Guarding His Heart

by R. Cayden

  “Oh yeah?” Alexandria asked. Seb was surprised to hear it, too, after how much Declan had gone on about the criminals in his dad’s office, and the assholes with their private planes, and the buildings that were just too damn tall.

  “Why not?” Declan answered. “If this is where the best science junk is, I’m sure I could find plenty of things to entertain myself. And I believe in Seb’s work. Whatever will be best for him, I’m willing to give it a try.”

  “Excellent,” Alexandria replied. “If I can get Declan on my side, there’s no way you’ll be able to resist, Seb.”

  Seb held Declan’s hand up to his chest. “Have I created a monster by introducing you two?”

  Declan pulled Seb’s hand higher, then smacked the back of it with a kiss. “Don’t you worry, babe,” he said. “I won’t let her boss you around too much. But enough small talk.” He turned to Alexandria, then cocked up an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say something about dollar slices of pizza earlier?”

  Declan

  It only took Declan three days in New York City to find himself a job. He and Seb still hadn’t made any decisions, but the second Alexandria mentioned the science facilities in Manhattan, he had known what he wanted to do.

  A taxi blared on its horn as it splashed by, early spring puddles all over the pavement. At least his leather jacket made sense for the season again, he figured as he stomped into a little floral shop. He was still adjusting to the crowds and finding his way in the busy city. The feeling of always being surrounded made him jumpy, ready to throw a punch, but he assumed that would fade.

  “How much are these ones?” he asked the man behind the counter, pointing at a few round, colorful flowers, wrapped in a piece of brown paper.

  The man frowned, staring at Declan, then said something that sounded like Russian.

  “What?” Declan asked.

  The man repeated the Russian words again, yelling them angrily this time as he pointed at Declan. “Okay, okay!” Declan said, holding his hands in the air. “Fucking hell.” He rummaged for his wallet, then offered the man behind the counter a twenty.

  “Have a nice day,” he said with a smile, then gestured to the flowers for Declan to take them.

  Declan grabbed the bouquet, grumbling to himself as he walked out. Soon, he promised himself, this damn city would start to make sense. And until then, he could deal with the blaring car horns and the angry shopkeepers. He could deal with anything, in fact, if it’s what Seb needed.

  Something whizzed by his nose. Declan stopped in his tracks just in time, a splatter of pigeon poop at his feet. He jumped back, then to the side again when another splatter exploded on the pavement, only to be jostled by a woman hurrying past and talking on her phone.

  He cursed, gripping the stems tight in his fist. At least everyone passing was ignoring him. He could probably stand there all day cursing up a storm, he figured, before someone would even bother to glance his way.

  Making sure the pigeons hadn’t gotten him, he followed the last couple of blocks to his destination. As he rounded the corner, all his worries disappeared on the sight of Seb, standing there beside an ice cream shop and glancing up at the tall buildings.

  Declan grinned. It wasn’t often he got to give someone good news. But with Seb, making the right decisions felt easy.

  “Flowers?” Seb said, turning. “Thank you, Declan.” He laughed, then took a sniff as he accepted the bouquet. “If you had told me on the day we met that you would be buying me flowers in Manhattan, I never would have believed you.”

  Declan grunted. “Me either. But I’ve got an even bigger surprise now.”

  Seb lowered the flowers as a smile rounded his cheeks. The baby blue sweater he wore looked especially soft against his skin, and Declan had to pull him into a kiss there before he could say anything more.

  Plump lips, soft moans… Some things were exactly the same in Manhattan as they had been in the country.

  Seb pulled his lips away. “What’s the surprise? Does it explain why you keep going for walks on your own?”

  Declan chuckled. “I wasn’t kidding when I told you I need to figure out my bearings in this city.” He ran his fingers through his hair, then gestured down the street. “I noticed about three operations running on this block alone. But you’re right. That’s not the only reason I’ve been out.” He put his hands on Seb’s shoulders, then pointed them both across the street, gesturing toward a building with a big blue awning and an open garage door. “That is.”

