by Anna Lee
Lucas laughed. “Let’s finish rinsing off quickly then.” He cupped a hand and poured water over Kip’s head. “I see some sand here.”
“Hey!” Kip sputtered, splashing back at him. “I was going to offer to wash you too, but maybe not.”
Lucas grabbed him around his waist and tickled his ribs. Damn, he knew his weak spot. He squirmed but didn’t struggle to get away, loving the playfulness. When he did manage to get free, he stood up and grabbed the detachable shower head, spraying it at Lucas. His lover got up and tried to get it, water splashing out. Kip just laughed and held it up, soaking his head.
“There, better?”
Lucas drained the tub then pushed him gently against the wall. “You’re missing something.” He gave Kip a tender look. “You didn’t even let me finish my massage.” He pouted.
Kip kissed the pout away and handed him the shampoo. “Please?”
Lucas grabbed the shampoo and worked it into Kip’s scalp, massaging and tenderly running his hand over his head. His hair was too short but he’d soon let it grow out. Lucas rinsed out the shampoo then Kip returned the favor. He loved Lucas’s curly brown locks, the way they tangled around his fingers.
When they were clean, Kip captured Lucas’s lips in a hungry kiss. “C’mon, let’s get out. I need you.”
Kip stepped out and made sure Lucas didn’t slip on the wet tiles. They dropped one towel on the floor to sop up the water then they used another to dry each other off. Kip held onto Lucas as they kissed and made their way back to the bed.
“Why’d you put the bed in here?”
“’Cause the frame is in pieces in the bedroom and I gave up trying to figure it out,” Lucas joked. “It’s a two-person job, I swear.”
“Good thing I’m here then.” Kip grinned. “We’ll have it together in no time.”
“Right now?” Lucas raised an eyebrow then they both laughed together.
“No, right now I’ve got plans for you.” Kip pushed him back toward the mattress.
Lucas knelt then slipped under the comforter and Kip quickly joined him. He lay so that they were face to face and kissed Lucas softly, fighting back a sudden yawn. “Damn it. I want to make love to you.”
“We will. All day, once you get rest.” Lucas hooked his leg over Kip’s thigh and drew him close, their bodies pressing together. He could feel Lucas’s hard cock against his own and he let out a soft sound of pleasure. “How about this for right now?”
“Perfect.” Kip brushed their lips together. He gazed at Lucas. God, how he’d missed him. He took in the sight of him and for a moment he couldn’t breathe. “You’re perfect.” He traced his fingers over Lucas’s beautiful features. He’d memorized them, but to touch him again… Eight months and now here he was back in Lucas’s arms. Ready to make love, lose themselves in what they felt for one another and how right this was. They had so much to celebrate and happiness made him kiss Lucas again. His lover was a good kisser and could drive him crazy.
Lucas touched Kip’s cheek then captured Kip’s lips against his, kissing him deeply. Kip parted his lips, letting Lucas’s tongue slip inside. He tangled his hand into Lucas’s curls as they continued kissing. Lucas hit that hot spot on the roof of his mouth and he groaned. Kip lost all track of time as they explored each other’s mouths, tasting the unique flavor of Lucas, and reconnecting. He loved the way Lucas would sigh softly when he nipped on his lips. Kisses were only broken when they needed to draw in air, then they quickly dove back in for more passionate ones.
“I’m here, and so are you, Kip,” Lucas breathed. “Just let go.”
“I’m never leaving you again.” Kip knew Lucas needed this as much as he did.
“I’m never letting you go again.” Lucas curled his hand around Kip’s neck, holding him close when he drew him in for another soft kiss.
Kip thrust gently, unable to deny what they both needed in this life-affirming and loving act. Lucas cried out softly and pushed back. “Yes, please…feels so good.” He caressed the nape of Kip’s neck. “You feel so good.”
“So do you,” Kip panted.
They kissed languidly when they undulated against each other. Kip’s hand went to Lucas’s hip to hold onto him while he let his lover work them toward their climaxes. Kip loved the feeling of Lucas’s cock, slick with pre-cum and bath oils, sliding over his own with enough friction to pleasure but not enough to make them come just yet.
