Don't Read in the Closet volume one (53 page)

Bruce took a breath. Then another. He wanted nothing more than to
undress and let Rick fuck his brains out. But that’s what always happened.
Bruce would be upset and Rick would fix it with sex. Fuck buddies to the core.
He wasn’t having it. He wanted a boyfriend. A partner.

“No.”

“No, what? No you won’t listen or no you won’t get naked first?”

“I’m not taking my clothes off, Rick.” Bruce crossed his arms
over his chest.

Rick nodded. “Okay then. Fine. Just listen.” Rick rocked back in
the chair, two of the legs coming off the floor. He seemed to be trying to
figure out what to say first.

“I’m listening.” Bruce knew he sounded snarky but he was nervous.
He curled his fingers into fists and waited, preparing for the worst.

The legs of the chair came down with a thump.

“I need time—”

“Time! Rick—”

“My turn to talk. Hear me out before you start yelling.”

Bruce nodded and backed up against the door for support. He
didn’t come here to hear that Rick needed time to figure out if they should
become more serious.

“Okay then. When I said I needed more time, it wasn’t about you
and me. Well, not directly. Stop shaking your head and listen to me damn it.
I’m not fucking losing you so pay attention.” Rick took a breath. “We can’t be
public, fully public until my time is up. Don’t—” Rick glared at him.

Bruce wanted to talk. To disagree. Something, but he stayed
silent, his heart cracking, waiting to shatter.

“Thank you,” Rick whispered. “Now, that isn’t to say we can’t be
a couple. We just need to keep it low key until I’m discharged. I think that’s
safer for both of us. That’s the time I’m talking about. I’ll tell my family
too, but—I can’t—I have to work up to that. You’ve met my dad. It’s—not—well—it
won’t be pretty. But we can tell our families. Um…probably yours first. I know
you’re asking yourself how this is different than it’s been for the past four
years, but it will be.” Rick leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees, his
expression intense until he held his face in his hands. As if he expected Bruce
to reject him.

Bruce waited to see what else he was going to say. Hopeful, he
leaned away from the door and toward Rick. He stepped closer, one foot in front
of the other until he was a few paces away. Then he stopped again. Rick looked
up from the floor at Bruce’s approach.

“No more pretending to be straight. But I’m not going to come out
and declare I’m gay and proud. I’m not ready yet. No more hitting on women.
That isn’t to say I won’t go out with the guys, but I won’t fake that part
anymore. We can do more things, just the two of us. Dinner? A movie, maybe?
Like real dates. You and me. Partners. When I’m out, we can move in together.
Hell, we can do that before if we find a place we like. But who knows, we might
not stay here. We can figure it out. What do you say?”

He couldn’t move. Bruce nodded, afraid of what might come out. He
didn’t want to start bawling like a frickin’ baby. He moved closer.

“Wait.”

Now he was confused. He thought—didn’t Rick just say they’d be a
couple?

“What—I don’t—”

“I want you naked when you get here and I have one last thing to
say.”

Bruce didn’t wait for Rick to finish his sentence before he
ripped his clothes off.

Rick chuckled. “I love you, ya big idiot. And I’m never going to
lose you. Do you understand me? Are you good with that?”

Bruce finally found his voice. Bare, he stood in front of Rick.
He controlled himself enough not to touch—yet.

“I love you too. These past few days were hell. I didn’t want to
leave you, but I didn’t think you’d want more.”

“You’re okay with waiting?” Rick used a finger to trace a line
down Bruce’s chest. Bruce couldn’t stop the shudder from racking his body.

“I was always okay with waiting,” Bruce admitted.

“Then why did you—” Rick looked confused.

“I wasn’t okay with feeling like a casual fuck. A friend with
benefits. I thought that’s all you wanted.” Bruce shrugged.

“Well, it’s not.” Rick reached out and grabbed Bruce, his hands
cupping Bruce’s ass.