  Seb turned over his shoulder to Declan and arched an eyebrow. “A shipping company?”

  He released him with a grin. “I got a job there. A gig that’s above board, with a steady paycheck and everything. I’ve been up close and personal with enough of my family’s shipping operations that I know how they run, and the owner was happy to have someone who could lend a little muscle, too, when it was needed.”

  Seb’s lips parted open. He looked confused as he stared up at Declan. “Working for a shipping company? Are you sure you want to do that?”

  Declan snorted. “It’s an honest job. Management, even. Nothing wrong with that. And I figured it would be good for me to have something steady while we’re getting situated. This way, you can focus on your work and spend your time at those laboratories Alexandria was talking about, without having to worry about me distracting you.”

  Seb stared a moment longer, then launched himself forward. He wrapped his arms around Declan’s neck and pulled himself up for a kiss, nibbling on Declan’s lip and then releasing it with a whimper.

  “I guess that means you like the idea?” Declan asked, suddenly a little shy on the street corner there.

  Seb blinked twice. “Kind of,” he said gently. “If that’s what you want to do, of course I’ll support you. But I don’t need you to go to a nine-to-five every day or anything like that, Declan.” He took Declan’s hand, then smelled his flowers again. “You’re perfect exactly as you are. Come on, I want to show you something.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  Seb started down the street, their hands still laced together. “Yeah, this way. I was going to wait, but I guess there’s no reason to hold off now.” He led them down into the subway, which hummed with the sounds of people passing and the song of a guitar down the platform. When they got to their spot, he finally let go of Declan’s hand to face him again. “You’d really work a boring job for me?” he asked.

  Declan shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve tried it all the other ways. Maybe it wouldn’t totally suck.” Seb raised his eyebrow and gave Declan a sassy grin. “Okay,” Declan laughed. “It would suck. But that’s okay.”

  “You don’t have to explain it to me,” Seb answered. “You saw how far I was willing to go to avoid working in a laboratory. Some people just don’t fit into those structures very well. We have to find a different way. A way that we can make on our own.”

  The train pulled up with a long rattle and a screech. Declan and Seb found a place in the back and grabbed a couple of seats. Declan didn’t know the stops they passed or which part of the city they were going to. Although with the way Seb was holding his hand and tracing his fingers down Declan’s arm, it was easy to just enjoy the ride and not worry himself over it.

  After thirty years of hooking up with men, Declan was finally getting around to the best part of it.

  They got off an hour later at a place called Island Green, and when they emerged from the train, Declan could smell salt in the air. He heard birds calling, and the wind across his skin felt different, almost thicker. “Are we near the ocean?” he asked.

  Seb bit down on his lip and nodded quickly. He was grinning from ear to ear, and Declan had to laugh as the younger man dragged him down the street, hurrying until they reached an open storefront on the main drag. Rocky walls nearby kept them elevated from the passing canal, and people mingled on the street. None of the buildings were more than a few stories tall, and the streets were generously dotted with trees.

&
nbsp; “I feel like I can breathe for the first time since we got here,” Declan muttered, then sucked in a deep breath of air.

  “We’re right down the street from the boardwalk and the Atlantic,” Seb said. “But what do you think of this place?”

  Declan turned to the storefront. It looked like any other old brick building, with scuffed windows in the front and a couple of apartments on the floors above. “Seems like it’s been empty for a bit,” he said. Seb flexed his fingers. He was bouncing with excitement, which made Declan laugh. “Okay,” he chuckled. “What’s the idea, Seb?”

  Seb reached into his bag again, then pulled something out. “I got this made yesterday, right after I found the property online,” he said, then handed the long piece of metal over. “It’s just an idea. I hope you won’t think it’s too much…”

  The metal was shaped like a thin rectangle, and Declan was surprised to feel its heft when he took it and turned it in his hands, revealing the engraving on the other side.

  “Kaiser Security?” he asked, surprised to see his own last name. “What’s this?”

