The Fall

by Kate Sherwood

  When Mackenzie finally pulled away, Joe reached up slowly with his good hand and wiped the spit and come off his chin. Mackenzie was still gasping as Joe grinned beneath his blindfold. “I thought for sure you were going to go full porn star and come on my face.”

  Mackenzie snorted as he came back to reality. “That’s a two-hundred dollar tie. I didn’t want it to get dirty.”

  Joe nodded slowly. “Martha Stewart would approve.”

  “You really think Martha Stewart is my style guide?”

  “I have no idea. I get most of my fashion tips from John Deere.”

  “I don’t know who that is.”

  “I didn’t think you would.”

  Mackenzie slid down Joe’s body until their mouths lined up and kissed him deep and soft. “Thank you,” he said.

  Joe grinned again. “I like the way you’re talking like we’re done. Really. That’s cute.”

  Mackenzie pulled away in alarm. “Oh my God, Joe, I was totally thinking we were! I completely forgot about you!” He could feel Joe’s laughter rumbling up through his chest and brought his mouth down to kiss the spot where it seemed to originate. “I’m an asshole,” he whispered as he kissed his way lower.

  “I’m about to forgive you,” Joe promised. “Can I take the tie off? I want to see.”

  “Okay,” Mackenzie agreed, and he lifted himself up enough that Joe was able to shift into a more comfortable position. When he knew Joe was watching, he rubbed his stubbled cheek against Joe’s cock like a cat claiming its favorite person’s leg. Joe closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them and stared. Mackenzie licked a long strip from Joe’s balls to the head of his cock, then kissed his way back down and sucked on the loose skin. He spit on his palm and wrapped it tight around Joe’s shaft, then slid back up to find Joe’s lips. “I’m going to suck your cock,” he whispered between kisses.

  Joe’s lips twitched into another grin. “I was really hoping you were, but I have to admit, you’ve got me a bit worried.”

  “I’m going to. I just can’t decide what you need to do to earn it. Do I want you to ask nicely, or do I want you to beg?”

  Joe’s grin didn’t falter, but there was a new light in his eyes and a different tilt to his jaw as he said, “I think you’re going to have much better luck with the first of those options.”

  And there it was. Joe’s boundary, reached and announced in a clear, confident way. Mackenzie smiled at him. “Okay,” he agreed. He tightened his grip on Joe’s cock and watched in fascination as the man’s eyes lost their focus. Then he loosened his fingers and said, “Joe, I was thinking about sucking your cock. Would you like me to do that?”

  “That sounds excellent.” Joe opened his eyes wide and fixed his gaze on Mackenzie. “Would you please be so kind as to suck me off?”

  Now it was Mackenzie’s turn to laugh, and he chortled his way back down Joe’s broad chest and washboard stomach. Once he arrived at his destination, though, he stopped laughing. Joe had asked nicely, and Mackenzie absolutely wanted to reward him for it. He abandoned his teasing and went to work in earnest, using all the tricks he knew and trying to pay as much attention to Joe’s reactions as Joe always seemed to pay to his. He could feel Joe’s orgasm coming almost as if it were building in his own body. He tightened his lips and pulled off just a little as Joe’s body spasmed and filled his mouth. He swallowed quickly, kept sucking, and was rewarded with another bitter gush, and another. When he finally pulled away, he rubbed his cheek on Joe’s cock again, but this time Joe laughed and pulled away.

  “Get back up here,” he ordered, and Mackenzie was happy to obey. Now they were both ready for slow kisses and a languorous descent into sleep… until a slamming door upstairs made them both jerk back awake.

  “Will,” Mackenzie whispered, feeling like a kid about to be caught by a parent.

  Joe nodded and relaxed back into the pillows. “You think you could go get my clothes from him? He’s seen me naked, but not usually while my pubes are still wet from some guy’s spit.”

  “Ewww!” Mackenzie pushed away, laughing. “That is nasty. I’m going to have a thirty-second shower, get dressed, and go get your clothes and check in with him. You’ll have a quick shower while I’m gone, I’ll redo your bandage, and we’ll go for breakfast. Yes?”

