by T. M. Smith
Fingers previously digging into his hips released their hold on him, morphing to a much gentler caress of his overheated skin. “All right, if you insist.” Blair tongued his slit, and Mannie almost came up off the bed.
Working his cock hard and fast, Blair brought him to the precipice of release only to let Mannie’s dick fall from his lips mere seconds too soon. “Fuck! Why?” he groaned.
Blair chuckled as he slid his toned body up Mannie’s, their cocks dancing as they touched. “I promise, I’ll let you come in my mouth next time. This time though, I want to watch you come unglued underneath me. I want to see the look in your eyes as you come apart in my hands.” Licking the palm of his hand, Blair reached down, fisting their hard shafts with a steady, firm grasp.
“Blair,” he groaned, desperate to come. “Please.”
“Shhh…I’ve got you, babe.” Blair’s hand moved faster. “Look at me, Mannie.” Blinking, he stared up at the man looking back at him with so much care and adoration, it was unnerving.
Hips thrusting erratically, breathing labored, Mannie fought against the urge to let his eyelids close, moaning louder with every twist of Blair’s hand. Needing to hold on to something for fear of losing himself when he came, he grabbed Blair’s upper arms, fingers trembling and slipping, Blair’s skin drenched with sweat. “Oh, holy fuck.” The man stuttered, fist moving impossibly fast, their pre-come greasing their shafts, the callouses on Blair’s fingers causing a delicious friction that held Mannie right on the edge. “Ahhhhhhh.” Blair’s body jerked once, then froze, the first warm, wet shot of semen on Mannie’s belly pulling his own orgasm from his balls almost painfully.
Black spots littered his vision, but he fought the urge to close his eyes, even as his back arched up off the bed as he shot ropes of pearly white liquid all over Blair’s belly and hand. Collapsing onto the bed beside him, Blair laid his hand on Mannie’s hip, the touch helping to calm his racing heart. Funny, not five minutes ago Blair pinning his hips to the bed spooked him, but now, the gentle touch of his lover made his heart soar. “Thank you.” The sexy agent kissed his forehead, snaking an arm under him, pulling Mannie closer, their bodies slippery with sweat, still sticky from their release.
“For what?” He asked, burrowing into Blair’s side, loving the warmth radiating from his skin.
“For trusting me.” Blair sighed, yawning.
Lying there in the dark room, limbs still tingling from his mind-blowing orgasm, Mannie tried to remember a time when Bruce had thanked him for anything. Never. Not one fucking time. The two men were as different as night and day. Blair was kind, gentle, and already so attuned to Mannie’s temperament and mood swings and his body. A peaceful awareness washed over him, and the realization that he just might be falling in love with the man wrapped around him like a cocoon didn’t terrify him. Instead he felt safe and wanted. Sleep tugged at the corners of his mind, limbs heavy and numb. So he drifted off, content and happy, no longer frightened of their newfound intimacy.
Chapter 17
Blair
“Wow, this is amazing.” Mannie leaned back in his seat, smiled at the flight attendant when she handed him a glass of champagne, and thanked her.
Laughing, Blair took a moment to appreciate the man sitting beside him. Everything about Mannie was so appealing, especially his unadulterated enthusiasm. There was a youthful naïveté about him as well that could easily be chalked up to spending half his life either imprisoned, so to speak, or in hiding. “I’m guessing you’ve never flown first class.”
“Yeah, right.” Mannie snorted, washing the sarcasm down with a sip of bubbly. “I’ve only flown a handful of times, Blair. Never like this, though.” And just like that, the amazement was back, Mannie’s eyes taking everything in with a childlike enthusiasm.
Blair happily offered to reschedule Mannie’s flight after he’d hyperventilated while talking to a rude-as-hell airline agent on the phone had been a treat. By the time Blair finished the call, the supervisor he’d asked for had been exceedingly helpful and booked them both in first class at no additional charge for their trouble. Flaunting credentials was something Blair frowned upon and rarely did, but the horrible woman that had made Mannie curl up in a chair and brought tears to his eyes goddamn well deserved to be put in her place.
