Where the Allegheny Meets the Monongahela (24 page)

Logan‘s neck long enough to murmur, ―Sure seemed longer.‖

While his tongue laved a madly pulsing artery, Nick heard Logan

gasp, ―Yeah, you‘re right.‖

Since his mouth was still lingering over the taste of salty skin,

Nick made no answer. His hands were busy unbuttoning Logan‘s shirt.

Logan groaned as he turned and thrust his tongue into Nick‘s mouth.

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The kiss became complicated by their effort to continue disrobing

without breaking contact.

Nick‘s fevered mind finally admitted the futility of that endeavor,

and he pushed back slightly so he could pull Logan‘s jeans down. His

eyes were immediately drawn to the bulge in the faded boxers. Nick

cupped his hand around Logan‘s swelling cock, enjoying the heat and

hardness and the way it jumped at his touch. His trance was broken

when Logan grabbed his hands and pulled them up to facilitate the

removal of Nick‘s T-shirt as he rumbled, ―You‘re wearin‘ too much.‖

Seconds later, both were naked, and their bodies collided with a

force that knocked the breath from Nick‘s lungs, nearly knocked the

sense from him, too. The thrill from a full-contact kiss was just as

strong as before—far better than the memory he‘d played over and over

to get him through the week. Blazing lust shot through him, leaving

him dizzy with the need to push Logan down on the bed, climb on him,

and rut like a wild ram.

Fortunately, the presence of mind it took to consider the logistics

of his impulse put Nick‘s brain back in the driver‘s seat long enough to

kill that plan entirely. Instead, he took a deep breath and stepped back.

Logan gulped air like a drowning man and shot him a quizzical look.

Nick grabbed his discarded shorts and retrieved a small box of

condoms and some lube from the pockets. When he noticed Logan

watching, Nick smiled and winked at him. His attempt at reassurance

seemed unsuccessful. He tossed the stuff on the bedside table and

flicked the bedspread down, but Logan was frozen in place, eyes wide.

Nick slid onto the bed and patted the space next to him, saying, ―Come

on, let‘s get comfortable.‖

Logan did stretch out next to him but looked anything but

comfortable. After giving him a second, it became clear Logan wasn‘t

going to break his silence, so Nick said, ―I thought we should talk ‘bout

what… what you‘d like… to do.‖ Logan‘s body stiffened beside him,

and his dick was now at half-mast. Nick pulled him closer, running a

lazy hand across the still-heated chest. ―It‘s all right,‖ he whispered.

―We ain‘t gonna do nothin‘ you don‘t want. I just need to know… you

know, what it is you
do
want.‖

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Logan‘s brow crinkled as though in puzzlement or deep

concentration; he reached out to brush his fingers through Nick hair,

gaze fixed on the motion. ―I don‘t know,‖ he mumbled, finally

dropping his eyes to Nick‘s face to ask, ―What do you like to do?‖

―Everything,‖ Nick laughed. When that answer didn‘t relax

Logan, Nick clarified, ―I like what we did last week. I love blow jobs—

giving and getting—and I like to fuck, like that a whole lot, and also

gettin‘ fucked. Any of that sound appealing?‖

Rather than helping, Nick‘s list seemed to have put Logan further

on edge; he was staring at the sheets, and Nick was concerned that

Logan‘s jaw might crack from the strain of his tightly clenched teeth.

