Copyright 2020 | DJ Jamison

Author’s Note: This is a bonus scene featuring Sean and Jace of Rapid Response.

“You okay?”

Sean blinked out of his thoughts, which had been wandering down various trails: one leading to everlasting bliss and the other abject despair. Jace stood beside the Christmas tree, its lights dancing reds, blues, and greens over his hair and skin. He held an ornament in his hand, a cheeky Our 1st Pandemic scripted over a white bulb depicting a house, a mask, and a roll of toilet paper. The guys at the firehouse had given it to Sean, and Jace had about blown out a rib laughing. He’d immediately given it pride of place on the tree, but it kept falling off, thanks to the hyper puppy who was currently bouncing at Jace’s feet as if expecting him to throw it for a game of fetch.

“I’m fine,” Sean said. “Charlie looks ready to climb you, though.”

Jace snorted as he hung the bulb and scooped up the wriggling bundle of brown fur. Charlie snorted and sneezed, then proceeded to attempt to lick any skin that he could reach.

“Charlie isn’t the one I prefer to climb all over me,” he said, smirking. Just then, Charlie got in a big swipe to the side of his neck and Jace jerked. “And he’s definitely not who I want drooling on me.”

“Oh, you want me to drool?” Sean felt a slight quickening of his pulse. He’d slide to his knees for Jace right here, right now if he asked. That’s how it had always been between them.

“You know I love it,” Jace said easily as he crossed the room to deposit Charlie in his dog bed and handed him a rope, indulging Charlie in a brief round of tug-of-war.

Jace hadn’t been sold on getting Charlie immediately. They both worked long, unpredictable hours. But between them, they also had an army of family and friends. Jace had his best friend Ridley and his family, and Sean had his massive family that included two brothers, a sister, and a glorified brother-in-law. Ian and Callum might not be married, but they’d lived together long enough that Sean viewed Callum as family. And then there was Heather and Carly, and Carly adored the puppy…

It had been strange bringing their two circles together. Sean had spent so long keeping them apart, fearing their connection, and now he couldn’t imagine his life without Cole’s sass or Ridley’s steady nature, or even Ronnie’s foot permanently lodged in her mouth. And his family had taken a shine to Jace, as well, even Danny—and that was a shocker. But he supposed it was hard to hate the guy who’d saved your life. When Danny had been severely injured in an accident, Jace had been the first paramedic on scene.

Danny was still a bit squirrelly about the man-on-man action. He averted his eyes every time Ian kissed Callum or Jace put his hand on Sean’s thigh, which was a lot, because Jace loved how his muscles flexed under his palm. “All that power, mine to command,” Jace would murmur in his ear. “So hot.”

But that was before the pandemic that kept everyone apart. Now, they were back to that little bubble of life outside of work: just the two of them in Sean’s house they’d renovated together.

“What’s wrong, babe? You missing your family?”

“No,” Sean said without thinking. Jace snorted, and he felt a niggle of guilt. “I mean, sure. Of course. But…”

Jace raised an eyebrow, those hazel eyes fixed on him. “Tell me.”

He used the velvety voice that never failed to make Sean’s skin prickle and his cock plump. When he used that voice in bed, all bets were off. Sean really was his to command, not that he ever took it too far. He knew just how to push Sean’s comfort zone, and also just when to pull back before Sean hit his limit.

“Jace…” he breathed. “That voice is for the bedroom, not…”

Jace moved to stand in front of the sofa, gazing down on him intently, and Sean swayed forward, almost as if tugged by puppet strings, and buried his face in Jace’s stomach. He just breathed for a minute, his trapped breath hot in the space between Jace’s shirt and his face.

Jace tunneled his fingers through Sean’s hair, soothing him. “We could take this to the bedroom if that would be easier? Something’s bothering you.” He slipped his right hand down to Sean’s jaw, tipping his head up so their eyes met. “You can tell me anything. You know that, don’t you?”

Sean swallowed hard. He was worrying Jace, which was the last thing he wanted. “I know.”

“So…?” Jace prompted. “Do I need to fuck it out of you?” His lips quirked, but his eyes remained worried.

“It might be easier,” Sean joked weakly.