Kip murmured words of love into Lucas’s skin, worshipping his fiancé’s body with his hands and lips as Lucas clung to him, kissing and touching everywhere he could. Kip felt completely connected in mind and body when they lost themselves in each other, their love tangible between them. Everything else faded away, his troubles and worries disappearing and the world shrinking to just them in that moment.
“So close,” Kip admitted. It’d been too long and he was quickly losing control. His cock was leaking when it rubbed along Lucas’s. “More, please, baby.”
Lucas took Kip’s hand, entwined their fingers and drew their joined hands down their bodies. He lightly wrapped them around their hard cocks. “Together, yeah?”
“Yeah, Luc!” he cried softly, the touch almost undoing him as he thrust against Lucas’s pelvis. “Kiss me,” Kip begged when he captured Lucas’s mouth with his own, the thrusting of their tongues mirroring the thrusting of their erections.
Their moans and heavy breathing filled the room as they moved closer and closer to release. Kip flipped them so he was on top, one hand braced by Lucas’s head when they both sped up the pace and their hands stroked rapidly. Lucas clutched his back, nails digging in so he could hold him tightly. It drove him crazy knowing Lucas was marking him again.
Kip peppered Lucas’s face with kisses. “You’re so beautiful like this.”
Lucas’s smile lit up the room. “Being silly again, babe.”
“You are though.” Kip gazed at him. “I’m so damn lucky you’re mine.”
“Always yours.” Lucas’s hips began rocking faster as he gave himself completely to Kip, letting Kip pull him over the edge while he held and caressed him. “I love you, Kip, so much,” he panted.
Kip smiled. “I love you, too.”
Lucas’s cock was hard and thrusting urgently into their joined hands. He loved the feel of Lucas’s cock sliding over his own, creating a delicious friction. He was close and needed to come, but he wanted Lucas to first. He’d been so selfless, taking care of him, and now Kip wanted to see him lost in the pleasure that only he gave him. “Let go, love. I’ve got you.” He kissed Lucas deeply.
That seemed to be all Lucas needed. “Kip!” he cried when he pressed up toward him, coming and covering their bellies in hot spurts. Kip followed seconds later, arching and coming hard crying Lucas’s name.
Kip watched Lucas as his orgasm washed over him. He was relaxed with a dreamy smile playing on his lips and he couldn’t have looked more beautiful. He rested his forehead against Lucas’s. “Damn, baby.”
Lucas curled into him and Kip rolled back onto his side to hold him. He was completely sated and content. Their hands were covered in cum so Lucas lifted their entwined fingers and sucked them. He then gave Kip a taste and once their fingers were sucked clean, Kip kissed Lucas deeply. The entire time, Lucas kept moving, drawing out their pleasure as long as he could, stopping only when he saw Kip slowly falling asleep.
“You always give me just what I need,” Kip whispered.
Lucas kissed his forehead. “Always, I’m so glad you’re home.”
He untangled himself from Kip’s hold. “I’ve gotta clean us up or we’ll be stuck together.”
Kip grinned. “And that’s a problem?”
Lucas laughed but slipped out of bed. “You’ll thank me later.”
Kip yawned but sat up and reached for the candy, unwrapping one and savoring it until Lucas came back in with a wash cloth. He saw a bottle of water in the bucket and grabbed it, drank half in a few sips, then passed it to Lucas as he cleaned h
imself up with the warm cloth.
Lucas climbed back into bed and opened his arms. Kip slid close and rested his head on his lover’s chest, where he could hear his soothing heartbeat. He took Lucas’s hand and ran his fingers over the ring. “When I got checked out, they warned me I might have some PTSD…if I have any nightmares…”
“I remember.” Lucas rubbed his back. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”
“Can we stay home and lie in bed all day tomorrow?” Kip asked, his eyes drifting shut. “I know we have to go to dinner tonight, but tomorrow let’s do nothing but eat those Snickers and make love.”
Lucas laughed. “You got it. Maybe we’ll set up our bed, too.”
“S’okay like this. Feels like a cloud.” Kip sighed and snuggled into Lucas. Sleep weighed heavily on him and he wasn’t sure he was making sense. “Safe here, too.”
