"I have," Ewyn grumbled.
"Hey, man, I'm sorry," Taggart interjected. "I wasn't trying to start a family feud."
"No, Tag," Ewyn countered. "My bad. Dev is right."
"So, where's my baby-girl?" Taggart looked pass them toward the kitchen.
"You've got it. They confiscated her at the door."
"I'll see about that." Taggart stormed off toward the kitchen.
"Good luck," Ewyn called after him.
"What's up with Tag?" Devin asked as he and Ewyn climbed the stairs.
"Did you know he had a baby sister and she died?"
"No. When?"
Ewyn shrugged. "Mick mentioned it. He and Tag met while working on her case."
"Hmm. I didn't know. She must have been awfully young. Mick and Tag have been together for a while."
"Mick says Kieki reminds Tag of his sister when she was a baby."
"It's amazing, what you don't know about people," Devin remarked. They reached the third floor just as Mycelia and Taggart came out of the elevator. "Hey, Tag, I see you found her."
"Yeah. The trouble is getting some quality time with Kieki, the way Miz Myce hovers over her."
"Tag, you know the routine," Mycelia said. "Do you want to help or not." She looked at Devin, grinned and winked.
He hooted.
"It's not funny, Dev. She treats me the same way," Ewyn remarked raising his voice to make sure Mycelia heard him. "As if she thinks I should make an appointment. I'm the uncle!"
Mycelia giggled and entered the nursery with Taggart close on her heels.
Ewyn turned to Devin. "She's not going to let me take Kieki back with us."
"She will. Promise." Devin bent, gave Ewyn a quick kiss, then straightened and knocked on Gemma's door. Not waiting for a response, he opened the door and let Ewyn precede him into the apartment.
"Dev, Myce can be a real tyrant when it comes to Kieki."
"It's her job, isn't it?"
"I guess," Ewyn mumbled.
Timothy and Gemma, sitting together on the sofa looked up and smiled. Mick, seated in the chair opposite the couple, stood and came over to greet Devin. The two men embraced. Mick stepped away and said, "Glad to have you back in one piece."
"Tell me about it." Devin walked to the sofa and sat next to Gemma. "You're looking good. Don't I get a hug?" He reached over and gently enfolded her in his arms, kissed her cheek, and held her at arm's length. "How are you, Gem?"
Gemma beamed at him. "I'm much better with you and Tim home safely."
"Okay, enough," Ewyn growled. "Am I the only one who doesn't know what happened?"
"Ewyn…" Devin glanced at him. "We'll discuss it when we're alone. Okay?"
"Fine," Ewyn snapped and headed for the door. "I'm going to the nursery." He stormed out.
Devin held his laughter until he heard the door close. "I see one thing hasn't change."
"Never will." Gemma patted his hand. "That's Ewyn. Fits of temper, gone in a flash." She stared at Devin for a moment before continuing. "You know this thing with Niki and Caro has him on edge."
"Yeah. Thanks to dumbass Patterson bringing Cecilia's name into it, then bringing up Kieki's beneficiary. I gaffed it off as procedure, so Ewyn wouldn't go into panic mode." He looked at Timothy. "Can you have the Cecilia thing looked into?"
"Already on it." Timothy shook his head. "I really want to meet this Patterson. Mick and Tag have given me their assessment of the man. But knowing the interaction between the FBI and the locals isn't always the best, I'll reserve judgment," he teased, a slow smile shifting the corners of his mouth. "I understand Ewyn was about to kick off in Patterson's ass."
"Yeah, so I've heard, and it's one reason why I want to meet the man. He's due at the condo on Monday evening."
"I'll be joining you," Timothy declared. "I want this piss ant to understand where this faction of the family is coming from."
Devin and Mick shared a look then laughed.
"What?" Timothy stared at one man then the other.
"It seems we're all on the same page," Devin replied.
Chapter 8
Ewyn parked in his assigned spot in the garage. The Mustang was conspicuously absent. Climbing out of the Escalade, he headed for the elevator. He hadn't seen Devin all day. For the first time since the start of their relationship, Devin had left for work early without bothering to wake Ewyn. He had only himself to blame, acting like a jealous ass their first weekend together in months.
Well…hell, he'd been pissed. Every time he'd wanted extra time with Kiera, Mycelia would give him a ration of shit about why it wasn't a good idea. Yet, when Devin stated--didn't ask--just declared he was taking Kiera back home with him, Mycelia didn't utter a word. Next, Devin spent more time with Kiera than with him.
