Tahoe Blue

by Eden French

  “Watch it! Hold on!” a voice yelled out from the rear of the vehicle.

  The rise in energy barreled over the scene in a wave. Panicked voices called out, running over each other, blending together in one collective din. Brand sought out Navarro. What was happening?

  The vehicle dropped a foot, and he was tossed off balance. Shit. It was going over the ledge. He had to get out of there. Now. He pushed himself up and reached for Navarro’s outstretched hand. Just two inches, and he’d have a hold.

  “Look out!”

  The voice was far away, and he knew there was no time. He glanced at Navarro, whose eyes widened, his mouth forming words, yelling something he couldn’t quite hear. Seconds stretched out like hours. No, no, no, no. He had to get out of there. He had to get home to Carson.

  The car tipped, and his fingertips brushed Navarro’s but were unable to make a connection. He watched another rescuer—Peterson?—grab Navarro’s lifeline by the waist and yank him away from the vehicle and fully out of Brand’s reach.

  Brand rolled to the side as the car lost its anchor and tipped over the ledge.

  “Shit!” he yelled as he tucked himself into a fetal position and covered his head and neck with his arms.

  The yelling was far in the distance now as the car gained momentum as it rolled down off the edge of the road and into the surrounding wood. Brand was thrown around the car’s interior as it barreled down the earth, stopping only when it hit a large pine.

  The sound of glass and metal crunched in his ears as his body was thrown out of

  the vehicle. Suddenly, everything was silent. Brand lay in the snow and breathed heavily.

  And then it was black.

  “Well, you sure know how to make an exit.”

  Brand opened his eyes and saw Navarro’s face in his. He brought his hands up and scrubbed his face. “Holy shit, that was a ride.”

  Navarro laughed. “Hell, man. If you ever decide to quit medic, you should try your hand at rancher, ’cause that was some serious cowboy shit there.”

  Brand laughed and stretched his back. “Fuck, I’m sore.” He slowly sat up. Navarro was immediately at his side.

  “Hold up, there. Your buddies are coming down here right now to check you out.” He nodded back up toward the hill.

  “I’m fine. Just a bit bruised up.”

  “Yeah, I know that, but if I let you move before you’ve been cleared your partner will have a fit. Is that guy always that high strung?”

  Brand laughed. “Yeah, pretty much.”

  “Well, you have fun with that. ’Cause here he is.”

  Brand looked over Navarro’s shoulder. A spotlight illuminated the area, and he could see James racing toward him with four other crew members close behind.

  “Brand!”

  “I’m fine,” he said, struggling to sit up.

  “Jesus Christ, man. What the hell was that about? You literally have a death wish,” James said, breathless from the run down the hill.

  “Yep. Totally planned that whole thing,” he replied in a deadpan tone.

  James shook his head as shot him a look. “Smartass,” he scoffed. “Now lie the fuck down until we can get you checked out.”

  “I’m fine, James. I just want to go home.”

  “Don’t be a dick. You know no one is letting you leave until you get clearance. Your ass may be a pain, but it’s valuable. Now, lie still and let me do this.”

  Brand sighed as he lay back. He may as well let them get it over with. The sooner he did, the sooner he’d be able to head back home. And the sooner he could have Carson in his arms again.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Brand walked through the door to his house a little past three in the morning. The lights were off, but the TV was still on. The low murmur of an infomercial played in the background. He threw his keys in the dish in the entryway and placed his bag on the floor. He glanced in the mirror on the wall and grimaced when he saw his reflection.

  A deep purple bruise had already formed on the left side of his forehead where two small lacerations were held together by butterfly stitches. They’d given him some pain meds at the hospital, but he had held off taking them so he could drive home. Now, he wished he’d taken them as a dull ache spread across his face.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. Walking to the living room, he saw Carson asleep on the couch, a blanket half covering his torso. His heart filled his chest. My God, this was real. He was real. Carson had come back… for him. A smile tugged at his lips, his happiness unavoidable. How many nights had he imagined coming home from work and seeing this exact scene? To have the person he loved to come home to?

