“Yeah.”
I felt the touch of his condomed cock against me, and he gripped my waist and began to push inside.
"Oh, shit," I groaned. He was big and it fucking hurt, but it was a good pain. As I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to open up as much as possible for him, I reminded myself of something Sylus had told me when I'd first met him. Pain is weakness leaving the body. I was leaving my weakness behind.
And as that thought went through my mind, the pain slowly dissolved into pleasure. He was inside of me.
"Fuck," he muttered. "You're so tight, Chris."
Then he started to rock his hips. His cock pumped in and out of me, sliding against my spot and sending waves of ecstasy through my body. I had no idea I could feel this kind of pleasure without touching my cock.
He started to move harder, faster. The pain was back and I embraced every moment of it. I clenched the sheets between my teeth, groaning into them as he fucked me, the sound of skin on skin echoing through the room. Soon, my mind was in another place, taken by the pleasure. I was being fucked by Sylus. I was being fucked by Sylus. I was being fucked by Sylus.
I barely even heard him say he was going to come. The orgasm hit me at almost the exact same time, like a dam bursting and exploding a lifetime of pent-up emotion and desire in a single instant. I bellowed into the sheets as it rocked me. I was no longer in control of my body. I felt my cock flex and throb as I made a mess on the sheets, and I could feel Sylus pulsing inside of me.
When the climax had passed, it felt like I had been stripped bare, like I was a whole new man. I collapsed onto the sheets, a delicious soreness lingering in my body, proof that Sylus had taken me.
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me.
"Now that is a fucking lesson," I breathed.
After cleaning up our mess, we lay together underneath the covers. It felt so good to be there with him, holding each other, and it made me wonder what it would be like if we were a real couple.
I lay against his chest and looked up at his face. I reached up and touched his cheek, feeling the prickle of stubble against my fingertips. Then, I pushed my face into his neck and drew in a deep breath. God, he smelled good.
I brushed a strand of hair from his forehead and ran my finger gently and curiously across his eyepatch. Sylus took my hand and held it against his chest.
"Sometimes your weakness can become your greatest strength," he said, after a long silence. "Syria, six years ago. It was my first mission as a MARSOC Raider. We were executing a night mission to take three targets, in and out, no fuss, no muss. Turned out, our intel was bad and they knew we were coming. They pinned us down with explosives and a machine gun, and we had to hold off their attack to allow for our extraction. A helicopter rescue that should've taken thirty minutes took five hours. I was with my brother, Virgil, stuck belly-down in a cesspit for cover, holding the line. A grenade sent an inch-long piece of shrapnel at me."
Sylus tapped his eyepatch. "I thought I was going to die out there. Turned out, losing my eye encouraged me to prove I couldn't be slowed down, that it was no disability to me. A year later, I was regarded as one of the best snipers in the Raiders."
"Shit.” I was stunned by his resilience.
"You're the first person to hear that whole story, aside from my brothers."
"You're quite an amazing human, Sylus Synn," I told him. "I can only imagine the kind of things you went through. Makes me realize my hang-ups and issues are pretty petty in comparison."
"No. It's all subjective. We've got different mountains to tackle using different toolsets. It's hard for me to imagine what you've struggled with. My question is, are you going to finally come out publicly?"
It felt like frost had crept over my entire body. That was the real question, wasn't it? To me, the answer was obvious.
"My career hinges on the persona that's been built up for me," I said. "It would be career suicide to come out publicly."
Sylus looked surprised. "Hold up. So, you're gonna tell me that after all this, you'll be going back to square one?"
"It's not square one. You know about it."
"And, when I leave?"
I sat up. "What do you mean?"
"When my job is finished."
"Well... I was hoping you'd stay on as my regular bodyguard."
He wiped his hair back and exhaled a long breath. "I don't know about that, Chris."
"Why not? We could see where this thing takes us, and—"
"I'm not about hiding. Thought you would've got that about me. Right now, this is a professional arrangement, like we agreed. Anything after that..." He shook his head. "You're a celebrity. You're a superstar. I understand why you'd want to keep things on the down low. But I ain't into keeping secrets."
"Except for your war stories?"
His eye narrowed. "Those are no one’s business but my own."
"And this is no one’s business but my own."
"That's fine," he said. "But you're asking me to continue this thing, and it's not something I can imagine myself keeping secret."
"There's no reason it needs to go beyond a professional arrangement.” I was grasping at straws, trying to make this work because I wanted him.
"It'd be a lie," he said.
Hearing that made my heart jump, knowing he might be feeling something more.
I went back to my bed to go to sleep. I wanted to stay in Sylus's room, but couldn't bring myself to ask. He was right—it would be a lie. I’d be lying if I said that I didn't want to take this further. I was in a real fucking bind, and I had no idea what to do. I knew I was being selfish by hoping Sylus would continue this thing in secret. Bodyguard by day, lover by night. We'd never be able to have a normal relationship. But I couldn't help but pray for him to change his mind.
I dreamed we were together, a couple.
I woke suddenly with my pulse racing, a lump in my throat and a throbbing erection in my pajamas. I clung to the sweet feelings created through fantasy that were quickly fading away with the dream. Him next to me. Wanting me. Us, together, no secrets.
