“Good, I should be able to pick you up myself.”
That got his heart thumping. He was excited and nervous about seeing Mitch again.
“He’s handsome,” the older woman sitting beside him said. He looked up at her, grinning.
“Thank you.” He looked at the picture again, and his stomach did a flip-flop at the thought of kissing those smiling lips in a few hours. “Yeah, he is, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is.” The woman took off her sweater and placed it across her lap.
“This is my first time in first class,” he admitted.
“Oh, it’s such a better experience. You’ll never want to fly any other way,” she said, patting his leg as the flight attendant’s voice came through the speaker. He turned off his phone, put his seatbelt on, and actually did have the best flight of his life.
~~~
Mitch stood in baggage claim, his hands tucked into his jeans pocket, his knee bouncing erratically, and his eyes glued to the doors waiting for Cody to walk through. The update he’d been waiting for had just come over the paging system. The plane had landed. It shouldn’t be long now.
Shit, if he wasn’t a bundle of nerves. He checked his breath—it was fine, but he decided to pop a piece of cinnamon gum in his mouth just in case.
He’d bought himself a dress shirt, the one he had on now, a long sleeve button-down that he’d left untucked. He didn’t want to look like he was trying too hard, but he still wanted to impress Cody.
The first few passengers came through the door. Mitch lifted on his tiptoes trying to see if Cody had been in the first group to enter before the door shut again. The next few came through, and he stood on his toes again, this time seeing a blond head towering over the rest of the passengers making their way into the area. His heart picked up a beat, his stomach did cartwheels. Cody was really here.
He watched as Cody held the door open for several women and then some men. He never grew impatient, just nodded his head until someone relieved him of door duty. He was such a Southern gentleman. Damn that made Mitch want him even more than he already did. Mitch watched from the corner of the room as Cody looked around until their eyes connected and his heart stopped. He actually felt it stop and pause before starting the thumping shit again. He could feel his smile growing bigger. Cody stared at him from across the room with a huge smile lighting his face as well.
Cody was bigger than he remembered, more handsome too. They wound their way through the crowd, Mitch’s eyes never leaving his, until they came to a stop in the middle of the room, facing each other, the baggage carousel close by.
The machine started, and Cody was bumped a little from the back as other passengers grabbed their bags, forcing him to take a step closer to Mitch. They were a little awkward at first. Mitch wasn’t necessarily sure what to do, so after just a second’s pause, he reached in, gently placing his hands on Cody’s muscular forearms and placed a simple kiss on his cheek.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Mitch held Cody’s eyes with his, meaning every word he said. He was so thankful Cody hadn’t changed his mind. Mitch didn’t miss the instant flush of color creeping over Cody’s face or how his smile seemed to brighten. “Did you bring any other luggage?”
“No, just the carry-on.” Cody looked down at the duffel slung over his arm as he answered. Mitch loved they were about the same height and build. All he could do was just stare. Cody smelled incredible and looked so damn good in those tight jeans, cowboy boots, and a button-down gray and black striped shirt under a black leather jacket.
Mitch couldn’t wait to peel him out of those tight Wranglers. He finally managed to get his carnal thoughts under control and extended a hand toward the door, ushering the cowboy out of the baggage claim area. He let Cody go in front of him toward an exit door. When Cody headed for the wrong door, Mitch used that as an excuse to touch him and reached out for Cody’s arm, stopping him from going farther. Damn, he liked the feel of Cody’s muscles flexing beneath his hand.
“No, I parked this way,” Mitch said and slid his hand down to link his fingers with Cody’s. Cody was a little more hesitant to wrap his fingers back around Mitch’s. He wasn’t certain what that meant, but after a minute, Cody complied. Mitch walked a step or two in front of him, guiding him out the door as he held it open. The move was awkward and Mitch was forced to let go of his hand.
“I parked on the first level, in the garage.” Mitch pointed in the general direction as he came up behind Cody. Mitch took the duffel bag strap off Cody’s arm and dropped it on his own shoulder, then entwined their fingers again.
