Page 58 of Men of Fort Dale: The Complete Series

His eyes fell to his keys, and he seriously considered driving to the store.

The knowledge that it would cut into his budget was a minor concern, especially when the sense of crippling boredom weighed on him like a thick cloud.

It seemed unfair that he felt trapped in his apartment just because life didn’t know how to give him a break.

Oscar raised a brow. “Were you expecting someone else?”

Wasn’t sure if Oscar was ever going to speak to him again.

“I was sworn to secrecy.”

“You mean, Dean.”

“I mean, Dean.”

Troy sighed, stepping out of the doorway. “I swear, that man likes to act like I’m nosy, but he’s just as bad.”

Oscar stepped in, closing the door behind him. “He seemed quite eager to give me your address. Is this some sort of revenge?”

“Probably, the little shit.”

“Which means he knows about everything.”

“Not...everything,” Troy said slowly.

He stood in silence as he looked Oscar over, waiting to see what he would say. He’d come dressed in blue jeans and a red shirt that went well with his tanned skin. There were still dark circles under his eyes, but Oscar didn’t look worn out. His eyes were bright and riveted on Troy’s face.

“You look good,” Oscar finally said.

Troy looked down at his baggy basketball shorts and the tank top he’d thrown on, so he was wearing something around the house. “I look like I just rolled out of bed.”

“And?”

And he didn’t have anything to say to that, actually.

“Alright, you win this round,” Troy admitted, backing toward the kitchen.

He stepped around the small dining room table, still stacked with the night before’s laundry, and into the small kitchen. “You want something to drink?”

“No, I’m okay,” Oscar called back.

Troy shrugged as he snatched a bottle of water from the fridge. “Suit yourself.”

Stepping back into the dining room, he stopped when he realized Oscar was still standing where Troy had left him. The bigger man was staring into the living room, cocking his head to get the right angle. There wasn’t a whole lot to see. Troy hadn’t finished unpacking most of the decor he owned.

“It’s a little bare, I know,” Troy admitted.

Oscar looked at him, smirking. “Looks kind of like my place.”

“Says the man who’s only been here a couple of weeks,” Troy said with a wince.

“Ever planning on decorating?”

“One day,” Troy said slowly.

They stared at one another as Troy’s nerves began jumping. He knew there was only one reason Oscar would have come to his apartment unannounced. Troy was wary of whatever Oscar had to say, but he didn’t want to sit around, waiting for the inevitable.

Oscar looked down. “So, on to why I’m here.”

Troy snorted. “It’s like you read my mind.”

Oscar glanced toward the living room. “Can we sit down?”

With a sense of foreboding, Troy nodded, stepping into the living room and sitting on the couch.

He looked up, watching Oscar’s eyes shift between the chair and the couch, indecision on his face.

Without realizing it, he’d put Oscar in the position of having to decide where to sit, forced to choose between sitting close to Troy or separate.

With a sigh, Oscar dropped himself onto the couch beside him. “So...I’ve been thinking.”

Which would have normally been the time for Troy to throw out some witty quip or a sarcastic comment.

The problem was he felt his tongue lying uselessly against the bottom of his mouth as he waited.

He’d kept himself so busy over the past couple of days Troy hadn’t allowed himself to think about the inevitable conversation with Oscar.

Now he was face to face with him, Troy didn’t know what to say and could only sit and stare.

Oscar’s mouth worked before finally looking up. “I’ll be blunt. Being with you was the best time of my life and the scariest, which is saying something. I can’t...I can’t live like you do, out and open. I mean God, Troy, do you have any idea...I mean, if Gabe...I can’t lose him, Troy.”

Troy closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable even as his heart went out to Oscar.

As much as he railed against Oscar’s choice to stay in the closet, he did understand the fear.

Oscar had so few people in his life, and his brother was the most important.

Troy didn’t know enough about Gabriel to say how the man would take it, but to lose his bond with his brother would utterly destroy Oscar.

Oscar reached out, carefully taking Troy’s hand as though he might not be allowed to. “But you were right. I wouldn’t have kissed you if it didn’t mean something, and hell, between seeing you almost get choked by that asshole and that guy?—”

Troy frowned, unconsciously curling his fingers around Oscar’s. “You saw us? Like...saw me and that guy?”

Oscar raised a brow, smirking. “I saw enough. Why do you think I was so pissed?”

