Whatever It Takes (Code Of Honor Book 5) Read online

  Luke and Beckett left the table and his friend started talking a mile a minute about the expansion upstairs.

  Dillon smirked and sent a text to Liam. He filled the colonel in on the impromptu trip.

  Liam: You’re telling me now?

  Dillon: Yep.

  Liam: Give me your location, I’m flying in tomorrow to talk with Luke.

  Dillon sent Liam Beckett’s location.

  Dillon: Over the phone won’t do?

  Liam: No, smart ass.

  Dillon smirked. See you tomorrow.

  “Dillon!” Beckett called.

  Dillon shoved his phone away and walked out of the massive dining room and looked up at his friend leaning over the upstairs railing.

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m just about ready to break out a bottle of Tesla tequila.”

  “Tesla?” He lifted his eyebrows.

  “Yeah. I got it online. It might not be any good, but the bottle is worth it.” Beckett jerked his head and disappeared.

  Dillon took the stairs two at a time and found Luke and Beckett in the library-type study. Luke was on the phone with a frown, and he hung up when he entered.

  Beckett opened the weirdly shaped bottle and poured one finger in each of three shot glasses.

  Dillon sprawled on the chair next to Luke.

  “I like him,” Luke whispered.

  “So do I.”

  Dillon plucked Luke’s hand from the arm of the chair and brought it to his mouth.

  Luke flashed him a quick smile and winked.

  Luke

  The bedroom was gorgeous, all rustic with brown and cream colors along with splashes of blue, but his eyes were glued on the paper. He smoothed the pencil along one line and then smudged it with his thumb, creating just the effect he wanted along the jaw line.

  The shower shut off and a noise drew his gaze up, the paper all but forgotten. The drawing paled in comparison to the naked man striding out of the adjoining bathroom toward him.

  “We should talk,” Dillon said.

  “About?” He folded the paper and tucked it and the pencil on the nightstand.

  “Stuff.”

  “Right now?” He stood, running his eyes over Dillon’s beautifully rugged body.

  “I want to know everything,” Dillon husked and nuzzled his freshly showered face into his neck.

  Luke’s skin grew heated when Dillon crowded him up against the wall. Beckett’s room was downstairs, and he and Dillon had been given a room at the end of the house in the upper level. Thank god for the privacy.

  “How the hell can I keep my mind on talking when you’re naked?” he panted when Dillon started grinding against his thigh.

  “I’m not sure.” Dillon tongued his neck, sending fire snaking down to his gut. He tried to wrap his arms around Dillon’s neck, but the man’s hands were at the hem of his shirt, yanking it upward.

  Arms high, he shook out his hair from his eyes when his t-shirt was yanked off and tossed to the floor. He quickly shoved his sweat pants down, thankful he’d showered before Dillon had come up.

  Naked, he grabbed Dillon and spun them around. Dillon’s back hit the wall with a thud. Luke moved in, cupping Dillon’s stubbled cheeks. He took the younger man’s mouth, nipping and biting in a deep kiss until Dillon growled into his mouth. The kiss became fierce and Luke found himself turned with his back to the wall with Dillon’s whole body rubbing against him.

  “Fuck,” he panted when the kiss ended, and he clutched at Dillon’s hips. The hard cock pressed against his stomach bumped and brushed against his own and he groaned.

  Dillon gripped him and manhandled him to the bed before he turned the tables and shoved Dillon onto his back in the softness of the bed.

  He roamed up and over Dillon. The man parted his arms and legs, wrapping them around him. His pulse leaped, causing his heart to pound when Dillon rolled them as if he weighed nothing. He found the softness of the mattress at his back as he gazed up into icy blue eyes. Dillon wasn’t through, though, and sat back on his haunches, lifting him until they were facing each other.

  Those strong hands caught the back of his thighs and pulled his legs around his waist. Luke gripped Dillon’s shoulders when his cock caught on the hairs of Dillon’s treasure trail. Never had he felt that level of need for another human being, and a lump grew in his throat.

