Once Spencer regained his composure, he straightened his body somewhat. Using the bottom of his T-shirt, he wiped away the few tears that had leaked from his eye. Determined to find out what was going on, he turned the walker to the left and pushed his way to end of the deck. In place of a railing, there were wooden benches lining the perimeter.
From his position on the raised deck, Spencer’s gaze found Ruger, clad only in a pair of loose-fitting jeans. The moon’s light changed tan skin to alabaster. The blue and green tattoo gracing his shoulder and arm were turned into startling ebony. Muscles bulged and rippled under powerful movements as the sharp metal of the ax head slammed through the wood.
“Ruger,” Spencer called.
The ax fell to the ground, missing Ruger’s bare feet by inches. The sweat-drenched man spun around. The savage inner fire glowing in Ruger’s eyes had Spencer stumbling backward.
Three steps brought Ruger to the deck. He leaped up, grabbed the back of one bench, and used it to propel his body over until he landed crouched in front of Spencer.
Spencer’s voice trembled when he asked, “Ruger, what’s going on?”
Ruger grabbed the walker in one hand and lifted Spencer against his damp body with the other. Brisk, no-nonsense movements had Spencer and the walker back in the living room.
“Stay inside,” Ruger ordered.
By the time Spencer had regained his bearings, the patio door had snapped shut, and he was watching Ruger’s retreating figure run into the woods.
Three hours later found Spencer sitting on the dark brown leather sofa staring at the golden rays of dawn’s early light making their way through the wall of windows.
From the back of the house, a door creaked open. Bare-footed footsteps of a man staggering, slapped against the wooden floor until a dull-eyed Ruger stood trembling in front of him. The scents of sweat and Old Spice reached Spencer’s nose.
Their eyes met, and for once, Spencer couldn’t read what was behind the frozen mask Ruger presented to the world. He saw only deep lines of strain fanning out from dark eyes void of life and a face so pale it had a grayish cast to it.
Without a word, Ruger scooped Spencer up into his arms and carried him out of the room. In the bedroom, Spencer’s back had barely touched the mattress before Ruger was removing his own jeans and Spencer’s sleep pants and T-shirt.
The bed shook when Ruger flopped face-first onto the bed and slung his heavily muscled arm across Spencer’s chest. Deep, even breathing told Spencer that Ruger was out for the count. It was clear to Spencer that inner demons were haunting Ruger. Spencer suspected the former soldier was experiencing PTSD. Spencer’s last thought before the long stress-filled night caught up with him was that he hoped Ruger would talk to him so they could battle it together.
* * * *
Ruger rolled onto his back and laid his arm over his throbbing eyes. Hatred couldn’t begin to describe how much he detested succumbing to the nightmares of echoing screams, rivers of blood, and mangled bodies.
This is why he hesitated in accepting a position with Rescue for Hire. Victims had a certain aura. They smelled of desperation and panic. Ruger didn’t know if he could handle it. At times, only a thin string held his control together. If something threw Ruger into his inner nightmare of hell and someone was hurt as a result, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
Ruger knew they would deny it to their dying day, but he always associated soldiers with victims. In their determination to perform their job to defeat the enemy, they, too, smelled of panic and desperation. They were caught in a struggle to fight for good over evil, save the targets of despicable human monsters, and represent the heroes of mankind’s imagination.
As a result, many became broken in mind and body. Every soldier had at least one memory that haunted them. No one escaped. Something as simple as a smell or sound, maybe even the curve of an arm, could trip the nightmare, sending the person into an inner tailspin.
Ruger’s vigilance at Spencer’s side in the hospital had kept his demons at bay. Last night they’d come out with a vengeance. By the time Spencer interrupted his frenzied woodcutting, he had worked most of the shit out of his system. His run had extradited the rest, at least for now.
A soft sigh caught Ruger’s attention. A warm, handsome Spencer Ryland lay next to him. Ruger didn’t deserve this man in his life. But that didn’t mean Ruger was ever letting him go. Over the last couple of weeks, Ruger’s memories of the boy that Spencer had been had turned into the wonderful dream that Spencer was now.
Ruger smelled like dried sweat, his hands hurt from overusing the ax, and he had no doubt the sheets had blood on them from his abused bare feet. Those irritations were pushed aside by what his soul needed.
