by J. P. Bowie
“That’s okay, thank you, ma’am, I’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure.”
Riley gave her his most winsome smile. “Thank you again.”
He got in his car and peered at himself in the visor mirror. Shit, there’ll be a bruise there for sure later. Damn him. Jeez.
As he drove out of the parking lot he still couldn’t believe the entire incident. It was bizarre enough that Miles had showed up at all, but losing it like that? He knew his ex-boyfriend had a temper but he’d never gotten physical before. Not like that anyway.
He must be under some kind of stress. Maybe he’s feeling the loss of…Kyle, was it?…more than he let on. Still, it didn’t excuse the crazy behavior―and I had to be rescued by a little old lady thinking I was being gay-bashed!
* * * *
Speeding up the I-5, Miles seethed with anger. Damn that old bitch for interfering. He’d wanted to teach Riley a lesson he wouldn’t forget in a hurry. Does he really think he can just brush me off like that? No way, Riley, no way… You are going to see things my way before long, and you’re going to ask me to move in with you. He took several deep breaths to calm down and checked his speed. He didn’t want a speeding ticket to put black frosting on a really shitty day.
Damn Riley for being so obstinate and damn Kyle for being such a goddamn fool, getting caught red-handed, ending up in jail and leaving him friendless and thrown out of the ultra-expensive apartment they’d shared. It hadn’t occurred to Miles that his friends and even his clients would shun him because of Kyle’s nefarious ways. The only reason he’d dumped Riley for Kyle was because of the guy’s social standing among some very wealthy real estate investors and the prospect of making a lot of money.
And now…? Miles cursed under his breath at the thought of what lay ahead for him. He needed Riley back in his life. He was the only stable and secure person he knew. Everyone else had turned out to be flakes, turning on him because of what Kyle had done. Only yesterday, Jared Kingman, his broker, had shown him the door, stating that he didn’t want his company tarnished with a bad reputation.
That bastard.
‘Oh, I know you say you had nothing to do with what Kyle was up to,’ he’d said in that condescending way of his, ‘and swore you had no part in it, but honestly, how could you not? You lived together, for heaven’s sake…you were partners.’
So now he was jobless, practically homeless and with no one to turn to. No way could he approach his parents with any of this. They’d disown him in a New York minute. His dad in particular would relish the chance to berate his only son for failure. Being gay was bad enough in his father’s eyes, but not succeeding in a business he considered the easiest way to make money was a serious sign of weakness. He hadn’t been in touch with them for over three years, nor had they ever inquired as to his welfare in all that time. Loving parents indeed.
That was why Riley had to take him back. He could move in with him, find a local real estate office to work out of and…yes it would work. He’d make it work. Riley would come around soon enough. All he had to do was apologize profusely for his behavior back there in the parking lot. Shit, he had gone overboard, shoving Riley like that. Maybe it was just as well that old woman had interfered when she did, he might have gone too far…although he might have come out of it the worse for wear. Riley looked fit. It was obvious he’d been working out.
He’d looked hot. Oh, damn it all to hell… I should never have left him. The road ahead blurred as tears of frustration welled in his eyes. He hadn’t really appreciated just how great Riley was until he’d started living with Kyle. Yes, Riley could be a bit gauche at times, but he was a sweet guy…and the sex had been good, even if he’d wanted to cuddle after it was over. He was like a puppy sometimes, needing affection, when all Miles wanted to do was sleep unencumbered by anyone else’s arms and legs. At least Kyle had shared that with him on the few occasions they’d had sex. Yeah, life with Kyle had not been sweet. Miles had known that before six months into the relationship was up, but the perks had made it bearable…the parties, the invitations to dinner at expensive restaurants, the socializing with prominent, if incredibly boring, men and women…plus the business they sent his and Kyle’s way.
He’d really miss that, but he’d have to get over it. Life with Riley was not going to include fancy dinners and elegant soirees. Then there was Champ… That dog had never liked him, and the feeling was mutual. Well, one thing at a time. Maybe after a while the mutt could get conveniently lost on one of the strolls he’d volunteer for when Riley was on late shift or something. Yeah, that could all be done smoothly and easily.