“If that’s what you need,” Jace said seriously. “Just say the word.”

Tempting. But Sean knew that wasn’t how this needed to go. Jace took the lead in the bedroom, but he didn’t lead their relationship. That was a tango for two, and Sean needed to man up if he wanted everything. No great reward came without great risk, right?

Sean stood. “We haven’t done the Advent Calendar for today.”

Jace looked thrown by the non sequitur. Or what seemed to him a change of subject, anyway. But the Advent Calendar was precisely why Sean was so wound up. Or what was inside it, anyway.

The Advent Calendar was actually a wooden box painted silver, with 24 drawers. Each contained a small gift leading up to Christmas. Jace had been amused when Sean brought it home, insisting they should start a new tradition—each of them filling every other drawer with a gift for the other—but thankfully he’d agreed to indulge Sean. And since they weren’t going to see any of their family or friends for the holiday—as first responders they were around people in public far too much to risk their family’s health—Sean had wanted something special to mark the occasion.

But there was also an ulterior motive: the gift in Drawer 24.

Because while Sean missed his family, he knew the person he needed most in his life was Jace. He’d almost lost him once, and he never wanted to lose him again. Which made this both the best decision he’d ever made—and also the most terrifying.

“We usually do the Advent after dinner,” Jace said.

“I know.” Sean took Jace’s hand, tugging him across the room to where they’d set the box up on a table just in front of the window. “I want to do it early.”

Jace reluctantly followed. “Sean, if you’re just trying to change the subject—Oh, holy fuck. Consider it changed.”

Sean had lowered himself to one knee as he drew the drawer out. Jace’s gaze flicked from the drawer to Sean and back. “That’s… a ring.”

“It is.” Sean drew a deep breath—and was nearly knocked on his ass as Charlie launched himself against his legs, yipping playfully. The distraction was almost a relief, as he choked out a laugh and finally inflated his lungs with air.

“Charlie,” Jace said in exasperation. “Really, man? This is my moment.”

Sean scooped up the puppy, happy to occupy his hands, as he dared a look up at Jace through his eyelashes. “A good moment?”

“I sure hope so,” Jace said. He picked up the ring and without a word, slid it onto the fourth finger of his left hand. “It’s a pretty good fit.”

Sean’s heart skipped a beat as their gazes connected. “Like us,” he said, finding his voice.

“Is this why you’ve been so unsettled today?”

“I want to marry you,” Sean blurted. “I want us to be us forever. I can’t imagine life without you, and—and—” He ran out of words and launched to his feet, dumping Charlie in the process, and kissed Jace hard, pouring out all the love he couldn’t quite find words to express.

Jace closed his hands around Sean’s waist, pulling him close, kissing him back. When they broke for air, Sean kept his eyes closed, whispering, “Please say yes.”

“Of course I’m saying yes,” Jace said, his voice surprised. “Did you really doubt that?”

Sean let out a breath, eyes opening to take in Jace’s frown. He pressed another, softer kiss to his lips. “I don’t know. I knew that if you said yes, I’d have everything I wanted, and if you said no…” He met Jace’s eyes. “It would crush me.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I was never, ever going to say no to you,” Jace said.

Sean suddenly remembered dumping Charlie. He glanced around and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the pup contentedly chewing a rawhide strip under the tree. No harm done, then. Then his thoughts caught up, and the last few minutes rushed back in like a freight train.

“Holy shit, we’re getting married,” he gasped.

Jace laughed. “Well, maybe not right now. Let’s wait until we can actually have wedding guests. Your ma would kill me if I married you on the sly.”

Sean grinned. “She really would. In fact, uh… we sort of need to call my family tonight. I might have told them about my plans.”

Jace walked him backward, toward the wall. “You did, huh? I guess you were pretty confident about my answer after all.”

“Fuck no,” Sean said. “I was sweating bullets all day. All month, actually.”

Jace pressed him to the wall and leaned in to nibble at his neck. Sean tilted his head to allow Jace better access, sighing with pleasure as his blood ran hot. “Silly boy. I’m yours. Your mine. We already made those promises to one another.”

“I know, but…”

“What?”

