Loosen Up Read online

  I huffed. “It got me thinking about the same exact thing. I want that, Brody. What they have. They really have things figured out.”

  We crossed the street and turned, seeing our hotel.

  “I think I want to quit my job, Brody.”

  It had been a thought that came up often, but I didn’t always vocalize it. The one time I did, Brody had told me I should just try and stick it out, that maybe it was just a rough few days. Except those few days soon grew into weeks and then into months. I didn’t want to “stick it out” anymore. I just didn’t.

  “Do it,” he said, surprising me. “Write up your resignation letter before we even get back. You don’t have to stay there. I’ve got more than enough money to support us both. You can quit and then… well, and then…”

  I sighed, the existential dread slamming into me and knocking some of the wind out of my “fuck yeah I’m quitting” sails. “Yeah, and then… that’s the question.”

  “You can… um.”

  I started getting frustrated. “It sucks. I hate it. I see Ace and Wilder and they love what they do every single day, and then I look at you, someone who’s so accomplished and set, and it makes me feel terrible about myself. I love animals, but what about it? What can I do? I don’t know.”

  I took my hand from Brody’s. There was a tightness forming between my shoulders.

  “You don’t have to know, Jordan. You can figure it out.”

  “In what time? We’re almost thirty, I can’t exactly start over now. And what if I don’t figure things out? What then, Brody?”

  “Well, then—”

  “It sucks. So damn much.”

  “Okay, hold on. Let’s take this one step at a time. You’re going to quit, that’s for sure. And then we take the next step, and sure, we may not know exactly where that step is right now, but I can guarantee you that we’ll figure it out.”

  Brody reached for my hand, but I put them into my pockets. I just felt like any kind of touch would send me spiraling. I didn’t know why this wave of frustration was hitting so hard, but it was. I felt like I was being pulled straight into the undertow, struggling to get a breath. And there was Brody’s hand, reaching through the water to help and pull me out.

  And instead of taking it, I avoided it, my frustration manifesting itself in a bitter way.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  We walked the rest of the way to the hotel in a heavy silence.

  6 Brody Winters

  This had happened before. Whenever Jordan wound himself up too tight, he tended to push away anything and everything around him. It hurt me, I wasn’t going to lie, but I also understood that about Jordan. And I also understood just how much pressure he’d been feeling over his future and the path it was taking. I always tried reassuring him that no matter where things landed, that as long as we were together, it would be all right.

  Sometimes he listened, others he didn’t.

  This was one of those “other” times.

  We walked through the empty hotel lobby. The front desk staff offered a smiley “hello” but only received one back. Jordan had his head down as he walked straight to the elevator bay.

  “Baby, wait.” I reached for him. I hated this. I didn’t want to ever see him like this, and especially not after we had such an incredible day.

  He stopped and turned to me, looking at me with those amber-brown eyes I could stare into for all of eternity.

  “Jordan, listen to me. You’re going to be all right, okay? You don’t need to put so much weight on whether or not you have a fulfilling career. Plenty of people don’t fully love their jobs and find fulfillment in other things, and that’s okay, too.”

  “But it’s not about plenty of people. It’s about me, Brody.” He covered his face with a hand. “Jesus, listen to me. I sound so stupid.”

  “No you don’t, you’re just frustrated. It’s something we can solve.”

  “How, though?”

  “Like I said, you’re going to quit, and then I can financially support—”

  Jordan shook his head. “You’re not getting it. Just forget it.” He turned and pressed on the elevator call button, the arrow lighting up.

  I hated when Jordan told me to forget something. I thought it was always a cop-out, and it always left things unresolved. I knew that if this didn’t get talked through, it would end up being something that festered and grew worse.

  “Jordan,” I said as we stepped into the elevator. “I do get it. I just—”

  “I want something for myself, all right? And I don’t have that. I don’t have something to call my own. You’re great at what you do, and you love it, and your bank account sure loves it. I work at a mind-numbing nine-to-five—except I don’t even get why people use that term when it’s clearly almost always seven-thirty-to-six, but sure, nine-to-five—and it’s sucking my soul dry, Brody. It’s giving me no motivation to do anything. And if I quit and just live off your salary, then I’d feel like my motivation would be nonexistent.”

