Something in Common (Dreamspinner Press Bundles)

by Talia Carmichael

  “Hold on. Don’t let go.” He did the same with the other hand, squeezing to let Rhodes know he meant him to do as he said.

  Rhodes gripped the rails of the headboard. Taggart traced his bulging muscles with his tongue. Rhodes’s went rigid before relaxing under his tongue. With every lick, his muscles went back and forth between hard, then at ease. Taggart moved to the other arm and did the same thing. He licked along Rhodes’s neck, moving over to the scarred side. Rhodes shuddered like he had that day in the gym. Taggart rubbed his quickly hardening erection against Rhodes’s cock, which was rapidly rising. He stopped because he didn’t want to come again yet. Taggart continued his downward trek, nibbling, sucking, and licking along the way. At Rhodes’s chest, he paid particular attention to the puckered skin, enjoying how the textures felt on his tongue. But more importantly, he enjoyed each catch of Rhodes’s breath and shudder that shook his frame. By the time he reached his stomach, Rhodes was shaking uncontrollably. Taggart raised his head and met his green eyes.

  “This is where we left off last time.”

  “At least this time we’re naked.” Rhodes narrowed his eyes. “If you get a call this time, I’m going to tie you to the bed and fuck you before I let you leave.”

  “Fate wouldn’t be so cruel twice.” Taggart kissed his belly.

  “She can be a cold-hearted bitch, but let’s hope this time she isn’t. Because if she is I’ll hunt her down and gut her.” Rhodes shifted on the bed.

  “Oh God. You say the most romantic things.” Taggart laughed.

  “You want to be romantic. Fine. Get back to it. You’re talking too much.” Rhodes winked.

  Taggart nipped him on the stomach for that.

  “Yeah, baby, that’s what I’m talking about.” Rhodes made a loud, fake moan.

  Taggart licked the scar on his stomach, and Rhodes’s breath caught in that way he liked. Taggart moaned on his skin and set about driving him out of his mind.

  Chapter Five

  TAGGART PRESSED a kiss before he licked, then bit the skin gently, afterward moving lower to the line just below Rhodes’s stomach on his groin. He repeated the same pattern of lick, suck, followed by bite, and continued down the trail of hair until he reached Rhodes’s cock. He swirled his tongue along the base, and licked up the side, nibbling as he went.

  “Taggart….” Rhodes bucked on the bed, almost unseating him. He stilled, growling. “Stop your teasing and suck me now.”

  Taggart didn’t respond or do what Rhodes wanted. He moved slower, making the same pattern and enjoying the taste of Rhodes.

  “You… bastard.” Rhodes groaned.

  With a long swipe of his tongue along the side of his erection, Taggart nibbled on him again. Rhodes shook and when Taggart looked up, he saw the strain on his face and in his arms as he gripped the bed rails. He looked at Rhodes’s cock, the tip slick with precum. He placed his lips against it and sucked the crown into his mouth.

  “Yessss….”

  Opening wide, Taggart pulled him deeper into his mouth, making a sound of pleasure in the back of his throat. Rhodes jerked up, filling his mouth. Taggart relaxed his throat, taking him in and moving forward until he had all of him in. He pulled back and did it repeatedly.

  “Damn it, yes. Like that.” Rhodes babbled more and more as Taggart sucked him.

  Taggart lifted up until only the crown was in his mouth and sucked strongly. Rhodes went stiff. Taggart reached for the base of Rhodes’s erection and squeezed to stop his coming.

  “I’m going to—”

  Taggart wasn’t worried about the unfinished threat. He moved up his body, impatient to have Rhodes inside him.

  “Protection?”

  “In the nightstand.”

  Taggart straddled him and reached for the drawer, pulling it open. There was a new box of condoms and tube of lube. Seeing a wrapped gift, Taggart ignored it since it wasn’t for him and pulled out the box, ripping it open and taking out a few condoms and placing them on the nightstand before replacing the box and reaching for the lube.

  “The gift is for you.”

  Taggart stilled, staring at him. “You bought me a Christmas gift?”

  “What?” Rhodes widened his eyes exaggeratingly. “That’s a Christmas gift? I had no idea. That sneaky saleswoman duped me. I’m going to go and give her a strong talking to.”

