Chapter Nineteen
CLOSER
Whip rounded the endcap with a bottle of water in one hand.
Every convenience store seemed laid out by the same invisible architect. Drinks against the back wall. Chips and candy down the center aisles. Coffee near the registers. Condoms tucked into a corner like nobody was supposed to notice them unless they came looking.
He’d walked into hundreds of them over the years. Small towns. Big cities. Truck stops somewhere in the middle of nowhere. They all blurred together until something—or someone—made one stand out.
Axel stood in front of the condoms section.
Studying it.
Seriously studying it.
Good grief.
Whip walked over.
“…What’re you doing?”
Axel didn’t look away from the shelf.
“Picking out condoms.”
“We’ll come back,” Whip hissed.
“Why?”
“Because Knox is in this store.”
“So?”
“So?” Whip stared at him.
“Yeah?” Axel finally looked over. “I don’t understand the problem.”
Of course he didn’t.
Whip lowered his voice.
“I’d rather Knox not watch us buy condoms.”
“Oh.”
Axel tipped his head as if considering his words.
“Fair.” He reached for a box anyway. “These?”
Whip glanced at it.
“…I don’t know.”
“You’ve never bought condoms?”
“Not while my coworkers are shopping for beef jerky.”
“Oh.”
Another thoughtful nod.
“This is different.”
It was, in a way, very different.
Buying condoms had always been a grab-and-go kind of purchase. Apparently now it involved discussion. Some things didn’t need an audience.
Behind them…
“HEY, WHIP!”
Knox.
Well, shit. Naturally, Knox would insert himself into the discussion.
Whip briefly considered faking a heart attack.
“You guys find the beef jerky?”
Whip groaned.
“We’re…still looking,” he called, hoping Knox would keep walking.
“For what?” Knox asked from right beside them.
Axel answered before Whip could.
“Condoms.”
Heat climbed up the back of Whip’s neck.
Silence.
Oh man, here it comes…
Knox blinked.
“…Oh.”
He looked at the shelf.
Then at Axel.
Then shrugged.
“These are good ones.” Knox plucked a box from the shelf and handed it to him before heading toward the checkout.
Whip stared after him.
“That’s it?”
Axel set the box in the basket.
“What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know!” Whip said, keeping his voice low.
Beth walked past carrying bottled water and trail mix.
“You boys ready?”
“Yup,” Axel said.
He pushed the basket toward the checkout.
Whip choked back a laugh.
Apparently, they were buying condoms.
The elevator doors opened onto the twelfth floor.
Whip followed Boone down the hallway while Knox tried balancing a bottled soda, a bag of beef jerky, trail mix, chips, and what looked suspiciously like three candy bars under one arm.
“How’re you still hungry?” Beth asked.
“I plan ahead.”
“For what?”
“Being hungry later.”
Beth shook her head.
Boone stopped outside his suite and pulled a key card from his pocket. “Coffee downstairs at eight-thirty if you want it,” he said as he unlocked the door. “Be ready to work.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Nighty night,” Beth called as she disappeared into her own room across the hall.
Whip, Axel, and Knox continued down the hallway to their suite.
The suite looked exactly the way Whip remembered.
The living room wasn’t much larger than his own back home, but compared to the motel rooms they’d spent the last week rotating through, it felt downright spacious.
A couch faced the television, a small kitchenette occupied one wall, and three bedroom doors branched off the common area.
“Well,” Knox announced. “I get dibs on the room farthest from Axel.”
Axel looked over.
“…Why?”
“I enjoy sleeping.”
Axel frowned.
“I don’t snore.”
“No,” Knox said. “You talk.”
“I do?”
Whip smiled.
“Oh, yeah.”
Axel looked genuinely surprised.
“I’ve never heard me.”
“Exactly.”
Knox grabbed the bedroom nearest the front door.
The door shut.
Just like that.
Their eyes met.
Axel planted one hand on the wall near his head and leaned in closer.
“I’m done waiting.”
“So am I,” he said, gripping Axel’s hips.
“So…” he said. “Mine or yours?”
Whip smiled.
“Does it matter?”
Axel smiled back. “Yeah. Whoever has the bigger bed.”
Whip chuckled. “Of course.”
Axel opened the nearest door, pulled him inside, and shoved it shut.
Whip blinked.
Well…
Axel crowded close.
Guess the bigger bed could wait.
“What?” His whole body burned, his clothes suddenly feeling too tight.
Axel didn’t answer.
He kept coming.
Oh…hell yes.
The man’s hand settled on his waist. His touch burned straight through his T-shirt. The other planted against the wall beside his head.
Whip’s back met the drywall with a small thump.
“Kiss me,” Axel said, his voice rough.
Whip didn’t think he’d ever been asked anything he wanted more.
Then Axel took his mouth.
His lungs forgot how to work for a second.
The kiss was hot and raw and way past waiting.
Whip moaned into it and kissed him back in silent agreement. He wanted this man like nothing else on earth. He still hadn’t quite wrapped his head around the fact that Axel had kissed him first.
But here they were.
One year of partnership had changed everything. Looking back, he’d probably been walking toward Axel a lot longer than he’d realized.
