Taking It Slow (Code of Honor Book 4)

by Reese Knightley

  Liam gripped him by the waist and Spencer went up on his knees, his chest to the bed, and fisted the sheets by his head.

  Liam slid in deep, the thick rod taking up every inch inside of him until he wanted to scream. Liam slid out slowly and then repeated the move. Only this time when he sank deep, he stayed there and gyrated on his ass.

  So fucking deep. Spencer groaned again. Over and fucking over, Liam toyed with him. Fucking him so deep and so teasingly before reaching below his hips and gripping his balls in his fist.

  Liam squeezed his balls and Spencer let go. He fucking flew. His body convulsed and his cock jerked between his legs, spilling seed onto the comforter beneath him.

  Letting go of his balls, Liam grabbed him hard and started pounding in his ass and all he could do was ride out his orgasm until he was spent.

  With one final thrust, Liam rolled forward, placed his mouth on his shoulder, and then jerked and spasmed, finding his own release.

  After a moment, Liam eased free and Spencer stretched his legs out. Soon after, Liam was back and sprawled across his torso.

  Liam fit perfectly there.

  Spencer fell onto his back with a gasp.

  They’d gone at it several times, moving from the bed to the shower and then back to the bed. His cock was as sore as his ass, but he wouldn’t change anything. Not one single bit of it, and he wondered if Liam felt the same.

  Rolling his head to the side, he found the man’s beautiful profile and traced the strands of gray hair threading through dark with his eyes.

  There was a fourteen year age difference between them, but he’d never felt closer to another human being in his life.

  “You want to talk?” Liam’s voice was a soft rumble.

  “Do we have to?” He glanced up.

  Liam’s expression was guarded and after a moment, the man’s lips twisted into a crooked smile. “No, not yet.”

  “Then later, okay?” He swallowed around the lump in his throat.

  “Okay.” The smile grew until it filled Liam’s eyes.

  Spencer pulled Liam close, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Liam placed his chin on his arm and then traced the tip of his finger over the ink on his chest.

  “And this?”

  He glanced down at the bird he had tattooed above his left pectoral.

  “I got it when I was sixteen, way too young, but the artist was a friend,” he admitted sheepishly.

  “I love it.”

  He gazed down at the tattoo. “Me too.”

  “Is there a story behind it?”

  “When I was little, there used to be this bird feeder in the neighbor’s yard right outside my window. Every morning, the birds would come and eat their fill before flying away.” He paused and then took a deep breath before he continued. “I wanted so badly to be one of them so I could fly away too.”

  It had been bearable when his dad came around, but when his father stopped coming, things had spiraled. The life he’d once known became a shithole of stale cigarettes and strange men his mother brought home.

  When Liam stayed quiet, he continued talking. “They divorced when I was eight. My dad used to come around every other week and pick me up and take me away from the nightmare that was my mother.”

  “Did he know?”

  “No, I lied. I thought that if he knew how awful it was he’d stop coming around. It didn’t matter, he stopped anyway.” He shrugged.

  Liam frowned. “Wait…So, Wesley is your half-brother?”

  “No. They tried to make a go of it when I was fourteen. She’d been sober for five months. They hooked up and she got pregnant.” Spencer was pretty sure it had been on purpose to trap his dad again.

  “They were volatile together. He had her take a paternity test. When he found out that Wesley was his, he stepped up and did the right thing with child support. Although, he never came home.”

  “So, she gets federal assistance for being a widow with a child?”

  “She got the bereavement support for twelve months, but that’s all over with.” He picked up what her disability check didn’t cover.

  “No coverage from your dad’s company?”

  “My dad didn’t follow safety guidelines, so there wasn’t a settlement.”

  The silence weighed heavily and he couldn’t think of anything to break it.

  “My ex-wife refused to sign the divorce papers,” Liam murmured softly.

  “No shit?” Spencer scowled even though he was relieved to take the focus off of him.

