ChasingSin

by Sara Brookes

  “You know how it is. Spend the spring chasing tornadoes and then summer waiting for the hurricanes to chase you. Boredom central.”

  One of her eyebrows rose as she reached for the glass near her mouse. “Says the man who flies into the heart of some of those violent storms.”

  “Always have to go where the action is.” The air between them crackled with energy from his meaning and he cleared his throat to snap everything back into focus. He gestured to the screens in front of her with his chin. “Anything different?”

  “No. Still looks to hit New Orleans head-on. The front pushing off the Pacific won’t get here soon enough to affect the track they’ve been calling for.”

  “And what do you think?” Computer models and forecast tracks were one thing, but nothing beat good old-fashioned instinct. Kate had it in spades and that’s what made her so damn good at what she did.

  She snorted and swirled the cursor around on the screen. “They get paid the big bucks, not me. I’m just a professor with a lab and a few brave souls who follow me out into the heart of the monster.”

  “Kate, cut the bullshit.”

  The glass hit the countertop with a heavy thud. “It’s going to shift, Snyder. That front is going to move differently than the computer models are suggesting because of this right here.” She tapped the screen and Snyder pushed away from the wall to cross to her. He came to stand next to the table and leaned closer for a look, curious as to what she was up to.

  She’d created her own storm track and overlaid it with the forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Though the line was nearly the same for the next day, after that Kate’s forecast veered further to the west with a sharp curve NOAA’s model didn’t indicate. He leaned closer as she hit a button to put the map into motion.

  “We’re looking at a direct hit. Almost as if we had a great big target on my roof.” Sometimes it was all about knowing your gut and he’d bet anything those instincts drove her forecast. Kate sighed heavily as she pushed away from the table. “Though I don’t think it’s going to strengthen any more. Unless I’m wrong about that too.”

  Doubt was a natural part of this business and he’d seen her have it enough to know she didn’t truly believe she’d made an error. “Should I remind you that after five years of chasing together you’ve never been wrong?”

  Her eyes cut to the computer. “I think in this case I wish I was.”

  “Wish you were what?” Tripp’s voice, still thick with sleep, sounded behind Snyder. He pressed a quick kiss to the back of Snyder’s neck as he passed, and Snyder took a moment to admire the way his ass moved under the towel he’d slung around his hips. “Got any coffee?”

  “Third cabinet on the left. Top shelf.”

  Snyder watched Kate’s focus return to the laptop but he’d seen something that caused him to smile. It had been subtle, and if he hadn’t been watching her, he would have missed it completely.

  But seen it he had.

  That faint shimmer of those strong eyes, the flash of red on her cheeks when Tripp came up behind him and kissed his neck, was hard to simply ignore. Whatever reason had driven her out of the hotel room that night hadn’t been because of the lack of desire. The brief flare had been enough to tell him she wanted them both still.

  Lucky for them, sitting around waiting for this monster to get here at the end of the week left him plenty of time to get to the bottom of things. One of the few times he was certainly going to appreciate the downtime.

  But evidently it would not be right now as she pushed away from the counter. “I’m going to take a shower. Save me some coffee.”

  Kate tossed her glasses down in front of the computer and left so quickly, Snyder wondered why there weren’t skid marks on the floor.

  “Like a skittish mouse.”

  Snyder turned and smiled at Tripp. “You noticed too?”

  Tripp gestured to him with a glass of orange juice, which he accepted. “Oh hell yeah.”

  Leave it to Tripp to never miss a beat. He loved that about him. Loved they both saw the same thing, even though it confused them and gave no indication on how to fix it. “She was fine until you walked in.”

  “My sexual prowess has that effect on people.”

  Snyder snorted and took a few gulps of his drink. “Something’s up.”

  “I noticed that yesterday when I talked to her outside. Tensed up right away as soon as I got near. Never fully relaxed, and when I pushed some, she bolted. Maybe she just has a lot on her mind with the storm churning out there. She’s always felt differently about the hurricanes than we do. Remember when she said she felt the draw to chase the storms, but she was always more attracted to the ones over land.”

