Footsteps in the Dark

by Josh Lanyon

  “Good.” I leaned over and grabbed what we needed from the drawer. Now that I knew my role, I felt better. I set the rubber and lube next us on the comforter. I straddled him again and smoothed my hands up his taut abs, exploring every inch of him, fluttering softly over his flat nipples. They beaded under my palms, and he sighed and rolled his hips.

  He opened his legs, stroking his cock, his slate-colored eyes pinned on me. I’d never really admired a man for his beauty before, but Jax was stunning. A lock of onyx hair fell over his forehead, and his plump lips parted in anticipation. He looked like a Renaissance painting, only he was warm and alive under my hands.

  I grabbed the lube and squirted the cool gel onto my fingers. I leaned down and kissed the ruddy head of his cock, and he moaned. I took him into my mouth, tasting his tangy precum on my tongue. Sliding down his length, I took him deep into my throat, and he hissed and bucked his hips. I buried my face in his soft bush, inhaling his soapy scent while sucking him. I caressed my slick fingertips over his puckered hole, and he tangled his hands in my hair, whispering words I couldn’t quite make out. His cock swelled in my mouth, and I pulled off when his groans got louder. I didn’t want him coming until I was inside him.

  He tugged at my hips, his fingers digging into my skin. “Fuck me,” he pleaded.

  I liked this vulnerable side of him. I loved having him quivering and needy beneath me. I no longer felt intimidated. Maybe he was a rich, powerful guy, but in bed we were both just men who wanted the same thing.

  Nudging his thighs wider, I tore open the condom and slid it on. I pressed one lubed finger into him, and he groaned. He was so hot and tight, I couldn’t wait to be inside him. But I wanted this to be good for him too, so I held back my impatience and took the time to ready him. I teased and stroked as he writhed on the bed, grasping handfuls of the comforter. He arched his back, his hips undulating to the rhythm of my moving fingers.

  “You like that?” I whispered, stroking that perfect little pucker, loving how he tightened those delicate muscles on my fingers.

  “Yeah. I want more.”

  “Good. ’Cuz I’m gonna give you a lot more.”

  He whimpered and pulled his knees to his chest, letting me see him fully. My mouth watered as I settled over him, bumping my cock to his hole. Our eyes met, and his expression was serious, all laughter replaced by want. I pushed in slowly, and he cried out and threw his head back.

  The tight squeeze of him was almost too much, but then his muscles loosened and opened, and I was seated fully inside, my cock cradled in the heated perfection of his body. I’d fantasized about a moment like this since meeting him, never really believing it would happen. I’d imagined how good it would feel to bury myself inside him. Taking what I wanted, watching him shudder beneath me, begging for more.

  “Shit, Decker.” The muscles of his neck bulged as he took me deeper.

  I started to thrust, grateful he’d been willing to submit to me. I’d have been too self-conscious to bottom for him. If Jax had insisted on topping, I’d have felt too exposed. Too vulnerable. I appreciated that he’d intuitively known that about me. We were very different men, and yet he seemed to understand me.

  “So good,” I panted.

  He moaned, his pupils blown with lust, lips parted, fingers digging into my back.

  My heart thundered, and my thigh muscles burned as I pumped into him. The room was silent other than our raspy breaths and grunts of pleasure. The friction of sliding in and out of him was delicious, and my balls throbbed and buzzed as my climax approached.

  “Oh God. Please,” he whimpered.

  His husky voice sent a thrill through me. “What do you need?” I started thrusting slower and deeper. “You want to come, Jax?” I craved hearing how much he wanted me to fuck him.

  “Yes,” he whispered, his eyes glittering. “Need it.”

  “You want to come with me inside you?”

  “Please. Please.”

  I felt powerful with this perfect man under me, begging me to let him come. My insecurities were washed away by lust and the obvious hunger in his eyes. I kissed him, and he opened his mouth greedily. When I lifted my head I was hanging onto my control by a thread. I was going to come any second, but I wanted him to come first. I knew he was right there, and when I gave two hard thrusts, his eyes widened and he trembled. “Yeah, let go,” I whispered.