  “No shit.”

  “What happened?”

  “I sat her down after eight months of hell, promised to be her friend, and begged her to sign.”

  “Are you her friend?”

  “Kind of.”

  He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, the woman sounded like a bitch.

  “So, why the change of heart?”

  “Honestly? I think my father threatened her with misery.”

  He barked with laughter and hugged Liam hard. “I wish I could have met him.”

  “Me too.”

  The silence was nice after that and he lay content against Liam until his stomach let out a loud growl.

  “Oh really?” Liam teased, lifting his head.

  “I’m starving,” he complained poking out a lip.

  “Worked up an appetite?” One sexy eyebrow lifted.

  Spencer chuckled and a lightness filled his chest. “Hell yes.”

  Spencer

  Hungry or not, he groaned when Liam tugged from his arms and stood.

  The man stretched and Spencer ran his eyes down Liam’s lean body. His eyes glued to a tight ass when Liam bent over and tugged on his sweatpants.

  His gaze snapped up when Liam turned with a knowing smile. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

  “Let’s make those nachos.”

  “You do realize that it’s morning. The kids came home last night while we were in here.”

  Spencer searched Liam’s face. “I realize that. Does that bother you?” He held his breath.

  “Not at all. You?”

  “Nope.” He flipped back the covers and jumped to his feet. He scratched at his stomach and watched as Liam’s eyes widened. He smacked his flat abs and then tugged on his jeans and a t-shirt.

  Liam’s throat moved when he swallowed and Spencer bit back a smile. The man spun and headed out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

  They found Anna in the kitchen with breakfast already made and he snagged a plate and headed out to the patio.

  The teenagers were already swimming in the pool.

  Liam took a seat beside him and the next few minutes were silent as they ate their fill.

  Glancing over, he found Liam had slipped on a pair of sunglasses that hid his green eyes.

  “Take off your sunglasses,” he ordered.

  “Why?” Liam asked, but slid off the sexy as fuck shades.

  “I’ve only ever dated twice in my life,” he began.

  Liam’s whole body went still, the sunglasses quietly placed on the table.

  “One, I was too young to realize I didn’t like girls but quickly figured it out when I wasn’t turned on when I kissed her.”

  “I can definitely relate,” Liam offered with a light tone.

  Spencer smiled. “The next one was a rich college boy from the other side of town.”

  The silence lingered.

  “Everything was going okay until he tried telling me what to wear and when I told him I didn’t have designer jeans, he bought them for me.” He could still remember the sour taste in his mouth as he’d taken the “gift” and stared at his boyfriend through burning eyes.

  “He’d come by and pick me up,” he rasped. “Oh, he’d never come inside. He’d take me to the park bathroom to change into whatever clothes he bought me.” Spencer gazed off toward the pool, not really seeing it.

  “How old were you?” Liam asked softly.

  “I was seventeen. It got to where i
f I mispronounced a word or didn’t act how he wanted, then he’d call me out right there. Embarrass me in front of whomever was with us.”

  “Oh, Spencer,” Liam murmured.

  Spencer nodded. “Once he called me white trash. That’s the day I ended it. He was pissed and made my life hell. He had some of his high school friends paint graffiti, words like trash and beggar on my locker. They spread lies that I had sex for money.” He continued roughly, “It went on until I graduated and left for the military.”

  The silence was thick and long. He rubbed at his upper lip.

  “I swore then that I’d never date another rich man.”

  “He wasn’t a man,” Liam growled.

  Spencer glanced over and gave a half smile. “No, you’re right, he wasn’t.”

  “I would never do that to you.”

  “No?”

  “No. I promise.”

  “Don’t tell me it hasn’t crossed your mind to buy me new clothing,” he said flatly, plucking at a string hanging from the stress tear along the thigh of his jeans.

  “I won’t bullshit you. It’s crossed my mind. For both you and Wesley. The difference between me and that punk you dated is that I respect you too much to do what your ex did.”

