Bases Loaded Read online

  “Kiss me again. I don’t care about the beignets.”

  “Oh. Oh yes, Brett.” Benj’s eyes were soft and hot, and he moved slowly, bringing their lips together. “Oh, Brett.”

  Brett just enjoyed the touch for a minute, the peace, the quiet. Benj’s tongue slid along his lips, his lover’s breath sweet, hot. The fingers on his face slid into his hair, stroking his head.

  He hummed, searching Benj’s eyes, looking for desire, for love, for need. Benj’s eyes fluttered at the sound, body pressing close, kiss becoming deeper.

  Oh.

  Oh baby.

  Brett wrapped his good arm around Benj, tugging his baby closer. Benj made the sweet noises he hadn’t heard in too long, eyes clinging to his, such need in them. Not just need for touch, but for his touch.

  “Still want me? Even now that I’m broken?”

  “What? Brett, no, you’re not broken. And of course I want you.” Benj pressed close again. “I want you, love.”

  “Want me?” He chuckled, shook his head. New place, new people, new situation, less stress.

  “I never stopped, Brett. You’ve just been so… unapproachable.”

  He sighed, stepped back a little. “I’m sorry, baby. It’s been tough.”

  “It wasn’t a recrimination.” Benj pressed close again.

  “No? What was it?” Brett hugged his lover, tugged them together.

  “Just….” Benj shook his head, wrapped his arms around him. “Just hold me, Brett.”

  “I can do that.” He nodded. “Are you happy you came?”

  Benj nodded, their noses rubbing together. “I think it’s a good place, Brett. I think they can help you.”

  “I hope so. I don’t want to be a washup already.”

  “You won’t be, love.” Benj kissed him again. “You won’t be.”

  “You should have sugarcoated kisses more often.”

  “I’ll have sugar every night if you want. Anything you want.”

  “You.” He just wanted Benj, if only for a little while. Just Benj.

  Benj moaned softly, lips covering his again, hands clutching at his back. He let himself take Benj’s mouth, kiss it hard and long like he needed to. Wanted to. Benj melted against him, sweet noises starting up again as his lover rubbed against him.

  “Love you, baby.” He took another kiss, then another, tongue pushing in deep.

  Benj opened wide, taking him in, each sound begging him for more.

  He chuckled, walked them over to the sofa. “Hungry thing.”

  “I am, Brett. I love you.” Benj nodded, cock rubbing against Brett’s thigh.

  He sat, let Benj get settled against him. “Good. Someone needs to.”

  Benj rubbed against him. “I do. Always have. Always will.” Those sweet lips raised for another kiss.

  “Greedy.” Brett almost smiled. Almost.

  “Yours, Brett.” Oh, Benj’s eyes were warm, adoring.

  Brett nodded, leaned closed enough to rest against Benj. “Yeah.”

  Benj’s lips slid against his as he worked open Brett’s shirt with long fingers—slowly, like they had all night long.

  “The physical therapist thinks we’re not getting enough sex in our diet,” Brett said.

  “What?” Benj squeaked.

  “He said you needed more fucking.” He winked, lips brushing Benj’s cheek.

  Benj sputtered a little and then laughed. “Are you going to do what he says?”

  “I don’t know, baby. Do you agree with his assessment?”

  Benj looked off into the distance, fingers sliding over Brett’s cheek, his hair. Then Benj’s eyes met his. “It’s not just the physical, Brett. You’ve pushed me away. No, that’s not it—you’ve… gone into yourself.”

  “I’m….” Hurting. Angry. Sorry. Sick.

  “Shh. Shh. I know, love. I know. I just want to help you.” Benj’s eyes became a little wet. “I just want you to be happy.”

  “Now, now. None of that shit.” He grinned, shook his head. “There is no crying in baseball.”

  “I’m not crying.” Benj blinked and shook his head. He shook his head again. “I’m not. I’m… I’m… using my wiles to seduce you.”

  “Ooh. Seduction.” He chuckled, leaned back. “Seduce me, baby.”

  “Yeah? I was hoping you’d say that.” Benj went back to undoing his shirt, then pushed it off his shoulders as Benj bent to suck on one of his nipples.

  “Fuck.” He shifted, arching. “Fuck, Benj.”

  “Oh yeah. I remember how much you like that.” Benj licked around his nipple and then started sucking again, his other hand petting Brett’s belly.