  Brand shivered. It almost didn’t happen tonight. His brow furrowed as the events of the evening’s incident played over in his head. Shaking his head, he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer. He took a long swig from the bottle and let the alcohol work its magic. Had he hit his head just a tad harder….

  He sat down at the table and removed his boots. God, he smelled like work. He’d even taken a shower at the station after he was released from the hospital, but the stringent smell of peroxide seemed to be permanently living in his nose. He still couldn’t believe he’d even agreed to go to the hospital, but James wouldn’t let it rest.

  Once a concussion and internal bleeding had been ruled out, his partner settled down, and Brand was released from duty and headed home with nothing but some superficial cuts and bruises. And a lot of soreness. But what could he expect after being thrown out of a car that hit a tree after careening off the road? A chill ran through his body as he realized what could’ve happened. He’d take the soreness any day of the week. He took another sip and closed his eyes as he sat back in the chair.

  “Jesus, Brand, what the hell happened?”

  He snapped his head up. Carson stood in the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes wide as he took in Brand’s appearance.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t look fine. What happened to you?” Carson rushed over and examined his face. Brand winced as Carson’s trembling fingers grazed over the butterfly stitches. “Fuck, babe. Are you all right?”

  He lifted his hand and ran it through Carson’s hair. “I am now,” he whispered, leaning toward him.

  Carson held Brand’s face with care between his palms halting his path. “I was so worried about you. I watched the news all night. They said it was the worst accident the county has seen in over two decades. They’re reporting eleven fatalities, Brand. Eleven.”

  Brand’s heart hammered. He’d known that there were some black tags, but he didn’t realize that there were eleven. Was Andrew one of them? The girl from the car? Brand bit his lip. Please let the girl be one of the survivors.

  Carson gently lifted his chin, his eyes searching Brand’s. “Talk to me, babe.”

  Brand closed his eyes and let a breath escape his lips. He opened them and saw Carson waiting. A wave of overwhelming emotion crashed down on him, and his body began to tremble. He slumped down in the chair.

  “There was a moment tonight when I… I thought I’d never see you again,” he began.

  He released the fears that’d been building up inside him over the past few hours. Immediately, Carson held him close, careful to avoid the black and purple smear across his brow, and listened as Brand spilled every detail he remembered. Shannon. The little girl. The tree. Shit, his head throbbed when he thought about the tree. The sickening crunch of glass and metal played in his memory. His stomach turned, and he brought his hand to his center and pushed against it.

  “It… I—” His voice stuck in his throat.

  He trembled, the true weight of what he could’ve lost held him still and quiet. Carson hugged him tighter and ran his fingers through his hair, rocking back and forth with a gentle sway.

  “It’s okay, B. You don’t have to keep going. We can talk about it some other time.” Carson’s lips pressed against the top of his head.

  Brand released a shaky
breath. “I think about tonight, Car, and I… I don’t know how to feel. A few months ago, something like this could’ve happened, and I honestly don’t think I would’ve batted an eye at it.” He sat back and was face to face with Carson. “And now… everything’s different. I mean, when I was right in the middle of it all, I could only think of what I needed to do in the moment. But when that car had tipped and then, when it hit the tree—” He rolled his lips and took a deep breath while Carson’s brow furrowed.

  “I realized in that moment that you leaving had no impact on my love for you. That even after all this time, I am still so much in love with you that life makes no sense without you. Car, I know we’re still figuring things out again, and I don’t want to add more stress to whatever this… us is, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Tears welled in Carson’s eyes. Holy shit. Brand almost died tonight. His stomach roiled, and he felt like he was going to puke, but he had to be strong. He had to be the man Brand deserved. He swallowed hard.

  “There was never anyone else for me. Knowing that I almost fucked it all up makes me physically ill. But I’m not a kid anymore. No one will ever dictate who I am and what I do. I promise you that. And I promise to love you until the day I die.”

