Loose Snow - 1

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or
are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events,
locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely
coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the
publisher.

Loose Snow
Torquere Press Publishers
PO Box 2545
Round Rock, TX 78680
Copyright 2012 by Julia Talbot
Cover illustration by Shawn Clements
Published with permission
ISBN: 978-1-61040-700-7

www.torquerepress.com
All rights reserved, which includes the right to reproduce this
book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as
provided by the U.S. Copyright Law. For information address
Torquere Press. Inc., PO Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680.
First Torquere Press Printing: February 2012
Printed in the USA

Loose Snow - 2

Loose Snow

By Julia Talbot

“I’m taking AJ’s Jeep,” Jack called out to Edna as he

pulled on his Forestry Service issue jacket. “I got a call
to check out in Trickle Park. There’s loose snow under
the new powder.”

“You ruin his undercarriage on that rough track and

he’ll have your hide.” Edna’s nails clicked against the
keyboard in front of her monitor. She stared at him over
the rims of her square reading glasses, looking like
nothing so much as that supervisor lady in Monster’s
Inc.

Winter at the ranger station up on Grand Mesa in

Colorado was pretty dull. Edna wrote a lot of notes for
the romance novel she planned to write someday and
read a lot of trashy books with lurid titles and bad covers
featuring half naked people.

“I’ll baby it along.” He waved before heading toward

the door. He wanted to get out there and back before it
got any darker.

“Take your avalanche beacon.”
“It’s on my zipper.” He grinned and walked out into

the blinding day. They’d had a wet snow for three days
or so, then a light layer of powder. When the sun came
out after a storm like that, well, bright light on that much
white was a nightmare. Jack pulled his shades on.

“Hey, Jack.” Louann, the volunteer who worked

weekdays passed him on her way in. “Be careful out
there. Avalanche danger is up.”

Loose Snow - 3

“Yeah. Saw the report this morning. I’ll keep an eye

out.”

“Well, don’t forget how they lost a piece of Trickle

Park Road last year. Whoosh.”

“I got it.” The keys to AJ’s precious Jeep jingled in

his hand, and he pulled his cap down over his eyes to
shade them even more. Louann went on in, and he
admired the gleaming red Jeep for a moment. He might
even have fondled the fender a little. He sure didn’t get
to touch AJ that way, no matter how much he wanted to.
Not anymore. That had been his own fault, but yeah.

Not that the Jeep really belonged to AJ. The smug

bastard just liked to call it his because he was the senior
ranger. The man was all of thirty-five. Senior, his ass.
Jack hopped in and hoped the damned thing would start.
There was no block heater plug in the back lot, and it
was cold enough to make his nose hair crackle, his
sinuses freezing right up.

He pondered why AJ got off on controlling access to

the vehicles. It had to be a power thing. Maybe it was
the gear shift in the Jeep. It was pretty damned phallic.
AJ might like stroking it.

Jack knew full well AJ liked dick. Sadly, they’d had

a short-term thing not long after they’d met, and then
they’d had something of a falling out. AJ being the only
other man working the mountain for the winter was
going to make it a long wait until the spring thaw.

Lord have mercy, the road was a mess. Steering

around an icy patch, Jack started making mental notes to
Edna. She would need to call in the road crew. Some of

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the smaller patching could wait until spring, but there
were a couple of cracks along the shoulder that needed
to be marked off for safety, at the very least. Some of
the trees and brush along the side of the road were too
damned heavy with ice and snow, too, and would need
to be cleared out. Hell, the way his tires scraped and slid
told him there was some dangerous build-up under the
top layer.

They’d need to sand. Even with the road supposedly

blocked off, there was always some asshole who ignored
the barrier in hopes of taking a shortcut to Powderhorn,
the ski resort that sat down the mountain a ways. There
were folks who came to pick up the cross country skiers,
too.

The turn-off to Trickle Park was almost completely

obscured, and Jack just about lost it when he made the
corner too suddenly. The Jeep spun in a lazy, sickening
circle before Jack could steer into the skid enough to hit
the anti-lock brakes and stop. His heart was hammering,
nausea rising in his throat.

“Why the hell didn’t I take a snowmobile?” he

muttered, stopping a moment to sit and shake a little.
Christ.

He hopped out to put the chains on, and damned if

they weren’t there. Gone. What the fuck? He reached for
his handheld radio, but his fingers closed on the empty
space where it usually sat. Fuck a damned duck. The
radio in the Jeep had gone out a month back, and AJ had
never bothered to fix it. He didn’t want to go all the way
back to the station for the radio or the chains, though, so

Loose Snow - 5

he checked his coordinates and headed on, just a lot
slower and a lot more careful.

The report said his trouble area was only about a mile

away when Jack heard it. A tiny, far-away crack
sounded, like a rifle shot in the distance. No one was
dumb enough to hunt at this time of year, though, and
when he looked up the slope that faced the passenger
window, he could see a puff of white, something that
looked like smoke. Then the smoke turned to serious
white stuff, rumbling down the face of the slope.

He had just enough time to throw the Jeep into park

and hunker down before it was on him, a great, moving
wall of ice and snow, obliterating everything in his
sight. He almost opened his mouth to scream, but
decided against it as he and the Jeep went spinning off
like a demented snowball on its way to hell.

Jack fought to stay conscious just long enough to pull

his avalanche beacon, hoping against hope that someone
would think to look for him before he suffocated. Then
something hit his head, and the whole world went black.

***

“Goddamn it, Jack. You trashed my fucking Jeep.

You’d better wake up, you son of a bitch. You owe me.”

Man, whatever that was making that annoying

buzzing sound was really starting to piss Jack off. He
was so cold and so sleepy, and all he wanted to do was
curl up in his bunk and sleep some more. It was shaking

Loose Snow - 6

him, too, but then that could have been the quaking of
his cold form, too.

Something sharp stung his cheek, and Jack grunted.

Goddamned mosquitoes. Even in the coldest fucking
winter they came at you on the Mesa. Little vampire
fuckers.

The next slap rocked his head to the side, which was

when the real world came rushing back in. Jack blinked,
trying to focus, which was when he realized he was
lying in the snow, and that his body was slowly but
surely trying to close down, his lungs dragging in very
little air, his heart thumping in only the slowest rhythm,

“You slap me again, and I swear I will get up and

kick your ass,” Jack said, finally managing to get his
vision to work. He stared up into eyes like the greenest
part of summer. AJ’s eyes.

Shit, if he was waxing poetic about summer eyes, his

brain must really be frozen. Jack tried to sit up, but he
was like a newborn colt who couldn’t get all his limbs to
work in concert. His coordination was just shot, and he
was worried maybe he had frostbite.

