STORY EXCERPT

“This place is taking shape,” Thomas Tyler Maddison told his old friend, Cody, his Bronx accent pronounced, reminding Cody of his childhood in the Big Apple. Thomas’s ebony skin contrasted beautifully with the dazzling smile that stretched his mouth, which turned wry as he stared at the construction work going on around them. “Who’d’ve thought, after our beginnings in the city, we’d turn into country bumpkins?”

His deep laugh rolled out when Cody flipped him off, unoffended by his old friend’s response. They had grown up in the same neighborhood, had shared the same school and ended up joining the fire service after graduation. Then their paths had split, after three years of Cody’s marriage to his wife ended, the loss of his son adding fuel to the destruction of a union based on lies. Cody had joined the military, leaving his old life behind for good. He’d made the rank of sergeant quickly, spending a decade and a half patrolling the world’s hot spots. Thomas had never found that special someone, his heart already spoken for, and he’d waited years for the one person he’d been in love with for most of their lives to come back. He’d known Cody was the one from a young age, but had never felt any gay vibes, except for that last, passionate kiss when they’d said good-bye all those years ago, so he had remained the man’s best platonic friend instead. He’d never regretted the decision.

“Well, Tommy, I don’t mind the quiet life,” Cody teased, his hazel eyes amused as he looked at his buddy. “Small towns are so quaint, aren’t they? Full of merriment and bonhomie.”

Thomas bellowed out a laugh again, clapping a big hand on Cody’s shoulder and giving him a nudge with one bulky shoulder. “Yeah, right.” He chuckled. “When you find that quiet life, you let me know. Since I’ve been here, in the wilds of Wyoming, there hasn’t been a quiet moment yet. You and your boys attract trouble like nobody else.”

Cody wrapped his hand around Thomas’s large bicep, patting his arm firmly. “Tommy, this is quiet for this neck of the woods. You should have seen us last year!” He laughed, too, enjoying the banter.

His friend had been there through all the childhood capers he’d gotten into. Then they’d lost touch while he ran from an unfaithful wife and the loss of a son who had turned out not to be his. He knew he could have called his best friend but had elected to kick ass with the military. There he’d met with more kick-ass than he ever imagined to see in a lifetime, meeting his crew as young men and watching them grow into men who remained lifelong friends. They were men he would gladly die for…and had taken bullets for a couple of times. More importantly, he had killed for them, defending them against the evils of war, and backing them up when they’d all retired and moved up here to Wyoming, on the eastern edge of the Grand Tetons National Park.

For the past three and a bit years they’d all lived at Two Spirit ranch, owned by his old captain, Joe McKellar, completing all the planning and designs for the town there, sharing a house together. He and Thomas stayed in town now, the place a speck on the map that if you blinked you’d miss it…until a mad cult leader and his henchmen had blown the place to smithereens, and half its residents after a nearly three-year battle to uncover their operation. The cult, the Will and the Word, had built up a network of criminal activity, kidnappings, child torture, and drugs and gun running, to name but a few of their illegal activities. Their favorite target of choice was shifter kids. Last autumn they’d finally managed to put the cult’s plans to rest and were well on the way to completing the reconstruction of Sage.

As foreman of the operation, he was ably assisted by Thomas, who helped with the endless paperwork for building codes and zoning applications. Plus, the applications made for new businesses. Cody enjoyed coordinating the workers in their various tasks, a huge headache since they weren’t just in charge of one building, but an entire town.

Thomas suddenly winced, rubbing his knee, which had Cody looking at him with concern.

“Are you okay?” Cody asked, keeping his hand on Thomas’s arm. “You’ve been standing for too long. I’ll get you a seat.” Without waiting for a reply, he ran over to the dining hut, a cook shack with a big awning attached, and returned with a white plastic chair, which he guided Thomas into.

Thomas looked at Cody, amused at the man’s overreaction. The man may not be screaming gay vibes at him, but he had the whole mother hen routine down just fine.

“Baby, I’m okay, just a little twinge is all,” he said, laughing outright when Cody waved his hand, poo-pooing the excuses. Thomas tried out the endearment, just to see how Cody would react, and the guy flushed slightly…Thomas was pleased he’d gotten a reaction, however slight. He’d waited years for Cody, and soon he planned to reap the rewards.

“You were severely injured, baby, just a few months ago. If you weren’t so stubborn about walking everywhere instead of using the wheelchair occasionally, you wouldn’t be so sore all the time.” Cody sounded grumpy now, which had Thomas smiling even more, because Cody had said “baby” as well, however sarcastically. Progress at last.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you cared,” Thomas replied, clutching both hands to his chest melodramatically.

Cody had an intent look in his eyes, something Thomas hadn’t seen before. “Thomas, I’ve always cared about you. I’ve just never known what to do about it.” He flushed bright pink, looking embarrassed as hell, then muttered something about checking on some delivery of paving flags and strode off quickly.

Thomas’s mouth remained open, bemused and amazed as he watched Cody leave.

