had always savored their time together, but since that day when he had nearly lost it all, Bull treasured every second for what it was…
A gift.
A gift of life, love, happiness, and every dream fulfilled all rolled into a sugar-scented, lean package of tight muscles, snarky humor, and overwhelming kindness.
He turned his head and kissed Ben’s palm as he reached out and slid an arm around Ben’s waist, pulling him close.
I love you.
Ben’s breath hitched, reading Bull’s thoughts as he often did. He cupped Bull’s face and pressed their lips together in a kiss.
That single point of contact lit a fire in Bull’s heart. He surrendered, losing all sense of time and place. Nothing existed but the taste of Ben’s lips, the tiny sounds of pleasure that escaped him, the warmth of his body, and the fingers now digging into his shoulders, tugging him close. He reached behind himself, into the nightstand, refusing to break the kiss as he felt his way around in the drawer until he found the lube.
Fingers scraped against his scalp and another moan echoed in their room as he stretched Ben. One finger, then another until Ben slung his leg over Bull’s waist, signaling him to move on.
With their bodies aligned and finally joined, they stilled, reveling in the connection.
Bull closed his eyes and pressed their foreheads together. It was more than physical. There was something deep within that settled and spread peace and rightness throughout his body each time they came together.
A smile pulled at his lips when Ben traced a finger along his jawline and down his throat.
He slowly pushed their bodies together. The tight heat welcomed him and the moan hitting his ears encouraged him to deepen his thrust. They held each other close as their bodies moved in sync.
With each deliberate slide into Ben’s body, the desire and need escalated, fusing with the love in Bull’s heart and his soul’s demand for more.
More time, more…everything.
He thrust faster, harder, crushing the slightest centimeter of space between them. His pulse triple-timed as sweat burst from his pores. This spark between them was a connection that spoke a million words that never needed to be said.
And he wanted it forever.
He quickened his pace, desperately craving each touch and sound that escaped the man he loved writhing beneath him.
Ben gasped a breath and dug his fingers into Bull’s shoulders. Each breath came quicker, shorter. Ben was close.
They were close.
Bull tightened his arm around Ben’s waist and drove his hips forward. He struggled for control, harnessing the current zipping through his body. He hooked his arm under Ben’s leg and angled their bodies.
Ben gasped and moaned as he gripped the headboard behind him, welcoming each thrust.
Bull glanced up, something inside him snapping at the tiny bullhead tattoo inked on the inside of Ben’s wrist.
He drove his hips forward…harder, faster, his rhythm faltering as electricity shot up his spine, jolting him deep into Ben one final time. He threw his head back, surrendering when his release tore through him just as warmth filled the space between them.
He fell forward, huddling their bodies close as he huffed each breath. They held each other until their breathing settled. With a gentle kiss to Ben’s temple, Bull rose from their bed and warmed a towel in the bathroom. He wiped their bodies clean and lowered himself back onto the bed next to Ben.
He took Ben’s hand and pulled it close, pressing a tender kiss to the penny-sized bullhead on the inside of Ben’s wrist. Though the tattoo was small, its meaning was not.
Just like the mark Ben had left in Bull’s heart, the inked symbol was permanent.
They were permanent.
They faced each other, gazing into each other’s eyes. This was their world. A world where words weren’t needed because every thought and emotion was in their touch and glance. The keeper of his heart was everything he had always wished for and everything he never knew he had wanted.
Ben was the promise of forever, a conduit of an endless supply of love and kindness and proof there was goodness in the world. And Bull would do anything and everything to never let the darkness taint that special, sweet light within his Ben.
He closed his eyes when Ben’s fingertips brushed through his hair. The caring gesture enough to let Bull know he was loved, and the rhythmic stroking enough to lull him back to sleep.
Bull startled awake at the shake of the bed a few minutes later. He must have nodded off,