  Dillon’s eyes narrowed as if sensing his emotion. Before he could overthink everything, his mouth was caught in a bone crushing kiss with those strong hands stroking over his back, then down and around to cup and squeeze his ass cheeks.

  He slapped a hand around for the lube on the nightstand and brought it between them. Snapping open the top, he dumped it down where both of their cocks were pressed side by side between them. He wanted Dillon inside of him, he wanted that all-consuming feeling to overtake him.

  “Dillon,” he breathed.

  “Yes,” Dillon muttered, reading his mind.

  Strong hands gripped his ass cheeks and powerlifted him enough so he could reach down and position Dillon’s cock at his entrance. When the head popped through, Dillon held him suspended.

  Luke’s breath rushed out of his lungs and he grasped one hand behind Dillon’s neck, pressing his forehead against the man’s.

  “You can let me go,” he urged.

  Dillon grunted and slowly, oh so fucking torturously slowly, he was lowered down.

  “Oh fuuuuck,” he grunted as Dillon’s hard dick slid deep. Luke couldn’t help but gyrate his body as Dillon’s thick length filled him. Not only deep inside, but to his very soul. That feeling of being owned and loved, of finding his other half and becoming one was overwhelming.

  Each caress of Dillon’s hands and lips burned their connection even deeper, taking them to a place he hadn’t reached during the quick and rough sex they’d frantically had over the past few weeks.

  He returned Dillon’s kisses until his lips were swollen and his mouth knew nothing but the feel of Dillon’s kiss.

  Fire and hunger licked at his balls, drawing them up tight. He sent his cock thrusting against Dillon’s rock-hard abs. The hair roughly caressed his sensitive cock and he groaned.

  He leaned in and took Dillon’s mouth with his own, enjoying the scratch of his stubble against his face.

  Dillon had stilled completely, probably trying to let him adjust, but to hell with that.

  “Don’t go slow,” he ordered against Dillon’s lips. He wanted to feel every inch of Dillon thrusting.

  Dillon chuckled huskily. Lips sucked into the skin on his neck and a tongue pushed into his jugular as Dillon lifted him and slowly lowered him down until he was filled once again.

  Sweet hell, the power of that move was such a fucking turn on, but all he could do was groan until Dillon’s cock was buried deep.

  Dillon’s hands ran up his arms and around his back, pulling him close.

  “Jesus,” Luke breathed when his ass settled completely down again on Dillon.

  It wasn’t enough! He lifted up and slammed back down, then did it again. Dillon started thrusting upward, his hands gripping his hips tightly.

  Pounding down hard, Luke felt every thrusting inch inside until he wanted to come. Spreading his legs, his cock bounced between them, his balls slapping down as his ass was pierced. His fingers curled at the back of Dillon’s neck as pleasure crashed over him.

  “Don’t come!” Dillon grunted and slammed home.

  “Then you better fucking hurry,” he rasped, not sure how much longer he could last.

  Dillon

  He chuckled darkly against Luke’s skin and slowed his pace, drawing it out. He wanted to keep Luke on the edge of his orgasm for as long as he could.

  He drew in a deep breath, and it took everything inside to slow his brutal pace.

  “No!” Luke snarled, reaching down to grip his own cock.

  Dillon knocked Luke’s hand away and collected more of the lube pooled between them before he closed his own slicked hand a
round the man’s dick and squeezed.

  “Oh fuck!” Luke groaned and clamped his ass tightly around him.

  Dillon sucked in a quick breath and shoved his dick up into Luke’s tight channel before holding still. The last two weeks had been as close to heaven as he was going to get.

  He squeezed Luke’s dick before he leaned closer and ran his mouth along the man’s shoulder. Luke’s recent shower had left behind a clean scent of soap. His head swam as he kissed along Luke’s skin.

  “How long are you going to torture me?” Luke whispered with a hot rush of air against his ear and Dillon shuddered.

  He eased his fingers around Luke’s dick and caressed the swollen head before fingering the slit where precome was seeping before he moved lower and cupped and rolled Luke’s balls in his hand.