Reaching over, Ruger pulled out the top drawer of the nightstand and found a strip of condoms and bottle of lube. Setting them near the corner of the mattress, he pushed down the covers and let his gaze slide over Spencer’s slim, delectable body. Over the last few days, Spencer had been pushing for more intimacy. Now he was going to get it, big time.
Ruger leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed a couple of pillows from the pile on the floor. At times since they’d been home he’d used them to help Spencer sleep more comfortably. Now he was going to use them so Spencer could do something else easier.
Ignoring the wide green eye watching him, Ruger gently took off Spencer’s sleep shirt and pants.
Spreading Spencer’s legs, he put a pillow under each thigh. Another pillow went under his back, and two more lifted Spencer’s sweet ass at just the right height. Ruger couldn’t help running his fingers over Spencer’s exposed crack and finding the pretty, little, wrinkled hole.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Spencer asked.
Ruger looked up. “Exploring,” he answered.
“Tired of running in the woods and thought you’d try something else?” The eyebrow over Spencer’s green eye rose.
Deciding to switch tactics, Ruger crawled up and settled next to Spencer. Sliding his hand into pretty man’s curly mop of blond hair, Ruger said, “Kiss me.”
“Don’t you think we should talk about last night?” Spencer asked.
Ruger met Spencer’s probing gaze. “Later, now kiss me.”
Spencer searched his face. Ruger wasn’t sure what he saw, but he didn’t hesitate to claim the lips Spencer tipped up to him.
Ruger’s tongue searched out every recess of Spencer’s mouth before shifting to his neck and placing wet open-mouthed kisses on it. Spencer shivered, and goose bumps welled up along his skin. Going back to Spencer’s mouth, he conquered it with lips, tongue, and teeth. Blood filled his cock until it pressed against the soft skin of Spencer’s hip. Pinching Spencer’s nipple gained Ruger a sweet cry and the restless shifting of slim hips.
“Don’t move,” Ruger ordered.
A wide-eyed and panting Spencer nodded in agreement. Ruger decided arousal was his favorite look on the lovely man.
Leaning down, Ruger took a flat, tan nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. Hands tangled in his hair.
“Ruger,” Spencer whispered.
Ruger lifted his head. “What do you need?”
“You. I feel like I’ve waited for you forever,” Spencer answered.
He couldn’t resist and kissed Spencer again.
A firm hand encircled Ruger’s cock and began stroking it, giving the head a little twist with each pass. Tongues tangled, and Ruger reached for the lube.
Spencer moved his legs farther apart and bent one knee until his foot rested on the pillow. Their lips parted, and Ruger licked at Spencer’s swollen, shiny lips. The hand on his cock moved to his balls.
Ruger kissed a path down Spencer’s neck until he reached the neglected nipple. He nipped and licked it until Spencer was squirming and murmuring, “Please.”
Continuing his exploration, he placed sucking kisses lower, making sure to avoid the light dressings circling Spencer’s middle. Next week the stitches wo
uld be removed, and hopefully they would see the last of the bandages.
Spencer’s slim, hard dick bobbed, beckoning Ruger to give it attention. Breathing in deeply, Ruger enjoyed the earthy scent of Spencer’s arousal. He licked the weeping head letting the bittersweet pre-cum coat his tongue before sucking Spencer’s dick in all the way to the root. A sweet cry of his name and a hand tightening on his cock was Ruger’s reward. Tingles at the base of Ruger’s spine told him he needed to move this show forward. He wanted to come inside Spencer’s sweet ass, not in his hand.
Ruger grabbed the lube and squeezed some onto his fingers before sucking the spongy head of Spencer’s dick back into his mouth. His slick fingers coated the tight, wrinkled skin of Spencer’s asshole. Ruger kept firm pressure on Spencer’s guarding muscles while rubbing them until they relaxed, and he could slip his finger inside to the first knuckle. Soon he added another finger. Ruger continued to suck and lick Spencer’s tasty dick while opening his hole. He made sure to keep things slow and easy, so Spencer stayed relaxed and enjoyed the moment. Today was about connecting intimately and not tiring or hurting Spencer. Another time he would work Spencer up into a frenzy of desire before pounding him into the mattress.
Three fingers slide in that velvety, slick hole.
