A Different Light Read online

  “Mac, do you hear yourself? Danny and me? That is not a match made in motorcycle heaven. It’s more like…I don’t know, something gross and unbearable. Maybe like going to the gynecologist.”

  Bennett laughed. He liked Allie. She was blunt and crass but in a funny kind of way. “You don’t like Danny?” Bennett questioned. He’d seen enough of the man over the last four weeks to get to know him well enough. He liked him. Danny was gruff and loud but always had a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. Jaden had the same twinkle. It had made Bennett miss his best friend.

  “Oh, I like Danny just fine, but he’s a little too big brother for my liking. The man is way over protective of those he considers his. You should hear him defend Mac.”

  Bennett was stuck on that. The “Those he considered his,” followed by, “You should hear him defend Mac,” made him realize that he’d felt a twinge of envy. He knew that Mac wasn’t with Danny in that way, but just the idea of having a friendship that loyal with more than one person, maybe with Mac, made him feel jealous.

  He’d never felt jealous before.

  He had Jaden and he loved him, but what would it be like to say he had a group of friends? Ones that he would do anything for and them for him as well.

  He looked over at Mac wondering what he’d say in response to Allie, but he looked shocked. Not the emotion Bennett would’ve thought to see.

  “What do you mean defending me, Al? Defending me against who?”

  “Mac, come on,” Allie whined. “You know, just people. You know how much of an asshole a few of them are.”

  “Danny shouldn’t be doing that,” Mac protested.

  “People are allowed to defend you, Mac. He’s your friend. Do you really expect Danny, of all people, to not say something?” The disbelieving look Allie leveled at Mac was kind of cute. She looked like she was about to kick someone’s ass, but Bennett couldn’t help but be amused. She was so slight, and the happy open look that was on her face all of the time made it hard to see her as the ass kicker. But, he figured Allie was fierce and protective in her own way.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever. He should find someone else to protect and ignore what people say about me.” Mac clearly was uncomfortable with people doing nice things for him, even his friends.

  They sat outside to eat, paper plates filled with food in their laps. Bennett wasn’t a snob, but he hadn’t done anything like this in a long time. He and Jaden had always eaten at restaurants when they weren’t at either Jaden’s—cause that man could cook—or some other acquaintances’ house who certainly hadn’t had paper plates on hand.

  He realized how much he missed this kind of thing. Sitting outside eating reminded him of cookouts his parents had when he was a kid and how much he once loved being in White Acre, the quiet not being the bad thing he had come to think of it as.

  The conversation flowed and Bennett laughed more than he had in a long while. Probably since the last time he’d gotten drunk when Jaden had come over to his place over a year ago. Mac was being the nice Mac. The one that laughed often. Bennett liked the laughing Mac. Plus, he’d come to realize Mac teased everyone. Mac and Allie were a perfect pair with the barbs and digs that they threw at each other.

  Bennett was enjoying himself, not feeling like the third wheel he thought he was going to be.

  “Alright, the mosquitos are out in full force, let’s head inside.” Mac said as he stood grabbing platters and stuff off the table. They all picked up something and trudged inside, filling the dishwasher all the while Mac was telling how Mrs. Lindberry, the fifty-year-old choir director at the local church, had flirted with him nonstop the day before when he’d been trying to do an estimate on the house remodel that Mr. Lindberry had hired him to do.

  “You’ll be the talk of the town, Mac.” Allie was chuckling as she spoke, and Bennett couldn’t help but join in.

  “Oh, both of you stop it. She flirts with everyone.” Mac wore a smile, but Bennett had to give it to him that he had tried to look offended.

  “Maybe she’ll serenade you next time,” Bennett added, making Allie laugh harder and Mac turned a playful glare on him.

  “She’s a gossip, so you know, by the time lunch rolls around on Monday, everyone will think you two are having an affair worthy of the front pages of the weekly digest White Acre puts out.”

  Mac groaned putting his face in his hands. Bennett swore his ears turned red, but when he finally looked back up he just shook his head, looking anything but embarrassed.

