Kreed arched his back and moaned. Aaron fought every urge in his body that demanded he pound into the man below him. He gradually drew his hips back and eased forward until he was as deep in the deputy marshal as he could be. The way Kreed moved on the bed had Aaron picking up the pace and thrusting his hips, each movement building into a sweet, steady rhythm. Not too fast but just enough to make them both squirm for more.
“Harder… Let me feel you.” Kreed threw his head back and rolled his hips. Aaron didn’t hold back. He gripped the front of Kreed’s bent thighs and used them to wedge Kreed’s ass against him as he shoved deeply into his body. Their current position, with Aaron standing at the end of the bed and Kreed on his back, legs spread wide and ass barely off the edge, put Aaron in the perfect position to hammer into Kreed.
Aaron thrust into that mind-blowing heat a few more times before grabbing Kreed’s legs and placing them on his shoulders, changing the angle of penetration. “Right there… Yes, church boy, fuck me,” Kreed gasped. Pleasure etched over his face as he ground the words out through clenched teeth. Aaron did exactly as instructed and pounded into Kreed with all he had. Sweat beaded his forehead as his hips pistoned in and out of the deputy. Aaron was close to losing it. If Kreed didn’t come soon, he wasn’t sure he could hold his orgasm back any longer.
He took over stroking Kreed in time with his thrusts, his fist working up and down the thick length as he rocked wildly into Kreed’s quivering body.
Refusing to come before Kreed had Aaron’s balls aching from the pressure of holding back. With every press of his hips, he slipped a little closer to the point of no return. Kreed’s ass clenched snuggly around him. Fire ignited at the base of his spine and burned like acid through his body. The feeling was too much. Their moans and heavy pants filled the room. His balls drew tightly against his body.
“Come for me, Sin,” Aaron commanded and sped up his hips, thrusting faster and deeper.
“Yes. Need… Fuucck, Aaron,” Kreed shouted, his whole body rigid, then his cock swelled and jerked in Aaron’s fist as he came. Hot come ran over Aaron’s fingers and ribbons of cream splattered on Kreed’s stomach and chest.
“Sin,” Aaron hissed when strong muscles rippled around him, squeezing him so tight he lost his rhythm. Aaron’s thighs burned as he wedged himself deep in Kreed’s quivering body and came with such a force that he doubled over from the pleasure. His muscles ached from the strain of his release, his body completely limp from his orgasm. Kreed’s legs were the only thing that held him upright.
Air. He needed air. He held on to Kreed’s shins as he floated back to earth. Aaron sucked in a breath, his head still spinning from the strength of his release. Damn, losing his breath like that was a first for him. So much of everything he experienced with Kreed fell in that category—something he told himself he could get used to.
As much as he hated pulling out of Kreed’s heat, he gripped the back of the condom and eased his softening cock from the deputy. Kreed’s legs slid off his shoulders, but he didn’t move except to throw an arm across his eyes.
“Damn, church boy, you fucked me right into the mattress.” Kreed peeked at him from under his arm.
“Yeah, that was fucking amazing. Let me grab us a towel. I’ll be right back.” He winked at Kreed then bent forward and gave the deputy a quick peck on the lips. Aaron removed the rubber and tied it off on his way to the bathroom. After tossing the condom into the trash, he grabbed a towel, wet it, and headed back to the bedroom to take care of Kreed. When he finished cleaning Kreed, he dropped the towel beside the bed.
“Honestly, I’m surprised I can still move. Scoot over. I want to lie down beside you,” he said and smiled down at Kreed.
“Not sure I can move, but I’m not complaining.” Kreed laughed and scooted back, giving him room as he crawled onto the bed and between the deputy’s legs. Aaron let his full weight settle on Kreed’s chest and the man immediately wrapped strong arms around him. Their breathing fell into a mirrored tempo. Kreed’s nose nuzzled into his hair. He felt complete, and so close to Kreed in this moment, despite every alarm in his body warning him not to get too comfortable and let his guard down.
