By the Numbers Page 9

  The puppy swiveled its head around at the sound of Trey's voice and bounded over immediately.

  "Smartypants." Deuce watched them, smiling, then looked around. "Oh-oh. Got any paper towel? Pi peed."

  Trey scooped up Six and moved to the garden hose that was on the side of the station. "Here," he called, and tossed the end of it to Deuce. He turned the water on and watched the hose fill. "I'd use the fire hose on it instead, but we don't want to scare the dogs."

  "We should wait until they're at least a year old before we traumatize them," Deuce said with a nod. He hosed down the area that Pi had christened and then whistled for Q. When he had both his dogs in hand -- their collars, anyway -- he gave them both a drink from the hose and then nodded to Trey that he was done. "How's your day been going?" he asked, releasing Q and keeping Pi with him.

  Trey rewound the hose and strolled back over to Deuce, Six still firmly under his arm. The puppy was content to be carried, and Trey could feel him wagging his tail with pleasure at the attention. He glanced around the garage once before saying, "Better now. Thanks for coming by."

  Deuce smiled, looking pleased. "It's been a long few days. You'll be home tomorrow morning?"

  "Yeah, thank God. Home for two days, work for one, and then Lace'll be over. That's not a lot of time for us." It really wasn't. Trey realized he was spreading himself thin.

  "Hey, it's okay." Deuce took a step closer, but not too close. He spoke quietly. "No pressure, all right? We do what feels good and right, that's it. I'll try to stay home long enough to see you tomorrow morning. And then tomorrow night, after you're rested, we can watch some TV. Or something."

  "It's never TV." Trey smiled at the cement floor, afraid that if he looked at Deuce's face he would drag him to the back and beg for sex. "But yeah, I'm good with that. No pressure." He let Six slide to the ground and watched the puppy wander off after his companions. "So, you're good? Fine?" It felt like he hadn't seen Deuce in days. Well, that was mostly true.

  "Yeah, I'm good. Better for seeing you, but I'm good." Deuce watched the dogs with him, his hands in his back pockets. "Work has a picnic thing coming up in a week or two -- it's not one of your shift days, I checked. If it's not when Lacey's with you, you want to come? It's at the beach. Frisbee, volleyball, free food, and beer."

  "Like an office party kind of thing? I'm not family or anything." The thought made Trey realize that he didn't even know if Deuce had local family, or any family at all.

  "Yeah, office. Well, assume some of them will bring families, but it's not my family." Deuce called out and the puppies turned away from the tire they'd been sniffing with increasing speculation. "What do you think?"

  "I think yeah, I want to go." Trey grinned at him, inordinately pleased. "Can the dogs come? Which beach is it?" Not all of them allowed animals.

  "Dalvey. We can take the dogs and use them as an excuse to bail early when I can't keep my hands off you." Deuce didn't even look at him.

  Trey swallowed hard and moved a step closer. "I was thinking more like I'd have someone to talk to when your friends steal you, but I like that excuse better." Christ, he was going to get in trouble. Someone was going to see them--

  "Puppies!" Jack and Aaron had come out of the dorm side of the station and were making a beeline for the dogs. Trey stepped back from Deuce immediately and turned away.

  "Later," he murmured.

  Deuce nodded and cleared his throat. "Q, come." He petted her head while Jack and Aaron played with the puppies and looked every inch the doting puppy dad.

  Thankfully, there were no calls either before or during dinner, so Trey was able to relax a little and watch Deuce while they ate. He was as charming as ever, making the other crews laugh, and not at all intimidated by eating a meal with twelve firemen. He got up once to check on the dogs and returned with the report that all three of them were asleep in the bark planter.

  As the dishes were being cleared and washed, Trey tugged on Deuce's belt loop and motioned with his head for Deuce to follow.

  Deuce did as he was told, following along quietly. "That was really good," he said. "Where are we going?"

  It wasn't a good idea at all, but Trey couldn't help himself. "Back here." He pushed open the door to his dorm and motioned Deuce inside. "I just want a minute."

  Deuce closed the door behind them and reached for him. "Just a minute," he said with a nod. "Or something like that."

