Horny, Hard and Hare-y

by Watts, Mia

  Ben drained his mug and took the amber bottle from him.

  “Don’t you get lonely out here by yourself?” Gibbs asked after a moment.

  “Not when I have people stopping by for no reason.”

  “Do you want us to leave?” Duncan asked, holding his breath.

  Ben shrugged. His gaze slid from Duncan to Gibbs. It lingered on Gibbs’ profile, as he studied Gibbs’ lips and eyes. He took his first drag from the bottle, still watching. Duncan cocked his head with interest. Ben took in everything about his owly friend.

  “May I use your bathroom?” Duncan asked suddenly.

  Ben stared him in the eye for a several silent seconds, before nodding. “Hallway on the right, first door on the left.”

  “Thanks,” Duncan replied. He sent Gibbs a wink, then disappeared inside. Now to scope the cabin for Charlie. The full moon was tomorrow night. Unless he wanted to permanently call a hare one of his best friends, he needed to free the sexy little bastard.

  Chapter Six

  Ben followed Duncan’s departure until he was out of sight. He’d have to go in and check on him if he didn’t come out right away. He wouldn’t put it past Duncan to go looking for the hare. In fact, he was positive that’s what this little visit was about.

  It was a shame. It would be nice to have a visit from a couple of great looking guys, just for the sake of having a visit from a couple of great looking guys. He still had to convince Duncan to tell him what he knew about that night last year. He wasn’t completely sold on Duncan’s story, either. The way Ben saw it, things got a little too hot and heavy for him, so now he was deflecting.

  He took a sip of his beer. He looked up the drive for the other member of the threesome that seemed so inseparable.

  “Where’s Charlie?” Ben asked.

  “Uh, he’s unavailable,” Gibbs said, quickly lifting his beer, his eyes darting to the side.

  God, there it was again. The familiarity and the little thrill that socked Ben in the gut. It came out of the blue, but always when he was looking or thinking about Gibbs. If he didn’t know better, he’d call it attraction. Couldn’t be though, because Ben had always gone for types like Duncan.

  But here sat Gibbs. Looking cute, in an awkward, mussed up, shy kind of way, like a man who wanted to say something important, but couldn’t seem to get the words out.

  Gibbs looked away from him, into the dark. He dropped his hand to the bench, inadvertently covering Ben’s.

  Ben and Gibbs both jumped.

  Gibbs apologized, and looked away again.

  Ben studied the long curled fingers that rested on the bench near his. The back of Ben’s hand still tingled. He kind of felt like a little girl for noticing that. He kind of felt like a little girl for feeling giddy about it, too.

  Still tracing the long lines of his fingers with his eyes, Ben murmured, “You know, it’s funny, you remind me of this Great Horned Owl that comes to visit me sometimes.”

  Gibbs whipped his head around. Ben looked up to see wide, golden eyes. Clearly startled by the admission, Gibbs blinked quickly, his long black lashes sweeping down, much the same way the owl’s did. Color climbed Gibbs neck and touched his earlobes with a pale pink.

  “An owl?” he asked sharply.

  “Yeah, I know. Sounds strange, but I think it’s your eyes.”

  Gibbs’ unconsciously pushed up his glasses, eliciting a smile from Ben. Gibbs really was a great looking guy, he decided. Ben stretched out his pinkie to touch the side of Gibbs’ hand. Gibbs looked down at it.

  “Shouldn’t Duncan be back by now?” Ben asked.

  Gibbs lifted his chin, gazing at Ben from under the heavy line of his black framed glasses. “Probably.”

  To Ben’s surprise, Gibbs covered Ben’s hand with his own. Uncertainty shadowed Gibbs’ unusual eyes. When Ben didn’t move away, the corner of Gibbs’ lips lifted in a smile. He thought he saw the flicker of hope in Gibbs’ eyes. There was something intimately endearing about that expression.

  Ben’s gaze darted between Gibbs’ gorgeous irises. “I have to try something.”

  Gibbs started to form words, but Ben cut off anything he might have said with a tentative brush of his lips. Gibbs squeezed Ben’s hand, and he leaned into the kiss. Ben sank his fingers into the thick mass of unusually colored hair. There was another characteristic of the owl he attributed to Gibbs. Like the bird, his thick hair had mottled colors of rusty brown and grayish blonde. As though the man’s hair carried all the same variegated colors his weekly visitor shared.

