Double Indemnity

by Maggie Kavanagh

  Once inside and face-to-face, with the door shut behind them and their winter coats discarded, Nathan rubbed Sam’s shoulders like he wasn’t sure where to settle his hands, even as their bodies aligned in all the right ways. A hint of worry in his eyes contradicted the intimate position.

  When the kiss finally happened, Sam wasn’t sure who’d made the first move. Nathan’s lips on his were tentative at first, searching. Sam wanted more and was afraid something would happen to end it before it even began. He needed to know Nathan wanted him just as much.

  Sam hooked his fingers into the belt loops at Nathan’s waist and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. Nathan let out a soft grunt of approval and responded by wrapping his arms more tightly around Sam’s back and sliding one hand through Sam’s hair to guide his head. Their mouths slotted together and opened, and the first probing stroke of Nathan’s tongue lit a fire at the base of Sam’s spine. Nathan kissed with his whole body, insistent and possessive, and Sam’s brain short-circuited. A fire in the building couldn’t have torn him away. All reticence gone, Sam rubbed his cock against Nathan’s, and the answering erection provided all the evidence he needed. The relief almost made him laugh.

  Before Sam knew it, he was seated astride Nathan on the couch, grinding down on him as they kissed. Nathan rubbed his smoothly shaven face against Sam’s stubbly chin and then sucked and licked his way down Sam’s neck to his collarbone. Sam closed his eyes to enjoy the urgency of Nathan’s hot mouth on his neck, the strong hands on his ass. He remembered the night Nathan questioned him, the sly sensuality of his method, and he wanted Nathan to throw him down and fuck him with the same determination.

  Far too many clothes impeded their movements. The high probability that this was a one-shot deal made Sam want to put the brakes on and savor while he could, but ultimately he was too impatient for foreplay.

  “Bed?” he offered. Nathan stilled a moment before nodding. He rested his hands on Sam’s thighs and squeezed.

  The way Nathan followed him closely, pressing his body into Sam’s from behind as they walked, gave Sam a secret thrill. His bedroom was dark, but he flipped on a light. He was grateful he’d been more conscientious of his messes lately. Nathan kissed the back of his neck and ran his hands under the front of Sam’s shirt, urging it up and over his head. Sam tossed it to the side, turned around to help Nathan with his own, and fumbled with the tiny buttons.

  Undressed, Nathan’s body was familiar and unfamiliar. His lean swimmer’s build had been the object of Sam’s appreciation on many occasions, but now that he was fully naked, Sam realized what he’d been missing. His cock was long and thick and best of all, uncut. It stood proudly out from his body, the swollen glans pushing back the ring of foreskin. A bead of precome clung to the slit—evidence of long-standing arousal—and Sam dropped to his knees to take it into his mouth. He wondered how many people had done this to Nathan before, and he wanted to make it good. He wanted to be the best.

  Nathan tasted musky and sweet. The smell of his arousal mingled with the soap of his shower. His thighs clenched as Sam worked him over. Sam stared up through his lashes in the way he knew drove most men wild. He made the shaft wet, tickling the sensitive underside with his tongue, and then licked the taut frenulum and pressed down into the slit. He paid equal attention to the pendulous balls between Nathan’s thighs, nosing the tightened sack and sucking first one, then the other, into his mouth. The rasp of hair over his tongue contrasted with the firm, wrinkly skin. Nathan obviously loved it. He grunted in protest when Sam abandoned his sack—but then moaned when Sam teased the tip of his cock with his open lips and let the head slip inside his mouth. Nathan twisted his fingers in Sam’s hair, tugging gently. In response, Sam nudged Nathan’s foreskin back with his tongue.

  Once Nathan was gasping, Sam took pity on him and let the whole length inside. He did his best to control his gag reflex and allow Nathan to control his thrusts. His eyes blurred as the shaft hit the back of his throat, but he kept them open and watched Nathan watching him. The intense pressure of his gaze and the forceful slide of his cock made Sam’s painfully hard dick throb, still confined in his jeans. He palmed himself to relieve the pressure, but the ache only increased. It didn’t matter, though, not when Nathan was petting him, fucking his throat, and telling him how good it was—how good he was.

