Slice Of Life 2016 Read online

  “Are you admitting defeat?” Liam couldn’t resist asking, even though he knew he was pushing his luck. Had been ever since he hid all of Billy’s knives on April Fool’s Day and started them on this month-long game of who could out-prank who the best.

  Dark eyes narrowed on him dangerously and Liam held his breath. The adult in him could admit that it was way past time to end the battle, but his inner five-year-old refused to be the one who gave in first. The question was, would Billy be the mature one this time?

  “Defeat?” Billy shook his head slowly and eased further away. “As in, admit to losing? That’s never gonna happen.”

  No, he didn’t think so. “Then how do you propose we call a truce? I got in the last prank, so it’s not a tie.”

  Billy huffed a little and grabbed his hand, dragging him toward the bathroom. Liam could see him weighing their options—give up gracefully or spend the unforeseeable future wondering when and how the next prank would hit—and hoped he’d choose the first. Billy continued to hold his silence as he stripped them both and pushed Liam into the shower. Instinctively, he braced himself to be doused with cold water, but his lover didn’t take the opportunity that was right there waiting for him.

  “Woulda served you right,” Billy teased, reading him perfectly.

  Liam’s response died on his lips when Billy ducked under the warm spray to rinse off the foam. The sight of his Billy Bear all wet was enough to tie his tongue in knots. Who needed childish pranks when he could have all those bulging muscles? Unable to resist the temptation, he inched closer to pet the silky pelt covering that barrel chest and sighed.

  Where was his white flag when he needed it?

  “The way I see it,” Billy continued as he sluiced back his hair before tugging Liam around until he was the one under the spray. Gentle hands ghosted over him, wiping away the last remaining remnants of his prank and turning his insides to mush. “There’s only one way to determine the winner.”

  “I’m open to suggestions.” Especially ones that involved Billy naked and wet, Billy’s hands on his naked body, and Billy looking at him like he wanted to eat him alive.

  One strong arm wrapped around his waist and Billy’s palm settled possessively on his ass to pull him in tight. “I knew you’d see it my way.”

  When Billy gripped his cock in a tight fist and grinned devilishly, Liam knew he was going to lose in the very best way possible. “Uh, what way is that exactly?”

  Billy stroked him slowly, his hand twisting on every upstroke and tightening with each pass downward until Liam felt his eyes roll back in his head. “You’re fucking gorgeous like this.”

  All thought of pranks and truces fled under the sound of the raw hunger in Billy’s voice. Liam grabbed onto Billy’s shoulder in an effort to balance himself and thrust forward, needing more than that slow, steady stroke. “Don’t tease me, Billy.”

  “You like when I tease you,” Billy countered knowingly and he was right. Liam loved the time Billy took to tease and please every inch of his body, holding off his orgasm until he was desperate for it. “Now, are you ready to hear about our truce?”

  “Yes...absolutely, anything.” He was being ridiculously easy, but it was Billy and he was powerless to resist.

  “Hmm, anything, huh?” Billy shifted until that big hand was fisting both their cocks, rubbing them against one another just the way he liked. “The first one to cum admits defeat.”

  Liam groaned, knowing he was already close. “Not fair. You got me all worked up first.”

  “Did I?” Billy looked him over and groaned. “Don’t you know that watching you get all worked up works me up?” Before he could bask in the idea of Billy getting turned on just from watching him, the hand holding their dicks together loosened like he was going to let go. “But if you want me to stop…?”

  “No!” Liam gripped him hard and thrust against him. “Don’t you dare.”

  “Then you agree to my terms?” That torturous hand tightened just enough to encourage his answer.

  “Yes. Please, Billy.” He was practically begging to lose now, but Liam couldn’t find it in himself to care. Not when he was so close to a blowing his load all over both of them.

