Resilience

by Bailey Bradford

  His climax exploded through him, no warning tingles or quivering anything. One second he was so immersed in bliss he couldn’t breathe and the next he was keening, cum spurting from his cock as he shook from head to toe.

  Adam was only dimly aware of Todd’s fierce snarl, of the snap of his hips against

  Adam’s ass. The world dipped and spun, and Adam became more aware as his orgasm began to ebb and he found himself pushed up against the wall beside the shelf.

  He felt Todd’s hand between them, the rough jabbing of his knuckles as Todd freed his dick. Each jerk of Todd’s hand dragged a rough sound from him. He pressed his cock between Adam’s ass cheeks and covered it with his palm. Then he leaned into Adam and rutted, hard, fast jabs that burned despite the sweat coating them both.

  Adam fumbled behind him and grabbed Todd’s hip. He curled his fingers, holding on,

  and arched into each thrust. Todd’s gasps became erratic as did his thrusts. He shoved forward forcefully, then bit where he’d suckled as the first shot of spunk hit Adam’s back.

  Adam could do nothing but revel in the feeling of being so thoroughly owned and knowing he held Todd just as much.

  “Got distracted,” Todd scraped out minutes later. “You’re just too sexy to resist.”

  Adam rolled his neck and kind of looked at Todd. Kind of, because his vision was still blurry. “Why would you want to?” he teased.

  Todd snorted and Adam felt his cock twitch, which made Adam’s want to come up and play, too. “Exactly. Why would I?” Todd pulled Adam over a few steps and tumbled them onto the couch. “Let me show you just how irresistible you are.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Todd was about at his wits’ end. Not only was he turning up absolutely zilch on

  Jameson, but he couldn’t find anything on the guy Jameson ran off with, Dirk Govind, either.

  He was truly leaning towards the belief that Dirk Govind wasn’t the mysterious boyfriend’s name at all.

  “Seriously, who names anyone Dirk…ever?” Not even if the dude was born in the early

  twentieth century. No one would do that to their kid. Todd rolled his eyes then rubbed them.

  He was so tired, and it didn’t help that his old man was up for parole. Twice in the past week Todd had even seen his mother in town—not that she’d spoken to him, but whatever. He didn’t know what she was doing in Shasta to begin with. The prison was an hour away in Falls Hills. Most likely she was visiting with the two or three former parishioners who hadn’t moved off.

  She sure as hell wasn’t here to see him. It was stupid, he knew it was stupid, but he couldn’t quite silence that little boy inside who wanted his mom’s love, his dad’s approval.

  But the man he was now knew better, knew the futility of such wishes. Todd didn’t believe his parents would ever change. He didn’t wait for it, pray for it, hope for it. But he did wish, on those rare occasions he allowed himself to think on it, that his parents had been kind, loving people instead of psychotic nuts.

  Todd snorted and pushed away from his desk. The chair’s wheels squeaked and

  stuttered, threatening to send him ass over teakettle. Todd just went with it. The chair hadn’t tossed him yet.

  He yelped when the chair hit something solid. There shouldn’t have been anything

  there. Todd about snapped his neck looking around and growled when Gabe smirked down at him.

  “Nice office, Sheriff.” Gabe glanced around the break room. “Good to see my tax dollars hard at work. Nice vending machines.”

  Todd flipped Gabe off. “I told you my office is being redone since the ceiling caved in after those storms. Wasn’t much in there that didn’t get ruined.”

  Gabe bobbed his head. “Sure, and that was good because your old office was ass-ugly, buddy. Absolutely no taste at all. Looked like every boring office ever created.”

  “It’s not supposed to be some cosy spot to snooze in,” Todd pointed out. “It should be austere and maybe even intimidating.” He didn’t really believe it, mostly, but it was fun to watch Gabe get all puffed up and ready to launch into a tirade. “I’m not here to make the criminals cosy, you know.”

  “It’s cruel and unusual punishment to fucking beige them to death,” Gabe snapped.

  “Jesus, I’ll sue you myself for visual assault or…or something, I swear I will, if that office is more than ten per cent beige when it’s done! And the floor counts, everything in there counts!”

