Reckless (Pier 70, 1)

by Nicole Edwards

  Gannon traded places with Cam, humming his approval as Cam did the same thing to Gannon, gliding the soap over his chest, his stomach, then lower. Cam used his hands, stroking Gannon until he was so hard he hurt. Somehow Gannon managed to remain still until Cam was finished.

  “Turn around,” Gannon ordered after Cam had rinsed the soap from his skin. “Hands on the wall.”

  Cam didn’t hesitate, assuming the position. When he did, Gannon licked and kissed Cam’s back, down, down. When he reached the indent above Cam’s ass, Gannon dropped to his haunches, spread Cam’s butt cheeks, and used his tongue to tease and torment until Cam was begging for more.

  Truth was, Gannon had intended to play with him for a while, but his cock was like a steel rod, aching and desperate to feel the warmth of Cam’s body. Getting to his feet, he snatched the lubricant from the porcelain shelf, squeezing a generous amount into his hand and coating his dick while inserting two fingers into Cam’s ass.

  Cam grunted, pushing his hips back against the intruding fingers. Placing a hand on the center of Cam’s back, Gannon forced him forward, the new position giving him better access.

  “You ready for me?” Gannon asked, sliding his dick through the crack of Cam’s ass.

  “Always,” Cam groaned.

  “Good. ’Cause you better hold on.”

  Gannon teased a little more, forcing the head of his dick into Cam’s ass and retreating. He worked him open that way until neither of them could stand the sensual torture any longer.

  Moving closer, Gannon gripped Cam’s shoulders, then slammed his hips forward, impaling Cam.

  “Ah, fuck,” Cam groaned, one hand slipping on the tiled wall but then returning instantly. “Fuck me, Gannon. Ah, God, yes. Fuck me hard.”

  Gannon rocked his hips forward, back, forward, back. His dick tunneling into Cam, slow and deep, then faster until he was fucking him harder and harder. Their combined groans echoed in the small space as Gannon found a rhythm that stole his breath and made Cam beg louder.

  “More?” Gannon asked, the word coming out in a rush.

  “Fuck yes.” Cam shifted, placing his right foot on the edge of the tub.

  “Oh, yeah,” Gannon growled, sinking in as deep as he could go.

  Blinded by pleasure and an intense need to claim Cam in the most primal way possible, Gannon continued to fuck him, possessing him until his thighs burned from exertion and his cock was throbbing with the need for release.

  Keeping one hand on Cam’s shoulder, Gannon reached around and gripped Cam’s cock, jerking roughly as he drove his hips forward and back.

  A rough growl escaped Cam. “Gonna make me come,” Cam said through clenched teeth.

  “That’s the idea,” Gannon panted. “And when you do, I want to hear you say my name.”

  “Ah, fuck,” Cam groaned, his head falling back on his shoulders. “Ah, damn. It’s too good.”

  That it was. Being buried inside Cam, possessing him like this was the most incredible feeling in the world.

  “Gannon!” Cam yelled as he gripped Gannon’s hand over his cock, forcing his grip tighter.

  Gannon continued to fuck him and allowed Cam to guide his hand along Cam’s thick shaft. He was hanging on by a thread when, finally, Cam yelled his name again.

  “That’s it, baby,” Gannon urged. “Come for me.”

  And when Cam’s body tensed, Gannon let go.

  Thirty-Seven

  The following morning, after spending the night curled up against Gannon, Cam headed down to the marina office to open up, leaving Gannon asleep in his bed. After making a pot of coffee and checking the appointment book, Cam grabbed his cell phone.

  He wanted to get the call out of the way before anything could disrupt the plans he had.

  “Mornin’, Pop,” he greeted his father when Michael answered. “Did I wake you?”

  “Nope. Just sittin’ here watchin’ TV. Everything okay?”

  It was better than okay, but Cam didn’t tell his father that. Instead, he hummed an affirmation and followed with, “You doin’ anything today?”

  “No, why? Need some help?”

  “Not exactly,” Cam told him. “I was wonderin’ if I could stop by for lunch.”

