by BA Tortuga
“Hey, I wouldn’t say no to that.” One hand covered his, Galen leading him right to the tab of the zipper on those jeans.
Hell, yes. He eased the zipper down, tongue sliding in to taste the hollow of Galen’s throat as he protected that heavy cock from those teeth.
“Better….” Len’s cock pushed out, slapping into his hand, making the best noise. Oh, Len was hard for him.
“Mmm-hmm.” He unbuttoned one button after another, heading down slow and easy.
“Shane….” Galen touched his shoulders, cupping the back of his neck. “More, darlin’.”
“Be patient.” He bit one hard little nipple, knowing full well he was asking for it later. Knowing? Shit, hoping he was asking for it.
“I can be patient. Can you?” That growl had him grinning. It didn’t sound patient at all.
“You know it.” He bit again, smoothing Galen’s jeans down off those amazing, lean hips. His thumbs stroked Len’s hip bones, and those muscles shifted, Galen starting to push toward him.
“See, not so patient.” He went down on his knees, lips wrapped around the very tip of Galen’s cock.
“No…. Not when you—fuck! Not when you do that.” Steady as a clock, Galen started thrusting, moving in a heavy, natural rhythm into his mouth. He didn’t tease, he just gave Galen what the man needed, what they both needed. He got his fingers around Galen’s balls, tugging a little. Going up on tiptoe, Len moved for him, almost like a dance. Like the sexiest hip-shaking dance ever.
He moaned, eyes wide open, watching every fucking movement.
“Darlin’. I… damn. Hot. Such a fucking hot mouth.” Yeah. Oh, he loved Galen’s voice when they were like this.
Shane nodded, head moving, throat working, trying to pull more and more pleasure out of that prick. He could feel Galen’s balls draw up, feel the fine tension in that big body. Yeah. One finger slid back, nail scraping that line of skin behind Galen’s sac.
“Fuck! Shane….” A low, raw groan was his only warning before Len was coming for him, filling him right up with heat.
His. Fuck, yeah. He took it all, his own hips fucking the air, humping a little as he jonesed on it.
Yanking him up when he’d taken the last lick, Galen shoved him down on the bed, tearing at his pants. He stretched out, fingers on his nipples, cock thrumming in his jeans. Fuck, yeah. Yeah. He did love him a road trip.
Galen got his jeans open, got them down his legs, dropped them on the floor. Then the man was on him, lips tight around his cock, sucking madly.
“Galen! Galen. Hot!” He wasn’t going to last, so he didn’t try. He just bucked and shot, eyes rolling in his head like dice.
Moaning, Galen licked him clean, stroking his belly and thighs, soothing him right down. Oh, that was the way to ease the stiffness from a day in the truck.
“Mmm. Yeah.” He reached down, hands missing Galen the first couple times.
Laughing, Galen crawled up to snuggle with him. “We could nap. Go sit in the hot tub.”
“’Kay.” He was easy.
Happy.
At one with the universe.
On fucking vacation.
Chapter Twenty-Six
GALEN FLOPPED on the bed not covered in suitcases, patting his belly and groaning a little. He and Shane had pigged out at this little diner, chowing down on fried chicken and greens, biscuits and butter, and the best cobbler ever.
Sometimes Galen loved Georgia. He really did. Shane sprawled out next to him, one brown arm rubbing against his.
“I been looking at the map, darlin’. It wouldn’t take much for us to swing on up through Chattanooga and see your folks.”
Shane shrugged a little, eyes on the bedspread. “I could show you the house, if you want. It’s in a decent part of town.”
“Yeah?” Galen knew Shane and his people didn’t talk, but he still wanted to see where the man had grown up. “Cool.”
Shane finished looking at the little hotel services book and rolled away, stood, popping his back and stretching. Reaching out with one hand, Galen poked Shane’s ass. “You okay?”
“Yep.” Shane snorted, glute going tight. “You want to go swim?”
“I do.” They hadn’t made it to the pool in the last hotel, both of them a little too hot for each other. Today Galen figured it would ease the aches.
“Cool.” Shane leaned down, kissed him nice and slow, eyes holding his and just staring.
