Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
He got the burgers started, listening to Dillon and Jase and Andy play in the pool.
Jase had been balky about getting in, but Andy’d just tumped him in with a crash, and there you go.
Now Dillon was playing Marco Polo with the man and damn, Jase was good at it.
Made him feel good because Jase needed to be able to do this—listen and follow.
More than that, though, Coke liked that Dillon jumped right in, teaching and helping without being weird about it.
God knew he wanted to cry sometimes, seeing them blank eyes.
“I‘m real sorry, Danny,” he said, for what had to be the ten thousandth time. “I swear to God, I tried to get there in time. I did.”
“Who are you talkin’ to, Coke?” Andy dangled off the lip of the pool, legs kicking idly.
“Huh? Nobody. Just woolgathering.” Just trying to make his peace.
“Smells good.”
Dillon was diving, swimming right up behind Bax, hands reaching out.
“It does.” Jason was walking along the wall, head tilted. “Bax, watch your butt.”
Andy turned just in time to get a face full of water, Dillon popping up and hollering, “Boo!”
They all laughed, Andy tackling Dillon and chasing that fine ass around the pool. Jase stayed close. “You good, Coke?”
“You know it, son. I’m solid as a rock.”
“Cool. I had to get away for a while, you know? Just away.” Yeah. Jason was a little haunted around the edges.
“You know you got a place with me, son. Always.”
“I know. I know, man. Thanks. You having a good season so far? The announcers never say on the tube.”
He turned the burgers again, then sat so they could talk shop.
Andy drifted over, leaning on the wall again, and Dillon hopped out of the pool, shaking like a wet dog. “It’s not bad, huh, Coke? Kynan’s going to get himself killed.”
“Only if he keeps pushing AJ’s buttons.” Course, didn’t none of the bullfighters like that little son of a bitch none.
“AJ’s not the only one. Good thing Carreio don’t speak better English than he does,” Bax grumbled. “Aje says the little shit is saying Carreio’s new baby ain’t his.”
“That boy needs to get his head out of his ass.” Coke didn’t hold much with assholes.
“I’m waiting for someone to actually stuff it up his ass.” Dillon did one of his Shazaam moves, arms pumping.
“Now that would be something.” Jase’s expression got a little fierce. “You know he called me on my cell? Saying thank you when he won Baton Rouge?”
Oh, fucker.
Andy opened his mouth, looking like a thundercloud, but it was Dillon who piped up first. “I’ll rip his arm off and beat him over the head with it. I promise.”
Coke nodded. “You don’t worry on it, son. You wait until you win the whole shebang and then you can tell him thank you.”
“You know it.” Bax grinned, his love for that idea clear on his face.
“Shit. I’m still thinking on riding one bull eight seconds…”
Coke growled a little in his throat. “No. You’ll win it. You could before. You will now.”
Dillon was starting to bounce a little, and Coke was finding that meant things were getting awkward. Time to flip meat.
He got the burgers turned. “So AJ’s happy to be home, huh?”
Jason groaned and Andy hooted. “Lord, Coke. He’s like a tomcat.”
He could imagine so. That man loved Missy to distraction. She loved him right back, and they were solid as a rock. Still, he could see why the boys wanted to get gone awhile.
Laughing, Dillon wiggled suggestively. “AJ’s got his groove on.”
“Ew.” Jason sank into the water, bubbling a little and he just cackled.
Lord have mercy, this group of boys…
Suddenly he was feeling the weight of it again, the weight of knowing it was their job to keep these kids safe and whole.
It didn’t matter none, if they were on the dirt or off.
He knew his calling. When he glanced over at Dillon, the man was staring at him, head tilted like a puppy hearing a whistle.
Those blue eyes held a knowing expression, and Dillon moved close, just sort of standing next to him. Offering support.
“Hey.” It helped. He didn’t know why. Didn’t care either.
“Hey.” Looking back to where Andy was helping Jase, who was floundering a bit, Dillon patted his ass. “You okay?”
“I’m good.” Now. He was real good. “Glad you’re here, cowboy.”
“Me, too, babe.” Those cheeks went pink, and Coke didn’t think it was the sun. “We need the boys to take a nap after, huh?”
“Yep. We could…visit. You and me.” Visit, up close and personal.
“We so could. I think we might need to.”
“Uh-huh.” His body tightened, his cock actually filling a little. He leaned down, whispered low. “I’m all about needing you.”
Now those cheeks went dark red. “Well, that’s good. I mean, since it goes both ways.”
“Yeah.” He got to smiling, his mood perking up like his dick. “Let’s have our burgers and get these boys settled, huh?”
“You know it.” Dillon gave himself a discreet thump. “You guys ready for food?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m always ready for a Coke-burger. God, I can’t remember the first time you cooked for me.”
“You were three.” He’d been nineteen and full of piss and vinegar.
“That was before you were fighting bulls, huh? You were still roping and riding back then.”
