Dangerous Ground, no. 1 Read online

  Will asked, “You want it, don’t you?”

  The words came out a little aggressively, and Taylor considered him for a moment. “Yeah.”

  “Well?”

  “Well, what? This is kind of a sudden change of heart, isn’t it?”

  “I never said I didn’t find you attractive. In fact, I said I did find you attractive. I just didn’t think it was a good idea for us.”

  “Because we partners. And because we’re friends.”

  “That’s right.” Will’s gaze was cool and a little hard. “But you disagree. And who am I to argue? Maybe you’re right.”

  Taylor’s brows drew together.

  “I’ll tell you one thing,” Will said. “Ever since that night I haven’t been able to get the idea out of my head. I want you.” His big hand slid over Taylor’s flat belly, fingertips reaching. Taylor’s cock was already stiff and swollen, anticipating that touch. “And you sure as hell want me.”

  Yeah, there was no hiding that fact. Taylor bit his lip as Will’s hand fastened around his cock, trying to withhold the revealing groan threatening to tear out of his chest. Just…that felt so good. Just Will’s hand on him. But he forced himself to try to think.

  “And what happens afterward? Are you going to regret it? Maybe blame me?”

  As though in answer, Will’s hand pumped him — just once — down and up, fist brushing Taylor’s belly and then sliding up to the sensitive glans. Taylor shuddered all over. “Will…”

  Will’s hands were moving over him, and instinctively Taylor cooperated, rising and letting himself be positioned between Will’s powerful thighs. He could feel Will’s half-erect cock nudging his backside as Will’s arms around his waist drew him back. And the sad thing was it felt…good having this taken out of his hands. What did that say about him? But he’d been wanting it — yearning for it — for so long…

  “Listen,” Will said, his breath warm and steamy against Taylor’s ear, “we already know each other, care about each other. This isn’t going to change that, but I think it might settle something once and for all. For both of us.”

  Taylor was silent. He could feel Will watching him, waiting.

  “You really think I’m just curious about what it would be like with you?” he asked finally.

  “I think you want me. I think we’ve established I want you too,” Will said. “But, sure, I think there’s an element of curiosity in it, and I think if we take care of that…we’ll be able to get back to business.”

  Taylor chuckled, although there wasn’t a lot of humor in it. “Either you don’t have a lot of faith in yourself or you’re seriously underestimating my charms.” He put his hands over Will’s wrists, feeling the muscles move in Will’s forearms.

  Will said soberly, as though he were paying Taylor a compliment, “I know the partnership, the friendship means more to you than…this.”

  “That’s easy to say when we haven’t done this yet.”

  Will chuckled, his breath tickling the back of Taylor’s neck. “But we’re going to,” he said. Beneath Taylor’s hands, Will’s arms were hard, muscular bands around Taylor’s waist, holding him close, but Taylor knew if he wanted free he could have it in a minute. Will was crowding him, yeah, but he wasn’t going to force him. Taylor could still say no. And if he had any sense at all, that’s what he’d do because Will really had no clue what he was talking about.

  But Taylor didn’t push away. Instead he leaned back into Will’s arms, resting his head against Will’s broad shoulder and tipping his face up at the sullen sky. He could feel Will’s surprise, feel his grip change instantly to support, automatically offering Taylor harbor. And it was surprisingly relaxing to…acquiesce just this much. To yield to the combined pressure of Will’s desire and his own. Will’s arms cradled him, his strength reassuring rather than challenging, while Taylor tried to decide whether he wanted to take this to the next level.

  Oh, there was no question that he wanted to. But he didn’t want to take this at the expense of further damaging his relationship with Will. And that could so easily happen, regardless of what Will said now — because Will wasn’t looking at this realistically. Which was kind of funny, considering the fact that Will believed himself to be the practical, hardheaded one. But right now he was letting his other head rule.

  “I didn’t bring a condom,” Taylor lied at last, reluctantly — and started to sit up.

  Will’s voice was unexpectedly harsh. “I did.”

  Taylor jerked around, water swirling, and Will let him go.

