Squared Away

by Annabeth Albert

  “This okay?” Isaiah kissed right at the base of his neck. “Bending in half wasn’t working.”

  “So okay.” Mark loved the warm weight of Isaiah pressed against his back, bare skin to bare skin. Isaiah’s waistband rubbed against Mark’s lower back as he peppered Mark’s shoulders with kisses. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt Isaiah hard, but it was the first that it was a serious turn-on.

  “I want to kiss you,” he panted. If this was good, kissing would be even nicer, would mean more earthy sounds from Isaiah, more skin-to-skin contact.

  “Absolutely.” Scooting next to Mark, Isaiah dropped kisses along his jaw. As always, he paused, letting Mark be the one to start the kiss. Mark claimed his mouth with new urgency, loving how Isaiah groaned. The position was awkward though, and he couldn’t get as much contact as he wanted. Gently, he tumbled Isaiah back against the floor cushions, landing on top of him.

  “Sorry. I just want—”

  “Don’t be sorry.” Isaiah reached up to cradle Mark’s face in his hands. “Whatever you want. Anything.”

  Well that felt kind of like a dare, one Mark was only too happy to accept. He ventured away from Isaiah’s mouth, kissing across his bristly jaw to right below his ear. “You like neck kisses too?”

  “Fuck. Yes.” Isaiah stretched, giving Mark access. And oh, this was fun, licking and sucking, finding which spots made Isaiah groan and gasp, testing whether teeth were okay, discovering Isaiah’s taste and smell in new ways.

  “Yeah. Like that.” Isaiah was rocking against Mark, subtle motions that made their groins connect. And that felt right too, pressing their erections together, moving with him.

  “I want to make you come,” he whispered, right next to Isaiah’s ear. “Is this how?”

  “Kiss me some more.” Isaiah moved so his legs fell open more, letting him wrap one around Mark. It was a whole new level of close, mouth to mouth, chest to chest, Isaiah’s cock pushing insistently at Mark’s stomach.

  Eager to get more of those happy noises from Isaiah, Mark renewed the kiss, going for all the things he knew Isaiah liked—the lip sucking and little bites and deep strokes. Isaiah didn’t disappoint, groaning and panting. Their bodies moved together, him following Isaiah’s lead, finding a rhythm that matched the kiss. It felt so good to thrust against him. Pressure gathered at the base of his spine, his own breath quickening.

  “You’re going to get me off. God, it’s so good.” Isaiah groaned as Mark went back to that spot under his ear.

  “Yes.” Triumph surged through Mark, powerful adrenaline he usually associated with being out in the field.

  “You want that? Me to come?” Isaiah’s head was thrown back, eyes squished shut, kiss-swollen lips parted. Mark had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life.

  “Yes.” Some new instinct was driving Mark’s body, thrusts speeding up. His cock throbbed like when he jerked off, but better. The closeness he felt with Isaiah made the sensations magnified, made him feel warmer. Safer. Like this was all good and right and exactly where he was supposed to be right then. “I think...” His voice broke.

  “Yeah? You too?” Isaiah reclaimed his mouth before Mark could answer, freeing him to lose himself in the kiss. His hands were warm and urgent on Mark’s back, pulling him closer. His cock was riding the crease of Isaiah’s thigh, fabric dragging. Skin. He wanted skin.

  “Want to feel you.” He shoved at Isaiah’s pajama bottoms.

  “Me too.” Isaiah took over, scooting out of his pants while Mark did the same. And then they were back kissing, bare skin warm and welcoming and a thousand times better than the flannel.

  “Do whatever you need,” Isaiah whispered against his mouth. “I want you to get there too. Go hard or slow, whatever feels good.”

  “This. This feels good.” Mark kissed him again. And it did, moving together, kissing like the world might end and they needed to squeeze in as many kisses as possible, hungry and desperate. Isaiah was groaning in that way that drove Mark nuts. His sounds were every bit as good as the kiss.

  “I’m gonna...” Isaiah’s voice was half warning, half promise.

  “Oh please.” Mark loved knowing he was doing this to Isaiah, making him come apart, giving him this pleasure. He thrust harder, body speeding up for him. Isaiah’s body surged, meeting each of Mark’s movements.