  “Yeah,” Michael answered. “I didn’t have nothin’ planned, ’cept maybe to work on the car today.”

  Cam took a deep breath. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

  His revelation was met with silence and Cam’s gut tightened.

  “Well, then I’ll plan to have somethin’ made for lunch. Look forward to seein’ you both.” There was a smile in his father’s voice, and Cam released the breath he’d been holding.

  “Perfect,” he said, hoping his father didn’t notice the relief in his tone. “Need me to bring anything?”

  “Nope. Looks like you’ve already got that part covered.”

  Cam smiled. “See you at eleven?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  With that, Cam disconnected the call, stared down at his phone, and smiled. He’d never brought a guy home to meet his father. Sure, he’d told his dad about a few of the guys he’d dated, but never had he felt the urge to introduce them. He’d always considered that to be a step for something that was long-term, with a future potential. He’d never had that.

  Until Gannon.

  And this … this was the final step.

  Funny how he and Gannon had met six weeks ago, and now, after attempting to take things slow, Cam was ready to plow forward at full speed. Truth was, he wanted to spend his time with Gannon, to see him all the time, to spend every night with Gannon.

  And the three hours that he had to wait until lunch… Those would probably be the longest three hours of his life.

  “Dude, you got laid last night.”

  Cam jerked his head up to see Dare standing in the office, and only then did the damn alarm on the door sound. Worthless piece of shit. It was supposed to alert them when people were coming in, not when they were already there.

  “Whatever,” Cam muttered.

  “That’s one helluva smile on your face,” Dare teased, tipping his Monster Energy drink to his lips. “Only sex can make a man smile like that.”

  Sex and love, yes. Not that Cam was going to say as much, because he’d been teased enough by Dare already. No reason to give him more fuel for the fire.

  “Speaking of,” Dare said, looking around. “Where is lover boy?”

  “Sleeping.” Cam rested his elbows on the counter. “Would you mind watching things for a couple of hours today? I’m gonna have lunch with my dad.”

  “Sure. You takin’ the boyfriend this time?” Dare leaned against the counter, studying Cam briefly.

  “Yeah,” he admitted, unable to hide the smile. Boyfriend. He liked the sound of that.

  Dare nodded his head as though considering something. “Yep, I was right. I knew there was a wedding in the future, and it damn sure ain’t gonna be mine.”

  Cam glared at his friend, but again, the smile broke free. There would be a wedding, Cam had no doubt about that. When, Cam didn’t know yet. But he was okay with that.

  “You seen Roan this mornin’?” Cam asked, standing straight once more.

  “No,” Dare said, glancing out at the parking lot. “I was gonna ask you the same thing. The Tahoe is gone.”

  Cam looked out the window. Sure enough, Roan’s Tahoe wasn’t parked in the lot.

  “Maybe he went to check on Cassie,” Cam said, continuing to look at the empty parking space.

  Last night, when he’d talked to Roan, he’d seemed fine. Surely his absence didn’t have anything to do with Cam or the discussion they’d had. Not that he wanted there to be a problem with Roan’s sister, but it would be an explanation, at least.

  “Well, if you hear from him, let me know,” Dare said, tossing back the rest of his drink and crumpling the can in his hand.

  “Will do. And I’ll be out of here before eleven.”

  “I’l
l make sure I’m around,” Dare said with a smile.

  When Cam had woken him up to let him know that they had plans to have lunch with Cam’s dad, Gannon had been both excited and nervous. He liked the idea of meeting Cam’s father. It made this thing between him and Cam seem all the more real.

  Strange.

  Gannon had never met anyone’s parents before. He’d never been in a relationship for long enough that they’d made it to that step. And he didn’t have any parents to introduce anyone to, so he honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.

  They arrived at Cam’s father’s house a little after eleven, and as they were walking to the door, Gannon felt his stomach plummet to his feet. He was pretty damn sure he’d never been this nervous in his life. Not even when a new game released and he waited to hear what the world thought.

  As they made their way up the stairs, Gannon noticed Cam glancing sideways at him, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Are you making fun of me?” Gannon whispered.

