by M. Tasia
“They would have adopted me. So many years wasted that I could have been happy just because of a will. I love my grandpa but I wish he had just left everything to my parents, aunt, and uncle. That’s all the four of them ever wanted. No wonder Jerry wants me gone: he and his parents would lose control over the land.”
“I think Matthew was right when he suggested selling the land. You could do whatever you want with the money,” Royce advised.
“What if I want to give it all away to charity, LGBTQ charities directed at helping youths?” Jesse asked. He truly didn’t want any of the money and could remember wishing there had been a safe place for him to go all those years ago.
“That would be a beautiful way to honor your grandpa.”
“You think so?” Jesse asked.
“Yes I do. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. But we’ll give it some time after the sale of the land before you make any decisions, which will give us time to research various LGBTQ centers and charities,” Royce suggested.
“You’re going to help me?” Jesse asked as he turned in Royce’s arms.
“I’m at your side every step of the way, baby. As long as you want me to be.”
“Forever. I want forever.” Jesse wanted to spend this life and any others that they might be fortunate enough to have with Royce. He believed there was a higher power in this world and an afterlife. The way Jesse saw it, everyone was entitled to their own beliefs, and unlike his parents he would never force his views on anyone.
“So do I,” Royce whispered, before covering Jesse’s lips with his own. Jesse was always amazed by how soft Royce’s lips were as they began to nibble across Jesse’s jaw and down his neck. They were now facing each other, Royce’s legs over top Jesse’s, their chests touching, muscles straining to get closer as the kiss turned from gentle to demanding.
“I want you to make love to me,” Royce said, stunning Jesse into silence. Royce had always been the top when they made love. Jesse had never thought to even ask because he typically preferred to be on the bottom, but on odd occasions he needed to feel as though he had the control. When everything was going to hell around them, Royce was still thinking of him above everything else. Royce wasn’t a selfish lover. His love knew that Jesse needed to regain a bit of control after the day’s events.
“Are you sure?” Jesse asked.
“Yes, baby. I want to feel you inside me this time,” Royce murmured before he fisted both his and Jesse’s cocks and began to pump. The feeling was exquisite, pleasure holding him on the edge with every stroke. “Are you okay with us changing it up, Jesse?”
“Yes. I need that tonight; how do you always know what I need?” Jesse asked.
“I’ve told you before, you mean everything to me.” Royce began sucking up a dark mark on the side of Jesse’s neck. Oh, yes, mark me.
Jesse had to stay in control; he wanted to make this amazing for his lover. “We need lube, sweetheart. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Royce leaned back, grabbed the bottle off the soap rack, and placed it in Jesse’s shaky hands. This would be the first time he topped Royce; he realized it wouldn’t happen often because they both preferred to make love the other way around, but he needed to feel that control tonight. Jesse’s life had been filled with power struggles that always found him on the losing end. He’d never felt his own life was under his control, until he shared it with Royce. This was solid and secure, and Royce was his compass: no matter the storm, Jesse knew where home was.
Jesse raised Royce higher on top of his spread thighs, and Royce wound his legs around Jesse’s body. They would make love face-to-face. He put a liberal amount of waterproof lube on his fingers and began loosening the muscles around Royce’s hole. His love moaned out his approval. With utmost care he slid one finger up to the first knuckle, causing Royce to bear down, taking it in even farther. He was so tight.
“Yes, Jesse, more.” Royce groaned his need and it was music to Jesse’s ears. “Feels so good, baby.”
A few minutes later he was able to insert a second finger. Jesse knew he was being cautious but he had to prepare Royce properly because he wasn’t a small man. Small waves floated across the water in the tub in time with Royce’s flexing hips. Soon a third joined in and Royce cried out in pleasure as Jesse rubbed his prostate mercilessly; he wanted Royce senseless with need when he entered him.
