Page 67 of Sticks and Stones (FBI Romance/Thriller #65)

The Condo

Seven A.M.

Sunday Morning

W ell, that had aged him prematurely. Gene had been almost positive that the jig had been up, and Gabe was going to be getting a phone call from the Philadelphia police regarding the two men.

Thankfully, it hadn’t been the cops, but everyone’s favorite masked Marine who had knocked on the door of Ethan’s ride. When Gene saw it was him, he wanted to kiss the man.

Maybe that was the drugs talking, but someone had saved his ass. He was in no position to be driving, and the man didn’t want two drugged up nuts wandering around on his watch.

So he drove them back to the condo, and helped them upstairs.

Wasn’t Greyson shocked when he opened the door and found the two of them looking like they’d been run through the ringer?

Thankfully, he didn’t ask questions.

That was for all of their benefit. The less they knew about each other’s kinks, the better off the friendship would be.

All Gene knew was that he managed to get Ethan to bed, and the two of them collapsed in it.

Home.

Sweet.

Home.

Because he was worried about them, Greyson stayed on the couch, and Corbin was asleep in the spare room.

Now, he was wide awake thanks to the wind whipping wickedly outside the condo.

As he lay there, he was taking in the silence of the bedroom to piece together their evening.

What Gene did know for a fact was that he had a killer headache, and his dick hurt.

Honestly, he wasn’t going to complain about either since they were home safe. The job hadn’t gone to shit until the last asshole, so he’d call that a win.

On top of that, at least Ethan had only been climbing on him after the situation went down.

As the Marine drove them home, Gene had been scared shitless that Ethan would try to climb all over the stranger, but that had been anything but the case.

He controlled himself, for the most part. Oh, he’d groped the hell out of him, but it was lowkey.

Now, as he looked over, his mate was sleeping peacefully, and in the daylight, it was evident that two men shouldn’t go shit wild on each other. There were bites and hickies everywhere.

Ehhh, who was he kidding?

It was well worth it.

When Ethan slowly opened his eyes, sensing that he was being watched, Gene saw that they were clear.

Someone was off the juice.

Ethan stretched, and rolled to his side.

“Are you okay?” Gene asked, touching his cheek with nothing but tenderness.

The man before him was shirtless, and Ethan could see the marks all over his body.

Ethan knew who put them on him.

“That doesn’t matter. Did I hurt you?” he finally asked.

Gene shook his head.

“It does matter to me. We went hard, and I know what I can do.”

Blackhawk moved closer, and cuddled into Gene’s body because he was scared. He’d likely crossed all kinds of lines hours ago.

And he didn’t remember all of it.

Because he needed him, Gene held Ethan against his body, hoping they survived this.

“I’m okay, Gene,” Ethan admitted. “I’m just a bit scared,” he said. “Your body is a mess,” he admitted, running his fingers over the hickey on his chest.

The big man relaxed.

They were fine.

“I mean, I don’t mind a few bite marks. I had a damn good time, and you have just as many.”

Truer words had never been spoken. Only, Ethan was still worried.

“Did I hurt you?” Ethan asked. “Please tell me that I didn’t hurt the one person I love,” he whispered.

Gene soothed him.

“Oh, you hurt me so damn good I want to do it all over again,” he said, keeping it light.

Ethan sighed.

He was so grateful that Gene was able to manage him and that they were home.

Safe.

Because he needed to reconnect, Ethan lifted his head, and found the man’s mouth. The kiss was deep, gentle, and it was full of love.

It was crystal clear that they were both back to normal. Well, as normal as they were to begin with…

When Gene broke the kiss, he stared into his eyes.

“We have to talk about it,” he said, knowing that Ethan would just skirt over the whole conversation if he could. “I took your ass.”

Ethan had a serious look on his face, and Gene waited for him to be upset.

But he wasn’t.

“Then, you’d better give it back. I sit on it.”

That took Gene a second, and when he saw the man he loved smiling, he got it.

It made him laugh.

“You’re a nut.”

Maybe he was, but Ethan was perfectly calm after the events last night. He’d put all of his faith in Gene, and they’d both weathered the storm.

And came out the other side just fine.

As long as neither one of them was hurt, then there was nothing to worry about. That was how he felt.

“Did it hurt?” Gene asked, knowing he’d understand what he was asking.

Ethan couldn’t answer that.

“I don’t remember much,” he stated. “I recall the part where I got a face full of Snow, and then I remember most of the ride to the hotel, and flashes of a shower. After that, it’s sketchy. It’s bits and pieces. I remember you fucking me, and me having more than a few orgasms.”

All of that was fact.

Gene shared the truth about what happened.