  The sentiment was truer than anything he’d ever said in his life. He’d nearly lost Brand forever, and by some universal gift he wasn’t even sure he deserved, he sat in Brand’s kitchen and listened to this beautiful man proclaiming his love for him. Carson’s heart hammered in his chest. He would never take love for granted again.

  He reached out and wrapped his hand around Brand’s neck and pulled him close. Their lips brushed against each other, and the energy between them ignited. Mother of God. Carson’s blood boiled in his body at the slight touch. How could such a small touch create such an intense reaction?

  “Carson, I love you,” Brand whispered, his lips moving against his mouth.

  “I love you, Brand. Fuck, I love you so much. I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  He slipped his fingers along the back of Brand’s head and gently fisted his hair. He pressed against his lips, careful at first until the kiss grew so heated it threatened to incinerate them both.

  Brand brought his hands to Carson’s face and held him fast, his thumbs grazing along Carson’s cheeks. Carson opened his mouth wide, inviting Brand’s kiss in. Brand slid his tongue into Carson’s mouth, and a deep moan bubbled up from his throat.

  “You taste so good, Carson. I want you so bad.”

  Carson’s stomach flexed and his chest tightened as the words made a beeline for his cock. He clenched his thighs and pushed deeper into the moment allowing his tongue to press against Brand’s before pulling back to catch his breath.

  “We can stop. You must be completely drained right now. And I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here for you. I’m yours. Forever.” His chest heaved with anticipation, and his jaw clenched. He was about to implode. Brand aroused every single cell in his body to the point of pain.

  And he wanted it all.

  Brand’s chair knocked over as he stood, pulling Carson into his arms.

  “No more waiting. I want you now.”

  Their mouths locked together again, and they stumbled in each other’s embrace as they headed toward the bedroom.

  Chapter Forty

  Brand kicked the door open, and the two crashed into the room, a tangled mess of hands and arms and legs and tongues. He was sore, but not too sore to take what he wanted. His hand found the front of Carson’s pants and gripped the bulging erection begging to be released. A low gasp caught in Carson’s throat.

  “The things I want to do to you….”

  His pulse raced as Carson’s fingers found his belt and made quick work of it, unbuttoning his pants and shoving them down.

  Carson knelt, taking Brand’s boxer briefs down with him, and wrapped his lips around Brand’s cock. Instinctively, Brand’s head fell back.

  “Oh, fuck yes, Car.”

  He grabbed the back of Carson’s head and gripped his hair tight. Carson widened his mouth and let Brand set the pace, his velvety head tapping the back of Carson’s throat. Faster and faster. Harder. He urged Carson to devour him entirely. And it wasn’t nearly enough. He pulled his cock out and tilted Carson’s head up by the hair, forcing him to meet his gaze. His eyes were a heady steel blue. They smoldered with a white-heat fire.

  “I want you in me. I need to feel you inside me, Car.” His voice cracked, and he swallowed.

  Carson stood and pushed Brand down on the edge of the bed. He unbuckled his belt and took down his pants. His erection sprung out. Stepping out of his pants, he stood in between Brand’s legs. Grabbing them firmly, he lifted them, bending them at the knees, and opened his lover up.

  Before Brand could protest, Carson knelt and licked his ass with his tongue. Brand twitched as the tip ran over the sensitive skin.

  “Fuck,” he said with a gasp. “More, Car. I want more.”

  Carson circled the tight hole, depositing saliva as he trailed the outside ring of the puckered flesh. Brand squirmed with each pass. Holy fuck, what was Carson doing to him? His body was close to spontaneous combustion.

  “I need you, Car. Please, I need to feel you inside me,” Brand begged.

  “Lube?”

  “Nightstand,” he breathed.

