by Sue Brown
Nate strode toward Keenan, no sign of weakness from being shot. They met, and without hesitation, Nate drew him into a hug. It was brief, but Nate brushed Keenan’s cheek with his lips before he let Keenan go.
“You don’t know how pleased I am to see you,” Nate said.
Keenan smiled at him. “Me too. Can we get out of here?”
Nate studied his face. “You hate airports?”
“Airports, planes, anything to do with flying,” Keenan said, somewhat embarrassed to admit his weakness.
“I feel the same way about water,” Nate said.
“Really?” Keenan raised an eyebrow and wondered if Nate was just trying to make him feel better.
“Really.” Nate grinned at him. “Just ask Roxy about the day my father took us deep sea fishing.”
“I guess we’ll be doing road trips,” Keenan murmured.
Nate gave a bark of laughter. “I guess so.” He slung an arm around Keenan’s shoulders, and they left the terminal. “You can breathe now.”
Keenan gave a rueful smile. “Am I that obvious?”
“Only to someone who knows you.”
The implication that Nate knew him warmed Keenan’s heart, but he had something to say. He stopped and placed a hand on Nate’s chest. “And you can stop pretending now.”
“Pretending?”
“That you’re not in pain. It’s okay to show it.”
Nate waved that away as though it were unimportant. “I’ve had worse from a bee sting.”
Keenan snorted. “You’re so full of shit, Nate Gordon. Roxy called me.”
“She did what?” Nate looked horrified. “She didn’t.”
“She did. She wanted to check I was coming to the airport.”
“Oh my God,” Nate groaned. “What did she tell you?”
“She said you’d had an infection in the wound and needed antibiotics.”
“Snitch.”
Keenan took Nate’s bag, and this time he put an arm around Nate’s shoulders. “How much pain are you in?”
“I want to crash into bed and stay there forever.”
Keenan grinned at Nate’s sheepish smile. “It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone. Let’s go home.”
“Yours or mine?”
“Yours. You need your own bed.”
“Only if you stay with me. Can you do that, or do you have to work tomorrow?”
“Not until Monday.” Keenan suspected Dan already knew when Nate was returning, because when Keenan asked for the time off, his shifts were already arranged.
“We can spend all tomorrow in bed?” Nate sounded delighted at the idea.
“If you want.”
“I want.”
The heat in Nate’s voice made Keenan shiver, but looking at the lines of pain around Nate’s mouth, he was only going to explore that heat after Nate had slept.
It seemed Nate had the same idea, because once they reached Nate’s house, Nate shuffled into his bedroom and collapsed onto his bed with a relieved groan.
Keenan sat next to him and ran a hand down Nate’s spine to cup his firm ass. “Why don’t you take a nap?”
Nate rolled over onto his back and winced as he put one arm behind his head. “Why don’t you take one with me?”
It was the middle of the day, but what the hell. Keenan kicked off his shoes and unlaced Nate’s boots. “Brace yourself.” He tugged them off with minimal flinching from Nate, and they stripped down to undershirts and boxers and crawled under the sheet. Keenan spooned around Nate and laid his arm loosely along Nate’s flank.
“Why am I the little spoon?” Nate complained.
“Because I want to hold you.” Keenan pressed a kiss into the nape of Nate’s neck.
Nate made a contented noise. “It’s good to be back. I like being with my parents but….”
“But you’re a grown man who wants his own space?”
“Yep.”
Keenan knew exactly what he meant. Even now he had to convince his mom he was capable of living by himself. “When are you going back to work?”
“I don’t know yet. I need to get signed off before my captain puts me back on the schedule.” Nate yawned and snuggled down. “I’ll go see him next week.”
“Go to sleep.” Keenan kissed his neck again.
“Love you, Keenan.”
Keenan smiled against Nate’s skin. “I love you too.”
