THE BAIT shop finally smelled like fresh two-by-fours instead of mildew and dead lizards. Oh, it was far from done, but Galen thought they were making progress. It felt good, to be out there working with his hands, listening to Shane whistle and scrub the new glass cases they’d just gotten in.
They had all the fans on, the place a little stuffy, but it worked. Hell, he got to see Shane’s thin T-shirt clinging to every cut of muscle, outlining those little nipple rings.
“I think I need to get a tattoo to go with yours, darlin’,” Galen said when Shane finished the bottom shelf and straightened up.
“Okay, Len. Nemo did mine. He’s real cool. Sorta biker-looking, but cool.”
“Yeah? Did it hurt bad?” Not that he was afraid of pain; he just kinda wanted to know about Shane’s tat.
“No. It itched more than anything. Like a sunburn.” Shane pulled up his shirt, showing him the ink again. “The weird part was someone shaving me there.”
“Shaving….” Oh fuck. How long had it been since they’d done that together? Last time he’d seen it, Shane had been texting him pictures on his cell phone. His now defunct cell phone.
“Mmm-hmm. There wasn’t much hair, not like if I’d got it down here.” That hand motioned to that sweet, taut lower belly.
“Uh-huh.” Galen couldn’t help it. He stared. Hard. “That would be pretty, though.”
The muscles rippled, just like he’d touched them. “What would?”
“A tattoo. Right. There.” Drawn like Shane was a lodestone, Galen moved close, touched that sweet skin.
“On you or me?”
“You. Though I would get one too. Might be better to put it on my back, though. Where I’m less hairy.” Grinning, he stroked up and down, watching Shane’s muscles twitch.
“Yeah. You’d look funny, piebald.” Uh-huh. Shane was all into him being fuzzy. His Shane, though, he could strip that fine body down to bare skin.
“We’ll have to think on it.” Flattening his hand on Shane’s belly, Galen thought more on taking the man up to the house and having at him in the bathtub. He could feel each muscle, rippling, shifting, could smell the way Shane’s cock was lifting.
“You’re getting a little fuzzy, darlin’.” Tugging at the tiny hairs, Galen grinned. “We could go have a bath.”
“Mmm. We could. We’ve worked it hard.” Look at those cheeks go pink. Hell, yes.
“We have.” The floors were squeaky clean, new laminate hardwood put in the day before. The cases were in place, the new cash register ready to go. Time for a break.
“Come on, Shane,” Galen said, holding out a hand.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You’re telling me that you left everything behind for this piece-of-shit place? Jesus, Galen. Are you stupid?”
He recognized the voice about five seconds before Shane did, Shane’s pretty eyes going furious, just like that. Galen turned, his voice calm and even when he spoke. “You’re not welcome here, Frank. Take it up with my lawyer.”
“Fuck you. I came to find out what was wrong with you.” Smarmy little blocky fuckhead.
“There’s nothing fucking wrong with him.” Shane grabbed a two-by-four, hefted it. “Not a thing.”
Staring at Shane, Galen tried to come up with something to say, but he was flabbergasted. He’d seen Shane defend the bar, but damn.
“Look here, you little shit—”
“No. No, I don’t fucking think so.” Shane stepped forward, wood slapping on one palm. “You ain’t coming to our place and speaking to Galen like that, you hear me?”
Frank sputtered, and Galen wanted to laugh, but that would just make things worse. He put a hand on Shane’s arm, just to let the man know he was still there, and looked Frank right in the eye. “We’re not in business anymore. Not after what you tried to do. Now get your ass out of here.”
“You’re giving up all we’ve done for a cheap piece of ass?”
Shane’s arm tensed, a low warning noise sounding. “I ain’t cheap, and you’re a fucking liar, man. Len can do better.”
Galen’s own muscles went tight and hard, and he growled, hands clenching. “He’s not a piece of anything. He’s it, Frank. He’s my other half. I know that now. Now get.”
Frank opened his mouth, and that piece of wood swung out, smashing into the side of the shop. “That’s your warning.”
Goddamn. Look at that.
Frank gave him a look that burned with rage, but the man turned tail, cussing all the way. When he was out of range, he shouted, “You haven’t heard the last of it, Frost. I told you he was an indulgence you couldn’t afford!”
Shane stepped forward, glaring. “Don’t make me fucking hunt your ass, you lying sack of shit!”
“You keep him away from me!” Frank hotfooted it to his car and tore out, spitting mud from under his tires.
Galen watched, grinning a little at the way Shane was still vibrating.
Shane watched Frank leave, then carefully put the two-by-four back in place. “You still want that shower?”
“I do. In fact, I think I need it more now than ever.” Frank made him feel grungy.
“’Kay, Len.” Shane headed toward the house, all het up.
It was fucking hot.
Following that swinging ass, Galen stuck his hands in his pockets, a little shell-shocked. Shane had scared off Frank. Shane had fucking threatened to beat the bastard. Shane, who had always yelled at him for fighting and starting shit in the bar and all. That finally got his ass in gear, and Galen put on a burst of speed, catching up with Shane outside the bathroom. He grabbed one shoulder and swung Shane around, hugging that lean body close.
Shane looked up at him, eyes still flashing. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Damn. Look at that man. Galen was so hard he could pound nails. “You’re something else, darlin’.”
“I ain’t letting anyone come here and threaten us.”
