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  Adrian cocked his head. “Wait, what? I’m not talking about your daughter, I’m talking about your wife.”

  Chandler gaped at Adrian, and finally realized what the hell he was getting so worked up over. He started to laugh. “Adrian, I ain’t married.”

  “Well, your girlfriend then. Whatever.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t have no girlfriend, neither. Used to be married. We got divorced a year back.”

  “Oh,” Adrian said. To Chandler’s amusement, it looked like he wasn’t sure if he ought to look apologetic or happy about this new bit of information. “I’m… sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” he said. “She wasn’t a very good person.”

  Adrian took a deep swallow of his beer. “I’m sorry for getting all agitated. I just… this whole thing wasn’t especially thought out. I was worried I was being a homewrecker, or something.”

  “Not at all,” Chandler said. “I guess this is where we catch up.”

  He bought them a second round of beers, and set into his story about Julia. About how he’d met her at a low point in his life, marked by flashbacks to the violence he saw overseas, and how she’d been able to provide him a sense of comfort that he’d been lacking and sorely craving. Chandler didn’t mention how much he’d missed Adrian during that time. How he’d always been his rock during the hard times, and how badly he wished he could’ve been with him again.

  Julia had always had her troubles. She was prone to keeping secrets, and Chandler often felt like she would bend the truth about the things she told him. She was an impulsive spender. More than once, Chandler had to use his army savings to bail her out of financial troubles while she continued to buy things she couldn’t afford. After they’d gotten pregnant with April, Chandler had held some hope that it would be the thing to finally make her more responsible. He hoped that it would help straighten out their relationship, so he promised himself he’d do everything he could to make it work.

  “That was three years ago,” he said. “That was why I had to stop writing you.”

  “So you were already married while we were still writing? You’d never mentioned her before that letter.”

  “Yeah,” Chandler said. He knew he probably should’ve told Adrian. It might’ve made things easier. Adrian might’ve made the suggestion himself that they stop talking.

  But maybe that was the reason why Chandler hadn’t said a word about it. He hadn’t wanted to let go.

  “I understand,” Adrian said. “I don’t hold it against you.” He reached out and tenderly touched the back of Chandler’s hand. Chandler looked up, his heart thundering. The gesture was visible to any eyes that might’ve been wandering over them, but in that moment, Chandler didn’t give two fucks about discretion. He’d been craving Adrian’s skin since the moment their lips parted in the lot behind On the Rocks, and now that he felt it again… He wanted so badly to leap across the table and yank him into another kiss. He wanted to throw him to the floor so that he could get to the treasure hidden beneath that squeeze of raw denim.

  He swallowed the lump in his throat and gulped down a few swigs of beer. More alcohol to soothe the nerves.

  Adrian followed suit with his beer. “So, what happened?”

  “Found out she was in a mountain of debt after we tied the knot. I could work with that. It was the secret drug habit that she picked up sometime after having April that really did us in. Even did a brief stint in jail for buying from an undercover officer. That was after we’d split.”

  “Jesus.”

  “How’d your little girl—what’s her name?”

  “April.”

  “How’d April take it?”

  “As well as you might think. She’s alright now. She realizes that things are better now. I know it ain’t easy on a young child to have their mother taken away from them. But honestly, she’s better off without her influence. I’ve got full custody.”

  “I would’ve never imagined you becoming a dad,” Adrian said, punching Chandler’s shoulder. “But I bet you’re an awesome one.”

  “Not something I would’ve ever imagined, neither,” Chandler laughed. “But I’m doing the best I can. Honestly, I could easily have imagined you becoming a dad. You always were that type. Good with kids. Have you… been seeing anyone?”

  “There’s been a few, nothing serious. Nothing more than someone to keep the bed warm or pass the time, you know?”

  Chandler nodded. Why did he feel a slight tinge of jealousy hearing that? He wanted to ask man or woman, but decided against it. He was pretty sure he knew the answer, anyway—he could feel it in his gut. He’d been the only man that Adrian had ever been with. It was the same for him, too.

  Still, even the thought of Adrian sleeping around with random girls got him feeling just a little sore. It completely surprised Chandler. After all, he’d been married. Adrian was a hell of a catch. Of course there’d be girls lining up to get with him, and who would blame him for accepting?

  He just wished that he could’ve been the one to keep the bed warm for Adrian during those times. He wanted to be there in his arms, feeling all of him again.

  “It’s hard when you’re a driver,” Adrian said. “I’m not home much, and when I am, I like to spend time with Mom. I like being on the road. Going from here to there, seeing the sunrise in a new state every day. I like that. Makes me feel a little more at peace, you know?”

  “Hm.” Chandler raised his bottle. “Gotta hold on to whatever brings you some peace. I feel that.”

  They touched bottles again, and drained the rest of their beers.

  “It’s really good to see you again, Adrian,” he said. Chandler was a man full of emotion but short of words to express them with, and he hoped that Adrian would pick up just how strongly he felt.