When he closed his eyes and breathed in Nate’s scent, unexpected emotion prickled the back of his eyes. He never thought he’d have this intimacy with Nate. He never thought he’d have this intimacy with anyone. Just the simple pleasure of lying in bed with a man was something he never thought he’d be entitled to. He closed his eyes and Nate’s warmth let him drift away.
Chapter 23
KEENAN WOKE on his belly, his arms wrapped around a pillow. He wasn’t sure what had woken him until another featherlight kiss brushed the nape of his neck. He stayed where he was, feeling the warm lips and soft tongue work their way down each vertebra until they reached his coccyx. It felt good and his cock, already hard from his morning wood, stiffened in appreciation. The mouth giving him such pleasure wasn’t finished. He was gently nudged to spread his legs, and when he obliged, a trail of kisses went over his left asscheek and around the inside of his thigh to reach the back of his balls. Precome leaked from his cock at the gentle touch. Unable to hold back, Keenan moaned and he felt a smile against his sac. Nate explored his sac and balls with his mouth until Keenan begged him for more.
“What do you want, baby?” Nate asked.
“I want you to fuck me.”
Keenan had no idea of time, no idea whether they were supposed to be getting up for work. He didn’t care. He trusted Nate to know they had time. All Keenan wanted was Nate’s cock inside his ass.
Nate sucked lightly on one of Keenan’s balls. “You’re still sore from last night.”
Keenan frowned and opened his mouth to point out he could deal, until he felt his asscheeks parting and warm breath ghosted over his hole.
“Oh my God.”
He couldn’t think of what else to say as Nate’s tongue pressed against the muscle. He’d been rimmed before, and he knew he would end up a writhing mess in short order. Nothing was more likely to make his brain dribble out of his ears than a hot tongue that knew what it was doing in his ass. And Nate definitely knew what he was doing. Nate rimmed Keenan’s hole until Keenan thumped the mattress, unable to speak. Then he pressed in and breached the relaxed muscle.
“More,” Keenan begged.
“I’ll give you more,” Nate promised and went to it again, fucking Keenan’s hole with his tongue until Keenan humped the mattress. Nate grabbed on to Keenan and pressed him down into the pillow to fuck him further.
Keenan’s need to climax overwhelmed him. He couldn’t hold back the gasp, “I’m going to come.”
“You come, baby.”
It was an order Keenan’s body couldn’t refuse. His balls tightened, his body screamed out for release, and then he climaxed, pulsing streams of come into the pillow as Nate held him.
Sated and every muscle relaxed, Keenan lay in the wreck of the bed, knowing he was in the wet patch and not caring. Nate rested against his thigh, his stubble rasping against the sensitive skin as Nate breathed.
“What about you?” Keenan managed finally.
“It doesn’t matter,” Nate murmured.
Keenan frowned. He didn’t like that idea. “I want you to come across my face.”
Nate raised his head. “Really?”
The thought of Nate striping his come across Keenan’s face? Really, really.
Keenan rolled over with Nate’s help. He was a mess, drying come in his belly and pubic hair. He didn’t care. He was going to be more of a mess in a moment. Nate shuffled up the bed to kneel beside his head, his cock already in hand. It was almost purple with blood, and Keenan could see how on the edge Nate was.
“Do it.” He could give the orders too.
They lay in come-drunk happiness until Nate muttered, “You need a shower.”
Keenan started to laugh. “So do you.” It was true. They both stank of musk, and in Keenan’s case, two loads of come. Keenan sat up wearily. “What’s the time?”
Nate looked at the small clock on the nightstand. “Six thirty.”
“Have you got time?”
“If we make it quick and I give up coffee.” He stood and scratched his belly, the dried flakes tugging on the small hairs.
“By the time we’ve had the shower, the coffee will be already made. I put the timer on last night. You can take my travel mug to work.”
“You’re too good for me,” Nate murmured as he came over to press a kiss on Keenan’s mouth.
The kiss turned heated, and Keenan was thinking round two sounded like a great idea until Nate pulled away and groaned. “I’ve got to get ready and you need to wipe your face.” He threw a pack of wipes at Keenan.
