Chapter 22

Lee

~You can’t bring Griffin Marsh on the event shuttle OMG you’ll cause a riot.

I stared at the reply from Yolanda to my update of ~Griff and I heading to the motel. U ready to go? Meet at the bus?

Before I could respond, she added, ~Don’t worry about me. I’m going to stick around and see the last band. You two have fun but find a safe way to get there.

I angled my phone at Griffin who sighed. “She’s not wrong. Most of the time, folks don’t recognize me these days. But an hour after I got off the stage at a rock fest is different.”

“Ideas? I’d say call Lyft or Uber but the town’s so small, I heard the few people who do that are swamped out of their minds. They turn down most requests and charge a fortune for the runs they do take.”

“Let’s go back to the Chaser bus and see if anyone has options.” Griffin held out his hand to me.

I’d never held hands with anyone in public, but tonight, I wanted that contact as much as he did. That moment when he’d closed his arms around me was the best feeling I’d ever known. And yes, I included sex in that. Although I couldn’t wait to get back to the motel and do a side-by-side comparison. Plus front to back, front to front, top to bottom…

Griffin wiggled his fingers at me. “Coming?”

“Not yet.” I took his hand. “I’m still reeling a bit. You love me?”

He raised my hand and kissed my knuckles. “Six ways from Sunday.”

“It’s Sunday. I expect a demonstration of those six ways.” I let him guide me through the dim maze of buildings and buses. “Did you tell your friends about me?” I couldn’t help worrying what they’d think of the guy who dumped their friend, even if we were un-dumped now.

“Not by name. Nothing specific, either. Just that I met someone and it didn’t go well.”

“Most of it went excellent. Just a wobble at the end.”

“I’ll explain that to them.” He paused outside one of the few buses left in a center row. The Chaser Lost logo slashed across the black-painted exterior and a group portrait of the band stared at me from beside the door.

“That’s huge. Do they own it? Stupid question with their pictures on it, huh?”

“Not stupid. You can rent a tour bus and have a logo wrap put on temporarily. But yeah, Pete owns this one and the crew bus parked behind it, too. The amount they tour, comfort’s worth guaranteeing.” He punched a code in by the bus door and a moment later it hissed open. “Come on.” He led the way up the steps.

Surreal was perhaps the best word for climbing up into the bus of a world-famous band and seeing the musicians lounging around in sweats with their hair tousled and beers in hand. Pete Lebraun raised his beer can at Griffin. “There you are, bro. How’d it go?” Then he spotted me and sat up straighter. “Oh, hi, welcome to the bus.”

“Thank you.” I licked my dry lips and moved closer behind Griffin.

“Guys, this is my boyfriend—” Griffin broke off and glanced back at me. I nodded vigorously. “—boyfriend, Lee Robertson. Lee, the Scooby gang.” He ducked as the keyboardist flung a pillow at his head. “Also known as Chaser Lost. That’s Pete, Shondra with the vicious pillows, Quinn, Zoe, Ulrich. And their awesome techs, Kane, Vic, Royson, and two folks whose names I never got.”

“Terrison.” A big dark guy saluted me with his beer.

“Vanessa,” the blond woman called out. She was the one who’d come to fetch me and Yolanda before the hour that had just changed my life.

“Vanessa.” Griffin put his palms together and bowed to her. “I owe you a big one. Seriously.”

“De nada,” she said.

“Good to meet all of you,” I told them.

Griffin went on, “Much as I want you folks to get to know each other, right now I’m trying to find a way to get us back to Lee’s motel in town without creating a riot on the shuttle bus.”

Ulrich wolf-whistled and laughed when Shondra elbowed him.

Vanessa pushed to her feet. “I drove my own car up here. I get carsick on buses. I can give you a ride.”

“Seriously?” Griffin smiled at her. “Now I owe you my second-born as well as my first-born.”

“Unless you know something about gay sex that I don’t, I won’t hold my breath.” She dug under the table and came up with a fanny pack.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Ulrich told Griffin.

