by Trina Lane
“Well, I’m going through these depositions and identifying pieces that are relevant to our prosecution.” Ethan sat back in his chair and pulled himself in closer to the table. “The trick is you have to know what to look for in the sea of babble.” He glanced down at the slowly shrinking pile of papers he still had to review. “You could help me by looking through these and seeing if there’s any mention of Yeung’s contacts with the parent company funding him. That’s what I’m trying to nail down at the moment. We need to have documented proof of his association and intent to sell the design of the device.”
Ryan was about to interrupt and defend the FBI’s investigative skills when Ethan’s hand landed on top of his stopping the words from escaping.
“I know you built a solid case, but I need to show the first assistant attorney and the judge the documentation when we go to court. These depositions are interviews with Yeung and some of his top executives. The more links we can make, the more solid the case.”
He felt a little chagrined that Ethan’s simple words had put him on the defensive, but this case had consumed his life for the past year. He sometimes felt as if he ate, slept and breathed Luke Yeung and Amerisystems. Sometimes, just when things seemed to be coming together, the slippery little sucker would pull a fast one on them, and they’d lose their connection. They had the proof of Yeung’s intent to sell to Losung a company funded by the Chinese government, but one of the hardest things to nail down was his reasoning. Money was the primary motive the FBI officially had determined. They’d found the trail of cash leading to a deposit of fifteen million dollars in a private Swiss bank account opened under a dummy corporation with Luke listed as CEO. However, that in itself had been a bitch to prove because he’d given his Chinese birth name to the institution. Once they’d dotted every i and crossed every t, they’d finally been able to subpoena the records.
Most people think that private off shore banks are obligated to maintain absolute privacy, but in the Swiss system they are required to assist authorities in criminal matters, and since, in this case, it was a federal investigation in economic espionage, a crime punishable in both Switzerland and the U.S., they were able to freeze Yeung’s foreign assets.
However, Ryan had always suspected a much deeper motive. One more malevolent. He’d uncovered a circumstantial link from Luke Yeung to an enforcer of a triad, a Chinese underground society often seen as the Asian counterpart to the Italian mobs, known for financing terrorist acts. When he’d brought the information to his superiors, they’d instructed him to stay on the leads with more documental proof. They couldn’t prosecute the man for his associations, but they could for espionage.
He’d never been able to let go of the fact, though it was small. The thought that an American citizen was directly linked to an organisation responsible for the deaths of one hundred children in a nerve gas attack on a school in Malaysia was sickening. Worse because that man was within Ryan’s grasp for what was technically a white collar offence when he could potentially be prosecuted for something much more criminal. It didn’t matter that Yeung hadn’t flicked the switch or bought the weapon. If he was truly a member of the organisation responsible for providing the funds to purchase the biological weapon, it made him just as culpable in Ryan’s mind. For awhile, Ryan had done some silent digging to find out if Luke Yeung was a triad member but had never unearthed more than the association between to the two men.
Ethan stopped talking when he realised Ryan wasn’t paying attention to him any longer. He saw the far off look in Ryan’s eyes and wondered where he’d gone. When they changed from their normal placid blue-grey to a stormy dark colour, Ethan shivered. He hoped whatever Ryan was thinking it wasn’t him. He’d hate to have inspired whatever thoughts made those beautiful light eyes seethe with anger.
Ryan’s large muscular body was tight with tension. His fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. Ethan couldn’t stand watching him locked in the silent struggle any longer.
He softly whistled a popular tune of a classic rock song, hoping the external stimulus would pull Ryan outside his head. He didn’t dare touch the man as aggressive as he looked at the moment. Not that he was afraid Ryan would hurt him, but he knew how jarring it could be when yanked out of thought by a sudden interruption. It was better to close the mental door yourself. He kept watch out of the corner of his eye as he continued highlighting the relevant material in the depositions he was reviewing. About thirty seconds into the song, Ryan blinked and looked over at him.
Ethan didn’t want Ryan to dwell on whatever he was thinking so he light-heartedly asked, “Name that tune?”
“What is Changes by Tesla?”