“Ruger,” Spencer whispered. Spencer stiffened, and muscles clamped tight around Ruger’s fingers. “I need you, please.”
Letting Spencer’s wet dick slide out of his mouth, Ruger said, “You’re going to have to relax and let me in, baby.”
Ruger found Spencer so beautiful. His head was thrown back, a halo of blond curls dancing to his restless movements. The pillows raised his body up, giving Ruger a lewd display of spread legs, a weeping, shiny dick, and tight balls.
Ruger’s three fingers buried in Spencer’s ass added to the erotic picture that would forever be stamped in Ruger’s mind. He planned on pulling it out the next time the nightmares started chasing him.
“Let go, baby,” Ruger ordered.
Spencer’s hole relaxed, and Ruger made short work of gloving up and adding more lube to slick the way. He pressed his dick to that pretty, wrinkled flesh and asked, “Are you ready for me?”
A passion-filled green eye gazed at him. “I’ve been ready for ten years.”
Ruger struggled to leash the beast Spencer’s words sparked into action. “I want to do so many things to you.”
“Love me this time. When I’m healed, we can do anything you want,” Spencer responded.
The word love had Ruger pausing. By the look of Spencer’s steady gaze, he could see the man was serious. The wall protecting Ruger’s heart from the world cracked. A tiny stream of warmth seeped in.
Holding the base of his cock, Ruger pressed through the muscle guarding Spencer’s entrance. He took his time inching into Spencer. He would not give Spencer any more pain.
Ruger hooked his elbow under Spencer’s leg and lifted it, easing the pressure on his belly and slid in all the way.
“You feel so good, Ruger. Don’t stop.” Spencer reached a hand out to him.
Ruger took Spencer’s hand, lacing their fingers together before leaning over on his elbow. He captured Spencer’s lips as he started thrusting into Spencer’s heat.
The anxiety, anger, and the need to escape that had haunted him the night before were blanketed by the warmth, security, and love of Spencer’s body. Ruger had finally found what he needed. He’d found his home.
Breaking the kiss, Ruger looked into Spencer’s eye as he kept a steady pace into his body. Spencer reached up and placed a gentle hand on the side of Ruger’s neck and smiled, understanding highlighting his face.
Ruger’s thrusts sharpened. His body took over, demanding his release. Ruger changed angles and nailed Spencer’s sweet spot. Against his belly, Spencer’s dick gave him a wet kiss of pre-cum when Spencer groaned. Pressure built in Ruger’s balls.
Spencer reached down and grabbed his dick. A few jerky strokes and cum painted his belly.
Muscles clamped down on Ruger’s cock. His balls let loose a force of cum that had Ruger’s entire body stiffening. The pleasure of release was almost painful in its intensity. Jets of cum spurted into the condom as Ruger continued to plunge into Spencer’s receptive body.
Ruger slowed his movements, letting their passion ease. Looking down, he took in the sweat-damp tangles of hair plastered to the sides of Spencer’s face. Thick eyelashes fanned against his cheeks. Plump pink lips beckoned Ruger to taste.
Unable to resist, Ruger licked across the soft skin. He would never get enough of Spencer’s flavor. Each spot on his body tasted a little different, and Ruger made a vow to savor all of them often.
Spencer’s eye popped open. “We need to talk.”
Chapter Nine
Spencer relaxed back against the cushions of the patio lounge chair, letting the rhythm of the wood splitter lull him into a state of semi-sleep. Glancing up, he admired the beauty of the sun flickering through the golden leaves of the white birch tree he was lying under. Fall was still officially over a month away, but the leaves were already turning.
The sight of a shirtless Ruger lifting a piece of cut-up log and setting it on the beam of the splitter tempted Spencer to ask the sexy man to take him back into the house and get naked. Something about the ram of the splitter pushing the wood against the sharp wedge until it exploded in half, mixed in with Ruger’s muscles, set Spencer’s libido into overdrive. The odds of Ruger cooperating were fifty-fifty at this point. The big guy had been in a protective and nurturing mode since their epic lovemaking session.
After the adrenaline had subsided, Spencer felt drained. Ruger took one look at his face and whisked him into the shower. Spencer spent the rest of the day in bed, mostly sleeping. This morning he’d awoken to a body that hurt a whole lot less than it had in a long time and a spirit that was happy and ready to face the day. Spencer mentally lined up ten things he wanted to do. Ruger had other ideas.
