Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Momma took him home and helped him up to the door. He didn’t wait to listen to her tell them all the lies he’d told her. The swelling was gone. He had some sight on the edges, enough to see light versus dark, to see some shapes, but that was all she wrote.
The fucking doctor’d offered him a cane.
A cane.
Him.
So he’d told Momma there was still a chance and had her bring his sorry ass home.
He locked his door behind him and found a bottle, taking a hard swig, letting the burn wear the edges off the hole that was left in him. Jason’d spent last night holding Bax and praying—praying hard. He just needed another chance, a chance to get out there and ride. A chance to cowboy up.
Didn’t look like he was fixin’ to get it, though. Goddamn it.
Didn’t look like Bax was wanting to go easy on him, neither, which didn’t make no sense. They’d put down a dog, a blind calf, and call it humane. Another shot of the bottle and he set to wandering, pacing his room—six steps this way, four steps that and around the end of the bed to the window.
The pounding on his door started up not long after that, but it wasn’t Momma or Jack. It was Bax hollering. “Mini. Let me in.”
“You’re ‘sposed to be off that foot.”
Pushy cowboy.
“So let me in so I can sit down, fool man. Bad enough I couldn’t go with you—” Another thump sounded, then a yelp and a crash.
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
“Goddamn it, be careful, Bax!” He wrenched the door open, arms flailing, head turned as he tried his damnedest to see something.
“I’m all right. Down here.” Something tapped his ankle, maybe that damned crutch Bax wasn’t even supposed to be using yet. “Need some help, though. Take like, three steps to your right.”
It was kinda funny how Bax had just fallen right in to helping him, being his eyes. That part seemed to come easily. Weird, but it worked.
“I got you.” He headed over and reached down. “Lord, Bax. You’re gonna regret that in the morning.” Jason got his hands under Bax’s arms, pulled him up, sure and steady.
“I regret it now. What the fuck is with the morning?” He could hear that stupid grin, though, knew that sharp face would just be split with it. Bax’s good arm wrapped around his neck, and they did the dance of shuffle to the bedroom.
“You want the bed?” They managed okay, better than, maybe. Damn, Bax felt fine against him.
“I do.” Huffing a little, Bax plopped down on the bed, hand sliding down to tug at his wrist. “Okay. Tell me.”
He closed his eyes—it was harder, lying to Bax. “I got to just wait still.”
“Don’t you do that. Don’t you bullshit me, Jason. I know you better than anyone.” Bax’s fingers bit into his skin, Andy leaning close.
He gritted his teeth, took a deep, deep breath to calm himself down. Oh. Oh, damn. He could smell Bax. Christ, he’d know that scent anywhere—a weird mixture of leather and smell good and grass and horse.
That good arm wrapped around him, Bax’s short-short hair brushing his cheek. “Come on, Jason. I can help carry the damned load.”
“It’s over, Bax. All of it. I got just a little, on the edges. That’s all.”
He could feel the sharp, indrawn breath, could hear the little groan Bax tried to stifle. “Jesus, Mini. I… We’ll figure it. A little is better than nothing, and that means it might come back.”
“I didn’t tell Momma.” He stood up, walked away to the window, let the sun bake him a little. “You know I see just fine when I’m dreaming?”
“Well, honey, you’re hurt, not stupid.”
That tickled him, down deep, and he started laughing, just hooting with it. The sounds went on and on even if, in the end, there wasn’t any humor in it.
“Come and sit, Jason.”
Yeah. Okay, yeah. Bax couldn’t come to him.
Jason nodded, headed over to sit on the bed, head down. “I’m real sorry, cowboy.”
“For what? You didn’t do a Goddamned thing wrong. Shit, Mini, you had that ride in the bag.” Bax touched him again, barely there at first, then stronger, those lean fingers tracing patterns on his leg. He could see those hands in his head, scarred and brown and so damned pretty.
“Yeah.” Still, he was sorry about all the shit he was fixin’ to miss. He should’ve died in the arena, just right then on that bull.
“Come here.” Oh, it felt good when Bax pulled him down, settling him on the opposite side of that bad leg. The man didn’t say nothin’ else, just held onto him. He leaned good and hard, fingers squeezing the comforter tight.
“Don’t give up on me yet,” Bax whispered, pushing in close, hands gripping him, not the covers.
“It ain’t you that’s ruint, Andy.” He reached out, needing to feel something good, so badly.
They got all wrapped up together, Bax’s bad leg the only thing not curled against him. That cast kinda made it awkward, but Bax didn’t seem to care. “You’re not out of my game, Mini.”
“I ain’t no good to you like this. I cain’t even pull your rope.”
