A Busted Afternoon

by Pepper Espinoza

  “You wanted me to go. I’m giving you what you want. So get off my ass.”

  “You scared I’m going to kick your ass?”

  “No.”

  “Then what are you scared of?” Ed demanded, his fists still in front of his face. The set determination on Ed’s face, the way he held his shoulders, every line of his body, told Sammy that Ed was ready for a real fight.

  “Fuck. Everything.”

  “What?”

  “Every fucking thing, okay?”

  “What?” Ed blinked. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Aren’t you afraid? Isn’t that why you took off without a fucking word to anybody? Don’t tell me you’re not.”

  “I…”

  “Just be honest. You’re fucking terrified.”

  “Stop acting like we’re alike. We’re not. We’re…”

  “What’s your number?”

  Ed’s shoulders slumped, but he didn’t lower his fists. “I told you. I’ll go when they call me.”

  “What is it?”

  “My birthday is the eighteenth of February. Eighth in the draft order.”

  Sammy winced. “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t know.”

  “What’s yours?”

  “January eighth. Three-hundred and forty-first in the order.”

  “Well,” Ed sneered, “that’s just great, isn’t it?”

  “Fighting with me isn’t going to change anything.”

  “What will?”

  The question stopped Sammy. They stared at each other for a long beat before he finally said, “Nothing. Nothing is going to change this. This shit…all of it…is out of our hands.”

  “Then what the hell are we supposed to do?”

  The corner of Sammy’s mouth lifted. “Be smart enough to get out of the rain, maybe?”

  “Yeah.” Ed released a shaky breath. “Yeah, maybe that would be a good start.”

  Chapter 3

  * * *

  The second time they wedged into the back of the station wagon, Ed didn’t have any thought of leaving again. The cold had seeped through his flesh, spreading like icy spiderwebs, until his joints were stiff. Even though they were sitting in the middle of the desert, he was quite sure he’d never be warm again. Goose bumps covered his arms, and it was all he could do to keep his teeth from chattering. He had a jacket in the backseat, and there was an old blanket, but neither one of those things would actually be helpful in making him dry and warm. He shouldn’t have left the relative safety of the car, but the thought of Sammy wandering off into the wet night drove him out of the station wagon.

  “You should get out of those clothes,” Sammy murmured, his eyes averted.

  “What about you?”

  “Maybe I should, too.”

  “It’d be easier if I drove a van.”

  “We’d probably not be in this situation if you drove a van.”

  “Maybe I should buy a van in Wendover.”

  “It might be cheaper than a new alternator.”

  Ed smiled a little and pulled the wet shirt over his head. It slowly peeled from his skin, the rough material dragging over his nipples. The windows were already starting to fog up, and Sammy mimicked him. Though they were both shivering, Ed knew that if they pressed their bodies together, the heat would overwhelm them.

  “I’m sorry about your face,” Ed said, tossing the shirt over the seat. “That didn’t come out right.”

  “It’s okay. I hit you first. How’s your lip, by the way?” Sammy leaned closer and touched the corner of Ed’s mouth with his thumb. “Did I hurt you?”

  “It hurts a little.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have grabbed your shoulder. It’s not a…it’s no big deal.”

  Ed spoke without looking away from Sammy’s face. His eyes were both swollen—courtesy of Ed’s head—and his mouth had finally stopped bleeding, but it was stained pink. He had no doubt that Sammy planned to kiss him, but this time, the thought didn’t send him spiraling out of control.

  “Yeah, but…who else would be grabbing my shoulder out here? I was angry and…”

  “And I made you that way because I was a jerk.” Ed leaned closer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of it.”

  “I know you didn’t.”

  “Did you mean what you said to me? Earlier?”

  “Everything I told you is true. I don’t know if that’s the answer you wanted to hear.”

  “It is.” Ed smiled. “I think.”

  Sammy returned his smile. It wasn’t as carefree as it had been before. And it would probably never be that carefree again. But it was still one of the nicest smiles Ed had ever seen. Even with the traces of blood on his teeth and his swollen lip. A drop of water caught on his skin, and Ed wiped it away, smearing it across Sammy’s pink lip. Sammy didn’t seem to be breathing, and Ed couldn’t remember the last time he filled his lungs with air. He was drowning in the middle of the desert.