“Shit. Like you could kick my ass,” AJ grumbled.

“Come on, you big bastard. I got you out of the Jeep, but
it was like popping a cork out of a bottle. I need you to
help me get you into the truck.”

AJ pulled him and prodded him and somehow got

him to his feet, which felt like blocks of ice. It was
eerily like walking on stumps, and he had to look to
make sure his legs were there. They were. That was
good, at least.

Loose Snow - 7

They staggered when he grabbed AJ for balance,

slipping and sliding. Snow and ice crunched under his
feet, and so did chucks of rock

“How did you find me?” God, he was slurring,

talking in slow motion.

“Edna was checking all the avalanche monitors when

you went. We saw the GPS signal pop up right after.
Mainly I saw the Jeep. The red stood out. Made it easy
to find you. Good thing, too, as rescue would have taken
an hour to get here. Here we go.”

The cab of the truck felt so warm it sent him into

shock a little, making nausea rise in his throat again.
Jack reeled, bouncing off the window, trying not to
heave. One ruined vehicle was his limit for the day,
damn it.

“I swear to God, if you hurl in the truck…”
“Fuck off. Not gonna.”
“Good. Here. Have a sip of water. Not too much.”
He knew the drill. How many times had he gone

through it with a half-frozen tourist? Still, he almost
gulped too much, and the lukewarm water almost burned
his lips. He was so thirsty he could barely stand it.

The ride back to the station passed in a blur of too-

cold hands and too-hot cheeks, his head swimming. As
he warmed up, his skin started prickling. Hell, it took
maybe twenty minutes to warm up enough for his teeth
to start chattering. When the truck stopped, Jack jerked,
his head falling forward like a newborn’s. It was all he
could do not to fall over.

Loose Snow - 8

“Jack! Come on, man. I need you to help me. We

have to get you inside.”

Oh. Inside sounded good. Except that meant he had

to leave the truck, which was warm, and head outside a
bit, where it was cold as a witch’s tit in a brass bra.

“I hafta?” he asked, his lips and tongue having

trouble forming words. Everything was slow-slow.

“You do.” AJ tugged at him, and even through his

frozen clothes those hands were unbearably warm. “Get
your ass up, you lazy bastard.”

“Bossy. Always so fucking bossy.”
AJ laughed, the sound so good and familiar it ached.

Made him want to say things he didn’t need to say.
“You used to like it under certain circumstances,
buddy.”

“Help me out, will ya?” Jack didn’t have an answer

for that last. He was too cold, too tired. He just wanted
to sleep. He’d revisit that whole mess at a later date.

The trip to the little trailer house behind the ranger

station took days. Maybe years. AJ held most of his
weight. His feet dragged along in the slush, his breath
coming in short gasps. He heard AJ talking to him, but
his tongue was too heavy and his head to fuzzy to make
out the words, let alone respond.

When his back hit the mattress of the double bed AJ

had squeezed into the tiny bedroom, he fell right into
sleep, everything else, including that bossy bastard AJ,
slipping away.

***

Loose Snow - 9

AJ stared down at Jack for a moment, knowing he

needed to be doing a whole host of things to make the
man warmer, more comfortable, but not able to move.

Whatever their differences, this man was dear to him,

and this kind of near miss was hard to process. He
couldn’t shake the cold ball of dread in his stomach, the
one that had appeared when Edna had pointed out the
avalanche and Jack’s beacon.

The door back out in the main room swung open,

Edna huffing and puffing inside. “He’s okay?”

“I have no idea. He passed out on me as soon as I got

him in here.”

She gave him a look, lips pursed, eyebrows up. Her

hands went to her ample hips.

AJ held out his hands, palms up. “I just got him

inside. I’m a little wigged, to tell you the truth.”

“Well, wigged out ain’t gonna get him warm.” Edna

made shooing motions with her hands. “Strip him down.
I’ll get some lukewarm water going.”

She bustled off, and he shook himself like a wet dog,

starting with Jack’s boots and working up. Even pale
and shivering, Jack looked good. The man was a stud;
there was no two ways about it, and there wasn’t much
they hadn’t done in their short time together.

He examined Jack’s hands and feet, which showed

signs of frost nip, but not bite. They’d soak his
appendages in warm water, make sure nothing got
damaged. Right now, though, it was important to
gradually raise Jack’s core temperature. AJ started

Loose Snow - 10

bundling Jack into blankets, the color of the man’s lips
bothering him.

Edna came back in, head tilting. “He’s looking

peaked. We should take him down to Delta to the
hospital.”

AJ stared at her. “How am I supposed to get him

back into the truck?”

“We’ll take my SUV.” Edna had a Suburban, big

enough to transport a horse. “I’ll set up the back, you get
the rockslide backboard.”

They had a backboard they used for rescue efforts,

which was lightweight, molded fiberglass. That might
just work. AJ stuffed Jack into fleece base layers and
heavy down outer layers, pressing his fingers to Jack’s
blue-ish lips. He remembered how that mouth felt on his
lips, how it had felt on his cock. AJ shivered.

“Don’t you die on me, asshole. We have a lot to talk

about, somehow. A lot more than I thought we’d ever
have to talk about again, okay?”

They’d get Jack to the hospital, he’d get someone up

to cover the station, and they’d go from there. He had all
these thoughts he wanted to talk about, all these things
he wanted to say.

AJ could only hope it would be enough.

***

Jack woke up once to a doctor poking him, old Doc

Jenkins, who did rounds at the Delta hospital. He
managed to mutter a drowsy, “Fuck off,” when Doc

Loose Snow - 11

poked a needle into his index finger, and Doc laughed,
which meant nothing was frozen off or anything. That
was a good sign. The hospital bed and IV line wasn’t
such a good thing, but he fell asleep again before he
could ask how everything had turned out.

When he woke again, Edna sat next to the bed,

reading a book titled “Vixen Slave.” Lord love a duck.
Her choice of books always stunned him.

“How long have I been out?” Jack asked, wincing at

the croak in his voice. It sounded like he’d been gargling
glass

“On and off for three days, give or take. We’ve been

worried about you.”

“No shit?” Huh. He must have shaken up his insides

pretty good. Three days seemed awfully severe.

“None at all.” She peered at him over the tops of her

new cat-eye glasses, her eyes twinkling. “Did you know
you talk in your sleep? Like a lot.”

His cheeks heated, his heart rate going up drastically.

He guessed that proved he was alive and not having
some weird afterlife dream. He actually kinda wished it
was the opposite. “What did I babble about?”