  “It’s an idea I had,” Seb said, and began speaking so quickly, Declan could barely follow. “It’s okay if you don’t like it, but I was thinking about how much experience and skill you have, and how security always seemed to just work for you. You’ve said that you loved parts of it so many times, and it seemed like it was only the other people who made the jobs bad for you.” He paused, then sucked in a deep breath. “So I thought maybe it could be time for you to open your own agency? You could pick the kinds of clients you wanted to work for and run things according to your own rules, instead of risking your safety for other people all the time.” He stopped, his eyes eager as he held Declan’s gaze.

  “Go on,” Seb said. “What do you think?”

  Declan stared at the building, then back to the gift Seb had handed him. He took a few steps to the door, then held the placard up, placing it against the wood. “Kaiser Security,” he said. It was funny to hear his last name attached to something official like that, instead of just those sons of bitches.

  A whole stew of emotions stirred in his chest. “You really don’t want me to change, do you?” Declan never thought of himself as someone deserving of love, just the way he was. He’d always felt like he should be tolerated or put up with, never chosen for himself. But the feelings between him and Seb were about the most real thing he’d ever known, and there was no denying that. “You want me just like I am,” he said again, the words landing with the weight of truth between them.

  Seb scratched the back of his head. “Well, I was going to make you promise you wouldn’t take on any jobs where you might get hurt or arrested.”

  Declan chuckled, just as happy as Seb was to leave that all behind. “It’s a deal.” He rubbed his hand across his chin and furrowed his brows. The idea started to take hold, and instantly, he was itchy to start moving and to figure out how to make it a reality. He didn’t even feel self-conscious about accepting help from the younger man. He just felt supported, the same way he wanted to support Seb.

  They were together, and that made all the difference.

  “Of course, I don’t know the first thing about running a business like this.” He pulled Seb close, then thanked him with a kiss. “Good thing I’ve got a guy like you around to help me figure that part out.”

  Seb grinned, then kissed Declan back. “We haven’t even talked about the best part yet. The whole place is for sale. We can buy it and remodel the apartments above, make them into our home. I can take the train into Manhattan when I need for research, and the rest of the time, we can live by the beach!”

  “Beautiful, babe,” he said. “Just perfect.”

  They were both glowing as the wind came in off the ocean. Seb held Declan’s eye, and the emotions churning inside Declan boiled over. They believed in each other, and no matter what the rest of the world thought, that trust meant that anything was possible.

  “I love you, Sebastian,” he said.

  Seb swallowed. “I love you, too, Declan.”

  They joined in a kiss, their lips crashing together as Seb’s fingers brushed Declan’s stubble. Declan pulled the man he loved closer, savoring his taste and the soft sounds he made. “I love you,” he whispered again. “And I’ll do anything it takes to make sure you’re as happy as you deserve to be.”

  “I will be happy,” Seb answered, their lips only an inch apart. “I’ll be happy because of you.”

  * * *

  SEBASTIAN

  Declan tossed Seb onto the bed, then stood at the foot, staring down with fierce energy sparking in his gaze. The lights in Alexandria’s guest room had a soft blue glow, and in the mirror, Seb could see the ripples of muscles on Declan’s back.

  Thank god the walls were thick because there was no way Seb was keeping it quiet that evening.

  “Come here,” he purred, gesturing to Declan. “I want to taste you.”

  Declan growled as he tugged his sweater over his head, then kicked off his pants. He was wearing a loose pair of blue boxer briefs, and his cock was heavy in the pouch. Seb undressed himself, pawing his clothes off while he looked up at Declan.

  “What do I call you now?” he asked. “It feels like we’re doing something more than just dating.”

  Declan grinned, then lowered himself to the bed, taking Seb in his arms. “You can call me whatever you want, babe.”

  “I like boyfriend,” Seb answered, then started to kiss at Declan’s neck. “At least for a while. I’ve never had a boyfriend before.”

  “Boyfriends,” Declan answered. He grabbed Seb’s hips as Seb licked at his neck. “I like it.”

