Adjusting to the Situation [Granite County 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by Bellann Summer

  Standing on his toes, he found a tear in the plastic of one window. Peering through the jagged separated edges, Craig tried to see what was inside the dark building. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust, and much to his disappointment he was looking at an empty building.

  Loud shouts and vicious swear words erupted from the back where Synn had disappeared. Craig ran to the corner of the building, stopped, had his gun at a ready position, and carefully looked around the corner, prepared to lean back if there was danger.

  Craig spotted Synn standing at the back of the property just inside the tree line. He had a man apprehended, holding the guy’s arms behind his back with one hand and his head pressed against the tree with the other.

  When Craig reached them, he could see the man looked to be in his late fifties, with short gray hair, and was wearing a long-sleeved camouflage shirt and pants.

  “Why don’t you settle down and tell me why you were spying on me?” Synn shook the man a little.

  “I’m not telling you nothing,” the man cried.

  “Mr. Peterson, its Craig Collins. I returned your bluetick hound when he decided Mrs. Carlyle’s poodle was the best thing he ever smelled.” Craig moved to the side so the sputtering man could see him. That hound had traveled ten miles from home looking for love.

  Mr. Peterson lived about a half mile away in an old hunting cabin that looked ramshackle on the outside but was quite modern on the inside. Craig suspected Peterson had deliberately kept the outside looking that way to keep his real estate taxes lower. What the tax man didn’t see he couldn’t tax was the motto of many old-timers up in these woods.

  Peterson studied Craig for a moment, before he nodded. “I remember you.”

  “Would you talk to us for a few minutes?” Craig asked politely. The sheriff didn’t promote hassling locals.

  “Will the big bruiser let me go?”

  “Of course Deputy Romeo will let you go,” Craig answered, giving Synn a pointed look.

  Synn abruptly freed the man and Craig reached out and steadied Mr. Peterson before he lost his balance. Glancing at Synn, Craig saw he had a pinched look on his face. That was odd. Synn usually handled dealing with the public well.

  “Did you see anyone around these buildings in the last few months, Mr. Peterson?” Craig asked.

  “Of course I did. I keep an eye on everything around here. Who do you think called in those kids breaking into the summer cabins on the lake last year?” Peterson answered.

  “What did you see?” Synn asked. Craig wished Synn’s tone was nicer.

  Peterson ignored Synn and looked at Craig. “A guy pulled a gray van up to that building over there.” One work-worn wrinkled finger pointed to the building Craig had been looking into. “It was one of those vans that have a lot of seats to take people places. Only the windows were darkened and when the side door opened I could see the seats were taken out of the inside and there was a big wooden crate inside.”

  “Do you know what the guy was doing in the building?” Craig asked.

  “Of course,” Peterson answered, and put a hand on Craig’s arm. Out of the corner of his eye Craig saw Synn tense. “He unloaded the box using a ramp and a winch. A couple of days later he came back with the van and loaded the box back up and left.”

  “What did this guy look like?” Synn probed. If it wouldn’t have been unprofessional, Craig would have told Synn to chill out. The big man looked ready to put handcuffs on poor Mr. Peterson.

  “He was on the ugly side, real skinny, with pockmarks all over his face. He looked like he needed to be thrown in the lake and given a good scrubbing.” Peterson looked at Synn. “I don’t have any more to say. Can I go now?”

  “Fine,” Synn answered.

  “Thank you for your help, Mr. Peterson. Take care,” Craig said, trying to smooth over Synn’s behavior. They were going to have a talk on dealing with the locals of Granite County.

  “No problem, Craig.” Peterson smiled. “It was good to see you again.”

  Synn stood not moving a muscle until Peterson disappeared into the woods. Craig watched Synn’s eyes sweep back and forth over the deep forest, like he was looking for something. To be honest Craig didn’t care, and he was pissed at the way Synn handled Mr. Peterson.

  Turning Craig stalked back to the vehicle. He was about to reach for the door handle when he was whipped around and pushed back against the side of the SUV.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he yelled.

