Unbreakable Stories

by Jocelynn Drake

  “It’s the one.”

  Snow pulled back, taking in the shine of anticipation in Jude’s brown eyes. “How do you know? You haven’t even been inside.”

  “Trust me.”

  “I do.”

  ###

  An hour later, Snow stood inside the perfect house. After months of weekends house hunting with Anna Torres, after more months annoying their realtor, Judith Sparks, Jude had stumbled onto this place by accident while on the job near the Eden Park overlook. And he’d only seen the outside and the view from the back. Brand new, it didn’t even have the flooring in or the paint on the walls, but Snow knew without a shadow of a doubt that this place belonged to them. His heels thudded on the base wood flooring as he walked through the rectangular living room, the kitchen with beautiful, dark-stained cabinets currently being installed. The carpenters paid them little attention, merely stepping aside as they moved through the room. Every window downstairs was open to take advantage of the slight breeze coming off the river. Snow climbed the stairs and saw the three bedrooms, the master bedroom nice and roomy, and best yet, having an attached bathroom that held a massive whirlpool tub and shower built big enough for more than two. Or two who liked plenty of room to get busy.

  He stood in the master bedroom, gazing out of a huge, picture window that offered a view of the Ohio River and a sweeping view up Mount Adams. He looked back at Jude. “This is it.”

  Jude leaned against the wall, hands in the pockets of his shorts. “I know.”

  “It’s out of the price range you set,” Snow teased, still hating that Jude discounted what he could bring to the purchase of their home.

  “Out,” Jude said to the builder’s real estate agent who’d been hovering by the door.

  “I’ll just go, er, discuss something with Miss Sparks,” he muttered as he scrambled.

  Desire unfurled inside Snow because he fucking loved when this easy-going, caring man turned dominant.

  Jude slid his hands out of the pockets of his khaki shorts as he walked to Snow. “General, I don’t give a shit that you make more than me, but yes, I tried to find something fair. Until I saw this place.” He took Snow’s hand, threading their fingers together. “I saw this place and I saw you. And I saw me here with you. We’re going to make a home here, you and me. Our family.”

  The heat that flooded his body made Snow want to rip all of Jude’s clothes off, but instead he narrowed his eyes and pulled him into the bathroom. He walked him into the unfinished shower that didn’t even have a door and pressed him to the wall. Black eyes met his as Jude snaked a hand around his waist and dug fingers in hard. He pulled their bodies together.

  It was sweltering in here without air conditioning, the smell of dust and drywall strong, and he didn’t care. Snow closed his eyes as he rested against the man who had taken such a huge place in his heart. He felt the hardness of his muscles, smelled the faint sweat of his body, leaned in to nuzzle the prickly yet soft beard on his chin.

  He wished they lived here now. Wished they were starting their life together as a family here. Snow had a family, but this would be a haven for him and for Jude, and he wanted that more than he’d wanted anything in his life. He slid his hands down Jude’s sides then back up to his chest, feeling the hot skin under the casual clothes, the hair that drove him crazy. “How long before you think that stupid real estate agent comes back to find us?”

  “Not long.” Jude kissed his jaw, tilted his head back to kiss his throat. “Judith knows how long we can take to look around—she’ll wait downstairs. But this guy’s eager. Young. Hungry.”

  “Guess he’s going to get a lesson if he shows up in the next few minutes.”

  Jude grinned against his throat. “I suppose we should get out of this shower and find him.”

  “Fuck him.” Snow growled and latched onto Jude’s throat. “Next time I have you in this spot, it will be finished and hot water will be pouring all over your body and I’m going to take you up against this wall.”

  “I may take you up against it.”

  “Works for me, too,” Snow murmured. He licked along that corded muscle in Jude’s neck, tasting salt from his sweat, feeling the hum of love bathing every move they made. “You were right. This is the house.”

  “There are some things I just know, General. Just like I knew what you could be to me from the beginning. I go after what I want.”

  “Dominant fucker.”

  “You love it.”

  Snow didn’t care if the real estate agent came back too soon or if Snow melted into a puddle of sweat at Jude’s feet. He dropped to his knees.

