Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run 6)

Ty arched his back, stretching his arms out above him on the floor. ”Ah ah ah,” Zane said as he slid his hands up Ty’s arms to pull them back down. Ty twisted and Zane struggled to get him under him again. God, how he wanted him now! If Ty would cooperate, they could be f**king in a matter of minutes. “Just stop it. You’re not taking that cast off! And you’re driving me f**king crazy!”

“There’s a short trip!”

Zane pushed to his knees and hauled Ty up against him so he could straddle Ty’s lap. He grabbed his chin and kissed him. “For God’s sake, shut the f**k up,” he said, breathless, before kissing him again.

Ty snickered.

Zane kissed him harder. “You feel like putting that hat back on and saddling up?”

Ty’s breath hitched, eyes dark and cheeks flushed. “Oh yeah. But if you utter the words ‘ride ’em cowboy,’ I’m done.”

Zane grinned. Ty slid both hands up Zane’s side, but stopped when his cast met resistance. Zane flinched as something poked him in the side.

They both shifted enough to look at Ty’s arm.

The tip of the Strider had found its way into the plaster of Ty’s cast, cutting through the edge, and both tip and handle were sticking out at opposite angles. It had gone completely through.

“Shit,” Ty whispered as he stared at his cast, now complete with movie-prop knife sticking through it.

Zane blinked at the knife in horror and released Ty, who flopped onto his back. “Son of a bitch, Ty.”

Ty began to laugh again, holding his arm to the side, which was a pretty good indication that the knife hadn’t actually cut him. Zane rolled his eyes, grabbed the Strider, and yanked it out. Ty howled in protest, but he was far too late. He lay there with wide eyes, looking at Zane incredulously as Zane flipped it around and around before brandishing it over Ty, not in the least bit amused.

“What if it was in my arm, you toolbag?”

“Then you would be bleeding.”

“You didn’t know I wasn’t bleeding, you can’t see the wound!”

“I made an educated guess.”

“Ha! Now I have to take it off! I could be injured.”

Zane snapped the knife over and over in his hand with simple flicks of his wrist. “I’ll give you injured.”

Ty grinned crookedly and shifted a little under Zane. “Bring it.”

A smile pulled at Zane’s lips, and without answering, he threw the knife to jam into the wooden door of the bathroom. Then he curled his fingers into Ty’s shirt and drew Ty up toward him, the muscles in his arm straining.

“Nice toss,” Ty said, but he was staring up into Zane’s eyes, his expression torn between arousal and annoyance.

“Thanks.”

Ty grabbed Zane with his good hand, yanking him toward the floor as they kissed. Zane went willingly and settled on top of Ty, who spread his knees wider so Zane could sink between them, making him hotter and harder as he rutted against Ty’s body. He grabbed Ty behind the neck and crushed their mouths together, his tongue invading Ty’s in a messy kiss. Then he pulled back.

“The cast isn’t coming off.”

“Dammit!”

Zane climbed to his feet with an annoyed grunt and stalked over to the bathroom, where he jerked the Strider out of the door. “And I’ll be holding onto this for safekeeping.”

“No, no, no!” Ty scrambled to his feet. “I need to be armed, Zane. What if the horses revolt?”

“You can put that sharp wit of yours to use.”

“Clever use of wordplay, I approve. Penalty points subtracted.”

“I’ll give it back in the morning. Or after I’ve been laid at least three times. Whichever one comes first.”

Ty sighed and flopped his hands, as if the thought of having sex with Zane in return for his knife would be such a hassle.

Zane raised an eyebrow, smiling as Ty stalked closer. He jabbed the knife into the doorway again, then met Ty halfway, wrapping him up in a slow, passionate kiss.

“I knew you’d come around,” Zane murmured.

“Just shut up and undo some of these buttons.”

Zane couldn’t help but laugh. He did as requested, undoing the buttons of his own shirt and popping the ones on his and Ty’s jeans. He let his hand settle on Ty’s torso, appreciating the toned muscles under his fingers, loving the way Ty raised his arms and settled his hands on Zane’s shoulders just because he knew it would make Zane tighten his hold and kiss him.

Zane loved little things like that. They’d grown so familiar with each other they could give and take such cues and rarely even realize they were doing it. He occasionally found himself talking with his hands like Ty did, and once or twice he’d noticed Ty sitting idly by as their coworkers argued, too mellow to involve himself.

They were good for each other in so many ways, even if foreplay did sometimes include a Strider and a sucker punch to the midsection.

“Zane,” Ty gasped as he broke the kiss. “Come back.”

“What?” Zane asked, confused and turned on and distracted by his tangent.

“Whatever you’re thinking about right now, drop it and come back.” Ty emphasized the request by pushing Zane’s pants down his hips.

Zane started laughing, surprised by just how funny it struck him. Ty’s fingers were on his skin, sliding his boxers to his thighs, and it warmed every inch of Zane’s body as he gazed into Ty’s eyes.

“I was just musing over how perfect you are for me.”

Ty’s lips twitched into a smile. He didn’t appear to have anything clever to say. His rough hand dragged across Zane’s chest and he began backing toward the door where he’d left his bags earlier in the day.

Zane followed him, kicking out of the remainder of his clothes. It was rare that Ty had nothing to say, no witty rejoinder, no snappy remark. It intrigued Zane, his body tingling with growing anticipation. The last time Ty had pulled the silent game was before they’d left for the cruise ship last Christmas, when Ty had wanted to practice being a mind-blowingly sexy submissive. Zane’s c**k jumped at the mere memory of that evening.

He watched Ty saunter across the room, taking his fill of Ty’s naked body, tempted to sit on the couch and touch himself to see what Ty would do. He would much rather Ty be the one touching, though.

Ty rummaged through his bag, no doubt searching for lube. Zane took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He loved that the prospect of having sex with Ty could still make his stomach flutter like a schoolboy’s and his body react like a man twenty years younger.