Yeah, Reese was fairly certain he’d just had a hot flash.
He continued to stare, curious as to what was on Brantley’s mind. His palms were flat on the tile, his head hanging down as he leaned forward. The sight of him naked still tripped Reese up because just looking sent a bolt of lust through him. His gaze shifted to the long, jagged scar on his left leg, the leg that had been operated on numerous times in the hopes of fixing what had been broken during an op gone bad. From what he knew, the leg had healed, but it was the headaches—a direct result of the brain injury he’d sustained—that continued to plague Brantley, making it impossible for him to remain active duty.
His eyes trailed over him once more. Before Brantley, Reese had never felt any sort of sexual attraction to a man. And now, his body hardened simply from thinking about the guy. Looking at him… It made his blood pump hotter and faster.
Clearing his throat to get Brantley’s attention, Reese waited until those stormy blue eyes lifted. As soon as they did, Reese stripped his jeans down his legs, enjoying the way Brantley’s body went rigid. The man was certainly good for his ego. Didn’t matter when or where, if they were talking or relaxing, Brantley’s gaze always seemed to heat when he looked his way.
“Pretty sure this is the longest shower I’ve ever taken,” Brantley said, that smooth, deep voice echoing off the tile. “Come here.”
Without hesitation, Reese strolled across the bathroom, stepping into the glass enclosure and pulling the door closed. Seconds later, he was in Brantley’s arms, their lips melding together, chest to chest. But he didn’t stop, pushing Brantley all the way against the wall so he could eliminate every inch of space separating them.
The heat that churned between them rivaled that of the water, but more than that, Reese felt a comfort he hadn’t expected to feel with anyone, least of all a man. This man.
Christ Almighty. This was the only place he wanted to be and it shocked him as much as it turned him on. Although he hadn’t entertained the notion of being with a man, not in the first thirty years of his life, it had been recently that Brantley had pulled the rug right out from under him. And though he still battled bouts of anxiety, Reese was welcoming the familiarity that came with their connection.
“Missed you,” Brantley murmured against his mouth, his calloused hands gliding over his back, gently, slowly.
Yeah, that was how Brantley operated. They might come together in a cataclysmic explosion, but it would only take a few minutes before the brakes were being pulled, their encounter slowing. Not by Reese’s doing, either. Brantley had assured him they would take things slow and they were. Painstakingly slow at times.
Brantley’s lips trailed along his jaw and Reese gave himself over to the exploration that was coming. The tides turned and Reese found himself against the wall, Brantley’s fingers twined in his. Next thing he knew, his arms were extended over his head, pinned to the tile, while Brantley’s mouth did wondrous things to his neck. Ensuring Brantley had better access, he tilted his head, inhaled sharply when Brantley nipped him.
This was what he thought about in the dark of night when he’d been sleeping alone this past week. Brantley. His touch, his taste, his smell. The man had overwhelmed his senses, made him ache.
That sensuous mouth moved to his once more, nibbled and licked before he pulled back. Their eyes met, held for long moments, and Reese could see the intent, knew what was coming next.
“I want you in my mouth,” Brantley rasped as he relaxed against him.
Reese took his weight easily, keeping his hands up as Brantley’s palms slid down his arms, over his shoulders, onto the muscles of his back, lower, pausing on his hips.
He knew Brantley was waiting for the go-ahead, wouldn’t proceed until Reese was in agreement. It was the slow route Brantley was taking, easing Reese into this new experience.
“Put your mouth on me, Brantley.”
Reese probably should’ve recognized the relief that had Brantley’s shoulders relaxing, but he didn’t. He was too focused on the way Brantley slid down to his knees, Brantley’s thick chest never leaving Reese’s skin as it brushed over the front of him. It felt so fucking good to be touched like this, by a man who knew what he wanted.
“Watch me,” Brantley ordered, peering up at him as he palmed the backs of Reese’s thighs.
With Brantley kneeling between his feet, there was no space between them, another way for Brantley to ensure Reese remained in the moment. Reese wasn’t sure it was necessary. He was hyperaware of Brantley at all times. But in moments like this, he didn’t mind the contact. It soothed the anxiety that still crept in. Why his nerves rioted when they were intimate, he wasn’t sure. Probably had something to do with the fact he didn’t want to disappoint this man. While Reese hadn’t been with a man before him, the same could not be said for Brantley.