  Brett leaned back, spread his legs a little. “Don’t stop.”

  “Okay, love. I won’t.” Benj’s eyes shone up at him for a moment, and then Benj turned back to his nipple, his tongue playing over it.

  Brett’s breath got short, his cock filling. “Baby….”

  Benj moaned, slowly licking a trail over to Brett’s other nipple. Long, slender fingers teased along Brett’s waistband. God, he loved that—the tease, the heat, the way Benj rocked on his lap.

  “You taste so good,” murmured Benj. “Better than any food.”

  “You’ve always had a hungry mouth. Always, baby.” He winced as he raised his hand and his shoulder pulled.

  Benj opened his jeans, teased the top of his cock. “Brett? You okay?”

  “Yeah. Don’t worry, okay? Not tonight?”

  “Okay, love.” Benj bent to kiss his belly, slipping off his lap and between his legs. “I want you, want this.”

  “Oh…. Oh fuck, baby.” He sort of blinked, watching. Staring.

  Benj smiled up at him and then got his jeans open and tugged out his prick. “Oh. Oh, Brett, you’re beautiful.”

  Bent over, eyes closed, Benj licked at him.

  The sound that left Brett was deep, low, almost starving. “Benj.”

  Benj’s moan echoed his. “I know, love. You taste like heaven.” Another lick, this one across the tip of his cock, and then Benj blew, the air warm and then cool when it was only the breeze from an open window.

  Tongue trailing down along his cock, Benj licked his way to Brett’s balls and took one into his mouth.

  “Oh. Oh fuck. So good.” God, why hadn’t they done this more, sooner, anything?

  Benj hummed, heat and vibrations moving through Brett’s sac. Then Benj gave the other ball the same treatment while his hands slid on Brett’s thighs and tugged his jeans down a little more. Brett leaned back and gave it up with a deep, needy sound.

  Benj let go of his balls and slowly licked along his cock again, then closed his mouth over the tip and sucked, pulled. His fingers slid up Brett’s belly to his nipples, to tease and tug.

  “Oh Jesus.” Brett shuddered, about to go off in a hurry. “I can’t hold it, baby. I’m sorry.”

  Benj slid his mouth farther down Brett’s cock, taking him all in until Benj swallowed around the tip.

  Brett’s orgasm hit him in a wave, slow and sure and deep, enough to make him sob.

  Benj swallowed and swallowed again, not missing a drop, only stopping when the shudders had passed. Even then, Benj’s tongue teased over the head of his cock, pulling out aftershocks, stretching out the pleasure.

  Brett’s breath huffed out of him, his entire body shaking. Damn.

  Moaning, Benj let his cock slide away, then rubbed a lightly stubbled cheek against it. “Love you.” He whispered the words softly, followed them with an equally gentle kiss pressed against Brett’s belly.

  “Uhn.” He nodded, moaned, heart pounding.

  Benj kissed a path up his torso to his nipples, climbed back into his lap, and rubbed against his belly. His baby’s eyes were soft, glazed, as their mouths came together in a hungry kiss. Brett fucked those pretty lips with his tongue. Benj whimpered, hand pushing between them to undo his pants, let out his hard cock. As Brett slid against him, Benj’s cock rubbed hotly along his belly.

  �
��Still fucking love you, baby.” He did, even if he was a growly old bastard.

  “Oh!” Benj shuddered, eyes rolling back in his head as heat sprayed against Brett’s stomach.

  Another soft ripple moved through Benj’s body, and then Benj collapsed against Brett, breath soft and hot on his neck. Brett wrapped his good arm around Benj, holding them together, rocking them a little.

  Making little, happy sounds, Benj dropped random kisses on his skin. “I like this place already.”

  “Yeah?” Brett kept petting, rocking, loving his baby.

  “Yeah, love, I do.”

  Brett could feel Benj’s smile against his skin, felt the rightness of Benj’s body melted against him.

  “Okay, then.” He let his eyes close; they could head to bed in a bit. Together.

  Chapter Three

  BENJ WOKE up cuddled against Brett’s good side. It had taken some getting used to, the injury forcing them to switch sides on the bed. But it felt right now, good. Especially given that they’d made love last night. It wasn’t like they hadn’t jacked each other off some before this, but it had been more perfunctory, more taking care of a necessary bodily function than from real desire, and Benj was absolutely thrilled to have some of that desire shared between them again.

