Missing Linc
Page 12
of this woman. She and Mitch had become an addiction he couldn”t resist.
His lips teased the line of her jaw, working his way toward her ear. “I think,” he
admitted, “I might be in trouble where you and Mitch are concerned.” For the first time,
Linc verbalized the feelings he”d developed for them.
Tomi remained silent for so long that he began to doubt the wisdom of his impromptu
confession. Finally, she turned her head and looked into his eyes. “I think,” she whispered
soft and low against his lips, “that goes for us as well.”
Neither of them spoke again, choosing silence over words, holding each other until
Tomi”s deep breathing signaled she”d fallen asleep. Sighing, he kissed her on the temple,
carefully extracted himself from her embrace, and eased from the bed.
Linc took a quick shower, wanting to be clean before getting dressed again. When he
came out of the bathroom, he found Tomi awake and watching him.
“I have to go.” Regret laced his words. “I have to meet with some clients soon.”
Tomi stretched out in the bed, watching him as he redressed. “I understand.” Her
beautiful brown face held a look of contentment. “We”re still going to see you tonight,
right?”
Linc leaned down, kissing her. “You couldn”t keep me away.” He straightened and
finished dressing. As he prepared to leave, his eyes landed on the painting, still leaning
against the dresser where they”d left it.
“We never found a place to hide your gift.” Tomi looked in the direction of the
painting. From the expression on her face, it was apparent that she”d forgotten all about it.
Linc could relate. For the past hour, it hadn”t been high on his priority list, either. “If you”d like, I can take it home with me.” Linc offered. “I”m sure I can find someplace
to hide it there.”
“Would you mind?” Relief filled Tomi”s face. “I don”t want to inconvenience you, but it
would work out perfectly if you did that.”
“You could never be an inconvenience to me.” Linc grabbed one more kiss before
walking over to the painting, picking it up, and heading to the door. He paused in the
doorway and turned around.
“Damn, it”s going to be a long afternoon waiting to see you and Mitch again.” He closed
the door without waiting for her response, afraid she”d say something that would make him
turn back, strip off his clothes, and fuck her until Mitch returned from his tour. He”d never
been in so deep so fast. Hell, if he were truthful with himself, he”d admit that he”d never
been in so deep, period. And that”s what scared him the most.
Chapter Eleven
The beach resembled one gigantic block party, with people covering nearly every
visible part of the sand, most of them arriving early that morning to secure their spots for the
all-day celebration. To an outside observer, it probably seemed like complete chaos, but for
Linc, it represented home and heritage.
He looked around at the groups of families celebrating together, loving every minute of
it, from the loud and sometimes raucous crowds to the overlapping sounds of ear-splitting
music blaring from every direction and the intermingling smells of food filling the night air.
Their group was huge, at least sixty people, spread out on blankets and in chairs on the
sand. It was like this every year. His family loved this holiday, loved that it gave them a
reason to get together and catch up with family members they hadn”t seen in a while.
Everyone he knew was there, including Pedro and Tracee, and Alejandro and his wife,
Marissa. Even his wayward cousin and less than model employee, Miguel, was there, still
acting skittish around him, as if he expected Linc to fire him at any moment. Linc took pity
on him, stopping to speak to him and introduce him to Tomi and Mitch. “This is my cousin Miguel,” he told them. “He was your original driver when you
arrived in Puerto Rico.” They talked for a moment before Miguel moved on to join his
friends.
“Truthfully,” Tomi whispered to him as Miguel walked away, “I”m glad Miguel never
showed up that day.”
Linc smiled, fighting the urge to kiss her as he continued to take them around,
introducing them to the rest of his family, wanting to make sure Mitch and Tomi knew they
were welcomed there. They blended in as easily and comfortably as if they were born there
instead of just visiting. In a matter of hours, they”d become a huge hit. His entire family took
an immediate liking to them and included them as official members of the family.
“So, mi muchacha hermosa, what have you and your hombre hermoso seen on our
island so far?” Linc”s aunt, the family matriarch, asked Tomi.
She was the oldest living member of his family, but it was hard to tell by simply
looking at her. Still healthy and active, her tanned skin minimally marred by wrinkles, her
silver hair more of an asset than a hindrance, his aunt”s physical appearance easily belied her
eighty-seven years.
“I think a better question to ask them, Tía, is what they haven”t seen yet,” Linc joked to
his aunt. “I”m sure it”s a much shorter list.”
Mitch laughed. “Linc is probably right about that.”
“Well, let”s see.” Tomi paused. “So far, we”ve seen the Jardin Botánico at the University
of Puerto Rico, the Catedral de San Juan Bautista, El Morro, the Coamo thermal springs, and
the Bacardi rum tour” — she chuckled, holding up two fingers — “twice.”
“Don”t forget about El Yunque rain forest.” Mitch”s hands rested on Tomi”s shoulders,
his eyes meeting Linc”s over her head. The heat in those blue eyes was evident even in the
dark.