Bruce leaned in, bracing his hands on the back of the chair, his
muscles straining to prevent him from completely collapsing on Rick. Rick
wrapped his legs around Bruce’s, his heels caressing Bruce’s calves. Rick
grabbed his ass, pushing his cock against Rick’s chest. The skin beneath him
was so warm. He wanted to rock, but Rick kept him steady. Wet heat encased his
nipple. He looked down to see Rick circling the hard nub with his tongue. The
sensation overloaded his senses. Rick’s eyes were closed allowing Bruce to
really look at the man he loved unobserved. Rick looked…relieved and maybe a
little tired and…happy. Bruce hadn’t been the only one losing sleep.

He shifted his arms and the chair slipped, causing him to fall
totally onto Rick. The chair wasn’t going to work. Not for what he wanted. He
reluctantly moved back, struggling a little because Rick didn’t want to let him
go. Finally he held out a hand and guided them both to the bed. He pushed Rick
over and waited for him to get to the head of the bed before crawling up his
body, pausing to kiss what flesh he could. Nothing was safe.

Bruce peppered tiny bites and licks up Rick’s body until he
reached the other man’s mouth. His full body resting on top of Rick, he took
what was his. Lips collided, tongues dueled.

Rick took the opportunity to wrap his whole body around Bruce. It
was just the two of them in a cocoon of happiness, rocking against each other.
He wanted Rick’s cock up his ass in the worst way. His hole clenched at the
thought, his dick leaking pre come.

“Lube? Condom?” Bruce looked down at Rick.

Rick moved his hand under the pillow. It took a couple seconds
before he raised the items in triumph.

“Sure of yourself, huh?” Bruce teased.

“Not really. Hopeful. I was scared it would be too little too
late,” Rick admitted and ran his fingers through Bruce’s hair.

“I love you,” Bruce whispered against Rick’s lips. “Now fuck me.”
Rick clutched at Bruce’s head, holding him close.

Bruce reached for the lube, kissing Rick while opening the bottle
with one hand. He managed to get some on his fingers so he could stretch his
own ass. He groaned when he heard the wrapper tear. He moaned when Rick added
his thumb to Bruce’s two fingers. He was so full, but it still wasn’t enough.

He rocked against Rick, whimpering in need. Bruce pushed Rick’s
hand away and sat up, breaking the kiss. He impaled himself on Rick cock. They
both froze. Bruce braced himself on Rick’s chest and began to move. Slowly. Up
and down. He closed his eyes and threw his head back. Rick’s hand’s rested on
his hips, helping him as his movements became more erratic.

Rick sat up and Bruce was wrapped completely in Rick’s embrace,
every part of them touching. His pace slowed down. He wanted to come so bad,
but this was about more than sex. It was about them, loving each other,
becoming one. Bruce grabbed Rick’s face, his breath hitching over Rick’s mouth,
lips open against each other, but not kissing, just breathing on each other.
Although, Bruce’s couldn’t quite catch his breath. His body shuddering, he
panted. He quivered in Rick’s arms and hung on tight. Without a touch to his
cock, he exploded, the moment more intense than anything he had ever experienced.
His ass clenched on Rick’s dick, milking his lover’s release.

The two fell to the bed, trying to slow down their heart rates.
Bruce locked fingers with Rick, not wanting to be without his touch.

Minutes ticked by, the silence nice, as Bruce came down from the
rush of making love for the first time with Rick. Sure, they’d had sex before,
but what had just happened? That was special.

“We should do this more often.” Rick looked over at him.

Bruce licked his lips, trying to get his voice to work. “Yes. We
should.”

Things were going to be okay. They’d figure out the future
together. But for now? Now they could rest up so they could have a round two.
And if Bruce was lucky? Maybe a round three. In the shower.

Real life might peek in and the next year wasn’t going to be the
easiest, but knowing Rick wanted more from their relationship was all he
needed. He curled around Rick as his eyes drifted closed and he smiled,
thinking he really could go off into the wild blue yonder. With his Air Force
man by his side, nothing could go wrong.