  Adrian smiled back at him, and a jolt of excitement prickled through his body as he felt fingers slip onto his thigh beneath the table, giving him a tender squeeze. Life pulsed to his groin. From the dangerously familiar look glimmering in Adrian’s eye, Chandler knew that he could have him tonight if he wanted. And he wanted him again, so badly. No, had he ever stopped wanting him?

  But what would happen if he went with it? If they spent tonight together, how could he deal with it tomorrow? Adrian wasn’t sticking around. Soon enough, he’d be watching him driving out of this shithole town, arm waving out the window. His light in the darkness fading again, as quickly as he’d come.

  But, god, how could he resist him?

  The bar had filled up with a healthy crowd. Friday night, nowhere else to go. The music played louder, and voices raised in response. Most were working on their third or fourth round of drinks. “How about one more and we step out of here,” Adrian suggested. “It's getting too noisy to talk.” Chandler agreed, though he would’ve been fine just sitting there with Adrian, not even saying a word.

  “I’ll get it,” he said.

  “You already got the last round,” Adrian said, getting out of his chair. Chandler put up his palm to stop him.

  “I’ll get it,” he insisted, and Adrian sat back down.

  The floor between them and the counter was shoulder to shoulder with people, and Chandler had to push his way through. He ordered two more Buds, and as he was turning around from the bar, his elbow caught the neck of a bottle, sending it clattering from a stranger’s hand to the floor.

  “Hey, dumbass,” a man said, clearly intoxicated. “That was my girl’s drink.”

  Chandler touched his forehead, mimicking a tug of a hat brim. “Sorry, ma’am,” he said to the woman, who looked embarrassed by her friend. “Here, take one of mine.” He held out one of the bottles.

  The drunken man stepped in between them, pushing Chandler’s hand aside with such force that it sent that bottle tumbling to the floor too. The surrounding crowd groaned as beer splattered onto legs and boots.

  “Hell, no,” the man said. “She ain’t accepting no beer from no queer.”

  “The fuck are you talking
about?” Chandler said, his voice a low growl.

  “You heard me,” he slurred. “I saw you and your little boyfriend back there groping each other under the table.”

  “I don’t know what the fuck you saw, but you best just go back to your little corner and leave me be.” He turned to go back to the bar to grab another beer, when a hard tug on his shoulder spun him around.

  The man’s eyes were vacant in that way people looked when they drank too much, like they were looking behind him instead of right at him. Chandler really didn’t want to get into any trouble, but he could see the events that were about to play out. The man was not going to let this go. He pushed forward into Chandler’s face.

  “You fucking fa—”

  The man stopped at a tap on his shoulder, and turned around to catch a swinging right cross in the chin. He stumbled back into the arms of his friends, the fight completely knocked out of him. Adrian rubbed the knuckles of his right fist. “Time to go,” he said, nodding towards the exit.

  The crowd parted, and the two of them slipped out of the bar into the cool night air, their boots crunching over gravel until they hopped into the cab of Chandler’s pickup.

  “My bad,” said Adrian. “I shouldn’t have done that. You didn’t know him, did you? He’s not going to cause you any trouble?”

  “Naw. Complete stranger. He was so sloshed, he’ll probably wake up tomorrow wondering why his jaw hurts.”

  “Hey.”

  Chandler turned, and Adrian threw his arm around his neck and pulled him into a kiss that sent shockwaves through his entire body. He pushed back, slamming Adrian against the door, their hands groping desperately at each other as their tongues rediscovered familiar territory. Chandler’s cock was instantly rock hard. He kissed down Adrian’s cheek, feeling his hot breath tickle his ear. He buried his face into Adrian’s neck, kissing, sucking, inhaling his incredible sent. Fuck, he’d missed this. He’d missed him.

  Adrian’s hand pushed down to the buckle of his jeans, groping to make contact, and he suddenly remembered where he was.

  “Wait,” he said, pushing away from Adrian. “Not right here.”

  “Right,” Adrian breathed. “We have a problem with getting carried away, don’t we?”

  The Chevy’s V-8 came to life with a hollow roar, and Chandler pulled out of the parking lot, every inch of him aching for Adrian.

  3

  “It ain’t much to look at,” Chandler said, shutting the front door behind them. “I’m hoping to be able to step up to a two-bed once April starts school.”

  “It’s nice,” Adrian said. “You don’t need much to have a home, as long as you’ve got the people you love, right?”

  “That’s right.”

  Adrian moved in close, so close that Chandler could feel the heat of his body. They brought their foreheads together, their noses touching as they drew in each other’s scent. They were keeping things tempered for the moment, but the heat inside them was rising. Chandler pulled Adrian up to him by the belt and then reached around for a handful of ass. Adrian breathed out a shallow moan, and his fingers went for the bottom of Chandler’s shirt. A moment later it was crumpled up on the floor, his bare muscles prickling with goosebumps as Adrian explored them with his lips.

  This was really happening. This wasn’t a dream or a fantasy.

