TopGuns

by Justin Whitfield, Taylor Cole, Cara Carnes

  Well no more of that nonsense. Goddamned idiot needed a good beat down. No way in hell was Jeanie going to get snagged by that snake-in-the-grass Titanium. Not while Tyler was still kicking.

  He entered the room quietly in case she was still having her afternoon nap. Nadine sat at her vanity, primping her short black curls. She smiled as she gazed at him in the mirror. She’d chosen ruby red for her lips.

  His dick hardened at the thought. Ruby red meant she was randy, as she said. “You look so good, sweetheart, I’m not sure we’re going to make it to karaoke.”

  A sexy blush formed on her cheeks as her chocolate eyes glinted with amusement. “And you, sir, have taken far too long to come get me. I was starting to think you’d forgotten.”

  It was a standing joke between them on who would forget what and when. He smirked. “I’d never forget you. Not when you’re wearing ruby red.”

  She slapped his arm as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Pleasure tumbled within his veins, surging to his groin in rapid waves that nearly doubled him over. It’d been way too long since he’d tasted her sweet mouth, her body.

  Tyler was a self-professed, yet somewhat converted, player. Sure, he flirted with the nurses and went wild over the ladies in the community building some days. But chasing was one thing. He’d run backward if he ever caught one of them because the only one he wanted to snag anymore was the gorgeous filly snuggled in his embrace right now.

  Her breath fell on his neck and he squeezed her harder, savoring the few moments of silent lucidity they’d been granted. Tonight he’d drag out the green sock with the hole in the toe and pull out the ring again. The more times he asked the more likely she was to say yes in a moment of weakness.

  “I love you, sweetheart.” His voice was raw from the long conversation with Jason.

  She patted his chest. “I love you too, dear, but we need to shake a leg. We’re going to be late. It’ll take a bit of work to get this plan rolling.”

  Tyler doubted that was true. Sure, there was a signup sheet and Mrs. Flannery ran the event like a drill sergeant but she hadn’t dealt with him when he was determined. They made their way to the community room and Nadine waved at Jeanie, who smiled and motioned them over. Jason was a couple rows behind, holding a couple of seats open.

  He grabbed Nadine for a passionate kiss. She surrendered to his mouth immediately and moaned softly. Blood surged to his dick. He pulled himself away and grinned. “You and me tonight, sweetheart. I can’t wait.”

  “Me either.” She ran her hand along his cheek. “Knock ’em dead, Goose.”

  Oh man, that name brought back a rush of memories—all of them good. Those were crazy times back then, when the only thing holding them down was exhaustion after a rowdy night. Hopefully Maverick remembered the cue to the song that cinched them many happy nights.

  He waited as Titanium finished up his song. The crowd cheered him on and Jeanie grinned from the front side of the stage. Damn. Hopefully they weren’t too late. The performance had been good but it lacked the heart and conviction he knew Jason would put into the song.

  Titanium made his way down the stairs and stopped before him. “So you’ve decided to join the festivities.”

  He shrugged. “Seemed like a way to pass the time.”

  “It’s harder than it looks.”

  “I’m not worried.” He grinned. “Care to make a friendly wager? Twenty bucks to the winner.”

  “Done.”

  Oh man, this was perfect! Exactly what he’d hoped for. They’d show up Titanium here and then they’d be that much closer to securing a win in the competition. Showmanship was all about confidence and any chink they could put in him the better.

  Tyler made his way to the stage and smiled at Mira. Breakfast with her had secured the music would be cued and ready to go. Aside from that, all they needed was a couple of live mics, some guts and plenty of luck that Jeanie would see this for what it was—a declaration.

  When he got to one of the mics he flipped it on and whistled loud enough to halt the whir of conversations in the room. Mrs. Flannery stormed his direction from the back where she’d been enrolling people but she wouldn’t make it in time. The crowd was already applauding because he’d spread the word.

  “The bet’s twenty dollars.” His voice boomed over the crowd as he started pumping the crowd of ladies. “Who’s in?”

