Kelly nodded for a few seconds and then he said, “So, now tell me why you went to him in the first place.”
Cole flinched. He didn’t want to voice this part. If he did, Kelly might not forgive him. He looked towards the front door as if he hoped it held all of the right words.
“No, Cole. No more running. You need figure out the real reason why you ran and the only way for you to do that is to talk it out.”
“Cole.”
Cole’s eyes slid shut, “No, Kel, please. What I did, why I went, it’s unforgivable.”
“To whom? You or me?”
“Both.”
“Cole, look at me.”
A tear slid down Cole’s cheek as he shook his head.
“Dammit Cole, look at me!” Kelly snapped.
Cole’s eyes snapped open and he turned his head until his eyes locked with Kelly’s.
Kelly sighed, “Come here,” he said as he patted his lap.
Cole slowly climbed on, being extra careful not to cause him any pain then he slid his arm behind Kelly’s neck.
Kelly brushed the hair from Cole’s forehead, “Did you sleep with him?”
Cole shook his head, “No.”
“Would you have?”
Cole’ mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally whispered, “I don’t know.”
“Why did you feel the need to sleep with him?”
“I didn’t want to sleep with him.”
“But?”
“But the thought of losing you terrified me, it sent me into a panic that triggered this overwhelming fear in me that made me think I’d never survive if I didn’t…..purge you out of my system. And the only way I could think to do that would be to sleep with someone else.”
“So, you chose the one man who was probably unattainable since he was still mourning his husband’s loss and wasn’t sleeping with anyone,” Kelly said.
Cole’s eyes went wide as they snapped back over to Kelly’s, “Oh my god, I did, didn’t I?”
Kelly smiled at him as he brushed a tear from Cole’s cheek with his thumb, “Yes you did. I don’t think you had any intention of sleeping with him. I think you went to him because he would talk you out of doing something stupid.”
“But I still ran.”
“Yes, you still ran.”
Cole laid his head on Kelly’s shoulder, “I’m so sorry.”
Kelly pressed his lips to Cole’s forehead, “I know, babe. Don’t do it again, not ever, okay?”
“I won’t, I swear.”
“I don’t know if you know this, but I kinda love you with all of my heart, Cole Gillette.”
He felt Cole relax in his arms as he sighed and whispered, “I kinda love you with all of my heart too, Kelly Braddock.”
“Good, now let’s go pack for our next adventure.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Garrett tensed in Justice’s arms when they both heard the crunch of gravel underneath the tires of a car.
“You don’t have to do this, butterscotch.”
“Yes, I do,” he said then he stood from the couch, his hand clutched tightly with Justice’s and together they walked over to the window to look outside.
“He was my best friend, Justice. He still is, at least I hope he is. He needs to get over what happened to me just as much as I do and he won’t if we don’t see each other. Yes, we talk on the phone and it seems as if he’s okay but I know him. He needs to see for himself.”
Garrett watched as Tiny parked his car and then he saw that Tiny wasn’t alone in the car. He frowned at that because the Tiny he knew had never had a relationship in his life. He couldn’t see too well through the windshield so he couldn’t tell what this person looked like but he could tell by the person’s height and build they it was a man. And then Tiny leaned over the center console and kissed the man in the passenger seat – a kiss that was both tender and hot at the same time.
“Wow,” Garrett mumbled.
Justice frowned at him, “What?”
Garrett continued to watch as Tiny climbed out of his side and the, damn he is hot, other man climbed out from the passenger side. And then the two of them met at the front of the car and linked their fingers.
“He’s in love,” Garrett whispered, and the shock was very clear in his voice.
“It looks that way to me too. Is that a problem?” Justice said and Garrett could hear the jealousy in his voice.
He turned and smiled at Justice, “No, babe. It’s not a problem at all. He and I have only ever been friends. He never even knew I was gay. I suspected he was but never knew for sure. I’m just surprised is all because in all the time I’ve known him, the man has never had a girlfriend or a boyfriend – not ever. He was only a quick, fuck against the wall kind of guy. I never even saw him hanging out with anyone that he seemed remotely interested in. I’m happy for him but I’m shocked, that’s all.”
The two men walked up onto the porch and knocked on the door. Justice glanced at Garrett once more and he knew the man was making sure he was ready. And it made his heart fall even more.
He nodded at Justice and the man stepped over to open the door.
“Justice Thyme,” his man said as he stuck out his hand.
“Maynard Murphy, although everyone calls me Tiny. And this is my boyfriend, Blake Thornton.”
Garrett smiled as he listened to the interaction from his spot behind the door.
“Good to meet you. Come in, please,” Justice said as he stepped back.
Tiny and the man that Garrett now knew was Blake stepped past the door. Tiny’s eyes scanned the room until they found Garrett standing off to the right. He inhaled sharply and then whispered, “Garrett.”
“Tiny.”
They stared at each other for a while – Garrett trying to figure out what he was feeling as he saw, for the first time, the man who was now both his best friend and the man who had been thrown into the hell that Garrett had gone through. He wondered what was going through Tiny’s mind but when he saw tears pooling in his eyes and his chin quivering – he was spurred into motion.
