“And you do it well,” Snow murmured, then sighed and pulled back. He stared at Jude a long time, and when he smiled, it wasn’t one of his arrogant smirks or sex-filled grins that weakened Jude’s knees, no. This smile was so full of affection and love, the heat that raced through Jude’s body gathered into his heart and caused it to swell, to pound, to fucking try and leap from his chest. “I’m okay now. I promise. Take me to bed and wreck me, Torres,” he whispered. “You said you want to erase the bad feelings? Do it now. Now is a good time to make them go the fuck away.”
Jude held his breath, so suddenly turned on, he felt dizzy with the rush of blood from his brain south. He grabbed Snow’s arms, squeezed, then faced him away. He pulled Snow’s back against him. Snow shuddered when Jude slid his palm up over the hard muscles of Snow’s chest, to his throat, holding it in a tight grip, his thumb pressing on that soft, vulnerable spot right under Snow’s ear. His general sucked in a sharp breath and went still, tense. Waiting. Jude held him with a firm grip and pressed his hardening cock against the curve of Snow’s ass. So. Much. Fucking. Heat. There. He sucked in a deep breath, dizzy with desire, then whispered into Snow’s ear. “Walk slowly back to our bed. Be careful to keep close because I don’t want my cock to leave this nice, snug crease of your ass.”
The low chuckle that vibrated against his hand sent warm heat curling through his gut. Snow loved it when he went Neanderthal on his ass. Hell, Jude loved it. But he could barely think because his heart had picked up so hard and fast, he had no doubt it was beating strong enough for Snow to feel it against his spine. Jude fastened his lips to the hollow between Snow’s neck and shoulder and sucked hard. Snow’s soft laugh turned into a moan as he began to slowly move toward the bed. Jude kept pace with him, licking and kissing his neck, leaving marks only where they’d be covered by Snow’s clothes. He kept returning to the back of Snow’s neck, though. Damp hair left moisture on his nose and cheek as he nuzzled close. “Fuck, you smell good,” Jude said into Snow’s skin. “Hurry up and lay down on the bed on your stomach.”
Snow tensed, obviously starting to bristle at the command, and that warmth in Jude’s gut turned to fire. He loved it when Snow got his back up. When he fought back. Jude pushed him toward the bed. Blue eyes sparked at him over a sexy, muscular shoulder and Jude made sure Snow could see every bit of the lust burning in his body through his expression. He opened himself wide and just let Snow see everything he felt.
“Fuck, Jude.” Snow sucked in a deep breath, breathing hard and staring. Then, he slowly shook his head and stretched out on the bed, his muscles tense even as he submitted to whatever Jude wanted.
So. Damn. Hot. Every time.
Jude, barely breathing, mounted him, latched onto Snow’s ear and bit down. The expected groan was his reward. Sometimes, he thought Snow liked his ears sucked more than his dick.
He let go, sat back on his heels, and looked at the gorgeous body stretched across their bed.
Jude loved everything about Snow’s form, from his lean, sinuously muscled back to his sleek, toned thighs, to his long, narrow feet. But his ass. His ass was a thing of beauty. Tight, round, and with these sexy, slight indentations on the sides, that ass turned Jude into a primal animal. He tugged Snow’s hips until his butt came up off the bed, then ran his palms over his cheeks and pressed his thumbs into his crease to open him up. Snow, knowing what was coming, quaked and pulled a pillow under his face.
Jude dove in. He placed his tongue on lightly furred balls then slowly, firmly, licked upward. He pressed into that sensitive strip of skin between his sac and hole. Snow let out a hoarse cry, writhing underneath him, and the heady pleasure that swamped Jude made him growl against Snow’s skin.
“Fuck,” Snow breathed, the word half muffled by his pillow as he spread his legs wider.
Jude feasted. He licked. He nibbled. He stiffened his tongue and fucked Snow with it. He pressed hard, stroked, and then backed off to gently take each of his balls into his mouth. He loved the musky male scent of Snow here, reveled in his taste. His textures. And he especially loved the way this act alone broke Snow down into a moaning, taut mess. He writhed and rocked his hips and twisted in a continuous, sensual movement that had Jude’s insides feeling like a ready-to-erupt volcano. The noises coming from his general’s mouth stoked the deep fire in Jude’s belly. He pulled back and licked the ultra-thin, ultra-sensitive strips of skin where Snow’s legs met his torso, holding back a laugh when Snow wiggled like it tickled. Then he threw him completely off balance by stabbing his tongue back into Snow’s ass.