  “Maybe a little.”

  “Figures.”

  Cam rapped his knuckles on the wood door twice before opening it and stepping inside. They were greeted by a darkened living room with a small lamp in the corner. The curtains were closed, and on the huge television, a baseball game was playing. At least Gannon knew where Cam had gotten his love for the game.

  “Pop? Where’re you at?” Cam called out, taking Gannon’s hand and pulling him through the room.

  They stepped into a bright, updated kitchen. The stainless steel appliances glowed from the sun shining in through the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out at the water. From where he stood, Gannon could see a boat ramp, a pier, and two chairs. Looked as though Cam’s father spent a lot of time down there.

  This was the type of house Cam needed. One that was right on the water, giving him access to the lake whenever he wanted it. Not that he didn’t have access from the marina, but this… It was private, and Gannon liked the idea of a place like this, one that would give Cam what he enjoyed most.

  A throat cleared from behind them, and Gannon turned to see Cam’s father, a man he vaguely remembered seeing in the marina office the very first time he’d come to rent a boat with Milly.

  The man was tall, closer to Gannon’s height. And there was an air of authority that surrounded him. He was a man people respected, that was clear.

  “This the one?” Cam’s father asked, the imposing tone making Gannon’s insides churn.

  Gannon glanced over at Cam to see him still smiling.

  “Be nice, Pop.” Cam laughed, then took a step closer, still holding Gannon’s hand. “Gannon, this is my father, Michael Strickland. Pop, this is Gannon Burgess.”

  Michael held out his hand, and Gannon shook it in return, praying his palms weren’t as sweaty as he thought they were.

  “I remember seein’ you,” Michael said, his dark blue eyes—very similar to Cam’s—studying him intently. “Over at the marina, right?”

  “Yes, sir,” Gannon replied. “You were leaving when I was coming in.”

  “What’s for lunch, Pop? I’m starvin’,” Cam said, drawing Michael’s attention away.

  “Hamburgers,” Michael said with a smile, peering from Cam back to Gannon. “But don’t worry. I’ve got the real deal. Not the flat patties you get over at the marina grill. Come on. We’ll eat outside.”

  Michael passed by them, then out through the sliding glass door to the deck. Gannon started to follow, but Cam pulled him up short. He turned to face Cam, noting the smile still plastered on his face.

  “He likes you,” Cam said softly, leaning in and kissing Gannon briefly.

  “How can you tell?” Gannon whispered, running the events of the last few minutes through his head. Nothing in that time made Gannon think Mr. Strickland liked him.

  “He didn’t interrogate you,” Cam told him.

  “I heard that!” Michael yelled from outside. “Lunch ain’t over yet, boy.”

  Gannon laughed, feeling the tension that had coiled him into a knot ease.

  It wasn’t a given that Cam’s father would like him, but if Gannon expected to spend the rest of his life with Cam—which he did—then he was just going to have to make sure that he did.

  Straightening his shoulders, Gannon squeezed Cam’s hand, then headed toward the back door. He was up for the challenge, there was no doubt about it. And before he left that house, he would make sure Michael Strickland knew that he intended to love Cam for the rest of his life.

  Cam chuckled from behind him. “Who’s the reckless one now?”

  An hour and a half later, while Cam was inside cleaning up, Michael was giving Gannon a tour of his garage. More like a workshop, actually. There were two cars inside, one a ’69 Barracuda, the other a ’67 Mustang that he was restoring. Both still needed a lot of work.

  “So, you travel a lot for your job?” Michael asked, turning to face Gannon and leaning against the wooden shelf that held a wealth of tools.

  Gannon stopped moving. “Yes, sir.”

  They’d discussed what Gannon did for a living over lunch. Although Cam’s father had insisted he wasn’t interrogating Gannon, he’d answered more questions in that hour and a half than he had in his entire life. Or it felt like it.

  “I take it Cam’s told you about his mother.”

  “Yes, sir. We’ve dealt with a few things.”

  Michael nodded. “I’m glad he’s getting into counseling again. I think it’ll be good for him.”

