by Tatum Throne
“I know.”
“I want more with you. I just don’t want to jeopardize our careers, okay?”
The department was a big place. Private lives weren’t looked at too closely. Levi was certain that hookups happened more often than not. Their eyes met. In that moment, Levi wanted to kiss Bray, feeling their cool lips touch as their hot tongues danced together. He had to look away or he was going to do something stupid. Levi reached into the back of the Jeep to get his bag at the same time Brayden reached inside for it. Their hands brushed. A deep, painful yearning moved through Levi’s heart as their hands touched. Levi meant to pull his hand away, but couldn’t. Bray’s warm hand was strong and soothing as he stroked the back of his hand.
“I like the feel of your skin on mine,” Brayden said.
A rush of desire shot through his blood. Levi’s cock filled, striking out against the fly of his pants. “Oh, fuck.”
“There’s no reason why we can’t talk while we’re here, okay?”
“Yes, Sir.”
A seductive chuckle sounded deep within the back of Brayden’s throat. “Nice. Let’s get inside before they start wondering about us.”
Levi followed Brayden toward the barn-shaped building to get their room assignments. It was going to be a really long two days.
* * * *
Brayden’s heart stopped beating when he found out that they were assigned to the honeysuckle cabin. There was something completely erotic about the word, not to mention that this was the only cabin built on the other side of the grounds. They would be absolutely alone. Bray stared at the TDT coordinator, trying to keep his face tight.
“We’re filled on this side of the grounds. You guys don’t mind the hike, do you?” Mason asked.
“No problem.” Bray turned to Levi, taking his bag. “I’ll take your bag. You can head over to orientation.”
After a five-minute hike in the snow, Bray got to the cabin. He dropped their bags on two open bunks. They would be alone for the next forty-eight hours. Bray knew he was going to have a tough time keeping his hands off Levi when they were alone. He couldn’t risk raising suspicion by asking for another cabin. He scrubbed his hand through his hair, hoping he didn’t screw things up. Bray hiked it back to the main building. He found Levi suiting up for their outdoor activities. Bray’s only job was to assess how Levi did. Andrea was concerned about some psychological fallout from the icy plunge into the Ohio River, but as far as Bray could see, Levi was fine.
They ran outside drills on the frozen lake all afternoon. Levi’s face was pink from the cold and physical activity. He was suited up in the traditional black tactical that went with the TDT. They were simulating an ice rescue. Levi was out on the ice with two other guys. A system of ropes was locked into the harnesses built into their uniforms. Bray was on the embankment near the dock. From his vantage point he could see the lifeless dummy being dropped out onto the ice. The dummy was two hundred pounds of solid weight on precariously thin ice.
“We’re ready!” Levi called.
Mason slid across the ice, nailing it when he fell on his ass. “The ice is starting to go!”
Everything happened fast. Bray’s heart pounded within his chest as he saw the dummy fall through the ice. His mind flashed back to the video of Levi saving the child and falling through. Bray had to blink to see that Levi wasn’t the one falling through the ice. The team in the dinghy skated out to do the rescue. Levi was in the boat, working lead on the rescue. The dummy was too heavy for one person to yank into the boat now that it was waterlogged. It took two of the guys working together. The team was pulled back onto the embankment. They took the lifeless dummy to the secondary team waiting on the embankment.
Brayden’s heart was hammering. It wasn’t easy to see the man he loved go to work. He did great. Snow started to fall again. They were wrapping up shop for the day. The team headed back to the training center to put up their water gear. Bray was freezing from being out in the cold so long. He waited just inside the center for Levi to come out. Their eyes met as Levi headed from the locker room.
Snow crunched beneath Bray’s feet as they headed back together to their cabin. The snow was starting to come down heavy. They had a break before dinner. Bray opened the cabin door. Heat blew down from the vent above, pulling them both inside.
Levi unzipped his coat. “Well? How did I do, Sir?”
“You did great out there,” Bray said.