Snow shouted, loud and throaty, and Jude groaned as he fucked him over and over with his tongue. His own dick felt hot and ready to explode and he whimpered when Snow tightened around him. He had to be inside there with his dick. Now.
He pulled away, ignoring Snow’s protests and groped for the lube they’d left on the bedside table. Hell, half the time, they never put it away. Used it too often. He hurriedly lubed himself as he kissed every part of Snow’s back he could reach. He was poised and ready to go in when he stopped, his brain telling him to prep Snow more.
“Now. Fuck, Jude, get inside me right the fuck now!”
The order had him gritting his teeth and pressing slowly inside his man. He had to stop halfway in, panting against Snow’s back, counting in his head so he didn’t blow too soon.
“What are you waiting for?” Snow demanded. “Fuck me now. Hard!”
A primal yell raced up Jude’s throat and erupted from his mouth as he shoved all the way inside Snow. The snug, hot channel swallowed him whole and he grunted against Snow’s shoulder as blinding hot pleasure short-circuited his brain. “Damn. I love you,” he breathed onto Snow’s skin. “Love you so fucking much.” He pulled back and thrust in, his hand tightening on Snow’s chest as he yelled again, unable to stop it, and shoved back into him.
Snow groped behind him, squeezing strong fingers onto his hip bone.
They found a rhythm, one that scrambled Jude’s brain until all he could do was hold onto Snow and move his hips back and forth, reveling in the satiny, snug heat of Snow’s body. He inhaled the scent of his skin deep into his lungs, pressed his lips to the nape of Snow’s neck. Snow suddenly shoved his face back into his pillow and screamed, his entire body going taut as he clenched around Jude so hard, he saw stars.
He came up to his knees, picked up pace, no longer holding any sort of steady rhythm as he gave in to the unadulterated passion that consumed him. He thrust hard and fast and dug his fingers into Snow’s hips. When he came, he teetered on the edge of passing out, barely holding on. His vision whited out, every muscle in his body tensing, then releasing in a rush that left him dizzy. He took a shaky breath, then slumped over Snow, who smashed flat with a grunt.
They didn’t talk for a long time. Snow slid out from under him and lay on his side, gaze locked with Jude’s. They stared at each other and Jude wondered if the same, sort of surreal euphoria had made Snow stupid, too. Snow leaned over him to switch off the lamp. Jude waited for him to settle, then sprawled half over him, tucking his face into Snow’s neck. He settled in, knowing they’d move apart at some point because they were both sticky and sweaty from the sex. He’d probably end up in the wet spot. He didn’t care. “Hey, General?” he whispered after a couple of minutes.
“Yeah.” Snow’s response was more breath than voice.
“You do know that you’re my safety net, too, right?”
Snow’s arm tightened around him. “I do,” he whispered, pressing warm lips to Jude’s forehead. “I do.”
Camping
Chapter 1
This was not his idea of a relaxing vacation.
Snow stood in the center of the clearing that Rowe had chosen, his hands on his hips as he tried not to frown, but that wasn’t working out so well. A thick green canopy blocked most of the direct late-day sun, but the moisture thickening the air locked in the oppressive August heat despite the shade. Songbirds chirped loudly around t
hem, but there was no distant rush of cars on the road or raised voices of other people. He and Jude had been working a lot of hours recently, and he’d grown accustomed to the constant cacophony of beeping machines and the chatter of doctors and nurses. It felt as if they were truly alone in the world and it was a bit unsettling.
Snow didn’t camp.
Oh, he’d done more than his fair share of rough camping while in the Army—inhospitable places like Afghanistan and Serbia—but he’d not slept outside since returning to civilian life, and he’d certainly never planned to do it again. He liked his firm but soft king-sized bed covered in 700-thread count sheets of Egyptian cotton. He liked indoor plumbing and hot running water. He fucking loved his coffeemaker.