  “Seriously?” Jude hissed. “He could walk in any second.”

  “Then I’ll have to work fast.” Ignoring the pain of plywood under his knees, Snow opened Jude’s shorts and let them drop to his feet. He looked up. “This is going to be fast. Fast and dirty. So hold on to something.”

  “The shower’s unfinished,” Jude murmured under his breath. “There’s nothing to hold on to.”

  Snow grabbed Jude’s hands and placed them on his head. “Yeah, there is. And do it hard.” He winked. “You know I like it.”

  Fingers threaded through his hair and held on so tight, it hurt. “Oh fuck,” Jude said on a groan. “You’d better hurry.”

  Before Jude could say another word, Snow opened his mouth and swallowed that beautiful cock. He relaxed his throat, sucked it in as far as he could and made a humming noise he knew would cause a good vibration around Jude. He got an answering moan that made his toes curl in his shoes. Sweat built fast and his shirt began to stick to his back. He grabbed Jude’s hips and proceeded to suck, swallow and lick in strong, hard, movements that had Jude obviously struggling to hold back noises.

  He twisted his head, swirled his tongue over the prominent vein on the underside of Jude’s dick and purposely pulled him in far enough to choke himself.

  Jude suddenly sucked in a breath, moaned loudly and clenched his fingers. He pulled back only to thrust into Snow’s throat one more time. He let out a hoarse cry and hunched, curling over Snow’s head as he spilled hot down his throat.

  Snow sat on his heels, sweat coating his face and throat. He could feel it in his hair. His shirt was soaked. His lips felt swollen, his throat hurt, and he smirked, knowing his voice was going to be scratchy when he told the realtors they were putting in an offer. It would be pretty damn obvious he’d had his mouth wrapped around his boyfriend’s dick—not that he cared.

  “Well,” Jude said as he braced his hands on his knees and panted. “If I’d had any lingering doubts this was the house, they’re gone now.”

  ###

  “You did well,” Lucas said as he came to stand next to Snow on the back patio. He was dressed casually in jeans and a royal blue shirt that made his eyes shine gray. A breeze came off the river, ruffling the black hair at his temples. “I like this place more than your last.”

  “You hated my last place.”

  “I hated the view.” Lucas wrapped his fingers around the dark wood rail as he looked out at the river. “Most of it, anyway. Power plants aren’t my idea of scenery.”

  “Says the man who lives on top of the world and sees it all.”

  Lucas turned to look at him. “This house is warm.” He nodded toward the door. “Like the man you chose.”

  Snow snorted and leaned on a support post. “More like he chose me and wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  Chuckling, Lucas turned and gazed inside. “Gotta love a man who goes after what he wants. And you wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t wanted him just as much.”

  “True.” Snow followed his gaze, looking through the glass back door as he heard Ian’s laughter. Ian, Andrei, Jude, and Rowe all sat around the living room they hadn’t finished decorating. Boxes lined two of the walls and Snow was looking forward to having everything done and out of the way. It had taken some time to get into the place. They were able to pick paint and flooring and they’d turned the home into
exactly what they wanted. Tons of dark wood, a cozy kitchen, and best yet, the shower upstairs most definitely gave them room to maneuver.

  They’d moved in the weekend before and that night, Snow’s friends had come for a catered dinner. He watched them now, feeling almost like he was caught in a surreal dream. He thought back to when he was young and had never believed he’d have anything like this.

  His gaze locked on Jude, sprawled on the floor in front of the fireplace, his head back as he laughed. They’d just ordered a rug for that spot and Snow marveled over how domestic he’d become even as he thought his heart might beat out of his chest. He couldn’t wait for that damn rug and every other thing they would add to this home together. And he loved that his friends felt comfortable here.

  Andrei said something that made Ian crack up and Snow knew his expression was sappy in the extreme and he didn’t give a shit. He glanced at Lucas to find the man smiling at Ian as well. Snow opened his mouth, teasing words clinging to the edge of his tongue before he swallowed them back. So what if they stood here like saps, staring at the family they’d made together? The two of them had been through a lot over the years. So instead of sass, he surprised Lucas by pulling him close. “We deserve this,” he said instead.

