Off Course, page 4
His dark brown eyes skimmed her face, his thick eyebrows coming down over them.
“You don’t have to worry,” she said, keeping her tone gentle like she was talking to a wounded animal. “I’m not here to seduce you, I promise.”
His expression softened, and a self-deprecating grin formed on his mouth. “Trust me. I never thought you were.”
“What does that mean?”
Evan stared at her for so long she thought he’d forgotten the question. It wasn’t until she was trying to come up with a way to get past this awkward situation that he finally spoke.
“It doesn’t mean anything.” He shook his head. “I know you’re not interested in me. I’m not worr—”
“Oh, I’m interested,” she blurted.
Oh, crap. What was wrong with her? After thirty-two years in this world, assertive decides to make an appearance now?
“You … um… You are?” His eyebrows lifted. “In me?”
How could he sound so surprised? Seriously, the man was everything a woman could possibly want. He was dedicated to his job, loyal to his friends and family, not to mention probably one of the best fathers in existence. Evan Vaughn was the whole package. Maybe he wasn’t as ripped as Brantley or Reese, and he didn’t have that drawl like Slade or Luca, but Evan was far more than his physical appearance. He was a very handsome man, and those other traits … dedicated and loyal … well, they were what was most important. They were what made him the sexiest man she knew.
“Yes,” she told him. “I’m interested in you.”
Oh, yeah. She was pretty sure her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. She imagined it plunging to the cushion between them and bouncing around.
“What about Luca?”
Becs laughed, waving a hand and looking away. “My interest in him lasted about a minute.”
“But I thought…”
“Yes, you thought I liked him because that’s what I wanted you to think.”
Lines formed on his forehead. “Why?”
Looked like they were really doing this.
“Because you and me … we’re friends, Evan. I would never want to risk that friendship by overstepping.”
He stared at her as though she’d lost her mind. Now that she heard the words playing back in her head, Becs figured maybe she had.
“Overstepping?” Evan shook his head. “How—”
A loud knock sounded on the door a second before it flew open. Sophia, Carly, and two more little girls were standing there, practically bouncing with their excitement.
“Let’s go, Dad!” Sophia shouted. “Let’s go swimming!”
Carly squealed her delight and all four girls started to dance.
Based on the way Evan continued to stare at her as though he didn’t recognize her, Becs knew this conversation would have to be tabled for later.
Chapter Four
Saturday, August 6, 2022
As had become their routine, Brantley and Reese woke up on Saturday morning, got in a ten-mile run, had breakfast, then headed for the gun range. They put Sniper 1 Security, the task force, and all their cases on the back burner in order to take time for themselves. And Brantley did it with a smile because he knew it was crucial to balance work and life.
He also knew that if Reese didn’t get him out of the house, he would likely sit at his desk and work regardless of what day it was. While he always had things to do, and there were always cases to research, the urgency of their tasks tended to increase his stress levels, which in turn increased the number of migraines he had. Thanks to their weekend outings, he was keeping his stress at a manageable level, and the migraines were coming on less and less. Rather than one every other day, they’d reduced to roughly one, sometimes two, a week.
It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t where Brantley had hoped to be after the incident that had ended his career as a Navy SEAL, but he’d adapted. That was what he’d been trained to do, after all.
“All right,” Reese said, putting on his safety glasses. “One hour. Then we’ll stop by the grocery store so I can pick up somethin’ to cook for dinner.”
“Don’t forget we’re goin’ to Moonshiners tonight.”
Reese grinned. “Didn’t forget. Couldn’t have even if I wanted to.”
“Atticus?” Brantley chuckled. The kid had made it his mission to irritate the shit out of Reese. The most interesting were the times Atticus blatantly flirted with Brantley. If ever there were something that would make the strong, even-keeled Reese Tavoularis break, it would be Atticus’s incessant flirting.
But Brantley knew the kid was harmless. The flirting never happened when Reese wasn’t around, which was how Brantley had realized Atticus’s intention was to get a rise out of Reese. No doubt, Atticus found it amusing. It kinda was. Plus, it didn’t hurt to know the man Brantley loved was capable of jealousy.
“One hour,” Brantley echoed Reese. “Then the store.”
Reese shifted his ear protection down and walked away. Brantley took a moment to admire him before he picked up the SIG he’d brought and headed to his assigned lane.
Two hours later, as Brantley was driving home from the grocery store, he glanced over to see Reese looking at his phone.
“I thought we weren’t working today.”
Reese looked up, his expression confused. “What?”
Brantley lifted his eyebrows and nodded at Reese’s phone. “Something’s got your attention. What is it?”
Reese exhaled and put his phone down. “Nothin’. I was goin’ through the checklist JJ sent.”
The wedding checklist, or what JJ had dubbed the Breese List. Personally, he hated that. She’d also referred to it as her You-Do-It-Or-Die List.
He grinned. “What’s on it for next week?”
“They sent the invitations out last week, so she’s startin’ to collect the RSVPs.”
“Her job, not ours,” Brantley noted.
“The rings are picked out,” Reese said, “so that one’s checked off.”
“So we’re ahead of the game.”