  Spencer finally took in a deep breath. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He returned Liam’s soft smile.

  “So… what about you?”

  Liam’s eyes widened and Spencer laughed.

  “Fair is fair.”

  Liam grunted. “I’ve dated a lot since my divorce, but I’ve always kept it on the down low. I don’t talk about my sexuality even though I don’t hide it.”

  “In your position, I can understand that.”

  “I don’t want to hide us.”

  “Us?” Spencer teased with raised eyebrows.

  “If there is an us,” Liam went on doggedly, with a nervous sounding voice. “I mean, I wouldn’t hide us. That’s what I meant.”

  “Liam,” Spencer cut into Liam’s stumbling.

  “Yeah?”

  “There’s an us,” he said.

  “What does that look like?”

  “We’ll just have to see,” he said with a warm glance.

  The smile that greeted him made his sudden risk to share worth everything.

  “Do you remember the first time we met?” Liam asked him after a long moment of companionable silence.

  “I’d just been transferred with Maddox to report to Major Jones.”

  Liam scowled at the mention of Major Jones and Spencer agreed.

  The Major had been careless with not only his life, but that of Maddox’s on a mission gone wrong. Word had spread like wildfire that Liam had taken the man’s head off in a debriefing meeting.

  “I saw you prior to that.”

  “You did?” His eyes snapped to Liam’s.

  “I guess you didn’t notice me.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I saw you a few weeks before that when you and Maddox were stationed at Fort Irwin out of Barstow,” Liam said roughly.

  “Wait… did you have us transferred?” He gaped at Liam. That had been almost two years ago.

  “I did,” Liam said, sounding guilty as hell.

  “I remember Maddox saying that a transfer had come in from a visiting colonel, but I didn’t know who it was.”

  Liam stayed silent.

  “What? You took one look at me and decided you wanted me closer?” he joked, plucking at the string, his heart pounding in his chest when the silence continued.

  “You did, didn’t you?” He gaped at Liam’s profile.

  Finally, Liam sighed and turned to look at him. “I took one look at you, Spencer, and it may sound corny as all hell, but fireworks went off and you didn’t even notice me.”

  Spencer rubbed at his chest and chose his next words carefully. “I sure noticed you when I reached the new base,” he said softly.

  “Yeah, and you ran as far as possible.”

  “Well, you know why now.” He offered a smile.

  “I don’t want to keep any secrets from you. That’s why I’m telling you that I had you transferred. If it were found out, I’d pay for it,” Liam said.

  “Your secret’s safe with me.” He winked at Liam and then smiled when the man’s bark of laughter accompanied a flush sweeping up his neck.

  “Speaking of secrets. Since we’ve taken it to the intimate level, I’ll need to have Fury report to someone else.”

  “I know.” Spencer held Liam’s gaze. “Are you okay with that?”

  “Are you?”

  “Hell yeah,” he said huskily.

  Liam

  “Colonel?”

  “Yes?”

  “There’s a call on line one.”

  “Take a message,” he barked, heading down the hallway.

  “Sir! I think you better take it, someone sounds like they’re crying. They’re asking for Spencer.”

  Shit! “Transfer it to my office.” He jogged to his desk and lifted the phone expecting to hear one of his cousins. Surprise held him mute when he heard someone sobbing quietly.

  “Hello?”

  Silence.

  “Hello? This is Liam Cobalt,” he said into the phone.

  “Liam?” Wesley Turner’s whispered voice came over the phone.

  “Wesley? What’s wrong?” he asked urgently, grabbing his keys.

  “Can you help me? I-i-i-i- can’t get a hold of Spencer,” Wesley hiccupped. “I think my mom and her boyfriend are going to kill each other.”

  “Are you on your cell?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll call you back from my cell phone.” He grabbed his cell from where it was lying face down on his desk. He saw he’d missed three calls from Wesley. Shit! No wonder he’d called the base switchboard.