  Luke gasped and spread his legs, arching his back so much that Dillon released the man’s cock and caught his hips.

  Power lifting Luke off of his cock, he flipped the man to his hands and knees on the bed. Crowding up closer, he rubbed his cock along Luke’s crack before he placed a hand on Luke’s upper back and pushed down. Luke lowered to the bed with his ass in the air. Other than a small gasp, Luke lay still, hands fisted in the sheets near his head.

  Running his hands over Luke’s ass, he trailed kisses along the sleek, tight globes.

  “Dillon,” Luke moaned, the raw need matching Dillon’s own.

  Rising quickly, Dillon grabbed the lube again and drizzled it down Luke’s crack before he bent down and kissed the small of Luke’s back.

  “Dillon, fucking do it,” Luke almost purred between his teeth, but Dillon heard the general in the order.

  If he hadn’t been so turned on, he would have laughed at the order. Instead, he moved in, gently knocking Luke’s knees further apart. Aiming the head of his dick at Luke’s entrance, he pushed and watched as his cock slowly disappeared inside.

  “Oh yeah.” Luke shuddered and fisted his hands in the sheets again.

  Dillon withdrew and eased in again, farther this time, sliding in until he was balls deep and they were both groaning. He slid one hand along Luke’s back to grip his shoulder. Leaning over, he bit at the tender skin along the side of Luke’s ribs. Luke jerked as if surprised, and then the man glanced over his shoulder. Dillon found himself caught and held in Luke’s hungry green gaze.

  Leaning heavily along Luke’s back, he dove in for a sideways kiss. He reached Luke’s mouth, but his cock slid from the man’s body.

  “Nooo,” Luke bitched against his mouth.

  Lifting his hands, he slipped them up Luke’s arms and linked their fingers until the brief kiss ended. Biting the edge of Luke’s ear, he felt the man shudder as he worked his lips down Luke’s back.

  Rising up, he guided his swollen cock back inside of Luke in one smooth thrust. The force pushed Luke up on the bed until the man’s hands were flat against the headboard.

  “So fucking tight,” he grunted.

  “Feels so good.” Luke shoved back and his hips started undulating. Dillon clenched his teeth. It was like fucking into hot silk. Suddenly, he was done denying them both.

  He gripped Luke’s hips so he could piston his cock into the man’s warmth. Luke arched and groaned. Dillon shoved deeper, feeling his release getting close.

  “So close,” Luke gasped. “So fucking close, Dillon.”

  “Yes,” Dillon agreed on a harsh breath.

  His hand moved from holding Luke’s hips to gripping it. He was sure there’d be marks. His thrust grew sporadic, and Luke groaned and jerked beneath him. The orgasm slammed into Dillon, and he buried himself to the hilt. Holding still, he groaned loudly.

  “Dillon!” Luke gasped, shaking beneath him.

  Luke

  Weak and panting, he lay like jelly on the bed.

  It wasn’t long before Dillon left him and returned with a warm wash cloth to clean them up. The cloth was tossed back into the bathroom and landed with a slight plop on the floor before Dillon was climbing back into bed and tucking them beneath the covers.

  He’d never had such an attentive lover before. He’d had one boyfriend before the military and a few quickies with other men while in the Army, but nothing since he’d married Vanessa. Not even after she had died and he was free. He hadn’t met anyone he wanted to be with until Dillon. Even when their hunger took over and they fucked quickly, Dillon still took the time to care for him.

  “Tell me about your marriage,” Dillon said, smoothing a hand up and down his hip.

  “Vanessa was my beard.” He grimaced, telling Dillon the whole story, knowing he sounded lame.

  “I get it. It’s not easy,” Dillon said.

  “But you never tried to hide it.”

  “No, not when I was younger, but I did when I joined the Army until Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ended. Then I didn’t need to hide any longer.”

  “When you were younger?”

  “I was sixteen and shared my first kiss with a fourteen-year-old Beckett.”

  “Really?” He smiled, drawing back a little bit to see Dillon’s face.