  All too soon, though, Nathan pulled out, leaving Sam on his knees. He was vaguely aware of a sound like a whimper, and realized, embarrassed, it had come from him. The cock he’d been sucking bobbed—angry, red, and wet—mere inches away.

  “I want to see you,” Nathan said, drawing him up to his feet. Sam swayed for a moment as he regained his balance. The crouched position had left his legs asleep. He shook them to get the blood circulating as he kicked off his jeans and boxer briefs.

  Nathan ran his hands over Sam’s chest and pulled him toward the bed. The question in his eyes made Sam remember Nathan was relatively new to gay sex and that he was used to being in charge. He didn’t know how much of a Dom Nathan was, or whether he expected Sam to be submissive. An unnamable excitement shivered through him at the idea.

  Of course, that brought back the fear that Nathan had spent the last couple of weeks in the company of other men and women. Sam tried to push the thought out of his mind. After all, back at the bar, Nathan had said he’d been tested since his undercover work at the club, and there was no reason to think all of his cases required sex. He’d never been the jealous type and wasn’t about to start now.

  “Hey,” Nathan said, bringing his hand to Sam’s face. “Where’d you go?”

  “Sorry. I’m here. I was only thinking.”

  “Should I get ready to put my pants back on?”

  “Absolutely not.” Sam kissed Nathan again, this time controlling the action, getting his semi back up to full mast. He let Nathan roll them over so Nathan was on top, and they finally made full contact. Skin to skin was always great, but this time it felt like electric wiring connected them in all the right places. Nathan’s chest hair rasped against his, and Sam grabbed two handfuls of his firm, flexing ass. A few more minutes of this and Sam was going to blow his load, but the friction wasn’t quite right. He reached for the slick he kept in his bedside table and Nathan got the message—he squeezed lube onto his hand and coated both of their cocks with it.

  “Why don’t you tell me what you were thinking about?”

  “I don’t think you want to know.” Besides, with Nathan’s fist wrapped around their cocks, jerking them together, who had time for talking?

  “I do. And I know already. You were thinking about what I told you about the sex club. You were wondering if I wanted to do those things with you.”

  “Not bad, detective.” He didn’t mention his jealousy or his worry Nathan hadn’t been completely honest about his work.

  “God, you’re gorgeous. What do you want?”

  “I, ah—” Sam’s eyes rolled back in his head as Nathan squeezed the tip of his cock. It was the most excruciatingly slow hand job of his life. “I don’t know….”

  “You can do better than that.”

  “I want you to make me come.”

  “Oh, I will.” Nathan’s hot mouth on his nipple made Sam cry out. Nathan grazed it lightly with his teeth and then gave Sam a wet and filthy kiss. “How am I supposed to resist you when you look at me like that?”

  Again, the pace slowed. Sam forced himself to keep his eyes open. Nathan was enjoying this. His dark eyes glittered with excitement.

  “It was this, wasn’t it? Having someone under your control. That’s what you want.” Sam almost gasped the words.

  Nathan didn’t answer. He rubbed his thumb in maddening circles over Sam’s slit.

  “And that’s what you liked, what you got addicted to.” It was more of a statement than a question. Nathan didn’t seem to disapprove, though. He kept his pace steady. Sam felt the orgasm begin to build deep in his belly. “Is that where you’ve been the last couple of weeks?�
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  Nathan’s hand stilled, leaving Sam on the precipice. His balls ached with the need to come. “I shouldn’t have asked. What you do for work is your own business.”

  “No,” Nathan’s voice was calm, betraying nothing. “It’s all right. You worried about me sleeping with other people? Were you jealous, Sam?”

  “Fuck.” Sam tried, and failed, to keep his hips from moving. His grip on Nathan tightened. It began again, the slow teasing. Precome made his cock even more slick. Sam’s balls drew up, and he bit his lip to hold back a groan. He was sure if Nathan stopped again he’d lose his mind.