“I want to say the words in front of everyone we know. I want to celebrate it, and put a ring on you so everyone fucking knows—”

“Really, Sean?” Jace interrupted. “Going caveman on me?”

Sean bit his bottom lip. “Too much?”

Jace smirked, eyes hot. “Nah. Not as long as I’m the one dragging this hot ass to bed. You can claim me all you want, babe.”

Sean felt the tension he’d been carrying for weeks begin to leach away. This man, this sexy, toppy, amazing man was his—and he always would be. He slid down the wall, hitting his knees, and tore Jace’s sweats down.

“Sean, Jesus—fuck!”

Sean swallowed his cock down, diving on it like a desperate man. Above him, Jace groaned and clenched his hands in Sean’s hair. He bucked his hips, and Sean let him take over, going pliant while Jace pulled his head down to meet each thrust up, pushing into his throat. Sean relaxed, his gag reflex mostly mastered by now, and found himself entering that floaty headspace he loved where all his worries drifted away and there was nothing left but the man above him, inside him, guiding him.

Then a yip sounded, and Charlie jumped against Jace’s leg.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Jace growled, stepping back and yanking up his pants. “Stay,” he said authoritatively.

Sean wasn’t sure whether he was talking to him or dog, but he didn’t mind in the slightest. He stayed on his knees, waiting, until Jace dragged him up and swatted his ass. “Bedroom. I need to fuck you without an audience.”

“Yes,” Sean said with a groan. He’d come to love the burn and stretch of Jace filling him. They still switched it up regularly, but bottoming was unlike any other experience he’d felt. He loved being connected so deeply, having Jace inside him, owning him.

They stumbled into the bedroom, stripping clothes off. Jace closed the door in Charlie’s face, and the yipping started almost immediately.

“Is he—”

“He’s fine,” Jace said, pushing Sean to the bed and following him down to kiss and nibble at what felt like every inch of his body while Sean’s cock wept. “Let me worship at the shrine of Sean.”

“’m hardly a shrine,” Sean mumbled.

Jace lifted his head, eyes searing into him, lips already dark red from their kissing. Sean’s cock hardened further, which didn’t seem possible. He was so hard his skin felt too tight and he could feel his pulse beating out an eager tempo in his cock: throb-throb, throb-throb.

“You’re whatever I say you are,” Jace said. “And right now, I say this body is worthy of my worship. You gonna stop me?”

It was the kind of comment that might sound offensive at the wrong time, but it soothed every rough, uncertain edge that Sean had. Jace had always reassured him this way. “Never,” Sean said reverently. “But Jace, I need you. Want you inside me.”

Jace patted his hip. “Turn over then. Show me what you want.”

Sean rolled onto his hands and knees, lifting his ass high. He’d lost any embarrassment about what he needed from Jace a long time ago.

“Mm, what should I do with this?” Jace asked, smacking his ass lightly.

Sean spread his legs and lowered his chest, exposing himself to Jace’s view. “Fuck me.”

Jace slowly spread his cheeks, and he could feel his stare burning into his most intimate places. Just as he began to squirm with the discomfort, Jace leaned in and licked him.

Sean choked on a breath, surprised. They’d done this before, but it surprised him, every time. Jace traced his rim slowly, maddeningly, with the tip of his tongue. Sean pushed his ass back, but only earned a slap for his trouble. “I’m going to pleasure my fiancé,” Jace said. “So be still.”

Sean’s breath stuttered. Fiance. Right. They were engaged now. This man would be his—ohhh fuck.

Jace spread him further with his thumbs and pushed his tongue inside. He began to thrust it forward, then withdraw. He teased, flicked, and occasionally even nibbled at Sean’s ass, and he slowly lost his mind, babbling out pleas for relief. He begged Jace not to stop while also cursing him for torture. He grabbed handfuls of the sheet, but it wasn’t enough. He was going to fly apart.

Before he could, Jace smacked his ass, harder. He gasped at the sting that raced through his right cheek. Before he could react, Jace smacked his left, then his right, then his left again. In quick succession. The gentle burn radiated through his ass, but it also anchored him to the bed. He settled inside his skin.

“Please, Jace,” he said hoarsely.

