Thunderstorms on the Horizon

by Kendel Duncan

  “I’m really not sure why I didn’t leave,” Colby whispered as his eyes locked with the man whose face had been imprinted in his mind like a tattoo that he’d never be able to erase.

  And he was fine with that.

  Thirteen

  As Row’s sobs quieted while he held him tight, King’s mind wandered back to the last time he had held Row in his arms.

  He remembered it vividly – because he hadn’t realized in that moment that it would be the last time his arms wrapped around the man he loved.

  It had been a particularly brutal day at the gate where he and Row regularly worked guard duty.

  They’d both noticed the beat-up car approaching from the distance. It had stopped by the side of the road a few times before proceeding forward. That was suspicious enough for both of them to raise the alarm inside the base and secure the heavily-reinforced steel gates.

  And then things had gone from bad to worse.

  They both raised their weapons and aimed as King held up his hand and yelled at the driver to stop his vehicle.

  He had.

  But then he just sat in his car, engine idling, staring at the two of them through a dust covered windshield.

  “Slowly get out of the car!” King had shouted.

  The man never moved.

  King’s finger shifted from the trigger guard to the trigger as he and the man continued their stare down.

  “King,” Row said from beside him.

  “I know, Row. I’m firing a shot into his radiator first.”

  “Copy that,” Row said.

  King aimed his rifle and fired.

  There was a ping, the ding of metal and then a hiss.

  And then the man opened his mouth and let out a blood-curdling scream and pressed his foot to the floor.

  His car lurched forward but never made it more than six feet before both King and Row fired shots through the windshield, hitting the driver.

  And then an explosion knocked both King and Row backwards into the metal gate, the entire car flying ten feet up into the air engulfed in a fireball.

  It was after the fire crew had doused the flames and they began picking through the rubble to look for any more unexploded ordinance that the world shifted beneath both of their feet…..because they found another body. A child’s body. This son of a bitch suicide bomber had a kid in the car with him.

  They’d kept their shit together until they were dismissed.

  But when they were both in the showers, hoping against hope that the tepid water would wash away all the grotesque images they had seen that day, King looked to his left and saw a dejected Row, his hand bracing against the wall, his head down, fatigue and despair in every inch of his body like it was painted on. It was in that moment that King didn’t care if anyone saw them, he didn’t care if anyone questioned, he didn’t care if anyone didn’t like what they saw.

  All he cared about in that moment was comforting Row.

  He stepped to his left, stepped up behind Row and pressed their bodies together as he wrapped Row into his tight embrace.

  His lips pressed to Row’s collarbone, not as a kiss but more a hey, I’m here for you gesture.

  And there they both stayed, for how long, King had no clue.

  But it was what Row needed. It was what King needed.

  And it was the last time it had ever happened.

  Until now.

  King’s mind came back to the present and he realized that Row had fallen silent….too silent.

  “Hey, what’s going on in that head of yours?” he whispered against Rowan’s temple.

  Rowan sniffed a few times as he plucked blades of grass from the ground. “I don’t know how to fix this, King,” he finally whispered.

  King tightened his arms and pressed a kiss to Rowan’s temple, “You don’t have to do anything, babe. We will fix this, together.”

  Rowan barely nodded. “It’s gonna take some time, King, I, shit, there’s things you need to know and crap I need to work through. I’ve been angry for so damn long I’ve forgotten how to be anything else.”

  “I know, babe.”

  “No, I don’t think you do. I…fuck….I’m so fucking sor….”

  “No,” King whispered as he gently clamped a hand over Row’s mouth, “No apologies, no looking back. From here on out we only look forward towards a future…together. Got it?”

  “Always trying to get your way. I see nothing’s changed,” Row whispered and King was thrilled to hear the smile in his voice.

  He leaned in a little farther and pressed a kiss to Row’s cheek, “Always. You ready to head to the store now?”

  Row nodded, “Yeah, I am.”

