by E. D. Parr
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2017 E.D. Parr
ISBN: 978-1-77339-310-0
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Katelyn Uplinger
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THIEF OF HEARTS
Romance on the Go ®
E.D. Parr
Copyright © 2017
Chapter One
“Blake, Blake, can you hear me?”
“Yes, yes … sirens. I can hear sirens.”
Darkness—
“Mr. Aster, welcome back.”
Blake opened his eyes. His head hurt. His face hurt. He raised his hand to touch where the pain was. His fingertips met some kind of covering.
“Do you remember what happened?” The doctor leaned forward. “I’m going to shine a light into your eyes. Don’t worry the glare will fade. Follow the light with each eye in turn.”
Blake winced at the brightness of the penlight as the doctor looked into first one and then the other eye.
He drew away. “Tell me what you remember.”
With a rush, the memories of the attack overwhelmed him. He stared at the doctor. “How bad is the cut to my face?”
“There are a number of stitches, but you’ll heal. I can recommend a good plastic surgeon when you’re ready. You’ll be here a couple of days. You’re not concussed, but we’d like to keep an eye on the wound. There’s a detective waiting to interview you. Do you feel up to it?”
Still shaky, and with the words ‘plastic surgeon’ giving him a surge of anxiety, Blake tried to reach the water on his bedside table.
The doctor poured for him and handed him the glass. “Take it easy.”
Blake sipped. “I’ll talk to the detective.”
****
Eight months later
“Can I get you anything, Blake? I’m going down to the bakery on the corner.” Kathy, his assistant, hovered by the wide oak desk with her glasses as usual sliding halfway down her nose. She pushed them up in a gesture Blake recognized as habit.
He smiled gently as he answered having become fond of the older woman who often treated him like a son. “I have a lunch meeting, so better not indulge in pastries today. Thanks for asking.”
“Is it in the diary? I don’t remember a meeting.” A concerned frown deepened the wrinkle between her brows.
“It’s not business, well not a case that will earn us money. I’m going to do some pro bono work. You’d be surprised how many people desperately need help.”
Kathy’s expression of concern deepened to horror. “Blake, the last time…”
He cut her off. “The last time isn’t likely to happen again. I’ll take care. I appreciate you worrying about me.” Blake gave her an especially affection laden smile.
Her shoulders drooped. “Okay.” She practically backed away and then went through the door with a grunt as if it had suddenly become too heavy for her to pull open.
Blake gazed at the closed door considering Kathy’s reaction. Hell, I can’t not do the work I want to, just in case anything unpleasant happens. I’m not even going to think about it.
He checked his coffee. Cool enough to drink. Kathy made the hottest coffee ever. It escaped Blake how she did it. He picked up his favorite stoneware mug and wandered to stare out at the day through the enormous plate glass windows of his eighth-floor office.
He cradled the mug in both hands. A weak sun filtered through dove-gray clouds. Blake longed for summer. Spring was cool and rainy this year. It echoed his forlorn mood most of the time. Summer meant he walked to work and sauntered home in the light evening, stopping to eat at one of the cafés, bistros, or restaurants along the way. Summer meant he might meet a guy in one of those places, if he was lucky. Blake sighed and drank some coffee. It was about time he met a guy and yet he lacked the confidence that anyone would ever want him again. I don’t have the heart to go to bars anymore, and I might run into John.
Lost in reverie, and shielded by the noise reducing double-glazing of the building, he didn’t hear the approach of the suspended scaffold containing the window cleaner. The cradle appeared before him on the other side of the glass and a gorgeous guy stared right at Blake.
Blake’s heart pounded. He had no idea why, except that the young man’s eyes were the bluest he’d ever seen, and the smile that slowly spread over the window cleaner’s face contained undisguised appraisal.
Blake took a step back from the window. He’d moved too quickly and some coffee lurched out of his mug. He shifted sideways to avoid it splashing his pristine white shirt. With a murmur of annoyance, he glanced at the young man on the scaffold.
The blue eyes held mirth, twinkling at him from the deliciously handsome face. The smile became a moue, and the window cleaner gave Blake a hands-out shrug.
Blake read the whole gesture as sympathy, but far from it helping him, he felt like a fool doing a dance of surprise and desperation. He looked down at the dark wave shape on the carpet made by the coffee and sighed. Am I so lonely that the sight of a handsome man turns me into an idiot? Yeah…
In an effort to gain control, Blake dared to lift his gaze to the man outside. He’d expected water to smear the glass, but the guy hadn’t made any effort to clean the window so Blake had a clear view of the striptease the window cleaner engaged in. He lifted the t-shirt he wore at the hem and in a tantalizing move slid it up his torso.
Blake’s mouth watered at the sight of the smooth, muscular chest on display. The man’s jeans rode low and Blake followed the V of his slim hips into the frayed top with greedy eyes. Blake caught his breath at the bulge in the front of the blue pants as the man thrust his hips a little taking the t-shirt over his head before he dropped it beside him onto the cradle floor.
