He flipped over. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t he just love Gray and enjoy his life? Lord knew that Gray was his one weakness, but damned if Kauffman hadn’t somehow picked up on it. If he were a man given to tears, he’d—
Shane pulled his glasses off and wiped his cheek. It didn’t help, though; the damned things kept coming. Well, at least there was no one to see him blubbering. He set his glasses on the bedside table and lay back down. Shutting his eyes, he tried to picture Gray the first night they’d made love and how his biggest concern then had been getting Gray to agree to a relationship. He’d overcome that and had even confessed to the Hunters; hell, he had their blessing. Finally, exhausted, he let sleep overtake him.
Shane reached for Gray only to come up empty handed. He blinked his eyes open. It was still dark and he remained in his clothes and boots. Right, he’d sent Gray home, more or less breaking off their relationship. He groaned and rolled onto his back. His head throbbed in protest. Great, he had the headache from hell in addition to being stiff from sleeping in his clothes. He should get up and take something for it, but in all honestly he deserved to suffer.
What the hell had he been thinking? He’d sent away Gray, the best thing that had ever happened to him. And for what? So he could be replaced in Gray’s life by some other shmuck? Because he knew that that was what would happen. Gray was gay; there were no two ways about that. He would have another relationship with another man at some time, and it was going to be open knowledge. Public officials generally didn’t keep secrets for long. Someone, eventually, was going to be suspicious enough to uncover the truth. If not Kauffman, then someone else. Shane would be a fool to think he could protect Gray from that. Gray wasn’t the type to broadcast his homosexuality, but he also wouldn’t deny who he was.
Shane sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. His skull throbbed. He felt like a horse had kicked him in the noggin. He rested his head in his hands for a few seconds, then heaved himself up off the bed and into the bathroom in search of some aspirin.
Shane looked in the mirror and groaned. He looked like he’d cried himself to sleep, his hair was all messed up, he had bags under his eyes and tear stains on his cheeks. Good grief, he was pitiful. He yanked the rubber band out of his hair—ouch!—untangled his hair and brushed it out. He rebraided it, cleaned his teeth, washed his face, and relieved himself before he surfaced from the bathroom. He glanced at the clock.
10:34 p.m.
If he left now, he could reach Gray’s place in about half an hour. With any luck, Gray would be awake.
He was going to have to give Gray some credit. If there was one thing his Gray wasn’t, it was an idiot. Gray had always thought things through before he jumped in. He had to have know that he might be outed at some point.
Shane retrieved his glasses from the nightstand and put them on. There must be something to the old saying about sleeping on problems, because he was thinking a whole lot clearer now. He’d been going about things the wrong way. Instead of wasting energy on hiding the fact that he and Gray were a couple, he should be trying to help the man get re-elected in spite of it.
No, he hadn’t like waking up without Gray one bit. He’d gotten used to Gray snuggled up against him every morning, whether were here or at Gray’s place.
Shane stepped out of his room and into the hall. It was pretty dark. Hadn’t he left the kitchen light on? The only illumination in the house was the moonlight peeking in from the windows. Shane moved into the quiet living room, his boot heels clicking on the tiled floor, then he stopped dead.
Gray was curled up in a blanket sound asleep on the couch.
He came back!
Shane went to the couch, stepping over the bag at the end, and sat down beside Gray. It was light enough that he could make out the chiseled planes of Gray’s face with just the beginnings of a five o’clock shadow. The man must be truly tired to the bone if he hadn’t woken to the sound of Shane’s boots or his movement on the sofa.
He leaned down and kissed the stubbly cheek.
Gray’s eyes fluttered open. He grinned when his eyes found Shane. Shane thought he was absolutely irresistible. “Hey, chief.”
“Hello, love.” Shane ran the back of his hand down the younger man’s cheek. “I’m sorry, Grayson.”
Gray nodded.
“I’ve got to stop trying to protect you. I have to trust that you know what’s best for you. It’s just hard to break myself of old habits. I’ve spent over half my life watching out for you, making sure things you didn’t get hurt.”
Gray pulled him down and kissed him. “Just stop trying to protect me from you. If there is one thing I don’t need or want protecting from, it’s you.”
Shane caressed Gray’s cheek, then stood. “I’ll try; that’s all I can promise. After all these years, it’s kind of instinctual, you know.”