Okay. He'd give Devin props for his efforts at learning his way around parenting, but Devin could have let him share some of the time with Kiera too. Instead, Devin went straight for Father of the Year, in one weekend, rushing to Kiera's side each time she peeped. Moreover, Kiera had taken to Devin as if Ewyn hadn't been a major player for the first four months of her life.
Damn it, he was jealous, and yes, his attitude had been inappropriate, since Devin hadn't totally ignored him, paying just as much attention to him whenever Kiera had taken a nap. A slow smile eased the tightness in his jaw as he recalled the specifics of the attention Devin had given him. One particular episode in the shower --
He had put Kiera down for a nap then stormed into the bathroom in a huff. He had been in the shower long enough to wash up before Devin had strolled into the enclosure and sat down on the seat but didn't say a word. Feeling foolish because of his childish display of jealousy, he had turned to apologize, but the look in those hypnotic amber eyes made him forget what he had intended to say.
Instead, he moved between Devin's muscular thighs, eyes lowering to Devin's slightly ajar mouth, and the sight of his delectable tongue barely visible behind the smooth lips. Hell. He so wanted to dive into that heat, suck the hell out of the pink tongue, then lick a trail along Devin's jaw to the pulse-point in his neck. Not wanting to seem too eager to be placated, he hesitated, and Devin took control.
Devin had grasped his ass and pulled him onto his lap, so he was straddling those firm thighs. Cocks bumping and pulsing between them, leaking pre cum on tight abs, Ewyn's ass puckered in expectation. One of Devin's large hands had wrapped around their cocks, pulling and sliding.
Ewyn had dragged his eyes up along Devin's narrow nose and their gazes locked. Moist heat breezed across his lips and they parted in anticipation as Devin's tongue skimmed their outline, only to linger at the corner of his mouth, circling, teasing, tasting. The touch of Devin's tongue had Ewyn's nerve endings alive with erotic impulses. Thumbs pressed down on his chin and Devin's tongue eased inside, probing every aspect of Ewyn's mouth before plunging deep then withdrawing. His teeth latched onto Ewyn's bottom lip, nibbling and sucking, all over spit-exchange, Ewyn lapped it up. Abruptly, Devin had pulled away, lifted Ewyn off his lap and stood.
Ewyn had stared into passionate amber eyes while brushing his fingertips across the firm mouth before pressing them into the waiting warmth. Devin's lips closed around one of them. He could feel Devin's need in the strong pull exerted on his finger as Devin teased the pad with the tip of his tongue, which jump-started Ewyn's pulse to a thundering pace. Gently tugging his finger from between Devin's lips, he wrapped his arms around Devin's neck, and tried to climb up the solid frame.
Devin had thwarted his attempt, spun him around, and forced him face first up against the wall, Devin's cock tapping his ass. Hands splayed on the shower wall, he had pushed back into the touch in expectation. Devin reached for the lube then slick fingers slid down the crease of Ewyn's butt to his asshole. He had shivered when Devin's fingers slipped inside while Devin's lips had teased his earlobe before closing in on the sensitive pulse-point. Devin had drawn the susceptible skin into his mouth, lips pulling, teeth grazing, tongue
stroking, he left his mark.
"Hard and fast," Devin whispered against his ear before he thrust into him, plunging deep with powerful strokes, hands wrapping around Ewyn's cock, and Ewyn had countered Devin's momentum. It had been hard, but not fast. Devin had prolonged their climax, pulling back every time Ewyn had begged for release, but their climax had been worth the torment.
Shit.
Each time those memories had come to mind throughout the day, it had been necessary to settle a dispute, hands on, between his cock and his briefs; neither would give an inch. It was a good thing he'd spent most of the day in his office, alone.
Conversely, he had to take responsibility for part of Devin's distraction once he'd brought out the photo albums containing every picture taken of Kiera since she had come home from the hospital. To compound his culpability, he just had to show Devin the priceless film of Kiera's baptism. Devin had laughed so hard he'd had tears in his eyes, declaring Kiera's facial expression to be identical to Ewyn's pissed off look.
Ewyn exited the elevator and glanced at his watch, wondering how much longer Devin and Timothy would be at work. Timothy's admin had sent Ewyn an email to let him know Timothy and Devin had loose ends regarding their last operation to complete.
