by Carol Lynne
Aaron gestured to the phone in Deacon’s pocket. “What’s going on that you’re suddenly on that thing all the time? Is there some kind of bidding war going on over your furniture or something?”
Deacon slipped the phone into his back pocket. “Owning the shop isn’t my only job. I do some work on the side that I can’t really talk about.”
Aaron sat straight up, ready to run if he needed to. “Are you a drug dealer, because I like you a lot, but I’ve seen what drugs do to people.”
Deacon reached over and settled a hand on Aaron’s knee. “No, it’s some work for the government. I’m one of the good guys. The thing is, no one around here but Luke has any idea, and I need it to stay that way.”
Aaron relaxed. “So the calls, they’re something to do with that?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry I jumped to conclusions.” He threaded his fingers through Deacon’s. “Is that why you said you couldn’t see me for a while? Were you afraid I’d find out what you did?”
“Partially.” Deacon released Aaron’s hand and sat back in his chair. “Actually, no, that’s not the reason.”
“Then what is?” Aaron braced himself. “Am I too crazy for you?”
“Stop.” Deacon reached over and pulled Aaron towards him. “Come here.”
Aaron refused to sit on Deacon’s lap like a damn child, so he knelt in front of the man. He rested his cheek on Deacon’s good leg and waited.
“I told you Luke knows what I do. Well, a couple months ago, he asked if I could talk to you because he knew you were hurtin’ and wasn’t sure how to help. Given my military background, he thought it might be easier for you to talk to me.”
“I didn’t know that.”
Deacon sighed. “That’s only part of it. I wanted to know more about you before I agreed. Nothing personal, I just don’t let many people close to me. So I did some digging.”
Aaron swallowed around the lump of emotion lodged in his throat. He knows. Getting to his feet, Aaron backed towards the front door. “I was going to tell you, I promise. I just wasn’t sure how.”
Grabbing his cane, Deacon stood and went after Aaron. “You’ve got nothing to apologise for. I’m the one who needs to beg your forgiveness for digging into your life without asking.”
Aaron bumped into a table and nearly toppled the lamp on top of it. He steadied the furniture before turning back to Deacon. Staring at Deacon, Aaron knew he should be furious at what Deacon had done, but all he could think about was shame at what had happened to him. “I’m not mad at you, but I think I should go.”
“Please don’t.” Deacon continued towards Aaron.
With tears in his eyes, Aaron shook his head. “You’ll never look at me the same way again.” Before Deacon could answer, Aaron turned and threw the door open wide. He sprinted into the street without thinking to even look for traffic. He wasn’t sure which he heard first, the squeal of tires or Deacon screaming his name. Before Aaron could react, he was pushed from behind. He ended up in the middle of Main Street with Deacon lying on top of him.
“Is everyone okay?” someone asked, running towards them.
Aaron closed his eyes at the enormity of what had almost occurred. He rolled to his back and stared up at Deacon. “Are you hurt?”
His face pale as a ghost, Deacon rubbed his chest. “Just got the wind knocked out of me.” He sat up and reached for Aaron’s arm. “But you are.”
“Hang on, I’ll call for help.”
Aaron looked at his arm before staring up at the handsome man in confusion. It took him several moments to realise the stranger had been the one driving the SUV that had almost hit him. “I don’t need any. It’s just a scuff.”
The man held out his hand. Aaron took it and was pulled to his feet. “I’m Hawk, by the way.”
Still dazed, Aaron shook Hawk’s hand. “Aaron.” He reached down and helped Deacon up. “Where’s your cane?”
Deacon searched the street, eventually pointing towards the gutter.
“Okay, hang on.” Aaron ran to the side of the road and picked up the hand carved cane. It dawned him how fast Deacon would’ve had to move to reach him in time to knock him away from the SUV. He carried the cane over and handed it to Deacon.
Deacon ended the handshake with Hawk. “Sorry to scare you.”
“I’m just glad no one was seriously hurt.” Hawk pointed to Aaron and chuckled. “Teach him to look both ways before crossing the street.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Deacon took Aaron’s hand and led him back to the store.