First, he had to apologize and make it sound sincere.
* * * *
When Riley got back to his apartment, he fed the dogs and took them for a brief walk. Afterward, he set to chopping the veggies for the stew. After throwing all the ingredients into a pot, he placed it on a slow burner while he showered. He could finish cooking it through in Joe’s kitchen. Despite the unsettled feeling the altercation with Miles had brought him, the thought of seeing Joe again did a lot to dispel the queasiness and cheer him up. He just hoped that Miles had at last seen the light and would leave him alone. Seeing him so ugly-faced with rage had been a giant turn-off. No way did he want anything to do with the man now…or ever.
Standing in front of the mirror after showering, he cursed at the swelling on his left temple and the start of a purple bruise. Joe was bound to ask how that happened.
‘Walked into a door’ probably wouldn’t cut it.
* * * *
“Wow, what happened to you?” Just as Riley had expected, Joe’s eyes widened at the sight of him as soon as he opened the door.
“Terrors of the trade,” Riley replied. Piling in with the dogs and clutching the stew pot in front of him, he headed straight for the kitchen.
“What d’you mean?” Joe followed him while making a fuss of Barney and Champ.
“Oh, Brett and I were loading a homeless guy onto the gurney and he popped me one for my trouble.”
“Shit.” Joe touched Riley’s head gently. “That’s going to be a whopper.” He kissed Riley’s lips. “Good to see you. Does it hurt?”
“It did at the time. Brett thought it was hilarious.” He’d figured a little embellishment on the lie might make it more plausible. The last thing he was going to tell Joe was that his manic ex-boyfriend had assaulted him. He had enough to put up with at the moment. He just had to tell Brett about what had happened and make sure he told the same story if he and Joe ever met and the subject came up.
“How’s the shoulder? No ill effects from the other night, I hope.”
Joe grimaced. “Julaine, the home nurse, said it looked inflamed, but she put something on it and it hasn’t been any worse than usual, so I guess it’s okay. What’s in the pot?”
“Chicken stew. I have to put it on the burner for about a half-hour.”
“Sounds good, but you shouldn’t have gone to all that trouble.”
“No trouble. I got the recipe online. One of those one-pot wonders. Do you like white wine?”
“Maybe one glass. The doc said I should limit my alcohol intake while I’m on the meds.” He put his good arm around Riley’s waist and pulled him close. “Can you stay over tonight?”
Riley blinked and smiled. “That’s a sweet invitation. As a matter of fact, I can. I have the late shift tomorrow so we can sleep in a bit.”
“Well, only till eight,” Joe said ruefully. “Julaine will be here at eight-thirty on the dot.”
“Should I disappear before she gets here?”
“No, no. Nothing wrong with having a friend stay over, is there? She knows about you, anyway.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I mentioned my friend the paramedic and she put it together ’cause she’d read about you in the Laguna paper.” Joe’s cheeks reddened. “She thinks we make a good couple.”
Riley chuckled. “Really?” He rubbed his crotch over J
oe’s. “And what do you think?”
“I…I’d like to think we could become a couple…if you could overlook the mess I made of things last night.”
“Joe…I think you are the nicest guy I have ever met. For all that you look like a big, bad, butch cop, you have a sweet and vulnerable side that I lo…uh, admire. I would very much like us to be a couple.”
“Th…that’s great, Riley.”
“Now kiss me and make my head spin as only you can.”
“Really?”
“Really, I told you your kisses were the best, didn’t I?”
“You did. It’s just that I find that hard to believe, and—Mmpf—”
Riley shut him up with the kiss he so badly wanted—needed. Being with Joe helped push the incident with Miles to the back of his mind, but it was there, nevertheless, and he wanted Joe to hold him, take him and wipe away every vestige of Miles’ crass behavior. He slanted his lips over Joe’s, framing his face with both hands, and thrilled to the sensation of Joe’s warm breath filling his mouth and the erotic glide of his tongue over his own. He pushed farther into the kiss, moving one hand to the back of Joe’s head, holding him firmly while he almost savaged his mouth.
