by Andria Large
Gunnar gasps against his lips when another finger is inserted, stretching him as much as he can. Gunnar’s breathing becomes labored, and he moans loudly when Bowen’s fingertips brush over that sweet spot.
“Jesus,” Gunnar hiss. “Stop teasing me.”
Bowen hums and removes his fingers as he straightens up to sit back on his heels. He plucks the condom off Gunnar’s chest and tears it open. Gunnar watches as he rolls it down his thick eight-inch cock. Gunnar’s heart pounds furiously with anticipation. That fucking gorgeous dick is going to be sinking into his ass in a few seconds.
Lining himself up, Bowen pushes forward slowly. Gunnar grits his teeth against the uncomfortable fullness. He pulls in a deep breath and does his best to relax. For some reason, he knew he liked to bottom, but forgot about this part of it.
Once he’s finally all the way in, they both take a moment to regain their composure. Bowen shifts closer and drapes Gunnar’s legs over his shoulders before he leans down to give him a sensual kiss. Bowen rocks his hips gently, letting Gunnar’s body adjust.
His thrusting becomes more deliberate and timed. The way Gunnar’s body is contorted gives Bowen a great angle to hit his prostate with each inward motion. Gunnar clutches Bowen's flanks, needing something to hang onto. Bowen presses his forehead against Gunnar’s as he continues his assault.
“You’re so fucking tight, feels so good,” Bowen breathes.
Gunnar can only moan in response since his ability to speak is failing him. He’s going so fucking deep that Gunnar can barely stand it. The pleasure is almost too much and he’s ready to fucking explode. Gunnar squeezes a hand between them and grips his cock. Three swift pumps is all it takes for him to come all over his chest. Bowen lets out a strangled cry and snaps his hips a few more times before he shoves in as far as he can and stays there, his cock pulsing inside of Gunnar.
They take a moment to catch their breaths. Damn, that was amazing. Bowen groans as he slowly extracts himself from Gunnar. He flops over onto his back next to him with a heavy sigh. Gunnar gently straightens out his legs. They're tight from being over Bowen’s shoulders and up by his ears the entire time.
Bowen grunts as he forces himself up into a sitting position, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. He stands, stretches out his back, then walks to the small trashcan in the corner and gets rid of the condom. He then comes back over to the bed and lies down on his side, facing Gunnar.
Gunnar lazily reaches over and pats his arm. “That was fucking amazing,” he murmurs.
Bowen hums and nods his agreement as his eyelids droop.
Gunnar gets up and goes to the bathroom to quickly wash himself down. When he's done, he climbs back into bed and scooches close to Bowen, turning so he can put his back against Bowen’s front. Bowen wraps his arm around Gunnar’s waist and tugs him flush against him. He tucks his face into the back of Gunnar’s neck and legs out another weighted sigh. Contentment washes over Gunnar. Man, he feels like this is exactly where he’s supposed to be, memory or not.
He’s starting to care less and less if it ever comes back. He’s building a new life with new memories. And what he’s dreamt about and remembered, he’s better off forgetting. He apparently had a fucked up childhood. Why would he want to remember that? No thanks. That can stay forgotten. Settling himself down, he lets sleep pull him under and hopes that he doesn’t have anymore of those terrible dreams.
***
Gunnar screams as a large knife gets shoved into his shoulder. The pain is something he's never felt before. It lights up his entire body. Turning, he shoots his attacker, killing him. The night is filled with sounds of screaming, gun shots, explosions, and the smell of burning flesh.
A loud booming crash has Gunnar crying out as he sits straight up in bed. The room lights up almost as bright as day for a few seconds, and he's positive that they're taking fire. He grabs Bowen's arm, drags him off the bed, and shoves him down on the floor, covering him with his body.
"Gunnar?! What's going on?!"
"Stay down, we're taking fire!"
"What? No, Babe, it's just thunder and lightning," Bowen says calmly.
Another boom has Gunnar curling around Bowen more and bracing himself for impact. Light flashes a moment later, but nothing happens. Nothing explodes. The house is still intact.
