by BA Tortuga
“Okay.” Lex stared at him, lips curving into a smile. Oh, that expression was amazing.
“Okay.” He grinned right back and stepped in for a kiss.
The nachos waited about ten minutes for that one. Brant figured it was worth it.
Chapter Fifteen
LEX COULDN’T stop grinning, and he knew Sarge and the boys would give him no end of hell about it. He was moving in with Brant.
They’d actually spent the morning packing, discussing where this and that could go. They were going to put some of his stuff in storage, because Brant had a bigger bed, but his dresser was coming, his nightstand, his comfy couch from the spare room. His dishes and cast iron were coming, his television was coming for the front room, and they were going to move Brant’s to the bedroom.
Brant had a fit over his comal, and now there would be room for his tools in a real workshop.
He grinned some more.
Brant touched his arm. “You okay?”
“I am more than okay. I feel a little giddy, as a matter of fact.”
Brant bumped their shoulders together. “A little giddy?”
“Just a bit.” Was that weird?
“Good. We’re in it together, right?”
And that was it, wasn’t it? They totally were. “We are.” Lex felt like that was too true. He pulled into the restaurant parking lot and stopped the truck. “Ready for this?”
“Sure. They’re not going to eat me, are they?”
“No, no. They’re way more likely to josh me.” Lex shook his head, grinning.
“Well, then….” Brantley hopped out of the truck. “I’m all over that.”
“Good deal.” Lex climbed out too, then took a deep breath. “Come on. Sí Señor awaits.”
“Chips and salsa?”
“God, yes.” Lex did love his Mexican food. Which, you know, stood to reason. Because, as he called it, food! His dad’s old joke made him cackle, and he laughed all the way inside.
Lex touched Brant’s hand, steering him toward a table where two men already sat. One was a burly, salt-and-pepper Hispanic man, the other a twentysomething kid who still had freckles. And pimples.
“Sarge. Andrew. Good to see you guys. This is Brant. Brant Dime, Sergeant Ben Gutierrez and Corporal Andrew Nye.”
“Hey, y’all. How goes it?” Brant shook and grinned, just all smiles.
“Good to meet you,” Gutierrez said. “We ordered chips and queso and salsa, so we’re just waiting on the rest.”
“Dusty and Nate,” Lex agreed. “Who else?”
“Towa. Richards. I think Pecina and Henry.”
“Cool.” Lex nodded; no one he hated had come along.
They sat, all of them staring at each other for a little bit.
“So.” The sergeant smiled. “Albuquerque, huh?”
“Delicate, Sarge. Yeah. You guys know I was there for a while. My folks are up there.” Brantley is up there.
“Sure. We’ll miss your stupid jokes.”
“And your ugly socks.”
Lex grinned at Andrew. “I’ll have to send you guys some.”
“Great, we’ll be all wearing flamingos and pit bulls.”
Brant grinned. “Socks, huh?”
“I brought serious ones up for the funeral,” Lex said.
Everyone went a little grim, a little quiet.
“Looks like we got here in time to cheer everyone up.” Two more guys showed up, and Lex shook hands with Pecina and Henry.
“Thank God for that. How’s it going?” Lex hadn’t been back long enough to see anyone and get the gossip.
“Marnie is pregnant.” Henry shook his head mournfully.
“What’s that? Four?”
“Yeah. Four. God. That woman catches pregnant if she walks through a room with a hard-on in it.”
“Lord.” Gutierrez blinked. “You didn’t tell me.”
“I knew you’d put me on desk duty.”
“You….”
“I like being in the cruiser, Sarge.”
Gutierrez rolled his eyes. “You’re a freak.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you’re the boyfriend?” Henry asked. “The one he’s leaving us for?”
“I’m the boyfriend, yeah.” Brant didn’t hesitate a bit.
Lex beamed. He couldn’t help it.
“Don’t suppose you’d be willing to move here, man?” That was Sarge.
“Um. Well, it’s pretty, but I like the higher elevation….” Brant touched his thigh under the table, just giving him a little pressure, so he tried to stop it.
“Sarge, quit it.”
“You can’t blame me for trying, Espana.”
