by Faith Gibson
“Get your hands off me!” Andy yelled at his boyfriend. Crack. Pain worse than the last two strikes tore through Andy. Would his back eventually get numb? He didn’t know how much more he could handle.
“I’m going to fuck you now, Andrew. Then I’m going to give Clark a turn with your nice, tight hole.”
“No! I don’t want him to touch me! I don’t want you to. Get away!”
Two more stripes landed on his back. “Stop! Get off me,” Andy managed to strangle out before the pain of a cock slammed into his hole. No lube, no prep. “Please stop,” he begged. At least he thought he did. Nothing but a huge cock stretching Andy. It had to be this Clark guy because Patrick wasn’t that big. Wetness dripped out of Andy’s ass. Clark had either orgasmed as soon as he breached Andy, or Andy was bleeding. A hand landed in the middle of Andy’s back on top of the broken skin. Andy had lost all energy to fight. Had lost the will to live. He closed his eyes and prayed for God to take him.
Chapter Sixteen
Bryan
Bryan hadn’t considered how hard it would be to walk and have an orgasm at the same time. How fucking embarrassing. If he’d stood still, he could have at least enjoyed getting off. Instead, he ran like a coward all because he was coming in his underwear like a teenager. He didn’t know the proper etiquette for having an orgasm while still clothed, so he freaked. Freaked the fuck out, and now he’d never be able to look Andy in the eyes again. Bryan had blown his chance at moving forward with his best friend. You blew it all right.
Leaning against his bedroom door, Bryan could still taste Andy’s skin. Feel the way his muscles bunched and released as Bryan ran his fingers over them. Andy’s scent was imbedded in his nostrils. Bryan started to toss his clothes to the floor when he realized they weren’t his clothes. Instead of picking his things up, he’d grabbed Andy’s stuff in his hurry to get away before Andy knew what was happening. Bryan lifted the T-shirt to his nose and inhaled deeply. His traitorous cock started coming back to life. The scent was a mixture of Andy’s body wash and his spunk. When the first ribbon of jizz hit Bryan’s stomach, he’d lost control of his own orgasm. He’d been willing his balls to hang on until he could get behind closed doors, but the warmth of Andy’s release had been too much.
What would have happened if he’d stayed in the kitchen? Would Andy have laughed at him for not holding off? Or would he have enjoyed the fact that Bryan couldn’t wait? Andy was so fucking sexy. Bryan had seen the man in his underwear before, but never had he put his body on display on purpose. They both had ogled the other, not bothering to hide the fact they were staring. Bryan might not have been so brave if it hadn’t been for the liquor, but in his drunken state, he’d enjoyed the hell out of Andy’s body. The only thing better was when he actually got to put his hands on Andy.
Bryan had never touched another man in such an intimate way. If he hadn’t been in such a hurry to kiss Andy, he might have stayed on his knees and licked the tip of Andy’s leaking dick. He’d been tempted, but the need to taste Andy’s lips overrode his curiosity about having another man’s dick in his mouth. He cared about Andy. Deeper than he probably should after only two weeks, but Bryan knew how he felt. When he’d kissed his way down Andy’s body, his cock wanted nothing more than to sink into Andy’s hole. His body warred with his head. He planned on kissing Andy, but as soon as Andy began rubbing their cocks together, all thoughts of kissing flew out the window.
Bryan had to call on every ounce of strength he possessed to keep his orgasm at bay. He fully intended to get his own release, but not in his underwear. He wanted Andy’s hands touching him. His mouth sucking him. His ass surrounding him. Best laid plans. Now, he’d probably never get the chance. The buzz from the alcohol was beginning to turn from that fuzzy, warm feeling to the slow ache spreading through his head. He was going to have one helluva hangover the next day. Bryan had sworn off liquor for that very reason. He hated the next day blahs he got from drinking too much. Beer he could handle in large quantities. Liquor he could not. Not only was he going to be hungover, he was going to have to face Andy.