Edna chuckled, the sound evil as any bad TV villain.

“Well, I know more about naked AJ now than I ever
wanted to, that’s for sure.”

Oh Christ, him and his big mouth. Why in hell

couldn’t he keep it shut? “Hey, at least now you can quit
checking out AJ’s ass.”

Edna hooted, opening her mouth to skewer him, no

doubt, but the door opened, cutting her off. AJ sauntered

Loose Snow - 12

in, the bright grin not even coming close to hiding the
lines around his mouth and eyes. The man looked flat
out exhausted.

“You giving him shit, Edna?” AJ asked, coming to

look down at Jack.

“Hell, yes. He deserves it for giving us such a bad

scare. Looks like he’s all in there again, though.”

“Cool.” AJ gave Edna a pat on the shoulder. “I’ll take

over, huh?”

Lord. That probably meant AJ would not just sit with

him, he’d take over giving Jack hell, too. AJ rarely
passed up a chance to let Jack have it, not since they’d
parted ways. Once Edna left, AJ settled into the chair
and stared at Jack some more, those green eyes as
serious as a heart attack.

“You did give us a scare, Jack,” AJ murmured, one

hand making an abortive move toward Jack’s arm before
it fell back into AJ’s lap. Weird. Looked almost like the
man wanted to touch him.

Jack didn’t know what to say, really, so he zeroed in

on what he figured was most important. “Well… I sure
am sorry about your Jeep, man.”

AJ grimaced. “Forget the fucking Jeep, Jack. I’m just

glad you’re okay.”

A little kernel of warm pleasure bloomed in Jack’s

chest, but he squashed it pretty hard. AJ was a decent
human being. Of course he’d been worried.

“Hey, I know how you like that Jeep. Thanks. For the

rescue, I mean. I remember enough to know it was all
you.”

Loose Snow - 13

AJ’s cheeks went a little pink under his scruff of

beard. “I should have called in rescue. I was a little
frantic, and I knew where your beacon had gone off…”

Look at that. AJ was squirmy. Jack would have

pressed it a week ago, would have tried to make AJ
sincerely uncomfortable. For now, though, it just
seemed smarter to let it go. He shifted on his pillows,
trying to get comfy, He was so stiff he could hardly
stand himself, which meant he’d spent way too much
time lying in the same position.

“You need some help, man?” AJ stood, bending over

him, looming large and warm and so damned pretty.

“Thanks.” He tried lifting up, but felt weak as a

kitten. Shit. His chest hurt, like right beneath his
sternum. His lungs felt a little heavy, too.

AJ bent over him, face screwed up with concern. “Let

me, huh?” AJ adjusted the bed, getting the head of it up,
getting pillows under his shoulders so Jack could lean
back and relieve the pressure on his spine.

“Oh, fuck. Thanks, man. That feels amazing.”
“No problem.” AJ stayed there, leaning over him for

a long moment. Then that long body seemed to fold in
on itself and AJ sat back in his chair. “You hungry? The
doc said when you woke up we could get you some
soup.

“Soup sounds good.” It didn’t, not really, but his

belly was empty as a worm, so he’d go with it.

“I’ll tell the nurse.” AJ hopped up and fled, which

told Jack it wasn’t just him. The whole situation was
kind of excruciating.

Loose Snow - 14

When AJ came back in, Jack forced a grin, feeling

like an idiot. “You don’t have to stay, man.”

“I don’t mind.” AJ shrugged. “Edna and I decided

you didn’t need to be alone.”

“Well, thanks.” He wanted to ask if he’d talked in his

sleep when AJ was there, but he was too much of a
coward to ask. Instead, he lay back against the pillows
and closed his eyes. “Sorry I gave you all a scare.”

“Uh-huh. Just don’t do it again.”
“Trust me,” Jack murmured, wondering what the hell

AJ wanted with him. “I never want to go through this
again.”

***

AJ wasn’t there when Jack got out of the hospital.
Hell, he wasn’t there on Jack’s first day back to

work, and he wasn’t there when Jack went to the bar a
few days later (or so he heard) and he missed Jack at the
man’s usual Saturday morning breakfast at the
Hallelujah Café.

AJ was starting to think Jack was avoiding him. He

didn’t really think it was about the Jeep, so maybe it was
all about how Jack talked in his sleep.

Turning into the parking lot at the bowling alley, AJ

pondered how good it had been to hear Jack say he was
sorry. Oh, he knew a conscious Jack would never have
apologized for leaving AJ high and dry not long after
they’d gotten together. Nope, Jack had always made it a
matter of different wants in life rather than one partner

Loose Snow - 15

dumping another. Like there was nothing wrong with
letting AJ say all sorts of heartfelt love things and then,
without blinking, Jack saying he didn’t want to settle
down.

At least now he knew from Jack’s ramblings that the

man still had feelings for him. It made a difference. It
made him want things he shouldn’t really want. Wanting
them hadn’t made Jack return the feelings. Still, maybe
it would be worth trying again. All he had to do was
track the asshole down.

Jack’s truck sat in the bowling alley lot, with only

two other cars there. Excellent. AJ would have an hour
or so before Jack’s standing Thursday night bowling
game got going. That was plenty of time to… catch up.

Yeah. Catch up.
He doffed his hat on the way in the door, squinting in

the low light. Jack sat at the bar, nursing a longneck
Coors. AJ tried to be casual, but he knew he was zeroing
in pretty fast. He was moving, and he couldn’t seem to
stop his momentum.

Who was he kidding? He looked like an eager suitor,

running to meet his date. Like he was a fucking teenager
who couldn’t control his hormones.

“Hey, Jack.”
Jack jerked, sitting up straight, staring at him. Those

gray eyes looked bloodshot, Jack’s face lined with
exhaustion. That just didn’t look good.

“Hey, AJ. What’s up?”
“Jesus, you look pooped. Should you be resting or

something?”

Loose Snow - 16

Jack’s brows went up. “Nice to see you, too.”
“Sorry.” He held up his hands. “Sorry, man. I just

haven’t seen you, but you’ve been doing all your usual
stuff. I know the doc cleared you for duty, but you look
like you need to take it easy.”

“Thanks.” Jack sucked back the last of the beer, then

stood. “I think I will go on home. Night.”

AJ grimaced. “Hey, man. I said I was sorry.” Shit, he

was doing this all wrong. “Have you eaten? You look
gray.”

Jack blinked. “Not since lunch.”
“Well, you can’t go home on an empty stomach. Let

me buy you supper, huh? Let’s go to Leon’s.”