“No, you said you would.”
Brantley pinked, head ducked, but there was a grin there.
“Still not going to work. I’m throwing my lot in with his.” Lex couldn’t stop grinning.
“And I have a house,” Brant added.
“Just don’t tell him about the cats.”
The phrase fell like a turd in a punchbowl.
“Hey, Nate.” Lex rolled his eyes. He was about to get it now.
“Cats? Cats?” Andrew’s eyes were wide, his hands flapping.
“Yes. I am a gay nurse with three cats. I’m also a retired vet who can kick your asses, in case that didn’t come up.” Brant’s smile was almost friendly.
“Army?” Nate asked quietly. “Dusty and I both were.”
“Yeah. Took live fire pulling Marines out of a Jeep that was hit by an IED.”
“Ouch.”
The guys all nodded, giving Brant the respect that deserved.
“Also, his cat is gigantic. Huge. Monster kitty.” Lex needed to make sure Brant knew he wasn’t ashamed.
“He’s not lying,” Nate said. “Show them the evidence.”
Brantley, to Lex’s pure joy, pulled out his phone and started showing off “baby” pictures.
“Holy shit,” Pecina murmured. “That’s the biggest cat I’ve ever seen.”
“He’s a Maine coon. They’re gorgeous. The other two are rescues.”
“Wow. See, that’s like you’re a lion tamer or something,” Henry said.
“That’s me. Lion tamer, ho.”
Lex burst out with laughter. “Who you calling a ho?”
Everyone else cracked up. Then the other guys showed, and they all got serious about food. Lex was so damn pleased at how Brant rolled with it. Cops could be hard. Brant couldn’t be grossed-out, the man just matching them, story for story, joke for joke. In fact, since Brant worked with kids, a couple of his bodily fluid stories made everyone but Nate and Dusty ewwww out loud.
At the end of the meal, they were rolling, the entire group, and Lex was busting his buttons.
“I gotta head out,” Gutierrez said. “I like your guy, Espana. Nice to meet you, Brant.”
“Very nice to meet you, sir.” Brant stood and shook hands. “If you’re up in the Burque, you have a place to stay.”
“No shit? Thanks.” Gutierrez grinned, then waved. Most of the guys rose and shook hands and stuff, leaving them with Nate and Dusty.
“Good job, man. You handled those guys like a charm.” Dusty shook Brant’s hand. “Seriously. Good job.”
“Thanks. It wasn’t hard work. I like people.”
“Yeah, but you start at a deficit,” Dusty said with a grin. “You did great.”
Nate nodded. “I like you.”
Lex was never going to stop grinning. He hadn’t realized how important it was for his friends to like his new lover, but Brantley was… shit, the man was easy to like. He was easy-going, smart, and generally decent. Funny too. And hot.
“Lex, pay attention.”
“What?”
“I was asking you a question,” Dusty said.
“Were you?” He was busy being in love.
Brantley began to laugh, the sound soft, fond.
“I was. I was asking if you needed any help moving. Nate and I can swing a few days….”
&
nbsp; “Oh. Oh, seriously?” He knew how precious that offer was. Their time off together was sacrosanct.
“Yeah. I mean, we’re nosy too.”
“I—we have a great guest room. Y’all are welcome.” Brant sounded a little stunned.
“Awesome.” Nate gave a thumbs-up. “We’ll bring up a load, then.”
“We can have a cookout. Steaks on the grill.”
“That sounds amazing,” Dusty said. “You text us what you need.”
“Can you believe it’s happening so fast?” Nate asked. “I mean, no judgment, just wow.”
Lex nodded. “Mama always said it was that way.”
“I’ve never asked someone to move in, but he’s been staying, and it feels… right.” Brant pinked but held Lex’s eyes.
“Then we’re happy for both of you.” Nate and Dusty exchanged glances, smiling. “Sometimes it just takes something to nudge you into going after what you want.”
“And sometimes you just have to know what you’re looking at.” Lex reached out and took Brant’s hand, feeling all daring, right there in the restaurant.
Brant gave him this look, one that just burned his socks.
“Damn, y’all. Damn. Go home. Have quiet times.”