Blake stared in open appreciation of the broad shoulders and muscled arms before him. A sigh escaped him. This man gave him butterflies. Blake’s cock stirred as the guy leaned close to the glass and blew him a kiss. A smile spread over Blake’s face as happiness took him over. He didn’t even care if the guy was mocking him. He allowed himself to enjoy the show.
The window cleaner’s movements as he cleaned displayed his delectable body. The bulge in his jeans grew as he worked.
Blake soaked up the sight. Hell, he’s hung like a horse, and now—now I reckon the way I’m ogling him is turning him on. Blake couldn’t stop the shimmer of joy that crept over him as he considered this. Maybe I’m not so ugly after all. Then Blake’s lack of confidence kicked in and he sagged. The guy must be used to adoring gazes. He probably does this stuff for the girls downstairs in the magazine design office. I bet he takes his shirt off and unbuttons his pants. I bet he flashes the top of his black CK’s at the accountant on the next floor.
He turned away from the window, carefully held his coffee mug, and went back to his desk. Blake used a laptop most of the time, but on the side of his desk, a flat screen monitor stood wired into the network. He pulled the monitor along and slid the keyboard across his desk.
Blake hid behind the flat screen to write up some case notes for the rest of the morning. He resisted the tug of desire to check on the window cleaner. Several times he had to force himself to concentrate. The sight of the hot guy outside his window unsettled Blake. He’d forced away acknowledging his acute loneliness
and desperate need to feel a man’s hard body against his own, but now both overwhelmed him.
He read the sentence he’d just keyed into the document. A ridiculous typo halfway through brought a curse from Blake. He fixed it, saved the document, and stood. I’d better get going to that appointment. He flicked his eyes to the time on the computer toolbar. Good thing I suggested the restaurant. I’m short of time. Blake figured the social worker didn’t get many invitations to lunch at the French place he’d chosen. Her eyes had lit up when he’d told her it was his treat. She knew he was gay so there was no mistake. Even though she’d told him to forget the scar on his face, that he was still an attractive man, it was the food she fancied and not him.
Chapter Two
Alex cleaned the window twice hoping the guy inside would come out from behind the computer screen and smile at him again. He waited as long as he could and then pressed the button that would set the mechanism going and hoist the scaffold higher. As he cleaned the next window, he considered the man. He’s like a Nordic god—Odin with dark hair. That scar is so hot. He’s rakish, pirate like,—fucking gorgeous. He was getting a hard on before he chickened out and ran to his desk. He’s the guy the girls in Lipstick call the beast, I bet. Alex took coffee in the café on the ground floor of the building where the magazine staff hung out at the same time. He gathered all kinds of information from those girls.
Three months ago, Alex split with his on again-off again boyfriend for good. The lust finally wore off. Saturday night Alex thought long into the night after visiting one of the gay bars in the city. No one attracted him. He wanted the real thing. He wanted that crazy, fluttery, heart-pounding feeling that went with love. Sure, he’d like to lust after the man and ache to fuck the guy hard, but he wanted more this time.
Alex recalled the time he was in love. He was seventeen. The guy was straight. The whole summer, in retrospect, had been heartbreaking. Alex had never wanted anyone the way he’d wanted his friend. He hadn’t loved his latest boyfriend. Right away, he’d wanted to suck the guy’s dick, but after the first few meetings, Alex felt empty. Sex wasn’t enough. He could get sex any day of the week. He might just as well do that if there was no deep connection with the guy who called himself your partner three weeks out of four.
Alex knew the symptoms that went with love. He’d not felt them in eight years. All he’d had was sex. He sighed as he plopped the chamois in the hanging pail. I’d rather jerk off than go out to a bar. I wonder where the beast hangs out? He’s gay, for sure. His eyes filled with, with what? With fucking longing. Yeah. I’d like to meet him.
Later that afternoon Alex had more on his mind than window cleaning. The building was a medium height high-rise—ten floors, and on the top floor, with its own lush roof garden a penthouse suite, previously for lease, had suddenly been taken by a gem importer. When the girls from the fashion magazine whispered the gossip to him a week ago, Alex soaked up the details. He smiled, widening his eyes as they told him all about the security system on the top floor. They thought it overkill to have a special keycard to get into the office. Alex recognized that meant there was something more than files and computers up there. His guess was the importer stashed gems there, sometimes, all the time, whatever—Alex was up for checking out his hunch.
The suspended scaffold could dock on the north side of the roof garden. The entire north wall of the top floor suite was glass. The firm Alex worked for was contracted to clean it. Just by chance, Alex entered his company office when the job came in. The hourly rate for cleaning the reflective glass of the south side windows was greater, and most of the guys hung back from offering their labor for the northern side. Alex took the work.
Alex docked the cradle, unclipped his safety belt that ran on a seven millimeter Perlon mountain climbing rope anchored in the roof, and stepped out onto the paving that bordered the garden. He wandered along the path winding through the succulents, and sedge grasses that withstood the harsh conditions at that height, carrying his equipment. The windows lined up, half smoked-glass, the other half, clear, and with the facility to fold back opening the office suite to any clement air. He rang the bell on the frame. The windows were alarmed. A guy in a dark gray suit appeared. Alex held up his identity badge. The man nodded and disappeared.