"Baby, listen to me. It's a thunder storm. We're okay. You're okay," Bowen says, reaching to squeeze Gunnar's arm. "We're in Griffin's house in Fort Worth, Texas."
Slowly, Gunnar unfurls himself and moves to a sitting position. Bowen follows. Gunnar's whole body is shaking as he drops his head into his hands.
"It was so fuckin' real," he whispers hoarsely.
"Was it a dream?" Bowen asks, placing his hand on Gunnar's shoulder.
"It started out as one, but when I woke up, it was still there."
Another round of crashing thunder has Gunnar almost jumping out of his skin. "I need a drink or something to calm my nerves," he mumbles and gets to his feet.
He pulls on his briefs and heads into the kitchen. He grabs a glass from the cabinet then plucks the whiskey from the top of the fridge. He pours about a shot's worth and throws it back, hissing as it burns its way down. Holy fuck, that was intense, and scary as shit. He'd been lucky enough to not remember how he ended up without his memory...until now. He only got a glimpse of it and really doesn't want the rest. The smell, good God… the smell is still in his nose. He downs another shot, enjoying the way it warms him from the inside out.
"Hey, you okay?" Bowen asks softly as he steps into the kitchen in his underwear.
Gunnar shakes his head. "No, not really."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Nope. I wanna just forget it," he rasps, pouring himself another shot.
Bowen comes to stand next to him. "Okay."
Gunnar throws back his shot then pushes the bottle in Bowen's direction. "Get this away from me before I drink the whole thing."
Bowen takes it and puts the cap back on before placing it back on top of the fridge. Thunder crashes, making Gunnar jump, but not as bad as before. He sets the glass in the sink and plants his hands on the counter before hanging his head. Bowen sidles up behind him and wraps his arms around his waist, propping his chin on Gunnar's shoulder.
"Everything's okay. I'm here. You're not alone," he murmurs.
Gunnar pulls in a deep breath and lets it out. "Okay."
"Come back to bed with me?"
Gunnar nods.
Bowen lets him go but takes his hand and leads him back to the bedroom. They get back into bed and Bowen pulls Gunnar close. Thunder booms again. Gunnar only tenses up this time. Bowen smoothes his hand down Gunnar's arm over and over, whispering gentle words of encouragement, until he eventually drifts back to sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
GRIFFIN AND Eva are sitting at the table the next morning drinking coffee and talking about what they want to do for the day when Bowen emerges from the hallway in just his jeans from yesterday. His lean torso is bare and so are his feet. His hair is a mess and his glasses are a bit askew. He shuffles past them and into the kitchen where he fumbles around while making himself a cup of coffee.
“Mornin’,” Griffin calls into the kitchen.
Bowen grumbles incoherently. He’s never been much of a morning person and isn’t really alive until he’s had his morning cup o’Joe. Eva snickers into her mug. Griffin shoots her a smile. She’s so pretty in the mornings with her dark hair thrown up on top of her head in a messy bun and no make-up.
Bare feet on the hardwood floors brings Griffin’s attention back toward the hallway where Gunnar is coming from. He too is shirtless, but he’s wearing a pair of gym shorts. He’s not wearing his hat and has been keeping his hair buzzed short, which makes it very easy to notice the scar. Gunnar looks way more awake than Bowen.
He smiles at Griffin and Eva. “Hey, guys. Good morning.” He claps Griffin on the shoulder as he passes him to get to the kitchen.
&nbs
p; Griffin watches as he goes right up to Bowen and plasters himself against his back, wrapping his arms around Bowen’s waist. He drops his chin to Bowen’s shoulder and whispers something in his brother’s ear, making him chuckle softly. Gunnar kisses Bowen’s shoulder then lets him go. Griffin doesn’t think he’s ever seen Gunnar be so openly affectionate with someone. It makes him happy that he feels comfortable enough to not only be like that with Bowen, but to also do it in front of him and Eva. They join them at the table, both with a cup of coffee.
“Do you guys have plans for today?” Eva asks them.
Gunnar clears his throat and rubs his hand over his scar. “I…uh…I was thinking I’d move my stuff back to my house so I can start living’ there.”
Griffin’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Really? Do you think you’re ready to be on your own?”