Nate hooted. “Yeah. Yeah, go get alone.”
Brant nodded. “I could handle that, honey. Wanna?”
“I do.” Lex so, so did. “Thanks for coming, guys. I’ll holler tomorrow?”
“Late tomorrow, hmm?”
“You know it.” Lex winked, then reached for the bill. Which was gone.
“Your sergeant got it, man. Sweet.”
“That is. Wow.” He would call Gutierrez tomorrow. “Okay, guys. We’re going on.” Lex rose, then grabbed hugs before dragging Brant out to the parking lot.
“Hungry, hungry,” Brant teased, but he was laughing all the way.
“I am. You just—I….” He had no words.
“Uh-huh. Come on, dork. I have you. Take me to your leader, I mean, your bed.”
“I can totally do that.” Back in the truck and back to his soon-to-be-not-his place. “I’m going to move in with you.”
“You are. We’re going to make house.”
“Is that a Texanism?” Lex loved that.
“I guess? Is it? I never know. I know that sometimes the ladies at work cackle.”
“Well, it must be.” They were moving in together. Officially. The house was big enough for them, the cats liked them, and…. Was there an and? He guessed they would see. Lex wasn’t an idiot. He knew live-in relationships took work.
“Hey, we can work things out, huh? We will.” Brant squeezed his fingers.
“We will. I’m actually kind of looking forward to it.” He’d never been serious, so everything would be a first.
“Me too. I’ve never had a live-in lover. Someone to share a life with.”
“No? Me either. Travis would probably tell you I’ve never had a lover….”
“I had one in the service, and I’ve had a couple buddies and one disaster.”
“Yeah?” Lex reached over to touch Brant’s hand. “Want to tell me?”
“He was a party animal, and I thought it was going to be exciting. Then I found out party animal meant he was an alcoholic. And I discovered that alcoholic meant drugs, and that? Meant he stole my TV and my laptop.”
“Jesus. The worst I’ve had was a guy who stiffed me for drinks.” Lex chewed his lip. “I—I’ll warn you, Travis seems to think I’m some kind of player.”
“Are you?”
“I’ve never thought so. I mean, I’ve never been serious until now, but I’m not out every weekend with someone new.”
“So long as you’re with me now, that’s all I care about. I want long-term. I want… what Matty and Travis had.”
“Yeah. I think that about Dusty and Nate. You’ll see.”
They started toward the apartment, and Brant reached out, hand finding his thigh again. “We have a lot in common. We have a lot to talk about. Hell, we have a shit ton of chemistry. It’s going to be okay.”
“I think so too.” Lex was stupidly optimistic, in fact.
“Good. Is it bad to come on to you while you’re driving?”
“Gently. I did take police driving, but you distract me.”
“Fair enough. I’m sort of enjoying this, though. Wanting you so bad.” Brant’s voice was husky, low. Wanton. “Usually I don’t walk around half-hard.”
“Neither do I.” He didn’t drive that way either. Not usually.
“I am looking forward to late night blowjobs with you,” Brant murmured. “And long Sunday morning showers.”
“Oh, God.” Yes, please, to all of it.
“Right? I mean, the normal stuff is cool, but I’ve never been taken over the dining room table.”
“Brant.” Did he even have a dining room table? “Maybe the back of the couch?”
“Sounds like a great start.”
“I think so too!” Look at them. On the same page.
“We have a plan. You. Me. Couch. Orgasms.”
“Uhn.” He wasn’t going to speed. No getting pulled over for an off-duty cop. That would be damned embarrassing. That did mean it took forever to get back to his apartment, and he was… ready.
He was aching.
He was going to take Brant inside and make his lover scream.
They ran the last few steps, and Lex had to fumble with the keys, because his hands shook. Brant wasn’t helping, not at all. Those hands were dragging over his ass, squeezing it tight. He wiggled, dancing in place, then finally got the door open.
Okay, what first? Condoms and lube? Foreplay? Nakedness?
Couch. Which meant condoms and lube first.
“Stay, babe. Please. Be right back.”
Brant stripped his shirt off, nodding. “Staying.”