  Another throaty growl echoed off the shower walls and then Billy’s mouth was on his, taking him in a vicious kiss as that hand started stroking fast. Liam’s nails dug into Billy’s shoulders as he went up on tiptoe and snapped his hips forward. His need for Billy was always right there waiting for the slightest bit of encouragement and there was never a thought of denying either of them. Even when the stakes were so high.

  When the hand on his ass moved and deft fingers slid between his cheeks, Liam knew he was done. He couldn’t even claim it was unfair. After all, he had two free hands capable of driving Billy out of his mind. Hell, he loved driving Billy out of his mind. But his little head was definitely leading this charge and all it cared about was rubbing against its favorite playmate.

  One wet finger breached his hole, making Liam whimper. Water didn’t make things as easy as some believed, but the burn was a small price to pay for the pleasure he knew was to come.

  “Okay?” Billy asked as he kissed a path to his ear and Liam’s heart melted a little. Even with victory at his fingertip, literally, Billy was more concerned with his comfort than anything else.

  “More,” he begged, pressing back to take it as deep as possible. That was all the assurance Billy needed to continue.

  The dual stimulation along with Billy’s hot breath ghosting over ear was enough to send him flying. His hips were frantically jerking back and forth in an effort to get much needed friction on his cock without losing the delicious pressure of that finger in his ass. “Yeah, that’s it. I love when you take what you need from me.”

  “So close, Billy.” He repeated it over and over, his whole body shivering as the wave rose to take him under. There was a time when he would never have let himself be so consumed, never let himself be so vulnerable, but he knew he could give it all up to Billy and only be loved more for doing so.

  “Yeah?” Those limbs tightened around him, pulling him in even tighter. Billy knew how much he craved the security of his embrace and never failed to give him what he needed. “Then give it to me, baby. Come on, I’ve got you and I won’t let you fall.”

  That whispered promise was the final straw that had him giving it all up. His body jerked and spasmed, his vision blurred and his head swam. If he had to admit defeat, he couldn’t think of a better way to do it.

  He was still gasping when he reached between them, determined to give Billy the same pleasure he’d just enjoyed. “It’s your turn.”

  “Too late.” Billy’s teasing response didn’t make sense. Was it possible that he was so focused on his own orgasm that he missed Billy’s? That felt wrong on so many levels. “Watching you come apart like that...how could I resist?”

  “But—” Liam trailed off and looked down between them, seeing the evidence with his own eyes. “I missed it.”

  Billy just laughed at him. “Then I did my job well. You were so focused on what I was doing to you that you couldn’t think of anything else.”

  It sounded good in theory, but it still felt selfish. Billy gave him so much and was always attentive to all his needs, even the ones he didn’t think anyone saw, and Liam worried that he wasn’t giving as much back. He didn’t want to be a selfish partner who took more than he gave...again.

  With a resigned sigh, Billy pulled back and gave him a stern frown. “There isn’t a scorecard tallying up who did what for whom, Liam, and if there was, you’d be way ahead of me. What you gave me just now—your complete trust—was everything I could have hoped for. You’re always taking stock of what you do against what I do, in and out of bed, like you’re afraid of what will happen if the give and take isn’t proportionally balanced.”

  The words trailed off thoughtfully and Liam flushed under the sudden understanding in Billy’s gaze. What could he say? That after rea
lizing everything Chris had lost in the name of making his life better, the idea of anyone else doing the same terrified him. He didn’t want a sacrifice and he didn’t want to be anyone’s burden.

  “It’s impossible to be balanced all the time, Liam. Think about everything that happened when my brother went to jail and how heavily I leaned on you. I couldn’t have gotten through all of that without you. Were you keeping score then? Do you think I was being selfish to rely on you then?” Billy released him, his sigh full of frustration as he reached to turn off the water.

  “No, of course not. It was my honor to be the one you could lean on.” Liam grabbed his arm to stop him from walking away. His insecurities had taken them from mind blowing orgasms to this and he hated it.