  There was only one reasonable thing to do. Without taking his much needed breath, he touched his lips to Sammy’s.

  The number of people he’d kissed in his life was no more than a handful. And most of those caresses had been shy, fumbling, and awkward. This was shy, fumbling, and awkward. It was half meant as an apology, for the way he had behaved earlier. And it was half of a question. Fortunately, Sammy responded with an answer. His lips parted, and the taste of copper on his mouth didn’t deter Ed from sliding his tongue against Sammy’s.

  A moan resonated through both of them, and Ed couldn’t tell where it had originated. Only that he felt it deep in his chest. Sammy wrapped his arm around Ed’s waist, pulling him until their bodies were flush, their naked chests cold and hot against each other at the same time. Ed’s soaked jeans felt even more constricting on his hips as his cock stiffened, and he didn’t know how he was going to escape them. There wasn’t enough room in the back to kick free, and the material was clinging to him, and the zipper dug into the tender skin at the tip of his cock.

  I should have done this earlier. I should have been doing this for years.

  All those long hours he had spent on Sammy’s family farm would have been far more bearable if he had had this waiting for him. They could have snuck off to Sammy’s room, or behind the stack of hay, or in the barn, or about a million other places Ed had discovered during the course of his employment. Any one of them probably would have been far more comfortable than the back of the station wagon, but, Ed had to admit, none of them would have been quite as good as this.

  They broke apart, each of them taking a ragged gasp. Ed wasn’t sure what he expected to see in Sammy’s eyes, but the heavy-lidded passion was enough to melt what little resistance Ed had left. Nobody had ever, ever looked at Ed like that. It was enough to make him flush. He opened his mouth and took another deep breath, trying to inhale the scent of Sammy’s skin. Trying to taste it. Lightning illuminated Sammy’s face, and they both froze until the electric blue faded into darkness, and then crashed together as thunder shook the car.

  The road was completely abandoned, but even if a series of trucks raced by, Ed would have no fear of being noticed. The windows were already starting to steam, providing a certain shield between the two of them and the rest of the watery world. When Ed opened his eyes, he couldn’t see through the now opaque windows, and he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to see anything except Sammy. And when his eyes were closed, he still saw Sammy clearly, his fingers mapping the smooth lines of his body. His muscled arms. His rigid back. The crests and valleys of his ribs. Ed’s fingers didn’t stop until he reached the cold, heavy barrier of Sammy’s jeans.

  Sammy conducted a similar exploration of Ed’s body, but while Ed’s touch was light and searching, Sammy’s was far more demanding. He didn’t think Sammy was trying to take complete control of the situation, but ultimately, that was what he had. He had the strength of somebody who’d spent most of his life playing football and working the farm. Each cares
s, each touch, came with just enough pressure to remind Ed that Sammy probably would have won the fight, if Ed had goaded him into one. That sense of strength didn’t intimidate Ed at all. If anything, it made his blood pulse harder, and all the muscles from his neck to his groin twisted, tightening with anticipation.

  Anticipation of what, Ed wasn’t certain. Other than occasional fantasies and nameless desires, Ed really had no concept of what he was doing in the back of that car. The hunger for Sammy was very real. Real enough to push him closer, to make him grasp at Sammy’s arms and open up to each greedy kiss. But if Sammy asked him, at that moment, just what Ed wanted him to do, Ed would have no real response. He could really only hope that Sammy would know, and in the meantime, he’d follow the other man’s lead.

  Sammy, for his part, seemed happy to lead Ed into more and more kisses, each one deeper and more searching. Occasionally, there would be a miscue, and Sammy’s teeth would catch against his lips, or their noses would knock together, or Ed would take a breath just as Sammy claimed his mouth again, or some other similarly undignified mishap would occur. Ed always tensed, but Sammy kept pushing forward, like it didn’t matter. Soon, Ed began to understand. Clumsy, grappling moments really didn’t matter. This wasn’t a competition. Sammy wouldn’t be grading him. All that mattered was the contact, and like Sammy, Ed couldn’t get enough of that.

