Vision Of Love (Cold Case Detective Book 0)

by Pandora Pine

  “Oh really?” Truman arched an eyebrow before stroking Carson’s length from root to tip.

  “You’re getting warmer, babe. Why don’t you keep that up and I’ll let you know when I’m convinced.”

  “Why do I feel like I’ve been had?” Truman giggled.

  “Oh, you’ll know when you’ve been had.” Carson smirked at his boyfriend before pillowing his arms behind his head. He wanted a front row seat to all of the dirty things he knew Truman was going to do him.

  His boyfriend didn’t disappoint. Truman started by gently stroking him with his right hand, but before long, he was using both hands on his cock and balls.

  “I’m kinda warming up to this.” Carson had the best boyfriend in the world. He was going to reward Truman later for this treatment. Just not on the kitchen floor. He was going to tell Truman all about his master plan to ride his cock to victory, when Truman bent his head to take the tip of his cock into his mouth.

  “Oh hell yeah!” Carson grinned, reaching for Truman’s face. “You always take such good care of me, baby. Now how about taking a little bit more of me?”

  Truman rolled his eyes, but obeyed, sinking slowly down to the root, lashing Carson’s length with his tongue.

  “Oh, God, just like that! Fuck me, Truman! I love having sex on the kitchen floor!” Carson felt his eyes roll back in his head and his balls start to draw up. He knew he wasn’t going to last much longer with Truman’s sucking him off like this.

  Truman smiled around his mouthful and moved his tongue faster.

  Carson stared into Truman’s too-green eyes and let himself go. His cock pulsed once, then twice in Truman’s mouth. He watched while his lover’s throat worked to swallow every drop. He was too lost in those storm-tossed orbs to cry out or tighten his hold. He just stared as if all he had in the world was time.

  26

  Truman

  “Knock, knock!” Cassie stuck her head inside Truman’s office door right before lunch on Friday morning.

  “Hey, Cassie! I can’t believe I’m about to say this but I’ll be so fricken happy when Christmas is over. Making sure next week’s office party goes off without a hitch is such a pain in my ass.”

  “Amen to that!” She shut the door behind her and hurried to sit in the chair in front of his desk. “I brought you these to share with Carson.” Cassie set a brown paper bag on his desk. “And then these are for my Sadie.” Another bag joined the first.

  “Cass, you didn’t have to do that.” Truman peered into the bag and saw chocolate chunk and oatmeal raisin cookies.

  “I wasn’t sure which kind of cookies Carson liked, so I made two kinds.”

  “You’re the best, best friend ever.” Truman closed the bag up.

  “I know!” Cassie laughed. “Are you still up for going to West Side Magick with me tomorrow? I know going to see a physic isn’t your thing, but I love to shop for my mom there and I’m gonna treat myself to a reading. If you can open your heart up to love after the awful break-up you had with Mitch the bitch, maybe it’s time for me open myself up too.”

  Truman remembered Carson saying he had plans with his brother tomorrow during the day, which left him free to spend the day out with Cassie. She was right, psychics weren’t his thing, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have fun walking through the store with her and hearing all about her reading over lunch. “I’d love to come. I don’t have plans with Carson until later on tomorrow. We’re going to grab dinner at the Cheesecake Factory at the mall and grab some last minute gifts for the kids.”

  “Boy, things are really moving right along with the two of you.” She shook her head.

  “He’s coming with me to Sunday dinner. It’s the last big step before…” Truman trailed off, not sure if he should spill the beans. He didn’t want to jinx things.

  “Before what, Truman?” Her eyes glowed. “I’m already on the edge of my seat, don’t leave me hanging!”

  Truman reached into his top desk drawer and pulled out a black velvet ring box. “Meeting my parents and sisters is the last step before this.” He turned the box around and opened it.

  “Oh my God!” Cassie gasped. Inside the box was a shining platinum wedding band. “It’s been like two weeks and you bought a ring. Oh, Truman! I’m so happy for you!” She ran around the side of his desk to hug him.