  With a hiss, he arched his back, and the hot spill of his release washed between us. His body convulsed, and his muscles squeezed my cock, sending me over the edge too.

  I clenched my teeth, trying to bite back my cry of pleasure. But it was impossible, and I groaned as my cock jerked inside him. It had been a while since I’d really felt connected to a sexual partner. But because Jax was so willing to be vulnerable with me, it made things easier. I held him tight as our bodies trembled and quaked, finally quieting as our orgasms ebbed away.

  Eventually, he stirred and lifted his head. His hair stood up in messy tufts. “Holy fuck.” He grinned.

  I felt sweaty and exhausted, but I managed a gruff laugh. I pulled out of him and collapsed beside him. “I’m beginning to think you didn’t really invite me up here to get my clothes.”

  He snorted. “You really are a detective.”

  I smirked, stretched, every muscle in my body warm and relaxed. It had been way too long since I’d allowed myself to enjoy another man. I hadn’t really even been tempted in a long while. Not until Jax. I didn’t want to examine too closely why a guy who I basically had nothing in common with was the one I found irresistible.

  He grabbed tissues from the nightstand and wiped off his stomach. I did the same and tugged off the condom, tossing it into the small trash can next to the bed.

  “Now, I’m sure this could make things awkward if we let it.” His tone was good-natured. “I say we don’t let it.”

  I chewed the inside of my cheek as I studied him. “We’re just letting off steam.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Harry knows you brought me up here.”

  “So?”

  “He’s not a gossip, right?”

  “Harry is nothing if not discreet. Besides, it’s nobody’s business who we sleep with. It has nothing to do with the case.”

  “I agree. It’s just that my coworkers can be assholes sometimes. Going to a party together is one thing, but I’d rather nobody knew we slept together.”

  He made a zipping motion in front of his lips.

  I was relieved we seemed to be on the same page. I smiled and moved to get off the bed. I got dressed quickly, called for a cab, and then I sat back on the bed to slip on my shoes.

  “Can’t get out of here fast enough, can you?” His expression was agreeable, but there was a slight edge to his voice.

  I frowned. “Is that a problem?”

  “No.”

  “You sure?” I rubbed a hand over the back of my neck. I hadn’t expected to sleep over, and I couldn’t imagine he’d wanted that either.

  “Actually this is a refreshing change.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “You’re not asking for anything.”

  I squinted at him. “Why would I?”

  He laughed dryly. “Let’s just say it’s not unheard of for a guy to hand me a script after we fuck.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “I wish. This business is filled with users.”

  I studied him. “I slept with you because I’m attracted to you.”

  “Good.”

  I smirked. “Although, now that you mention it, I have secretly been working on a tough-guy-detective screenplay for years.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “It sounds intriguing; maybe we can set up a meeting.” His tone was flippant, but I got the feeling he wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended.

  “Believe me, you’re not the only one who gets used. I’ve had people I barely talked to in college call, hoping I can fix tickets for them.”


  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s nervy.” He laughed.

  “I agree. Sometimes I say I’ll help, but I don’t. Serves them right if they get a warrant.”

  “Whoa. Remind me not to piss you off.”

  I grinned and stood. “Well, this was fun.”

  “Yeah. It was.” He got off the bed and slipped on his underwear, and then we moved into the front room. “You can wait here until your cab arrives.”

  I hesitated but moved to the door. “Nah. They said it would only be about five minutes.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  “Thank you again for a fun evening.”

  “My pleasure.”

  I didn’t bother to say I’d call. I wasn’t sure I would call, and it wasn’t like he was asking me to. “Well, I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  “No doubt.” His expression was soft and sleepy.

  I opened the door, and on impulse, I leaned in and kissed him. He responded warmly, and when I lifted my head, his smile made my chest tight. “Lock the door.”