  Sammy rolled Ed to his back and straddled his hips, pressing their cocks together. But their jeans made such effective barriers that the new contact did nothing except frustrate Ed. He smoothed his palms down Sammy’s back and cupped his ass, holding him as close as possible as Sammy’s tongue plunged into his mouth. Ed wasn’t sure who started moving first, but soon, Sammy was rocking against him, his hips thrusting, and the car rocked with him.

  “Sammy…we got to get out of these pants…”

  “I know.”

  Instead of giving Ed the space he needed to wiggle from his drying jeans, he dragged his large hand across Ed’s chest, his fingers settling on Ed’s nipple. The light touch was enough to make his nerves jump, but it was the pinch of the hard flesh that sent a bolt of electricity through him. He arched up from the bed of the station wagon, his gasp lodged in his throat. Ed wanted to beg for more, but he couldn’t speak. Sammy gave him what he wanted anyway, pulling and pinching the sensitive skin between the rough calluses on his thumb and forefinger.

  “Pants,” Ed tried again.

  “Don’t want to stop,” Sammy murmured against his mouth. As if to prove it, his hips started moving faster. Ed’s rough jeans caught against his cock, and the scrape of material against his sensitive head made him cry out.

  “It’ll be better without them.”

  “I know. You’re right. Fuck. Don’t move.”

  Ed didn’t have any intention of moving—or any space to, even if he wanted to. He lay still, softly moaning as Sammy peeled away from him. Ed expected Sammy to unbutton his own pants, but his long fingers went directly to Ed’s fly. They fumbled with the buttons for a moment before popping them free, finally—blessedly—relieving Ed’s cock from the unbelievable pressure.

  Sammy stared at him, as if transfixed by the sight of his erection. Ed had snuck enough glances in the locker room at school to know that, at least by Wyoming standards, he was much bigger than average. But he didn’t know if he was quite big enough to merit such a gobsmacked look.

  “Sammy?”

  “I didn’t really expect…now I’m not so sure I want to take off my own pants.”

  “Don’t be stupid. Let me see.”

  Without taking his attention away from Ed, Sammy unbuttoned himself and pushed the flaps of his jeans back, exposing his own shaft. He wasn’t as big as Ed, but that hardly mattered. Especially since Ed was seized with the sudden desire to get his mouth on Sammy’s length. He wasn’t quite sure what, exactly, demanded to be licked, but the desire was undeniable. Maybe it was his skin—Ed had never seen anything quite so smooth. He reached out to touch it, gently pulling the foreskin back so he could get a good look at Sammy’s glistening head. Sammy’s whole body shook at the contact, but it was the thought of that salty liquid that made Ed’s mouth water.

  Before he could do anything about it, Sammy bent at the waist and caught the tip of Ed’s cock between his teeth.

  “Oh my God! Oh my…oh my God…Sammy…oh fuck…oh fuck…”

  The heat of his mouth against Ed’s skin was absolutely excruciating and exquisite. Ed could think of absolutely nothing to compare it to. Maybe if he went running through the rain and let the lightning strike him from above, he would have some sort of yardstick. But barring that, there was nothing as thrilling, as shocking, as demanding on his senses as Sammy’s hot, soft, tight mouth.

  “I never…holy fuck…Sammy…don’t stop. Please. Please. Please don’t stop.”

  His pleas were wasted—clearly Sammy had no intention of stopping. Ed had never really given too much thought to all the elements that made up a mouth. Who had the time or the inclination to sit around and muse on the shape of lips, or the texture of a tongue? Ed didn’t have the inclination to muse on those things now, but he wish he had before. Then maybe he could understand why the tip of Sammy’s tongue could take him to such heights with only a few flicks across his leaking slit. Or maybe he would know exactly why Sammy’s lips made a perfect seal around his shaft. Or why the tips of Sammy’s teeth didn’t quite hurt when they lightly scraped across his tender flesh.