Swallowing back a curse, he turned and his eyes fell on the reason—or rather two reasons—he’d agreed to this vacation nightmare in the first place. Jude knelt beside Rowe, holding a nylon cord while Rowe hammered a securing spike into the ground. They all tried to go on vacation together every year, but every time they attempted to make plans this year, Rowe had bailed. Until Jude had suggested camping.
For the first time in months, a small spark of life lit Rowe’s tired green eyes. He perked up and started asking questions, willing to at least consider the idea. It hadn’t taken much more pushing to get Rowe to commit to a long weekend of camping and hiking, through Red River Gorge within the Daniel Boone National Park in Eastern Kentucky.
Jude had camped with his brothers and friends when he was young, but never in Red River Gorge so he’d been over the moon with excitement since it had first been mentioned. Snow couldn’t bring himself to shoot down the suggestion when both Jude and Rowe were invested in the idea.
But Snow didn’t camp.
Luckily both Andrei and Rowe had camped within the Gorge on several occasions so they were at least familiar with the area. Rowe had warned them that they needed to bring all the essentials because they were camping primitive. He’d also warned them that black bears and mountain lions were frequently spotted within the Gorge. And of course, Kentucky already had its usual selection of poisonous snakes and spiders. Freaking fabulous.
“Where the hell is Lucas?” Rowe snapped, drawing Snow out of his grumbling thoughts. His friend shoved back to his feet, dusting off his hand on the seat of his worn khaki cargo shorts.
Snow pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and held it up. His connection flickered between one and two bars, and they were setting up camp on a peak near Half-Moon Rock. It was a good guess that they’d have zero cell service when they hiked down into the lower part of the gorge. That was an unsettling thought.
“Lucas hasn’t texted since they left Winchester almost two hours ago,” Snow replied. The Red River Gorge was about a three-hour drive south from Cincinnati, with most of the trip spent on the highway, but the last stretch was along winding narrow roads cutting through the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It had been a gorgeous drive in, seeing the massive rocky cliffs and green trees dappled with buttery warm sunlight. Snow had even started to look forward to the trip until they arrived at the spot that Rowe had picked for camping. It was off a trail. No bathroom. No running water. No electricity. No signs of civilization of any kind.
Shoving his phone away, he tamped down the urge to text Lucas. He had a spare charger and if he was desperate, he could charge his phone using Rowe’s truck, but he was trying to make the phone battery stretch as long as possible. Texting Lucas wasn’t going to get him there any faster.
“They should be here soon.”
Rowe snorted and went back to securing the cover over the hammock he’d strung up between two trees for himself rather than opting for the tent setup that Jude and Snow were using.
“They need to hurry. We’ve got only a few hours of good sunlight,” Jude said.
“If they don’t get here soon, they’re putting up their own fucking tent in the dark,” Rowe muttered.
Snow glanced over at the tent he’d set up with Jude. It was a nice size, comfortably fitting two grown men. It was supposed to be one of those easy-to-assemble tents that pops up in just ten minutes. Even with Jude’s experience, it had taken Snow and Jude close to an hour to get their tent put together and secured, while Rowe hung back, occasionally snickering at their bickering and huffing. It wasn’t looking good for Lucas, Andrei, and Ian.
Reaching for his phone again, Snow stopped at the sound of gravel crunching under tires. Rowe straightened, his head cocked at the sound.
“I’ll check,” Snow said, already striding back toward where Rowe had parked his truck on the side of the road. Snow and Jude had ridden down with him to conserve space since Rowe had warned them that parking would be limited at their campsite. Stepping over a fallen log and around the last thicket of trees, Snow spotted Lucas climbing out of the passenger seat of a red SUV. At least he didn’t look like he’d stepped out of a magazine shoot, opting for a pair of worn jeans, a light gray T-shirt, and new hiking boots.
Ian, on the other hand, managed to look like some kind of hipster camper in his dark blue jeans carefully cuffed and somewhat shiny red cool weave shirt. His blond-streaked brown hair was perfectly styled. None of that was going to last long in the woods. But he hopped down from the back seat, beaming and bright-eyed, overflowing with enthusiasm.