He nodded to Jason. “I was young and not real good at it.”
“Well, you found what you’re good at.” Dillon was frowning again, sort of staring at Jase.
“I did. It’s what I was put on earth to do.” He believed that, bone deep.
“Look! A tomato that looks like Mr. Ed!” Dillon held up a grossly misshaped tomato, grinning a little wildly.
He stared over, Andy laughed, and Jason just rolled his eyes and held out his hand. “Lemme see.”
Dillon passed it over, and it sure enough looked like a horse head with teeth sticking out.
Jason’s fingers moved over it and Andy moved close, whispering hard, moving Jason’s fingers. Coke turned away, fixing plates and making all four burgers up like they all liked them.
“Okay. Potatoes are done!” Dillon all but shouted it, and there was a bunch of splashing and choking behind them.
He got tickled, started laughing good and hard, and by the time the young’uns were sitting, he was feeling almost normal again. Soft chuckles and an even softer touch to his ass told him Dillon was right there. Lord, it was nice to know.
They finished eating and he gathered dishes up. “Boys, I’m going in for my siesta. You can find your room okay?”
Bax reached out and touched Jason’s hand, fingers brushing that tan skin. “I bet even Jase can find it. Thanks for the meal, sir.”
“Anytime, Andy.” He met Dillon’s eyes across the table. “Dillon? You coming?” He didn’t blush or look down or nothing. He knew the rules, but this was his house and he wasn’t ashamed.
“You bet. You guys keep it down, huh?” Dillon didn’t look ashamed, neither, laughing and grabbing his hand.
“Go away, you two.” Jase made gagging sounds, laughing hard as they headed in.
“Hey, that was easier than expected, huh?” Sometimes Dillon was five, or maybe fifteen, swinging his hand like they was in high school.
“Yep. Good things come to good people.” He pulled Dillon around, taking the kiss he’d been needing for hours now, making sure his clown knew just what was what.
Those strong arms wrapped right around his shoulders, Dillon slamming against him and kissing him until he felt like his bell’d been rung. Lord.
“More.” He groaned the word against Dillon’s lips as his hands dropped and he got himself a double handful, pulling Dillon closer so he could feel every inch.
“Mmm-hmm. Now.” Those lean hips rocked against his, like Dillon was dancing in the arena, all slinky and hot.
He tugged hard, started driving Dillon into him as those feet left the ground and he held on, gave Dillon something to rub against. Dillon gave him what for, too, humping up on him, hard through the tiny swim trunks. Hard and hot and ready.
“Dillon.” He bit the word out, fingers squeezing convulsively. The whole heat-now-hurry thing blew his mind like nothing else.
“Uh-huh. More, huh? Want you.” They pushed back against the wall, letting Coke brace himself, and Dillon shimmied up against him, hips grinding against his.
“Got me. Damn, honey.” He laughed, the sound all gaspy and rough in his head.
They were gonna bust into flames, once Dillon’s hand dipped between them, shoving their trunks down so their cocks could rub, bump together.
A strong grip closed around them, pulling them together, thumb rubbing up over the head of his cock.
Just like he liked it. He bit out a curse, going up on his tiptoes a second, muscles straining to get more, right there. Right fucking there.
“Coke. Oh, God. Touch me some more.” Dillon was rockin’ and rollin’, moving against him, leaning up to bite the skin under his jaw.
He nodded, taking Dillon’s weight with one hand, free hand moving to slide up, fingers counting ribs before finding one little nipple.
“Oh.” That sound was pure happy, Dillon’s hips bucking against him like there was no tomorrow. Hell, at this point he didn’t care if there was tomorrow. Now worked just fine.
“Uh-huh.” He pinched a little, whimpering when their dicks moved together just right. “We’ll do this, then we’ll find the bed, cowboy, and tear it up.”
“You damned betcha.” Dillon pulled his head down for a kiss, mouth hot and damp against his. That talented tongue found his, teasing, touching.
He shot, just like that, body and soul, his entire universe going a little shiny and sparkly around the edges. Dillon watched him, so close that he could see little streaks of gray in those blue eyes. Then Dillon’s spunk poured over his cock, his belly in long, hard pulses.
His knees got a little weak, his belly muscles jerking and leaping under his skin. “Damn. Damn, honey.” Leaning in, he got himself another kiss, the thing going soft-edged and sloppy as they came down.
“Yum.” Laughing for him, Dillon kissed him again. Then again. “Bed?”
“You know it. Bed.” He laughed, squeezed one more time, loving the give of that muscled butt. “Then we’ll do that recover, tear it up thing and scare the boys.”
“Sounds good, babe.” Sliding to the floor, Dillon took his hand and led him to the bedroom, the whole place cool and inviting and looking like a nap might be fine.
They settled in, Dillon on the side that Coke thought he might think of as Dillon’s for a long, long time, and rested.