Semper Fidelis (24 page)

Jamie’s knuckles ached. Tucker’s fingers were red, morphing into purple.

“Shit! I’m sorry,” Jamie said, abashed. He uncurled his fingers, releasing his fist. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Jamie tried to pull away.

“I know you didn’t,” Tucker replied, not letting Jamie have his hand back. “Are you hungry? Wanna stop for food somewhere? We could order a couple of pizzas when we get home.”

Jamie looked at Tucker in surprise. Food was the last thing he thought Tucker would be offering after a year of separation. “No, I’m good. I really just want to get you home.”

Tucker gave a wicked chuckle and shot Jamie a heated look. Jamie felt that look all the way in his balls.

“Isn’t there anything you missed while you were over there?” Tucker persisted. “How about ice cream?”

“I missed
you
while I was over there,” replied Jamie. “I’ll take a Tucker sundae with cherries on top. Drive faster.”

“I stocked the cupboards and fridge, so I can cook you something.” The corners of Tucker’s eyes and mouth were tight.

Jamie’s stomach did a slow roll that left him queasy. “Why are you trying to distract me with food, Tucker?”

Glancing between Jamie and the road several times, Tucker replied, “I’m not trying to distract you. I’m just making sure you don’t need something to eat. You look like you’ve lost twenty pounds, Jamie,” Tucker exclaimed. “You didn’t have twenty pounds to lose.”

Jamie didn’t know how to reply. He stared out of the windscreen for several moments. “It’s from the hard work,” he said quietly. “They fed us well.” When Jamie could eat, given the extreme heat and the visions of shattered skulls.

They approached an overpass and Jamie dug his feet into the footwell. They drew closer and Tucker made no move to drive evasively. Jamie’s hand on the ‘oh-shit’ handle tightened until his knuckles ached.

They drove through the shadow of the concrete bridge. Jamie panted, growing lightheaded. He swallowed back bile that rose in his throat.

“Jamie, are you okay?” Tucker’s voice was laden with concern. His thumb rubbed a soothing pattern over the back of Jamie’s hand.

“Fine. Just a little jumpy, still,” he replied on a harsh exhale.

It was so good to see the house again. The lawn was neatly trimmed, as always. The interior was spotless. Jamie wondered if Tucker had gone to a lot of time and effort to make sure things were perfect for his homecoming. Jamie wouldn’t have cared if the place had been a mess.

He dropped his
rucksack
just inside the bedroom door.

“Do you need to shower and unpack, or anything?” Tucker asked, rubbing his palms together, shuffling his weight from foot to foot.

“Most of my stuff needs to go to the base laundry,” Jamie replied, stripping off his uniform blouse. “We had access to the facilities during the twelve hours we staged aboard Twentynine Palms.”

Tucker seemed hesitant, but Jamie had dreamed of this since nearly the moment he’d left, last year. He tossed his blouse onto his ruck and stepped up into Tucker’s body.

Jamie pulled Tucker against him. Tucker’s hands fisted in the back of Jamie’s skivvy shirt. Jamie kissed Tucker, off center and sloppy. He breathed heavily into Tucker’s mouth as their wet lips slid against each other.

“I missed you so fucking much,” Jamie said for the hundredth time. “I thought about you. Thought about this.” He took a step back toward the bed behind him, drawing Tucker along with him.

“The sheets are clean,” Tucker whispered against Jamie’s lips. “The kitchen is full of food. Once I get you into our bed, I’m not letting you out for several days.”

Jamie huffed a laugh that turned into a moan when Tucker licked at his throat. His cock was hard, pushing against his fly in time with his thundering heartbeat. He gripped the hem of Tucker’s shirt and pulled up. Jamie bared Tucker’s belly and chest. He watched Tucker’s muscles shift beneath his tanned skin when he lifted his arms. The shirt was gone in a second, Tucker’s wide shoulders and broad chest on full display, just for him. He placed kisses on the sprinkling of freckles along the tops of Tucker’s shoulders, where they weren’t covered over by ink.

Tucker pressed his hands firmly to Jamie’s chest. “Sit down. Let’s get your boots off.”

Jamie went without resistance. Tucker dropped to his knees between Jamie’s legs and began to unlace his LPCs. After pulling his own skivvy shirt out of the waist of his trousers, Tucker tugged it over his head. His dog tags clinked quietly, buffered by the black silencers, as they settled against the skin of his chest. He lifted each foot in turn at Tucker’s urging.

Still on his knees, Tucker leaned in and licked the right side of Jamie’s chest. Jamie shuddered, threading his fingers into Tucker’s soft hair. He breathed harshly through his parted lips as he watched Tucker trace the tip of his tongue over Jamie’s tattoo. The fierce bulldog snarled, standing guard in front of a fallen warrior’s memorial. Tucker shifted, dragging his teeth over the Marine Corps logo on Jamie’s biceps.

