by Lynne, Carol
“So why didn’t you?” Solo asked. He’d never been further north than Utah, which had some pretty country, but not enough to pull up stakes and move.
Blue sat up and swung his legs over the side of the couch. “For the first sixteen years of my life, no one gave a fuck whether I lived or died. Then I met Mr. Lee.” He shrugged. “You don’t just give something like that away.”
Solo stared at Blue’s muscular back. He wanted to tell the man that he cared whether he lived or died, but he couldn’t force the words out of his mouth. Instead, he went with the easiest answer. “Yeah, that’s the way I feel about the club. They may not be blood, but they’re the only family I’ve got.”
* * * *
Eric entered the house and tossed his keys on the bar that separated the living room from the kitchen. He was in a sour mood after talking to his captain, and he hated to admit to Solo how fucked up the situation was. He stopped short when he noticed the sexy man smiling at him from the stove. “Hey.”
“I made dinner. Hope you don’t mind.”
Eric paused in the kitchen doorway, his mood lightening enough to grin. He should go take a shower and try to get his head on straight, but not without a moment with Solo. “Yeah? What’d you make?”
Solo actually winced. “Well, I’m not much of a cook, so I made what I call Biker Chili. Pork and Beans, hamburger and barbeque sauce.” He shrugged. “Not sure you’ll like it, but you had the ingredients in the fridge.”
Although it didn’t sound appetizing, Eric would never tell Solo that. Knowing Solo had been comfortable enough in his house to cook, meant more than the actual meal prepared. “I’ve never had it, but I’ll give it a shot.” He gestured behind him. “Do I have time for a shower?”
“Sure. It’ll keep.” Solo started toward Eric. “Everything okay?”
“Not really, but I need some time to think,” Eric replied. When Solo was close enough to touch, Eric gave into the need and pressed his palms against Solo’s chest. He brushed his fingertips over the dark brown curls, but couldn’t meet Solo’s gaze. “I know in my gut Andy’s dirty, and I think my captain agrees with me, but he told me to drop it, to focus on the dealer who sold Andy the weed in the first place.”
Solo wrapped his bandaged arms around Eric’s waist. “The kid’s dad’s all chummy with the police chief, so why does that surprise you? Haven’t you figured out yet that money and position buy privilege?”
Eric pressed against Solo, needing to hold the bigger man, but afraid of hurting him. He’d only been a detective for six months, and it was the first time he’d been ordered to look the other way. As a patrol officer, he knew the guys in the expensive cars often bought their way out of trouble, but by then he’d already done his part. The situation with Andy Sparks wasn’t the same at all. How could he explain to Solo that in a fifteen minute conversation with his captain, he’d lost some of the faith he’d had in his career. With a sigh, he pulled away from Solo. “I’ll be back.”
Solo let Eric go, but it was obvious he had to fight himself to do it. “It’ll be okay. We’ll focus on whoever dusted the weed with bad shit, and go from there.”
“Yeah,” Eric replied before walking away.
* * * *
Solo stirred the chili before turning the burner down. Fuck. He hated the defeated expression he’d seen on Blue’s face. There had been moments in Solo’s life when he’d worried he didn’t expect enough out of himself or his life, most recently, after he’d spent time with Blue that first evening. However, after witnessing Blue’s disillusionment, he was grateful he’d never wanted anything more out of his life than a warm place to sleep and enough food to eat.
Solo rinsed off the spoon and set it on the counter before wandering out of the kitchen to the bathroom door. He stood outside for a moment, listening to the shower run. For the first time in his life, he wished he knew how to comfort someone. Other than watching his brothers’ backs, he’d never truly thought of taking care of anyone but himself. He knocked on the door before opening it. “Mind if I come in?”
From behind the glass shower door, Blue shook his head.
“I know you said you wanted some time to think, but I wanted to check on you,” Solo said loud enough to be heard over the exhaust fan. He closed the toilet lid and took a seat. “I’m not good at this sorta thing, so I need you to tell me what I can do to help.”