  “You got it.”

  I left his room, closing the door softly behind me.

  It wasn’t until the cab dropped me off in front of my house that I realized I’d never actually gotten my clothes from Jax.

  Chapter Eight

  I arranged to meet Tim Sloan at his home because he was still recovering from back surgery. He was younger than I’d pictured. He also wasn’t as happy to see me as I’d hoped. When his wife, Tammy, led me into the living room, he was lying on the couch, watching TV. He turned the volume down, but he seemed edgy and had trouble meeting my eyes.

  “Would you like anything to drink?” Tammy asked. She was a timid woman, with hair so limp, her ears stuck out through the strands.

  “No thank you.”

  She gave a nervous laugh. “Okay. Well, just call me if you need me.” She left the room.

  I turned to address Tim. “I appreciate your taking time to meet with me, Tim. I’m sure you’re not feeling great.” I smiled and sat on a chair near him.

  He shrugged. “I can’t very well say no, can I?”

  “Did you want to say no?”

  His face tensed. “I just don’t know how I can be of any help. I wasn’t even on the set when Dale died.”

  “It still helps to talk to anyone who works on the crew. You might have seen or heard something and not even realized it.” I gave what I hoped was a pleasant smile. In truth, his attitude raised red flags. Someone he knew had been murdered. Most people—innocent people—tended to want to talk to the cops.

  “I guess,” he muttered.

  “Do you know of any reason why anyone would want to hurt Dale?”

  He shook his head, then gritted his teeth for a few seconds as if in pain. “Dale was a nice person.”

  “That’s what everyone keeps saying.”

  “I heard about the attacks on Jax.”

  “Yeah.” I studied him. “Any idea who would want to hurt Jax?”

  “Nope.” He stared at his clasped hands. “I told you I wouldn’t be any help.”

  I ignored his surly comment. “You’re one of three people who know how to program the keypad in the tiger’s cage. Right?”

  He stiffened. “So what?”

  “Have there ever been any issues with the keypads and codes? Anybody’s code get erased without their knowledge?”

  “Not that I know of. Why?”

  “We think maybe someone tampered with it and erased Dale’s code.” I watched him closely.

  He wrinkled his brow. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, you know it wasn’t me. I couldn’t possibly have done that since I wasn’t anywhere near the cage.”

  “I don’t know that that would matter in this instance.”

  “How do you figure?” he asked warily.

  “The manufacturer of the keypad says the pad is programmable from a distance. You could be in another country and still mess with things. You just need passwords, a laptop, and some technical knowledge.” He didn’t look surprised, which piqued my interest. “Jax says you have a degree in electronics.”

  His eyes narrowed, his face flushed. “Hey…just what exactly are you trying to say?”

  “I’m just asking questions.”

  “No. You’re implying I somehow fucked with the keypad and got Dale killed.” He sounded breathless. “I ain’t no murderer.”

  “I’m not saying you are.”

  “You’re definitely hinting.” He scowled. “I suppose you think I got off the operating table and drove Jax off the road? Hell, maybe I started the fire in Jax’s office with my magic wand.” He gestured toward his prone body. “Going after Jax would be quite a feat, seeing as I can barely get to the bathroom to take a piss without my wife helping me.”

  He seemed truly offended, but that didn’t mean he was innocent. He could have had an accomplice who handled the physical stuff while he reprogrammed the keypad from home. The fact that he had experience with electronics put him high on my list of people to watch. Now if only I had a motive for why he’d want to hurt Dale or Jax. “Do you get along with Jax?”

  He blinked at me. “Yeah.”

  “No run-ins at all?”

  “Why would I have a problem with him? He hired me. I owe him big-time.”

  “I find it interesting that everybody seems to love Jax, and yet two attempts have been made on his life. Obviously not everyone thinks he’s a great guy.” I leaned toward him. “Someone has a grudge against him. That someone has access to the studio and knows his movements.”

  Eyes bugging out, Tim said, “It’s not me. I swear.”

