From War to Forever

by Andria Large

  Dennis gives in and lets his laughter take over. “I’m sorry. I knew Kevin was going to give you a hard time, and it was pretty funny to watch.”

  I gape at him. “You dick! You could have stopped him before he came on to me and you just let him go?” I give him a shove that has him practically giggling.

  “If it makes you feel any better, he offered to blow us both while I was outside with him.” He chuckles, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder.

  I laugh. “Unbelievable.”

  Dennis grabs my arm and pulls me against his chest. He smiles down at me and says, “Maybe when I get home, we can give each other a blowjob.”

  I hum my approval and give him a quick kiss before pulling away from our embrace. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you in a little while.”

  Dennis nods. I hand him my helmet so I can shrug into my jacket. After I zip up, I take my helmet back. “Love you.”

  He smiles. “I love you too.”

  I head for the door, and he gives my ass a swat as I go. I glare at him over my shoulder, which makes him grin rakishly back at me. I shake my head and walk out the door. As I make my way over to where I parked my bike, I pull my helmet on, then throw my leg over my crotch rocket. I start up the bike, loving the soft vibrations she gives off. I pull out of the spot and make my way back to the condo, my mind on Dennis’s promise of sixty-nineing when he gets home.

  I’m half-asleep on the couch when Dennis finally walks in the door at 2:15 a.m. He grins at me and pulls his shirt over his head. My heart flutters at the sight of his bare chest and abs. I love the light dusting of hair across his chest. It’s manly and sexy. I watch raptly as he slowly unbuttons his pants and lowers the zipper. I swipe the back of my hand across my mouth because I’m certain I’m drooling.

  He comes over to the couch and stops right next to me with his fly undone. He shoves me down so I’m lying on my back. Next, he yanks off my sweatpants before getting rid of his own pants. I guess we’re getting right down to business. Dennis climbs on top of me, his cock right in my face. I groan and pull him into my mouth just as he does the same to me. Dennis’s mouth vibrates around me, so I can only assume he’s moaning too.

  Fuck, it’s so good. Dennis’s mouth is so hot and wet around my cock. He uses one hand to stroke my shaft while the other teases my asshole. I’m definitely not going to last long like this. I glide my hands up the back of his thighs so I can knead the flesh of his asscheeks. He’s got such a nice ass—all toned, yet soft at the same time.

  Dennis swirls his tongue around the head of my dick and I moan. My orgasm is building. My hips have a mind of their own, and they start thrusting. Dennis’s finger slips into my ass and I lose it. I cry out around his cock as I shoot my load into his mouth. Dennis keeps sucking until there’s nothing left. He lets me go, then turns around but keeps his knees straddling my chest. He leans forward and puts his hands on the armrest of the couch, giving me a great angle to continue sucking his dick.

  Dennis shoves his hand into my hair and grips it. I glance up at his face. He’s staring down at where his dick is disappearing into my mouth. His green eyes are blazing. I can’t hear him, but I can see how hard he’s breathing from looking at his chest. He’s close. His eyes meet mine, and he gives me a nod. Yep, I was right, he’s close. His thrusts falter, and a second later, he’s coming in my mouth. I swallow and suck him harder, taking everything I can from him.

  He finally pulls away, scoots down so he can lie on top of me, nuzzles his face against my neck, and sighs. I wrap my arms around him and kiss his forehead. No words needed. That was hot, and we both know it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  TUCKER

  THE DAY before we leave to go to Baltimore for my surgery, my dad texts me while I’m at work.

  Your mother left the house while I was in the bathroom. I can’t find her anywhere.

  What the fuck?

  Did you call the police?

  Not yet. I’m semihoping she will just come home on her own.

  Is he crazy? She has Alzheimer’s; the police need to be notified right away.

  Dad, no, you have to call the police. They will put out a Silver Alert so people can keep a lookout for her.

  Okay, I guess so. I’ll call now.

  Okay, let me know if you need me to leave work.

  I will.