“Unfortunately, I was drugged up, too, but not as much as you,” Gene admitted. “I remember all of it. I just couldn’t stop myself. I was afraid you’d be angry with me for what happened. I was so scared I’d hurt you.”

That was funny.

Why?

He’d been worried about the same thing.

“How can I be upset?” Ethan asked. “We were both drugged by that shit. It’s not your fault, or mine.”

Gene knew he was being logical. That tended to be his thing.

“Well, maybe because I roughly took your ass. I’ve been trying to ease into it, and trust me. There was no easing done last night.”

Ethan was sore, but not in a bad way. Honestly, he felt like he’d had a hard workout that involved his dick lifting weights, and landing on his ass a few times.

What concerned him the most was that he had a killer headache, his mouth was dry, and he felt like he needed a shower with a caffeine IV drip.

“Did I tell you stop?” he asked.

He laughed.

“Stop was NOT in your vocabulary last night. Trust me on that.”

He ran his fingers through Gene’s chest hair.

“Well, then, I guess we answered the question as to whether or not I could handle it, big guy.”

He reassured him.

“Gene, I’m good. Really. I mean, I feel like I fell into the back of a garbage truck, it smashed me flat, flipped me out, and backed over me.

My head is pounding, my dick is aching, and I think I have third degree dehydration.

Sore would be nice. I’m three days past sore.

I’m at fucked up. Like we invited Jack, Jim, and Jose to the party, where we passed around a bottle of Crown until we died. ”

He laughed.

“God. I’m glad I’m not the only one,” he said, kissing him.

Ethan reassured him.

“I told you that we’d be fine—with the going further—not the drugs. That shit isn’t a good idea. Period. The sex isn’t the reason I feel like shit. That’s the best part of last night.”

On that, he agreed.

“Did I like it?” Ethan asked.

He laughed.

“You’re the first person in the history of military zip ties to ever be so amped up you broke out of them. You liked it a whole lot. I’m dehydrated, but in a damn good mood. My man has a hot ass.”

Ethan grinned at him.

When he was about to ask him to join him in the shower, there was a knock on their door.

Immediately, they checked to make sure they were both decent.

Pants.

Were.

On.

It could only be one of two people.

“Come in,” Gene called.

When the door opened, it was Corbin, and the man looked miserable.

“Can I come in?” he asked. “Are you guys decent?”

Well, at least he asked.

Instead of saying anything, Ethan patted the bed between them.

That was all it took. Corbin closed the door, and climbed onto the bed to squeeze in between their bodies. He ignored how hickey’d up they were. Honestly, he didn’t want to know.

As Corbin got comfortable, Gene sighed.

“Goddamn it. He managed to get into bed with my Native. He won,” he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Corbin laughed.

“If I lick him, do I get to keep him?” he joked.

Yeah, no.

Ethan stopped that then and there.

“I had a run-in with Snow last night. It’s probably best you don’t lick me. I also had a lot of sex. That’s probably a bad idea. I feel crusty and sticky from Gene’s bodily fluids.”

The big man grinned.

“I dare you to lick him,” he teased. “Mmmmm, Gene spunk.”

The man would pass on that. As for them getting in over their heads, Corbin could see their necks, and torsos.

“Who won?” he asked.

Without hesitating, and before he could, Gene pointed at Ethan.

“He definitely won. I think I threw in the flag first with this drug.”

In the silence of the early morning, they laid there, and Corbin finally spoke.

“I was worried about you both.”

Yeah, well, they figured that was going to be something that happened for a while. Had anyone told Gene that he would let Corbin climb into their bed, he would have laughed his ass off.

Only, the man was still scared.

And recovering.

“Was it bad?” he asked.

Gene shared.

“The handling of the assholes who hurt you was easy, until the last one punched Ethan in the vest, and a little baggie of Snow exploded in his face. The aftereffects were HARD .”

As in their erections.

“Did you catch them?” he asked. “All of them?”

Getting up, Gene went and got his bag. Inside of it, there were the pictures.

“I’ll show you these if you think you can identify the men who raped you.”

His eyes went huge.

That’s when Ethan pulled him back, and tucked him against his chest as his body went into fight or flight mode, and he tried to get out of the bed.

“Breathe,” he whispered. “This is more for us to know if anyone else was there, maybe watching, or helping.”

Corbin got it.

That calmed him right down.

“I can do it.”

When Gene held up the pictures, Corbin pointed at the five at the top.

“Those five,” he said, shaking a little.

Gene picked them up, and he saw that they’d nailed it. The targets were brought in.

“I have good news and bad news,” he said, putting the photos back in the envelope.