Pete laughed. “Not narrowing it down much.” He pushed to his feet, went over to a locked box, and dug something out. “Here.” He passed a laminated card on a lanyard to me. “Crew pass, in case you need to come back in. We always have a couple of extras in case someone gets sick and we need a pinch hitter.”

“Oh, um, thank you.”

When I took hold of the pass, Pete held on a moment longer, meeting my eyes. “Be good to Griff, right? He may seem like a big tough guy, but we’re all vulnerable and easy to hurt underneath.”

I wondered if Griffin had described how we’d broken up. All I could say was, “I’ll try hard not to hurt him again.”

“Fair enough.” Pete let go and dropped back into his seat.

Griffin said, “I’m a big boy, Pete. I got this.”

Pete raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t respond.

Vanessa came down the aisle toward us. “I’m parked behind the crew bus. Blue Chevy.”

“Lead the way.” Griffin stepped aside to let her by, then asked Pete, “What time are you hitting the road tomorrow?”

“Nine-ish? We can come by the motel and pick you up, though, so you don’t have to find a way back.”

“Hell, yeah, I’d appreciate it.” Griffin sketched a wave. “Night, everyone. You killed it. Seriously, most amazing show I’ve ever seen you do. And you backed me up like fucking angels. You’re the best.”

A chorus of goodnights followed us out of the bus behind Vanessa.

She led us to a mid-sized sedan. Griffin waved me into the passenger seat and took the back, on the grounds that I needed the leg room. He wasn’t wrong. I’d spent a lot of the day on my feet and danced more than I had in the last ten years. While I wished I was sitting in the back too, pressed against him, it would’ve made Vanessa seem like a chauffeur, and I couldn’t deny getting to stretch out my legs was heaven. I sighed. Maybe extra hard.

Vanessa looked over at me as she backed out of her parking space and laughed. “Long day?”

“But so worth it.” I glanced over my shoulder, almost afraid I wouldn’t see Griffin back there. His smile in the dim back seat settled my nerves. “Weirdest day ever but best ending in the world.”

Griffin gave me a thumbs up.

Vanessa didn’t chatter as she drove, and the things Griffin and I wanted to say to each other were private. We rolled along the moonlit desert highway in comfortable silence. Vanessa seemed to know where the motel was, which was good because I’d have had to dig my phone out and GPS it. She pulled right up to my unit when I gave her the number and said, “Goodnight, guys.”

Griffin leaned forward. “I owe you a ton, for finding Lee and Yolanda, for this drive. If I offer you a big tip will that be welcome or not so much?”

Vanessa smiled. “I have three kids back home with my husband. I won’t say no to a tip.”

“Great.” Griffin dug out his wallet and passed her several bills folded together.

We got out and watched her drive off, then turned to my door. “Don’t expect much,” I warned as I unlocked it.

“All I need is you,” Griffin answered. “Although grabbing clean underwear while I had the chance might’ve been smart.”

“I don’t have enough brain cells for smart tonight.” I ushered him past me, switched on the light, and closed the door behind us.

“Me neither.” Griffin pushed me back till my butt hit the door and kissed me.

His mouth on mine, his thigh between my legs, set my world on fire. I needed more, right now, needed Griffin as close as I could get him, lips and skin and dick and breath. I clutched his ass in both hands and hauled him in tighter. He laughed against my mouth and nipped my lip, grinding our bodies together.

“Bed,” I gasped, because as hot as this was I wanted him naked. “Clothes off.”

“Fuck, yeah.”

We separated to strip, not taking the time to make it slow and sexy. I’d do slow later, tease and torture Griffin until he was begging. Right now, I just wanted him under me, skin to skin. I yanked off the bedcovers and tipped Griffin onto the mattress. He went willingly, grinning up at me, and I plastered myself on top of him and kissed him till we were both breathless.