  “But then you’d have the time to figure it out.”

  “I don’t have time, Brody! We’re only getting older. I want to start taking things to the next level. Everything. Our life together, my career. All of it. There’s no more time left.”

  “Jordan, there’s always time.”

  “You say that now.”

  I huffed. It was more so to relieve the pressure inside my chest than anything else, but Jordan must have taken it differently. The elevator door opened onto our floor.

  “If I stress you out, you can go on ahead.” Jordan didn’t step out. His face was framed by the dark blue wall of the elevator, highlighted by bright white light. Even now, after two years of seeing him day in and day out, I could still find new reasons why I loved this man, even when he was clearly annoyed with me.

  Now wasn’t the time to get lost in his eyes, though. “I didn’t mean anything by—”

  “Just go ahead. I’ll come up to the room in a bit.”

  “Jordan, I’m not leaving you alone in a city we don’t even know.”

  “Why? Because I need constant rescuing and hand-holding? That’s basically what the money offer was. A way for the prince to save his princess.” I could almost see the steam rising from his ears.

  It hurt, seeing my Jordan like this. None of what he said was true, and I believed he knew that, too, but he had blinders on and couldn’t see anything past them.

  The elevator door started to close. I threw a hand out. “Come on, baby. I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t mean anything by that sigh. And you know I don’t consider you a helpless princess. I’m so damn proud of you, and every day that only grows stronger.”

  “Proud of me for what? Being useless?”

  “Don’t you dare say that about yourself, Jordan. I’m proud of you for an infinite number of reasons. I’m proud of how you carry yourself with a smile that spreads across a room like wildfire, and I’m proud of how you light up the life of everyone you come across. I’m proud of how much confidence you’ve gained, and of how you never miss a chance to help someone in need. I’m proud of how you’ve taken this trip and turned it into something unforgettable for the both of us. I’m so fucking proud of you, Jordan. So fucking proud.”

  Jordan’s dropped his gaze before looking back up to me, a sheen over the light brown orbs. “I’m sorry, Brody… I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize, baby. I’m the one that’s sorry.”

  “No, no, you don’t have to apologize either. I just felt so overwhelmed all of a sudden.”

  “And that’s completely understandable.” I nodded toward our hotel room, my arm still holding the elevator door open. “Come on, it’s been a long day. Let’s go to bed.”

  As if to add an exclamation mark to the whole thing, the elevator started sounding a loud buzz as the door began to forcibly close. Jordan jumped out. We kissed softly, a little bit of the sudden tension being relieved.

  “Let’s go,” Jordan said.<
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  I knew that once we got a good night’s rest, everything would be back to normal. I couldn’t fault Jordan at all for letting his emotions take temporary control of the wheel.

  Inside our room, the two of us undressed, left the bag of new toys next to the bed, and climbed underneath the covers. We cuddled for a good twenty-nine seconds before the two of us slipped into a deep sleep.

  The morning brought us both better spirits. We woke up in good moods, spending a good half hour cuddling and rolling around in the bed. The clock on the nightstand read seven thirty in square, red numbers. Sunlight began to fill the room, sneaking in from the corner of the drawn blinds. I stopped kissing Jordan for a moment.

  “Want to get some breakfast? I think they’ve got eggs and toast downstairs.”

  “I’ve got some eggs right here,” Jordan said playfully, his hand going under the sheets and holding me. I slept naked, so Jordan got a handful. “But yes, let’s go downstairs.” He laughed and kissed me, letting go and moving to get up.

  I grabbed him and pulled him back. “Just five more minutes.”

  This kiss wasn’t as soft as the others. Jordan’s hand returned, holding me as I started to grow hard in his grip.

  “We still have to try out those toys,” I said. I dropped my head back onto the thick pillow as Jordan slowly stroked me beneath the sheets.