The evening air was brisk and cool against his skin, and he loved the warmth and feel of Cody’s hand in his. In this moment, everything was fucking perfect. “Come on.”
He pulled Cody out on the crosswalk and made them jog the last couple of steps as he dug the keys out of his pocket. Since all white SUVs looked about the same to him, he hit the lock button on the key fob and made the vehicle honk to pinpoint his rental.
He also hit the trunk button and raised the rear door, dropping Cody’s bag inside. Damn, he’d really wanted to hold the passenger door for Cody, but unfortunately, they had too tight a fit to allow that. He remembered watching Colt jump ahead to get Jace’s door more times than he could count. You could see how Jace loved that move by the expression on his face. He wanted that moment for himself and Cody and looked again to see how to navigate the move a little easier. The moment of indecision had Cody taking matters into his own hands. He released the hold Mitch had on his hand and went for the passenger door.
“Are you hungry?” Mitch asked and hit the car fob again, making sure all the doors unlocked. He slid inside the driver’s side, starting the keyless remote while looking at Cody. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“You said that,” Cody said with a big grin. “And, yeah. I’m hungry. I was too wound up to eat before I left.”
“Why were you wound up?” Mitch asked, placing the Tahoe in reverse and backing out of the tight parking spot. “Oh that’s right, the weather was bad.”
“It wasn’t that. I was trying not to chicken out,” Cody confessed, and that caused Mitch to look over at him, splitting his attention between the road and Cody. There was hesitation on Cody’s face and questions in those blue eyes. Mitch wasn’t sure he liked that and reached over and took his hand.
“Tell me why would you back out?” Mitch asked. They’d touched on this a little last night when they talked, and he knew how hard he had to pursue Cody to get them this far in the game. Cody needed to explain this further so he’d better understand what he was up against.
“I don’t really know. I worked hard to get where I am. I’ve got just about another year before I can apply for the Rangers. I need to keep myself focused,” Cody said as he turned to look out the front window.
“You keep saying things like that, but how does coming here affect you becoming a Texas Ranger?” Mitch asked, genuinely confused. He’d thought this might be Cody’s problem, but he couldn’t fully wrap his head around how dating Mitch factored into the Texas Ranger’s application process.
“You’re a deputy US marshal.” Like that answered the question. It didn’t.
“Well, I am, yes, and now you’ve confused me even more.” Mitch glanced over at Cody, who didn’t respond right away. “How does my being a deputy marshal factor into your job plans? I mean, I have helped the ranger’s when they call. I’ve done a couple of arrests internationally with one guy, but I don’t think he held any power or authority. I don’t get the problem.”
“I don’t know, it’s just…never mind,” Cody said after a minute more of silence, letting Mitch know there was more to this than just the job situation.
“No, tell me. I really want to know,” Mitch pressed. He needed to know what was going on in that pretty blond head of Cody’s.
“Not now.”
“Okay, when?” Mitch persisted.
“Just not now. Where are we eating?�
�� Cody asked, changing the subject. So Mitch let the topic go and filed it away for later discussion. But Mitch needed that answer before Cody left this weekend. If he had to reassure Cody that he was discreet, he would.
“We can go out to just about any place around here, or there’s a nice grill at the hotel. Either’s good with me,” Mitch said, watching the signs in downtown DC, making sure he hit all the right turns.
“The grill at the hotel sounds good, if I’m dressed all right.”
“Cool. We can drop your bag off in the room and then go back downstairs to eat.” Mitch watched as Cody eased back in the seat and relaxed.
Chapter 24
A valet opened Cody’s door when they arrived at the hotel. Another greeted Mitch and took his keys after a brief conversation that Cody couldn’t hear. He watched as Mitch clicked the back hatch, handed money to the valet, and exited the driver’s seat, leaving the door open for the attendant. Cody took a moment to make sure his shirt was tucked in and straightened out the crease in his jeans as he made his way to the back of the vehicle. When he was almost there, he ran his hands across his short hair, making sure nothing was sticking up or out of place.