Chapter 20
Aaron lay in the dark bedroom in the early morning hours, combing his fingers through Kreed’s silky strands as the man slept. Kreed lay propped up on two pillows, Aaron’s head resting on Kreed’s shoulder. Their position was perfect. Aaron leaned slightly forward and pressed his lips against the stubble on Kreed’s jaw as he listened to the deep sounds of Kreed’s rhythmic breathing. He couldn’t quit touching this gorgeous man who had been so exposed and honest, even caring, through their hours of lovemaking.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught his monitor lighting up again. The code to let him know he was needed online. He’d set up the offsite remote notification a few years ago. The all-access never really bothered him before because he put the interruption down to the greater good of what they were trying to accomplish, but right now—or, technically, over the last twenty-five or thirty minutes—the thing had steadily blinked, and yet, he hadn’t moved from his spot. Kreed sleeping underneath him felt too right to step away from. He couldn’t find the mind-set to budge, even though the delay would cost him credibility. An inner groan slipped free.
“What’s wrong?” That small noise was enough to wake Kreed. The guy slept very lightly.
“Nothing. I’ve gotta get up. I need to go help a friend,” he said, trying to talk himself into shifting away from Kreed’s warm body.
“With what?” Kreed asked, obviously forgetting their unspoken rule about not digging too closely into each other’s lives.
“A coding issue,” Aaron answered vaguely. That was enough reality to have him untangling himself from Kreed’s hold, which only made the deputy marshal clutch him tighter.
“You need to sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day,” Kreed said, nuzzling against his neck. As much as he wanted to stay in this position with Kreed and never leave, Aaron tried again to get up. Aaron scooted away and placed his feet on the floor as Kreed yawned big, but his discerning eyes didn’t close like Aaron had suspected would be the case. Instead, Kreed tracked Aaron as he went to the computer on a makeshift desk in the bedroom.
“It’s not video games, is it?” Kreed asked. His tone clear that he’d be interrupting Aaron’s game.
“No, not at all.” Aaron sat down at the computer. He’d changed his mechanical keyboard out for a standard one he’d found in the house when they’d moved in. A few minutes passed before Kreed spoke again.
“You’re not really a big gamer, are you?”
“Not really,” Aaron admitted, bringing his system up. Taking the chance that his honest admission might set off some warning bells, he turned the monitor, hopefully away from Kreed’s line of sight. “The keyboard’s quieter. I’m sorry if it keeps you awake.”
“I like watching you,” Kreed finally said. Aaron looked over, and Kreed had scooted up in bed. He was propping himself up against several pillows now, getting comfortable against the headboard. His chest muscles flexed as he positioned the pillows behind him. His flat dark nipples stood out starkly, even against all the beautiful ink. The blanket was draped low, exposing way too much deliciously decorated skin. Aaron loved watching Kreed too. “You don’t have the standard nerd look.”
Aaron wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he didn’t. He just forced himself to center in and open the program. He quickly scanned the message and hid his inner turmoil. Kreed’s presence in his life inspired a good-versus-evil attitude, and all of a sudden, his current activities seemed to be coasting right on the line between the two. This hack job was a favor to a guy who’d jumped in and helped him when he’d needed. He didn’t really have much of a choice this time. He’d agreed to this when he’d asked for help the last time.
Scolding himself, Aaron closed his eyes. What the hell was wrong with him? He did this all the time. With two or three calming breaths, he opened them
again, staring at the flashing cursor on the screen, forcing Kreed from his thoughts. Aaron read the messages, catching himself up, and began working. He was so centered inside himself that he startled when Kreed ran his fingers over the top of his head, ruffling his hair.
“We only have about an hour before we had to get up anyway. I’ll make coffee,” Kreed said from behind him.
“Okay,” he tossed out, eyes on the monitor, trying to stay focused.
“One last kiss?” Kreed whispered against his ear.
One of their last conversations before Kreed fell asleep had the deputy marshal set on cooling this thing between them for the duration of the investigation. Kreed wanted to resume the possibilities between them more fully once the case was closed. Of course, only if Aaron was interested. Kreed placed the ball in his court to decide if he wanted to pick this up when they were done.