  “We do,” Lucas agreed.

  Safety Net

  A low moan woke Jude. He tried to focus in the dim light of the moon shining into the bedroom, the black, shadowy shapes of new furniture unfamiliar. He still awakened confused, unused to the smells and noises of the new place. Luckily, his pillow smelled like the man behind him and he buried his nose in it, a curl of comfort lacing the faint edge of unease.

  Snow and comfort—a combination most wouldn’t understand. Turned out difficult, sexy, and arrogant just flat out did it for him. He started to turn, but Snow tightened his arms around him, so Jude relaxed into the bed. They’d picked out the new mattress, too, a pillow top that made getting out of bed harder than it already was with the sexy-as-hell man curled around his back. Snow’s warmth against him made him smile, as did the sensual noises coming from his throat. Jude waited, still half-asleep, to see what Snow had planned. Being awakened at night by his general always turned into something pretty damn special.

  When Snow made more noises, Jude realized the sounds had nothing to do with sex. They sounded more like cries of pain. Alarm pierced his heart. Frowning, he scooted forward so he’d have room to roll over.

  As he did, Snow yelled, “No!” The bellow—a sound of heart-wrenching anguish—came with a kick, Snow’s foot connecting with Jude’s shin under the covers.

  “Snow!” Jude winced and sat up in bed. He clicked on the low lamp they kept by the bed, then leaned over Snow, placing his hands on his hot, smooth chest. The surgeon’s heart beat like a jackhammer under his skin as he moaned again. “Hey, wake up.” Jude pressed his mouth to Snow’s jaw, rubbing his lips back and forth over the slight whiskers that had grown during the night, and wrapping his arms tight around him.

  Snow jerked to the side, blinking at him in confusion and the anguish fogging those bright blue eyes ripped into Jude. He’d fucked that look out of them earlier that night after he and Snow had fetched a drunken Rowe from a bar fight and taken him home. Rowe’s muffled sobs in the back of the car had sliced through Jude. Rowe hadn’t let Snow stay the night at his new house and Jude had to practically drag Snow home after he’d sat in his friend’s driveway for nearly an hour.

  His general acted hard and cold, but inside beat a heart as vast as the ocean. His grief for Rowe’s wife hit him at odd times, but his worry over Rowe was constant. Rowe didn’t often go out and get drunk; he mostly kept to himself, but the few times he had gone out on his own, he’d ended up having conversations with his fists.

  And Snow would fetch him, then come home to have nightmares.

  “Why do my toes hurt?” Sleep roughened Snow’s voice. He pulled completely out of Jude’s arms.

  “Because you kick like a mule. I’ll have a nice, colorful prize on my shin tomorrow.” He reached across Snow’s chest, curled his fingers around his ribs and tried to tug him close again. “Want to talk about it?”

  “No.” Snow resisted the pull, instead turning away and scrambling out from under the covers. He stalked naked into the master bathroom and slammed the door shut.

  Jude grunted, somewhat used to the mercurial moods that ruled his lover. Most of the time, they turned him the fuck on. But not tonight. Damn. He rubbed his hands over his face. Those noises had come from a deep, hidden part of Snow, one that tormented him when he was asleep and most vulnerable, and Jude hated that Snow felt he should hide this part of himself from Jude. He’d seen the humiliation Snow had tried to hide by walking away.

  The knot that twisted in his gut made him nauseous.

  He listened to the shower running and when it shut off, he expected Snow to come back. When he didn’t, Jude threw off the covers, stood, and walked to the door. No sounds trickled through the wood so he knew Snow was just staying in there to cool off. He opened the door to find Snow with his hands braced on the counter in front of the sink, his profile a long, leanly muscled thing of beauty. Steam filled the room, blurring his vision and moistening his skin.

  Snow turned his head to look at him. Water dripped from his hair down his shoulder and arm. It beaded on his skin. He hadn’t even dried off. Two eyebrows that didn’t match the silver-streaked hair on his head went up, ice-blue eyes narrowing as he straightened.

