“I told you it was crazy. And reckless. And can we just forget I said anything already?”
He intercepted Jared before he could distract him with kisses, earning himself a huff.
“Why?” he asked, capturing Jared’s wrists and pinning him to the bed.
“Why what?” Jared replied impatiently, shifting suggestively beneath him.
“Why do you want me to go bare?”
Jared rolled his head to the side, avoiding his gaze, but Troy lowered his head and kissed his way up Jared’s neck to regain his attention.
“Tell me,” he murmured against Jared’s lips, before kissing him deep and dirty.
“You don’t play fair.” Jared narrowed his eyes at him when he shifted back again.
“I can keep this up all night.” He gave his words double meaning when he pressed his hips in a teasing thrust against Jared’s, moisture dampening his skin. He was so turned on he couldn’t tell if it was him, Jared, or both of them leaking precome and slicking the drag between them.
“Because I trust you,” Jared finally said, albeit reluctantly, like he still thought admitting anything was a bad idea. “Because I’ve never done that with anyone. Because he always wanted to and I wouldn’t let him.”
No second-guess needed to figure out who he was.
“Because I wanted to save it for someone special,” Jared continued more quietly. “And now I know you’re the one I was waiting for.”
“Jared.” He had absolutely no words. The guy had just completely floored him.
Instead he caught him up in a lush kiss, hoping to convey through the intimate contact just how much those words meant to him. When he broke the kiss a few long minutes later, neither of them were breathing steady any longer.
“I got tested after Jeanie. I think she’d started dating some other guy before she ended things with me.”
Jared reached up to run his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, Troy. That must have sucked.”
“It definitely doesn’t suck now.”
Jared smiled, the expression almost shy. “I went for regular testing during and after the whole Kevin thing. Who knows how many other people he fucked while we were together.”
“Then is this really what you want?” He needed to be sure. The last thing he wanted was regrets in the morning. Jared meant too much for him to risk that.
“I can’t explain it, Troy, and I know it’s not the smart thing to do, but I want you to have me in a way no one else ever has.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He tossed the condom, earning a laugh from Jared, which cut off into a groan when he wrapped a tight fist around Jared’s erection.
“You’ll have to talk me through getting you ready,” he said as he flicked open the cap on the lube.
“Fuck that.” Jared snatched the lube from him. “Next time. Right now I don’t have the patience.”
Troy’s breath caught in the back of his throat, heart rate increasing to what had to be dangerous levels as Jared squeezed a liberal amount of lube on his fingers and then reached down between them.
“Can I watch?” he asked in a quiet voice, though he wasn’t sure why he was suddenly so hesitant. Part of him couldn’t believe this was happening and was terrified of doing something that’d make Jared change his mind.
“Yes,” Jared replied on a moan, letting his knees fall farther apart.
Troy shifted back until he could see Jared stretching himself open. A new, hotter bolt of pure cock-jerking lust shot through him at the sight, at the knowledge he was going to slide into that tight heat with absolutely nothing between them. He’d always used condoms, even though he and Jeanie had been in a long-term relationship. She’d been so adamant about not accidentally falling pregnant, she’d used birth control and insisted he wear condoms every time. Now he was indescribably glad he was sharing this with Jared and no one else.
Unable to help himself, he reached out, sliding his hands down Jared’s inner thighs, wishing he was the one using his fingers to please Jared. And there was absolutely no doubt Jared was enjoying himself from the sounds he was making and the pleasure contorting his features.
“Ready?” he asked impatiently, not wanting to wait any longer, needing Jared with an intensity that defied logic.
“God, yes. Don’t hold back.” Jared withdrew his fingers and found the lube again, squirted another puddle onto his palm, and then reached out to wrap his dripping hand around Troy’s erection.
He jerked at the contact, both because the lube was kind of cold and because he was so damned turned on his cock had become oversensitized.
Jared guided him forward, and Troy held his breath as the crown of his erection pressed against the slippery entrance to Jared’s body. As he carefully started to push forward, Jared shifted his hand out of the way but then clamped both palms on his ass.
He found himself unceremoniously shoved forward with absolutely no warning.
“I told you.” Jared arched beneath him, panting a few short breaths. “Don’t hold back. You won’t hurt me.”
He clenched his jaw and gave a sharp thrust, ending with him balls-deep and his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he tried desperately not to come. Jared was like a glove around him that was a size too small but pleasurably constrictive. Without anything between them, it was incredibly intimate, heat pulsing his aching length.
“You’re so damned hot and tight. I’m not going to last,” he managed to get out through clenched teeth.
“Me either. You’re so fucking thick.” Jared’s fingers tightened on his ass, hard enough to leave bruises. “But I need more.”
He pulled back experimentally, shifting and adjusting the angle of his hips on the following few strokes. The next time he surged forward, Jared’s entire body jerked like he’d touched a live wire and a tumble of words escaped him, all of them begging.
Keeping the same slant with his hips, he set into a relentless rhythm, trusting Jared had been telling the truth when he’d said he couldn’t hurt him. For his part, Jared seemed to be coming apart beneath him, body succumbing to shuddering waves, moans stuttering into gasps until he went rigid.
