Chapter 11 #2
Hudson flicked his eyes away before Shaw could catch him staring.
Seconds trickled into minutes. Minutes crawled into hours, then seemed to stop altogether.
Evening formation dragged on. Personal time offered no distraction.
By the time lights out rolled around at 2200, Hudson lay in his bunk staring at the ceiling, too keyed-up to sleep.
Around him, the familiar sounds of snoring filled the darkness.
At 2240, he got up.
He dressed quickly, and avoided the creaky spots in the floor as he went. A few guys shifted in their bunks but no one woke. He crept into the hallway, heart pounding.
Building C sat on the far side of the compound. Theoretically it was off-limits this late, but he had memorized the patrol’s rhythm. He slipped through its gaps, moving through shadows, keeping low.
The storage room was on the second floor. He took the stairs two at a time, trying not to think too hard about what he was doing.
He tried the door—unlocked—stepped inside and closed it behind him.
Moonlight slivered through a high window, cutting across the dark room. Shelves lined the walls, stocked with equipment Hudson couldn't identify and didn't care about. And in the middle of it all, leaning against a table like he'd been waiting—
Shaw.
"You came.”
Hudson locked the door. "Did you think I wouldn't?"
"Wasn't sure."
They faced each other in the dark. Heat crept up Hudson’s neck. Every reason he'd told himself not to come here—gone. Every line he'd sworn he wouldn't cross—behind him now.
"So," Hudson said. "Here we are."
"Here we are.”
Neither of them moved. Shaw’s sweats hung low on his hips, white T-shirt showing off his tattooed forearms. Hudson’s mouth went dry, his dick already hard just from looking at him.
Three months ago, Hudson would never have believed he’d react this way to a guy. But now he couldn’t look away.
Shaw pushed off from the table and closed the distance between them in a few lazy strides.
The kiss was immediate and hungry, Shaw's mouth on his before he could even process it. Hudson gave back as good as he got, hands gripping in Shaw's hair, pulling him closer.
He’d been thinking about this for three days—Shaw’s mouth, the way everything else disappeared when they touched.
Shaw backed Hudson against the wall, body pressing against him. His tongue slid deeper into Hudson’s mouth, claiming the kiss, and Hudson’s knees went weak.
"Yes," He breathed when Shaw moved to his neck.
Shaw’s teeth scraped over his pulse point and he shivered. Shaw’s hands slid under his shirt, touching sensitive skin he had never paid attention to before.
"Off." Shaw tugged at the fabric.
Hudson helped, pulling the shirt over his head and tossing it somewhere in the half-light. Shaw's followed seconds later, and then they were pressed together again, nothing between them. Hudson's brain flatlined at the sensation.
Shaw's hands were everywhere—his chest, his sides, his back—mapping his body. Hudson tried to do the same, fingers tracing the edges of Shaw's muscles in the dim light, feeling goosebumps on his skin.
“You’re shaking again,” Shaw said against his mouth.
“I’m not—” But he was. And not from the cold.
Shaw pulled back enough to look at him, eyes dark in the shadows. “You good?”
“Yeah.” Hudson’s voice came out rougher than intended. “I’m good.”
They kissed again, slower this time. Hudson melted into it, hands sliding up to Shaw’s neck, trying to get closer even though there was no space left between them.
Then Shaw’s hand moved lower, palm pressing against Hudson through his pants, and his hips jerked forward to meet his touch.
“Jesus—Shaw—”
“Shh.” His lips curved against his neck. “You want to get caught?”
“No, but you can’t just—” Hudson’s words cut off when Shaw did it again, applying enough pressure to make him see stars.
Shaw worked his pants open. Hudson wanted to help but his hands wouldn’t cooperate. When Shaw’s hands closed around his dick, he gasped.
“You like that?”
“Yeah,” Hudson managed. “Yeah, I like that.”
Shaw stroked him slowly, watching Hudson’s face in the dim light. Hudson tried to keep his eyes open, but the sensation was overwhelming.
Reaching for Shaw’s pants, he fumbled with them long enough for Shaw to help. A few seconds later, Hudson had his hand wrapped around him too. His breath came faster, hips rocking into Shaw’s grip. His vision started to blur at the edges.
Shaw shifted their position, angling them so their cocks pressed together. Hudson tensed, causing Shaw to stop immediately. “What?”
“I don’t—” Hudson swallowed. “What are you doing?”
Shaw’s smile was wicked and definitely amused. “Hale. Do you actually know anything about how guys do this?”
Hudson’s jaw worked. “I—I know the basics.”
“The basics.” He raised his eyebrows.
“I’m not an idiot, Shaw.”
“Didn’t say you were.” His hand was still wrapped around Hudson, not moving. “But knowing and doing are pretty different things.”
Hudson felt his cheeks heat and it wasn’t because of arousal. “So what, you’re going to give me a tutorial?”
“Do you want one?”
“No. I—” Hudson stopped, frustrated. “I just don’t know what you’re trying to do.”
Shaw studied his face, then shifted his grip slightly. “I was going to…” He adjusted their position, pulling Hudson’s hand down between them. “Like this. More friction. Both of us at once.”
His breath caught as Shaw demonstrated, his hands on top of Hudson’s, the sensation entirely different from anything he had experienced. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” Shaw’s voice came out strangled. “Like that. Unless you don’t want—”
“No. I want.” Hudson’s hips moved of their own accord, seeking more pressure. “Definitely want.”
“Good.” Shaw's grin turned sly as hell. “Had to make sure you were keeping up.”
“Fuck you,” Hudson managed, but it sounded hollow even to his own ears.
“One thing at a time.” The dry tone made Hudson fumble.
They moved together, finding a rhythm that made Hudson’s eyes flutter shut. The friction was almost too much.
“Shaw—” Hudson’s voice broke. “I’m gonna—”
“Do it.” His voice was rough and commanding. “Come for me, Hale.”
Hudson did, the orgasm hitting him so hard his knees buckled. Shaw held him up, kept moving against him until he shuddered and followed, both of them gasping into the small space between them.
Both breathing hard, they pressed their foreheads together.
“Jesus.” Hudson exhaled against Shaw’s mouth.
They separated awkwardly, trying to clean up in the moonlight with paper towels from the shelf behind them. Hudson’s hands were still shaking as he pulled his clothes back on.
“I should go first,” Shaw said finally. “Wait five minutes before you leave.”
“Right.” He nodded even though Shaw probably couldn’t see it in the dark. “Smart.”
Shaw moved toward the door, then paused. “Hale?”
“Yeah?”
“Same time tomorrow?”
Hudson’s lips curved.
Shaw’s quiet laugh was the last thing he heard before the door clicked shut.
He waited, counting the minutes, trying to get his breathing back under control. His body still vibrated with pleasure as his mind tried to process what had just happened.
This was real now. And Hudson had no idea if that made him feel better or worse.