hard it was for you, all that candy and you couldn't even get a lick."

He understood. "Dani, honey, I'll be honest. I took a vow of celibacy the day I first saw you, and until the day you turn eighteen, if I can't keep my drive in low gear, then I ain't the man I think I am." He pulled up at a light and bent his head to hers. "I never been a gentleman, I admit it, and I will warn you, the day you turn eighteen, you better be ready for a wild man on your hands."

Tilting her head to look at him, she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "I think I can handle it, and thank you."

Over dinner they talked about her paintings and she admitted that each one was of one of her sisters, and one of their previous lovers. "I never minded seeing them together, but more then one of the guys was a little embarrassed having me paint him while he was with his woman. To me, it's just art. I think the human body, regardless of it's size is beautiful. It doesn't matter if a woman is a size five or a size fifty. And the same goes for men." A small blush crossed her face. "To be honest, I'd like to paint you."

Joker was glad his mouth was empty. "Nude?"

"Yeah, you have a great body and terrific looks. Though I think I like you better when you've got a bit of five o'clock shadow. Would you Joker, would you let me paint you?"

He thought about it. "Sure, why not. Maybe some day I might end up in the Louver or some other famous place like that."

"Or you might end up in my bedroom facing my bed so you're the last thing I see at night and the first thing I see in the morning."

Joker smiled. "I think I like that idea even better."

He worked hard during the day. The auto shop where he worked was one of the most popular in the county, but it was nothing to being seated on a stool while he posed for Dani. She had him so he was turned slightly and his right arm down so his hand covered his crotch. At first he had been a little concerned about his constant state of arousal around her, but soon he found himself not caring. Her eyes glowed when she looked at him and he couldn't help feeling a smug pride in her admiration.

It was different when her sisters came in to see how it was going which was more often then he felt comfortable with. He felt as if he was on display to hungry eyes and that at any moment he might find himself in a situation he knew other men would relish. Dani seemed to understand and finally told her sisters to stay away until she was done. It worked and she looked at him as she shook her head.

"They drive me crazy sometimes you know. I want you relaxed, not feeling like you're about to be gang raped at any moment."

"Most men wouldn't care, even want it."

"You aren't most men Joker. I saw that the first day we met." Her voice was soft. "Do you believe in romance Joker?"

Did he? He had never considered it before. He'd never written some girl a poem or brought her a rose. He had never taken anyone for a walk in the rain or spent the afternoon reading poetry to a gal. Still, he found himself thinking about her question for the next few days. Did real men believe in romance?

His dad was the first man he asked, he couldn't think of a man who fit the description of being a he-man more then his dad. John Gates was the kind of man who worked out, worked hard, and played hard. He rode a motorcycle to and from work, spent evenings playing pool or watching foot ball with his friends. He smoked cigars when he played poker with buddies and just fit the image when the words "real man" came to mind.

His dad didn't seem bothered when he asked him. "Romance huh, I suppose you mean poems and roses and all that stuff women like."

"Well, yeah."

John laughed. "How the hell do you think I got a fine woman like your mother to look at a big ape like me in the first place. I remember we had been going out and it was her birthday. Her sixteenth, and I made all these big plans about how we would celebrate. But something came up and all I could do was write her this silly poem and give her this big red rose I stole from your grandma's garden. She cried all over me when it was over. Said I had given her the best present of all, and that she loved me beyond words. I felt like I was ten feet tall and I still do. You ever wonder what your mom and I do on our anniversary? I take her out to the best restaurant in Atlanta, then we go dancing. After that we check into the finest hotel and there is always a bottle of champagne and the biggest bouquet of red roses I can find. And attached to the champagne is a silly little poem that I spend the whole year before thinking about writing. So yeah, I believe in romance."

Over the next few days Joker asked others and he was surprised how many of the so called "good old boys" believed in it. Even his boss Bubba Barnes, a man who spent his days telling dirty jokes and talking about women as if all of them were whores admitted that once in a while he liked to get dressed up and take his wife out dancing or to dinner somewhere, and he always gave her roses on her birthday. Red ones for each year they had been together and then a solid white one for the year ahead.

"Once we even spent a night just curled up in front of the fire and I read her this poetry that made her cry."

One of the other guys laughed. "That bad?"

Bubba shook his head. "No, it was some guy she had read in school and it was full of all this flowery talk and she said I made her so happy to have remembered that she just had to cry. Go figure." He grinned. "We did have some hot, sweaty sex that night. So yeah, I believe in it, and it does come in handy at times."

As the day of her birthday drew closer, he wondered what he could do for Dani that would be romantic. He was no poet, and he didn't remember much from school that even seemed remotely close to what the older men had told him. He knew that he wanted to make love to her that night, and she had told him that she could hardly wait for them to do more then just kiss or hold each other.

So what the hell could he do? Sitting back on the couch, he picked up one of the supermarket novels his mom and sister read. It was a Saturday, and wet and rainy. His folks had taken Candy out shopping for some new shoes and some other things they needed. He looked at the picture on the front of the book and saw it was of a guy in old style dress nuzzling on the neck of a redhead with boobs that looked ready to fall out of her low cut, southern belle sort of dress. His hand was on a bare thigh and you just knew from the look on the gal's face that she was waiting for him to move it higher.

The title was "Lover or Husband?" Flipping it over, he looked at the description on the back. "Lovely Savannah Houston was faced with a difficult choice. Did she forgo the more acceptable idea of marriage to the rich and powerful Brody Martin, to spend her life with her more romantic and handsome lover Brent Hastings. Or will Brody show her that even a man like him could be romantic when it came to a woman he loved?" On the back along with the words showed a man standing in front of a stately plantation, dressed to the teeth in pre-civil war style and even Joker knew this was a real man. At least the most acceptable version of it.

Without thinking, he opened the book and began to read. Soon he began to become involved with Savannah's hard choice and found himself torn between the two men himself. Brent was softer, more educated and less involved in the steamier side of life then Brody, but Brody had his own side too. It was clear he loved Savannah and would do what ever he could to make her his.

The first sex scene in chapter ten made him wonder what his mom was doing letting Candy read this trash, but gave him such a hard on that he and the book soon retreated to the privacy of his bedroom. Soon he was lost in his own fantasies and when he came it was with a force he hadn't expected. He had tried not to picture Dani in the place of Savannah but it was so hard. Finally he was able to focus on the picture on the cover but he knew that deep in his heart it was Dani he wanted.

There were more sex scenes and by the he finished the book it was late at night and Candy was going crazy searching the house for the book. "I can't find it anywhere mom, and I just have to know if Savannah chooses Brody or Brent. I'll just die if I don't find out before I have to take it to school on Monday."