Bending to his knee, he squatted down and studied Jace’s face. He slept quietly, a long towel draped over his body. It wasn’t quite long enough, causing Jace to curl his legs up to get his entire body covered. Jace’s long hair fell forward with wisps covering his face. Jace looked so beautiful, so peaceful.
Colt had lazed on this very beach ten years ago, watching this gorgeous man sleep just like he did now. He remembered the night so clearly. He had decided right there that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Jace. Now, while lifting his finger to move a piece of hair from Jace’s face, Colt again experienced the rush of those deep feelings of everlasting love. Jace’s eyes fluttered open.
“I should have drank more. Shit. Leave me alone. Not tonight… not…” Jace turned over on the chair and got comfortable again, tucking his body back under the towel. Colt chuckled, but stayed there. Jace was still sleeping and perhaps a little drunk.
“It feels so natural to touch you. I missed this.” Lifting a hand, he stroked Jace’s hair on the back of his head. Jace slowly turned toward Colt, a groan coming from his throat. His eyes were little more than slits. “Hi, handsome, are you alone here?” Colt asked with a small smile.
“What?” Jace opened his eyes a little wider, but still really nothing more than slits, and Colt could see he began to finally wake up.
“Are you alone here? Is there anyone here with you?”
“Yes, I mean, no… I mean, yes.” Jace turned away from him, rolling onto his back, stretching out his long body. After a brief moment, Jace’s eyes fluttered closed, his long lashes briefly brushing his cheeks before the smile on his lips relaxed again. Alcohol had a way of putting you back to sleep, allowing you the privilege of not dealing with whatever woke you. Colt knew the effects well.
“Well, which one is it?”
Jace’s head darted back in his direction, his eyes fully opened now. “You’re here? What? Fuck.”
“I’m here. We need to talk, Jace. Are you here alone? Can you go inside the house with me?” Colt kept his voice quiet, somewhat amused. Jace’s movements were shaky, a little sloppy. Colt knew all the signs, Jace was still drunk, but trying hard to sober up and just too stunned to pull himself together.
“Are you honeymooning here? Fuck. That never fuckin’ occurred to me. Of course, you would come here. You loved it here. Fuck!” Jace pushed himself up to a sitting position and dropped his legs on each side of the chair while scrubbing his hands over his face. Jace leaned over the edge of the chair, scooped up some water from the cooler, splashing his face before turning back as if to see if Colt were still there. “Fuck! What are you doing here with me? Where’s your wife?”
Even to Colt, when Jace said the word wife, he sneered and for some reason that gave him hope. “I didn’t get married, Jace. I’m not here on my honeymoon. Please answer my question. Are you alone? Can we go inside?”
“Why do you wanna go inside?” Jace rose, brushing his hair off his face, and he stumbled a little on his feet. “Fuck, I never drink. It’s because of you that I’m even in this state. Go away,” Jace shouted and turned, heading toward the house, but turned quickly back around. Colt took a couple of steps in his direction, stopping in midstride as Jace spun around, and faced him.
“Why are you here?” His love yelled, clearly angry, but stunningly beautiful in his irritated state. The moon escaped the clouds and shone brightly down on Jace. He stood tall and strong with his swim trunks riding low on his hips, the dark line of Jace’s treasure trail drawing Colt’s attention, making his mouth water. Jace was perfectly sculpted from head to toe, and a sight to behold, even completely annoyed.
“I’m here to talk to you, Jace.”
“What could you possibly have to say to me?”
Colt stayed quiet. The speech he came up with on the plane escaped him. Jace seemed so angry, and he just didn’t know where to start. After a moment, he decided the end would be the best place to begin. “I’m sorry, Jace. I’m sorry… I…”
Jace didn’t listen to him. Instead, he stormed back the few feet between them, reaching for Colt’s head, aggressively pulling him in for a hard, demanding kiss. Jace thrust his tongue forward giving Colt no choice but to open to him. Yes!
Jace wrapped one brawny arm tightly around Colt’s lower back, pulling him head to toe against Jace’s body. Every bit of longing Colt felt deep in his heart smoldered inside this kiss they shared. Just as abruptly, Jace ended the kiss and the contact, pushing him away.