  Jason sat there stunned for a moment as the question brushed across his mind. Oh man, it’d been years since they’d done that number. Temptation pounded in his pulse as he looked at Goose, who had a challenging “I fucking dare your ass” grin on his face.

  Fuck it.

  He was right. Being a pussy for the past several years hadn’t gotten him anything but ulcers, heartache and lonely nights. He jumped up and headed toward the stage. Fortunately most of the people in the room were old enough to remember the movie Top Gun and the song You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling. Otherwise this would be pretty fucking lame. Not that he necessarily gave a damn what any of them thought.

  This was all for Jeanie.

  God, it’d been too many years since he’d stood on a stage in front of anyone. The rush of adrenaline was almost too much. The heady sensation floated him into another zone—one where he was the king of the stage and could do anything.

  Tyler gave him a mic and a half-hug. “Let’s do this, Maverick.”

  “You’re a crazy son of a bitch.” In the movie the serenade was done without music but this was karaoke and he and Goose both sounded a hell of a lot better with instruments behind them.

  The song began quicker than he wanted. He acclimated quickly, though and headed down the steps and into the crowd. A few started singing along because they couldn’t help themselves.

  None of that mattered. As he sang he focused on Jeanie. Moisture pooled in her eyes as he approached and held out his hand. In the distance he could see Titanium’s face heat because he knew they’d just splayed his ass out.

  Suddenly all the jealousy Jason had felt when he’d compared himself to Titanium’s suave style and bottomless bank account melted away. All that mattered was the awareness flickering to life with Jeanie.

  Her hand was soft within his. He caressed her tender skin at her wrist’s pulse point with the pad of his thumb and leaned in to kiss her cheek as he finished the song. He wished to hell they were alone, that he could unload all the emotions rumbling in his chest.

  There was time.

  Don’t rush her.

  She looked around, probably all too aware that the music had died and Goose had stopped his crazy antics on the other side of the room. All the attention had tunneled to them. Everyone waited, watched for whatever would happen next.

  She grabbed his shirt with her free hand and dragged him forward. Their lips collided and all the breath in his lungs fell out in a heavy sigh. Cheers went up from the other side of the room where Tyler was, but none of the revelry mattered.

  All that mattered was the tentative feathering of Jeanie’s lips against his. The hesitancy was a new bond, a connection he owned with her. This new ground wasn’t something he wanted to share with everyone. The need to protect her from the prying eyes and curious whispers made him draw away.

  Doubt crept into her gaze when her eyes widened.

  “Come on, Jeans. Let’s go talk.”

  She nodded and he headed toward the door, carving a path past Mrs. Flannery and the gawking residents of Shady Oaks. No doubt they’d have the rumor mill running full force in the knitting circle tomorrow morning.

  His heart knocked around in his chest to the same tempo his blood kept as it surged through him. The small annex sometimes used for painting was the perfect spot. He waited until Jeanie was inside with him and then closed and locked the door.

  She grinned. “Why doesn’t it surprise me that you know exactly which rooms have the locks around here?”

  “Probably because you know I’ve known Tyler for way too long not to know this. That man has
the layout of just about every public facility in the county.”

  He reached out and smoothed an unruly lock of her hair. The action was one he couldn’t help, a need to touch and make sure he wasn’t delusional. She was really here. That song, the performance had really happened.

  A small measure of guilt drifted in him when he realized he’d left Tyler alone to take the heat from Mrs. Flannery but it was hard to hold on to that thought when Jeanie’s hands drifted across his chest.

  “When I heard that song start up I swear I couldn’t breathe, Jase. I-I…” She paused and looked away. “Forget it. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Try me,” he whispered against her forehead. His fingers massaged her neck. “We’ve let too many years drift by to hold out on each other now.”

  Her gaze fell to the area between them. “Those nights we’d go out and you two would do that song, I’d watch and wonder what it would be like if you’d chosen me.”

  The confession surged all blood to his cock. “Many of those nights I wanted it to be you.”

  “Then why wasn’t it?”

