The Christmas Deal

“Hey, stop that.” Logan stepped closer. “You are not. Don’t be mad at yourself. Be mad at them. They’re the assholes.” Fucking cowardly pieces of shit who don’t deserve you.

Seth stared at him, and as the silence stretched out, Logan was afraid he’d gone too far even though he’d choked down most of what he’d wanted to say. Then Seth lunged toward him, clutching at Logan painfully. Trying to breathe, Logan didn’t know what to do, standing there with his arms at his sides and Seth attached to him.

He’d never hugged another guy—at least not like this. There was no back-slapping, and it went on and on, Seth hanging on like his life depended on it, his arms in a vise around Logan, face pressed against Logan’s neck, wet and warm.

Shit, he was trembling, and Logan wrapped his arms around him. “Shhh,” he murmured, since that’s what he would have done with Veronica or one of his old girlfriends. Not that Seth was a woman, but he was upset and clearly needed comforting.

They were practically the same height, and Seth was stooped with his face in Logan’s neck, still clinging to him. Logan didn’t think he was crying, just hanging on real tight. Instead of slapping Seth’s back, Logan stroked it tentatively and said, “It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry,” Seth mumbled, his breath hot on Logan’s neck. “Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” They were pressed together, and Logan had to admit it felt good. Warm and solid. They stood there, and it probably should have been really awkward or weird, but…it wasn’t.

“I need…” Shaking, Seth kissed Logan’s throat, his hands tightening and sliding down to his hips. Sparks flared as Seth rocked their bodies together. “I want…” He exhaled sharply. “Shit.”

It was the strongest curse word Logan had heard from Seth, and it sparked something in Logan. He couldn’t fix Seth’s terrible family, but this? This he could do.

He smoothed a palm down over Seth’s ass. “You want me to fuck you?”

Logan could hear and feel the sigh of relief that washed through Seth. “Yes. Please. Please do that.”

Seth didn’t seem able to say the words, but Logan had the feeling he liked hearing them. That it was what he needed. “That’s what you want? My cock inside you?”

Almost whimpering, Seth nodded against Logan’s neck, rutting his hips forward.

“How do you want it? Want it rough?”

Groaning, Seth broke away. “Yes.” He opened a drawer beside the bed and took out a bottle of lube and an unopened box of condoms, dropping them on the neatly made bed. He jerked off his clothes with shaking hands and left everything in a pile on the carpet.

Logan was still kicking off his slacks as Seth yanked down the duvet and crawled onto his hands and knees on the sheets. Struggling with his skivvies, Logan realized he was hard as rock, lust roaring in his veins. His breath was short, but his chest didn’t hurt.

He squirted lube all over the place, managing to get some on his fingers before kneeling behind Seth. He stared at Seth’s firm, amazing ass and grabbed hold.

“Fuck, you’re hot.” The words were out before Logan could stop them. A distant voice hissed that there was something different about this than the other times he’d gotten off with guys.

He and Seth were completely naked together, and although he’d fucked guys before, it had never been on a bed. He’d never said any of them were hot.

“Please,” Seth begged, his head hanging low, body shaking.

“You want my cock? Want me inside you?” Logan’s words made his own balls tingle and tighten. With guys there usually hadn’t been any talking aside from maybe a “thanks, man,” once they’d gotten each other off.

But the way Seth moaned and let go, the words turning him on and giving him what he needed—what he couldn’t say—that made Logan crazy horny.

“I’m going to fuck you so hard, baby.” Baby? Where the hell did that come from?

Seth cried out, pushing back against Logan’s hands and widening his knees. “Please.”

When Logan had fucked guys before, the men had usually prepared themselves, or they’d just used spit. Hadn’t always been a lot of options in Iraq or the bunkhouse. But now he was tentative, pushing the tip of one finger inside Seth, not wanting to hurt him. Never wanting to hurt him.

Seth squeezed around Logan’s finger, and holy shit, he imagined what that would be like on his dick. Amazing. He pushed in farther, making sure his finger was dripping with lube. “You like that?”

“Yes.”

Logan was dying to bury himself in Seth, but he went slowly, eventually easing in another finger as Seth trembled. Then another.

“Please just do it. I need it.” Seth moaned as Logan inched in. “Need you.”

Logan tried to ignore the way those two words made his chest feel light and his dick even harder. “You want it now?” He could not screw this up. He asked again, “Rough?”