Jesse (The Boys of Brighton Book 4)

by M. Tasia

  EVERYONE LOVES

  THE BOYS OF BRIGHTON SERIES!

  “Sweet and unforgettable…a marvelous read. There’s suspense, action, and a love story that’s hard to beat.”

  —Readers’ Favorite on Sam’s Soldiers

  “I loved this book and I love this town. I hope there’s going to be more.”

  —Melissa Lemons, Author of Decisions

  “An amazing read that was filled with lust, love, crazy hot sex, danger, action and so much more. This is the first book I have read in this series, but I will definitely be reading more in the future.”

  —Gay Book Reviews on Sam’s Soldiers

  “I was crazy impressed that the author made me teary over the ending of a relationship that I shouldn’t have even been invested in. I didn’t yet know these characters yet the author made me hurt for them. That takes some mad writing skills!”

  —Love Bytes Reviews

  “[Gabe] was a fantastically sweet love story. The characters drew me in right away, especially the swoon-worthy, alpha-male Gabe. I have to admit, I'm not an avid reader of M/M, but this highly exceeded my expectations. I couldn't help falling in love with the characters and cheering on their personal growth and blossoming romance.”

  —Virginia Cantrell, Author of Devine Merit

  “I loved this story from page one.”

  —eBytes on Sam’s Soldiers

  READER REACTIONS TO THE BOYS FROM AMAZON, GOODREADS, AND ALL ROMANCE eBOOKS

  “…Sweet and touching…hot and sizzling…”

  “The love, drama, and intimate scenes are all well written. I would definitely recommend this book to romance lovers.”

  “Loved this book! Great read.”

  “I loved it! I couldn’t put it down.”

  “Angst, sweetness, love and passion.”

  “Bear is the whole package.”

  “Came to this book expecting one thing and got so much more. Now can’t wait for book four!”

  Welcome back to Brighton, Texas. Where any man can find home.

  HEATING UP

  Royce Evans has worked as a paramedic in Brighton since graduating college. After the accident, though, his life seemed over. His husband died. Then he met Jesse. Handsome, brave, loving—the short-order cook is everything Royce desires. Everything he’d thought forever gone. Now Jesse’s tan, muscled body has brought him back to life, and nothing is going to shut that down. Not his own fears of heartbreak. Not Jesse’s past, or the fact that he ran from it. And definitely not Jesse’s crazy violent family, the Redemption Squad.

  JESSE

  A Boys of Brighton Novella

  M. Tasia

  www.BOROUGHSPUBLISHINGGROUP.com

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Boroughs Publishing Group does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites, blogs or critiques or their content.

  JESSE

  Copyright © 2017 M. Tasia

  All rights reserved. Unless specifically noted, no part of this publication may be reproduced, scanned, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Boroughs Publishing Group. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the permission of Boroughs Publishing Group is illegal and punishable by law. Participation in the piracy of copyrighted materials violates the author’s rights.

  ISBN 978-1-944262-78-5

  E-book formatting by Maureen Cutajar

  www.gopublished.com

  This has only been possible with the love and support of my family.

  Love you Craig, Samantha, Katie and Jason.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Another shout-out to the talented Virginia and my amazing beta readers.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  About the Author

  Also by M. Tasia

  JESSE

  Chapter One

  The headlights were blinding, but Jesse didn’t dare pull over and stop on the side of the road. He pushed down harder on the gas pedal and picked up speed. He had to make it home before they caught up to him. They ran me out of my home over ten years ago, why can’t they just leave me alone? Fear snaked up his spine as he watched mailboxes fly by his window.

  Jesse had just closed up the diner where he worked as a cook and driven Sarah home. The waitress had been on her feet all night, and considering she was over sixty and still working five days a week, no way would he allow her to walk home no matter how nearby.

  Jesse had been staying at his boyfriend Royce’s house for the last few weeks, helping him recover from a gunshot wound he’d received in his shoulder while protecting their friends Bear and Rick as well as their nephew Josh from Josh’s biological father. Before then, Jesse had been living in an apartment above Bear’s diner since he’d arrived in Brighton, Texas.

  He thought he’d be safe here, that they’d never find him, but he’d been very wrong. The lights were catching up, and he didn’t dare go any faster on the rain-slicked roads. Jesse was beginning to panic, and he knew that was what they wanted, him to panic and make a mistake. Then they’d have him. How do they manage to always find me when I’m alone? Someone has to be watching me.

  The car jarred violently over a pothole, causing the undercarriage to squeal out in warning. Ghostly trees lit by his headlights flew by as the houses grew fewer and farther between. Royce’s house sat at the edge of town, only minutes away, but it might as well have been a hundred miles with the other car now kissing his rear bumper, pushing him to lose control. Jesse was honestly surprised he hadn’t already lost traction. Why were they doing this to him all over again? He’d left town, lost everything he’d worked for, and lost his family and friends. Wasn’t that enough penance for the sin of being gay?