“You ran.” Aaron followed Deacon into the back office.
Thus far, Deacon had remained quiet. He pulled Aaron into his arms and held him close. “You took ten years off my life.”
Aaron pressed his cheek against Deacon’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t have risked yourself because I did something stupid.”
“It wasn’t a choice, Aaron. You ran out there. I saw the SUV coming, and I knew I’d do whatever it took to keep you safe.” Deacon tilted Aaron’s chin up for a deep kiss.
Aaron opened to Deacon’s tongue.
“And for the record, you said I’d never look at you the same again after finding out about your past, but guess what, I knew everything about you before you ever stepped foot in this shop and I still want you.”
“But, I’m a coward.” Aaron thought of the way he’d hidden behind an injured boy while the men protecting him had been gunned down.
Deacon sat in his office chair and pulled Aaron between his legs, giving Aaron the choice of whether to sit or stand. “Luke told me you were dishonourably discharged. I happen to know that wasn’t the case, so why lie?”
With his hands on Deacon’s shoulders, Aaron tried to put his shame into words. “I watched my friends die right in front of me. I had a gun, but refused to use it out of fear, what’s honourable in that? Why did I deserve a general discharge when others got worse just for being gay?” Giving in to his need to be held, Aaron sat on Deacon’s good leg. “What else do you know about me? Does my file talk about my life before I served overseas?”
“Your official file isn’t as thorough as I would’ve liked, so I did some digging on my own.”
“Why?” It didn’t make sense to Aaron. Even if Deacon wanted to help him deal with what had happened in Baghdad, it had nothing to do with his upbringing. His grandmother hadn’t made him into the coward he’d become, he’d accomplished that on his own.
“To be completely honest, I don’t know. Luke told me a lot about you, but I wanted to know who you were before you were held for three days at gunpoint.”
“But I’m not that man anymore, don’t you get it? The Aaron Ellis who walked into the recruiters’ office the day after high school graduation died shortly after landing in Baghdad. So all your snooping into my life was pointless.”
“No it wasn’t,” Deacon argued. “The core of who you are is still there. If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t bother with therapy. While I see a good person in front of me, you see a morphed version of yourself, and I’d love nothing more than to help you with that.”
Aaron opened his mouth to dispute Deacon’s claims but found he couldn’t. Whether skewed or not, he didn’t see himself the way others obviously did. Why else would Luke and Deacon, two of the nicest people he’d ever known, care enough to put up with his bullshit? “So, are we gonna go to this dinner thing, or what?”
Deacon’s serious expression softened. “I’d like that, but first, we need to get that arm taken care of.”
Aaron had forgotten all about his injury. “Oh, shit, I got blood all over your shirt.”
Deacon rubbed the back of Aaron’s ass. “Isn’t the first time I’ve had blood on me, won’t be the last.”
Aaron rested his forehead against Deacon’s. “Please don’t tell me that.” He gave Deacon a quick kiss. “Is this other job of yours dangerous?” With Deacon’s leg the way it was, Aaron couldn’t see him getting into a bad situation, but the statement
made him wonder.
“Not as long as my identity remains a secret.” The phone in Deacon’s pocket began to ring. He closed his eyes and groaned. “Sorry, but I need to get that.”
Aaron stood. “I’ll leave you alone then. Pick me up later?”
Deacon dug the phone out of his pocket. “Looking forward to it.”
So was Aaron. He left the shop feeling better than he had in days, despite the drying blood on his arm.
* * * *
Deacon waited until Aaron was out of earshot before speaking. “Black’s Hardware.” He waited for the agent or handler to identify themselves.
“Yeah, do you carry shotgun shells?”
Deacon silently cursed. Although he didn’t know Priest well, the top-notch agent and new handler would surely recognise the deep rasp of Deacon’s voice. He was still trying to figure out how to handle the situation when Priest spoke again.
“You are a hardware store, aren’t you?”
The suspicion in Priest’s voice prompted Deacon to answer. “Yes, shotgun shells are stored behind the counter.”
“This isn’t Midnight,” Priest accused.