He’d called his parents and Rachel to let them know he would be vacationing for a couple of weeks with a friend, then texted Rory that he’d be at his parents’ house for a while. They’d all been given the option to take up to four weeks off after their decade-long assignment, and Blair intended to take every damn day. No one needed to know the specifics of his whereabouts at the moment, and he felt that he and Mannie needed time away from reality, his job, and anything to do with Seattle so they could explore their mutual intention to be more than friends. The only person that knew his whereabouts was the director, and that man wasn’t spilling the beans to anybody.
It was a shit move; he fully realized that, but if the relationship with Mannie didn’t work out for whatever reason, Blair wanted to spare the young man as much trauma as possible. His family and his work partners would be a lot for a normal person to deal with; his Mannie didn’t need that kind of interference right now. My Mannie. The thought made him smile.
“Would you like me to refill your glass, sir?” The flight attendant smiled, her words pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Please.” Mannie accepted the offer, thanking her. Blair decided to stick with water for now; he rarely drank when flying.
“We should be landing in about an hour, gentlemen. Please let me know if you need anything else.” Tucking her brown hair behind her ear, the flight attendant winked at them before disappearing into coach. Lifting their joined hands, he kissed Mannie’s knuckles, relishing the blush that crept up his boyfriend’s cheeks, polished off with a shy smile.
Mannie turned to face him, eyes imploring. “You’re going to make me break all my rules, aren’t you, Agent Cummings?”
“Oh, hell yes. But then, I think you’re crossing the ones off my list as well, Junior.” He was so full of shit. There was no list. All he wanted, all he’d ever wanted in a partner, was someone that made him want to actually try, made him want to be in a relationship. Spending just twenty-four hours with the skittish man beside him had woken up something inside Blair: unbidden attraction with another human being unlike any he’d ever experienced, and an innate need to protect Mannie from any-fucking-thing or any-fucking-body that threatened or tried to harm him. Devil be damned, he was already so far in, there was no going back now.
***
Moving through the Phoenix airport proved to be far easier than DFW. Neither of them had checked any bags, so that helped as well. Stepping out into the Arizona sun was blinding and Blair cursed, digging through his messenger bag, searching for his Ray-Bans. “Nice, Agent, real nice.” Mannie’s breath was so close, it brushed his ear. Blair turned his head and captured those soft, supple lips with his, the kiss quickly going from chaste to something more promising.
“Mannie!” Someone shrieked his name. Blair turned, stepping out of the way just in the nick of time as a little girl flew toward them at light speed, throwing herself at Mannie. As she wrapped herself around his boyfriend’s thin frame like a spider monkey, Blair got a better look, realizing she wasn’t a child at all. Small and waiflike with dark-brown curly hair dotted with sprinkles of neon pink and blue, this must be Zoe.
Chuckling, Mannie managed to peel the girl off, setting her on her feet and patting her on the head. “Zo, I’d like you to meet Blair Cummings.”
Shoving his hands away, she scowled up at Mannie before turning her attention to Blair, smiling and holding out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Agent.” Her grip was surprisingly firm. “So you’re the guy that’s got Mannie here all discombobulated?”
Ducking, she darted away from Mannie when he swatted at her, moving behind Blair. “You come back here,” Mannie growled, reaching around Blair to try and catch her.
Both of them were giggling and running in circles with him in the middle, and Blair couldn’t help but laugh along with them. It did his heart good to see Mannie so carefree.
“All right, you two. Knock it off, you’re frightening the tourists.” A tall woman with long strawberry-blonde hair approached, smiling at the two hooligans still circling Blair, swatting at each other. She reminded Blair of his mother; the two could probably pass for sisters, though this woman was quite tall.
“He started it!” Zoe shouted, still giggling.
“Lies!” Mannie retorted.
The woman reached for Zoe as Blair grabbed Mannie. “You must be Blair. I’m Sharon, nice to meet you.”
He shook the offered hand. “Likewise.”
“Let’s go, you two. I’m in a no-parking zone.” Sharon wrapped a protective arm over Zoe’s shoulder as she started walking toward a Jeep parked at the curb, the girl turning and sticking her tongue out.
