Safe Harbor 2: Hiding in Plain Sight (12 page)

“I’d actually like to tell him about you, so he knows there’s no chance of him and me becoming a couple. But if there’s nothing here—”

“You would?”

Vlad’s facial expression was almost comical, but Joe had a feeling now would be a bad time to smile or laugh.

“Why? You knew him before me.”

“Like I said, he and I had a physical connection. If I had been pining away for Brendan or in love with the guy, I wouldn’t have done anything with you but offer friendship. You may not believe it now, but I really am not that much of an asshole.”

Shoulders slumping, Vlad stared at the floor. “I know.”

“Then believe me. Let me figure out what to do with Brendan. I can’t just call him up a couple of weeks before he hits stateside and tell him he’s got nothing to come back to. I don’t even know if he wants anything, but telling him no right now doesn’t seem fair.”

“You are right. It’s not.”

Finally Vlad looked up, and Joe could kick his own ass for putting the lost puppy look in the man’s eyes.

“But until you do something, I can’t trust you.”

“I understand. Do you want me to go?”

Vlad snorted. “No. I changed my mind. I want to pound the hell out of your ass, right now. No way am I letting you into mine now, but I’m horny, and I think this is the least you can do.”

“You want—”

“To fuck you again? Yes.” Vlad jerked his head toward the bed. “Take off your pants and get on your hands and knees. I want your ass. I am going to fuck you hard and fast unless you say no.”

Where was this coming from? He’d known Vlad was angry, but he’d never seen this side of the man—the man who knew what he wanted and intended to take it. Shit, it was pretty hot, even if it was being done out of anger.
Man, I am so messed up.

Joe glanced toward the bed. If Vlad wanted this, Joe was all for it. He removed his sweatpants and left them on the floor before peeling his T-shirt off and turning away, situating himself with his ass offered up.

“I won’t do this if you are not into it.”

Vlad knelt behind him, sliding his large hands onto Joe’s hips and gripping tightly. No doubt Joe would have marks.

“Take me. Take what you need.”

“Stay there.”

Vlad awkwardly scooted across the bed to get the condoms and lube from the nightstand and came back to kneel behind him. Joe was afraid to turn around, not sure what Vlad would do, so he stared straight at the headboard in front of him. The condom wrapper crinkled, shortly being accompanied by the lube cap opening with a soft click. Cold lube hit the outside of his hole, and almost immediately Vlad’s thankfully lubed cock began to slide inside, seating him to the balls in one quick stroke. Joe would’ve let Vlad take him with no lube—he felt so fucking guilty—but was thankful at least the other man had slicked himself up. He didn’t have time to think further as Vlad grabbed his hips again and, true to his word, thrust in and out of his hole with almost violent motions.

Joe had never had angry sex, but damn if Vlad wasn’t hotter than hell like this. He still thought fighting just so you could have this kind of sex was taking things a little too far, but he could definitely see the appeal of it. He knew Vlad wouldn’t truly hurt him. It wasn’t in his nature.

Soon Vlad’s balls were slapping against Joey’s ass as he fucked him harder and harder, grunting with each in-stroke. If possible, his grip tightened even more, and Joe grimaced. Vlad worked him hard, slamming in and out of Joe’s tight channel, and after a few moments, the younger man came with a coarse shout. Joe hadn’t had a similar release, unfortunately. When he looked down, his dick was only at half-mast and didn’t look to be fighting for more.

Vlad pulled out quickly, and Joe turned to see him heading for the bathroom. “Call me if you fix your problem.” The door slammed shut, and Joe sighed. Climbing off the bed, he knew he’d be sore for a couple of days. But he’d given Vlad permission to use him. Strangely, the guilt still weighed him down. He’d thought maybe if Vlad had taken him, it would lessen, but his heart was tight in his chest.

He hadn’t been fair to Vlad. He hadn’t been fair to Brendan. And now he was paying for it. After slipping his sweats back on, Joe grabbed his bag and went downstairs to put on his shoes and coat. He didn’t have to be at work for hours yet, and he assumed the offer to come over after his shift was done had been revoked. He suddenly found himself at odds. How had this happened?