“Nothing much you can do.” Blue rinsed the shampoo from his short black hair. “I was smacked in the face with several realities today, and I need to deal with ‘em.”
Several? Solo watched Blue’s perfect body through the slightly fogged glass. “I know the meeting with your boss freaked you out, but what else happened today?”
Blue turned around and rinsed the soap from the front half of his body. He didn’t answer Solo right away; instead, he continued to stand under the spray. Finally, Blue turned off the shower and opened the door. Deliciously nude, Blue stared down into Solo’s eyes. “I think I’m falling in love, and I don’t know how to deal with that. It’s not the love I’m afraid of—hell, it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Solo stood and handed Blue a thick pale green towel. He didn’t need Blue to explain further. The two of them couldn’t work, and they both knew it, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to hold the moment for as long as he could. “Switch tells me that my dad loved me, but I don’t remember it.”
“What was your dad’s name?” Blue asked.
Solo stepped back to give Blue enough room to climb out of the shower. “His real name was Samuel, same as mine, but he went by Widow Maker.”
Blue reached out and brushed his finger over the black widow spider on Solo’s neck. “That’s why you have that?”
Solo nodded in acknowledgment. “I still don’t understand why he had to leave. Hell, for all I know, he’s dead and the club covered it up.”
“Want me to look into it? If he was running from the cops, surely there’s something in the system about him.” Blue wrapped the towel around his waist.
It didn’t miss Solo’s notice that neither of them had addressed Blue’s statement of falling in love. Solo assumed there wasn’t much to be said because saying the words wouldn’t change the fact that it was too dangerous to build a life on them. He considered Blue’s offer. He’d told himself for years he was better off not knowing the truth. “I don’t want you to do anything that’ll get you in trouble.”
“I won’t.” Blue reached around Solo and turned off the exhaust fan.
Solo took the hint and backed out of the bathroom, keeping his gaze on Blue. “Then, sure, see what you can find.”
Chapter Five
Solo waited for Blue to finish the dinner dishes before reaching for his hand. “Come on.” He’d thought of nothing else but making love since Blue had confessed the way he felt. Just knowing his cop liked him enough to say he was falling was a huge deal, and even if it was premature, he wanted to pretend he was truly loved. It was a first for him, so it was fitting that he give Blue something he’d never given another.
“Did you take your pills?” Blue asked, allowing Solo to lead him down the hall to the bedroom.
“I took the antibiotic, but no more pain pills for me. I’ll be fine without them, and I need to remember everything from now on.” Solo released Blue’s hand and allowed the satin robe to fall from his shoulders. “I don’t know how good it’ll be in the shape I’m in, but I want to fuck you.”
Blue nodded and pushed his sweats down and off. “I want that, too, but I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
Solo wanted to tell Blue that nothing would hurt more than when the two of them would have to walk away from each other, but he couldn’t, so kept his mouth shut. Earlier in the day, he had actually taken the time to make Blue’s bed. It was a rarity for him, but he wanted Blue to know how much he respected his house. He reached for the blanket and top sheet and pulled them down to the foot of the mattress.
“Lay down,” Solo instructed
. He wanted to show Blue the same care and commitment Blue had shown him earlier in the day. The blowjob he’d received had been one of the best ever, and he wanted to return the favor. He’d never been into sucking cock, but Blue’s cock was different because it belonged to a man who cared for him despite everything he was.
Blue climbed in and moved to the center.
Solo knelt at the bottom of the mattress between Blue’s spread legs. “Close your eyes.” Touching someone tenderly was new to Solo, and he worried he’d look stupid doing it. “Think about that place in Washington, the one in the living room photograph.”
Blue sighed when Solo started licking and kissing his inner thigh. “Nice.”
Solo brushed his lips across Blue’s balls before swiping the soft wrinkled skin with his tongue.
“Fuck,” Blue groaned, spreading his legs farther apart. “I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you.”
