"Touch me,” he growled. “I don't think I can wait much longer, Bo. Shit, I know I can't."
Bo's eyes twinkled in the dim light of the bedroom. “You're so greedy. You gotta have everything now."
"Just you,” Duff said.
Hot semen dribbled from the engorged tip, and Bo licked it away lovingly. “So good. So sweet."
"Oh God.” Duff groaned as Bo's lips enveloped him, sucking him inside his mouth. “Grab my balls. Squeeze ‘em. Squeeze ‘em the way I like."
Bo did as he was asked, and he soon covered Duff's mounting pleasure from top to bottom, stroking his lover's cock with one hand while clinching his balls in the other. Duff ached all over, the excitement rolling inside him, overtaking his senses. He was a rock. So hard, growing bigger each time he thrust inside Bo's soft, wet mouth.
"Oh, Bo.” Duff was swept up in pleasure, enveloped in the pulsing heat of his lover's mouth. He parted his lips in a guttural moan as Bo heightened his pleasure. He was lost in the sensation racing up his spine, arching his hips into exquisite torture. His chest tightened as the hunger inside him was fed, satiated, erupting like a steaming geyser, a climax of the body and the mind. “Oh, yeah, Bo..."
Duff could scarcely catch his breath as Bo slid his cock from between pursed lips and darted his tongue across the tip, licking him clean. The darkness he'd felt closing around him because of Lily's presence receded, replaced by the love shining in Bo's eyes. He shuddered as another wave of sensual torture spread through him.
Duff sighed when Bo placed a kiss on the pulsing head of his cock and released him.
"You really needed that. You feeling better?"
"It's definitely a start.” He reached for Bo's shirt. “Let's get you out of these clothes."
They undressed and climbed into bed. Duff buried his face in the hollow of Bo's neck, wallowing in his clean, masculine scent.
So many emotions surged up in these moments, but Duff was incapable of explaining himself. The love he felt for Bo lived in him every day, growing and changing but always present. It anchored him, providing safety and security through all of life's storms. Bo had always stood beside him, had been a tireless lover and friend during a coming-out process that had often put Duff at war with himself. Bo had remained steadfast in the face of Duff's denials and about the affection growing between them, weathering Duff's anger and confusion, loving him through the worst of it, and backing off when Duff had needed time alone with the uncertainty that haunted him.
How could Duff feel so good yet so horrible at the same time?
He lay in the arms of the man he loved, riddled with sudden doubts about his ability to be a good lover and friend—and not for the first time. Worse were the feelings he'd battled all morning since Lily's arrival, feelings he'd assumed to be long dead and buried. But those emotions had only slumbered, too easily awakened when she reappeared. He felt choked with bitterness and anger, on the verge of exploding with rage.
There had been a strange sense of relief too. Relief at seeing her again. Relief in knowing she was all right. Despite her faithlessness, Duff had never wanted any harm to come to her. None of that changed what she had done or how she had made him feel after she'd picked up and left. And though Bo's love had been a salve for much of Duff's pain, he realized the wound had not completely healed. It remained raw, itchy, and one hard tug would be all it took to rip open the scab.
Duff swallowed hard. He wasn't the best with words, but luckily for him, Bo was patient. “I love you, Bo,” he said thickly. “I know I don't always know how to go about it the right way, but I love you with all of me."
"I know it, so stop choking yourself up, okay? Now you don't have to say it again for another six months."
"But that's just it. I need to remember to say it every day. You need to hear it every day."
Bo wiggled around, his rock-hard erection poking Duff's abdomen. “You show me love every day, Duff. To me, that's better than an epic poetic soliloquy.” He ran a seductive hand across the head of Duff's cock, sending a jolt of pleasure through him.
Duff sniffed, fighting off impending tears. He placed a gentle hand on Bo's neck. “I want you. I want you to do it to me."
No more words passed between them.
Duff rolled onto his stomach, raising his thighs to ensure his engorged penis wasn't crushed. Setting his head and upper body on the soft pillows, he arched his back. He wanted to merge with his lover, to be devoured by him. Nothing more. He burned in anticipation. His pulse quickened at the familiar sound of Bo unsheathing a condom.