  Another jarring hit vibrated through the entire car, but he held on tight and kept his vehicle on the road. Jesse could see the pole light outside the main barn on Royce’s property; he was almost there. There was a long driveway leading up to the little farm Royce had created, and Jesse was thankful for its length. He’d need a lot of room to slow down with how fast he was driving. The driveway had a soft curve leading off the road, so at least he wouldn’t flip, he hoped.

  Seconds later, he took his foot off the gas and veered onto the dirt driveway, fishtailing before he regained control over the vehicle. The lights in his rearview mirror disappeared, confirming that they had stayed on the main road, not daring to come near the house where there were witnesses. Jesse slowed the car, his hands shaking as he parked in his spot. His breathing was still coming out in gasps, and he couldn’t stop the tears that escaped his eyes no matter how hard he tried.

  He was just considering getting out of the car when his driver’s door opened, and Jesse instinctively curled into himself and protected his head with his large arms. Even though he was 6’2” and weighed 245 pounds, Jesse wasn’t a fighter normally. The only time he allowed himself to use force was when protecting someone else.

 
; “Jesse, honey, it’s me. What’s wrong? What’s happened?” Royce’s calming voice bled through Jesse’s fog of fear. “Was it your family again?”

  Jesse uncurled his body and looked up at the man he loved so completely and nodded his head. “I don’t know why my cousin and his buddies won’t just leave me alone. It’s been so long, almost a year since the last time, why now?”

  Royce leaned into the car and held Jesse close, helping him to settle even further. Even though Royce was three inches shorter and sixty-five pounds lighter than Jesse, Royce was the emotionally stronger and more dominant of the two, and Jesse was completely on board with that. Due to his size, many men assumed Jesse to be the dominant one in their relationship. But Royce knew what Jesse needed, which made Jesse feel free to be himself for the first time in his life.

  “I don’t know why they’re coming after you, Jesse, but we need to step up our security until we find out or have enough proof to have them jailed,” Royce answered. But Jesse knew how they worked; they never attacked him when someone else was around to witness the abuse or threats. That was how they’d stayed below the radar back home, and what led to Jesse escaping one lonely night ten years earlier.

  “They never try anything when someone else is with me. They have to have someone watching me, because they waited until I dropped Sarah off before they attacked,” Jesse explained.

  “I’m going to call Chief Graham once we get you inside, and tomorrow I’ll drive you to work.”

  “What about your shoulder?” Jesse asked.

  “It’s healing up well enough, and I’m more than capable of driving safely. Even if I’m a shot-up paramedic on medical leave, I can still protect my boyfriend,” Royce explained gruffly.

  Jesse smiled. He couldn’t help himself. He’d never had anyone protect him before. He’d caused indifference, disgust, hate, and even pity from the people in his old life, but never had he felt protected. Royce and Brighton had given him his freedom and peace; now he just had to figure out how to keep it.

  “Thank you, Royce. I would feel better if you drove me.” Jesse truly would. He hadn’t ridden his Harley since members of his parents’ fringe church showed up and demanded Jesse return with them to begin his rehabilitation for the sin of being gay. If he’d ridden his bike tonight, he could have been knocked off, which only brought out more questions. If they wanted to take him back, why would they try to physically harm him or worse? After the initial contact, he’d only seen his cousin and five members of the congregation from a distance. Why were they here now? Something is not adding up.

  “Okay, that’s settled. Now let’s get you inside the house.” Royce scanned the area. His left arm was still in a sling while his wound healed.

  It warmed Jesse’s heart to know he wasn’t alone anymore. Ten long years of living a transient lifestyle, never staying in one place too long, had taken its toll on Jesse. When he’d arrived in Brighton, he thought maybe he’d found his new home. After he met Royce Evans, he knew he’d been right.

  *****

  Royce got off the phone with the police chief, not feeling any calmer than he had before he’d called. They’d come and look at the dented bumper first thing in the morning and keep an eye out for the suspect’s car, but there was nothing more they could do. Without a witness or more evidence, it was a ‘he said, he said’ situation. Jesse was relaxing on the couch watching some sort of reality show while Royce made his calls. Royce knew all too well that the other car involved would be gone in the next few hours, never to be seen again without having some bodywork done.

  The chief had other crimes and issues to deal with, and stalking might not be top on the list of his concerns. Royce knew by the way the Redemption Squad—as he liked to call Jesse’s family and followers—had upgraded to straight-out violence, something had changed. Proving that hurting Jesse or worse was now an option.

  Royce couldn’t stop his thoughts from drifting to over three and a half years earlier when his world stopped turning—the day his husband died. They’d been high school sweethearts and married once they both finished college. That day Royce’s heart had been ripped out and his soul left ravaged and unrepairable—at least that’s what he thought, until he laid his eyes on Jesse working in the diner one morning before his shift.

  They’d gotten to know each other while Jesse was healing from a knee injury he sustained pushing their friend Johnny out of the way of a speeding car. Since that incident, Royce and Jesse had been together every day, only apart when Royce was on shift as an EMT for Brighton’s Emergency Services or Jesse was at the diner. They’d either sleep at Royce’s house or Jesse’s apartment, but in truth Royce wanted Jesse in his home full-time. They’d been dating for over four months now, and Royce hadn’t felt this alive and in love in a long time.

