The Terms of Release (18 page)

“Sure. I was being all fierce about not messing up our trip.”

“No messing. We’ll have a ball.” Sage sounded so sure.

“We will.” There was a hotel bed and shower, just waiting. And while he was gone, he was paying his mom’s friend Stella to clean his house.

After this, he was bringing Sage home to visit, like he’d promised. “We need to find something else on the radio to sing to.”

“I’m on it.”

They pulled up on I-30 and headed into the depths of Dallas. By the time Sage found KSCS, they were singing with George about Amarillo and having a ball. Win felt like he was seeing a whole new side of his lover.

One that he found himself being protective as hell about.

He’d just have to make sure no one ever hurt Sage again. Including him.

S
AGE
SAT
on the edge of the bed, staring at the room, which looked like an old Western movie had come in and thrown up all over. Damn, he’d never seen anything so cool.

He’d unpacked his clothes and Adam’s, put everything away in the little dresser, and stowed the suitcases away so they weren’t messy while Adam did his business in the restroom.

Fort Worth was bigger than he remembered. A lot bigger. Good thing the Stockyards took a man back in time. There’d even been a little cattle drive down the street. He’d seen it through the window right after they’d checked in.

He moved to the window and looked down at all the folks wandering. It was warm today, but the man on Channel 8 had said there was a blue norther coming down the pike around dinnertime.

He sure hoped that meant snuggling.

Adam came out of the bathroom, smiling easily. “Hey, you.”

“Hey, darlin’.” He stood and headed right over to Adam’s open arms. “You did good with the hotel.”

“Did I? It looked all cowboy.”

“It’s the neatest thing I ever did see.”

Adam smiled for him like the sunrise coming up, and well now, that was a fine thing. One hand came up, massaging right at the base of his neck, fingers digging in, and his eyes crossed. Damn. Damn, that was fine.

Sage leaned into Adam’s touch, and they ended up sitting on the bed, him on Adam’s lap. He grinned, got him a long, slow kiss that liked to burn him to the ground. His arms were looped around Adam’s neck, his legs straddling those strong thighs. Oh, yeah. He could ride.

“Damn, baby. Look at you.” Adam’s voice was all rough and raw, his eyes on Sage like he was something else.

He knew better. Sage was what he was, but if Adam thought he was all that, well, that worked for him.

It was how it was supposed to be.

“So you want that shower now or later?”

“Can I have both?”

“Hell, yes.” Adam grinned, lifting him to his feet and standing.

Adam’s shirt was already off, and they’d both tugged their boots off when they got to the room, so it was easy to start working open belts and flies. Adam’s fingers tangled with his every few seconds, and they got to laughing, both of them tickled.

“Look at us, getting naked during work hours.” He tugged the dark hairs at the base of Adam’s tight belly.

“Uh-huh. No one to worry on, just you and me and that shower.” Adam’s muscles worked, rippling under his skin.

Sage nodded. He wanted to touch, to soap Adam up and let his fingers trail over the man’s slippery body.

They finally got naked and into the big shower, which was all marble tile and showerheads. Way more modern than the room itself.

“Wow.” They got the hot water going and the soap unwrapped.

Then it was a free-for-all. Adam got rubbing on him, the soap easing the way. Those hands felt so good on his skin. The soap bubbled up, catching on the mat of hair on Adam’s chest, his tiny nipples hard as pebbles.

Sage rubbed at them with his thumbs, watching how the deep flush climbed Adam’s chest. He did that. Him.

“Fuck, you’re fine.” He kissed Adam’s jaw.

Adam laughed, turning to take his mouth, kissing him good and hard.

He hadn’t had so much fun in eons.

They slipped and rubbed, goofing around more than getting off. The suds built up until they were so slick they could barely stand on the tile. Sage laughed, stealing sloppy kisses. “Adam.”

“What, baby?” More and more he said “baby” instead of “babe,” like Adam was really getting serious.

“You make me happy, bone deep.”

“Good.” Adam reached around and grabbed Sage’s ass.

The touch made him goose pimple up, made him rub a little harder. He would have thought that touch would make him nervous, but this was Adam. His Adam. He leaned up and nibbled on Adam’s earlobe. “More.”

“Hell, yes.” Adam pulled him closer, and silly went very serious. And hot. And hard. Adam leaned back against the tile, keeping him there, and he climbed up the slick muscles.