"Mmm.” The warm lube dribbling across Duff's exposed asshole drove him wild. He drew in a long breath to steady himself, then relaxed against the pillows.
He felt Bo kneel behind him and grab his hips. That one movement sent Duff's heart racing. Bo rubbed his cock across Duff's taint, then pushed in, his thrust slow and gentle. Duff groaned and swayed his hips, moving to meet him. Though his lover had only worked in the tip, Duff still felt swollen and full, each thrust sending a jolt through him, rocking him with involuntary spasms.
Moaning, Bo lunged forward hard, filling Duff completely, intensifying the sensations spiraling through him. Duff drew in a shocked breath. He succumbed to agonizing pleasure as Bo stretched him, deepening their connection. He closed his eyes, fighting for breath to scream, whimpering as Bo's hot cock seared him, sending molten pleasure through his system.
"Yes,” he hissed. “Fuck my ass. Fuck it good."
Bo obliged him, throwing his back into it. Duff spread his thighs greedily and worked his man, tightening his muscles across the length of him. He reveled in the feel of his lover, in the pleasure each raised vein and ridge brought against his nerve endings. Shuddering hard each time Bo slammed inside him, Duff moaned unashamedly, his balls drawing tight as Bo's plunging hips sent him into exquisite agony.
"Please,” he begged. “Just like that."
Bo's hands gripped his waist, forcing them closer, sending Duff into whimpering, breathless ecstasy. Sighing, Duff pressed his face into a pillow as sensual heat spread through his balls and glided upward, nesting inside his belly, threatening to make him explode.
And he did explode—over and over and over, Bo's name tumbling from his lips as he thrashed. Spent, he collapsed onto the wet spot beneath him and moaned upon Bo's release.
Lily watched through a crack in the door and finally understood the change in Duff.
She backed away from the scene, swallowing tightly. Seeing Duff with someone else, groaning in the arms of a man, was like a kick in her gut. It was an interesting development, to say the least, but she wasn't the type to allow a setback to undo her best-laid plans. She'd made a mistake, one she'd spend the rest of her life making up to Duff if he'd let her. If she had to form an alliance with the stud in order to reunite with the only man she'd ever loved, she would do so with gusto.
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Chapter Two
Lily went outside to the porch and sat in the rocker, her tired bones and battered feet painful reminders of her journey home. But this place wasn't exactly her home any longer; her decision to leave had seen to that. She belonged to no one. Her parents had orphaned her long ago, and she'd spent the better part of her youth relying on the horniness of strangers.
Until Duff.
Sighing, she tried to stop her sneaky thoughts from returning to the scene in Duff's bedroom, but no matter how she tried, all she could see was Duff making love to another man.
At first, Lily wasn't sure if she'd hallucinated the whole thing—three days with little sleep could do that to a girl, after all. But the longer she'd lingered in the doorway—the raw aroma of the men's passions wafting out to her—she could no longer deny what she saw.
Did I drive him to it?
She grinned. Even she wasn't that conceited. No. Duff had a new love in his life, and it just happened that he loved a man. It was as simple as that because Duff was that simple. If he loved someone, he took care
of them in every way he knew how. This time it appeared he'd found a handsome young man to dote on. Lucky boy.
She should leave. That would be the decent thing to do, after all. But when had she ever done the decent thing?
Lily racked her brain in search of an answer. Yeah. Screw doing the decent thing.
Those were the kinds of thoughts that kept getting her into trouble. Given two choices, she'd always choose the worst, most harmful one. She loved Duff, but instead of making a life with him, she'd run off. What gave her the right to return now, pushing her way into his life when he'd so clearly found happiness?
She had no right. Even the love she'd never been able to outrun didn't give her the right to intrude and, perhaps, hurt Duff all over again.
She'd never given anything to Duff except heartache, and the way things were going, she knew she could be setting the men up for far worse if the bastard she'd run away from came looking for her. But where would she go? Who, other than the softhearted Duff McKay, would take her in?
