Page 45 of Keep You Safe
“Guess that’s one way of putting it.” I shrugged, but he continued to look all expectant, so I added, “Dunno. Got the first one when I was so fucking pissed at the world, and it seemed to give the anger a place to go.”
“When you were injured on the rodeo circuit?” Adler was a good guesser.
“Yep.” I nodded curtly, not enjoying unearthing the memory of never-ending months spent on crutches until the inevitable realization that my rodeo days were done for. “Long recovery. Lots of time to build up one helluva cranky mood.”
“Your dream got shattered.” Adler sounded far too indignant on my behalf. “I think you’re allowed some grief.”
“Not sure if it was my dream or another place for all that righteous teen indignation,” I admitted. I hadn’t hated the rodeo life, but it hadn’t been in my blood, not like cowboying was. “I was angry for a long time before and after rodeo.”
“Again, not unwarranted.” Adler Kelly was my fiercest defender.
“You keep tryin’ to see the good in me.” I made my voice stern, but he merely chuckled. “I’m no saint.”
“You’re a good man, Gray.” Adler stroked a hand down my torso. “A fair boss. A great friend. An excellent dog parent.”
“What are you buttering me up for?” I faked skepticism.
“Well, if you’re taking requests…”
“Depends on the request,” I hedged. His vulnerable expression when he’d shown up was lodged in the front of my brain, and I was already prepared to meet whatever demand. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to hoping for a non-public, sexy wish.
“This.” Adler gave me the sweetest kisses, both cheeks, the tip of my nose, chin, then finally my mouth. “Just this. A Christmas kiss.”
“I think that can be arranged.” Scooping him more firmly into my embrace, I stood up with an armful of Adler. Despite his months of hard work, he was still lighter than some hay bales.
“Hey!” Adler squawked as I strode toward my bedroom. “What are you doing?”
“I can kiss you better in my bed.”
“Fair.” Grinning, he started to unbutton his shimmery green dress shirt as soon as I set him down next to the bed.
“Let me.” I pushed his hands aside. I had something of a plan, and I was eager to see it through. If he wanted kissing, then kissing he would get. I kissed his neck and then each bit of exposed chest as I unbuttoned his shirt. That job finished, I took some time to tease his cock through his pants before slowing unzipping his fly, making him hiss and pant.
“Gray.” He made an impatient noise. “I want to play too.”
“Later.” I pushed his pants the rest of the way off before dumping him unceremoniously in the center of my bed. I shucked my own jeans and shirt before joining him. On a mission, I loomed over him, kissing his mouth until he went sweetly pliant again, then retracing his collarbones and chest. He moaned softly when I zeroed in on his nipples, which I spent several minutes toying with, but they weren’t my final destination.
I kissed my way down his chest and light trail of hair on his belly before blowing a warm breath across his cock, which jutted up to meet me with an adorable eagerness.
“Oh.” Adler made a surprised sound at odds with his cock’s readiness. “You don’t have to…”
“That’s what you say every time my mouth gets near your dick.” I glanced up at him, trying to read his flushed expression. “Do you not like getting blown?”
“I like it.” He worried the corner of his mouth with his teeth. “I simply like giving more. Lying back and letting someone suck me always feels a bit weird, like a pampering I don’t deserve.”
“You deserve to be taken care of.” I pitched my voice for the stern tone that usually earned his compliance and trust. I could admit to a certain curiosity about going down on him, but my desire ran deeper than a few recent fantasies. “And I want to take care of you tonight. Let me?”
He inhaled sharply before nodding. “Okay.”
I started slowly for both our sakes, pressing soft, closed-mouth kisses all over his shaft before getting my tongue in on the action to discover all the places that made him gasp. He tasted like skin, maybe a little saltier, but the familiar Adler taste I was used to, and I gradually became comfortable with taking more of his cock into my mouth. I stretched out next to him, getting cozy for a long playtime. Didn’t take long for the newness of the experience to transform into an urgent desire to earn more of his little noises.
“Oh.” Adler moaned as I sucked his cockhead deeper, swiping my tongue across the tip. “Oh. I like that.”
I took that encouragement and ran with it, staying shallow but with plenty of tongue action. Each of his moans went straight to my own cock, which pulsed insistently against the mattress. I ignored it in favor of indulging Adler as much as I could.
“Gray…” His voice turned uncertain, and he cast his hand around restlessly.
“I’m right here.” I grabbed his hand, held it fast. There was something achingly sweet about how being on the receiving end of pleasure was so new for Adler, who was the most giving person I knew. I continued to offer a reassuring grip as I found more of a sucking rhythm, the need to bring him more pleasure gathering low in my belly.
