Gabriel had seen this type of dog before. He didn’t know the breed name, but he did know he loved the huge butterfly ears these dogs were noted for. Gabriel admired and enjoyed playing with Alex’s big bloodhound, Bud. There was no question that Bud was essential to the team, helping Alex track down and find missing persons. But this little dog was the kind Gabriel wanted one day.
“Help.”
Now Gabriel could tell the woman calling out was in the room behind the dog. Walking over to the door, Gabriel squatted down and held out his hand.
“Hello, sweetheart,” he said. The little dog’s pink tongue touched Gabriel’s hand and then darted back down the steps into a utility room.
There were only about five steps before him and at the bottom of them lay a middle aged woman in orange shorts and a tank top. She was curled onto her side, holding her leg. Gabriel went to the woman and knelt down next to her.
“Hi, my name is Gabriel. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Oh thank goodness. I was just going to get Muffy’s babies and leave, but I miss-stepped and hurt my ankle.”
Gabriel studied the tanned blond woman before him. The small lines around her mouth and at the corners of her clear and alert eyes were deep, indicating she was in quite a lot of pain. Her thin lips were trembling even as she talked, and the shaking extended to her arms and legs.
“Can you turn onto your back so I can check your leg?” he asked.
Gabriel supported the woman’s bare leg as she turned over. Now he could see even with a white sock and tennis shoe on her foot, the ankle was grotesquely swollen and already deep purple bruises covered the bottom of her leg disappearing into her sock.
His training and experience said it was broken. Pulling out an ace bandage from his pocket, he started wrapping the foot, shoe and all. Just as he attached the Velcro end a little wet nose touched the side of his hand.
“You are a sweetheart, little one.” Gabriel ran his hand over the silky coat admiring how the rich chestnut brown met the brilliant white.
“She is a good girl. I’m Karen, by the way.”
Gabriel looked at the woman and smiled. “I think it’s time to get you and Muffy out of here.”
The smile on the woman’s face disappeared and a deep frown creased her brow. “We can’t leave Muffy’s babies. I was coming to get them when I fell.”
Gabriel looked over and in the corner of the room was a thick blue blanket arranged like a nest. In the middle of the nest were a bunch of brown, black and white balls of fur.
Shit. He had planned on picking up the woman and carrying her out of there. Now there wasn’t any way he could carry her, with her carrying Muffy and all of the pups at once. He couldn’t even call for help because their headsets only had spotty reception within the deep walls of the canyon.
From the front of the house, Gabriel heard the sound of boots and Shane’s voice calling out.
“We’re in here,” Gabriel shouted.
Shane appeared in the doorway. “Need some help, Gabriel?”
“Possible broken ankle and a mama dog and puppies,” Gabriel answered.
“We need to get her out of here as fast as possible. The wind has shifted. I’m sorry, but there won’t be time to come back for the dogs.” Shane’s tone was hard. Gabriel knew the danger must be grave for Shane to be so abrupt and cold.
“We can’t leave them. There must be some way we can take them with us. Please,” Karen pleaded.
Gabriel scooped up Muffy and put her in Karen’s arms. Making the only decision that he could live with, he went over to the puppies and lifted one up while he unzipped his protective coat halfway. Gently he placed the puppy into the large inside pocket. Two more puppies fit next to the first comfortably. The last two fit in the pocket on the other side.
Turning back, he ignored Shane’s raised eyebrow and went over to Karen. Crossing his arms at the wrists he held them out to Shane. Shane crossed his wrists and the two men clasped hands. In unison they knelt and put their joined hands under Karen’s bottom and lifted her.
The world outside the front door was totally different from the one he had left just minutes before. People were running and shouting, panic evident as the crackling heat of the fire drowned out everything else. Walls of black smoke filled the air, making it hard to see any distance.
“Hurry up. Gabriel, we don’t have much time left,” Shane urged.
Gabriel and Shane were running now. Glancing back, Gabriel saw sparks raining down on the roof of the house he had just left. Above him, the droning sound of an airplane was coming nearer, getting louder by the minute.