  Son of a bitch! This is so not good. And honestly this is the last thing I need to be worrying about when I have to leave tomorrow for my surgery. My dad is going to have to get special locks on the doors or something so she can’t wander off like this. Who knows what can happen to her while she’s out walking the streets. What if she walks into a bad area and gets mugged or raped or killed? Jesus Christ. I can’t sit here and work, wondering and worrying about where she is and if they’re going to find her. I send a text to Dennis.

  My mom is missing. She wandered out of the house while my dad was in the bathroom.

  Dennis replies a moment later.

  Shit. What can I do?

  My dad should be calling the police now. I think I’m going to leave work and help look for her. Can you come get me?

  Absolutely! Be there soon.

  Okay.

  I go into my boss’s office and explain the situation. He’s extremely understanding and lets me take the rest of the day off.

  When we get to my dad’s, there’s already a police officer there taking down a missing persons report. They are standing out on the front sidewalk.

  My dad is distraught—understandably so. I stop next to him and put my hand on his shoulder. He looks over at me and gives me a tight smile before reaching across me to shake Dennis’s hand.

  The cop asks my dad a few more questions before leaving. My dad turns to me.

  “God, I hope she’s okay,” he says.

  I nod. “Me too.”

  Dennis pats my arm to get my attention. When I look over at him, he says, “Why don’t we drive around and see if we can find her?”

  “Yeah, good idea. Dad, text me if she shows up.”

  My dad nods. Dennis and I get back into his car, and he circles the neighborhood.

  “She couldn’t have gotten far. She doesn’t walk that fast,” I mutter out loud but kind of to myself.

  After half an hour of driving around and no word from my dad, Dennis taps my thigh to get my attention. I’m really hoping after the surgery he won’t have to do that anymore. I turn to look at him, and he signs, “Where did she grow up?”

  “Not far from where she lives now. Probably a couple of miles. Why?”

  “Well, the last time I talked to her, in her mind, she was young, like nineteen or twenty-one or something. Maybe she decided to go home, as in where she lived when she was younger?”

  I stare at him in awe for a moment. Then I smile and shake my head. “You’re a genius.”

  Dennis smirks and shrugs. “Just makes sense,” he signs.

  I give him directions to the block where my mother grew up. We turn onto the block and—holy shit—there she is, sitting on the steps of her childhood home. She looks unperturbed and even happy sitting there with a smile on her face. As Dennis parks, I quickly text my dad to tell him we found her and where. He lets me know he’s going to tell the police and then meet us here.

  DENNIS

  “MY DAD said he’ll be right over. He thinks she’ll go with him a lot easier than if we try to get her home,” Tucker says as we get out of the car.

  “I agree,” I say, making sure he’s looking at me.

  We casually walk up to Sherry but stop a couple of feet away from her.

  “Hi,” I say to her with a smile.

  She smiles warmly, but there’s no recognition in her eyes when she glances between Tucker and me. “Hello.”

  “Is this your house?” I ask, even though I know the answer already.

  She glances over her shoulder at the old row home. “Yep.”

  “Do you live here alone?” I ask.

  I jus
t want to make conversation with her so she doesn’t get upset or anything while we’re waiting for Tom to get here.

  “Oh no! I live here with my parents, of course,” Sherry answers.

  “Do you drive?” I ask.

  “Not right now. I don’t have the money for a car, so I pretty much walk everywhere. I was somewhat far from home today, so a nice young lady gave me a ride,” she replies.

  “I see. That was nice of her. So how come you’re sitting out here?”

  She frowns slightly. “I seem to have lost my keys, so I have to wait for my parents to get home to let me in. It shouldn’t be too much longer now.”

  I glance at Tucker, who is watching her, a pained expression on his face. I can only imagine how hard this is for him. I make idle conversation with Sherry for the next ten minutes. Tom finally arrives and rushes over to us.

  “Oh thank God you found her!” he exclaims. He turns to Tucker. “What made you look here?”

