by Tatum Throne
* * * *
Despite turning off the light, Hunter couldn’t sleep. He closed his eyes, tossing and turning in his bed. He made the biggest mistake by pulling away from his Dom. He wanted to be within his arms, telling him all the bad nightmares that kept him up at night. He couldn’t. He went to the window and brushed aside the curtain slightly so Phoenix wouldn’t notice.
Down on the deck, Phoenix was drinking. He was torn up inside. Hunter disliked how he had pushed his Dom away. Hated how he had put that look on Phoenix’s face. Still, he didn’t know how to apologize. He didn’t know how to pick up where they left off. He should’ve just been honest with him and not upset with the fact he talked with Chief Rask about what was going on.
The chief always had his back and he trusted him completely. The way he had told Phoenix about his past meant they both were on his side. Instead of going downstairs to tell Phoenix how he felt, Hunter turned away. He needed to leave. He needed to find another place to stay. He couldn’t bring himself to pack his simple belongings and go now. Instead, he went back to bed and tossed and turned all night.
Sunlight hitting him in the face, woke him up. He looked at the time. He was late for work. He jumped out of bed and showered fast. He was dressed and ready to go within fifteen minutes. He headed down the stairs and hesitated. Phoenix had obviously left for work early.
It was just as well that they didn’t cross paths. Hunter wasn’t sure what he would say or how to act. He drove across town to the station and parked his car, going in through the back entrance. As always, he settled into his morning routine, forgetting all about what had happened. He got his coffee and was crossing the bullpen when he caught sight of Phoenix talking with Chief Rask.
They looked like they were in deep discussion. As he moved past, he saw surprise on Chief Rask’s face. His gaze connected with his before he could move away. There was a flash of shock within his. He knew immediately that Phoenix had fessed up about having sex with him.
Devastated and embarrassed, Hunter left the room and went to the sanctity of his office and locked the door behind him. He took a steadying breath as he tried to think about the cold cases he was working on, but it wasn’t enough to distract him.
When the phone rang, Hunter immediately looked to see who it was before answering. It was coming from Chief Rask’s office. He answered the phone as he normally would. He would eventually have to talk to him. “This is Hunter.”
“Just wanted to let you know I’ll be assigning your training over to TJ for the time being.”
“Oh?”
“Phoenix didn’t seem to think you would pass under his training.”
“Chief, I don’t think I’m the right man for this.”
“Stop being a pussy and man up. You need to take back control of your life. Stop making excuses for what you want and go after it.”
The words struck him. The chief was making a clear assessment of what was going on between him and Phoenix. “Sir, do you really think that’s a good idea?”
A long sigh came through the phone. “I know you’re making a mistake by not going after what you have to.”
And there it was. They were both making a mistake. “Just finish up your training and get in the field. It’s where the SWAT team needs you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hunter was feeling more confident about what he should do. An hour later, the phone rang a second time. This time it was TJ. “Hello, this is Hunter.”
“Get your ass down to the Training Center. Now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hunter ran a hand through his hair and went down to the Training Center where he headed straight for the locker room. He would approach this like every other job. He could do this job without the distraction of wanting Phoenix. He changed into his workout clothes and headed toward the mats where the training session was already underway.
TJ was instructing the other men about takedown procedures. He dismissed the two men he was working with and came in front of Hunter.
“You don’t need to tell me what’s going on. I already know. But before you try to fuck the situation up any more than you already have, you need to get your training squared away. The next time we’re called into the field, you’ll be going.”
Hunter nodded his head. “I understand.”
TJ came in close. “I don’t think you do. Phoenix isn’t like this. He’s never given up on anyone. Ever.”
Shock and sadness radiated through Hunter’s body before he could close it off. “I didn’t know that.”
“Let’s get to work.”
Hunter nodded. The next three hours TJ gave him an intense training workout going over detailed specifications, communications, and drills of scenarios of what could happen in the field.
At the end of it, TJ came in close with his hands on his hips. “Experience is the best thing you’ll gain by working with SWAT. I want you in the field every time.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hunter was tired as he was dismissed. He headed for the locker room and stripped-down. As he was passing in front of the mirrors, he saw the bruises on his hands and thighs. The memory of Phoenix giving him those marks flooded his system. He wanted Phoenix to make more on his body. He had never wanted any man so desperately before. He went to the back of the locker room stepping inside the shower, turning it on fast as emotion flooded his system. Pressing his hands against the wall, he started to cry.
He had truly fucked things over for himself and for Phoenix. He wanted a chance of making it right. The water was hot as it ran down over his head and shoulders, loosening stiff muscles. Desperate to feel anything, he reached down, stroking his hand over his cock.
It felt so wrong and so completely right as he took control over himself within the confines of the shower. He wanted his Dom to be the one stroking him now. With the memory of his tongue taking him, he stroked himself harder and faster, twisting his hand up and down, trying to reach a peak he desperately needed, but that wouldn’t come. The more he tried jerking off the further and further his orgasm went away.
He needed his Dom. He had to find him and had to find him now. His cock would only obey Phoenix and that scared him.
