Line of Fire

Line of Fire

A Seals At the Ready Story

By Simone Anderson

Resplendence Publishing, LLC

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com

Line of Fire
Copyright © 2012 Simone Anderson
Edited by Darlena Cunha and Liza Green
Cover art by Les Byerley,
www.les3photo8.com

Published by Resplendence Publishing, LLC
2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349
Daytona Beach, FL 32118

Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-510-6

Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Electronic Release: May 2012

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

To Jo — for showing true strength, courage,
and always having a sense of humor

Chapter One

Christian Williams pulled into the parking lot of Diversions, turned off his car and stretched. The hour drive from base to one of the city’s five gay bars had helped him relax. They were gearing up for several months of intense training and the scene here was just what he needed. He knew the gay bar close to the base was a hit with both the civilians and military guys. Still hadn’t told anyone other than his dive buddy, Jason Morganstern, that he’d preferred men to women for as long as he could remember, so going there wasn’t a possibility. SEALs weren’t gay, just ask anyone. He also had no desire to be a daddy, which he was certain many of the younger guys wanted. He’d been surprised to learn Jason was also gay. Jason was picky, he wanted a boy in the bedroom and a partner outside of it. Christian had no such desires. He wanted a partner who gave as good as he took and, more importantly, could deal with life in the Navy.

Withdrawing his driver’s license and sixty dollars, he tossed his wallet in the glove compartment. Keys in hand and several condoms and a small bottle of lube in the pocket of his jeans, Christian locked the door of his Jeep Grand Cherokee and made his way across the mostly full parking lot. After showing his ID to the bouncer and paying the cover charge, he strode through two sets of double doors and was immediately hit by the loud music. Surveying his surroundings, he automatically noted the exits, potential partners, problem areas and the people and places to avoid.

The dance floor and the bar were crowded. Men in snug tee shirts and even tighter jeans filled the room. This was one of his favorite places to play and hunt. There was little doubt in his mind that he’d find a partner or two tonight with the same needs. Tonight he wasn’t looking for a life partner, tonight was about no strings attached sex. A quick fuck. Hard. Fast. Sweaty. All male. The US military may finally be okay with gays serving openly, but several of his teammates were less than accepting. A couple of them had gone as far as making threats during several rounds of pool and more than a few beers at Hell’s Dune, the SEALs favorite bar. It was run by a grizzled former SEAL known only as Brick. Decent food and decent beer were great unless you were looking for bed companions. Those,
he
wouldn’t find at Hell’s Dune.

Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the scent of men and relaxed. He knew the bartenders and a couple of the bouncers by name, but no one knew he was the military, let alone that he was a SEAL, so he could be himself. Almost. Christian made his way to the bar and ordered a beer before he turned and watched the crowd. Most of the patrons tonight appeared to be college age, but he’d already seen one or two potential partners.

“Hey baby,” a tall, lithe twenty-something with big blue eyes and dark hair said, squeezing in next to him at the bar. “Has anyone told you that you give new meaning to the phrase tall, gorgeous and yummy?”

Christian rolled his eyes, praying the man hadn’t been talking to him.

“Let there be a God and tell me you’re not here with anyone,” the younger man purred, trailing his fingers over Christian’s arm.

His cock stirred at the promise the man wanted to deliver. It’d been too long since he’d fucked someone and even longer since he’d been in any sort of relationship where tender touches and caresses were normal. Looking down at the man, Christian shook his head.

“Sorry kid, I’m not interested.” He gave the guy points for approaching him, but the younger man wasn’t his type, and Christian wasn’t willing to act like he was. The man was cute, but Christian could probably snap him in half if he wanted. He needed to let loose, not worrying about whether his partner could handle it.

“Aw, don’t be like that. I’ll show you a real good time.” The man’s hand slid over his stomach and started working his shirt out.

“Back off,” Christian snarled, pushing past the other man and ignoring the whimper of protest. Stomping across the building, he looked for another vantage point.

Christian sighed. As though he’d needed any more proof on how long it had been since he’d been here. At one point in time, despite the low profile he preferred to keep, the young twenty-somethings, at least the regulars, kept their distance.

A firm ass clad in tight denim caught his attention. The other man danced at the edge of the dance-floor with a group of men. Taking a long drink from his beer, Christian set it on the table, knowing and not caring that it would be gone and the table taken over by others before he reached his quarry. He was two feet from his destination when the dancer turned and faced him. Christian stopped and stared.

“Medema! What the hell are you doing here?” Christian asked as the music was interrupted by the DJ announcing a slow song.

“Same thing you are, looking for a good time tonight,” Hayden replied and took a step forward.

Sparkling blue eyes peered out at him as Christian looked the man up and down as though he hadn’t seen him before, hadn’t seen him in little more than swim trunks. Short brown hair topped the long, lean frame. Hayden Medema matched him in height, but with more of a swimmer’s build, the man wasn’t nearly as wide. Still, Christian had seen him carry a fallen comrade fifty yards to safety. As long as he’d known the man, Christian had never guessed he was gay.

