Page 8 of Redemption Ridge Vol II

Tyler tore his mouth from Owen’s and stared into dazed blue eyes. “I’m more afraid of not trying.” Recalling the rules of engagement Owen had laid out, Tyler slipped a hand beneath Owen’s shirt to stroke his abdomen. “Touch for touch.”

Owen’s wry grin turned downright wicked as he reciprocated. Tyler’s abdominal muscles trembled beneath the caress, and he craved so much more. Maybe Owen could read the want in his gaze because he whispered, “Show me what you want, Ty.”

A shiver of longing rolled through Tyler, propelling him to his feet. Owen blinked up at him, and his smile faltered until Tyler extended a hand.

“You mentioned something about stretching me out on the bed.”

Owen took Tyler’s hand and stood up. “So, I did.”

Tyler pressed his body against Owen’s. “You always keep your word.”

“And for you, I always will.” Owen backed Tyler across the small cabin until his legs bumped into the bed. “How much nudity are you comfortable with? Want to just start off by kicking off our shoes and removing our shirts?”

Tyler’s overwrought brain calmed for the first time since they entered the booth. It locked on the memory of his hand roaming over Owen’s chest until his fingers bumped into a denim waistband, and he growled his frustration at the intrusion. When Owen arched a brow, he realized he hadn’t just made the noise in his head. Tyler answered the inquisitive expression by dropping his hand to Owen’s waist and opening his belt. Owen sucked in a sharp breath as he matched Tyler’s gesture. He wasn’t sure how far he was willing to go, but Owen’s complete acceptance made Tyler brave enough to unzip his jeans. Blue eyes burned hot enough to set Tyler on fire as Owen went to work on his zipper too.

Tyler reached for Owen’s jeans again, then realized they still wore their boots. There was nothing sexy about getting tangled up and falling on their asses, so he eased down to his knees. Owen groaned lustily and slid a hand through Tyler’s hair. The position put him at eye level with Owen’s crotch, and he could smell his arousal. Tyler’s mouth watered, and he nearly forgot about his intentions in his haste to get closer to the enticing aroma. He had the strongest urge to press his nose against Owen’s cotton briefs and inhale his scent deeper. Was that something guys even did to each other? Indecision paralyzed Tyler until he lifted his head, and Owen’s scorching gaze reminded Tyler that he was in control.

He quickly untied Owen’s boots and pulled them free. His socks followed, and then Tyler eased Owen’s jeans down lean hips and long, toned legs. The fabric remained pooled at Owen’s feet when Tyler’s attention snagged on the erection tenting the boxer shorts and the tantalizing wet spot on the fabric. Fingers itched to touch the flesh Tyler bared, and so he did, starting at Owen’s calves and working his way up. The friction of crisp leg hairs against his palm woke something primal inside Tyler. Evocative images of pressing his nose against Owen’s cotton-covered dick flashed in his mind. Maybe he would have found the courage to act on his instinct if Owen hadn’t moaned and tightened his fingers in Tyler’s hair.

“My turn,” Owen said, his voice sounding as raspy as a chain-smoker’s. He stepped out of his jeans and held out his hand to Tyler.

Rising on shaky legs, he tried not to hold his breath as he waited for Owen to match his gestures. Owen stood close enough that his body created a delicious friction against Tyler’s during his descent, and his breath ghosted over Tyler’s bare abdomen. Owen’s stubbled cheek brushed against Tyler’s underwear and made removing his boots and socks the most erotic experience of his life until the focus turned to opening Tyler’s jeans with deft fingers. Owen inhaled deeply, and his nostrils flared. He darted his tongue and swept over his lips like he really wanted to taste Tyler. A soft growl echoed in the room, and Tyler was surprised to realize it had come from him.

Owen cocked his head to the side and smiled wickedly as he pulled Tyler’s pants down. Callused thumbs brushed over his skin, igniting sparks like a match against a strike plate. Owen slowly rose to his feet, and they stood staring at one another, their labored breathing the only sound in the cabin.

“Shirts and underwear?” Owen asked to break the silence.

Tyler whipped his shirt over his head and tossed it to the ground. Owen reached for his own hem, but Tyler stopped him. “Can I?”

“I’m all yours, baby.”

Baby. Tyler had thought endearments were lame, and now he wanted to earn them like sexy little merit badges. He took his time dragging Owen’s shirt up his chest, positioning his fingers to rasp over Owen’s skin the way he’d done when removing Tyler’s pants, relishing the little goose bumps that popped out along the journey. Once the shirt reached Owen’s pits, Tyler paused to brush his thumbs over hard nipples. Owen sucked in a sharp breath, and his midnight eyes danced with the promise of retribution.

“Touch for touch,” Owen said. “Do you want to do this lying down?”

Tyler hastily removed Owen’s shirt and tossed it to the floor, then climbed onto his bed. He stretched out on his side and patted the empty spot beside him. Tyler had been so anxious when they first entered the cabin, but his confidence grew with each kiss and caress. He still didn’t know how far he would follow his urges, but knowing there was no pressure provided a safe place to explore these new feelings for Owen.

The mattress dipped when Owen placed a knee on it. He stretched out beside Tyler and reached for his hand. “Hey.” His voice was as soft as a kitten’s fur. “Don’t overthink this, Ty. Remember, you’re calling the shots. Nothing happens that you’re not ready for or don’t want. Let’s just focus on kissing and some light petting and see where this takes us.” Owen smiled wickedly and rubbed his hands together. “Pretty sure it’s my turn now.”

“God, yes.” He wasn’t just trying to make Owen feel better either. He really wanted to feel Owen’s rough hands on his body.

Owen started low at Tyler’s abdomen and took his sweet time stroking a fiery path upward, making Tyler squirm when fingers caressed the sensitive skin just beneath his pits. “I’m making a mental note to come back here and explore more when you give me the green light to do whatever I want with you.” Owen winked, then smirked sexily. “And you will.”

Tyler squirmed for an entirely new reason as he tried to figure out what Owen meant by exploring his pits. “Do you mean you want to come back and tickle me there?”

Owen’s lips curved into a delicious smile, and he scooted even closer. “Well, maybe that too, but that wasn’t what I meant.” Owen ran a finger just below his line of pit hair. “I want to shove my face here and breathe you in. Lick you.”

“Guys do that?” Tyler asked.

“Some do, but not everyone likes it. So you try stuff and pass on the things that don’t appeal to you.” Owen leaned closer to Tyler’s pits and inhaled. “Damn, you smell good, baby.”

Tyler’s heart tripped on the endearment but galloped when the rest of Owen’s statement registered. “You want to lick me there? My armpit?”

Owen held his gaze and breathed him in again. “I want to taste you everywhere.”

That answer threatened to short-circuit Tyler’s brain with images of all the places Owen might lick. Some of them made his toes curl, and others rendered him speechless. “But we can work up to that.” He swiped his thumbs over Tyler’s nipples, eliciting a sharp gasp as acute pleasure unfurled in his belly.

“Oh my.”