Wings of Love (12 page)

“I’ll remember that,” Brad said.

“Now, let’s get some sleep,” Mac said. “I have to get up very early to beat this storm.”

“Mac?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to bunk in with me—I mean, just sleep with me?”

Mac hesitated and Brad said, “Never mind, that’s probably a bad idea.”

“Yeah,” Mac said.

“Yeah what?”

“Yeah, I would like to sleep with you.”

They got up and each went through their normal routine to get ready for bed.

When they were through, they both walked to Brad’s bed and stopped at the foot. Mac reached out and took Brad into an embrace and gently kissed him on the cheek. They stripped down to their boxers and T-shirts and climbed into bed. Mac thought about how Brad slid in and snuggled his back into him, as Brad had done in his dream. Mac put his arm around Brad’s waist and pulled him close.

“This is nice,” Mac said.

“It is,” Brad responded.

Mac again buried his nose in Brad’s neck and inhaled Brad’s scent. He gently kissed him on the neck and said, “Good night, Brad.”

“Night, Mac.”

Mac closed his eyes and thought about the road he was heading down, and tried to separate his heart from his head, but it didn’t work. If he were to get involved with Brad, he had to know what he was getting into. Brad didn’t deserve to have half of him, and he certainly didn’t deserve to be hurt after working so hard to get over Jeff’s death.
I have to be certain
, was his last thought as he fell off to a comfortable sleep with Brad wrapped in his arms.

Brad lay awake, thinking about the man in his bed.
When had this happened?
When had he gone from losing Jeff to having feelings for Mac? It all seemed so odd, but he did think he had strong feelings for Mac. It was asking an awful lot of Mac to commit to a life with him, if it came to that. He needed more time to think about all of this.
What would Jeff think?
Neither of them had gone out looking for this, it just happened—surely Jeff knew that.
I have to be certain
, was his last thought as he fell off to a comfortable sleep, wrapped in Mac’s protective arms.

Chapter 17

B
RAD
woke up in the same position in which he had fallen asleep. He instinctively glanced at the clock—
Six thirty-two
.
Damn, why did I sleep so late?
He glanced at the window, which was part of his wake-up routine, and remembered it would still be dark outside. Then he remembered he and Mac had closed and secured all the shutters yesterday. Mac! He suddenly remembered that he’d gone to sleep in Mac’s arms. Unconsciously, he reached behind him for the comfort he’d experienced during the night, but the bed was empty.

He sat up and looked around the cabin. Mac was gone. “Mac?” he called. No answer. He got up and checked the bathroom; it was empty. He climbed the ladder to the loft. Mac’s bed was as it had been the day before. He opened the front door and immediately felt a chill. Mac wasn’t here. Disappointment overtook him as he closed the door. He walked to the kitchen to start the coffee when he saw the note on the kitchen table.

Good morning sleepyhead,

I hope you don’t mind that I snuck out, but you were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you. I left around five thirty so I could make it to the lake, get the plane ready for an early flight, and get out before the storm hits. Please believe me when I say that my leaving without saying good-bye had nothing to do with you, our conversation, or our night together. I just thought it might be easier on both of us to not have to say good-bye right now. We both have so much to think about, and I know neither of us will take any of this lightly, but I do know that whatever happens, I never want to lose your friendship. I’ll always hold you in the highest regard, and I’ll always be here for you, if and when you need me. I also know that the loss of Jeff is still fresh in your heart and mind, and I don’t even know how to begin to compete with his memory. So basically, I can decide whatever I decide, but this all depends on you and if you’ll ever be ready to open your heart to anyone else.

I’m as confused as I’ve ever been in my life, and I don’t know what to think of all these emotions and, more importantly, how to sort through them. Lindsey always said that “the heart wants what it wants” even if it’s a difficult situation. And for the first time, I really see what she meant.

I know you’re nervous about being here all alone for the first storm of the season, but I know you’ll be okay. Even though we both need a little time away, if I can possibly get back before the storm hits, I will. Take care and if you need me, use the VHF radio, and I will always be here.

Mac

He put the letter down and looked around the little cabin. Between the darkness of the windows and the silence and the chill of the early morning, he felt very lonely.

He walked to the table where the VHF radio was and picked up the handset. He raised it to his mouth and almost started to speak. He put it back down and stepped away.

He needs time
, he thought.
He said that in his letter. But I want to make sure he’s okay. Fuck time. I need to talk to him.

He stepped up to the radio, picked up the handset, and pressed the button. “November 4649 Delta, this is Wing Mansion. Over.”

He waited for a few seconds and heard nothing.

“November 4649 Delta, this is Wing Mansion, do you copy?”

He waited again.

Just when he was about to repeat the call again, he heard, “Wing Mansion, this is November 4649 Delta, I hear you loud and clear. Wing Mansion, switch to channel one eight. Over,” he heard Mac’s voice say.

“Wing Mansion switching to channel one eight,” Brad repeated.

Brad turned the dial up two notches to channel one eight and said, “Wing Mansion standing by on channel one eight.”

“Good morning sleepyhead. Over,” Mac said.

“Mac, are you okay? Over.” Brad asked.

“I’m fine. Did you get my note? Over.”

“Mac, thank you for taking the time to write it; it was very thoughtful. Over.”

“That’s me, thoughtful Mac. Over.”

Mac was sounding a little strange. Then Brad remembered Zander and Jake were with him, and he was sure they could hear everything Mac was saying.