“Yep, I’ve got you. Just rest.” Lucas softly sang to Kip, stroking his hair as he gave in and fell asleep, so grateful that Lucas had waited for him to come home and that he’d said yes.
Also available from Pride Publishing:
His Solider
Anna Lee
Excerpt
Chapter One
‘Baby, they showed up at the house, I just knew… Oh God, Dax, my boy… They said it was an IED… Can you drive? Dean? Please, I need you, son… You’re all I have left…’
He had just gotten home from work—a teacher’s meeting had run late. He hadn’t even had a chance to put his book bag down before his phone had rung. He’d answered then dropped the bag, his keys and thrown his phone. Dean left his house, barely remembering to shut the door. He ran all the time, just not in pants, a button-up shirt, and tie. He got a few odd and concerned stares but he ignored everyone. His feet hit the pavement and he didn’t even think about where he was going. His only thought was maybe if he kept running he could escape the pain and the new hole in his chest. Try as he might to ignore it, Beth’s voice rang in his head.
‘Baby, they showed up at the house, I just knew… Oh God, Dax… They said it was an IED… Can you drive? Dean? Please, I need you, son… You’re all I have left…’
Tears streamed down his face as he kept going until he somehow wound up in the park. Out of breath, and unable to fight it, he leaned against an old oak tree, gasping, bent over at the waist. When he caught his breath, forcing air in and out again, he thought about continuing the run until he noticed he was at the tree that held so many memories. He looked up, recalling the summer they had both broken their arms when they were eight. Then at eleven they had tried to build a fort but Parks and Rec made them take it down, though Dax had sure fought it. And at sixteen… Well, he’d found out who his true family and friends were, with Dax proving he was the brother Dean had always wanted.
Even though it was fifteen years ago, he remembered that day as if he was sixteen all over again.
He dropped his sleeping bag and backpack next to the old oak. After sinking down into the soft grass, he wrapped his arms around his knees and tried not to cry. His whole body hurt but that was nothing compared to his dad disowning him. For being who he was and finally admitting it. He was gay. And now he was homeless. What was he going to do?
He was so tired and sore that he must have dozed off or blacked out. He wasn’t sure. He was startled to hear his name. “Dean? Buddy?” Dax knelt beside him. “I thought that was you.”
Dean looked up, swiping at his runny nose. “Dax…” He knew his face was a wreck—busted lip, black eye, a cut above his left temple. He was pretty sure he had a cracked rib and maybe even a broken wrist. The horror of it showed on Dax’s face but was quickly replaced with anger.
“Who the hell did this to you? I’ll kick their asses!” Dax growled, searching around as if Dean’s attackers were nearby. Dean didn’t doubt, if it had been a bully, that Dax could take them. Whereas he was scrawny and still trying to build muscle, Dax was strong and had a broad-shouldered frame that showed off his athletic prowess. They were opposites—Dean had black hair and green eyes, Dax blond hair and blue eyes. But they had grown up together, thick as thieves, and remained friends even in high school. No one picked on him for being nerdy because Dax was so popular.
“You can’t go after my old man.”
“He hit you? Why the heck would he do that? You never get in trouble without me.”
Dean was so scared. He’d already lost his family. If he told Dax would he hit him too? Would he walk away and leave him all alone? Dean wasn’t sure he wanted to live if that happened. What was the point if no one cared? “Because… I’m gay,” he whispered.
Dax seemed shocked for a moment. “You are?”
“Yeah, my dad beat my ass when I admitted it.”
“Your dad is an ass, why did you tell him?”
“’Cause Mom caught me kissing Stevie,” Dean confessed, and Dax’s eyes widened. “She made me tell my dad then just watched as he hit me over and over. When I got up he threw me out in the yard. I snuck back in and got some of my stuff but I… I don’t have anywhere to go, Dax. They hate me.” He let out a strangled sob then added, “Do you hate me too?”
“For being gay? No, why would I? You’re still my best friend.” Dax paused, then, to Dean’s surprise, pulled him in for a quick hug. It was a brief comfort that lifted a weight from his shoulders. “Don’t cry. We’ll fix this. You can stay with me.”
“What if your mom doesn’t like me being gay?”