  Sammy’s kisses had been amazing, but the way he used his mouth on Ed’s cock was far above and beyond even the satisfaction of the earlier caresses. And the heat was beyond any comprehension. It was localized to the inches where Sammy’s mouth actually held him, and yet, completely enveloped his body. The temperature had fallen steadily in the car since the storm rolled in, but Ed didn’t notice that. Or the way his cold pants were still wrapped around his legs. Sammy’s mouth stoked fires beneath his flesh that could chase away any chill.

  His first touches had been light, almost tentative. But the more Ed begged, the bolder Sammy became. His rough fingers were wrapped around the base of Ed’s cock, and he used his other hand to fondle Ed’s balls, flexing around the sac with just enough force to make Ed’s stomach tighten. He used his tongue to gather up the pre-come on Ed’s skin, and then moved farther and farther down, his tongue sweeping over every inch of him. The only thing better than his tongue was his occasional moan of what could only be satisfaction. The sound vibrated through Ed’s cock, simultaneously drowning out the relentless drone of the rain and caressing Ed’s twitching flesh.

  “I need…Sammy…fuck…I don’t know what I need…fuck…”

  Sammy didn’t lift his head, but Ed thought he saw the corner of Sammy’s mouth lift in a smile. Like he was amused by Ed’s torment. We’ll see how amused he is when I drive him out of his mind. The thought of indulging himself on Sammy’s body—of completely overwhelming his senses with the other man’s scent and taste—pushed him even closer to that indefinable edge.

  Ed lifted his hips, mindlessly searching for more of that heat. Sammy moved with him, but as the friction increased, so did his hunger. Until he was moving with a certain abandon, his hips thrusting wildly, his hands reaching blindly for something to grasp onto. Something to ground him. After a particularly powerful thrust, he heard Sammy gasp, and then something constricted around his shaft, squeezing him with enough pressure to make him whimper. It was Sammy’s throat, he realized. He’d managed to bury himself deep, and judging by the way Sammy’s eyes widened, it was a shock for both of them.

  He eased back, missing the heat as soon as he left Sammy’s throat. He wasn’t going to try that again, as much as he wanted to. He didn’t want to do anything that could hurt Sammy—and choking him probably counted as that. But Sammy didn’t leave that choice up to him. He relaxed his jaw farther and pushed down, swallowing more and more, until Ed was buried in his throat once again.

  “Oh fuck…fuck…yes…Sammy…yes…” The wo
rds tapered off into moans as his brain shut down, fried by too much pleasure. But he didn’t need his brain to know what to do. His body was just fine on his own, and he began thrusting his hips again, fucking Sammy’s face until the pressure beneath his skin began to build anew. And he only had one thought, one concern, one goal. Release.

  The storm seemed to pick up intensity outside. Or maybe that was only Ed’s imagination. It could have been perfectly calm outside, and he still would have heard thunder booming and rain pounding and wind roaring around the car.

  The car shook with a fresh wave of thunder, and Ed stiffened, his entire body going rigid. Electricity crawled down his spine, made the hair on the back of his arms and neck stand on end, and then everything exploded with a crystal blue wave of light. He shouted Sammy’s name, the word tearing from his throat, his entire body convulsing with the sound. His cock jerked, pumping come into Sammy’s mouth. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the other man turned away, but he didn’t. He kept his mouth tight around Ed’s shaft, the seal of his lips never breaking as Ed’s come painted the back of his throat.

  “Oh…oh God…” As quickly as the tension had pulled his body taut, it deserted him, leaving him a trembling, weak mass on the floor.

  Sammy finally lifted his head, and Ed noticed in a distant way that his color was high, his eyes unbelievably bright. “How was that?”

  “Good…amazing…can’t talk now…”

  Sammy flashed a quick smile then bent his head and began licking at Ed’s softening cock. Ed moaned in protest, too tender and too exhausted to properly enjoy it. Except, within seconds, his cock began to stir again, and the raw pleasure automatically made him hungry for more.

  “Lay down here so I can return the favor,” Ed murmured.

  “No.”

  “No?” He blinked. “What do you mean, no?”

  “There’s something else that I want.” Sammy looked up shyly. “If that’s okay.”

  “Of course it’s okay. Name it.”