Joe gave him back all he was giving, dizzying Riley with lust. He cursed the man who’d shot Joe, who’d incapacitated him, albeit only temporarily, because where these kisses, these amazing, passionate kisses should lead was to getting each other naked and carrying all this into bed where they could ravish each other’s bodies. Right then, all he could do was slip his hands under Joe’s T-shirt and caress his warm, smooth skin…but it wasn’t enough.
“Can I take this off?”
Joe nodded and added, “Let’s go into the bedroom. The dogs are showing way too much interest in what we’re doing.” Riley chuckled and took Joe’s hand as they walked out of the kitchen. “There, better, right?” Joe said as he closed the bedroom door.
Riley removed Joe’s T-shirt, making sure there was no jarring of the bandaged area. He stepped back a little so he could look at Joe, savoring the sight of a man in his prime, tall and fit despite the ordeal he’d been through. Wide shoulders and a sculpted chest tapered to slim hips, a light spread of chest hair narrowing to a thin line that disappeared into his jeans. He could not wait for the day when they would get more physical and he could take pleasure in the feel of Joe’s obvious strength when they would finally fuck. He shivered at the thought and leaned in to kiss Joe’s left nipple, teasing it with his lips and teeth, loving the raspy moans that escaped Joe’s throat. Bending slightly, he kissed his way over Joe’s hard, muscled torso down to his waist then he knelt, undid the waistband of Joe’s jeans and unzipped him. He looked up in slight surprise. No boxers. Joe had gone commando.
Joe grinned at him. “I was counting on this. Made it easier for you.”
“Thanks. He’s gonna get extra-special treatment now.” He helped Joe step out of his jeans then ran his tongue up the length of Joe’s cock, from the base to the head, lingering over the pre-cum before lapping at the salty translucence.
“Yum,” he murmured, getting a soft chuckle out of Joe and a gentle caress over the side of his face from the detective’s big hand. A low moan escaped Joe’s throat and his body bucked as Riley swirled his tongue over the underside of his cock, laving the sensitive place just under the crown that Riley knew would give Joe intense pleasure. He cupped Joe’s muscled ass cheeks and pulled him forward with one swift motion, taking all of Joe’s cock into his mouth down to the base. He clenched and unclenched his throat muscles around the head, getting more moans of pleasure from his hot cop. He sucked Joe for a long time. Riley loved the action and the reaction, the silk-like texture over the hard-as-steel shaft, the strong pulsing that filled his mouth…he loved all of that.
Using one hand, he squeezed Joe’s balls and they tightened, telling him Joe was close. He moved his hands to Joe’s hips, holding him while the powerful body jerked and bucked in the throes of climax. Hot cum spurted down Riley’s throat, and he swallowed fast to avoid gagging. He held Joe until his body calmed, until the last drop of his seed had been wrung from him. Even then, Riley was reluctant to release him. He could have knelt there forever, holding Joe’s still-pulsing cock in his mouth, his nose buried in the masculine-scented musk of Joe’s pubic hair.
“Wow…” Joe’s face was flushed and his eyes shining. “Once again, that was amazing,” he said when Riley got to his feet. “And once again I feel fucking useless.”
“You’re not useless, Joe.” Riley laid a soft kiss on his lips. “You are recovering from a gunshot wound and a fall onto rocks…and I am not about to let you hinder that recovery by risking the chance of you popping those staples. In a couple of weeks when you’re a little more mobile, we can try some other things.”
Joe glanced down at Riley’s erection. “C’mere… Stand in front of me.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t have to be more mobile to take care of you this way.” Riley moved closer and Joe enclosed the hard flesh in his hand then brought it to his lips. Riley gave in to the immediate thrill that coursed through him as Joe licked at the underside of his cock.
“Mmm…” Joe hummed deep in his throat, the vibration increasing the already amazing sensation of his lips caressing Riley’s cock. He framed the sides of Joe’s head with his hands and stroked gently.