  Nathan’s breathing had become labored, though, and Sam could tell his will was faltering. “I shouldn’t like that you were jealous, but I do. God help me.” He kissed Sam again, hard, and his stroke quickened purposefully, hurtling them both toward climax. It broke over Sam first, shattering him from the inside out. His stomach clenched as he shot, hot and wet, over Nathan’s fist and their stomachs. Nathan let out a quiet moan and followed soon after, still working them together even as Sam’s cock softened and grew sensitive.

  Nathan flopped onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Their arms were still loosely entwined, and Sam hesitated before getting up to grab a towel from the bathroom. He handed it to Nathan and then remembered how unpleasant it was to wipe off with a towel covered in someone else’s cold come. Nathan didn’t seem to mind, though. He wiped himself efficiently and tossed the towel over the side of the bed.

  Now would come the awkward post-orgasm parting—the real reason Sam made it a point never to invite someone over to his apartment in the first place.

  Instead of making a move, though, Nathan drew the blanket up and over his waist. He seemed intent on trading awkward leaving for awkward… cuddling? When Sam didn’t get back in bed right away, Nathan sat back up. “Do you want me to go?”

  “No,” Sam admitted. “I just hadn’t planned for this.”

  Nathan gave him a wry smile. “Neither had I. But the thought of going back to my house doesn’t sound appealing.”

  Of course. His first Thanksgiving without Emma.

  “Haven’t you found an apartment yet?”

  “I’ve looked at a couple, but neither felt right. I’m not sure what I want, actually. I don’t want to be there anymore, but I can’t quite… let it go.”

  And didn’t that say it all.

  It was funny, or perhaps sad and awful, that Sam hadn’t thought about Emma until then. Everything had seemed so natural, so—he almost cringed to think it—right. But the reality was back, and with it the fact Nathan was still a man grieving over his dead spouse.

  He wanted to slide close and wrap his legs and arms around Nathan like a human squid. Maybe wait until their erections decided they wanted to play together again. But reality made him scoot a little farther away so he could resist the urge.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with me staying?” Nathan asked. Sam nodded, though he’d turned out the light when he’d gotten back into bed, and he doubted Nathan could see him. He lay on his side facing the room, feeling unsettled.

  “Sam, are you awake?” Nathan whispered sometime later.

  “Yeah.” Sam rolled onto his back. “What’s up?”

  “Before, when you were asking me about what I’d done, I was worried you might have found it strange.”

  “Strange? Nah. I’ve been around the block a few times, Nathan. You’re gonna have to work a little harder to shock me.” He didn’t need to add he’d found it incredibly arousing, not after how he’d responded to the slight tease.

  The bed shifted, bringing the heat of Nathan’s body closer. Sam smiled and relaxed into his embrace, instantly conscious of the fact that they were still naked. His cock stirred, and Nathan’s prodded against his ass, but both of them were too tired to do anything about it. Anyway, it felt pretty good to sleep.

  Chapter 13

  SAM GASPED awake with his heart pounding in his throat. He ran a hand over his face and sighed, even as the dream he’d been having dissipated and left his head in a tired fog. Nathan lay next to him, his deep, even breath blowing warm through Sam’s hair. Sam could barely make out the arm snug around him, only that it was heavy and a little too hot.

  He was surprised Nathan had turned out to be a cuddler. Sam had always preferred sleeping on his own side of the bed when he chose to sleep with anyone at all. He’d always been too conscious of irritating the other person with his inevitable tosses and turns to fall asleep. And he liked his space.

  This wasn’t too bad, though. He hadn’t disturbed Nathan with his nightmare.

  The next time Sam woke up, light had begun to stake its preliminary claim on the room. He groaned and turned over, shielding his eyes, and came chest-to-chest with Nathan, who was very much awake. His morning erection prodded Sam between the legs, and Sam’s responded eagerly.

  “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” Sam replied. He reached down between them, took Nathan in hand, and explored the hard length of him with his palm. Nathan groaned and buried his head against Sam’s neck. He teased and nipped Sam’s throat as Sam stroked him, but the angle made it difficult to get a rhythm going.

  “I want to fuck you,” Nathan said. Sam wanted the same thing, but he was already late for work.

