In Deep

by Bailey Bradford

  Draven’s mouth went dry as he placed his hands on Titus’ thighs. Titus bore down, and the tight, hot grip of his rim, then his inner walls, drove a strangled shout from Draven.

  Titus didn’t go slowly. He pushed, his ass slapping Draven’s groin and, just as fast, Titus rose again. He braced himself on Draven’s chest, fingers scraping at Draven’s nipples as Titus began riding him hard, fast, mercilessly.

  Draven didn’t want mercy. He cursed and bucked up, moving his hands to Titus’ hips so he could help Titus slam back down.

  Draven dug his heels in and fucked Titus with all the strength he had.

  It wasn’t enough. He growled and rolled them over, then pulled out, flipped Titus onto his belly, parted Titus’ ass with one hand and used the other to guide his cock back into the tight heat of Titus’ body.

  Titus reared up onto his knees, shoved back and they were lost in fucking, Draven pounding into Titus, holding his hips so hard he’d probably leave bruises.

  Titus began to grunt, “More,” every few thrusts, and Draven gave him everything—slamming into him over and over, faster, rougher, need building, heating his skin, his insides, until Draven thought he’d combust.

  He changed the angle of his hips, and Titus bellowed. Draven reached under him, fisted Titus’ dick and started jacking him off.

  Titus shouted, and his inner walls clenched around Draven’s dick. Draven bent over him, bit Titus’ nape and hot cum spurted over Draven’s hand. Titus’ ass went so tight around Draven’s cock that there was no holding back.

  Draven’s head spun, and he might have screamed as he rammed his hips forward, burying his shaft as deeply in Titus as possible. Each spurt of cum felt like it boiled up from his gut, jetted to his balls then erupted from his dick.

  Draven was absolutely stripped when his climax began to ebb. He’d never had such a core-shattering orgasm before, and he’d already had amazing ones with Titus.

  If he’d had any hidden doubts about making a long-distance relationship with Titus work, they’d all been incinerated by that release.

  Titus was his. He was Titus’. Titus might not know it yet, but Draven was going to convince him that they were it for each other.

  Although, when he caught a glimpse of Titus’ expression, the bliss and affection there, Draven wondered if Titus hadn’t already come to the same conclusion.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Talking wasn’t the priority it had been. Titus couldn’t get enough of Draven and he knew the feeling was mutual. Titus shivered as he felt Draven’s heartbeat beneath his palm. “Don’t think I can move. Everything hurts perfectly.”

  Draven snorted and placed his hand over Titus’. “Totally fucked out.”

  “Yeah.” Titus let his eyes drift shut. “You staying here tonight?”

  “If that’s okay?”

  Titus had to peek up at Draven. “Is there even any question about it being okay? We’re supposed to have a serious talk anyway, right?”

  “I want this to work,” Draven answered after a moment. “It’s not just sex, either. I like you.”

  “Ditto,” Titus whispered.

  “So we’re going to…to date? Be a couple?” Draven asked. He moved, and Titus bit back a sigh, propping himself up on one elbow and giving up on the idea of passing out just yet.

  Draven was watching him, and there was so much hope in his pretty eyes that Titus felt himself tumbling over an emotional edge he wasn’t ready to examine. “Yeah, be a couple. Um.” Oh, and here came the hard part! “I’m not—no one here knows—”

  “You’re not out,” Draven finished for him. “You said something along those lines. So how will this work?”

  Titus bit his bottom lip. He didn’t want Draven to feel like—or be—a dirty secret. There was nothing dirty about him, or what he and Titus had and did together.

  But Titus did live in a small, conservative Texas town. He had no doubt he’d be out of a job in no time once it became public knowledge that he was gay.

  “Hey.” Draven cupped his cheek, and Titus realized at some point, Draven had sat up, his back against the headboard. “We don’t have to figure everything out yet.”

  “But—” Titus couldn’t stop himself from rubbing his cheek against Draven’s palm.

  “You said Stacy and Michelle aren’t out,” Draven added. “They make it work. We can, too.”

  But Titus didn’t want to hide Draven, or his relationship with him. Although, it might be prudent to make sure they could actually have a relationship that would endure more than a few weeks.