Joe drove home and took a fitful nap before work. After his shift, he stopped at the store for a six-pack. When he got home, he flopped down on the couch, letting out a little yelp as his sore ass took the brunt of his weight. The hockey game was only half over, but Joe turned the channel, unwilling to become one of those pathetic, pining bastards. Finding an old action movie, he sat back and watched for a few minutes.

Glancing at his phone lying on the table in front of him, Joe debated contacting Brendan. No way would he tell Brendan about Vlad until he could talk to the guy face-to-face, but it felt like he should at least check in. It had been a while since he’d last made contact. Even a quick e-mail would be better than nothing. He picked up the phone, opened his e-mail app, and wrote:

Hey, bud. Just making sure everything’s still on target for you to get out. Ready to take your toys and go home yet? Take care and see you soon.

Joe

He hit Send and then lay back against the couch. By the time a half hour had passed, his first beer was settling in his belly like a lead weight. But Joe kept drinking, not even stopping to grab a late dinner. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast and knew he’d have a bitch of a hangover tomorrow, but he deserved everything he got.

It was nearly two a.m. when Joe woke on the couch. Five empty bottles were strewn about the coffee table, and when he rolled to the side to sit up, his belly lurched. “Fuck!” He barely made it to the bathroom before he threw up the meager contents of his stomach. The room swam in front of him. Finally he stumbled to his room, grabbed the wastebasket, and placed it by the side of the bed. He fell back to sleep, waking once more when the phone rang.

“What the—” He focused bleary eyes on the alarm clock, trying to ignore the cheerful sunlight streaming in through the window and slicing his skull in half. Nine? Shit, he had to be at work at ten. Joe rose and immediately made a grab for the dresser in front of him. Maybe work was a bad idea today. The damn phone was still ringing, but where was it? After nearly taking a header off the closet door, Joe located it on his dresser.
Vlad
. He had no idea what to think but answered the call. “Hello?”

“Um, hey.”

“Hey.” He sat down heavily on the bed, feeling a twinge in his ass still. Vlad had really done a number on him.

“I…called to apologize. I acted like a baby, and on top of that, treated you so badly. Fuck, I practically raped you. I’m sorry. I was mad and hurt. Please don’t hate me.” His voice cracked on the last word. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“I’ll live,” Joe said with a short laugh. Man, Vlad sounded devastated. Joe was such an asshole. “If the hangover doesn’t kill me.”

“I thought you said you don’t handle alcohol well, so you watch how much you drink?”

“I didn’t last night, hence the hangover. I was supposed to be at work in an hour, but I’m gonna call in. No way can I be hauling around parts today. They really don’t like their workers puking on their expensive machinery.”

“Can I, um…?”

Joe heard Vlad take a deep, shaky breath and let it back out.

“Can I come see you? If you are not in the mood, I can wait, but I need to say I’m sorry in person. I feel terrible. I can’t believe I acted so badly. You’ve been so great to me, and at the first sign of anything wrong, I became a total dick.”

Joe still wasn’t sure he hadn’t gotten everything he’d deserved, but he didn’t say anything. “It’s fine, Vlad. You didn’t break me. In fact, I, um, I liked it.”

“Really? How could you? I never should have done that. Please. Please let me make it up to you.”

The more the man begged, the worse Joe felt. “Seriously, you really don’t have to. I’m not lively company right now. I have a raging headache, and a family of rodents seems to have taken up residence in my belly.”

“Excuse me?”

“My stomach hurts.”

“Oh. American sayings…”

Joe smiled a little. “Yeah, there are a lot of weird ones.”

“I understand if you do not want to see me.”

“Not an issue.”

“Let me come over. My teammate is bringing me to the arena on his way to practice, and I will pick up my car. I could stop by after, maybe bring you some food. You should eat.”

Joe grunted. He was sure food was an excellent idea, but the thought didn’t excite him. “Sure. That would be nice. It’ll give me a chance to take a long, hot shower to clear my head.”

“I will text you when I am ready to leave the arena, and you can tell me what you would like me to bring.”

“I’m sure anything is fine. I have no idea how much I’ll actually eat.”

“I will text anyway. Now go take a shower. You will feel better.”

“See you in a while.”

After calling in sick to work, Joe forced himself to drink a glass of orange juice and got into the shower. By the time he climbed out, he was feeling slightly more human, and after drying off and wrapping a towel around his waist, he took his phone into the living room to wait for Vlad’s text. His phone pinged, and he picked it up, thinking it was Vlad. His heart skipped a beat when he saw it was a return e-mail from Brendan instead.