In the end, all I was left with was an ache in my chest and the creeping return of that damn familiar self-loathing.
As I lay in bed trying hard to clear my mind, I began to get the feeling that something wasn't right. I didn't know what it was—until Sylus burst into my room.
"Chris. Wake up."
I shot upright.
"What the fuck?"
He had his cell phone in one hand, its screen glowing, and in the other he clutched a pistol.
14
SYLUS
I'd been woken up by my cell phone buzzing loudly on the bedside table, notifying me that the gate alarm system had been tripped. Immediately, I thought of the silver sedan.
It was early morning, five o'clock. I snatched up the phone and opened the security camera application, which displayed a grid of various live feeds from around the property. Sure enough, that damn car was parked right across the street. On the east gate cam, I saw the blurred movement of someone dropping down from the top of the fence. I felt my pulse quicken and the sweet taste of adrenaline in my bloodstream. Then, calm.
It was more like relief, actually. The feeling of control. This was familiar to me. This was what I was made for. And in the background of it all was a little voice that whispered, "See? I knew this is where you belonged."
I slid my hand beneath my pillow and felt the cold, familiar touch of steel.
"Chris," I said, throwing open his bedroom door. "Wake up."
He tossed off his blanket in surprise. "What the fuck?"
I couldn't help but take notice of what was awake in his pants.
His eyes widened when he saw the gun in my hand.
"Someone just jumped your fence and set off the intruder alarm," I explained.
"What? Who are they?"
"I don't know. But I want you to stay right here while I go find out. Got it?"
He nodded, bewildered.
I ran downstairs, checking the security feed again. I saw the person, clad in a black hoodie, streaking across the lawn. They were carrying something—I couldn't tell what it was, but I automatically assumed the worst. It was always better to be prepared than taken by surprise. I checked the chamber of my gun and got confirmation from the brass that gleamed inside. Loaded, ready to fire.
I left through the south door, swinging around to the east side of the house to cut off the intruder. I moved quickly and silently, like a predator stalking its prey. I was a wild animal, finally able to engage in its instincts. I had no fear. I was excited, eager for the outcome. You're mine, asshole.
They were there, fiddling around with the door at the east entrance. It opened without any resistance. It hadn't been locked.
Dammit. After last night's playtime with Chris, I'd completely dropped the ball and forgotten to do my nightly security check.
I stopped behind a tree for cover, about 10 yards out. An easy shot.
"Don't fuckin' move!" I yelled, aiming my weapon at the back of their head. "I'm armed."
They were wearing a black duffel bag slung around their shoulder. They froze and slowly turned around. In the low light of dusk, I couldn't see beneath the hood. They raised their hands in the air and I moved forward, gun trained and fixed on my target. They were about a foot shorter than me with a slender body, and even before I pulled away the hood I knew they were female. I was surprised to find she was just a kid—probably fifteen or sixteen.
"Don't shoot me," she begged, tears coming to her eyes.
"Turn around," I said, pulling the zip ties from my pocket. "What are you doing here?"
I bound her wrists and commanded her to sit on the ground. She complied without any resistance. I took out my phone and activated the police notification.
"I-I was just messing around," she said. "It was a dare."
I opened the duffel bag and found several wallets, diamond jewelry, a designer handbag and expensive-looking shoes. "Right," I said. "Looks like you had one hell of a night. How many houses did you hit?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
I shrugged. "Doesn't matter. The police are on their way." I shouted into the house. "Chris! Come meet the kid who was about to rob you!"
Chris and I sat in the kitchen. I was filling out a report of the incident for Bau and the company records. The police had come and arrested the girl and taken statements. Turned out she and a whole group of kids had been targeting celebrity houses for about a week, and they’d been trying to catch them.
I couldn't stop thinking about the way I'd felt during the whole incident. How easy it was to get back into the combat mindset, to feel the thirst for action. It was what I'd wanted to get away from. But how could I?
Wasn't it a part of me? Wouldn't it always be calling me?
I could've taken any civilian job, but I’d accepted my brother's offer to join the security firm. Why? Family, yes. But wasn't the real reason because it was familiar?
It disturbed me. And it made me realize that once this job was finished, I’d have to step away. If I wanted to leave that version of myself behind and begin the new life I'd been hoping for, I’d have to leave Synn Services. There would be no long-term contract with Chris.
I'd told him that wasn't willing to hide, but of course I wanted to. Deep down, I was ready to do that in order to be with him.
But for this cursed man, some things were never meant to be.
"Denny really wants you to come on board as my permanent bodyguard," Chris told me the day before the album release show. We were sitting out on the rooftop patio of the house, enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies as we looked at the stars. "He said that he's been talking to your brother. The contract can be extended. But... you're not gonna take it, are you?"
"I'm not," I said after a long silence.
"I wish I could convince you."
"I'm sorry," I said. "It isn’t just this situation we've gotten ourselves into. It's the work itself. I told myself I wanted to find an existence beyond the one I've known. Where I don't have to sleep with a gun under my pillow every night. And doing this work, it isn't helping me. Of course, there's no way I’ll be able to stop worrying about what kind of trouble your ass is getting into."