Alex unwound the short hose that connected to the roof garden tap and screwed it onto his window-washing pole. He cleaned the smoked glass windows swiftly, but took his time over the clear glass, staring in and noting anything interesting. I need to see the security panel for the door. The gray water gurgled along a conduit and ran down a pipe into some place Alex hadn’t seen, but knew collected it for some kind of recycling.
He turned off the tap and wound up the hose. He went back to the scaffold and slotted the pole back into its special slot. With a glance around Alex knelt, and pretended to be checking the suspension mechanism. Sure that someone watched him work, he needed it to look as if there was a problem. He straightened and walked back to the windows. Alex leaned on the button to bring someone running.
The gray suited guy opened one side of the clear glass panels.
“What?”
Alex summoned all his charm. “The cradle’s got a problem. I can’t risk using it until a techie’s checked it over. I need to come through the office and use the elevator.” He flashed a smile at the man.
A frown appeared on the man’s forehead deepening the wrinkles that ran across it. He took a deep breath as if resigned to do something unpleasant. “Follow me.”
Alex obeyed. His keen observation skills on full, he took in the surroundings he passed through. At the door, the man he followed took something from his suit jacket pocket and then pushed a visibly chipped card into a slot on the wall, and turned the handle. He held the door open for Alex. “Elevator’s over there.” He nodded at the obvious doors opposite.
“Thank you.” Alex grinned at him. He’s got a stick up his ass. No ID badge so who is he? Alex went to the elevator and pressed the call button. When the car arrived, he stepped in, turned, and saw that the man still watched from the open door of the office suite. Interesting. The doors closed. Alex leaned on the wall with a smile. He’s making sure I leave.
Chapter Three
Two floors down, the car stopped. Someone had called the elevator. Alex straightened in case a crowd flowed in and he needed to edge closer to the side. When the doors opened and the beast entered, head down balancing a brief case and file box, Alex’s heart gave a huge thump. The beast was alone. Alex’s voice just about failed him and he croaked. “What floor, buddy?”
The beast raised his head from using his chin as a weight to stop the case slipping from the box. He gazed into Alex’s eyes.
Alex’s mouth went dry. His heart raced. The surprise and outright pleasure broadcast from the beast’s eyes sent spikes of sensation ricocheting over Alex’s body.
“Ground, thanks.” The beast’s voice, deep and low gave Alex tingles.
Alex pressed the button. I have eight floors to do something about being in this elevator alone with a guy who makes my ass clench, my cock throb, and my legs fuckin’ weak.
He had nothing to lose. Alex turned to the beast, took the case and box from his hands, and placed them on the floor. He grabbed the delicious guy’s jacket lapels and thrust him against the wall of the elevator car. There was no resistance.
The beast gazed into Alex’s eyes, his eyes dark with obvious desire.
Alex pinned the beast to the wall with his muscled body, reached across and slammed the stop button, and then with his heart hammering, kissed the man.
The response to his kiss hardened his cock.
The beast grabbed his ass, thrust against him, kissed him with such hunger, Alex’s stomach tightened and his balls lifted.
Alex ran his hands into the beast’s thick dark hair and held his head, plundering his mouth with kiss after kiss, and grinding his cock on the beast’s hard body.
The man in Alex’s arms broke away.
He gulped in air. “You’re the window cleaner.”
Alex smiled with amusement. “You noticed. You are so fucking hot. How soon do you think you’d come if I sucked your cock?
The delectable man’s eyes widened. He gasped. “Feel my cock.” He took Alex’s hand and pressed it onto the rock hard column in his suit pants.
A low moan escaped Alex. He grazed his lips on the beast’s. “Open your pants.”
In seconds, Alex had dragged the beast’s pants and shorts down his legs. He dropped to his knees and licked all the way up the perfect cock that sprang free. He grabbed the man’s thighs, opened his mouth wide, and took the leaking dick deep into his throat, simulating fucking for a few strokes. Alex, felt his own cock leak. The tip was high against his jeans waistband and strained at the fastening. He drew the beast’s cock in and out of his mouth, circled the head, sucked at the pre-cum, and pushed his hand around to tease at the man’s hard ass crack. The beast groaned and thrust, his hips finding a rhythm, he fucked Alex’s mouth.
Alex’s thighs weakened. His head filled with the scent of sex, and cum. He basked in the male energy exuding from the hot guy who orgasmed in his mouth with a long groan.
Moments passed. Alex swallowed the sweet-salty liquid that threatened to leak from his lips.
The beast slipped his cock away, and held Alex’s arms. “Open your pants. Someone is buzzing for the elevator. They’ll have to wait or take the other one because I want your cock in my hand.”
Alex’s hands trembled as he dragged his zipper down. With the beast’s help, he pushed his jeans and underwear down his muscled thighs.
The beast made a soft sound. “Fucking hell, your cock is massive.” He grabbed Alex’s cock and pumped. He stopped and took the pre-cum leaking from the slit to trace it around Alex’s huge throbbing column. Then he held Alex around the waist and jerked him off.