“You get in the shower. I’ll get you a coffee and breakfast.” Keenan scrubbed at his face, grimacing as he rubbed at the dried come.
“I haven’t got time to eat.”
“I’ll make you a bagel.” Keenan skinned on his sweats.
Nate shook his head, an odd expression on his face. “How did I get so lucky to meet you?”
“You met my sister first. You don’t know how creeped out that makes me.”
Nate laughed as he walked into the bathroom. “I can deal with her,” he called out over his shoulder.
Yeah, and Keenan knew his twin sister. “Does she know that?”
The aroma of coffee filled the kitchen as Keenan covered a bagel in cream cheese and slipped it in a bag. When Nate came down dressed for work, Keenan handed him a travel mug and the bag.
“Breakfast. Make sure you eat it.”
Nate went to salute, but both his hands were full. “Yes, sir.” He kissed Keenan on the cheek. “What are you doing for lunch? Got time to meet up?”
“I’m working at two.”
“Meet me at midday? I’ve got meetings all afternoon.”
“The park?” Keenan suggested. “I can bring food.”
“See you there.”
Nate vanished with another thank-you for breakfast. Keenan leaned against the kitchen counter and sipped his coffee as he heard Nate’s vehicle pull away. He picked at some dried come in the small amount of hair he had on his belly.
“What are you doing, Keenan Day?”
Meeting the detective for lunch, it seemed. He switched on the radio as usual.
THE HEAVENS broke over their heads as Keenan reached the park. An early lunch in the park had seemed like a great idea first thing in the morning because Nate was working and could only spare an hour and Keenan would start work at two. Keenan made sandwiches at home and bought the chips and soda on the way to the park that was fast becoming their favorite place to meet—favorite place when there was no chance of sex.
Keenan shivered, although whether that was the thought of sex or the sudden drops of rain, he wasn’t sure. Last night Nate had thrown him up against his bedroom wall and fucked him until Keenan forgot his own name. Nate had been damn smug about that. He’d been damn smug this morning when he rimmed Keenan to a climax.
Keenan looked up at the gray, roiling skies and cursed. Why did it have to rain now? An hour ago, when they’d made their plans, it had been overcast but dry. A sudden increase in the rain made him shiver again. He stood to one side as a stream of park goers bolted for the gate. He couldn’t see Nate anywhere, but that wasn’t unusual. Nate was often late because he’d been delayed by phone calls or meetings. Usually, Keenan didn’t care. He’d pull out a book and read until Nate turned up. But now he was cold and wet, and he really wanted Nate to appear so he could get out of the damn rain.
“Hey.” Nate appeared in front of him, his smile lighting up the gray, miserable day.
Keenan sneezed and then managed a smile. “Hey.” He sneezed again.
“Let’s get out of here,” Nate suggested.
Suddenly the rain intensity increased and Keenan could barely see in front of him. There was no shelter close by, but Nate grabbed him by the hand, and they ran under a tree. The thick foliage gave them some protection from the rain, even if cold, wet drips from the leaves above insisted on running down the back of Keenan’s neck.
Keenan wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. “So much for the picnic.”
Nate chuckled. “If the rain eases off, we could make a dash for your place.”
Looking up at the dark sky, Keenan had a feeling the rain was here to stay. Nate leaned against the thick trunk of the tree, wrapped an arm around Keenan, and pulled his back close against his chest.
“Nate?” Keenan began uncertainly.
He wasn’t used to Nate showing displays of affection in public, but Nate just held him closer saying, “There’s no one around. Everyone else has made a run for it.”
That wasn’t quite true. There were still some people around, but most of them were scurrying to get out of the rain and not interested in the two men sheltering under a tree.
“Sensible people,” Keenan muttered, but he leaned back and enjoyed the closeness of Nate’s presence.