“And soon you get married.” Linc”s aunt smiled happily. “Yes, in four days, on Saturday.” Tomi”s hands covered Linc”s on her shoulders. Mitch
leaned down and kissed her cheek. “And all of you are invited,” Mitch added, his invitation
drawing cheers and whistles from the group.
“Has the rest of your family arrived yet?” Marissa asked. Linc saw Tomi and Mitch
exchange a look, their expressions a conflicting and uncomfortable mixture of emotions. He
opened his mouth to intervene when Mitch spoke.
“No, it”s just us,” Mitch spoke quietly. “Our families won”t be joining us.”
There was a moment of surprised silence, and Linc watched the disapproving looks
flicker across the faces of his family members, especially his aunt.
Finally, she reached out and grasped their hands, her smile bright. “In that case, we”ll
be your family,” she declared, as others in their group nodded their heads in agreement.
“And after your wedding, we”ll have a big reception to celebrate. Come” — she stood, taking
Tomi with her — “we should move to the water, so we can be ready at midnight.”
“What happens at midnight?” Tomi asked.
“We get in the water,” Marissa explained, standing as well. “It”s an old tradition to walk
into the water exactly at midnight on La Noche de San Juan. It”s supposed to bring good
luck.”
Tomi and Marissa stripped down to their swimsuits along with several others in the
group before they all headed toward the water. He and Mitch opted to stay behind and keep
an eye on everyone”s belongings.
“You have a great family,” Mitch told him.
“Yes, I do.” Linc watched Tomi and Marissa splashing around in the water with other
members of his family. “I”m very lucky.” He paused for a moment before glancing at Mitch.
“Can I ask you something?”
Mitch looked at him. “Anything.” “What”s the deal with your family? I mean, I”ve never been married before, but if I did,
I know they would be there.” Linc chuckled. “You saw how excited they were about your
wedding.” He sobered. “I just can”t understand why your parents wouldn”t want to share this
special moment with you.”
“My parents don”t agree with my lifestyle.” Bitterness tinged Mitch”s voice.
Linc nodded. “I take it they have a problem with you being bisexual.”
“Actually, they don”t.” Mitch released a humorless laugh. “They couldn”t care less how
many men and women I fuck, as long as Tomi isn”t one of them.” Mitch grew quiet, his gaze
focused on the water. Linc remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
“Did you know that Tomi has two doctorate degrees?” Mitch suddenly asked. When
Linc shook his head, he continued. “She doesn”t like to talk about it, but the truth of the
matter is that she”s an extremely intelligent woman, smarter than my parents and I
combined. She”s more generous and loving than any person I”ve ever known, including my
parents, but as far as they”re concerned, she”ll never be good enough for me because of the
color of her skin.”
Linc thought about the myriad of people he”d dated over the years of all races, colors,
and genders. Considering the varied hues of the people in his own family, he knew that
something as trivial and unimportant as skin color would never be an issue for any of his
relatives.
To Mitch, he said, “Do Tomi”s parents have the same issue?”
“No, their issue is strictly Tomi”s lifestyle,” Mitch told him. “Tomi comes from a deeply
religious family. On top of that, her father is a career military man. For him, „don”t ask, don”t
tell” isn”t just a military rule; it”s a way of life. Tomi has openly dated men and women since
she was a teenager, but her parents chose to pretend it wasn”t happening. Their moral and
military values just won”t let them accept the idea that their baby isn”t in the traditional heterosexual relationship with a man who only fucks her in the missionary position once a
month.”
Mitch shook his head. “I remember the one and only time they came to visit us in New
York, when Alec still lived with us. It was easy to act as if they didn”t know what type of
relationship the three of us had together, but once they saw the bedroom with the one bed
that we all slept in, they couldn”t pretend that they didn”t know anymore. They gave Tomi
an ultimatum. They told her that she could either leave with them at that moment or stay
with us and continue to” — Mitch made quotation marks with his hands — “live in sin.” His
eyes drifted back to the beachfront. “Luckily for me, she chose to stay.”
Their conversation halted as Pedro approached. “Your lady is asking for you.” He spoke
to Mitch. “I think some of my male cousins may be taking more of a liking to her than she
can handle.”
“That”s not surprising.” Mitch laughed as he stood. “Tomi has that effect on people.”
Mitch made his way through the crowds of people toward Tomi. Linc”s eyes remained glued
to him every step of the way.
“Oh, mi Dios,” Pedro murmured. “You got it bad, don”t you?”
“Look,” Linc began, knowing exactly what his cousin meant, “I already told you —”
“Yeah, I know.” Pedro cut him off. “You just enjoy being with them.” He sighed. “Take
some advice from your primo and try not to get in too deep, okay?” He patted Linc on the
shoulder and headed back toward the water.
Linc watched Pedro go, thinking his cousin”s words of advice had come much too late.