  “We do.” Jordan kissed me again, sucking on my lip. He pulled back, his strokes slowing down even more. “Sorry again. About last night. I flipped out for no reason.”

  I could barely even think about last night with how good Jordan’s hand felt around my cock.

  “Trust me, it’s fine.”

  “You sure?”

  “Very.” I sat up, throwing the bedsheet off to the side.

  “Positive?” Jordan said, licking his grinning lips before going down on me.

  “So fucking positive.”

  I dropped my head back and enjoyed the intense heat and wetness Jordan’s mouth provided, his tongue swirling and licking and making me see all kinds of stars.

  Jordan came off me with a pop, my dick slick with his saliva.

  “Let’s go get that breakfast, then.” He wiped his lips, smiling as he got off the bed, leaving me hard and wanting.

  “You little tease,” I said, groaning as I swung my feet off the bed and onto the floor, my cock throbbing.

  “All the good stuff will be gone. Besides, I want to get down there before they do.” Jordan pointed at the locked door leading to the adjacent room.

  “What if they’re morning birds?”

  “We’re going to have to take that risk.”

  I laughed as he disappeared into the bathroom. I gave myself a couple of strokes, wishing my hand were Jordan’s instead. I got up and grabbed a pair of tight black briefs, knowing damn well I’d be getting hard throughout our continental breakfast experience with how horny he had left me.

  I liked it, though, not going to lie about it. Jordan enjoyed being a tease, and so did I. It made our sex all the sweeter, all the more explosive. My body was on a constant buzz when Jordan was around me, and that only intensified if my dick was still wet with his saliva as I shoved it into my shorts.

  Jordan came out of the bathroom all cleaned up and ready for the day, wearing a pair of short light-pink swim trunks and a sky-blue shirt with big pink neon letters spelling Party and Palm Trees.

  “We look just like the locals, don’t we, eh?” Jordan gave a small twirl and laughed. This was the side of Jordan I wanted to see twenty-four seven. This carefree, laugh-at-the-world kind of Jordan. The one who made me enjoy the worst of times and love the best of them.

  I finished getting dressed, wearing a black pair of gym shorts and a blue T-shirt. My dick was still hard as we left our hotel room, and Jordan’s ass in those shorts wasn’t helping the situation at all. Thankfully, things subsided by the time we got into the elevator and rode it down, most likely due to the chilling fear I began to feel as we walked the hallways, expecting to bump into that damn family at every single turn.

  As soon as the elevator doors opened, we could smell the breakfast. We followed the signs and found the room where a couple of different tables were lined up and covered in breakfast items. There were different types of muffins and eggs, a plate of buttered toast and another of freshly baked brownies, all of it smelling delicious and making my mouth instantly water.

  And best of all? We were the only ones there. We grabbed some plates and piled them high, Jordan going for the pancakes and bacon while I filled my plate with scrambled eggs and fresh grilled veggies.

  “This is deluxe,” Jordan commented as we took our plates to one of the only tables in the room. We could have gone upstairs, but neither of us could hardly wait to start digging in. After the crazy day we had yesterday, our bodies were crying out for a big comforting meal.

  It didn’t me long to inhale my breakfast, Jordan finishing up only a little after me.

  “Good morning, you two!”

  I bristled for a second, the voice clearly directed at us, but the only people we knew in this hotel were the family we’d been traumatizing. Except I recognized that voice, and judging by Jordan’s lit-up expression, it wasn’t coming from someone we didn’t want to see.

  I turned in my chair, a smiling Susy and her big blonde hair filling up my vision. She came over to us holding a steaming cup of coffee, still wearing her plaid pajama pants and AC/DC T-shirt.

  “You decided to stay,” she said cheerily.

  “We did,” I said. Jordan and I both smiled and offered her a spot at our table.

  “Oh no, thank you, dears. I’ve got to get ready for a little brunch with friends in a bit. Just came down for some of this motor oil.” She pointed into her mug and stuck out a tongue. “But I’m so glad to see you two here. Have you enjoyed your first day?”

