Water ran somewhere upstairs, so Ryan must have been taking a shower. With a grin, Jack made his way up to join his lover. Stairs were slow going with his gimpy leg, but the hot water would do him a world of good. So would whatever Ryan was game for.
He shucked his clothes on the way and knocked on the bathroom door before entering.
“It’s me.” Probably sounded stupid, but he didn’t want to startle Ryan.
“Hey you.” The glass door opened, and Ryan peeked out. His short blond hair stood up in wet spikes and his eyes shone like blue gemstones. His lips looked pink and delicious.
“Mind if I join you?”
That got him a sweet smile. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
Jack stepped behind him and caught the warm spray after it splashed over Ryan’s body.
“Here”—Ryan pushed him to the front—“let’s get you wet.”
“Mm.” Jack tilted his face up and let the hot water stream over him. “This is nice.”
“Long day?”
“Little bit,” Jack murmured. “We did a job where an elderly woman was dead for a while before anyone discovered her. Family in Washington wanted the place cleaned so they can sell it. I guess they need the cash.”
“Always sad when someone dies alone.”
“Yeah.” He didn’t want to be a downer so he changed the subject. “You save any lives today?”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “It’s flu season. My god. The ER was packed. Did you get your flu shot?”
“I did.” Jack was careful about things like that. Especially now that he had Ryan looking over his shoulder. He took vitamins, ate right, and everything.
“Good.”
Jack let his head fall against Ryan’s shoulder.
“Ooh, I like this.” Ryan took a pump of body wash and spread it over Jack’s chest. Jack’s nipples peaked as Ryan scraped them lightly with his fingernail. Jack’s chest tightened. His heart beat faster.
Ryan nibbled the skin below his ear, which got him squirming. He turned in Ryan’s arms, and spread the soap between them in the best way possible. Ryan’s cock rose.
“Somebody’s happy to see me.”
“Not just him. I am too,” Ryan nudged him. “Just sayin’.”
“Turn around,” Jack urged. Ryan did as he asked. With a soapy hand, he caught hold of Ryan’s cock and gave it an experimental pump. “This okay?”
“In what universe”—Ryan gasped—“do you imagine I’d say no?”
Jack laid a line of kisses on Ryan’s shoulder, across his neck, and over the other side, all the while jacking his cock with firm pressure at an easy pace. Lazy and slow and sweet. Just how he liked it these days. This was all about Ryan.
“Oh. Jack.” Ryan moaned.
Jack nuzzled into the nape of Ryan’s neck. He tongued the skin there, tasting salt and the soap. He nibbled Ryan’s ear lobe gently.
Ryan responded so sweetly, every time. His breath came in huffs and his shoulders rose as if Jack was tickling him. Jack had this thing he did, stroking Ryan’s dick hand over hand. Ryan’s legs trembled when he did it. That was a rush. Ryan turned his head to meet Jack’s lips in a desperate kiss. Ryan wanted more. Jack wanted to give it to him.
He picked up the tempo, gliding one hand over Jack’s cock while he tugged lightly at Ryan’s smooth balls with the other. From that angle, he couldn’t stroke Ryan’s taint so he pulled his hand back to skim his fingers down the sweet slash of Ryan’s ass crack and lightly brushed his hole.
“Yes.” Ryan head fell on Jack’s shoulder as he spread his legs wider.
That was all the invitation Jack needed. He circled Ryan’s hole, careful to be gentle, careful to keep soap away from that sensitive skin.
Ryan kept waterproof lube for that, and now Jack gathered some on his fingers and worked to soften him up for the ass play he loved.
“Mm.” Ryan sank onto his finger so nicely. “More.”
“Shh.” Jack ignored his pleas until he was sure two fingers would slip easily inside him.
This was meant to be sensual and relaxing. He didn’t want to just plunge in, he wanted to drown Ryan with pleasure, not pinches of pain.
“Better?”
“Yes.” Ryan quivered all over when Jack found his sweet spot.
He accelerated things, forcing Ryan to move between his hand and his fingers, picking up the tempo on both until Ryan whined with need.
