Feel the Fire (Hotshots)

by Annabeth Albert

  “That’s it,” Luis encouraged as Tucker started rocking his hips, chasing more from Luis’s fingers and mouth. He’d been right about two feeling even better, but it wasn’t enough.

  “Fuck me,” he whispered, crass words so unfamiliar on his tongue and yet so very right.

  “Say it again.” Luis’s eyes went dark and hot as he reached for the condom.

  “Fuck me.”

  “Hell, yes.” Withdrawing his fingers gently, Luis wiped them off, then put on the condom with quick, efficient movements that still managed to be highly erotic.

  “Doing okay?” Applying a generous amount of lube, Luis jacked himself slowly while holding Tucker’s gaze.

  “More than. Please. Now.” He wasn’t above begging if it got him Luis inside him that much faster.

  “Can you roll? My back muscles will thank me later if we try this on your side and that might be easier on you too.”

  “Whatever you need.” Tucker scrambled to comply, groaning softly as Luis fit himself along his side. Luis kissed the back of Tucker’s neck and shoulders as his hand guided Tucker’s upper leg more open.

  It was like kinky yoga, and he had to suppress a grin as he let Luis arrange their bodies to his satisfaction. His torso pressed against Tucker’s back and his hard cock was right there against his ass.

  “Want it.” He tipped his head against Luis’s shoulder, loving it when Luis snaked one arm around his chest while his other hand guided his cock—

  “Oh.” His voice dipped to a whole new pitch. This was way more intense than fingers. The blunt head of Luis’s cock felt like it might as well have been a widow maker tree branch for all the yielding Tucker’s body wanted to do.

  “Breathe.” Luis kissed his neck again.

  “Trying.” He tried some slow inhales, focusing on relaxing his ass.

  “Want me to stop?” Luis’s eyes narrowed, concern apparent there and in how he stroked Tucker’s chest and arms.

  “No way.” He pushed back to make his point, and Luis slid deeper. Still not the most comfortable, but better than the initial tightness. Earlier had been so good that he wanted to give this a fair chance. And judging by Luis’s soft moans and curses as he pressed forward more, it was at least good for him. Knowing that made it easier to relax a little more, the satisfaction of pleasing him at least something even if the earlier fireworks weren’t happening.

  But then Luis grabbed Tucker’s thigh and pressed it forward as he thrust deeper, pressure switching from not-so-great to glorious as his cock connected with Tucker’s prostate for the first time.

  “That. Do that again.”

  “This?” Luis did a soft, glancing variation of the previous thrust, a movement that seemed tailored to driving Tucker out of his mind with want.

  “More,” he demanded.

  “If you insist...” Lightly biting Tucker’s ear, Luis finally started the sort of deep, hard pace Tucker’s body had apparently been waiting its whole life to feel. Forget a tree. He could power a whole damn city on this energy. Instinctively, he reached for his cock, making even more sparks radiate throughout his body, abs tensing.

  “Yeah, that’s it. Touch yourself.” Luis pulled him tighter, and his arm anchoring Tucker felt so good too. Secure. Warm. Being held like this made every sensation that much more intense. He moved with Luis, finding it easy to follow his rhythm, and Luis’s low moans of approval spurred him on too.

  He’d never felt closer to another human being, and that more than anything happening physically made him that much closer to coming. Seeming to sense that, Luis picked up speed and intensity, thrusts hammering against that spot that made Tucker feel like a generator switched on inside of him.

  “Fuck. Tucker. This is too good.” Luis kissed his neck and shoulders before tilting Tucker’s head so they could kiss.

  “I know. Close. Can’t...”

  “Don’t hold back. It’s okay. Come for me.” Luis’s mouth found his again, possessive and greedy.

  The kissing was what did it, that extra bit of connection making his hand move faster and tighter while Luis fucked harder into him. They both moaned but didn’t stop kissing, even as Luis’s thrusts became more erratic and Tucker’s whole body stiffened. His free hand landed over Luis’s and then he was coming, big body-shaking spurts that stole his breath.