  “And it’s my honor to be the one you can lean on. That’s a real partnership, Liam. There will be times when you are the stronger one or the one driving me out of my mind with lust, and there will be times when you need me to be the stronger one or the one giving you pleasure without any thought to my own. Do you know why?” Liam shook his head. Logically, he understood, but he worried so much about that imbalance that logic went out the window. “Because we’re making each other’s life better, happier, and we’re doing it together. We’re filling in each other’s empty places, bringing joy where only despair lived before. There’s no scorecard big enough to balance those scales because they’re changing all the time. There are no losers in love, Liam, only winners.”

  “I love you, Billy.” Liam threw himself forward, sure that Billy would catch him, and burrowed against him. “I love you so much.”

  Billy soothed him with murmured words and soft kisses until the emotional wave subsided. He wanted to be sorry that he’d caused even a moment of insecurity between them, but he really needed to hear Billy break it down for him. Until it happened, he hadn’t even known he was looking for that reassurance, but there was no denying the effect Billy’s words had on his confidence.

  “Since I missed it, who came first?” Liam leaned back and gave Billy his best teasing grin.

  Billy’s laughter eased any lingering doubts he had. They were happier together and their lives better than he could have ever imagined. No scorecard needed. “It was a tie.”

  He got it then. It would always be a tie. “Because there are no losers in love?”

  “I knew you’d see it my way.” When Billy looked at him like that, with so much love and want and wonder, he couldn’t imagine seeing it any other way.

  May 2016

  In memory of all the service men and women who we’ve lost hosted by Two Chicks Obsessed with Books

  Micah peered at Garrison over his coffee cup and blushed when those blue eyes met his knowingly. It was ridiculously early for him to be up, much less dressed and out of the house. He wasn’t a morning person by anyone’s standards and didn’t attempt to be even though Garrison was always up before dawn. That’s if he even slept. Almost a year after leaving the Marines, sleep remained elusive for his lover.

  Garrison reached over and tucked a lock of blue hair behind his ear. Normally, the multicolored layers would be artfully spiked, but the day called for a more solemn appearance. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you leave the house like this. Not sure I like it either.”

  That wasn’t what he was expecting. Garrison was always complimentary of his ever-changing appearance, but never more so than when he was stripped of all the products he used. “No?”

  “No.” Garrison snagged his hand as he settled back in the booth, keeping them connected in a way that made his heart ache. The years they spent apart had left an indelible mark and had them seeking any little bit of contact whenever they were together. “I prefer this look to be just for me.”

  The flush of pleasure spread through him like wildfire. God knew he loved Garrison with every cell in his body, but he was even more impossible to resist when he said things like that. “I just thought that my normal spikes weren’t really appropriate for where we’re going.”

  Garrison’s eyebrows winged up in surprise. “Because the way you style your hair is somehow going to detract from the good work you’re doing? Or that the fallen will care one way or the other?”

  Well, when he put it that way. “I just wanted to look respectable...or, at least, as respectable as someone covered in tattoos could look.”

  That didn’t sound any better and now Garrison was frowning at him. “What’s really going on, baby?”

  It wasn’t that what he said was a lie, he had toned down his appearance out of respect, but Garrison saw right through him. He was an easy read on a good day, but on only one cup of coffee and after being roused while it was still dark? Yeah, he had zero ability to deflect and he was worried enough that he gave up the pretense without a fight.

  “Are you gonna be okay doing this? I mean, I could have gone by myself.” When Garrison smirked, Micah grumbled, “I do have an alarm on my phone that I’m perfectly capable of using. And you know I’ve done this before. It’s just…if it’s too much, you’ll tell me, right? We can leave anytime.”

  “Micah.” Garrison breathed his name and leaned forward again, tugging as he did so they were that much closer. “Baby, I love that you worry over me, but I promise I’ll be just fine because I know how lucky I am. I’m alive, I’m whole, and I have a man who loves me like crazy. If it hurts to stand over the graves of my fallen brothers and sisters, then I only have to look at the pain on the faces of their loved ones to be grateful that I didn’t do that to you. If they can endure the loss, I can stand there and honor them.”