Up ahead was the welcome sight of an ambulance, the attendants holding open the back doors gesturing wildly with their hands to hurry. Gabriel and Shane slowed enough to maneuver Karen so they could step up into the ambulance and deposit her onto the stretcher.
The doors of the ambulance slammed shut and the attendants jumped into the front seats, started the engine, and with a jerk the ambulance was racing away from the now burning houses of the suburb.
There was not enough room in the back for two men and a patient to fit comfortably. Not to mention one man with the stature and muscles that Shane had, although Gabriel was no slouch himself.
“You guys all right back there?” the driver asked.
“Never better,” Shane answered. Gabriel hid his smile when the stretcher shifted and knocked into the center of Shane’s chest. That had to hurt.
Gabriel used the time to take Karen’s blood pressure and temperature. When he was satisfied that she was stable, he carefully lifted the tiny puppies out of his pockets and wrapped them in an extra towel from one of the ambulance drawers. He settled the bundle into Karen’s arms so Muffy could be reunited with her babies.
Gabriel looked at the commander. “Where are the rest of the guys?”
“When the wind shifted I sent them out of there ahead of us. Then I went back for you.”
Gabriel nodded his thanks at his leader, his respect for the man growing by the minute.
* * * *
If Pete could be bothered to care at that moment, which he couldn’t, he would probably be a little worried at how out of character he was acting. In a million years, Peter Kenyon would never be lying on a plastic purple shark, floating in the middle of a lighted pool, in the middle of the night, naked.
Just a few feet away an equally naked Pip was draped over a blue dolphin which had sparkles sprinkled all over it, that reflected in the lights. On his other side, a naked Bret lay on a pink hippo that he managed to snag before the other men could grab it. There had been a lot of objections, but Bret prevailed in keeping his prize, although in Pete’s intoxicated opinion, he cheated.
“Did you get enough to eat, Pete,” Pip asked.
“Yeah, those grannies sure can cook,” Pete answered. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“When the guys go on a rescue, we tend to get together. It makes it easier to deal with,” Pip said. “I asked Leo if he wanted to come over, but he had an online meet and greet for his latest book.”
“Do you really think he would have come?” Bret asked.
“I don’t know, I’d hope he would,” Pip answered. “Just because he’s a Dom doesn’t mean he can’t spend time with us when the guys are gone.”
“Leo’s a Dom?” Pete was astonished. Never in a million years would he have guessed that one.
“Yep. And Alex glows with happiness, since they have been together,” Pip said.
“Well, more than his face glows,” Bret remarked.
Pip laughed, making Pete smile. Just about everything about Pip was sweet and pure.
“No, you’re wrong there, Bret. That would be Tony whose ass glows,” Pip said.
Pete adjusted his thinking, maybe Pip wasn’t totally sweet. Pete giggled to himself at that thought.
“Are you giggling because on most days Tony’s ass is red from a spanking?” Bret asked.
Pete blinked, and then
took another large swallow of the rum and coke out of the large plastic blue glass he was holding. “No, but I think you’re lying. Tony would never let anyone, even the commander spank him.”
“Why would you say that? Spankings can be a lot of fun,” Bret said.
“You believe that?” Pete held his breath. Despite Gabriel’s assurances, he still wondered if something was wrong with him, for liking Gabriel’s firm hand warming his bottom.
“Of course I do. It’s been known to happen now and then at our house. Besides, everyone who has a decent sex life, usually at one time or another tries something different. We all have our quirks.”
“What’s your quirk,” Pete asked.
From the glow of the lights, Pete could see Bret’s face relax with a dreamy expression. “My thing is no matter how busy, frustrated, or angry I am. If Cade holds out his hand, my body automatically goes to him.” Bret chuckled. “Believe me when I tell you, the rewards are huge once I’m in the big guy’s embrace.”