Chapter Twelve
Linc smiled when Mitch answered the phone. His morning voice was deep and rough,
the sound so sexy, it made Linc”s dick hard.
“My clients had to reschedule their appointment, so I”m free for the morning,” Linc
told him, trying to focus on driving and not the image of Mitch spread out in his bed, which
was where he”d left him and Tomi earlier that morning. “I thought I”d take you and Tomi out
to celebrate your big day tomorrow.”
“That sounds good, but you already missed Tomi. Tracee picked her up, and they went
back to the hotel for an appointment at the Spa. Tracee hooked her up with a bunch of
complimentary services, so she”ll be there most of the day. I”m still available, if you”re
interested.”
“Trust me, when it comes to you and Tomi, I”m always interested.” Linc swore he
heard Mitch groan.
“Let me get in a quick workout and after that, I”m all yours.” His voice was more a
growl than actual speech; the sound vibrated through Linc and made his cock throb.
His mouth went dry. “Uh, yeah…” He pictured Mitch, his body sweaty, his muscles
straining as he worked out in Linc”s exercise room, and suddenly any thought he had of leaving the house again to celebrate went right out the window. “That”s fine. I think I could
use a good workout myself.”
“In that case, I”ll wait for you.” Mitch”s voice dropped to a whisper. “I”ll work you out
as well as myself.”
Jesus. Linc disconnected the call without responding. His foot slammed on the
accelerator as he raced toward home.
*
Linc got home in record time, ran up the stairs three at a time, and removed his clothes
as he went. He changed into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt before he grabbed the lube from
the dresser and shoved it into the pocket of his shorts as he left the room. He went in search
of Mitch.
He finally found Mitch in the exercise room, running on the treadmill. Actually, that
wasn”t quite accurate. Mitch”s pace more resembled a sprint than a run. His flushed skin
glistened with sweat, his hair looked plastered to his head, and his wet clothes clung to his
body.
Mitch turned down the power when he saw Linc, slowing down until the treadmill
finally stopped before grabbing a towel and wiping his face.
“Hey.” He barely sounded winded, despite the evidence of his strenuous workout. “You
made it.”
“Uh-huh.” There was no way in hell that he would miss the chance to be with this
man.
“Good.” Mitch moved toward him. “I was waiting for you.” Obviously, he wasn”t
waiting for Linc in order to exercise — at least, not in the traditional sense.
He stopped directly in front of Linc, their bodies nearly touching, their lips barely an
inch apart. “You ready for me to work you out?” “Oh, yeah.” Linc leaned forward, closing the slight gap between them. He covered
Mitch”s mouth with his, pouring as much heat and hunger as he could into the kiss.
Mitch pulled back first, slowly sinking to his knees, taking Linc”s shorts and underwear
with him. His mouth wrapped around Linc”s cock, sucking hard, those lips an intoxicating
mixture of soft and firm. Linc rocked into his mouth, feeling Mitch swallow around him
before he
began to suck harder, faster, his throat closing convulsively around the head.
As Linc pulled his T-shirt up and over his head, he felt a hand on his balls, a thick
finger at his perineum, circling his hole before the tip pushed slightly inside. Linc glanced
down and saw Mitch”s hand pumping his own cock, his muffled groan buzzing around Linc”s
dick. God, just the thought of Mitch coming from sucking him off was enough to push Linc
over the edge, and it took all of his focus not to give into the urge to blow in Mitch”s mouth.
No, he wanted to save that load for another part of Mitch”s anatomy.
He eased Mitch off his cock, helped him to his feet, and gripped him by the back of the
head, pressing their lips together and sweeping his tongue deep inside. As they kissed, his
hands slid under Mitch”s shirt, lifting it up, briefly forcing their mouths apart as he pulled it
off and threw it to the side. Linc”s lips covered his again, guiding Mitch backward until his
legs pressed against the weight bench. He placed a hand in the center of Mitch”s chest,
encouraging him to lie down on the bench before removing his shorts.
After he finished undressing Mitch, Linc stepped away just long enough to grab his
own shorts from the floor and remove the lube from the pocket before he tossed them to the
side and returned to the bench where Mitch lay waiting for him. Linc straddled the bench
facing him, placing Mitch”s legs over his thighs. He took a moment to admire that body, from
the sculpted pecs to the rippling planes of Mitch”s tight abdomen. Damn, he was a fine
specimen of a man.
Leaning down, Linc kissed a path from Mitch”s throat, across his chest, and down his
stomach, enjoying the way Mitch”s skin quivered beneath his lips. When he reached Mitch”s hard, thick cock, Linc took it into his mouth, working the shaft, refusing to stop until the
tremors in Mitch”s body signaled he was on the verge of losing control.
He sat back, pausing just long enough to open the lube and squeeze enough into his
hand to prepare Mitch as well as himself. Linc dropped the lube to the floor before he
gripped his cock and pushed in, moving closer and closer, until Mitch”s ass rested against his