When I had to pull back and take a deep breath, I propped myself on my elbows to look down at him. Griffin Marsh, my Griffin, lay there caged by my elbows, his lips reddened from my kisses, pupils blown wide. His hair haloed his head, ebony and silver, and his chest rose and fell under me.

“Am I too heavy?” I slid up a knee to lift a little of my considerable weight off him.

He locked his arms across my back. “You’re perfect. I love having you pinning me down. It feels… safe.”

Griffin had spent a long time with no one to care about him. I’d seen pictures of his trial, and the only person at his side through all of it had been his lawyer. That bare little apartment he’d been living in had no photos, no personal touches, when I first saw it. He’s been so alone.

I kissed him again, my desperate lust slowing with the need to show Griffin how important he was to me. “I love you. I’ve missed you.” I mouthed along the angle of his jaw, enjoying the way his soft stubble prickled my lips. “Let me show you how incredible you are. Let me love you.” Sliding down his body, I kissed as I went— throat and neck, the tender hollow above his clavicle, one rounded shoulder, over the trapezius, deltoid, biceps, curves of strong muscle under soft skin. Griffin worked out enough to give his arms gorgeous definition. I ran my tongue across his chest and nuzzled my bearded chin into his armpit until he squirmed and giggled.

“Hold still and let me.” I took a heady breath of his sweaty male scent.

“I should shower.”

“I like you dirty. Clean sweat, hard earned.”

“Something’s hard, anyway.” He arched under me, thrusting his erection against my stomach.

“Patience. I’ll get there.” Maybe now was the time for slow after all. Slow enough to cherish every part of this man. I kissed his pecs, mouthing through the scant silvering hair, then sucked on one fat brown nub.

Griffin grunted, his tit tightening in my mouth as I tugged. He stuffed a pillow behind his head and threaded his fingers in my hair, pressing me more firmly over his nipple. His breath shortened as I used the edge of my teeth, then sucked harder. I let him slip from my mouth and moved to the other side, then lower. Slowly, steadily, I licked and bit and sucked every inch of his broad chest, scooting down as I reached his abs. Firm muscle under a cushiony soft layer there too. Not like my own belly—

As if he’d heard my thoughts, Griffin tugged on my hair and tipped my head up so our eyes could meet. “You’re so fucking hot. Every bit of you. Watching you lying on top of me, using your mouth on me? That’s my goddamned biggest fantasy come to life.” He released my curls to run his hands over my back and shoulders and sides, as far down as he could reach and wrapped a leg across my ass. The glow in his eyes made it impossible not to believe him. Somehow, by some miracle, I was what Griffin Marsh wanted.

I lowered my head, the look on his face almost too much. Instead, I focused on his soft stomach, going back to sucking and biting, licking up each groove from groin to hip, ignoring his hard cock bobbing alongside my cheek except to give it a brush with my beard now and then.

“Ah, fuck,” he groaned. “Two inches to your right.”

I laughed, then licked a stripe up his shaft.

“Yeah, there.” His fingers dug into my hair again. “Please?”

Tenderness overwhelmed me. I wanted to give him everything. I eased to one side, braced myself better on knees and elbows, and sucked his cock down. Griffin’s hips came off the bed as he grunted loudly. I coughed and he let go of my head.

“Sorry. You okay?”

“Perfect,” I assured him. “You can pull my hair a bit. I like it.” Then I went to town on his cock, sucking and licking, swirling my tongue around the head, running the edge of my teeth up the shaft, and plucking at the sensitive harp string, then began plunging deep. I developed a rhythm, my throat relaxing to take him. The weight of Griffin’s hands on my head centered me, the taste and scent of him filled me, his gasps and moans were my music.

“Coming!” he warned me between mutters of “Fuck,” and “God,” and I sucked harder. Yes. Come on. There we go. Griffin groaned deep and low, clutching my hair, and came hard. I swallowed down his climax, pulse after pulse as he trembled underneath me. Each shudder of aftershock was my triumph.