  Todd tried not to laugh. Gabe was getting wound up, and it was funny. But if he

  laughed it’d be all over because Gabe would know Todd was just poking at him. Todd hated beige, and there wasn’t going to be any of it in his new office.

  “What about grey?” he asked, tapping his fingers on his knees. “You know, that

  medium-toned grey, kinda like Dallas Cowboys’ colour. Might even add some of the same blue in the trim or something.”

  Gabe bent and poked Todd right on the nose. “I will kick your ass, and at least

  something in that office will be bright then!”

  Todd snickered as he batted at Gabe’s hand, and it got him a thump on the tip of his nose. “Hey!” Todd cupped a hand over his nose as his eyes watered. “That’s assaulting an officer!”

  Gabe arched a brow and planted a hand on one cocked hip. “Well, if I’m already gonna be in trouble, then…”

  Todd waved him off. “I can forgive you since we’ve been friends for so long. I’ll let it go this time. Now, did you just come in here to give me grief over my hideous former office?”

  Gabe had been studying the vending machine and rubbing his stomach, but he stopped then and looked totally stunned. “Oh shit! No, I actually had a reason for coming in besides harassing you.” He frowned so hard it made Todd’s head hurt. “You know that biii—er, bimbo who gave birth to you is in town trying to get people to go vouch for how wonderful your sperm donor is, right?”

  Oh. Well, that explained why she was in Shasta. “I seen her a time or two. She looked right through me.” And, yeah, it’d hurt but he hadn’t gone home and cried about it or anything. Truthfully, he didn’t think he could ever forgive her or his father for everything they had done to him even if they ever did apologise.

  Gabe snorted. “Yeah, well. I might have had a word or three with her. At her.

  Whatever. Stupid… Anyways. She sure can pucker her mouth up like she’s sucking an as—”

  “Gabe!” Todd barely kept from slapping his hands over his ears.

  “What?” Gabe said as he blinked, the picture of innocence…or not, considering who

  was doing it. “I was gonna say, like she’s sucking an aspirin. Have you ever went to dry-swallow a couple aspirins and had them stick? Gack!” Gabe stuck out his tongue and heaved.

  “Nasty shit, man. Makes you pucker your mouth up like an as—”

  “Gabe!”

  This time the thundering voice came from behind Gabe, and, though he hadn’t cleared

  the corner and entered the room yet, Mika’s presence was definitely felt as soon as he hollered. Todd sat up straighter and Gabe sighed. He turned around lazily, sinuously, as if his partner hadn’t just basically made his name into a demand.

  “Whatcha want, honey?” Gabe drawled, all sweet and syrup and, Todd knew, at his

  most snarky. Mika was going to have to guard his ribs, and probably his balls, too.

  Mika wasn’t stupid. He peered through the doorway cautiously, his head appearing an

  inch at a time. Once he saw that Gabe wasn’t going to come flying at him, Mika got a little braver and stepped into the doorway.

  Gabe smiled, and it wasn’t a nice smile at all. Although, maybe the threat in it meant something entirely different to Mika, who narrowed his eyes and stared back at Gabe. When Gabe sighed softly and sauntered up to Mika, Todd had a moment of curiosity about the two of them. Sometimes there was a powerful force between them, something more than love and sex.

&nbs
p; Or maybe Todd didn’t really want to know what it was.

  Mika hooked an arm around Gabe and pulled him to his side. He dropped a tender kiss

  on Gabe’s lips then looked at Todd. “Can you and Adam come over for dinner tonight?

  We’re having some guests over, you met them before, Aidan and Zane. They have

  some…skills. Maybe they can help find Adam’s friend.”

  Todd’s senses prickled as they did periodically around Gabe and Mika. It’d begun a little over a year ago, and it was weird, like a power surge or something. Todd couldn’t define it, but he knew something had changed, or something was up, or… He didn’t know shit, but his subconscious was jabbing at him. He wished he could prise out whatever it was trying to tell him.

  But, for now, he just nodded. Something very weird was going on.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  It had taken Adam a while to feel comfortable enough with Gabe and Mika to really

  consider them friends. It stood to reason, then, that he wouldn’t be comfortable around Aidan and Zane even though he’d met them before. He didn’t know them.

