Rough [02] - Roughhousing (24 page)

James moaned into Bram's mouth, tongue thrusting down Bram's throat and bathing the roof of his mouth with long, firm strokes.

Bram tangled his beefy hand in James’ dark curls, increasing the pressure of lips to lips, and thrust his own tongue deeper into James’ mouth, claiming him, and stealing his breath. He delighted in the sensation of James’ hands knotted in the fabric of his shirt. Every jerky, aborted hit of his lover's fists against his shoulders raised his passion another notch until Bram was hard, leaking, and feeling like a teenager about to come in his pants.

He knew he couldn't wait for them to get into the house. Now seemed as good a night as any to christen the truck again. They had made out in the cab, it was the truck bed's turn tonight. It was a dark, moonless night, the neighborhood was asleep, and they were parked under the shadows of a massive, spreading maple tree. Tonight was actually better than most for a little starlight tryst with his lover.

"Come with me, baby. We're going to get comfortable.” Bram popped open the truck door and slid out, literally dragging James out with him. He grabbed hold of James’ waist and lifted him up over the side of the truck bed.

James seemed to get the idea quickly enough, but still laughingly protested. “What the hell are you doing? It's cold out here."

"Not that cold.” Bram swung up into the bed in one graceful, powerful move and landed beside James. He grabbed his lover by the waist and pulled James close, rubbing his thigh over James’ open jeans, brushing his jutting cock against the soft weave of the worn denim of his own pants.

"There's still a stack of moving pads in the corner. Help me lay them out.” He ducked down and swooped in to give James a blistering, wet kiss. When he pulled back, he was painfully hard and James was glassy-eyed and panting. “I'll make you toasty in no time."

James gulped down his next breath, returned Bram's kiss with a quick, passionately hungry one of his own, and then wiggled free of Bram's firm embrace to spread out the thick pads. Within seconds they had a makeshift mattress covering the hard plastic bed liner.

A few more seconds later, both men's shirts were unbuttoned and James had divested himself of his jeans and shorts, seemingly happy to use Bram's body for a blanket.

Bram happily complied by covering James’ supine and spread body with his own, chest-to-chest. He held part of his weight off James with his forearms, mouth crushed to mouth. Having unzipped and shoved his jeans and briefs down his hips, Bram aligned their swollen erections. The heat of their bodies and the added friction of their cocks grinding against each other was magnified by the slight chill of the light breeze. Both men were groaning and panting, rapidly edging toward climax.

The snap and click of a car door opening and closing somewhere nearby echoed down the empty street. Bram distractedly tracked it, but the footsteps that accompanied it faded away and he dismissed it, returning his full attention to his lover.

Kissing his way up James’ neck and jawline, Bram nudged James’ chin down with his cheek. James responded to the familiar signal by opening his half-closed eyelids and staring into Bram's face.

In the pale shadows, Bram could see James’ eyes glisten, and he felt the heat of his lover's ragged breath on his face. Never taking his gaze off of James, he tugged on James’ lower lip with his teeth, then ran his tongue over the sensitive inner lining before he released it.

He stared into James’ eyes. Even in the darkness Bram felt their souls connect, their bond tighten and strengthen. His voice sounded low and raw, a passionate growl that rose up from deep inside his chest. “Love you, baby. Love every fucking inch of you.” Bram shoved his cock faster along James’ shaft, feeling the rise of his own climax in his tightening balls. He bumped chins with James and roughly ground out, “
You
make me fly."

James groaned and squirmed, obviously needing more. “Fuck! Christ!” He grunted and pushed at Bram's clothing with frenzied, impatient movements. “Off! Get it off! Jesus!"

Straddling James, Bram rose up, shrugging his shirt off his broad shoulders, so that yards of muscles bunched and corded. He pushed the jeans hanging off his hips further down, then froze in place as a nearly hysterical female voice cut through the night right beside them.

"Oh, my God!
James
! He told you to get off him!"

Hands frantically grabbing for clothes, James shot up off the truck bed. “Jesus!” He gazed wildly over the truck's side, trying to hide behind Bram and look at the woman at the same time. “Julie?
Shit
!"

