Falling In (Only You Book 2)

by J. S. Finley

  “You’re thinking about me leaving, aren’t you?”

  Thomas stared at his plate. “Yeah.”

  “You know what, why don’t we enjoy our time together and forget about everything else? I know I’m leaving, and it doesn’t look hopeful, but somehow there is a way for us to be together; I know it.”

  Thomas met his gaze and nodded. “You’re right. We can enjoy this week— well, a little more than a week—and then we’ll take it as it comes. I can fly up there, and you can come down here. Day by day, week by week, that’s what we’ll do.”

  “I like the idea of figuring it out as we go.”

  He took a few more bites of food, and Thomas started talking about the fish his clients caught, laughing at some of the things that had happened.

  “This one guy caught a blue marlin. It was beautiful to watch him struggle and finally win the battle.” Thomas’ face lit up, and his eyes went wide as he mimicked someone reeling in a huge fish. “It was late though so we had to come in. I know they wanted to stay out and try for another one, but there was no way we would have had time.”

  Warmth spread through him. This was how life was supposed to be lived. “I love listening to you talk about fishing. You’re so animated.”

  Thomas chuckled. “I love my job.” He paused and looked at his plate while he pushed his food around. He glanced up, insecurity evident in his gaze. “Do you think the guys will want to go out fishing?”

  Clay nodded. “Oh yeah, they’ll love it.”

  “I was thinking of doing a four-hour fishing spot. It’s not too long. The eight-hour days can be brutal. I cleared the boat’s schedule and made sure no one could book it.”

  “You do know all of us love you and will be happy to see your boat and go fishing. You’re good at what you do, and we all want to spend time with you doing what you love.”

  Thomas’ lip twisted into a grimace. “I hope they enjoy it.”

  Clay reached across the table and took Thomas’ hand, squeezing it. “Babe, they’ll love it. Don’t worry.”

  They finished their meal, storing the leftovers in the freezer. The pie was cooling, and Clay couldn’t think of anything better to do than kiss his man. Thomas didn’t raise any arguments when he pulled him close. It was comfortable being with Thomas, like they belonged together.

  Clay wanted more from Thomas, so he tugged him out to the back yard and stripped off his clothes before hopping into the hot tub. Thomas undressed and followed him in, settling close as they continued to make out.

  The backyard was the perfect place to touch and play with each other. The fence kept people out, and the bushes in the surrounding lots obstructed their view. Clay felt totally comfortable sitting naked with Thomas in the tub.

  “Do you like this?” Clay asked as he lightly grazed his fingers over Thomas’ cock.

  “Yes,” Thomas hissed. His man opened his mouth and panted as Clay continued to touch him.

  Clay chuckled and grabbed Thomas’ dick tighter and squeezed. He liked how Thomas seemed almost helpless as he stroked him. Thomas whimpered and threw his head back, resting it against the side of the tub. Clay angled his body closer and kissed him, loving the way they fit together.

  Thomas was going to come, and he was going to take him there. Clay watched the pleasure flit across Thomas’ face as he stroked, changing his angle. He used every trick he knew, touching, caressing, and stroking to push Thomas closer to orgasm. It was amazing, watching him buck his hips and arch into his hold.

  “You’re so fucking sexy like this,” Clay said as he adjusted his angle and grabbed Thomas’ balls while he continued to stroke him.

  “Oh God, Clay,” Thomas cried out as he stiffened, his body shaking seconds before his cock started to pulse.

  Watching the release made Clay even hotter. He wanted to be inside Thomas, filling him, but they didn’t have a condom or lube out here. He settled for stroking his own cock and coming in his hand.

  Thomas tugged Clay close and held him, massaging his shoulders and neck as he toyed with Clay’s lips. “You’re special,” Thomas said between kisses.

  “Thank you.” Clay pulled away from Thomas and stared into his eyes, searching for any answers to what they were going to do, but there were none. He would leave, and there wouldn’t be any more sessions in the hot tub like this. Depression loomed, clinging to him, though he tried to shake it off. Something had to change; he wasn’t sure what he could do.