Chris eyed me. Then, he wrapped his arms around my neck and tugged me into a kiss.
"Sylus. You don't have to worry about me, alright? I want you to know that. I'm keeping my ass out of trouble after this. Unless it's trouble with you. You can cause my ass as much trouble as you fuckin’ want."
I laughed and pushed him away. "Shut up."
He grinned at me and I ruffled his hair. He grabbed my wrists and pulled me into another kiss. I returned it full on, and rolled over on top of him. I looked down into his eyes. They were wild eyes, like mine. Passionate. Intense. In another day, I'd no longer get to know them. I'd see them in the same way everyone else did. On billboards, in magazines and music videos. We'd go back to being strangers, and this little thing that we'd shared would become a bittersweet memory.
He slipped his arms around my neck and pulled me deeper into the kiss. For the small amount of practice he'd had, he really was amazing at it.
I drew his neck towards me and kissed him, giving him little nips as I worked my way down to his collarbone. He groaned softly into my ear, the heat of his breath sending a jolt of excitement through my entire body.
I tugged off his shirt, kissing my way down the swell of his muscle. He pushed his hand down into my pants, grabbing hold of my hardening cock.
"Not wasting any time," I grunted.
"I know what I want," he said.
"Yeah? Tell me."
His eyes flashed, and for an instant, I read sadness in them and I knew what he wanted to say. I wanted to say it, too. I want this to go on.
"I want you to fuck me," he growled. "Fuck me like this. I want to look into your eyes as you do it."
I yanked his pants off and tossed them aside. He opened mine and pulled my cock out, tugging me towards him. He squeezed my cock against his own and stroked them as one. I kissed him again, our tongues playing against each other with eager ferocity. I pushed his knees back to his shoulders, exposing his entrance.
"Condom?" he asked.
I dug into my pocket for a condom and a small packet of lube. Chris grinned. "You're such a fucking boy scout."
"Be prepared," I said, rolling the rubber down my length.
He let out a loud shout of pleasure as I entered him and squeezed my forearms so tightly I was sure he would leave a mark. His warmth surrounded me, pulling me in. I shuddered as I reached the hilt, never breaking eye contact. He nodded to me, a snarl of pained arousal on his lips. I moved my hips, bucking back and forth with increasingly longer and harder thrusts. Chris's moans were so loud that if it weren't for the massive size of his property, the entire fucking neighborhood would've been in on our little secret.
He begged me to pound him harder and I obliged, sweat rolling down my cheek. I ripped my shirt over my head and tossed it aside, welcoming the cool night air to kiss my skin. Then, I used my hand to pleasure his cock at the same time as I fucked him. He cried out, and I felt him squeeze me in reaction.
Fuck!
I wanted this to go on. I wanted him.
"God, I'm gonna come," Chris groaned. I felt him tense up in my hand and his hole tighten around my cock. I thrusted in as hard as I could and let my own orgasm crash over me. He let out a final, tremendous moan as he came, spilling his hot seed across my fingers. I throbbed into him, filling up the condom as the waves of my finish rocked through my body, exploding fireworks of pleasure over me. My vision filled with stars, but I never once took my eyes off of his.
After licking my fingers clean I wrapped Chris up in my arms and held him against my heaving chest. I could feel the thud of his heartbeat against my body, in near perfect sync with mine.
The album release show came and went.
&nb
sp; Chris delivered his performance to a stadium packed with both fans and celebrities. For the first time, I heard "Pickup Kind of Girl" being played live, and for the first time I actually legitimately kind of enjoyed it. I was just off stage, watching from the wings and making sure no one saw me quietly singing along.
And just like that, my contract as Chris's live-in bodyguard had ended. His manager came to me with the offer to become Chris's regular event bodyguard, but I turned it down. I would no longer be operating as an agent of Synn Services.
There was no fanfare during our last day together. Actually, we hardly saw each other at all. Chris's house was suddenly alive; musicians were coming in and out to discuss new collaborations, press interviews were scheduled in the living room where we'd had our lessons, record company bigwigs were there to talk business and upcoming projects. There was hardly a moment to spend alone together, but it was better off that way. I didn't want to drag out a goodbye.
I packed up my few belongings into my duffel and went downstairs to leave. A television crew was setting up big lights and camera equipment in the living room. Chris was busy in the recording studio with a group of label execs, so I quietly slipped outside and threw my shit into the Escalade.
As a Marine, I knew how quickly and drastically life could change. You could be somewhere one day and on the side of the country the next. Friends could disappear in the blink of an eye. But no amount of training or exposure could've prepared me for what this past week and a half had brought me. This was a mission that would stick with me for the rest of my life.
The memories of everything we'd done together over those few short days had begun to flood my mind, so I got into the car to get the hell out before it overwhelmed me. I started the engine and took one more look at the mansion. I hadn't nearly been there long enough to call it my home, but it was more than enough time for me to say that I'd fallen in love with the man living inside of it.
"Hey!"
I looked over and saw Chris running out from the house.
In His Sights: A Brothers Synn Novel Page 9