  Truman still couldn’t believe it himself. He’d been lying in bed listening to Carson breathe the other morning when he’d held up their hands together. He couldn’t help noticing that even though Truman was a bit taller, their hands were about the same size.

  He couldn’t just give Carson the Prince Charming doll for Christmas and thought maybe he’d get him a nice pair of gloves, but then all of a sudden on the way home from work last night, he’d ended up in the jewelry store trying on wedding bands.

  The band sitting in the box on his desk had caught his eye the instant the sales assistant had taken it out of the box. The center of the band looked like brushed nickel while the outer rims of the band where highly polished. For whatever reason, Truman knew that band was meant to be Carson’s.

  Instead of finding a clever hiding spot for it at home, he’d put it in his briefcase and brought it to work with him today. The idea of not having it with him was unbearable.

  “When are you going to pop the question?”

  “Either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Which one do you think is more romantic? Should I wrap the ring and put it under the tree?”

  “It’s so exciting. Do you want to get down on one knee and ask him to marry you or do you want to take his hand and ask him after he’s unwrapped the box and opened it for himself?”

  “I don’t know. It’s all so new. My head is still spinning with it. I’ve never wanted to marry anyone before.”

  “It will come to you, Truman! The right time and place will come to you.” Cassie stood up. “Hey! Maybe you could ask my psychic tomorrow what he thinks about your future.”

  Truman started to laugh. He could see his entire future mapped out in Carson’s blue eyes. What did he need a psychic for?

  27

  Carson

  Carson had stopped at Truman’s favorite Chinese food place on his way over after he’d closed up the shop for the night. He knew Truman loved the Pu pu platter and their pork fried rice. Those things also happened to be his favorites as well. He figured they’d been running around for the last two weeks and a nice quiet Friday night at home might be just the thing for them. Maybe they could rent a sappy movie like The Notebook and cuddle.

  Truman had asked about why they hadn’t been to Carson’s place before and he’d said Cole was in the middle of studying for finals, which was technically true. He’d barely seen his brother in the last two days. So far as Carson knew, his last final was coming up on Monday.

  Once they got through Truman’s company Christmas party on December 22nd, and Truman was safe and sound, Carson was going to tell him everything. He was going to explain about the visions and how Carson felt like he was sent to find Truman and save his life. He’d tell him about Cole and their mother and Corny and the store. Carson would tell Truman everything.

  Then he would begin the long process of rebuilding Truman’s trust in him. Carson was hoping that his boyfriend would be so grateful to be alive that forgiving Carson would be as easy as breathing, but if it wasn’t, then the fact that Truman would still be breathing would be what mattered most.

  Carson could hear Sadie barking when he rang the doorbell. He'd missed the little lady in the hours since he’d left for work this morning.

  "Surprise!" Carson announced when Truman opened the front door to him.

  "Oh God, is that Chinese food from Lotus Blossom I smell?" Truman grabbed the bag from him and leaned in to kiss Carson.

  "It sure is. Are you hungry?" Carson hoped that once Truman's appetite for crab rangoon, fried shrimp, and chicken wings had been satisfied he'd been in the mood to satisfy another kind of appetite entirely.

&
nbsp; "Starving. It’s like you read my mind. Take a look at the coffee table." Truman pointed as he carried the bag toward the kitchen.

  Carson could see the menu for Lotus Blossom sitting on the table. "Great minds, huh?" He followed his boyfriend into the kitchen and slipped his arms around his hips when Truman set the bag of food down on the counter. "You know what I hate about the winter?"

  Truman turned in his arms. "Uh, everything! What do I win? What do I win?" He kissed Carson hard, digging his erection into his stomach.

  They were on the same page, as usual, about satisfying other appetites as well. If Truman kept kissing him like that, he was going to win a cold egg roll and a reciprocal kitchen blow job.

