Promises Part 2 (Bounty Hunters 2)

Cayson stopped uselessly digging at Vaughan’s corded forearm and turned his head so that his Adam’s apple was in the crook of Vaughan’s elbow, that’s where the air was. He sucked in a much-needed breath. “Good, Doc. Now get him off you,” Duke added, circling around for a better angle to view what Cayson was trying to do.

By the time his three-and-a-half-hour lesson was over, he was drenched and sore. “Holy hell. How can you handle all that? Fighting is so strenuous. So taxing on the body.”

Duke stripped off his damp thermal and went to grab an extra t-shirt out of Quick’s laundry room. “I hope this is clean,” he quipped, slinging it over his head, sniffing the pits after he did.

“You can go home shirtless,” Quick teased his friend.

“That’s fine with me.” Vaughan winked.

Duke blushed, and Cayson found their relationship cute as hell. There was no other phrase to describe it. Quick looked like he wanted to puke when Vaughan smiled deviously at his father as he inched closer to Duke.

“I love you,” Vaughan said sweetly, gazing into Duke’s midnight eyes.

“I love you, too,” Duke replied, leaning down to kiss Vaughan slowly.

“Yeah, yeah, everybody loves everybody,” Quick murmured, rolling his eyes. Cayson shot him a disbelieving look, but then he remembered that Vaughan was Quick’s son, so… yeah, maybe it was a little weird.

“Stop being a hater,” Duke said to his best friend, turning to give Vaughan his full attention. “I want you to show me that move you did on the floor earlier as soon as we get in bed.”

“Okay! Out! Lesson’s over!” Quick jumped up out of his recliner, almost knocking Cayson off the arm, pointing at the door. “Right now. Good fuckin’ night. One more word out your mouth, Duke, and I swear to god.”

Duke was being shoved towards the door, hardly able to get his coat on because he was laughing so hard. “I was joking, Rome.”

“Well joke your ass up out of my house and take your boy toy with you.” Quick shoved Vaughan, too, and Cayson thought he hadn’t seen anything that funny in a long time. It was so obvious they goaded Quick, knowing he hated to see them getting mushy, yet he fell for it every time.

“I’m glad you two are together,” Vaughan yelled over his shoulder. Cayson stood beside Quick and waved at them, leaning into Quick’s strong side, until Duke’s taillights were at the end of his court.

“I would’ve told them thanks for the lesson if I had the chance.”

Quick closed his front door and locked the deadbolt. “Yeah. Too bad they had to leave so suddenly.”

Cayson was elated. He felt so good. Felt like he had real friends.

“Let’s go to bed. We’ll put the furniture back in the morning.”

“Sounds good.”

Quick hit the light switch and held out his hand, both of them climbing the stairs a little slower than normal. “Actually a hot bath sounds better… then bed.”

“Now you’re talkin’.”

Quick

When Duke and Vaughan had busted through his front door, his first thought was, he needed to set some new ground rules. He never used his key at Duke’s house since he and Vaughan had been a couple, unless he knew they weren’t home. He needed the same courtesy, because if he wanted to bend his sexy man over his couch and take him right then and there, he wasn’t going to be worrying about anyone walking in on them.

Quick stripped out of his shirt, his muscles feeling good and stretched from his light workout. He filled the tub with hot water, dumping in a scoop of therapeutic bath crystals. He knew Cayson’s sore muscles would appreciate it. He was looking forward to rubbing Cayson down with a warm cloth and massaging the oil into his spent body. He’d really taken his lesson seriously, given it everything he had. Cayson may not have been the strongest or the fastest, but it was sheer will and determination that won a fight many times, not only build and stamina. Cayson had caught on like the brilliant man he was and quickly learned where his strengths were. Tomorrow he’d build on the pressure points lesson. But for now, maybe he could revive Cayson enough to be interested in a different type of lesson Quick wanted to teach him.

His bathtub was partially concealed behind a wall in his remodeled bathroom. He’d torn out part of the second bedroom to build himself a nice-sized master bath with a large shower and a massive whirlpool tub. He made sure the water was perfect and took two fluffy towels out the linen closet, placing them on the towel warmer. Cayson was still shaving when he emerged from behind the wall. “Bath’s ready.”

“So am I.” Cayson smiled sexily, dropping his boxers and stepping out of them.

Quick removed his own briefs, both of them standing and admiring the other. “You going to look at me all night, or do you want me to bathe you?” Quick asked, walking closer, and enveloping Cayson tightly. “I’m so proud of you. Vaughan didn’t pull any punches on you. You did good tonight, baby. I know some of that stuff can be scary.”