Bray went to his bunk to get things ready for when he crashed for the night. He needed the distraction. He couldn’t look at Levi right now without feeling so completely lost. He couldn’t tell Levi how twisted up he was inside when he saw him go to work again on the ice. He felt so helpless and out of control. Levi was trained. Bray knew he could do his job and do it well.
“Bray?”
Levi placed his hand on his arm, getting his attention. Bray closed his eyes. He didn’t want to lose control, but he knew he was. Bray turned, grabbing Levi by the shirt and shoving him against the wall. Bray fisted his hands in Levi’s shirt. He brought his lips in close to Levi’s mouth. Their lips whispered together, but they didn’t kiss. Bray loved the feel of their breath mingling together.
“I can’t stand the sight of you in danger,” Bray said.
“No, Sir.”
Bray felt his heart hammering. He wanted to kiss Levi, but knew they shouldn’t cross the line. “You go in hot with little regard to yourself. The thought of you getting hurt…”
“I’ll be safe, Bray.”
Would he? There was something dangerous about the chances Levi took when he was in the field. Levi licked his lips, causing his tongue to flick out against Bray’s lower lip. The sweet taste of Levi’s tongue brought all of Bray’s body alive. Bray’s cock filled fast and hard, flexing down along his pant leg. He edged his legs between Levi’s. Bray groaned when their bodies melted together.
“Kiss me,” Levi said.
“I want to tie you up, spank you hard, and fuck you until you come harder.”
Levi moaned. “Please, Sir.”
“I want to plug you in the ass with toys. I want to lick every part of your body.”
“Please, have me.”
Bray loved it when Levi begged for him. Bray growled, dropping his lips to Levi’s. They kissed passionately. Bray flicked his tongue across the edge of Levi’s lip, taking his sweet time to enjoy the feel of their mouths working together. Levi’s hand reached between them, rubbing his hand over Bray’s cock. It was going faster than Bray was comfortable with. They were expected at dinner. Anyone could come along and find them embraced. Bray yanked his mouth away.
“Unzip me.”
A groan sounded deep within the back of Levi’s throat as he reached for the fly on Bray’s pants. He kneeled down. Bray threaded his fingers into Levi’s hair as he worked to muscle his thick cock out from his boxers and pants. Bray gasped when his cock sprung free, hitting Levi in the chin. Levi stroked him up and down with his hand. He thumbed his cockhead.
All Bray could think about was bending Levi over the back of one of these beds and sinking his prick into his ass. He wanted to unload his spunk in Levi. He wanted a long time alone with Levi.
“I love how dark your cock is, Sir. I love how thick you are, Sir. I love how your cockhead fills my mouth, Sir. I love how hot you make me feel, Sir.”
Bray’s knees went weak. He had to stop himself from falling by hitting his palm against the wall. “Suck me.”
Levi worked Bray’s cock into this mouth, taking him deep. His tongue swirled around his cockhead, taking lots of time to explore his ridges. When he was nice and lubed from Levi’s deep kisses, Bray pulled his prick from Levi’s mouth. Bray pulled Levi up, bending him over the back of the bed.
“Hands behind your back. Interlock your fingers together.”
“Yes, Sir.”
He yanked down Levi’s pants and boxers, exposing the top four inches of his ass. Bray spread his ass cheeks wide. He knew he shouldn’t ha
ve Levi here like this, but he couldn’t resist the temptation to have his lover now. The need to have his lover outweighed any consequence of them getting caught. Bray spread his ass cheeks, rubbing his thumb down over his anus. He leaned down, rubbing his goatee and wet lips between his ass cheeks. Bray licked out, flicking his tongue around Levi’s rim.
A desperate moan escaped Levi’s lips as he arched back into his tongue. Bray wanted more time to lick his way over Levi’s ass and down over his balls, but there wasn’t any time. Bray loved using his goatee on his ass when he licked his rim. Now wasn’t the time to do everything he wanted on Levi. Bray was hard and Levi’s ass was ready. Bray braced his feet on either side of Levi’s legs, loving the feel of muscle on hard muscle even if it was separated by clothing. He centered the tip of his full, wet cockhead on his anus. His heart hammered as he slowly pushed inside, stretching his lover. Levi’s pants hit the front and back of Levi’s balls as he thrust inside and out of his ass. The bang, bang of his balls against Levi’s leather belt was like nothing he’d ever experienced before as a Dom. The sensation had him thrusting harder than he normally did, lifting his ass up high off the bed.
