Adrenaline Junkies

by Julia Talbot

  "Oh, baby. Damn."

  "Yeah. This... this was the best idea, Ross. I've really enjoyed it."

  He held out his hand, grabbing Kev's and pulling the kid close to snuggle. "I'm glad, baby. We need to just get out sometimes."

  "Yeah. I'm glad you push, even when I dig in my heels."

  "That's my job."

  And it was a job he would happily do for the rest of his life.

  May 2005

  "So what do you think?"

  "Of what?"

  Jed tried not to laugh at the look on Eli's face. The man was so proud he was about to bust, and the newly grouted backsplash in the kitchen looked like a home improvement diva's wet dream, but he had to pretend to be oblivious.

  It was in the guy code.

  Eli loomed. "I think I might have to kill you, Thatcher."

  Jed took his best ‘come get me, pilgrim’ stance, one hip out, one foot resting only on his boot heel. "Bring it on, mister."

  "You asshole. You know exactly what I mean. What do you think?"

  Relenting, Jed grinned and moved close, wrapping his arms around Eli's waist. "I think it looks fantastic. How can I ever thank you?"

  "Blow jobs are acceptable legal tender in this house."

  "Yeah? You sure?" Reaching down, Jed ran his fingers along the fly of Eli's jeans, pressing all down the sensitive points. "I could cook or something instead. See how the backsplash takes grease."

  "Nah. I think the grout needs to dry for at least twenty-four hours. You can take me out to dinner after."

  "Pushy, mister. Pushy." God, it was good to play. They'd been working hard doing their spring cleaning, both of them putting in long hours around the house. Between that and Eli's PT and jump captain training it had been too damned long. Jed popped the button on Eli's jeans, undid the zipper.

  Eli grinned down at him, pushing that hot, hard cock into his palm. "Literally pushy, Thatcher. God that feels good."

  "Yeah? Like that?" Hell, by now he knew exactly what Eli liked, knew that the man liked it when he rubbed his thumb against the slit, knew just the pressure to keep Eli's engine running without overheating.

  "You know I do."

  Yep. Just like he'd thought. Jed backed Eli up against the kitchen counter, kissing him nice and hard before sliding down to his knees on the spanking clean kitchen floor and nuzzling right in against Eli's crotch.

  "Fuck! Jed…"

  "Mmhmm." Oh, Hell, yes. Eli was so hard for him already, the smell of salt and musk strong as could be, and Jed inhaled deep, letting his tongue sneak out to press against Eli's black curls. The taste was just as good, male and hot, burning his tongue. "Love how you taste."

  "God. Thatcher. I. You."

  Houston, we have incoherency. Jed went for more of those sounds, licking his way around the head before plunging down on Eli's cock, all the way as far as he could go. When Eli nudged the back of his throat Jed backed off and went down again, starting up a rhythm neither of them could deny.

  He'd told Eli once that there was nothing like a man's mouth on his dick, but he'd found out that there was nothing like sucking Eli, either. Just listening to the man as he went crazy, loving on Eli with his hands all over muscled thighs and ass made him crazy. It made him snap his own hips, humping air as his cock throbbed and ached.

  "Jed. Gonna. I, oh…"

  Eli did, just like that; he came right into Jed's mouth, and Jed swallowed him down, licking and sucking to get every bit.

  "Damn, mister. Good."

  "Uh huh." Jed wandered up Eli's body, stopping at the good places. So it took awhile, naturally. He finally got to Eli's mouth and gave the man a kiss that certainly curled his toes. He hoped it worked for Eli, too. He grinned. "Hey."

  "Hey, Thatcher." Looking dazed and not a little goofy, Eli kissed him back. "You sucked my brains out through my dick."

  "Not hard to do. There's not a lot of them."

  Eli smacked his ass. "Watch it. I can always take the backsplash down."

  "You don't want to do that, mister. You want to do the bathroom, too?"

  "Yeah? And what are you going to give me then?"

  Lord that man could look evil, dark eyes just flashing with the devil. Jed loved how Eli'd learned how to play. The man had been too damned stuffy once upon a time.

  "I could go with a full body massage. Maybe a good rimming…"

  Eli flushed dark, cheeks going hot for him. "Yeah? I could go for that."

  "Which?"

  "Both."

  But he didn't think it was the massage that had Eli all bothered. Jed pushed forward, his cock still so hard, and rubbed against Eli's thigh.

