Gone Away (2 page)

“How’s your dad?” Riece asked. He yawned.

“He’s okay. His Alzheimer’s is bad enough now he has to live in a care facility, but I take him home with me when I have a few days off duty. He seems to enjoy it, though I’m not sure he always knows who I am.”

“So, you gave up time with him to pick me up?”

“He’ll enjoy seeing you again. It’s weird what he remembers. When he knows me, he asks about you sometimes,” Mason said. It wasn’t an actual answer, but if it hadn’t been true, Mason would have denied it.

Riece went back to reading the brochure. He wanted to say he felt guilty taking Mason away from a visit with his father and that he’d missed Mason. But he couldn’t in all honesty tell Mason he was sorry he’d come for Riece instead of seeing his father, and he felt silly expressing how much he’d missed Mason. Everything Riece rehearsed in his head sounded wrong, so he kept silent.

He started when Mason’s hand closed over his again, pressing in with a warm grip before he let go and took the wheel with both hands.

“Riece,” Mason said, “I know you didn’t sleep last night because you were nervous about the flight, and I
know
you barely blinked on the plane, never mind slept. You’re staring into space. Relax your control issues for ten minutes. I’m driving, and I’m not some stranger. This is a Jeep, not an airplane.” Mason’s voice was firm and soft.

“Thank you,” Riece said quietly. He relaxed back against the seat, closed his eyes, and let the music wash over him, thinking as he drifted between awake and asleep that he’d missed more than Mason’s company and how Mason always seemed to understand him.

WHEN MASON
was sure Riece was good and asleep, he turned the music down a bit. He didn’t change the sound level so much that it would disturb Riece’s nap because the guy really looked exhausted. Cruise control set, Mason relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Anyone who knew Mason for more than ten minutes knew how much he loved driving, Riece included. In his case it worked out very well since Riece didn’t drive. For the few years they had been together, he’d never showed any interest in attempting it.

Riece had twisted around so his back was to the door and he was curled toward the inside of the Jeep facing Mason. Nearly three years had passed since they’d had any sort of contact, and Riece still charmed Mason like he had the first day he’d laid eyes on him in a student lounge at college. They’d both been students at the same school. Riece was a freshman when they’d met, and Mason was on a return trip earning a master’s degree.

Mason glanced at Riece every few miles, resisting the urge to swipe his fingers through Riece’s hair and brush the back of his hand down his cheek. Riece didn’t like being touched unnecessarily. The contradiction was Riece had a decent sex drive and honestly delighted in the physical contact that demanded. Mason reasoned maybe it was because touching in a sexual manner had the ultimate purpose of enjoyment behind it.

Riece was a bundle of contradictions. Uncomfortable in the majority of social situations and habitually tongue-tied, Riece conversely had no brain-to-mouth filter. One minute he couldn’t put together a sentence, and the next he’d be spouting all sorts of random thoughts that shocked people at the most and made them uncomfortable at the least.

His light reddish hair reflected the meticulous side of Riece’s personality. It had a wave to it and was nicely cut; longish, but not so long as to be messy—just long enough to show off the wave. If Mason remembered correctly, it was soft and smelled like fresh air. Mason wasn’t sure what side of Riece’s personality the bit of a beard he sometimes sported and his moustache were from. They were another story. The moustache was consistently trimmed and neat, though its length would vary. The beard was sometimes scruffy—something Mason personally found alluring and hot—and other times perfectly trimmed. Then there were days Riece would be clean-shaven. The whole cycle seemed to take two or three months, then would start over. Mason had noticed right away Riece was in a scruffier beard phase, one of which he definitely approved.

By the time Mason turned onto the road where the Big Rock Inn was located, Riece was stretching and yawning. Mason couldn’t help but notice how Riece’s long, lean arm muscles glided with his movements. He straightened and rubbed his eyes, and Mason remembered how much he liked Riece’s eyes. They were gray with flecks of green and a gold halo around the pupil.

“How much longer?” Riece asked. His voice was thick and still sleepy.

Mason chuckled. “The grown-up version of ‘are we there yet?’”

Riece grinned. “I guess it is. You didn’t answer my question, though.”

“It’s a few miles down this road.” Mason arched an eyebrow and glanced at Riece. “We should be there soon. It’s a bit out of our way, but like I said before, worth it to see Devils Tower.”

