Something about Hank triggered feelings Russell was used to keeping at bay. No question, the man was attractive, with just the type of body Russell admired— compact and powerful with a nice round ass just made for his firm hand. He had thick, dark hair and dark, flickering eyes that held an unspoken challenge. There was a brooding intensity, an edginess coiled in the man like a python. He reminded Russell, he realized suddenly, of Jesse. In a rare dropping of his guard, Russell touched the memory of Jesse cautiously, like a tongue to a toothache. Like Hank, Jesse had that same swagger, the same aggressive, in-your-face bluster that hid a longing to meet someone who would be strong enough to master him at his own game. Back then Russell had thrilled to the challenge of harnessing and taming the arrogant boy, without snuffing out his spark. Yet in the end, all the skill and desire Russell could bring to bear with his loving dominance, and all the passion and heat Jesse offered in return, did not equal love.
