Sticks and Stones by Madeleine Urban ; Abigail Roux Page B

small laugh. “I rarely bring anyone home with me,” he admitted. “If we had an extended leave and one of the boys couldn’t go home, I’d bring him with me. Maggie was the last one I brought home, though, and that’s been about five years,” he told Zane with a shake of his head.
    “Maggie?” Zane’s voice was careful.
    “Stray dog,” Ty answered with a look at Zane and a small smile. He knew he probably shouldn’t, but he still enjoyed those little hints that Zane might want him enough to be jealous. Zane merely nodded and smiled. “Try going downstairs to Grandpa’s bedroom, you’ll trip over her. Right before you meet the shovel,” Ty advised as he tried not to laugh at the thought of that damn shovel. Chester Grady woke at the drop of a feather and would whack you in the face with that thing first and then wait until morning when it was light to see who you were and if you needed an ambulance. They did not want to meet that shovel tonight.
    Ty licked his lips and looked at Zane seriously again. “But as far as anyone… someone who wasn’t a stray, you’re about it.”
    “I’m honored, then. I like your family. They’re absolutely nuts, but I like them,” Zane added.
    “Well,” Ty said with a shrug of one shoulder, “with them, pretty much anything goes. If you stay away from religion, politics, and the designated hitter, you’re gonna get along fine.”
    Zane chuckled and shifted uncomfortably, pulling the pillow slightly under his chest and tucking his hands under it. “How’s the floor treating you?” he asked.
    Ty grinned and stretched toward the lamp to turn off the light. He waited a couple minutes in silence until he could see again in the darkness that followed and scooted closer to Zane. “I like it much better here,” he whispered.
    Zane grunted in agreement, grasped Ty’s chin, and pulled him sideways into a soft kiss. Ty responded eagerly, shifting closer and sliding his hand over Zane’s waist to tug at him. He rolled until he had Zane under him, but his actions were gentler than they usually were—he was trying to keep the noise down. He knew his old bed was liable to creak and groan even if you weren’t being overly active.
    Zane obviously sensed that he was trying to be quiet. He didn’t do anything that might be heard, keeping his hands under the pillow and leaving his mouth upturned to receive more kisses. Ty let his hands slide up Zane’s arms to his wrists; he pulled them free of the pillow and held him against the mattress, still kissing him slowly. Zane’s hands splayed as he stretched out his fingers, but he didn’t try to pull free. He chased Ty’s tongue with his own, drawing the kiss out. It was a disconcertingly tender moment, a rare thing for them.
    It was long moments before Ty pushed himself up and looked down at Zane hesitantly.
    “What, you having second thoughts now that I’m awake?” Zane prodded, dragging his wrists free of Ty’s fists so he could slide his hands down Ty’s back.
    “Is it worth getting banged over the head with a shovel if we make too much noise?” Ty asked as he dug his foot between Zane’s legs and pushed them apart, settling between his thighs.
    Zane moved his legs without resisting and bit back a snicker. “You’ve been banged both by that shovel and by me. Is it worth it?” he parroted as he squeezed Ty’s ass and slid one hand down the back of his thigh.
    Ty grinned crookedly and began shaking his head. “Not really,” he answered dryly.
    “I’ll risk it,” Zane said, grabbing the back of Ty’s neck and pulling him down for a harder kiss.
    The bed creaked in warning with the rapid movement. Ty growled in frustration and pushed himself up, looking around the dim room briefly before he threw the blankets off them and tossed the pillows down to the floor. He grabbed Zane tightly and rolled them right off the bed, causing another muffled thud when they hit the floor. Thankfully, it was a low