  Figuring he needed to be candid, Gannon moved to stand beside Michael, leaning against the shelf and staring over at the cars. “I love him, sir. He means the world to me, and I’m willing to go the distance with him. I know it won’t always be easy, but I’m willing to give it everything I’ve got.”

  “I knew you were important to him,” Michael said. “I’ve never met one of his boyfriends. Not that he’s had many. At least not that I know of. But not once has he brought one home to meet me. What do your parents think about all this?”

  Gannon swallowed hard. “I haven’t seen them since I was seventeen,” he admitted. “They weren’t very supportive of me being gay.”

  He could feel Michael’s eyes on him, and he was prepared to hear a reprimand. He’d heard plenty over the years, people telling him he needed to make amends, that he needed to make things right with his parents, no matter what it took.

  “Well, it’s their loss, then, son. As far as I’m concerned, a parent’s one and only job is to love their child, regardless. It’s not so hard, I don’t think.”

  Gannon smiled. “Thank you for that.”

  “Anytime.”

  Gannon turned to face Michael. “I know I’ve just met you and all, but…”

  Michael stood up straight, his hands dropping to his sides.

  “I plan to marry your son one day. Hopefully one day in the near future. I know it’s a little presumptuous of me to ask this now, since you don’t know me very well, but I’d like to have your blessing.”

  Michael grinned. “Yeah, Cam was right.”

  “About?”

  “You’re good enough for my boy.”

  Gannon was going to take that as a yes.

  “Come on,” Michael said, clapping Gannon on the back and steering him toward the door. “Let’s go see what that boy’s gettin’ himself into.”

  Thirty-Eight

  “So…” Cam said, drawing Milly’s attention toward him. “You still seein’ that Gary guy?”

  Milly rolled her eyes, then tilted her beer to her lips. “Not anymore, no.”

  Cam knew that dinner had been a disaster, but he never claimed to understand the inner workings of a woman’s mind, so he hadn’t made any assumptions. “What happened?”

  “Oh, you know … I realized I’m a grown woman and … he’s a child.”

  Cam laughed.

  “I know a guy you’d get along with,” Dare said but didn’t elaborate.

  Cam looked up at his friend. They wer
e all sitting along the dock, drinking beer and watching the sun set. It had been a long day, but after he and Gannon had lunch with his father, Cam had come back to work, and Gannon had pitched in. When Milly had called, Cam had told him to invite her down, to hang out. It hadn’t been hard to convince her.

  And here they were.

  “Hey, you got a minute?” Gannon asked, turning to Roan, who was sitting beside him.

  Cam watched the interaction, noticed Roan look over at Cam as though asking what this was about. Cam offered a shrug. He honestly had no idea.

  “Yeah, sure,” Roan finally said, getting to his feet and following Gannon as they headed back toward the marina office.

  “Where’re they goin’?” Teague asked.

  “Oh, I’m sure Gannon’s gonna ask Roan if he wants to be a beta tester for the new game.”

  “No shit?” Teague leaned forward. “Why not me?”

  “You don’t play video games,” Dare told him, tilting his beer to his lips.

  “So?” Teague leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “What if I want to?”

  Milly laughed, as did Cam and Dare.

  “Well, we’ll get you set up with Super Mario Brothers,” Dare said. “That’s a good start for you.”

  “Fuck off,” Teague said, a grin forming on his face.

  “So, how’d lunch with your dad go today?” Milly asked.

  Dare and Teague instantly quieted, their full attention on Cam.

  “Good.”

  “When’re you gonna introduce him to your sister?” Dare asked.

  “Already done,” Cam told him. “I should’ve known my dad couldn’t keep his mouth shut. She showed up as I was doing the dishes. She and Keith, along with the kiddos.”

  “And?” Dare seemed to be hanging on the edge of his seat.

  “And nothin’. They met. End of story.”

  Milly sighed heavily.

  “What?” Cam asked, turning to look at her.

  Teague and Dare both grunted.

  Cam frowned.

  “Seriously?” She looked between the three of them. “There’s never an abrupt ending to a story like that. Men.”