  King pushed to his feet and held a hand out for Rowan, who grabbed it.

  King pulled him up and then he yanked Row forward.

  A small gasp escaped Row’s lips as his eyes locked with King’s.

  One of King’s hands slid around to the small of Row’s back while the other glided up his spine until it clasped the back of his neck, “But, first, before we go,” King whispered, his eyes glancing down to Row’s lips before returning to stare into his eyes.

  “First, what?” Row whispered.

  King could feel Row’s heart pounding in his chest. It felt like it was trying to break free to get to King.

  “This,” he whispered and then he pressed their lips together.

  And in that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the food they needed to buy, not the case they were supposed to be working, not the wrongs that had been done in their pasts. Nothing mattered.

  Except for this moment, this embrace, this kiss….this kiss was everything.

  Fourteen

  Colby sat in the curved, torn, vinyl covered chair and just waited for Jaden to speak.

  The man seemed to be wrestling with something big, evident by the way his eyes stayed on the dingy carpet rather than meeting Colby’s and by his fidgeting fingers.

  “Can I ask you something?” he finally said quietly.

  “Anything.”

  “Why?” he said as he eyes finally lifted to lock with Colby’s.

  Colby frowned, “Why, what?”

  “Why did you fuck me in that bathroom, Colby? I mean, honestly, why? You could’ve just pulled me aside, told me you knew me and asked to talk, so why?”

  Colby blew out a breath as he stared down at his own fidgeting fingers.

  “Honestly?” he finally said on an exhale of breath, “I’ve been watching you for a long time, Jade. Ever since I got out, I’ve been watching you whenever I could. At first it was just to make sure that you were okay. And I wanted to apologize but I was too scared. But after a while something changed. I began to see what an incredible man you’ve become, how kind and giving you are, how hard you work but also how sheltered you keep yourself and I realized….”

  “Realized what, Colby?”

  Colby’s eyes lifted to Jaden’s, “I realized that not only did I want you but that I also care for you, Jaden, a lot. I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with you and that scares the shit out of me.”

  “You sure it’s me or are you trying to replace my brother?”

  “If I were just trying to replace your brother, I would’ve fucked you a long time ago. I didn’t because I wanted to make sure that these feelings I was having were something new not something I was trying to recapture. I wanted to make sure they were for you, not for who you’re related to.”

  “So, the bar?”

  “Was me losing control, it was you causing me to lose control, it was me deciding to not fight my feelings anymore.”

  “What about my feelings though, Colby? Did you ever stop to consider how I would feel about fucking the guy who killed my brother?”

  Colby opened his mouth to respond but Jaden held up his hand, “No, let me finish. I forgive you for what happened with Wes. You were both kids and it was an accident, a tragic accident. But what about my parents, Colby? How would I ever be able to explain this
to them? How could I ever bring you home as my boyfriend and not bring the entire world down on their shoulders? You never gave me a chance to deal with any of that. You took that decision away from me when you acted like I was a stranger, when you fucked me before you told me who you were.”

  The last few words in his statement felt like the final nail in the coffin that was around Colby’s heart.

  Jaden was right.

  And it hurt. It hurt a lot.

  He should say something to make this better. But, there wasn’t really anything to say that could make it better, was there? He’d fucked up, royally fucked up.

  He slowly pushed to his feet and began walking to the door. His hand clasped around the knob but before he pulled it open he said, “For what it’s worth, Jaden. I’m sorry I took that choice away from you. But I’m not sorry I fucked you, I’ll never be sorry for that. How could I when it finally opened my eyes and my heart to what had been missing, to what was right in front of me all along?”

  “What was right in front of you, Colby?”

  Colby took a deep breath and on the exhale, his answer fell from his lips in a way that sounded like it had been pulled straight from his broken heart, “You.”

  He yanked the door open but before he could move another muscle, Jaden was behind him, slamming the door closed and shoving Colby’s body against it with a hard thump.