  “Yeah. Beckett had kissed boys before me, and he kind of knew I was gay before I did. It never went beyond that one adolescent kiss for us, because we decided it was like kissing a friend. But it synced everything for me.”

  Dillon had gone through the same thing he had, hiding it in the Army. But with one difference, when DADT was repealed, Dillon had accepted that fundamental part of himself, while Luke had turned away from it and entered a loveless marriage.

  “Beckett claims that his kiss was responsible for my coming out.”

  He chuckled and then sobered. “I never came out when I was younger. I knew I was gay, but I joined the Army and kept that part of myself hidden away until a few years ago.”

  “How old were you when you married?”

  “Forty. Old enough to know better.”

  Dillon murmured, “What happened?”

  “With Vanessa? She eventually wanted more and I couldn’t give it to her. So, after five years of marriage, we agreed to divorce.”

  “And then she died,” Dillon said.

  “Yeah. She’d moved to the city and I stayed at the ranch for a few weeks. I had just flown in to discuss the divorce papers and how we’d split the properties and business.” He told Dillon about Vanessa being co-owner. “She complained of a headache and fell out of her chair.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thank you.”

  He ran his hand down Dillon’s arm. The man was stretched out on his back and Luke slipped in closer. Dillon wrapped an arm around him, holding him tightly.

  “And you have a law degree.”

  He tossed Dillon a surprised look.

  “I do. I worked at the JAG office for a few years.”

  “I googled you,” Dillon admitted sheepishly.

  He laughed loudly.

  “I was curious.” Dillon shrugged with a smile.

  “Me too.”

  His stomach wobbled, but he got it out. “After the benefit, I asked Liam for your jacket.”

  Dillon tensed, his smile fading.

  “I’m sorry. I needed something, anything to figure out what you meant.”

  “What I meant?” Dillon’s eyes glittered when he gazed down at him.

  “When you said you hit people.”

  “And did you learn anything new from my file?” Dillon asked tightly with a scowl.

  “Yeah,” he said softly. “I read about a young man who’d been shit on by his parents, a boy who struck out at anyone because he was so fucking angry, and rightly so.”

  “My file doesn’t mention my parents.”

  “It does. There’s feedback from a therapist.” He went on doggedly, not ready to own up to hiring a private investigator.

  “What else?” Dillon said roughly.

  “I read about a major who took a young soldier under his wing and tried to show him that there are worthy people in the world.”

&nbs
p; Dillon’s nostrils flared, but the arm curled tightly around him never wavered.

  “Colonel Cobalt saved my life,” Dillon rasped.

  “I know.”

  Dillon cleared his throat. “I looked up your medications online.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah. How long have you had high blood pressure?”

  “I’ve been on blood pressure medication for hypertension since my late twenties. You already know my great-grandfather, grandfather, and father all died from heart failure. If I live past fifty…” He shrugged.

  “Don’t say that!” Dillon shifted him and then turned on his side so they were facing each other.

  “How old were they when they passed?” Dillon asked quietly, stroking slow fingers through his hair.

  “My great-grandfather was forty-eight, grandfather eighty-nine, and my dad fifty.”

  “So, every other generation passes young.”

  “It seems to be, but I have no guarantees,” he admitted, and then caught Dillon’s gaze and told him what very few people knew. Dillon deserved the truth.

  “I had a mild heart attack last year.”

  “What?” Dillon shifted, sitting upward.

  “Brought on by the stress of the job. I was rushed to the hospital and had a stent put in my heart.”

  “Why didn’t the meds do the job?”

  “It wasn’t enough. After that, they put me on an additional medication to help.”

  Dillon’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “And that fixed it, right?”

  “They think so.” He ran his fingers over the stubble on Dillon’s chin and cupped his cheek.

  “Is that why you retired?”

  “Yes.” He’d just been promoted to general. It had been a crushing blow to find out that the stress of his career wasn’t helping his health.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’ve had a year to work through my disappointment.” It had been rough at first, but eventually, he’d filled up his life with other things. Filling the ranch with rescues for one.

  “And you’re okay?” Dillon sounded worried.