David wrinkled his nose, tapping the counter. “I’m glad we understand one another. Come to my office tomorrow if you don’t believe me. I’ll make a believer out of you. Now get the fuck out of my house before I throw you out.”
Without a word, Philip stood up, casting a hateful glare at both he and Christian before stomping out. The slam of the front door echoed through the house as Philip left, and David grinned as he heard the man’s heavy steps going down the front porch.
He turned, stopping as he caught sight of the look on Christian’s face. “What?”
Christian leaped forward, wrapping his legs around David’s waist and hugging his neck. Without a word, Christian kissed him soundly, taking the wind from his lungs with his intensity.
“Oh, hello,” David said with a smile.
“Fuck, that was hot,” Christian told him.
David chuckled. “I’m glad you approved.”
“And then some!”
David wrapped an arm around his waist, holding Christian against him. “Well, let’s get your coffee, and then we can talk, just like I promised.”
“Shower first damn it, I’m all sweaty and want to wash the stink of Philip off me.”
“Shower first,” David agreed.
And he was even more sure of his decision, something he might just thank Philip for later.
Christian
Fresh and clean, Christian bounded out of the bathroom and launched himself into the air. With a soft laugh, he landed on the folds of the bed and sprawled out. David’s shower was equipped not only with an overhead attachment, but three built into the walls as well. It was large enough to fit both of them very comfortably, and Christian had taken his time with David, making sure they soaked up all the hot water before finally leaving.
David followed after him at a more sedate pace. “I wasn’t aware that you could fling yourself.”
Christian looked up, smirking. “I used to be in track and field back in school. Well, different schools. Geez, there was a lot of school teams I had to try out for now that I think about it.”
“I never knew you were an athlete,” David admitted, toweling off his head.
Christian watched the water drip down David’s bare body. “Yeah, did quite a bit of it when I could. It really helped me when I had to hop from school to school, sometimes two or three times in one year. Different towns, different schools, different people, different lessons, but I could always count on being able to do stuff like track and field, baseball, stuff like that.”
David paused, humming appreciatively. “That’s right, you’re on the baseball team here, aren’t you?”
“Why yes, General Winter, I am on one of the teams you created,” Christian said with a laugh.
David winced. “Doesn’t say good things that I have baseball teams created, with games and space set aside for them, and I’ve never been to see a single game in years.”
Christian chuckled. “Well, everyone’s happy you did. It gives us something to do other than get into trouble. You’re a pretty busy man, most people get that.”
David stopped at the edge of the bed, running a hand over Christian’s leg. “Though, if it means a chance to see you in baseball pants, I might just have to make some time.”
Christian laughed, playfully swatting at David’s hand. “You’re a pervert, you know that? I thought older guys were supposed to lose some of their libido.”
David scowled. “Was that an age joke?”
“Only if it means I’m making fun of myself for being outdone by someone older than me,” Christian said.
David bent over him, placing a hand on the bed each side of Christian. “I stand by blaming you for that.”
“Me? What did I do?” Christian protested.
David looked him over, taking his time. “Need I say more?”
Christian reached up, cupping David’s face and pulling him down into a sound kiss. “In the year I’ve known you, I would have never imagined you could be a sweet talker.”
“I am a man of many skills,” David said.
“And boy, am I learning that,” Christian replied.
Rather than bringing himself down for the kill, as Christian expected him too, David flopped down next to him. Christian blinked in surprise but smiled when David curled up on his side, wrapping an arm around Christian’s chest.
“You okay?” Christian asked softly.
David closed his eyes, nodding his head. “I will be. That was...unbelievably nerve-wracking. There wasn’t one point in time where I thought it was Philip who’d been behind Ethan’s blackmail attempt.”
“Well, not strictly speaking Philip,” Christian reminded him.
“True, but if it hadn’t been for Philip’s attempts to get some dirt on me, Ethan might never have realized the value of what he was sitting on.”
“And now, neither of them is a problem.”
David cracked his eyes open. “And I have you to thank.”
Christian gazed into the pale green of David’s eyes, they reminded him of old jade. “Maybe Ethan, but you took care of Philip.”
David nuzzled his face into Christian’s neck, kissing it. “I just...imagine if it had been anyone else but Philip. All these years I’ve kept that folder, just in case. I never quite knew what that case might be, but something told me to keep hold of it and not let it out of my sight.”
“I think that means you should be listening to your gut more often,” Christian pointed out.
David’s eyes flashed open completely, and he smiled. “That’s...good advice, and I think I’ll do just that.”
Christian’s chest tightened. “Yeah?”
David tucked an elbow beneath him, so he hovered over Christian’s face. “Yes. When you originally presented the idea of you and I being more than just a one night fling, I told you I needed more time to think about it. To weigh the benefits and the risks.”
“You did,” Christian said, swallowing.
“And I’m realizing that was an awfully clinical way of handling it. It was cold, and I apologize. I should have handled it better.”
Christian blinked. “Wait, you’re worried that I took offense?”
“It was quite blunt.”
Christian laughed. “Yes, and you are blunt, you absolute dork.”
“Dork?”
Christian continued to laugh, pushing David onto his back so he could lay across him. “I never once took offense to what you said. You’re always measuring things against one another, weighing the pros and cons. You think things through and use your brain to make your decisions. That’s just who you are, and it’s not like I suddenly expected you to be any different because I was asking you to be serious with me. Hell, I would have been shocked if you had an answer right away.”
David shook his head, running a hand along Christian’s neck. “I suppose you are quite used to me.”
