Higher Ground by Becky Black (most read books of all time .txt) 📕

around until they were lying on their sides, facing each other, bodies pressed together but not too close, giving their hands space to move. They shoved their shorts down out of the way. Keeping it simple, staying in a position where they wouldn’t knock the tent down, they stroked and caressed and rubbed each other. Both stayed quiet, panting with the pleasure and with the strain of keeping silent.

They rubbed faster, harder, pumping each other. Adam felt Zach’s thumb against his and realized he had his hand stretched around both their cocks. Adam did the same, and the two erections, slippery with precum, slid against each other, the hands enclosing them in a mutual frenzy. The scent of that, sharp, was like a tang on the air. Adam fancied he could taste it. Would again but not tonight. It mingled with the scent of sweat, older, from the climbing, and new, breaking from them at this moment. He tasted it on Zach’s skin. Salty, musky, so exciting to Adam. The primitive scent coming from such a smart, sophisticated man as Zach hinted at the passion that lay under the layers of civilization and academia. He licked Zach’s neck, which was rough with stubble already, and moved on to smoother, softer skin, behind his ear. Zach’s body jerked, thrusting against Adam.

“Yes.” Zach moaned the word out, bit down the sound, turned the rest into a whisper. “Oh yes, Adam, yes.”

Adam silenced the words with a kiss, devouring Zach’s passion, feeding on it. It gave him more strength than he ever knew he had. Strength to follow Zach up the mountain and help him in every way he needed.

Stars—more than lay between this planet and Earth—exploded in his mind. His cock pulsed, spurting, Zach’s doing the same, hard and slippery and coming together. Warm semen, his and Zach’s mixed, filled Adam’s hand. He moaned, his head resting against Zach’s shoulder, nuzzling his neck where it emerged from the edging of his T-shirt. He flicked his tongue over smooth, hot skin and rough, warm cotton.

He almost fell asleep like that, but Zach moved, pulling up his underwear, helping Adam with his. They’d be sticky in the morning, should clean up, but Adam fell asleep before he even completed the thought.

Chapter Twelve

“Rise and shine, boys. Daylight’s a wasting.”

Zach woke at the sound of Korrie’s voice outside their tent. Adam, squashed close against him, groaned and rolled onto his back.

“We’re awake,” Zach called.

“Speak for yourself,” Adam muttered.

Zach found the fastener for the sleeping bag and undid it. After a quick check to make sure his underwear was where it should be, he crawled to the flap of the tent and poked his head out. Morning sunlight made him squint.

“What time is it?” he asked Korrie.

“Five thirty. Like you ordered.” She looked as if she’d been up for a while already, dressed and sipping from a steaming mug. Older people were often early risers, Zach thought, remembering a vacation he’d spent at the home of his great-grandparents, and how he used to wake to hear them moving around at ridiculously early times. Sometimes he got up and enjoyed the precious extra time with them.

“Here,” Korrie continued, handing Zach a plastic tub with a lid and a long handle. “Some hot water for washing and shaving. In a couple of days, you’ll be ready to sell your soul for a proper shower.”

“I’m sure. Thank you, Professor, very kind. We’ll be out in a few minutes.”

He ducked back inside with the tub, heavy with the water it held. Adam was leaning up on his elbow, rubbing a hand over sleepy eyes, then through his mussed hair. Even unshaven and rumpled from sleep he was handsome, but Zach felt certain the same couldn’t be said of himself. His hair stood out at crazy angles, full of static.

“Oh boy,” Adam muttered, looking at his watch. “Five thirty? Why did I agree to five thirty?”

“Hot water,” Zach said, indicating the tub and taking off the lid. Steam rose from inside. The lid expanded into a collapsible bowl, and Zach poured some of the water into it, then went hunting through his gear for soap. Grumbling incoherently and yawning hugely, Adam struggled out of the sleeping bag. Between the two of them, they emptied and refilled the bowl several times to wash and shave before all the water was gone.

Adam did perk up when they were both naked, stroking Zach’s erection and muttering “morning glory.” But Zach wouldn’t let him try anything—no time and too many wide-awake people walking around nearby. They finished their ablutions by brushing their teeth. As soon as that was done, Adam leaned in and kissed Zach.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling and alert at last.

“Just woken up, have you?” Zach asked, amused.

“I only reach full consciousness after I’ve had three cups of coffee, but I’m almost there.”

“There’s coffee outside.”

“So what are we waiting for?”

“We are still naked. I think we’d better put some clothes on.”

“Spoilsport,” Adam said, grinning.

After dressing and making a quick visit to the latrine, they headed for the center of the camp, where people were gathered around the remains of the campfire, which gave enough residual heat to take the chill off the morning. Simon Frane handed them mugs of coffee.

“The distress signal has stopped,” he said.

Zach froze, the coffee mug partway to his lips. “Ah. When?” That hardly mattered, but it bought him time to decide how to react.

“About four hours ago.”

“Right.” Zach became aware of people looking at him. He took a gulp of coffee and made his expression calm. “It was running for a long time. It will have been picked up by the outposts and off-world.”

The length of time it had been running barely mattered, he knew. A distress call was a distress call, whether it ran for five minutes or five days. Those hearing it had to come to investigate. But would hearing it had been stopped give the group irrational worries, as if this