  “Is that so?” He couldn’t help the edge that came into his voice. “You always carry one?”

  Will shrugged. “I noticed it in my pack last night.”

  Taylor absorbed this, trying to remember the last time Will had gone camping and who he’d gone with; he decided he’d be happier not thinking about it.

  “Always prepared, huh?”

  “Something like that.” Will’s gaze challenged him in some indefinable way.

  The idea of Will with someone else settled it for Taylor. Sexual jealousy was the wrong reason to fuck your best friend and closest colleague, but —

  He turned his back, pushing against the prod of Will’s erection, instinctively encouraging that stiffening swell, forgetting all about the fact that this was probably a bad idea. Pushing away the thought that this wasn’t even like Will really — and that Will was probably going to regret it — and that was going to hurt worse than not doing it at all. Will’s cock scraped lightly down the crack of Taylor’s ass, probing or maybe just moving with the water.

  “Is that what you want?” Will’s breath was cool compared to the steam.

  He wanted — well, there wasn’t one single thing he wanted. He’d have liked to bury himself up to his balls in Will’s taut tanned ass, but Will returning the favor would be as good in a different way — maybe even better because Will might like it more like that, might remember it — and want to do it again sometime. Besides, just for one hour, he’d like to feel like he belonged to Will. He already knew Will didn’t belong to him, but to belong to Will — would be good. Even if just for a little while.

  “Yeah,” he said huskily. “That’s what I want.”

  “I want it too,” Will grated. “I want to fuck you. Hard.”

  Taylor dipped his head, swallowed. He’d always pictured Will as a gentle lover, playful — teasing. There was a hint of anger in Will’s tone that he didn’t get, but he nodded his agreement anyway. The idea of Will taking him hard was weirdly exciting.

  “Yeah, fuck me,” he whispered. “Hard.”

  He jerked in surprise as Will bit his shoulder. It hurt. But then Will kissed the bite mark so sweetly. He shivered. He didn’t want Will kissing him — that was liable to break his heart.

  The smart thing would be to pull away, get himself on the other side of this tub, and laugh it off. But Will’s arm was locked around him again — he wasn’t going anywhere easily. Instead he lifted his hips as Will’s free hand arrowed down the hard curve of Taylor’s butt cheek, a friendly sweep of caress that ended with one finger poked right up into Taylor’s pursed little hole.

  Surprise.

  He couldn’t help his body’s instinctive arch and the little guttural moan of stung pleasure.

  “Jesus, Will…you could’ve…” But he was suddenly out of oxygen. The stroking motion of Will’s finger made a funny suction with the water, and set the sphincter muscle fluttering in time to the butterfly beat of Taylor’s heart. “Oh…” He closed his eyes. That wash of hot water and knowing press on spongy tissue. Will had big hands. Hard hands. Thick fingers and callused palms, and he was probing Taylor deeply, his touch possessive, knowing.

  Too knowing. And abruptly Taylor wanted to fight that exquisite invasion. He didn’t let anyone do this to him. Not ever. He was always the one in charge, the one who called the shots. He was the predator, not the prey. What the hell was he doing giving in to this?

  He tried to pull
back a little, but Will held him in place and thrust his finger in and out of Taylor’s hole, delicately and ruthlessly finger fucking him. Taylor groaned, trying to angle his body, telling himself he was pulling away, but helplessly pushing back on Will’s hand.

  What was happening to him? Will was making him feel too much, too intensely. He was giving up control — no, admit it, control was being taken from him. That finger shoving even deeper in his body, forcing him to feel and respond. He bit his lip, trying not to cry out, to beg for more.

  Will was going to make him come — just like that, and despite the dizzy pleasure, Taylor began to get mad. This wasn’t what he’d wanted. He hadn’t surrendered his will for this impersonal manipulation. He wanted Will’s cock inside his body, not his hand. He wanted Will feeling it too, helpless with it, not playing him. He grabbed his dick and began to work himself, needing to control his body’s reaction, to at least control his own orgasm.