As soon as Jesse felt Royce was ready, Jesse pulled his fingers free; his own need was bearing down on him and he could no longer wait. He lifted Royce higher in the water, his hole directly above Jesse’s hard cock. Slowly he lowered his lover, the combination of water and lube easing the way. The silky tight heat welcomed him in and he slowly bottomed out inside Royce. His face was a mixture of surprise and pleasure, as if he’d never felt anything like it before. Wait, has Royce ever bottomed before?
“So full,” Royce moaned out.
“Royce, have you ever done this before?” Jesse asked.
Royce brought their faces together, beads of sweat sliding down the sides of their faces. “Only you, Jesse, only you. Now move, I need you to move.” Royce moaned as he flexed his hips.
“I’ll give you what you need.” Jesse leaned forward and capturing Royce’s kiss-swollen lips. Need like nothing Jesse had ever felt before washed through him. He lifted Royce until only the head of his cock stayed inside, and then lowered him back down over and over again. Cries and moans filled the room; water sloshed over the sides of the tub as their pace increased.
Steam filled the room, giving it an ethereal quality. The mirrors were fogged, and sweat dripped from Jesse’s face as he drove deep. He was lost in a world of need and sensation, warm, wet bodies writhing in the hot water.
It didn’t take long before Royce said, “Baby, I’m going to come.”
Jesse wrapped his hand around Royce’s throbbing penis and began to pump. “Come for me, Royce.”
Seconds later Royce yelled and his body squeezed tightly around Jesse, signaling he’d found his release. Jesse managed two more strokes before his balls pulled up tight to his body and fire raced down his spine and out his throbbing cock, deep inside Royce’s tight heat. His body shuddered and shivered even though the water was still hot. Moments passed as Jesse held on to a silent Royce, whose body was draped over his own.
“Baby…? Royce, are you okay?” Was he too rough? Did he hurt his lover? It would kill him if he had.
Royce lifted his head. His eyes were still dilated and his face was flushed, but the one thing that stood out was the huge smile on his face. “I’m perfect.”
Jesse gently brushed a stray strand of red hair off Royce’s face. “Yes you are. You’re everything I could have ever wanted.”
Chapter Ten
Jesse ran through the house to answer the front door; they were expecting company. He opened it to find Matthew being carried in Coop’s arms followed by Police Chief Graham, Dante, and Spider.
“Put me down! I have crutches you know!” Matthew yelled.
“Yeah and you’ll fall on your ass again! I’m not going to wait around until you break something else trying to walk with crutches,” Coop yelled back. “You’re a disaster.”
Behind them, Jesse could see both Dante and Spider smiling at each other as if they alone had a secret they weren’t sharing. Jesse moved out of the way and let their guests into the house. Royce came through the kitchen archway with a few trays of huge sandwiches and set them on the dining room table. Today would be the day he made his decision on how to deal with his inheritance. Bear and Travis were working at the diner, giving Jesse time to deal with everything that had been thrown at him the last few days.
“Jesse, tell him to put me down,” Matthew begged.
“I’m kind of with Coop on this one, you with crutches is just an accident waiting to happen.” Jesse almost laughed at the disgruntled look on Matthew’s face.
“I know I’m clumsy but I think I can manage crutches.”
“You couldn’t this morning
. What makes you think you can handle them now?” Coop replied calmly, like none of this was of any importance to him. “I was assigned to look after you and that’s what I’ll do until you’re healed and leave.”
The hurt that flashed across Matthew’s face shocked Jesse but it was gone in an instant, replaced with a determination that made him wonder what the hell was going on between those two.
“Just park me in a chair please, I’ll be fine,” Matthew said in a monotone voice lacking any emotion.
Coop looked at Matthew for a moment before carrying him over to one of the big comfy reclining chairs, then immediately brought a dining room chair over to sit beside him. Matthew simply shook his head and pulled out a file folder from the bag around his shoulder as everyone else got settled.
“This is all the information I managed to collect since trying to find you all those years ago,” Matthew explained.