“Mmm.” He reached up and put one hand behind Shane’s head, cupping the back of that warm neck, holding Shane there for more. The corners of Shane’s eyes crinkled up, the bright blue warming up for him.
“Pretty, darlin’.” Grinning against Shane’s mouth, he licked at that bottom lip, still a little swollen from the night before.
“Mmm. Just yours, huh? You taste good. Sweet.”
“Mine.” He probably tasted like peach cobbler. Tugging, Galen got Shane back down on the bed with him, wiggling until they were comfy. “We could make out until we can’t see. Then we could swim.”
“Hell, yeah. You know how long it’s been since we could do that together?” Shane grinned, legs twining with his. “So good, both of us having time.”
“I do know, babe.” He stroked and moved, searching for skin under the clothes.
God, that smile just came, more and more often, soothing shit in his heart that had gone all cracked and crusty. They rolled a little, both of them on their sides, loving on each other. Their eyelashes actually brushed together when they blinked, they were so close.
His Shane. They just breathed together, slow and easy. The heat of it surprised the hell out of him, the way he could see the gray streaks in Shane’s eyes, the way he could feel the beating of Shane’s heart against his chest. Every move of every muscle that shivered when Shane breathed translated into a kind of caress. Galen hummed happily, needing it so bad.
“You’re so fucking fine, Galen Frost.” Shane whispered the words into his lips, breath hitching a little.
“Yeah? Love you. That much I know.” His hand slipped down to cup Shane’s ass, nothing urgent, just a nice handful.
“Good.” They laughed together, and fuck, it felt good. Solid.
Squeezing that hard little body, Galen finally took another kiss, letting his tongue trace the line of Shane’s mouth, tasting sweet there too. Shane followed his tongue, chasing it for a second before easing away, pressing in to touch his teeth. All they could do was touch and rub, a slow slide of bodies and lips and hands that made him want to scream. But he was too fucking happy to make the effort.
Shane’s lips found his ear, teeth on his lobe, digging in, tugging a little.
“Oh, darlin’. That’s good.” God, he loved how Shane made him feel. Like a ten-foot-tall god.
Shane groaned, started whispering to him—soft, low filthy words that crawled down his spine, settled in his balls. His eyes tried to roll back in his head, his hips shifting forward and back, his moans almost constant now. Shane wasn’t so much taking control as he was taking Galen’s breath away, and damn, it worked.
“Forever, Galen. Going to do this forever.” Shane’s fingers slid down his belly under his T-shirt, tangling in his short hairs.
“Yes.” Galen arched a little, putting more room between them so Shane could touch him even more. He worked Shane’s chest with his hands, sliding that shirt off and going right for that buff chest. Hard, ripped, the muscles built from hours and hours of work, they fascinated his hands.
Those nipples did it for him too. Those were his rings, done for him on their first vacation, and the symmetry wasn’t lost on him. “We need to stop somewhere and get me a tattoo.”
“Mmm. Yeah. My mark on your skin.” Shane moaned low, tanned skin going a deep, rich rosy color.
“You know it.” That flush felt so good under his fingers, that much hotter than the rest of Shane’s skin.
“I want you.” Bright blue eyes stared at him, burning. “I don’t want this to stop, either, though
. You turn me inside out.”
“Whatever you want, darlin’.” They could stay like this until they fell asleep, have a nap, love some more when they got up. Or they could go fast and hard, go swim, and come back and bask. Galen didn’t care.
“I want….” The next kiss burned him down to the ground, lit him on fire. “I want everything.”
Galen rolled, putting Shane under him so he could press down, get his hips moving. “You can have it, darlin’. I promise.”
“Galen.” That settled it, both of them starting to shift and move, rubbing good and hard.
“Yeah, darlin’.” Leaning down, he took a kiss that curled his toes. Hell, it brought everything into sharp focus—the feel of Shane’s lips, the way their chests rubbed together, the ache in his cock.
Those rings slid and flipped, up and down, moving against his skin with every rub. He could fucking feel it in each throb of Shane’s cock. Goddamn. Yeah. Spreading Shane’s legs, he rubbed harder, getting them good and lined up.