  He sifted the strands, like downy feathers between his fingers, they were weightless and irresistible.

  As though the memory were burned in his mind, Ben recalled the moment at the Spring Festival with absolute clarity. He remembered thinking how soft Duncan’s hair was. He remembered the strange murmur in the back of his throat, and the precise moment when the gentle kiss became firm need.

  Just like now.

  His mind warred with the comparison. Ben had been sure it was Duncan, but this kiss, this flavor, these stomach flipping sensations were identical to what he remembered. Duncan and Gibbs were roughly the same height and build, both lean and firm. Both—fuck, wearing black plastic masks that night, he’d refused to let “Duncan” take off.

  It had been Gibbs? His mysterious lover who’d blown his mind, had been Gibbs?

  Gibbs scooted closer, easing his hand around Ben’s waist from where it had been holding his hand. The other slid up Ben’s leg from knee to high inner thigh. Their kiss ended as Gibbs seemed to be waiting for Ben’s reaction, and Ben offered no resistance.

  Ben took him off guard. Gibbs had always caught his attention, but it wasn’t until recently that Ben had begun questioning what it was about Gibbs that fascinated him. He still didn’t have an answer. He only knew that this moment felt right, and that taking it further definitely appealed to him.

  “It was you,” Ben whispered. “It wasn’t Duncan. It was you.”

  Gibbs’ eyes widened. He licked his lips nervously.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Ben asked, redirecting the conversation. He had to know. That night had been amazing, and he’d gone all year thinking that Duncan had taken advantage of him after Ben had spilled his heart.

  “I thought you knew.” Gibbs didn’t meet Ben’s eyes, his expression pained.

  Ben wanted to do anything to wipe that look off his face.

  “I thought you were Duncan,” Ben tried to explain.

  “Yeah, I got that. You finally used his name, just as I was—as I was coming,” he finished with difficulty.

  “Jesus.” Ben felt sick. Not because what they had shared meant anything less, but because of what that must have done to Gibbs.

  “I didn’t know you wanted him,” Gibbs said quietly. “I thought when I found you in the woods, and you said you were glad I’d followed you, that you knew who I was. I offered to take off my mask, but you liked it better with the mask on.”

  Ben heard the conversation over in his head. He nodded. He had said those things. He’d been overjoyed when Duncan had deliberately tried to catch him alone.

  “Earlier that night, I kissed Duncan,” Ben told Gibbs. “I thought he’d come back for more.”

  Gibbs looked up, no longer hiding the pain in his eyes. “He never told me. I’ve wanted you for years, Ben.”

  “That night, you said you’d been watching me,” Ben offered.

  “The day you came into town was like fresh air came with you. When I caught you alone, I thought you’d felt it too.”

  Ben touched Gibbs’ cheek, then hooked a finger on his glasses and pulled them off. He wanted to see those gorgeous whiskey eyes without anything obstructing them. Gibbs blinked, likely adjusting his vision.

  “I really hurt you. I’m so sorry,” Ben said.

  “I should have known. Duncan is everyone’s type.”

  Ben shook his head. “I used to think so. I don’t anymore. I’ve been trying to figure out why I c
an’t ever seem to take my eyes off you. Now I know. I think on some level, I knew it wasn’t him in the dark that night.”

  Gibbs’ expression turned earnest. “I never lost sight of who I was making love to. I was with the man I wanted.” His gaze faltered. “And he was with me, until the end when I realized he thought he was loving someone else.”

  Ben’s heart ached with the pain he sensed from Gibbs. No wonder he’d never come forward and told him his identity. Who would, with that kind of intense rejection?

  “I was an idiot.”

  “You were honest,” Gibbs corrected.

  “I’m being honest now, too. I want you. Do we have a shot at this thing?” Ben asked.

  Gibbs kissed him. Ben had the sensation that he was falling, held up only by a pair of the softest lips he’d ever kissed, and the arms of a man who’d never drop him. Gibbs pulled back, resting his forehead on Ben’s.

  “Duncan will be back any minute.”