Solo lifted his head, teasing the base of Blue’s cock with the tip of his tongue. “And this is me thanking you for being so good at it.” The attention he paid Blue’s cock went against his natural instinct to fuck—and fuck hard. Foreplay was a chick thing, or at least he’d always thought of it that way. In the past, Solo had needed the physical release of being buried in someone’s ass while he came. Taking time to learn every inch of someone else’s body hadn’t been a priority when he rarely saw them again. Blue was different. Solo knew he’d need every memory he could latch onto in the weeks and years ahead.
When Solo slipped his lips over the head of Blue’s cock, Blue let out a string of curses. “Goddamn, babe, your mouth is fucking perfect, but I need you in me.”
Solo released Blue’s cock and crawled his way up the cop’s body, stopping to lick and nip each of the taut nubs. “Babe?” he questioned.
Blue grinned. “I like it. You call me Blue,” he pointed out.
“Yeah.” The endearment created an ache in Solo’s chest. He reached toward the bedside drawer. He retrieved a condom and the bottle of lube and set them on the mattress. Giving Blue what he wanted wasn’t a problem, but Solo felt like he needed to make Blue understand how he was feeling.
“You know what you said earlier, when you first opened the shower door? I feel the same,” Solo whispered in Blue’s ear. There. It was the closest he’d ever come to confessing his feelings to anyone. Even his brothers thought he was a cold-hearted bastard most of the time, and if he were honest with himself, Solo would have to agree they hadn’t been far off the mark.
Blue turned his head and pressed his lips against Solo’s. “What’re we gonna do about it?”
Solo shook his head. He reached for the bottle of lube. They needed a distraction because no way in hell was he prepared to discuss walking away. The fact that it would eventually have to be done was beside the point. Stretched out at Blue’s side, Solo slicked his fingers. He touched the puckered opening of Blue’s ass and began to rub his lubed fingers over the ridged skin. “Later.”
Blue stared at Solo for several moments before giving a sharp nod.
Solo prayed Blue understood. Their moments together had become very special to him, and he didn’t want the harsh words that would need to be said anywhere near his Blue. Watching Blue closely, he eased a finger inside. He wasn’t afraid of hurting his cop. It was more the changing expressions on Blue’s face that he was looking for.
Blue started out angry, or perhaps it was frustration. Yeah, Solo thought that was probably it. He couldn’t blame Blue for that; Lord knew he felt the same way. As he continued to loosen the muscles of Blue’s ass, the frustration slowly morphed into need. Yes, that’s what he’d been waiting for. He removed his fingers and reached for the condom.
“Where can I put my hands so I don’t hurt you?” Blue asked when Solo insinuated himself between Blue’s thighs.
“Around my neck,” Solo replied. It would be easier to fuck doggy-style, but he wanted the face time with Blue. He applied more lube to Blue’s hole before handing back the bottle. “Just watch that you don’t catch my back with your heels.”
“I won’t. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do,” Blue said.
Yeah, Solo completely understood that sentiment. He gripped his cock by the base and eased the bulbous head into Blue. Fuck.
Blue’s body squeezed Solo’s cock as it drove deep.
“After that first time, I couldn’t get you off my mind. I should’ve known.”
“Known what? That you’d be back for seconds?” Blue asked.
“That the first time was about more than the way my dick felt buried inside you. I didn’t see it because I didn’t want to see it,” Solo admitted.
Solo had thought a lot about his initial reaction to Blue’s house after spending most of the day alone in it. The two bedroom cottage had made him long for something he’d always felt was out of his reach. When Blue had explained why he loved his home and why he’d worked so hard to get it, Solo had felt even worse. The two of them had come from very similar situations. Evidently, it hadn’t been that something like Blue’s house was out of his reach, more that Solo had never reached for it in the first place. It had him wondering what else he’d denied himself because of his circumstances.
Once his cock was buried to the root, Solo gave Blue a soft kiss on the lips. “You make me question everything,” he admitted, “and that scares me.”
Blue pulled Solo’s head down for another deep kiss as Solo began to ease his cock in and out of Blue’s hole. Breaking the kiss, Blue licked his lips. “I’m feeling the same way.”