“Fuck, that’s….” Their mouths slammed together, someone’s lip splitting, the copper tang of blood sudden and sharp. His eyes went wide, his hands clenched on Shane’s skin, and Galen started moving faster. More. Now. His hips were out of control, slamming down. He could fucking feel the bruises blooming under his fingers, Shane gone hot as a brand beneath him.
Shaking, grunting, he willed Shane to be right there with him, willed the man to just give it up. He needed to come so bad that he was losing his rhythm. Heat splashed on his cock, his belly, pouring between them. Hell, yes. Just like that. Grunting, Galen came hard, his whole body working and pushing and moving like crazy. “Fucking A, darlin’.”
“Uh-huh.” Shane nodded, blinking slow, staring at him in that dazed, sated, melty way.
That was Shane’s best look. Ever. “Still want to swim?”
“Uh-huh. Could soak.” Shane’s eyes closed, hand wrapping around his hip.
His own hands were braced next to Shane’s head, clenched in the sheets. Damn. Moving. Right. His bicep was kissed, his elbow, his wrist. Shane was melting into the mattress.
“Moving is overrated.” Grinning, he kissed Shane’s chin. “Love.”
“Mmm-hmm. You know it.” Shane pulled him down, settled him. “Nap. Then hot tub.”
“Sounds good, darlin’.” He took one more kiss before settling down against Shane, chin on that sweet shoulder.
Shane’s sigh was pure happy. Pure-D happy.
And all his.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
THEY PULLED into a long tree-lined road, the houses familiar but still different. The Johnson’s place was blue now, where it had been white. The neat old brick mailbox in front of Chrissy Lynde’s place was gone.
His folks’ house, though, it looked the same.
Big and white, the front yard all groomed and shit. The roses beside the door were red, dark red, and they smelled like heaven in the late summer when the wind blew and….
Shane swallowed, pointed to the little park right across from the house. “You can park there, and I’ll point out landmarks.”
“Sure.” Len gave him kind of a weird glance, but pulled into the park and looked around, smiling. “It’s nice.”
“Yeah. I used to come here every day after school. There used to be a couple picnic tables and a swing.” Now there were benches and shit.
“No swings now, huh?” Reaching over, Len patted his knee, stroked a little.
“No. No, they’re gone.” He found a smile. “You want to take a walk?”
“Sure, darlin’. You can tell stories on your childhood self.” They hopped out of the truck, and Galen came around to put a hand on his back.
“My best friend, Chrissy, lived in that house. She had a twin brother who died when we were twelve. It was weird. She’s an actress now, on one of those soap operas. The kids that lived in the green house were bullies, but their mom made cookies every Tuesday.” It had been worth it, for those cookies.
“Oh. Cookies. Momma made the best Snickerdoodles. Did you ever get those?” Len had the best momma, and expected everyone to have that too.
“She made peanut butter and then sugar. She was funny—this little lady with all this hair and tie-dyed T-shirts.”
“So which house was yours?”
“That one right across the street—609. That window upstairs on the left was mine.” His brother’s on the other side.
“Yeah? It’s got nice roses. We gonna go say hi?” Tilting his head, Galen laughed a little. “Or I can stay here if they’d disapprove.”
“Oh, I don’t—” His breath caught as the front door opened, his mom heading down the steps, mail in her hand. She looked good, older than he remembered, but real good—perfect and coiffed and still skinny and not smiling and….
“Mom.” He stopped and stared, one hand lifted to wave at her, when her eyes met his. She looked at him, one eyebrow lifting, and then she turned tail and headed back toward the door.
Right.
Okay.
“So, you ready to go, Galen?”
Galen stared, not at him, but at the door that had just closed with a snap. “What the fuck? Shane?”
“What? That was Linda. My mom. She looks good. Let’s go, huh? Get some food on the way out of town?” What was there to say? There wasn’t room in that house for a loser; there never had been.
“Shane, honey. Most people’s moms don’t just stare them down when they come to visit.” Poor Len. He looked all pissy.
