Chapter Nine

By the time they pulled into a Best Western hotel for the night, Ari was exhausted and cranky. They'd made it about half way back to Tahoe, but Ari had forced Eoghan to pull off the highway because he'd counted no less than ten yawns in one minute and he was pretty sure he was about to crash the car. Besides, it had been a long fucking day and they both needed showers. Eoghan parked in front of the door to their room after checking in and when they got out, carrying their duffels, weapons, and the bag of fast-food salads they'd picked up along the way, both of their backs cracked loudly.

"Oh, that feels good," Eoghan said, rubbing his lower back and butt. "My ass was literally numb. I'm pretty sure it fell asleep back there at Kaycee's place."

Ari leaned back as far as he could, hearing every vertebra in his spine crack like he'd just opened a zipper. "Holy shit," he exclaimed as he dropped the duffel in front of their door and took the keycard Eoghan held out to him.

After letting themselves in, they took turns using the bathroom and washing up. By the time Eoghan stepped out into the room, Ari already had their salads out of the bag and laid out on the small table. He was drenching his own with Thousand Island, making sure he covered the chicken as well as the lettuce. He smiled at Eoghan who walked over and bent to kiss him before taking his seat across from him.

"Jeez, I'm starving," Eoghan said, picking up a packet of Ranch and opening it.

Ari watched him pour the dressing all over his salad as he chewed his first delicious bite of his fried chicken salad. He swallowed and stabbed more chicken and lettuce. "You know, all these bad food choices and being on the road with no exercise is not good."

"So we talked about back in Tahoe," Eoghan said around a bite of food. "I guess that means we're jogging again tomorrow before we hit the road."

Ari threw him a dirty look even though he knew he was right. His thirty-fifth birthday was rapidly approaching and if he was going to keep his trim figure, he knew they had to start making better choices. It was just that days like today when they were literally on the road day and night, meant that they did a hell of a lot more sitting than being active. He ate more of his salad, watching Eoghan across the table before sitting back with a full belly.

"We're most definitely going to jog first thing in the morning. Right now, though, I'm going to jump into the shower and wash the day off so that I can be all fresh when I crawl between the sheets." He waggled his eyebrows at Eoghan when his eyes flashed fire.

"That sounds like a great idea," Eoghan said. "In fact, if you wait for me to finish this, I'll join you in that shower." He smiled and Ari almost melted on the spot.

Ari sat forward and finished off the rest of his salad with renewed vigor before standing up and throwing away his carton. He glanced back at Eoghan who was still sitting there chewing. He crooked a finger. "Well? Are you coming?"

"Yep," Eoghan said, tossing his box unceremoniously into the trash beside Ari's before following him into the bathroom.

The shower wasn't really built for the use of two big men at the same time but neither of them really cared. Ari's initial idea was to fuck Eoghan inside the stall, but decided against it since it might entail grave bodily injury. Instead, he planted a hot, wet, tongue kiss on Eoghan's mouth and opted for quickly cleaning himself off, washing his hair, and exiting the stall with the whispered promise of a lot more when he decided to join him in bed.

Predictably, almost as soon as Ari had climbed into bed, Eoghan emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist, using another to dry his black hair. He smiled to himself as he watched Eoghan toss the towels onto the other bed and jump in beside him, making the bed bounce. Ari laughed, holding his arms out wide as Eoghan crawled over him, immediately stretching along the length of his body. His sweet mouth covered Ari's and he'd pushed his tongue inside in response, greedily plying him with deep kisses. He loved making out with Eoghan. It invariably led to fantastic sex.

To his delight, a vast reserve of sexual energy had been awakened in Ari after getting together with Eoghan. He hadn't been aware of it before and could only attribute it all but denying himself the pleasures of the flesh—only sampling other men occasionally—for so many years. With Eoghan, simply catching sight of his round backside had Ari growing hard. He adored his lover's body to the point of distraction, ravenously exploring every inch of him with his mouth when they were in private and avoiding staring at him at the office. There wasn't an inch of Eoghan Sapphire that Ari hadn't explored with great interest. The man simply did it for him.