  Micah blinked back tears and wished there wasn’t a table between them. He knew that Garrison struggled with the memories of the men and women he’d watched die in the heat of battle, the ones who came home broken—emotionally and physically—and even the role he’d played. His big heart mourned for every soldier, be it friend or foe, because Garrison believed those on the other side fought for the same reasons he did—a safer world. There were no winners in war, not when there were so many casualties on both sides.

  “I do love you like crazy.” Micah reminded him multiple times a day and knew he’d be doing it for the rest of their lives.

  Garrison brushed away his tears and closed the distance to steal a quick kiss. When he pulled back, his smirk said he’d reach his limit of heavy stuff. “I think I love you more.”

  Understanding his lover as he did, Micah scrounged up a suitable scowl and demanded, “How do you figure that?”

  “I risked my life waking you up early enough to stop here so you can have Nutella filled French toast. You’re not exactly friendly in the morning and this place will never be on the way to Lake Worth, no matter which way you tilt the map.” Garrison gave him a smug grin and dug into his own breakfast of eggs and potatoes.

  Greenstreet Café in the Grove might be in the wrong direction, but the breakfast was worth the side trip. With a menu full of decadent delights like cinnamon roll pancakes and his favorite French toast, Micah could only scoff at Garrison’s less inspired selection.

  “I concede that you did go above and beyond this morning,” Micah offered slowly, letting a little evil grin form on his face. “However, we wouldn’t have had to go out of our way if you had just made this for me at home. Just think of all the ways I could’ve shown my appreciation for your efforts if we weren’t so busy driving.”

  Those blue eyes narrowed on him and he had to laugh. He might be an easy read, but Garrison’s libido had a hair trigger. “If you’re so eager to show your appreciation, there’s plenty of room in the truck and I have excellent focus.”

  Having put that focus to the test with more than one mobile blow job, he couldn’t deny it. That didn’t mean he was sucking Garrison’s dick on the way to the cemetery. He was sure that was a violation of all rules of respectability and decorum and…shit, he didn’t know much about either, but he was really trying today.

  “I love that you’re actually considering it.” Garrison laughed s
oftly and pushed his empty plate away. Before Micah could respond either way, the smile slipped away and Garrison said, “Tell me what it’s like.”

  The quiet request made him sigh. Micah knew it was going to be a long, emotional day. His lover was the strongest man he knew, but Garrison tended to hide his suffering because he didn’t want it to spill over into their relationship. It was something they worked on constantly and Micah was grateful that Garrison didn’t completely shut him out. Still, he worried that today would erase some of the progress they’d made. “Okay. Well, this is only the second year they’ve been able to do it at the South Florida National Cemetery and it’s not the same everywhere. I was at one in DC where they had a parade and speeches, another where they did the 21-gun salute…” Micah cleared his throat, not wanting to get choked up yet. “It’s good to see everyone remembering and honoring, but I’m not really big on the parades and speeches, you know? For me, it’s about walking from grave to grave and thanking each soldier. It’s taking the time to remember them by name, saying it aloud as you place the flag, showing gratitude…”

  Despite his best attempts not to cry, Micah was just so grateful that no one would be placing a flag in front of Garrison’s grave today. Garrison was around the table before the first tear fell and Micah burrowed close. Neither cared if anyone was looking at them and Garrison didn’t try to shush him. They just held each other and remembered.

  His gratitude extended to the soldiers in Garrison’s unit that had his back and to the other units who provided support, and to each branch of the military that worked together to keep each other alive. It extended to the soldiers who came before and paved the way, and to the one’s that would come after to continue the fight. Honoring them, saying their names, expressing his gratitude—it was such a small thing and they deserved so much more.

  Finally, he lifted his head and let Garrison wipe away his tears. “You’re gonna be doing that a lot today.”

  “That’s okay.” Garrison kissed him gently and pressed their foreheads together. “Thank you. From me, from them, thank you.”