“Most people’s moms don’t have me for a son.” Christ, he could use a drink. “There still beer in the cooler?”
“Sure. We’ll get on the road, and you can have one.” That look said they weren’t done talking on it, though. Bless him, Len could be stubborn.
“Cool.” He slid into the passenger seat, pulled his cap brim down. Looked straight ahead. Straight ahead.
Twelve years.
Twelve years and she still….
Shit.
Len got them out of the neighborhood, back down the way, heading toward the highway. “You want some Krystal’s?”
“Ooh. Little burgers. I’m there.” The farther they drove, the easier it got.
“Good. You’ve made an addict out of me.” They’d stopped in Georgia for Krystal’s, and Galen had approved of those little burgers wholeheartedly. It was cute.
“Yep. Where else can you eat a dozen burgers and not have guilt?”
“There you go.” They forgot all about the beer, pulling into the little white-and-red fast-food place and settling in for a binge. Little burgers, pickles, fries, and a Coke the size of a small country—Shane fucking approved.
They got all through, nothing left but the napkins and the groaning, before Galen brought it up again. “Shane, what’s with your mom?”
“When I went to the Keys, I called her and told her I wanted to stay. She didn’t like it.” He shrugged. “I told you my brother’s a doctor, huh? Pretty wife. Kids. Money. They’ve got a son that’s everything they want. They don’t need the loser son.”
“Loser….” Those dark eyes stared right into his, the brim of Galen’s gimme cap making them look shadowy and serious. “Honey, you’re not a loser.”
“Sure I am. I’m a queer bartender that’s heading toward midthirties. It’s okay, Galen. I am what I am.” He couldn’t be more. He was just lucky he’d fallen for someone who was more, was amazing. Christ, that was a depressing line of thought. “So where do you want to find a hotel?”
“Somewhere not here. I can drive a couple more hours.” Galen nudged his foot under the table. “You may not be a doctor, Shane, but you’re you. That should be enough for anyone.”
“It should, but it’s not. Every so often I call or write, just to see if they’ve changed their minds, but they haven’t. After twelve years, I guess they won’t. It’s not a big deal anymore.”
“No, huh?” That look was too damned shrewd. “Well, it shouldn’t be if it is. You’re a b
ig boy, darlin’. You’ve got a life.”
“Yep.” He’d done okay. He wasn’t starving. He wasn’t dead. He had a dog and a lover and a gator. Hell, he even had a new truck to replace the Jeep.
“So don’t let her get to you. You need a momma, you got mine. She loves you fierce.”
Galen’s momma was a hoot, for sure. A pretty good judge of character too, when he thought on it.
He nodded, sort of unsure what Galen wanted. He didn’t think about home often. Just every now and then.
“So, where do you want to stay tonight, darlin’?” Len gave him a grin, all eye line crinkles and laugh lines around the night.
“We’ll find something. I can drive a bit.” He finished his Coke, stood. “Come on, you. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”
“You got it.” They got in the truck before Len touched him again, hand sliding up his arm to grasp his shoulder. “Okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it’d be nice, to think I meant something, but I know it can’t happen, so…. Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, honey.” Squeezing, Len took a quick look around before leaning to kiss the corner of his mouth. “We need to find a place with a pool and actually swim.”
“We can do that.” He chuckled, nodded. “We can so do that.”
That sounded way cooler than stressing over his old neighborhood.
GALEN WATCHED Shane sleep, leaning against the door of the truck and snoring a little. Bless his heart. They’d just kept driving a bit, heading west out of Tennessee, getting away from Shane’s bad memories.
It sucked, but in a way, Galen understood better now. Much better. Shane’s whole “I’m not worthy” thing made a lot more sense.
They hit the outskirts of Memphis, the lights of the city making it look almost pretty, which was a feat as far as Galen was concerned. He wasn’t fond. But there might be something he could do in Memphis that he couldn’t do farther out west.
“Shane,” he said, poking the nearest arm. “Wake up and call information.”
“Huh?” Those blue eyes stared over at him.
“I need you to call information on your cell, darlin’. We need a tattoo parlor.”