He reached over and caressed Logan‘s chin, pulling it up slightly so

Nick could see into those liquid blue eyes. The desperate yearning he

found there just about broke his heart. ―What‘s wrong?‖

A shuddering sigh broke through Logan‘s defenses, and he

whispered, ―So… you‘ve let guys do that, huh? To you.‖

―What?‖ Nick queried, though he was beginning to see a streak of

daylight in the dark mystery that was Logan Crane. ―Fuck me? Sure,‖

he shrugged. ―I like it, so why not?‖

Logan bit his lip until it looked close to bleeding before

answering with a frown, ―You know what they say….‖ He nodded

glumly at Nick before continuing. ―About takin‘ it up the ass.‖

With a toss of his head, Nick retorted, ―Sure, I know what they

say about takin‘ it up the ass; they use it like some terrible insult. Just

like ‗cocksucker‘. Well, I do take it up the ass, and I
am
a cocksucker,

Logan, and I like it that way. And I ain‘t gonna let some empty-headed

bigots ruin it for me.‖ Nick leaned in and gave Logan a quick kiss

before running his tongue across his stubbled jaw. Defiant amusement

punctuated his whispered assertion. ―I never knew a guy who threw

that word around who for sure didn‘t want his own dick sucked. Maybe

that‘s their problem.‖

Nick got to his knees and straddled Logan, licking and suck-

kissing his way down his sweat-covered neck onto the lightly furred

chest. Directing a saucy smile up over the hills of muscled flesh, Nick

teased, ―See if you find anything insulting about this.‖ By the time he‘d

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147

worked his way down to the groin, it was clear that Logan‘s cock had

no issue with Nick‘s intent.

When he finally took Logan into his mouth, Nick nearly swooned

with relief. It felt like he‘d been dying to do this for ages. Starting his

assault, greedily sucking and slurping, Nick considered the difficulties

involved in giving a guy a blow job for the first time—no knowing for

sure what he liked, how much pressure, how much attention to the

balls, a little teeth action okay or unwelcome…. So why did Nick feel

absolutely confident, feel like he knew exactly what Logan wanted?

And why, based on the reaction, was he right?

By the time Logan jackknifed off the bed and erupted into his

mouth, Nick no longer cared. This wild trip was too good to miss; he

was just going to hang on and enjoy the ride. He swallowed down the

bitter, salty essence of the man beneath him, already hungry for more—

not more seed, but more of Logan. More, especially, of this Logan

grinning down at him, eyes glazed with sated lust. Nick pulled himself

up to the head of the bed so he could kiss this apparently happy man,

almost forgetting his own stiff, leaking cock until he felt it engulfed in

a heated clasp and heard Logan growl, ―Your turn.‖

―Damn straight.‖

Nick‘s intention to crack wise about his own ironic answer was

stopped cold by Logan‘s husky murmur. ―So, what do
you
want?‖

Running his tongue around Logan‘s ear and chewing on the lobe

gave Nick a second to think. Deciding his request would probably do as

much for Logan as himself, he finally whispered, ―I‘d like to be inside

you, Logan. What do you think about that?‖

Logan‘s Adam‘s apple bobbed as he swallowed, once, twice,

before answering, ―I think….‖ He flicked a heated glance at Nick from

beneath his lashes. ―I think we should do that.‖

Trying to ignore his own impatient, rising need, Nick slowly

readied Logan to be entered, all the while searching his eyes for

reluctance or distress, finding nothing except determination that quickly

yielded to pleasure and wonder. Before rolling on the condom, Nick

said, ―The first time it‘s better, easier… from behind.‖ Breathing

heavily and growing ever more erect, Logan wordlessly complied.

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As quickly as he dared, Nick moved into position and slid

home—a private phrase he‘d always used to describe that mind-

numbing sensation of being suddenly engulfed in heat and pressure.

―Sliding home‖—previously, he‘d always associated the term with

baseball, with a goal achieved, but for the first time ever, Nick joined

his body with another man and felt that ―home‖ was a place he‘d found,

one he‘d been missing his entire life, one he‘d been looking for, aching

for, without ever acknowledging the quest.

Though he had intended to draw out this first bout of lovemaking

as much as possible, once engaged, Nick‘s body took over. He‘d been

craving this connection too long to go slow, to be gentle, to savor. As

soon as he heard Logan‘s hoarse shout and felt him flowing over his

hand, Nick let loose, giving in to an orgasm that pulled him under a

crashing wave of ecstasy. He collapsed onto Logan, pushing them flat

onto the mattress, sweat welding their skin together.