The Big Rock Inn was actually three buildings. The main lodge housed the office, bar and grill, and a separate dining area Mason knew was often used to host private parties. The other side of the building had a gym and indoor pool. A stone chimney covered most of one end of the building where the bar and grill sat.

The other buildings were two-story structures with guest rooms. The rooms on the second floor of each building had balconies with lounge chairs and iron, bistro-style table sets. Mason could see pumpkins and pots of autumn-colored flowers on the balconies. Several varieties of gourds nestled among straw and corn husks in the balconies’ corners, rounding out the picture.

Riece got out of the Jeep and stood, mouth open, staring at the inn. “This is really nice. I didn’t expect something like this. It’s more like a romantic getaway sort of place.”

Mason shrugged and reminded Riece, “I have a buddy who works here. It would be nice for something like that, though. There aren’t a lot of places in this area that aren’t campgrounds, and I want running water.”

“Huh,” Riece said.

“We might as well leave our luggage here until we get checked in.” Mason dipped his head toward the main lodge and waited for Riece to join him before heading across the parking lot.

Mason silently cheered when they found their rooms were in the farthest building and on the second floor. Tyler had promised good rooms, and he’d done Mason a real solid this time. Mason made a mental note to tell Tyler he owed him. The windows and balconies faced the plains, and farther in the distance, the slab of rock known as Devils Tower jutted out of the earth. It was framed by the setting sun and trees beginning to turn from green to reds and oranges.

“We have about an hour before they open for dinner.” Depositing Riece’s luggage on his bed, Mason rubbed the back of his neck and said, “I’m just next door. I… uh… should….” He backed out, grabbed his own suitcase, which he’d left sitting in the hall, and went to his room.

Once inside his own room with the door shut, Mason tossed the suitcase on the dresser and sat on the end of the bed. He ran his hands through his hair a few times and leaned his elbows on his knees, shoulders hunched, staring out the window.

He sighed heavily. “What was I thinking? I know what. I wasn’t thinking. Not at all—not one little bit. No sense hoping for something that won’t happen.”

Another big sigh and Mason stood up. “Shake it off, Arquette,” he grumbled. Mason crossed the room to the dresser. He stared down at the suitcase sitting on top of it for a few seconds before he flipped it open, then rummaged through it for his shaving kit. “Shower, decent dinner, and a good night’s sleep, and you’ll feel better tomorrow.” He looked at the mirror as he talked. “It’s over. Over is over and that means done. Finished. Completed. Good thing that had its time and now that time has passed.”

Balancing against the dresser, Mason pulled off his boots. His shirt was next, wadded into a ball and stuffed in the suitcase before he went to the bathroom and started the shower to warm up.

When someone knocked on the door, Mason crossed the room and opened it without much thought. “Riece.” He blinked at Riece.

Riece pushed by him, looking at the floor, talking as he walked. “Have you had sex since we split up?”

“I don’t think—”

“I have been—thinking that is, not having sex, but I guess you know that since you were with me on the drive here. I’ve been thinking ever since the airport. No, that’s not true. It was ever since I found out I’d be working with you.” He hurried to the sliding glass door. “I didn’t know if…. I came here completely unprepared. I haven’t… not since you, and I don’t have any….” He pointed out the plate glass door. “But then I saw this place. And God, you look….” Riece stopped rambling and unbuttoned his shirt, draping it over a chair. He pulled his undershirt off, laid it over his other shirt, then turned and faced Mason.

The only words Mason could form were “Look what?”

Despite his confusion, Mason couldn’t resist letting his gaze ramble leisurely down Riece’s body. Even his body was a contradiction. Riece wasn’t a small, skinny man, but neither was he large and muscular. The best word Mason could find to describe Riece was
elegant
. His chest had enough definition to show he was in shape, but in a subtle way. His waist narrowed and fitted into the jut of his hips, yet he had a bit of plumpness at his belly. He had a light smattering of strawberry-blond hair that ran between his pecs and down to disappear beneath his waistband. Riece always wore his pants slung low across his hips, barely above his groin, so the slight roundness of his hips peeked out. He was breathing hard enough that the line of his ribs visibly expanded and contracted with every breath.

“Your shower is running.”

“Riece!”