  “Why are you hiding from me?” Jude asked as he braced a hand on the doorjamb on either side of him. He didn’t miss the way Snow’s gaze ran down his naked body. Nor the way the doctor’s body began to respond, his dick rising, despite the anger building in his expression.

  “Stubborn as fuck as always, Torres. I’m not hiding.”

  “Tricky, using my name like that when you know what that does to me. So don’t try to Torres yourself onto my dick to change the subject, General.”

  Snow snatched a towel off the rack and started drying his body. “Think I’d rather have a Torres on my dick this time.”

  “Fine.” Jude let go of the doorjamb and stepped closer. “But first, we’re going to talk. You had one of those nightmares you told me about.”

  Snow’s jaw flexed as he gritted his teeth. “I don’t want to talk about the fucking nightmares. They’re old news.” He swiped the towel back and forth over his hair before chucking it into the dirty clothes hamper. His thick, two-toned hair stood up in tufts all over his head.

  “Are they? Because you just had one and this isn’t the only time I’ve heard you shouting in your sleep.” He sighed, his shoulders slumping under the weight of his worry for Snow. “Look, this thing with Rowe, with your grief for him and for his wife—maybe you should talk about it. If not to me, someone else then. It’s hard to see you hurting this much.”

  Red flushed Snow’s neck and his eyes narrowed.

  “I’m not trying to make you feel bad,” Jude insisted. “I’m just trying to understand how I can help.”

  “You can’t help,” Snow snapped. “Nobody can help.”

  “That’s not true and you know it. If you won’t talk to someone else, then use me.”

  Snow gave him that slow grin that had his dick hardening fast.

  He shook his head. “No, don’t deflect this conversation with sex.”

  “But you’re so easy.” Snow took a step closer and his heat, his freshly-showered scent enveloped Jude.

  Fuck. The man had this innate ability to scramble Jude’s thought processes and it wasn’t fair. He swallowed. Hard. “Yeah, General, when it comes to you, it doesn’t take much. Sometimes just hearing you breathe does it for me.” He took the last step close and wrapped his hands around Snow’s biceps. His flesh was still hot from the shower. “But I want us to be about more than fantastic sex. I want the whole package. Love, affection and most of all trust. I need you to lean on me when you need to and I need to know I can look to you for comfort when I need it.
Because sometimes, I need it, too.”

  “Of course,” Snow said, his eyebrows coming together. “Why are you even questioning that?”

  “Because I saw your face before you disappeared in here. You were embarrassed about something you don’t even have control over. Embarrassed about a nightmare. With me.” He tightened his fingers. “With me, Snow.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Don’t you know that it kills me that you’d feel that way around me?”

  “Jude—”

  “No, listen.” He slid his hands up to Snow’s neck and stroked his thumbs over his man’s sexy jaw. “You’ve told me about your past.” He threaded his fingers into Snow’s wet hair and pulled him closer. “Those are legitimate feelings and I just want to help. Be your comfort. Your safety net.”

  “You are, Jude.” Snow’s hands tightened against his back. “You give me so much.”

  He leaned back. “So stop hiding from me, okay?”

  Snow stared hard at him.

  “I mean it,” Jude insisted. “When those dreams come, reach for me. Together, we can erase all the bad feelings fast. Exchange them for good ones.”

  “The best ones,” Snow murmured, leaning in for a kiss. “And you’re right. This stuff with Rowe is killing me and whenever I get too stressed or too sad, the dreams come back. I’m sorry if I’m waking you with them.”

  “I don’t care about that. I just care that they’re ripping you apart. If you’re not comfortable talking to a therapist or someone more qualified, then lean on me. I’m tough. I can take it. Let’s deal with them. Together.”

  Snow sighed and rested his forehead onto Jude’s. “I don’t want to use you like that, Jude. I don’t. And I’ve never been good about sharing my pain,” he whispered. “But I also don’t mean to make you feel useless when this happens.”

  “It’s not useless, General.” Jude cupped the back of his head. “But I’m not sure I’m enough sometimes. You have rough stuff from your past. Really, really rough stuff. I hate that it comes forward and wrecks you.” He couldn’t stop his smirk. “I like being the only thing—the only one—who wrecks you.”