He erased the distance between them, wrapped Tiny in a firm embrace and said, “Don’t. This was not your fault.”
The dam broke and Tiny sobbed into Garrett’s shoulder as he gripped the back of his shirt in his huge fists. “I’m so fucking sorry, Gare, so fucking sorry.”
“Shhh, stop. He’s a psychopath. That’s on him, not you.”
“But…”
“No, Tiny,” he said as he pulled back and gripped the man’s cheeks between his hands, “You listen to me. You need to let this go, please. I am. I’ve met a wonderful man who treats me like I matter, like I’m his whole universe and he proves to me every second of every day that what happened to me with Foster doesn’t define me, it will never define me. Did it change me? Of course, it did. He took something from me that I will never, ever get back. But Justice shows me that life is full of beautiful firsts. So, even though Foster took one of those firsts and made it ugly, I’m having and I get to look forward to, so many that are amazing and beautiful with him.”
Tiny’s eyes flicked over Garrett’s shoulder and he knew the man was looking at Justice in a whole new light. Garrett stepped to the side so he could look at Justice too and he saw the sweet blush on the man’s cheeks and the affection in his eyes but there was something else in that gaze – fear? Trepidation? – Garrett wasn’t sure what it was but he knew the two of them would be talking the moment they were alone again.
Garrett turned back to Tiny, “So, tell me about your new man.”
Tiny’s gaze softened and the love shining in his eyes when he looked over to the man still standing by the door was so clear. “This is Blake.”
Garrett stepped forward to shake Blake’s hand, “It’s wonderful to meet you. But I’ve got to know, how did you manage to crush his fears and catch him?”
Blake blushed as he smiled at Tiny, “Oh, I didn’t crush his fears, he crushed mine with his h
uge heart.”
“Wow, that’s, just wow,” Garrett said, chuckling as he shook his head.
Tiny just grinned and reached out his hand to Blake, pulling him close to his side and pressing a kiss to the side of the man’s head.
“Come, let’s sit down and talk for a bit. It sounds like you and I have a lot of catching up to do. Would anyone like some coffee?”
“Sure, that would be great,” Tiny said as he and Blake walked over to the couch and sat down.
Two hours later, Justice and Garrett were arm in arm on the porch waving goodbye to the two men. As soon as Tiny’s car was out of sight, Garrett turned to Justice and said, “Will you tell me what you’re afraid of?”
“What?”
“What, about this thing between the two of us, scares you, Justice? I saw it in your eyes before. You’re scared. Why?”
Justice started to turn away but Garrett pulled him back, “No, J. No running from me, from this, from us. Talk to me.”
Justice slid his fingers through his hair and dropped his ass onto the edge of one of the chairs, “Christ, butterscotch, please don’t make me answer this.”
“Why not?”
Justice looked up at him, “Because you’re really not going to like the answer.”
Garrett squatted down between Justice’s knees, “Have I done something wrong? Did I screw up?”
Justice reached out to cup Garrett’s cheek, “God no, you’re perfect.”
“Then what is it? Please, just talk to me, babe.”
Justice’s hand dropped as he sighed, “It’s me. I’m going to screw this up.”
“How?”
“Because I know me. I don’t do this, butterscotch.”
“Do what? Relationships?”
“All of this,” Justice said as he swept his hand out, “Relationships, domesticity, staying in one place. It’s not me. I’m a drifter, a nomad. Staying in one place makes me….itchy. I feel trapped, like I’m about to explode.”
“Is there something about me that makes you feel that way?”
“Fuck no. When I’m with you I feel…grounded, settled. I’ve never felt that way in my life.”
Garrett slid his hand inside Justice’s and stood up, “Then come with me, I want to show you something,” he said as he urged Justice to his feet.
“Butterscotch,” Justice whispered when he hesitated to stand up.
“No, Justice, just come with me, please?”
The man sighed and nodded his head as he pushed to his feet.
Garrett pulled him inside and down the hall to the bedroom where he picked up his phone from the nightstand. He scrolled through the photos until he came to the one of him standing in front of his truck and huge fifth wheel trailer. “Do you see this?” he said as he held his phone out to Justice.
Justice nodded as he looked at the picture.
“That’s my home, Justice. It’s been my home since I left the club five years ago.”
Justice’s eyes left the phone and locked with Garrett’s, “You mean….?”
“I mean, I’m a nomad too. I have a piece of property that I park the trailer on sometimes when I feel like being stable but the rest of the time I’m traveling wherever the fuck I want to, in that,” he said as he pointed to the picture.
Justice stared down at it again as he bit his lower lip. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to speak, Garrett stepped closer to him, slowly pushing the arm holding Garrett’s phone down as he clasped the side of Justice’s neck with his other hand, “What do you say, babe? Will you hit the road with me and see where this goes?”
Justice swallowed hard, “I want you to do something for me first.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“I want you to top me….like, right now.”
Now it was Garrett’s turn to hesitate, “Now?” he barely managed to mumble.
Justice nodded, “Yes, now.”