  Even so, Titus knew one thing. “If we make it, if…if we end up really caring for each other, I don’t want to hide that, even if it means I might lose my job. I’m not ashamed of who I am, and I refuse to be ashamed of who I love.” He felt himself blush. “I-if I fall in love, I mean.”

  Draven’s smile warmed him inside, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

  “Will people notice a guy showing up at your house often?” Draven ran his thumb over Titus’ bottom lip. “Will they get suspicious?”

  Titus gulped, not from fear, but because his worn-out body was trying to respond to Draven’s caress. “People talk. Not much else to do in this town.”

  Draven’s smile dimmed then flipped into a frown. “Even dating puts your job at risk.”

  “I’m willing to take that chance,” Titus replied. “It’s my choice to make.”

  “But you’ve never been out here, never dated anyone,” Draven pressed.

  Titus sat up all the way. “Well, no. I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to date anyone again, and I told you, I’m not big on one-night stands. I guess I figured I’d just… I don’t know. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking.” He glanced at Draven. “I had a…a bad experience with someone. I don’t want to talk about it right now. It was bad enough that I thought I’d rather be celibate than let anyone near me again.”

  Draven growled. “Someone hurt you?”

  Titus shrugged. “Don’t we all get hurt at some point?” He wasn’t sure that was a good question to ask. “Did—?”

  Draven surprised him with a kiss, and Titus turned toward him, his question forgotten as Draven’s tongue speared into him. Titus framed Draven’s face with his hands and was soon straddling Draven’s hips, kissing him harder, need curling hot and tight in his gut.

  Titus’ body wasn’t as exhausted as he’d thought it was. Draven fisted both of their cocks and within minutes, both of them came, their kisses sloppy and breaths stuttering.

  Somehow, Titus managed to stumble to the bathroom for another damp washcloth. Draven was asleep that fast, snoring softly as Titus wiped him clean. Titus took care of the mess on himself, then dropped the washcloth onto the floor.

  He was aware that Draven had cut him off from asking if someone had hurt him, but since Titus didn’t want to discuss his past, he couldn’t fault Draven for feeling the same way.

  But the knowledge that someone had gotten close enough to Draven to make him not want to talk about the pain—well, that bothered Titus like an itch he couldn’t scratch.

  It was hypocritical, he knew that. Draven had every right to his secrets, just like Titus did.

  Still, Titus lay awake far too long, worrying over Draven’s pain, and wondering if he’d moved past the man who’d caused it.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Draven bit back a groan when Riveen flopped down beside him. “Don’t start,” Draven warned.

  Riveen smacked him on the arm. “Shut up. Starting is exactly what I do. So gimme the details. Did you fuck the entire forty-eight hours you were with Titus? Can he walk? Can you? Anyone take on a pretzel-shape?”

  “Rive,” Draven growled. “I’m not telling you anything about what we did!”

  “But I didn’t get laid. I need excitement,” Riveen wheedled. “And you’re my big brother, and you’re leader of our school.”

  “There’s four of us,” Draven threw in. “I’d hardly call that
a school.”

  “It’s a school and you damn well know it,” Riveen snapped. “Could you imagine if there was a large school of”—he glanced around them—“manta rays around Port A? It’d be all over the news. But just because it’s small doesn’t mean us four don’t make a school!”

  Draven prayed for a modicum of patience. “I’m not the leader. I’ve never been officially appointed.”

  “Oh my gods, puh-leeze. Times are changing. Things aren’t done in the ocean like they were back in the old days,” Riveen snarked. “It’s the twenty-first century, remember? Now stop diverting and tell me how it went with Titus!”

  Draven dug his toes into the sand and stared out at the waves. “Perfect,” he admitted. “Rive, everything about him just…works for me. And I think I do it for him, too.”

  Riveen made a face. “Wait, I asked for sex details, not mushy stuff. I already know your heart goes pitter-patter because of Titus. How big is his—?”

  Draven twisted and had his brother in a headlock in a matter of seconds. “Stop asking me shit like that!”