  "I can do both. But I don't think the oil and rubbing is what you really want."

  "You know it's not."

  Hell, yes. Eli loved it when Jed was the one doing the giving. Or the taking, if it came to fucking. Not that Eli wasn't an equal opportunity guy; Jed had ample experience with how damned generous Eli was. It was just, well, Eli knew how little Jed had been willing to do before they met. Sometimes it still amazed Jed himself.

  "It's a date," he said. "If you do the shower."

  Eli reached down between them and cupped his cock in one big hand. "Do I have to do it right now?"

  Jed nearly strangled on his own moan. "No. No, I can think of plenty else to keep you busy."

  "You sure? I mean, I could go. Do it right away. Bossy man."

  God, that smile just melted him right into a puddle. Well, all right, the hand on his crotch helped, Eli's fingers stroking and probing until his cock was out and in Eli's hand and he was humping like mad.

  "Not bossy." Hell, Eli was the bossy one, so used to ordering newbie firefighters around that even the dogs had learned to obey when he barked. Jed loved it, needed a man he couldn't push around, because eventually that led to all sorts of trouble.

  "Hell, yes you are. But that's okay."

  God, Eli was just watching as he stroked, Eli's big hand on his balls, his cock, stroking up and over the head before pulling back down, and Jed didn't think he'd ever seen anything more sexy. That focused look, all intent on him and what they were doing just made him crazy. He cried out, hands gripping Jed's shoulders, and fucked Eli's fist, panting for breath.

  "Come on, Jed. Now."

  Oh, fuck. Who was the bossy one, huh? Jed came for Eli, though, head falling back as his hips rocked, shooting like a freight train over Eli's hand.

  "God, mister. Gonna kill me."

  "What fun would that be?"

  He got the orneriest smile ever, Eli lifting his hand to lick it clean.

  Lord, lord. If the backsplash was that good, he couldn't wait to see what happened when the shower was done.

  ***

  Eli tried not to fidget as Jed gave the dogs scritches. Giving Scorch some loving of his own helped, and Ojo helped even more when he decided Jed only had two hands and they were busy with Jumbo and Spot, but that Eli had two and one was free.

  Still it was hard to sit and wait. The shower tiles should be set and dry now, and they could try the thing out.

  And Jed could live up to his payment promise.

  As casually as possible, Eli slid out from under the mutts and glanced Jed's way. "You ready to get clean, Thatcher? Try out the new shower?"

  Jed gave him a glinting smile, those blue eyes just laughing at him. Unfolding from the floor, Jed nodded, brushing his hands on his jeans.

  "Sure, mister. Why not? If they hold water? I'm all yours."

  "Oh, they'll hold." He grabbed Jed's arm and headed for the bathroom, impatient to get Jed naked and wet and doing all the things he fucking promised. Jesus, Jed got to him. He just couldn't even believe it, because he'd always been a goddamned island.

  They got into the bathroom with the door closed on the dogs, and Eli turned to give Jed a kiss that would hopefully curl his toes, and make him stop chuckling.

  It worked.

  Jed moaned into his mouth, hands sliding into his hair, pulling at the sho
rt strands. Eli grabbed Jed's ass, pulled him up, plastering him against the wall. One of Jed's legs came up around him, Jed humping against him, and Eli just wanted to die happy.

  Of course, he wanted what Jed had promised him, too.

  "Let's get clean, Thatcher."

  "Yeah."

  When he backed off Jed attacked his clothes, struggling against him as he tried to get Jed naked, too. Finally he just smacked Jed's hands away, opening buttons and zippers. He wanted that tanned skin so bad. So bad.

  Finally he had Jed like he wanted him, totally nude and fucking gorgeous, and Eli quickly shed his own clothes, pushing Jed into the shower. Oh, Oh, fuck there was nothing like Jed's hands on him. Eli felt his cock throb.

  Jed took over once the water was on, though, giving him a grin. "Gotta get you all clean, mister. Be good and hold still."

  "You don't want much, Thatcher."

  Holding still was beyond him, but he let Jed wash him thoroughly, inside and out, Jed reaching beneath his balls to scrub even his most intimate places. All through it Eli moaned and rocked, panting out Jed's name in broken syllables.

  Teasing him unmercifully, Jed finally got them both rinsed off and turned the water off, holding him back with a hand on his chest when he got grabby.