  He seemed sincere, but I couldn’t shake the feeling he was hiding something. “If not you, then who?”

  “No idea.”

  “If this person succeeds in hurting Jax, and you know something but don’t tell me, you’ll be an accessory.”

  “There are a lot of people who work on that show. I don’t get why you’re giving me such a hard time.”

  “You have experience with electronics.”

  “It’s not impossible for anyone to have figured out how to program that thing. It’s probably on the Internet.”

  “Okay, give me the name of someone you think would be able to do that.”

  “No way. I’m not accusing anyone.” He dropped his gaze. “Besides, I can’t picture any of the people I work with doing anything violent. They’re all good people.”

  “Obviously not all of them are good because Dale is dead.”

  He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry about that, but it has nothing to do with me.”

  “I really hope you’re not hiding something from me, Tim. Whoever this person is, they’re dangerous.”

  His gaze flickered, but he didn’t speak.

  I exhaled and stood, feeling frustrated. I wasn’t sure if he was protecting someone, or if he really had no idea who the murderer could be. I handed him my card. “If you decide you want to talk, call me.”

  He grudgingly took the card. “I keep telling you I don’t know anything.”

  “I’m not sure I believe you.”

  “Why not?”

  I shrugged. “Instinct.”

  He licked his lips nervously. “Well, your instincts are all wrong.”

  I moved toward the door. “I hope for your sake that’s true.”

  Tammy appeared, looking uneasy. “Everything okay?” She twisted a dish towel in her hands, giving a nervous glance toward her husband.

  “Everything is fine. Just show the detective out, please,” Tim snapped.

  “Oh, sure.” She gave me an apologetic look and led me to the foyer by the front door.

  I hesitated before leaving. “Did you know Dale?”

  She shook her head. “I never meet the contestants. I don’t even know most of the production crew. Tim doesn’t like to bring me around them.”

  “Why not?”

  �
��Well, I got a little drunk at one of the cast parties, and he’s embarrassed by me now.”

  “We’ve all had a bit too much to drink one time or another.”

  She gave me a grateful smile. “That’s what I said…but he still doesn’t take me to the set anymore.” She bit her lip, a line between her brows. “I think it’s because Robin doesn’t like me.”

  “Robin? You mean Trevor’s sister?”

  She nodded, her expression disgruntled. “Robin and Tim used to date in high school,” she whispered.

  Surprise rolled through me. “Really?”

  “Yes.” She looked like she had a bad taste in her mouth. “She broke up with him and went with Paul instead. That didn’t work out so great.”

  “That’s why she doesn’t like you?”

  “Well, when I got tipsy that one time, I may have told her to keep her hands off my husband.” She sniffed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “She had her chance.”

  “I see.” Tim hadn’t exactly struck me as a chick-magnet type. He was okay-looking, but not really the kind of guy I’d have thought women fought over. I remembered how Paul had looked annoyed when Robin mentioned Tim being a great guy. Made me wonder if Paul had a current reason to feel territorial about Robin where Tim was concerned.

  Tammy shot a nervous glance toward the living room and opened the front door. “Sorry if Tim seemed grumpy. He’s usually much nicer.”

  I stepped out onto the porch. “Don’t worry about me. I have a thick skin.”

  “I guess you’d have to. Everybody hates cops,” she announced breezily, closing the door in my face.

  I grimaced, but then my phone buzzed in my pocket, distracting me. When I saw the caller ID, my pulse picked up because it was Jax. I headed to my car and answered. “Decker here.”

  “You know what I was thinking?” His voice was confident. “There aren’t nearly enough gritty detective reality shows.”

  I laughed, surprisingly pleased to hear from him. It had been two days since we’d slept together, and I’d been so busy interviewing people, I hadn’t had time to really think about our night together. Well, that wasn’t quite true; I’d thought about it plenty, but I hadn’t had time to go by the studio and talk to Jax. “I already sold my show to another famous producer.”