  “Grab the lube.” Sam gestured to the side table.

  Sam positioned himself as the little spoon and slicked Nathan’s cock so it could slip easily against his crack. He pushed back a couple of times to give Nathan the idea, and then let him take over while Sam beat himself off. He loved the way Nathan grabbed his ass to make it tighter, and the surprised, pleased sounds he made. Nathan’s cock slid under Sam’s balls and Sam squeezed his thighs to trap it there, reveling in its width and hardness. He imagined it sliding inside his ass, how the stretch would feel, and that was it. He sped up his hand and came heedlessly all over the covers.

  Nathan stilled as Sam came, and then he swiftly moved until he was straddling Sam’s chest, finishing himself off while Sam watched him. Sam was surprised at how intimate it felt. Maybe it was the fact that jerking off was normally such a private act. Doing it in front of someone else took a sort of courage and even trust. He liked the way Nathan held himself at the base of his cock, his fingers lost in the thick nest of dark curls, while his other hand moved efficiently, up, around the head, and back down. When Nathan whispered he was close, Sam decided he’d been a bystander long enough. He took the tip of Nathan’s cock into his mouth and swallowed his spunk as he came. Then he continued sucking him through the aftershocks, applying just enough pressure to make Nathan shiver and curl his toes.

  Nathan watched him with a wrecked expression.

  “What?”

  “You seem to enjoy that.” The sated lust in Nathan’s eyes created a swirl of arousal and tenderness in Sam’s belly.

  “Are you kidding? Of course I do. You mean you don’t?” Sam licked his lips, and Nathan tracked the movement.

  “I don’t… not like it, I guess.”

  Sam rolled his eyes. “Then there are still a few things you need to learn about gay sex, despite your training. One of them is worshiping cock.” Nathan chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss against Sam’s temple. They lay together for another few minutes until Sam remembered himself.

  “Shit,” he said. “I’m going to be late if I don’t get going.” The clock read quarter to eight already, and it would take at least half an hour for him to reach the site, even if he skipped a shower. He would much rather stay in bed. Nathan looked gorgeous sprawled out with his prick softening on his thigh.

  Nathan touched Sam’s arm. “How long do you have?”

  “Not long enough for another round, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “It would be nice, but no. Are you going to tell me about what you’ve been up to while I’ve been away?”

  Sam sighed and scrunched his forehead. Nathan didn’t seem angry, but that would probably change when he presented his theor
y. “Are you gonna be pissed at me?”

  “I guess that depends.”

  “Okay, well. I’ve been going back over my notes on the Feldman case, and I’m wondering if Feldman’s death was murder after all. The autopsy gave drowning as the cause of death, but what if someone made him take the pills? Someone who would immediately benefit from his death.”

  “Who?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? Mayor White.” Over the past few days, he’d wondered why it had taken him so long to follow up on his original suspicion.

  “You think the mayor had Feldman killed?”

  “It makes a perfect kind of sense. I mean, Feldman made a big splash downtown, doing more than the mayor has ever done to help clean up the city, but he had a firm, anti-gentrification stance. He even contributed to White’s opponent’s campaign during the last election. He was a problem. So White stages the murder to look like a suicide, and when Emma finds out, he gets someone to kill her too. And then, to top it all off, White comes up with this ‘Streets Clean’ plan in honor of Feldman to make himself look good. It’s sick, when you think about it.” Nathan raised an eyebrow, and Sam took it as a sign to go on. “I’m thinking someone in the PD is in on it. Maybe Rich Petersen. I saw him at the bar the other night, and he was squirmy. And of course, there’s Patricia Feldman’s suicide. It has to be linked. Maybe someone threatened her kids and she killed herself as an act of desperation, to protect them by sacrificing herself.”

  Nathan had that look on his face, the one Sam had decided must have been part of his basic training. Completely unreadable. He seemed to be taking in everything Sam said and weighing it in the back of his mind, and there was no telling whether he was angry or pleased. Sam hoped for the latter, not least because he’d enjoyed their night together and wanted to do it again. Nathan being angry with him would most certainly interfere with those plans.