“I—” Christian began, at a loss for words. Dressed in snug blue jeans and a white-fitted polo-style shirt, the other man was gorgeous.

“I didn’t expect to see you in a gay bar.” Hayden smiled, stepping into Christian’s personal space. “I’m certainly glad you’re not in denial.”

Christian swallowed and shook his head, willing his blood to continue flowing to his brain. “Nope, not in denial. Just extremely cautious. It’s not like we have the most gay-friendly job or employer. Or even co-workers.”

“Agreed,” Hayden shrugged, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little bit of fun together now and then.” Hayden’s fingers trailed slowly up Christian’s abdomen and over his nipples. Gasping, Christian let out a full body shiver as the sensations went straight to his cock. It hardened and strained against his jeans. “Very nice,” Hayden said stepping closer and pressing into him. “Come home with me,” Hayden whispered, flicking his tongue across the sensitive part of Christian’s ear.

A thousand scenarios, thoughts, emotions and questions vied for the little remaining blood and oxygen flowing in his brain, as Christian tried to formulate an answer. He swallowed, training deserting him as Hayden’s hand wandered lower. His brain protested, but his body wanted—needed—what Hayden was offering.

“Yes,” Christian ground out, his body shuddering involuntarily. It wasn’t often that he found himself on the receiving end of an invitation like Hayden’s. Hell, he was rarely on the receiving end of any proposal. He usually did the asking, which was his preference. Hayden was testing more than Christian’s self-control tonight.

“I’d say ride with me, but I have a feeling that if you did, we’d be arrested for indecent exposure and a huge host of other things, because there is no way that I’d make it all the way home without touching you or needing to stop for a little relief.”

Christian swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been that affected by one person so much. The fact that Hayden was a teammate did little to help.

“Shall we?” Hayden asked, stepping away from him.

Christian nodded and missed the heat from the other man’s body immediately. Placing a proprietary hand on the small of Hayden’s back, he followed his soon-to-be lover through the bar. He smiled when Hayden curled into his touch and then reached around and moved his hand to his ass.

After giving him directions, Hayden veered off to another part of the parking lot toward his car. Sliding into his own vehicle, Christian took a deep, steadying breath. Pulling out of the lot after Hayden and keeping the other man in sight, he used the hour-long drive to compose himself. He parked beside Hayden in front of a row of townhouses. The truck door slammed shut next to him. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he retrieved his wallet and weapon and stepped out of the Jeep, locking the door behind him.

“It’s the middle one.” Hayden pointed to the row of townhouses. “I’m glad you said yes,” Hayden said when they reached the bottom of the steps leading up to a small porch and the home’s front door. The husky, needy note in the man’s voice wrapped around Christian, rerouting his blood supply once more.

Christian followed Hayden up the handful of white wooden stairs and into the house. The walls of the living room were painted white, the carpeting was beige and the furniture was dark wood with dark green upholstery. A large painted fan hung on one wall and a landscape painting hung on another, while a large flat-screen television dominated the room.

“There’s a backdoor and deck at the rear of the house, through the living room and into the kitchen-dining room combination. There’s a small bathroom on this floor, a basement with laundry downstairs and two bedrooms and a full bath are upstairs,” Hayden said closing and locking the door behind them.

Christian nodded and followed Hayden up the stairs and into the master bedroom. The same beige carpet and white walls carried through to the upstairs. More dark wood furniture, including a king-size bed. Linen in multiple shades of green, with more pillows than a bed should have, offset the otherwise barrenness enveloping him.

Turning around, Hayden stepped closer and slid his fingers beneath the hem of Christian’s shirt, continuing the exploration he’d begun earlier. Sensations danced over Christian’s body, settling in his cock and threatening to send him over the edge. Christian leaned in and brushed his lips across Hayden’s before capturing them. Hayden opened easily for him and several minutes later in a frenzied mess of limbs and bodies, they both stood naked and breathing heavily.

“Stunning, absolutely stunning,” Hayden whispered.

Christian arched into each of Hayden’s caresses, alternating between wanting the touches to continue and needing to feel Hayden beneath him. Exploring the hard, muscular plains of Hayden’s body, Christian delighted in the moans and shivers of the other man. Some small part of his brain wondered what would happen come Monday when they had to work together, but it was quickly drowned out by the sensations cascading through him as Hayden trailed a finger down the small of his back and into the cleft of his ass.

“You don’t get touched enough,” Hayden whispered.

Refusing to agree or disagree with the other man, Christian kissed him and walked him backward toward the bed. With one hand, Christian pulled Hayden closer, while the other grabbed one firm globe and squeezed. Hayden moaned and ground against him.