  “Yes, master.”

  Mackenzie waggled his eyebrows. “I like the sound of that.”

  “I thought you might,” Joe said, and he leaned back into his pillows. “You kinky bastard.”

  “You have no idea,” Mackenzie promised, and he was pretty sure that was true. After all, he really had no idea himself. But he was enjoying the process of self-discovery and was looking forward to doing a bit more experimenting with his willing, and handsome, assistant.

  Chapter 10

  BREAKFAST WAS weird, as Joe had known it would be. Only one place in town served real breakfast food; they could have gone for donuts and bagels, but that would have been just as awkward and it wouldn’t have had the comfort of bacon.

  But Joe was used to living in a small town and used to chatting with ten different people during the course of a meal. Of course, today was a little bit worse than usual, between Joe’s appearance with a new guy and the rapidly spreading news of the fire the night before.

  “Those poor girls,” Denise Alcroft said. She’d been Joe’s high school history teacher, but she’d retired and now ran a craft shop across the street. “Lacey was in my class a couple years ago. And now they’re saying they don’t know if any of them is going to make it?”

  “I don’t know,” Joe said. “I haven’t really heard anything.” Mackenzie had been an excellent distraction, but now Joe felt guilty for enjoying himself while the girls were still fighting for their lives.

  “They’re collecting clothes and housewares over at the church,” Tony Albano said five minutes later. “They always do that when there’s a fire. But it’s a bit weird this time, isn’t it? I mean, the girls aren’t going to be setting up a house. They might need the clothes, God willing, but they’ll be living with family or going into foster care, right?”

  “I have no idea,” Joe said. He was pretty sure there was no family around, or the girls would have gone to them instead of to the Suttons when things got bad at home. But maybe there was someone farther away. “I guess people just want to be able to help somehow, right?”

  “We can’t all go charging into burning buildings,” Tony agreed. The man owned an electronics store that was always on the edge of going out of business, and he weighed at least three hundred pounds. He definitely wasn’t the type to go jumping up on roofs. “Good thing you were there, though. Any chance these girls have, it’s because of you.”

  Joe wished that little bit of news hadn’t spread quite so quickly. The radio had apparently reported that a volunteer fireman had arrived early and pulled the girls out before the trucks arrived, but hadn’t given his name. Still, the small-town gossip engine had revved up instantly, and it seemed like everyone knew pretty much everything already.

  After they finished their meal, the owner of the restaurant came over to say that heroes didn’t have to pay for their breakfasts, and the whole place erupted into applause. Joe would rather have paid his twenty bucks and gotten out without the embarrassment, but Mackenzie was practically glowing by the time they hit the sidewalk.

  “You didn’t tell me all that! You didn’t tell me you were the first one in, and you got the girls out! I thought you were just another firefighter doing his regular job.”

  “I was,” Joe insisted. “I was just the one who happened to live closest. I got there first so I acted first, but anyone else would have done the same thing.”

  “I wouldn’t have,” Mackenzie protested. He stopped at the passenger door of Joe’s truck and looked over the hood at him. “No way. I’m just not a hero. Not at all.”

  Joe frowned at him. “Neither am I,” he said firmly. “People just like to get worked up about stuff. I reached t
hrough a couple windows, that’s all. It’s not a big deal.”

  “Yeah, it is,” Mackenzie said fondly. “But we can pretend it isn’t if it makes you feel better.”

  “That’d be great,” Joe said with feeling. They climbed into the truck, and Joe pulled out and headed for the church. “Look, I have to get back to the farm. Ally covered my chores for me this morning, but I’ve got work to do, and everything’s going to be way slower with my hand only half-working. But….” He wished he had better words. “Thank you. For last night. I was… like you said, I was a bit messed up. I appreciate you looking after me.”

  “Anytime,” Mackenzie said breezily, but his voice was more serious when he added, “I mean it. Anytime. I was happy to be useful.”

