A short time later, the three of them were back at the house. Brantley had his feet propped up on one of the chairs on the deck, a beer in his hand. Tesha was sniffing around the backyard, patiently waiting for Reese to finish checking the steaks on the grill so he’d throw the ball for her again. She didn’t seem to care that they were quickly being swallowed by night.
He probably should’ve been thinking about Toby and where the man might’ve slipped off to, but he wasn’t. Not for the first time, the case he was working on was taking a backseat to his personal life. He wouldn’t lie, he’d grown accustomed to the normality of it. It was a far cry from his days as a SEAL, always on the go, eagerly anticipating the next mission. When he’d received his medical discharge from the navy, Brantley had figured his life would be chock full of nothing for the remainder of his days. He hadn’t been able to imagine a world that didn’t involve him being a Navy SEAL, wasn’t sure he’d even wanted to.
His gaze slid to Reese as the man closed the grill and reached for the tennis ball he’d set on the deck railing. He picked it up, then whistled in the direction of the yard. Tesha spun around, her attention instantly on Reese. A second later, Reese lobbed the ball in her direction, sending her scurrying to get it. That simple action made Brantley smile.
No, he wasn’t in the navy anymore. He wasn’t out saving the world, but he had to admit, while this new path he was on was a far cry from the action-packed days of old, it was worth everything he’d been through to get here.
***
“Are you watchin’ the news?” Reese askedwhen he joined Brantley in the bedroom a couple of hours later.
They’d had dinner, cleaned up, then continued to sit outside enjoying the peace and quiet of country life until the consistent chirp of crickets and the cool breeze had lulled them into a relaxed state. Worried he’d fall asleep in the chair, Reese had suggested they get some sleep so they could start again early tomorrow. He wasn’t surprised when Brantley had readily agreed.
“I was actually lookin’ for porn,” Brantley quipped.
Reese pulled the blankets back and crawled into the bed. “Yeah?”
“Mmm-hmm. Thought I’d get in the mood.”
“Now I know you’re lyin’.”
Brantley glanced over. “Why’s that?”
“’Cause you’re always in the mood.”
“You know me too well.” Brantley smirked, then pushed the blankets down, drawing Reese’s attention to his lap. More specifically, to the thick, hard shaft currently gliding through Brantley’s fist.
Heat coiled deep inside him, then slowly spread out to all his limbs as he watched Brantley stroke himself slowly. Up, down. The man wasn’t in a rush, and if Reese had to guess, he knew precisely how his actions affected him.
Reese unabashedly stared, wanting Brantley to see the heat that consumed him, the anticipation that fizzed in his bloodstream at the thought of being with him. His heart thumped in his chest, his hands clenching into fists as he fought the urge to make the first move. He was waiting for Brantley because he knew the man would start to unravel slowly if he did.
“You like watchin’ me,” Brantley said, his tone gruffer than usual.
It wasn’t a question, but Reese answered anyway, nodding his head.
Brantley’s thumb caressed the swollen head, gliding through the precum pooling there. Reese was captivated by the sight, unable to look away although his mouth watered to taste him.
“I love watchin’ your eyes glaze over,” Brantley crooned, his voice low. “The way your mouth opens when you think about suckin’ me.”
Yeah, this was what Reese was hoping for. When he honed his patience, it tended to pay off because Brantley became more verbal, urging Reese with seductive words and that deep, guttural growl.
“I want you to put that fuckin’ mouth on me, Reese,” Brantley said, his cock moving through his fist, the head darkening as more blood filled it.
Reese’s eyes slid to Brantley’s face. He was watching him intently, as though trying to predict his next move. Reese managed to hold himself back, although he knew it was futile. He would give in because his desire for this man was potent. In the beginning, he hadn’t understood this overwhelming, powerful yearning, but as time passed, he realized there was nothing to understand. It was a simple, primal instinct, an ingrained, baser need that sparked to life and grew hotter because he’d met the one person he was meant to spend his life with.
A soft growl sounded from Brantley’s throat. It was sexy as hell and made Reese’s cock thicken as it throbbed in time with his heartbeat.
It wasn’t long before his control snapped, and Reese was moving. When he did, Brantley’s hand paused, causing Reese to say, “Don’t stop. Keep strokin’.”
Brantley’s stomach muscles tightened as his fist resumed the slow, leisurely pump up and down that told Reese they weren’t going to rush tonight.
Reese shoved the blankets to the end of the bed before settling himself between Brantley’s spread legs. He laid on his stomach, feet dangling off the end while propping his upper body on his arms. He was close enough to Brantley’s impressive cock that he would feel the warmth of Reese’s breath along his shaft, but that was all he offered, wanting to take his time working them both up to that inevitable high they would reach when they eventually climaxed together.
“Fuck,” Brantley rasped, his eyes hooded as he angled his cock toward Reese’s mouth. “Lick the head.”
Reese’s cock, currently trapped beneath him, throbbed painfully as he leaned forward, dragging his tongue along the wide crest.
“Oh, yeah.” Brantley sighed, his body relaxing, knees falling wide. “A little more.”