  “Okay, ladies and gents, this has been fun but it’s time for this lady to get her sexy ass back home and feed my fish.” Allie immediately had a look of oh, shit come across her face before she turned away.

  “Allie?” Mac said while Allie was looking at everything other than Mac.

  “Hmm?” She started to make her way toward the front door instead of answering, Mac following behind her.

  “Stop walking away and tell me what happened to Mr. Bojangles.”

  Bennett had followed, of course. The sheepish look on Allie’s face had made him too curious to stay away. He stood in the entryway of the dining room behind Mac, who was facing Allie. She had her hand on the door with a guilty expression on her face.

  “Allie, what happened to Mr. Bojangles?”

  “It was an accident, I swear,” Allie exclaimed, putting her hands up as if she was surrendering to the cops or something. Bennett was simultaneously intrigued and concerned for Mr. Bojangles, whoever that was.

  Mac’s voice was calm but stern when he spoke again, but Bennett swore he heard a hint of amusement. “What did you do?”

  Allie was grumbling under her breath as Bennett let the question that had been first to pop in his head out. “Who is Mr. Bojangles?” He was just too curious.

  Mac turned, putting his back to the wall by the front door they were all standing around. “Mr. Bojangles is the hamster I gave Allie for her birthday.”

  “Oh.” Bennett didn’t know what else to say. A hamster?

  “Come on, Al, fess up.”

  “Fine. But you can’t blame me.” Mac gave her one of those looks that said wanna bet, before he waved his hand for her to continue. “I had to clean out his cage, but that ball thing I usually put him in was broken. So, instead of waiting to get a new one—cause the damn cage stunk—I got a big salad bowl and put him in it. I was supposed to put the lettuce inside of it to keep him busy, but I got distracted and only placed it next to the bowl. I mean the sides are all curved and shit. Who knew he could get out?”

  “He got out and ate the lettuce?” Bennett questioned her. That hadn’t sounded that bad.

  “No. I mean yes, but he ate it and then ran away before I even realized he’d gotten out. I’m sorry, Mac. That’s why I got a fish. It’s safer for all animal kind.”

  Mac shook his head, chuckling as he pulled her in for a hug. “It’s alright, Al, and a fish was definitely a smart choice.” Allie wrapped her arms around Mac and had her face buried in his neck.

  Bennett felt a pang deep in his heart. When was the last time someone held him like that? Even he and Jaden stopped cuddling or hugging a while back when Jaden started to date a man with a jealous streak a mile wide. It made Bennett mad at the time, mostly because his fierce friend was cowed by a bully.

  Much later though, after said bully was gone, Bennett figured out that it was because it was the only affection he had. Yeah, he dated plenty, as a “serial monogamist”—Jaden’s term, not his—he constantly had someone, but not all of them led to cuddling and hugs, even if most of them led to sex.

  When he looked back at them, Allie lifted her head from Mac’s neck and her eyes were on him, a small understanding smile on her lips. Bennett had a feeling some of what he was feeling was written on his face.

  She stepped out of Mac’s arms, and a second later, she was waving goodbye and out the door. And Bennett suddenly felt nervous. “Well, uh, I should go. It’s getting late and you probably have things to do.” But he didn’t mov
e.

  “Nah. Nothing to do. Stay, B. Hang out for a bit more.” Mac’s voice sounded so casual as if they were just friends hanging out, but laced deep and low in his tone was lust, and it screamed at Bennett like a beacon.

  Bennett found himself sitting in the family room, back in the same seats they’d sat in the last time Bennett was there. Mac had grabbed some beers for them from the fridge, and they sat quietly drinking. Bennett was trying to think of something to say but his mind was blank.

  Almost blank, actually.

  His thoughts kept going back to what they were. They’d shared some pretty hot and heavy moments, but nothing seemed to be clear about what they were doing. Not that Bennett could see a relationship with Mac. They were just too different. He also wasn’t staying in White Acre. His new job was starting in early September, and he had an apartment that the company supplied to him waiting for him. Well, not waiting per say, but it was his after the current tenant, an employee who was leaving the job, vacated.