Brantley was glad they were. Considering JJ, Cindy, and Iris were planning the wedding, they’d required far more input from Brantley than he’d thought he would have to give. Evidently, planning did not entail picking out what the invitations looked like or sampling the food that would be served in order to create the menu. Or getting a stomachache from all the damn cake they’d had to taste. Brantley wanted simple, but from what he could tell, they were designing a three-ring circus.
However, Reese didn’t seem to mind the effort going into the wedding, so Brantley was dealing with it. If it made Reese happy to review the guest list and pick out venues, more power to him. Like Brantley kept telling people, as long as he and Reese were at the altar while Pastor Bob was doing his thing, he didn’t give a shit.
Reese glanced his way. “Do you want to write our own vows?”
The tone of Reese’s voice told him he was worried about Brantley’s response. Logic told him he had a fifty-fifty chance of guessing the right way to answer. Unfortunately, his track record of trying to predict what Reese was thinking wasn’t great, so he opted for the simple answer.
“What’s your preference? Because honest to God, I don’t care. As long as you promise to spend the rest of your life with me, we can recite Shel Silverstein poems for all I care.”
“Shel Silverstein?”
Brantley glanced over. “Yeah. You know. Where the Sidewalk Ends.”
“Oh, I know who he is,” Reese said. “I just didn’t think you did.”
“What? I read.”
“You do, sure. But I’ve never seen you read poetry.”
Reese was right. He didn’t. When he had time, his preference leaned toward non-fiction. Mostly military-related.
Brantley shrugged. “When I was a kid, I did.”
Reese was quiet for a moment. Brantley didn’t attempt to fill the void. There was something on Reese’s mind—something not related to Shel Silverstein—and with time, he would get it out.
They were pulling into the driveway when Reese cleared his throat. “When you were a kid, did you ever think about what your weddin’ day would be like?”
Brantley chuckled. “You mean when I was reading Where the Sidewalk Ends?”
“No, I’m serious.”
That sobered Brantley instantly. Never could he have imagined himself answering a question like that, but he figured Reese deserved the truth.
“No. Did you?”
“A fleeting thought from time to time, yeah.” Reese sighed. “Maybe it’s just me.”
“It’s not just you, I’m sure.” He considered making a joke about how women tended to focus more on those things, but he didn’t. One of the many things Brantley loved about Reese was his vulnerability and his wistful spirit. Reese did a good job of masking it for the world, but deep down, he was a romantic. Another of the many things Brantley loved about him.
He parked the truck near the house, and before Reese could get out, Brantley put a hand on his arm, stilling him.
He took a deep breath and shifted so he could look at Reese. “I’ve known I was gay since I was young. Probably twelve or so, I guess.”
“Wow. That’s … young.”
“I didn’t know what it meant at the time,” Brantley clarified. “But that’s when I noticed Jeremy for the first time. He was my best friend. I’d seen his face every day for years, but one day, I noticed he had green eyes. I knew they were green, of course, but I saw them differently. I found the color fascinating. And then I found the way he spoke fascinating. One little thing after another until I saw every part of him in a different way.”
“You were in love with him,” Reese stated.
“I guess so. My infatuation grew from there, but I kept it to myself. At first, I didn’t want him to know. Then, I didn’t want other people to know. I wasn’t ashamed, but it wasn’t something you flaunted. Trey was a year older than me, and I knew he was gay. We all did because we come from a supportive family, so it was okay to be ourselves.
“But we learned that it wasn’t something you shared with everyone. When they knew, they looked at you differently because it wasn’t socially acceptable to be out and proud in the nineties. Certainly not in a small town. Yeah, Coyote Ridge has come a long way, as has the nation as a whole, but it’s still not acceptable to a lot of people. Younger generations have an easier time being open about it.”
“They have more support than our generation did,” Reese noted.
“True. And that’s a good thing. I look forward to the day when our differences don’t divide us. Race, sexual orientation, religion. It would be a better world.”
Reese nodded, his brown eyes glittering like honey in the sun.
“With that said, when I was a teenager plotting the rest of my life, marriage wasn’t an option for me.”
“Shit,” Reese muttered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that.”
Brantley reached over and squeezed his hand. “But it’s what I want now. To marry you. And if you want to recite our own vows, I’ll put in the time and effort to write mine. If you want to recite whatever Pastor Bob has in store for us, I’ll do that, too. I don’t care. No, maybe I didn’t imagine what it would be like to stand at the altar, but if you did, let’s do it your way, Reese. Whatever that looks like.” Brantley thought about that for a moment and tacked on, “Provided it does not involve me wearing a wedding gown. That shit won’t fly.”
Reese barked a laugh, and suddenly, the tension disappeared. “All right.”
“Good.” Brantley opened the door and got out.
They grabbed the groceries from the back seat and headed for the front door.
“So which is it gonna be?”
Reese smiled. “Lemme think about it for a bit. I’ll let you know.”
“Fine.” He opened the front door. “But that doesn’t mean you get a head start on writing vows. If that’s the route we take, you get the same amount of time I do.”
Reese chuckled. “Fair enough.”
***
They spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out.
