"Yeah—what were you thinking?"
"I was thinking if I feel like this for you now, what will it be like if we get a chance to really grow together?"
There was a silence on the other end that threatened to drive José mad. Finally Ronin cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was different, almost hard.
"All right. What did you decide?"
"This would be easier if we were together," José said softly. "I want you, Ronin. In every possible way."
Ronin laughed. It was a rough sound that reminded José of the way Ronin had dominated him—pulling his hair, spanking his ass, fucking him roughly, leaving José's mouth open for a scream that never came. What he did get was blinding passion that he would happily let enflame him.
"Well, let's do this then."
José smiled. "You sure?"
"I'm positive. We're not children, José. We've moved from being just
together
, to being together. I can live with that. When I woke up with you beside me the other day, I was so happy to see you there and I couldn't
understand why."
"Because I give you booty?"
Ronin laughed. "And that—that humor you have does my heart good."
José hung his head then, heat spreading on his cheeks as his body pulsed sweetly. "Good night, Ronin."
"Night, baby."
Ronin carried the final frame from his workroom and placed it beside the others in the large sunroom. He stepped back and rubbed a hand over his cheeks as he looked down at the final set of paintings he was doing for José. A smile crept across his face as he wondered how he'd gotten them all done. He kept stealing time to see José, to take José out for dinner, lunch or just to get some booty.
But he loved every moment of it. He licked his lips, rested his hands on his hips, and walked from the room as he undid one of the straps from his paint-covered overalls. In the kitchen he grabbed a bottle of water and after a long drink he turned to the fridge to see what was for dinner.
The phone rang loudly behind him and he groaned.
"
Yellow
?"
Mack laughed. "Well, someone's in a good mood.
That means one thing."
"Yeah? And what's that?"
"You
are
getting laid."
Ronin chuckled. "Yeah, whatever. What's up?"
"Well, I'm packing a bag. I finished my caseload and I'm heading to Eros."
"Finally," Ronin cheered. "When are you leaving?"
"First thing tomorrow morning. I should land in
Century at about eleven. You coming out to get me or do I have to walk to Eros?"
"Tempting. But I'll come get you. I have to talk to you about something too but I'll wait till you get here."
"Sounds serious. Did you tell them your brother carries a gun for a living?"
Ronin laughed. "You're being a drama king again.
It's nothing bad, trust me. It's about my love life."
"Want me to take the red eye?"
Ronin shook his head. "No, I can wait. You be careful. And I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah. Ro?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
Ronin smiled. "Love you too. See you tomorrow in Century."
With the thought his brother was coming, Ronin left dinner and jogged up the stairs. He spent the next little while putting new sheets on the bed in one of the guest rooms as well as restocking the towels and everything in the private bathroom. When he was satisfied, he changed his clothes and grabbed his wallet and car keys. If his brother was coming he probably should get some groceries.
Since he was heading into town anyway, he might as well stop and grab some food at Anatolis.
Reaching for his phone again, he dialed and waited.
"Hello?"
"José… Did Savaro pick up Leroy?"
"Um—this morning. Why?"
"Can I steal you away tonight?"
"Well, that all depends. Are you propositioning me, Mr McCall?"
"Yes. And to sweeten the deal, I will give you full access to my body in every naughty way you can possibly think of."
The sound of José's groan on the other end of the line aroused Ronin quickly and he smiled, rubbing a hand over the bulge in the front of his pants. "What do you say?"
"Pick me up."
"I'll see you soon."
With the conversation over, Ronin changed again.
This time he pulled on a black pair of jeans, a white dress shirt, and black shoes. He reached once again for his cell, wallet, and keys, and hurried out the door. When he pulled up outside José's, José was standing outside, leaning against a car speaking with a man. Ronin blinked as his heart did a lurch, but then he smiled and shook his head. He was the cowboy from the first night he'd arrived in Eros—
Race Something-or-other, Laird's man.
He turned off the ignition and eased from the front
seat to join them.
"Race." Ronin extended a hand. "It's good to see you again."
