Page 24 of The Keeper

They kissed like they’d never get another chance. Everything was so damn primal between them—the messier, the better. Seth pushed Rueben back on the rug he’d kneeled on and covered him with his hot, sticky body, trapping their softening dicks between them. They continued to kiss like their lives depended on it, and just maybe they did. A person faced multiple types of deaths in their lifetime, and not all of them physically erased one’s existence. Not being able to claim Seth, to touch him and love him openly, was a kind of psychological death. Rueben was determined they’d survive it because something amazing waited for them on the other side. There had to be. Reuben held him tighter, just in case they wouldn’t get another chance for a long time.

Maybe Seth had similar thoughts, or maybe he’d picked up on Rueben’s distress because he caressed Rueben’s cheekbones with his thumbs and gentled their kiss. He eased back after several moments and looked into Rueben’s eyes. Their shared orgasm eased the tension in Seth’s body, but it didn’t diminish the intensity in his gaze. It felt like Seth could see right into Rueben’s soul and pull out his secrets. He was mostly an open book to Seth, but there were three special words he wanted to hang on to until the time was right. Sneaking away for raunchy cabin sex wasn’t it.

“You okay?” Seth’s dark, rough voice practically reduced him to a puddle of Rueben soup on the floor.

“I’m great. Exactly where I want to be.” Then he felt a twinge in his lower back and grimaced. “Okay, maybe I imagined us in that creaky bed of yours instead of a floor, but the sentiment is still sincere. With you is where I want to be.”

Seth carded deft fingers through Rueben’s hair, then placed a tender kiss on his forehead. “I might’ve replaced the bed since the last time you were here.”

Rueben arched a brow as doubt performed a round-off and three back handsprings through his postcoital bliss. “Been entertaining a lot, have we?” Rueben kept his tone light and teasing, but Seth didn’t need cop vision to see through his bullshit.

He pushed back to sit on his haunches. “Nope. The bed coughed and died in a cloud of dust after you left.” Seth unfolded his body and rose to his feet with more grace than someone his size should possess. He leaned forward and held out a hand to help Rueben up. He didn’t need the assist but would never refuse his touch. Instead of letting go when Rueben was on his feet, Seth used their connection to tug him closer. “And a part of me always knew that weekend wasn’t the end for us.” Seth cupped Rueben’s face and lowered his head. “You’re not alone in this, baby. I want us too.”

“We’ll find a way.” Rueben rose up onto his tiptoes and kissed Seth before he blurted more than he should.

They retrieved their clothes, and Rueben grabbed his bag while Seth blew out the candles. One day, he’d get to see where Seth lived, but Rueben would always have a soft spot for the old rustic fishing cabin. Seth made a detour to the tiny kitchen at the back of the house while Rueben headed down the hallway to the bedroom. He bit back a laugh when he laid eyes on the new bed. The old option was a full-sized that fit better in the cramped space, but Rueben had feared for their safety every time they got horizontal on the thing. The new bed had a gorgeous wrought iron frame and nearly took up the entire room.

Seth came up behind Rueben and kissed the back of his head. “It’s beautiful, right? The craftsmanship on the metal frame made me think of your ironworks.”

Rueben spun around and came chest first with a cold pint of ice cream. “You watch my Redemption Ridge YouTube episodes?”

Seth swallowed hard and nodded. Rueben wondered what the admission cost him. “On repeat. You’re so fucking talented.”

Reuben’s cheeks heated, and his heart swelled. “Thank you.”

Seth’s lips curved into a wry smile. “You’ve amassed quite the fan club. There are a lot of thirsty fuckers out there, but only I get to drink you down.”

Rueben basked in his possessiveness. “Damn right.” He dropped his gaze to the butter pecan ice cream. “Are you planning to share?”

Seth held up his other hand to reveal two spoons.

Rueben cast another glance at the ornate frame and plush bedding. He met Seth’s gaze again with a quirked brow. “You know what’s going to happen if we get in that bed?”

Waggling his brows, Seth lowered his head to kiss Rueben’s mouth. “Damn right.” He placed a metal spoon against Rueben’s nipple and made him hiss in surprise. “You’re going to feel me for days.”

Rueben’s stomach quivered, and he felt lightheaded. “And you’ll hear about it every night on the phone.”

Seth’s smile went from playful to sinister. “Which will only make my dick harder and my imagination dirtier as I talk you through nightly orgasms.”

Rueben furrowed his brow and tapped a finger to his lips like he was actually considering Seth’s proposition. He lowered his hand and met Seth’s gaze head-on. “So, a win-win for both of us?”

Seth advanced forward, forcing Rueben to step back into the bedroom. “God, I can’t get enough of you.”

“I feel the same way, but I got to get back to the ranch before daybreak to avoid unwanted questions about where I disappeared to after poker.” His legs bumped into the mattress, and he sat down.

“Set an alarm on your smartwatch.”

It sounded like a simple solution to the problem, and it would’ve been if Rueben remembered to follow through before he crashed into Seth’s arms after ice cream and another round of sex. One minute, he was telling himself to set the alarm before he nodded off, and the next, birds were chirping outside the cabin at sunrise. He flung himself out of bed with rapid-fire curses that woke Seth, which really said a lot because his man gave new meaning to sleeping like the dead.

Seth jackknifed up in bed like someone had hit him with those defibrillator paddles they use on heart attack victims. “What happened?”

“I overslept.” Rueben pulled on his jeans and stuffed his underwear in his bag. “It’s almost seven o’clock.”

“Fuck! I’m sorry.” Seth threw back the covers and helped gather the rest of Rueben’s strewn clothing off the floor.

The ranch was more relaxed on Sundays with minimal chores, but everyone would gather for breakfast within the hour. His tardiness or absence would get poked and prodded until he fessed up to where he’d been. Rueben had never lived like a monk. He’d gone out plenty of times, but he never missed breakfast. He tugged his shirt into place and slid his feet into flip-flops. That’s when he noticed Seth’s naked body and morning wood.

Rueben stalked the short distance between them and took Seth’s erection in hand. “I’m not sorry, and I’m certainly not leaving you in this condition.” Rueben dropped to his knees.

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