Heavy work boots sounded, alerting Lily that she was no longer alone. When Duff came through the door, her pulse jumped in spite of what she'd witnessed ten minutes earlier. His lover followed close behind.
"Lily Dumont, this is Bo Lawrence. He's my...partner. He lives here."
She smiled, hopping up on her sore feet to shake hands. “Good to meet you."
The men stood awkwardly as if they were waiting for something. But Lily's surprise had dwindled, and it pleased her to see them so puzzled at her acceptance of their status.
Finally, Bo ended the silence. “You hungry, sweetheart? Pardon me for saying this, but you're looking kinda lean—like it's been a while since you had a good meal."
"I'm hungry enough to eat both of you. Last meal I had was yesterday, as I've been trying to hold on to the last of my money."
Duff shifted uncomfortably. “How'd you get out here, anyway? Where's your car? Hell, woman, where are your shoes?"
"My car broke down about two miles south of here.” Her gaze drifted to her feet. “I walked the rest of the way in my bare feet because that was the way I escaped."
"Escaped? Now, that sounds like the beginning of an interesting story, one I'd like to hear.” Bo grinned. “You come on back in, and we'll fill you up. Afterward, if you wouldn't mind, we'd like to hear all about it. Is that fair?” He took her hand.
"Lead the way. I hope you have lots of food, because the way my stomach's talking, it means to empty your pantry."
"Duff, will you look in the medicine cabinet and get something for Lily's feet?"
They went inside, leaving Duff to contemplate what he'd just seen. He'd forgotten how easygoing Lily could be, her charm effervescing over whomever she met. But she could also be conniving and cruel.
Still, he needed to know exactly what had brought her back here. And how she planned to explain the way she'd left.
Bo squeezed Lily's hand and led her to the bathroom. “Get freshened up, hon. I already laid out some clothes for you to change into. Unfortunately, the only clothes I think won't be overlarge are the sweats and tees. Oh, and there are a couple pair of those holiday slippers that look like ballet shoes for you to wear. Leave your dress in the bathroom hamper. I'll wash it and have it back to you in a few hours."
"Thank you,” she whispered. “I know I look a wreck."
"It's nothing soap, water, and a good meal can't fix, Lily."
Before heading into the kitchen to heat up something for their guest, Bo stopped in the bedroom and sat at the bed's edge. His heavy heart bothered him. Ordinarily he wasn't an insecure sort, yet the brief interaction he'd witnessed between Duff and Lily tugged at him.
There was a raw energy there, and he couldn't ignore it. Knowing how much Duff loved and cared for him could not remove the dull ache spreading inside him. Lily had broken Duff's heart, but she still kept a part of it with her.
Absently Bo ran his hands over the bed he and Duff shared, recalling all that had gone on in this space—hot love, deep talks, promises made. While he felt their bond to be unbreakable, he could not deny the effects of an old flame. Especially the one that got away. Love was funny that way, tying people together even when they were apart.
Despite his misgivings, Bo couldn't bring himself to be jealous of Lily. She was stunning even at her lowest point, and he'd seen hints of charm and good humor. But from the little he'd been able to glean from Duff, she'd had a hard life from the very beginning, and many of her choices had been those of necessity.
Had it been necessary for her to leave Duff, nearly driving him to suicide in the process? Or had it just been another in a long line of Lily Dumont's bad choices?
"Fried apples, Bo? You're making her fried apples? Why didn't you make any for my breakfast?” Duff grumbled, a smile twisting his lips. “You know I love ‘em. You seem to only make them on special occasions."
"And this is a special occasion.” Bo dumped the apple peelings into the trash can. Opening the refrigerator, he removed the butter tray, setting it beside the cinnamon and the sugar canister. “Besides, it'll only take a few minutes. Everything else can be warmed up pretty quickly. I just want to make sure Lily enjoys her meal."
"She's a woman, Bo, and not a very large one, or hadn't you noticed?"
"The little woman you're referring to told me herself that she has a large appetite."