It was a short drive to their home, maybe fifteen minutes, Blair listening intently as Mannie told Zoe all about Dallas and what he’d seen and done while he was there. When they pulled into the driveway, a tall Hispanic man came out of the house, waving and smiling. As soon as Mannie was out of the Jeep, the man grabbed him in a bear hug. “We missed you around here, mijo. Good to have you back.” Intense brown eyes met Blair’s, a bit of apprehension in them. “And you must be the agent with no scruples. Antonio Alvarez. I’m still undecided on whether or not it’s nice to meet you.”
“Tony.” Sharon and Mannie both admonished the man.
“That’s okay.” He reached up, gripping Tony’s shoulder. “Blair Cummings, nice to meet you, Tony. And I understand completely.” Mannie puffed out a deep breath, squinting his eyes angrily at the man still holding Blair’s hand in a firm grip.
Sharon shooed Tony into the house and Zoe followed, leaving him and Mannie to grab the bags. “I’m sorry about that—he means well.” Mannie leaned into him for a quick kiss.
“It’s all good, babe.” He smiled, letting Mannie lead the way. Dinner would definitely be interesting, considering the not-so-warm welcome he’d gotten from Tony. But Blair understood completely; Mannie had been through hell when he came to live with Sharon and Tony. They’d taken him in, nurtured him back to health, loved him, and given him the security that came with a home and family. Blair would have to prove his worth in their eyes, show them that he truly cared for Mannie and wasn’t simply taking advantage of the situation.
“Blair,” Tony called out to him. “Why don’t you take your things to Mannie’s place, then meet me out back? I have some steaks to grill and beers to be drank.”
“Yes, of course.” Nodding, he turned and followed Mannie to the last door at the end of the duplex-style building. Actually, it was more like a town house design; there were six apartments if he was counting right. During one of their late nights cooking dinner together before snuggling on the couch and talking until way past midnight, Mannie had shared a few tidbits about his home. Blair knew that Sharon, Tony, and Zoe were all survivors of abuse, and though each had their own unique story, the pain of their unshared pasts was no less damning. Mannie had one apartment; Sharon, Tony, and Zoe were on the opposite end, and Mannie’s childhood best friend, Pete, also lived in the building, splitting his time between Arizona and Seattle. Pete was the lone person without a disturbing background.
Walking into the apartment, Blair kicked the door shut with his foot, looking around the living room. It was dull, almost lifeless. A large, comfy couch sat along one wall with a coffee table in front of it that had seen better days. There were no pictures on the walls, no art, keepsakes, or adornments. Setting his bags down by the door, he moved through the rooms, his eyes taking in everything. It looked like a temporary home, nothing screaming “Mannie,” until Blair walked into the smaller bedroom Mannie used as his office. Large poster frames with several images adorned the walls, likely book covers Mannie had created. Smaller frames sat on the desk, a snapshot of Mannie with Sharon, Tony, and Zoe as well as one of him with a tall, lanky guy with glasses—he must be Pete—standing midway up a mountain. Grinning, Blair picked it up, drawn to Mannie forever immortalized on film, eyes squinting in the Arizona sun, a genuine smile on his face.
“Oh, there you are.” Mannie came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Blair’s waist. “That’s Petey, you’ll meet him at some point, I’m sure.”
Setting the picture down, he turned and cupped Mannie’s cheeks, kissing him tenderly. “Any advice before I face the firing squad?” he joked.
Mannie smacked his shoulder and giggled. “Stop that. Tony is harmless. He means well, Blair. He’s been there through all of my recovery. The surgeries, the setbacks, the breakdowns, and the depressions over the past several years while I worked hard to make this new life work, to move past what Bruce and Tuan did to me.”
The pain in his lover’s voice was hard to hear. “I know, babe, I know.” Stealing one more quick kiss, Blair moved toward the door of the room, putting some distance between them before he got lost in Mannie’s deep, blue eyes and lush, kissable lips. “Why don’t you get unpacked and take a nice, long shower? I’ll be outside with Tony.”
Once he was outside in the warm Arizona sun, he followed the smell of freshly lit charcoal around to the back of the building. Tony was muttering, slapping the steaks onto the grill angrily before grabbing the half-full amber bottle from the table closest to him and draining its contents. Tossing the empty bottle into a trash can on the other side of the yard, he turned to face Blair. “Agent, you thirsty?”