  The breath whooshed out of Colby’s lungs and then Jaden’s body was pressed against his back. Colby could feel every ridge, every dip, every muscle, every beat of Jaden’s thumping heart, and every inch of his thick cock that was currently pressing against Colby’s ass. Colby had never hated jeans more in his life. He wanted them naked, he wanted them both naked now.

  Jaden’s lips began running along Colby’s neck as he whispered, “You took something from me, Colby.”

  His teeth nipped at Colby’s earlobe as his hands slid down his arms to his wrists. He clasped them and brought Colby’s hands up above his head.

  “It’s my turn now, Colby,” he said and then he sucked the skin of his neck into his warm mouth.

  “Oh god,” Colby moaned, pressing his ass back onto that hard cock.

  “You won’t be shouting out my name when you come, Colby,” Jaden said as he began kissing the back of Colby’s neck as he moved to the other side.

  “N-n-n-n-n-no?”

  Jaden’s tongue traced the shell of Colby’s ear, “No. You want to know why?” he said as he released one of Colby’s wrists and slid a hand down over his throat, feeling his adams apple bob when he swallowed.

  “Y-y-y-y-yes,” he groaned as his hips alternated between pushing back against Jaden and moving forward to press his own dick against the door just to try to get a little relief to his now aching prick.

  “Because you’re about to lose your fucking mind, Colby. You won’t be able to form words let alone names.”

  Colby’s groan was cut off by Jaden turning his head to the side and crashing their lips together.

  It was brutal.

  It was consuming.

  It was molten.

  But even though it was so hot both of them could barely contain themselves, it still wasn’t the hurried, mindless fuck like their first time. There was an underlying layer of….something… that was weaving its way through both of them.

  Something building.

  Something amazing.

  Something….right.

  “Please, Jade,” Colby gasped out when Jaden pulled their lips apart long enough for the two of them to breathe.

  “Please what, baby?”

  “Please touch me.”

  Jaden’s hand moved to the hem of Colby’s shirt. His fingers slid underneath it, up his stomach to his chest where they lightly scraped over his nipple.

  “Like this?”

  “Jesus, yes,” Colby groaned, pressing his forehead to the door as his hips pumped forward.

  He was seconds away from shooting in his pants.

  His forehead banged lightly against the door, “Ungh, Jade, uh, uh, uh,”

  Jaden chuckled into the back of Colby’s neck as his hand, oh sweet Jesus yes, began to slid back down Colby’s torso, lower and lower until it reached the top of his jeans.

  And then the asshole teased.

  He slid the tips of his fingers back and forth just inside, across the smooth skin above the top of Colby’s dick.

  Colby rolled his forehead back and forth on the door.

  “Not quite there yet,” Jaden’s sexy voice rumbled over the back of Colby’s neck, sending a shiver down his spine.

  Colby was going to combust. He was going to spontaneously combust.

  Burst into a ball of flames and collapse in an ashen heap on the floor.

  How could he be this turned on when they both still had their damn clothes on?

  He felt a tug and the button on his jeans popped open.

  The sound of a zipper was like angels singing to Colby’s ears.

  And then…..oh fuck…and then….

  Jaden’s fingers slid inside and brushed over the tip of his dick.

  Pre-cum shot out, wetting the man’s finger.

  “Oh fuck, oh, shit, I, ugh, f-f-f-f-fuck,” Colby moaned.

  “That’s where I want you,” Jaden growled and then he stepped back, pulling Colby with him. He shoved Colby onto the bed and ordered, “Strip, now.”

  Nobody needed to tell him twice.

  Colby lifted just far enough to yank his shirt over his head and then he shoved his jeans, briefs, shoes and socks to the floor in one decisive move.

  And then he clamped his hand around the base of his dick to keep from shooting his load as he stared at Jaden.

  Watching the man undress was like seeing his best birthday present unveiled as each layer was peeled away.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off the man.

  He was mesmerized.

  He was entranced.