  "Want to do what I promised, Eli. You'll come if we get going now."

  Well, yeah. But Jed was right, so Eli backed off a little, squeezing the base of his cock. "We need oil."

  "Are you kidding? I put some in the nightstand two weeks ago when you finished in the kitchen."

  "Smartass."

  He followed Jed right to the bed, though, didn't he, and when Jed pushed him down on his belly Eli went, cock trapped between his belly and the mattress. Eli groaned at the pressure. Yeah. Good.

  Straddling his thighs, Jed went to work, the oil Eli hadn't even seen him get coating his hands and easing the way. His neck muscles got a thorough workout, then his shoulders and back, every line and cut lovingly traced until he was a puddle of goo.

  Even his legs got a workout, Jed rubbing hard enough that it hurt to begin with, but settled into the best kind of ache after a few minutes.

  So relaxed was he that the feel of Jed spreading his asscheeks came as a surprise, as did the hot touch of Jed's tongue against his hole. Eli jumped, grunted, his thighs opening wide, newly relaxed muscles stretching out so good.

  Humming, Jed spread him even more, thumbs digging into his glutes, and licked at him, just around the sensitive opening, making him squirm. God, the things Jed did to him. Panting, Eli tried to raise up to get more, but Jed pushed down on the small of his back, giving him no damned leverage. He pushed up on his arms anyway, using the upper body strength he'd gotten from years of cutting and digging, and Jed laughed at him, pulling back just a bit.

  "Jesus, you're built son of a bitch, Eli."

  "Shut up and lick."

  That got him another laugh, and Eli felt Jed's smile as those lips pressed against him, Jed's tongue pushing right into his hole, moving in and out, in and out. His fingers curled into the sheets until he felt the bottom sheet pop off the mattress, and Eli started humping, his belly so tight, cock so hard.

  He was just babbling, threatening, needing Jed to give him just the right pressure. Oh. There. Right there. Jed pushed a finger in alongside his tongue and Eli went crazy, thrashing, pushing, trying to get more, all of it, now.

  Jed moaned, too. He felt the vibrations against his skin, and reached under him, stroking his cock. Two long touches were all he could take and Eli came so hard he yelled, his voice hoarse and torn. He flopped down on the bed, grimacing at the wet spot, but he was too fucking wrung out to care.

  "Gonna fuck you now, mister." Jed whispered it in his ear, rising up behind him, and Eli nodded, lifting his hips easily when Jed pulled, pliant and ready. Slipping in, Jed scraped his nerves raw, pushing and rubbing, just moaning as Eli closed around him. Fuck, it was good.

  They rocked, moved, Eli letting Jed push him and bend him, his hands closing on the headboard to give them purchase. Jed pounded his ass, really smacking him hard with those sharp hips, Jed's thick cock opening him up so good. His own cock twitched, tried to rise, and Eli just enjoyed how sensitive it was, how it was almost painful.

  "Eli... gonna come." Yeah. Oh, yeah. His Thatcher was panting, grunting, sweat dripping from Jed's skin down to his own.

  "Come on, then. Come on." He reached back with one hand, stroking Jed's hip, and that was it. That did it. Jed groaned, long and loud, and thrust into him two or three more times, shooting deep inside him before collapsing on him. Little shocks went up and down Eli's spine, Jed's orgasm triggering aftershocks of his own.

  "Mmmm. I do like how you reward hard work, Jed."

  Jed kissed his neck, snuggling against him perfectly. "Yeah? Cool. But you know, I think maybe I would have liked blue tile better than the green..."

  Oh. He was going to kill the man.

  As soon as he had the energy to get up and do it.

  Maybe tomorrow.

  June 2005

  Eli was scheduled to go back out Monday, and the Fire Center was pretty adamant about it, even though Eli's crew had been out more often than they were in, and could have used a few more days off. There was a new fire, right up above Grand Junction, about ten miles north of the airport, in the Bookcliffs, and every hand was needed to keep it from spreading down into the city limits.

  Three weeks of record temperatures and no rain made for bad conditions and steady work.

  Jed never said a word, which was what made Eli feel so fucking guilty. If the man had bitched, even once, or groused or just plain whined, Eli could haul ass out on Sunday and not be the least bit sorry. But Jed. Well, the man knew him too well, knew he needed his work, and just let him go.

