Chapter Eleven

Rossi

December, 1991

Damn it, he’d just seen that familiar face, but now he was gone.

He shouldered around a group of people in the busy military bar that sat just outside of Fort Ord.

If he could just get a glimpse—

Rossi craned his head over the crowd of service men in the packed room. It really wasn’t much of a stretch because he had the height, but some of his fellow soldiers were just as tall and the man he was looking for not so much. Only a few weeks away from Christmas, the bar was extra noisy and everyone was in high spirits.

“Ah ha,” he muttered, finally spotting that dark-haired head moving toward the back hallway where the restrooms were located.

Rossi tossed back the last of his drink, placed the glass on the nearby bar, and rubbed his palms down his pants.

Shouldering his way through the crowd, he ignored his name being called by several people and kept his eyes on the prize.

A few slaps on the back when he passed a particular rowdy group had him tossing them a quirky smile.

“Come drink with us, Rossi!” someone shouted.

“I’m good.” He pointed toward the restroom and kept going. The group broke out singing “Jingle Bells”.

Reaching the hallway, it was relatively quiet—well, as quiet as anywhere could be in the only sports bar on base.

“Where you going, Esposito?”

“Yeah, stay awhile and play.”

Rossi squinted, his temper mounting when he heard Jake Jones’s and Jess Farling’s voices. As usual, the fuckers were up to no good.

“Let me pass.”

“Aw come on, Es…po…sito…” Farling said.

“Get your hand off me and let me through.”

Rossi heard a slight shake in the order.

When he rounded the corner, Rossi spotted the big, muscled form of Farling using one hand to pin Stefano Esposito to the wall. Next to Farling stood Jones; he wasn’t as big, but the guy still had some muscle to him. Jones laughed when Stefano tried to push Farling away.

Rossi saw fucking red.

His vision narrowed, the hallway disappeared, and even the noise from the bar faded. He prowled forward and knocked Jones aside, and Farling didn’t stand a chance.

Rossi’s hand clamped on the back of Farling’s neck and he fisted the man’s shirt, using his considerable height and weight to spin Farling and slam his face into the opposite wall. The guy didn’t even have time to make a fucking peep.

Rossi rounded on Jones and backhanded the man so hard, Jones dropped to his knees.

Farling bounced back from the wall but before he could regain any semblance of reason, Rossi sent an uppercut punch to the guy’s chin. He didn’t aim for the tip of Farling’s chin, though, but hit closer to the guy’s neck, intent on doing maximum damage. It was the first time in his life that he wanted to kill something, and badly.

Farling’s eyes went wide and he made a squeaking sound, grabbing at his throat. When Farling slumped back against the wall and slipped to his ass, Rossi turned back to Jones, who was still on his knees, and moved in.

“Gio…”

That voice was the only thing that stopped him. The hallway came zooming back into focus and the noise from the bar filtered through his red haze of rage.

His head cocked to the side, listening again for that soft, smooth as sin voice…a voice he’d been hearing around base for three long months. Pain filtered through, especially the hand he’d used to hit Jones with.

“I’m okay,” Stefano whispered.

In the next moment, it dawned on him that Stefano knew his name.

When the man placed a tentative palm on his arm, Rossi slid an arm around Stefano’s shoulders and turned them both back toward the bar. Rossi didn’t stop walking until they were through the crowded place and out the front door.

The base was quiet and dark compared to the noise inside and he sucked in a few breaths of clean, crisp air.

He fully expected Stefano to pull away from him when they reached outside, but instead, the man wrapped an arm around his waist. Rossi kept walking until they reached the corner of the building and then he pulled Stefano around the back.

Stefano’s back bumped the wall when Rossi moved closer, and he felt the man shiver.

“Cold?”

“No.” Stefano shook his head, gazing up into his face. The man’s tongue darted out and ran along his full bottom lip. Stefano had the fullest lips Rossi had ever seen and they drew him in like honey.

“Tell me no if you don’t want this,” he had the presence of mind to say.

Stefano’s mouth curved into a smile and a softness filled his deep brown eyes.

Rossi cupped the sides of Stefano’s face with both hands and dipped his head to brush his mouth against the man’s parted lips. Electric didn’t begin to describe what coursed through his body at that moment and he figured there wasn’t much on earth that compared to this kiss.

Stefano’s lips parted farther and his tongue swept out to tangle with his.

At that point, Rossi was a goner.

“Are you going back to base?”

The breathless question was accompanied by Stefano’s tongue swiping out to lick at his plump bottom lip, a lip that was swollen from the kiss.

“Nah, I’m staying just around the corner.” He never stayed on the base when he got leave for the weekend.

“Oh yeah?”

Without a word, Rossi threw his arm around Stefano’s shoulders and steered him toward the unkempt hotel a few blocks down. To the casual onlooker, they looked like a couple of friends. He shoved the key into the knob and twisted. Stefano crowded in behind him and when the door opened, he was pushed inside.

Stumbling forward, Rossi laughed and spun on Stefano, who had stopped to slam the door and throw the latch that would keep any unwanted housekeeping out. The man’s chest was swiftly rising and falling, his lips parted slightly, and his eyes were pools of heat.

Fuck, he’d never wanted anyone so much. They didn’t know each other yet, but if Rossi had his way, Stefano would know him inside and out very soon.

“So…now what?” Stefano licked at his lips.

“Say my name.”

