Resilience (24 page)

Todd snorted. Like Adam couldn’t take him in a fight. Adam was tough, his core

unshakeable, whereas Todd often felt like he was still growing after being stunted all of his life. Until Adam. Everything always came back to then—it had been Todd’s true beginning even if he had been born a quarter-century before then.

Adam was simply everything to Todd. When he had those awful morbid moments, the

realisation that one of them would likely outlive the other, Todd hoped he died first. Then he felt bad, but, honestly, if Adam did pass before him, Todd knew he’d be one of those people who died shortly after of a broken heart.

“What a happy friggin’ guy I am today,” Todd muttered to himself. He needed to shake the morose mood. Tonight he wanted to make love to Adam, well, he really wanted to feel Adam spread him open, fill him with fingers and cock, and drive all the hidden worry from Todd’s mind for a while.

“Hey, don’t worry, everything’ll be all right here while you’re gone,” Manny said,

hopping up from where he’d been leaning against his desk. He smiled so broadly it made Todd’s face hurt. Manny held out his hand and, once Todd shook it, his deputy used his other hand to thump him on the back. “You just go enjoy the hiking with Adam and y’all’s friends. And watch out for bears and bobcats. Been lots of those cats attacking people what with the drought driving ‘em closer to civilisation.”

Todd hoped his lungs stayed attached to whatever the hell held them in place. Manny

wasn’t a tiny thing by any means, and he was very enthusiastic with his thumping.

“Maybe y’all should carry a gun or a bow,” Manny was rambling on. “Although I

reckon Gabe and Mika would not be happy about that.”

“Understatement,” Todd agreed. “They do rescue strays, so, yeah, shooting any critter wouldn’t go over too well.”

“Yeah.” Manny sighed and his smile dimmed to almost nonexistent. “Just be careful,

Sheriff Benson. There’s a whole bunch of people who would be upset if you got hurt or something.”

What a weird thing to say. Todd suspected it was just Manny’s way of showing concern but it still creeped him out. “Yeah, well, thanks. I’ll try not to be bear bait.”

“Good, good.” Manny squeezed his shoulder. “And, if you need anything, just call me.

You got all my numbers, right?”

“Yes, Manny.” Todd frowned at him. “What am I, three?” He didn’t mean to be snippy,

but Manny was being weird.

Manny’s skin turned swarthy on his cheeks. “I just, well, we aren’t used to you being gone, Sheriff. I can handle it,” he tacked on quickly, “but it’s just… You never took vacation before, not more than a day here and there, yanno, and even then you were mostly here. So it’s just different, I guess. But good, you need a break.”

Try as he might, Todd couldn’t detect anything other than sincerity in Manny, and

some of the tension balled in his chest began to unknot. “Okay, well, thank you then. Now stop being all…” Todd waved a hand. “We’re good. I gotta go.”

Todd thought about Manny being worried about him, and about the way so many

people had rallied behind him when he’d been banned from his father’s memorial service.

More people had come to the clinic to offer him and Adam comfort than had gone to the service. Many more, from what he’d been told.

Sure, there were some people looking at him cross-eyed lately, but they didn’t matter anymore other than as people he was sworn to protect, and he’d do that. He would never discriminate against someone because of how they treated him. It’d be harder if they were asses to Adam, but Todd thought he’d still do his job.

At the house, the lights were on and Adam’s car was in the drive. Todd’s heart did a happy lurch and so did his cock. Usually he and Adam were in sync when it came to their sexual needs. He really, really needed Adam tonight.

Todd got out and locked his vehicle. The walk up to the door seemed to take twice as long as usual, and, by the time he reached it, his cock was uncomfortably hard. He flipped through his keys, found the one for the door and had just started to slide it in the lock when he heard the snap of the deadbolt being undone. The door was opened and Todd flushed with heat and desire from his head to his toes.

Adam stood wearing Todd’s favourite clothes—if he couldn’t get Adam naked, seeing

him in his faded, hole-ridden jeans and the tight white tank, feet bare, hair mussed and the shadow of whiskers on his face was not as good as totally bare skin, but it certainly didn’t suck, either. Damn, but it just flipped every switch Todd had.