  So it was Saturday night, and Eli was praying for rain on Sunday.

  A downpour.

  Because for the first time in his life he wanted to stay home and let nature fight the fire for him.

  The weather report called for scattered thunderstorms, both on the mesa and down in the valley where the fire raged, and Eli hoped for a gullywhomper.

  One way or the other they had Saturday night, and Eli cooked while Jed was out feeding the animals and closing everything up for the night. Fajitas, like the first time he'd ever cooked for them, and he had to smile when he thought of how that meal led to tortillas stuck to his skin and the most fucking amazing sex he'd had up until that point.

  God knew it had only gotten better.

  Jed was like a thunderstorm himself, a fucking force of nature, which seemed to be the Thatcher way, and Eli got as much of a rush off the man as he did off a five foot wall of pure flame.

  A loud rumble sounded outside and suddenly Eli had three out of the four dogs in the house right under his feet. Cursing Jumbo especially, as the mutt was too damned big to hide under his knees, Eli staggered around the kitchen saving his sautéed chicken from certain demolishing and consequent devouring only by sheer force of will.

  The door opened and Jed came in along with the sweet clean smell of Colorado rain. "Hey, mister. It's raining cats and dogs out there. Just pouring."

  At the word 'dog' Jed was bowled over by just those animals, and Eli took the opportunity to transfer dinner to the table. "Yeah? Good looking clouds?"

  "Yeah. You ought to call down to the jump center 'fore you go tomorrow."

  "I will."

  "Good enough."

  Ears were scratched and dogs were shooed and Jed washed up so they could sit and eat. Jed grinned at him when he saw what was for dinner.

  "This mean I get dessert a la Eli?"

  "No, this means I get Thatcher a la mode."

  "Hot damn."

  "Yeah. We've got all night. And with any luck it will be raining on Sunday."

  ***

  Sunday morning came up wet and gray, so soggy that the dogs didn't even want stay out. Jed tried real hard not to get his hopes up. Real hard. Because odds were i
t wasn't raining where the fire was, and Eli would have to go.

  Still, Jed left the man sleeping for as long as he could, since he was up so damned early, and did the chores and fed the dogs. Some blueberry muffins wouldn't go amiss either, and he mixed some up to pop in the oven, as they'd be portable breakfast for Eli. Just in case.

  'Bout time the smell of baking blueberries was filling the kitchen, the phone rang, and Jed snatched it up before it woke Eli, who had another half hour to sleep.

  "Thatcher."

  "Hey, Jed. Andy, over at the flight center. Tell Marshall he's off the hook, will you? Rained so hard that fire is about ninety percent contained. We won't need his crew after all."

  Andy sounded damned cheerful, and Jed was feeling that way himself. "Thanks, Andy. I'll pass it on."

  "You do that. Say hi to your mom for me, will you?"

  "You bet."

  They hung up, and Jed knew he was grinning like a fool by the way the dogs were wiggling and wagging at him. They thought it was play time. Which it was, but not for them. Jed shoved them out the back door, much to their protests, and went to tell Eli it was still raining. Hot damn.

  Right. He was taking Eli coffee, muffins, and half naked Thatcher. Breakfast. Grinning some more, Jed carried the tray he set up into the bedroom and put it on the bedside table before sizing up the Eli shaped lump in the bed. Toes, lips or cock? Decisions, decisions.

  He'd start with the toes, as they were sticking out. Jed grabbed one and tickled, watching Eli's foot kick. Man wasn't as ticklish as he was, but it was still cute. Oh, and wouldn't Eli kill him for calling him cute? Still, he was. Jed waited for the kicking to die down, and put his lips against Eli's ankle, loving how soft the skin was there. After that he set to licking Eli's legs, calf to thigh and in between, biting at strong muscles, sucking at the hidden skin behind Eli's knees and between Eli's thighs.

  Time he got to Eli's hips the man was awake, rumbling in that early morning voice. "We got time for this?"

  "We got all day. Andy called. You don't have to go in."

  "Oh, damn. Can you see my disappointment?"

  "Oh, sure." A single glance at Eli's cock told Jed it looked nothing like disappointment. Oh. That needed a longer look. Hot and hard for him, thick as could be, Eli was a piece of work all right. And Jed wanted it. So he leaned over and put his mouth around it, sucking hard.