"What's going on?" Race took his hand in a hearty squeeze. "You two have plans for tonight?"
Ronin looked over at José who was staring at him in that hungry way. "Something like that. I was thinking I could steal José here for dinner at Anatolis."
"Sounds like a plan. Savaro's team baked some fresh honey buns for tonight so make sure you snag some of those," Race explained. "I should head back. Laird gets home tonight and I want to make him some dinner."
"You going to see Winston any time soon?" José wanted to know.
"Yeah. He asked me to visit. I think he's having issues with the horses again."
José laughed. "Well, I'm going to have dinner with my man. I'll talk to you later."
"Your man?" Race cocked a brow. "Oh my. When did this happen?"
"I'm not sure," Ronin replied.
Race patted Ronin on the shoulder. "We're planning on having a dinner when everyone is back in Eros. Maybe on the weekend. You guys want in?"
"Ronin?" José asked.
"Yeah sure. But there will be a third, if you don't mind."
"Who?" Race questioned.
"My brother is heading in from New York tomorrow morning. He's going to be here a while since he's on leave."
"Yeah sure. I don't think it will be a problem. I'll see you two later."
After more handshakes and Race's taillights disappearing in the distance, Ronin did what he'd wanted to do all day. He pulled José into his arms and kissed him.
This kiss was different than the others. It was soft and all-consuming. When he pulled away, it was reluctantly. "We should go now."
José laughed. "All right. But I want my reward later."
Ronin kissed him again and they walked to the car hand in hand. Ronin released José long enough that they could get in the car. But when they were driving toward the restaurant, he took José's hand again. While he drove, he absentmindedly caressed José's hand with his thumb. There was something about the connection he had with José that left him breathless and feeling quite empty when it was broken.
"Are you okay?" José asked.
Ronin hauled in a shaky breath and smiled. He glanced at José quickly before looking back at the road.
"I'm fine."
"You're worried about your brother meeting me, aren't you?"
"Not really."
"Does he know you're gay?"
Ronin nodded. "He was the first person to know. I just—I've never taken a guy home before. I don't know what the proper etiquette is."
"Really? Never? Why am I different?"
"José."
"It's a valid question."
Ronin flipped on his signal and pulled over into the parking lot for the restaurant. When he turned the ignition off, he shifted in his seat to face José. "You just are. You do things to me—with you I actually want things to work…"
The smile José gave him caused his breath to catch in his throat and his body to burn sweetly. "Thank you,"
José whispered.
Ronin kissed him.
"For the record, I told my mom about you."
"And?"
"She wants to know when we're coming to Spain."
Ronin laughed and eased from the car. "Well, we can go anytime you want."
"You're yanking me."
"José—" Ronin took José by the hips and pinned him gently against the hood of the car. "I thought you'd know by now when I'm really yanking you." To stress his point, he reached down and caressed José's cock through his pants. He then caught José's penis and yanked it a few times until he felt it stiffen.
"Damn, Ronin. Do we really need to eat right now?" José wanted to know and snaked his arms around Ronin's neck.
"We won't stay long. Just in and out—because I have to get some groceries before I pick up Mack tomorrow."
"Can I go with you to get him?"
"Yes. And if you want to come you have to spend the night at my place."
José smirked. "I can live with that. Now, we should get inside because I'm sure there are laws against doing what I want to do to you in public."
With a final pull of José's dick, Ronin let it go and together they walked inside. The moment they came through the door, however, Ronin knew they weren't going to be leaving any time soon. Xavier and Rajan were sitting
at a table in a private section and invited them to join them.
"You two on a date?" José asked.
"Not really. Just a night out…" Rajan said then arched a brow and looked from José to Ronin. "You two sleeping together?"
Ronin pressed his lips into a thin line. José caressed his back.
"It's all right, sweetie," he said, falling into one of the chairs beside Xavier. "With these guys, you learn to get used to the sudden outbursts. When Savaro started dating Jamal, Rajan here told Savaro he looked like guilt and sex."