Hunter shut off the water and got dressed again. He passed through the Training Center and up into the bullpen, his hair still wet and damp. He looked around for any sign of Phoenix but didn’t see him. He was reaching for his cell phone as he moved through the office. When he was alone in the stairwell again, he waited for his Dom to pick up. When the ringing stopped and jumped to voicemail, disappointment spiraled through Hunter.
“Hey, it’s me. I wanted to talk. I’m sorry. Really sorry about how I left things. I know you guys were just looking out for me. Call me.”
He was going to find Phoenix to apologize in person about what had happened. That had him taking the stairs to his Dom’s office. As he moved down the hallway, he finally understood that he needed to submit fully to him in all areas of his life if they were going to make this thing work between them.
As he came to his office door, his cell phone buzzed to life with an emergency text. SWAT was being called into the field for an emergency training session. He wouldn’t have time to talk with him now. Despite the text, Hunter knocked on the door—no answer. He was not around.
The SWAT team met downstairs just inside the garage where the SWAT units were held. Phoenix was there but he wouldn’t look at him. Hunter knew he had to get closer tonight.
It took several hours to get through the training scenario before they broke off for the night.
Afterward, the SWAT team was meeting up at the bar, but Phoenix wasn’t going. They were all changing in the locker room. Hunter waited for the men to disperse before he went over to talk with his Dom. He had stripped off his fatigues and was now only wearing a towel. It was clear he was heading toward the shower when Hunter blocked his path.
“Please talk to me, Sir,” Hunter said.
“I have nothing to say to
you.”
“I think you know we need to talk.”
“Get out of my fucking way. You’re no longer my submissive or my problem.”
The words stung more than he wanted to admit. Hunter snapped and slapped him. He should have stepped away but he couldn’t. He wanted his Dom to take back control of him now.
Chapter Nine
Phoenix’s cheek stung. He needed to get away from Hunter before he did something foolish and stupid that both of them would regret. He was walking a fine line here with his job and this man.
Hunter was blocking his path, purposely not moving so he couldn’t get through. Phoenix came closer and closer but he held his ground. He should’ve admired him for standing his ground, but right now he wanted him gone.
Beneath the towel he could feel his cock flood with heat from the memory of his sub’s touch—the memory of skin against his was too much to bear. He had to get away from him. He moved around Hunter, going for the shower and turning it on. He wasn’t surprised when Hunter followed him but lingered outside.
Phoenix got under the shower, feeling his cock strain from the pressure of wanting his submissive again. He cranked his hand over his prick, stroking himself off. The feel of his hand was no longer enough. He needed his sub—even if it was at work.
It was the last thing he should’ve been doing, but he wanted him and there was nothing he could do to stop himself from taking him. He pushed aside the curtain to see Hunter standing in the dressing area. Naked.
He flipped Hunter over, pushing his head down against the bench as he spread his ass cheeks wide, then spanked him sadistically. “I told you that you would be punished if you struck me again.”
Hunter moaned, submitting to his touch by arching his ass out further. Frantic, Phoenix reached for his bag, finding the lube. He flipped open the cap, smearing it generously on his cock. He wet two fingers, pushing them slowly into his sub, turning them gently to wet him. He pulled out his fingers and added more lube, pushing three fingers in. A moan escaped Hunter’s parted, hungry lips.
With his cock ready, he aimed his cockhead against his rim and pushed deep within Hunter’s ass. And then he stood still, leaving his dick deep within his ass, he waited. Sweat broke out between their bodies, and pre-cum from Hunter’s prick dripped like a leaky faucet with an audible splat against the white tile as he waited.
Phoenix reached around, grabbing his cock, thrusting his hand up and down. He heard the sound of other officers within the locker room. Phoenix immediately released his dick and squeezed his ass cheeks, silencing him. He lifted him up and wrapped his hand around his mouth, taking him aggressively. With a slap of his hips against his ass, Hunter moaned quietly.
He put his lips against his ear and said, “You won’t disobey the orders I give you anywhere, anytime, anyplace.”
A whimper sounded deep within Hunter as he thrust his dick deep, with short powerful strokes. This thing was getting too far out of control. Phoenix was certain he couldn’t reign himself in. They had gone too far too fast. Deep within the locker room, they heard the sound of locker doors opening and closing, and voices carrying through the hall.
“Hey, Phoenix are you in here?” Lt. Philips asked.
Phoenix never lost his rhythm as he continued to pound Hunter’s tight ass . “Yes, I’m in the shower.”
“Your car is out here double parked. You need me to move it?”
“The keys are in my locker.”
“Okay, I’ll grab them.”
He spread his legs wide, using his thighs to pin Hunter against the tile. Before long, he was pressing him up against the wall. He pulled Hunter’s mouth around and their lips met in a passionate embrace. He reached his free hand down between their legs and squeezed his balls tightly.
“You will not come until I give you permission to.”
Hunter nodded his head, whimpering. Over the next twenty minutes, Phoenix continued to fuck him with intense strokes, and then he felt Hunter starting to break. He was close. They both were. As Phoenix’s cock started to spasm, he whispered his lips across his ear.