Hell. Until the last assignment, Ewyn thought he had reconciled himself to the hazards of Devin's profession. But knowing how close Devin and Timothy had come to dying wasn't the same. He inhaled deeply. Had to stop thinking about that facet of Devin's job. What Devin did for a living was part of his fundamental nature, and he couldn't expect Devin to give it up. Life is iffy, and the hazards aren't occupational specific, which Cecilia proved with her attempts on his life, and his mother's murder.
Brushing those unsettling thoughts aside, he opened the front door and headed straight for the bathroom. He was running late and had to prepare dinner. After a quick shower, he toweled most of the moisture from his hair, shimmied into sweatpants and a tee shirt, and hurried into the kitchen. Knowing Timothy would be joining them, before leaving for work, he'd taken out a package of butterfly shrimp to defrost, deciding to do a quick shrimp stir-fry.
Ewyn pulled the rice cooker from the cabinet, filled it to the measure line with water. Taking the rice tin from the refrigerator, he scooped out three cups, and dumped them into the cooker to soak. He turned on the stove, adjusted the flame to medium under the wok and added a quarter-cup of vegetable oil. After he set the table, he turned on the rice cooker, took several frozen egg rolls from the freezer and popped them in the microwave.
The oil started to sizzle and he dropped the shrimp and a mix of chopped vegetables, onions, and sprouts into the wok and sprinkled Mrs. Dash seasoning over all. He tossed, stirred, and blended the ingredients until they spit and hissed, and then he put on the cover and left everything to simmer while he removed the egg rolls and placed them on a tray. One final stir, and then he emptied the contents of the wok onto a serving platter, set the micro-convect to warm/hold and shoved the stir-fry and egg rolls inside.
Ewyn was in the process of removing the cork from the wine bottle when the doorbell chimed. He looked at his watch. Patterson, damn. He'd have to invite the man to dinner. "Hell," he grumbled as he grabbed a towel, wiped his hands, and hurried into the foyer. Where were Devin and Timothy? He did not want to share a meal with the Detective.
Yanking open the door, he frowned. "Patterson."
"Mister Kelley." He glared. "You were expecting me, right?"
"Yes. Come in, have a seat. Want a beer, a glass of wine?"
"I'll have the beer, thanks." Patterson followed Ewyn to the kitchen and sat on one of the stools at the counter. "Something smells good. Am I interrupting dinner?"
"No. Devin isn't home yet."
Ewyn pulled a beer from the refrigerator and handed it to Patterson then turned to the rice cooker. He was putting the rice in a bowl when he heard the front door open then close and looked up to see Devin and Timothy come into view.
With his eyes fixed on Devin, Ewyn watched the amber gaze pass over the detective before settling on Ewyn. With his blonde hair pulled back, emphasizing the clear-cut Nordic features, Devin's eyes were full of promise and his firm mouth curved up at the corners in the special way he reserved only for Ewyn. Heat strafed his body as sexual impulses jetted through his veins. Hell. How could he not react to Devin's presence when he looked so damn good?
Not having seen Devin all day, Ewyn was surprised to see him wearing a dark brown sport coat, a beige button-down shirt, and a patterned tie in multiple shades of brown. He had on a pair of tan slacks fitted to perfection emphasizing long legs, drawing attention to strong muscular thighs, and the definitive outline of…sh-h-yit! His eyes darted back to Devin's face, hard-pressed to control his laughter.
Eyebrow arched, his gaze traveled from Devin's face to his trim waistline and the belt, complete with gun and badge hovering above his hips. Devin never wore his badge and gun into the condo. He only brought the gun inside to lock in the safe. Hell. Devin had said he wanted to get his point across to Patterson.
Devin removed his sport coat, draped it across the back of the sofa, and strolled into the kitchen. Ignoring their audience, he leaned down and kissed Ewyn's mouth. "Hey," he whispered, his attention focused solely on Ewyn. "Something smells good." He kissed Ewyn again then moved him aside.
Ewyn watched with fascinated wonder as all previous warmth in those clear amber eyes turned hostile when Devin's gaze settled on Patterson. A faint blush tinted the detective's cheeks as he hopped off the stool and straightened to his full height, which fell short of Devin's stature.