He liked the light blue of his eyes, the darkness of his silky, black hair, and the sweetness of his smile. Eoghan told him he was equally attracted to him which made him puff up with pride. As much as he kidded Eoghan about wanting to make sure they lived a healthy, long life together, he meant every bit of it. Knowing that his own body was attractive to his lover was important to Ari, something he'd never really cared to explore with past lovers or the few brief relationships he'd had in the past. Here and now, though, he had other things to think about.

He kissed Eoghan deeply, rolling him on the bed until he was on top, a position he preferred. They hadn't been together very long, but they made love almost every night or morning, sometimes both. The newness of the relationship made sex exciting; neither of them had become complacent or lazy in it. Ari could only hope that it never would. His mother always told him that relationships took work, especially in the long term. Even though they hadn't discussed their future together, working hard to keep Eoghan was how he intended to proceed. His own parents had been married for close to forty years and they were still very much in love. He hoped he and Eoghan had staying power because they were pretty perfect together.

Ari ground his hard dick down on Eoghan's groin, appreciating the way Eoghan felt against his body. His lover was as hard as him which was more perfect than Ari could imagine. So far, Ari had topped exclusively but that didn't mean he didn't want to explore bottoming for Eoghan in the future. He was slightly nervous about the prospect. Before meeting Eoghan, Ari hadn't had a real long-term boyfriend. There had been a couple of guys which had hung around for a while, and one who'd pushed him for more, but even then, he hadn't felt close enough to them to consider bottoming.

The trust and intimacy which came with Eoghan, though, was different. And there really hadn't been the opportunity to explore bottoming previously. Maybe, he was simply overthinking it. Regardless, he was happy to leave things with Eoghan just the way they were…that was, unless Eoghan wanted to change things. He'd yet to bring it up. Besides, watching Eoghan come apart as he fucked him into the mattress was seriously hot.

Eoghan groaned beneath him and Ari lifted his head, breaking their kiss and smiling down at him as he framed his face with both hands. His lover blinked up at him and for the thousandth time, Ari stared into his beautiful eyes and sighed. He could do this all day long. Eoghan rocked his hips, arching up off the bed, and dragging his hard cock over his own.

Ari smiled and reached down between them, circling his shaft with his hand and giving it a few slow strokes as he lifted off him and sat back, straddling his body, staring down at him. Eoghan's cock was blushing a beautiful bright pink and copiously leaking precome. Eoghan groaned again and Ari dragged his gaze to his brown nipples, noting how the nubs tightened sweetly. The sight of them made his mouth water. He leaned down so he could run a tongue over them, lavishing attention on one before moving over to the other as Eoghan ran his fingers over his scalp the equivalent of what he'd be doing to his hair if he had any long enough to pull.

"Are you planning on fucking me?" Eoghan gasped, sounding utterly breathless.

Ari gave his nipple a gentle nip with his teeth before smiling and lifting his head. He sat back, taking hold of the sides of Eoghan's thighs and squeezing them. "Is that what you want?"

Eoghan nodded vigorously. "Get the lube. It's in my duffel."

Ari chuckled and let go of his legs, scrambling off the bed and jogging over to Eoghan's bag. He zipped it open, feeling around in the darkness. The lamp burning between the two beds, didn't allow him to see well. After futilely searching for a minute or so, he gave up, lifting the whole bag onto the table. Rooting around inside and searching for the illusive bottle, he felt something else.

"What's this?" Ari asked, grinning as he held up his find.

"Dammit! I was saving those for a surprise." Eoghan launched himself off the bed, took three strides around it and lunged at Ari.

Ari laughed and lifted his hand, holding the red, lacy underthings high in the air, just out of reach. "You should have told me you packed dessert in your luggage."

Eoghan jumped up and grabbed the slip of lace, and Ari let go so they wouldn't tear. Ari watched him ball them into a fist and then toss them back in the bag with a huff. "You ruined the surprise." Eoghan began to walk away when Ari reached out and caught him around the waist, bringing him flush up against his body and burying his lips in Eoghan's neck.

"Aw, you're not mad, are you? I was just teasing." He blew against his skin which made delightful farting noises and made Eoghan laugh.

"Stop it, you asshole!" he said, doing his best to pry Ari's arms away from his midsection. "Okay, okay, stop!" he said, laughing. "I'm not mad," he said when Ari finally turned him loose and caught his hand, dragging him back toward the bed. The second he'd fallen back onto it, he was swearing. "Fuck!"