  “Coming. Me too.” Luis buried his moans in Tucker’s shoulder, hips slamming deep one final time before they collapsed in a sweaty, sticky heap. A sweaty, sticky, happy, heap, laughing softly as they traded sweet kisses. Slowly, they untangled their bodies, but Tucker still felt floaty, as high as he’d ever been, veins humming with whatever magic Luis had unleashed.

  “How fast does your water heater refill?” Luis asked, nipping at Tucker’s shoulder.

  “Faster than me. I’m old.” Tucker laughed and didn’t even pretend to be able to move yet. Yeah, they’d need a second shower, but right then, he simply wanted to revel in this weightless feeling.

  “Speak for yourself.” Luis tapped his ankle against Tucker’s, but likewise didn’t seem in a hurry to leave the bed. Instead, he laced their fingers together, squeezed. And that, not the shower, not the sex, not even the epic orgasm, was the moment Tucker realized he was well and truly screwed. Stay. I want you to stay. He wanted Luis right here every night, holding his hand, laughing at his terrible jokes and stealing all his hot water. He wanted everything. And now the only question was how on earth he was supposed to get it.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Despite being told by the higher-ups to come in late that morning after the nonstop action of the prior few days, Luis still woke up early, before Tucker even. The sun was peeking through the blinds in Tucker’s bedroom, slats of light dancing across the carpet and walls, adding to the peaceful, homey vibe. The walls were a mossy green, a few shades darker than the bathroom, and they contrasted nicely with the light linens and framed nature prints. It was a grown-up, adult space, nothing like Tucker’s superhero-and-hand-me-down-laden childhood bedroom, but it fit him just the same. Woodsy without being cliché, and a sort of understated sexy, the sort of room Luis could see spending a lot of time in. If only...

  Trying not to wake Tucker, he carefully stretched, testing his back muscles. Fucking when he’d already been fighting a flare-up was probably ill-advised, but damn had it been worth it. Tucker in bed was everything Luis had ever imagined and so much more. In fact, the effect on his already rattled emotions was almost more than that on his muscles. He’d tried to mitigate the effect on his back with the position and some pillows behind his shoulders, as well as the second shower, but he was still feeling stiff enough to know he wasn’t going to fall back to sleep. Creeping from the bed, he retrieved pants and his anti-inflammatory meds from his bag. Tucker snoozed on, but Luis knew from experience that he shouldn’t do the pills on an empty stomach.

  Maybe he could surprise Tucker with breakfast. It was the sort of small gesture he used to do all the time with Mike, but he hadn’t had the urge or opportunity since then. And Tucker had a nice kitchen that put Luis’s cramped galley kitchen to shame, having the sort of open arrangement that practically begged him to whip up a big meal. The fridge and pantry didn’t disappoint either—plenty of eggs and milk and other staples.

  He was in the middle of preparing a potato frittata and some bacon when he heard the door.

  “Hey, Dad! Just grabbing a notebook—Oh.” One of the twins strode into the living area opposite the kitchen. “Not Dad.”

  “Nope. Sorry.” Keeping his tone matter-of-fact, Luis figured that there wasn’t much he could do to alleviate the awkwardness of finding a shirtless stranger in his dad’s house, but he slid the plate of bacon across the breakfast bar. “He’s still asleep. Bacon?”

  “I...uh...didn’t mean to interrupt. Just need...” The kid—who Luis was reasonably sure was Walker—had gone bright red and his
voice came in little sputters.

  “It’s okay, Walker.” Luis held up a hand. “It’s your house, too. I’m the one who should probably apologize for startling you.”

  “How do you know I’m Walker?” Eyes narrowing, his head tilted, his expression dared Luis to screw this up.

  “Easy. You haven’t cracked a joke yet and you’re here for a notebook, not sports gear. Also, there hasn’t been a single mention of football.”

  “There is that.” His mouth curved like he was thinking of smiling, then straightened again. But he did step closer and swipe a piece of bacon from the plate. “Most people can’t tell us apart even after years. Wade’s always trying to get me to fool teachers, especially newbie ones.”

  “Too bad the SAT is going to require separate identification for each of you. No trying to take his for him, right?” Luis joked.