“It’s noisy. I can’t think. I need to think.”

Mason stalked to the bathroom, mumbling, “You don’t need to think.” He cranked the faucet handles and shut down the water flow.

“Amazing,” Riece said as soon as Mason reemerged from the bathroom. “Your arms and…. You… you look amazing, like always.” His voice trailed off and he looked back at the plate glass door. “It’s none of my business, but we were exclusive for most of the time we were together and if you haven’t had sex since then….”

Mason swallowed thickly. “There hasn’t been anyone since you.” His voice came out a raspy whisper. He stood in the middle of the room, afraid if he moved Riece would turn and run out the door.

“That’s good.” Riece was pacing now. “Well, I guess maybe not, but in this instance it is. I don’t have condoms. I meant to buy some, but I didn’t, and I haven’t been with anyone so lack of condoms won’t deter us.” He stopped and looked directly at Mason. “Do you have any lube? I should have bought that too. Do you think there is a gift shop or something here that might have some?”

On the wall adjoining the bathroom was a minibar. Mason held up one finger, dashed to it, and looked through the contents.

“What are you doing?”

“Yes,” Mason exclaimed victoriously. A small, clear bag with hearts on it was tucked in among bottled waters and minibottles of whiskey. He held out his find. “We’re not going to the gift shop.” He extracted a small bottle of lube.

Riece’s eyes widened. “That’ll work. This inn isn’t just a place to stop along the road. I shouldn’t have presumed….” His voice trailed off and he put his head down as he began hurrying toward the door.

Something Riece’s mind had conjured up had scared him, and now he felt the need to run. Mason recognized that immediately. Sidestepping fast, Mason held one arm out and caught Riece around the waist, reeling him in against Mason.

“Riece.” He used a soft, firm voice. Mason had learned long ago he often needed to take charge of a situation with Riece. “Stop talking.”

Riece looked up at him, eyes getting wider. He sucked in a breath, and Mason took the opportunity to press his mouth to Riece’s in a soft kiss. In the next second, he let his hunger out and deepened their kiss, slipping his tongue between Riece’s lips. Mason shoved the bottle of lube into his pocket and moved his hand to Riece’s head, gripping his hair.

Almost at once Riece melted against him. Using both hands he started at Mason’s shoulders and ran his hands along Mason’s arms, clutching and squeezing Mason’s thick biceps. Riece often told Mason how much he admired Mason’s muscular arms and was a self-proclaimed shoulder and arm man. He squirmed in Mason’s embrace, pulling one leg up, then the other, to yank off his shoes before shimmying closer again.

Mason broke their kiss and walked them backward toward the dresser. He used his arm in one sweeping motion and cleared the top. The sound of his suitcase thunking to the floor barely registered, and the thought that everything inside the suitcase was now strewn across the room was fleeting. Riece leaned back and gripped the dresser’s edge with both hands while Mason blazed a trail with his tongue down the length of Riece’s torso. He sucked on each of Riece’s nipples until Riece’s breathing was reduced to a string of needy, breathy noises. Then he continued his downward motion, lightly licking the grooves between Riece’s abdominal muscles, swirling around Riece’s navel.

Dropping to his knees, Mason undid Riece’s belt, curled the fingers of both hands around his waistband, and yanked his pants down. Riece immediately stepped out of them and kicked them away. Mason ran his hands up and down Riece’s sides, reveling in the feeling of firm flesh and smooth skin beneath his palms.

He let his hands rest against Riece’s waist while he ran his tongue through the light-colored hair between his legs, then over his cock. Mason stopped long enough to retrieve the small bottle from his pocket, flip it open, and spread some lube on the fingers of one hand. He wrapped his other arm around Riece’s hips. The way he could encircle Riece with one arm turned Mason on all that much more. He used his other hand to work the oil around and into Riece’s entrance while he took Riece’s cock in his mouth.

Riece bucked forward and in the next instant pushed back against Mason’s fingers. His entire body shook, and he garbled out the words “I’m…. Don’t want….”

Mason stood up and nearly tore his belt off in his haste to get his zipper down and shove his jeans off. “I gotcha.” He hoisted Riece onto the dresser and pushed gently against Riece’s shoulder until he leaned back, then slid his hands under Riece’s ass and lifted him slightly.