“Oh fuck. Troy!” Jared held him in on the next thrust, Troy biting his own lip on a ragged groan as Jared came without either of them even touching his cock.
The sight broke the last tenuous threads of control he’d been clinging to. He jerked helplessly against Jared, forcing himself impossibly deeper and wringing another cry from Jared as he erupted inside him, feeling every throbbing, swelling surge of his own come echoing back to him in the confines of Jared’s hold.
When he could breathe again, he slumped bonelessly onto Jared’s chest, hoping he wasn’t too heavy but pretty much unable to do anything about it.
“Oh God, I don’t think I’m going to be able to walk straight for a week.” Jared gave a breathless laugh as Troy found enough energy in his arms to push himself up slightly. He opened his mouth, but Jared slapped his palm over the lower half of his face. “Don’t you dare apologize, Troy Hurst. I have never come that hard in my life.”
He wrapped gentle fingers around Jared’s wrist and tugged his hand down. “I didn’t even know that was possible.”
“What?” Jared asked lazily, fingers slipping through his hair.
“That a guy could come without even touching his cock.”
Jared gave a half shrug. “I’d heard it was possible but can’t say it’s ever happened to me before.”
“Really?” He tried to contain what was no doubt a smug grin but didn’t quite manage.
Jared rolled his eyes. “Yes, Troy. You got me so hot and nailed my prostate so good, it pretty much blew my mind. I told you I’ve never come that hard.”
“Me either,” he murmured, leaning in for a languid kiss. He’d never guessed another person could make him feel like this, could make his body experience pleasure so intense it completely took over his mind and left him existing as nothing but liquid ecstasy.
“Come on, we’re getting in the shower.”
“I just had a shower,” he mumbled, half rolling into the blankets.
“Yeah, but that shower didn’t have me in it and I wasn’t sucking your dick to the back of my throat.”
He bolted upright, but Jared had already disappeared into the bathroom, a low, sexy laugh drifting out behind him. He definitely needed to include more of that into his showers.
Despite doubting his ability to do anything, he found himself in the shower stall in record time, pressing a wet, slippery Jared up against the tiles and running his tongue over every square inch of his flawless skin. Oh yeah. This was exactly the type of shower he needed in his life.
TROY WOKE up with a warm body snuggled against him in all the right places. He sleepily shifted his hips, pressing his morning erection more soundly between the two firm asscheeks that felt like they’d been made just for him. His bed partner gave a low moan, pushing suggestively back against him and chasing away the last lingering fog of sleep.
“You going to do something with that, big guy, or are you all promise and no follow-through?” Jared turned his head to look back at him, hair all tousled and gaze at half-mast, more gorgeous than ever. There was something to be said for waking up with the person you cared most about in the entire world.
“I’m pretty sure we established exactly how much follow-through I have last night.”
“Hell yeah, we did.” Jared’s words petered out to a moan as Troy slid a hand over his hip and found the hard, warm weight of his cock.
“I’m happy to remind you, if you can’t remember.” He leaned down and kissed Jared’s shoulder, enjoying the way the minute thrusts into his fist made his own erection slide temptingly up and down Jared’s ass crack.
“Or….” Jared reached back and slid a hand between their bodies. For a second, Troy thought they were simply going to enjoy a mutual jerking off, which he would have been more than satisfied with. But Jared apparently had other plans, as with a few simple adjustments, he found his cock sliding between Jared’s legs and up under his balls. It felt amazing, but when Jared closed his thighs tightly together, he swore he saw stars for a second.
“Good?” Jared asked with a hint of amusement in his voice that said he already knew the answer.
“Oh God, yes,” he groaned, not needing any more direction from Jared as he slowly started up a rhythm against his body, cock leaking and making the drag wet and slippery in a way that only amped up his already heightened senses.
“Mmm, just like that,” Jared encouraged, countering his moves so naturally, it was like they’d done this a million times before.
Though his fist was wrapped around Jared’s erection, he was barely doing any of the work as Jared thrust between his body and hand, momentum building up and moans deepening. He was concentrating so hard on the ebb and flow of Jared against him, his own orgasm snuck up on him, hitting him out of nowhere and tearing him into pieces. He half rolled onto Jared, pinning him with his hips as he rode out the smoldering pleasure, the final few thrusts wild and uncontrolled.
But Jared obviously didn’t mind the rough treatment. Not with the way he bucked beneath him and then spilled all over Troy’s hand and the bedsheets, sending an aftershock of ecstasy through him and making more come spurt between Jared’s legs and up under his balls.
For a few moments after, all either of them could do was try to catch their breath, until Jared gave a warm laugh.
“What’s so funny?” He rolled off and landed on his back beside Jared, relishing the pleasant afterglow of a damned good orgasm.
“You certainly made a mess out of me.” Jared turned over and let his legs fall open, come all over his thighs, balls, softened cock, and abdomen.
“You started it.” He reached out and ran a finger through the mess around Jared’s belly button, making him shiver.