  “Ha. He should take mine. He keeps beating me on practice scores.” Exhaling hard, Walker slipped around the island to get a cup of coffee that was mainly milk and sugar, same as Tucker used to do. “Test is this weekend and I’m starting to freak out, but maybe it doesn’t matter anyway.”

  “What do you mean?” He’d resumed his cooking, but he kept one eye on Walker, trying to encourage him to keep talking.

  “The local university doesn’t care about scores as much. And my grades are okay enough. Dad didn’t tell you about me dropping marine biology? Figured he’d have been dying to complain to someone about me wanting to stay with Mary Anne.” Walker made a sour face.

  “He mentioned you were wrestling with some big choices, but honestly, we were a little busy with the forest fire for him to vent, and even then, I don’t think he’d betray your trust.”

  “Yeah. You’re right. It’s... I haven’t even told Mom yet. She’s going to freak too, same as he did. Everyone thinks we’re too young to know what we want.”

  Oh, how Luis remembered those years. Add in the secrecy, and he knew exactly Walker’s frustration. Young and in love with no good choices sucked. “And what do you think?”

  “I think she’s the one. I mean how many chances do people get, really?” Walker leaned against the counter.

  Tucker and Mike’s images leaped to the front of Luis’s brain. How many chances indeed? One? Two? Three? Could he really expect more from the universe if he left Tucker behind here? He might not agree with Walker that people only got a single soul mate for their whole lives but there also weren’t infinite chances out there either.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted at last, slipping the frittata into the oven to finish.

  “Exactly. No one knows. And she has all these plans for our future...”

  “It’s fun to daydream.” Even knowing how it ended, he still wouldn’t trade all the hours spent with Tucker as teens, painting pictures of a future in California that had never come. In one letter, he’d made a list of all his favorite places he wanted to take Tucker to, experiences he wanted to share. He’d attached a picture he’d snapped at a music festival of two men holding hands. This could be us.

  “Not just a daydream.” Walker’s chin took on a stubborn tilt that made him look even more like his father. “It could happen. A life here isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

  “No, it’s not,” Luis gentled his voice further.

  “I know Dad had to pass on whatever dreams he had for skipping town, and Mom had to turn down that college in Iowa she liked, but they need to stop acting like me doing the same thing would be this huge failure.”

  “Your dad wanted to leave?”

  Walker shrugged. “Not that he’s ever told me. But I’ve heard him and Mom talking over the years. Yeah, he wanted out. But of course, now he’s all ‘you’re the best thing to happen to me’ dad talk.”

  Luis had to blink a few times as he tried to figure out a response. Tucker had wanted to leave? All this time, Luis had assumed that he’d been...well, not grateful for his dad’s health issues but maybe relieved as it had seemed to provide him an excuse to stay. Part of Luis’s bitterness had been his conviction that there was no separating Tucker from this place. But maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe Tucker truly had been torn. Which meant Luis had been even more hasty with his ultimatum. Mistakes. They’d both made them. But if Tucker had been willing to leave once...

  Stop. He couldn’t think like that. This was here and now, not almost twenty years ago. “Kids do tend to change things.”

  “Exactly. Maybe I’ll feel that way too.” Walker gave a firm nod, again so much like his dad.

  “Maybe.”

  “Wade can be the one to go.” Walker sounded like he was trying to convince himself about this as much as Luis. “For someone who always talked about playing ball here, he’s doing a ton of looking. He’s already talking to places in Idaho, Colorado and Washington.”

  “Looking is good,” Luis said mildly. “If you want—”

  “I don’t.” Walker’s face shuttered, no more confessions, only the same sort of stubborn determination his dad was famous for.

  “Do I smell food?” Tucker’s voice preceded his footsteps on the stairs. “Was hoping you might let me—Walker.”

  Tucker managed to go from sleepy and seductive to dad voice in a single syllable, and Luis had to laugh. Tucker had been naked when Luis left him in bed, but he’d managed to find some flannel pants at least.

  “Forgot my notebook. But then there was bacon...” Walker’s eyes shifted, casting Luis a glance that begged him not to reveal their earlier conversation.