“My Uncle Eric is gay. No big deal.”
Dean couldn’t believe it, but relief washed through him. Dax’s family wouldn’t care about him being gay—maybe he wouldn’t have to live on the streets. He could get a job or something, pay them to stay there. Just until college. He was going to get a scholarship and study. “How come you never told me that?”
Dax shrugged. “You’ve never talked about your aunt who lives in Florida or your uncle in Nebraska. You know family stuff is boring. Anyway, he lives in San Diego with his husband and I’ve visited him a few times. He’s cool. We’d probably visit more if we could afford it. Mom talks to him every day, though.”
“Oh…” Dean wiped his eyes. “I’m glad you don’t hate me.”
“I hate your old man. What kind of crap is that? You’re his kid, and your mom. Man, my mom is gonna flip.” Dax whistled. “She’ll let them have it. I bet she could get them to understand. She got my grandpa to come around.”
Dean shook his head. “I don’t want to go back. They won’t ever understand. I can’t live there knowing they think I’m wrong. And what if he hurts me again?”
“There’s nothing wrong with you.” Dax looked like he wanted to hit Dean upside the head for saying it. “I’ll take on anyone who says there is, even your old man. We’re blood brothers, right?”
A tiny smile twitched Dean’s lips. “Right.”
Dax stood and held out a hand. “C’mon, I bet you’re hungry.” He grinned. “Man, you know what this means?”
“What?”
“More chicks for me!” Dax chuckled as Dean punched his arm. “What? I was just trying to get you to laugh.”
Dean shook his head. “Ha ha.” He grabbed his backpack and Dax took the sleeping bag. ”Thanks, Dax.”
Dax slung his arm around his shoulder. “Any time, little bro.”
They walked to Dax’s house slowly—Dean was in a fair amount of pain and it hurt to even breathe too deeply. When they reached the one-story bungalow, Dean paused on the steps, wrapping his arms around himself.
“What’s up?” Dax asked.
“What if your mom tries to make me go home? Or Social Services comes and takes me away?” Tears prickled his eyes. He swiped at them. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”
“Hey, I meant what I said.” Dax laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, not his usual roughness. “I promise, I’ll do whatever I got to so you can stay here, ’kay?”
Dean nodded then hugged Dax again. He just wanted to feel safe. And he did with his brot
her.
“Dax!” his mom called out as she stepped onto the front porch. “Dean, what in the heavens!” She rushed to him and drew him into an embrace. He held on, burying his face in her shoulder as his body shook. “What happened, sweetheart? Dax, baby, who did this?”
Dax growled. “His old man beat on him ’cause he’s gay.”
Dax never did sugarcoat anything. Dean waited for Mama Beth’s reaction. He called her that as she was like the mom he’d always wanted with hugs, cookies and nurturing. He knew she wouldn’t send him away but he was still scared. After what his dad did, it felt like he wasn’t on solid ground. “Please, can I stay with you? Please?” He added in a rush, “I’ll do chores, get good grades, make you proud, I promise. Just please, I feel safe here, and I can’t go back or go to some foster home.”
“Shh.” Mama Beth soothed him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Of course you can stay, you know I’m a foster mom. We can make sure I get custody of you so no one hurts you again.” She rubbed his back, and he winced. “I think we need to take you to the hospital.”
“No, I hate hospitals!”
She pulled back and gently cupped his face. “Tough, you need to get checked out. I’m not having you in this much pain. Does anything feel broken?”
“Ribs, maybe,” Dean admitted. “My wrist, too.”
She cradled it in her hands and inspected it. The wrist was swollen and didn’t bend so well.
“Ouch.”
“I’m sorry, we definitely have to see a doctor. It’ll be okay, though.” She locked gazes with him. “We need to have them report this, I’m not letting that idjit get away with it. No one should ever hurt their children. It’s inexcusable and unforgivable.”
Dean dropped his head. “I’m a sinner, that’s what they said. That God wanted them to punish me.”
“They’re wrong, baby,” Mama Beth said. “They’re sinning against Jesus’ commandment to love everyone as he and God do.”
Dax growled again and headed toward the door. “I’m getting Daddy’s shotgun and making that SOB pay.”