  He laughed. “I was the fresh meat at the club. Rocking the boat with Mike and Dan wouldn’t have been cool. By the time I’d gotten the guts…” She’d chosen Dan.

  “Your voice still makes me melt, even after all this time.”

  “God, Jeanie. I’ve been such a fool. I swore to Dan I’d watch out for you and I thought I’d be betraying him if I pursued something.”

  “He’d want us both to be happy. He said so before he passed.” She ran her finger across his nipple and he groaned. “Didn’t he?”

  Yeah, he had. He reached out to touch her and realized his hand was trembling. He laughed. “I’d blame the shakes on being nervous about this but I’m afraid I’m not what I used to be.”

  “Neither am I.”

  “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Your smile lights up the room, your laugh makes the darkest parts of me fade. More importantly, your faith in me over the years held me together even when we were apart.”

  “I loved him with everything in me,” Jeanie stated. “But when things got bad you were always there for me to lean on. I never forgave myself for that day, the way it must’ve looked to you. I admit that I took advantage.”

  “I wasn’t exactly against the idea.” He ran his hand down her arm. “There’s so much I want to talk about, share with you.”

  She smiled. “I can think of better ways to pass the time.”

  A hard knock on the door startled them both. Tyler’s voice boomed. “Shake a tail feather. The witch of Shady Oaks is on her way. We’ve gotta jam before she catches you in here. She’s a stickler for the rules.”

  “She’d block us from competing tomorrow.” Jason had seen it happen before. People broke a rule, they couldn’t compete. It was the adult equivalent of a time-out and total bullshit, but Mrs. Flannery thought it helped her run a tight ship.

  “You’re competing tomorrow?”

  “You know it,” Tyler answered through the door. “It’s gonna be epic.”

  Jason opened the door to glare at his friend for eavesdropping but it was hard to pretend to be pissed with Jeanie at his side.

  “But first, I believe our ladies deserve a night on the town.” His heart warmed as the statement radiated in him. Jeanie squeezed his hand. Wow.

  * * * * *

  Jason cringed as the vehicle spun out of the Shady Oaks parking lot and slid into the thick traffic. Horns blared around them but, as usual, Tyler didn’t take notice. Riding shotgun with him when he was in the zone in his hotrod was an exercise in patience and courage. The more you offered your help, the worse the driving got.

  “Man, last night was epic.”

  “Yeah.” They’d headed to dinner—a two-for-one special at the local steak restaurant.

  “You should’ve seen that waiter’s expression when you mixed that shot of whiskey in with the milk.” Tyler laughed. “We need to do that more. Double date.”

  “Nadine’s been doing good.”

  “Yeah. We had a little adventure of our own when we got back.” He waggled his eyebrows and swerved into the left lane without looking. Car horns went off. Colors whizzed by as Jason’s gut started to churn.

  “So, you got that cataract surgery scheduled yet?”

  “You saying I need it?”

  “Not at all.” The light ahead of them turned yellow. Jase braced himself, knowing that since a sane person would stop, Tyler was about to gun it from a quarter mile away.

  Son of a bitch.

  The vehicle whizzed through the light and he breathed a sigh of relief. A shriek of sirens guaranteed to make a grown man shudder sounded behind them and Tyler cursed. “Shit.”

  Tyler wheeled into the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly and reached into his glove compartment. Jason’s breath ceased again.

  “Why for the love of God do you even have a gun?”

  “A friend asked me to keep it for him. It makes his old lady nervous.”

  “So it’s not even yours?” Jason ran his hands along his jeans when Tyler slammed the compartment shut. Hopefully there was no reason to search a vehicle when it was two old geezers.

  “Just play it cool and follow my lead.” Tyler looked at him with a grin. “I got this.”

  Crap.

  The officer approached the vehicle. “Evening, gentlemen. License and registration, please.”

  Tyler handed over the documents. “What seems to be the problem, Officer?”

  “Sir, you blasted through that red light going sixty in a forty.”