“That’s all I’m interested in from you, and I know that’s not why you’re here.” Turning, Jace took a step away before jogging up to the house.
A smile burst across Colt’s lips. Relief flooded his heart. If Jace were with someone, he wouldn’t have just kissed him on the beach. After several long moments of watching Jace run to the house, he whispered, before he followed. “That’s exactly why I’m here, cheer boy.”
Chapter 20
Water ran freely from the bathroom sink faucet. Jace brushed his teeth and splashed water once again over his face, trying to sober up. What the hell was Colt doing here? For a minute on the beach he thought his drunken mind played tricks on him. It was the reason he’d forced himself on Colt. Surely to God his mind couldn’t have created the spicy, sweet musk of Colt’s delicious scent or those spine tingling feelings when their bodies touched. Right?
Apparently, Jace’s raging hard-on sure thought this was all very real. He splashed his face again with cold water before reaching for a towel.
Looking himself over in the mirror, Jace picked up the brush and pushed it through the tangles of his hair and away from his face. The long ends fell forward again, until he shoved them behind his ears. Jace stared at himself in the mirror. “Sober up. Sober up now. You need your wits about you. What the fuck is he doing here and not with his wife? Sober up, now! He’s married. Colton is married to a woman! Sober up, Jace Montgomery!”
Jace racked his brain, but still couldn’t come up with anything to help make sense of this. This couldn’t be possible. And hiding in the bathroom wasn’t going to make Colt go away. Unless he dreamed this and Colt hadn’t really come here. Could Jace have finally snapped? Maybe Colt and the all too real kiss only happened inside the confines of his alcohol-clouded mind?
Opening the door to the bathroom, Jace looked out and saw nothing. Poking his head around the door, he listened and heard nothing. A small amount of relief filled him, but the yearning for Colt gripped his heart, and the ache of that loss followed quickly behind. Could he be so past the point of normal behavior that he could have imagined touching Colt? Walking slowly down the hall, he caught a shadow and his heart did a small leap. Taking the corner into the living room, Jace stopped mid-step. Colt was there, hands tucked into the pockets of his shorts, his feet spread apart, and his gaze focused directly at him. They both simply remained frozen in place, staring at one another. Neither said a word. Jace’s heart began to race in his chest. He could feel the tears threatening to fall. Colt was everything he remembered and so much more.
Ten years ago, Colt stood in that very same position, waiting for him to go swimming in the ocean. Jace desperately wanted to relive that moment. Not moving, afraid his legs would fail him, he finally spoke. His voice cracked at the emotion pouring through him, but he forced the entire sentence out.
“Why are you here?”
“I couldn’t keep living this lie for a minute more. I’ve been sober for two hundred and eighty-three days. My sobriety requires me to apologize to you, but my heart can’t take another day without you knowing how much I still love you, and how deeply sorry I am for the pain I’ve caused you.” Colt didn’t move as he spoke, his deep blue eyes pinned and held Jace where he stood. Hope and longing rushed through his body stealing Jace’s breath and voice.
Jace managed to lift a hand to steady himself against the doorframe. He thought about what Colt said, and after replaying the words in his mind, things didn’t add up. “You’re a married man, C
olton. I’m not sure what you want from me. You can’t come here and say things like this. It isn’t fair.”
“Jace.” Colt took a step forward, but Jace stopped him with a lift of his hand.
“No, it’s wrong of you to show up here like this. If you need to apologize, then consider it done, but don’t say those other things to me. It’s too hard to hear.”
“Baby, I’m not married. I couldn’t do it, I never loved her, hell, I never even liked her.” Colt finally moved from the spot where he stood and walked slowly toward Jace. He kept his hands in his pockets as he came to a stop directly in front of Jace.