  After getting out of the hot tub, they wandered into the kitchen and sliced the pie, taking their plates outside to eat. Thomas placed towels on the chairs for them to sit on since they were still naked.

  He enjoyed the warm air blowing across his body. He also liked how casual he could be with Thomas. It was like they were meant to be together. Thomas was nice, kind, and it wasn’t only the sex, which was out of this world. Thomas was the perfect person to spend his life with. When Thomas held his hand, it felt right. They fit perfectly together. Though their situation was different with him living in Virginia and Thomas here, he didn’t want it to end.

  After cleaning up the kitchen, they turned in for the night. Thomas fell asleep in his arms, their legs twisted together. Clay stayed awake worrying about his job and what he was headed back to. It could all go to hell for him so fast. Just mentioning he thought there was an issue to one guy had put a target on his back. If he went forward and talked to Internal Affairs about his suspicions, he would be turning on his brothers in blue in one way, but he would be keeping others safe. Heck, someone had turned on him. Maybe he had no choice now.

  Approaching IA made him nervous, but there were dead officers because someone had screwed up. Had those two cops not lied, the families of the two dead men would still have fathers.

  After an hour spent thinking of his problems, he finally drifted off to Thomas’ soft snores.

  The next day, they jogged to the beach, lifted some weights, then went over and helped Amy’s husband, Clem, put together some lawn furniture. It was nice spending the day with Thomas hanging out and doing regular, non-vacation related stuff.

  After they finished with the lawn furniture, they headed home and plopped down in front of the TV before starting a make out session and missing most of a movie they’d both already watched. He ended up on his knees sucking Thomas, which was exactly what he wanted to do.

  Thomas returned the favor, and they fell asleep, twisted together on the couch. When Clay woke sometime in the evening, he watched Thomas sleep. A thread of depression twisted through him, tugging on his heart. Leaving this man would be nearly impossible. He had to figure out some way to stay with him.

  After a few minutes, Thomas woke. His eyes were cloudy at first, but they cleared. He rolled, pinning Clay underneath him. His gaze drilled into Clay’s, and he shivered.

  “I feel so much for you,” Thomas said.

  Clay reached up and cupped his cheeks, drawing him down for a kiss. After another short make-out session, they got up and ate dinner. They hadn’t gone out; instead, they were making a little slice of heaven here at Thomas’ house.

  Clay was falling for this man every minute they spent together, and he wanted more.

  The next morning, Clay woke excited and a little afraid. The rest of their friends were set to arrive later in the day. Thomas rolled out of bed a few minutes after him, and after brushing his teeth, he pinned Clay against the wall.

  “Hey, waking with you this morning was magical.”

  Clay laughed, but Thomas wasn’t laughing. He sobered as he stared into Thomas’ eyes.

  “I need to feel you.”

  Clay shivered. He took Thomas’ hand and tugged him into the shower where they jacked each other off. It was good being with his man. Spending time with Thomas made everything better.

  Thomas wanted to be at the rental office to pick up the keys for their vacation home before nine. Since Thomas lived on the island, the rental company had agreed to an early pickup time.

  After retri
eving the keys, he and Thomas went shopping, picking up food for the week. They unloaded the groceries then took a quick tour of the house.

  The place Lane had arranged for them to stay at was in a nice area, close to where Thomas stored his boat. The house was huge and had four bedrooms, which meant Mike and Lane wouldn’t have to share rooms.

  Unlike when they’d gone to Tennessee, there were no delays due to weather. Sweat snaked down Clay’s back as he checked the time.

  “Hey, you excited?” Thomas asked as they left the hall leading to the bedrooms.

  Clay shot him a smile and tried to look calm, but he knew he’d failed. “I’m nervous.”

  Thomas’ gaze softened. “Hey, everything will be fine.”