“Okay. Yeah, sure.” Jack stumbled a little, and AJ

frowned.

Maybe they should grab something to go. “You know

what? We’ll rain check the Mexican and grab something
at the Sonic. I’ll drive.”

“My truck is right here.” Jack let AJ take his arm,

though, and steer him out the door, waving at Laura, the
bartender at the bowling alley, on the way.

“I know, but you’re really unsteady. You need to

learn to take it easy, you know? You almost froze to
death.”

Jack just snorted. “That’s not as difficult as it

sounds.”

AJ laughed a little, but he kind of wanted to hit Jack

with a rock, just for making him think about it. He still
got queasy when he thought about Jack in that Jeep,
getting swept away. The “what ifs” could make a man

Loose Snow - 17

crazy. “Well, Doc may have released you, but I bet he
told you to take it easy.”

He took Jack out to his new Jeep, pushing that long

body into the passenger side. The Jeep wasn’t the same
red, but the radio worked and the toolbox in the back
made it easier to keep the chains in. Jack was asleep by
the time they got to the Sonic, but AJ knew his regular
order. A jalapeno cheeseburger, onion rings, and a
limeade. He got a coney for himself, along with tots and
a big shake, feeling the need for some decadence.

When they pulled up in front of Jack’s trailer up in

Orchard City, he shook the man awake. “Hey. Come eat
and then you can go to bed.”

“M’okay.” All but falling out of the Jeep, Jack

staggered to the door, fumbling with a ring of keys.

Luckily, AJ knew which one unlocked the deadbolt,

so he got the door open and got Jack inside. He held
Jack up with one hand, held the Sonic bag with the
other, and got Jack settled on the couch.

“Eat. Come on, before you pass out again.”
That got him an evil glare, but Jack dutifully dug in,

demolishing the food in no time. “Oh. I might live.”

AJ finished off his tater tots, nodding. “Your color is

better, at least.”

Finally meeting his eyes, Jack grinned weakly.

“Sorry. I’ve been trying to get back to normal. It just
seems to be taking a long time.”

“I get that. I just think you’ve been going at it too

hard.” AJ glanced around, surprised at the neat front
room of the trailer. “You cleaned up.”

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“I’m not as much of a slob now, I guess.” Rolling his

head on his neck, Jack sighed. “Gotta grow up
sometime, yeah?”

“Yeah.” AJ was just surprised that it had been before

the accident. How had he not noticed? Maybe he had
noticed; he’d let Jack get away with taking the Jeep.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“’kay.” Jack stood and made a winding path to the

bathroom. AJ gave him a little privacy, then followed
him to the bedroom, where he helped Jack undress.

“Not a baby, you know,” Jack said, raising his arms

to let AJ help him take his undershirt off.

“I know that.” There was no way that ripped torso

belonged to a baby. AJ let his fingers trace the path of
one pectoral muscle, watching Jack’s nipple bead up
nice and hard.

“Watch it, man. I’m not all that incapacitated.”
“Sorry.” He jerked his hand back, knowing he didn’t

have the right to do that anymore. He was the one who’d
ended it, after all, when Jack had made the declaration
that he wasn’t ready to settle down with just one man,
that he liked AJ a lot, but they weren’t meant for each
other or anything. Even if he did have the right, Jack
was under the weather.

“No worries.” Jack stripped out of his jeans. “I still

like your hands, is all.”

“Yeah.” He’d heard a little about that at the hospital

when Jack had rambled. It had made him hard, which
had in turn made him feel like a heel, lusting over a man
who was so sick. Jack had been pretty explicit, though.

Loose Snow - 19

“Thanks for the food, AJ. And for bringing me

home.” With that, Jack toppled on the bed and started
snoring almost immediately, out like a fucking light.
Boom. It would have been funny if it wasn’t so
frustrating. The last thing he needed was Jack coming
down with pneumonia or the plague or something
because he didn’t take enough time to recover.

Sighing, AJ got up and got a glass of water from the

kitchen. He should go. Maybe get someone to drive
Jack’s truck in for him and give them a ride back out.
Something. Instead, he watched a little TV, wandering
around the living room, looking at the movies in Jack’s
collection. He sat on the couch. He had a stiff glass of
bourbon. He snooped a little, looking at Jack’s pictures
and shit. There were a lot of pictures of what had to be
Jack’s mom. Sweet looking lady. Jack took after her.

Finally, he did what he really wanted, which was

strip down to his undies and slide into bed next to Jack,
pressing up against Jack’s back to warm the cool skin he
found there. He’d deal with the consequences when they
came up, as they were bound to, but for right now, he
was happy as he’d been since he and Jack had gone their
separate ways.

Jack murmured something that sounded like AJ’s

name, and AJ grinned. It was hard for someone to ignore
you when you were in their house. In their bed.

So he’d hang out for awhile and maybe force Jack to

talk to him when they woke up.

Failing that, he’d just settle for a cup of coffee.

Loose Snow - 20

***

Jack woke up in the middle of the night, the sound of

his old school alarm clock ticking almost louder than the
sound of someone breathing on his neck.

Shit. He wracked his brain, trying to think who might

be there. He’d been so tired, and he hadn’t had anyone
since right after AJ, when he’d been a little like a
tomcat…

AJ. AJ had driven him home from the bowling alley.

Now they were in bed together.

Crap.
Jack took a deep breath and let it out. Then another,

and another. It was harder than he expected it to be, the
breathing. It felt like he had an elephant on his chest.

Then he slid toward the edge of the bed. No matter

what else happened, he had to go to the bathroom. His
whole body ached with it.

When he tiptoed back, he found AJ propped up on

one elbow, staring at him in the gloom. His bedroom got
a good bit of light from the old light pole outside, but he
couldn’t make out AJ’s expression. That was probably a
good thing.

“Hey.”
AJ shifted a little. “Hey. Sorry. I sacked out here

because I was worried about you.”

“Sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say. “The doc

told me I would feel a little woozy every so often. I
guess I just overdid it, you know?”

“I guess. You coming back to bed?”

Loose Snow - 21

That was a loaded question. He wasn’t sure what the

hell to do with AJ in his bed. He knew what he wanted
to do…

“AJ, why are you here?” Jack shifted from foot to

foot, not sure where to go or if he should cover up or
what. He felt so damned weird, and yet he was feeling
the first stages of arousal, his balls tightening right up.
He wanted AJ so bad. He always had.

“Because I wanted to see you and you’ve been

avoiding me. Then I saw you, and I knew I needed to
make sure you were okay.”

Jack’s shoulders twitched. “I wasn’t avoiding you.

Not really.”

