by R. G. Green
T.J.’s hand stopped to cover Eric’s own, and he squeezed Eric’s fingers where they rested against his stomach. “Take as long as you need, baby. There’s no rush.”
“There might be when we run out of money. We still have house payments, car payments, food and utilities….” His fingers began twitching just a little in the fabric of the sweatshirt T.J. wore. They had sold the cameras Eric had bought but hadn’t gotten enough to cover the credit card charges Eric had compiled in purchasing them. The alarm system they had decided to keep, with the monitoring subscription adding another bill to the stack, and the payments for the fines had drained their savings even more. The 9mm became property of the Breten City Police Department, and Eric had no intention of reclaiming it. Ever.
“Hey,” T.J. said, leaving off the stirring to turn fully in Eric’s arms, raising his own arms to rest them over Eric’s shoulders. “We’ll be fine. We’re not going to freeze or starve or sleep on a park bench downtown. We can last a while longer.” They had talked once of selling Eric’s truck or trading T.J.’s Jeep for something more economical, but Eric didn’t want things to come to that. Not when this whole financial mess was his fault.
“We’ll be fine, baby,” T.J. repeated, leaning his forehead against Eric’s, his voice softening almost to a whisper. “You just take the time you need, okay?”
“I know, but I can’t take too much more time,” Eric told him just as quietly. “It’s not just me that’s having to pay the bills for all of this, and it’s not fair to you—”
T.J. stopped his words with a soft laugh. “This isn’t a business relationship, baby. I married you in every way except on paper, and I meant every word of the vows we made.” He moved their bodies closer until they were almost cuddling where they stood. “And I still do. For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.” He claimed a gentle kiss. “Forever, baby, no matter what.”
“Even if you lose the Jeep?”
“Even if I lose the Jeep.”
“And the house?”
T.J. shrugged. “We can always rent, or look for something smaller.”
“We’re already eating out less, and going for hamburgers instead of steak when we’re here….”
“But we’re still eating fine, and we’re not going hungry.”
“And we may not be able to afford a vacation….”
Dusky laughter crept into T.J.’s voice as he brushed his nose against Eric’s, and the cuddle turned to grinding with a deliberate press of their bodies. “We don’t have to go anywhere to have a vacation, baby. We can have our own vacation right here, just you and me.”
The words were working, just as they had worked every time T.J. had said them during the last few months, and Eric couldn’t keep his own mood from lifting at the infectious teasing of his lover, or keep his own body from answering the press and rub of T.J.’s groin against his own. “Mmm, but what if we have to give up gay porn?”
T.J. groaned, but the effect was lost in a languid stroke of his hips that set both their nerves tingling. “Oh, now, that would be a sacrifice,” he stated huskily, but followed it with a gentle nip at Eric’s chin. “I guess we’ll just have to make our own.”
“Now I’m definitely on board with that,” Eric breathed, and he leaned forward to catch T.J.’s lips in a breath-stealing kiss worthy of any porn couple on film.
The last of his anxious mood slipped away under the deft play of hands and lips, and the touches and nips even managed to push his worries about their finances and his own lack of employment to the back of his mind. He knew how lucky he was to have T.J. in his life, and the relief, gratitude, and sheer joy he felt pressed him to break the kiss and pull T.J. into a warm embrace instead. He breathed in the scent of spices and aftershave as T.J. pulled him close enough to feel his heartbeat, and the warmth and closeness as T.J. simply held him did more to ground him than any of the therapy sessions he had attended without argument. The gentle pop of the chili on the stove counted the minutes as T.J.’s soothing presence eased his own anxious thoughts, and Eric could only add them to the time he had already spent hiding in T.J.’s arms while the dust of the disaster he had created settled around them. He wasn’t sure how T.J. knew when it was okay to let him go, but he never once did it before Eric was ready, and this time, like always, he added a kiss gentle enough to make sure Eric was settled firmly on the ground.
Then the tongue that slipped past his lips added heat to the mix, and by the time they separated for breath, Eric’s hands had found their way under T.J.’s sweatshirt, and the erection straining his jeans was stroking its match under T.J.’s fleece sweatpants.
“Think you can wait a while for supper?” T.J. asked, his voice low and sultry, his eyes dark and hungry.
“Not a doubt in my mind,” Eric answered, continuing to brush their bodies together in an effort to maintain contact.
T.J. nipped his lower lip, then reached behind him to turn off the burner. When his hand returned, it dropped lower, cupping Eric’s ass and pulling them together for a sturdy stroke of cock against cock.
“Bedroom,” T.J. whispered breathily. “I think I want to take some time with this.”
Eric answered him with a deep and sensual kiss, then pulled away reluctantly and took T.J.’s hand. Their financial future might still be uncertain, but their physical one was sound, and more importantly, their emotional future was strong and solid.
And that was the future that mattered the most.
About the Author
R.G. Green grew up listening to the continuous tap of a typewriter as her dad threw out page after page of captivating stories, giving root to her love of books and her absolute fascination with writing. Now older, with marriage, overseas living, and a host of wonderful experiences under her belt, the self-proclaimed book fiend has finally settled down enough to give the writing bug its due. Currently living in a small mountain town where peaceful quiet is the norm, R.G. now spends her time away from her day job doing the things she loves the most: reading, writing, and spoiling the two barking fuzzy critters who can make her laugh no matter what.
You can e-mail her at [email protected].
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
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
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
About the Author
Also from Dreamspinner Press
Also from Dreamspinner Press
Also from Dreamspinner Press