“No. It’s the Director. Midnight’s occupied.” Deacon figured the less he spoke the better.
“Agent two-four-six is home and ready for his next assignment.”
“Have him sit tight until further notice.” Two-four-six was the man Deacon would’ve chosen to go after Sully if Midnight hadn’t had such a personal stake in making sure his on-again-off-again lover was safe. Although Deacon had a job that needed to be done, he decided to save two-four-six in case Midnight’s rescue attempt failed.
“You’re the boss.” Priest hung up, and Deacon sighed in relief.
Chapter Four
Deacon pulled up in front of Aaron’s apartment early, hoping they could spend some time together before going to Luke’s. He knocked on the door and waited. When there was no immediate reply, he started to worry and banged harder, ready to kick the door down if he needed.
“Hey,” Aaron answered, his hair dripping wet and a towel around his hips. “Sorry, I was in the shower. You’re early.”
Deacon gave Aaron a subtle push and entered the apartment, closing the door behind him. Sex hadn’t been the reason he’d come early, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the low-riding towel. “I’d say I’m right on time.”
“Hmmm.” Aaron dropped the towel and moved in for a kiss.
Although not normally aggressive, Deacon attacked Aaron’s mouth like he hadn’t been kissed in ages. He began to nudge Aaron towards the bedroom a step at a time while reaching between them to encircle Aaron’s hardening cock.
Aaron broke the kiss and gasped for air. “Damn.”
“You feel good.” Deacon continued to slowly jack Aaron’s cock, using his cane to steady himself.
Aaron scrambled to get Deacon’s jeans unfastened as he continued to walk backwards. “You started this, so you damn well better finish it.”
The thought of burying himself inside Aaron had gooseflesh springing up on Deacon’s skin. “I plan to.” They reached the bed and Aaron broke away long enough to pull the covers back. Gloriously nude, Aaron directed Deacon to the soft white sheets.
Deacon rested his cane against the headboard. “If you’ll help with the shoes, I’ll take care of the rest.”
Aaron shook his head and knelt in front of Deacon. “I’ve waited too long for this. I’ll let you take off your shirt, but these jeans and what’s underneath them are all mine.”
Deacon unbuttoned his shirt and held it out. “Mind putting that on the chair for me?” Normally, he would’ve just tossed it aside, but they still had a dinner party to attend. He watched Aaron’s ass as he walked several steps on his knees to drape the shirt over the seat of a small chair. A glimpse of Aaron’s red ass bothered him. “Stay where you are and bend over.”
“Huh?”
“Just for a second,” Deacon pleaded, his gaze zeroing in on Aaron’s hole. He grunted. “I thought you said you hadn’t had sex in a while?”
Aaron rose from his hands and knees and walked towards the bed. “I was horny when I got home from your place. You want me to show you the dildo? It’s still in the shower if you’d care to see it.”
It was obvious Deacon had offended Aaron, which was the last thing he wanted. He laid back on the mattress and stretched his arms over his head. “Sorry. I can be a jealous bastard when I like someone.”
Aaron unzipped Deacon’s jeans and started to pull them down, kissing Deacon’s skin as it was exposed. “I won’t do it anymore if it bothers you. I’ve been alone a long time.”
Deacon reached down and feathered his fingers through Aaron’s short blond hair at the first lick of Aaron’s tongue to the tip of his cock. While Deacon hated the idea of Aaron using a dildo as a substitute for his cock, he knew there would be times when he’d have to leave town. Better that Aaron could please himself when Deacon wasn’t around rather than looking for someone else. “Don’t pay any attention to me. You do what you need to do.”
Aaron licked down the length of Deacon’s shaft to nuzzle his balls with his nose. “Look on the bright side, I’m all stretched and turned on.”
Aaron started to push Deacon’s jeans further down his legs, but Deacon stopped him. “My leg’s nasty-looking. Don’t feel bad if it’s hard for you to look at.”
Aaron continued, pulling the jeans off completely before speaking. “I’ve told you before, I’m better now at looking at this kind of stuff.” He lightly brushed his palm over Deacon’s calf and thigh. “It doesn’t gross me out, but it makes me feel bad that you went through so much pain alone.”