Hey bud—On target to wrap up here. Do you mind if I don’t come to Pittsburgh? I think I want to just put this whole crappy time behind me and find someone to be happy with—someone who hasn’t seen the shit we have. I hope you understand. I don’t want to hurt you, but I really think it’s best this way. Good luck with everything, and thanks for having my back.

Brendan

Joe hadn’t seen that coming, but Brendan’s e-mail solved a whole bunch of issues for him. He couldn’t blame Brendan for feeling like he did. If they’d gotten together, it would’ve been harder to put the past behind them. Even now, with all the hours Joe was spending with Vlad, he thought less about his time overseas, and he was sure Brendan would be better off without him around as a reminder of their shitty time in the service.

He began to type.

Brendan, I completely understand. I hope you’re able to find somebody, and I’m here if you need a friend. Be safe.

Joe

Joe fell asleep and woke to the notification sound going off on his phone. It was Vlad, asking him what he wanted for lunch. He texted back before closing his eyes again, mostly to block out the increasing light. It would’ve been smarter to get up and close the blinds, but he was feeling exceptionally lazy.

A short time later, the doorbell rang, and Joe groaned. When had his doorbell started to sound like a gong?

Rising, he shuffled over to unlock the door. Vlad’s eyes widened as his gaze swept him up and down, and Joe realized he’d never gotten dressed. “Sorry about that. I took my shower and fell asleep on the couch. I can go get dressed. Come in.”

Vlad entered, tossing his coat on the rack near the door. “Don’t do it for me. I enjoy looking at you.”

He offered a tentative smile, which Joe returned. Vlad set a bag down on the coffee table and stuffed his hands in his pockets with that task completed.

Well, this isn’t awkward at all.

“I’ll just go get some plates and stuff.” Joe went into the kitchen and planted his hands on the counter, blowing out a loud breath. His cock began to fill, and Joe leaned down, resting his forehead on one of his arms. What was he gonna do?

“Are you all right? Are you feeling sick?”

Joe slowly straightened and turned. “No. I’m feeling like a complete asshole.”

Vlad’s eyebrows drew down. “I thought about everything after you left. Actually, I did not sleep much. You didn’t owe me any explanation about your friend. We’ve only been seeing each other for a couple of weeks, and I had no right to be angry that you did not tell me about him.”

“That’s nice of you to say, but you should know he just sent me an e-mail saying he doesn’t want to see me when he gets back.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he said he wants to put his time in the military in the past, and being with someone like me who was there with him would make that impossible.”

Vlad nodded. “It makes sense. And I can’t say I am sorry he feels that way.”

The strong sense of relief Joe felt had him leaning back against the counter. Vlad didn’t hate him. Even his hangover was relegated to the back of his mind.

“So we’re okay?”

“We’re great.”

Joe dropped to his knees. He still felt nauseated but needed to set things right again. “Let me show you how great I think you are.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Fuck, Vlad, I want to. I want you.”

Groaning, Vlad shifted his weight as he looked down at Joe. “I did not come here for this. I just wanted to apologize.”

“I know. Let me make you feel good.” He reached for the button of Vlad’s jeans, and the younger man sucked in a breath.

After he worked the stubborn button free, Joe slid the zipper down and pushed both the denim and Vlad’s boxer briefs below his delectable ass. He’d still love to be the first one to take Vlad, but given their current situation, he would move slowly. Vlad’s balls came into view, and Joe leaned down and tilted his head so he could gently suck one into his mouth.

“
Ot Yabis
!”

Joe pulled back with a laugh. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Um, holy fuck, more or less. You surprised me.” Vlad’s grin was sheepish. “I don’t usually go back to Russian, but I did not expect what you did.”

Joe reached up and hooked his hand around the back of the man’s neck to pull him down for a kiss. “I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but you’re fucking adorable,” he said when they broke apart. He took a light hold of Vlad’s shaft.

“Adorable? Puppies are adorable.”

Joe was sure Vlad didn’t realize it, but the knitted eyebrows and frown made him even cuter. Probably not a good idea to mention at the moment, so instead he smiled and leaned down again.