  “So much,” Jordan said, nodding his head. “It’s so peaceful here, and everyone’s so nice.”

  “Aren’t they? It’s an absolute joy being here.”

  We chatted with Susy a bit more, telling her about our time with Ace and Wilder. At one point she seemed like she was on the verge of asking us if we bought anything.

  “All right, you two, I need to head back upstairs. You both have a great vacation, okay?”

  “We will,” I said, suddenly thinking about the brown bag that was waiting for us back in our hotel room.

  Susy left and we followed soon after, stepping into the elevator and instantly finding our lips together. Like magic. The second the door shut, we were kissing, Jordan falling back onto the elevator wall and causing it to shake a little as it carried us upward.

  “You taste like syrup,” I said, our floor dinging and the door opening. “I like it.”

  Jordan walked out of the elevator, giving me a great view of that bubble butt of his, perky and firm inside of his tiny shorts. I gave his ass a playful slap, my cock twitching in response.

  I couldn’t fucking wait to get back into our room.

  We reached our hotel door and fell against it, kissing like we’d been apart for twenty-seven years. I pressed my body against his, pushing him back against the door. I wanted him to feel me, to feel how badly I already craved his body. My hardening dick pulsed between us, and I could feel his do the same.

  “Let’s get inside,” Jordan said, fumbling behind himself looking for the doorknob. “Before our friends end up seeing us.”

  I looked to our hotel neighbor’s door and laughed before grabbing Jordan’s head in my hands and kissing him again. “God, I fucking love you so much.”

  Jordan kissed me again, his hands on my hip, moving around to grab my ass. “I love you, t—”

  The sound of a lock opening echoed through the hallway. Jordan and I jumped off each other like we’d been pulled apart by ropes tied around our waists. Down the hall, far from our favorite Brady Bunch family cosplayers, a door opened and a housekeeper walked out pushing a trolley of towels. She shot us a look before smilin
g and turning down toward the other rooms.

  I laughed, reuniting with Jordan again as he opened the door, the two of us tumbling into our room, kissing and laughing and falling more and more in love with every passing second.

  7 Jordan Hampton

  Brody kissed me like he’d been starved of me for the past fifteen years. His tongue probed and pushed against mine, sliding and tasting. I melted into his kiss, letting every single worry and thought drift away, focusing solely on the man who was currently pushing me back toward the bed.

  I felt the mattress against the back of my legs and fell back. Brody fell on top of me, still kissing me, grinding his body onto mine.

  I wrapped my legs around him, rubbing myself up onto him, feeling our erections straining to touch, to rub. I needed to feel his skin against mine.

  “Take your clothes off,” I said.

  Five seconds later and we were both butt naked and rolling around on the bed, needing to touch every inch of my skin against Brody’s. His heat consumed me. His touch sent me right back to that first night I told him I loved him, when we were lying underneath a star-covered African sky.

  The words came out of me like water from a river. “I love you.” As natural as water flowing, that was the love I felt for Brody.

  His hands encased my head as Brody looked down into my eyes, his cock throbbing against mine. “I love you, too.” As if signing his declaration, he leaned down and kissed me, claiming my mouth with his and leaving me breathless.

  We rubbed and kissed and sucked, toes curling and hands gripping the sheets. It was when Brody went to kneel on the floor while I sat on the edge of the bed that the bag of goodies caught my eye.

  “Oh, wait,” I said, just before Brody took me into his mouth. He looked disappointed as I got up, almost slapping him in the face with my dick.

  “Whoa, you almost took out my eye for the second time.” Brody laughed and watched me cross the room.

  “Sorry,” I called back, smiling.

  I grabbed the paper bag and walked back to the bed, my dick swinging side to side. I reached the bed and dumped out the toys. Brody licked his lips and smiled, standing up, just as hard as I was. A clear drop of precome leaked from his tip, catching the sunlight streaming in from the open window.