“Maryia blackmailed me into marrying her. She needed to stay in the country. Jace, I’m so very sorry. My life’s shit and it’s been that way since the morning I left you in that hotel room. When I showed up to my agent’s office, I was gonna tell him about us. Tell him how badly I wanted a future with you. Let him know you would be going with me. God, you were all I ever wanted, Jace, I swear. But my dad was there. They somehow found out about our trip. He beat the crap out of me, and told me there was no way the NFL would take me being gay. Even then I wasn’t gonna let you go. I told them I loved you. But then he threatened you. My dad planned the same beating for you, and even worse. I couldn’t let him… It scared me…” Colt finally took a breath, his voice broke, and he shook his head, clearing his throat.
“You’ve always meant everything to me. I was broken, I had to sever all contact, they told me they would be watching me and you. I left my agent's office that day drunk, and I’m not sure I stopped drinking until ten months ago. Maryia found my pictures of you and threatened to expose us. I couldn’t risk you being hurt by my actions again.”
“Colt, I don’t understand.” Confusion clouded his mind. Jace’s hands were shaking and he wrapped his arms around his chest to try to hold himself together. “You had pictures of me?”
“Yes,” Colt said, a small grin lit his face. He stayed about an arm’s length away, hands still shoved deep in his pockets. “I got alerts anytime your name was mentioned on the internet or television. I printed every picture. I followed your career. I’ve watched every time your gym performed, just hoping I would see you. I have years’ worth of video coverage on your gym. I love you, Jace. I always have, and through all my mistakes, I wanted you to know I’ve never said that to anyone else. Only you.”
When words failed him, Jace brought his palm to his mouth. They both held their ground for a minute or two, observing each other. “Am I too late? Have you moved on? If you give me another chance, I promise to do everything in my power to never hurt you again.”
Jace didn’t say a word, he couldn’t. All the pain, hurt, and doubt he’d tried so desperately to bury came rushing forward, overwhelming him. He closed his eyes at the magnitude of emotion pouring through his body. He finally had the answers ten long years in the making, and Colt said he loved him. He still loved him after all this time. Colt didn’t get married. The tears forming spilled over and ran down his cheeks. Colt reached out for him, and his hands felt like heaven.
“Baby, why are you crying?” Jace allowed himself to be wrapped in the firm comfort of Colt’s strong arms, exactly where he was meant to be.
“No matter how I tried, I’ve never stopped loving you. I missed you so much.” Jace lifted his face and leaned in, bringing his palms up to Colt’s face. “You’re really here.” A smile spread across his face, before he pressed their lips together.
The moment their lips met all the intense feelings Jace tried so desperately to push from his heart came crashing back. Jace deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue forward into the warmth and sweetness of Colt’s parted lips. Their tongues collided in a frenzied dance of heat and passion. He poured ten years of longing into the kiss and feasted on Colt’s mouth. Colt slid his hands up Jace’s back to cup his head, opening his mouth for more of the kiss. Jace melted against Colt and his cock swelled in his shorts.
“I need you so bad,” Jace whispered as he tore his mouth free. He ignored the spinning room, no doubt a lingering effect of the alcohol, and lost himself in the depth of emotion pouring through him. Both emotionally and physically, Jace needed Colt back in his life. For the first time in a long time, he felt complete wrapped in Colt’s arms. The extension of himself was back. He had his heart back in his arms. Jace leaned his head back, closing his eyes, letting Colt nibble hungrily along his jaw.
“I need you too, baby. I’ve missed you,” Colt said, untangling his fingers from Jace’s thick hair. Colt lifted his gaze to Jace’s face. Love and deep regret reflected in Colt’s eyes. The look melted more of Jace’s heart. As Colt spoke, he ran his fingertips down Jace’s neck to his shoulders.
“God, you smell so good, just like I remember. I was so afraid you wouldn’t want me, you wouldn’t forgive me, but I had to come here, at least try.” Colt’s fingers lightly traced the dips and curves of Jace’s broad chest, stopping to circle his hardened nipple with the tip of his finger. Jace did nothing to stop Colt’s exploration of his body. He loved seeing and feeling Colt’s hands touching him again. Colt hesitated, but finally reached out, teasing and rolling the tightening bud, before his strong fingers slid down the front of Jace’s body.
“I’ve only ever wanted you. You’re the only person I’ve ever made love to.” Colt bit his lip as he spoke the sweet words.