  And how the fuck am I supposed to get to know them if all I do is sit here fretting like some… I don’t even know what.

  Todd took his hand and squeezed gently. Adam looked at him and some of his nerves

  settled. Todd was here with him, beside him on the couch—the very same couch he and

  Todd had walked in and found Gabe and Mika all but fucking on years ago. Adam cringed and fought back the urge to jump up and check the cushions.

  “Thank you for inviting us over,” Adam said to Mika. He did, after all, have some

  manners. Occasionally. Adam turned his attention to Zane and Aidan. For some reason

  Adam had to suppress a shiver when he looked into Aidan’s dark eyes. But Zane’s silver ones weren’t much less intimidating.

  And why was he intimidated?

  Adam perked up, exuberance bubbling up to cover his discomfort. “So! Are you two in

  town long? And don’t you have a twin?” he asked Aidan. He knew the answer, because

  Gabe could babble like no one else and he’d gone on and on about Aidan and his twin

  brother, but if it would get the giant blond guy to talking instead of just…just watching Adam, that’d be great.

  Zane’s lips twitched and Aidan flat-out grinned and Adam wondered what the hell the

  joke was and if it was on him like he suspected it was.

  “We plan on being here for a few days,” Aidan rumbled, “then we’re going to take a

  hiking trip since someone hasn’t shut up about the Catwalk.”

  Zane snorted and muttered something about the appropriateness of them being on

  something called a Catwalk, but before Adam could ask what he meant Gabe bounded into the living room.

  “Er, Iko kinda got the platter of steaks. Everyone okay with burgers instead?”

  Adam stood up and barely stopped himself from heading out back. “Did you get the

  meat away from Iko? Raw meat isn’t good for dogs, not in such large quantities.”

  Gabe rolled his eyes. He pointed a spatula at Adam. “And what the hell did dogs eat

  before they were domesticated animals? Tofu?” Adam opened his mouth to snark back but Gabe shook the utensil at him. “I’m not a dipshit. Iko got away with one of the steaks but the rest are all nasty and dirty and gross. I wouldn’t want to eat ‘em, but if you annoy me…”

  Adam arched a brow but sat back down. “I was just concerned about Iko, that was all. I doubt it’d hurt you at all to eat the remaining raw meat yourself.”

  Gabe walked over and ruffled his hair. “Aw, you’re sweet. You’ve got pathetic

  comebacks, though. Good thing Todd isn’t with you for your rapier wit.” He turned and pointed the spatula towards Aidan and Zane. “Okay, Zane. You get to help me make

  hamburger patties, because Mika can’t be a rude host and abandon y’all to help me, and, frankly, I would probably end up shoving this spatula up Double D’s ass—”

  Adam heard Gabe’s teeth snap together. What the hell was that about? And Double D?

  Did he mean Aidan? He glanced at Todd, who was frowning and looking as confused as

  Adam felt.

  Gabe spun around and had a fake smile plastered on his face. “The Double D is for

  Aidan’s moobs. They may be muscles, but he still has big tits.”

  “Ass,” Aidan sniped. Gabe flipped him off and Zane kissed Aidan’s cheek.

  “I love your Double D’s,” Zane purred, and promptly yelped when Aidan smacked his

  ass. “That’s not discouraging me any, just so you know.” Zane chuckled as he backed away.

  He only turned around once he was out of Aidan’s reach, then Zane and Gabe headed off into the kitchen.

  “Men,” Aidan said, but he had a sappy grin on his face that surprised Adam for some

  reason.

  Mika darted a look at Adam and Todd then grunted. “Sorry about the steaks. Iko’s been pushing his boundaries lately.”

  “Maybe he needs a sibling,” Adam suggested. He saw the refusal coming before Mika

  even spoke and moved to cut the man off. “Don’t even say y’all have a kennel full of siblings.

  Those rescues aren’t treated like Iko and you know it. They can’t be, or else y’all would never be able to adopt them out. But maybe you and Gabe should talk about it, see if there isn’t one of the rescued dogs that would really fit in with your family. Wouldn’t hurt Iko to learn to share, and he’d have a consistent playmate.”