He handed the thick file to Jesse, who held it at arm’s length as if it would explode at any moment. To Jesse it might as well have been an explosive considering what it was about to do to his life. Things were going to change. He looked over at Royce, who was in the chair beside him.
“Forever, right?” he asked. He could handle anything but losing Royce.
“Forever, love,” Royce answered easily before kissing him with his soft lips. “Always by your side.”
With that bolstering his courage, Jesse brought the file closer and opened the cover. The first thing he saw was his grandpa’s will sitting on top of a pile of paper with dates on them. He would read the will later when it was just Royce and him at home. Jesse picked up the will and placed the rest of the file on the table; he carefully folded it and placed it in his shirt pocket.
“You need to decide what you want to do with the property before Jerry gets around to trying again,” Dante said. “The entire team is back from their missions and we’re not taking on any more until this is resolved.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Jesse replied. The last thing he wanted to do was take Sentinels away from all the other people they helped on a daily basis.
“Yes we do, you two are our friends, and Mouthy here is your friend. We’ve worked together before. I’m sure we can do so again to keep you protected,” Spider stated bluntly.
Royce wrapped his arm around Jesse and spoke on behalf of the both of them. “Thank you.”
“So let’s get this started. If Jerry thought he was in for an easy fight, he was mistaken,” Matthew said. “The bastard deserves some payback.”
“Do you know what you want to do with the property, Jesse?” Spider asked.
Jesse looked at Royce again, took a deep breath and said, “I want to contact the lawyer and sell the land. I intend to donate it to finance centers for LGBTQ youths and teens, to make safe places for them to go.”
“I’m proud of you, baby,” Royce said while hugging Jesse closer.
“You haven’t changed one bit, have you? I’d be honored to help you do just that,” Matthew stated with a smile on his face. “Now let’s make that phone call and set up a plan because once the family finds out you’re intending to claim your inheritance they’re going to explode. Jerry would have nothing to lose and considering he’s only one bottle short of a case full of crazy, he’ll come after Jesse.”
Royce handed Jesse his cell phone. This is it, no going back. Jesse punched in the number for the lawyer’s office and waited. The call was answered on the second ring. “King, Foster, and MacFarlane, how may I help you?”
“Mr. Foster please.”
“May I tell him whose calling?”
“Jesse Tribalt.”
The line went quiet as he was placed on hold. It didn’t take long before the line was picked up again. “Mr. Jesse Tribalt! I’ve been looking for you…”
Jesse spent the next hour on the phone giving the lawyer a quick rundown of everything that had happened since the day his grandpa had died. Mr. Foster agreed it would be best if he were to come to Brighton to discuss the will and to begin proceedings on Jesse’s behalf. After the call all Jesse wanted to do was decompress but they still needed to make plans for security.
“Baby, why don’t you and Matthew go onto the back deck; you haven’t had a chance to catch up,” Royce suggested, making Jesse’s heart turn over in love for his man. Even though he wasn’t one hundred percent sure of Matthew, Royce was giving Jesse an opportunity to have a break and get reacquainted with his old best friend.
“Yes, I’d like that. Thank you, Royce.”
“Love you, baby, and take sandwiches. You need to eat; you didn’t have breakfast.” Royce was right. He’d been too nervous to eat.
Jesse stood and Matthew attempted to do the same but literally tripped over his own cast. Coop easily caught him before he hit the floor and threw Matthew over his shoulder, grabbed a plate of sandwiches, and headed toward the back garden doors. Jesse took three bottles of water and followed.
By the time Jesse reached the patio, Matthew was already bundled in a chair with his casted foot and ankle resting on a pillow. Jesse was confused; one minute Coop was coddling Matthew, the next he was irritated by having to take care of him. Jesse set the drinks down as Coop turned to leave.
“I’ll keep watch from the other side of the deck to give you two some privacy,” Coop said before grabbing a spare chair, a sandwich, water, and then walking to the far side of the deck. Shadow was supposed to be watching the house but Lord knew where he was because he could blend in anywhere.