  Trey went without any prompting. Just a kiss was all he was looking for, nothing wrong with that. The other guys had their wives in here all the time. Although, admittedly, not in their bunks with the door closed. Trey didn't care.

  He kissed Deuce softly, enjoying the taste of him and wishing more than ever that they were at home.

  Deuce kissed him back, his arm looped loosely around Trey's waist. "Missed this," he whispered between kisses. "Got real lonely last night."

  "Been lonely every night." Trey whispered, too. "Remind me that three days in a row makes me too horny and I shouldn't do it."

  "I can't wait to see what kind of payoff there is, though." Deuce grinned at him and pulled him closer. "I'll be rushing home from work, for the record."

  That sounded fine to Trey. He stepped his legs apart in order to fit himself more snugly against Deuce's thigh and went for another kiss, this time touching his tongue to Deuce's top lip and nuzzling there. It would be so easy to drag Deuce down to the bed that was right behind him.

  It was only the sharp knock at the door that stopped him. Startled, Trey pulled away from the strong arms around him. "Yeah?"

  "Your ice cream's getting eaten." Chance opened the door and looked squarely at Trey, ignoring Deuce altogether. "Just thought you should know."

  Trey took a deep breath and nodded. Chance knew Trey didn't give a damn about his dessert at that moment. The unspoken message was clear. "Yessir, okay. Thanks. We'll be right there."

  "Take your time," Chance replied easily, which Trey knew actually meant "you'd better get your ass back into the other room".

  "Okay, Cap. I got it." Trey glanced at Deuce. "Come on."

  "Sure." Deuce put his hands back in his pockets, not looking at all embarrassed. "I love ice cream. I hope there's some left."

  "There's plenty," Trey muttered as he shouldered his way past his captain. Chance did not look bothered.

  And there was, in fact, a whole carton left in the freezer. The only thing that had gotten demolished were the fresh sliced peaches that were supposed to go over the top of the ice cream, but Trey figured he and Deuce could choke down some plain ice cream anyway.

  A bowl and a half later, Trey wiped his mouth and gave Deuce a rueful look. It was getting close to seven-thirty, the time when the crew changed from uniforms into shorts and T-shirts and began settling down for the evening. Visitors had to go.

  "I'll walk you out," Trey said, putting their ice cream bowls in the sink.

  "Cool." Deuce looked around, spotted Jack watching TV from an easy chair, and waved to catch his eye. "Thanks for supper." He waved at a couple of others who called out good nights, then followed Trey out to collect the dogs. "That was fun, thank you."

  "You held your own. Good job." Trey laughed and snapped his fingers at Six, who followed obediently. "People are always surprised the first time they hang out in a firehouse."

  "Bunch of guys sitting around eating ribs. It's kind of like a frat house." Deuce laughed. "Except there's news on the TV instead of porn. Your den dad is on the ball, though. How did he know?"

  "He just does." Trey made a face. "He's good at his job. Sorry about that. Work is not the best place to mess around, especially since you're not a chick." It sucked, but it was a fact.

  "Sorry I got you in trouble." Deuce smiled and loaded the dogs into his car. "I'll try to see you in the morning -- I can be a little late."

  "Nah, I'm not in trouble. And he's not a talker, so he won't blab it." Trey gave Six one last scratch behind his ears and
leaned into Deuce for a fast kiss. "Wait for me tomorrow. I'll get home as soon as I can."

  "I'll have the coffee on." Deuce kissed him back and got in the car. "I hope you sleep tonight. You'll need your energy tomorrow." He started the engine and grinned. "Bye, Trey."

  "Night." Trey closed Deuce's door for him and stood back. When Deuce pulled out of the driveway and turned for home, Trey stayed and watched the taillights for as long as he could.

  Nine

  Deuce had a very hard time concentrating at work. His morning had started in the usual way, to the baying of puppies who needed out, and had remained normal right up until Trey had arrived home. Deuce had held off going to work as long as he could, going so far as to drive instead of ride, but they still only had time for a few fast kisses before Deuce had to leave.

  Trey seemed tired, too, so Deuce hoped that he'd found time to nap during the day.