“Isn’t this gorgeous?” Ian demanded. He threw his arms out to encompass the surrounding woods stretching high above them. “It’s just amazing. I can’t believe I’ve never been down here.”
“Why are you late?” Snow demanded.
Lucas grumbled something and looked over the hood of the SUV at Andrei, who had just climbed out of the driver’s seat.
“Oh, don’t you dare look at me!” Andrei shouted, pointing at Lucas before circling around to the trunk.
“It’s my fault,” Ian quickly interjected.
“What’s your fault?” Rowe asked as he walked up to the SUV. Jude clapped a hand on Snow’s shoulder—the man nearly gleamed. Yeah, Snow might not care for camping, but Jude hadn’t stopped smiling since they’d first decided on a date for the trip. He had definitely enjoyed their skiing trip that winter, but apparently camping was familiar territory for him.
“I took a little too long shopping for supplies,” Ian replied.
Rowe shook his head. “You said you got the food yesterday.”
“I did, but Lucas and I went shopping this morning for camping supplies.”
“What supplies?”
Andrei stepped around the back of the SUV, revealing that he was comfortably dressed in a pair of cargo shorts, worn hiking books, and a T-shirt that had the sleeves cut off. He lifted the trunk door and stepped back, an odd expression on his face.
“What…the…fuck?” Rowe looked into the SUV and smacked Andrei on the arm. “You were supposed to go with them and handle this! What the hell?”
Andrei gave Rowe a little shove. “I got called into the office to handle a problem. They went without me!”
Snow hurried over to see what the issue was. His mouth dropped open upon finding the rear of the large vehicle completely packed with gear. He could make out two large coolers, several folding chairs, a bag for what looked to be a massive tent, a chainsaw, two axes, three bundles of wood, and more that he couldn’t begin to identify. They’d brought double what he, Jude, and Rowe had brought.
“They wanted to bring a generator,” Andrei muttered. Jude laughed, falling against the side of the SUV and Rowe groaned. Snow shrugged at Lucas. It didn’t sound like a horrible idea. It would have given them an easy way to charge their phones.
“Andrei said there wasn’t room, but there would have been if he hadn’t brought all this wood,” Ian countered.
Rowe roughly rubbed his face. “I asked him to bring it so we could have a fire.”
Ian waved his arms around him, looking at Rowe as if the man had lost his mind. “But we’re in the woods.”
Andrei sighed. “The wood here is green and the summer has been extrem
ely wet. All the wood on the ground is wet. We’d never get a good fire going. Bringing wood in saves time and gives us something to cook on.”
“Oh,” Ian murmured softly, seeming to deflate a little.
Smiling, Andrei stepped over to Ian and wrapped an arm around the slender man’s shoulders, pulling him close. “Don’t worry. My dad took me camping every summer in the Gorge when I was a kid. I’ll turn you into a regular Daniel Boone before we’re out of here.”
Rowe moved closer to the SUV and started shifting its contents around. “We need to get the tents up while we’ve still got light.”
“Tent,” Lucas corrected.
Snow lifted on eyebrow in question, gazing at his oldest friend standing beside him. “Tent? Just one?”
“Ian and I found a tent that’s big enough to sleep twelve. It has three separate rooms and goes up in just a couple of minutes.”
“Twelve? There’s just three of you!”
“We wanted something that would be big enough to fit the air mattresses,” Ian chimed in.
“You brought air mattresses?”
“Of course—” Lucas started but was cut off by Rowe’s groan.
“When did you two turn into such pansies?” Rowe snarled. “You were in the Army. I remember us going out on a mission and sleeping on the ground. No tent. No mattress. No coffeemaker. We roughed it and we survived.”
“Yeah, but that was the Army. Who the hell wants to do that now? I like beds and air conditioning,” Lucas countered.
“I love my coffeemaker,” Snow added.
A sharp whistle cut through the bickering, drawing their eyes over to Jude. “We’re wasting what little daylight we’ve got left.” Reaching into the SUV, Jude pulled out the packaged tent and tossed it at Snow’s feet. “You and Lucas put the tent up. Andrei and I will get the SUV unloaded of the necessities. Rowe, can you get started on a fire? Ian will organize the food and work on dinner.”
Unbreakable Stories Page 7