Pete needed a moment to turn that over in his intoxicated brain. It didn’t sound like there was anything wrong with it. Turning his head toward Bret made the plastic squeak against his wet hair. He found that so amusing, he had to do it a few more times.
“What about you, Pete. Do you and the handsome Gabriel have quirks?” Bret asked.
“He is handsome,” Pete said. “That wild black hair and short soft beard, not to mention those green eyes.” Pete sighed. “Then that body, mmmm…”
“Back to the question,” Bret interrupted. “Tell us your sexy quirks.”
That sobered Pete up. “Gabriel spanked me and I liked it.”
“Why do you sound like you did something wrong?” Pip asked.
Pete looked over at the tiny blond. “Because until Damian got me out of the hellhole I grew up in, my father and uncle used to beat me all the time.”
“That’s terrible,” Pip exclaimed. “Thank goodness Damian got you out of there.”
“I think I know where you’re going with this and I’m going to tell you straight up. You’re wrong,” Bret said.
“What do you mean?” Pete asked.
“Your dad acted out in anger or for some other twisted nasty reason. What you and Gabriel do is done with love and pleasure,” Bret said. “Let me ask you this. Are you sure you like it?”
Pete felt the heat rising to his cheeks. “It made me come.”
Both of the other men laughed.
“Well, there you go. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Bret splashed a little water with his hand causing a ripple that made Pete’s shark bob.
“Do you think I’m an awful person, Pete?” Pip asked.
Pete was a little floored by Pip’s question. Pip was one of the nicest people Pete knew. “Of course not,” he responded.
“My quirk is I like rough sex.”
“Shit,” Pete’s cock jerked a little.
“For me there is nothing that turns me on more, as when Jack starts bending me this way and that. I turn to mush when I feel that pinch when his shoves his dick into me and I wasn’t quite ready.”
“Fuck,” Bret whispered. Pete agreed.
“Do you know how hot that is?” Pete asked.
“Yeah,” Pip answered. “I live it every day. Do you think I’m a bad person for liking it like that?”
“No,” Pete answered.
“Then neither are you.”
Chapter Eight
Pete opened his eyes to see the off-white ceiling of his bedroom glowing warmly under the light of the bright sunshine. For a second he wondered how he got there and then he remember Cade picking up a boneless Bret and carrying him to the truck. Next Cade half led, half carried Pete to the truck and piled him onto the back seat.
He didn’t remember the rest, but Cade must have somehow got him up the stairs and into his bed. Thank goodness the three of them had managed to get out of the pool before the total effects of the alcohol kicked in. Absently pulling is lip between his teeth he remembered making a half-hearted attempt to find his clothes, but didn’t remember if he had been successful.
Lifting the sheet, Pete looked down. Nope, Cade must have gotten a good look at his snowy white ass.
His breath caught and he looked back up at the ceiling, listening. Joy flooded through his body. There was an airplane landing on the strip adjacent to the hangar. A shiver of excitement made him tremble.
Pete was out of bed and across the room, frantically pulling a pair of jeans over his nude, still smelling like chlorine, body. Not bothering with shoes, he raced down the steps and didn’t stop until he was outside the hangar door, watching the beautiful white airplane taxi down the runway.
* * * *
Gabriel forced his exhausted body out of the plane. Grabbing his canvas black duffle bag, he turned and stopped. The sight of his pretty Pete, standing there in wrinkled jeans, barefoot, and with his striking, golden-tanned skin covering his chest and arms, was like a cooling balm to his smoke-irritated eyes.
As he shortened the distance between them, he lovingly took in Pete’s blond hair sticking out in clumps and the dark circles under his blood-shot blue eyes. Jack had gotten a text from Cade letting him know that the boys had over-partied last night. It seemed his Pete was feeling the after-effects.
When he was close enough he cupped the back of Pete’s neck and pulled him in for a much-needed kiss. He was pleased that Pete hadn’t flinched when he raised his hand. Instead he his beauty lifted his lips to meet Gabriel’s.
Licking Pete’s plump bottom lip and sucking it into his mouth, Gabriel now felt like he was home and knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this pretty man.