“Jack. Please. Please. I want to come—”
“I’ve got you, honey.” With only a few more strokes hot jizz streamed over Jack’s hand. He braced his trembling lover and kept the sensations going as long Ryan let him.
“My God, Jack.” Ryan sagged against him, spent. “That was…”
“Good?”
Ryan bit his lip. “Spectacular.”
Jack teased, “Yeah, I know.”
“You arrogant shit.”
Jack held him beneath the spray and rocked him to rinse off.
Ryan reached for Jack’s cock. “Here. Let me—”
“It can wait.” Jack was hard. No doubt about it. But he had other things in mind then a hand job in the shower.
Ryan sought his lips again. “All right.”
They shared kisses and finished washing each other, standing under the spray until the water turned cold.
Jack got out and wrapped a towel around his waist. Then he got one to towel Ryan off. “Here you go, baby.”
Ryan kissed his nose. “What did I do to deserve you?”
Jack was equally bemused by the fact Ryan loved him. Like Skippy was doing with Kelly Ann, Jack had planned an extra nice evening for Ryan. Jack wanted to show him how much he cared.
“I love you,” he said simply.
Ryan nestled into his arms. “Me too, Jack.”
The look he sent Jack’s way was both tender and incendiary. Things were just heating up again when the doorbell rang.
Ryan stiffened. “Shoot. I have to get that.”
“Really? No. It’s probably missionaries or something.”
“What if it’s Karen?” Dave’s mother often dropped baked goods off for him.
“Don’t you think she’d come back if you didn’t answer?”
“I don’t want her to think I’m ignoring her.” The bell rang again. “Your car’s parked out front. The lights are on. Whoever it is knows someone’s here.”
“You really want to answer?” Jack asked. “Now?”
“Er…” Ryan shifted his gaze. “I was hoping you would go down.”
“Are you serious?” At Ryan’s pleading expression, Jack let out a loud sigh.
Now whoever was at the door started knocking. “Maybe it’s an emergency?”
“All right.” Jack turned to leave. “Hold dirty, dirty thoughts for me. Back in a second.”
“Wait. You’re not going to answer like that?” Ryan squeaked.
Jack glanced down at the towel wrapped around his waist. “Unless you have a better idea.”
“Take my robe,” Ryan offered. “And try to lose the boner, will you? You don’t want to knock someone over.”
Shaking his head, he grabbed Ryan’s robe and headed for the stairs.
He tied the robe’s sash on the way as he took the stairs one at a time. He wouldn’t have thought Karen could knock like that—like her son and his cop colleagues. The sound was insistent and authoritative.
“Hang on, I’m coming,” he said more politely than he felt. He opened the door and found Skippy outside, holding his baby in a car seat.
“Hey Skippy.” They eyed each other. “What’s up?”
Skippy wore a suit and tie. Jack smelled cologne. The Mazda sat in Ryan’s driveway, lights on, with Kelly Ann in the passenger seat.
“I don’t know what to do, boss. I don’t even know how to ask, but Kelly Ann’s mom has a cold—”
“I don’t understand,” Jack stared at Skippy and the baby, whose little arms flailed.
“I’m trying to tell you. Kell
y Ann’s mom can’t watch Lalo, and I made all those plans, and I was hoping you couldwatchthebaby.” Skippy ran the sentence together so quickly Jack had a hard time understanding him. “You were hoping what?”
“Who is it, Jack?” Dressed in loose pants and a t-shirt, Ryan stepped close behind him. He saw Skippy, he offered a wide smile. “You look awesome. Ready for your big weekend?”
“That’s the problem, see—” He looked toward the car and waved at Kelly Ann. “Kelly Ann’s mom has a cold.”
“Hope it’s not flu. This season is”—Ryan gasped—“Skippy, is that the baby?”
“I don’t think it’s the flu, but obviously, she can’t watch Lalo, and I was hoping you could.”
“That’s not a good idea, Skippy,” said Jack. “I don’t know very much about little kids.”
“But Ryan does.” Skippy turned to Ryan. “Don’t you? You’re a nurse, right?
Ryan’s hand went to his throat. “Well, yes, but—”
“You guys are the only hope I’ve got. Gabe’s out somewhere. Eddie’s with his family—”
“But Skippy—”
“I’m working this weekend.” Ryan spread his hands. “If we take Lalo, only Jack will be here during the day to watch him.”