  They could just have the physical and nothing else. That never bothered Bennett, it was probably best for him anyway. He also struggled with getting close to people. He tried in the past and each time, he failed. Bennett still struggled with trusting people’s true intentions after getting duped to the point that he almost died.

  He wasn’t stupid. Jaden told him about his trust issues often enough that he was fully aware of them, but they were so ingrained in him that no amount of therapy could talk them away. He just made the best of who he was.

  “You’re thinking so hard over there that I can see the smoke pouring out of your ears, and I think you might have some permanent wrinkles on your brow the way you have it scrunched up.” Mac’s voice startled him out of his decidedly depressing thoughts. Bennett looked over at him, to see that goddamn sexy smile. Bennett swore those lips were made for sin. Whether it was in words or actions, they were bad for Bennett.

  “Ha ha ha. I just got lost in thought.”

  “I’m glad you came over, B. It was fun hanging out with you.”

  “Yeah, me too. Allie is nice and very funny. But poor Mr. Bojangles.” Bennett chuckled at that. Allie seemed very guilty about losing the small pet.

  Mac laughed and replied, “I know now not to get her any more pets. Who knew someone could lose a damn hamster.”

  “Oh, I did as a kid once, two of them. They broke out of their cage by chewing the plastic, and since I didn’t think Hamsters did that, I wasn’t even looking out for it.”

  “Seriously?” Mac’s grin was huge and his eyes were bright, the steel gray vibrant with happiness. Bennett couldn’t get over how gorgeous he was. It was a look he hadn’t seen often enough.

  “Yeah, apparently it’s something they do. They have an instinct to search for food even if there’s food in their cage. The hunting instinct is stronger than their safety instinct.”

  “You know a lot about hamsters, B. I’m not sure if I should be impressed or concerned about your reading material.”

  “Probably a little of both?” Bennett laughed. “I’ve always been like that. Needing to know all the answers, to understand the why’s and how’s. I was always researching something as a kid, even hamsters. But, hey, it made me feel less guilty about them escaping.”

  “Makes sense. Now. The important question. What were the hamster’s names?”

  “Jesus, Mac. If I tell you that, you’ll think I’m a huge nerd,” Bennett protested.

  “You say that like I don’t already.” Mac winked, making Bennett feel thrilled that they had this easy teasing between them at that moment.

  “Aren’t you a funny man,” Bennett stated dryly. Bennett couldn’t believe how much he was enjoying himself.

  “Stop stalling, Princess. Spit it out and I’ll give you a prize.” Bennett felt his body react to the seductive tone. How easily that man could play him, play his body even from a few feet away.

  Trying to keep his voice level and his eyes steady on Mac, he responded, “And what would my prize be?”

  Mac moved. Somehow, he went from his side of the couch to sitting right next to Bennett in one fast move. Not a bumbling rush but a smooth transition. Bennett could feel the air between them heat and thicken. Bennett wanted whatever prize Mac was going to give him, because his eyes held a promise that it would be worth revealing his nerd side a little bit more.

  Mac was so close that Bennett could feel his breath on his face when he spoke, his hand landing on Bennett’s thigh at the same time as the words whispered out from Mac’s kissable mouth. “How about another kiss, Princess? Is that worth the information?”

  Bennett wanted to close his eyes and try to gather what little dignity he had left, but he couldn’t look away. The depth of those eyes stole the world away from around him. How could one person be so much, so gorgeous, sexy, and sensual.

  Bennett wasn’t some inexperienced guy. He navigated this dance so many times that it had grown boring over time. But Mac, he gave it life, he made it exciting again. Mac breathed his sensuality like it was air. Bennett wanted to bring it into his body, feel it rushing through his veins. He wanted to feel alive like that again.

  Trying to focus on his answer, he cleared his throat but his voice came out soft, quieter than he intended. “Only a kiss?”

  Mac groaned, his eyes getting darker, piercing into Bennett. Mac’s hands reached for him. The backs of his fingers glided over his cheeks, making Bennett suck in a breath at the gentle touch. Mac looked like he wanted to do more than kiss, more than the gentle touch he was giving him. If Bennett was honest, he wanted that too. Grasping onto each side of his neck, Mac pulled Bennett closer so fucking slowly that he wanted to complain. The look on Mac’s face stopped him. He probably wanted to torture Bennett.