  Whimpering, Isaiah pulled away from the kiss. “Fuck. Fuck. Too good. Now...”

  Mark watched Isaiah’s face the way he might a once-in-a-lifetime sunset. It was gorgeous, the way each muscle tensed, how his mouth fell open on a gasp, eyes shutting hard, almost a grimace. Warmth splashed against his stomach. Something about the added slickness made Mark’s body move faster, pressure gathering in his balls.

  “That’s it. Yes. You too.” Isaiah was still shuddering under Mark, breath coming in big gulps. Letting his body take over, Mark buried his face in Isaiah’s neck, muffling his groan. When the climax finally hit, it was almost a surprise, the way his whole body shook, pleasure starting low in his stomach, spreading out to all his limbs, even his face.

  “Oh my God.” He sagged against Isaiah, laughing because that seemed to be all he was capable of. “I came.”

  “I noticed.” Isaiah pressed a kiss to the side of his face.

  “And you came. Wow.” He rolled off Isaiah before he could squash him. As soon as the cool air hit his skin though, doubts crept in. “And that was good, right?”

  “Any more good and you’d be needing your CPR skills.” Reaching out, Isaiah snagged his hand, dragging it to his chest, where Mark could feel his hammering heart. “Was that... Is it the first time you’ve come?”

  “No. First time with another person though.” Mark could feel his skin heating. “I jerk off. Not often, but I do. Did last night, actually. Thinking about...” He trailed off not sure how much information Isaiah really needed.

  “About me? About kissing?” Isaiah’s eyes went wide. “If I say I did the same thing, is that okay?”

  “Yeah.” Mark liked knowing Isaiah thought about him when he got off. He probably did it a lot more often than Mark, and that was okay. It made Mark feel closer to him somehow, knowing he was even incrementally related to his pleasure.

  “Sometime, if you felt comfortable, we could maybe do that together.”

  “Jerk off together?” He’d never really given much thought to doing that with someone else, but now that Isaiah raised the possibility, it had certain appeal. Especially if they were kissing, sharing that closeness.

  “Only if it’s something you felt like trying. I’m not pushing for more. What we just did was spectacular. Probably one of the best orgasms I’ve ever had.”

  “Really?” Mark grinned at him. He was enough of a perfectionist that he had to add, “We’ll just have to try harder. Make sure it’s the best.”

  “You’re on.” Isaiah pulled him in for a kiss. This one was soft, leisurely, and somehow more intimate, given everything they’d shared. On the TV, the long-forgotten movie was wrapping up, the guys in a wedding scene. Hating the way his chest pinched, Mark had to look away, focus on the kiss. And there was both promise and risk in that kiss—the promise of more of everything Mark was coming to crave and the risk of opening himself up like this. Putting his heart on the line was scarier than any mission he’d undertaken, and he simply wasn’t sure whether he had that sort of courage in him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You should dance.” Daphne said with all the finality of a presidential decree.

  “Like this?” Isaiah launched into the cupid shuffle while serving up the pancakes. It was Mark’s first day back on base, and he’d wanted him to have something more than his usual smoothie. It was bound to be hard, getting back to work, finding the new normal. Isaiah was having enough trouble with that himself. He couldn’t imagine adding SEAL stuff into the mix.

  “No. Lik
e this.” She pointed to the Cinderella video on the tablet. Cinderella was dancing with her uniformed prince. “With Uncle Mark.”

  “I’m having too much fun watching this. Nice moves, Uncle Ikey.” Mark came into the kitchen in his uniform. He did have a bit of a princely quality to him. Isaiah had a thing for uniforms, and Mark could seriously star in a recruitment video. He tried not to be too obvious with the ogling though.

  “Dance!” Daphne commanded again, and Zoe joined the chant.

  “Oh fine.” Mark grabbed Isaiah’s hand, guiding him into a waltz. And all of a sudden Isaiah was back at Cal and Danielle’s wedding, staring into his eyes for the first time. Mark spun him in front of the fridge and the girls applauded. Then, clearly going for bonus points from the audience, Mark dipped him.