  They fell back down to the bed, kissing and rolling until Seb found himself on top. He rocked his hips and arched his back, riding his ass along Declan’s hard cock, hungry for the satisfaction he knew was coming. “I can’t believe how lucky I am,” he said, then pressed his fingers against Declan’s lips and ran his thumb across the sharp edge of stubble. “But this is real, isn’t it?”

  Declan jerked his hips up as he sucked Seb’s finger into his mouth. “Real as fuck,” he answered, then bit down on the fingers.

  Seb found Declan’s cock with his hand, then pulled himself down, kissing at his chest and abs on the way. He tugged the boxer briefs off, then went to work massaging and kissing Declan’s shaft and savoring the way it hardened for him. He huffed the earthy smell and gripped Declan’s thick thighs, rubbing his palms over the curly gray hairs.

  “Fuck,” Declan groaned, then grabbed Seb’s head between his hands. “Your lips feel so fucking good.”

  Seb swirled his tongue along Declan’s swollen crown, then swallowed him down. Unlike when they first got together, he wasn’t hesitant. He’d paid attention, learning the ways to squeeze and tease at Declan to make him groan the loudest and indulging his own fantasies, too.

  Like that evening, when he kept running his tongue along Declan’s slit, over and over again, licking for a salty taste of precum.

  Declan tugged Seb’s hair tight, sending a pleasurable jolt along Seb’s scalp. He swallowed the cock down deeper, gagging as the head bumped the back of his throat and slobbering down Declan’s thick length. He bobbed, greedy and hungry, and kept his fingers on Declan’s balls. Finally, when his eyes were wet and his jaw aching, he pulled his lips back, then kicked his own underwear to the floor.

  “You’ll fuck me all over our new apartment, won’t you?” Seb whispered. He pulled himself up on Declan’s chest and started to kiss at his neck again, overcome with the fun of having someone to talk dirty with, a person who could share every fantasy that entered his mind.

  “Hell yeah I will,” Declan answered. He grabbed his cock, then started to stroke his tip against Seb’s hole. “Anytime you want it, babe, I’ll give it to you.”

  Seb moaned, the pleasure coming as much from Declan’s promise as from the slick, rhythmic beat against his hole. He and Declan were going to build every part
of this new life together, starting from the very first decision, when they chose one another. It wouldn’t be something they inherited, or legacies that held them down. It would be something entirely their own.

  “You’ll fuck me on the beach?” Seb asked. He pressed his ass down, taking Declan’s tip past his quivering rim. He held it there, riding the wet precum and saliva against his hole, then reached backward to grab the lube and squirt a little into Declan’s hand. Once Declan got them ready, Seb started to push down again, taking the shaft slowly. “And you’ll fuck me in our house and downstairs in your business when no one is around.”

  “Fuck yeah,” Declan growled. “Anytime you want it, Seb.”

  Seb slid down the rest of the way onto Declan’s cock. “Ugh, so full,” he gasped, then slammed his hands down on Declan’s chest, steadying his weight. The warmth grabbed him from the inside, and a surge of power warmed his muscles, licking him alive. “I love having you inside me.”

  Declan grabbed Seb’s hips, then started to rock along, jerking Seb in the air with a bounce. They both moaned for a few minutes, riding each other’s waves. Seb’s cock slapped against his abs, straining in the air with fat drops of precum, but he kept his hands on Declan’s chest, wanting every drop of pleasure to come from his boyfriend.

  Declan pulled himself up, then took Seb in his arms. With a thrust, he pushed himself deep inside and spun Seb onto his back, mounting him from the front.

  “Oh god!” Seb gasped, the head of Declan’s cock hard against his prostate. “Give it to me!”

  Declan started to plow into Seb, gyrating his hips back and then plunging himself forward again. Seb’s whimpers turned into one long, guttural moan. He felt his muscles clench and tighten involuntarily while his hole made a vice around Declan, tugging him deeper.

  “Will you come for me?” Declan asked. He took Seb’s nipple between his fingers with one hand, then hoisted one of Seb’s legs in the air with the other. Seb felt stretched even wider, and the spark of pleasure from Declan’s fingers made him crash against the edge of release.