ADULT EXCERPT

Thomas nodded, pressing a light kiss on Cody’s lips, nuzzling his cheek with his nose. Cody half sobbed, turning his head to follow the caress as Thomas eased back. “Don’t stop,” he begged. “I want you, Tommy. So fucking much. Don’t stop. Love me—I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

Thomas’s hold tightened, his hands moving south, cupping Cody’s hard, rounded buttocks and squeezing gently. Cody gasped, feeling his cock go from semi-plump to raging horndog in an instant. He’d calmed down a little, so his dick had softened. Now it came back to life with a vengeance. “Baby, whatever happens, I’ll be here for you.” Then his lips covered Cody’s, his tongue pushing for entry.

Cody bucked against his friend, opening wide and tilting his head to the side, the kiss turning sloppy as they devoured each other greedily. He felt his shirt dragged down and off, felt thick fingers pinching his nipples sharply and bucked again, breathless and so hot he was about to self-combust. He’d never felt this way with anyone else. Lovemaking with Marissa had been vanilla to the extreme, lights out and missionary position all the way. This was explosive and sexy and hot as fuck. Thomas kissed like a dream, his mouth spicy, his scent musky, his arousal an aphrodisiac that kept Cody’s libido buzzing and his cock ready to fuck.

Thomas began to pepper kisses all over Cody’s face. Trailing up the bridge of his nose, his cheekbones, and then both eyelids before moving south again. Avoiding Cody’s gasping mouth, he followed a scorching path across his jaw, rasping against whiskery skin, then on down, lapping at damp throat muscles before finding the broad, hairy chest. Dark brown nipples pebbled under his sexy explorations, Thomas licking and biting and kissing the little nubs until they were aching, each caress sending a shock wave straight to Cody’s swollen dick.

His chest heaved with each hard gasp of breath, and he whimpered as he watched Thomas’s dark head lower even more, carefully sinking to his good knee as he delved in between each ripped ab, into Cody’s belly button, then swirled just above the waistband of Cody’s sweats.

“Now, baby, what do we have here?” Thomas growled, mouthing the thickness bulging against soft fabric. “This is a beautiful fucking thing,” he said, pulling at the sweats, then tugging them down to Cody’s ankles.

Hard and dripping, Cody’s cock slapped Thomas’s chin as it bounced upward as soon as it was freed, spraying pre-cum across Thomas’s cheek. Thomas gave Cody an upward glance through silken, dark lashes, locking his eyes on to Cody’s, then nuzzling at the hard, moist length that swayed enticingly in front of his face. “So fucking beautiful,” Thomas grunted, mouth opening wide. Cody yelped and jumped when his cock was swallowed in one. Thomas deep-throated him on the first try, and Cody lost it right there, his spunk shooting out as Thomas’s throat muscles massaged the spongy head of his cock.

“Fuuuck!” Cody whimpered, bucking his hips, fucking Thomas’s mouth gently. He began babbling when Thomas eased off, then lapped at him, enveloping Cody’s sac between moist lips as he nibbled his way down Cody’s plump, veiny cock, rolling his balls around with a talented tongue. “Oh, God,” he groaned, feeling Thomas’s hand on his ass, sliding down his sweaty crease, brushing against his virgin hole.

“So fucking tasty,” Thomas approved, turning Cody to face the sink. “I love how responsive you are. I love how I made you come so fast.” Cody yelled out when he felt his cheeks parted, then Thomas began licking at Cody’s clean, moist hole. Cody felt light-headed, his head falling back on his shoulders, spreading his legs even wider. Thomas was driving him insane. The man’s agile tongue was everywhere, licking at him, loosening the tight ring of muscle guarding his shy little chute, then going in for the kill and punching through, fucking him like his tongue was a mini penis.

“Oh. My. Fucking. God!” Cody snarled the words, grabbing his cock, which was at full attention again, and jacking himself urgently.

“Allow me,” Thomas said, nipping Cody’s cheeks one by one with his blunt teeth. Cody shuddered, eyes closed in tortured bliss as Thomas gripped his cock and began pumping him firmly, both their hands traveling together, bringing him to the brink of orgasm. With a deep chuckle, Thomas dove for Cody’s hole again, driving deep with his tongue until Cody emitted a loud, shrill scream and came for a second time. Hot spunk sprayed the cabinets, pearly white ropes lashing the varnished wood until he thought he’d pass out.

With a final lick, Thomas rose onto his one good leg, parking his cock at Cody’s crease, sliding it up and down. “Lube?” he asked, nipping Cody’s neck lightly. Cody waved vaguely with his hand, and Thomas gave a deep, amused chuckle. “Never been rimmed before?” he asked, turning Cody’s head as he reached for a bottle of vegetable oil on one shelf. Cody shook his head, eyes still closed tight. He heard the snap of the top, the sound of oil being slicked onto something, then felt greasy fingers playing at his loosened hole.

“Never been fucked before either,” he confessed, barely able to breathe. Right now he wanted to melt into the carpet since his legs were struggling to hold him upright.