  “There. Dance,” Mark said as he released Isaiah after helping him back upright, acting like he hadn’t just rearranged Isaiah’s heart. The guy was a serious romantic—the bath stuff, the massages, bringing Isaiah his favorite rocky road ice cream, sitting through Isaiah’s movie picks. And now dancing in the kitchen.

  “Pancakes.” Isaiah handed him a plate, loving how Mark smiled at the offering. He’d be the best boyfriend Isaiah had ever had if Isaiah could tell anyone about him. Or if he saw himself that way, which Isaiah wasn’t sure he did. Sure they hung out almost every night after the kids went to bed, but that might just be a proximity thing. Isaiah was worried things were about to change with Mark going back to work, being around his friends again.

  “I better head out soon.” Mark put his plate away after he finished seconds, giving Isaiah a meaningful look.

  Oh yeah. Best part of the morning. They usually snuck in a quick goodbye kiss before one of them left on errands or the school run or whatever. The girls were occupied with the tablet and Liam was happy in the high chair, so he ducked into the foyer, pulling Mark with him.

  “I might be late.” Mark tugged him close.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got a date with a zombie movie.” Isaiah grinned up at him, waiting for his kiss.

  “Maybe we could—”

  Knock. Knock. Crap. Dylan and the girls were early for their playdate. There was no school that day, so Isaiah had invited them over along with his new friend Lydia and her kids. But now he wasn’t going to get a kiss. Or find out what Mark might have been about to propose because Mark was already opening the door to let the guests in.

  He made his greetings, then turned to Isaiah. “Better head out. I’ll text you an ETA if I have one.”

  “Sure.” Isaiah shifted his attention to pouring the last of the coffee for Dylan and getting the kids set playing outside. Lydia and her kids weren’t there yet, but the kids had too much energy for indoors.

  “So what’s up with Uncle Hottie?” Dylan settled into one of the patio chairs. “You guys working things out?”

  “Aren’t you married?” Isaiah griped.

  “Married, but my vision still works great. And Wizard’s hotter than half the Instagram profiles I follow. He could be on a book cover or something. And I know you. You’ve probably got a Mount Shasta sized crush already.”

  “I do not.” What he felt for Mark went far deeper than crush. He’d had hundreds of crushes over the years—fast, fleeting ones, deeper ones that he nursed for months, ones that led nowhere and ones that fizzled out when reciprocated. He was the crown prince of crushes. And Mark wasn’t a crush—he was more like the embodiment of all Isaiah’s most secret wishes, everything he’d wanted for years. And slowly, day by day Mark was stealing more of Isaiah’s heart than any crush had ever managed to.

  “Liar.” Dylan laughed. “But what’s cute—seriously—is that he seems to have one back. He couldn’t seem to quit staring at you. Looked bummed that I’d cut into his time with you.”

  “He just wanted to get to work.” Isaiah looked away. With any other guy, he’d be telling Dylan everything, but this was too new, too precious to share.

  “Is Wizard gay or bi? I’ve never seen him with a date. Always assumed he was straight.”

  “You’d have to ask him.” Isaiah leveled a glare at his friend. He was not telling Dylan that Mark was ace. That was Mark’s business, Mark’s journey, and Isaiah wasn’t about to out him.

  But something must have showed on his face though, because Dylan groaned. “Oh, Ike, tell me you’re not trying to flip him. You know that never works.”

  “I’m not trying to flip anyone.” And yeah, Isaiah had had his share of crushes on straight guys before. Pointless things. But this wasn’t like that. Mark felt something back. He was sure of it.

  Dylan wasn’t deterred though, continuing to barrel on. “I’ve had deeply closeted boyfriends before—it never works out. Ever. Even if he seems to be digging on you, you should steer clear. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  Too late.

  “I’m fine.” He left Dylan on the porch with the baby and went to kick the ball for the kids. Isaiah was far too deep into this thing now. But Dylan did bring up the thing Isaiah kept trying not to fixate on, which was whether Mark would ever want to be publicly in a relationship with another man. Isaiah wanted that in the worst way—wanted to be able to tell Dylan about all the romantic things he did, wanted to hold hands at the park, maybe get crazy and go out to dinner without the kids. He wanted long-term, but as always, he had no clear indication that the other guy felt remotely the same way. And that sucked.