After the last thirty-six hours, it seemed that the gallant and probably smart thing to do would be to put this off, but now Aaron wasn’t entirely sure about anything anymore. He couldn’t deny the connection between him and Kreed, and he was quite certain if given the chance, he wouldn’t ever get enough of Kreed Sinacola.
They’d been pretty damn hot for one another. Once they’d made it back inside the bedroom yesterday, they’d only left the bed to eat, and even after all the sex of the afternoon, Aaron had ended up getting a blow job in the kitchen, then he returned that favor in the living room, before spending the rest of the night in Kreed’s arms. Aaron wished he could figure out a way to keep Kreed and his secrets too. But how?
Damn it to hell, he was so fucking screwed. He had done what he said he wouldn’t. He’d let Kreed get under his skin and he still wanted more.
Aaron darkened the screen with the stroke of a key, pretty certain Kreed wouldn’t understand what he might see displayed on the monitor, but he was sure the investigator inside the man was smart enough to retain innocuously gathered information and examine it later. Aaron turned and tipped his head back, sighing as Kreed’s mouth slid against his. He opened, allowing Kreed to deepen the kiss. When Kreed’s fingers pulled against his waistband to slide inside, Aaron had to stop him. Reaching for his wrist, he regretfully ended what he wanted so badly.
“Give me an hour?” Aaron asked. Kreed didn’t hide the disappointment spreading across his face.
“You’re right. We shouldn’t. I just… Kissing you makes me forget everything. As much as I want you, we can’t,” Kreed said, not moving his hand, but not pushing him either.
“We could if you weren’t so damn hardheaded.” Aaron tried for teasing, but he meant those words. He truly believed they could balance the case and whatever all this was going on between them. That “Sinacola resolve” Aaron was learning all too well flashed in Kreed’s eyes, and he shook his head as he stood.
“I better go make some coffee before we both have to repent for our sins, church boy.” Kreed reached out, ruffling his hair again. The words and the tone were all off compared to the hungry lover who’d fucked him senseless last night.
“Yeah, coffee sounds good,” Aaron replied, placing the keyboard on the desk. The look in Kreed’s eyes worried him. They certainly weren’t to the point that he could easily read Kreed, and he was torn over pushing Kreed to talk or letting him go.
“Get to work. I’ve gotta call Skinner. He called last night,” Kreed said from the door.
“What time did he call?” Aaron didn’t remember anything but his few hours online interrupting them yesterday.
“I’m pretty certain it was somewhere between you bent over the couch or you on your knees in the shower. I’m not exactly sure,” Kreed said coyly, snickering as he left the room. Aaron hesitated. He hated seeing Kreed thrown off his game, and from the tone of his voice, the deputy definitely left the room a little concerned he’d missed the call. The urgent blinking of the screen drew him back. After considering his options for a minute more, he decided to get this over with before going after Kreed. He picked up the keyboard and dropped it back in his lap to finish what he’d started.
Quickly, Kreed dressed for the day. He grabbed a cup of coffee and dialed Director Skinner’s personal cell number as he headed back to the study. When the phone began to ring, Kreed used his foot to close the bedroom door behind him. Nothing about the room had changed since he’d left the bed twenty-four hours earlier. He set the coffee cup on the desk and made his way to the pull-out sofa, lifting the end of the bed and folding it back in on itself. After returning the cushions to their proper place, he dropped the pillows on each end of the couch.
Out of sight, out of mind. It was no longer the giant red flag reminder of his inability to stay away from Stuart. But damn, they were good together. He wanted Stuart, no question there. What surprised him more than anything was that Aaron was a demanding and aggressive lover. The kid knew exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it. Kreed didn’t have any complaints. He was more than happy to see to Aaron’s every whim. The guy had this way of getting him off and immediately making him rock hard again. Aaron had him acting like a teenage boy in his prime. They’d most definitely fucked like bunnies for the last twenty-four hours. His tender ass was proof of that. On that thought, he smiled and reached for the couch throw, draping it over the back of the cushions.