Reese tossed the ball to Tesha until she was too tired to move from the cool tile in the kitchen. He camped out on the couch with Brantley for a bit, flipping through channels. When Brantley stopped on the History channel, Reese knew it was time to put his plan in motion. Without saying a word, he got up and headed for their bedroom, taking his time. He knew it wouldn’t take Brantley long to come searching for him, and he was right.
“I assume I’ve got time to shower before—”
Reese remained where he was when Brantley stopped, framed by the doorjamb of their bedroom.
“Fuck me,” Brantley rasped softly, his blue-gray eyes heating instantly.
To say Reese was nervous and anxious would be an understatement, but he didn’t stop stroking himself, willing Brantley to join him on their bed.
“My, my, Mr. Tavoularis. I do believe you’ve been a naughty boy.”
Reese groaned. Leave it to Brantley to tease him.
“I have to say, I’d much rather do this than go to the bar for drinks.”
Reese grinned. “We promised we’d go.”
“Yeah, well. What awaits me on that bed is worth breaking every promise I’ve ever made.”
The man knew exactly what to say to fortify his nerves. Reese was making it a point to step out of his comfort zone from time to time. He figured it was only fair since Brantley was doing the same. And since Brantley was usually the one coming up with the sexual innuendo or brazenly instigating their passionate moments, Reese thought he would contribute, too.
So here he was, naked on their bed, his cock in his hand. He fought the gasps that filled his chest as he stroked himself, eager for Brantley to come closer.
When he stepped into the room, Brantley paused to close the door, then proceeded to admire Reese from all angles, walking around the bed on all three sides, his gaze lingering on Reese’s iron-hard dick. Oh, man. Those eyes. They saw so much more than Reese ever intended for Brantley to see. They were so expressive, relaying Brantley’s emotions even when he probably didn’t intend for them to.
“At this rate, I might come without you,” he told Brantley, his voice a husky whisper thanks to the lust constricting his vocal cords.
“Trust me, I won’t let that happen.”
Brantley pushed the waistband of his shorts down and wrapped his fist around his cock, allowing only the swollen head to peek out. Reese’s gaze locked in on the sight. It was a tease; one Brantley knew he thoroughly enjoyed because he’d busted Reese watching him in the shower once or twice as he jacked off.
“Did you get lube?” Brantley asked, pushing his shorts down a little more, giving Reese a view of his thick, veiny shaft.
Reese picked up the small bottle that was beside him on the bed. He dropped it back down. At the moment, he didn’t have enough brain power to focus on anything other than the exquisite tug and pull on his cock and Brantley mirroring his movements.
“You want this?” Brantley offered, angling his dick toward Reese.
“Yes.”
Brantley stepped forward, slowly approaching while Reese’s heartbeat throbbed in his shaft.
Reese released his cock, intending to meet Brantley halfway, but Brantley stopped him with a subtle shake of his head.
“Keep strokin’ it.”
Reese gasped, gripping his dick again and tugging on it. He really would come if Brantley kept this up. He was so fucking hard, so turned on. Any second, his trigger was going to flip, and he would come.
Brantley grabbed Reese’s ankles and pulled him to the end of the bed. Reese’s cardiovascular system shot into hyperdrive. He didn’t know why he found it so fucking hot when Brantley manhandled him, but fuck, he loved it.
“Keep strokin’,” Brantley snapped.
Reese focused, continuing to jerk himself while Brantley leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his knee as he reached for the lube.
“Brantley…” he gasped.
“I won’t make you wait. I promise.”
Reese slowed himself down, caressing his cock versus tugging, trying to hold himself back. It wasn’t easy when the man he loved was standing there, shirtless and so damn sexy it made Reese’s mouth water.
Brantley pushed Reese’s right knee back. “Hold it.”
Using his left hand to stroke, Reese freed his right hand so he could curl his fingers behind his knee and hold his leg back, opening himself to Brantley.
“Fuck me. Fuck me now, Brantley,” Reese pleaded.
Brantley smirked, flipping the top on the lube and pouring a generous amount in his hand. Reese swallowed hard, watching as Brantley transferred the lube to his cock, massaging himself. If that were all he did, Reese would’ve survived, but then Brantley slicked the greasy liquid on Reese’s balls as his fingers dipped lower, caressing his taint before sliding inside his hole.
“Oh, fuck.” Reese dropped his head back and closed his eyes as the exquisite sensation tore through him. Brantley knew exactly what to do to send him right to the peak.
“Give me one of those pillows,” Brantley commanded.
Reese slapped the mattress over his head until he found one of the small throw pillows Brantley had made fun of him for adding to the bed. He tossed it to Brantley. A second later, Brantley had the pillow wedged at the small of Reese’s back.
Bent the way he was, Reese couldn’t see between his legs, so he turned to look in the mirror on the armoire Brantley had also teased him for getting. In this position, he could see Brantley guiding his cock to his hole.
“You sure you’re ready for me?”
“Yes,” Reese whispered when the blunt head pressed against him, stretching the tight ring of muscle as he pushed inside.
Brantley grunted. “Take me, Reese. Relax and let me in.”