“Joe, that feels so good,” Riley whispered. Better than good, really. It had been a long time since anyone had done this for him. Not since Miles, and in comparison…shit, am I going to go there?…this was so much better. Blow jobs had never been Miles’ forte unless he was on the receiving end. Riley’s knees went weak as Joe’s insistent sucking brought him close to the edge. Yep, it had been too long. His hand just couldn’t work this kind of magic and bring him to orgasm in a matter of minutes. He dug his fingers into Joe’s scalp, combing through the short hair, arching himself into the impending ecstasy gripping his body. Heat tingled down his spine, into his balls, and he knew he couldn’t hold back another second.
“Joe, I’m gonna…” He groaned and bucked his hips forward and Joe held him tight, increasing the pull and speed of his sucking, his tongue doing amazing things over Riley’s pulsing length. Riley tried to step back, but Joe held him in place with one hand, showing remarkable strength for someone with a wounded shoulder.
“Joe, I’m coming!” he yelled, and he did, emptying his balls into Joe’s mouth with dizzying force. A zillion lights blossomed and burst behind his closed eyelids and he had to plant his feet firmly on the carpeted floor to prevent himself from toppling over on top of Joe.
That would not be cool…
Joe held him in his mouth, taking every last drop before releasing him. He looked up at Riley as if for confirmation that he’d enjoyed it.
“Joe…that was beautiful.” He knelt between Joe’s legs and they shared a long, long kiss.
“You’re beautiful,” Joe said when they paused for air. “And I’m one lucky son of a gun.”
Chapter Eleven
As Scott told Joe when he next came to see him, the Feds had taken their own sweet time in evaluating Murdoch’s accusations. They’d questioned every man in the precinct, including the administrative staff, and in their preliminary report said they were not completely convinced that Murdoch had acted alone. This despite the fact that everyone had agreed to, and taken, a lie-detector test. Moreno had argued that Murdoch had been arraigned, bail denied and a trial date pending, but the Agents had insisted their investigation would be ongoing. The reaction when the preliminary report was released one week later was instant and predictable. The police officers and detectives were outraged. Romero could only voice his disappointment along with his sympathy, which did little to ease the tension amongst the men.
Scott had shown up at Joe’s place, looking to vent his anger mostly for the sake of his colleagues at the precinct. “Me, I know I didn’t have anything to do with Murdoch’s shenanigans,” he told Joe over a cup of coffee, �
��so I’m in the clear. You too, Joe, but the way some of the guys are acting, they’re beginning to sound guilty.”
“How so?”
“Talking about asking for transfers, quitting, that kind of malarkey, and they’re not being very subtle about it.”
“Did Murdoch mention any names,” Joe asked, “or d’you think this is maybe just a game he’s playing?”
“The Feds aren’t saying if he named anyone, not even to Romero.”
Joe shook his head. “But you don’t really think any of the guys are dirty, do you? I have racked my brain thinking of who the hell it could be and I can’t come up with one. Even the coupla guys I have no love for, Sam Baker for one…” He paused as Sam’s shifty look came to mind. He shook his head and continued, “I can’t see them as dirty cops, know what I mean?”
Scott nodded. “Yeah, it’s hard to imagine that guys you’ve worked with for years, had beers with, attended family barbecues with… It’ll be tough if Murdoch isn’t lying.”
“I have to tell you,” Joe said quietly, “it hurt when I saw everyone look at me the other day as if I was guilty. I thought that after knowing me, working with me all this time, they’d be able to put their suspicions aside, considering the source of the accusation is douchebag Bob Murdoch.”
“They don’t believe him, Joe.” Scott put a hand on Joe’s arm and squeezed lightly. “What Bob did has rattled everyone. I’ve noticed a couple of guys looking at me funny.”
Joe chuckled. “There’s a reason for that.”
“Smart-ass. But seriously, don’t let it get to you…”
“Sam Baker take the polygraph?” Joe asked.
Scott stared at him surprised by the question. “Far as I know, why?”
“Just a thought. He couldn’t meet my eye when Roy and I left the precinct the other day.”
“Most likely embarrassed.”