  Remorse filled his words. “Sorry, Officer. I must’ve had my mind on tonight. We’ve got a show to do. We’re dancers.”

  The officer leaned down and peered into the vehicle with a chuckle in his voice. “You don’t say? My grandma loves square dancing. Is there a dance tonight? I might be able to take her.”

  “Well, I’m sure your grandma would love our show but it’s not exactly that kind of dancing.” Tyler’s chest swelled. “We’re strippers unretiring for a show at Shady Oaks.”

  The officer spent a few moments behind the vehicle chuckling with his partner before returning. “Would you two gentlemen step out of the vehicle, please?”

  Crap. Here we go. Just got hooked up with Jeanie and now she’ll have to bail my ass out of jail.

  The two officers looked at one another as one of them set his handheld device on the hood of Tyler’s vehicle. He braced his hands on his belt and rocked back on his heels. “So you two are strippers?”

  “Retired,” Jason offered.

  “Well that’s very interesting. You know my partner here has a new fiancé who’s been trying to get him to take one of those classes. Something about learning the moves for private shows or some shit.”

  The other guy glared at the speaking officer. His cheeks tinged.

  “Anyways, I see this is fate giving my friend here a helping hand. I mean, how else would we have found the two most…” He paused and cast an amused glance at his partner. “Why else would we have found such experienced men such as yourselves?”

  “Amateur night at the club’s usually on Thursdays,” Jason stated.

  “No, man.” Tyler grinned. “I think we could teach this guy a couple of moves. Come on, you remember what it was like to be eager but lacking in the sack.”

  “Hey,” the officer bellowed.

  “I never lacked in the sack.” Jason took a deep breath.

  “That’s not what the ladies were telling me.” Tyler held out his arms. “Let’s do this.”

  Jason leaned against Tyler’s car with his arms crossed and shook his head. Son of a bitch was really about to teach a young, randy cop how to strip for his lady. Unbelievable.

  The partner watched as the younger officer followed Tyler’s instructions.

  “No. Use your hips, son. How do you fuck your lady like that?” Tyler looked up at Jason. “Maybe I’m giving the wrong kind of tips here.”
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  Jason sighed. The officer beside him laughed. “He always like that?”

  “Yeah. Pretty much.”

  “Sounds like you all have known each other for a while.”

  “Yeah, decades. We had a few years apart but we’ve been tight for a long time—probably longer than your partner’s been alive.”

  The older cop laughed. “That wouldn’t be too hard. I’ve gotta say, this might be very unorthodox but I don’t really care. That boy’s been driving me nuts about all this dance stuff.”

  “Hey, Tyler’s always up for helping to show the ladies a good time.”

  A few minutes later and they were back on the road. Jason chuckled when they hit the toll road. “I can’t believe you did that, man.”

  “Like I said, I had it. You know, the kid wasn’t half bad.”

  Jason laughed. “Still hard to believe we used to be that young and stupid.”

  “Hey, watch it. I might’ve been young once but I was born with moves.”

  “We both were.”

  “Oh yeah. I saw some of those moves you were putting on Jeanie. Pretty hot stuff going on there, man. I’m glad you finally took your balls out of storage.”

  Jason laughed. “Well I still think this competition is a bust but I have to admit getting back up there and doing our thing will be epic.”

  “Hell yeah it will.”

  They wheeled into the trailer park on the side of town no sane person willingly went. Tyler parked behind a beat-up pickup Jason doubted could move. Anthony wandered out, clad in a pair of boxers with the words “Smack This” across his crotch.

  Ouch.

  “Hey!” he exclaimed.

  “Dude, your shit’s on backward,” Tyler stated.

  “Oh.” Anthony looked around, shrugged and shucked.

  “Dude. Take it inside,” Jason suggested.

  “Nah. They’ve seen it before.” Anthony grinned. “Lot twelve is my favorite.”

  “You ready to roll, man?” Tyler asked. “Clothes might be good.”

  “See what it’s like dealing with your naked ass all the time, Goose?” Jason couldn’t help but throw that out.

  “My bad.”