  He was…..in love.

  But there was no way he was going to blurt that out now.

  Hell, right now he could barely think let alone form actual words.

  But then his lust-filled brain realized that Jaden had stopped, that he was frozen in the middle of pulling down his pants and he was just staring at……

  Colby followed Jaden’s line of sight….right to the tattoo on his pec, the ink that Jaden hadn’t seen yet, the compass tattoo that he had to honor Jaden’s brother. “What?” he whispered as his fingers came up to brush it while his eyes stayed locked on Jaden’s.

  “That’s for him, isn’t it?” Jaden whispered.

  Colby frowned. It was a compass tattoo. He should be the only one to know what it was really for. “Yeah, but,” he began to say but froze when Jaden turned his arm around. There on his inner-bicep, in a spot that wouldn’t be visible even when he was naked unless he spread his arms wide, was a compass…and the only direction that was listed was West, the others were just the lines with no directional letters or names.

  Tears came to Colby’s eyes, “But, how did I not see….”

  “I put it here so most people wouldn’t see it and so it’s close to my body. It makes me feel like he’s still with me.”

  “He is.”

  Jaden’s eyes dropped down to Colby’s softening erection, “Right, now where were we?”

  Colby opened his mouth to tell the man that they could stop for a bit if he needed to but, “Oh, ssshhhiiiittt, ungh, fuck!” he barked out as Jaden leaned forward and swallowed Colby’s dick into the back of his throat. No warning, no tongue flicking, no hesitation. Just pure, unfathomable, sucking, wet warmth.

  Within a minute, Colby was right back to the babbling, crazed idiot he’d been before the tattoos.

  The tingle of his orgasm shot from his brain, down his spine and out his dick so fast all he managed to get out as a warning was, “I’m….” and then he was shooting down the back of Jaden’s throat. His hips tried to lift to shove his pulsing dick farther but Jaden’s arm, now draped across his pelvis
held him down. His orgasm was so intense Colby saw stars behind his clenched eyelids – or maybe it was heaven, he had no idea.

  At the precise moment that Colby’s dick became too sensitive for pressure, Jaden eased his mouth off, gently ran his tongue up the shaft and over the tip to clean up anything missed and then he began kissing up Colby’s body until he was draped over the top of him.

  His lips pressed with Colby’s, his tongue sweeping inside to share his taste and then he kissed along Colby’s jaw as he mumbled, “How much prep do you need?”

  Prep? Colby’s mind had just been blown out of the top of his head and now he was supposed to think about something as important as prep?

  “Um, uh, um….”

  Jaden chuckled against his jaw, “Got it,” he whispered and then he leaned up to his knees and grabbed a condom that was laying on the bed.

  Colby frowned as he tried to determine when, and where, it had come from them then he realized that he didn’t fucking care.

  He also realized with a shock that his dick was already hard again, leaking, on his stomach. He hadn’t had that kind of recovery time since he was a teen.

  All of these thoughts raced through his mind as he watched Jaden roll the condom over his hard, thick cock. A whimper rumbled out of Colby’s chest at the sight of it, and Jaden froze. Raising an eyebrow, he looked up at Colby, “You’re not scared, are you, Colby? I’d never hurt you.”

  Colby swallowed hard as he shook his head, “No, not scared. Can’t wait. Need to feel. Stretch me,” he mumbled, apparently still not able to form complete sentences.

  There was no way that he was telling Jaden that he hadn’t bottomed for anyone since Wes. He didn’t count his time in prison because that hadn’t been consensual….it had been survival.

  So, he held his tongue because he needed this. He needed it more than he needed air to breathe.

  Jaden tore open a small packet of lube as he grinned, “You got it, Tarzan.”

  He squeezed the clear liquid on his fingers. He slathered it over his sheathed cock and then leaned forward onto his free hand, staring down into Colby’s eyes as the fingers of his other hand slid over his balls, across the smooth skin beneath them and then finally reached his hole.