Dreamspinner Press Year Six Greatest Hits

by JD Ruskin

  “Knowing about a brother and a son isn’t always the same,” Logan said softly. He took a sip of the hot chocolate, groaning at the first taste.

  Caleb took a deep swallow from the rich drink, letting its warmth soothe him. “It doesn’t matter, not anymore. We both need to move forward and try to be better about supporting each other.” He wrinkled his nose. “I’m just having a little trouble processing my uncle being gay and having a former relationship with John.”

  Logan laughed so hard he spilled hot chocolate all over the counter. “Who do you think topped? Or maybe they switched?”

  Caleb threw a tea towel at him. “Stop! I don’t ever, ever want to think about that.”

  Logan’s grin said that was fantastic news, and Caleb couldn’t help rolling his eyes. He set his mug in the sink. Still snickering, Logan brought him the other mug and the dirty towel.

  Wrapping his arms around Logan’s neck, Caleb said, “I don’t want Dabb. Or Daniel.” He laughed. “Or the tranny on the second floor.” He kissed Logan. “Not even the very hot Carlos. You’re who I want. Let me have you.” They kissed again.

  Pulling back Logan asked, “Who’s Carlos?”

  Caleb snorted. “An ex-con I met today at the PO office who thought I was a hooker.”

  “Hoped you were is more like it,” Logan grumbled, putting his hands on Caleb’s hips. “And it’s no wonder with these clothes.”

  Caleb looked down at his sweats and long-sleeved Cubs T-shirt. “Okay, I get they’re a little tight, but they’re old and ratty not sexy.”

  “They’re sexy on you. Trust me, baby. I whacked off the first day we met thinking of you in those sweats.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Logan said, lifting him effortlessly and depositing him on the granite counter top. “Don’t go nowhere.”

  Caleb felt a little ridiculous sitting here with his feet dangling, especially when Logan left the kitchen. It reminded him of sitting on an examination table, waiting for the doctor to show up and start poking him. All that was missing was thin white paper under his ass. “What are you doing?”

  Retrieving a pair of scissors out of the desk drawer, Logan said, “We need to have a wardrobe intervention for your own good.”

  Caleb nibbled at his bottom lip. “They’re comfortable.”

  Logan shook his head. “You don’t wear them because they’re comfortable. You wear them because they comfort you.” He walked back into the kitchen and placed the scissors on the counter.

  Covering Logan’s hand with his own, Caleb asked, “What if I promise not to wear them out?” He rubbed a thumb over Logan’s knuckles.

  “We’ll get you some that fit instead of ones that cut into your skin and leave bruises.” Logan grabbed a chunk of Caleb’s Cubs T-shirt on his upper chest and snipped.

  Looking down at the hole, Caleb said, “Were you lying about not being a Cardinal fan?”

  Grinning, Logan pushed Caleb’s thighs apart and stood between them. “I’ll buy you a new one.” He blew on the exposed skin, his breath warm and sweet. Caleb’s nipple shot to attention, eager to please in spite of its owner’s objections.

  Logan circled the skin around the puckered bud with his calloused fingers. “You don’t need them anymore.”

  “I don’t want to do this right now. Let’s just go to bed.”

  Logan watched him closely. “Tell me why.”

  “It’s been a long day and I’m tired.”

  “Try again,” Logan said, shaking his head.

  Caleb felt his eyes well and he rubbed them, mortified to be near tears over a stupid T-shirt. “I know it’s ridiculous to want to keep them. I’m not ready to give them up, but I can put them away and start wearing the new stuff.”

  “If you shove the clothes away in your closet….” Logan shook his head and grumbled something that sounded like “or the bathroom cabinet.” Looking sheepish, he continued, “Then they’ll always be there if things get too bad and you need them again.”

  As he fingered the worn fabric of his gray sweats, Caleb’s thoughts unwillingly traveled back to the past several years. When he had first stopped going out, it had been easy to convince the package handlers his uncle hired just to knock and leave the items outside the door. Weeks would go by when he didn’t speak directly to anyone. Until his uncle got wind of it. Caleb suspected it was Mrs. Simon who ratted him out. Then his uncle hired Marco, the incorruptible. There was a reason Marco never ate Caleb’s cooking. All attempts to bribe, badger, or beg the stubborn man failed. Marco refused to make it easier for Caleb to hide. His kindness and friendship had started Caleb on the journey that Logan helped him complete. It would be wrong to let all that effort go to waste. Lifting his lashes, he met Logan’s piercing stare, giving a small nod.

  Logan smile looked like it might split his face in half. He laid the scissors on the top of Caleb’s thigh.

  Looking down, Caleb asked, “Do I have to actually be wearing the sweats when we cut them up?”

  “No, but it’s better this way.”

  “Why is it better to a have a sharp pointy object near my groin?”

  Logan gave him another toothy grin. “Positive association is what I think your shrink called it. Whenever you think about getting rid of the rest of your old clothes, you’ll associate it with me sucking your cock.”