“Shh. Stop. Just…” Rocking against him a little, Bax held on, all but crawling right into him.
Damn. Just damn.
He groaned, pushing closer, cock doing its damnedest to fill up. “Bax…”
Rough fingers brushed over his cheek, catching on the stubble there, before tracing his mouth. “I got you.”
“I…” His heart stopped as he slid tongue his out to taste those calluses.
Oh. Oh, sweet Christ. Please.
There was a moment of complete silence, as if the whole fucking world was holding its breath.
Then Bax shifted, pulled, and Jason pressed his mouth against the softest, hottest lips he’d ever tasted.
His hands cupped Bax’s face, and both of them were just breathing together, lips together, moving so slow.
Hand sliding around to flatten against the back of his neck, Bax gave it up for him, opening right up to let him taste.
Jesus, he’d been dreaming about this too damned long.
Oh. Oh, yeah. He dipped his tongue in, taking what Bax was offering, just in case. It was the hottest thing he’d ever done, ever.
Panting, Bax pressed against him, pushing a little. Oh, nothing fast or fierce. But those sounds had to be happy ones. Jason took his chance, one hand moving south, sliding down that belly. Hard. Those fine muscles were so hard.
“Oh…” The sound came on a single breath, Bax shuddering for him, pushing up into his touch. “Jase…”
“Tell me it’s okay.” He rested his forehead against Bax’s, needing to touch so bad.
“God, yes. It’s fucking okay.” Bax reached with him, pushing his hand down, right there. “Christ.”
“Bax.” Oh. Oh, shit. Hard. Hot. He slid his thumb all the way along the shaft, his fingers curling to feel Bax’s balls.
“Jase.” The back of Bax’s hand rubbed right up against his own zipper, pressing it back against his cock, giving him some maddening friction.
It was a little messy, but he found Bax’s lips again, this kiss less tender, more sharp and toothy.
Bax started humping against his hand as best as Andy could with one leg in a cast, and damned if that grumpy bastard didn’t cuss him when he didn’t move fast enough to get more of the touching going.
“Bossy fucker.” He worked at Bax’s fly, hunting skin. “Always pushing me.”
“Always need pushing.”
When the sweet dick finally popped out into his hand it was like Christmas. Oh, he’d seen it, but this… This was all heat and damp and fucking beautiful to his fingers.
“Bax. Bax…” Jason could feel Bax’s pulse, right in his hand. His thumb slid over the ridge at the tip, the skin there slick, a wee bit bumpy.
Struggling a little, Bax tried to get into his jeans, grunting every time his thumb moved on that amazing skin. “Jason. Gonna explode. I swear to God. Been waiting so long.”
“I can… Shit, Bax. I can smell you. Makes my damn mouth water.” He couldn’t fucking catch his breath, couldn’t think, couldn’t do a damn thing but touch and feel right now.
“Fuck, Jase. I need.” Yeah. Yeah, he could feel it in the desperate touch, the way Bax’s body moved restlessly against him.
It was easy, to just grab hold and work that heavy cock, jack Bax off, give the man what he needed. The muscles of Bax’s belly quivered against his arm, the one good leg moving heavily against his hip as Bax moaned and thrashed. Andy was on fire for him.
“Come on. Come on now, I got you.” Right now. He had the fine son of a bitch.
“Jason!” That was it. He thought he could smell Bax before? When the fine son of a bitch came over his hand it was pure overload. His whole body shuddered and he squeezed his eyes shut tight. Fuck, he’d waited. It was so fucking hot. So good.
“Kiss me, Mini.” Bax’s nose banged right into his, but they got it going, got the kiss hard and deep just about the time Bax got a hold of his dick.
Oh. Oh, fuck. Yes. Please. He… Right fucking there.
There wasn’t anything wrong with his body and he scrambled closer, hips fucking Bax’s hand like there was no tomorrow.
“Christ. Jason. You… Hot.” Looked like Bax was all babbling, too. Andy got him in a firm grip, rubbing up and down, squeezing top to bottom.
He could feel his orgasm crawling right up his spine, settling in the base of his skull, lights firing off in his eyes. Oh. Oh, fuck. Yes. His teeth rattled, he shot so hard, the release of pressure almost painful.
“Sweet. Jesus, Jase, you’re so fucking good.” Bax kissed him again, sloppier than ever, almost lazy. Uncoordinated.
“I.” He didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t. He just held on.
“Mmmhmm. Me too.” Bax wrapped right around him, grunting when his cast thumped against the bed. “Here, just turn here… Yeah.”
They got settled, sinking into the bed.
For the first time in weeks, Jason just smiled and slept, not scared of his dreams.