Their mixed come was already drying on his stomach, but he didn’t have the energy or the guts to take a shower. Running into Andy now would be the nail in the coffin. Bryan pulled Andy’s shirt over his head and let the other items fall to the floor. Normally, he didn’t sleep in a shirt, but he wanted Andy’s scent with him in the bed. If he couldn’t have the man, his shirt would have to do. He could have balled it up and hugged it to his chest, but that screamed stalker. This way, he could pretend he didn’t realize it was the other man’s shirt he was wearing.
Bryan popped open the bottle of anxiety pills and swallowed one dry. When he crawled underneath the covers, he wished he had a bottle of aspirin. He needed to buy some to keep in his room for the next time. There won’t be a next time, fool. No, probably not. Not with Andy, anyway. There definitely wouldn’t be a next time of drinking half a bottle of Jack Daniels. What the hell had he been thinking? And on a work night, no less. Tomorrow was going to be one shitty-ass day.
Praying for sleep so his mind could shut off for at least a few hours, Bryan closed his eyes and waited for the sound of Andy coming down the hall. Bryan snorted. You’re the fool who came down the hall. If he hadn’t been so mortified, he would have stopped walking and enjoyed the release as best he could. Instead, he jizzed in his underwear and didn’t enjoy it one bit. As an afterthought, Bryan removed the ruined briefs and tossed them on the floor. Trying to pry the sticky material off his pubic hair wouldn’t be fun in the morning. Maybe he’d just shave all that shit off. It served no purpose anyway.
Bryan was in the place between being awake and drifting off when the floor creaked outside his door. Andy was probably laughing to himself as he passed by. The shower turned on, and Bryan had never been so jealous of water in his life. He wanted to be the water cascading over Andy’s magnificent body. The droplets touching every inch of his skin. Caressing him like a lover. Bryan wanted to rewind the clock and spend more time ghosting his fingers over more than just the backs of Andy’s legs or his chest and stomach. He wanted to touch his tongue to that place between Andy’s neck and shoulders right before he bit down, marking his skin so everyone would know Andy was his. The sound of the shower and the haze from the alcohol pulled Bryan under.
Bryan awoke to a piss hard-on. Dammit to hell. When he rolled from the bed, he saw that it wasn’t much later than when he’d lain down. He didn’t realize until he was standing in the bathroom that he wasn’t wearing his briefs. Fucking great. After peeing and making a half-assed attempt at washing his hands, he headed back to his room. As he passed by Andy’s door, he heard Andy crying. Bryan pulled the T-shirt down over his junk and pushed open the door to check on his friend. “Andy, you okay?”
Andy’s cries turned into sobs. “Andy?” Bryan sat down on the side of the bed and touched Andy’s arm to get his attention.
“Get off me!”
Bryan pulled his hand back and stood back up. Andy already hated him. Bryan didn’t blame him. He didn’t want to leave Andy alone, but the man made it clear he didn’t want him. Bryan returned to his room, his heart shredded.
“Bryan?” Andy’s voice was calling him, but it was far away. Muffled.
“Bryan, wake up.” The pain was unbearable. What was happening? Had someone hit him over the head? Why couldn’t he see Andy?
“B, wake up.” Andy’s voice was closer now. His hand warm against Bryan’s cold face. Why… Bryan forced his eyes to open. Bright blue eyes stared back at him. A frown marred Andy’s beautiful face.
“There you are. I was worried about you.” Andy’s breath was a mixture of mint and whiskey. Whiskey. The previous night came crashing back, the ache in his head not as strong as the pain in his heart. Andy removed his hand and stood from his kneeling position on the floor. “Breakfast is ready. I’ll keep your plate warm while you shower.”
Bryan pulled the spare pillow back down over his face and g
roaned. Obviously, nobody had ever died from embarrassment, because if they had, Bryan wouldn’t still be on this side of the stratosphere. As much as he’d love to hide the rest of the day, Bryan made himself get up. When he sat up, there was a bottle of ibuprofen and a glass of water on the nightstand. He downed four of them and drank all the water. About two more gallons to flush his system and he’d be good to go.