  “Never,” Riveen muttered, then he jabbed his fingers into Draven’s side.

  Draven yelped and scrambled away from Riveen and his evil fingers. “Stay back!”

  “Just tell me,” Riveen whined, waggling his fingers at Draven. “Are you in luuuuurve? Is that why you won’t share the deets?”

  Draven opened his mouth up to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come.

  Riveen laughed and clapped his hands as he did a little dance. “I knew it! He’s your forever man, right?”

  Draven had thought he’d had his man once before, had believed in love and truth, in destiny, and it’d almost cost him and his…school…their lives. Had almost cost Riveen his and something in Draven had shattered at the betrayal.

  “Hey, Drave, don’t get all moody and broody,” Riveen said, nudging Draven’s hip. “I can see the past washing over you like someone dumped a bucket full of seagull shit on your head.”

  That bit of poetry snapped Draven out of the past. “You should really just…not. Period. Don’t speak. Ever again.”

  Riveen scrunched up his nose. “What? You don’t like the bucket of seagull shit? It could happen, as much as those fuckers like to crap.”

  Draven shook his head. “Why, exactly, are we having this discussion?”

  “Because you’re in love and don’t want to admit it,” Riveen sang—badly. “Instead, you want to think about that lying piece of shit from your past. Let it go, bro. He’s gone. Permanently.” The hard glint in Riveen’s eyes would have surprised most people—he only let them see his jokester side.

  But Draven knew his brother well. Riveen was light-hearted most of the time—and deadly when he needed to be. However, Riveen had never been in love, or even close to it. “That’s easy to say when you don’t carry the scars.”

  “Stop being so emo. Jeez.” Riveen glanced up at the sky. “I may not have ever been in love, but I have loved. You, our sibs, Mom and Dad, the aunts and uncles and so on. I know what love is, and you know what I’d do for love. So maybe don’t worry that you love Titus. Maybe treasure that, and thank the gods you got another chance, with a good man. One who will probably freak out over your secret, but not try to sell you out. It’s been almost fifty years.”

  And now there were so many new ways shifters were endangered.

  Draven studied his brother’s profile. Riveen was indisputably attractive, yet he’d never had a relationship that lasted longer than a few fucks. “Why haven’t you found someone?”

  “Because I haven’t looked.” Riveen shrugged before turning to him. “This is my last pep talk for you, Drave, so don’t fuck this up with Titus. He’s a good guy. I like him. You know I hated shit-for-brains.” Riveen’s flinch was miniscule, but Draven saw it.

  Riveen had hated Andres—that didn’t mean he had no regrets about killing him.

  Draven slipped one arm around his brother’s shoulders. He didn’t say thank you—he’d done that years ago, and Riveen wouldn’t appreciate it being said again. “I won’t give you details, but I will admit that we didn’t get out of bed except to shower or eat.”

  Riveen snorted. “Wow, boring. You could have at least had more variety and fucked in other places! I don’t want your details after all.”

  “Someone hurt him,” Draven said as they began strolling along the beach. “I didn’t pry. Wouldn’t have wanted him poking around in my past, but…”

  “Buuuut, it’s making you crazy not knowing what happened,” Riveen surmised. “Understandable. Although, don’t you think most people have been hurt by his age? He’s handsome, and he was single for a while. It was because he’s chosen to be alone, not because he couldn’t find someone to date or whatever. What would be the reason for that except he’d had his heart broken before?”

  “I hate this unknown guy who hurt him,” Draven muttered. “Fucker.”

  Riveen cackled. “I bet Titus would hate your ex, too. Isn’t that kind of like a relationship rule? Got to hate the exes unless they’ve remained friends. Then it’s just awkward. Or I think it’d be awkward. I don’t want to find a man then have to be buds with whoever he’s had sex with. I’d be too jealous.”

  “Maybe if you loved him that you’d just be happy, period,” Draven suggested.

  Riveen rolled his eyes so hard, Draven was surprised there wasn’t some kind of noise coming from his eye sockets.

  “I am perfectly happy now, single and happy,” Riveen declared. “Well, I’d be happier if I got laid. Or had some ice cream.”