  “I know, I just—”

  A horn honked outside, and Thomas’ lips curved into a huge smile before he rushed out the door. Clay followed, wishing he could feel as hopeful as Thomas did. He wanted their friends’ support, but he worried about how much heckling they would go through before Thomas called it quits. Then there were their living arrangements. He wasn’t planning on moving here. Brent and Jake had had a plan before they left Tennessee; he and Thomas had nothing in stone. None of them wanted to see any of the guys get hurt, and he really didn’t want to hurt Thomas. He should have thought through this before he kissed Thomas, but the man was too delicious not to taste.

  8

  “Nice ride,” Thomas called out to Jake and Brent as they parked their sleek convertible.

  “Thanks. Nice house, Lane did good picking this one,” Brent said as he stepped out of the car.

  Thomas hugged Brent then walked around the front of the car to hug Jake. Clay followed, holding on to Jake a little longer.

  “I need to talk to you,” Clay whispered.

  Jake leaned back, his eyes narrowed. “Is everything okay?”

  Clay smiled and nodded. “Better than okay. How are you two doing?”

  Jake’s gaze cut to Brent, and his cheeks turned darker. “So awesome. I love Brent.”

  Clay’s heart warmed. He was happy for the couple. “Good.”

  “Hey you two, come on and stop hugging,” Brent called out.

  Clay slid his arm around Jake and walked him toward the house. Thomas and Brent had the bags and were waiting on the huge wraparound porch. He decided it was time to freak the guys out and loosened his hold on Jake before he moved quickly to Thomas, planting a kiss on his man.

  “Oh shit, what the fuck?” Jake said.

  He could feel Thomas’ lips form a smile, and he ended the kiss, letting their foreheads rest against each other’s for a second as both Jake and Brent exclaimed their disbelief.

  “Are you two joking?” Brent asked.

  “They’re making fun of us,” Jake said.

  Thomas stepped back and shook his head. “No joke. We have the room at the back on the second floor.”

  “Oh my God, you two are a couple. When did this happen?” Jake asked.

  “When he arrived,” Thomas said.

  Brent stepped close and hugged Thomas, slapping him on the back. After another round of hugs and congratulations, they stepped into the house.

  “Wow, this place is nice,” Brent said.

  Thomas chuckled. “Wait until you see the back yard.”

  Jake stepped close to Clay and wrapped his arm over his shoulder. “Now I know why you want to talk.”

  “Yeah, I need some—um, information.”

  “I’ve got you covered.” Jake gave him a wink then moved to Brent as they toured the house.

  The place was amazing. Lane had an uncanny ability to find the perfect vacation houses. There was a pool with a hot tub and enough deck chairs in the sun and in the shade, so all of them would have a place to relax. There were also two huge hammocks. He could imagine napping in one of those hammocks with Thomas at his side.

  “Hey, when will Mike and Lane get here?” Brent asked.

  “Soon. Their flights arrive at almost the same time, and they’re renting a car together. I think they will be here within the hour,” Clay said.

  “This is perfect.” Jake moved to his man and hugged him. “We were thinking we’d have to tone down our affection, and we will when Mike and Lane are here, but you two don’t mind, do you?”

  “Not at all.” Thomas came close and hugged Clay, kissing him on the cheek. “I have us scheduled to go out on the boat on Monday.”

  “Sounds great,” Jake said.

  “It’s nice. He took me out the day I arrived.”

  “Did he? Tell us, did he take you out far and strip you naked?” Brent asked.

  “Oh my God, no,” Clay said. “We did a little tour, ate a picnic, then we came back as the sun was setting.” Clay turned to stare at Thomas. “Wait, our trip out on the boat, it was a date, wasn’t it?”

  Thomas’ cheeks turned pink, and he looked at the ground. “Maybe. Actually no. I wish I was that smooth, but really, I wanted to show you how awesome the area was.”

  Clay chuckled and used his forefinger to poke Thomas’ chest. “You were romancing me, seeing what my reaction would be.”

  Thomas laughed, then grabbed Clay’s finger and pulled his arm around his waist so Clay was plastered against his body. “I could have been…maybe. I wanted you to have a good time. And yeah, I’ve always felt something for you, but I didn’t want to admit it.”

  “You’re sweet,” Jake said.