  “Smart-ass.” Taggart took out the package and placed it on the nightstand next to the condoms. He took out the lube from the drawer before closing it. He snagged a condom, dropping it and the lube by Rhodes’s shoulder. He braced his hands on Rhodes’s chest, studying him. “Just for that, I shouldn’t give you the gift I got you.”

  “You got me a gift?” Rhodes mimicked his surprised tone perfectly and chuckled.

  “Shut up.” Taggart kissed him.

  Rhodes’s chuckle changed to a groan and he rocked under him. Taggart rubbed their bodies together. The sensation of their skin against each other’s drove him crazy. He grabbed the lube and condom. He placed the protection on Rhodes and quickly squeezed lube on his fingers and readied himself. Flinging the tube on the bed, Taggart lifted up and lined up Rhodes’s cock. He pushed down and hissed as it filled him. It had been awhile.

  “Tell me to let go,” Rhodes demanded.

  Taggart saw the strain on his face as he fought not to touch as Taggart had asked him to. He shook his head and moved until he was fully seated. Pressing his hand on Rhodes’s chest, he moved forward and back slowly, increasing the speed until he was moving fast.

  “Rhodes.” Taggart cleared his throat as it came out so deep he didn’t recognize his own voice. “Yes.” He continued, tightening on Rhodes’s shaft as he pushed into him.

  Rhodes widened his legs, rocking up and pushing into Taggart. The blunt heat filled Taggart and he rolled his ass, wanting it deeper.

  “Move.”

  He had barely gotten the words out before Rhodes grabbed him and rolled Taggart beneath him. He kissed him, moving firm and deep. Taggart wrenched his lips away and grunted. Rhodes snapped quicker and quicker. Taggart dug his nails into his back, holding him tight as he enjoyed each thrust.

  “Teasing me all through the dinner.” Rhodes punctuated each word with a thrust. “Making me wait. Downstairs was not enough.” Rhodes kissed him thoroughly, then spoke again. “I don’t know if I can ever get enough of you.”

  Taggart wrapped his legs around Rhodes, moaning as Rhodes pistoned into him. His erection wet his belly, caught between their bodies. His sac was tight and he was almost there. Taggart moved, pushing against Rhodes’s stomach. His shaft became more sensitive as he prepared to come. Rhodes braced his elbows on the bed, and the angle of his thrusts changed. It made Taggart shake as he filled him even more, while he whimpered at the loss of sensation against his cock.

  “Rhodes. Fuck me.” Taggart grabbed his upper arms and closed his eyes.

  “Open.”

  He opened his eyes at the harsh word. Rhodes’s face was drawn into lines of desire. His scar stood out against his face as his jaw tightened and relaxed. Taggart touched him, tracing his fingertips over the skin and down the side of his neck. Rhodes shivered as he did whenever Taggart touched his neck. Taggart pressed his fingertips deeper and Rhodes groaned loudly. Pulling him down, Taggart licked the skin at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. He set his teeth on the rough skin and bit down. Rhodes shook against him, rocking them. Taggart ground his erection against him, moaning as he increased the pressure of his teeth.

  “Taggart!” Rhodes roared as he came.

  Taggart moaned as he jerked with his own release. He shuddered, moving under Rhodes, who shivered with his own pleasure. Rhodes slumped against him. Taggart licked the spot he had bitten, then plopped his head back on the pillow, trying to calm his breathing. Rhodes’s chest moved against his as he, too, tried to slow down his breathing.

  “I guess fate escaped me this time.” Rhodes turned his head.

  “You are a strange, strange man.�
� Taggart kissed his nose.

  Rhodes wrinkled it. “Pot, I think you are as black as kettle.”

  “We’re both strange.” Taggart ran his hands along Rhodes’s back. He blinked, yawning. “I’m about to fall asleep.”

  Rhodes rolled off him and got out of the bed.

  “Hey, where are you going?”

  “Gift. I’m going to get it. I saw you left an overnight bag and the dogs’ backpack on the entryway table.” Rhodes didn’t pause as he headed to the door. He opened it, saying, “Damn. Were you two out here all this time? Taggart, your puppies were listening to us.” Rhodes went out the door.