"What?" Ari asked, frowning.

Eoghan launched himself off the bed and stomped back across the room where he began tearing into the duffel bag again. Ari watched him in total confusion for several seconds before putting two fingers into his mouth and whistling. Eoghan jumped in surprise and spun around. "Jesus!" he shouted with one hand clamped over his heart.

Ari held up the lube and condom. "I assume you were looking for these?"

"Asshole," Eoghan said, chuckling as he launched himself at him, tackling him back to the bed as they both laughed some more. Ari was barely able to kiss Eoghan around the smile. He loved the way they always got along so well. They were well suited to each other and even though he made him insane at times, Ari was simply crazy for Eoghan.

"I need to fuck you, Eoghan," Ari said, breaking the kiss and leaning back.

"How do you want me?" Eoghan asked, sounding breathless after their little make out session.

Ari glanced around. His gaze came to a rest on the sturdy railings built into the headboard. He immediately sat back and rolled off his lover as a smile crossed his face. "Roll over, scoot up, grab onto those railings, and spread your legs."

Eoghan grinned widely and did just as he was asked, practically jumping into action as he crawled up the bed. Only when he was in position, did he bother to glance back over his shoulder with a decadent look. "Fuck me." The way he said it sounded like a purr to Ari. He tore open the condom with his teeth and rolled it on before squeezing a healthy dollop of lube into his palm. He slicked himself up and then moved in between Eoghan's legs as his lover twisted his head so Ari could capture his soft lips in a sensuous kiss.

When Ari pulled his mouth away, Eoghan's blue eyes were burning with lust. He sat back on his heels and ran his hands up Eoghan's sides, noting the three deep claw marks in his back, a permanent reminder that their job was terrifying at times. He had yet to meet a werewolf and after seeing what a rogue monster had once done to this beautiful man, Ari hoped he never would. Instead of dwelling on the scar, he leaned down and kissed Eoghan between the shoulder blades. Eoghan immediately rocked backward and looked over his shoulder again.

"Are you going to fuck me, or do I have to beg for it?"

"I'm getting to it, Eoghan. Just keep your hands on that headboard." He was pretty sure Eoghan was enjoying being bossed around when he moaned. Ari smiled to himself, adding more lube to his fingers before sliding them into Eoghan's body to prepare him. Eoghan pushed back against his hand and clenched around the finger so Ari added a second and then a third, twisting them inside as Eoghan began panting rapidly. His back was slick with sweat by the time he'd finished prepping him. Ari slid his fingers out and took both of Eoghan's hips into his hands, sliding his cock into his crack, and sighing as he pushed up against his entrance. He leaned over and whispered against the back of Eoghan's neck. "Are you ready, baby?"

"Oh, my God, please, Ari, just do it. Just fuck me," Eoghan begged.

Ari grunted and pushed inside with a long, slow glide. Halfway in, he stopped, watching Eoghan's hands tighten around the rungs of the headboard, waiting as his lover adjusted. When he let out a breathy sound and nodded, Ari pulled back and then thrust in, repeating the motion several times until he was buried to the hilt. He blanketed Eoghan and kissed the back of his neck again, adoring the tea tree and almond scent of the bodywash he always used at home and on the road. He'd become addicted to the stuff.

"You're so fucking tight, Eoghan," he whispered into his ear. "I swear, I'll never get enough of your body."

Eoghan pushed back as far as he could, grasping the headboard tightly, moaning at the restriction. Ari couldn't help but smile, liking the way his lover reacted to the virtual bonds and decided this subject was going to require a much more thorough examination back home. When he hesitated, Eoghan growled.

"Fuck me, Ari…come on."

The whine in his voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he began fucking him in earnest, dragging moans and growls out of Eoghan, thoroughly enjoying every single sound. He felt his climax rapidly approaching and held on as he pumped into him, getting closer with each thrust. When he could hold back no more, he reached around, taking Eoghan's poor, neglected cock in hand. His entire shaft was silky with precome and it didn't take more than a couple of strokes before Eoghan was shouting.

"Ari!"