  Caleb’s mouth dried. “That could work.”

  “Hmm, time for some active participation.” Logan slid his fingers under the collar of the T-shirt and cut through the fabric. “Give it a yank, baby.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, Caleb grabbed his collar with both hands and pulled, his cheeks warming as the shirt ripped to just below his collarbone. Tilting Caleb’s neck back, Logan rubbed his thumb over the red marks from the too-tight collar, making Caleb shiver. Leaning over, he used his tongue to trace down to the collarbone, and Caleb massaged the back of Logan’s neck, encouraging the contact. Logan continued to remove chunks of material—tasting and nibbling the exposed skin—until Caleb’s T-shirt resembled Swiss cheese.

  “God, baby, you’re so beautiful.” Cupping Caleb’s face in his big hands, he leaned forward for a deep kiss. His tongue tasted sweet and spicy, like the hot chocolate.

  Logan pinched the fabric on Caleb’s inner thigh and snipped it. Putting the shears aside, he took hold of the fabric and pulled, the material ripping in protest. He yanked on the sweats repeatedly until he had created a hole big enough to fit his hand inside. Massaging the sensitive skin of Caleb’s inner thigh, Logan kissed him. Caleb made an abortive moan as his tongue was sucked slowly and thoroughly.

  Caleb canted his hips when Logan pressed his other hand against the tented fabric of his sweats. Breathing deeply, he smelled the odd combination of musk and kitchen cleaner. With great care, Logan made a hole in the straining fabric. Caleb’s cock poked through the opening.

  Caleb groaned as his cock was swallowed down to the root. Using his thumb and forefinger to loop around Caleb’s length tightly, Logan slid his lips back up again, playing his tongue over the soft ridge of Caleb’s dick, tasting and teasing him before plunging forward again. Caleb’s fingers slid along the cool surface of the granite as he leaned back. Logan’s bristled chin and the slick heat of his tongue created a delicious contrast as he sucked hard.

  Caleb shuddered and he cried out, “Close,” wanting to give Logan a chance to pull back.

  Logan growled, the vibration sending a jolt through Caleb’s whole body. Caleb cried out wordlessly, thrusting his hips with abandon and shooting come on Logan’s tongue. Watching the rapid rise and fall of Logan’s chest, Caleb willed his sated body to move.

  Caleb yanked at Logan’s T-shirt, the need to touch his skin still strong in the hazy afterglow of his orgasm. He unbuckled the fly and unzipped Logan’s jeans. “Do you want me to—”

  “Use your hand,” Logan demanded, grabbing the sides of Caleb’s face. “I want your lips. They drive me insane,” he said, before attacking Caleb’s
mouth. His tongue seemed to probe every inch of Caleb’s mouth, and Caleb tasted the saltiness of his own release and his lover’s growing desperation. Caleb moved his hands over the contours of Logan’s defined chest, the skin warm and damp under his fingers.

  Groping blindly, Caleb found Logan’s cock and began pumping it. Logan’s knees knocked against the island, and he let out a frustrated grunt. The angle wasn’t right for someone over six and half feet tall. Caleb pushed on his chest to get enough room to kneel, wishing there was a towel to spare his knees. Logan had other plans. He snatched Caleb around the waist and hauled him up. One hand planted under Caleb’s ass and the other keeping his undone jeans from falling, he walked into the living room.

  “Show off,” Caleb accused, wrapping his arms around Logan’s neck.

  “Midget,” Logan countered, dropping Caleb from high enough to make the leather couch squeak when he landed. Caleb gave a momentary thanks that it was late enough that Mrs. Simon would be asleep with her hearing aid turned off.

  Logan shucked his jeans and boxers in one fluid movement. Caleb wanted to follow suit and get out of what remained of his clothes, but Logan didn’t give him a chance before he pounced. His lips found Caleb’s again in a breath-stealing kiss.

  Scrambling to his knees, Caleb took hold of Logan’s pulsing cock. Logan jerked his hips, pressing his stiff length into Caleb’s hand harder, faster. The strength of his movements shoved Caleb backward until his back nearly bowed over the top of the couch. The leather felt cool and slick on his skin. A wall of hard muscle pressing against him should have felt stifling, but instead it felt right. Even though there was no way he could get hard again so soon. His dick twitched as if accepting the challenge.

  Gasping for breath, Caleb angled his body to suckle Logan’s hard nipple. Logan growled low and grabbed a fistful of Caleb’s blond hair, yanking their mouths together again. Another bruising kiss and he pressed their foreheads together, their panted breaths mingling. “Every day I want to drink,” Logan whispered hoarsely. “But I want you more.”

  Caleb’s eyes burned as he kissed Logan softly. “You have me.”

  A shudder ran through Logan’s body, and he released his hold on Caleb’s hair. Snaking a hand between them, he fisted Caleb’s cock. One stroke from his strong fingers nearly sent Caleb over the edge for the second time. Seeing as how Logan hadn’t gotten off once yet, Caleb figured he should do something about that. If only his spine hadn’t turned to jelly.