“Yep.” Lex ran to the bedroom, glad he didn’t have stairs and shit like Travis. Oh, no thinking about Trav. Grossness. Not now. No. He grabbed lube and condoms out of the bathroom. Lex tended to masturbate in the shower and put condoms in his pocket when he was dressing for a night out. He’d have to start leaving them in the night table.
Damn. Life was changing. Quick. He liked it.
How could he not? This was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Brant was waiting for him, bare naked, bent over the couch, and Lex tripped, staggering the last few feet and banging into Brant. “Oops.”
Brant and the sofa moved a few inches, the feet scraping across the carpet.
“Sorry, baby.” He wasn’t about to get the giggles now.
“Trying to scrape my dick!” Brant cracked up, and then it was all over, both of them howling away.
“I promise I’ll kiss it and make it better.” With glee.
That didn’t help the laughter at all.
He covered Brant with his body, holding on tight. They both laughed until his cock poked hard at Brant’s balls, and then they trailed off.
Right. He needed to rev his lover back up, remind him what they were up to. He slid back and forth, getting a nice bit of friction, and Brant began to rock toward him. That fine ass was tight, round and muscled, and Lex traced the scars leading from that injured hip.
“You don’t mind them, right?”
“I think they mean you’re a survivor.” He touched them again, refusing to act like they weren’t there.
“I think so, yes.”
“I’m so damn glad you are.” He knew how fast things could go horribly wrong.
“Me too. I want you to make me come, Lex. I want you to drive me crazy.”
“Good.” He got his hand unclenched, glad the lube and condom seemed intact. He kept touching, stroking Brant’s ass, his thighs.
He wanted more of that skin. Lex was addicted. Brant spread a little, balls exposed, swinging. Laying the lube and rubber on the back of the couch, Lex paused then to strip down. Brant would feel so good against him. He hummed as the cool air hit his body, his hot,
aching cock.
“Oh, man, I can smell you. Fucking A.” Brant shivered, a dull flush climbing his spine.
Lex moaned, his heart pounding. “That’s good, right?”
“Fuck yes. You make me hard as a rock.”
“I want that.” He reached around, pushing up under Brant’s dick.
Brant spread for him, hips pushing out at him, letting him rub and rock. He wanted in, but he needed to prep. He wasn’t going to hurt Brant. After all, foreplay was a glorious thing, right?
He reached down and cupped Brant’s balls, held them, weighing them in his palm.
Going up on tiptoes, Brant grunted. “Lex!”
There were benefits to knowing a man’s body. He played with his prize, that fuzzy sac drawing up hard. He pressed on that tiny tight hole with his thumb.
“Lex…. Oh, God. Get me ready.” Brant was pushing back hard, begging for it.
Damn, that was sweet. Perfect. His. Lex felt a surge of pride. He leaned forward, lips sucking up a mark on the nape of Brant’s neck.
Keening, Brant leaned his chest on the couch, reaching back to spread his asscheeks.
“Oh, Jesus.” Was this fucking real? He thought it was, but maybe he’d fallen and hit his head. Lex grabbed the lube, because they were cooking with oil and he needed to hurry.
He slicked two fingers up and pressed them in deep, moaning at the glorious tightness. Brant was just amazing, so hot and ready, and all he had to do was work his fingers back and forth, watching as he spread his lover.
Damn. Damn, he was so hard he hurt.
He got Brant slick, open, ready for him. Then he fumbled with the condom. He felt clumsy as hell, but his hands were shaking with pure need. Lex finally got it on, got the whole of it slicked up.
“Lex, honey. Please. Make love to me.”
“I’ve got you, love.” Lex was going to give Brant everything. He held Brant open with his fingers, spreading his lover wide and pushing in.
“Oh, fuck. Yeah. Lex. That’s it, honey.” Brant pressed against him, meeting him halfway.
Eager love. He leaned forward, covering Brant’s back with his chest, shoving in deep.
Nodding, Brant drove him, hips gliding back and forth. Finally he grabbed Brant’s hip, stilling him, driving a little bit harder. He could do this forever. But at the same time, he wasn’t gonna last long.