Deacon didn’t tell Aaron he had had quite a few visitors after the car wreck that had injured him and caused Bobby’s death. He still remembered waking up to find the President of the United States standing at his bedside. At the time, it didn’t matter who had come to see him, none of them were close enough to really help him heal. He reached down and held out his hands. “Come back up here.”
Deacon moved to stretch out on the big bed. With the side of his face buried in Aaron’s pillow, Deacon inhaled. He doubted he’d ever forget Aaron’s smell, hoping he’d never have to.
Aaron scooted in beside Deacon. Belly to belly, Deacon lined his erection up with Aaron and wrapped his hand around both of them. “Do you have stuff, or would you rather get off this way?”
Aaron chuckled and pulled away to retrieve supplies. “I bought the box of rubbers the day I met you.”
Deacon moved his hand to rest on Aaron’s back. He still had an hour before they needed to be at Luke’s and rushing through his first time with Aaron wasn’t on the agenda. He’d seen several pale scars on Aaron’s torso and knew exactly how they’d got there. It felt odd to know so much about a man before intimacy.
Aaron hooked his leg over Deacon’s hip. “This okay?”
Deacon moved Aaron’s leg higher to rest over his waist. “This is even better.” He picked up the lube and dripped a fair amount onto his fingers. As he hungrily kissed Aaron, Deacon found the stretched hole he’d observed earlier. In no time, Deacon had his fingers moving in and out of Aaron’s hole, in no hurry to move things to the next level. Simply holding Aaron in his arms was more than he’d hoped for before telling Aaron the truth about his background check. The fact that Aaron was more embarrassed that Deacon knew the truth than how Deacon had done it, still niggled at the back of his mind.
Aaron shifted, taking Deacon’s cock in hand. “Want you,” he whispered, breaking the kiss.
“We have time,” Deacon assured him, trying to keep things slow.
“Time has nothing to do with it.” Aaron withdrew a condom from the box. “Okay, maybe it does. I just want to make sure this happens before you get another phone call or change your mind.”
Deacon ripped the packet open with his teeth. “I can’t guarantee the phone won’t ring, but there’s no way in hell I’m changing my mind.” He rolled the rubber
down the length of his cock before pinching the tipped reservoir to make sure there was room.
“Does that mean as long as I give you privacy for your phone calls, you’ll agree to spend the night after the party?”
Gazing into Aaron’s big eyes, Deacon doubted there was anything he could deny the man. “Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”
Aaron scooted up on the bed enough for Deacon to align his cock with the stretched hole. “I’m off, but then I have to work two days in a row. I didn’t used to mind it. In fact, I usually took all the offered shifts I could get, but that was before I met you.”
Deacon rubbed his cock back and forth across Aaron’s hole several times before entering. Aaron’s acceptance of Deacon’s thick cock warmed him, probably more than it should. Groaning, he eased in to the hilt in one smooth thrust. “Fits like a glove.”
Aaron gave Deacon’s shoulders a subtle push. “Roll over, let me ride you.”
Deacon went with it and tumbled to his back, bringing Aaron with him. He hated to sound weak, but he wasn’t sure how his upper thigh would handle the jarring motion of Aaron’s ass. Without telling Aaron the reason, Deacon cupped both of Aaron’s butt cheeks and lifted him off his injured leg.
Aaron planted his feet on the mattress and leant forward to kiss Deacon as he bobbed up and down on Deacon’s cock.
Deacon let Aaron take the lead. His lips were licked, sucked and nibbled as he continued to fuck upwards into Aaron. He’d gone a long time without the feel of a man’s ass wrapped around his cock, so long, in fact, that he’d forgotten how addictive good sex could be. “Touch yourself.”
Aaron released Deacon’s lip. “If I touch my cock I’m gonna come.”
“I know.” Deacon looked pleadingly at Aaron. He hated to admit he was on the verge of coming after only a handful of minutes. Sweat that he couldn’t wipe away, began to drip from his forehead down the side of his face.