Gray tugged him on top of him, hugging him and nuzzling his face into Shane’s throat. “That’s all I ask.” Gray bit down where Shane’s neck joined his shoulder. His cock was making its presence known under Shane’s hip.
Oh, man, that wicked mouth was giving him goose bumps. At one especially erotic nip, he arched his neck, giving Gray better access and bumped the back of the couch. Shane shivered and slid his hands beneath the covers, finding Gray’s naked chest. “Come to bed. I’m to old to make out on the sofa.”
“Mmm. Okay, old man, lead the way.” Gray gave his neck once last bite, squeezed his ass, then let go of him.
Shane groaned and got up, offering his hand. “I’ll show you old man!”
“Hey, I’m just repeating what you said.” Gray sat up, kicked his covers off and took Shane’s hand. “Besides, I like it when you prove you aren’t too old for certain things.” He stood, his erect prick sticking out as if teasing, begging to be touched.
Shane sucked in a breath. Damn, the man was fine. Shane reached for Gray’s cock the same time Gray went for his braid. Gray chuckled and proceeded to take the rubber band off and spread out his hair.
Shane squeezed and stroked lightly, eliciting a moan from his lover. God, he loved the feel of Grayson in his hand, hot and hard and smooth. He wrapped his free hand around the back of Gray’s neck and pulled him closer. He loved that Gray was so close to him in height. It made things very convenient: his mouth was just right there, and his dick lined up perfectly.
He licked Gray’s lower lip, then slid inside the moist cavern, his hand still gliding along Gray’s shaft. Gray kissed him back, meeting his tongue stroke for stroke as the last of Shane’s hair was freed from the braid. Gray sucked Shane’s bottom lip into his mouth and began massaging his scalp. He pulled strands of Shane’s hair forward, and let them fall. He drew back, his hands still tangled in the mass of black locks. “Love your hair, chief. I want to feel it on my chest as you fuck me.”
Shane groaned. If they didn’t get to the bedroom now, they weren’t going to make it. He released Gray’s prick and grabbed his hand, tugging him down the hall into his room. As soon as they got there, Gray started on Shane’s shirt. “Get naked, chief. What are the fuck are you doing with all these clothes on, anyway?”
Shane chuckled and lifted his arms so Gray could yank the shirt off. “I was coming to get you.”
“You had to get fully dressed to go to the living room?” Gray unhooked Shane’s pants and worked his fingers into the waistband of the tight jeans and his underwear. He shoved them to Shane’s hips, then went to his knees to work the garments the rest of the way down.
“I fell asleep in my clothes after you left. Aside from that, I thought you’d gone ho—” His breath caught.
Gray’s mouth engulfed his prick even as his fingers continued to skillfully work Shane’s clothes. Gray moaned around his penis, sending shivers down Shane’s spine. Gray moved back. “Pick your foot up, chief. I need to get your boots off.”
Damned boots!
Shane clutched Gray’s shoulders and did as he was told.
Gray tugged off one boot, then the other. He looked gorgeous with his sleep-tousled hair in his eyes, intent on his task. Once he had removed Shane’s socks, he discarded the jeans. Smiling up at Shane, a wicked gleam in his eye, he took Shane’s cock into his mouth again. As he held Shane’s gaze, he worked the prick in and out of his mouth slowly, deliciously.
Shane’s balls drew up at the sight; a moan escaped him. It felt good, so good, but he didn’t want to come like this. He needed Gray to orgasm with him. Caressing his lover’s face, he stepped away, making his dick slip from Gray’s mouth. “On the bed, Grayson.”
Gray studied him, but thankfully didn’t argue. He got on the bed and lay down, focused on Shane all the while. He spread his arms and legs wide.
Shane crawled up that luscious body, knowing how the feel of his mane tickling over Gray’s legs drove him wild. He straddled Gray’s thighs, then yanked off his glasses. He handed them to Gray.
Gray stretched to put them on the nightstand, then sighed and settled back, dropping his head onto the pillow.
Shane smiled and slid down to his lover’s groin. He pushed Gray’s legs further apart and shouldered his way between them.
Gray’s head came off the pillow to watch him.
Shane blew a puff of warm breath over the lightly furred balls and licked one side, then the other.