“You’re all I’ve ever wanted. No one could ever fill your shoes,” Jace whispered the words, sucking in his breath when Colt’s hand skimmed across his hardened cock. His other hand moved up to Jace’s face, his knuckles ran softly along his cheek, and then came to rest under his chin. Colt used his finger to tip his face up, making Jace look directly at him.
“I only let myself think about this moment one time on the way here. I told myself if you gave me another chance, I would take this slow and somehow prove to you that you’re the only one that ever mattered to me. I’m willing to spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me. I’ll work every single day to be the man you deserve, but let me make love to you tonight. Let me know what it’s like to feel you again. Please.” As Colt spoke, he gently massaged Jace’s cock and drew him in until their foreheads touched. Jace leaned forward and kissed Colt’s lips.
“I’m going to be really pissed off in the morning if this turns out to be a dream,” Jace said, his lips remaining against Colt’s. His hips rolled into Colt’s hand.
“Come on, let me end any doubt right here, right now.” Colt turned Jace in his arms and guided him to the master bedroom.
The overhead light was on and Colt flipped the switch off, allowing the moonlight to cast a perfect glow through the bedroom window as he urged Jace to the edge of the bed. The moment was perfect. Jace’s warmth pressed along his body, he loved the feeling and wanted so desperately to make tonight count. Too many years had passed since Colt tried to make something special for anyone. Actually nine years and ten months since he stood right in this same place letting the moon guide his path. This room, with this man, was the last time he’d cared about who he had sex with. He’d gone full circle and Jace had accepted him back. Colt sighed on a slow grin as relief hit him.
“You had me by the balls and didn’t make me beg,” Colt whispered, turning Jace around, keeping him in the circle of his arms.
“Should I have?” Concern filled Jace’s voice, doubt flashed across his face. Colt hated knowing he caused that doubt.
“I would have done anything to get you back,” Colt confessed, gathering Jace tighter in his arms. Colt slanted his mouth over Jace’s. He willingly opened to accept the deep, demanding kiss. On a swirl of tongue and teeth, Colt slowly and instinctively relaxed into Jace. Oh, yeah… so right!
The deep tender kiss built into an impassioned frenzy between them. Jace closed his eyes, and tilted his head into the kiss. His insistent tongue explored the far reaches of Colt’s mouth, and he eagerly returned the favor. How long had it been since he had kissed anyone with this much passion? He
knew the answer and delved deeper into Jace’s mouth.
A steady chant started in Colt’s mind. Slow, keep it slow. But his dick had other plans, and he ground himself against Jace, rubbing his cock against Jace’s bulge until he swore he would spontaneously combust. He couldn’t hold off another minute, Jace’s mouth and tongue were driving him over the edge. He ripped free of the kiss and lowered to Jace’s neck, flicking his tongue against his skin, tasting and teasing him.
“I haven’t had sex with anyone since I’ve been sober,” Colt whispered when his mouth reached Jace’s ear. “I’m gonna try to do this right, but you feel too good. I’m having trouble controlling myself and we’ve barely started.”
Jace leaned back and held Colt with a lust-filled gaze. A playful grin spread slowly across his handsome features. “It’s been a while for me too. I actually thought it was broken until just a few minutes ago.”
The words surprised Colt, but he went with them, tucking them away, hoping for an expanded explanation later. There were more important things to consider right now, like testing Jace’s broken dick theory. Colt reached down and loosened the drawstring of Jace’s swim trunks. He pushed the brightly colored shorts down his thighs until gravity took them to the floor. Jace’s perfectly cut cock sprang forward, and he moaned at the sight of the pre-come beading at the tip. Nope, Jace’s prick certainly looked to be in fine working order. His mouth watered as he took in all that hard flesh demanding his attention.
Shit, was this really happening? He couldn’t believe Jace was in his arms again and so readily allowing him a second chance. Ten years of their lives taken, stolen by his avaricious father. Colt pushed the anger down, none of that mattered now, because he had finally done what he should have done ten years ago—he stood up to his father and went after the man he loved.
Nice Guys Collection With Added Bonus Material Page 15
