Innkeeper's Blues - Jaime Samms Page 0,2

Lucky snort. “Now I know you have a plan.”

“I have no plan.”

“Said the man who always has a plan.”

“I wasn’t going to do anything without talking to you first. After all—” Kreed hung his hangers and closed the closet door. “—what he did, he did to you, not me.”

“Well…” Lucky smoothed a wrinkle from the folded-back edge of their comforter. “To be fair, it affected us both. And he’s your ex. But it’s sweet of you to think of me.”

Kreed crawled onto the bed, hauling a willing Lucky around so Lucky sat with his back to Kreed and Kreed could massage his shoulders. “You’re first for me, Lucky. Even before the B and B and Mildred. Just don’t tell her I said that.” He rested his chin on Lucky’s shoulder. “I love you.” The wiry hairs of his beard tickled Lucky’s skin, bringing a grin to Lucky’s face.

“Love you too.” He craned his neck to the side as Kreed began to nuzzle. “And don’t worry about Millie. Your secret’s safe with me. Mmm. That’s nice.”

Kreed was nibbling on the skin at the side of Lucky’s neck, pulling his brain off the track of the conversation and shorting out his speech pathways. By the time Kreed found his lips and dragged him onto his back, he’d all but forgotten what they’d been talking about.

How quickly his lover had learned that trick of distraction.

Eventually, though, Lucky had to push him off for air, and Kreed flopped onto his back. “I love how easily you distract me,” Kreed purred.

“Excuse you.” Lucky propped up on an elbow to peer down at him. “You started it this time.”

Kreed grinned. “Did, didn’t I?”

“Totally.” Pulling his own happy grin off his face to replace it with a more serious expression, Lucky stroked Kreed’s beard. “Not that I want even the thought of him to invade our bed for any length of time, I still have to ask. What about Joe? I know what he’s going through is bugging you, so what’s your plan?”

“Well”—Kreed pulled Lucky part way on top of him—“just because Michael left him and his primary sponsor dumped him doesn’t mean the guy is destitute, as you so helpfully pointed out.”

“So?”

“So. He needs to start repairing his rep. What better way to do that than to donate a good-sized chunk of change to an LGBTQ+ youth homeless shelter? It says he’s trying to be a part of the solution to the community’s problem that he exposed with Mackenzie. It says he’s willing to put the whole scandal aside in favour of the greater good. People will respond to that.”

“And what about when people ask how he even knew about Mackenzie and me? When he has to tell them he purposefully dug up all that dirt? How do you think that shit will go over with the”—he made air quotes—“good press?”

“I’m hoping they’ll focus more on his act of generosity now than his mistakes from before.”

Lucky snorted.

“I know. But it’s just self-serving enough he might go for it. Doesn’t require him to get involved in any way, but it will help us enormously.”

“It really would.” Lucky sighed and flopped onto his back to stare at the ceiling. “Of course, it means one of us has to actually reach out to him. Maybe even talk to him.”

“Got that covered too.”

“How?”

“Madeline, of course. Can you imagine how much glee my dearest almost-sister will get from making Joe Ferrell squirm and basically apologize to us publicly by giving us a pile of his precious money?”

“She would love it,” Lucky had to agree.

“So much.”

“Kiss me.”

“Oh.” Kreed rolled them over so Lucky was on his back again. “You’re getting kisses. Hundred percent.”

That was fine with Lucky. He didn’t even mind the slight chill racing over his limbs when Kreed pulled back the comforter and spread Lucky’s legs wide enough to give Kreed room to crouch between them.

“What are you doing?” Lucky raked fingers through Kreed’s already messy hair.

“Focus.” Kreed kissed his way down Lucky’s belly. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Lucky shivered as Kreed hooked a finger under his boxers and slowly eased them down. Willingly, Lucky lifted his hips, wiggled one leg out, and groaned when Kreed pressed him back into that spread-legged position.

“Stay still.”

“I was—”

Kreed licked his cock, root to tip, hot tongue sliding over the head and making Lucky whimper.

“Helping…” Lucky whispered. “Oh gods.”

Kreed swallowed him easily.

This was not a new thing for them. It had taken months of slow progress for Lucky to pull his overactive brain