“Wow, I’m impressed! How on earth did you pick that up so fast?”
“Ironically, it was playing on my Sirius radio on the way over here. I sometimes go through a stage when I need a hair-band fix. What put it in your head?”
Ethan chuckled. “Believe it or not, the same thing. I had my radio tuned to the Hair Nation station on the way to work this morning.”
“Oh lord, I thought I was the only one. Most of my buddies say I’m insane to want to relive that period of Aquanet, alcohol induced haze and stank leather.”
“Wait. First of all, that album was released in 1986. There is no way you were old enough to be immersed in the hair-band alcohol and drug haze. Second of all, you have leather?” Ethan smiled and leered.
Ryan laughed. “Okay, so I was only fourteen at the time that album came out but I was a rebellious child. I can’t count the number of times my parents held their ears and shook their heads at the noise coming from my bedroom. Guitar riffs splintered the air from the moment I came home from school to when they shut off my lights in effort to enforce bedtime. I idolised those leather-clad bad boys and their unabashed enthusiasm to do whatever they hell they wanted regardless of consequences.” He gave Ethan his own leer. “And let’s be honest. All that tight, black leather showcasing lithe hips, thick bulges, long legs and sweaty chests fuelled hours of fantasies for a hormone riddled teenage boy.”
Ethan licked his lips at images of a younger Ryan jacking off to a poster of Poison or Mötley Crüe. He still had a copy of Rolling Stone with Jon Bon Jovi on the cover stashed away in his closet.
“So Thanksgiving is next week. What are you doing?” Ryan asked
Ethan shook his head when Ryan’s question broke his fantasy apart. “Huh?”
Ryan snickered at Ethan’s distracted question. “Thanksgiving? Turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie. Ringing any bells?”
“Oh yeah.” He grimaced. “Have to go home for the obligatory visit to the parental units.”
“Uh-oh. Not a good thing?”
He shrugged. “It’s fine. I just don’t have much in common with any of my family. Mostly, I sit there and listen to them expound on the perfection of my younger brother. His perfect job, perfect wife, perfect children.”
“You’re a lawyer for the United States Attorney’s Office. That’s not good enough for them?”
He looked away not wanting Ryan to see how much it hurt. Despite his best efforts, he was still considered a disappointment in his parents’ eyes. It didn’t matter that he graduated top of his class at Boston College on full scholarship. It didn’t matter that he’d played sports his entire childhood, adolescence and college years. He’d gone to law school and gotten a job with a prestigious law firm right out of school instead of going into the family business. His family had owned and operated a marina and boat rental business in the Ozarks for years. He loved the water but had wanted more for his life than giving vacationing families tours of the lakes in central Missouri.
The big kicker was that despite coming out to his parents at high school graduation, they refused to acknowledge his lifestyle. It could be worse. He knew some men whose family had cut all ties with them when they’d come out. His just ignored the entire episode as if it had never happened. His mom still asked him if he’d met any nice girls in the b
ig city and invariably offered to set him up with some woman friend’s daughter from the church when he went home.
“Ethan?”
“Sorry, let’s just say they had other expectations.”
“There’s nothing you can talk to them about? I know you had fun at the football game the other night. Does you family not do sports? There’re always games on that day.”
“Oh my dad and brother love football. They spend hours in front of the tube, drinking beer while my mom and sister-in-law cook dinner. It just so happens they feel the need to explain each play to me like I’m a four year old because playing soccer all my life wasn’t considered a real sport. Real men don’t play soccer, don’t you know?”
“What a load of horseshit. The tactics and strategy involved in soccer are ten times more complicated then being told what plays to run and barrelling full speed into a two hundred and fifty pound defensemen. You have to think on the fly, calculate trajectory and avoid being kicked in the balls.”
Ethan laughed and was glad Ryan had pulled him out of the funk he always sunk to when thinking about going home. He looked into the smiling eyes next to him. “Thanks”
“Ditto.”
There was no need to expand. They both knew what was being said.
Chapter Six
Ethan was so glad to be home. Thanksgiving had been everything he’d expected and dreaded.