  "Seriously, though," Truman said, taking a step back, a cheeky grin on his face. "What do you hate most about winter?"

  "No picnics." Carson frowned. “I want to lie on a blanket and feel the sun on my face and have a picnic with you.”

  "You like having picnics?"

  Carson nodded, wrapping his arms around Truman, and resting his face against his chest. He could hear his boyfriend's beating heart. Slow. Steady. Alive.

  "Wait! I've got an idea." Truman took off out of the kitchen and into the living room. He heard a door open, probably the hall closet door, and then heard Truman command Sadie onto the couch before the lights went out in the living room.

  "Carson, come see!" Truman called.

  He walked into the living room to see a blanket spread out in front of the Christmas tree. The white lights cast the room in a soft glow. "This is perfect. I love it." Only Truman would think of spreading a blanket out in front of the Christmas tree.

  "Grab the food. I'll get plates." Truman brushed a kiss against the top of Carson's head on his way past him.

  He looked at the tree for one last second before following Truman into the kitchen. "How was work today?"

  "I'm swamped with last minute details for this party next week. Who knew that much work went into planning a simple hors d'oeuvres party for a hundred people or so? I had to sort out a paper plate SNAFU.” Truman rolled his eyes. “Apparently my boss wanted silver plates and the ones that arrived today were gold. He said we’d keep them for the New Year’s Eve party, but I still needed to re-order silver ones and at a discount since they messed up the first order.”

  Carson laughed. “Is anyone really going to notice the paper plates?”

  “No one is really going to notice anything, with the exception of the fact that they’re missing time with their families on the last Friday before the holiday. The owner of the company is a miserable prick who has no family of his own, so he delights in holding us hostage for our Christmas bonus. If we don’t come to the party, our check gets donated to the charity of his choice.” Truman stacked silverware on the plates and walked back toward the living room.

  “Jesus Christ! Is that even legal?” Carson didn’t like the sound of this at all.

  Truman shrugged. “That bonus is enough to make one extra mortgage payment on this house. So I wouldn’t miss this party if my left leg were hanging on by a thread. I’d get my wonky ass into a wheelchair and pick up that check come hell or high water.” Truman sat on the floor and handed Carson his plate. “After the paper plate drama was settled, I spent the rest of the day making sure the canapés had been ordered correctly and signing off on the menu.”

  Carson sat cross-legged on the blanket and pulled out the food setting a couple rangoons on Truman's plate before adding a few to his own. "Is that what's being served at the party? One bite food?"

  The second Truman mentioned the party Carson felt his heart rate kick up in his chest. He thought he had seven days to figure out a way to keep Truman away from the party, but now he was going to have to figure out a new strategy.

  Maybe he could take a tumble down the stairs and sprain his ankle like Mrs. Salazar's sister had done? If he had to go to the ER for x-rays or a cast, Truman would go with him for moral support, wouldn't he? Just so long as his tumble happened after Truman got his check, but before the gunman showed up.

  Truman seemed to be the one in charge of this party, would he have to be there for the entire party no matter what? Would his boss force him to choose between his job and his boyfriend and, ultimately his life?

  Carson instantly discarded that idea. Staying at Truman's side was paramount. They couldn't get separated no matter what. The best course of action would be to keep his boyfriend home, but hearing how much that bonus money meant to Truman meant that keeping him home was almost an impossible sell.

  “What is it about picnics that you love so much?” Truman held out a sweet and sour dipped crab rangoon to Carson. “I mean there are ants and sunburn and chances of a thunderstorm.”

  Carson crunched into the deep-friend treat. “Remember in Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts talked Richard Gere into taking time off work?”

  Truman snorted. “Are you calling me Julia Roberts?”

  Carson poked Truman’s side. “No, it was just so romantic that he took the time to spend with her and they laughed and…”

  “And fell in love.” Truman kissed him. “I love that you’re such a romantic. I never would have thought to do this. I would have left the television on and would have focused on some re-run of The Golden Girls instead of you.”

