Chapter Seven
Hudson
Captain Devlin sent him and EJ to the town hall meeting called by the mayor and city council.
Hudson was happy to run the errand, getting out of the station.
He planned to hit up the bakery on the way back.
EJ had finished all the donuts that Bastian had brought the day before.
EJ claimed it was needed during his marathon gaming session, but Hudson suspected his bestie was just greedy.
“Did you hear from your man this morning?” EJ asked as they walked down the street toward the community center where the town meeting was being held. It was an emergency meeting that Easton had called, so Hudson didn’t know how many members of the community would be in attendance.
“I did.” Bastian had been texting him pretty much every hour except for about five where he must have been sleeping.
“More shirtless pics?”
As matter of fact, there was one of those. Bastian still in bed with a blanket pooled in his lap and a sleepy smile. Not that Hudson was admitting to anything. “You really need to stop thinking about him shirtless.”
“I could think about him naked,” EJ said.
Hudson pushed EJ off the sidewalk.
EJ laughed as he stumbled into the street. “I’m kidding!”
“You better be!” Hudson didn’t like the thought of anyone other than seeing Bastian naked. He’d never really been jealous in the past. Bastian was bringing all kinds of new feelings to the surface.
“Wow.” EJ threw an arm over his shoulder, which worked when they were sitting but not so much as they walked. It ended up with his best friend practically hanging off him. “You really have it bad for this guy.”
“He brought us pizza and donuts,” Hudson reminded him.
“That was pretty cool. Never had a guy who cared that much for me before.”
“It was thoughtful,” Hudson agreed. And EJ was right. Hudson had it bad for Bastian. Even when Bastian was sweet and loving, he still that edge of dominance to him.
“You never told me why it took you so long to walk him out.” EJ finally jumped off him.
“I gave him a tour,” Hudson replied, and it wasn’t even a lie.
“He wanted to sit in the fire engine, right?”
Hudson snorted. “I asked.”
EJ hummed. “He doesn’t seem like the type to get off that way.”
“Okay?”
“He does seem like the type to get you off and put that sappy smile on your face that lasted all night.”
“Shut up!” Hudson mumbled. This was so embarrassing.
“OMG!” EJ stopped walking and pulled him to a stop. “I was just kidding. You had sex in the fire station?”
“No!” Hudson exclaimed, placing his hand over EJ’s mouth. “Don’t start that rumor.”
EJ wiggled and his eyes were bright with amusement.
“We did not have sex,” Hudson said again.
EJ licked his hand, and Hudson drew it back while making a face. “Yuck! I can’t believe you did that!”
His best friend was cackling. “Don’t put things near my mouth and I won’t lick them.”
“Why are you licking my boyfriend?”
No! Oh, no-no-no! Hudson turned slowly and found Bastian, Shawn, and River standing behind him. Just his luck! EJ had distracted him enough that Hudson hadn’t even noticed that they had been joined.
“I tend to do that when things are near my mouth,” EJ sassed with a shrug.
River barked out a laugh. “I like you!” He was practically bouncing.
Shawn groaned. “Not another one!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” River moved over to EJ and grinned. “He must mean ‘not another awesome person that totally wants to be friends’.”
“He has to mean that,” EJ agreed. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“I blame you.” Shawn pointed at Bastian. “I’m saying it right now, this is all your fault, and I have nothing to do with this.”
Bastian slipped his arm around Hudson’s waist as he kissed the side of Hudson’s neck. “Worth it.”
Hudson turned into Bastian’s arms, incredibly happy when Bastian gave him a firm hug.
“Ah! I want a sexy tattooed man to hug me,” EJ complained.
“Really?” River sounded delighted. “Just to hug?”
“I’m walking away,” Shawn announced. “I’ll be at the meeting and I know nothing.”
“I give awesome…hugs,” EJ said with a giggle. “Especially if they’re naked hugs.”
River laughed loudly.
Hudson groaned and tilted his head back to peer up at Bastian. “Our friends are crazy.”
“Maybe if we ignore them, they’ll go away,” Bastian replied.
“You need to come home with me,” River told EJ. “Well, not with me. I already have two men. They’re the best.”
“Wait! Two men? How does that work? I need details!” EJ insisted.
“No details!” Bastian barked.
“But two!” EJ whined. “I want two men! Or maybe three. What do you call three or four?”
“A harem?” River offered.
Bastian rolled his eyes.
Hudson had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. EJ might sound like he was kidding but Hudson was fairly sure it would take more than one man just to have the energy to keep up with EJ.
“We’re headed to the town hall meeting,” Bastian told him.
“Us too,” Hudson responded. “We’re representing the fire department.”
“I’m glad I ran into you.” Leaning down, Bastian placed a soft kiss on his lips.