The moment he’d landed at Lambert International in St. Louis, things had gone from bad to worse. The rental agency had lost his reservation for the car, and the only thing available was a tiny compact his tall frame barely sardined into. Then he’d gotten a flat driving down to his parents. Changing a tire in a rain and sleet storm on the side of Highway Forty-four was nobody’s idea of a good time.
When he’d finally arrived, he’d been hungry, still damp and cold. His mom had told him there might be leftovers in the fridge, but they’d already eaten when his plane had been delayed due to the storm. He’d told her not to worry about it that he was going up to his old room to sleep. However, he’d been told his niece and nephew were staying there. He’d gotten relegated to the sofa-bed in the basement.
Unfortunately, the basement was also his dad’s man-cave so Ethan had to wait until the beer, chicken wing and Die Hard fest was over before he could crash. He even liked the most recent Die Hard movie, but at that point, he could care less how many terrorists one man could single-handedly defeat. Even if Bruce Willis still looked damn good.
The following morning had been business as usual. Beer, football lessons and attempted setups. He’d told his mom that he was seeing someone, and she’d gotten all excited, but when he mentioned Ryan’s name, a sour expression had crossed her face and she’d changed the subject.
The only redeeming aspect had been seeing his nephews. He loved those little boys, and they were always fun to play with. He’d taken them in the backyard and kicked the soccer ball around with them, teaching them tips for passing the ball with accuracy. They’d been wet, muddy, tired and had had a blast until his sister-in-law scowled them for bring dirt into grandma and grandpa’s house then gave him a dirty look for encouraging their reckless behaviour. He’d taken the boys upstairs and cleaned them up, and even had them laughing with imitations of their mom by the time they were done.
Now, as his plane touched down at Logan, he was home. The weather report said Boston would greet him with fresh blanket of snow and freezing winds, but he didn’t care. The entire four hour flight he’d anticipated seeing Ryan again. Ryan’s arms would surround him with heat, firm lips would breathe warmth into his body and a hot hard cock would—
Okay, time to stop thinking along those lines until he could safely exit the plane without embarrassment.
When he got to the security checkpoint, a smile lit his face at the sight of Ryan waiting for him. His tall muscled frame had a clear line of sight above the others waiting and passengers disembarking. When those grey-blue orbs locked on Ethan, he couldn’t help himself; he quickened his step to nearly a run and threw his arms around his man. When Ryan’s arms encircled him and squeezed in welcome, it truly felt as if he were home.
Ethan finally pulled back, wanting to kiss those perfect lips inches from his, but he knew they had to show some restraint. “God, I missed you.”
“Me too, E. But you survived, yeah? Now, you’re home.”
“That’s just what I was thinking.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
They exited the terminal, and Ethan was nearly blown backwards by the brutal north wind. Ryan caught him and turned with his back to the wind so Ethan was protected. The shield of Ryan’s larger body provided some defence against frigid air. He tucked his body closer seeking shelter as they crossed the parking area to Ryan’s SUV.
After Ethan was seated and closed into the cold interior of the vehicle, Ryan ran around to the other side and jumped in. He turned the ignition over and cranked up the heater that, fortunately, still had some warm air in reserve.
Ethan didn’t have any gloves and rubbed his hands together cupping them over his mouth. He blew the little heat still inside his body over the chafed skin. His hands were gathered between Ryan’s larger ones and rubbed, the friction helping the numbness that settled in despite the short distance from the door to the car. He glanced up and smiled at the tender way Ryan took care of him.
Their gazes held for a few seconds then, as a unit, they closed the distance between their bodies and met in a torrid kiss over the centre console. His now warm hand latched onto the back of Ryan’s neck, holding him prisoner as their lips clung to each other. Ryan tasted so good. Their tongues duelled and clung together in each other’s mouths. He couldn’t get enough and tried to extend the kiss, silently begging Ryan to continue the wonderful feelings coursing through him.
They’d only been separated for a few days, but it felt like forever. He needed this man more than he’d ever needed anyone before. Ryan was his anchor in the storm of craziness that was his life. He’d been adrift in the midst of his family, and he needed the security Ryan’s presence and touch provided.