  Gentle playtime was over. Adrian shoved Chandler, sending him stumbling backwards onto his bed. He followed him, coming on top of him and making his way down Chandler’s body with a series of hungry kisses. Lower, lower, lower, until his lips reached the top of his belt. Then with a quick jerk, a jangle of brass and fwip of cured leather, his belt was undone. Pop. There went the button of his jeans, too.

  Chandler watched, his mouth opened slightly in astonished excitement as he watched Adrian draw down the zipper of his fly. His underwear pushed up with an erection aching to be set free. Adrian’s palm tested the waters, and Chandler near just about burst from the feeling of his warm touch against him. Even through fabric it was overwhelming, but when Adrian slipped his finger beneath the waistband and made solid contact, it was like being hit with a stun gun. Chandler jerked and gasped, still in a fog of disbelief that this was even happening.

  His underwear went down to his ankles. His cock popped free and tall. One stroke, and a bead of precome bubbled up at the tip. Adrian licked it away with an eager grin. Then, without taking his eyes off Chandler’s, he pressed his lips to the tip and kept on going. Down, down, down.

  Oh, fuck.

  He rolled his hips to match his movements, reveling in the action of Adrian’s masterful tongue. He was so good. So, so good. He’d always known just how to tease Chandler just right, and how to give it to him in all the right places. It was completely apparent that nothing had changed.

  Chandler groaned and pushed his fingers through Adrian’s dark hair. He remembered the agreement they’d made after the final time they’d spend together before ending their tour of service. This is it, they’d said. Whatever this was, stays over here. For five years, it had. But Adrian knew that the only reason for that was because of the distance between them. There was no way they could’ve stopped. He was helpless around him. Completely vulnerable to everything about the man. Powerless to keep his hands off of him.

  He pulled back from Adrian’s mouth and flipped him onto the bed, face first on all fours, and wrestled his jeans from his thighs. His underwear didn’t last long either. Chandler tugged it down, spread him open and buried his face into him, running his tongue from the shaft of Adrian’s cock, up his balls and around his entrance. Goddamn, he’d missed this.

  “Fuck,” Adrian grunted, clutching at the comforter and shifting himself to give as much access to Chandler’s talented tongue as possible.

  “Hold that, don’t fucking move,” Chandler growled, and he was back in a flash, unrolling a condom down his length.

  “Fucking give it to me,” Adrian murmured in a tone like he was egging him on. “C’mon, c’mon. Ahh…”

  Chandler made contact, grabbed Adrian’s hip for leverage, and pushed his way into heaven. Adrian’s eyes fluttered and his mouth dropped open in a silent moan as his balled the sheets into his fists.

  Slow thrusts, one, two, three… Chandler rocked his hips, plunging himself all the way into Adrian’s welcoming warmth before withdrawing again in a steady, practiced rhythm. Adrian moved with him, their movements a dance of pleasure. Yeah, they’d done this before.

  Faster now, and a little bit harder. Fuck, he was tight. Chandler had forgotten this feeling, though the fantasy of it had never been far from his mind, and neither had it been from Adrian’s.

  A swift crack crack as Chandler swiped his palm upside Adrian’s ass cheek. No more holding back. He slammed in hard, fast and steady. The mattress creaked. Adrian moaned into the bedsheets. Skin slapped against skin. Chandler squeezed his grip, the muscles in his bicep straining, veins bulging with effort. The edge was coming close, and there was absolutely no stopping it now. Adrian reached down and started to stroke himself—he was close too. Chandler gritted his teeth, tilting his head back as waves of ecstasy surged up through his body.

  Fuck! There was nothing like this. It’d always been good with Adrian before, but years apart, thinking he’d never see him again… Chandler knew now for sure that he could never get this with anyone else, man or woman.

  “I’m gonna fucking come,” he managed.

  “Don’t stop,” Adrian groaned. “Don’t you fucking stop…”

  Chandler slammed in, full steam ahead until the big finish. Adrian cried out a moan and hammered his fist into the bed, and Chandler felt him reach climax. The tightening spasms of his opening around his cock sent him tumbling into the abyss, and he pushed in and held as the finish rocked him like he’d never felt before.

  He collapsed onto the bed next to Adrian, their chests heaving with exertion. Adrian turned and pulled Chandler close against him.

  “I’m afraid I made a mess on the bed,�
�� he said.

  “That’s fine,” Chandler said, nuzzling his face into the hollow of Adrian’s neck and drinking in his delicious smell. After cleaning up, the two of them lay quietly in each other’s arms.

  Chandler didn’t want the moment to end. He wished he could lay there with him forever, to never have to go back to his reality. He remembered feeling the same way five years back. What would happen, now? Adrian would leave, and he’d have to live with the confirmation that nothing would ever be as good as this.

  Adrian broke the silence. “You know, I never thought I’d be one of those guys who got nostalgic about their time overseas. Some miss the action. Some miss some sense of purpose. Some, the comradery. Honestly, the only thing I miss… is you. And this.” He sighed.

  He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? He was no good at expressing himself, so he answered the only way he knew how. Wrapping his arms even tighter around Adrian’s body, he pulled him in and left a long kiss on his lips.