  He kept his eyes closed, enjoying Brett’s strength and warmth, enjoying the weight of the comforter on top of them, the bed beneath them firm, restful. He finally let his eyes open and noted it was almost eight. Jean had been very sure that Brett needed to have breakfast before his appointment with Ralph at nine. Benj had been equally sure that Brett wasn’t going to like that one little bit.

  Still, they had to get used to the routines here, had to start to do what they needed to do to heal.

  He sat up and stretched before leaning back over Brett, smiling down at the familiar, much-loved face. The lines around Brett’s eyes and mouth were less pronounced while he slept, Brett’s face almost youthful.

  Benj brushed his hand along Brett’s short curls and bent to kiss him softly. “Time to wake up, love.”

  “Mmm… ’s it 8:45 already, baby?” Brett smiled, leaned toward him.

  “Not quite,” he murmured, letting their lips slide together, eyes smiling into Brett’s.

  God, Brett was so beautiful like this—still drowsy, still half-dreaming and happy. “Oh good.” Brett’s hot tongue slipped across Benj’s bottom lip.

  Oh. Oh, how was he supposed to be good and get Brett up when the man was doing stuff like that to him?

  He decided that if Ralph had been ballsy enough to suggest that he and Brett needed to do it more often, well then, that would make a perfectly good excuse for Brett being late down to breakfast.

  He cuddled in a little closer, mouth opening for Brett. Fingers brushed against his lower back, petting his ass, as Brett’s tongue slipped in to slide against his. His cock bloomed to life, his half-hard morning wood going full-on hard. He rubbed against Brett, eager, wanton in a way he hadn’t been in too long.

  “Mmm… morning, baby.”

  He smiled and licked at Brett’s lips. “Morning, love.” It felt good, warm and right. And if he didn’t think too hard, it was easy to pretend everything was normal.

  Except for the huge banging on the door, “Bon matin, chers! Up, up, up! The breakfast is waiting!”

  He groaned, burying his face in Brett’s chest. He would have liked just a little longer.

  “Go ’way! It isn’t 8:45 yet, you lunatic!”

  Benj laughed, snuggling in, enjoying Brett’s grouchiness for a change. “Do you think that’ll make him go away?”

  “Fucking hope so. I’d hate to have to kill him.”

  “There’s eggs and andouille, coffee and beignets.”

  Benj chuckled, knowing that his Brett and food in the morning just didn’t mix. “He mentioned something last night about breakfast being the most important meal of the day. I tried to explain, love. Really I did.”

  “They’ll learn, baby.” Brett pulled the covers over them both. “They’ll learn.”

  Benj burrowed in, happy to let Brett make this decision, as he didn’t want to be anywhere else.

  There was more banging, Ralph’s voice deeper, louder than Jean’s. “Don’t make me come in there and drag you down to the table, Brett.”

  “You said nine o’clock.” Brett snuggled in. “Christ, they’re chipper. Too much coffee, I think.”

  “I said nine o’clock and fed, and if you aren’t out here in sixty seconds, I’m coming in!”

  Brett rolled his eyes, shook his head. “It’s like feel-good boot camp.”

  Benj got a kiss, long and slow and perfect, Brett’s tongue fucking his mouth. He clung to Brett, everything else tuned out, and enjoyed the kiss.

  Enjoyed it until the covers were yanked off, leaving him and Brett exposed.

  “I told you last night I was serious about this, Brett.”

  Benj squeaked and buried his face in Brett’s chest.

  Brett hauled him close, growl deep and rough and serious. “And I told you last night I don’t eat in the morning.”

  “That’s too bad. You need to eat to do the work we’re going to be doing. Jean is a proponent of breakfast, and he’s your nutritionist. So unless you want to embarrass your lover further, I suggest you haul your ass out of bed and get it downstairs for breakfast.”

  Oh lord, this wasn’t going to be pretty. Benj closed his eyes and waited.

  Brett surged up, tore the blanket from Ralph’s hands. The blanket fluttered down over Benj. “I did not embarrass my lover. I was in a private room, in bed, with my lover.”

  Stark naked, Brett growled, herded Ralph backward, a dull flush spreading over his back. “And I suggest, unless you want me to lose my motherfucking legendary temper, you never barge into these rooms again.”

