not know. All I know is that you stirred something in me. I had to have you, but only as a willing partner. The days and especially the nights when we are apart, my mind pictured you taking me into your strong arms and injecting me with the elixir of youth again. All of a sudden the fire returned. It was like I was reborn. I thought of you all the time and I just had to have you. But I wanted you to come to me. Now you tell me that I must be your slave. My foolish, darling Yussef, are you a blind fool––can you not see that from the very first, I already was that? I became your slave, if not in practice–then in fact. YES! I agree and welcome you to my bed and on your terms. I am your willing sex slave, as I have been from the start. I beg you--Please make love to me, NOW!”

“No!” Joseph said, “no, not as a sex slave but as a partner. Let us try to be full partners in everything. The two of us together will be as equals, both inside your bedroom and outside it. I want us to be lovers and confidants as much as possible. Is that understood?” He knew he was really pushing it now, again perhaps too far.

Tears formed in Fazzi’s eyes as he said, “I have never had anyone like that in my life. Not even my first lover. Do you really mean that you and I would be lovers, partners and share our hopes and lives together? Become one, together?”

“Yes.” Joseph nodded. “That is something I never thought possible, let alone would ever have, at least not in this life. It would be like paradise on earth. It will take time to get used to, but I think I would love that. I agree, but there may be some things that for now we will not be able to share-–just yet.”

“Yes, I realize that there may be some, but we will just have to work on resolving those things together, as they come up.” Joseph said as he gathered Fazzi into his arms hugging him, relieved at last that the danger had passed, for now. He felt a new sense of power flow over himself as the once strong, mature body of the man disintegrated before his eyes. He placed his lips on Fazzi’s broad, muscular shoulders and moved them back and forth planting little kisses along the way. His fingertips lightly passed over the skin of the sobbing man, leaving goose bumps in their wake. Joseph placed his open mouth on the man’s neck and at first blew his hot breath over the olive colored skin. Then his lips sucked in some loose flesh. While sucking the soft neck skin into his mouth, the tip of Joseph’s tongue could feel the blood pumping through a neck artery. Fighting a desire to sink his teeth into that flesh, he forced himself to be content with just tasting the saltiness of the skin. God have I sunk so low as to become a Vampire, thought Joseph as he laughed to himself. Deftly rearranging their bodies so that they were spooning, Joseph’s arms encircled the Arab, pulling the middle-aged body against his. His lips sucked on Fazzi’s ear as his fingers moved over his hairy chest, playing with his nipples. Then the fingers of one hand moved down to the Arab’s circumcised cock. They circled the penis and lightly squeezed