“No?” AJ sat up, reaching for the light by the bed.

“Then why are you never where I am?”

“I’m never where you are, anyway.” Jack sat, pulling

a blanket across his lap. That made him feel a lot less
exposed.

“We see each other in our everyday lives, man.” Now

he could see AJ’s eyes, dark and concerned.

“I know. I know, I just. After the hospital, it seems

weird.” That whole sitting with him thing just wigged
him out.

“Weird, huh?” AJ sighed. “I’m sorry, man. I just—it

made me realize how much I still cared about you. I
know, I’m always pushing at the wrong time.”

“Oh, shut up.” Jack just… reached for AJ, his fingers

needing to feel all that skin. It had been so long, and AJ
felt like fire.

Loose Snow - 22

AJ met him halfway, kissing his mouth, their lips

sealing together. God, it was good. He’d missed this so
much. So damned much.

Moaning, AJ pushed into Jack’s arms, their bare

chests sliding together. His slid his hands down AJ’s
back, counting each nub of spine, wanting to feel the
ripple of AJ’s muscles. AJ’s underwear was the most
annoying impediment ever, and he pushed at it, wanting
it gone. There. Oh, yeah. Look at that cock. It was hard
for him, and the scent was amazing, hot and mouth-
wateringly male.

Jack licked his lips. He knew what he wanted to do. It

was safe, but at the same time it was crazy as hell. “Tell
me I can suck you, AJ.”

“Fuck, yes.” AJ leaned back, hips arching up, and

Jack noticed the man wasn’t so worried now about
whether or not Jack was feeling okay. Nope. This was
pure need, which superseded everything else.

Grinning, Jack pushed AJ back so he lay down, his

hands on those long thighs. He stroked, his fingers
catching on the tiny hairs there. AJ shivered, which
always made Jack feel so damned powerful. AJ loved
fucking with him; they just didn’t live together well.

He licked his lips, bending to brush his cheek against

AJ’s flesh. He knew he had to be stubbly, and he knew
what that would feel like on the sensitive head of that
hard prick. Then he turned his head to lick at it, swiping
up the fluid he found there.

Loose Snow - 23

Salty. Bitter. Perfect. God, he was such a slut for this

man. No matter what else, they had amazing chemistry
together.

Jack went down, lips closing around AJ’s cock. He

worked down, then up, licking and sucking all the way.
He could feel the short hairs around the base when he hit
bottom. Goddamn, that was amazing. Good thing he’d
had a nice long nap before they got going on this.

This might take all night.
“Jack. Please.”
Listen to that. AJ was already begging him. Those

long fingers tangled in his hair, AJ holding him in place
and trying to fuck his face. Jack broke free, though,
pulling back just enough to talk. He had to warn AJ off,
just a little. Bossy man.

“Be nice, babe. I’m fragile.”
“Fuck you.” AJ laughed, though, petting Jack’s neck

softly, easily. “I need more.”

“I know. I got what you need.” He went back to

sucking, really pulling hard with sealed lips. He loved
this, loved sucking, loved how AJ made the most
amazing, guttural sounds.

“Goddamn.” AJ humped up, the bed squeaking under

them. He needed new box springs. He really did.

Jack blinked, trying hard to breathe. He was seeing

little spots in front of his eyes, but that didn’t make his
cock soften, and it sure didn’t make him let go of AJ. He
kept sucking, bobbing up and down, and he finally got
desperate enough to reach for AJ’s balls, knowing that
would get the man off every time.

Loose Snow - 24

It worked. AJ went still, then started to thrust hard.

Once, twice, maybe three times AJ slammed into his
mouth, then came down his throat like there was no
tomorrow.

Score.
Jack pulled back, licking his lips, his breath coming

hard and fast. He hoped to hell it didn’t sound like he
was wheezing. That was what it felt like.

“You okay, Jack?” AJ knelt up, hovering over him.

“Can I touch you?”

“Hell, yes.” He spread his legs, letting AJ have at

him. He hadn’t felt that hand around him in so long.
He’d figured he never would have it again, so this was a
sight closer to heaven than he’d seen at the end of that
avalanche.

His eyes tried to droop closed, but Jack forced them

to stay open so he could see AJ jack him off. He needed
to make sure he hung on to this moment, made it last,
just in case this was it. AJ touched him just like he
needed it, hard, firm, stroking him up and down. When
AJ’s thumbnail pushed against his slit, Jack shouted, his
body going crazy, like someone had touched him with a
live wire.

Jack came so hard he couldn’t see or hear anything

but white, kind of like during the avalanche. It was the
craziest sensation, and he started to fall to one side. AJ
grabbed his dick kind of like a handle, which hurt a
little, maybe a lot, and Jack roared out a pained shout
before the whole world went blank, his senses fading out
with one last tiny pop.

Loose Snow - 25

***

“Jack?” AJ let go of Jack’s cock and checked the

pulse at Jack’s throat. Fine. Fast, but steady. Shit, for a
moment there he thought he’d killed the man. That
would have been a real tragedy.

He pondered calling Doc, but it was two a.m. Doc

went to bed at maybe eight p.m. He called the
emergency clinic instead, hoping someone there would
have experience with what had happened to Jack.

“He’s probably a little shocky,” the duty nurse

explained after AJ described Jack’s symptoms. “If he’s
suffering from exhaustion as you say, he needs to sleep.
Wake him every few hours for fluids. Elevating his feet
might help. If his color goes completely or his lips start
to look gray or blue, get him in to the hospital
immediately. He should be fine with rest. Keep him
warm.”

“Got it.” Shit, he had basic First Aid training. This

had just panicked him, was all. AJ wasn’t used to lovers
collapsing after a hand job. He wasn’t used to feeling
guilty about good sex either. That made him laugh a
little.

He got Jack turned back on the bed, pillows under his

head and legs, the legs being higher up. Then he covered
Jack up warmly, washed up, and got a pitcher of water
to put by the bed. Warm and hydrated. He could do that.
Then he could go sleep on the couch and keep his happy
ass away from Jack’s exhausted one. That had been

Loose Snow - 26

stupid, letting himself get pulled into having sex when
Jack was so obviously not right.

When AJ woke again, it was maybe seven in the

morning. The sun was just starting to shine through the
curtains, and it was cold and clear out there. He checked
on Jack, who didn’t look like he’d moved, and called
Edna.

“Hey, Edna. Jack and I will both be out today. Can

you see if Carl can cover?”

“Sure. Is everything okay? Jack’s been looking pretty

peaked.”

“Yeah. He has a bad case of did too much too soon.