I kept up a rhythmic suction until he slumped and pushed my head. Then I let his slick length slide from my mouth and raised my gaze.

“Holy shit.” Griffin blinked down at me, his chest heaving, chin damp, mouth open. He let his hands and legs drop to the bed. “God. Wow.”

And you’re so good with words. But I didn’t want to tease him, I wanted to bask in making Griffin a blissful, fucked out mess. I placed a kiss over his hip.

“Fuck. Get up here.” He grabbed my shoulders and hauled me upward until our mouths could meet. His lips brushed mine over and over in soft kisses that felt like gratitude, tenderness, like the affirmation of far more than a stellar blow job. Then he hauled me into a hug. My face landed in the crook of his neck and I breathed against his skin there. “You,” Griffin murmured. “I never want to live without you again.”

“Same.” I pressed my open mouth to his throat, mumbling with my lips, tasting faint salt on my tongue.

He slid a leg up, brushing my hard dick which jerked in response. “You didn’t come yet. Do you want to fuck me?”

“I’m so close. I wouldn’t last.” And I didn’t want to let go of him or lose the tight clutch of his arms around me. “Just let me…” I didn’t even need to jerk off, although seeing him painted with spatters of my cum would be hot. All I really wanted was this, to lie on him, holding him, his hairy thighs alongside mine, his arms around me, and move . I thrust against him, my dick finding friction along his hot skin. Again, harder. Again.

Griffin moved his hands to my ass, hauling me down tight. He shifted one leg and the angle improved, my cock sliding in the sweaty groove of his groin. “Yeah,” he rasped. “Come on, fuck on me, come on me, come on!”

The rough command was all it took. Climax hit me hot and hard. I spurted against Griffin’s skin, sliding in my cum as I thrust, pushing harder, closer, hot need rushing out of me. I bit Griffin’s shoulder and froze as the peak exploded through me. Lights danced before my eyes.

Griffin laughed and clamped my ass down. “Hell, yeah. There you go. There you are.” He eased one hand off my butt to hug my shoulders as I shivered. “God, I love seeing you let go.”

I chuckled, nuzzling the spot I’d marked with my teeth. “Sorry about the hickey.”

“Badge of honor. I made Lee Robertson come.”

“Like a rocket.” Easing to the side, I peered around for tissues. “We need to clean up a bit if we don’t want to be glued together. Two hairy guys.”

“Hairy’s awesome.”

“Most of the time, yeah.” I kissed him once more because he was right there, looking at me like that.

“I need a shower anyway.” But he made no move to get up.

Well, my weight still half on him might’ve made leaving the bed difficult anyhow, and I was in no hurry. Even the corner of the sheet was out of reach, so I slumped back into the mess and ignored it. Love the man now, worry later. Huh. Maybe that should be my life motto.

Snuggling down beside Griffin, I asked, “You are staying the night, right?”

“Fuck, yes. You heard Pete say they’d pick me up after nine. Unless you don’t want me to stay?”

“I want.” I threw a leg higher over his thighs to make the point. “You really have to go back to LA first?”

“I left some of my stuff at Pete’s and that’s where my roundtrip ticket is from.”

“Sure. Of course.” Griffin wouldn’t fly economy anyhow, so it wasn’t like we’d sit together, even if he had been on my same flight from Reno. “You’ll get back later than me, then. If you text me your flight, I’ll meet you at the airport. If that’s okay?”

“I can’t wait to be met.” He kissed my nose.

The fog of a long, long day began settling over me. Sticky cum could just wait its turn, although at some point we’d have to turn out the light. I sighed.

“So fucking lucky,” Griffin murmured. “You being right up there in front where I could see you.”

“Wasn’t luck,” I told him. “Was Yolanda being such a huge fan we arrived pre-dawn to be in line for the gates to open, then camped out at the main stage the entire day, no matter who else was playing on the other stages, working our way to the very front. She’d sworn if she got the chance to see you again, she’d be front and center, screaming. We weren’t quite center, but we managed front.”

