Tymber Dalton - Stoneface

Tim rolled him onto his back, staying with him, relentless even after Jack tried to make him stop. Tim placed a kiss on his balls. “Nope. I want another one out of you, mister. You fell asleep on me last night. Morning wood relief is not nearly enough to make up for that.”

He didn’t have the heart to force Tim to stop, especially after he started playing with his ass and coaxed renewed interest from his limp cock. “At least I got you off first,” Jack said. “Not like I fell asleep and left you hanging. If it doesn’t bother me, it shouldn’t bother you.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to do more than just fuck you last night. I was looking forward to some bottom time.”

He reached down and stroked Tim’s head. “I’ll make it up to you tonight, buddy. I promise.” Tim’s blond curls bobbed between Jack’s legs. “I need to get to work.”

Tim already had Jack’s cock deep in his throat. He made a muffled uh-uh sound around his member and increased his efforts.

Tapping him on the head didn’t work. Jack finally lay back and enjoyed it, his fingers burrowing through his lover’s unruly curls. He bucked his hips in time with Tim’s ministrations until his balls tightened. His climax, not as hard as the last one, rolled out of him, filling Tim’s mouth with cum as his body tensed on the bed.

As he lay there recovering, Tim released him and rested his cheek against his abs. “There. We’re even.”

“I didn’t know you kept score.”

“I don’t, normally. I just didn’t feel right getting off last night without returning the favor.” He crawled up the bed to lie next to Jack, propped on one elbow. He stroked Jack’s chest. “Are you sure I can’t talk you into a full body waxing? You’d love it.”

Jack arched an eyebrow at him as Tim broke into laughter. He leaned in and kissed him. “You know I’m teasing. Why would I wait to complain until now? Damn, you’re fun to tease.”

Jack rolled away from him and climbed out of their bed. After casting a glance at the clock, he shot a glare at Tim. “Now I don’t have enough time to eat breakfast.”

Tim laced his fingers behind his head. “I’ll make you a to-go sandwich. Go hop in the shower.”

Jack’s harsh expression softened. He leaned in again and kissed him. “Thanks, babe.”

Tim waited until he heard the shower start to leave their bed. Naked, he walked out to the kitchen and hummed a random tune as he poached an egg and toasted an English muffin. Jack was his stone-faced man. In their six years together, Tim hadn’t coaxed Jack to talk about his private pain. Not that he ever could force Jack to divulge his heart’s deepest secrets, but he wanted to help him, wanted to love his man’s pain away. It hurt him there was a rock-solid bubble of ache inside of Jack that no amount of tenderness seemed to ease.

He suspected it centered around a tragic event in Jack’s past, one Jack had briefly glossed over not long after they’d gotten together. Even that little bit of recollection caused Jack nights of broken sleep and so much obvious anguish that Tim felt loathe to ask him more about it. He knew Jack had loved the girl very much. Sometimes, when they still lived in California, Jack visited her grave there even though she’d died here, in Rapid City.

At least Jack smiled more now than he used to, which said a lot considering how little he smiled now, and how he never seemed to smile when they first met.

Stoneface. As hard and craggy and cold at times as those damn presidents carved into the Black Hills not too far down the road from their house.

Tim wouldn’t complain. He felt loved beyond measure and knew Jack would rather die than hurt him. Not to mention he suspected Jack would kill anyone who ever tried to hurt him. He was protective in a sweet and wonderful way. Tim would readily take his reserved, dependable lover over any carefree Cali party boy who didn’t care to think past the end of the week, much less the rest of their life.

By the time Jack emerged from their bedroom, dressed and hair still damp, Tim had Jack’s breakfast ready. Jack walked through the kitchen and scooped the wrapped sandwich from the counter after leaning in for a good-bye kiss.

“Thanks, babe. See you tonight.” Jack started to step away from the counter, then returned for one last, lingering kiss. “I promise I won’t leave you hanging tonight.” He reached up and touched Tim’s chin before he brushed another kiss across his lips. “Love you.”

Tim smiled. “Love you, too. Go catch some bad guys. Make this town safe for the rest of us.”

Jack’s lips curled in a faint smile before he left. That was as close to happy as Tim usually saw Jack.

He’d consider it a win.

Tim headed for the shower. Lots to do, including finishing Gwen’s latest book so he could write the review. After Jack fell asleep the night before, Tim had gone ahead and read her book, all but the last twenty pages or so. He could easily stand there and jerk off in the shower if he thought about her books too hard. Sure she was a straight chick writing male-male erotica, but she wrote damn good erotica that stiffened his cock without hesitation. Not to mention her stories rocked.

Especially the ménages with two guys and a girl. He slowly smiled and resisted the urge to stroke his stiffening cock. One of these days he’d grow a nutsac and work up the nerve to ask her where she got her fantastic ideas.

And if she wanted any help with “research” in real life.

“Ellis Books and Bites…Yes, we carry books.” Tim tried not to roll his eyes even though the person was on the phone and not standing in front of him. “Yes, we carry fiction books…Yes, we carry mysteries…Can I look up a particular book for you?” He tried to keep a smile in his voice, but from the way the caller droned on it proved difficult to maintain his happy place. “We’re open until nine tonight…Yes…Thank you.” He hung up and let out a relieved sigh.

Celia, his store manager, giggled. “You’re not in Laguna Beach anymore, Toto.”

“Tell me about it. Remind me why I let Jackson talk me into moving to Rapid City?”

“Because you’re a good boyfriend.”

“Keep reminding me of that.”

“How’s the other store doing anyway?”

“I’m flying out there next week to help with inventory, but so far, so good.” Tim had taken a risk to open a second store in Rapid City, but his theory was why not try it if he’d be living here anyway? They’d moved the profitable internet operations to Rapid City, where real estate was cheaper, and converted the unneeded storage and office space in the Laguna Beach store into more café and display space. He paid a fraction of the price for a third larger storefront here in Rapid City, where he opened a second Ellis Books and Bites a year earlier. The Laguna Beach store brought in more money gross every month, but the reduced operating expenses in Rapid City translated into a nicer net profit every month, plenty to justify keeping it open since it housed their online operations.

It also kept him busy and from going stir crazy with boredom.

“How’s Jackson’s mom?”

Tim shrugged. “Good days and bad. His dad’s coping. Jesus, keep reminding me I’m a good boyfriend, kiddo.”

He handed her the phone and retreated to his office to do paperwork and check for new orders. They handled specialty and rare books through the internet, which helped supplement income for the brick and mortar stores. A side business as a third-party distributor for e-books helped even more. With Jackson’s mom in a slow and losing battle against Alzheimer’s, he couldn’t refuse to move with his partner when two years ago he said he needed to quit the LAPD and return to his hometown of Rapid City, South Dakota, to be close to his parents.