Currently, a battle of wills was going on. Spencer wanted to discuss Ruger’s behavior of the other night, and Ruger didn’t. The sneaky man used brute strength to keep Spencer close and refused to let him overtax his body. Spencer’s feet had yet to touch the floor, and his every need was taken care of, except for talking. Ruger tended to become real busy every time Spencer tried to talk about Ruger’s freak-out.
Spencer blinked. The silence was startling after Ruger flipped a switch and the motor of the splitter shut down. Ruger picked up a rag from the open tailgate of the truck and wiped his hands. Spencer’s gaze soaked in Ruger’s wavy black hair, messy from the breeze and hard work. His short, thick beard surrounded lips that made Spencer lose track of time, and his alert dark eyes rarely missed anything.
“It’s almost lunchtime. What would you like to have?” Ruger asked.
“Something at a restaurant in town,” Spencer answered. The thought of getting out sounded good, not to mention eating something that wasn’t boiled eggs, fried eggs, boiled hotdogs, or spaghetti from a can.
Ruger frowned. Before he could nix the idea, Spencer jumped in. “The hotel is less than ten minutes from here. Old Betsy and I can make it.”
Ruger’s bisected eyebrow rose. “Betsy?”
“I named the walker Betsy,” Spencer said. He boldly met Ruger’s eyes, daring him to make any comment about it.
The smart man turned back to his truck and shut the tailgate. Spencer knew a delaying tactic when he saw one. Crossing his arms over his chest, Spencer waited Ruger out.
Ruger glanced over at Spencer. His chest rose, and Spencer heard him sigh. “We’ll eat and come back home. That’s it.”
Spencer grinned. Happiness flowed through him, making his soul smile. He was so ready to interact with people again. “Okay, let’s go.”
Lifting him into his arms, Ruger laughed. “Maybe you should wear something other than sleep pants and a blanket,” he teased.
“I’m wearing a T-shirt.” Spencer stuck his lower lip out just to see
what Ruger would do.
Ruger stopped walking. He captured Spencer’s pouting lip between his teeth before sucking on it. Ripples of need went straight to Spencer’s dick. He closed his eye and wrapped his arms around Ruger’s wide, bare shoulders. A whiff of Old Spice and sweat reached Spencer, and the small hairs at the nape of his neck stood up. As usual he was swept away into the abbess of desire when Ruger released his lip and began to devour his mouth.
The kiss ended too soon for Spencer, and he wanted more. Ready to dive back in for another round, Spencer was stopped by Ruger’s growling stomach. Any thoughts of getting up close and personal with Ruger’s cock slid away. Food now was the priority.
Sliding the tip of his finger down Ruger’s nose, he said, “Let’s get cleaned up and head out. You need to keep up your strength up so you can handle it when I ravish your delectable body.” He couldn’t keep a smile from breaking through.
“Ravish and delectable, huh?” The side of Ruger’s mouth lifted in a small smile.
“Are you making fun of me, Mr. Black?” Spencer asked. For a moment, he wondered if he’d gone too far with his teasing and Ruger thought he was a dork.
Ruger dropped a quick kiss on his mouth before he answered, “I will never make fun of you.”
The serious look in Ruger’s black eyes took Spencer’s breath away. He now knew without a doubt that this man had his back and would never waver. At that moment, Spencer fell in love.
A half-hour later, Ruger was pulling the truck into a parking spot near the front door of the Granite City Hotel. After Ruger had lifted Spencer and Old Betsy out of the truck and placed them on the sidewalk, Spencer made his way up to the door. He was walking more upright every day and was proud of the way he was recovering.
The first indication that things weren’t going to go well was when he misjudged the opening of the doorway. Spencer was so happy to be out and about that he wasn’t prepared for the leg of the walker hooking the side of the hotel’s front door that Ruger was holding open. The mini-crash lurched the walker sideways and jarred his insides around. That slicing pain he hadn’t felt in the last few days made its presence known, and his body jerked stiffly, threatening to unbalance. Ruger managed to keep the door open with his foot while sliding an arm around Spencer, preventing him from falling and grabbing the walker with his free hand.
Spencer's Reluctant Rescuer [Rescue for Hire 9] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 7