Mitch had beat him to the back, again grabbing his duffel bag and slinging the long strap over his shoulder before he took his hand again. Now, this was something new to Cody. He was totally out, he didn’t hide, but he also didn’t flaunt his sexuality. He never held hands with any guy. He certainly had never been kissed in public by a guy, even on the cheek.
On so many levels, everything about this weekend was already new to him. He tried hard to just go with the flow. Not be the kink in the chain. Washington, DC, was definitely more liberal than Texas, and he prayed he didn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Interestingly enough, Mitch didn’t care at all. This seemed so natural to him. Mitch kept their pace, letting Cody go through the doors first even though Mitch led the way.
“That’s the grill. The elevators are this way,” Mitch said, heading to the main lobby of the hotel. The restaurant slash bar didn’t look overly crowded. The lobby in front of the elevators, on the other hand, was packed. Apparently a wedding party had reserved ballrooms on two floors for the reception, and the actual wedding had just ended. There was a wait as all the guests filtered to the next location, and Mitch got in line toward the back of the group before turning to face Cody. They stood almost toe to toe, and that silly little smile that showcased those two perfect dimples spread across his face.
God, that smile did it for Cody. Everything about Mitch turned him on. His cock began to plump up in his tight jeans. When he reached down to adjust himself, he hoped the move wasn’t too obvious to the people around him. Cody returned the smile, focusing on Mitch’s bottom lip.
“Look what I’m wearing,” Mitch said excitedly. Cody lifted his eyes to see a mischievous sparkle in Mitch’s gaze. It took a second for Cody to realize Mitch was unbuttoning his shirt. That confused him, and he drew his eyes away from those perfect lips and that heated gaze to watch Mitch make quick work of the shirt buttons. He executed a Superman move and flashed Cody the T-shirt underneath the button-down.
Cody burst out laughing as he read the words, ‘I’m going to bottom you so hard,’ written in big white letters on Mitch’s dark gray shirt. He shook his head, smiling at the grin on Mitch’s face. “I wondered what you liked. You know, we could always call room service.” Cody eyes were back on Mitch’s.
“Oh hell,” Mitch muttered, looking around. Cody followed his gaze to see a number of faces staring at them with curiosity. Mitch didn’t waste any time tugging Cody away from the crowd. Mitch stayed two steps in front of him the whole way, until they turned down a hall and ducked into an alcove. Cody only had seconds to see the swimming pool restrooms were this way before he was shoved backward and Mitch was on him. That big body pressing him roughly against the wall.
There wasn’t a sweet invitation on those lips, but instead Mitch came at him with a blistering kiss, taking what he wanted. His tongue probed and brushed against Cody’s, and he answered Mitch stroke for stroke. Their mouths were fused together as Mitch ground his entire body against Cody’s. Fuck, this was hot! He wrapped his arms around Mitch, drawing him in tighter, loving the feel of their cocks pushed up against each other. Mitch left no question that he was just as hard as Cody as he ground himself against Cody’s now rock hard erection.
It was only the need to breathe that had either of them breaking free. When Cody came up for air, Mitch latched on to his neck, sucking hard. He was sure to leave a mark.
“Not too hard,” Cody whispered as he turned his neck up for Mitch. He did that a lot with Mitch. He said one thing, but his actions told another story.
“You’re going home marked up,” Mitch whispered before sliding his tongue inside Cody’s ear. His hips rolled forward into Mitch of their own accord. Damn, he liked that tongue in the ear move. His hands caressed Mitch’s back and up his shoulders with one settling on the back of Mitch’s neck, keeping him right there at his ear.
“I want you like I’ve never wanted anything in my life,” Mitch whispered. His warm breath caressed the moist trail he’d just made with his tongue. Cody shivered under the assault.
“Let’s go upstairs,” Cody responded, turning to take Mitch’s lips once again. The kiss deepened immediately, and several minutes passed as Mitch completely rocked his world.
Cody felt deprived when Mitch pulled away. He used the strength in his hands to draw Mitch back down. Mitch’s insistent resistance prompted Cody to finally open his eyes.