  “And now there’s frittata,” Luis said easily, sliding the finished dish on a trivet. “There’s more than enough for you too.”

  “I should really get going. But thanks for the bacon and coffee.” Walker turned to leave but Tucker stopped him with hand on his shoulder.

  “Hey. I haven’t seen you in days. Sure you can’t stay?”

  “Nah.” Walker moved away, but he gave Tucker a pat on the hand. “Test is Saturday. I better not skip the prep class, and someone has to go wake Wade up.”

  “Okay, okay. Go on then.” Tucker looked genuinely sad to see Walker go, which made Luis’s stomach churn as he hoped he wasn’t the reason Walker was jetting out of there.

  “So that was...uh...something,” Tucker said after Walker dashed upstairs, retrieved his notebook, and let himself out the front door.

  “It wasn’t that awkward.” Luis served him some of the frittata. “At least we were both sort of dressed.”

  “Still.” Tucker gave him a sheepish sort of smile. “I was looking forward to a more...romantic morning with you. Didn’t want you to have to deal with my moody kid.”

  “I like your kids, moody one included.” Pouring them both coffee, he passed Tucker the creamer and sugar with his. “You were right. He’s got stuff on his mind, but he reminds me an awful lot of you, the way he shoulders responsibility, weighs everything over in his head.”

  “He talked to you?” Tucker’s eyebrows went up.

  “Some.” Trying not to look too pleased, Luis took a sip of his coffee. “I think he’s worried about disappointing you and Heidi.”

  “I’m not worried about that.” Tucker made a dismissive gesture, but his eyes were thoughtful. “I’m more worried about him disappointing himself.”

  “I feel you on that. I’m not sure there’s an easy answer for either of you.”

  “Yeah, I miss the part of parenting where the toughest question was whether he could have the latest Lego set or another ten minutes before bedtime.” Voice going wistful, Tucker paused before he started eating his breakfast.

  “My nephews are still at the Lego age. I want to keep them there forever.”

  “Did you ever want kids? You’re good with them. And you certainly could keep them fed. This food is fabulous.”

  “Thanks. And I’m not sure,” he admitted, giving Tucker a far more honest
answer than he gave most. “Mike was adamant on no kids, so it wasn’t something I thought about that much while we were together. I love my brothers’ kids, though being able to send them home at the end of the day is nice too.”

  “I get that. There have been weeks when I’ve counted down to the days that Heidi has them. And other times I miss them like crazy.”

  “Yeah, I can imagine. But unlike you and your complaints about being old, I still feel like I’ve got some time to sort out whether that’s a goal for me or not. Right now, the job has me traveling enough that going it on my own as a single parent would be a no-go, but who knows about the future.”

  “There are times when I feel like thirty-five is still young, and other times when I see twenty-year-olds bickering and I feel ancient.”

  “Perspective is everything. And you seemed plenty spry last night, old man.”

  “Yeah. We both did.” A blush crept up Tucker’s chest, flushing his neck, before finally settling into his cheeks. “That was... Thanks feels inadequate somehow but thank you. I had no idea...didn’t expect...any of this, really.”

  “Good. And I know the feeling.” Boy, did he ever. He liked sex fine, had had plenty of it, but he too had not been prepared for sex with Tucker, specifically, for how emotional the experience would be. And now that he knew how good they were together, he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it all behind him. But he refused to think about that right then. “Whatever this is, we’ve got it now. We should make the most of it.”

  “I know.” Tucker’s tone was solemn but then he brightened, almost as if like Luis he was forcing himself to live in the here and now. “Are you suggesting shower number three before we have to be at work?”

  “If you’d like.”

  Tucker nodded, blush deepening, but he managed a roguish grin nonetheless.

  “Soon I have to share you with the office, and then later your family will undoubtedly need you, but right now you’re all mine, and I intend to enjoy every second of having you.” Luis’s throat felt strangely thick. All mine. He’d meant it as a sensual tease, but the words sprang from a deeper level too. Tucker was his, and forget living without the transcendental sex, how was he supposed to live without this man, period?