  “Not that I don’t love me a dose of some sassy Blanche.”

  Truman laughed. “I always loved Dorothy with her dry humor and lines about sending her mother back to the nursing home.”

  Carson rested his head on Truman’s shoulder. “Never forget how much I love you.”

  “What brought this on all of a sudden?”

  “This relationship is so new and shiny.” Carson sniffled, burying his face in the sweet smelling crook of Truman’s neck. “I know that we’re gonna hit a bump or two in the road and I just want you to always remember how much I love you. I never thought I’d ever find a love like this in my life, Truman.”

  “What did you think would happen to you?” Truman wrapped his arms around Carson.

  “I thought I’d have a string of boyfriends. Maybe find comfort here or there along the way. But finding true love? I mean the real deal? I thought that was a fairy tale. You know, the kind of thing people make up fake posts about on Facebook so you think they’re living this perfect life, when they’re just holding on by their fingernails until they can have that next glass of wine.”

  Truman snorted. “I’m not laughing at you, babe. I thought I was the only one jaded enough to think those perfectly posed Facebook posts were bullshit. I’ve had my own run of bad luck when it comes to awful relationships. I guess that’s how I knew that you were my meant-to-be when we met. I’d kissed my share of frogs and knew my Prince when I met him.”

  “I’m gonna fuck up, Truman. I guarantee it. I’m gonna say something stupid or do something stupid or buy something stupid.” He took a shaky breath. Carson was so close to losing it completely and confessing it all. They were one week away from the party. One week until Truman died horribly at the hand of a gunman. “Just promise me you’ll give me enough time to explain. Promise me, Truman. Promise.”

  “I promise, baby.” Truman rocked him, holding him close. “There’s nothing you can do that I can’t forgive. You’re my now, my future and my forever.”

  Carson held on tight. It was all he could do. He’d heard every word Truman had said. He only hoped that when this was over and he’d confessed all, that Truman kept his promise.

  28

  Truman

  It had been a bit of a long night for Truman. He hadn’t slept well at all.

  After he and Carson finished eating, they’d spent the rest of the night curled up on the sofa watching episodes of The Golden Girls. When it had been time for bed, they’d ended up cuddling instead of making love.

  He knew that over the long haul of a relationship it wasn’t possible to have sex every night. He could tell Carson needed the safety of his embrace rather than bone-melting, sex. They
could do that anytime.

  When they’d gotten up this morning, Carson had seemed almost back to his usual self. He was happy about going Christmas shopping with his brother and then getting together later on that night for a dinner date.

  Truman couldn’t help but wonder why Carson had brought up the idea of him messing up at some point in the future. Every relationship went through rough patches. Partners lied, kept things from each other, and even cheated on each other. Truman wasn’t naive enough to think his and Carson’s relationship would be immune from those things.

  Was Carson keeping something from him? Was Carson lying to him about something?

  Truman took a deep breath. He reminded himself that he and Carson had only been seeing each other for a few weeks. Even though the feelings for him were there and ran deep, they still didn’t know each other that well.

  It was possible that Carson could have been feeling a bit down or been having trouble with his self-confidence. He could have had an ex-boyfriend who ran him through the gauntlet over the tiniest infraction, real or perceived, and maybe Carson did something that Truman would have found benign, but that would have set the ex off.

  He’d gauge his boyfriend’s mood later and see if they needed to talk more about it over dinner. Truman was sure everything was fine though. Just a bit of new relationship insecurity.

  In the meantime, he was getting more excited over his trip to the psychic store with Cassie. Maybe the guy could recommend a gift for Carson. He had no idea if his boyfriend believed in that kind of stuff, but maybe he could get Carson a crystal or some kind of talisman that would ward off evil or could ease anxiety? He shook his head. Cassie would know more about that kind of thing than he would.

  The doorbell rang just as he was about to look up charms on his phone.

  “Hi, Truman!” Cassie chirped as he stepped outside, following her down the front steps to her car.