Nate buried his face in the crook of Keenan’s neck and brushed a cold kiss over the bare skin he could reach. Keenan closed his eyes and sank into the feel of Nate’s touch.
The deluge didn’t seem to want to calm down anytime soon.
“We may as well eat,” Keenan suggested, “before the sandwiches get soggy.”
“Good idea,” Nate rumbled. “I’m going to have to go back to work.”
Keenan handed Nate his pastrami on rye. “I got chips and soda too. Dr Pepper. They’re in the bag.”
“Thanks,” Nate mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich. “This is good.”
He sounded kind of surprised, and Keenan laughed. “I used to make all my own lunches. It saved me a lot of money.”
Nate made a face. “I should do the same, but I don’t give myself enough time in the morning.”
“You get up late?”
“Always, when I’m on my own. The only reason I’m on time is because I skip breakfast.” He caught the disapproving look Keenan shot his way. “Now you look like my mom. You’re going to give me a lecture on breakfast being the most important meal of the day, aren’t you?”
“Does your mom give you the lecture?”
“Every time I see her.”
Keenan chewed on a bite of sandwich and caught a large tang of pickle in the back of his throat. It made him gasp before he answered. “There’s no point giving you a lecture. You’re not going to listen to me any more than you’re going to listen to her.”
“Now you sound like my dad.” Nate crammed in the last mouthful.
Next time Keenan would make an extra one for him to take away. Keenan bent down and picked up the bag. “Soda or chips?”
“Soda, then chips,” Nate decided.
They leaned against the tree trunk while the rain continued to pour down, popped the cans of Dr Pepper, munched on the chips, and talked about hockey. Keenan was a fan and Nate was not, but he knew enough to have a conversation. He was also willing to let Keenan bend his ear about his favorite sport, which Keenan didn’t get from his sisters. They could have run back to Keenan’s place and eaten lunch in the dry, but this crazy lunch in the rain was fun.
Nate gobbled up the last of the chips and downed the can of soda. He took a deep breath, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and grinned at Keenan. “You can do this again. Best hookup I’ve had for lunch in a long time.” He caught the side of Keenan’s face. “Date, I mean date.�
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Keenan looked away. “I know you don’t mean anything by it.”
“I’ll make an effort to remember, and thank you.” Nate brushed a kiss on Keenan’s lips. “Mmm, salty.”
“What for?” Keenan asked.
“It’s been a long time since someone looked after me like this.” That was kind of sad. Keenan frowned a little, and Nate reached out to smooth away the frown lines with his thumb. “Why are you frowning?”
“At the thought of no one looking after you.”
Nate shrugged as though it were of no consequence. “You do.”
Keenan made a mental note to himself to always take care of Nate. Sex was fine. Sex was great. But a man needed more than an orgasm to feed the soul.
“Keenan?”
“Huh?” Keenan blinked and saw Nate cocking his head as though he’d asked him a question.
“Are you okay? You went away for a moment.”
“I do that sometimes,” Keenan said, trying to brush it away. “What’s the time?”
Nate looked at his watch. Keenan followed his gaze, looking at the short, dark hairs curling around the old watch. He knew Nate’s grandfather had given him the watch on his eighteenth birthday, and he’d been given the watch from his father. Keenan wondered why Nate wore something so valuable at work, but Nate had told him he never took it off except to shower.
“It’s ten minutes to one,” Nate said. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to go. I’ve got a meeting at one fifteen.”
“That’s okay. I want to change before I go to work.”
“I wish I could. At least I’ve got a dry shirt in my locker.” Then he furrowed his brow. “I think it’s your shirt. I really need to return your clothes. Every time I stay at your place, I end up walking away with something of yours.”
Keenan chuckled as he collected the trash from their lunch. “You spend more time at my place than at yours. You may as well move in.” He froze and then looked at Nate. “I mean….”
Nate just looked thoughtful rather than freaked by the idea. “Would you like that? You and me together?”
“I would.”
“If I move in with you, everyone knows about us.”