And Adam knew it, too. His dark eyes burned and his cock was already half hard and

pressing against the placket of his jeans. Adam stepped back, just enough to let Todd inside and still be able to shut the door. He did so, then furrowed his brow at Todd, giving him an authoritative look that, God, made Todd want to drop and worship at his feet. “Why are you still dressed?”

Todd had never got naked so quick in his life.

He loved the eagerness that made Todd’s movements jerky, his breaths short, his eyes almost solid black when the pupils blew. And Adam really loved the way Todd sank to his knees, looking up at him with a worshipful gaze as his hands hovered in front of Adam’s zipper.

Adam let him wait a moment, drawing the tension out until Todd began to quake with

anticipation. He tucked his hands in his back pockets and nodded. “Take it out and get me hard.” Todd reached for the button at his waistband. “Just your mouth for now, babe.”

This hadn’t quite been what he’d had planned, but Adam would swear he could feel

Todd’s need before he ever got out of his vehicle. He’d watched Todd pull up, and

something had burned in his gut. Whatever it was that let him know it, Adam could see Todd’s need to be dominated, controlled, at least for a few hours.

Todd’s breath seeped through the layer of denim covering Adam’s cock. He had a

second to rethink the no-hands bit when Todd had to burrow for the zipper tab. The metal ground against Adam’s flesh and it wasn’t a comfortable experience. “Hang on.” Todd

glanced up, worry clear in his expression. Adam stroked over his cheek, thumbed his lips and felt his balls tingle. He pushed a hand behind his zipper. Better to lose some skin off his knuckles. “Go on.”

Todd did, bringing teeth into play now. He bit Adam’s hand through the taut material, a pinch that didn’t really hurt. Todd looked up at him through thick gold-tipped lashes and licked over the bite before finding the tab again.

It was so tempting to just grab Todd’s head and fuck away. The man had an exquisite

mouth, could take Adam deep, and suck Adam’s brains right out of his dick. But Adam

needed to stay in control, and fucking Todd’s face until he came wasn’t exactly doing that.

Todd got the zipper down then slowly fingered the edge of Adam’s waistband, as if silently asking permission.

“Okay, get it out.” Adam pulled his hand back beneath the kisses Todd brushed over his skin. “And pull my jeans down enough to get to my balls.” His hands went back in his pockets lest he lose his resolve and bury his fingers in Todd’s hair.

Todd began peeling down the denim, pressing his cheek against Adam’s cock just as

soon as he could get to it. The bristle of stubble against that sensitive skin was both pleasurable and painful. Adam grunted, unsure if he wanted it to continue, and Todd slid his hands down Adam’s hips, gripping them tight, the tips of his fingers curling against Adam’s ass.

Then Todd inhaled deeply and rubbed his face over Adam’s cock. He dipped his head

and nuzzled Adam’s balls, nosing and rubbing, pushing into them as if to cover himself in Adam’s scent. A low groan floated up from him, then wet heat striped Adam’s sac as Todd licked him.

“Fuck yeah, soak ‘em,” Adam ordered. He propped his elbows against the door and

tilted his hips, wishing now he’d taken his jeans off so he could spread his legs wider. As it was, Todd had some room, but he couldn’t get his head under there and suck Adam’s nuts like Adam wished he could.

But Todd tried, sucking each nut, pulling it into his mouth and laving it with his

tongue. He scraped his teeth over the skin, shooting goose bumps down Adam’s thighs. The hums of approval and slurps and eager looks from Todd had Adam vowing to himself to do this again in bed, because his damn knees were on the verge of buckling. He loved this, could come from it probably, especially with Todd so enthusiastically going after his balls. Soft whimpers tinged with a good dose of desperation were coming from Todd now with each

lick and suck. His fingers would leave bruises on Adam’s hips and ass, and that was fine.

Adam liked mementos from his lover.

Adam was feeling pretty desperate himself, but he also wasn’t in a hurry to bring this to an end. He did grab the base of his cock, though, and rubbed his shaft over Todd’s hair, on the sides of his head, signifying his readiness for more.

Todd made a happy, needy little moan and released Adam’s ball sac. It slipped from his mouth with a lewd noise and Todd licked a straight line up from Adam’s balls to the

sensitive underside of his crown. “Yes,” Adam hissed when Todd flicked his tongue over the spot repeatedly. Todd opened his mouth and tilted his head, sucking there until Adam’s breath clogged in his throat and he had to have more. He let go of his cock and caught himself before he could fist his hand in Todd’s hair, instead cupping his jaw.