Holding him steady, Adam let him climb until he could start rubbing, getting their cocks together.

Fuck. Fuck, this was real. Him. Adam. Wet and slick and naked. The tiles pressed against his sore knees, cold enough to make him yelp and pull back.

Adam chuckled and shifted a bit, but those sure hands didn’t waver a bit. “I’ll keep you warm.”

“I trust you.”

Eyes going dark, Adam pressed in for a kiss. A hard kiss.

He opened up, his cock rubbing against Adam’s belly, Adam’s prick on his hip. He loved how they felt together, how strong Adam was. How his man made him ache, made him a little stupid.

“I like your skin all wet.”

“This is….” Better. It was erasing things that he didn’t think of. Sometimes Sage needed that more than breathing.

“Uh-huh. It so is.” Adam might not know what he was thinking, but those eyes told him that he wasn’t alone.

He leaned forward and fastened his mouth on Adam’s throat, tasting soap and salt and fresh water. He wanted to leave a little mark there, and he figured he could. They had days for it to fade.

“It’s okay. I won’t tell.”

Sage chuckled. Who was there to tell? Still, that was all the encouragement he needed to fasten onto Adam and give the man a hickey.

Adam grabbed him, dragged him closer, a raw sound bouncing off the tile. God, that was stunning, the way Adam needed him, wanted him. He bit a little, and Adam groaned, spun him around, cock rubbing against his ass. “Tell me this is okay?”

“Uh-huh. This ain’t… this ain’t nothin’ bad.”

“Good. God, I’m going crazy, baby.”

“Fuck me, honey. I want to feel you again.” That had rocked his world.

“I can so do that.” Adam let Sage’s feet slide to the floor, leaving him blinking for a moment, alone while Adam got the kit bag.

Sage leaned back into the spray, throat working, one hand slowly jacking his cock.

“Fuck. Sage.” Adam came back and stared at him a moment, condoms and lube in hand.

“Uh-huh. Excellent plan.”

“I thought so.” Adam’s laughter was better than all the soap and water out there.

Sage grinned over his shoulder and winked. “You’re awful far away.”

“Not anymore.” Adam slid up behind him, cock rubbing his ass while Adam struggled with the lube.

He didn’t help. He wiggled and rubbed back, teasing, playing some.

“Make me drop this stuff, why don’t you?” Adam laughed for him, rubbing two fingers against his hole.

“Hmm? Me?” He didn’t do innocent so well. Maybe it was the cowboy in him.

Adam chuckled and goosed his ass but good. He whooped, hands smacking the tile so he could keep his balance.

“You’re a turd.” Sage loved this son of a bitch with all he was.

“Nope. No talking about stuff like that at a time like this.”

Sage cracked up, laughing like he hadn’t since he was a kid, the sound pouring out of him. Oh God, that was funny, keeping him chortling, even when Adam slid two fingers right into him.

He spread, his balls swinging between his thighs. Damn, that felt good. His back arched, his body bowing, and Adam played him like a fiddle, in and out, back and forth. He let himself feel it, let himself go with it, like never before.

Adam had him. Safe. Sound. Driving him higher and higher.

He pushed back, riding the touch, missing it when those fingers disappeared. Then he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to relax everywhere else, because Adam was pushing inside him, cock heavy and wide.

“Adam.” He bore back, throat working, hands sliding on the tile.

“Baby. God, you’re tight. Sage. Need you.”

“Got me. Swear. Come on, honey. Let’s make this happen.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” Adam gripped his hips and moved, thrusting hard enough that their skin slapped together.

His eyes rolled, his ass holding that thick cock tight. He tried to rock back and forth, but it was too wet, too slick.

“Gonna have to let me make it good, baby.”

“I know.” He did. Sage trusted Adam. Didn’t keep him from wanting to move.

Adam chuckled for him and bit the curve of his shoulder. The touch of the hard ridge of Adam’s teeth made him rise up on his toes. That made Adam gasp and jerk into him deeper.

Fuck, this was what he wanted to be doing when he died.

One hand wrapped around his hip, and they moved faster, Adam guiding him. They were going to set this whole place on fire.

“Need. Fuck, Adam, I’m aching here.”

“I got you, baby.” Adam reached around, grabbed his cock, and stroked it in time with his thrusts.