  “And what if I’m not messed up?” Joe knew he was making a mistake but didn’t seem able to stop himself. “What if I just want to come over?”

  Mackenzie’s smile was damn close to smug. “Uh-huh,” he said in a happy singsong. “What if you just want to come back for some more Mackenzie-lovin’? Huh? Is that what you’re looking for?”

  “You were in the closet until university? Seriously?”

  “Don’t change the topic. We’re focusing on how hooked you are and how much you want me.”

  It was too close to the truth. Despite his best efforts, Joe was hooked. Like charging into a burning building, he knew it was a bad idea but didn’t seem able to stop himself. But this time there were no kids inside to save. This time it would be just him groping around in the smoky darkness until he was, inevitably, burned.

  Mackenzie obviously realized Joe wasn’t in a mood for joking anymore. “I’d like you to come over again,” he said seriously. “But… no more booty calls. Or at least not just booty calls. Come play euchre with me next week. Make me dinner. Let me make you dinner. The sex is great, and it should absolutely continue. But more would be good too.”

  “More is tricky,” Joe said. “It’s hard to find time. Someone has to be home for Austin, and….”

  Mackenzie held up his hands. “I’m not asking you to move in. This doesn’t have to be an every night thing. Just… sometime. Something.” He looked out the window. “Is it really such a horrible thought?”

  “It’s not horrible,” Joe said. “It’s just hard to manage.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you’d try,” Mackenzie said softly.

  “Yeah.” They pulled up in front of the church, and Mackenzie climbed out of the truck without speaking.

  He looked like he was about to turn away, but then he leaned through the open window and quickly said, “Or I could take all that shit back. You can come over for booty calls. Absolutely. I know you’re busy, and it’s great that you’re committed to your family. I get it. No problem.”

  Joe stared at him. For the first time he realized he wasn’t the only one finding all of this a little scary and overwhelming. Mackenzie wasn’t quite as urbane as he seemed, and it obviously wasn’t easy for him to ask for things he wanted, or at least not to stick to his guns until he got them. Which meant Joe had to do a better job of looking out for him. But he still had to look after his family too. “What night is euchre?” he asked quietly.

  “Thursday.” Mackenzie shrugged. “But you don’t have to.”

  “Tell Will he’s babysitting,” Joe instructed. “Thursday. Euchre. Absolutely.” It was Monday, though, and Thursday seemed like a long way away. Well, Nick said he wanted to spend more time with Austin, and Ally was usually good as a backup. “And maybe a movie tomorrow? We’d have to drive over to Darton, but it’s not that far. Half an hour, probably. Or we could go out for dinner, or see if anyone’s playing music anywhere….”

  Mackenzie was smiling at him. “Why don’t you just come over tomorrow night? I’ll cook for you. And euchre on Thursday, and maybe something on the weekend. Maybe. Okay?”

  “Yeah. Okay. Sounds good.” But he still didn’t feel quite right driving away. Then he realized what was missing. “Hey, Mackenzie? You think maybe you could get back in the truck for a quick minute?”

  “Back in?” Mackenzie looked confused, but he climbed back up on the seat and sat looking quizzically at Joe.

  “See ya later,” Joe said, and he leaned in for a good-bye kiss. Mackenzie seemed startled at first, his lips almost unresponsive, but then they quirked into a grin that made serious kissing pretty damn difficult before finally settling down to work. Joe made himself pull away before the kiss shifted from “good-bye” to “hello and stay awhile.”

  Mackenzie licked his lips, then slid out of the truck and shut the door. “What time tomorrow?”

  “Can it be a bit late? Austin goes to bed around eight. I could be here by eight thirty or nine.”

  “Sounds good,” Mackenzie said.

  AND IT was good. They ate pasta, talked, had sex, talked some more, had more sex, and Joe still made it home in time for breakfast with Austin. And Thursday went just as well. It had been a while since Joe had played euchre, but the game wasn’t too complicated, and he ended up having more fun than he’d expected. And going back to the church with Mackenzie was almost feeling like a routine, in the best possible way. They were getting comfortable together, learning each other’s quirks, and realizing they fit together surprisingly well.