  But the question still remained, how would he be able to protect the only other man he’d allowed himself to love? He had to figure it out because he wasn’t allowing anything to happen to his Jesse.

  The throbbing in his injured shoulder only brought back the fact that life was short and he needed to live it. He rubbed his arm, trying to lessen the pain without the use of painkillers.

  “Your shoulder hurting, babe?” Jesse asked from the open doorway. Royce hadn’t heard him approach. “Don’t answer, because you’ll just deny it. I’ll go get the cream for your shoulder and meet you in bed.” Jesse raised and lowered his eyebrows a few times and gave him a goofy grin. God he loved that man.

  Before Royce could answer, Jesse was gone, undoubtedly in search of the muscle-relaxing cream he’d been prescribed. Royce’s muscles would seize up around the wound, causing more pain than the actual gunshot did. Physiotherapy had helped, but the doctors kept saying it would take time to heal. The one thing he didn’t have was time. The Redemption Squad had upped the pressure on Jesse, and he wouldn’t stand for that.

  Royce got up, double-checked all the locks, and set their new security system, which monitored any motion outside or attempted entry into their house. He knew his gorgeous boyfriend would be lying in their bed waiting for him, and if he were lucky, Jesse would be in only his boxers.

  Sure enough, that muscled, tattooed body lay sprawled across the bed in only black boxers and a smile. Jesse’s sandy blond hair spread out across his broad chest and down his abdomen. His deep brown eyes were filled with need and lust. He was such a contrast to Royce’s own red hair and green eyes. Without a word, Royce began to remove his sling from his arm and immediately hissed from the pain. Jesse was off the bed in seconds, gently holding Royce’s arm stable.

  “I’ll help you, Royce. Hold your arm while I unbutton your shirt and remove your pants.”

  “I can do it.” The last thing Royce wanted was to look weak in front of the man who meant everything to him and whom he needed to protect.

  “Please, Royce. Let me help you.” With only a handful of words, Jesse managed to melt any resistance Royce might have had; Jesse excelled at that.

  “Thank you, babe.”

  With gentle hands, Jesse unbuttoned Royce’s shirt and slid it down his arms before placing it across the chair. His pants soon followed. Now they both stood only in their boxers and both equally hard.

  “Lie down on the bed, Royce, so I can rub your shoulder.”

  “Can we skip the painful part and get to the fun stuff instead?” Royce was not looking forward to this particular massage. Though he still lay down and carefully arranged his arm on a pillow.

  “No, but if you’re good, I’ll make sure you have all the ‘fun stuff’ you can handle,” Jesse negotiated as he came to sit beside him with the medicated muscle-relaxing cream in his hand.

  Royce smiled at his gentle partner, then lifted his uninjured arm over his head and said, “I’m all yours, baby.”

  “You’re definitely all mine, and I’m all yours,” Jesse replied while squeezing a small amount of lotion on his hand, and Royce prepared himself for the pain.

  No matter how gently Jesse ru
bbed, the pain was instantaneous, and no matter how hard Royce tried, he couldn’t keep the pain-filled groans from escaping his lips. Even though Jesse never rubbed near his wound, simply rubbing his cramping muscles felt like his skin was tearing apart.

  “Easy, I’ve got you,” Jesse whispered as he lightly moved his hands over Royce’s skin and worked each muscle in his shoulder and arm.

  After a few moments, Royce’s sore muscles began to relax and his tension faded away. Jesse continued to rub until Royce melted into the bed, and he might have fallen asleep if it weren’t for the warm, wet mouth that was suddenly sucking his cock in long, lazy pulls. He had no idea when Jesse had removed his boxers or stopped rubbing his arm, but Jesse was now doing something infinitely more satisfying.

  “Yes, babe, turn around. I want to taste you,” Royce suggested.

  “Not this time, love. This is all about you.” His deep brown eyes seemed to sparkle before Jesse sucked down Royce’s hard cock to the back of his throat and swallowed.

  Royce cried out in pleasure and spread his legs farther apart, giving Jesse complete access. He kept his left arm cradled on the pillow, not wanting to reinjure anything, but he couldn’t stop from flexing his hips and fucking Jesse’s mouth. Jesse began humming, and the vibration nearly made Royce shoot. His tongue laved the underside of Royce’s cock from his balls to tip before sucking him down once again.

  By now Royce had forgotten his pain, knowing that was what Jesse had intended all along. He was close to coming and warned his lover, “Soon, babe.”

  Instead of slowing, Jesse sped up and sucked harder. His tongue slapped the sensitive head of Royce’s cock and dipped into the slit; that was all it took. Fire raced down his spine, his balls throbbed, and pulled up tight just before he screamed and came down Jesse’s throat.

  He tensed his shoulder for a moment and then every muscle in Royce’s body relaxed. Royce could have fallen asleep right there but he would never simply leave his partner needing. “Let me take care of you, sweetheart.”