  He dialed Wesley from his cell. “Wesley? Are you there?”

  “Yes.”

  Liam ran down the hallway toward the parking lot.

  Seeing Zane coming toward him, he lifted a finger and circled it for the sign of “let’s move it”.

  Zane hurried toward him. Reaching his truck, Liam jumped in with Zane in the passenger seat and started the engine.

  “What’s going on?” Zane stared at him.

  “It’s Spencer’s little brother.” He eased the truck onto the street and took the freeway headed toward Torrance. “Call the local cops and tell them his location,” he ordered and Zane jumped on the phone.

  “Wesley?” Liam continued keeping Wesley with him.

  “Y-y-yes, I’m here,” Wesley whispered.

  “Are you hidden?”

  “Beneath my bed.”

  “Hang on. We’re almost there.”

  He tore down the I-405. What usually took forty-five minutes in heavy traffic took them thirty minutes with cars pulling out of his way from his crazy assed driving.

  The truck’s tires spun as he took the corner and raced down Spencer’s street. Cop cars were lined up down the block. Sirens and shouting filled the air as they drew closer. Zane was still on the phone with the local sheriff so they’d know what the hell was going on and that two military personnel were en route.

  Patrol cars sat in front of the house and the front door stood open. A few officers saluted him when he passed and he realized he was still in full uniform from his meeting with the general to hand off Fury this morning.

  He jogged up the steps and headed inside, pushing past the crowd of uniforms to find a woman dead on the floor and an older man shot in the leg in a lounger. The inside reeked of cigarette smoke and rot. Filth covered the walls and door jambs.

  “Where’s the boy?” he barked, his heart in his throat.

  “Won’t come out of his room,” an officer responded and pointed to a door at the end of the hallway.

  Not stopping, he walked down the hall and pushed open the partially closed door. It creaked and then swung wide on one hinge.

  Fucking Christ.
r />   Inside was a small twin bed with dirty sheets, a rickety, falling apart dresser, and scraped and stained wood floors. Old chipped paint covered the walls and the glass on the bedroom window was gone, a piece of plywood holding back the weather.

  There was a female officer crouched near the bed. She glanced up at him with a worried expression.

  “I’ve got him,” he murmured and she gratefully stepped away.

  He walked to the bed and bent down, glancing beneath it. A pair of blue eyes so much like Spencer’s stared back at him and the fear in their depths broke his heart. Hands clutched the phone with a death grip. Wesley’s face was ravaged with tears and dirt.

  Liam tucked his phone away and reached out his hand. Trembling fingers took it and Liam pulled the boy from beneath the bed and into his arms.

  “Are you hurt?” Liam set Wesley at arm’s length, but kept a hold of him.

  Wesley shook his head, but he was shaking. Liam looked him over, turned him around, and made sure no blood was on the teenager. Once satisfied, he curved his arm around Wesley’s shoulders. Wesley clung to him as he guided him from the room.

  Thankfully, a sheet had been draped over the woman he suspected was the mother. The man in the chair had an oxygen mask attached to his face.

  EMS brought in a gurney for the guy and Liam kept Wesley’s face tucked against his chest as he guided Wesley out the front door.

  “Sir?” A man approached him holding out his badge.

  Liam stopped and leveled hard green eyes on the detective.

  “I need to get his statement.” The detective gulped.

  “You can get it at my vehicle.” Liam guided Wesley to his truck.

  “Sounds good. I’m Detective Stewart. You can just call me Stew.”

  “Liam Cobalt,” he replied.

  Liam jerked his head, indicating the detective could get into the back seat. After tucking Wesley into the front passenger seat, he went around to the driver’s side. Zane jumped in the back with the detective.

  “What’s your name?” Stew asked Wesley.

  “Wesley Turner.”

  “Is that your mom and dad?” Stew pointed to the house.

  “No, mom and her boyfriend.”

  “Any siblings?”