Stefano’s chin tipped. A faint shadow edged where a thick beard and mustache would grow if Stefano didn’t shave daily. Several months younger than Rossi’s own twenty-years old, Stefano appeared older than him because Rossi couldn’t grow much facial hair to save his life. Oh, he grew enough to shave a few times a week, but other than that…nada.

“Giovanni Rossi.”

“No… say it like you mean it.”

Stefano’s lips twisted and pouted and Rossi’s dick perked up.

“Gio…”

Fuck. His stomach tightened when his name was said in that low, sexy voice and then Stefano licked his lips as if tasting the word.

“Why have you been stalking me?” Stefano asked, placing his hands on his trim hips.

Good question.

What could he say?

That he’d been obsessed with Stefano from the moment he’d seen him in the mess hall a few months ago. He had followed Stefano’s progress during boot camp and had made damn sure after AIT that he was going to meet the man he’d been lusting after.

Should he tell Stefano that he’d thought of nothing but touching him and kissing him until they were both mindless—just to ease the roaring ache? He’d never been so attracted to another human in his entire life. When word had spread that Stefano might play for the other team, Rossi couldn’t believe his luck.

Although he was bi, his preference was for men—although, Rossi couldn’t remember ever being attracted to a man who looked like Stefano. First off, the guy was almost too good looking. What with the combination of dark eyes, curling black hair, strong jaw, and those fucking lips. Lips to die for. Lips he wanted to taste like right the fuck now.

Closing the distance between them, Rossi gave Stefano ample time to evade him, and when the man stayed still, Rossi’s dick went from iron to granite.

He fisted the front of Stefano’s shirt and slowly pulled him forward. Stefano wound his arms up and around his neck and sent his fingers digging into his hair, hands cupping the back of his head.

Stefano’s touch shot a pulse through his whole fucking body.

With a slow smile, Stefano’s hands gently caressed his scalp and Rossi clenched his teeth.

“What do you want?” Stefano whispered.

He opened his mouth, but only air came out and then gruffly, he managed a guttural, “You.”

“Oh yeah?” The word whispered against his lips and brown eyes swept up to meet his.

Rather than answer, Rossi slipped his hand around the back of Stefano’s head, caressing the curls at his nape, hoping to send the same sensation coursing through the sexy man’s body.

Lowering his head, he brushed his mouth against those softly parted lips. When Stefano made a sound, Rossi eased back. That was when Stefano nudged one of his legs between his thighs and sucked in a quick breath when that thigh met his hard cock. With a low growl, Rossi moved back in and captured the man’s mouth. He bit kisses repeatedly at Stefano’s lips until the man’s eyes became wide. Rossi reveled in the desire reflecting from Stefano’s face.

Clearing his throat, he finally eased his fingers free of tousled strands of hair.

“Sorry,” he said gruffly.

“Don’t be.”

Fuck. The breathy words sent his heart hammering in his chest and when Stefano moved in and caught his mouth with a rough kiss, Rossi was all in. Reaching around, he gripped Stefano’s ass and lifted until the man’s long legs wrapped around his waist.

“I want you,” Stefano breathed, leaning in so very slowly and catching his lower lip between his teeth. Air rushed from his lungs when the man’s tongue swept against his lips. With a stuttering breath, he croaked his next words out.

“You have me,” he said, tightening his arms around Stefano.

Oh, man was he in trouble.

This feeling inside his chest went way beyond a casual hook up and he’d known it the moment he had rescued Stefano at the bar. Hell, if he was being honest, he’d known it the moment he’d made up his mind to track Stefano down and ask him to hang out. He was tired of the constant screwing in bathrooms, backrooms, and dark alleys. He hadn’t known he’d been tired, he hadn’t known that until he’d laid eyes on Stefano’s tall, lanky frame from across mess hall.

Fuck, if the man couldn’t fill out a uniform from the way the slacks cupped his tight ass, the shirt open at the collar. Right then, those legs were wrapped around his hips and the hair in the opening of Stefano’s shirt was right there in front of his face. Rossi squeezed the tight globes filling his hands.

Stefano made a sound in his throat and cleaved his fingers up and through Rossi’s hair again, only this time, the man’s nails were scraping his scalp and his hips were undulating in his hands.

Stalking to the bed, Rossi lowered Stefano to the bedspread before pulling away to yank at his own clothing. He had to trust that this was what Stefano was after. He was what Stefano wanted, at least for tonight. Stefano flashed him a wide smile, kicked off his shoes, pulled his socks off, and shimmied out of his pants before tugging off his t-shirt over his head and tossing each article aside.

Rossi melted like a fucking puddle and finished ridding himself of clothes before he moved closer, drawn to the tightly muscled skin being revealed with the removal of each item of clothing. Stefano’s fingers went to the edge of his own briefs and began pulling down the material. When Stefano kicked the briefs away, his cock bounced against his stomach and Rossi was a goner.

With one last yank, Rossi was free of clothing and moved forward to rest one knee on the bed. Holding Stefano’s hungry gaze, Rossi slid his palms up both calves, knees, and the inside of Stefano’s thighs. Rossi ran his fingers over the sexy crease where Stefano’s hips and thighs met. And still holding Stefano’s gaze, he lowered his mouth to the skin just near his engorged cock.

“Oh, fuck…” Resting on his elbows to see him, Stefano groaned softly and dropped his head back when Rossi licked at the bare skin near one hip and teased the man’s cock with the brush of his unshaven chin. Stefano’s legs twisted and Rossi’s shoulders were held in a death grip followed by a slow rake of short nails—that would surely leave marks.

He’d wear those marks with pride.