  “It was actually Dennis’s idea. He remembered how the last time he talked to her, she thought she was much younger. So he thought maybe she would try to go to her childhood home. When we pulled up, she was sitting here.”

  Tom turns to me, gives me an impressed look, and shakes my hand vigorously. “Well done, Dennis. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you being here.”

  I smile. “It was my pleasure. I’m glad I was able to help.”

  Tom goes to Sherry and squats in front of her, talking softly. I can’t hear what he’s saying, but she keeps nodding. Finally, with his help, she stands, and he leads her to his car.

  Tucker and I get back into my car. He sighs heavily and rubs his face. I place my hand on his knee and give it a squeeze. He lifts his eyes to mine.

  “You okay?” I ask.

  “I’m just so stressed right now. I didn’t need this today.”

  “I know, babe. Everything’ll be okay, though.”

  He nods wearily. “How about we go to a movie or something since I have the rest of the day off?”

  I smile softly. “That sounds like a great plan.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  DUKE

  I’M IN a mood. A dark mood. The kind of mood I have trouble finding my way out of. I haven’t felt like this in years. The whole fucking thing with Aimee is really starting to wear me down. The divorce is final, but I’m still picking up the pieces. I’m still hurt over what she did to me. I don’t understand what happened. Did I not give her everything she asked for? How was I not enough for her? I feel like a failure.

  Dennis and Tucker got here this morning for Tucker’s surgery, which is tomorrow. As much as I love those two, they’re killing me with the PDA. Not in an “Ew, that’s gross” kind of way, but a “Damn, I wish I had what they have” kind of way… but with a woman. I wish I had just an ounce of what they have. The love between them is palpable.

  The two of them went out for dinner and drinks. They asked me to tag along, but I wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t want to rain on their parade. I’m sitting in my living room, in my favorite armchair, staring into the darkness. The only light is coming from the dying embers of the fireplace next to me. I’ve been sitting here since they left, not having the desire to do anything or go anywhere. Fuck, I’m going to need to tell someone soon before this gets any worse. This is not where I want to be again. I finish off the scotch in my glass and set it on the coffee table in front of me.

  My thoughts are interrupted by a thump against the front door. I freeze, listening intensely. What the hell was that? Some scraping, another thump, and now I can hear low voices, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. My body coils tight. I’m about to get out of my seat and head to the door when I hear a key slide into the lock. It clicks softly, disengaging. I blow out a slow breath. It’s only Dennis and Tucker. Damn, they scared the shit out of me.

  They stumble through the door, and I’m about to give them hell about scaring me when I realize they’re locked in one of the most passionate kisses I’ve ever seen. Tucker seems to be the aggressor at the moment. He fists his hands in Dennis’s shirt as he shoves him up against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, right in my line of sight. Dennis tangles his fingers in Tucker’s curls.

  They both groan as Tucker presses himself against Dennis. Okay, I’ve seen enough….

  I clear my throat loud enough for Dennis to hear me. He jumps, tearing his mouth away from Tucker’s. He gazes over Tucker’s shoulder and sees me, so I give him a two-fingered salute. Dennis rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

  “What?” Tucker asks him. I can hear the confusion in his tone.

  Hopefully after tomorrow, he will be able to hear again and won’t need Dennis to tell him they’re not alone. Dennis nods his chin in my direction. Tucker glances over his shoulder and sees me. His eyes widen slightly.

  “Oh shit. Sorry, Duke. We thought you were sleeping since all of the lights were out.”

  “Definitely not sleeping,” I sign to him.

  He shoves himself away from Dennis. “I’m gonna go take a shower.”

  Dennis nods. “I’ll be up soon,” he signs to Tucker.

  “Okay.” Tucker gives him one more kiss before going upstairs.

  Dennis shoves his hands in his pockets and walks over to me. He stops next to my chair.

  “Is there a reason you’re sitting here in the dark?” he asks quietly.

  I shrug. “Didn’t feel like turning the light on?”

  “Is there anything you need to talk about?” he asks all too knowingly.

  “Nope,” I say automatically out of habit.

  Shit. I was just telling myself I needed to talk to someone. If I’m going to talk to anyone, it should be Dennis because he will understand the best.

  “All right, you know where to find me if you change your mind,” he murmurs.

  I grab his wrist as he turns away. He looks over his shoulder at me and waits for me to speak.

  “I… I’m depressed again.”

  Dennis frowns and moves to sit down on the coffee table in front of me. “How long?”

  “It started after I found out about Aimee cheating on me, but it’s getting worse.” I sigh and rake a hand down my face.

  “How bad are we talking here? Are you thinking about killing yourself?” Dennis asks in concern.

  I shake my head. “No, not yet, but I can see it going there.”

  He nods. “Okay. What do you need from me?”

  He places his hand on my knee. I pull in a deep breath and close my eyes. Having his support and comfort is helpful. It’s funny how close Dennis and I have grown since our first meeting. I guess having something as crippling as depression in common forces us to confide in and trust each other. Plus, it’s always fun to be able to bust on someone who can take it and dish it back out.

  When I open my eyes, Dennis is studying me as he patiently waits for me to answer his question. “Just knowing I can come and talk to you whenever I need to is helpful. I already feel a little better telling you that I’m depressed.”

  He squeezes my knee. “Why don’t you come and stay with Tucker and me for a while? I don’t like the thought of you being here alone while you’re feeling this way.” He frowns.

  A rush of emotion has my eyes burning with the threat of tears. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

  “No, not at all,” Dennis says with conviction.

  “I would like that,” I whisper.

  “Okay, good.”

  Dennis stands and grabs my arm, then pulls me up from my seat and into a hug. I wrap my arms around him and rest my forehead on his shoulder. Relief pours through me; I already don’t feel as alone as I did only moments ago. Dennis rubs circles on my back, seemingly content to hold me for as long as I need.

  “Can I snuggle with you and Tucker tonight?” I tease. But I’m also hoping he’ll catch the need in my tone. I don’t want to be alone tonight.

  Dennis chuckles and pulls out of the hug. His eyes soften as his smile fades. His h
ands lightly smooth up and down my arms as he motions with his head toward the stairs.

  “Come on,” he murmurs.

  As Dennis and I come to the top of the stairs, Tucker is exiting the bathroom with a towel slung low around his hips.

  “Everything okay?” he asks with a frown as he looks at me.

  I guess something on my face gives me away.

  Dennis pats Tucker’s arm to get his attention, then asks, “Do you mind if Duke sleeps with us tonight? He’s feeling depressed again and could use the comfort.”

  “Of course not,” Tucker says immediately.

  “Actually we should sleep in my bed because it’s a king,” I sign, knowing both of them will understand me.

  We all agree. Fifteen minutes later, after we all go through our little bedtime routines, and Dennis sets his alarm for tomorrow, we’re all snuggled in my bed under the covers with Dennis in the middle. We’re all spooning, with Tucker’s front against Dennis’s back and Dennis’s front against my back. Dennis is kind enough to keep his hips away from my ass.

  “Let’s never speak of this night again,” I grumble into the silence.

  Dennis chuckles behind me, his breath tickling my neck and making me squirm.

  “Goddammit, stop that,” I huff.

  “Sorry.” He snickers, turning his face away from my neck.

  “Fuck, I wish you were a woman.”

  Relaxing into the comfort provided by my friend’s arms, I quickly fall to sleep.

  DENNIS AND Tucker stumble through the front door locked in a passionate kiss. Tucker’s hands are fisted in Dennis’s shirt and he shoves him up against the wall, right in my line of sight. Dennis tangles his fingers in Tucker’s curls.

  I blink a few times. I’m weirdly intrigued and… kinda turned on. They are being really rough with each other, and it’s fucking hot. I like getting rough in bed. I’ve only had a couple of women who could handle me letting loose on them. Neither one was the woman I married. Maybe that was my problem.