Bram tried to wrap his arms protectively around James. James frantically pushed him back and squirmed out from between his legs, dragging a thick moving pad over his exposed lower torso.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?"

Eyes riveted on the female trespasser, Bram boldly stood up, tucked his fading erection into his pants, and carefully zipped them while the woman watched with wide eyes and an open mouth. Behind him James scrabbled to get dressed while staying as hidden from view as possible.

The shocked expression fading from her face, the tall, willowy woman narrowed her eyes, put her hands on her hips, and spit her words right back at Bram with almost as much menace as he had used. “I'm looking for my missing little brother. I'm Julie Justin. Who the hell are you and why do you have him pinned down in your truck?"

* * * *

"How could you move and just not tell anyone? How adolescent is that?"

Julie Justin stood in the dim light of the entry hall. Only a low wattage, Tiffany table lamp Bram used as a night light highlighted the large foyer and its three occupants. Dressed in a tailored, brown tweed business pantsuit and low pumps, dark brown hair layered to perfection in a professional, simple hairstyle that accented her eyes and pale skin, she was the picture of the successful lawyer James had told Bram his oldest sister was.

Right now, Bram wished she would be more of a sister and less of a prosecuting attorney. He pressed his lips together and tried not to interfere, but he could see the humiliation and shame in every line of James’ body. He knew that James’ sisters had discovered his sexual orientation during an unexpected visit to his college dorm where they had surprised James and his college boyfriend in bed. The resulting events ended up with James being thrown out of his parents’ house and cut off from everyone in his family except this one sister. James didn't need a repeat of that event to lose him his last contact with his family. Bram could see James straining under the weight of being caught again by his family.

Bram drifted back to stand by the staircase and waited and watched, close enough to lend support to James if he needed it, but out of the personal conflict that brother and sister were working out.

Julie stayed near the front door and glared at James. Despite the chill from being outdoors for several hours, her face was flushed and her brown eyes flashed with unsuppressed anger. “What in the world were you thinking? Can you just tell me that?"

Julie kept talking to James, but her clipped, harsh words and her biting stare were aimed at Bram. “Maybe if you used the head on your shoulders instead of the one between your legs, you could think a little clearer. How was anyone supposed to know you were safe?"

Reduced to child status by what was apparently long-held family dynamics, James’ response was defensive and angry, but he didn't raise his bowed head to meet his sister's outraged glare. “Come, on Julie! It's not like anyone in the family actually cares where I am!"

"You know that's not true.” She turned on her heel to confront Bram and gestured at the shadowed hall, frustration radiating out of every pore. “I assume you live in this place. Do you think we could have some more light in here? I'd like to actually see my brother."

Bram just stared at her, a small smile sliding across his face as the sharp snap of the light switch clicked on behind her. He leaned on the stairway railing and calmly told her, “Jamie lives here, too, he knows where the light switches are."

"Jamie? He calls you Jamie?” Julie turned back to James and suddenly froze in place, shocked gaze darting from his bruised face to search over every inch of exposed skin she could find. “Oh, my God. You're hurt."

She traced the healing suture line on his temple with her fingertips, then grabbed James’ recently injured hand. It had torn open slightly during his rush to get dressed. Blood oozed sluggishly from one end of the large abrasion. Moving to place herself protectively in front of James, she gave Bram a murderous glare. “What the hell is going on here?
James
?"

"It was an accident.” James peevishly pulled his hand away from her. He glanced at Bram and absentmindedly rubbed at the wound. “Bram was—."

"God, don't tell me you hooked up with another asshole that pushes you around? Mark Warner told me some ‘slab of muscle’ has been driving you to work and picking you up.” Voice rising, Julie grabbed James by the arm and held on, looking for all the world like she wanted to drag him out of the house. She was yelling now. “Why do you always have to pick gorillas?"

"Julie, don't!” James yanked away from her, eyes blazing. “You don't know anything about my life or my lifestyle right now. Don't pass judgment on me again, okay? Not like before! I'm not a kid anymore.” James’ voice quivered and broke. Tears streamed down his pale, pinched face and his shoulders shook.