  “Maybe he won’t come back,” Ben suggested. Then he thought about that and decided it wasn’t such a great idea. Duncan wanted that hare pretty badly. Would he use Ben’s distractibility to search his house? Probably. He frowned, wishing Duncan had never shown up tonight. Then he could spend all evening making it up to Gibbs.

  “We’ll pick this up later,” Ben offered instead.

  Gibbs grinned, a goofy little twist of his lips to match the softness mirrored in his eyes. “I’d really like that.”

  “So would I,” Duncan breathed.

  Both men looked at him.

  Duncan moved toward them. “Don’t be embarrassed. That was damn hot.”

  “You didn’t find him, did you?” Ben asked, raising a brow.

  “Find who?” Duncan’s flash of guilt tipped Ben off that he was right, so he didn’t answer, just pinned him with a look.

  “The hare.” Like Duncan could fool him, Ben thought.

  “No,” Duncan admitted. “Where is he?”

  “Nowhere you looked,” Ben answered smugly.

  “You know, if you bring the bunny back, we could have a foursome,” Duncan offered. He shot a glance at Gibbs. From the corner of Ben’s eye he thought he saw Gibbs nod.

  “Please tell me that was a bribe and not an offer to fuck a bunny,” Ben said.

  Duncan’s lip curled. “Gross. Of course it was an offer.”

  Ben laughed.

  “We’ve never invited anyone inside our circle,” Gibbs added.

  Duncan’s green eyes seemed to darken. “I guarantee that Charlie and I would get in on that, if you two were game.”

  Ben’s heart pounded wildly. “On a foursome? You three sleep together?”

  Duncan shrugged negligently. “Yeah.”

  “Mostly because he’s always looking for a good excuse to get Charlie in the sack,” Gibbs teased. “He hasn’t admitted to Charlie how much he wants him. Yet.”

  “Bullshit. Charlie is an arrogant prick.” Duncan frowned.

  “Ah, so it’s his prick you’re interested in,” Ben scoffed.

  “If he knew, he’d eat me alive,” Duncan groused.

  “Isn’t that the point?” Ben asked.

  Duncan grinned. “Yeah, but he’d never let me live it down.”

  “You don’t know until you ask,” Ben countered.

  “Eventually,” Duncan agreed.

  “You caught me making out with Gibbs, so naturally you jump straight to orgy,” Ben asked in disbelief. “C’mon.”

  “Actually, I caught you making out, but I happen to know you two have been hot and heavy before. Besides, I know what kissing you feels like, and I’m totally down with doing it again,” Duncan finished.

  “Yeah, I just found out about that,” Gibbs said sounding irritated.

  “What makes you think I’d be interested in that?” Ben argued.

  “Because you were cruising me, and now you’re digging my friend over there. My guess is, you wouldn’t mind some attention from Charlie either,” Duncan pointed out.

  Ben swung his head around to look incredulously at Gibbs.

  “He’s serious,” Gibbs agreed.

  “And what if I only want one guy?” Ben suggested. His gaze dropped to Gibbs’ lips.

  Gibbs grinned.

  “You interested?” Duncan sang.

  Ben nodded. “I could be. But let’s be clear, you still can’t have your hare.” He smiled benignly. “Care to rescind your orgy offer?”

  “I didn’t ask to get my hare back,” Duncan groused.

  Gibbs reached up and fluffed Duncan’s thick light brown mane. He clicked his tongue apologetically. “Once it’s gone, there’s nothing for it but the club, buddy.”

  Duncan jerked his head away in evident annoyance.

  “Sure you didn’t,” Ben said. “I’m offered four-way orgies all the damn time. It’s amazing I get any work done.”

  Duncan pouted, if a tough looking guy clamping his jaw and furrowing his brow could be considered a pout, yet that’s what it looked like. He was irritated, though whether it was because Gibbs had just teased him about losing hair, or Ben had joked about the offer of sex, he couldn’t be sure.

  “Gibbs, can you give me a minute with Ben, please?”

  Gibbs folded his arms across his chest.

  Duncan tilted his head, his eyes seeming to stare through Gibbs.

  “Fine,” Gibbs grumbled.

  Instead of walking away, Gibbs turned, grabbed the back of Ben’s head, and nailed him with a searing kiss. Ben didn’t have time to catch his breath. Tight fingers pulled the hair on the back of his head, forcing his face up to receive Gibbs. He descended. His golden gaze hovered over him as Gibbs’ lips took hold in a crushing embrace of mouth and tongue.

