Cody arched an eyebrow at him. “Don’t dis the zombies, bro.” He hooked a thumb at her. “Hey, she’s an archer. She might be the only thing keeping us alive when the zombie apocalypse hits.” He tossed her a wink that made her laugh.
She wouldn’t deny it felt good to laugh easily like this. “The zombie apocalypse, huh? The hardest part about that will be pretending I’m not excited.”
Cody’s eyes widened as he laughed and reached over for a fist bump from her. “You, my dear lady, are one of the tribe.”
She took a risk. “You guys busy on Saturday morning?”
“No, why?” Justin asked.
“If you want, we can go down to Venice and I’ll give you an archery lesson.”
“Deal,” Cody said before glancing at Justin. “Well, I’m in, at least.”
Justin nodded. “Me, too. That sounds like fun. On one condition.”
“What?”
“You let us take you out for lunch or dinner after.”
“Deal,” she said.
Wow, it was fun making plans when she didn’t have to worry about awkward potential romantic entanglements. She’d forgotten how nice it was to have friends.
She used to have a lot of friends, back in high school, in SCA. Then she’d gone into the military…
Somehow, what she’d been through had taken away more than she’d first thought.
Like the ability to spontaneously socialize with others the way her carefree younger self had.
Cody carried the books out to the car for her. When she tried to get into the back seat, the men politely overruled her. “I’ll ride in back,” Cody said. “You ride shotgun.”
“Okay, thanks.” She gave Justin directions to her house and they set off again. “Dixon’s probably wondering where I am,” she said. “He’s not used to me being out so late.”
“That’s a cool name for a cat,” Cody said.
“Well, he is a cool cat.” By the time they reached her house, she’d told them the full story about how Dixon came to live with her, the origin of his name, and his new habit of playing with the remote control.
“Next thing you know,” she said, “he’ll be figuring out how to order an anchovy pizza from my phone.” She didn’t want to brush them off without at least inviting them in. “You want to meet him?”
“Sure,” they said. It didn’t seem like they were just being polite.
Cody carried the books for her while she got the front door unlocked and the alarm turned off.
Dixon lay on the couch, staring at her.
He looked peeved. “Maow.”
“Sorry I’m late, dude. But I brought you some new friends.”
Oh, shit. It’d just hit her that she was having a conversation.
With her cat.
In front of guys she’d just met.
Well, hell, they were gay. Again, not like they were romantic prospects. And they were partners with each other. Gay and taken meant they were doubly not available.
Dixon, bless his heart, stood, stretched, then jumped down and strolled over to them. He twined around the men’s legs and generally made a social ass out of himself.
“He’s friendly,” she said.
“I can see that.” Justin had reached down to pet him. “I miss having a pet, but we’ve been so busy, we haven’t had time for one.”
“He arrived right after my dad moved out.” She mentally winced as both men looked at her, apparently waiting for the rest of the conversation. She’d left that part out of the earlier telling.
She gave them the short version. When she finished, she added, “He’s happy where he’s at, though. He’s got more of a social life than I do.”
Wow. That was a hat trick of pitifulness, if there ever was one.
I live alone with my cat, I have conversations with my cat, and my dad has more friends than I do.
Thinking about it like that, couched in those parameters, slammed into her brain.
Eliza was right. She really needed to get out more.
“Can we pick you up on Saturday?” Cody asked.
“Sure. Oh, here, I’ll show you some of my gear.” The guest room had been her bedroom before her dad moved out and she took over the master bedroom. She led them through the house to the third bedroom that served as her home office. On the walls hung her bows, everything from modern recurves to period reproduction longbows she’d shot in SCA.
“You don’t shoot a compound?” Cody asked.
“No, I never got into those. We don’t shoot them in SCA as period pieces. And I’m not a hunter or a professional competitor, so I never got into that division.”
They discussed archery for a few more minutes when a yawn hit her by surprise. “Sorry.”