  The puppies barked and came running in. “No,” Taggart said sharply, and pointed. They didn’t jump on the bed, instead coming over to his side. He scooted back until he was against the headboard, then leaned over the side of the bed and petted them. “Good doggies.” They wiggled and he laughed.

  “They need training.”

  Taggart jumped and looked at the door. He hadn’t heard Rhodes return. Rhodes brought over the bag and placed it by his hip. Taggart unzipped the side pocket and pulled out the wrapped gift. Rhodes removed the bag, putting it on a chair before coming back and sitting where it had been.

  “They do. You never gave me the recommendation for a trainer.” Taggart handed him his gift.

  “Here.” Rhodes handed him an envelope that looked like a card.

  “Where did that come from?” Taggart took it, then picked up the wrapped gift on the side table.

  “Had it on the dresser by the chair.” Rhodes was focused on opening his gift.

  Taggart watched as he meticulously pulled off the tape and opened the paper.

  “If you do it that way we’ll be here all night.” He shook his head.

  “My gift. I like to take my time. You took time to wrap it. I can appreciate it and not rip into it.” Rhodes glared at him.

  “Very strange man.” Taggart sighed, reaching for the gift. “The fun is ripping it open.”

  Rhodes blocked it with his body. “Mine.” He pointed at Taggart’s items. “You open your own.”

  Taggart leaned on the headboard to open the card. He frowned at the picture of cats on the front and the caption May you have many Christmases of chasing us.

  “Why would I want to chase a cat? I do enough of that with my dogs,” Taggart muttered. “Weird card—” He stopped speaking as he opened it and saw the gift certificate. Moments later he laughed. “Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, looks like you have another gift. Hell, we all do. Training lessons, my pups.” He rubbed their heads as they lay on the floor by the bed. Taggart straightened, reaching for Rhodes, kissed him, and said, “Thanks.” He grabbed the gift from him.

  “Hey.” Rhodes reached around him.

  Taggart rolled over, out of his reach. He felt the bed shifting behind him and quickly ripped the paper before tossing it back at Rhodes and scrambling back toward the pillows.

  “There, it’s open.” Taggart laughed.

  Rhodes held the partially open gift and glared at him. “Before next Christmas, we’re going to plan to make sure we open gifts with you across the room from me.” Rhodes sat cross-legged on the bed. “Scratch that. From now on, whenever I get a gift, you’re always to stay across the room when I open it. Took all my fun away.”

  Taggart didn’t know what to make of Rhodes already planning for them to be together for next Christmas.

  “After ripping my gift. You hear the ‘my’ in there.” Rhodes poked him in the leg with his finger. “You’re just sitting there with your gift still all nicely wrapped.” Rhodes held out his hand. “Since I didn’t get to open mine how I wanted, I can open yours.”

  “Sure.” Taggart held up the gift and deliberately ripped the paper. “Whoops, how did that happen?”

  “And I’m the one he calls a smart-ass. Y—” Rhodes stopped speaking, looked at his present, and laughed.

  “What’s so fu—” Taggart stopped as he finished opening his gift.

  He looked at what Rhodes held and what was in his own hand, laughing too. Rhodes shifted and flopped back on the bed beside him.

  “Great minds think alike. Thanks for my handheld crossword game.” Rhodes lifted the gadget up.

  “I’m going to sharpen my already massive skills in Scrabble with my own game.” Taggart ripped open the package.

  “It must be a season for games. Hey, I forgot to mention I have a buddy who lives in Encounters in Texas. His name is Nate Bailey.”

  Taggart looked up sharply at the name. “Grayson knows him. More recently, just before Thanksgiving, he called me and said Anna had found her some Warrior Angels. That the Nate he’d thought he knew wasn’t who he thought he was.”

  “I know Grayson knows him. Nate called me, probably about the same time Grayson called you. He mentioned the same thing about Grayson being an unexpected surprise. That’s a compliment from Nate. Not many can get past him detecting that they’re ex-military or ops. He was impressed. They’re supposed to get a match together. That’s going to be interesting.”

  “Uh-huh. Nate better be on his guard. People tend to underestimate my brother. That isn’t a good thing.” Taggart thought of Rhodes knowing Nate. “So did you know Nate through your previous work?”