Oh hell, yes. Just that. Just like that. His eyes rolled, electricity slamming up his spine. He panted, working back and forth as much as he could. Adam kept moving, hips spanking his ass.

Sage shot hard, spunk spraying up over the tile.

“Oh God. Yeah, baby. I feel that.” Adam rocked into him twice, maybe three more times and boom. It was all over.

He leaned back into Adam’s arms, grinning like a newborn fool. The water was about to get real cold, he’d bet, so maybe they ought to turn it off. When he could move.

“We should nap before supper.” Adam’s lips brushed his ear.

“That sounds good. I got a candy bar or two in my bag.”

“Perfect.” They stumbled out of the shower, dried off, and tumbled onto the bed. The mattress was firm but pillowy on top, which was nice.

Adam stayed right next to him, their legs all tangled up in each other and the sheets. The whole idea of a midday nap seemed… decadent. Like a real vacation.

He pulled the covers up over them and kissed the top of Adam’s head, offering the good Lord a quick prayer of thanks.

“H
EY
, S
AGE
,
you like the blue shirt or the green?” How silly was it for Win to be nervous about supper?

Sage looked over, head tilted. “The blue.”

Well okay, then.

Win tugged on the light blue button-down, hoping he didn’t look like an idiot playing dress the cowboy. He was a Texan. His boots were worn in.

Sage’s eyes fell on him, watching as he tucked himself in, refastened his belt, everything. He tried hard not to puff up like a peacock, but it was tough. That gaze was nothing but admiration.

“You’re the finest man I ever seen.” Sage’s lips quirked in a little smile. “Swear to God.”

“Thanks. You clean up good too.” Sage looked like the real deal. Cowboy to the bone.

Sage was wearing white, the shirt and jeans both pressed ’til they squeaked. Win stared a little himself, tickled as hell that this was his. Sage sprayed on the tiniest bit of smell good and smoothed the shirt over his belly. “You ready?”

“I am. I could eat a steak as big as your head.”

“Yum.” Sage put his wallet in his pocket and grabbed his hat.

Win grinned, snagged a room key, and stuck it in his jeans, then headed out. “You like a baked potato or are you a fries guy?”

“A baked potato with bacon and green onions.”

“And cheese.” Win loved cheese and sour cream.

“Uh-huh. Butter. We can’t forget the butter.”

“Oh man.” His mouth was actually watering a little. His belly rumbled.

“Rolls. Butter. Steak.”

“Yeah. Oh heck, yeah.” They got downstairs and headed outside, the broad street that ran through the stockyards filled with people.

No one looked twice at them as they ambled. They didn’t have far to go, just down the street and around the corner, the scent of yeast rolls like heaven on the air. The place was all old school, wooden rails and pictures of prize cattle on the walls.

“Look at that. Daddy was talking about getting some cattle, but I’m not for it. I’m thinking llamas.”

“Seriously?” Adam raised a brow. “Why’s that?”

“They go for good money. They make solid watchdogs. The babies sell, and they aren’t hard to keep fenced.”

Listen to his cowboy. He knew his shit. “Well, llamas it is, then.” He could so see Sage expanding the ranch.

“Maybe. I’ll try a couple three first, see what I think. I’ll always be in this for the horses.”

“I know. You’re good with them.” They got seated and got menus. Win knew you had to love a steakhouse with like, five options. All meat.

“I want the rib eye, I think. The T-bone is a bit dear.”

“I like a big sirloin.” He wasn’t much on the fattier steaks. “But you have what you want, baby.”

“I think I’ll take the littler rib eye, so I can enjoy my potato.”

“There you go.” Win ordered an iced tea. The soft yeast rolls came, and they both smeared butter on.

“Oh God.” Sage fell on the rolls like a starving man, snarfing the bread up.

“You are a bread fiend.” Win loved it. Loved knowing these weird things about Sage.

“I am. Love it. Also, I missed breakfast.”

“Well, shit, you should have said. Did you say?” Had he missed that?

“We were busy threatening your uncle.” Was that a joke?

Win blinked, then grinned. “We so were. Your sister is a stud.”

“She’s knocked up and has a concealed carry license. It doesn’t get much studlier than that.”

“I guess not.” In fact, Win’s background in law enforcement sort of reinforced that fact. Hell hath no fury like a woman protecting her baby.