  Adam leant back, having said his piece. Mika narrowed his eyes and Adam wasn’t sure

  if he was getting glared at or if Mika was just contemplating what he’d said.

  “For what it’s worth, I think Adam is probably right,” Aidan said. Adam turned to look at him. The guy was just freakin’ huge, maybe that was why Adam didn’t feel comfortable around him. “I don’t know that it’d help with the whole steak-stealing thing, though. I mean, that’d be like leaving us near a steak cooked to perfection, when we hadn’t had a steak in years.”

  “But he’d have companionship,” Todd added. “Maybe Iko gets lonely. I hated being an

  only child, although, I guess, all things considered, it was for the best.”

  Gabe poked his head through the doorway. “Okay, y’all know what? Everyone can

  help. Zane is pokey as hell, insisting on adding just the right spices to the hamburger and stirring it and getting the heat of the grill just right.” He glared at Aidan. “If you’d have warned me, I would have dragged your ass in here instead. Now you can come cut up the tomatoes and onions. Mika, you can handle the lettuce and condiments. Stop snickering.”

  Gabe came all the way into the room. “What? Are you like, twelve?”

  “I can’t help it, between you flouncing and everything else, I’m finding it hard to be my usual taciturn self.” Mika stood up and, yeah, Adam had to admit the man seemed happier than Adam had ever seen him. Not that Mika was a snarly asshole, but he could be kind of quiet, solemn even. But he had a great smile when he let go, which happened rarely. Tonight he was grinning fit to be tied, and Gabe’s prickly irritation faded as he fell under the spell of Mika’s smile.

  “Maybe we could…” Gabe began. Mika shook his head.

  “Nope. Got to get dinner ready.” He cocked his head at Adam and Todd. “Y’all want to join us in the kitchen?”

  Something seemed to have shifted, some tension Adam had either carried alone or that had existed was now gone. Maybe it was just him—getting comfortable around people he didn’t know well was just hard for him—but Gabe and Mika’s love and affection, and

  teasing, had worked like magic. Even Adam’s impatience was tempered, which was a trick he’d bet Todd wished he knew how to do.

  Of course, if he threw Adam down and fucked him senseless, that usually offed his

 
impatience. And, suddenly, Adam just needed a few minutes alone with Todd, needed to touch him, kiss him, feel the reassuring strength of the man as Todd held him—but he also wanted to know just how Aidan and Zane thought they might be able to help find Jameson.

  Adam leapt up and tugged on Todd’s hand. He winked at his sexy sheriff then faced

  Gabe and Mika. “Yeah, we’ll help, too, because I’m thinking no one is going to tell us what is going on until after we eat.”

  Gabe nodded. “Pretty much. So, dinner, dessert, then the serious stuff.”

  Adam wondered why the ‘serious stuff’ caused Gabe and Mika to glance at each other

  and frown. What did they know that he didn’t?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  If there were any more weird looks passing between Gabe, Mika, Aidan and Zane,

  Todd was going to snap. He wasn’t sure just what that would entail, but, damn it, Gabe had been his closest—and only—friend for years, and to feel so left out of the loop now was driving Todd batty.

  About the only thing keeping Todd from flat-out asking what was going on was Adam.

  The man seemed to know just how to touch Todd, what little caresses and soft looks to give that would calm him down.

  Normally Todd wasn’t so tightly wound, but everything tonight just felt off. God, he hoped he wasn’t just being an insecure jerk because Gabe had new best buddies. He sure did seem close to Aidan and Zane, even if he did give Aidan shit almost constantly.

  Oh Geez. He was jealous, wasn’t he? Todd peeked at the other couples just in time to see more of those suspicious looks. Okay, he wasn’t jealous, or not just jealous, anyways.

  Todd averted his gaze and took another bite of his burger. He slipped into cop mode, as he thought of it. It was as if he stepped outside of himself and viewed everything that had happened and was currently going on. And his conclusion was, he was most definitely

  suspicious. Something was going on, some secret between the other four men from which Todd and Adam were excluded.