“Because you were jealous?”

“And you didn’t even know the guy’s name?”

Troy frowned. “I knew it. I just...forgot it.”

“Really?”

“It wasn’t important. And don’t change the subject.”

Oscar’s smirk grew. “Yes, I was jealous. You didn’t care enough to know a guy’s name.”

Troy huffed. “Because I was trying to stop thinking of you. It didn’t work out too well, which is why I bailed on him and tried to go home. Only to run into you.”

“Almost literally.”

“Yeah, life has been weird lately.”

Oscar drew Troy’s hand closer, shaking his head.

“My point...actually, I don’t have a point.

But the point of me coming here is that I did do some thinking, and I realized I was being a possessive, jealous ass who wanted you all to myself.

And I mean, it’s easy for me to stand around and say it’s not a good idea, that it was scary, because it was?—”

Troy leaned forward, heart pounding hard enough he’d swear he could hear it. “But?”

Oscar pulled his hand away and reached into his jeans to pull something out. “But I never quite left it behind, even though I walked away, I couldn’t...leave it there.”

Oscar handed the object to him, and as Troy took it, he realized it was a folded picture.

Opening it, a smile came to his face. The two of them had had a couple of free days at the same time and had taken an impromptu vacation to the beach a couple of hundred miles south of where they’d been stationed.

Troy couldn’t remember the name of the beach, but he remembered the fun they’d had, playing in the water and lounging in the sun by day and at night, holing up in their hotel room for hours.

“I remember the girl who took this picture. She’d been flirting with you before we asked her to take a picture,” Troy said with a laugh.

Oscar smiled. “It was the first time I can ever remember someone just knowing I was gay. And she didn’t care.”

“She said we looked cute,” Troy added.

Oscar looked down at his lap. “And happier than I thought I’d ever be.”

“Does...this mean what I think it means?” Troy asked.

Oscar picked his head up, holding his hand out. “I’m not going to pretend that I’m not still worried or that my old fear isn’t still there. But I can’t stand around, living and working on this base, knowing you’re here and pretending I don’t want to be with you.”

“Even though it freaks you out?” Troy asked.

Oscar snorted. “I was freaked out every time I had to go into the field, knowing there was a chance I’d get shot. If I can face that, I can deal with being a little freaked out about how good being with you makes me feel. At least at the end of the day with us, I know I’m going to be happy.”

Troy’s smile softened, and he reached out to cup Oscar’s face and draw him closer.

Oscar leaned in without resistance, and Troy brought their lips together.

His body flamed with a rush of pleasure and desire as Oscar’s stubble brushed against his skin.

Oscar unwound his fingers from Troy’s so he could hold onto the back of Troy’s neck and draw him in even closer.

Troy let out a happy little hum as he was pulled against Oscar’s body.

He’d never been shy about how much pleasure he gained from the feel of Oscar’s strong chest and stomach against him.

Without thinking, his hands roamed Oscar’s sides, stroking the muscles as he carefully explored.

Oscar leaned back, taking Troy with him.

Troy fell against the hard bulk of Oscar’s body, hips pushing down against him as their mouths parted.

“Shit, you got bigger,” Troy murmured against his lips.

“Just harder,” Oscar chuckled.

Which was true in more ways than one. Troy was all too aware of the sensation of Oscar’s straining cock pushing up against him as they kissed. A thrill of anticipation and pleasure ran up his spine as he ground against Oscar’s groin, a low moan of happiness escaping him.

Troy sucked in a breath, trying to keep himself calm.

They’d only just agreed that they would make a go of things, and it was going to his head, both of them.

The last thing he wanted was to go too far, too fast, and risk driving Oscar away after the man had talked about being so fearful.

But damn, it was hard to keep his mind focused on staying in control when he could feel Oscar’s warmth against his skin, the man’s hand against his neck, their lips pressed together, and his cock straining against his thigh.

Oscar gasped, pushing his hips up against Troy. “Jesus, I missed this.”

“Did you?” Troy asked, burying his face in Oscar’s neck.

“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t realize how bad I missed you until now?” Oscar asked, running his hand down Troy’s shoulders and back.

Troy nodded. “I know the feeling.”

Oscar glanced toward the wall behind the couch. “Bed?”

Troy didn’t even bother with a witty quip, leaning back and grinning. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”