"Oy vey," Ronin moaned. He sat down across from José beside Rajan. "This is going to take some getting used to."
"Sooooo…" Rajan dragged out while twisting his wrist and eyeing Ronin. "You are sleeping together?"
José smacked him and Rajan groaned.
"Yes, we are sleeping together." Ronin laughed.
"Happy now?"
Xavier groaned and palmed his forehead.
"What are your intentions with our good friend here?" Rajan asked, imitating a shotgun-wielding father.
"Well, I am hoping to steal his virtue then run away," Ronin joked.
There was a brief moment of silence before José,
Rajan, and Laird burst out laughing. Ronin looked to all three of them wondering what he'd said. He was so sure the joke wasn't that funny.
"What?" Ronin asked.
"My virtue!" José gasped through his laughter.
Ronin shook his head and chuckled. "My bad."
First thing in the morning, Ronin opened his eyes and reached for José. His hand hit the empty bed. He pushed into sitting position and looked around the room.
He was alone. Instantly his heart fell. Rubbing his eyes, he pushed from the bed and reached for a pair of jeans that lay discarded on the floor from the night before. The smell of freshly cooked food danced its way up the stairs causing Ronin to moan and hurriedly haul on his pants and zip up.
He didn't know José could cook. Smiling, he descended the stairs and stopped at the kitchen door, folded his arms over his chest, and leant his shoulder against the doorframe.
A steaming plate of scrambled eggs sat on the counter. Beside that was a plate of strawberries Ronin didn't even know he had. The coffeemaker was going and a pot sat on the stove with steam rising from it.
"I had strawberries?"
"Morning!" José cheered. "Thought you were going to sleep the day away. We have to go get your brother, remember? And no, you didn't have strawberries. I had Savaro run some over first thing this morning." José danced around the island in the kitchen, putting things away, then stopped to dip a fork into the boiling pot, mixed the contents, and reached for a bottle of pepper. That he put
back in the cupboard, turned off the stove then looked at him. "What?" he asked.
"You can cook?" Ronin smiled.
"Barely. The only thing I know how to make is breakfast," José replied. "Everything else, Jamal and Savaro are the cooks."
Ronin laughed softly and ventured farther into the kitchen. He wrapped an arm around José's hips and reached for a strawberry with his other hand. He pulled the stem off and stuck that bit into his mouth, leaving the pointed part out. Easing his head in, he smiled as José got the picture and reached in to bite the tip off the strawberry. Moaning, Ronin grabbed the back of José's head and kissed him around the fruit. When he pulled back to eat his part, José was chewing and smiling at him.
"You spoil me," José said softly. "And I would really love to show you some appreciation. But we have to eat then leave to get your brother. It's almost eight-thirty."
"Mack will be there no matter what time we show up," Ronin said, reaching in for another kiss. "Show me some appreciation. Come back to bed, just for a little while."
And for the first time in his life, Ronin made love to a man. He lay José down on the bed and touched him gently, feeling the soft shiver of José's body. He kissed
every bit of skin, stroked every muscle, and licked every tender spot he could reach. He listened to José's rapid breathing and basked in the soft calls of his name tumbling repeatedly from José's lips. When he finally cradled José's face, locked gazes, and penetrated his lover, Ronin's whole world erupted in nothing but José. Moaning helplessly, he rode José with long, slow strokes. José's fingers dug into his back and dragged downward. The sweet burning of pleasure rippled through his body.
"José," Ronin whispered and lowered his mouth to José's.
Suddenly José bit down on Ronin's lower lip just before hot, wet cum slid between where their bodies were pressed so sexily together.
After his climax, he met José's gaze again to see tears spilling down the side of his lover's face. Ronin quickly knelt between José's legs.
"Baby? What's the matter? Did I hurt you? José please, talk to me."
A smile danced over José's lips. "No. You didn't hurt me. Just… just hold me, okay?"
"But you were crying."
"I didn't mean to. I was just so—you touched me so tenderly. Nothing is wrong, I promise."