Solo closed his eyes in an attempt to block out the honesty that hovered between them. Fucking. He needed to concentrate on fucking before regrets of what couldn’t be deflated his cock. Out. He mentally reminded himself as he withdrew. In. Yes, the in was his favorite part of fucking Blue. Becoming one with a man who had opened his eyes to everything he hadn’t known he’d wanted and needed.
Blue hooked his forearms under his knees before drawing them against his chest. The action opened him further, allowing Solo room to fuck, and fuck he did. He shoved a pillow under Blue’s lower back, lifting his ass further into the air.
“Yeah, that’s it,” Solo grunted as he surged deep inside. He no longer had to concentrate on what to do, his dick, his heart and his mind finally synchronized in a battering of thrusts meant to bring Blue pleasure.
“Christ, you feel good,” Blue growled, his voice dipping lower than Solo had ever heard it.
Six thrusts, seven, oh, fuck, Solo prayed he could hold on until he at least made Blue come. “Fuck, I’m trying to hold on, but the feel of your ass is making it really difficult.”
Blue licked his lips. “Come on my cock, and I’ll blow.”
The thought of shooting his seed on Blue’s dick and stomach was fucking hot. Solo pulled his cock from Blue’s ass and stripped off the condom. On his knees, towering over Blue’s sexy as fuck body, Solo wrapped his hand around his cock and started jacking off while meeting Blue’s gaze. “This what you want?”
“Oh, yeah,” Blue moaned, drawing each word out as he reached for his cock.
It was one of the first time in his life that fucking had turned into a dual masturbation scenario, but, hell, it was Blue. Solo worked his knob, using his pre-cum to grease the head. He gasped as the first strand shot from his dick, painting a glossy strip across Blue’s cock and hand. “Fuck!”
“Uh huh,” Blue agreed, adding his own cum to his stomach.
Marking Blue with strands of seed made Solo feel like a king, something he desperately needed after all the shit he’d put his ego through since waking in Blue’s bed that morning. He used his free hand to rub the warm fluids into Blue’s skin. “Damn, you’re sexy like that.”
Blue yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “I aim to please.”
Solo chuckled, a rarity for him. “And you did.”
* * * *
“Where’re you going?” Eric asked, closing the dishwasher.
Solo struggled to get his boot on. “To the club. I need to check in before they come looking for me.”
Eric dried his hands before sitting on the floor at Solo’s feet. He took the boot out of Solo’s hands and worked until it settled on the man’s foot He didn’t like the way Solo refused to meet his gaze. “What about your wounds?”
“What about ’em? It’ll take a couple weeks before they’re healed and no way in hell am I sitting around the house for that long. Besides, you said you’d give me Harold Sterling’s address if I stayed yesterday.”
Eric got to his feet. “Is that the only reason you stayed?” Sure, he knew he was fishing, but things between them seemed strained and he’d tried to figure out all morning what he’d said or done to upset Solo. He had a feeling things had gotten a little too honest for the man, but he couldn’t let Solo put that wall back up between them.
Solo shrugged into his cut. “You know it’s not, but sitting around here won’t keep the kids safe.”
Eric wanted to reach for Solo, but wasn’t sure his touch would be welcomed. Instead, he moved to the junk drawer and pulled out a small pad of paper. He wondered if he needed to remind Solo of their deal. “I put my number in your burner phone.” He jotted down Harold’s address. “Will you call if you find something?” He tore off the paper before holding it out.
Solo took the address. “I’ll call.” He turned and started to leave, but stopped in the kitchen doorway, his back to Eric. “If I can get away, is it okay if I come by tonight?”
“Of course.” Eric moved to stand in front of Solo. “I know you don’t wanna talk about what comes after we catch this guy, but I need you to know that I will never turn you away.”
Solo closed his eyes and shook his head. “I can’t talk about this now.”
Eric wanted to growl in frustration. “Whatever,” he said in resignation. “If you find out where Easy Ed is, call me. Show me the same respect I’m giving you.”