“Okay, you need to tell me what’s going on between you two,” Jesse whispered as he sat down beside Matthew.
Instead of answering, Matthew reached over and hugged Jesse tight. “I’ve missed you, knucklehead.”
“I’ve missed you too, Matthew. You were my only friend for so long.”
“You did well. I’m glad you finally found a safe place and people who love you. A special man to love you. I’m so happy. You deserve happiness after everything you’ve been through.”
“Thank you, Matthew. What about you? Anybody special back home? Wait a minute, where is home? My parents never told me where your family moved to.”
“San Diego, and no, I don’t have anyone waiting for me. Who wants to be around a klutz? Hey, don’t get me wrong, it may be cute for a little while but believe me, it wears thin fast enough.” Matthew stared out at the back lawn as he spoke, seeming a million miles away.
“Oh Matthew, I’m sure there’s someone—”
“I’ve tried. Romance was not meant for me, my friend. Now tell me everything that’s happened since the day we left and don’t leave out a thing.”
For the remainder of the afternoon Jesse and Matthew sat reliving their childhood and the fifteen years they’d been apart. Some of the things Matthew had done seemed unbelievable, but the Sentinels had confirmed he’d even worked with them, so he didn’t doubt it. Jesse was impressed by how well Matthew had done for himself, and he didn’t miss the fact that most everything he worked on was behind the scenes and involved computers. When they were younger, Matthew would never put himself out front, not unless someone tried anything with Jesse, and then he was like a wolverine.
“Do you remember what we promised the day you left?” Jesse asked.
“Yep, we swore never to forget each other and to always be friends, and I swore I’d come back,” Matthew answered.
“And you did. I had been run off by then but you kept your promise. You came back for me,” Jesse spoke softly. “I knew you would and I’m glad you’re back in my life even if you live in San Diego.”
“We’ll see. I do work freelance, on my own terms, anywhere I want to. Besides, I won’t be driving for a while with a broken right ankle.” Matthew cringed when he tried to move his leg.
“True, so we have time to get to know each other all over again. I’d really like you and Royce to spend time together as well.”
“You really love him, don’t you?” Matthew sighed wistfully.
; It wasn’t a question, more like a statement, but Jesse answered anyway. “He means everything to me. I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him.”
The huge smile Matthew gave him was a little sad. “I’m happy you found someone. You deserve to be happy.”
“What’s wrong, Matthew?”
“Before I came here, I received my third ‘Dear Matthew, it’s not you, it’s me…’ letter. I think I’ve finally realized just how freakish I truly am.”
“Freakish? You’re not a freak. You’re handsome, smart, and successful.”
“I’m a mess who can’t go a day without accidentally hurting himself. It’s just not meant for me; I’ve come to realize that now. I have my work, I have my best friend back, and we’re going to make your parents pay for all they’ve done. That’s enough.”
“Matthew—”
The patio door opened and Royce came out onto the deck. “Jesse, the White Hair Crew showed up with casseroles. How they knew we were all here is beyond me, but I think Chief Graham’s grandma had something to do with it.” Royce came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Jesse’s shoulders. The White Hair Crew were a notorious group of the town grandmothers who believed it was their duty to take care of just about everyone. “How’s your visit, sweetheart?”
“Really good,” Jesse answered as he heard a chair scrape across the deck. He looked over toward Matthew to find Coop lifting him from his chair.
“Guess we’re going to eat now,” Matthew grumbled. “Next time ask me before you move me.”
“You need to eat dinner, dinner is here,” was all Coop said before he turned around and carried Matthew back into the house.
“What’s up with those two?” Royce asked.
“Something, but I doubt Coop aka Manslut or Matthew aka Mr. Self-Deprecating are even seeing it,” Jesse answered with a chuckle.
“Well, isn’t that interesting, or at least it will be, once they figure it out.” Royce laughed and hugged Jesse closer. “It’ll be like seeing a bomb go off.”