“Stay with me tonight,” Ryan pleaded, his breathing harsh in the cab of the car. His fingers stroked the thick locks of Ethan’s hair back from his forehead where they’d fallen over the bright hazel eyes. “Let me hold you, let me touch you, let me—”
He’d been about to say ‘let me love you’ but stopped. He didn’t want to freak Ethan out. The man was becoming the centre of his universe. Ryan had thought the extended weekend away would give him focus, cool the raging emotions that kept consuming him when they were together. Instead, he’d found himself reaching for Ethan at night or wanting to pick up the phone to call and make sure he was okay. Ryan had gotten the impression that Ethan’s childhood home was anything but something to be thankful for and had wanted to be there for him.
His family was the opposite. Loving, generous, supportive. When his mom had asked if he was seeing anyone he’d told her about Ethan. He tried to play it cool, saying they’d only been together a few weeks, but she’d seen right through him. He never knew how, but she’d always been able to detect his bullshit, even as a kid when he would stupidly act out in effort to be cool.
She’d cornered him the day after Thanksgiving and asked if he loved Ethan. The question had floored him. He knew he cared for the man but loved? Now? So soon? It couldn’t possibly be. She’d just smiled and patted him on the cheek before walking away to serve more pie to the rest of the family. The thought had consumed him the rest of the weekend. He’d eventually realised that he was falling and fast.
“I packed a suit for tomorrow before I left.” Ethan looked down and drew little circles on the leather padded division between them.
Ryan lifted Ethan’s chin and kissed him. He let the touch linger, his fingers holding Ethan immobile. He didn’t know where the uncertainty and shyness was coming from. Ethan had always been so sure of himself, never hesitant about what was happening between them. I
f this is what a weekend with the man’s family did to him, Ryan would make sure that from now on he was there standing next to him in solidarity. If his family didn’t like it, they could just deal. If they couldn’t provide their son and brother with the love and support he deserved, Ryan would make sure Ethan could get it from him and his. He separated their lips and rubbed their noses together.
“Then let’s go home.”
He pulled out of the parking space and manoeuvred his way out of the area surrounding the airport. When they neared his loft, he realised this was the first time Ethan had been to his home. Until now, they’d always met at his apartment or at one of their offices for dinner after work. Every time they’d had sex, it’d always been at Ethan’s apartment or office. He remembered that night with a smile.
Ryan unlocked his door and ushered Ethan inside. Giving him the tour, he pointed out the basic kitchen, sitting area and home office. Taking Ethan’s hand, Ryan led him to the large windows at the base of the stairs to his loft bedroom and pulled him into the circle of his arms. They stood in silence for a minute soaking up each other’s presence and gazing out at his view of the city. By unspoken accession, they turned and walked up the stairs to Ryan’s bedroom hand in hand.
They stopped beside his bed and slowly undressed each other. Layers melted away. The soft, pale skin of Ethan’s body was revealed inch by inch. Ryan traced the ridges of the protruding collarbone then skimmed over the leanly muscled ribcage and stomach.
Ethan held on to Ryan’s hips as fingers explored the contours of his body. Ethan had begun to feel a little self conscious about his body. He tried to work out as often as his busy work schedule permitted, but knew his regime was nothing like the hours he’d spent daily running and lifting in college. His one indulgence he swore would never alter, unless the sky was falling, would be his weekly workouts rowing on the Charles River during the spring and summer seasons. The solitude he found on the water calmed his raging mind and the cardio workout ensured that he still maintained good muscle tone throughout his body. He was proud of the fact that with hard work he’d kept his six-pack, but he knew he was not as ripped as he had been in college. Preferring his lovers to have larger, harder bodies than himself had been slightly awkward on more than one occasion when he’d met up with the wrong guy, but he still believed there was nothing in the world like having the weight of his lover above him in bed, the weight pressing him into the mattress, his man’s body surrounding and consuming him while they fucked. He’d topped on occasion and even enjoyed it, but he was a guy and guys liked to have sex, any sex. Still, he generally preferred the bottom role to his lovers.