Bram was suddenly at his side and James automatically leaned into Bram's protective presence, watery eyes still pinned to his sister's shocked face.

Stepping in front of James, Bram shielded his lover from Julie's unwelcome reaction. He'd had enough of being pushed around inside his own house. James had taken all the abuse from this woman he was going to allow, sister or not.

"Hey, lady. I didn't hurt his hand on purpose and I had nothing to do with the rest of his injuries. Jamie got between some guy's fist and his wife's face at his last apartment building. Which is one of the reasons he's here, safe, with me.” He bristled at the disapproving look on Julie's face and added, “His family may have stopped showing him they love him, but I won't. So adjust!"

Bram felt James grab hold of the back of his shirt for an instant, grounding him. It reminded him this wasn't about James’ college days or his parents’ and sisters’ expectations. This was about their life together. He stepped back to pull James to his side and slid his arm around James’ shoulders, drawing James in close. He smiled and winked at James, then faced Julie. “I love him. Jamie and I are a family now."

"I love him, too!” Julie pushed a lock of hair back into place, exasperation in her voice and her precise, sharp hand gestures. She stared at Bram, her eyes reading his expression, obviously trying to decide if he was sincere or not. Finally her gaze darted to her brother's guarded face and her own expression softened. “I've been searching for you all day, James.
All day
!"

Silent, James swayed restlessly in place. Bram could tell he was fighting his natural urge to pace when upset. Bram tightened his arm for a brief squeeze, then relaxed it, allowing James to slip away if he wanted to. James didn't move.

"What are you doing here anyway? How did you find me?” James sounded weary and slightly lost. Bram shifted his body closer, rubbing his hand up and down James’ arm. The comforting gesture wasn't lost on Julie, her gaze tracking every move Bram made.

"I'm leaving for Europe on a three-week business trip. I wanted to see you before I left and let you know how to get in contact with me in case you need me.” She gave Bram a glare packed with intense dislike. “I haven't forgotten about you."

"I went to your old apartment, but the landlord said you were gone. Something about being evicted because of a brute of a boyfriend.” Again Bram felt the heat of her righteous wrath. “She didn't have a forwarding address that she would give me. So I called Mark Warner, that guy from your office that asked me out last time I was here.” She waited until James silently nodded before continuing.

"Mark told me, among other things, that you were seeing some big construction worker named Abraham Lord.” She ran an appraising glance over Bram's towering, broad body and came up with a negative evaluation written on her face. “I looked up his home address in the phone book and ended up here around nine o'clock. Your car was parked in the driveway, so I knew I had the right place. I decided to wait."

Some of her anger drained away and Julie looked ill at ease and road-weary. “It was a four hour drive here from my place. I've spent hours trying to track you down.” She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “I must have fallen asleep in my car. I didn't see you drive in.” She tried to catch James’ eye, but he wouldn't look at her. “When I woke up, I got out to stretch my legs, heard voices, and came to investigate.” Julie sighed, a blush of pink tinting her cheeks. “We all know the story from there."

Frowning, Bram grew increasingly unhappy with the woman as James became more withdrawn while his sister talked. James wrapped his arms around his chest, hugging himself, body tense under Bram's arm, head bowed, face toward the floor. Julie either didn't recognize the signals of her brother's increasing distress or didn't care. Either way, Bram wasn't happy with her.

She began pacing in front of them, lecturing James like he was still a child. Her own embarrassment over finding the two of them making out in the back of the truck seemed to rekindle her suspicions and fan her initial anger back to life.

Her voice took on a biting quality that set Bram's teeth on edge. “Now I find you in a glaringly obvious destructive relationship with a gorilla that hurts you and whose idea of making love is exposing you to the entire neighborhood on the front lawn!"

James went very still under Bram's arm. He even seemed to stop breathing for a few beats. He raised his head to stare at his sister, pain and disbelief clearly written on his stricken face. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Suddenly Bram didn't give a shit about not interfering in James’ personal life. He didn't care if it looked like he was trying to control James or not, he wasn't going to let this woman, sister or not, get away with hurting the love of his life.