Red flushed Snow’s neck and his eyes narrowed.
“I’m not trying to make you feel bad,” Jude insisted. “I’m just trying to understand how I can help.”
“You can’t help,” Snow snapped. “Nobody can help.”
“That’s not true and you know it. If you won’t talk to someone else, then use me.”
Snow gave him that slow grin that had his dick hardening fast.
He shook his head. “No, don’t deflect this conversation with sex.”
“But you’re so easy.” Snow took a step closer and his heat, his freshly-showered scent enveloped Jude.
Fuck. The man had this innate ability to scramble Jude’s thought processes and it wasn’t fair. He swallowed. Hard. “Yeah, General, when it comes to you, it doesn’t take much. Sometimes just hearing you breathe does it for me.” He took the last step close and wrapped his hands around Snow’s biceps. His flesh was still hot from the shower. “But I want us to be about more than fantastic sex. I want the whole package. Love, affection and most of all trust. I need you to lean on me when you need to and I need to know I can look to you for comfort when I need it. Because sometimes, I need it, too.”
“Of course,” Snow said, his eyebrows coming together. “Why are you even questioning that?”
“Because I saw your face before you disappeared in here. You were embarrassed about something you don’t even have control over. Embarrassed about a nightmare. With me.” He tightened his fingers. “With me, Snow.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Don’t you know that it kills me that you’d feel that way around me?”
“Jude—”
“No, listen.” He slid his hands up to Snow’s neck and stroked his thumbs over his man’s sexy jaw. “You’ve told me about your past.” He threaded his fingers into Snow’s wet hair and pulled him closer. “Those are legitimate feelings and I just want to help. Be your comfort. Your safety net.”
“You are, Jude.” Snow’s hands tightened against his back. “You give me so much.”
He leaned back. “So stop hiding from me, okay?”
Snow stared hard at him.
“I mean it,” Jude insisted. “When those dreams come, reach for me. Together, we can erase all the bad feelings fast. Exchange them for good ones.”
“The best ones,” Snow murmured, leaning in for a kiss. “And you’re right. This stuff with Rowe is killing me and whenever I get too stressed or too sad, the dreams come back. I’m sorry if I’m waking you with them.”
“I don’t care about that. I just care that they’re ripping you apart. If you’re not comfortable talking to a therapist or someone more qualified, then lean on me. I’m tough. I can take it. Let’s deal with them. Together.”
Snow sighed and rested his forehead onto Jude’s. “I don’t want to use you like that, Jude. I don’t. And I’ve never been good about sharing my pain,” he whispered. “But I also don’t mean to make you feel useless when this happens.”
“It’s not useless, General.” Jude cupped the back of his head. “But I’m not sure I’m enough sometimes. You have rough stuff from your past. Really, really rough stuff. I hate that it comes forward and wrecks you.” He couldn’t stop his smirk. “I like being the only thing—the only one—who wrecks you.”
“And you do it well,” Snow murmured, then sighed and pulled back. He stared at Jude a long time, and when he smiled, it wasn’t one of his arrogant smirks or sex-filled grins that weakened Jude’s knees, no. This smile was so full of affection and love, the heat that raced through Jude’s body gathered into his heart and caused it to swell, to pound, to fucking try and leap from his chest. “I’m okay now. I promise. Take me to bed and wreck me, Torres,” he whispered. “You said you want to erase the bad feelings? Do it now. Now is a good time to make them go the fuck away.”
Jude held his breath, so suddenly turned on, he felt dizzy with the rush of blood from his brain south. He grabbed Snow’s arms, squeezed, then faced him away. He pulled Snow’s back against him. Snow shuddered when Jude slid his palm up over the hard muscles of Snow’s chest, to his throat, holding it in a tight grip, his thumb pressing on that soft, vulnerable spot right under Snow’s ear. His general sucked in a sharp breath and went still, tense. Waiting. Jude held him with a firm grip and pressed his hardening cock against the curve of Snow’s ass. So. Much. Fucking. Heat. There. He sucked in a deep breath, dizzy with desire, then whispered into Snow’s ear. “Walk slowly back to our bed. Be careful to keep close because I don’t want my cock to leave this nice, snug crease of your ass.”
The low chuckle that vibrated against his hand sent warm heat curling through his gut. Snow loved it when he went Neanderthal on his ass. Hell, Jude loved it. But he could barely think because his heart had picked up so hard and fast, he had no doubt it was beating strong enough for Snow to feel it against his spine. Jude fastened his lips to the hollow between Snow’s neck and shoulder and sucked hard. Snow’s soft laugh turned into a moan as he began to slowly move toward the bed. Jude kept pace with him, licking and kissing his neck, leaving marks only where they’d be covered by Snow’s clothes. He kept returning to the back of Snow’s neck, though. Damp hair left moisture on his nose and cheek as he nuzzled close. “Fuck, you smell good,” Jude said into Snow’s skin. “Hurry up and lay down on the bed on your stomach.”