Hearing his cry was all it took for Ari to come. "Eoghan!" he yelled as he felt his lover's cock throbbing in his grip. Seconds later, he was emptying himself into the condom buried in his ass as he felt Eoghan's hot come pouring over his knuckles. His entire body trembled above Eoghan as he rode out his climax until it finally tapered away. When he could breathe again, Ari slowly pulled out, grasping the condom and lowering his forehead to rest on Eoghan's lower back as his heartbeat slowed to normal. It took a while to recover.

"Ari, you need to move," Eoghan whispered.

He woke as if from a kind of dream state, realizing that he'd pinned Eoghan in place with his weight. "Oh, fuck," he said, letting go of Eoghan's softening cock and leaning back, still holding onto the condom. "I'm so sorry, baby. You just…I lost my mind for a second." He slid off the bed as Eoghan laughed, rolling over to his ass and looking completely fucked out, cheeks flushed, body loose and relaxed, smiling like an idiot. The expression was utterly contagious, and Ari grinned back at him as he turned and headed for the bathroom. "Be right back!" he called over his shoulder as he stepped into the motel bathroom to deal with the messy condom.

When he came back into the room with a warm, wet washcloth for his lover just two minutes later, he found Eoghan curled up on his side in the fetal position with the covers pulled up. His hands were folded on the pillow, cheek resting on them prayerfully, and he was sound asleep. Ari could do nothing but smile at the sight. He stopped by the side of the bed, debating whether to wake him so he could clean up, but he didn't have the heart to do it. Eoghan had driven all day and most of the night, and Ari knew he had to be exhausted.

He jogged back to the bathroom and dropped the washcloth in the sink, briefly staring at himself in the mirror, before shutting off the light. When he slid into bed behind Eoghan and took him into his arms, the man sighed in his sleep, settling against him as if he were made to be the little spoon. Not knowing what would happen in the morning, Ari decided to make the most of having his man in his arms, so close their hearts beat as one.

Early the next morning, Ari regretted all the nice things he'd been thinking about Eoghan when the man woke him up before dawn to tell him they were going to jog down to the coffee shop and grab a brew rather than get into their nice, cushy car and point it in the same direction.

"You're going to die if you don't get any exercise, Ari," Eoghan said as he stood at the side of the bed with his hands on his hips.

"Mmffmm," he said, face buried beneath the pillow. Seconds later it was ripped off his head and he stared bleary-eyed at the beautiful man looming over him, looking well rested, wearing workout gear, and ready to rock and roll.

"I didn't hear what you said," Eoghan said with a schmoopy grin.

Ari narrowed his eyes as he rolled onto his back and crossed his arms over his chest. "I said, you're going to die if you make me jog at—" He turned to look at the clock before groaning in outrage. "Zero dark thirty!" He punched the pillow, though, his heart really wasn't in the protest.

"It's five. Get your ass out of bed, you lazy Ranger."

"Fuck you, Marine!" he said. There wasn't any heat behind the words and judging by the grin on Eoghan's face, he knew it.

"Get up or I'll—" A second later, Eoghan jumped on him and shrieked. "Tickle you until you give in." He started tickling Ari which immediately made him laugh uproariously and try to buck him off the bed. Eoghan knew being tickled was kryptonite to Ari, the thing he both hated more than anything, and feared the most.

"Stop it!" he screamed, wrestling with Eoghan, trying to trap his wrists to stop his fingers from digging into his sides, gasping with laughter all the while. "Stop, Eoghan! Stop or I'll kill you!" he screamed.

Eoghan laughed like an idiot, unyielding in his torture as he tickled him relentlessly, pinning him to the bed with his surprising strength.

"Are you gonna get up?" Eoghan asked, tickling him madly.

"Yes! Yes! Fine, I'll get up, Eoghan! Stop!" Ari cried out, laughing as Eoghan finally gave up the fight and rolled off him. Ari lay on the bed, gasping, holding a hand over his naked chest, breaths sawing in and out of his lungs as he tried his best to recover. This was not the way he expected to be woken up in the morning after he'd fallen asleep so sweetly, sexed out and happy, curled up with his best friend. The very idea brought a smile to his face; he rolled to his side and reached out, cupping Eoghan's smiling cheek.

"I—I…thank you, Eoghan. You make me really, very happy," he said, barely dodging the L-O-V-E confession which had been on the tip of his tongue.

Eoghan smiled angelically at him. "You make me happy too, Ari…more happy than I can say."