Breaking the kiss, Pete rubbed his face against Gabriel’s short beard. “You smell like smoke.”
“I think it’s going to take a while before it goes away,” he replied. Dropping the bag, he put both arms around Pete, holding him close, just happy to be standing in the middle of a concrete landing strip holding the man.
“How did things go? Were there any major problems with your first rescue with the team?” Pete asked.
Gabriel could feel Pete’s fingers mapping out the contours of his back. “No, not too bad. Shane and Tony had a hard time convincing an old guy to leave his run-down home. It was all he had and he refused to abandon it.”
“Did they get him to safety?” Pete asked. Now Pete’s hands were finding rock hard, stressed muscles. His glorious fingers pressed in firmly, releasing the tension, and then Pete wonderfully caressed his back, soothing the sore muscles.
“Eventually,” Gabriel answered. He captured Pete’s lips in another kiss. This time tongues tangled, sliding together, loving on each other.
Part of Gabriel could have stayed like that forever, but his body had been through an intense last few days and was calling for a shower, bed and hopefully Pete pressed tightly against it.
“I need a shower, lovely,” he whispered.
“I do too, I smell like chlorine.”
“All I smell is smoke. It’ll probably take a few days before I can smell anything else.”
Gabriel reached down for his bag and then put his arm around Pete’s smooth bare shoulders. Together they walked into the hangar and up the stairs.
* * * *
Gabriel woke up to the warm rays of the sun coming through the bedroom patio door. Looking through the glass, he could see the small balcony that Pete used to get his beautiful tan, minus his lily-white ass cheeks.
Quiet even breathing brought his attention to those fine-looking cheeks exposed to his viewing delight, by the sheet that was currently nestled around Pete’s slim thighs.
Gabriel pulled the sheet down and maneuvered until his body was between those sweet legs, and he was cupping luscious mounds of flesh in his hands. Leaning down he licked a path on the skin from the crease where Pete’s ass cheek met his thigh, to the small of his back. He made sure to rub his beard against his skin, giving his lovely more sensations.
There was a small groan above him and then Pete spread his legs farther apart giving him more room to continue his fun. Gabriel separated Pete’s cheeks and licked the rosette, enjoying the musky taste that was all Pete. Continuing to bathe the tiny hole, Gabriel’s own hips shifted, enjoying the friction of the sheets against his swollen erection.
When the muscles of Pete’s opening gave enough, Gabriel pushed his tongue inside and continued to work it open. Now Pete was moving restlessly and his breathing was becoming erratic.
Sliding his hand beneath Pete’s hips, he encircled the slim, hard cock in a firm grip. His reward was Pete’s whole body shivering under him.
“Gabriel, please,” Pete pleaded. Pete lifted his hips giving Gabriel room to stroke his cock from the base to the tip, twisting the head just a little.
“Turn over, lovely,” he ordered.
While his lover turned over, Gabriel reached for the ever present lube on the nightstand. “Hold your knees up,” he said.
Pete lifted his legs to his chest and put his arms around his knees, exposing a flushed hard cock, pulled-up tight ball sack and a winking hole that Gabriel was ready to attend to.
When his fingers warmed the silky gel enough, he pressed a firm finger inside Pete’s ass and sucked Pete’s weeping cock into his mouth.
Gabriel sucked hard, tasting salty pre-cum and enjoying the silky skin on his tongue. By now Pete’s hole was loose enough he could steadily thrust his finger against the tiny rippling muscles inside easily. A second finger met very little resistance and the head of Gabriel’s cock was starting to pulse, demanding to feel the inside of Pete’s tight warm heat.
Looking up the length of Pete’s body, Gabriel felt triumphant watching his lover frantically twist the sheets in his fists and toss his head back and forth against the mattress in his passion.
Reluctantly releasing Pete’s cock and pulling out of his hole, Gabriel grabbed a condom off the nightstand and made short work of gloving up.
Gabriel's Pretty [Rescue for Hire 6](Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 7