Lily materialized in the kitchen doorway, catching Duff off guard. She looked freshly scrubbed, like a college girl on her way to class. Her golden red hair cascaded around her shoulders in heavy waves, something he knew annoyed her. Without styling implements to straighten out her tresses, Lily's hair could be unruly. To Duff, it was beautiful. There had been a time not so long ago when he couldn't keep his hands out of her hair.
"Something sure smells good.” She eyed them instead of the food.
"Sit down and I'll fix your plate. Apples will be ready in a couple of minutes.” Bo turned away from her, bending slightly to gauge the progress of the bacon and biscuits warming in the toaster oven. “You do like fried apples, don't you?"
"You kidding? I'm from North Carolina,” she said, as if that were explanation enough. “I mean, I moved away when I was six, but one of the things I remember most about my time there was the fried apples so many of the women seemed to prepare for breakfast."
Duff leaned back in his chair, amused as Bo set about making their guest comfortable.
After finishing the apples and spooning them out, Bo added bacon, biscuits, and sausage and then set the plate before Lily. “What do you want to drink? Coffee? Orange juice? Some milk, maybe?"
Lily, who had never been shy about asking for what she wanted, nodded. “I'd like all three, if you don't mind."
"Don't mind at all."
With her order filled, Lily ate with gusto. As she did, her gaze trailed the length of Duff's body, infuriating him even while Bo pretended not to notice.
Figuring he'd been a gracious host long enough, Duff launched into his questions. “What are you doing here, Lily? Who are you running from? What made you think you could stay here?” He grinned wickedly when she coughed up a little of her milk.
"Duff,” Bo mumbled, reaching across the table to touch his lover's hand. “At least allow her to finish her food."
"No, no. I'll answer.” Lily wiped her mouth and glared at Duff. “You're still sore at me, Duff, and I can't say I'm surprised—"
"Why would my feelings have anything to do with why you've come back?” he retorted. “You never cared before. You have to be the most selfish person I've ever met, and I don't expect that'll change, especially at your advanced age."
Bo gasped.
Lily set down her fork. “I guess I deserve that, though I had no idea thirty-seven is considered old these days."
"It is for a woman in your profession,” Duff said. “You're a little long in the tooth to be selling your wares, Lily. I don't care how well those wares appear to be holding up."
"You'r
e thirty-seven?” Bo asked. “Really? You look like maybe—maybe twenty-eight. You're older than me?"
"I've always looked younger—"
"And she's used it to her advantage. Haven't you, Lily?"
"That's right, Duff. I've used that and anything else I could to survive, and you know it!” She slammed her fist on the table and leaned in close until they were eye to eye. “But it was never that way with you."
"At least you didn't come right out and charge me. I almost wish you had, sweetheart. Maybe it wouldn't have stung so much if I'd treated you like the whore you are."
"Duff!” Bo thundered. “That's enough!"
"I think he's just getting started, Bo,” Lily murmured, turning a sad smile on him. “And I'm not going to sit here and pretend I don't deserve it. This conversation was a long time in coming, I guess."
"You're damn right. You're damn fucking right!” Duff yelled. “But you know what? I don't need to know it—whatever it is. You'll never change. You'll always be a broke-down vagabond with no home of your own and no respect for yourself. Other than that tight body of yours, you're worthless. And that'll go too. What will you do when that happens, Lily? When you can no longer find stupid, lonely men to take you in, what will you do?"
Duff half expected Lily to storm out of the kitchen after that blazing insult; Bo certainly would have. That or smack him across his face.
She merely squared her shoulders and leveled him with a look so sexy it was obscene. “Everything you said is true, and I know saying it made you feel better. But will you stop insulting me long enough to admit there was something good between us once? Something real?"
Duff ran a hand over his buzz-cut head and averted his eyes. He felt nauseated, his stomach battling to hold on to that morning's breakfast. “I'll admit I was a fool to ever think you could change. That I'll admit. But I'm not gonna allow you to keep changing the subject, woman. What's got you so jumpy that you had to crawl back here with your tail tucked between your legs?"
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