  Snyder had already thought the same, but something still wasn’t right. “Maybe. But she’s always been able to keep her focus on the storms. It’s what makes her so good at this. She just seems…”

  “Scatterbrained?”

  Thank God he wasn’t the only one who noticed. “A bit, yeah. Not sure I’m comfortable with that.”

  “Think what either of us wants doesn’t matter. Especially since she walked out on us.”

  Snyder walked over to Kate’s computer and moved the mouse to stop the screensaver. The bright-yellow line she’d used for her forecast track stood out against the deep-blue of the Gulf of Mexico. “I meant more with her being here and riding this storm out. She’d got a computer model that is nowhere close to what everyone else thinks. It’s wildly different than the three models put out by the best computers in the world.”

  Tripp came to stand next to him, studying the screen. Snyder clicked so the model started moving and both men were silent as the small bundle of clouds spun over their location. “Never known her to be wrong—even remotely.”

  “She’ll come around eventually.”

  Snyder leaned closer, inhaling the spicy scent of the expensive soap Tripp insisted on carting around with him everywhere. His cock jumped to attention, straining against the zipper of his jeans. He missed being buried inside him. Missed the times they seemed to not get enough of each other as they frantically sought completion. And even the times they would spend hours exploring each other as if it was the first time they’d ever made love.

  “And if not, we’ll make sure she does, right?”

  “Oh hell yes.” Unable to stand not having his hands on his lover anymore, he drew even closer, plucking the glass out of Tripp’s hand to set it on the counter. He took advantage of Tripp’s shirtless state and circled the pad of his thumb over a nipple. It tightened as Tripp gave a soft moan and let his head drop back as Snyder pressed his lips to the side of his neck.

  He wanted to take the time to become familiar with Tripp’s body again because they’d both been so damn busy. Chasing season didn’t leave a lot of time to attend to a sex life as the endless hours driving tended to leave them both exhausted and sore from sitting for so long. Flying in a plane and getting tossed around at fifteen hundred feet didn’t make for the best bedfellows either.

  His lips pushed up and over Tripp’s jaw and, as his mouth skimmed over his lips, his lover opened for him. Pushing closer, he pressed his hips against Tripp so their cocks ground together. Tripp’s dick jumped in reaction and Snyder had to fight not to go to his knees and remind himself how he tasted again.

  “It’s been a while.”

  “Yes, it has.”

  Tripp let out a rush of breath as Snyder snaked his hand down the front of the towel. His fingers closed around the already-hard length and he nearly came at the feel of that velvet hard skin against his palm. He deepened the kiss, stroking his tongue against Tripp’s as he shifted his hand for better positioning.

  Warmth spread in his abdomen, originating from the root of his cock. That heady sensation was addicting and he reveled in the fact that the man could still do this to him even after all this time. Nine years together and Tripp could still drive him insane with need with something as simple as a lo
ok.

  “We missed our anniversary.”

  “I do believe flying through a hurricane officially lets us off the hook for that. But maybe we should make up for lost time when this is over. Go somewhere we can get lost in paradise.” After the stress they’d all been through for the past few months, Snyder couldn’t agree more. Seduced by the waver of Tripp’s voice as he spoke, Snyder continued to move his hand as Tripp continued. “We can go someplace ridiculously overpriced with gorgeous scenery we’ll never see because we’ll never leave the bed.”

  “Oh no, we’ll get out of bed. I’ll guarantee that.” Though he had to admit, the idea of spending the entire day in bed with this man was very, very tempting. It reminded him of the last time they had found time. They’d managed to both swing time off and had spent the day wrapped around each other. This moment reminded him how Tripp’s mouth had felt surrounding his dick while he’d been busy swallowing the last drops of Tripp’s release.

