GALEN FLIPPED the steaks, making sure they had a nice crosshatch pattern on them. Shane had asked for steaks, and he was gonna do his best to get them right, despite not having grilled in weeks.
Maybe months.
He heard the phone ringing inside, not his cell, but the house phone. He ignored it pretty handily.
“Leave it, darlin’,” he said when Shane would have wandered in to answer. “Come help me get the potatoes unstuck.”
“’Kay.” Shane swerved, leaning against him. “It’s just Wade. I told the boys at the club to let him know I’d be out of pocket all week. Fuck, that smells good.”
“Yeah? I marinated it in your favorite red…. Honey, what’s the deal with this Wade guy? I mean, y’all seem to see each other a hell of a lot.” Jealousy was a stone-cold bitch, but every other word out of Shane’s mouth was this fucker’s name.
“I do. He’s a cool guy. You’ll like him, if you get to know him. He’s from Texas, and he used to run some company with computers, and now he’s learning to drive a boat.”
“Cool. Nice to have someone to hang out with.” Shit. He probably would like the guy. Shane had much better taste in friends than he did.
“Yeah. He was real lonely, and I was missing you fierce and getting bitchy. We’ve been hanging, him and me and Jake and Aaron. There’s a new guy at the club, did I tell you? His cock is pierced. Twice!”
His arm went around Shane’s back, squeezing. “How do you know that?”
“He pulled it out and let a magazine guy take pictures of it. He was sharing.” Shane leaned a little, smiling and shaking his head. “It was fucked-up, but no one mentions my rings anymore.”
“Well, there you go.” Magazines. Lord. He was out of the loop in the worst way. “So do I get to meet him too? When I go to the club tomorrow?”
“Yup. You won’t like him so much. He’s mouthy and shit, and thinks he knows everything.” It was fucking hard to be jealous with Shane not hiding a damn thing.
Galen leaned around for a kiss. God, he loved this man. All the way, deep down to his toes. Shane gave it up for him, moaning and laughing into his lips. Look at that man, wanting him. Shit. Sometimes he needed a reminder that he had something so good at home. Sometimes he was fucking stupid. The grill spit at him, seeming to agree.
“Shit! Come on, darlin’. Let’s get these steaks resting.”
“Mmm. Steaks. I’ve been dreaming of those.”
“See how you are? Nice to know you love me for my steaks.” The side of Shane’s neck was irresistible, and Galen gnawed a little while he pulled the steaks up.
“I love you for all sorts of…. Oh. Oh, I…. Fuck. Len. Gonna leave a bruise.”
“Uh-huh. You know it.” That was a challenge, right? He set the steaks down and turned to really suck. Right there. He hadn’t heard that raw sound in weeks, hadn’t seen that tanned, fine skin covered in his bruises in longer. Goddamn it.
Galen nibbled and licked until Shane was squirming, making happy noises. Then he grinned and backed off. “Want supper?”
“Fucker.” Shane shivered, those pretty nipples tight-tight around those little gold rings. “I’m going to kick your ass.”
“Yeah? Okay.” That could be fun too. Shane all fired up and ready to go. Galen couldn’t resist tugging at one little ring. “Be a shame to waste the steaks…. I guess they’ll hold.”
Shane went up on tiptoe, chin going stubborn. “We’ll eat. I can wait.”
Was that a challenge?
“You sure?” His fingers toyed with that ring, then went to the other to give it a nice, hard tug.
“Uh… uh-huh.” Shane’s belly went tight, those nipples begging for his attention.
“If you’re sure….” Look at that. Someone had been working out. He stroked Shane’s belly before going back to those nipples, pulling. “You need your chain.”
“You need to put it on. I only wear it for you.” Yeah. Yeah, that was a challenge.
“Let’s go, then. Grab the steaks.” He’d carry the Shane—his favorite appetizer. Once Shane had the platter, Galen hoisted the man right up, hauling him inside.
“Goddamn, you’re strong.” Shane held on, muscles shifting in his arms.
“I’ve had nothing to do but hit the gym in between meetings.” He should take Shane with him. Except there were the dogs. And Shane’s job….
“It shows.” Shane turned his head, bit his bicep.
“Mmm. Now, where is that chain?” They put the steaks in the microwave to keep the bugs and dogs out before Galen started for the bedroom.
“In the top drawer of my dresser.”
“Good.” That he could reach without putting Shane down. Or Shane could. He walked them right over. “Grab it, darlin’.”
Man, Shane had been buying stuff from the ’net. There were some new toys that he barely saw before that little box was grabbed, handed over.
He leaned Shane’s ass against the dresser. “You looking forward to playing, honey? No plastic hands, right?”
“No plastic hands. You. I need you.” Serious as a heart attack, right there.
“That’s all I need to know, Shane. All I need….” The little box seemed to fight him, but he got it open, the chain glinting in the light.
Shane reached out, finger tracing the chain, the gold catching the light. “Had that a long, long time, Len.”