“We don’t have to rush this.” Mitch’s face was so close that the sweet cinnamon breath he’d just tasted now filled his lungs. He loved that sensation.
“That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?” It made perfect sense to Cody, but he watched as Mitch’s lust-filled gaze turned thoughtful.
“It’s not the only reason,” Mitch answered and pushed against the wall, tugging free of Cody’s hold.
“It’s not?” That had him wanting Mitch right back in his arms. He reached to try and pull Mitch back against him, but Mitch shook his head.
“You’re damn sexy, I’ll give you that.” Mitch took a step back. “But sex isn’t the only reason you’re here, so stop with that line of thinking. I want you to go back to the grill. I’ll drop this off in my room. If you go up with me, we won’t make it out of the room and you know it. Good intentions or not.” Mitch just turned and left him standing right there. By the time Cody got his wits about him and ran his fingers over his face and through his hair to get his arousal under control, he heard Mitch’s voice a distance away.
“Get moving, cowboy!” Mitch said. Cody ducked his head around the corner, and Mitch stood at the end of the hallway. “And don’t go in there and jackoff. Hold on for me,” Mitch whispered loudly. Cody could feel the instant heat in his cheeks and quickly glanced all around to see who might have heard. “The pool’s closed this time of year. The restaurant’s that way.” Mitch motioned with his right hand and then he was gone in the same direction, leaving Cody red-faced with a giant hard-on.
“Fuck my life,” Cody said on a long groan. He did debate jacking off for a minute, just because he was painfully hard. He could easily relieve himself, especially if the pool was closed, but in the end, he agreed with Mitch. He’d wait. Anticipating what Mitch would do next had become almost a habit to him. One, he found he didn’t want to break.
~~~
Mitch did his best to wine and dine Cody. He wasn’t an expert at romance or seduction by any stretch of the imagination, but he wanted both those things for Cody. So he had kept them in the restaurant for a few hours by ordering slowly, plying Cody with alcohol, and insisting on picking up the tab. A relaxed Cody was a magical thing. The longer they sat in that oversized booth, the more Cody loosened up, and the more he learned.
They actually had very similar backgrounds. Cody’s parents were still alive and married. He had several brothers and sister
s, and just like Mitch’s siblings, they were a fertile bunch. Cody’s crew was slightly bigger, and he had a sister he talked about a lot—the oldest of the bunch and more career-oriented than the others. Mitch figured she had a strong influence in his life.
They were both the youngest in their families, although Mitch was seven years older than Cody. He’d laid that bit of information out there carefully. He wasn’t sure how Cody would feel about his almost old man status. There were lots of differences between mid-twenties and early thirties, but luckily, he hadn’t blinked an eye or started calling him sir or grandpa like he would have done if the situation were reversed.
The biggest difference in their life story was that Cody saw and talked to his family just about every day. Mitch hadn’t seen his father and mother since Jace and Colt’s Dallas wedding, and he had a hard time recalling the last time he’d seen his siblings or their children. But enough of those mental wanderings, it was time to get to the fun and games part of the evening.
“You ready to go upstairs?” Mitch asked, draining the last of his Coors light. Cody’s gaze intensified, that sexy-ass blush appeared, and he nodded. Mitch raised his hand for the waitress, and they both dug in their back pockets for their wallets.
“I got this, you’re my guest,” Mitch said, opening up his stuffed wallet and fingering through the cards until he found his American Express.
“I need to cover this. That flight—” Mitch cut Cody off.
“Enough with the flight. This is my weekend. When I come to Texas, you can pay.” He laid the card on the table as they waited for the waitress to bring their check.
“When you come to Texas, you can just stay at my place,” Cody said. He drained his Bud Light, and set the empty bottle back on the table.
“See? That’s you paying,” Mitch said casually, as though they were actually planning for the future. He hoped that held throughout the weekend. So far, they fit well. Washington, DC, was a gay-friendly location. They had been easily accepted in the restaurant. He even saw guys from the bar checking Cody out. It made him proud that Cody only seemed to have eyes for him. He hoped that held too.
Full Disclosure (A Nice Guys Novel Book 2) Page 18