Garrett tried to get his nerves to calm the fuck down as he nodded and stepped over to the bed. His fingers were trembling as he reached up to push the hair back from Justice’s forehead, “You’re sure?” he whispered.
Justice nodded his head but didn’t speak and it was in that moment that Garrett realized the man was too nervous to speak – and it melted his heart. This was a gift that he meant to cherish with everything he had.
Garrett slid his fingers under the hem of Justice’s shirt and pulled it up over his head. He leaned his head forward and pressed his lips to Justice’s chest, moving around it with kisses until he got to the man’s nipple. He licked across it and then sucked it into his mouth.
“Fuck,” Justice groaned as he grabbed onto the back of Garrett’s head.
Garrett kissed across his chest and sucked the other nipple into his mouth as he rubbed his hand over the growing bulge in Justice’s jeans.
“Garrett,” Justice whispered and it sounded more like a prayer than just his name.
Garrett stood back, yanked his own shirt over his head and then grabbed the back of Justice’s neck, yanked him forward and crashed their mouths together.
Garrett groaned, or was it Justice? More than likely both of them. Garrett’s fingers began to work frantically to open Justice’s pants and once they were, he shoved both them and the man’s boxers down his thighs and grabbed onto his hard dick like it was his anchor….because it was. Justice’s hips bucked as he pumped his dick into Garrett’s tight fist. Their tongues battled for supremacy as their nostrils flared to take in more air.
Justice yanked their lips apart and whispered, “Please,” and that one little word was like a magnet pulling all of Garrett’s scattered emotions and feelings to one singular spot – his focus was clear – to make Justice feel fucking amazing.
That one word held so much meaning:
Please fuck me.
Please take me.
Please own me.
Please love me.
And Garrett would do all of those things.
That was his sole purpose in life right then. He pushed Justice’s pants down the rest of the way and as the man stepped out of them, he removed his own. “Lie down, babe, on your back.”
He watched as every muscle in the man’s body flexed as he crawled onto the bed and turned to his back.
“Damn, you are beautiful,” he said as he gripped his own dick and gave it a few tugs.
“You just gonna stand there a look?” Justice said with a smirk.
Garrett grinned, “Maybe.”
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer it if you got your ass over here this time. You can look some other time.”
Garrett’s eyes moved from the man’s dick and locked on Justice’s face, “I love you, Justice.”
Justice’s eyes went wide and his mouth opened and closed a few times until Garrett shook his head at him, “No. Don’t say it back. I didn’t tell you that because I needed to hear it from your lips. I told you because it’s how I feel and I needed to say it before we go any farther. You say it when you’re ready and if that never happens, that’s okay too.”
Garrett could see the man was about to say something but he didn’t want him to feel obligated, not now, so he quickly covered Justice’s body with his own and pressed their lips together. He rubbed their cocks together as he continued to make love to the man’s mouth until he got to the point that he felt his balls pulling up.
He pulled his mouth free and slid his knees under, pushing himself up and sliding Justice’s legs farther apart at the same time. Then he leaned over to the nightstand and grabbed the lube and a condom. He tore open the condom and rolled it down his length so that he wouldn’t have to worry about it later when his fingers had lube all over them, then he grabbed one of the pillows from the bed and slid it under Justice’s ass to give him better access.
Then he slid down the man’s body and sucked his dick into his mouth.
“Oh shit,” Justice barked out as he grabbed onto Garrett’s hair.
“Just like that
,” he said as Garrett’s head bobbed up and down.
Garrett loved the taste of Justice’s pre-cum as he got close and he would love to feel the man come apart in his mouth but he wanted something else more. He wanted to feel him come apart when he was buried so deep inside Justice that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began…or even if they did. Maybe they were so in tune that they were becoming one.
So, he reluctantly pulled his mouth off and licked down over Justice’s balls, sucking one into his mouth and then the other. And then he slid his tongue down over his sack, down the sensitive skin beneath it and flicked it across Justice’s tight hole.
“Oh god,” Justice moaned.
Garrett gripped the firm flesh of Justice’s ass in his hands, spread him wider and then dove in – spearing his tongue inside that tight channel. This was his first time eating ass and he wanted to make it perfect for Justice. And the way the man was moaning and barking out curses, he felt like he was doing okay.
Justice’s thighs began trembling beneath his fingers, “Garrett, please,” the man groaned.
Garrett pulled his tongue out to stare at the man looking down at him – and what he saw made his heart clench. No longer was there fear in that gaze. No. Now those eyes were filled only with lust, with passion, with desire…..and with love.
Garrett turned his head to kiss Justice’s inner thigh then he sat up. He grabbed the lube off the bed and spread it over his fingers and covered cock. Then those fingers made their way down between Justice’s ass cheeks – all while keeping their eyes locked together. He circled that puckered hole a few times as he whispered, “Have you done any ass play at all?”
Justice shook his head, “No.”
“Maybe we should….”
“No, butterscotch. I want this. I’m ready.”
With those words fresh in his mind, Garrett pressed until one finger slipped inside.
Justice’s fingers clenched the sheet so tight the knuckles turned white. “Talk to me, babe,” Garrett whispered as he slid that finger in and out.
Severe Side Winds Ahead Page 27