“Actually, I think you did, considering I woke up with your dick rubbing against my ass.” Jared sent him a mock glare. “Shower again?”
“After last night? Hell yes.” This time, he was the first one out of bed and into the bathroom.
During last night’s shower, time had no meaning. They’d gotten lost in exploring each other’s bodies, their climaxes building slowly but no less intensely. Troy was sure he’d never spent that long in a shower in his life but was also certain he’d never enjoyed another shower as much as he had that one.
Unfortunately, they didn’t linger for a repeat performance—settling for a mutual quick-and-dirty hand job before dragging themselves out for a hurried breakfast. Jared wanted to get home to see how Del and Tate had fared with Lewis and Aaron overnight, while Troy had a meeting with Buck about what they were going to do now their office was a pile of ash, and he also had a few things to check around the park, even though it was technically his day off.
He drove Jared back to his house, and they spent long minutes making out in the front seat of his SUV like teenagers before the chime of Jared’s phone broke them apart. Shifting sideways, Jared pulled the cell out of his pocket and checked the screen, ending with an eye roll.
“It’s from Tate. He says to stop sucking your face and go to the grocery store. Apparently we’re out of coffee, cereal, toilet paper, milk, eggs….” Jared flicked a finger up the screen, scrolling through what looked to be an extensive list. “And about a million other things. Shit, I just went to the store three days ago. How can we be out of everything already?”
“Let’s see,” he replied, voice still a little hoarse from desire. He schooled his features into a frown of concentration as though he was thinking hard about it. “You’ve got Del staying with you while he’s on leave and three teenage boys in your house. I wonder where all that food went.”
Jared shoved him in the shoulder. “Watch it or I’ll send them all to your house next like a plague of locusts.”
“They’re welcome to come clean out my cupboards any time.” He meant every word and leaned in to steal one more lingering kiss. Since Jared had come into his life, everything seemed so much brighter, warmer, and fuller. Yes, Lewis and Aaron were an unforeseen complication, but they only added to the endearing chaos surrounding Jared. His brothers were a bit of a handful, but they clearly loved and supported each other in a way Troy had never experienced in his own life before. He still felt like he was on the periphery somewhat, worried that maybe things between him and Jared wouldn’t work out and he’d be back to his cold, dim solitude.
But the truth was, he wanted in so badly. Wanted Jared and everything that came with him. It was the kind of life he could have only dreamed about a year ago, and now it was temptingly in reach, if only he could grab it and hold on.
“What’s got you looking so serious all of a sudden?” Jared asked in a hushed voice, breaking into his whirling thoughts.
He shook his head and sent Jared a quick smile. “Just work. Buck and I need to figure out what we’re going to do without a rangers’ station until it’s rebuilt. Assuming it does get rebuilt. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get told there’s no funding for a new station.”
“Surely they’d have insurance or something to cover the costs?” Jared frowned deeply, as if personally insulted.
“It’s the government,” he shot back with a cavalier shrug. “Who knows? But I better get out there.”
“Okay, have a good day. I’ll talk to you later.” Jared pressed a kiss into his cheek and then unbuckled his seat belt.
“Have fun grocery shopping for the hungry masses!” he called out as Jared swung the door closed.
All he got in response to that was a middle finger, leaving him laughing as he pulled away from the curb.
God, he couldn’t ever remember feeling this easy and happy. It was alm
ost foreign and definitely addictive. All of his past relationships, he’d never quite felt like he could be himself, worried that who he was deep inside wouldn’t be good enough for his partner. With Jared, however, those doubts were long gone and the effortlessness with which he could say and do anything without being concerned how Jared would take it made him see what a relationship really should have been about.
He turned up the radio and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove out to the park, also no doubt wearing a goofy grin. But he was just going to roll with it and enjoy the glow emanating from somewhere deep inside him he hadn’t even known existed.
When he drove through the gates and along the narrow road, he slowed, taking a detour by the lake. Being a Sunday, there were quite a number of people out and about already, many of them swimming, as it promised to be another scorching day.
A blustery wind was starting to pick up, tumbling towels and snatching abandoned garments along the sand, sending the owners laughing and scrambling after them. Eddies of dust and dried leaves swirled across the yellow grass, while branches of the dried-out trees creaked and snapped above. Unease slithered through him, and he made a mental note to do several other checks over the day to make sure people in the park were staying safe. Last thing he needed was a missing person in the hot, tinder-dry forest or a drowning in the lake from reckless behavior.
He continued on to the site where the rangers’ office had formerly been situated, the yellow caution tape tugging from where it’d been tied, billowing across the blackened debris, small clouds of grit and ash puffing out across the scorched grass.
Buck’s SUV was parked nearby, the older ranger leaning against the side of his vehicle with his phone stuck to his ear, nodding and murmuring agreement as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. Troy busied himself taking a stroll around the site, and then helped a couple of tourists who appeared and exclaimed over the destroyed building.
He cautioned them about hiking too far or taking on any of the harder trails today, the uneasy feeling returning as they thanked him and headed off.
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