  “I can help you with one of those things.”

  Riveen snickered. “Ohhh, you perv!”

  Draven couldn’t help but laugh. “Gross. So gross. I meant we can get ice cream.”

  Riveen sighed and covered his heart with one hand. “Thank Triton. I was afraid even you weren’t immune to my charms, and those days of siblings marrying to keep on ruling are long gone.”

  “That also never applied to our kind,” Draven pointed out. “And I’m not the only one immune to your charms. Titus didn’t fall for you.”

  “That’s ’cause Titus is smart and chose well,” Riveen said.

  Before Draven could ask why Riveen had just insulted himself, Riveen took off at a run.

  “Last one there buys!”

  Draven glared as he bolted into a run. “Cheater!”

  Riveen’s laughter made him smile, and Draven wasn’t even mad when he ended up having to buy Riveen a triple scoop waffle cone.

  “So when are you going to see him again?” Riveen asked after he’d licked his ice cream.

  “He’s coming here tomorrow,” Draven said. “Three days apart. It shouldn’t seem so hard to be without him for that short a period of time.”

  Riveen just grinned at him, and Draven wasn’t embarrassed by his admission. There was no reason to be. Riveen was happy for him, and some day, Draven would be the one grinning and teasing Riveen about falling in love.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Titus took a sip of his water while he stared out at the hummingbirds flitting around in Stacy and Michelle’s back yard.

  “You can’t live in Texas and not drink sweet tea,” Michelle teased. “Seriously, they’ll throw you out of the state.”

  Titus shrugged. “Hey, if that’s the way it has to be, then…” He hated Texas tea.

  Michelle shook her head. “You poor, misguided man. You don’t know what you’re missing.”

  Titus chuckled but he wasn’t missing a what—he was missing Draven. We haven’t known each other long. Don’t really know each other. I can’t be this…attached.

  Who was he kidding? He’d been hooked on Draven probably from the first night they’d been together. He’d just tried to suppress that truth from himself because he’d thought Draven would want to stick with keeping to the vacation-fling plan.

  But he hadn’t, and Titus was so damned glad that Draven had showed up in town. He’d come to Titus
, like some romantic lead in a movie. Titus’ heart was all but in Draven’s hands. If he wasn’t fully in love with him yet—

  “You keep getting this far-off look,” Stacy said, drawing Titus out of his thoughts. “Are you thinking about your summer stud?”

  For one second, Titus thought Stacy had caught on to Draven having shown up. But she didn’t know and was referring to their time together at the coast. Titus didn’t want to go there, not explicitly, but he stalled as he was considering what to share with his friends. “I was watching the smaller hummingbird dive-bomb that bigger one. Those little suckers are vicious.”

  “They are,” Stacy agreed, “and you keep on not telling us about your fling, and we’ll keep getting more suspicious by the day that it wasn’t just a fling after all.”

  Titus traced a pattern on his glass, watching his fingertip rather than looking at his friends. “I don’t want to fuck and tell, but yeah. I really like Draven.”

  “Like, not liked?” Stacy prodded. She leaned close to him. “So, is there something you want to share?”

  Titus finally glanced at her. “Yes. Like. We’ve decided to try and give dating a chance.”

  Stacy squealed and twisted around to high-five Michelle. “Told you! I told you there was going to be more to them than just a fling! No one in their right mind could let Titus go.”

  Titus hoped he didn’t flinch. Luckily, Stacy and Michelle weren’t looking at him until he forced himself to continue as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “And we don’t really live that far apart. I think maybe he and I could—” His phone blared with a tone that startled him then made him freeze, fear coalescing in his gut. Then he went numb when his brain processed why fear had kicked in.

  “Titus?” Stacy was beside him, cupping his face in her hands. “Titus, what’s wrong? Who’s calling? Let me see your phone. I’ll rip them a new one!”

  “Not a call,” he forced out as he tried to remain calm. “Message. Message tone. Alert. Only one setting for it.” He trembled as he retrieved his phone from the pocket of his shorts. All he had to do was look at it, and nausea hit him. Titus dropped the phone, shot up out of the chair and ran for the bathroom.