  “You totally mishandle the situation back there and now you’re acting like a pissed off puppy.” Synn’s face was flushed and his intense gaze practically skewered Craig in place.

  “I mishandled the situation?” Craig leaned forward. “I’m not the one acting like a total jerk. You don’t treat the locals like that.”

  Synn stepped closer until their bodies were touching and leaned over Craig forcing him to lean back to look up. Craig knew intimidation tactics when he saw them and he didn’t like it.

  “Back off, Synn Romeo,” he ordered.

  “Not on your life, baby,” Synn responded.

  Craig’s anger shot through the roof. “Don’t you baby me. This is a professional matter, don’t you bring our personal life into it.”

  “You listen to me, you spoiled brat. That man had a knife strapped to the middle of his back, one at his wrist, and another harnessed to his ankle. He also had at least two guns on his person.” Synn’s voice dipped down to a deadly calm. “And you kept putting yourself in his circle of space and touching him. I should give you a warning on the professional level and paddle your ass on a personal one.”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” Craig spit out.

  “Don’t test me, baby,” Synn countered.

  Chapter Seven

  The tension in the SUV was so thick one could cut it with a knife. Synn was silent and deadly calm, and Craig, not so much. When Craig was angry he screamed and shouted until it was out of his system. The thing was, Craig could sense Synn was holding back. That might be a good thing, since Synn was a half a foot taller than him and at least eighty pounds heavier.

  But Craig had never taken the safer route before, and he wasn’t going to take it now. “Pull the truck into the driveway coming up,” he ordered.

  Without a word Synn turned into the driveway Craig had indicated. The gravel road cut through a thick grove of trees and opened to a small one story home with a front porch that ran along the entire front. Craig knew the large back yard was gorgeous, with huge ancient oak trees and a view that opened up to a beautiful valley below.

  The owner of the house died about three months ago and Craig had heard through the grape vine the place would stay empty until the owner’s son got back from an overseas trip in a couple of weeks. The word around town was that the son was going to put it on the market.

  Being only ten minutes from town and sitting on an acre of land, the place was perfect in Craig’s eyes. He didn’t need forty or one hundred acres to be happy. In fact, he had already contacted the son and was waiting for a reply to his inquiry.

  Synn parked in front of the three-car detached garage and turned the engine of the vehicle off. Both men sat there in silence.

  Finally Craig couldn’t take it anymore and got out of the vehicle, slamming the door extra hard just to show Synn how pissed he was. Craig marched around the house hoping the view would calm him down.

  Craig walked over to a heavy-duty lounge chair made from thick red wooden beams. Put a pretty cushion on it and it would make the perfect place to relax, have a beer, and enjoy the magnificent picture of nature in front of him.

  “Are we trespassing, deputy?” Synn asked from behind Craig.

  “Technically,” Craig said.

  “It’s pretty,” Synn said.

  “Yep,” Craig answered.

  Neither man spoke. Only the birds and the squirrels chattering at them from the branches of the oak trees broke the silence.

  Craig turned away f
rom the view and faced Synn. “Look, I don’t know why you’ve come down on me so hard. All I did was treat a citizen of Granite County with respect.”

  Synn stepped forward, his face a mask of anger. Involuntarily Craig took a step backward, the back of the lounge chair bringing him up short.

  “What you did, was use that charm you’re always throwing around to get that guy to like you. Half the time you don’t even know you’re doing it.” Synn huffed, seeming to gather steam. “You put your hands on him multiple times.”

  “I was just steadying him so he wouldn’t fall,” Craig interrupted.

  “You made yourself vulnerable. He could have grabbed your gun or pulled one of his knives on you,” Synn accused.

  “Mr. Peterson wouldn’t have done that,” Craig said defensively.

  “You don’t think so? Did you notice that your supposedly innocent Mr. Peterson had blood and hair on his boots?” Synn asked.

  “Oh, so now you’re telling me he’s killed someone?” Craig challenged. There was no way he was admitting he didn’t see the blood or hair.