  At lunch, Deuce had sent a few text messages home, asking about the dogs, if Trey wanted him to pick anything up on the way home, that sort of domestic stuff that made Deuce happy in a weird, indefinable way. They discussed dinner and settled on grilling again with a decent salad as a side, and then Deuce faced his afternoon at his desk.

  His mind continually drifted into areas it absolutely should not when he was unable to go even so far as the coffee machine without passing four people. He was trapped at his desk most of the day with a hard-on that would only fade and not really go away.

  "This is ridiculous." He was muttering to himself by the time quitting time came. He shut off all his computers and monitors and draped his suit jacket in front of himself when he left, like the way he'd held his text books in high school. "Utterly ridiculous."

  The drive home was uneventful, thank God. It was also long, due to traffic, but the traffic at least distracted him enough that he could walk straight when got there. Of course, the moment he walked in the door and saw Trey, all his blood flooded south yet again, anyway. "Hey, I'm home," he said lamely, tossing his jacket over a chair and putting his bag on the floor. "Miss me?"

  "All day," came the welcome response. Trey gently shoved a dog aside with his foot. "Me first, pooch."

  "You first, for sure. Have they been out lately? Can we ignore them for a while?" He was trying to reach Trey and shed his work shirt at the same time, every part of him wanting to rush and take and have.

  "They've been out all day in the yard with me." Trey helped with Deuce's shirt, their fingers brushing together. "They're fine. I'm so glad you're home."

  "Me, too. God, kiss me." Deuce tangled a few of his fingers with Trey's. "I couldn't even think today."

  Trey complied easily. He tightened his fingers around Deuce's and used his other hand to shove Deuce's shirt off his shoulders. "I tried to nap," he whispered between kisses. "But I couldn't. I wanted to call and tell you to come home early." He shoved a leg in between Deuce's and pressed up against him.

  "I might never go to work again." Deuce laughed and rocked his hips. "Standing up isn't going to work real well for me for very long, just so you know." He dropped his hands to Trey's ass and squeezed. "God, you feel good."

  "Come on." Trey took the hand he was holding and tugged. "I changed the sheets." He paused for a moment and considered his statement. "Or maybe I should have waited. Oh, well." He pulled on Deuce's hand again.

  "There's more clean ones in my room. Or we can do laundry. Whatever." Deuce went with him eagerly, pulling him back once before they got there just to kiss him again and grope Trey's cock over his pants. He loved the feel of Trey in his hand, loved the startled sound he made.

  He wasn't expecting Trey to lean back against the wall in the hallway and yank Deuce to him. "The bedroom is far." Trey kissed him and didn't seem too intent on getting to those clean sheets he'd promised.

  "True enough." Deuce groped him again and pushed him into the wall. "We'll get there eventually." He tugged at Trey's shirt and teased a finger under the waistband of Trey's shorts. "What did you think about when you couldn't nap?"

  A hand cupped Deuce's cock. "This. You. What I wanted to do to you. What I wanted done to me."

  "Good." Deuce leaned close and whispered in Trey's ear. "Very, very good." He got his hand shoved down the front of Trey's shorts. "In the hall? Here?" He squeezed.

  Deuce was rewarded with a gasp from Trey and the pretty sight of Trey's head going back against the wall. Deuce watched the long line of his throat as Trey swallowed and nodded. "Here. Can you do that again?"

  "Later." Deuce licked Trey's neck. "Know what I thought about when I got home last night and had all the little critters sleeping and the house was quiet?"

  Trey whimpered and moved his head, presumably to give Deuce better access. He didn't answer, but Deuce could tell he was listening.

  Deuce held Trey's erection firmly in his hand and moved his own hips so he could rub along a strong thigh. "I thought about laying you down and opening you up. About sliding wet fingers into you and about watching your face. I want to lick you, and touch you, and hold your hips while I fuck you, Trey. I want to hold you to me and feel you move around me. That's what I thought about." He squeezed again.

  Trey's breathing increased, and Deuce could see him swallow again. "Now?" he whispered, nudging against Deuce's hand. "I want it."

  Deuce smiled and gave Trey's cock a stroke. "Now would be good. But not in the hall. Fucking you up against a wall is something for next time."

