Page 83 of Loving a Warrior

“Jesus, Shane.”

“It wasn’t enough to just sneak some Jack Daniel’s in and get a few sheltered kids tipsy for the first time in their lives, which was pretty funny and the part I told Bernson about. If Jon’d just left it at that—” Shane broke off, jaw clenching. “I never saw who threw the first punch, but it turned into an absolute fucking mess. The room got trashed, my nose got trashed…” Shane was silent for a moment. “The girl helped Jon get out a side door, because believe me, those guys wanted to kill him.”

Matt glanced up at him, at the pain on Shane’s face and in his voice, and he just knew. “He left you, didn’t he?”

Shane blinked rapidly. “He had to get away, Matt. I mean, those dudes were out for blood and the cops showed up.”

“Fuck that. He escaped, and left you there all alone to deal with his mess.” Matt clenched his fists at his sides, his face burning with rage. That fucking Jon guy had been a “helluva SEAL”? A loser who ran and left his best friend to face the music alone?

“Were you arrested?”

“No.” Shane shook his head. “Several people told the cops I didn’t have anything to do with it, that I’d actually tried to stop the fight, that I wasn’t the one spiking Cokes or stealing dudes’ girlfriends. After a couple of hours of trying to get me to give Jon up, which I wouldn’t, they let me go.”

“Damn.” Matt didn’t even know what to say, still flabbergasted by the fact Jon had dragged Shane into all of it and then abandoned him to an uncertain fate.

“He also ditched me to join the SEALs, you know. It was something we were gonna do together after college, but he talked to a recruiter behind my back.” Shane sucked in a deep breath, making an obvious effort to relax. “I was so pissed and hurt when I found out, I went and joined the Marines. So fucking stupid.”

No, not stupid. In love.

Matt studied his rigid profile, the set of his lips, wondering if he’d ever acknowledged to himself that he’d been in love with his best friend.

Jon, you fucking asshole, you didn’t deserve him. Not for one goddamned minute.

It was full dark now, and the Strip was alit and pulsing with energy. When they rounded a corner, Matt suddenly grasped the lapels of Shane’s jacket and pushed him hard against a nearby wall. Shane gasped, his hands reflexively falling to Matt’s hips.

Matt got in his face. “So let’s get a few things straight. You, clown, are one badass mofo. You not only survived that POW camp bullshit Bernson tried on you, you told him to get bent in the process. That’s hardcore.” He jabbed Shane in the chest with one finger. “You’re also loyal to a fault, a better friend than most people deserve, and lemme tell you, you are sexy as all hell.”

Shane’s eyes kindled and started to glow with blue fire, and he slid his hands from Matt’s hips around to his ass, pulling him closer. “Does this mean that—Oh my God—I’ve finally impressed you?”

Matt whacked him on the arm. “Yeah, I guess,” he said grudgingly, then groaned as Shane took his mouth right there on the sidewalk. No one paid them the least bit of attention, not that Matt cared anyway, not when Shane was devouring his lips like a starving man.

“Let’s go home,” Matt whispered when he could speak again. He grabbed Shane’s hand and started towing him through the crowd, both of them laughing as they dodged knots of people, separating and coming back together in an ebb and flow that brought them ever closer to their room.

They burst through the automatic doors at their hotel and stumbled onto the elevator, kissing. By the time they reached their room, Shane’s shirt was unbuttoned and hanging off one shoulder, the jacket around his elbows hampering his attempts to get the key card in the lock.

Matt stood behind him as he fumbled with it, running his hands up and down his bare chest and tweaking his nipples.

Shane paid him back once they were inside, stripping Matt’s clothes from him only to shove him face-first against the huge window. Matt put his palms on the glass and spread his legs, moaning as Shane nibbled his way down his spine before dropping to his knees.

He cried out when a few sharp slaps were delivered to his naked ass. Soothing lips immediately kissed away the sting, fingers opened him wide, and then the silky heat of a tongue had Matt sobbing with need. With devastating finesse Shane licked and probed, humming deep in his throat when Matt relaxed under his mouth.

One last soft kiss before Shane stood and moved with sinuous grace over to the nightstand. He fished out a condom and the lube, then opened his jeans and leisurely got himself ready, making sure Matt could see every movement of his hand.

“You want this?” Shane pushed down on his cock and let it bob back up. Matt couldn’t take his eyes off it, licking his lips as Shane sauntered his way again.

“Damn, you’re hot for it.” Shane smoothed his palms up and down Matt’s tense, sweaty back. “You ready to get fucked in front of all of Vegas?”

Matt could barely focus, he felt so sluggish with arousal, but he gazed out through the window at the brightly lit buildings that loomed around them in every direction. It was impossible to tell if anyone was watching them, but the thought that someone might be made his cock pulse.

“Does that turn you on?” Shane purred as he leaned down to sink his teeth into the muscle of Matt’s shoulder. “Knowing that you’re all mine tonight? That they can see this beautiful body…” Shane pulled Matt upright and traced his fingertips along his abs, up to his chest and back down again. “…but they can’t touch?”

Yes, I’m all yours. All yours.

Matt reached behind himself and wrapped his arms around Shane’s neck, groaning at the feel of his cock snugged into the crack of his ass.

“Fuck me.” Matt didn’t even recognize his own voice, it was so low and guttural.

In response Shane yanked his head back and kissed him brutally, then pushed him forward again. Matt fell against the window, his heated face on the cold glass, gasping as Shane gripped his hips and worked the swollen head of his cock inside him. He hissed at the intrusion, but Shane held him fast, opening him up with sharp little thrusts that had Matt shamelessly begging for more.