“I know you’re there. I can hear you breathing,” Skinner yelled into the phone.
“I’m here. Sorry, I was lost in thought,” Kreed answered, not really sure how long he’d made Skinner wait.
“I tried to call you several times yesterday, Sinacola.” Skinner’s tone was scolding, and he should be in trouble for missing those calls.
“I saw that, but it was too late to call you back,” he answered honestly.
“Are you sure you’re good with this assignment?” Skinner asked, his tone still irritated.
“You aren’t getting rid of me. I didn’t answer the fucking phone. My bad,” Kreed said, frustrated with his lapse and Skinner’s attitude. Already, he was slipping. Last night, he easily justified the mess up, deciding he could call Skinner this morning. Why had he ever thought that might be acceptable?
“Knox is concerned about you,” Skinner informed him.
“Knox is an asshole who’s trapped inside a house, waiting for something to happen, no different than me.”
“I can see that. Sinacola, I don’t normally worry about you. If you need out of there, just tell me.” Skinner’s voice had changed, not quite to the level of ‘pissed off’ it had held before, but Kreed wouldn’t call it warm and fuzzy either.
“Of course I will. Why’d you call?”
“I’ve got Thomas Hasselbeck, the head of the IT Department at Redemption Apostle Tabernacle, in custody. We’ve been productive on our end. The dots are starting to connect. What Stuart was able to give us put the church in front of several sets of very well-connected eyes. We’re elevating this to a domestic terrorist cell, Sinacola. Bottom line, Hasselbeck comes with a stronger IT background than we realized. There’s concern that if he showed up onsite, he could jeopardize what Stuart’s accomplished. It appears the church searched him out to protect their systems. I’ve got interrogators in with him now. He’s showing signs of breaking, but he’s hanging on longer than I thought. I’d hoped we’d know more before Stuart went back in today,” Skinner explained.
“All right,” Kreed said as he stopped pacing in the middle of the room to take in the new information. That changed everything.
“Explain the threat level change to domestic terrorist cell. That’s a pretty big leap in such a short amount of time. What did you uncover?” Kreed tried to understand the steps Skinner had taken over the last twenty-four hours. His brow furrowed at the implications. All of a sudden this case hit way too close to home for more reasons than just the hate associated with sexual orientation. His eyes closed, and he listened intently to every word Skinner said.
“It’s a cell, Sinacola. It’s organized and there are several. These people use religion
to hide behind and single out the victims to prove their point. Your gut’s right. Special Agent Langley didn’t work alone, regardless of his claims in his confession. Now we need to see how far this goes,” Skinner said.
“And you’re following all legalities to make this stick?”
“It’s why you’re staying onsite,” Skinner advised.
“But I’m not alone here, am I?” Of course he wasn’t.
“No, you have backup. They’re close by.”
No way would Skinner leave him alone with that threat. It had to give him hope, even as the dread of the next question filled his soul.
“But Stuart’s alone in there?” The silence that came back said more than anything. Damn it. Aaron wasn’t equipped to handle this kind of situation. Kreed absolutely didn’t fucking want Aaron back inside that church. A terrorist cell? About damn time someone paid attention to those extreme freaks who hid behind the Bible. With his mind racing, Kreed cocked a brow. He was surprised the church had flown under the radar for this long with their vile propaganda and hate-filled picketing.
Think, Sinacola. Stop and think.
What makes this different than any other case? Nothing. Aaron’s green, but solid. Just lay it all out to the kid. He’ll be fine.
But, more than anything, Kreed didn’t want Stuart back inside that church. The church targeted homosexual men and made horrific examples out of them. Fear gripped his heart.
Seriously, he couldn’t lose anyone else right now, especially not Aaron. It would be too much. He wanted a future with him in it. Damn it! What they had would never be just a hookup. Clearly defined emotion was now involved, and he didn’t want his guy walking back into that church this morning.
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