  “No, I am saying that Mr. Peterson had traps set in the woods behind those buildings. And since it’s not trapping season, they’re illegal. I’m saying Mr. Peterson is a poacher, and I believe with the amount of weapons he was carrying, he is perfectly willing to defend his activities.”

  All of Craig’s anger and bravado deflated like a balloon. He turned around and looked back out at the view, thinking what a fool he had been.

  “I deserve to be written up,” he stated.

  Hands came down on his shoulders and began to massage them. “I’m not going to write you up, baby. You just have to learn how to trust me.”

  Craig leaned back and Synn put his big muscled arms around him. Tilting his head, Craig looked up at Synn and smiled. “We just had our first huge fight,” he pointed out.

  “That we did.” Synn smiled down at him.

  “I think we need to take a ten minute break from duty.” Craig rubbed his ass against the growing bulge in Synn’s pants.

  Synn reached down and opened Craig’s pants. “Do you think ten minutes is enough for our dance?” Synn asked with an accent that was suddenly thick.

  Craig arched up when Synn roughly grabbed the base of his dick and firmly pulled his fingers up along the skin until they reached the tip. Synn gave Craig’s cockhead a good squeeze.

  “Shit, I’m going to come.” Craig’s hips thrust forward seeking more friction.

  “No you’re not,” Synn ordered and let Craig’s cock go.

  “You sucker,” Craig bitched.

  “I’m not, but you will be,” Synn responded. “Get on your knees and get me nice and wet, baby.”

  “I’ve got lube in my pocket. My ass feels empty,” Craig said, trying to entice Synn to see things his way.

  “That’s good. Now you can prepare yourself while you suck me,” Synn replied.

  Craig shivered at the authority in Synn’s voice. Quickly he slid his pants down and kicked off one shoe, so he could take one leg out of his pants. It was actually a relief freeing his cock from the material rubbing against it.

  Kneeling on one knee, Craig opened Synn’s pants, and pushed them down the big man’s thighs, releasing the heavy cock in the process. Pulling the lube out of the pocket of his pants, Craig squirted a good amount onto his fingers.

  With one hand he stroked Synn’s thick already dripping cock. While his other hand reached down and greased up his own hole.

  Hands came down and fingers sifted through his hair. “Open for me,” Synn ordered.

  Warm soft skin touched Craig’s lips. Automatically he obeyed Synn’s command and let the thick weeping pole into his mouth. Putting pressure on the guarding muscle of his asshole, he slipped one finger inside.

  When Synn began powering short sharp thrusts into his mouth, Craig added fingers two and three into his sphincter. The wide cock in his mouth pushed deep forcing Craig to breathe out of his nose. Craig pushed his fingers as far as he could up his ass craving the stimulation.

  “Freeze,” Synn said.

  Craig now had a dick deep in his mouth on the verge of entering his throat, and three fingers penetrated completely inside his ass. The act of stopping all movement and enduring the invasion had Craig’s cock lengthening and a constant stream of pre-cum dripping from the end.

  “I’m sorry,” Synn said.

  Craig was confused. Why would Synn be apologizing at a time like this?

  “Baby, I would never do this on purpose, but we both forgot. I’m not wearing a condom,” Synn confessed.

  Synn’s confession didn’t make sense right away. And then Craig’s befuddled brain figured out what Synn meant. Looking up into Synn’s dark eyes he moved his head forward, forcing Synn’s thick cock down his throat.

  “Are you sure?” Synn asked.

  Craig swallowed in answer and Synn exploded down his throat thrusting hard and stretching his lips wide. Craig kept his fingers still. If he moved them right now he would come. That couldn’t happen until his lover granted him that privilege. Synn finished his orgasm with a cock that was still rock hard. Craig felt empty when Synn removed it from his mouth.

  “Stand up and hold onto the back of the chair,” Synn said, his voice hoarse.

  Removing his fingers had Craig closing his eyes and biting his lip, willing his body to cooperate. Sweat popped up onto his brow, and still he couldn’t move, his orgasm on the edge ready to topple over.