“I owe her a fuck-ton,” he said. “Not just for you, tonight, but for being the kind of fan who’s kept my career alive. Wonder what I can give her.”

“The backstage pass and selfies were a good start.” She’d been practically incandescent with joy. “Maybe send her some signed merch.” We’d exchanged home addresses by the second day. She lived somewhere in Illinois, a town I’d never heard of.

“At the very least.” Griffin shifted, then worked his way out from under me. “You were right about the cum. That shower’s calling my name. You okay if I go first?”

I mumbled something and he laughed.

“Maybe I’ll bring you back a washcloth. You rest.” He laid a warm hand on my shoulder, then padded away. I was too beat to even watch him go, which was a shame. As soon as I got a second wind, that ass was in for a lot of ogling.

Sometime later, I woke to Griffin tugging at me to roll over. When I did, he wiped me, damp, warm terrycloth dragging over my groin and abs. My dick gave a valiant twitch at the sight of naked Griffin leaning over me but couldn’t muster more enthusiasm than that. He chuckled. “We’ll get up early. Save that for later.”

I let go of all my top-bottom side-side plans for now and hummed my contentment. My phone was blinking and I snagged it to see a text from Yolanda.

~Back safe to my room. What a night! Although probably not as great as yours.

I fumbled to text back, ~Thanks for letting me know. Thanks for everything.

~Don’t be a stranger, came her reply.

I set the phone down and stretched out on the mattress, avoiding a damp spot. The room darkened, then the mattress sagged as Griffin joined me, and I hauled him in close. With the man I loved radiating warmth beside me, and a thin sheet tugged over us both, I fell into the best sleep I’d had in two weeks.

Morning came all too early. Not that I objected to getting up to fuck Griffin, or the aftermath of lying in bed, sweaty and sated, making out, but that clock ticked inexorably forward. We eventually had to get up and have fast separate showers, then he helped me stuff my belongings into my bag. I texted goodbyes to Yolanda who was catching a later flight. No answer, but she was probably sleeping.

“Do you need to check out in the office?” Griffin asked.

“No. Prepaid. Although they did threaten to bill for any additional charges.”

“Take a few snaps of the room,” he suggested. “Cover your ass so they can’t claim damages and replace something on your dime.”

I eyed him as I did so, including a shot of the ancient clock radio with the time. “What made you come up with that?”

“Man, I did my time staying in really crappy motels. Don’t forget to put your clothes in a hot drier for bedbugs too.”

“You do know how to show a guy a good time.” I shuddered and vowed to stop at a laundry and hot tumble everything before bringing it into the house.

Griffin bent and kissed me. “I’m just getting started—” The sounds of a big engine and raised voices outside made him turn his head. “That’s probably our ride.”

“Our?”

“We’ll drop you at the shuttle to Reno. One less cab fare for you. Come on, before fans storm the bus.” He held a hand out to me. I slung my bag on my shoulder and wove my fingers through his.

Sure enough, the Chaser Lost bus had pulled up at the curb. A small group of gawkers stood in the parking lot eyeing it, talking and pointing. Griffin said, “Run!” and dragged me at full speed toward the bus. Voices rose in shouts behind us, but the door swung open as we approached and snapped closed behind our asses. We hustled up the steps and dropped into a couple of empty seats as the bus headed out into traffic.

“Thanks,” Griffin said to Pete. “Bus station first.”

“Sure thing.” Pete spoke into an intercom to the driver, then eyed us. “Good night?”

“Fair to middling,” I said airily.

Griffin laughed and kicked my ankle.

“Coffee?” Shondra held out two mugs.

“You’re a goddess.” Griffin took his, and she set the other in a cup holder in the arm of my chair.

I sipped the hot, dark brew and watched the small town go by. Just minutes now, just seconds… We turned, slowed, and came to a stop.

“Bus station,” Pete noted.