“Please,” Todd whispered, and Adam frowned even as Todd licked around his glans.

Todd nipped the rim with his lips folded over his teeth, but the shock of it flicked on a switch that highlighted Todd’s need.

Here Adam had been trying to hold back, because sometimes Todd needed rough, and

Adam always worried about the why of that. But tonight his lover just needed him to be the strong one, and that didn’t always mean holding himself back. Adam knew what Todd was feeling, he thought, had experienced the urge before and Todd had answered it,

overpowering him and taking him, yet keeping him safe at the same time. It was a fine line of trust and love, and one Adam could walk for Todd.

“Open,” Adam demanded, and Todd gave him that trusting look, licked his lips and

coated them well for entry, then parted them and waited. Adam traced Todd’s lips with his crown, adding his own bits of moisture to that soft skin. “You want this? Want me to fuck your mouth? Come down your throat and make you take it all?”

Todd didn’t speak, instead nodding as a strangled sound wafted over Adam’s tip.

Adam brought his other hand to Todd’s other jaw, holding the man’s face still. He pressed in slowly, savouring the slick glide and suction. Todd’s lids drifted down and he moaned. His nostrils flared and he slid his hands back to burrow his fingers in Adam’s crack.

“Take me, take what you want.” Adam kept a firm grip on Todd, not nearly as firm as

the one Todd had on him, but still good. “Show me you want it, how much you like sucking my dick.”

Todd shook and shoved his head forwards, too fast, Adam thought, expecting a gag

and a quick pullback—no. The head of his dick sank into the sweet confines of Todd’s throat, and Adam saw fuzzy stars as he yelped in surprise. Those tight muscles constricted around him at the same time Todd pushed a finger into his hole, and Adam’s plans for retaining any sort of control shattered. He pulled back then thrust again, and through his spotty vision saw how pleased Todd was with himself.

Adam was pretty damned pleased with him, too, but he wanted something else. He wanted Todd to be as mindless with need as possible, and, right now, Todd was still thinking, plotting, figuring how to drive Adam to that very same place of thoughtless desire.

Adam snarled around words he couldn’t get out and pulled Todd off his dick. He

dropped to his own knees and kissed Todd with a force that left his lips bruised and a coppery tang in his mouth. Todd whimpered and clawed at him, trying to grab onto him, but Adam didn’t give him the chance. He toppled Todd backwards, locking an arm around his shoulders to keep from braining him on the floor.

Todd’s breath gusted out and Adam sputtered, their teeth clacked and it didn’t matter, he couldn’t stop plundering Todd’s mouth. He was dimly aware of Todd’s legs around his waist, then he was rutting and grinding, trying to push into Todd’s ass. A shock of sense hit him and he pushed up enough to slap at his pocket.

“Adam, please,” Todd whined, and that was so unlike him Adam stopped trying to dig

the lube out of his pocket. “Just fuck me already. I need to feel you—”

“Not like that, you don’t,” Adam interrupted. “You won’t be able to sit for a week and we’ve got a long flight tomorrow.”

Todd growled, and normally that sound drove Adam wild but tonight he growled back

and planted a hand on Todd’s chest when the man tried to pull at him. The want and need filled the air between them as Todd glared up at him.

“I won’t hurt you just to get your mind off other things,” Adam said, because he

worried about that sometimes. He was aware people had needs, and pain had its place in those needs from time to time, but, with Todd’s past, there was a fine line to be walked and he didn’t ever want to cross it.

Finally the tension ebbed and Todd seemed to melt beneath him. Adam checked and

found his cock still hard, dark and wet-tipped. He slid down Todd’s body and sucked the fat head into his mouth, and Todd bellowed, bowing up over him and bringing an arm over his shoulders. “Fuck!”

Adam had the lube in hand but opening it was tricky. The flip-top cap could stick, but he wedged his thumbnail under it and got it open as he sealed his lips tight under Tim’s head. Lube leaked all over his hand and the floor as he tipped the bottle. Adam didn’t give a shit, he had Todd’s cock in his mouth and his ass quivering and eager beneath him.

Adam bobbed down and fitted his hand between them, finding Todd’s pucker unerringly. He didn’t tease, sinking two fingers in deep and fast. Todd wanted to walk that edge, Adam would do the best he could.