“Me too. Only another day until our date.”
“Is that so?” Bastian hummed. “Are you sure?”
Since he was practically counting the minutes and seconds, yeah, Hudson was positive. He nodded instead of saying that though. Hudson didn’t want Bastian to think he was crazy or anything.
“I can’t wait.” Bastian kissed him again. “We should get to the meeting though.”
“Yeah.” Hudson would much rather spend time with his boyfriend. He loved thinking of Bastian as his boyfriend.
“And you two will behave in the meeting.” Bastian pointed at EJ and River, who were huddled together and whispering.
River and EJ glanced up. Their faces holding near identical expressions of faked innocence.
“Now I know why Shawn left me with you troublemakers,” Bastian mumbled. “I’ll get him back for that.”
Hudson finally let out the laugh that he’d been holding in.
“Don’t you start too,” Bastian warned.
He shuddered, hearing the dominance in Bastian’s voice.
Bastian kissed his neck as he chuckled. “Soon, boy.”
His mind went offline while his cock was ready to find the nearest flat surface. Bastian yanked him forward and it took way too many steps to realize that they weren’t headed to be alone as Bastian led him to the steps of the community center.
In front of them, EJ and River looked as thick as thieves.
He should probably be more worried about the giggles and nudges.
That couldn’t be good. Bastian had told them to be good.
Hudson didn’t think that they knew how! However, Hudson did.
He wanted nothing more than being a good boy for Bastian. Maybe he’d get a treat?
Hudson liked treats.
Not the food kind of treats either.
Three dates was three dates.
That meant after dinner, they’d follow Bastian’s rule. Right? He had to be right. Hudson couldn’t wait any longer. Bastian needed to understand that the feelings inside him were about to make him lose his mind.
The doors opened and Easton stepped out while talking on the phone.
“Oh, who’s that cutie?” River asked.
“That’s the mayor,” EJ responded.
“He’s hot,” River said. “Why aren’t you trying for that?”
EJ sighed and Hudson knew what was coming.
“What? Did he turn you down? You’re such a cutie!” River sounded scandalized.
“He’s snippy and stuck-up,” EJ replied.
“I thought the mayor was a good friend of yours,” Bastian said to Hudson as they stood behind River and EJ.
“He is,” Hudson confirmed.
“Hudson is a traitor,” EJ complained.
“I told you not to invite a complete stranger into the woods within the first five minutes of meeting him,” Hudson pointed out.
“It’s not like I’m an ax murderer or anything. I thought he’d like some peace and quiet. He looked stressed!” EJ defended.
“Ah, you’re such a cute little sprite!” River hugged EJ. “I’d totally go into the woods with you.”
“Thank you!” EJ straightened his uniform shirt like he was the injured party.
“I’m not sure that’s the ringing endorsement you think it is,” Bastian commented dryly. “River is crazy.”
“But he has two boyfriends!” EJ turned toward them. “You only have one.”
Bastian lifted a brow. “And you have none.”
EJ’s mouth dropped open.
Hudson snorted but managed to slap his hand over his mouth as River cackled.
“That was mean!” EJ cried, crossing his arms over his chest while pushing his bottom lip out.
Bastian winked at EJ before looking over his shoulder. Yeah, Hudson had noticed Easton moving closer as well, but EJ had totally missed him.
“Hello, mayor,” Bastian greeted as his grin grew.
EJ made some weird sound that maybe was a whine or the sound of a dying animal.
“Hey, guys,” Easton said. “Thanks for coming to the meeting. I hope we get some community involvement here. I know I’m new, but this is important.”
“Of course we came,” River said. “We’re not going to let our town burn to the ground. Oh! I’m River by the way. I work for the construction company in town. I believe you’ve worked with my boss, Shawn.”
Easton nodded politely. “Uh, sure, Shawn, yeah.”
“And you know EJ, right?” River literally shoved EJ closer to Easton.
“Oh!” Easton took a step back. “EJ, hello.”
“Hey.” Instantly the fun, sassy friend was gone. EJ was avoiding looking directly at Easton.
River made a sad sound before pulling EJ back to his side.
Hudson didn’t miss the way Easton’s eyes narrowed before he cleared his features and was smiling again.
“We better get inside. The meeting should be starting,” Easton told them.
“Let’s do this.” Bastian urged Hudson forward but as he passed EJ, Bastian squeezed his shoulder.
Yep, Hudson was getting his treat. He just needed to get Bastian alone. Forget the three-date rule. Hudson wanted his man.
* * * * *
Bastian
Bastian replied to Hudson’s latest message before setting his phone back down on his desk. The new desk that Aaron had managed to have overnighted and delivered to the office. He didn’t know how Aaron did it, but the office was completely stocked.