  Carson stood and opened the nightstand drawer. He snatched up the small tube and squeezed a good amount into his palm. Tossing the container back on the bedside table, he rubbed the smooth gel over his cock and between Brand’s ass. Positioning his cock against Brand’s trembling opening. He rubbed against it twice before pressing the head gently into the steamy, wet entrance. Brand squirmed in front of him, his eyes closed, his cheeks flushed in arousal.

  “Oh, God,” Brand moaned. “All the way, Car. All the way.”

  Carson eased his way into Brand’s hot center, in and out, in and out, until he was fully penetrating, his cock buried deep into his lover’s body. Slowly, he gained momentum, faster and faster, until he was fucking Brand at a ravaging pace.

  “Harder, Car. Deeper. I need it all.” He was desperate to feel Carson in him, to have him completely. Carson was his soul mate, and he wanted to fuck until their souls were one.

  Brand grabbed his own cock and held it tight. It ached as Carson pounded him, and he was sure he would come soon. He began to stroke it feverishly until the orgasm was nearly upon him.

  “So… tight….” Carson’s breathless whisper barely escaped.

  Carson’s rhythm became more frantic and unmeasured. Brand sensed he was almost there, too.

  “Yes, Car. Fucking come inside me.”

  Carson screamed and released himself into Brand, gripping his legs and shoving himself deep into his core. Brand felt Carson’s heat pump inside him. Tears stung his eyes as love washed over him with each pulse of Carson’s orgasm. The sensation sent him reeling and he came hard. His fluid spurted over his hand and dripped down his fist as he held his cock tight.

  As the orgasm waned, they collapsed in bed. They peeled the remaining clothes off each other, cleaned up, and climbed naked into the sheets. Carson pulled Brand into him, wrapping his arms around his chest and shoulders. Brand placed his head in the crook of Carson’s shoulder, and began to drift off to sleep, before he was jolted awake by the sound of Carson’s cell. He knew that ringtone. Brand sighed and began to sit up but stopped when Carson held him back.

  “Let it go to voice mail,” Carson said.

  “What about your agent?”

  “How many times do I have to say it?” Carson said, pulling Brand closer to him and kissing him on the forehead. “You’re my priority. Cynthia’s just gonna have to wait.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  Brand held the headphones over his ears and listened to the lines through the sound system. He’d finally gotten four consecutive days off and had made the trip down to Burbank to watch the filmi
ng of the season finale.

  “Please… please don’t hurt me,” the woman pleaded as tears ran down her cheeks.

  Vampire Detective Brett MacLaren stalked toward her until her back was flat against the brick wall. “I’m not going to hurt you,” MacLaren growled as he leaned forward, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. “No. That would be too easy. Let’s see how you do as one of us.” The blond detective took the woman in his arms and feasted on her neck.

  “And cut!” The director’s voice echoed throughout the sound stage.

  Bells went off, and instantly, a clattering of voices broke out, filling the once silent sound stage. Brand watched as Carson stood. Excitement rippled through his chest. That was his man. A sense of pride overwhelmed him as Carson reached down to help Sasha Elliot stand.

  “Okay, everybody. That’s a wrap for today. Thank you all.”

  Carson stretched and jogged over to Brand, who was waiting by the cameras.

  “That was pretty cool,” Brand said as Carson approached him. “I’m so glad I came.”

  Carson’s face turned a bright shade of pink. “You don’t have to say that. I know it’s all a bit… much.”

  Brand shook his head and wrapped his arm around Carson’s waist. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it,” he said. “Besides, who else can say they’re with the hottest vampire detective on planet Earth.” He bent over and nipped at Carson’s mouth.

  The blond man’s lips turned up into a smile. “Looks like we’re done here for today. Let me go get out of hair and makeup, and we can take off.” He pulled out his phone and checked the screen. “Looks like we have a few hours to ourselves before the big night?” He paused. “Are you sure you still want to go?”

  Brand shrugged. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. But it’s the Vispys, Car. Hardly something you could skip. You’re nominated for an award.”