Griffin believes he is, but he’s still worried.
“Yeah, I do.” He nods. “I’m strong enough physically to take care of myself. I don’t need to burden you and Bowen anymore.”
“You’re not a burden,” Griffin says. “I like havin’ you here.”
“I like bein’ here too, but I also want to be on my own, in my house, drivin’ my car.”
“I understand. So, Bowen is helpin’ you move your stuff then?”
“Yeah. It’s not like I have a lot. It’s mostly clothes.”
“Okay.”
“What are you two doin' today?” Bowen asks.
“I think we’re gonna head to the movies,” Griffin replies.
Griffin’s a bit bummed that Gunnar is moving back into his own house, but he knows it’s time. He’s plenty strong enough to take care of himself. And if he’s going to be seeing Bowen romantically, he’d no doubt rather be in his own space. He and Eva got an earful last night and that was enough.
“Oh and by the way, your brother is now my boyfriend,” Gunnar says with a shit-eating grin over the mug of coffee.
Bowen blushes and rolls his eyes.
“Nice. So it’s official then?” Griffin smirks.
It was only a matter of time. Bowen said they had been in love before, so he's not surprised they found their way back to each other now that Gunnar is out of the closet. Griffin just hopes that they aren’t making a mistake by getting into a relationship right now with all of Gunnar’s issues.
“Yep,” Gunnar chirps then takes a sip of his coffee. At least he seems happy about it.
“I think you two make a cute couple,” Eva chimes in.
“Thanks, Darlin’,” Gunnar replies, sending her a wink.
A ringing fills the air. Bowen jumps then reaches into his pocket for his phone. He looks at the screen and immediately frowns hard. He silences the ringing then slips his phone back into his pocket.
“Who was it?” Gunnar asks.
Instead of looking at Gunnar, Bowen looks at Griffin. “No one special,” he says with an odd tone to his voice.
It takes Griffin a second, but he catches on. It had to have been Bowen’s ex-boyfriend, Dawson. The one who can't seem to let him go. He calls a couple times a month, trying to get back together with Bowen, saying he's given Bowen enough of a break. They broke up months ago, and Bowen's been doing his best to avoid him.
His phone beeps, letting him know that he has a voicemail. Griffin is curious as to what he's got to say this time. It’s obvious that Bowen doesn’t want Gunnar to know about it yet; otherwise, he would have just said who was calling.
Gunnar glances back and forth between him and Bowen. “What’s going on?”
“Nothin’, don’t worry about it.”
“Nothin’, my ass,” Gunnar huffs.
“We’ll talk about it later, okay?” Bowen murmurs and rakes a hand through his messy hair.
Gunnar purses his lips and nods, placated for now. Griffin will have to talk to Bowen later to find out what the dumbass wants. Bowen made it perfectly clear when they broke up that he never wanted to talk to or see Dawson again. Dawson can't seem to get the hint.
“You almost done with your coffee?” Gunnar asks, looking over at Bowen.
He nods and gulps down the remains of what was in his mug before shoving out of his chair. Gunnar follows him into the kitchen where they both place their mugs in the sink. They head down the hall for Gunnar’s room.
“I need to stop at my house to get a change of clothes,” Bowen says.
“Okay. We can do that.”
About fifteen minutes later, they return to the table completely dressed and with Griffin’s two large suitcases. Bowen, who is pulling one behind him, grabs his laptop bag off the table and slings it over his shoulder.
“See you later, Griff,” he says and gives Griffin’s shoulder a squeeze.
“Okay. Call me later.”
He nods solemnly. “I will.”
“I’ll be talking to you, Bud. And thank you for taking care of me. I really appreciate it,” Gunnar says sincerely.
Griffin stands and pulls him into a hug. Gunnar gives him a couple thunks on the back. “Any time, brother. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
“I do. Thank you.”
They say goodbye to Eva and then Griffin walks them to the door, standing out front while they load Bowen’s car up and get in. Griffin waves as Bowen pulls away, happy and sad at the same time. He’s really going to miss having his friend there. There is never a dull moment when Gunnar’s around.