  But despite that tantalizing thought, he had something else in mind. Something that interested him even more.

  “You always have such fascinating plans.” He paused as Snyder squeezed before continuing. “Going to let me in on what you have working in that brain of yours?”

  “Just some fun in the sun. Simple.” He dragged his hand up and down, taking his time to enjoy the feel of each and every inch of the hard skin.

  Tripp snorted and reached under the towel to set his hand over Snyder’s. “Nothing is ever simple with you, Snyder.”

  For a moment, he thought Tripp wanted him to stop, but instead found himself laughing softly when he started guiding both of their hands at a quicker pace.

  “You are right about that. I plan on finding some kind of activity that gets you filthy from head to toe.”

  “And then?” His words shook as they found a steady pace, working their joined hands together from root to tip.

  “You. Standing under a waterfall. Nude.”

  Tripp seemed unsurprised by Snyder’s forward answer. “Dare as I ask where you are during this?”

  Their hands slowed and Snyder’s fingers formed a ring just behind the flare of the cock head. He squeezed, sliding his thumb along the tip of Tripp’s cock to swirl the drops of cum that were collecting there. Pleased with the reaction, Snyder started slowly moving their hands again to continue the hand job.

  “Nearby. Watching the water pour over your body, wetting all these muscles I’m about to become familiar with again. You’ll have your cock in your hand, stroking and teasing yourself to prolong the arousal until you’re out of your fucking mind with need.”

  He felt Tripp swallow, then inhale sharply before responding. “Kinky.”

  “You have no idea.”

  All the desire he’d held back for the past few months returned with a vengeance as their lips met. He’d intended to keep the kiss tender, but it flashed to aggressive and feral. It stood as a reflection of how much they’d been apart lately. The passion of it caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected it to be this potent and wrenched his mouth away from Tripp’s in order to breathe. He’d allowed himself to get carried away.

  “I’d forgotten how damn good you feel. How you taste. I’m sorry if I haven’t done or said it enough lately. If I’ve somehow made you feel as if you weren’t important to me.”

  Tripp lifted his free hand and pressed a thumb to his lips to silence him. “Hush. I know, all right? No one asked you to stop.”

  The tenderness of Tripp’s voice shot through him. He took Tripp’s mouth again, this time tossing formality and gentleness out the window.

  Chapter Five

  The hushed whispers coming from the kitchen made Kate pause outside the doorway and listen. She’d only meant to ensure she hadn’t interrupted some important conversation between the two men, but given the sounds around the corner, she wasn’t interrupting a conversation at all.

  She recognized the aroused sound Tripp gave. The last time she’d heard it, she’d been riding him.

  Oh God. I was a fool to think I could do this.

  She couldn’t stand here and listen to them find pleasure in each other—they had every right to do it too. If she wasn’t around, they could keep going and wouldn’t have to worry about her getting in the way. It would be better for her to leave.

  Just as it had always been.

  Keeping her eyes averted from the direction she guessed they stood together, she walked quickly across the kitchen, scooping up her camera as she passed her equipment.

  “Kate!”

  “I’m going to head down to the beach for a bit. Take a few cards full of pictures.” Ignoring Tripp’s shout, she slipped through the back door, camera in hand, and flew down the staircase before either of them could try to talk her out of leaving. Before they could maybe even invite her to join in just as they had months ago.

  She was still annoyed they were here in the first place, but there was little she could do about it. If there was anyone she wanted with her while the storm battered the island, it would be Snyder and Tripp.

  She’d known them long enough and trusted them enough to put her life in their hands. That’s what made their working relationship so cohesive. That level of trust when facing down this magnitude of storm was necessary.

  Unfortunately, the night that still hung over them all put a damper on things. She’d spent weeks afterward thinking about it and about how they made her feel. So much was unsaid and what she’d imagined had been going on the other side of kitchen wall made it so she hadn’t been able to stand the heaviness of the atmosphere any longer. Hopefully, this trip down to the beach would serve as a relief.

