Cliff's Edge (11 page)

Ryan moved in closer and ran his other hand over Cliff’s lower back as he watched the glide in and out of Cliff’s tight channel.

“You okay?” he asked after a minute.

“Two fingers now, Ry,” Cliff panted, his hips moving. Pulling slowly out, Ryan added more lube, worried that he might be going too fast, then wanted to laugh at himself for his uncertainty. Cliff was a big boy; he’d tell him if he was doing something wrong.

Ryan pressed two very slick fingers to Cliff’s pucker. As he eased them inside, a breath of air left Cliff and he pushed back into the movement. “Oh yeah…” he said on a low growl.

God, how Ryan loved that voice. It scraped and abraded, and reminded him this was all man beneath him. Not a substitute for something else, but the hard muscles, deep masculine voice, hairy-fucking-chest of the only man—only person—he wanted.

Pumping his fingers in and out, rubbing them together to create a little movement, twisting them left, then right. He catalogued every one of Cliff’s reactions, noting what he seemed to like best, already planning how to make it better the next time. The man on his knees in front of him was spectacular. His muscles stood out in sharp relief, bulging and flexing as he supported himself and rocked with Ryan’s movements. Cliff’s weight shifted so he rested on one hand, and his broad shoulders rippled as the other hand started stroking his own cock.

“Now, Rhino…need you now,” Cliff said with a hoarse snarl.

Slowly siding his fingers all the way out, Ryan moved between Cliff’s legs. He added more lube, coating his eager erection in a better-safe-than-sore logic.

Cliff spread his knees wider then leaned down to rest his weight on his elbow. Ryan spread the solid cheeks wide with one hand and slid his cock over the tight hole, savoring every slick sensation.

With his target in sight, he lined himself up, touching his tip to Cliff’s rim. For a moment he closed his eyes with the intensity of the feelings coursing through him, then his lids popped open. He didn’t want to miss one second of this. The head of his cock met the resistance of Cliff’s anus, and Ryan tentatively leaned forward, pressing until he breached the tight ring of muscle. With a soft grunt, the powerful man beneath him pushed back, driving himself farther onto Ryan’s cock.

Ryan’s eyes practically rolled back in his head from the intense spike of pleasure. Nothing in his life had ever felt so good as being sheathed in Cliff’s silky heat. Shouting a curse, Ryan tried to rein in the all-consuming need to press forward, to bury himself before Cliff was ready. He tightened his grip on the base of his cock while Cliff’s ass fluttered around him.

Digging his fingers into Cliff’s hip, he drew his cock most of the way out then slid slowly back inside. Without a doubt this was the hottest, tightest hole he’d ever been inside, made all the better by the knowledge this was Cliff, his best friend, the one person who knew him, knew his secrets, and would always have his back.

“Unbelievable. Like falling through the rabbit hole,” Ryan gritted as he drew back, then surged forward.

“Fucking unreal,” Cliff agreed, apparently on the same page. Then Cliff’s head turned and their mouths fused in a duel of tongues.

Although his brain wanted to draw the moment out, to stay here inside Cliff forever, his body had other needs, and his hips snapped forward. He pumped with an increasing sense of urgency, the strokes sure and strong, slamming farther into Cliff’s ass on every downward slide. Rising back on his knees, he gripped Cliff’s hips with both hands and started a pounding rhythm. His lover met him on each drive, grunts and groans surrounded them, their breath harsh, the sound of slapping skin punctuating each forceful plunge into the satin channel. Settling deeper and deeper, swallowed up by the heat, his body threatening to go supernova.

Cliff’s hand moved faster, and Ryan covered it with his own as they flew together toward the finish line. The ache in his balls was intense as he soared closer to orgasm. Changing his motion, Ryan’s hips moved in quick, shallow thrusts that caused Cliff to shout. With a grin, Ryan did it again, realizing he’d managed to find Cliff’s gland.

“Cliff…baby…dayum…getting fucking tighter.”

“Gonna come, Ry,” Cliff grunted.

“Do it, honey. Let me feel you…”

When Cliff’s channel started to clench and spasm around him, Ryan gave a few more quick snaps with his hips, then slid deep…all the way home. It didn’t take anything more than knowing Cliff was coming while Ryan’s cock pounded into him… His orgasm raced up his spine, his balls emptied in a jet. The cum exploded from the head of his cock, a pain-pleasure sensation that had his toes curling as he filled Cliff’s ass.