When Bryan stood, he searched the room for his dirty clothes. The floor was bare except for the rug. Where were his fucking clothes? He scratched his stomach only to find Andy’s T-shirt covering his chest. His ass was bare, and when the previous night bounced around in his memory bank, Bryan dipped his chin to his chest, giving himself a minute to silently curse his behavior. Grabbing clean clothes, he opened the door and made sure the coast was clear before he walked mostly naked down the short hallway to the bathroom. While the water was heating, Bryan brushed his teeth to remove the funk. He brushed them again for good measure. Once inside the shower, he washed quickly until he got to his groin. Lathering as gently as he could, Bryan cleaned the dried jizz off his skin and then washed again to be sure he’d removed any remnants of the night before.
By the time he’d garnered enough courage to show his face, Andy and Mal were no longer in the kitchen. It was already past eight, so he had some apologizing to do. True to his word, Andy put a plate of food in the microwave. Why the fuck was Andy being so nice to him? Bryan nuked his breakfast and poured a cup of coffee while he waited. He wasn’t sure he could keep the food down, but he had to try. Hungover on an empty stomach was worse than having a head that pounded from both too much alcohol and too little food.
He downed one cup of coffee and poured another before he tried to eat. Bryan managed half his breakfast before his stomach began to protest. He dumped the scraps into the trash, washed his plate, and put it away. When he made his way to the barn, Andy and Mal were nowhere to be found. The horses weren’t in their stalls, so Bryan straddled Cade’s four wheeler and set out in search of them.
When he found them, neither Andy nor Mal made comment of the fact he was late. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Mal held up a hand. “Don’t, Bryan. You’re not the first to drink too much when you aren’t used to it.”
Bryan had yet to look at Andy, but after hearing the excuse he’d obviously given their boss, he couldn’t not look. Andy gave him a small nod. Bryan stifled a groan and pulled on his big boy briefs. The ones that weren’t stained with come.
The day flew by with the three of them tag-teaming the cattle. It probably would have gone faster if Andy didn’t have to ooh and ahh over every calf in the pasture. When noon came around, Andy left Mal and Bryan alone to go make lunch for them all, and Bryan took the time to apologize. “Mal, I’m real sorry about this morning.”
“Like I said earlier, we’ve all drank too much when we didn’t mean to. Just tell me this – was it worth it?” Mal was grinning. Did he know what they’d been doing? “I mean, Andy’s a handsome fella. If I wasn’t in love with Cade, I might not mind playin’ strip poker with the man.”
“So, if you weren’t dating Cade, you’d be interested in Andy?” Bryan had never been jealous before, but he was feeling it now.
“Would that bother you?” Mal answered with a question of his own.
“Why should it? I’m straight.” Liar.
“Just checkin’.” Mal went back to the heifer at his feet.
Andy returned with sandwiches for them all. Instead of eating in the pasture, Mal led them to the pond. A spot had been cleared off where they could sit on the ground while eating. The three of them enjoyed their lunch in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable. It never was between them. Mal and Bryan were quiet by nature, and Andy seemed more at ease now than he had when Bryan first met him. They returned to the task of giving the heifers their shots, and the rest of the day went by as quickly as the morning had.
Bryan refused to look at Andy, but he could feel the other man’s eyes boring holes through him all day long. Bryan had skipped supper. He used the excuse that he wasn’t feeling well, but the truth was he didn’t feel like being that close to Andy. Bryan’s head was a jumbled mess and not just from the alcohol. Now that they were sitting on the sofa together watching a game, it was easier to ignore him. That was until Andy stood from his spot and walked in front of him, blocking the TV. “I’m sorry about last night. It won’t happen again.”
Bryan couldn’t stop the pain from ripping through his chest. Andy might have wanted him, but not anymore. Bryan couldn’t blame him. As badly as he wanted to, he couldn’t watch Andy walking away. Bryan tried to focus on the game, but it was useless. All he could think about was what was going on with Andy. Or what wasn’t going on. There had been too many conflicting looks, touches, and words. There’s no way Andy hadn’t been turned on. Not with the way he rubbed against Bryan, unless he’d only been using him to get off. Andy had been drunk, but then again, so had Bryan. Maybe his whiskey-addled brain had him seeing signs that weren’t there. Maybe he was remembering everything all wrong, and he’d been the one to rub their erections together. But he shot his load all over your stomach.