  The sun still shined brightly, but she knew that would start changing quickly enough as the days passed. By this time tomorrow, if her calculations were correct, most of the tourists on the island would be packing up due to mandatory evacuations that would be given in order to ensure lives were saved.

  That slight jog she predicted just needed to happen and then all hell would break loose.

  A small group of men played near the waterline, flinging a Frisbee back and forth. Their laughter drifted on the breeze and she knelt in order to snap a few images. She watched them play their game, and got so caught up, she jumped in surprise when two long shadows stretched out on the sand on either side of her.

  At least out here the atmosphere wasn’t as suffocating when they came near.

  She stared out at the shoreline, waiting for one of the men to speak because she didn’t know what to say.

  “You know we don’t care why you left.”

  Kate lowered the camera as Tripp spoke, thumbing the power switch to conserve the battery.

  Snyder crouched beside her, his fingers dragging through the sun-warmed sand. “Whatever happened that made you feel as if you needed to take off can be fixed. Especially if we had something to do with it.”

  Tripp crouched as well, his knees just inches from her arm. “Let us fix it if that’s the case, but please just tell us what we did.”

  The desperate pleas in both their voices made her heart clench. She longed to tell them and wanted to share with them her thoughts and feeling on the subject as a whole. It shouldn’t be this hard, but the reality of the future she now faced shook her to her core.

  She pushed to stand, waiting as she felt them stand as well. If she didn’t get some of this out now, it would fester like an open wound, and that couldn’t be good for any of them.

  “It wasn’t you. Either of you.” She stared out at the Gulf, unable to stomach turning around to face them as she confessed. At least partially. The reason she left was easy. The reason she kept running was more complicated. “At least nothing intentional. You were yourselves and that’s all I ever could have asked for.”

  She felt them step closer, one man on either side, bracketing her. It reminded her of lying between them at the hotel. After everything had changed. “It was so right between you guys. So peaceful and calm.”

  Snyder’s
hand brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, sending a flood of chills racing over her skin despite the humidity. “Not what you wanted or expected?”

  Nothing in her life had ever been as she’d expected and she liked it that way. Until Snyder and Trip came along. They’d blown her way of life right out of the sky. “Chasing with you two has always been thrilling. This out of control roller coaster I couldn’t stop. Every moment was the edge of your seat feeling I love so much.” Her heart jumped in elation as she remembered how it had felt to be joined with them.

  “And that night wasn’t?”

  “No, it was. But it was different. A thrill I hadn’t seen coming. I’ve always been at home surrounded by the extreme and that night—”

  “Changed everything you know?” Snyder finished.

  Kate nodded, her stomach turning over on itself. She placed a hand over her mid-section in an effort to settle it. “I didn’t know if I could handle that. If it was what I wanted of my life with you. It felt comfortable to me, but it also…didn’t. Then I saw the way you two fit so well together when I got up and I knew I had no right to disrupt what you two had.”

  Tripp’s eyes flared with heat as his fists balled at his sides. “We told—”

  “I was wrong. I know that now. But it didn’t stop me from thinking it at the time, you have to know that. I could see the three of us, settling down and finding a place to live.”

  “But that’s not you. Us. Any of us. We move from place to place depending on how the wind changes. Nothing is going to change that no matter what this is between the three of us.” Tripp stepped around her and his mouth met hers. Despite the fact she didn’t agree, she let herself be swept away by the potency of his kiss.

  His kiss branded her, searing her soul with power and emotion. Her arms banded around his neck, her camera falling to the sand as her fingers threaded through his thick hair.

  Snyder pressed against her side as she fell deeper into Tripp. She moved her hand to press lightly against his chest, comforted by the steady thump of his heart against her palm. Tripp continued to kiss her passionately as Snyder’s fingers walked up her arm to her shoulder. Their scents mingled with the salty sea air, and her gut clenched at the power of those three aromas.