“Could you show him what Lalo needs?”
“I can give him a crash course in babies, but—”
“What are you saying?” Jack turned to Ryan. “Are you actually considering this?”
“Kelly Ann needs this time away, remember?” Ryan lifted his brows. “We helped Skippy plan the whole weekend. I don’t see why we can’t help him out with Lalo.”
“Thanks, Ryan.” Skippy handed the baby over, along with a sizable backpack. “I’ll owe you a million favors. I’m good for it too. There’s some more stuff in the car. Jack, can you help me get it?”
Bemused, Jack started down the lighted walkway with him. He waved to Kelly Ann. She waved back.
“You have no idea how much I appreciate this.” Skippy opened the trunk of his car. “I brought everything you’ll need: The travel crib, and the bouncy chair and formula and clean bottles. This is his favorite blanket and he likes this stuffed dinosaur best.”
Jack let Skippy load him down with as much as he could carry. Skippy brought the rest, muttering advice that contained words like fussy, and obstinate, and teething while Jack’s life slipped silently out of his control.
“You sure this is a good idea?” he asked again. “I really don’t know anything about kids.”
It wasn’t the brash, almost feral Skippy who stared back at him, but an anxious young father who only wanted a night away with his wife.
“You’ve got a good heart.” He poked Jack’s chest. “And you’ve got Ryan. I think you’ll do okay.”
Ryan held Lalo’s bucket seat while Skippy and Kelly Ann waved goodbye. They watched as the small car backed out of the drive.
“I hope they have a great fucking time this weekend.” Jack shut the door after the Mazda’s red taillights turned the corner and vanished from sight. “Because somebody should.”
Ryan undid the straps and scooped Lalo into his arms. “Hear that, Lalo? Uncle Jack is a Grinch, huh? We’d better hide Christmas, huh?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I see how this is going to be. You get to be the nice uncle.”
“Oh, I am the nice uncle.” Ryan’s smile went straight to Jack’s cock. “And that makes you the enforcer.”
“As if.” A surge of fondness swelled Jack’s heart. “Christ, you really think we can do this?”
Ryan nodded confidently. “We’ve got this.”
Friday, 20:00 - “You know what? You look good doing that.” Jack couldn’t define the feeling he got when he watched Ryan feed the baby. Something dangerously soft and squishy inside him liked it. A lot. The image gave rise to others he wasn’t ready to experience, much less admit.
“He’s hungry.” Ryan held the bottle while Lalo greedily ate. “Pace yourself, little man. You hold the bottle like this, see? So he doesn’t get too much air in his tummy.”
“Got it.” Jack made a mental note. “I can’t believe I’ll be doing this alone tomorrow. You sure you can’t take off work?”
“I’m sure. You can handle it. He can’t exactly outrun you.”
“That’s one person, anyway.”
Friday, 23:00 - “What does he want?” Jack’s heart beat frantically. “I’ve ridden on firetrucks that aren’t this loud.”
“He needs a diaper change. Can’t you smell that?”
“Well…I wasn’t gonna say anything.”
Ryan gaped at him. “You thought it was me?”
“Um…”
“Here are his things,” Ryan said archly. “Have you ever changed a baby before?”
“You do it on the floor?” Jack’s knee caught fire as he got on his hands and knees next to Ryan.
“I’m going to use a pad beneath him, but yes.” Ryan glanced over. “You should probably do it on the bed.”
“On our sheets?”
Ryan ripped the Velcro tabs and opened the diaper. “Save your leg.”
Jack’s stomach churned. “Christ. What do they feed him?”
“Poop stinks. What do you want from me? You’ve really never done this?”
“Hell no.”
“Your firm cleans crime scenes for a living, and this is what bugs you? Suck it up, buttercup.”
“All right, all right.” Jack lifted his arm over his nose and mouth. “That’s really bad, though.”
“Uncle Jack’s a big wuss, huh, Lalo.” Ryan glanced over. “Don’t forget to cover his penis with something while you do this or he’ll pee in your face.”
“He’ll what?”