Jamie exhaled a shaky breath when Tucker’s soft hands spanned his ribcage. The touch was warm, strong and loving. Tucker pressed a tender kiss to the ink over Jamie’s heart. It used to be the Greek letter for Libra. Now, the Greek letter for Virgo twined with it. Tucker wore one identical to it, as part of the story he told through the ink on his skin.

“Jesus, I just wanna be naked with you,” Tucker said on an exhale. His hands were impatient on the fly of Jamie’s uniform pants.

Jamie lifted his hips and helped Tucker slide the coarse material over his hips. Skivvy shorts and all, Tucker stripped Jamie until all he wore was his dog tags and a hard-on. He caught sight of the raised, red tissue that dotted the front of both legs. They were battle scars he’d earned, but this was the first time Tucker was seeing them.

Tucker ran his palms the length of both Jamie’s thighs. He pressed an open mouthed kiss to one of Jamie’s larger scars, flicking it with his tongue. “I’m glad it wasn’t any worse,” he said firmly, showing Jamie’s other thigh the same love.

Jamie couldn’t get any words past the tightness in his throat, so he placed a hand gently on the back of Tucker’s head.

Jamie shook himself free of the darker mood that had settled over them. The bed was already turned down, and he eagerly lay back onto the large pile of pillows. He sighed in pleasure, letting his eyes drift closed. The sheets were unbelievably soft, after a year spent sleeping on rough, Marine Corps linens. They smelled clean and fresh.

Jamie’s cock lay curled against his belly. He took himself in hand, stroking slowly as he watched Tucker quickly shed his clothing. His skin was tanned where it was visible. The rest was covered in brightly hued inks. Tucker’s tats where his story. They were his calling card and his credibility with the kids he counseled.

Tucker came to stand beside the bed. Jamie watched his flushed face closely. Tucker cupped his balls before he dragged his hand up his considerable length. He was teasing Jamie, if the quirk at the corner of his mouth was any indication. Jamie’s mouth went dry, his blood thundered in his ears.

Slowly, Tucker put a knee on the bed, placing a hand on the pillow next to Jamie’s head. He knelt next to Jamie’s hip and placed his other hand on the pillow, caging Jamie with his arms. Jamie watched Tucker’s mouth until it pressed to his own. Jamie closed his eyes, enjoying the firm pressure of Tucker’s soft, warm lips.

Jamie wrapped his arms around Tucker’s torso, pulling him down so they were flush. He placed a foot flat on the mattress and deftly turned them so Tucker was against the pillows, Jamie hovering above. His dog tags clinked quietly as they fell against Tucker’s chest, the chain pooling on his sternum.

Tucker wound his arms around Jamie’s shoulders, resting a hand on the back of his head. He slid his hand along Jamie’s neck to his jaw, gently cradling his face.

He kissed Tucker, slow and deep. In between the wet sounds of their meeting tongues, and the soft smacking of their parting lips, was the sound of their constant moans. Each of Tucker’s vibrated through Jamie. He could do this for hours. Lose himself in Tucker’s kiss.

Jamie pulled back slightly, sliding his fingers through Tucker’s already tousled hair. He kept one arm wrapped around Tucker so they stayed touching along the lengths of their bodies.

Shifting to his knees, Jamie slipped between Tucker’s thighs. He aligned their cocks, pressed between their bellies. Jamie reached his arms beneath Tucker’s body, holding him close.

Tucker moaned, arching up into Jamie, hands restless on Jamie’s arms. Lowering his head, Jamie dragged the tip of his tongue along the shell of Tucker’s ear. He flicked the lobe, netting him another moan and a shiver. Nibbling at Tucker’s ear, Jamie’s teeth clicked quietly against several stud earrings.

He lifted his head slightly and Tucker turned and kissed him. Their lips fused, Jamie’s tongue rubbing against Tucker’s until he was out of breath. Tucker’s breath hitched, it was loud and harsh against Jamie’s face. Pulling back, Jamie willed Tucker to look at him. He cupped Tucker’s chin, skimming his thumb over his cheekbone.

Tucker opened his dark eyes. Jamie saw they were filled with emotions that he felt echoing deep inside. His body suffused with a familiar heat caused by Tucker. Always Tucker. Only Tucker. Jamie smiled as Tucker slid his hands down Jamie’s back and gripped his ass. Tucker moved against him, pressing their hips together. He kissed Jamie, never stingy with his tongue. Flexing his hips, Jamie pushed against Tucker, matching the slow rhythm he’d started.

Balancing himself carefully, Jamie reached over and opened the drawer of the bedside table. His prize was right there on top, brand new and obviously placed for easy retrieval. Jamie handed over the sizable bottle of lubricant. He watched in fascination as Tucker thumbed open the lid and upended it over their cocks.

