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Beau moaned softly and Archie tasted that moan, echoed it—a protest, not against the here and now, but at all the time wasted. Their lips melded, the kiss lengthened, deepened… Until the blood began to sing in Archie’s ears and he had to tear his mouth away, panting. Beau murmured something, his lips trailed across Archie’s jaw, as he kissed and nibbled his way down Archie’s throat, playfully nipping that vulnerable curve of neck and shoulder. Archie gulped, his entire nervous system lighting up, as though the aurora borealis suddenly unfurled, sending shimmering bands of colors across a black and lightless sky. His hands slid through the silky strands of Beau’s hair and he tugged Beau’s head down to kiss him more deeply.

“Beau…” He felt desperate, desperate for more of Beau, all of Beau, desperate that this might be the last time, the last kiss.

Beau’s hands tugged at Archie’s T-shirt, dragging the soft folds up. Archie’s trembling fingers fumbled over the buttons of Beau’s uniform.

This is going to complicate things…

But weren’t things already complicated? Anyway, Archie didn’t care. He ground his hips against Beau’s erection, shoving against the constriction of his jeans. Years after everything had been said and done between himself and Beau, he still dreamed of this, still yearned for this. It simply wasn’t in him to call a halt, even if this just made it all more painful later.

It was already off the chart as far as pain scales went.

Anyway, if the huge straining hardness thrusting back at him meant anything, Beau was of the same mind, and that would be like trying to stop a freight train.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Beau groaned.

Archie nodded. Tears stung his eyes; he blinked them away fiercely. “Same.”

Always.

He could not imagine a time would come when he would not miss Beau.

Beau’s hands slid warmly, caressingly down Archie’s torso, homing in on Archie’s ass, kneading him through the worn denim, hiking Archie still closer, urging on that frantic friction, as Archie clutched Beau’s shoulders, helpless sounds tearing out of his throat.

Beau made a strangled sound, tore his mouth from Archie’s, and gasped, “Wait. Wait, A. Stop.”

Archie stopped, panting, blinking at Beau.

“I shouldn’t have—I can’t stay. I have to go.”

He felt dazed. Like he’d been shaken out of a dream state. “You…”

“I know. I was forgetting.”

“Forgetting what?”

“I want to stay. Believe me. I can’t believe you’re—I can’t believe I’m—”

Archie said, “What in the… I’m so confused.”

“Sorry. I’m sorry.” Beau kissed him hurriedly, apologetically. “I can come back tomorrow night. Can I come back tomorrow night?”

Archie, his entire body tight and pulsing with frustration, managed a bewildered, “I-I guess so?”

Beau hugged him tightly, kissed his mouth, and let him go. Archie staggered a little, and sat down on the nearest chair. He tugged his T-shirt down. This was turning into one of the weirdest nights of his life—and he’d had some pretty weird nights in his time.

Beau opened the front door, pausing while he did his uniform buttons up with the apparent speed of much practice. “Lock this door.”

Archie nodded automatically. He leaned forward, rubbing his temples.

“Hell.” Beau wavered in the doorway, muttered, “I can’t believe this. Lock the door!”

He stepped onto the porch, dragging the door shut, and was gone.

Archie stared at the closed door. “You can’t believe this?” He rose and locked the door, then stood there, trying to work out the last hour. He heard the engine of Beau’s SUV start up.

Beau was almost certainly still on duty, so…

Maybe?