Chapter Fourteen
GUNNAR IS talking excitedly the entire ride to Bowen’s house. It’s really great to see him so animated. It’s a side of him that, other than during the rodeo, he hasn’t seen too much of recently.
When he pulls into his driveway, Bowen sees that there is a car sitting in front of his house. A car he hasn’t seen in four months. A car that he’d hoped he’d never see again. What the fuck is Dawson doing there?
Dawson is Bowen’s ex-boyfriend, and a shitty ass boyfriend at that. He was always working and barely ever had time for Bowen. When he did find the time, he was selfish and only wanted to do things he liked to do. He was overly in love with his car and would freak out if Bowen left footprints on the freshly vacuumed carpet. They were together for a little over five months, and it was the worst five months of his life. He wasted way too much time on him. But now that they've been broken up, the guy can't seem to let go and has turned nasty.
“Who's that?” Gunnar’s question interrupts Bowen’s thoughts.
Bowen takes a deep breath. “That’s who called me earlier.”
“Okaaay?” he drawls, his brows furrowing.
“He’s my ex.”
“And?” Gunnar replies, eyebrow cocked. “I know there’s more to the story than that because of the way you acted earlier.”
Bowen sighs and takes his glasses off so he can scrub his face. “He’s been trying to get back with me ever since I dumped him. Can't seem to take no for an answer, and now he's getting nasty about it."
Gunnar’s expression fades and a cold hard mask replaces it. “Is that so?”
“Listen, I can handle him. Don’t worry about it.”
Gunnar doesn’t respond as they both get out of the car. Dawson’s car door opens and he steps out. He’s a decent looking guy with a nice body. His hair is long and pulled up into a knot at the crown of his head.
“He even looks like a douchebag,” Gunnar whispers as he sidles up next to Bowen.
“Mmm hmm.”
Dawson walks around the back of his car and onto the curb before taking long strides in their direction. Bowen senses Gunnar's tension next to him so he reaches out and gives his hand a squeeze. Of course, Dawson sees the move and curls his top lip into a sneer.
“Bowen, I need to talk to you,” Dawson demands.
Bowen gives him a dry look and shakes his head. “No. No, you don’t. I have nothing to say to you.”
“That’s good because I wasn’t asking for you to say anything. You need to listen, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry
, what?” Gunnar asks incredulously. “You better watch your fuckin' mouth, son."
“Gunnar, please,” Bowen murmurs out of the side of his mouth.
Dawson slowly turns to gaze over at Gunnar. “Excuse me, I wasn’t talking to you. And frankly, you should walk the hell away because I’m trying to have a conversation with Bowen." Dawson reaches out and grabs Bowen's wrist. "I want to talk to you alone."
Gunnar grabs Dawson's arm. "Get your fuckin' hand off of him before I break it off and smack you across the fuckin' face with it."
Dawson frowns hard. "Get off of me."
Gunnar is on him before Bowen can blink. He grips Dawson up by the collar of his shirt, just like he did to the guy at the bar, and hoists him up, forcing him onto his tippy-toes.
“You don’t know me, asshole. I’ll fuck you up in a heartbeat, just give me the word,” Gunnar bites out in Dawson’s face.
Gunnar then shoves him away, making Dawson stumble before regaining his balance. Gunnar plants himself slightly in front of Bowen, his feet braced apart with his hands balled into fists at his sides. He looks aggressive and intimidating as fuck. Also, sexy as hell. Bowen’s not gonna lie, he’s completely turned on.
“Listen, I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. I’m here to talk to Bowen.”
“So talk, motherfucker,” Gunnar snaps.
“In private.”
“Not a fuckin' chance,” Gunnar replies with a humorless laugh. "How about you talk to Bowen while I smash your fuckin' face into the sidewalk?"
Dawson’s gaze lifts to look over Gunnar’s shoulder at Bowen. “Help me out here.”
Bowen raises an eyebrow and folds him arms over his chest. “Whatever you came here to say to me, you can say in front of Gunnar.”
“Is he your boyfriend or something?” Dawson spits, his face looking like he just ate a sour Warhead candy.
“As a matter of fact, he fuckin' is,” Gunnar says aggressively, nodding his head.