“I got you.” The blunt head of Jace’s cock pressed against his hole and Sean nearly cried with relief as the pressure increased, sending a sweet burn through his insides. His whole ass was buzzing, nerves firing, and he could only moan as Jace pressed inside him, inch by inch. He didn’t bother with much prep. They did this enough their bodies knew each other, knew how far to push. Sean melted into the bed, welcoming the intrusion.

Jace smoothed his hands over Sean’s still faintly stinging ass. “You good?”

“Yeah.” Sean wriggled a little, clenching around the length of Jace’s cock.

Jace slapped his ass once more. “Stop.”

Sean froze. “Sorry.”

Jace leaned over him, his weight and heat pinning Sean to the bed. He could throw him off if he wanted, but Sean had never wanted anything less. Bringing his lips close to Sean’s ear, Jace whispered, “I’m gonna lose it if you do that again. Give a guy a chance to show you a good time, huh?”

Sean huffed a laugh into the pillow. “I’m waiting.”

Jace smacked his ass again, and Sean’s cock gave a throb. He tipped his ass up, inviting more, but Jace didn’t take the bait. He raised up, gripping Sean’s hips, and began to thrust in earnest. Sean loved the feel of him, pushing back into each thrust, taking Jace as deep as he could. But when Jace started nailing his prostate all was lost. He cried out hoarsely, shuddering hard and collapsing flat to the bed.

Jace held his ass up, pounding into him, and for some reason it turned Sean’s crank even more, that he was merely a receptacle for Jace’s pleasure. He managed to rub against the bed as Jace thrust into him and that was all it took. He came, crying out loudly, while Charlie yipped from the next room.

“Fuck fucking fuck,” Jace growled as he came to a shuddering halt. He collapsed over Sean’s back.

Sean was overheated, and having a hot, sweaty man on top of him didn’t help with that. But he’d die before he pushed Jace away. He squeezed his internal muscles around Jace’s cock, still inside him, and the man shuddered and groaned, before withdrawing and rolling to the side.

Sean turned onto his back and lifted an arm, and Jace tucked himself against his side, resting his head on Sean’s shoulder. “Why now?”

“Hmm?”

Jace pressed his palm over Sean’s chest. “I love you. I’d marry you anytime, anywhere. But what made you ask now?”

Sean threaded their fingers together. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s been all this isolation. We still work, but being cut off from family and friends hasn’t been easy, and it made me realize…I wouldn’t be able to bear ever being cut off from you.”

Jace’s breath caught, and he pressed a kiss to Sean’s shoulder. “Damn, that’s a good answer.”

Sean grinned. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Fuck. Now, I want to drop to a knee and propose to you.”

Sean laughed. “Too late. I beat you to the punch.”

Jace smiled slowly. “You sure did. I’ll have to find another way to show you how much you mean to me.”

Sean’s ass gave a throb at the evil tilt to Jace’s smile. He was looking forward to every love lesson Jace was willing to unload on him. But first…

“Let’s shower and dress. Ma is expecting my call.”

“Think she’ll let me call her Ma too?”

“I think she’ll whack you with a wooden spoon if you call her anything else.”

***

Jace nervously took a seat at Sean’s side while he fired up an app to video chat with his family. They were spread out: Eileen at her place; Ian and Callum at theirs; Ma and Danny together in her home. Danny had been living with his mother while he recovered from his accident nearly a year ago. He wasn’t entirely better, but he’d made a lot of progress—both emotionally and physically.

One by one, their video screens popped onto the laptop on Sean’s lap.

“Well?” Ma said impatiently. “Did he say yes?”

“You didn’t chicken out, did you?” Eileen asked. “Because I’ll have to kick your ass soooo hard.”

Jace muffled a laugh, and Sean adjusted the laptop so that Jace was in the frame with him. “He’s sitting right here,” Sean said in exasperation. Then he smiled wide, so sweet that Jace’s teeth ached at the sight. “Everybody, say hello to my fiancé.”

“Congratulations,” Callum said warmly, his blue eyes looking large behind his wire-rim glasses. With his golden hair, he looked angelic. And not even the tiniest bit jealous, which was a relief. Ian and Callum had been together longer than Sean and Jace, and neither of them had given any hint as to whether wedding bells would ever be in their future, but they appeared to be happy enough, sharing an apartment and a cat.