  “Next time I’m doing you,” he warned roughly. He focused on his own hands, what he was doing to himself, fighting to bring himself back under control.

  Will’s other arm let him go; he felt Will twisting, groping outside the pool, and then the tear of foil but it was distant because he just couldn’t seem to think beyond that finger — two fingers now — pushing knowledgably inside his body, stroking and massaging him. Well, he’d said he wanted a massage, hadn’t he? Not quite what he’d pictured. His hands rested weak and heavy on his groin.

  “I don’t want —” His breath caught raggedly, and against his best intentions he was shoving back, craving that touch buried in his body.

  “Yeah, you do. You’re desperate for it. You don’t fool me,” Will murmured. “If you were a cat you’d be purring.” He wriggled his fingers, and Taylor, still trying to preserve the illusion of self-command, snarled. Will chuckled, but the joke was on Taylor because Will deliberately changed his angle and the pressure, and Taylor’s voice cut off on a sound that was embarrassingly kittenish.

  To distract himself he began to pump his cock again, water splashing, forcing himself to action.

  “No you don’t. Not without me you don’t.” Will heaved up, giving him a little bounce to break his concentration. “Wait for me.”

  Taylor groaned in frustration as Will moved around some more, and then suddenly Will half picked him up, one powerful arm clamped around Taylor’s waist, shifting Taylor’s slick, buoyant body. A few errant pokes at balls and cheeks, and without more warning than that, Will’s cock pushed inside.

  Taylor froze at the shock of it. Never. Never before had he let this happen. He had another guy’s cock crammed in his ass. He was letting another guy take him. He shook with the pain and confusion of it.

  Will was groaning. “Christ God almighty, Taylor…” His voice sounded desperate. On the edge of tears. Will was more shocked than Taylor was — and Taylor calmed a little, listening, absorbing the truth of that.

  Will trembled with the effort of holding motionless, but Taylor could feel his heart thundering behind his own, and any fear that he was alone in this, that he had relinquished too much for too little, faded. He winced — wriggled, trying to accommodate that thick rigidity. Water was not enough of a lubricant. What had they been thinking?

  “Are you okay?” Will sounded hoarse. He rocked against Taylor — stopped himself — then rocked again like he just couldn’t help it. “Say…something.”

  To his astonishment, Taylor heard himself whimper. A helpless little submissive sound — and he nudged his ass against Will’s groin in clear invitation.

  WTF? Literally WTF.

  And Will responded instantly, unleashed, thrusting in fierce, deep strokes into Taylor’s tight channel, grunting softly like it was a fight, like he was taking body blows.

  And Taylor responded by humping back, making those helpless little encouraging cries. Pushing, shoving, insisting.

  Well, he’d asked for it, and now he was getting it, impaled on Will’s cock and getting fucked hard and thoroughly. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it, mostly because he didn’t want to do a damn thing about it. Will slammed into him, setting the pace — hard and fast — and Taylor raced to catch up, begging for more, just about wild with it. But at least it was mutual now. Both of them out of control with pleasure and pain and longing and bewilderment. This was them. And everything Taylor believed he knew about their partnership was taking a beating.

  Splish, splash, he was pounding my ass…

  He giggled a little hysterically and Will laughed too, a breathless huff. “You…crazy…bastard…”

  And now Taylor had the rhythm, sliding up and down the length of Will’s cock while he grabbed himself hard and jerked off under water, making a little turbulence like the struggles of a ship going down or a drowning sailor sinking under for the last time.

  Their sweat hit the water in glistening droplets, steam rising. It was moist and hot and sexy as all get out although they were probably alarming the hell out of the local wildlife.

  Taylor was bumping and grinding, trying not to lose the pace, wrestling Will for control. And Will fighting every step of the way, insisting on command. It was frenetic. Sensation started at the base of his cock and spine and sparkled up through nerves and muscle.

  Will cursed under his breath and bit the vulnerable join of Taylor’s neck and shoulder. Taylor choked back another gasp of something between a laugh and a sob, and then Will’s hand covered his, pumping him frantically.