“No. No, you’re not.” Jesus, that was weirdly hot. “Mine.”
He bent and took a kiss, letting Shane know how much he appreciated it. Shane’s body slapped against his, Shane meeting him halfway, the return kiss melting him, bone-deep. Wrapping his arms around Shane’s body, Galen let the kiss go on and on, his whole body on fire with it.
Shane’s fingers were in his hair, holding him close, keeping their mouths together. They rocked a little, both of them unwilling to give up control of the kiss, passing it back and forth. He tasted Shane deep, tongue pushing in and out in a slow, heavy rhythm. Shit, he was caught in it, caught in Shane and the kisses.
Staggering, they made it to the bathroom without losing contact, hands and mouths moving, searching. Galen gave up all thought, letting it take him where it would.
Shane’s hands were fucking everywhere, teasing him and touching him, both of them starting to strip down like they hadn’t touched in days.
So sweet. His hands shook as he touched Shane’s shoulders, his chest, fingers sliding down unerringly to pull at Shane’s nipple rings. God, he loved the way that made Shane shiver. Those little nipples went rock-hard, Shane groaning and nipping his bottom lip hard. Growling, he bit right back, pushing Shane harder and faster. His thumb rubbed one tiny ring back and forth, feeling Shane’s groan more than hearing it.
That little bit of flesh got hot under his fingers, Shane’s ass moving in time with his touches. Every movement had him grunting, trying to get closer, trying to get Shane more naked.
“Honey, I need…. We need more skin.”
“Uh-huh.” Shane tugged his shirt all the way off, rumbling. “I can’t believe that bastard came here.”
“Neither can I.” Hell, it had never occurred to him that Frank would dare brave him in his own den. The man was essentially a coward. Galen tugged at Shane’s shorts. “He’s gone. Now it’s about us.”
“It was about us then.” Shane wiggled out of them, ass shaking.
“It was. Jesus. You. I can’t believe you sometimes, darlin’.” His hands moved as fast as his mouth, tracing Shane’s ribs, Shane’s hip bones. Hard and wet-tipped, Shane’s cock got to bobbing, trying to get his attention.
It worked. Oh, Lord it worked. And suddenly Galen had to taste, something he hadn’t done in too damned long. He slid right to his knees, nuzzling, rubbing his bristly cheek against Shane’s prick.
“Galen!” Oh, if he was getting that sort of response, that desperate need, he’d not done this nearly enough. Licking, tasting, Galen worked his way up to the tip before sucking Shane in. No teasing, just pushing all the way down to the root. Shane’s hands landed on his shoulders, slapping down as those lean hips started moving, cock fucking his lips.
Yeah. Oh God, yeah. Galen glanced up, meeting Shane’s eyes, watching them burn for him as he sucked. He tightened his lips and let Shane take what he needed.
“Galen. Galen, fuck. I need.” Yeah. Yeah, he could see that. He so could. Shane was eating it up, belly jumping with each thrust.
He flattened one hand on that sweet stomach, fingers stroking. He could just see a tattoo there. One he got to watch Shane get. He sucked harder, his eyes finally closing as he pulled on Shane’s prick with heavy suction.
“Love….” Shane’s cock throbbed, swelled in his lips, seed just spilling, filling his mouth.
That had him moaning, his own hips humping the air. Oh fuck. Yes. Shane tasted like everything good in his life, making the memory of Frank completely disappear.
Shane didn’t even go soft, just kept shifting, moaning his name. Needing him. Christ.
It took effort to let go and climb to his feet, but Galen ached, needing to feel Shane against him, needing something. Anything.
Shane muscled him back toward the bed, groaning, pushing him. The backs of his knees hit the bed, and Galen tumbled down, pulling Shane on top of him. “Oh. Good.”
“Uh-huh.” Shane rubbed a little, crawling up his body, ass rubbing Galen’s cock a minute before the tip pressed right against Shane’s hole.
“Oh Christ. Shane. Darlin’….” He pushed up, knowing he should take more time, more care, but he needed in.
“Yeah.” Shane lifted up, bore down and just fucking took him in with a groan. Galen grabbed Shane’s hips, pulling down, pushing up. Shane was tight, hot, perfect, squeezing him on every stroke.
“Love.” Sweat beaded on Shane’s chest, rolling down the muscles.
Nodding, he sat up to lick at the corner of Shane’s mouth, tasting, before he pressed his lips to Shane’s, taking a hard kiss. Yeah. Yeah.
Shane grabbed his head, tongue pushing hard against his, fucking his lips like he was fucking that tight ass. They moved faster and faster, sweat running off their skin, both of them gasping for breath. God, yeah. He pushed harder, hips pumping up. Close. They were both fucking close—he could feel Shane around his cock, hear it in those deep, growled groans that pushed into his lips.
Balls drawing up tight, Galen yanked Shane down on him, sinking so deep he might never recover. He shot hard, his head falling back, his mouth open on a harsh cry.
He barely caught the hint of damp on his belly before he had the weight of Shane on him.
“I got you, darlin’. Right here.” He murmured it into Shane’s neck, stroking that sweaty back.
“Mmm-hmm. Love.” Shane sighed, then sank down on him, cuddling in.
“You know it. Love you.” God, Shane had been all tooth and nail. For him. For them.
Galen didn’t think he’d ever seen anything that made him more proud.