“It’s not personal with babies. Just business. But yeah. Unless you want a mouthful of pee—”
“Got it.”
Saturday, 01:00 - “I really thought babies his age were supposed to sleep through the night,” Ryan admitted, after he’d walked Lalo around the living room for about twenty minutes. Lalo showed no signs of settling down.
Jack turned on the television and muted the sound. “You said they cry if they’re hungry, wet, or tired. Obviously you’re working on bogus intel.”
“He could be teething I suppose. Does he seem to be drooling more?”
“More than what? It’s not like I know the average drool volume of—”
“I’m just gonna... You know what?” Ryan felt the baby’s forehead and cheeks. “He might be running a slight temp. Teething can do that. It’s probably why he’s fussy. I hope he’s not coming down with something.”
Jack sat up. “Should we call Skippy?”
“His temp isn’t high enough to be alarming. He’s about nine months old, isn’t he?” Ryan felt along his gums with his pinky finger. “Oh, yeah. Feels like a bump here. Ow”—he pulled away sharply—“he’s teething. Can you check the diaper bag and see if Skippy left any teething toys?”
Jack opened the voluminous backpack Skippy had given him and started searching its many pockets. “What would they look like?”
“Chew toys?”
“Like for a puppy? I found these.” Jack held up a colorful set of fat plastic keys and a soft, water-filled ring.
“Perfect.” Ryan took the keys. “Put the ring in the fridge for later.”
“M’kay.” Jack slogged into the kitchen. “You want anything while I’m in here?”
“Water would be awesome.”
Jack brought two water bottles to the living room where they’d set up a camp, of sorts. Baby things covered nearly every surface now—travel crib, blankets, toys, a waste pail for diapers, a basket for laundry. They’d decided to sleep on the couches to be closer to Lalo’s cot and the kitchen.
“How is it possible the place looks like this after only six hours?”
“Babies take over people’s lives.” Ryan took the water gratefully. “It’s what they do. Hold him while I look for Tylenol drops, will you?”
Ryan handed Lalo to Jack, noting that strings of saliva stretched between them. “Elevated temp, check. Cranky, check. Drooling like a St. Bernard, check. Definitely teething.”
Jack lay on the couch and settled Lalo on his chest. “Sh-sh-sh, baby. I got you.”
“Hey, found it.” Ryan called out. “This will help.”
He pulled dosing instructions from his phone and carefully measured out the right number of drops. Lalo fought like a tiger when they tried to take the plastic keys away.
“I’ll give it back.” Ryan soothed. “It’s just for a minute. Here you go, champ. You’ll feel better in a bit.”
Jack worried his lower lip. “I wouldn’t have known about any of this stuff.”
“He’ll be fine. He’s uncomfortable and he wants company for his misery.”
“I’ve got you, little man.” Jack leaned over and kissed Ryan’s cheek. “You’re a good guy, Ry.”
Ryan leaned into him. “So are you, babe.”
Saturday 05:00 - Jack picked up Lalo before he could really start wailing and walked him to the kitchen. He’d worried about carrying the baby in one arm while using his cane, but if he took it slow, things were fine. If worse came to worst, he knew how to fall and protect whatever he was holding. He’d only done it a million times.
He listed Lalo’s feeding procedure in his mind as he checked off each step. Warm the formula. Shake the bottle well. Test the temperature. Tilt the bottle just so. “Here you go little man. Bon appetite.”
He swayed side to side, leaning against the sink and staring out the window while Lalo ate his breakfast.
God, Ryan’s yard was gorgeous. In the bluish light of dawn, late summer flowers bloomed in profusion beneath fruit trees, some heavy with nectarines and plums. He’d spent enough time with Ryan to know how hard he worked to keep things nice out there. When Ryan was wasn’t at the hospital or with him, he spent his time in his grandmother’s garden, tending vegetables, weeding, gathering fruit from trees she’d planted a generation ago.
Jack was so mesmerized by the view he didn’t hear Ryan come up behind him before he felt a kiss drop lightly on the back of his neck. “You’re up early. Did Lalo fuss?”
“Just enough to let me know he was hungry.”
Jack: Grime and Punishment (The Brothers Grime Book 1) Page 20