  “If I was to ask you the same thing about some of the people you know, what would be your answer?” Rhodes smiled affably.

  “Since you read my file, you wouldn’t have to ask. You’d know.” Taggart gripped the box the game was in.

  “Fair enough. But I can’t answer you. Nate is a buddy. He’s interested in meeting you. Seems he’s heard a lot about you. He wanted to meet the man who drives Vic crazy with the gifts for his mom. But even more so now after he and Grayson talked.”

  “Maybe next time I go to Encounters I’ll get to meet him.” Taggart decided to let it go that Rhodes had seen his file. He still didn’t like it, but he’d let it go. Taggart finished opening his game, pulled out the batteries from the package, and put them in. A few moments later he pressed the button and the sounds for the game came on. The sounds of Rhodes’s game started up too. Looking at his letters, he formed his first Scrabble word. “Look.” He showed the screen to Rhodes.

  “Lick.” He grinned, looking at his screen. “What’s a four letter word for someone who solves crime?”

  Taggart thought about it, lowering his lids over his eyes. “Dick. I think the games have the right idea.” He took Rhodes’s game from him and placed it along with his on the nightstand before turning back to Rhodes.

  “I’m taking the scenic route.” Rhodes pushed him back and moved down his body, licking.

  Taggart moaned, rocking into his swiping tongue. Rhodes was thorough and seemed to touch each part of his body on his journey to the place the game had started.

  “Best Christmas gift ever.” Taggart groaned as Rhodes licked his cock.

  Rhodes made a sound of agreement and continued his caress. If he could form the words, Taggart would be singing “Happy Holidays,” but he was too caught up in Rhodes’s wicked tongue as it moved up his shaft.

  “Happy Holidays to me,” Rhodes murmured and sucked him in.

  Taggart laughed and held Rhodes’s head, pushing deeper into his mouth. Yeah, he was with a strange man. The next moment, his thoughts scattered as Rhodes tightened his mouth around him.

  DAYS LATER, Taggart strode off the elevator on the eleventh floor of the police department and walked to his unit. Although he and Rhodes had spent the rest of Christmas night fucking, he’d had to come to work the next day. He’d left the puppies at Rhodes’s at his insistence, although he hadn’t protested too much since he was running late. Right after work, he went to his house and grabbed a few things for himself and the dogs before going back to Rhodes’s. That had been the pattern for the last few days.

  Taggart greeted his detectives who were in and noted those who were out. He knew what cases they were each on. Taggart entered his office, shrugged out of his jacket, and placed it o
ver the back of his desk chair before sitting.

  “Happy Holidays,” Taggart sang softly as he booted up his computer. As he waited he hummed the song.

  “Don’t you know Christmas is finished?” Walker came in and slumped in the chair facing his desk. “Thank God. It’s a good thing it’s once a year.”

  “All the crazies come out for the holidays.” Taggart keyed in his password. “When I came in, I saw those on the Steward case are out.”

  “Yeah, they’re wrapping it up.”

  “Good, at least it’ll be off the books before the new year.” Taggart didn’t like that a call from the mayor had forced him to assign seven people to one case.

  “Yeah. Hill called and said they’ll be here in a moment to tell us the outcome.”

  “Okay,” he said slowly, not sure why they needed to give the report verbally.

  “I know. I’m wondering why they want to tell us instead of writing up the report,” Walker said.

  Taggart shrugged and started to read his e-mails.

  “How much do you know about Rhodes?”

  Taggart stopped, focusing on his partner, whom he trusted above all else to have his back. “Enough. Why?” He studied Walker. “You ran his name.”

  “Of course I did. I got a strange feeling off him at the Christmas thing.” Walker scowled. “There’s something off. I’ve been around him before but never felt that. His comment to Aristotle sounded like a joke, but my gut said it wasn’t. I think he could really kill someone.”

  Taggart found it funny Walker had called Rhodes strange, but he didn’t laugh. “He’s harmless.” He almost choked with holding back his laughter when he said it. He’d have to tell Rhodes that later just to see his reaction.

  “There’s something you’re not telling me.” Walker had that stubborn look on his face.

  “Daisy.” Taggart used their code word.

  Walker frowned, then relaxed. “Christ, I should have figured it was some of your secretive shit,” Walker said good-naturedly.