Mission: Without a Trace - Nicole Edwards Page 0,72

guy. Emotional abuse was as significant as physical. He only hoped she knew that. Unfortunately, it didn’t really matter that she’d broken things off with him, either. Some guys didn’t know when to quit.

After walking JJ to her car, Brantley went into the house, found Reese in the kitchen. He had showered and wore only a pair of athletic shorts as he worked at the island preparing something that smelled fantastic. He was quite fond of seeing Reese in this state of undress. Relaxed, all that naturally tanned skin on display. The man truly was a masterpiece, made even more so by his height and those long limbs and sleek musculature.

“Hey,” Brantley greeted, coming up behind Reese and sliding his arms around his trim waist, feeling his abs contract when he pressed a kiss to his neck. “Makin’ dinner?”

“I am,” he said easily, leaning into him. “Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and peas. You’ve got about five minutes before it’s ready.”

“Plenty of time for a shower.” He kissed Reese’s neck once more, then released him.

His time in the military had made him fast and efficient when it came to hygiene. He was back in the kitchen in the allotted five minutes, finding that Reese had finished preparing their meal, had it dished up on plates at the island with iced tea to go with it.

They dug in, neither of them saying much as hunger was the driving factor. Not until he’d had seconds did the rumbling in his stomach finally stop.

“What’s for dessert?” he asked, downing the last of his tea before carrying both plate and glass around to rinse.

“Me,” Reese said, deadpan.

Brantley’s gaze slammed into the man, a slow smirk forming. “Just a warnin’, I might want seconds of that, too.”

Reese smiled, that blush creeping into his cheeks. Why Brantley found that hot, he didn’t know. There was so damn much about Reese Tavoularis that turned him on.

When Reese passed over his plate, Brantley snatched it up, set it in the sink as he turned off the water. Grabbing a dish towel, he dried his hands and walked around the island as Reese was getting to his feet.

“Where do you think you’re goin’?” he asked, his voice thickened by lust.

“Where do you want me?” Reese countered, unable to move when Brantley backed him up against the island.

Brantley jerked his chin toward the island top. “Up there.”

“Here?” Reese smirked, tapping the granite countertop. “Where we eat our meals?”

“Yep. This qualifies as a meal, does it not?”

Because of his height, Reese didn’t have to do much to hoist himself up so he was sitting on the granite countertop.

Brantley had been thinking about this all damn day. Getting Reese alone, finding some spare time to make up for what they’d lost this past week. He probably should’ve been taking things slow now that they were getting back on track, but he couldn’t help himself. He was done with slow. They’d gone that route already.

Brantley stepped between Reese’s long legs, slid a hand behind his neck, and pulled him in for a kiss. “Touch me, Reese.”

While he did, Brantley owned the kiss, dominating Reese’s mouth with his own. Their tongues dueled, soft groans escaping as firm hands began to wander.

The man’s touch was exquisite. More confident as time passed, but gentle all the same. From the very first time Reese had touched him, Brantley’d been addicted. He could get a high simply from having the man’s hands on him.

“Love when you touch me,” he muttered, sliding his lips down Reese’s jaw as he tugged on the loose-fitting shorts Reese wore.

Those hands disappeared when Reese lifted himself up so Brantley could free him of his clothing, but returned when Brantley had jerked them down his legs, letting them fall to the floor.

“I’ll take that dessert now,” he mumbled, stepping back and urging Reese to lean back by planting his hand on his chest.

He watched Reese recline onto his elbows, enjoying the way his long, lean body coiled and flexed as he moved. With the thick pads of his chest, the deep grooves of his abdomen, the man was a walking wet dream.

Brantley manhandled him then, turning Reese so his legs were on the countertop, too, that beautiful body stretched longways on the granite.

He started with his mouth, kissing his way down as he gripped Reese’s rigid cock, stroking lightly, teasing because he knew Reese enjoyed it. There was no rush, and he took his time, pausing to nibble on Reese’s nipples, listening to the dark