*

With his ass still clenched in a post-orgasm lockdown, Cliff collapsed forward onto his stomach shifting just enough to avoid the wet spot and taking Ryan with him.

“Holy shit,” Ryan said, his voice full of…wonder?

The sentiment so closely matched his own thoughts that Cliff began to laugh, which caused his muscles to contract and expel Ryan from his ass. Rather than moving away, Rhino slid to his side and remained close. A calloused hand rubbed over Cliff’s lower back and cheeks.

“You okay?” Ryan asked softly. He trailed kisses over Cliff’s shoulder. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Talking into his pillow, Cliff mumbled, “You know, in all the years we’ve known each other, I never would have pegged you as a post-coital snuggler.”

“Mmm…” Ryan murmured. “And I didn’t know you had a vocabulary that included post-coital.”

“Was on a spelling test, I think.”

“Hah. Hey, Cliff?”

“Yeah?”

“That was pretty fucking awesome.”

Cliff closed his eyes and pressed his lips together to keep from saying something foolish. Like telling the man who’d fucked him into the mattress that he couldn’t wait to do it again. That over the course of the last hour, everything in his life had been turned upside down by the knowledge that he loved Ryan.

Not loved as a fellow brother-in-arms. Not loved as a best friend. Love-loved as in the one person he wanted beside him for the rest of his life. He’d been arguing against that truth ever since Ryan had put him on his knees. Just to think that he could have Ryan in his mouth, in his ass, in his life forever…but that was something that wasn’t ever going to happen. Their paths were no longer on an intersecting course, and he’d need to find a way to let Ryan go.

To make Rhino go…he still had a mission to complete.

Not wanting to raise the suspicions of the man who knew him better than anyone, Cliff kept his tone mild. “Yeah…I don’t usually catch but it was pretty good,” he agreed. He forced a yawn. “Rhino, don’t take this the wrong way, but as glad as I am you enjoyed it, I’m wiped after the day I’ve had. Plus the drive home. Any chance that brain of yours is ready to shut down for the night so I can catch a few hours of sleep?”

In his imagination, the pause that followed his question was filled with hurt and unasked questions. Ryan’s hand stilled, reversed direction, and traced along the bumps of Cliff’s spine until he reached his neck. He drew his hand away for a minute. Cliff thought maybe Ryan would give him the last word and turn over to sleep. Or better yet, return to his own room, to give Cliff the space he badly needed right about now. He should have known better.

Rhino’s hand fisted in Cliff’s hair and he pulled hard enough to force his head around to meet his gaze. He knew if it had been light enough in the room he’d see the gold flecks blazing in the hazel eyes.

“Tell yourself any lie you want to, Cliff, if you think it will make you feel better. Just remember, I know you as well as you know me…maybe better. You might run, but you’ll never be able to hide. I’ll just drag your ass back. To me.”

His lips closed over Cliff’s, mashing them so hard their teeth bumped. Then his mouth softened, their lips parting, Ryan’s tongue seeking his. Cliff fisted his hands beneath his pillow to keep from reaching for Ryan—this gentle kiss so much more devastating to the steel he tried to wrap around his heart.

Cliff’s eyes flashed open, his senses instantly alert for any sign of trouble, momentarily confused by the heavy weight across his legs and the pain in his ass. Until he remembered that pain had a name: Ryan Matthews. It had been a long time since he’d awakened with someone in his bed. As Ryan had reminded him last night—thank you very much—it had been years since he’d even had a second date. Now he was in bed with his straight best friend, and seriously hoping things weren’t going to be FUBAR between them.

Climbing from the bed, Cliff grabbed his gear and padded silently from the room and the nearly overwhelming temptation to offer his ass up for a second time. Briefly considering going to breakfast at the main house and possibly delay talking to Rhino for a few more hours, Cliff discarded the idea as pointless. The stubborn ass would only follow, and god knew Ryan was perfectly capable of bringing up the intimate details of the previous night in front of every person seated at the table. And what had he said last night about Ty? If that fucking squid was behind this…

Ignoring the call of the coffee pot, Cliff leaned over and laced his boots. A ten-mile run would clear his head and hopefully Ryan would wake up and remember an urgent errand in Coronado. That would be the best outcome for their current situation.