“Mac, I know Zander and Jake can hear what you’re saying, but can they hear me? Over.”

“That’s a negative. Over,” Mac responded.

“Oh good, I’m not ready to start explaining all of this to them. Over.”

“That’s affirmative. Over,” Mac said.

“What’s your ETA? Over,” Brad asked.

“About zero eight hundred hours. Over,” Mac said.

Brad remembered military time, and he thought that meant eight am. “Okay, safe flight and give my best to Zander and Jake, and tell them to enjoy their vacation and not to worry about the lodge. I’ll check on it every couple of days. Over.”

“I’ll pass that along. Over,” Mac responded.

“Mac, will you make it back up before the storm? Over.”

“I’ll do my best, but if I don’t, you’ll be fine. I’ll be in touch. Over.”

“I’ll look forward to it. Oh, and Mac, please be careful. I don’t want to lose you. Over.”

“Will do. Over.”

Brad ended the conversation by saying, “You do that.” He added, “Wing Mansion over and out, switching back to channel one six.”

The last thing Brad heard Mac say was, “November 4649 Delta standing by on channel one six.”

Chapter 18

B
RAD
put the handset down, but left the radio on, hoping to hear Mac’s request to land at Lake Hood. He walked back to his bed and climbed in on the side that Mac had slept on. The sheets and pillow still smelled like Mac. He took a deep breath and inhaled Mac’s scent. He wrapped himself in the sheets and buried his head in Mac’s pillow and stayed there, breathing him in. For the first time in a very long time, he felt a stirring in his groin. Brad realized that he was experiencing his first erection since Jeff went into the hospital. All at once he was shocked and a little embarrassed. He slid his hand down his boxer shorts and caressed his erection. It had been so long since he’d even thought of sex. Even last night, lying next to Mac, he had been content just to sleep in Mac’s arms—sex never entered his mind.

Not that he wasn’t attracted to Mac; he was a gorgeous man. But now, he was alone in his cabin, Mac was in Anchorage, and he was a healthy male, the hell with it. Without realizing he was already stroking his erection, he rubbed his fingers around the crown of his dick, across his slit, and down the length and back up.
This feels damn good
, he thought. He wished he had some lube, but he just wasn’t prepared.

Although he started off thinking about Mac, in his fantasy he saw Jeff jacking him off and staring at him with such desire. He smiled at the thought, then Jeff’s face faded away and slowly turned into Mac’s, and he was suddenly filled with mixed emotions. It had always been Jeff, and now it was Mac and Jeff. He saw Mac’s face so clearly. His beautiful blue eyes were looking deeply into his. But now Jeff was standing over Mac’s shoulder, watching Mac stroke his engorged dick. Jeff was smiling and rubbing Mac’s shoulders as if in approval. Even though he and Jeff had never had a three-way, suddenly the thought was about to send him over the top. Another couple of strokes and he felt his balls tightening up. He pulled the sheet down and lifted his T-shirt as the first spurt almost reached his chest. He pumped his dick harder and harder, and the second and third spurts landed on his tight stomach. He lay there, somewhere between feeling guilty and confused and very satisfied.

Mac’s voice, filled with static, broke the silence.

“This is November 4649 Delta calling Lake Hood air traffic control tower, do you copy?”

“November 4649 Delta, this is the tower at Lake Hood, I read you loud and clear and have you on radar. Welcome back, Mac. Hold your current heading, I have a couple guys ahead of you. Over.”

Brad sat up in bed and listened.

“Roger that,” he heard Mac say. “November 4649 Delta standing by on channel one six.”

Brad thought how weird it felt, listening to Mac on the radio when he had just fantasized about him in the very spot Mac had slept the night before. Before he could elaborate his thoughts, he heard, “November 4649 Delta, this is the Lake Hood tower, do you copy?”

“November 4649 Delta, I read you loud and clear,” he heard Mac say.

“November 4649 Delta, switch to channel three eight. Over.”

“November 4649 Delta switching to channel three eight.”

Brad wiped his stomach with his T-shirt and ran over to the radio and changed the channel to three eight.

He heard, through more static this time, Mac saying, “November 4649 Delta standing by on three eight. Over.”

“Hey, Mac, this is Dan, how’s it going, man? Over,” Brad heard a strange voice say.

“Hey, Dan, going great. When are we going to have that beer we’ve been talking about? Over,” Mac said.

“Just say the word, Mac. I’ve got someone I want you to meet. Over,” the new voice said.

“Oh shit,” Brad said under his breath.

“Oh really. Over,” Mac replied.

“Yeah, my wife’s girlfriend just moved back to Anchorage after a nasty divorce, and she is really something. Over.”

He’s trying to set Mac up on a date with a divorcée
, Brad thought.

“Thanks for thinking about me, Dan, but I’m kinda seeing someone. Over,” Mac said.

“Holy shit,” Brad said again under his breath.
Did he just say he was seeing someone? Is he talking about me?

“Anyone I know? Over,” Dan asked.

“No, not really, it’s in the early stages, but I’m very interested. Over.”

“Let me know if things change. Over,” Dan said.

“Will do. How about getting me on the ground? Over.”

“Sure thing, Mac. Change your heading to five eight nine, and you’re cleared to land. Over.”

“November 4649 Delta changing heading to five eight nine. Over.”

Brad stood in front of the radio with his mouth opened wide.
We’re dating?