Justin glanced at his phone. “Hell, it’s nearly one o’clock. We’re sorry. You probably need to get to bed.”
“Yeah, morning comes early,” she said. Although tomorrow wasn’t as critical, because it was her weekly breakfast with her father.
After seeing them out and locking the door behind her, she turned to Dixon, who’d returned to the sofa and sat there with his tail curled around his feet.
“Well? What’d you think of them?”
“Maow.”
“Like that tells me anything.”
Anything other than I’m apparently long overdue for more outside human interaction.
Chapter Five
“What do you think about her?” Cody asked Justin.
Justin glanced at his partner, already sensing where this conversation was heading. “Eliza only hinted that Brooke’s kink-aware. We don’t know if she’s kinky or not.”
Cody went quiet for a moment. “Wow. You didn’t even let me subtly lead up to that, didja?”
“I was cutting to the chase. Yes, I like her. Let’s see what happens without trying to guide it one way or another.”
“Eliza was trying to play matchmaker.”
“Eliza is pushy,” Justin reminded him. “The lovable kind of pushy, but she does this all the time when she thinks her friends belong together. You know that.”
“She’s got a damn good track record so far,” Cody said.
“Be that as it may, let’s let things naturally unfold.”
After a couple of minutes, Cody spoke again. “So, to be clear, you do—”
“Yes, I’m attracted to her,” Justin said. “Yes, if she turns out to be kinky and interested in being poly, I’d be open to approaching her about it. But I don’t want to scare her off by coming on strong when I can sense she’s not used to that, okay?”
“Wow,” Cody muttered. “A simple yes would have sufficed.”
Justin reached over and grabbed Cody’s hand. “Dude, I’m so going to fuck that attitude out of you when we get home.”
Cody went silent again for a moment. “Promise?” he asked, a hopeful lilt to his tone.
Justin knew he was forgiven. “Promise.”
Another moment of silence. “Do you think the books were too much?”
Justin fought the urge to laugh, knowing his guy wouldn’t understand why he was amused. “No, not considering she loves the show. If it was someone who’d never even seen the show, I’d say yes. It was a good icebreaker.”
They’d reached their driveway.
“She’s cute, and skilled with cars, and likes The Walking Dead,” Cody said. He looked at Justin. “So what’s wrong with her? I don’t count her talking to her cat as a problem.”
Justin shook his head. “Dude, I’m sure if we spend enough time with her, we’ll find that out. Eliza doesn’t pair up train wrecks, so whatever it is, it can’t be earth-shattering.” He shut off the engine. “Do you really want to sit out here and talk about her all night, or go inside and let me bend you over the bed and fuck you until you beg me to jerk you off?”
Cody wrinkled his nose at him. “I was thinking more of you fucking my brains out and then giving me a blow job.”
“Done. Can we just go inside and do it?”
Cody grinned before he leaned over and kissed Justin. He reached down between Justin’s thighs and cupped his bulge through his slacks. Under his palm, Justin’s cock hardened immediately. “Remember that time I blew you in the truck at Englewood Beach when we went to watch the sunset?”
“Yeah, we were damn lucky no one caught us.”
Cody started fumbling with Justin’s belt and slacks. “Let me get you worked up.”
“I’m already worked up.” But he didn’t push his lover’s hands away.
“That’s not a no.” Cody fished Justin’s hard cock out of his briefs and went down on him.
Justin buried his fingers in Cody’s hair and dug in, glancing around before throwing his head back against the seat and biting back his moan.
The man could absolutely fucking suck cock like no one’s business.
“You keep that up,” Justin gasped, “and you won’t get your ass fucked because you’ll be swallowing a load right here, buddy.” After too many weeks of not enough lovemaking—as opposed to quick mutual orgasms rubbed out in the shower—it felt damn good to connect like this.
Justin realized the truck wasn’t in the garage. He could just drive right in and let Cody suck one out of him. He likely could get it up again and fuck him properly.
He hit the button on his key fob and the garage door started going up.
Cody sat up. “What’d you just do?”
“Popped the garage door. I’m going to drive in and fuck your brains out in there.”
“Dammit. The alarm.” Cody bolted out the passenger side and ducked under the roll-up door before it’d even made it all the way up.
“Shit,” Justin muttered, staring down at his now very lonely dick. “Sorry, buddy. Didn’t mean to cock-block you.”
* * * *
Cody fumbled his keys in the lock of the door leading to the inside. Dammit! Sometimes, Justin didn’t totally think things through.
Bless his heart.
Which, as any Southerner knew, could be interpreted to mean goddamned dumbass.
In this case, that was the interpretation he was going for.
Cody heard the alarm panel beeping its warning tone from inside the house. He had a key fob for the alarm he could use to arm or disarm it from the driveway, but the battery in it had died and he hadn’t taken the time to get it replaced yet.
His other alarm key fob was on the truck keys, which were now securely locked inside Brooke’s shop.
He finally managed to get the door unlocked and get inside to disarm the alarm before it went off. As he returned to the garage, Justin was walking through the door.
“A for effort,” Cody snarked at him. “But F for pre-game planning.” He reached over and hit the button to run the large door down.
Justin looked a little sheepish. His hard cock bulged against his slacks, which he’d only zipped up, the belt and button still hanging open.
“Sorry. I was trying to be helpful.”
Cody reached down, fished Justin’s cock out again, and lightly squeezed it. “Well, for starters, you can be helpful by following me to the bedroom, buddy.” Leading Justin by his cock, he returned to the house, locking the door behind them and setting the alarm again.
A few minutes later, they were naked in the bedroom and, yes, Cody was facedown over the edge of the bed, on a towel, with Justin slowly working lube inside his hole.
Cody flexed his hips in time with his partner’s motions, knowing tonight would be hard and fast but still better than anything they’d actually done together in bed in the past couple of months.
Because it was the first time they’d really done something in bed in the past couple of months.
Cody reached down and cupped his balls, lightly squeezing and tugging on them, not daring to touch his cock for fear he’d explode.
Justin lightly slapped Cody’s ass with his free hand. “I thought you wanted a blow job?”
“I do,” Cody practically whined. “You have magic fingers.”
After Justin ripped open a condom and rolled it on, he slathered his cock with lube and pressed the head against Cody’s hole. Cody bucked his hips backward, impaling himself.
“So much for slow,” Justin grunted, slamming him back against the bed.
Cody loved feeling his partner’s weight pinning him to the mattress. Yes, they were both Dominants. That didn’t mean he didn’t sometimes love letting go like this to the man he loved and trusted. They both did, from time to time.
Justin grabbed his shoulders for traction and nudged Cody’s feet a little wider apart as he settled into a rhythm. “God, you feel so good,” Justin said.
“I hate shower handjobs,” Cody gasped. “Never thought I’d say that, but I need this.”
“Me, too, buddy.” Justin varied his strokes, from hard, hammering, pounding fucking to slow, sensual grinding. Back and forth, keeping Cody guessing, keeping him on edge and unable to get into a rhythm he could pick up with him.
Justin grabbed Cody’s arms and pulled them behind his back, pinning his wrists together. “You’re trying too hard to drive. Let me take care of you tonight. You can drive tomorrow.”
A shiver ran through Cody, pleasant, warm, sexy, as he turned his head to the side, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the feel of his lover’s cock plowing his ass.
“After I fuck you, buddy, you’re going to stay right there, just like this,” Justin said, his voice growing hoarser, deeper. “You don’t fucking move. I’m going to suck your cock so damn good, you’ll sleep like a baby tonight.”
Cody chewed on his lower lip, struggling to hold back his own climax. Justin loved to fuck him from behind like this, feet on the floor, his cock hitting Cody right in the sweet spot with every stroke. When Cody was pitching, he loved having Justin on his back, ankles over his shoulders, so he could stare down into his lover’s eyes as he jerked him off before allowing himself to come. He loved seeing that flicker of ecstasy sweep through Justin’s green eyes just before Cody felt his lover’s ass squeezing his cock as he came.
Of course, Justin also loved fucking him like this when Cody had a woman below him, loved having Cody in the middle of the sandwich.
Mmm…Brooke…
He wondered what she’d look like with her legs up over his shoulders, her blue eyes staring up at him as he fucked her, his hands pinning her wrists over her head while behind him, Justin—
“Yes!” Justin gasped, slamming into Cody, fingers digging into Cody’s wrists as he fell still, his cock throbbing inside Cody’s ass.
After a moment, Justin stood and withdrew. Cody felt him sit on the floor between his legs.
Then Justin grabbed Cody’s cock and swallowed it, his fingers raking down Cody’s ass before settling on his hips and digging in.
Cody drew his arms under him and slowly started fucking the man’s mouth, knowing what he wanted. The same way Cody enjoyed being pinned to the bed, so did Justin, in this way. Cody flexed his hips, rocking back just enough until he felt the last little bit of his cock, all the way to the root, filling Justin’s mouth.
“Take it for me,” Cody said, fucking his mouth. “Take my cock.”
Justin’s fingers dug in deeper before venturing between Cody’s legs, to his ass, his taint, his balls. He slid two fingers into Cody’s freshly fucked ass, while with the other hand he cupped Cody’s balls and held on.
“Fuck yeah,” Cody said as Justin let out an answering moan. “Just like that.” It didn’t take him long for his balls to fill, tighten, and then explode. He shoved his cock deep into Justin’s mouth, the way Justin loved it, holding him in place while he felt his lover swallowing, struggling not to spill a drop.
After a moment Cody moved, releasing Justin. He sank to the floor in front of him, leaned in, and kissed Justin, deeply, before resting his head on Justin’s shoulder.
Justin’s arms encircled him. “Better?”
“Yeah,” Cody said. “Much better.”
After a quick shower to
clean up, they snuggled together in bed, naked, Cody spooning around Justin. He’d thought Justin had already fallen asleep when the man spoke.
“Cody?”
“Yeah?”
Justin let out a soft sigh. “If she is kinky, and if she is open to being with us…I don’t want to scare her off.”
Cody kissed the back of his neck. “But?”
“But…there’s no harm in subtly trying to head in that direction. Either she’ll shut us down before we get to that point, or if nothing else, we’ll have a new friend.”
“Thank you,” Cody said.
“I guess if Eliza thinks we’re a match, it can’t hurt to play along.”
Cody smiled. “Not in the least.”
Chapter Six
Brooke left the house early the next morning to stop by her dad’s apartment. She went running early in the morning on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Thursday mornings, Bob always got to the shop early and opened for her. She wouldn’t have to be in until at least nine o’clock, and she’d left a note for Bob about the Fairlane so he’d know where it’d come from overnight.
The weekly Thursday morning breakfasts with her dad had become a welcomed part of her routine. He always cooked for her, which was good for him to do. A skills test, as he once joked.
At one point after his stroke, he could barely speak, much less stand unassisted. The fact that he could now scramble eggs and fry bacon was, in Brooke’s mind, a huge victory.
When she arrived, she let herself in with her key. The delicious aroma of whatever he was making wafted over her.
“Dad? It’s me.”
“Come on in, honey. I’m trying something new.”
She walked around the corner and into the combined kitchen and dining alcove. The small apartment was perfect for him, a bathroom, a bedroom, a living room area, and this. The facility came in once a week and cleaned for him, too.
He stood at the stove, one hand holding a spatula, the other the handle of a skillet. He leaned over to receive her kiss on his cheek.
“Smells delicious,” she said. “What is it?”
“Frittata. I saw the recipe on Facebook on another friend’s feed. Cheese, mushrooms, spinach, turkey, and all sorts of good stuff.”
Broken Arrow [Suncoast Society] (Siren Publishing Sensations) Page 4