  Logan’s smug grin said he knew the effect he was having and loved it. Angling to the side, he wrapped both their cocks in one tight fist. All Caleb could do was sink his fingers into the corded muscles of Logan’s biceps and hold on. A few strokes later, he peaked, a wordless noise forcing its way out of his throat. He sprayed spurt after spurt of his sticky seed between their tightly pressed bodies.

  Caleb leaned forward, burying his face against Logan’s neck. “I want you to come all over my clothes,” he said, and Logan shot his load, covering the tattered remains of Caleb’s T-shirt and sweats with threads of warm come.

  LOGAN HADN’T realized how tired he was until he climbed into the bed. The mattress was much more comfortable than his single bed. His feet didn’t even hang off the end. He shifted onto his back, drawing Caleb to his chest before pulling the covers over both of them. Caleb’s skin felt incredible underneath his palm: soft, supple, and slightly damp with sweat. It felt so right to be lying here with Caleb draped across his chest, the heat of their bodies mingling. There was no way he could wait until his parole ended to sleep with Caleb in his arms again. He had no illusions that tonight was anything other than a onetime concession from Dabb. He needed to get out of the rathole and into somewhere decent. He wouldn’t care if it was small so long as he could call it home without shame.

  “What’s wrong,” Caleb asked, sounding on the verge of sleep.

  “I was thinking I should pick up a newspaper on Sunday and check out the classifieds.”

  Caleb kissed his chest softly. “Most of the apartment listings are online nowadays. I could help you look if you want.”

  “I’d like that, but it might be a couple of months ’til I can save up enough for a deposit.”

  Sounding more awake, Caleb said, “According to my last bank statement, you haven’t cashed the five hundred dollar severance check I gave you. It won’t be enough for a deposit, but it would be a start.”

  Logan had been annoyed to find the check stuffed in with his paycheck. Klass was a sneaky as his nephew. “I don’t want to be paid for helping you.”

  Caleb lifted his head and turned to look at Logan. “I’m not suggesting it. The conditions of your employment clearly stated you would be given four weeks’ notice or pay in lieu of notice unless being dismissed for just cause.” He poked Logan in the stomach. “Did you not read the employment letter I gave you and Dabb?”

  Logan remembered it looked real official. “I thought it was cute how the C in CK Web Solutions looked a little like the Cubs’ logo.”

  “It’s a legitimate business expense. I would never submit a fraudulent cla—”

  “Okay, okay,” Logan said, pulling Caleb down for a kiss. “I believe you.” When Caleb grumbled, Logan kissed his forehead. “Didn’t read it ’cause I knew it would be fair if you wrote it.”

  “You still should have read it,” Caleb said, sounding marginally mollified.

  Logan chuckled. “Sleep now, because you’re not leaving this bed tomorrow.”

  Caleb settled into place. “Not even for bacon-filled pancakes and real maple syrup?”

  Logan’s resolve crumbled under the weight of starchy delights. “To cook, but we eat in bed.” He held his breath, wondering if the request would be too much for Caleb’s inner neat freak.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Caleb said, sounding far too pleased with himself.

  Logan groaned. “I’m going to end up in a frilly apron, aren’t I?”

  Caleb patted his chest. “And nothing else.”

  JD RUSKIN writes character-driven romance stories about complex men from a variety of backgrounds. JD is greatly influenced by her time in the Midwest, from the bustling streets of Chicago to the cornfields of rural Illinois. She enjoys writing stories with juicy plots, memorable characters, and smoking hot encounters.

  JD’s first novel, When One Door Opens, was a finalist in the Rainbow Award and the winner of 2014 Epic E-book award. When not writing, she has a passion for traveling, photography, and graphic design.

  Website: http://www.jdruskin.com/

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jd.ruskin.books

  Twitter: @JDRuskin1184

  By JD RUSKIN

  Finding Matt

  When One Door Opens

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Published by

  Dreamspinner Press

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Dreamspinner Press Year Six Greatest Hits

  © 2015 Dreamspinner Press.

  Cover Design

  © 2015 Paul Richmond.

  http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopyin
g, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-63476-615-9

  First Edition May 2015

  Frog previously published by Dreamspinner Press, April 2012

  Cover Art by Reese Dante, http://www.reesedante.com

  A Boy and His Dragon previously published by Dreamspinner Press, January 2013

  Cover Art by Paul Richmond, http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com

  Worth the Coming Home previously published by Dreamspinner Press, October 2012

  Cover Art by Anne Cain, annecain.art@gmail.com

  Frat House Troopers previously published by Dreamspinner Press, December 2012

  Cover Art by L.C. Chase, http://www.lcchase.com

  When One Door Opens previously published by Dreamspinner Press, December 2012

  Cover Art by Justin James, dare.empire@gmail.com

  Printed in the United States of America