“Been a while since we used it, huh?” He let Shane prop himself up so he could attach one end of the chain to the left nipple ring.
“Uh. Uh-huh…. A while.” Shane watched, blue eyes staring at his fingers, at that pretty chain.
He got the other side clipped on and let go, letting Shane feel the weight, the pull. “Fucking pretty.”
“Feels good.” Shane’s eyes went heavy-lidded, lips parted on a moan.
“It sure does.” Shane was hot and heavy against him, rubbing all along his lower half. Made him crazy.
“Remember when they got done? I was so fucking hot for you.”
“Jesus. Yeah. I remember how I was crazy because you didn’t let me see the first one….” God, that trip to New Orleans had been one long party. Shane had been… well, fucking amazing.
“I wanted to surprise you. I was aching for it, man.”
“You surprised the hell out of me. But it was a good kind of shock.” They’d been so hot. Kinda like Galen was now. Rarin’ to go. He tugged the chain, wanting Shane to give up on waiting until after supper.
Shane arched, that fine, fine fucking belly rippling for him, going pink. Shit, the things he wanted to do with all that strength. Right now he’d settle for watching Shane shiver and groan, and he’d pull at that little chain again and again. His. This was all his.
“Galen. Galen, I….” Shane humped against him, starting to shake. “More.”
“Anything, darlin’. Anything for you.” Jesus, he could stand there all day and watch that. Except his legs were shaking, so Galen lifted Shane again and headed for the bed.
He sat down, and Shane shifted, straddling him, hands landing on his shoulders. “Hey. You. Fuck, Len.”
“Okay.” He grinned, looking right into those pretty blue eyes, needing like crazy. “Hey.”
“You’re home.” Shane pushed him back, following him right down, flat belly slapping against his while Shane wiggled out of his shorts.
“I am.” Sprawling, Galen pulled at Shane’s chain, watching the man shiver for him, feeling that hot body all along his.
“Do it again.” Shane reached back for Galen’s cock, fingers wrapped around it. Thank God for easy-access swim trunks. They needed to go, though, so Galen shucked them, twisting, making it even better where Shane touched him.
“What? This?” One more tug at the chain had all that pretty skin goose-bumping up for him, had Shane rolling his hips.
“Yeah. Yeah, Len. That. That.” Shane’s thumb rubbed right over the tip of his cock, working it hard enough to make his toes curl.
“More.” The challenge went right out the window. Galen didn’t care a bit about who won anymore. He just wanted Shane.
“More.” Shane scooted back, rubbed his prick right against that tight little hole, taking the tip in before sliding off.
“Oh fuck. Shane. I…. Damn.” Galen pushed up, trying to get that feeling back.
“Uh-huh.” Shane teased him, taking him in and then sliding off, driving him out of his mind.
“God, darlin’. Please.” He’d gone beyond being ashamed of begging a long, long time ago.
“Yeah. Yeah, Len.” Just like that, Shane sank down on him, taking him to the root and squeezing him tight.
His eyes rolled, a shout pushing right out of his throat. His hips rocked up, his hands clenching on Shane’s skin, just enough to bruise.
“Do it again.” Shane pulled up, staring down at him. “Come on.”
“Oh yeah.” Yanking hard, Galen gave it to Shane, every little thing. Every big thing too. He chuckled, bucking harder with each thrust. Shane bounced on his cock, riding him hard, not backing off one bit. The chain shifted with every bounce, tugging those hard bits of flesh.
Galen reached up with one hand, the other staying right where it was to keep the rhythm going. He tugged at that pretty chain, knowing it would drive Shane wild.
“Galen! Galen, fuck!” Oh hell yes. Shane bucked, ass like a goddamn fist around him.
Arching, his muscles straining, Galen fucked Shane with everything he had, staring right into those glorious eyes. It had been too fucking long.
“Love.” Shane bit the word out, hand reaching down to jack that hard cock.
“Now, darlin’. Come for me now.” Galen bit it out between clenched teeth, teetering on the fucking edge, so close he could feel his balls emptying.
“Now.” Shane grunted, bit the word out and shot, heat splashing over his belly.
“Now!” His whole body went tight, his cock pushing in and filling Shane deep, wet and hot.
“Mmm.” They stayed like that for a minute, and then Shane slumped forward, landing on him with a thud.
He wrapped his arms right around Shane’s back, holding on for dear life. They lay skin to skin, just the way he liked it.
“Okay. You’re better than steak.” He felt Shane’s grin on his chest, the soft laughter tickling him.
“Love you, darlin’. You know that, right?” Suddenly it was very important to hear Shane say it.
“I do. I miss you.”
“Well, I’m right here.” Galen snuggled in tighter, not minding the humidity one bit. So what if they were a little sticky.
“Yep. Where you belong.” Shane nodded, patted his ass. Those fingers stayed on his skin, holding on.
“Right where I belong.” That was the important thing. Galen was gonna try hard to remember it.