  Brent kissed Jake then looked at Clay and Thomas. “So Thomas, Jake and I have talked about this—”

  “Argued is what he meant to say,” Jake interrupted.

  Brent rolled his eyes. “Talked. Do you think you would have done something with a different guy, you know, if Clay wasn’t around?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been with another guy, but I’m young. Clay is special. I may have found another guy, but I’ve never looked for one.” He squeezed Clay tighter and let his lips linger at Clay’s hairline.

  Brent’s brows rose, and when he angled his head, his eyes narrowed. “So you think it’s Clay, and not anything else that got you to switch teams?”

  Thomas shook his head. “You ask tough questions. I’m not sure I’ve switched teams. I’m trying to be real, and for me, a relationship with Clay is as real as I can get.”

  Jake nodded. “That’s how I feel about Brent.”

  Clay stepped out of Thomas’ arms and poured himself a glass of water as he listened to the guys talk. He interrupted as his agitation grew. “You know, I don’t understand the need to label everything. I’m with Thomas, why does it have to make me gay?”

  “That’s what people will say,” Jake said.

  “Do you still find women attractive?” Clay asked.

  “Yeah, like I think some guys are hot, but I’m with Brent, so it doesn’t matter how hot anyone else is, I’m with this man.”

  “Brent, how do you feel?” Thomas asked.

  He shrugged then kissed Jake’s cheek. “I know it would make some people feel insecure, but I don’t. I feel very lucky Jake loves me. Out of all the people on the planet, he picked me.”

  “That’s how I feel about Clay,” Thomas said.

  Jake reached out and took Brent’s hand. “How about we get cleaned up and wait for the rest of the guys. Are we going out to eat tonight, or are we eating here?”

  “I’d love to cook for everyone. We went to the store this morning and picked up some food,” Clay said.

  “Awesome.” Jake gave him two thumbs up. “I’ll cook tomorrow.”

  Clay liked their plans already. He was happy with how things had gone down.

  Thomas cleared this throat. “Cool. We can go out our last night here. I know this great place we can get a reservation and have a private room. I’ll call now and see if they’re booked.”

  Thomas stepped out on the patio, and Brent and Jake headed to their room. Clay decided to make some cookies and brew some iced coffee. They would all get their share of beer, but he wanted some alternative beverages.
They also had bought a bunch of bottled water. It was Florida, and the heat index was high, which would mean they would be sweating a lot and would need to stay hydrated.

  Thomas came back in, his smile wide. “I’ve got us booked in the private dining room.”

  “That’s gr—” A noise above interrupted Clay’s words. “What’s that noise?”

  They both looked at the ceiling before their gazes locked. The noise sounded again right above them.

  Thomas drew in a sharp breath. “Are we—?”

  Clay’s body heated. “Oh my God, we are.”

  Thomas’ eyes went wide, and Clay started giggling. They wrapped their arms around each other as they listened to Jake and Brent bumping around above them.

  “Oh crap, you can hear everything,” Thomas whispered.

  “It’s kind of hot.” Clay reached down and rubbed the front of Thomas’ pants.

  “Shit, you’re turning me on,” Thomas groaned.

  Clay’s lips turned up. “Damn, this is a little awkward though.”

  Thomas rocked his hips against Clay’s hand. “Let’s go up to our room and see if we can hear them.”

  “Are you trying to get me to have sex with you?”

  “You’re the one rubbing my dick.”

  Clay laughed. “Let’s go up and see.”

  They headed up, moving to the bedroom across the hall from Brent and Jake’s room. Clay shut the door and stood still, listening but not hearing anything.

  “Can you hear them?” Thomas asked.

  Clay shook his head. “No, can you?”

  “No.”

  Clay met Thomas’ gaze and held it. “Should we tell them?”

  Horror washed over Clay. He couldn’t imagine breaking the news to the pair. “What would we tell them?”

  “That we could hear them?”

  He shook his head. “No way.”

  Thomas’ phone dinged, causing him to roll his eyes. He pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the screen. “It’s Lane and Mike; they’re pulling into the neighborhood.”