  Joe was trying to keep himself under control. It was all good, but that didn’t mean it would stay that way. Things happened, people changed—the world was an uncertain place. He had commitments and responsibilities and couldn’t afford to be too distracted from them. All the same, he knew where he wanted to be and who he wanted to be with. So, when Mackenzie suggested they do something together on Saturday night, Joe agreed without hesitation. He’d stay home on Friday, and someone else could cover Austin-duty the next night. Not that being with Austin was a duty; it was just a pain to have to be in the house while he was sleeping. Awake Austin was fun. Sleeping Austin was just keeping Joe away from Awake Mackenzie.

  “Lacey actually posted on Facebook!” Ally crowed as Joe came into the kitchen after putting the little guy to bed on Saturday night. “She’s still in the hospital, but they let her use a computer! She says she’s going to be fine!”

  “Nice.” He’d been hearing good reports about her for a few days, but it was excellent to actually hear something from the girl herself. “And the younger ones?”

  Ally’s face grew more serious. “Savannah’s probably going to be okay. Lacey said there’s some weird brain stuff, but they think it’s going to go away. Kami’s still….” Ally shook her head impatiently. “She’s still working at it. But she’s a tough little monkey! She’ll be okay.”

  Joe wondered which one he’d pulled out first. He was pretty sure it had been Savannah, the youngest. Maybe the few extra moments without proper oxygen had affected Kami. If he’d been faster, it all could have been different. He’d played it over in his mind so many times. He could have left the first girl just outside the window and gone right back in to grab her sister. He could have left the goddamned dog where it was and maybe that would have saved half a second. Not much, but maybe enough. He could have driven faster to get there, climbed faster, searched faster, done everything perfectly, and maybe a little girl wouldn’t still be fighting for her life.

  “Joe,” Ally said slowly and seriously. “Lacey’s alive because of you. She knows it. Everyone knows it. Their parents were passed out in the living room; that’s what people are saying. If you hadn’t gotten there, nobody would have gotten out. You did the best anyone could have done for the little ones.”

  He forced himself to smile. Sometimes his family knew him a little too well. “I’m glad Lacey’s okay,” he said sincerely. And he was glad. But he still wasn’t in a great mood as he pulled out of the driveway and headed into town. He and Mackenzie hadn’t made firm plans, but Joe knew what he wanted to do. Bed. Not sex, necessarily, although that would be fine, but really just being in bed with Mackenzie, being wrapped around him, breathing him in and feeling his warmth. Yeah, he
planned to make a strong case for staying in that night.

  His anticipation turned to confusion when he arrived at the church and found several unfamiliar cars in the parking lot. Mackenzie hadn’t mentioned visitors. Joe pulled out his cell and pressed the right buttons, but Mackenzie didn’t pick up.

  Joe was pretty sure his plans for a quiet evening had just fallen completely apart. A petty, childish voice in his head told him to just turn around and drive back to the farm; he and Mackenzie might not have had specific plans, but they definitely hadn’t talked about a party. Joe let himself pout for two breaths, then found a parking spot and got out of the truck. It would still be good to see Mackenzie, even if he had to see other people at the same time.

  His resolve weakened as he made his way up the walkway and heard the dance music playing inside and the shriek of what he really hoped was laughter. What the hell was going on?

  He pulled the carved wooden door open and peered inside. There were no lights on, but it wasn’t dark out yet, and the stained-glass windows were doing their job, giving a glowing, muted tone to everything inside. There were about twenty men and half as many women—or excellent cross-dressers—gathered at the front of the church, some sitting in the front row of pews, some sprawled on the steps to the altar, and a few dancing in the middle. Joe had never been religious and had never thought of the church as anything other than a great piece of architecture, but something about the scene felt wrong to him. Maybe not sacrilegious, but certainly disrespectful.