  Ralph stopped moving back as soon as he was out of the bedroom. “You don’t want me in here, then I suggest you get the hell up and come downstairs for your breakfast, Brett.”

  Brett slammed door, vibrating the entire room. “Baby, while I’m working? You drive down to a fucking hardware store and buy a new lock and a screwdriver.”

  “If you aren’t downstairs in five minutes” came Ralph’s voice through the door, “you’re packing your bags and going home.”

  Benj looked over at Brett, eyes wide, waiting for what his lover would do. He didn’t want to leave, not as long as there was a chance Brett could find what he needed here.

  “Pack your fucking bags.” Brett grabbed his jeans and a T-shirt, the peace completely gone. “Move, baby.”

  He got up and put his hand on Brett’s arm. “Love. Please. How about you give this breakfast thing a chance? Frank really wanted you to give this an honest try.” If they left now, the team would probably sue Brett for breach of contract.

  Brett gave him a look, part fury, part hurt, and then swung the door open again, hard enough to knock it off the hinges. Without taking his eyes off Benj, he barked, “Where’s the motherfucking food that’s so motherfucking vital I eat?”

  Benj winced, hating to have that look aimed at him, hating that Brett thought it was a betrayal.

  Ralph was standing outside the door, looking calm, arms crossed. “Downstairs. Same place you had your dinner last night.”

  Benj hurried into his clothes.

  Brett took the banister with his good arm and swung over and dropped. No matter how many times Benj saw the trick, it made him wince, especially when Brett was pissed.

  “Jesus fuck, man. Are you trying to put yourself out of the game for good?” Ralph headed down the stairs, and Benj followed more slowly, biting his bottom lip, wanting things to go back to the way they’d been last night: hopeful, loving. Hell, he wanted things to go back to how they’d been before Brett had gotten hurt.

  Brett was standing at the table, glaring Jean down. “Tell me what exactly I have to eat to get the fuck away from all this shit.”

  “Six hundred calories. Protein. Carbs.
Four hundred calories if you eat at eight and snack at ten thirty.”

  “Fine.” Brett grabbed a bowl, filled it with scrambled eggs and dumped sugar over it, eating it with military precision. “Protein. Carbs. Eight-fucking-fifty-seven. We all happy? Excellent.”

  Well, Benj wasn’t, but he wasn’t going to say so. This wasn’t his fight. To his shock, Ralph was chuckling. “Indeed. I’ll see you at my office shortly.”

  The bowl dropped to the floor, shattering. “I’ll be there.”

  Then Brett was gone, out the door with a crash.

  “Lawd, lawd, he’s a right gator, he is. Protein shakes, then, I think.”

  “I tried to explain last night,” Benj said softly, miserable. “He doesn’t eat in the morning. He never has.”

  “Oh, cher, not to worry.” Jean came around the table, pulled out a chair for him. “His muscles need constant, good food to help. We’ll start small and build.” He got a wink, a chuckle. “Perhaps I’ll just leave the shake outside your door in the morning, yes? And he can have it with you in the bed.”

  Benj blushed a little as he sat. “You got quite the eyeful this morning.”

  Jean grinned, dark eyes just twinkling. “Oui, it was a lovely wake-up.”

  Oh, that had him blushing harder, and he looked down at the table, cursing his fair skin. He turned the plate in front of him and straightened the fork. “He really is a good man.”

  “Of course. He is just an ancrecule, yes? He does not believe things will heal.”

  “It’s been very hard for him. He’s had his hopes dashed twice already.” They both had.

  “Come, come. My Ralph? He fixes everyone. You? Eat and chat with me, yes? You tell me the things your cher eats, and we will treat him.”

  He nodded and smiled. Jean was so cheerful and friendly, Benj couldn’t stay uptight and embarrassed and unhappy around the man. “He loves steak, just not for breakfast.”

  “Is there nothing he likes in the mornings? Is there a reason? And you? You are a pancake person, sweet and creamy with the butter, yes?”

  “That’s my favorite!” Benj thought Jean was something else. Truly magic when it came to the kitchen; he could see that. “And Brett’s never eaten breakfast. You’d have to ask him why. When we first started seeing each other, I made him this big breakfast the first morning we um… you know. And he said, ‘Baby, I appreciate the effort, but I just don’t do breakfast.’ And he never has.”