The nurse said I should keep him quiet, get him warm
and hydrated.” He thought he might kick Jack’s ass for
giving him yet another scare. It would be fun.

“Damn. Well, if you need anyone to help play nurse,

I can fill in when I get off work.”

“Nah. I mean, he should be right as rain after a little

more sleep. You’re a good woman, Edna, but he doesn’t
need a babysitter.”

Edna laughed. “Right. Jack the invalid. He’s

probably sneaking out a window right now.”

AJ cursed himself for an idiot, but he had to peek in

on Jack. Still sleeping. Still, he understood what Edna
meant; Jack was bad at being lazy. He could call Jack
lots of other things, but not that.

“I’ll keep him locked up, I promise.”
“I’ll call Carl. Holler again if you need me, honey.”
“Thanks, Edna.”

Loose Snow - 27

They hung up, and he went to hop in the shower and

shave. He’d scare up some juice and soup for Jack to
have for breakfast. Damned fool, trying to act like
nothing had happened.

When he got out of the shower, drying off and

pondering buying Jack new towels, he wandered into the
bedroom to find Jack awake, sitting up on the edge of
the bed, hands between his knees.

“Need to hit the head, man?”
“What are you, my nanny?” Jack glared at him, but

AJ ignored the bad temper. Jack was terrible at being
sick. Terrible at being embarrassed, too.

“Pretty much, yeah. Emergency clinic says tea and

soup. Hydrate, warm and rest.”

“Shit, AJ, all I did in the hospital for three days was

rest. I need to get shit done.”

“Like what? Carl is taking the rounds today, Edna

has all the paperwork cowed, and your place here is
actually neat as a pin. So unless you have a lover I don’t
know about…”

Jack turned a glare on him. “You think I’d cheat on

someone and do what we did last night?”

“No--” No, that wasn’t what he’d meant at all.
“No. I was honest with you, AJ. I never once fucking

cheated on you.”

He knew that. Jack might not have been ready to

settle down, but they’d broken up before Jack moved on.
Jack was a good guy, really. That was part of why it had
been so disappointing to be dumped.

Loose Snow - 28

AJ held up his hands. “Hey, it was a stupid question,

okay? I’m feeling a little weird myself. It just came out.”

“Uh-huh.” Jack tried to stand, then groaned and

plopped back on the bed. “That’s not the only bone I
have to pick with you.”

His head tilted. “What else?”
“The pity fuck. I don’t need it.”
“What?” What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Pity for what? It wasn’t like Jack was on the rebound.
“We didn’t fuck.”

“No, but you went to bed with me. You came here

with me. I know that’s not you. That’s not the way you
like to operate. It’s the avalanche talking.”

Fuck. What a self-righteous prick. AJ shook his head.

“I’ll be the first to admit it made me think. I miss you. I
still have the hots for you. I’m not looking for anything,
though. I just needed to make sure you’re okay. I just
needed to touch you.”

Jack turned on him, teeth clenched hard. “That’s

exactly what I mean. I don’t want you chasing after my
ass unless you want something, AJ. I’m not going to
make you feel better by letting you play nursemaid when
it’s safe to be around me without me taking it seriously.
You want to get back with me, I want you to mean it.”

AJ stepped back a bit, crossing his arms over his

chest. “You want me to mean it. Me? You’re such a
fucking hypocrite.”

“Don’t get all pissy with me.”
“Pissy?” Oh, Jack hadn’t seen pissy. “I was the one

who meant it before. I was the one who asked you to

Loose Snow - 29

move in with me. Remember? You were the one who
couldn’t be arsed to settle down. You were the one who
wasn’t ready to be a couple. Ring any bells?”

“Don’t be a fuckhead. Of course it does. I was an ass.

I still don’t want a goddamned pity fuck. I don’t need
that. I want you to want it.”

AJ just sat there with his teeth in his mouth, staring.

He didn’t know what else to do. Then he shook his head,
hunting up his clothes. The only thing he could do was
leave.

“Wait. AJ. I’m not done.”
“Oh, yes you are.” Anger flared up in his chest.

“There’s no winning with you. You don’t want to settle
down, so I leave you alone. Then I’m an asshole. When
I do want to have no-strings-attached sex because I miss
you, you tell me I’m an asshole for not wanting to hang
around.” He threw up his hands, flapping them like a
bird. “Just -- fuck you, man.”

He tugged on his clothes on the way out the door.
“Hey! What about my truck?”
“I’ll send Dusty over with it.” Dusty worked setting

up the bowling alley in the morning. He’d be happy to
earn ten bucks driving the truck over to Jack’s.

He was fucking out of there. He just needed to get in

his Jeep and ride.

***

Shit.

Loose Snow - 30

Jack was feeling better a couple of days later, but he

was also feeling like an idiot for pushing AJ away again.
What did it matter if he was only getting laid because AJ
felt sorry for him because he’d almost died? It was what
he wanted, right? Nothing serious, just the occasional
hot rubbing and bumping. All he needed was the rush.

Except that it had pissed him of so bad to think that

AJ was just with him for the moment, just to assure
himself Jack was still alive. AJ was the settle down man,
the reason that Jack had learned to grow up and pick up
after himself.

Sighing, he headed into the office, which looked

bright and sterile. Edna must have been cleaning again.
She did that in the winter. Obsessively.

“Hey, Edna.”
“Hi, Jack.” She smiled at him, her teeth a little

stained with her bright pink lipstick. It went with her
pink and black leopard print down vest. Cute. “How are
you feeling?”

“Better.” He was. Really. A few days of AJ calling

him in sick had done wonders, even if he hated to admit
it.

“Good. I guess it’s AJ’s turn now.”
“What?” Jack turned back, his mail in his hands. That

was the first thing he did every day, pulling his mail out
of the box by the door.

“He was out checking loose snow last night, you

know, because there’s that cross country ski event in
two days?”

Loose Snow - 31

“Uh-huh.” Sometimes prying information out Edna

was like watching paint dry. “Is he okay?”

“Tore his bad ankle up pretty good, and I think he’s

working on a cold.”

Okay, it was ridiculous to feel responsible for that,

but somehow Jack did. “Is he up here in the trailer?”

“He is. I have soup for him, if you want to take it

over.”

“Sure.” He gave her the fish eye. She could easily

have taken the soup to AJ herself. She must figure it was
time for him and AJ to kiss and make up.

Too bad that hadn’t worked so damned well the other

night.

Sighing, he grabbed the plastic, lidded container she

handed him. “How’s his mood?”

“Like avalanche snow. Heavy and wet.”
Jack snorted, heading off to beard the lion in his den.

With soup.