  Ben clutched Gibbs’ hips so tightly his fingers felt numb, and still it wasn’t tight enough to still the swirling darkness behind his lids, or calm the slamming of his heart as every nerve in his body rioted with awareness.

  Just as suddenly as the kiss started, Gibbs pulled away, leaving Ben blinking and swaying slightly as he watched Gibbs take the steps from porch to darkness without looking back. Ben tried to remember what the fuck had brought that moment on, yet all he could do was watch the long-legged stride and slim hips of the man who’d kissed him senseless as he disappeared in the darkness.

  “Um, whatever it is you have to say, it had better damn well be important,” Ben muttered.

  Chapter Seven

  Duncan followed Ben’s gaze, noting the proud sway of Gibbs’ shoulders, the shoulders of a man who’d made his point. With goddamn fireworks. He might as well have stamped mine on Ben’s forehead.

  There was no topping that move. It also spoke volumes about Gibbs’ feelings for Ben. Their threesome had never entertained another member, but then Gibbs had never shown interest in a man. Certainly never a non-shifting man. And that was the real reason why he’d invited Ben to join in. The look from Gibbs had told Duncan he’d understood.

  Shit. This is going to make seducing Charlie away from Ben a lot harder.

  Duncan took a deep breath, ran a hand through his hair. How the hell was he going to find out where Charlie was, after Gibbs had made such an emotionally jarring move? Anything else Duncan tried would seem insincere. Which was ridiculous, because Ben was a great looking guy. Fit, a little shorter than Gibbs and Charlie, but strong and no nonsense with clear blue eyes that currently didn’t look amused with Duncan’s extended silence. There was nothing insincere about Duncan wanting to hit on Ben. Ben was fuckable.

  Maybe there was a way to get that fuckability into bed. Maybe he could give Gibbs a boost and help this new relationship along.

  “Well?” Ben pressed.

  “Okay, I’m just gonna tell you straight.” Because where else did he go from here?

  “That would be a start,” Ben agreed.

  “I need to find my hare. I need to have him for the next thirty-six hours.”

  “Why?”

  Duncan blew out another breath. Because the h
are is Charlie, and I love him. But he couldn’t say that. Not until he’d been able to tell Charlie for himself.

  “I’ll bring him back and you can lock him up as long as you need to. Lord knows he deserves a penalty box, the little shit, but you gotta let me take him home. Just for a little while.”

  Ben shook his head, his hands planted on his hips like he was trying to be ultra patient with a crazy man. To be fair, Duncan probably did sound like a crazy man just then. As annoying as Charlie could be, he didn’t deserve to be locked in his shifted form forever. Not even as a joke, and especially because that would end the brief realization that Duncan was in love with Charlie. How could he be in love with a hare the rest of his life? Not possible. Which meant Duncan just had to keep trying.

  If he failed, it would be up to Gibbs to try tomorrow, and judging from that very real kiss he’d just witnessed, Gibbs wouldn’t want to tarnish the relationship potential with seductive blackmail.

  And Duncan didn’t want him to either. He was just beginning to understand what Charlie meant to him. If Gibbs felt the same way about Ben—and it seemed he did, or wanted to—then Duncan needed to try harder so Gibbs wouldn’t be forced to risk his fledgling relationship.

  “I can’t let you take him overnight. I’ve already explained that I have to keep him quarantined for ten full days. That doesn’t mean he gets to take a mini-break because you can’t part with your hare.” Ben’s lips quirked and Duncan caught the unintentional jibe.

  “It’s a matter of life and death,” Duncan said, trying again.

  “I’m sure it is. Mine, mostly, since I’m the one he bit. Listen, if I let him leave my care and he bites again, the DNR is liable. I’m not taking the risk with my job, my life, or anyone else’s life.”

  “I won’t sue you,” Duncan promised.

  “No kidding. There won’t be any reason to sue because he’s staying with me.” Ben held up a hand as Duncan tried to interrupt. “And don’t think you can send Charlie in here to argue his case too. I know how you three work.”

  “Trust me, Charlie’s doing everything he can,” Duncan told him cryptically.