He fisted the back of Axel’s hair, threading his fingers through the dark strands and yanking him closer. The hardness beneath their jeans pressed together.
Yes. Fuck.
Axel lifted his mouth away and rested his forehead against his.
“Shower,” Axel muttered.
He laughed softly, his voice low. “Yes, now.”
Then Axel picked up the little plastic bag from the dresser.
Whip’s eyes followed it.
Leave it to Axel to remember the condoms.
A man after his own heart.
Axel took his hand and led him into the adjoining bathroom.
Hotel fancy. Bigger than it needed to be.
When Axel reached past him and turned on the shower, he ran his hand up the man’s back, enjoying the muscles flexing beneath his hand.
The pipes hummed inside the wall before warm water sprayed against the tile.
Steam curled through the bathroom.
Jackets hit the floor.
Boots followed.
The rest didn’t take much longer.
His body wasn’t hiding a damn thing, and when they stepped beneath the warm water, he struggled not to push Axel against the wall.
The hot water hit his shoulders, but it barely registered.
It certainly didn’t help his hunger.
All he felt was Axel.
Plucking the soap from the tray, Axel ran soapy hands over his warm body, caressing every inch of him.
“Hurry up.”
Whip made a sound deep in his throat, but Axel only chuckled and trailed a hand down to wrap around his cock.
Whip gave up trying to rush them along. Axel seemed in no hurry.
“I don’t want to fuck you in the shower,” Axel said, his mouth roaming over his skin.
“Then don’t,” he growled.
All he could think was thank fuck Axel wanted to top.
A few minutes later, rinsed and dried, Axel walked him backward to the bed. Strong hands caught his hips and tossed him to the mattress.
When his back met the cool sheets, he gazed up. Axel’s strength still amazed him.
“Um…” Axel said, meeting his eyes.
“What?” Whip’s hands stopped stroking.
“No regrets?” Axel hovered over him.
His heart jolted.
“Why would you say that?”
“I just want to make sure.”
That was when he saw the vulnerability.
“Hey…” Whip said softly, catching Axel’s chin, the scruff prickling his fingers. “I’m never going back. And neither are you.”
Axel smiled as if satisfied. “Never going back from this.”
“You sure?” He challenged, having his own misgivings.
They were risking their friendship and partnership if this went bad.
“Positive.”
“Why?”
“Because… I’ve been waiting for you.”
It was almost absurd in its simplicity. No grand confession. No speech. Just the truth, spoken like Axel had known it all along.
“You know…” he began lightly, drawing in a breath. “If this goes sideways…”
Axel never gave him the chance to finish. He dropped his head and claimed his parted lips in a hard, possessive kiss.
He slid his hands over Axel’s back, savoring the warmth beneath his palms. Axel kissed him again, slower this time, unhurried in a way he’d never been.
He smiled against Axel’s mouth.
When they finally broke apart, both of them breathless, Axel held his gaze.
Bright blue eyes. No hesitation. Only hunger.
Whip’s gaze dropped. He reached down and closed his hand around his dick.
Axel grunted against his skin and sent his cock thrusting through Whip’s grip.
Lifting up, Axel broke the kiss with a grumble.
“Where are the condoms?”
“In the bathroom?” Whip laughed.
Axel launched from the bed and stalked to the bathroom. He returned a moment later with the box and a small bottle of lube, minus the bag, as if he’d found gold.
“What’s taking so long?” He quirked a brow.
Axel tossed the box to the bed and crawled up and over him. He kissed him again and ran his teeth over Whip’s neck before closing his mouth on his throat.
“Are you marking me, marshal?” Whip teased, out of breath and patience.
“Mhmm”
Axel stroked him from chest to cock. Whip gasped, arching beneath his touch.
The man crushed the distance between them, covering his body with his and bit at his lips before sucking.
Their cocks bumped and stroked. Axel slid a hand along his leg, brushing it down to pull the back of one thigh, lifting one of Whip’s legs to slowly wrap it around his hips.
Whip parted both legs and wrapped them tightly as Axel settled his weight between.
He groaned and thrust upward against every inch of Axel’s long, thick cock, rubbing against him in a sensuous rhythm.
Axel toyed with him by first grinding his cock down and then wrapping his dick in one palm and stroking him.
Bastard!
Whip sucked in a breath, reached between them, and pushed Axel’s cock down to his ass.
Getting the hint, Axel tore open a condom packet with his teeth. Whip took charge and rolled it on Axel.
Dumping the lube into his palm, Axel cupped him and slicked him up, probing inside. Panting, Whip twisted against him, forcing one blunt finger further.
“Now, Axel.”
But the man took his sweet fucking time, kissing him all over, slowly, while working his ass open with two fingers.
Until everything faded but this moment. The pressure built and Whip realized Axel’s hands were on his hips, and his cock slid deep, buried to the hilt.
He felt every fucking thick inch. Axel was that big.
Finally. Fuck yes.
Their gazes locked and held.
Axel’s head dipped. His mouth was taken again.
They kissed wildly, hungry with a craving that couldn’t be denied.
“Axel!” he snarled.