Not so much.
Asshole.
Bax had a goofy smile frozen on his face, swinging that gal around toTheFiremanlike she was a ball on a rope. Jesus, that knee was gonna be three times its normal size. Hell, Jason’s heart had about stopped when Bax had gotten hung up on the dismount, doing a full-on helicopter to the ground. He’d seen Bax’s face go pale as milk, and he’d just barely kept himself from doing more than meeting the stubborn bastard at the gate.
Now that damned fool was chugging Jack and Coke and acting like he was a fifteen-year-old at his first barn dance.
The song ended and Bax gave the little buckle bunny a kiss on the cheek, walking her back to her giggling friends before huffing and puffing back to Jason.
“Hey.” He scooted over, gave Bax a place to prop. The boys were hooting and slapping Bax’s back, giving him shit.
Bax grinned, but the man wasn’t blushing a bit, so Jason relaxed. That meant it was just a little blowing off steam.
He sucked back his beer, the liquid break hitting his empty belly hard. “You want another, man? I need a beer.”
Or four.
“Yeah. I’d better switch to beer, though.” Yeah, Bax was more than a little blinky.
“‘kay.” Jason headed over to the line, only having to talk to thirty people on the way.
Jesus.
Ten bucks for two beers and he still had to wait half an hour for it.
Bax had found them a sitting table by the time he got back, and that leg was propped up on another chair. Yeah, and Bax’s mouth was set in a hard line.
The boys had deserted him, AJ on the dance floor, Buck with an arm around some buckle bunny. He handed the beer over, nodded. “There’s pills up in the room, if you need it.”
“I’ll think on it.” Winking, Bax toasted him with the beer. “I been hittin’ the sauce a bit too much for the good pills.”
“Yeah. Least for a couple hours. You were sure shaking a leg, man.” He slugged some back, the cold brew just what he needed.
“Well, you know I have to once in a while.” Now Bax was ducking his head, not quite meeting Jason’s eyes.
“Yep. Good ride today, huh?” Fuck, this was weird.
And dark.
And loud.
“Yeah. Yeah, for both of us. You rocked it out on Booger.” That had Bax looking at him again, that deep pleasure Bax took in his riding right there.
“Yeah. It felt good. Damn good.” He gave Bax a grin, a nod. Hell, Momma’d called them both, just squealing.
“Nothing wrong with first and third at all, Mini.” They knocked fists together, laughing like fools.
“No, sir. Nothing wrong with that at all.” Hell, no. They couldn’t hardly ask for more.
They sat a bit, Bax turning down a couple of pretty, sparkly girls who sidled up to ask him to dance. By the time the third girl had wandered off, Jason was noticing at the lines carved out around Bax’s mouth.
“It’s time to go up, buddy. Take one of them pills.” He knew that look, knew it bone deep.
“Yeah. Yeah, I think it is. I’ve been off the booze long enough now, huh?” Hell, Bax could outdrink most of the young kids, still.
“Yeah. Come on. Let’s go.” They’d walk out then he could help some when they got away from the damn crowd.
Bax stood up real careful like, but seeming pretty damned normal. Only Jason knew what it cost, because he could see those hands he loved so much clench almost white. They got out of the crush and in an empty hallway before he scooted up, gave Bax a shoulder to lean on. “Come on. We’re right by the elevator.”