THE END

Author bio:
Jambrea
wanted to be the youngest romance author published, but life impeded the
dreams. She put her writing aside and went to college briefly, then enlisted in
the Air Force. After serving in the military, she returned home to Indiana to
start her family. A few years later, she discovered yahoo groups and book
reviews. There was no turning back. She was bit by the writing bug.

You can reach her at
[email protected] or [email protected]

Website: www.jambrea.com

Blog:
http://internationalheat.wordpress.com/
(Not just an m/m blog)

Yahoo Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Heat_Wave_...
(This is not just an m/m group.)

Selected by Pender
Mackie

Dear Author,

I'm a little late to the
game but I'm really hoping you can help me out. I've seen this man a few times
sitting hunched over outside a closed door at the hospital. He seems so sad but
still always lifts his head and gives me a tiny smile of acknowledgment before
continuing to clutch a dark piece of clothing that's always present in his
hands.

I really wish you could
somehow foresee a happy ending for this obviously emotional, loving man because
I'd really love to see a real smile on his beautiful face.

[PHOTO: A man's face, one eye hidden by the
press of his hand. The other eye stares out, dark, sad, a tear trembling at the
corner. Strands of dark hair fall forward on his temple; stubble outlines his
angular jaw and frames a well-formed mouth. The lines on his forehead, the set
of his lips...he's hurting.]

Sincerely,

Karen

Genre:
contemporary

Tags:
hook-up, pets, blue collar,
summer romance, first date

Content Warnings:
bereavement

Words:
8,451

DOG DAYS OF
SUMMER

by
Pender Mackie

CHAPTER ONE

Levi apologized to his
vet. “Thanks. Sorry he was such a pain in the butt. The way he was shaking,
you’d never guess he was just getting his shots.”

Whirlwind’s tail was
between his legs and he hid behind Levi—probably getting hair all over his
jeans. He bent down to rub his dog’s head. “Come on buddy, don’t be a wuss. It
wasn’t that bad.”

The vet laughed. “For a
young dog he was pretty good.”

Levi smiled. “If you say
so. Thanks again.”

He opened the
examination room’s door. The leash ran through his fingers as his golden
retriever squeezed though the door,
then
streaked down
the hall and around the corner, towards the waiting room and the front door
beyond.

Levi chased after his
dog. “Whirlwind!”

He rounded the corner
and stopped.

A dark-haired man was on
his knees, his arms wrapped around the retriever and his face pressed into
Whirlwind’s shoulder. Whirlwind’s tail waved to and fro as the man stroked him
and murmured words Levi couldn’t hear.

Levi hesitated. It was
one thing to pet someone else’s dog, but to kneel and hug him? That was a
little weird.

 
As he approached slowly, the man spoke. “Is he
yours? He’s gorgeous.”

Levi stared into the
prettiest eyes he’d ever seen. Maybe pretty was the wrong word. With his
tousled black hair and five o’clock shadow, the man looked too rugged for any
part of him to be described as pretty, but his eyes were beautiful, a deep,
soulful brown. Like melted chocolate.

 
Levi’s expression softened. “Yeah. He is.”

The man gave him a
lopsided smile and Levi felt something move in his chest. He raised his hand
and rubbed at his shirt, but the unsettling feeling had already passed.

The stranger stood and
offered Whirlwind’s leash.

Levi took it and smiled
back. “Thanks.”

There was something in
the man’s other hand. At first Levi thought it was a black bandana or a small
towel, but as the man straightened he saw it was a leash, folded over until it
was only about six inches long.

“Hey, you’ve got a dog
too.”

The other man’s face
twisted. He bent his head and swiped at his face with the back of his hand.

What the hell
? Levi didn’t want to get involved, but he felt some
sort of response was necessary.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It’s…I have to go
back inside in a couple of minutes to…say goodbye. They’re making her
comfortable first.” He raised his head and smiled at Levi, but it wasn’t a real
smile. He still looked heartbroken.

Shit
! Levi felt like a jerk. He should have known something was up.

“I’m sorry,” he said,
knowing the words were hopelessly inadequate.

“Thanks.”

Whirlwind whined and
butted the man’s hand with his head.