"Mister Nilsson." Eyes fixed on Devin's badge, Patterson held out his hand. "I'm Detective Sergeant Michael Patterson." His demeanor toward Devin--a three-sixty from the antagonism he had displayed to Ewyn.
Okay. He had to admit the gun and badge made the difference, especially with Department of Justice clearly etched across the top of the gold shield. In addition, Devin's size and bearing may have been contributing factors.
"Patterson." Devin shook the proffered hand, turned to Timothy, and made the introduction. "My boss and Mister Kelley's uncle, Timothy Ryan."
With an uneasy side-glance at Ewyn, Patterson extended his hand. "Mister Ryan. I didn't know…damn. I should have suspected when I encountered MacGregor and his people at the Calderone estate, but I thought it was a territorial issue because of the mob connections."
"We're not FBI," Timothy stated.
Patterson glanced at Devin's badge then back at Timothy, who didn't elaborate.
"Ewyn, is dinner ready? Maybe the detective would like to join us." Devin looked at Ewyn then Patterson.
"I will, thank you, if it's not an inconvenience," Patterson responded. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Ewyn looked from Patterson to Devin, tempted to hit both of them, he controlled the impulse and mumbled, "Everything is ready. I'll set another place."
"Have a seat, Detective," Devin said over his shoulder as he left the kitchen. "Going to wash up. Be right back." He grabbed his sport coat as he passed the sofa and went into the bedroom.
Ewyn watched Devin walk away before glancing at Timothy.
"Go ahead." Timothy chuckled. "Patterson and I can manage. I'll show him where he can wash up."
* * * *
Ewyn opened the door to an empty bedroom. Music emanated from the stereo, Devin's belt and badge lay across the bed, and his gun was on the dresser. He heard running water and strode over to the bathroom, propped himself against the doorjamb and waited. Devin finished drying his hands then looked at Ewyn and grinned.
"Do you think I made my point?"
"Hell, yeah. So much for being a sales rep." He snorted. "So why are we having him to dinner?"
"Intel." Devin walked toward the door, stopped in front of Ewyn and cupped the stubborn chin in his palm. "Need to peep his hold card, see if he's going to be a player or an obstacle." He kissed Ewyn's mouth and strode into the bedroom. Ewyn followed.
>
Devin opened his dresser drawer, removed the gun safe, and tucked his weapon inside. Turning to Ewyn, he slipped one arm around his waist, took Ewyn's hand in his, and slow-danced baby-boy across the floor. "Are you over your snit?" he whispered against one ear then nipped the lobe.
"Excuse me?" Ewyn leaned away and looked up at his face.
"I know you felt ignored because of all the attention I gave Kieki, but I'm gone more than I'm here, so I need to utilize every free moment I have with her. Hell. Holding her, caring for her, it made me realize I like the idea of being a daddy," Devin acknowledged. "Until Greg returns, this is my only chance to be a parent. Besides being forty years old, my occupation precludes adopting. I wouldn't do that to a child who, more than likely, has already had a stress-filled life."
"I hear you, and I'm sorry about the way I acted this weekend. Knowing your time is limited, I need to get over myself." Ewyn slipped his arms around Devin's waist. "Kieki needs as much love and attention as she can get to compensate for the lack of full-time parents." He smiled half-heartedly. "Honestly, Dev, I don't know who I was more jealous of--you or Kieki."
Devin leaned his forehead against Ewyn's and whispered, "I love you."
"Back at you." Ewyn gave him a quick kiss then moved away. "Oh-kay. Jealousy issue settled, let's go entertain the po-leece-man," he teased. He started toward the door then squeaked, "Dev!" Shit. He really had to do something about the girly squealing. He rubbed his ass and glared. "If we didn't have company…"
"Are you issuing an invitation?" Devin leered, wiggling his eyebrows. "I've been away a long time, don't tempt me. I have no qualms about going out there, announcing my intentions, and clearing the house. Do you want me to?"
Ewyn started to reply but thought better of it. Opening the door, he put some distance between them before he responded by childishly sticking out his tongue, thinking his gesture would be the lesser provocation. He had hoped to avoid Devin creating a scene; his optimism was in vain.
"Whoa," Devin called out, loud enough to attract Timothy and Patterson's attention and to stop Ewyn mid-stride. "I could show you several creative ways to utilize a tongue if you'll step back into the bedroom." Ewyn did a one-eighty, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing, at a loss for words. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." Devin grinned. "Was that a yes?"
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