Levi’s satisfied groans echoed within the quiet hum of the cabin. Bray grabbed his hips, using them as leverage to flex his prick in and out of Levi’s ass. Bray came in tight, pushing his cock in all the way. His cock throbbed hard with a quick tick, tick that pulled his balls up tight. He was about to come hard. Bray worked his hand inside Levi’s pants, grabbing his shaft. Levi quaked as Bray pumped his shaft up and down. Bray wanted him to come first.
“Come for me.”
The thick searing cock in Bray’s hand stiffened hard. Spunk shot from Levi’s cock, landing all over Bray’s hand.
“Nice. I love it how you obey my commands.”
Bray gripped his hips again, thrusting his prick in deep. At the last second, he pulled his cock out of Levi’s ass and pumped his shaft, unloading his cum between his ass cheeks. Bray pulled him up, turning him around and kissing him possessively. He needed Levi more than he ever needed any man. That scared the hell out of him. Bray’s emotions were all over the place as he pulled away.
“We can’t do this here again. There’s too much risk.”
“We can wait.”
The dark stubble on Levi’s chin was rough against Bray’s palm. He couldn’t imagine a life without Levi, but he wasn’t sure how to make a life with him.
Chapter Eight
Sexual fantasies kept Levi’s mind racing all night. He imagined swimming naked in crystal clear water with Bray catching him as he beat off. And then Bray punishing him for going off alone and taking care of his dick without permission. Levi couldn’t get sleep to come as he rolled into the lumpy bunk. He was twisted up and needed release again. He glanced at his watch on the nightstand. It was a little after midnight. Levi knew he needed rest. They would be running drills again in a few hours. He needed to be ready for everything they threw his way.
He closed his eyes, but a dark wall of icy water clouded his vision. He opened his eyes, making the water disappear. The flashbacks usually happened when he was falling asleep. If he opened his eyes right away, he wouldn’t dream about the death trap that nearly took his life.
Across the room, Bray slept solidly. The man’s head hit the pillow and he was out. Not Levi. His mind played hopscotch over the day he had and then over the next day to follow. Levi sat up, rubbing his stomach. Dinner had been slop catered in from the dive down the street. He couldn’t remember the last time he ate processed foods. It was not agreeing with him. He didn’t plan this overnight well.
Levi slipped out of bed not intending to get back in anytime soon. He walked over to the window. He needed to think about the reality of what was going on between him and Brayden. What was going to happen when their fling was over? It was very clear to Levi that this wasn’t a long-term relationship for Brayden. All the signs were there, he didn’t ever talk about the future or things he wanted past the sexual relationship. That alone was a sign to Levi that this was all about sex and nothing more. Doubt shook a cigarette out of his pack, lighting it and blowing the smoke in Levi’s face. God he needed a smoke. Smoking was the last bad habit he had to purge from his body. He hoped that Brayden wouldn’t actually be the final thing.
Levi closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the cool wood of the cabin wall. He turned away from the wall and dressed quickly. He was going out to the dock. He wanted to prove to himself that he wasn’t afraid to be alone near the frozen pond.
It was dark outside but there was a lighted pathway for half his walk to the pond. Snow crunched under his feet. His heart raced as he made his way across the camp. He couldn’t deny himself this walk. He felt compelled to give the icy water the finger before he went back to sleep. He was tired of the flashbacks that happened every night. His budding relationship with Bray had been a distraction, but Levi knew it wasn’t enough to make the flashbacks stop.