Ryan was right about one thing…Cliff knew him well. He recognized the restlessness in his friend and knew this was a vulnerable time. He’d just returned from a six-month deployment and was facing the first real decision of his career about whether or not to re-enlist.

Until you hit twenty years, there wasn’t a helluva lot to consider. Now with Cliff heading to Civland, Ryan would be facing the rest of his Navy career without his best friend. No wonder he felt some hesitation about his reenlistment. It was only natural.

With his own uncertain future, Cliff’s inclination was to share his thoughts with Ryan. They’d always bounced ideas off one another, but Ryan could never resist trying to solve a problem of this magnitude. He’d become so invested in fixing things for Cliff, he’d lose sight of what was best for himself and his career. It would be an absolutely unfair way to repay two decades of friendship.

“Running away?” Ryan said from the doorway. Cliff had been so preoccupied with his thoughts he hadn’t even heard Rhino get out of bed.

“Nope, just running. Wanna tag along?” he asked, just as he always did, knowing full well Ryan hated to run, especially early in the morning.

Rhino’s eyes narrowed and he stared at Cliff for a long ten count, then nodded. “Give me five. How far?”

“Ten miles. More or less.”

“I vote less. Boots, huh? Never mind—makes sense in this landscape. Be right there.” He was back in four, stepping onto the porch while still clipping his iPod to the band strapped to his arm.

“About last night—” Cliff started, hoping he could get Ryan to say whatever it was he had in mind before they started running.

“It was great,” Ryan said casually, then leaned down to tie the laces on his boots, his tight ass showcased in a pair of skimpy running shorts.

Dirty pool.

Cliff opened his mouth, but his phone chirped before he had a chance to say anything. Ryan straightened and for a moment their eyes met, a dozen different memories of emergency mission call-outs flashing between them.

Snatching his new iPhone from the holster, he glanced at the caller ID. “San Diego PD,” he told Ryan.

“Snyder,” he said by way of greeting. He turned his back on Ryan as he listened to Detective Wagner talk, asking one or two questions, but the outcome was inevitable. When he ended the call, he faced Ryan once again. “First, I know you want to talk, Rhino, and right now, that’s just not going to happen. The SDPD wants me back there to do a walk-through of the club before they turn the keys over to me…”

“To you? Why would they give you the keys?”

“That’s the part I should have told you last night but something…came up.” He smiled despite his unease with their situation. “Detective Wagner, the one in charge of the investigation, had me look through a dozen mug books before sending me on a covert mission”—he rolled his eyes—“that ended at New Horizons rehab hospital, behind a guarded door. Draco Kincaid survived the shooting, although he’ll probably never walk again.”

“Aww…fuck me.”

“Yeah. Wagner questioned us together, watching us like we knew more than we were letting on. Obviously Draco does, but I’m still in the dark. But he did ask me to close up his business, post signs, make sure everything got cleaned up.” Cliff shrugged a shoulder. “That was it until the end. I managed a quick hug and Draco whispered he wanted to see you when you got back CONUS. I should have told you last night but…”

Rhino blinked, his face a careful mask. “You were a bit distracted. All right, I have the basics, but that was pretty damned early for a casual phone call. When does Wagner expect you?”

“Today…at sixteen hundred.” Cliff looked at his watch. “Plenty of time…”

“Is Draco under guard?”

“Yeah, a fresh-faced undercover from the gang unit. I think Wagner is mostly relying on word of Draco’s death to keep him safe. No sense in looking for a dead man.”

“No, but there is a reason to look for a previously unknown witness. The asshole is setting you up…”

“I realize that. Which is why I want on the road in the next thirty minutes. He won’t expect me there before noon. I’ll get inside, have a good look around. That still leaves me time to find a vantage point where I can track who arrives before I decide to show myself.”

“All right, let’s go. We need to stop by my place for some weapons—you don’t have shit here.”

“You searched— Never mind, that’s not important—and it just means you didn’t find my stash. Listen up, Rhino, because we are on a nonnegotiable point here. This is where we part ways, my friend. There are a million things I wish I could say—but I can’t. Not now—there isn’t time, and hell…it’s probably better this way.

“Go back to the base…talk to the skipper and take those orders, man. You need to do it for you. Shit…you need to do it for me. Six is something we always talked about, and if you don’t take this opportunity, you’ll always wonder—what if…”