Speaking of pets…Charlie whined from the floor until Jace relented and picked him up, letting him join the party. He bounced from Jace’s lap to Sean’s, attacking them both with kisses they had to fend off.

“Charlie’s very happy for you,” Eileen said with a laugh.

“He’s a pain in the ass,” Jace groused before looking down and rubbing his ears. “Aren’t you? You’re the biggest pain in the butt puppy ever.”

“Yeah, Jace hates him,” Sean said, rolling his eyes. “He spends more time playing with the puppy than he does with me.”

Jace glanced over, lips quirking. “Excuse me, didn’t we just have playtime? Don’t be greedy.”

Eileen cackled while Sean turned bright red and Danny muttered something under his breath. Probably grossed out by the two guys referencing sex, but Jace could care less. He leaned in, kissing Sean’s cheek.

“Jace, this is my family,” Sean complained.

“You started it,” Jace countered with all the maturity of a man about to be married.

There was snickering and inappropriate jokes that Ma pretended not to hear, and when everyone settled, Daniel surprised them all by speaking up.

“I have something to say.”

Jace felt Sean tense beside him, and he grasped his hand, squeezing tight. If Danny ruined this moment for him… Well, let’s just say that Jace had helped save his life, but he might just turn around and kill him if he hurt Sean.

Daniel cleared his throat. “I’m happy for you, Sean.” His eyes flicked to Jace. “You’ve met someone special to you, and that’s, um, all any of us can hope to do.”

“Doesn’t hurt that he saved your life either, huh?” Eileen snarked.

“Eileen,” Ma said with a sigh.

Daniel only shrugged. “You’re not wrong. Nearly dying, it puts things in perspective. And what Jace did for me… well, I respect the hell out of him, out of anyone out there saving lives. That goes for you too, bro. I might not understand the gay thing, but I hope you’re both happy together.”

Jace resisted the urge to roll his eyes at that comment. Daniel was trying. He hadn’t woken from surgery without any homophobic tendencies, but he was working on it. He’d accepted their relationship, and he was wishing them well. It was enough for now.

Sean drew a careful breath. “Thank you, Danny.”

“I wish you were both here,” Ma said, eyes going misty. “It doesn’t feel right without all you kids here for Christmas.” She sniffed. “I need to hug you all and feed you up, make sure you’re getting enough sleep.”

Her eyes zeroed in on Jace. “Take care of my baby boy.”

“Mom,” Sean groaned.

But Jace threw an arm around him and pulled him close. “I will give him all the TLC I have.”

“And Sean, you take care of Jace, too,” she added.

Jace was touched, really, that she cared. “Thanks…Ma,” he tested out, almost afraid she might reach through the screen and smack him.

Instead, she beamed. “Welcome to the family.”

They exchanged a few more words before saying goodbye. As the screen turned dark, Sean closed the laptop and turned to face him. “Welcome to the family,” he repeated.

Jace’s eyes stung. “Just like that, huh?”

“Nah. Just like this.” Sean raced Jace’s hand, placing a kiss on his ring finger. Then lifting his head to kiss his mouth. “Though, I ought to spank you for that crack about playtime.”

Jace huffed a laugh. “Maybe I’ll let you.”

Sean’s eyes widened, looking almost panicked at the very idea, and Jace caught his lips in a kiss. “Or maybe I’ll just spank you again?” Jace suggested.

“But I wasn’t—I didn’t—” Sean sputtered. “What did I do wrong?”

“Nothing.” Jace chuckled. “But you seem to love it. So perhaps I should spend all night giving you exactly what you deserve. Or, you know, the rest of our lives.”

“Oh,” Sean said. Then he blushed to his roots. “Oh, yeah.”

“You like the sound of that?”

“I do,” Sean said with a bashful grin. “I really, really do.”

So,  Jace set about giving him everything he wanted. Then he planned to do it again, and again, for as long as they both lived—

Yip-yip.

—or for as long as Charlie didn’t interrupt them, anyway.

That damn dog…

Read Sean and Jace’s romance story in Rapid Response, available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited!