Hurricane Read online

  “Yeah. I figured sober I’d have a better chance with you, darlin’.”

  “Mmm. You get all sorts of chances with me, sober or otherwise.”

  “You’re gonna give me a swelled head.” In more ways than one, he figured. Galen pulled Shane a little closer, a little more fully into his lap.

  “Promises, promises.” He could just see a nipple ring, the chain catching the shirt. “You get enough to eat?”

  “I did. I might could use something sweet here in a bit.” Not that Shane wasn’t sweet enough for him. God, he was a sap.

  “Yeah. There’s a rum-soaked watermelon, and somebody had banana pudding….” The sun got lower, the music got louder.

  A small group of guys wandered over, heads together, laughing. “Buster, dude. You want some green?”

  Shane shook his head. “No, man. I got Galen.”

  “Aw, come on, man. You’re gettin’ old and stodgy.” The guys were hooting again, giving him and Shane no end of shit, but Galen was floating on that one little no.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s me. Stodgy.” Shane was fucking tickled, he could tell. Tickled and not moving a bit.

  Stroking Shane’s belly, Galen nodded at the boys. “He has to catch up with his old man. Y’all go play.”

  “Mmm.” Shane hummed, that thin, gauzy shirt not hiding a thing. “This is way better with you home, Len. Swear to God.”

  “Yeah?” He kissed Shane’s temple, tasting sweat and a little grit. “Love you, darlin’.”

  “Yeah. You doing okay? Missing work yet?”

  “No. In fact I hung up on Frank today….” They’d have to have a conference call soon, but he could put it off a little longer.

  “And I missed it? Damn, Len. You know I love that.” Shane hooted, reaching down to pinch his leg a little. “Shit, I usually get laid from it.”

  “It was right before we left. Didn’t want to ruin the fun.” And he was having fun. Lord above, he was.

  “Ah. Yeah, we don’t get out enough.” Shane nodded, fingers sliding on his leg. “You ever think about what you’re gonna do after you’re tired of the sports thing?”

  “I don’t know….” He hadn’t thought about it because he really hadn’t planned on the sports thing.

  “I been thinking about Wade a lot—he quit working and bought a boat and just wants to sail. I don’t think the dogs would like that.”

  “No. No, I think we got a good place. Are you bored, honey? You want to come with me on the road?” His fingers stilled low on Shane’s stomach, and he kinda held his breath.

  “And what? Sit in a room and wait? What would we do with the pups? I can’t do that. I got a job and shit. ’Sides, you don’t have time for me on the road.” Shane sighed a little, leaned harder.

  Damn. Galen turned Shane’s head, kissed that sweet mouth. “Well, I figure sooner or later I need to go back to the bait shop.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. You told me I didn’t have to work but another five-ten years, right? Then I could have enough saved?” Galen grinned, kissed Shane again. Shane didn’t have the slightest clue, just turned the lion’s share of the cash over for Galen to invest.

  “It might be less than that, darlin’.” Sweet, goofy man. Galen took another kiss, then another, warming to the task of distracting Shane from the whole work thing. It wasn’t a hard job either, Shane sliding full into his lap, humming into his kisses.

  He slid one arm around Shane’s back, turning that sturdy body into his so they were chest to chest. They both moaned, rubbing hard. Yum.

  Hot. Shane’s cock was like a fucking brand against him, obvious as fuck in those thin pants. “You… you want to dance?”

  “I do. Maybe we could dance a little behind those rocks, huh?” Maybe they could get out of sight….

  “Works for me.” Shane stood up, the firelight just making all those edges glow.

  Fuck, he all but drooled. Maybe he did a little. Galen climbed to his feet. Yeah. He could dance, for sure.

  Shane waited for him to slide his boots off and then grabbed his hand, encouraging him to slide off, head behind the stones.

  They wandered around a couple of dunes, but then they stood right at the water’s edge, their toes sinking into the sand. The tinny little radio sounded awfully far away, but Galen heard it enough to get the beat. That was all he needed.

  It was different, dancing like this—still out in the open enough that it wasn’t straight-up foreplay, private enough that they were both loose and easy, focused on nothing but the moment.

  He slid his hands up and down Shane’s back, his hips moving to the music. All Galen had to do was brace his legs and sway, holding Shane close. He could smell the ocean, smell Shane’s soap and that scent that they made together. Shane’s lips mapped his jaw, his chin, the touch easy and soft. His cock was hard as could be, but Galen wasn’t rushing, didn’t feel like they needed to get any busier right now. He just wanted to dance the night away.

  “I think we should do this more often. Just come to the beach. Touch. Dance.”

  “We should….” God, how long had it been since they watched a storm come in? “Next storm we ought to take the Jeep.”

  “Oh yeah. Yeah.” Shane’s lips brushed his earlobe. “The Jeep. Those little black ties….”

  “Uh-huh. Oh, darlin’, what I’m gonna do to you….”

  “Mmm-hmm. I’ll wear the vinyl pants, the white ones.” Christ. Those pants made Galen incoherent. Like babbling monkey idiot incoherent. With no shirt, just the little nipple rings and chain…. Shane was fucking irresistible. “Yeah. Yeah, you like those.” His earlobe got a good, hard tug, Shane panting a little now.

  “I do. I like all the parts of that equation.” Galen pulled Shane up on tiptoe, really getting them fitting together.

  The ground slid and slipped under their feet, both of them having to fight to stay up, together. It got him to laughing.

  Finally the crowd spilled over into their little dance floor, a bunch of half-naked coeds making a rush for the water. Galen laughed, shaking his head. “You ready to take your old man home?”

  “You know it.” Shane chuckled, gave him another quick kiss. “Let’s go, Len.”

  “Yeah.” Steering with an arm around Shane’s back, he started toward the truck. “Let’s go home and do what we can’t on a public beach.”

  “You got it. I’m ready.”

  Shane never looked back to say goodbye.

  Sometimes it hurt, deep in his chest, how much Shane loved him. Hell, most of the time Galen didn’t think he deserved it.

  But he was gonna take it anyway.

  Chapter Eight

  THE URGE to ask if Galen really had to go was fucking huge.

  Really.

  He didn’t do it, because it wouldn’t do a bit of good.

  Fucking football.

  Fucking Frank.

  “You know when you’ll be home?”

  “I think about two weeks.” Those broad shoulders were set tight, and so was Galen’s fine mouth. “I put it off as long as I could.”

  “Yeah. Well, we’ll have to go see the fireworks together. Wade says we can all go on the boat.” If Shane got enough coverage at the bar….

  “There you go.” Galen gave him a bit of a smile. “That will be fun.”

  “Yeah.” He nodded and wandered off to get a beer, get them both a sandwich or something. Maybe he ought to see if the guys wanted to go out tomorrow night, get fucked-up.

  Galen came right up behind him, arms sliding around his waist. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m cool.” He leaned back, let Galen hold him a minute. “Just being a pouty asshole. I got used to having you home.”

  “I know, darlin’.” Soft kisses landed on his neck. “I’m sorry.”

  “Gotta work, huh?” But not yet. Not ’til the morning. Not yet.

  “Tomorrow.” Turning him, Galen took his mouth hard, tongue pushing right in.

  Oh. Oh fuc
k yes. Please.

  Shane did his best to just let go, let it go. Galen cupped his head, tilted him to get more, and God it was hot. Burning him alive. He kept his eyes open, kept looking, eating it up. Eating Galen up.

  They stood in the damned kitchen for an eternity, swaying, lips and tongues moving, before Galen picked him up and hauled his ass to the bedroom. They didn’t say a fucking word, slamming the door behind them and both heading down to the mattress.

  Len landed on top of him, then pulled back long enough to tear their clothes off before sitting between his thighs and rubbing hard. He pushed back, wanting to feel it, to have Galen leave something for him to remember tomorrow.

  “Love….” That was what he wanted to hear. That and “I’m staying.”

  “Uh-huh.” He knew. He did. “More.”

  “Yes.” Licking down his throat, Galen stroked one hand along his side, fingers finally digging into his hip. So strong. He grunted, thigh muscles going taut. Yeah. Yeah, come on. More. Galen rocked, finally getting them right together where they needed to be, cock sliding along cock. Fuck. Good.

  He didn’t want it to stop, didn’t want to come, damn it. He gasped, balls drawing up.

  “Mmm.” That growl was what sent him over, just… yeah. Shane grunted, his head snapping back, Galen biting down on his shoulder. He came so hard his bones rattled, his eyes rolling back in his head.

  “Shane! Jesus. Fuck….” Len came for him too, all up on his belly, making the way all slick.

  He held on tight, shaking for a second, shaking with it.

  Len kissed him, easy, gentle, rubbing noses. “We’ll go again in a minute, huh?”

  “Yeah. Yeah.” He could hold on a second. Maybe longer.

  He thought maybe Len could too, the way that big body curled around his, the way Len’s arms went all tight and squeezy.

  “Khan’s gonna miss you. Bad.” Khan. Goob. Him.

  “Yeah? She’s a good girl. But she has Goober, huh?”

  “Yeah. They’re a pair.” He was glad to have them, have someone waiting on him after work and stuff.

  “I won’t be gone long, darlin’. I just have to do a couple of meetings, one appearance.” He wasn’t sure who Len was trying harder to convince.

  “Yeah. I know. It’ll fly by, and we’ll go have the Fourth. You can cook on the grill. Maybe Vic’ll show back up.”

  “There you go, honey.” Yeah, that made Galen smile. He could see why, thinking about their first encounter with the big alligator.

  He found a smile, even if he didn’t feel it. Man, he needed to grow the fuck up and cope.

  “That’s it, darlin’.” Maybe Len needed him to be cool and supportive and shit, but he thought Len needed to be missed too.

  He kissed Galen’s chin, the whiskers tickling him. He’d do whatever it took.

  Whatever he had to.

  Chapter Nine

  THE PHONE rang. And rang. And rang. Galen bit a hangnail off his thumb. Damn it. Where the hell was Shane?

  He was just about to hang up when Shane picked up. “’Lo?”

  Oh damn. That was just what he needed. “Hey, darlin’. How’s it going?”

  “Okay. I was cleaning the grill for the Fourth. How’s you?”

  “I’m hanging in. Just ready to come home.”

  “I hear that. When should I pick you up?” He could hear the dogs barking, going to town.

  “Well, I’m not sure. Frank needs me to stay one more day, but I swear I’ll be home for the Fourth.” He would if it killed him.

  “Okay. You just let me know. I bought steaks and some fireworks for the deck, if we decided not to hang with Wade.”

  “Oh, you’re a lover. That sounds fine.” He’d much rather spend his time with Shane. Just Shane.

  “Yeah. I think so too. Khan, put Goob’s leg down. Goob is not a chew toy.”

  “She still teething? You know that baby gum stuff works on her.” Of course, it was a messy, messy proposition.

  “I just gave her your boots. They worked fine.” Oh. Shithead.

  “You did not. I’ll beat your ass, and not in the fun way.” The fun way was so much better.

  “I’m terrified.” Shane laughed, and he heard a bottle opening. “Shaking in my flip-flops.”

  “I can tell. I swear, I can’t get any respect.” That was true enough, if not of Shane. Frank overrode every decision he made, until he was ready to pop the man in the nose.

  “Man, that sounded almost serious. Shit going bad there?” He had to say, Shane had the bartender knack for hearing problems.

  “Oh, you know Frank. I’m the brawn, as far as he’s concerned. The face.”

  He could almost hear Shane frown. “Galen? You’re a smart guy. Real smart. He knows that, right?”

  “I… yeah. Sure, honey.” Shit. Frank thought he was an idiot. Good thing he’d thought to make some contract arrangements on his own with the lawyer.

  “I don’t like him, Galen.” Well, now. That was new.

  “What’s up, darlin’?” Honest to God, if Frank had been dogging Shane about something, Galen would clock the man.

  “I just don’t, Galen. I don’t think… I mean, I think he’s not good for you.”

  Shit. That wasn’t like Shane at all, to sound so worried about business. “Why don’t we talk on it when I come home, darlin’? I want to hear what you’re thinking, okay?”

  “Okay. Sure. Your momma called this morning. You should call her. She’s got a summer cold.”

  “Oh damn. She’s okay, though, right?” Galen got the little hotel pad and a pen, making a note to call and to send some flowers…. Huh. Maybe he ought to send Shane some too.

  “Yeah. She’s just sniffly and sneezy. She wants to meet Khan.”

  “Of course she does.” Wandering, he wrinkled his nose at the hotel bedspread. Even in the nicer place, the thing looked damned foul. “We should have her down before hurricane season starts.”

  “Okay. I’ll see when she wants to come. What’re you doing tonight? Anything fun?”

  “Nope. I’m staying in. Fixing to get to work, but I wanted to hear your voice, darlin’.” He had data entry from hell to do. All those business cards and figures and shit.

  “Well, then. You can talk a while. Where are you? You seen anything cool?” Shane jabbered on a little, the sound familiar, warm.

  “Michigan. I don’t much like Michigan.” You know, he was a whiny bastard. If he hadn’t gotten himself into this mess, he’d have more right to bitch and moan.

  “Never been there. Is it hot? Goddamn it, Goober, quit teasing her!”

  “It’s not bad, I guess. I’m sorry, honey, I should be there to help.” Okay. Okay, he was getting downright girly and shit, sounding like his momma.

  “Yep. Come home. Control your dog.” Shane chuckled, and Galen could hear the sound of the Milk-Bones in the box.

  “I will. I just have to take that extra day.” Giving up, he flopped on the bed. “But I could take the red eye.”

  “I’ll be wherever you need me, Len. Just name it.”

  “You rock, darlin’. How’s work?” Why did they always talk about him? Maybe Shane felt like he was the one away from home, but man, he wanted to hear about Shane’s day.

  “Same old, same old. Me and the boys are still recovering from Pride. You should’ve seen the crowd.”

  “What was the best costume?” Lord, he got a little pissy at Pride, with all those people, but Shane seemed to like it.

  “Wade looked fucking great—he came in rainbow liquid latex. I thought he was gonna get mauled at the bar. My favorite was this dude dressed like Reba McIntire, though. His hair was taller than me.”

  “That Wade is something else.” What something, he didn’t know. It was hard to dislike the guy, but it pissed Galen off that he was always around.

  “Yeah. He’s a good guy. You wouldn’t have had fun, but it was still cool. Me and the pups spent the night on the deck, a bunch of us just fucking off.”


  “I’m sorry I missed that part….” He loved to hang out. Jesus. What the fuck was wrong with him? He would talk to Frank in the morning, make sure the man knew he was going home for the holiday. Period.

  “Me too, Len, but it’ll happen again, huh? Over and over.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, just think of the hurricane parties we can have.” That was something they could so do together. “I miss you.”

  “I hear that, Len. I told the storms, none of ’em can hit ’til you’re home with me.”

  “There you go.” His little laptop pinged, telling him he had an email, reminding him of all he had to do if he really wanted to cut and run for home. “I have to go, darlin’. I’ll be home soon.”

  “’Kay, Len. Sleep well.” Shane was locking doors, locking up for the night. He could see it in his head.

  “You too, lover. Dream of me.” He would be dreaming of Shane, no doubt.

  “I do.” The line went dead, leaving him with his computer, room service, and basic cable.

  Chapter Ten

  SHANE WAS having a fabulous fucking day.

  He’d picked Galen up at the airport. They’d picked up a watermelon and a bottle of whiskey. The grill was going. The beer was cold. The sun was shining.

  He dangled his feel off the pier, swaying along to the music from the radio. Fourth of July and his happy ass wasn’t at the bar.

  Sometimes it was good to be boss. Sucked to be bored, so he had the best of both worlds.

  Galen wandered over, Coke in hand, and plopped down next to him. The man looked worn-out, but he was there and smiling.

  “Hey.” He leaned a little, one hand sliding over Galen’s bare knee. “You need a nap before the fireworks start?”

  “Huh? Oh. Maybe.” Len leaned right back, warm and heavy. “This okay?”

  “Yep.” Better than. Of course, Khan was stalking her favorite human, crouched down, broad little butt in the air as she prepared to pounce.

  “Ooph.” The little girl jumped right on Len, who laughed and scritched her ears and shit, all but tipping them right off the dock.