  “Hello?” Lydia came up to the back gate, baby on her hip, older kid next to her in a Wonder Woman T-shirt.

  “We’re back here.” Isaiah went to unlock the gate for her.

  “Oh my word, your front landscaping is spectacular. I’m in love with your raised beds.” Lydia set the baby next to Liam on the blanket they’d set down for him.

  “Thanks. Been putting in some long hours on it.” The yard still wasn’t what Isaiah would like, but the raised beds were something he was particularly proud of. They’d have lettuce and herbs for salads soon.

  “You do your own yard work?” Lydia’s eyes went wide. “That’s wonderful.” She said it the way rich people always commented on things they hired out. “Do you do it professionally?”

  “He does,” Dylan answered for him. “Just got his urban farming or whatever certificate.”

  “You could teach us how to have a garden at the new house! I want something like what you’ve got in the front—very functional but gorgeous. Balanced. And eco-friendly.”

  “I’d have to bring Liam, but I suppose I could come take a look while the girls are in school tomorrow.”

  “Bring him. He and the baby can play with me while you work. And bring a current rate sheet.”

  Crap. Isaiah was going to need one of those. And maybe business cards. But he’d been stewing about what to do for money, how to combine his various degrees and certificates into something that both made him happy and got him some cash. And few things made him as happy as being outdoors, working with plants. Maybe this could be the professional break he’d been looking for, a way to get some money in while he made plans for the future. And it would be a distraction from everything going on with Mark, which was what he really needed. He needed to plan for the future, one that might not include Mark, much as he hoped otherwise.

  * * *

  “You will give 110 percent in everything you do. You will strive for perfection in everything you do. And you will do it right the first time.” Mark glared down the new recruits in front of him. He was trying to channel all the instructors he’d had in his own training. On day one of having the SEAL class at BUD/S, it was up to him and the other instructors to hand their asses to them. During last week’s prep, the Officers in Charge of training had briefed them all about their role during training. “Part parent, part cop,” Lieutenant Ramsey had called it.

  “Now, later this week, we’ll take the boats out for the first time.” He indicated
the stack of rubber inflatable boats on the beach in front of them. “But right now, we’re going to run. And you will follow directions. And your team will NOT drop that boat or be last down the beach or I will become very unhappy. Keep up.”

  “You can’t keep up? We will cycle you until you wish you’d listened.” His fellow instructor, Johnson, had an even harsher tone than Mark, threatening them with extra exercises. He gestured at the bell that had been carried down to the beach with them. “You see that bell over there? Some of you are going to ring that bell today. You don’t like this? You don’t want it enough? You ring that bell.”

  Mark was going to be in even better shape by the end of this first phase of BUD/S because the instructors did most of the PT right along with their recruits. He didn’t have to carry a boat, but he and the other instructors for this group did have to run back and forth down the line of boats, shouting orders as they ran on the wet sand. Because it was the first time the teams had worked together, there were a lot of jostling and wobbly boats as the groups struggled to keep their boats aloft. Later after the run, he’d have them roll in the surf and sand, get covered, then do it all again.

  “Get that boat up!” he yelled at a team that was flagging. “Lift it higher. Run faster. Pick up the pace!” Jogging back to the front of the line, he called. “Do you want this? You want to be a SEAL? Show me you’re giving your all.”

  The front teams sped up, which meant the back groups struggled more to find their rhythm. It was all part of training. Mark had been both the guys in front and the ones lagging behind before, and his candidates would learn over the course of BUD/S how to cope with both scenarios. As they reached the turn-around point, a guy on the flagging team tripped, causing a spectacular wipeout of his whole group, toppling the boat to the sand. They would be cycled for sure. The guy was slow to get up, though, so Mark ran over.

  “Ow. Ow.” The guy was clutching his shoulder with one hand and his ankle with the other.

  “All right. Let me take a look. I’m a medic.” Mark went into assessment mode, checking him out. The shoulder wasn’t dislocated, but he probably had a pretty good sprain. Ditto the ankle.