  “Never only a kiss.” The kiss, when it came, started gentle. Soft licks of Mac’s tongue across Bennett’s lips, small chaste kisses placed on the corners of his mouth, and nips on his bottom lip, enough to feel it but not enough to hurt. The torture seemed to continue forever.

  Mac’s lips should be labelled dangerous weapons. Every time they got near Bennett, he just surrendered to whatever they asked for. Closing his eyes, he lost himself in the lust that wrapped around him. When Mac moved, Bennett moved. They were in sync, connected.

  Bennett had to grab hold of him, had to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. They hadn’t kissed in nearly two weeks, so it felt so unreal to him. Lost in sensation, the kiss grew from chaste and gentle to carnal and rough. Mac’s slick tongue invaded his mouth. He felt consumed. He moaned and whimpered. Squirming in his seat as he tried to get closer, Bennett wrapped his arms around Mac’s neck, pulling him in tighter. Trying to show Mac what he wanted.

  Then Bennett was on his back with his legs spread wide, and Mac’s body between them, his weight pressing him into the cushions. Bennett wrapped his right leg around Mac’s waist, using it as one more thing to pull the man closer. He put his left foot on the floor, giving Mac as much space as possible to grind against him. His weight felt fucking amazing on Bennett. He loved the sensation of being held down by a hard muscled body like Mac’s. The moving and pressing together. The feelings of now and more and harder always grew with intensity in that position.

  The grinding turned purposeful, from teasing to need. Bennett was sure he was going to come in his pants, and he was equally sure that was Mac’s goal. “Mac,” Bennett moaned his name whenever Mac’s lips would separate from his. Mac pulled back from the kiss, still grinding his hard dick against Bennett’s.

  Bennett was so close. He wasn’t sure how much of this he could take before he spilled.

  When Mac spoke, his voice came out deep, more like a growl. “B, I want to watch you come.”

  “Oh, god.” Those words were like a match to fuel. It lit him up, bringing him closer to the edge. Bennett moved his hands down and grabbed onto Mac’s ass, helping get the friction he needed to give Mac what he wanted. What Bennett wanted.

  “I want you…to look into
my eyes.”

  Bennett was trying. God, he was trying, but every sensation was cascading over him. Trying to get his brain to work and open his damn eyes seemed like it was just too much.

  “Come on, baby. Let me…I need to see those beautiful blue eyes.” Bennett’s eyes opened at the quiet plea in Mac’s voice, and no sooner did he look at Mac then he was coming. Bennett saw the gratification light up in Mac’s eyes.

  Each spurt brought a moan from Bennett’s lips, each pulse so strong that Bennett’s back bowed. He felt like he was fucking flying apart.

  Just as his orgasm waned, Mac’s hit. The growl that left him was hot. Every time the man made that noise, Bennett swore his cock twitched. He did that to him. The impenetrable Mac was breaking apart in pleasure before his very eyes.

  Mac collapsed gently on top of him. Bennett’s smile wouldn’t go away even though he was lying there dozing with his eyes closed. Just thinking about the look on Mac’s face as he’d come made Bennett want to do it again.

  “You don’t gloat quietly.” Mac’s hand was pressed into Bennett’s chest. Mac’s face was mushed to the side of his neck so that he felt every move of his lips against his skin as he spoke.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not gloating.” He totally was.

  “Yeah, sure,” Mac chuckled as he lifted himself up and looked down at Bennett. His own smile was spread across his gorgeous face. “Yeah, that’s not the look of someone gloating either.” Mac winked, then grabbed Bennett, moving him on to his side and crawling in behind him. Mac’s arm around Bennett’s waist, hand on his chest pulling him tight to his body, and his lips on the back of Bennett’s neck was so shocking, such a new sensation that he stopped breathing for a moment.

  Bennett found that he loved it. Something he’d have to evaluate later.

  “Ugh, I can’t believe we came like teenagers in our pants,” Mac mumbled against his skin.

  “You can only blame yourself,” Bennett joked.