I stood and faced Griffin. “Better if you don’t get off here, I imagine.”

“Probably.” He pushed to his feet and opened his arms.

I wrapped him up tight as I could and we swayed together in a breath-stealing clinch.

“I’m gonna miss you,” Griffin told me.

My laugh was waterier than it should’ve been. “It’ll be literally twenty-six hours. We’ll survive.”

“I’ll write a song about it. Lovers separated by the airline schedule. It’ll be a big angsty hit.”

“No doubt.” I kissed him, stepped back, and picked up my bag. “Thanks Pete, everyone, it’s been an honor.”

“Do right by Griffin and we’ll call it even,” Shondra said.

I trudged down the stairs, leaving Griffin behind. As I headed for the shelter, the bus pulled away. I didn’t look back.

The local bus station was minimal and dusty, and even bleaker when the shiny tour bus had gone. Several folks tried to talk to me about who I was and why I’d arrived in the Chaser Lost bus, but I gave them blank stares and eventually they stopped. There were advantages to being a big, bearded guy who could do resting head-nurse face.

The trip to the airport dragged far more than the trip in. I spent the time on my phone, touching base with Noreen, Phoebe, and Kashira, and then chatting with Mom who sounded upbeat. Apparently, our neighbor Oliver had come over and helped her prune the roses and burlap them for winter. He’d gone up in her books for knowing how to care for Alice’s favorite flowers. He went up in mine for taking some of the chore off Mom’s hands.

Airports sucked. Security lines sucked. Waiting to board and trying to cram a bag in the full overheads, same thing. I sat in my middle seat between a young woman and a businessman in a suit, knees practically to my chest, and took a slow breath. My emotions were all over the place, sky-high when I thought about waking up with Griffin warm at my back, then down into the blahs of travel and another day of putting out minor fires at Wellhaven before I saw Griffin again.

A flight attendant stopped at my row. “Excuse me, window and aisle. Do either of you want a seat in first class?”

The businessman on the aisle immediately said, “Yes, of course.”

I gritted my teeth and exchanged looks with the woman next to me as the man stood and gathered his things. Those extra inches of legroom would’ve been very welcome, and they hadn’t even been offered to me. I must’ve bought a cheaper ticket. I was about to console us with, “Well, an empty seat is a bonus,” when Griffin appeared and slid into the aisle seat, grinning at me.

“You!” I stared at him. “What the fuck did you do?”

“Changed my flight.” He gestured up the aisle. “They only had one first class left, but I figured someone in your row would swap with me.”

“You’re nuts. And what about the stuff you left with Pete?”

“He’ll ship it to me.” His grin faded. “Are you not happy to see me?”

“Not happy?” I grabbed his shirt collar and hauled him close for a big kiss. “I’m fucking ecstatic.” My cheeks ached from my wide smile. “I was just angsting about how life was temporarily crap, and here you are.”

“Here I am.” He buckled his seatbelt, then took my hand, lacing our fingers together. “You can keep me calm for takeoff.”

“You’re a nervous flyer?”

“Not yet. But I might become one if you don’t hold my hand.”

The woman beside me had been staring and now she said, “Are you Griffin Marsh?”

“Sure am. Good to meet you.”

She chuckled. “That dude in the suit is going to be so bummed he agreed to swap. Can I get a selfie?”

“Sure. Lee, lean in.” Griffin took her phone and held it at arm’s length, getting a photo of himself, me, and her, our faces close together. “There you go.”

“Putting it right up on Instagram .” She tapped on her keyboard. “Me, Griffin Marsh, and…” She glanced at me. “Are you Griffin’s boyfriend?”

I looked down at where our hands were still clasped together and didn’t even try to tame my broad grin. “Yeah, that’s who I am.”

“He’s a nurse practitioner,” Griffin said. “Super smart, keeps his nursing home running, the best guy you could ever meet. And also—” He raised our hands and kissed my thumb. “—my boyfriend.”