He didn’t bother to knock. AJ never locked the door,

saying if a hiker or skier needed the trailer, they would
be able to get in when no one was manning the station.

“Hi, honey. I’m home.”
He heard a groan from the bedroom. “Shit. Go away,

Jack.”

“Hey, Edna sent soup. I thought you’d want to have

some.”

“Great. Leave it and go.”
Jack set the soup on the counter before going to look

in on AJ in the bedroom. The man had his ankle

Loose Snow - 32

wrapped and propped up on pillows, and his face was
pale but for a red, red nose.

“You look like hell.”
“Thanks. Must be my turn.” AJ grimaced. “What do

you want, Jack?”

“To apologize.” He surprised himself by saying it,

but it was the truth. There seemed to be a lot to
apologize for.

“What for?”
“The Jeep. The other day, when I was such a bastard.

I guess for the whole mess.”

“Huh.” AJ blew his nose on a Puff. “Thanks, I

guess.”

“Don’t be a jerk.”
AJ grunted. “Sorry. I just feel like crap. It sucks.”
“You want me to heat up the soup?”
“Sure.” AJ actually looked surprised for a moment,

then he grinned. “Edna obviously doesn’t want to come
over.”

“Germs. You know how she is about that.”
They all knew how Edna felt about sick people.

Come to think of it, Jack figured he must have been
pretty scary after the avalanche if she’d been willing to
come to the hospital to sit with him. Huh. Jack went
back to the little galley kitchen to nuke the soup.

“So how bad off was I?” he called, wondering now

what they hadn’t told him.

“What?”
He walked back to look in at AJ. “After the

avalanche. How bad was I?”

Loose Snow - 33

“Well, you didn’t have frostbite.” AJ shrugged,

staring down at the cast on his foot. “They were mostly
worried about your heart and lungs.”

“Shit, man. Was I shutting down?”
“Well, why do you think you were so damned sick

when you left the hospital?”

“I didn’t really think on it.” He’d been avoiding

mortality thoughts. “Well, no wonder you wanted to do
the nasty just to make sure I was alive.”

“No. I wanted to stop by and see you to prove that.”

AJ looked up now, staring right at him. “I let you suck
me because you asked to.”

“I miss you.” That was a ridiculous excuse for a

blowjob and he knew it.

Thankfully, he was saved by the bell dinging on the

microwave. He went to get soup and some crackers,
resting his hip down on the bed. Poor AJ looked like he
was going to keel over.

“Maybe we should go out.”
Those dark brows went up. “What, now?”
“No.” Jack’s cheeks heated almost painfully. “I mean

when you feel better. We kinda skipped that part.”

“And went right to the fucking, you mean?”
“Well, yeah.” They’d come together with a lot of

bang, but also with very different ideas of where they
were going with it. Jack was getting his shit together.
Maybe it was time to revisit what he and AJ could do
together.

Loose Snow - 34

“You’re serious.” Tilting his head, AJ pondered, or at

least Jack thought it was pondering. He hoped it wasn’t
trying to get his ears to clear up or something.

“I am. We could go down to the Junction. Maybe hit

that new sushi place.”

“Sushi. Who are you and what have you done with

Jack?”

“Do you want to go or not?”
Nodding, AJ grinned. “Okay, sure. You got to let me

get over this cold first, okay?”

“I can do that.” It would give him time to figure out

where he’d put his mind when he’d lost it. “How about
next Thursday?”

They both had Friday off. That would be good, just in

case.

“If you make reservations at that sushi place, then I’ll

go.”

“Good deal.” It was. He would do it, too; AJ would

expect him to flake out, but he wouldn’t.

It was time to stop dancing around AJ and really get

to what they both needed. Whether AJ liked it or not.

***

Thursday afternoon, AJ felt like a new man. He’d

fought that stupid upper respiratory thing for a week,
and his ankle had just been grumpy and sore. He was
actually getting around now, and his nose wasn’t so
stuffed up he couldn’t breathe.

Loose Snow - 35

You forgot how much it rocked to feel good until you

felt bad all the damned time.

He hadn’t really heard from Jack, though. Oh, they’d

passed each other on the way in and out of work and all,
but that was it. He figured their date had been forgotten.
He wasn’t sure if he was pissed or happy about that.
Maybe both.

AJ was hauling a couple of illegal traps into the

storage room when he heard someone walk in behind
him. “You need to be ready in about an hour, babe.”

“Ready for what?”
Jack spun him around neatly and surprised him with a

hard kiss. He jumped, trying to pull back and then trying
to get closer. Jack just tasted like home.

“An hour.” Jack left him there, blinking like a fool.
He went to the trailer and changed clothes, amazed

that Jack was actually going to follow through on the
whole thing. His heart started racing a little, which was
ridiculous. He knew everything Jack had to offer, so he
wasn’t sure why he was so damned excited.

“You ready?” Jack showed up, wearing Wranglers

and boots and a button down shirt. He smelled like Old
Spice. It was a fine look.

“You got a coat?” It would be bitter out there by the

time they headed home.

“I do.” Jack grinned. “We taking your Jeep?”
His new Jeep? No way. “We’ll take your truck.”
“Man, you wreck one Jeep…” Jack just smiled wider.

“Come on, man.”

Loose Snow - 36

They really did drive all the way down into Grand

Junction to the new sushi place, which surprised him.
Surprised him even more when Jack had a reservation.

“Right this way,” the little hostess said, leading them

to a table right by the huge fish tank.

“Nice.”
“Yeah. This is why we came a little early. So we

could see everything.”

“Well, thank you.”
“No problem.”
They grinned at each other, and there was a whole

world of possibility open to them. They munched their
way through miso soup and octopus salad, through spicy
tuna and weird egg sushi. AJ was groaning by the time
they got to the green tea ice cream.

“That was amazing.”
“It was, huh?” Jack looked so tickled.
Maybe a date really had been the best idea. He’d

learned more about Jack in an hour than he had in
months of them knowing each other. He knew now that
Jack’s baseball team was the Diamondbacks, that the
man liked red bean paste, and that Jack called his mom
once a week.

“So, what about you?” Jack asked, leaning on his

elbows. “Do you get along with your folks?”

“Not since I came out, no.”
“Man, that sucks.”
“I got to be what I am, though.” AJ shrugged. “I

don’t hide well.”

Loose Snow - 37

“Is that why you feel like you need to settle down?”

Jack held up a hand when AJ would have gotten pissy.
“I’m not being a bitch, man. You were a pretty fast
mover.”

“I guess so.” He’d only ever been that fast with Jack.