  “You are magnificent in your struggle, my darling,” Synn knelt down next to him and rubbed the flat of his fingertip over the head of Craig’s cock. “Come,” Synn whispered.

  Craig cried out and lost his balance as cum burst from his cock. His big lover caught him and held him close as stream after stream of cum painted the grass. Never once did he touch his cock and yet it was his ass that was clenching together needing to be filled.

  Synn stood with Craig still in his arms and let Craig regain his balance. Lips touched his ear. “I need to be inside, hold onto the chair.”

  Craig’s hands reached forward, the wood rough under his fingertips. Shifting his legs wide, he tilted his hips and displayed his hole.

  Glancing over his shoulder Craig almost lost his balance. Synn stood tall and proud, with his strong legs spread slightly. His hand, shiny with lube, was wrapped around his straining dick jacking it from base to tip.

  “Synn,” Craig complained.

  Synn took a small step forward and the blunt silky head of his dick burrowed between Craig’s ass cheeks and pressed against his hole. Without hesitation it surged inside, not stopping until Craig felt Synn’s balls hit his ass. And then Synn stopped moving.

  “You do realize this is a commitment. There will be no one else for either of us from now on,” Synn declared.

  Craig tried to move, but hands encircled his hips and held him tight.

  “Of course I realize that. I’m the one who made up the rules,” Craig reminded Synn, trying again to move this hips. Finally he resorted to squeezing his ass muscles to get some relief. What he got was a slap to one ass cheek.

  “Stop that,” Synn reprimanded.

  “Would you move,” Craig demanded. “It feels so good, come on.”

  The fingers around his hips tightened and Craig was lifted until his feet left the ground. Immediately he locked his arms straight so he wouldn’t fall.

  “What are you doing?” Craig asked.

  Synn shifted his hips sending his cock deeper into Craig. Again he stopped moving. Craig’s ass muscles quivered around Synn’s dick and his cock throbbed, ready to come. Craig struggled to catch his breath as his balls painfully pulled up, ready to unload. “I want you to agree we are now a committed exclusive couple, Synn said.

  “Why are you making this such a big deal?” Craig asked, breath wheezing. “You’re the one that is built like a Greek God with a way of speaking during sex that makes a person’s insides turn to jelly.” By now Craig’s arms were
starting to tremble.

  “Say we are my bratty little bird who doesn’t realize how charming he actually is.”

  “Did you just call me a brat?”

  Synn pulled his cock out and thrust back in. “Say it,” he demanded.

  “Yes,” Craig screamed. He body started shaking his need was so great.

  Thankfully Synn began thrusting into Craig. Both men were so turned on by their power exchange, they came together. When their balls were milked dry Synn collapsed onto the ground, making sure Craig landed on top of him.

  On the drive back to the sheriff’s department Craig noticed Synn looked happy and content. Craig had to admit he was pretty happy with the way things were going himself.

  * * * *

  When the men walked into the bullpen they were greeted by an agitated and pissed off sheriff.

  “What’s going on, Steve?” Synn asked.

  “I need to use your SUV to get home,” Steve said. “Someone slashed all four tires of my vehicle last night. Haley had to drop me off, this morning. Now Haley just called. There’s a skinned cat lying on my front porch.”

  “Shit. That’s not good. Do you need us to come with you?” Synn asked.

  “No, I’ll take care of it.” Steve assured them. “I know your shift is over, but on the way home can you swing over by the industrial park? Apparently a company from Saint Louis has rented one of the older warehouses on the back edge of the park. I always like to stop and check things out when new entities move in.”

  “That’s fine Craig has his Jeep here,” Synn answered.

  “One more thing. Troy hasn’t showed up for work yet,” Steve said.

  Synn glanced at his watch and frowned. “His shift started a half hour ago.”

  “Yeah, I know he’s notoriously late, but with all the crap that’s going on lately, I think we should send someone over there,” Steve advised.

  “Spencer is on patrol, I’ll have him swing by there,” Synn said. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Craig walk over to his desk and pick up the phone. Synn knew he was calling dispatch to get a message to Spencer. His assistant was efficient like that.