Bryan thought about Andy getting Addison’s phone number. He’d tried to push Bryan away, but Bryan had foolishly made himself believe his best friend wanted him, too. He thought about the folded piece of paper in his bedroom that had Addison’s number on it. He’d meant to throw it away. Maybe it was a good thing he hadn’t. His heart wasn’t ready to date, not when it wanted someone it couldn’t have.
Bryan woke up on the couch. All the lights were off, and the dogs were asleep on the floor beside him. Padding to the kitchen, he made sure the house was secure before heading to his bedroom. He flipped on the light and closed the door. There on the bed were not only his clothes from the night before, but everything he’d had in his hamper was washed and folded. Andy had done his laundry. Even if he didn’t want a relationship with Bryan, Andy was still being a good friend. Bryan had to suck up his feelings and realize what a good thing they had together, even without the intimacy. He would take what he could get where Andy was concerned.
Friday was like being in the twilight zone. If Bryan hadn’t lived through the last couple of days, he would swear they never happened. Andy was more chipper than he’d been in a week. “We going back to the Dairy Barn tonight?” Andy asked as they were untacking the horses. Mal had sent them out on their own all day, so Bryan took advantage of the time to practice riding Callie.
“If you want,” Bryan answered. He wanted nothing more than to go eat with Andy and spend more time with him, even as friends.
“Great. I thought afterwards we could go say hello to Kason, if you’re feeling up to it.”
“Yeah, I’d like that, but I’m sticking to beer.”
“I hear you there. I’m not ready to puke my guts up again.”
Did that mean Andy had thrown up Wednesday night? No wonder he was able to get up on time. Bryan should have made himself throw up, but that would have meant going into the bathroom and possibly facing Andy after what happened. Nope, dealing with a hangover had been the lesser of two evils. But you did face Andy afterwards. Yeah, that rejection was something he didn’t ever want to think about.
After they finished taking care of the horses, they took turns in the shower, and while Andy was primping, Bryan called his sister and checked in. When Andy walked into the living room, Bryan could only stare. Andy had on a dark pair of jeans over his new cowboy boots. He had a button-up shirt tucked in and the sleeves rolled up. Damn, he looked good. Bryan hadn’t made any special attempt at looking nice. What was the point? He wasn’t going out to impress anyone. The one he wanted to impress had already shot him down.
The Dairy Barn was crowded when they arrived, but they were able to find a table in the back. Andy grabbed their ketchup and drinks while Bryan waited on their food. They really were in tune with each other when it came to most things. Andy smiled at everyone, putting them at as much ease as h
e could while Bryan looked on in awe. Bryan didn’t smile. He’d tried it the last time they were there only to be scowled at. He always felt people were judging him for the way he looked, and now was no exception. At least in the projects he’d been around people of color and different ethnicities. Here, Bryan ignored everyone. Everyone except the blond sitting across from him.
When they arrived at DWs, it was a little later than the last week, and several tables were already filled. Instead of making Kason come to them, they took a couple of empty seats at the bar. Their fellow Marine smiled when he saw them.
“I was wondering if I’d see you two tonight. How’s it going?” Kason had already poured the same beer they’d ordered the week before.
Since Bryan didn’t know how things were going, he let Andy do the talking. Bryan enjoyed listening to Andy’s voice, so he saw no reason to speak up. Andy told Kason all about the farm. He sang Bryan’s praises of grilling steak. He gushed on and on about Matilda. He even talked about the cattle. Kason laughed when Andy admitted stepping in a pile of cow shit. That had been funny watching Andy hopping on one foot while trying to sling the dung off his boot. Kason kept their glasses full, and it was much easier to talk to him sitting at the bar. Bryan was oblivious to his surroundings which was unusual for him. Normally, he liked to sit where he could see all the action, but having another Marine on the other side of the bar put him at ease. Kason would warn them if something bad was going to happen.
After a few beers, Bryan switched to water so he’d be okay to drive home. Andy wasn’t drunk, but he was feeling good. All night, he’d kept his thigh pressed up against Bryan’s. Andy had touched his arm or his shoulder whenever he got up to pee. It was enough to have Bryan ready to take him home and try getting naked again, embarrassment be damned.