“Blair, please, and yes, I could use a nice, strong drink right about now.”
When the man laughed, Blair couldn’t help but smile. It was loud, boisterous, and endearing. “Can’t help you with strong. Mannie disgraced my bottle of Patrón last month by putting it in margaritas. But Sharon did grab a couple of six-packs of some really amazing craft beers at the store earlier today. What’s your preference? IPA, or are you more of a stout kinda guy?”
Oh, hell yeah. He and Tony were going to get along just fine. “I’m good with whatever as long as the word ‘light’ isn’t on the label.”
Chapter 18
Mannie
Tossing his backpack onto the bed, Mannie quickly stripped and jumped in the shower. All he could think about on the plane was getting home, getting Blair naked, and the two of them taking a nice, long, hot shower together, among other things. Instead, he was doing a drive-by quick wash while Blair helped Tony start the grill out back so the two of them could talk. And by talk, Tony meant interrogate. His father, for all intents and purposes, was very protective of him, and Mannie knew it came from a place of love. But it was so infuriating to be dismissed to go clean up while the man he was falling in love with faced the firing squad, alone. “Love.” The word still sounded foreign on his tongue. After Bruce, love was no longer an option for Mannie, because he would never be able to trust another man again. Or so he’d thought. And then along came Agent Blair Cummings. With his beautiful blue eyes, his long, lean, toned body, a tongue that made Mannie’s toes curl when the sexy agent kissed him, and a mind—damn, the man was smart and witty and… “Mine.” Mannie smiled as he ducked under the spray of water to rinse his hair.
Not ten minutes later he was showered, dressed, and pulling the door to his apartment closed as he went off in search of Blair. His nose followed the scent of meat sizzling on the grill, the two men beside it deep in conversation.
“He’s been through a lot, our Mannie. But you already know that, don’t you?” He didn’t like the accusatory tone in Tony’s voice.
“I do, yes, but there’s so much more to him than his tragic past,” Blair quickly responded. “Listen, I know you have your reservations, and I would, too. I’m one of the agents that worked the case that ultimately brought the men responsible for most of the shit in Mannie’s life to justice. And yes, the Bureau frowns on extracurricular activities between agents and witnesses. That bein
g said, I never really worked directly with Mannie on the case—I was more behind the scenes.”
“And that makes it okay, I suppose?” Tony retorted snidely.
“I resent what you’re implying, Tony. It’s not like that.”
“Isn’t it?”
Mannie was done with the attitude he was hearing toward Blair from the man he thought of as a father.
He moved quickly around the building, and it was what Blair said next that stopped him in his tracks. “You know, I would tell you to back off, that Mannie is an adult that can make his own decisions, but I know how important you and Sharon are to him. I need you to understand how important he is to me too, though. I genuinely care about him, sir, and I just want him to be happy.” Stepping sideways, Mannie moved behind the large tree that stood at the side of the house so he could see Tony and Blair, but they wouldn’t see him unless they were looking for him.
Blair ran his fingers through his unruly brown hair and sighed loudly. “It’s still all very surreal for me at times.”
Shoulders relaxing, Tony flipped the steaks. The sound of the meat sizzling and the woodsy mesquite scent tickled Mannie’s senses, making his mouth water. “Why’s that?”
“Sir?” Blair squinted. Mannie wondered where his sunglasses were. The man usually didn’t face a rainy day without them, much less the Arizona sun.
Tony laughed, the sound calming Mannie’s nearly frazzled nerves. “Stop calling me ‘sir.’ It makes me think of my father, and that’s not a good thing. Why is this all very surreal for you?”
What was it about Blair’s soft laugh that made Mannie’s heart soar? “I never thought settling down was in the cards for me. Mostly because I’ve never met or been with anyone that made me want to put enough effort into a relationship to make it go the distance. But Mannie, well, he makes me want everything.” Blair’s wistful tone brought a huge smile to Mannie’s face. “My point is, I understand why you’re leery about him and me together but I promise you, I only have his best interests at heart.”