Aftermath by Bailey Bradford (most important books of all time txt) 📗

nodded and resumed talking on the phone. Darren listened as he took his clothes and shoes off then decided to shower and give Lee some privacy. He dug through the plastic bags until he found the one with the package of boxers in it. Taking the whole pack with him, he went into the bathroom and admired the cream on tan color scheme and the smooth marble countertop for a moment before starting the shower.

After adjusting the temperature, Darren stepped in the shower and stuck his arms out first, trying to work up the nerve to step under the showerhead. He moved forward in small increments then finally got irritated with himself for being such a wuss and stepped under the streaming water. “Ouch! Crap, that hurts!”

“Probably wish you cussed about now. You scraped your back up good.”

Darren jumped and slapped his hand against the wall. He pushed the shower curtain aside and glared at Lee. “I thought you’d be on the phone longer.”

Lee shrugged and began taking his clothes off. “You were walking around naked, your dick flapping against your thigh. Made it hard to think. Then I saw your back and rushed through an explanation about finding the ring—Laine said the same thing you did, it doesn’t prove anything—and I just about hung up on him trying to hurry up and get in here.” Lee kicked off his shoes then whipped his jeans down before stepping out of them. Toeing off his socks, Lee looked at Darren. “Scoot over.”

Darren made room for Lee to join him and was soon moaning in pleasure as his hair was washed and his scalp massaged.

Eyes closed, Darren slicked his hands down Lee’s chest. “You have really good hands.”

“I’m just relaxing you before the painful part.”

“Painful part?” Darren opened his eyes looked at Lee to see if he was joking. From the grim set of Lee’s lips, Darren guessed not. “Can’t we skip that?”

“Nope. Your back has to be washed, so go ahead and turn around.”

When Darren hesitated Lee took his elbow and turned him so his back was toward Lee. Even though Lee was gentle, the soap still burned Darren’s scrapes, and by the time he was thoroughly clean he was ready to drop into bed and sleep even if it was early in the afternoon.

“Dry off where you can then lay on the bed on your stomach,” Lee ordered with a tap to Darren’s butt. “I’ll be there in a minute to doctor your back.”

A little dazed from the zing of arousal the swat to his backside had given him, Darren got out of the shower and grabbed a towel. After running the soft material over his hair and body except for his back, he hung the towel up and sprawled on the bed on his belly. He was already half asleep when Lee came out of the bathroom and startled him with a touch to Darren’s back.

“Easy, baby, this’ll help.” Lee’s voice soothed him more than the lidocaine-laced ointment.

Darren sank deeper into the mattress and dozed for a while before waking and reaching for Lee. The fact that Lee wasn’t beside him, and the wrongness of him not being there, had Darren rolling onto his back before he thought about it. “Holy crap!” Darren sat up and scowled when he spotted Lee sitting in the blue chair. “Why are you over there?”

Lee held up the ring. “Just thinking about things. Wondering if Johnny Chapman hurt Stefan, and if he did, if justice will ever be done.”

Darren scooted to the edge of the bed then stood and walked over to Lee. He held his hand out for the ring. “Justice? Or revenge? Vengeance?”

“Justice.” Lee looked up at him as he gave Darren the ring. “That’s all. I saw so much death and hatred in some of the places the government sent me when I was in the military. I didn’t see much justice, though, so…”

Darren wished he could reassure Lee, tell him Johnny would reap what he sowed and all that, but Darren didn’t know that Johnny would. All Darren could do was offer Lee comfort.

“Come to bed with me.” Darren set the ring down and held his hand out for Lee’s.

“I have a better idea,” Lee said, his green eyes going dark with arousal, “why don’t you fuck me until I can’t think?”

Darren’s lungs constricted and his breath whooshed out as blood rushed to his cock. “I can do that.”

He led Lee to the bed. “How are your knees?”

“Sore,” Lee answered bluntly. “But this mattress is pretty soft, and I like the idea of getting on my hands and knees for you. Stuff’s in one of the bags.” Lee crawled onto the bed and peered over his shoulder. “You might want to get it so you can fuck me.”

Lee’s thighs were spread wide, his balls hanging low and heavy, his cock dripping on the blanket.

“Yeah, just give me a minute.” He’d get the condoms and lube in just a minute…

Lee shuddered at the hungry look in Darren’s eyes. That look promised pleasure so intense Lee would burn with it. Lee bent his arms and lowered his shoulders until he rested his heads on his forearms. He felt the dip of the mattress, then his ass cheeks were parted and a puff of warm moist air wafted over his hole.

Goosebumps pebbled his skin as soon as Darren licked him from the top of his crack to his balls. Lee fisted his hands in the blanket and arched his back in a silent plea.

“That’s it,” Darren crooned then a sharp sting blossomed on his ass cheek when Darren bit him. “I know you like this, just like I did when you smacked my butt.”

Lee didn’t know if it was the pain of the bite or the possessiveness Darren displayed by marking him, it just did it for him. He pushed into the scrape of Darren’s teeth, reveling in the pleasure-pain that zipped from his ass to his head.

“You love it when