They were both sweating.

Tucker coated them both with slick, sliding his hand over Jamie’s cock first, then over his own. Jamie watched Tucker’s long, elegant fingers wrap around their cocks in turn. He hissed and moaned when Tucker touched him, those clever fingers gripping the base of his erection, gliding upward with a tight grip. He watched Tucker do the same to himself as Tucker’s hips flexed beneath him, his entire body quivering.

They both glistened with lube. It shone bright in the sunlight, covered their cocks and their ball sacs, spilling onto Jamie’s thighs and Tucker’s belly. Tucker gripped Jamie’s ass and tugged him closer. Jamie lowered himself and was suffused by the heat radiating from Tucker’s colorful skin. He kissed his way down Tucker’s stubble-rough chin and along his throat.

Tucker mouthed his way along Jamie’s cheek to press their mouths together. “Fuck me,” he whispered against Jamie’s lips. “I got myself ready for you. Please…please, I want you to fuck me.”

Jamie sat up, searching Tucker’s eyes. His heart hammered in his chest, sending more blood thundering to his cock so it bounced heavily between his thighs. He ran his palms over Tucker’s chest, rejoicing in the feel of smooth, slick skin. He spanned Tucker’s ribcage with his hands, pressing him to the bed. “Christ, I’ve been waiting more than a year to hear you say that for real. It’s so much better than I remember.”

Tucker smiled up at Jamie. It was heart stopping, with a hint of wickedness and self-satisfaction. Jamie held himself over Tucker’s supine body. Tucker reached between them and aligned Jamie’s straining erection with his opening. Tucker’s fingers were sure and steady on Jamie’s cock and it felt just as fantastic as it always did when Tucker touched him.

He pushed in. Tucker was slick and relaxed, his body warm and welcoming. Jamie slid in all the way, his hips slapped against Tucker’s ass. Beneath him, Tucker arched off the bed. He threw his head back and squeezed his eyes shut. Tucker’s mouth fell open as he cried out, completely unselfconscious in a way that always amazed Jamie.

He lowered himself over Tucker, resting on his elbows and burying both hands in Tucker’s hair. The muscles in Jamie’s back, hips and thighs burned with his efforts, as he pulled himself out of Tucker’s heat and slammed right back in. He lingered, his face just above Tucker’s, drinking in the sight of his flushed and sweaty features.

“You feel so fucking good,” Jamie whispered, not caring if Tucker could hear him over his loud shouts. “You’re so hot and tight around me. Love your sweet ass. Love to fuck you. Does it feel good? Are you with me?”

Tucker’s cries grew louder, more strident.

Jamie repeated his question loud enough to elicit an answer. “Are you with me, Tucker?”

“Yes, fuck yes,” Tucker whispered between gasps.

Tucker’s hands were suddenly everywhere on Jamie. He pressed one palm to Jamie’s hip, the other pushed against his thigh. Jamie’s heart filled to bursting. No memory, no fantasy he’d conjured while in the desert, was better than the reality of Tucker. He was so fucking strong, Jamie never had to hold back.

He rose back up, pressing a hand to the bed on either side of Tucker’s head. Sweat rolled down the length of his spine, sliding from his hairline and tickling the back of his neck. Tucker’s skin was equally slick with sweat, his thighs sliding over Jamie’s hips.

Tucker surprised Jamie by propping himself on one elbow, bringing their faces within inches. Tucker wrapped his other hand around the back of Jamie’s neck, holding him steady. Tucker could always steady Jamie with just a look or a touch. Tucker breathed heavily against Jamie’s lips, breath flowing over and into him. Jamie couldn’t hold Tucker’s startlingly intense gaze any longer. Jamie glanced down at Tucker’s swollen mouth, taking in Tucker’s firm chest and taut belly before finally returning to his eyes.

Tucker’s expression was filled with wonder, his eyes soft as he smiled up at Jamie. Utterly overwhelmed, Jamie fought to breathe through the tightness in his chest. He realized that what he saw in Tucker’s eyes was precisely what Tucker saw in his during unguarded moments.

Tucker had mercy on Jamie. He looked away, down between their bodies. “That’s so fuckin’ hot,” he said, low and gravelly.

Jamie followed Tucker’s gaze, catching sight of his own hard cock sliding in and out of Tucker’s body. Tucker was right—that was so very fucking hot. Jamie’s cock was long and thick, flushed deep red in color. It glistened wetly with lube, each time he pulled back out of Tucker’s hole. Jamie slammed his hips forward, his cock sinking into Tucker’s body, disappearing completely. Jamie pulled back again and Tucker’s asshole stretched wide around him, the rim shiny with a coating of slick.