“Oh, God, chief.” Gray grabbed for him. “Flip your legs around. Please.”
Shane pulled one testicle into his mouth, sucking softly. He loved the feel of Gray in his mouth, the way he could make Gray beg for him, make him writhe with pleasure. It was amazing that this big, strong, tough lawman displayed such vulnerability to him. It was empowering.
“Please, Shane. Let me suck you, too.”
Sounded like a good plan to him. He wanted to taste Gray, and Gray wanted him, so it was a win-win situation. Shane angled his body around.
Gray slid onto his side, bending his top knee and resting his foot on the bed, opening himself up. His stomach muscles rippled with the movement and his thick cock bobbed against his belly.
Shane admired the view for several seconds, mesmerized by his lover’s body.
The sensation of hot breath was Shane’s only warning before Gray took his cock down his throat in one fell swoop.
Shane bucked into Gray’s mouth, his ass muscles clenching tight. He rested his cheek against the heated and throbbing prick in front of him for a moment. It felt divine. A smear of precome on his cheek let him know that Gray was also enjoying himself.
“Mmm…”
The vibration made Shane’s spine tingle. He lifted his face and licked the head of Gray’s cock, circling his tongue all around it before drawing it inside his mouth. He sucked lightly, tasting the tangy precome.
Gray’s hips jerked just a bit, but he didn’t stop mouthing Shane’s prick. His head bobbed up and down, pulling Shane in deep, then sucking hard on the way out. God, the man could suck dick!
Shane tried to ignore the pleasure and concentrate on Gray, but his resolve lasted only seconds. Gray was too good at this and the sensation of Gray’s prick in his own mouth had him in a near frenzy. He gripped Gray’s hips and held them to take his cock in deep.
Gray moaned around his cock and returned the favor.
They worked each other hard and fast for several minutes, until Gray finally peaked, coating the back of Shane’s throat with salty come. That was all it took to send Shane over the edge into bliss, too. He pumped his hips forward as he clung to Gray’s ass, keeping his lover in place as he came.
Gray swallowed every last drop of his come.
Finally, they both lay in a boneless sprawl next to each other. He still had a hold of Gray’s butt and Gray was nuzzling his face along Shane’s hip. Shane kissed Gray’s thigh and sat up.
Gray met him halfway, his hands going immediately to Shane’s hair. They kissed long and slow, almost lazily. Shane lay back down, bringing Gray with him. His lover continued to play with his hair, twining it in his fingers.
Sometimes he’d wake up at night with Gray’s face buried in his hair and his fingers tangled in it. Before Gray, he’d never slept with his hair down , but even when he went to bed with it braided, he’d awaken with it wound around Gray’s hand or fingers. He smiled and kissed Grayson’s nose. How could he have ever thought to give up man and what they had together?
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
Gray smiled back and covered his face with Shane’s hair, inhaling deeply. He let it slip off his cheek, then focused on Shane’s eyes. “I love my job, but I love you more.”
Chapter Fifteen
Gray signaled, making a right onto his street. Thank God his day was over. He’d had a hell of a time concentrating on his work today, despite the great make-up sex. He’d certainly been mellow, but he needed sleep, too. Fortunately, he’d been at the office doing paperwork rather than out in the field. He wanted to go home to The Broken H. Funny how he’d started thinking of the ranch as home again.
He pulled into his drive and got out. There was something, a piece of paper it looked like, taped to the front door of the two bedroom, two bath, Craftsman bungalow he rented.
It turned out to be an envelope with his title and surname written on it. Gray used his key to unlock the door and grabbed the envelope on his way inside. No sooner had he opened his door than his cell phone rang. He shut and locked the door behind him before answering his phone. “Hunter.”
“Are you still coming here for dinner, or do you want me to meet you somewhere?”
Gray smiled and ripped open the envelope. “Hey, chief. I’ll be there. I need to change clothes and grab a new uniform for tomorrow, then I’m on my way.” Gray pulled out a typed letter, quickly glancing at the bottom where he saw his landlady’s signature. That was odd, she usually just called him to tell him things.
“All right, then, I won’t keep you. Your mom said to tell you she baked an apple pie today. You know, I like you coming to dinner. Kaitlyn is always baking things when you do. When it’s just me and Ted, we get ice cream for dessert, not even homemade ice cream either. You’re spoiled.”