Darkness surrounded the pond. Thick, lifeless trees edged up to the water’s edge and dock, giving him complete privacy from anyone that happened to look out a cabin window. Tracks still surrounded the area they had worked that morning. Freshly fallen snow covered the dock, making it slippery as Levi walked to the edge. He leaned upon the safety rail, hearing the old wood creak under his weight. He nailed his elbows on the snow-covered wood as he leaned. The hole in the ice seemed bigger now that he saw it from this vantage point. Levi’s mind flashed back to the save on the Ohio River. This time he saw the moment without the audio. The kid. His friends. His mom screaming silently from the embankment. The ice cracking. The need to hurry or they both would be dead. Could he have done anything differently? Should he have done something different?
Levi should’ve cast the kid the rope and had him tie the line around his body. But was there time to do that? No. There wasn’t any time. The ice was breaking way too fast. Levi stared out on the ice. He looked down through his hands, relieved to see that they were steady. Levi was a strong swimmer. He wasn’t afraid of water, but he was afraid of the coffin of ice that nearly killed him.
He never heard Bray’s footfalls until they fell upon the dock. Levi glanced over his shoulder to see concern working over Bray’s face. Bray’s hands came around Levi, bracing them on either side on the rail. He came in close.
“What are you doing out here?
“I needed to clear my head. I’m having flashbacks when I close my eyes.”
“Dreams?”
“Sometimes.”
“Have you thought about talking with Andrea about it again?” Bray asked.
“I don’t need to. I’m solid.”
“I know you are, but it’s okay to ask for help if you need it.” Bray brushed his goatee over Levi’s neck. “Is there something else?”
Levi shivered from the silken strands of Bray’s goatee brushing over the erogenous zone on his neck. He thought about opening his heart to a man he just got involved with. How could Levi fall so hard and so fast? Levi felt vulnerable, safe, and wanted when he was in Bray’s arms. That terrified him. He couldn’t imagine losing Brayden.
“I’m needy, Sir. I haven’t been needy for anyone in a really long time.”
Brayden held him tighter. Levi leaned back into his arms, loving the feel of their bodies melting together. Snow started to fall in giant clumps. Bray dropped his lips to Levi’s ear, smoothing his lips over the soft edge. Levi smiled as Bray’s warm breath blew over his ear.
“I like you needy for me. It turns me on.”
“What happens after all this is over?” Levi asked.
“Once your retraining is wrapped up, we can begin together.”
“Together.”
A deep chuckle sounded within Brayden’s chest and rumbled through to Levi’s. Bray turned him around. “Yes. Together. Now, come back to bed. You have one more day of drills. I can guarantee that tomorrow is going to kick your ass.”
“It doesn’t scare you that I’m n
eedy?” Levi asked.
“I love a man that needs me. It means I complete him.”
Levi’s knees went weak, causing him to sway forward into his lover’s strong arms. Love filled Levi’s heart. The sensation threw him off balance. He couldn’t remember a time when he loved anyone. All the men he ever dated had been nice enough guys, but none of them challenged Levi the way Brayden did. Levi loved being his sub. He hoped that Bray didn’t grow tired of his innocence in the bedroom and move on to someone more experienced.
Bray dropped his lips to Levi’s, kissing him sweetly. “Go to bed, babe. We can worry about the rest later when we have more time to talk about it.”
They headed back to the cabin together.
* * * *
The leader of the TDT, Mason, was fucking insane, Levi thought. Morning sun shined down through the trees and reflected off the newly fallen snow. Levi was about to give voice to the thought in his head when another one of the crew said it before him. Levi was trying to catch his breath, which wasn’t easy considering there were four inches of fresh snow on the ground piled onto the six that were there before. It was a cool ten degrees outside.
Levi stared up at the iced ropes course and felt his stomach swim. Heights fucking did him in a hundred percent of the time. The course was a good seventy-five feet in the air. The conditions were perfect for getting fucked up. Levi did not want to set foot on that course if his life depended on it.
“I’m not fucking going up there,” Levi said.
Bray came in close, crossing his arms. “You would go if someone’s life were in danger.”
“Fuck no.”
“You would,” Bray said.
Levi glared at Bray. Yeah, he was right and they both knew it. He wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of being right by agreeing with him now. Yeah, he was feeling like that.
“Lt. Temple. We’ll need your assistance for this drill,” Mason said. “Evans, I need you, too.”