When Nick regained his senses, he quickly took care of the

condom and spooned around Logan‘s heavy, warm, slack form. Taking

a second to enjoy the tranquil pleasure of the moment, he ran a hand

down Logan‘s arm, asking, ―How do you feel?‖

A contented murmur of ―Good,‖ came from Logan‘s side of the

bed.

Propping himself up on one elbow, Nick teased, ―Just good?‖

Logan rolled to face Nick, giving him a mock shove as he

rejoined playfully, ―Fishing for compliments, Zales? You know it was

great… right?‖

―Well, I know it was for me,‖ Nick shot back, grabbing Logan‘s

hand from his shoulder and holding on tight.

―Me, too,‖ Logan confirmed. ―Can‘t remember the last time….‖

―Yeah?‖

Logan shook his head, directing his attention to their clasped

hands. After a few deep breaths, he continued, ―I can‘t remember

‘cause… it was never like that before—not for me.‖

Rather than admitting that on a certain level, he felt the same way,

Nick asked, ―Why? Why‘d you wait so long? Just because of what

happened to your friend?‖

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149

Pulling his hand free, Logan levered himself into a sitting

position. ―Just because? Jesus, Nick! Do you know what it was like?

Seein‘ that and knowin‘ my own brother—‖

―Your brother?‖ Nick sprang up to face Logan, exclaiming, ―
Your

brother
was the one who did that?‖

―Yeah,‖ Logan admitted, running a hand across his forehead. ―I

knew it as soon as I seen Jerry on the floor.‖ He turned sorrow-filled

eyes on Nick as he explained, ―They was in the same grade, so Jim

knew when Jerry had his short days and headed to the shop. ‘Sides, Jim

had a key to our dad‘s garage, same as me.‖ Seeming lost in a far-off

memory, Logan‘s gaze drifted to the window as he snorted, ―Knew

right away it was Jim. Sure as hell it was him and that rotten friend of

his, George Syches.‖

Nick took a deep breath, reigning in dozens of accusations, and

managing to calmly ask, ―Did ya ever think of confronting him?‖

Logan‘s head snapped back to Nick, and his eyes blazed cobalt

fire. ―Of course I did. As soon as I got back from the hospital, I

cornered my brother and told him if he didn‘t turn himself in, I was

gonna do it for him.‖

―But—you didn‘t,‖ Nick said.

―Nope. Because of Daisy, my sister.‖ The passion gone from his

voice, Logan explained woodenly, ―She said if I turned my own flesh

and blood in to the cops, she‘d disown me for good.‖

―What about your parents—‖

―They were both dead by then, killed in a car accident the year

before. Daisy was raising both me and Jim all by herself.‖

Raw pain bled from Logan‘s broken voice, inciting Nick to reach

out and pull him into a protective embrace. ―Those bastards,‖ he

fumed. ―How could they do that to you?‖

Logan seemed to accept the comfort for a minute before he

whispered into Nick‘s chest, ―Maybe they did it… ‘cause they knew.‖

―Knew what?‖

The answer was barely audible. ―I‘ve always thought that maybe

Jim had guessed… that I liked… him.‖

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―Jerry?‖ When Logan nodded, Nick pondered for a second before

confirming, ―You mean you were attracted to him?‖

Logan pulled back, silently considering the question before

saying, ―I think so. I didn‘t know it for what it was at the time, but

lookin‘ back… I think maybe… maybe I was.‖

―So fucking what,‖ Nick raged. ―I bet your brother didn‘t even

know. How could he if you weren‘t even aware of it?‖ When Logan

only shrugged in reply, Nick said, ―And even if he had some inkling,

you think that makes it your fault, not his?‖

―I didn‘t say it wasn‘t Jim‘s fault, just that if Jerry hadn‘t gotten

mixed up with me… none of that would‘ve happened to him.‖

―Logan, put the blame where it belongs, on your brother and his

friend. And yeah, to some extent, your sister.‖ Nick whispered, ―Come

‘ere,‖ and pulled him down until they were once again spooned on the

bed.

Nick let the skin-to-skin contact soothe them both, thinking they