“Come from me. Come for me now, sub.”
A moan of pleasure escaped Hunter’s lips which Phoenix silenced with a hand across his mouth. Phoenix released his load deep within his submissive as five white hot lines splattered against the tile. They were both out of breath by the time they finished.
Phoenix couldn’t believe he took his sub there—not at work and not like this. He normally had more control. It was clear that there was something going on here neither one of them knew how to control. Regret filled him.
“We shouldn’t have been together like this,” Phoenix said.
“I wanted you to do that to me.”
Phoenix came in fast, kissing him passionately and thrusting his tongue deep. He broke his lips away and looked at Hunter with a smoldering gaze. “When you say things like that, it makes me think that we’ll be together forever.”
“It’s what I want with you.”
Phoenix pulled away. “You shouldn’t be with me. I’m not what you need.”
“You are everything I need, more.”
They showered together with Phoenix mentally chewing over what he needed to do. When they were done and dressed again, Phoenix knew he needed to say something while they still had the privacy of being alone within the dressing stall.
“I can’t be your boyfriend and work with you,” Phoenix said.
“I know you love me.”
Phoenix shook his head. He didn’t know how to handle this here and now. He had to find a way. For the first time in his life, he was confused about how to handle a submissive. All of his submissives usually came with contracts and negotiated times, places, and how, why, and when—none of that was happening now.
This was too much like a relationship. He did not do relationships. But when he looked at Hunter he saw his future. That had never happened to him before. Now that it was, he didn’t want this feeling to ever end. But he knew that Hunter needed to heal himself before he could be with him.
“I do but I need you to do something for me,” Phoenix said.
“Anything.”
“I need you to let go of the past before we can be with each other.”
Emotion vibrated through Hunter’s eyes. “Yes, Sir. I’ll figure out a way.”
Hunter turned away and left him. He needed Hunter to heal before they could be together. Right then, he wasn’t so sure he would.
* * * *
One month later, Hunter was going back to work after a leave of absence. Hunter had taken his Dom’s words to heart. He knew he needed to work through and to move past all the pain lingering from his younger brother’s death.
He was ready to see his Dom and thank him for being there for him. It was as though he needed somebody to practically slap him in the face and tell him that it wasn’t his fault and that it was okay to live. Phoenix’s words had struck home. Over the last four weeks, he had gotten his life together and stopped holding onto the past. It wasn’t easy admitting to himself that he was using his brother’s death as a crutch. It wouldn’t bring his brother back.
What was said and what had happened no longer keep him from living his life, and it would no longer define his life. He was no longer going to blame himself for what happened. He was an adult with an awesome career and an awesome job. He knew he could have it all with Phoenix if he just took the chance. And he was ready to fully devote himself to his Dom and to love him completely.
He caught sight of Phoenix heading to his office, and he followed the man. He knocked on the door lightly, Phoenix giving him permission to enter. Their eyes locked. Emotion played through Hunter’s heart as he saw the way his Dom’s eyes lit up.
“Shut the door.”
Hunter closed it gently behind him.
“So, you’re back?”
“I just wanted to let you know that I’m ready. I let go of things. I need you.”
“You do?”
Hunter’s heart was beating wildly in his chest as his gaze held hid Dom’s. “Yes.”
Phoenix crossed his office quickly. He stood there for several long seconds before reaching out and kissing him. His tongue swept inside Hunter’s mouth, knocking him off balance. He gripped his shirt tight, loving the way his Dom took control of him. He wanted his Dom to bend him over his desk and take him roughly, but he knew they didn’t have time for that now.
Phoenix pulled away. He ran his hand across his jaw. “I’m so glad you came to me. I’ve missed you.”
“I love you, Phoenix.”
The sound of their emergency text messages going off distracted them from the moment together. SWAT was being called out and Hunter was with him this time. “You ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
They headed down to the meeting point after grabbing their gear. SWAT did their walkthrough of the event and divided quickly into two groups, then loaded onto the trucks. The entire process took less than five minutes. Several police cars had already been dispatched. They were going in hot and heavy and they wouldn’t be out of it anytime soon. Phoenix and Hunter sat across from each other on the benches within the truck. When they arrived, Hunter got started on setting up field communications.
He took note of the number of men who were wired up on his monitor. Everybody was online, even Phoenix. They moved closer to the target house, and took up their positions. Hunter looked up at his mobile display unit, TJ coming in close.
“You got this,” TJ said.
“Yes, I do, sir.”
They all took up positions and Hunter sat back ready and waiting for anything he needed to do. The backdoor of the truck was open as he and TJ observed the situation from inside. From what Hunter understood, a man was inside holding his wife hostage and wasn’t coming out anytime soon.
Hunter was on pins and needles as he saw Phoenix taking up position to enter the house. His video feed gave him a clear view of everything going on. They circled the house. Phoenix was still communicating with his team, saying that he could see a man inside pacing with woman on the floor. Several long seconds ticked by as they waited for anything. The man was on the phone with the SWAT negotiator, trying to calm him down, but it didn’t seem to be working.