  Trey's glance toward the bedroom was telling. "Bed," he said. His eyes were bright but dazed looking, and he didn't move from his position.

  "Bed." Deuce nodded and kissed him, then let him go. He stood back, he got his hand out of Trey's pants and he removed himself from Trey's personal space. "Do you have everything in there, or should I get stuff from my room?" he asked politely, delighted at how responsive Trey was. He was getting hotter by the second and stepping back was the only way to maintain his self-control.

  "Um." Trey licked his lips and took a moment to come back to himself. "I've got it." He nodded to confirm. "Ready?" Trey held out a hand that Deuce could see was trembling slightly.

  "I've been ready for ages," Deuce said with complete honesty. He took Trey's hand and smiled at him encouragingly. He knew he should let Trey lead the way, it being his room and all, but he wound up almost pulling Trey into the room anyway.

  He kissed Trey's mouth again and pulled his T-shirt up, sliding his hands over Trey's belly and chest, then around to his back. He loved the way Trey felt, smooth skin over hard muscle. With the shirt up but not yet off, Deuce tweaked one of Trey's nipples, just to see if Trey was one of the sensitive ones. Some were, some weren't.

  The reaction he got told him everything he needed to know. Trey drew in a breath and arched his back, nearly knocking both of them off balance. "I need to lie down if you're going to do that."

  "Okay." Deuce laughed softly and helped him get the T-shirt off, then started on the shorts. "Lying down is a good idea anyway." In a moment he had Trey's fly undone, and the shorts were falling off his hips, a very pretty sight.

  Trey breathed a sigh of relief and reached for Deuce. "You, too. I want to touch you." He reached for Deuce's belt and began to unbuckle it, his erection brushing against Deuce's thigh. "Although I really like the business look."

  "I like the uniformed fireman look. We can work something out." Deuce watched Trey undoing the belt and stood still, letting Trey do this for him. If nothing else, he was getting a chance to breathe and wasn't quite as ready to go off like a rocket at the first touch. It was very hard to be impressive in bed if one was shooting all over in the first minute or two.

  When both of them had their pants and shirts in a crumpled heap on the floor, Trey took the three steps necessary to get them to the bed. He tugged on Deuce's arm and both of them tumbled down together. Trey was on him immediately, kissing and nuzzling and using his fingers to gently trace Deuce's cock. "You are just so pretty," Trey whispered. "Ever
ything about you."

  Deuce tried to ignore the butterflies in his belly when Trey said things like that. "That would be you, not me," he said. He ran a hand down Trey's side and let Trey do what he wanted. He'd take over very shortly. "Show me where you keep your stuff."

  Trey reached a well-toned arm over his head and pointed at the nightstand. "The place where most guys keep their stuff." He leaned his head down and sucked at Deuce's collarbone while he cupped Deuce's balls and rolled them gently between his fingers. "Tell me what you like, and I'll do it."

  Oh, God. Deuce closed his eyes and swallowed hard. This man had the power to break him. He quickly took a mental inventory to see how close he was to the edge and how much he could take before he'd have to get some breathing room for himself, decided there was some wiggle room, and opened his eyes. "I like that. I like knowing that you will. Be a good boy and suck me for a couple of minutes. Not too long."

  Trey nodded and immediately slid down Deuce's body. There was no hesitation, not even a blink at being called a good boy. He simply followed the order he was given. In less than five seconds, Deuce found himself flat on his back with a warm mouth around his dick.

  He sucked air in between his teeth and put a hand on Trey's head. "Easy," he whispered, more to himself than to Trey. "Just a couple of minutes." Any more than that and the whole plan of fucking Trey would have to go on hold until he recovered. "Oh, you're good at this." A couple of minutes would have to become a single minute.

  Deuce could feel Trey smile around him. Trey bobbed his head and fit more of Deuce's prick in his mouth, pulling up slowly and scraping ever so gently with his teeth. One hand crept up to cradle Deuce's sac, while Trey used his other hand to hold Deuce's cock in place as he sucked.

  When his breath started coming faster and it was real work to keep his hips still, Deuce took a handful of Trey's hair -- the best grip he could get, given how short it was -- and gently pulled him off. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "Sometime soon I'm not going to stop you."