  He was a little surprised when Will’s face nudged his, Will’s mouth latching on, sweet and hot and hungry. Oh, God. Kisses from Will. His chest tightened in crazy emotional response.

  He’d known it would be sweet, but this was almost unbearable, his heart swelling with so much…feeling for Will. Such a terrible tenderness and longing and…love.

  And then Will cried out, something broken and inarticulate that Taylor swallowed. He could feel the throb of Will’s orgasm thrumming through his own body, hot water and rubber pushing into him and spilling right out again, and he was sorry it wasn’t just their bodies, silk-skinned steel, but it was still so good —

  Flagging, Will thrust against him again, sharply, once…twice…

  He began to come himself, spurting into the water, a milky cloud that evaporated as if it had never been.

  It was over so quickly. Not fair at all considering how long he’d waited for it.

  But his own erection was wilting fast, shriveling down to nothing in the water, and after a few moments he felt Will’s rigid length soften and then slip out of his body.

  Will was turning him, pulling him into his arms, holding him tightly, burying his flushed, perspiring face in Taylor’s throat.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Taylor said shakily, locking his arms around Will’s shoulders, hugging him back tightly. “No big deal.”

  “Christ, shut up,” Will said unsteadily.

  “Thank God we did this. Now we don’t have to ever think about it again.”

  “If you don’t want me to drown you, shut up,” Will said. He was laughing, but his laugh cracked.

  * * * * *

  It was twilight when they reached the bottom of the trail descending to the next canyon.

  “We’ll make camp here tonight,” Will said as though expecting an argument, but Taylor just nodded. What was there to argue about? He was worn out, and Will’s silence since they had left Junction Hot Springs unnerved him.

  He’d known it would be a mistake to give in to that sexual hunger, but he’d sort of hoped it would take Will longer than three minutes to regret it. Apparently not.

  They set up the tent in silence, and Will got the campfire going while Taylor collected loose firewood. The smell of wood smoke and coffee was sweet in the evening air and the stars were already faintly glimmering in the indigo and pink sky. He brought an armload of wood back, dumping it with relief.

  “Coffee ready?”

  “Not yet.” Will handed Taylor his flask. “Here.
Have a slug of this.” He was watching Taylor in a way that made him self-conscious. Taylor raised his brows and Will turned away abruptly.

  Great.

  Taylor handed back the flask, but Will had already moved away — the line of his back unencouraging. Taylor put the flask in the breast pocket of his shirt.

  It took effort not to say I told you so. Maybe that was funny coming from him because he had been the one originally pushing for this — except he had never been pushing for sex as a goal in itself. That was the thing Will had never understood about him.

  “What’d you want tonight?” Will asked a short time later, rifling through the contents of his pack.

  Taylor opened his mouth, then caught Will’s expression and decided a joke would be a mistake. Will was just waiting for him to say something — the wrong thing.

  “Whatever you want. I’m not particular.” He was serious — and he was talking about their freeze-dried menu — but Will’s face tightened.

  “Right. We need to talk,” he said grimly.

  Words every man dreaded hearing — even when they came from another man.

  Taylor said desperately, “How much can there be to say about dehydrated turkey tetrazzini, Brandt?”

  “That’s not what I mean.”

  Shit. There was no kidding around when Will got in this mood. He gave up fighting the inevitable, folded his arms on his knees, waiting.

  “Shoot.” He couldn’t help adding, “But not literally, okay?”

  That was just nerves talking, but there wasn’t a glimmer of a smile from Will. “We can’t go on like this, MacAllister.”

  A little irritably — wasn’t this what he’d been saying all along? — he said, “Yeah, I know.”

  “Okay, maybe sex wasn’t the point. Maybe you were right about that much.”

  “Well, no kidding.”

  “Do you really want to break up the team?”

  Taylor exhaled a long breath, staring at his hands. He said finally, reluctantly, “I think it would be for the best.”

  Was that really what he thought? Because saying it felt like the end of the world. And the silence that followed didn’t make it any easier.