There was something about the man that made AJ want
to do stupid things. Which had to be why he asked.
“You want to get a hotel room?”

Jack’s mouth fell open. “What?”
“Instead of driving back. We’re both off tomorrow.

We could go get some condoms…”

“Hell, yes.” Jack waved to their waitress and paid the

bill. “Now good for you?”

“Now is perfect.”
He hated how fucking excited he was about the idea.

Then again, he loved the ache in his lower belly and the
throbbing in his cock.

They found a nice room at the Marriot downtown and

headed up, a Walgreens bag dangling from Jack’s hand.
That little bag was ridiculously hot. Bearing condoms
and lube, it promised a damned good night.

“Big enough for you?” Jack asked, when they got

into the room and saw the bed.

“Shut up.” AJ didn’t want talk ruining what could be

a fine night. They worked together. They had plenty of
time to talk. This was going to make up for a half-assed
blowjob and a weak excuse for a hand job. Just think
what they could accomplish with a clean bill of health, a
whole night, and a king-sized mattress.

Loose Snow - 38

“Make me.” Jack’s chest bumped his, and AJ

snapped, his hands going to the buttons on Jack’s shirt.
He needed to see that amazing body bare again, needed
to feel it against him.

“Wait.”
“What? Why?” He didn’t want to wait another

moment. Beautiful bastard.

“Just let me--” Jack pulled away and yanked the

cover off the bed, leaving them with fresh white sheets.

Oh. Good idea.
He grabbed Jack and yanked the man down on the

bed. “Clothes. Off.”

“Uh-huh.” Wiggling out of his jeans, Jack grabbed

the Walgreens bag. “You ready to fuck me?”

Was he ready? He could see exactly what he wanted

to do in the movie running in his mind. “Hell, yes. I
need you, Jack.”

“Well, come and get me, baby.” Jack turned,

crawling up to rest his chest and head against the
pillows, the sight as pornalicious as any he’d ever seen.
Jack’s skin was a little pale still, he thought, but that
tight, round ass was perfectly muscular and wonderful.
There was no way he could resist that.

AJ got the lubes, the condoms, and stripped off his

clothes. His jeans almost killed him, the zipper too tight
across his rigid cock. When he got the condom on, he
was actually grateful that it deadened sensation a little.
Otherwise, he’d never last.

Jack wiggled. “Come on.”

Loose Snow - 39

“You were never this eager to bottom before, honey.”

AJ stroked Jack’s back, his ass.

“I made up my mind to really let go, baby. That’s it.”
Damn. Oh, fuck. That was completely unexpected.

AJ tried to lighten it up. “Sure you’re not just making up
for crashing my Jeep?”

“Don’t be an ass.” Jack wiggled again. “You got a

brand new Jeep out of the deal.”

“True.” AJ tried to resist. He really did. That

wiggling butt was too much of a temptation. AJ
smacked it.

“Jesus!” Jack actually looked back over one shoulder.

“What was that?”

AJ grinned. “I don’t know. I liked it, though.”
“Would you fuck me, already?”
“Yeah.” He got the lube open and got his fingers wet,

got two of them worked into Jack’s body. Fuck, that was
hot. Tight. He wanted his cock in there so bad.

Muscles bunched along Jack’s spine, the man arching

for him. “More.”

“I need you open.”
“I just need you, baby.”
AJ panted, his control walking the thinnest line. He

worked his fingers in and out, getting Jack ready for
him, getting that tight hole wet. Then he pulled his
fingers free and pushed into Jack’s ass, his cock feeling
like someone was squeezing it in a vise.

AJ closed his eyes, his hips driving forward. They

slapped against Jack’s ass, making Jack cry out, and

Loose Snow - 40

they were moving together. Rocking together. It was so
good. It was always so good with Jack. Crazy good.

Groaning, he moved harder, his hands on Jack’s hips,

holding that fine butt in place so he could take it. He
panted harder, his breath heaving in his chest. He was
going to lose it any second.

Jack was making these noises. Crazy sex noises that

made him move even faster. Then Jack almost sat up,
pushing up on his arms. “Touch me, baby.”

“Yeah.” AJ reached around and grabbed that

swinging cock, stroking it up and down. So hard for him
and he could feel every little ripple of Jack’s body
around him. He could feel everything.

He kissed the back of Jack’s neck, needing to taste

Jack’s skin. He found sweat, salt, and the unique flavor
of Jack.

“Come for me, Jack. I need to come so bad. Come

around me.”

“Ughn.” Jack’s head fell back, the sound of Jack’s

shout loud and perfect. That hard body squeezed down
on him, making him grunt, and AJ lost it, his hips
rocking back and forth as he came. He filled the damned
condom, his vision graying out around the edges.

Jesus, he loved this man. Even if it was stupid.
They collapsed together, AJ disposing of the condom.

They kinda… spooned, his arm around Jack’s waist. “Is
this okay?”

Jack nodded. “This is better than okay. We should set

an alarm, though.”

“Why? We both have off tomorrow.”

Loose Snow - 41

“Yeah, but room service ends a midnight, and I want

carrot cake.”

AJ laughed, reaching down to pinch Jack’s hip.

“Asshole.”

“Yeah, but you like me that way.”
“Sure I do. As long as you don’t try to drive my

Jeep.”

***

“I’m taking AJ’s Jeep.” Jack grabbed the keys off the

board in the office. It was damned near spring, and he’d
never gotten the chance to drive AJ’s new Jeep. He’d
sneak a drive in it now, and rub it in AJ’s face later.

When they met for dinner.
“No way, honey.” AJ caught up to him as he

unlocked the Jeep. “You want to go out in the Jeep, you
do it with me driving.”

“You have an unnatural fixation with the damned

Jeep, baby.” He couldn’t help but tease.

“No, I have superstition. I don’t want you having any

more near death shit.”

“Hey, it gave us a second chance.” Jack wasn’t about

to bitch about it, not with what he and AJ had now.

“It did. Still doesn’t mean I want to go through it

again.” AJ moved close. “Besides, if you go out with me
we can make out in the Jeep.”

His cock hardened, just like it wasn’t barely forty

five degrees outside. Making out with AJ sounded like a
damned fine thing.

Loose Snow - 42

“I like it. We got blankets and shit in case there’s

loose snow, right?”

“Yeah. We got all sorts of shit. Even chocolate.”
“Excellent. Let’s go.”
“Let’s.” AJ took the keys, heading around to the

driver’s side. “Don’t touch my Jeep, honey.”

Jack laughed out loud, hoping they got a little lost on

the back roads. “I wouldn’t think of it, baby.”

Loose Snow - 43