“I am, I know how you operate. And I know that what I asked wasn’t the easiest thing to think about either. At the end of the day, what we did could put us at risk...and obviously, there was some threat to it. I could and...can understand, if that threat is too much for you,” Christian said softly.
David cupped the back of Christian’s head. “I thought much the same thing. It seemed like a monumental risk, and for something we...have no idea will work or not.”
“Your career. Mine,” Christian agreed.
“And any future aspirations you might have. That sort of thing could follow you around forever.”
“And ruin what you have now.”
David nodded. “But, I’ve decided I don’t care.”
Christian froze. “Wait...really?”
“Of course. I should have known that anyone willing to go to the lengths you did to protect me was someone worth keeping close. And I should have known that it was a sign when I was willing to ignore a strict rule, all for one night of being with you. And then I should have known when I didn’t give you an immediate answer when you asked for someth
ing more. There have been a lot of signs pointing me in the direction I’ve been heading the whole time, but the last piece of the puzzle slipped into place last night.”
Christian laughed. “I didn’t know the sex was that good.”
David rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t the sex. It was seeing you standing on the balcony by yourself.”
Christian wrinkled his nose. “Seriously? I looked like an absolute mess.”
“You looked like someone who had been through the wringer, that’s true.”
“You’re...helping my case, not yours here.”
David ignored him. “And you looked absolutely amazing to me. I realized I was seeing under all the smart jokes, under the efficient, dedicated workmanship. Past the smiles, the happy go lucky attitude and the patience for dealing with everyone all the time. I was seeing the Christian who was worn out, driven half-mad, and fed up with everything. And I realized that I wanted nothing more than to draw you close to me, and never let you go. You didn’t look like a mess, you looked like a man I could give my heart to.”
Christian had teased the general about his inability to give compliments very well, and he was fully prepared at that moment to take back that comment and never let it loose again. His mouth dried as he stared at David, dumbfounded.
“I...have never had anyone say...anything like that to me before,” Christian admitted.
“That’s truly a shame. Someone as loyal, hardworking, goodhearted, and joyful deserves to be told it often. You’ve made my job easier, and better, and somewhere along the line, you started doing the same to my life. So what I’m asking, Christian, is if you’ll do the same for my heart,” David said, voice petering off into a whisper.
It wouldn’t be an easy road, not by a long shot. Their relationship would have to be strictly controlled, locked away from the rest of the world. At work, they could never once slip up, carefully watching what they said and did around one another, watchful for a wrong look or inappropriate comment. They would never be allowed to eat out together, go to the beach together, or simply walk the streets hand in hand.
For as long as they were in their positions, their entire relationship would have to be a secret. Yet, as much as Christian believed in living his life out in the open, he couldn’t ignore how much he wanted the man in front of him. David was a rock, something for Christian to hold fast to and keep himself grounded. The man was true to his word, more kindhearted than he gave himself credit for, and was more dedicated to his duty than anyone Christian had ever seen.
He was a skillful lover and a kind man. And he was asking Christian to be with him. Secret relationship or not, he knew what his heart wanted.
Christian bent forward, kissing him softly. “Yes, I will.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
David hummed to himself as he marched down the path leading to his home. He’d stayed later in the office than he would have liked, but there were a few last-minute adjustments he had to tweak. His assistant was not the most adept at his job and was struggling under the demands that had been placed on him. As such, David had been forced to take on a great deal of the tasks for him, which increased his already substantial workload.
It wasn’t all bad, however, as his work had been reduced bit by bit over the past few months. His gut feeling for Oscar Reyes had turned out to be on the money. The man had proven very good at the job, once he’d gotten a handle on the full scope of his duties. David was very quickly finding much of the responsibilities he’d taken over for Operations slipping back where they belonged, and straight into Reyes’ ever more capable hands.
David stopped at the gate to his yard, gazing up at his home with a frown. It wasn’t the first time in the past couple of months that he’d spent longer at work than usual. In truth, he could have held off to deal with everything the next day, but chose to stay in the office. His house felt so lonely without Christian around to spend a few nights a week with him.
For almost a decade, David had loved the peace and quiet of his house. Then he’d begun dating Christian, and his house was filled with glorious noise three to four times a week. Christian was fond of music when he did just about anything, and loved singing along. He was also fond of dancing to the music, whether or not he was clothed. Then there were the constant conversations, with Christian always ready to fill the silence and talking to David about anything and everything, approaching every subject happily and excitedly. David’s peace had been shattered and replaced with something infinitely more valuable.
Life.
But, now, Christian was gone. Studying law in Boston. It had been a hard decision for the man, but inevitably, he’d decided a military career was not for him. The last week of Christian’s time at Fort Dale had been beautiful, filled with equal amounts of desperate lovemaking and bittersweet talks long into the night. Yet, he’d had to leave, flying out to move in with his sisters who were overjoyed to have their brother around full time.
David sighed, swinging the gate open and walking up the front walk. They still talked, of course, video calling when they could. Messages were shot back and forth all day, some clean, and some less than clean. David had no problem sharing compromising pictures of himself with Christian, something the other man found both arousing and amusing considering David’s history with them.
Unlocking the front door, he stepped inside, dropped his bag, and flipped on the light.
“Honey, I’m home,” he called into the empty space.
A head popped up from the darkness of the living room. “Hi, honey.”
David stumbled back, gripping the doorway. “Jesus Christ!”
Christian’s laughter echoed through the house. “Someone’s jumpy. Maybe you should cut down on the caffeine.”
David brought a hand to his furiously pounding heart. “Good Lord, Christian, you scared the sense out of me.”
“I can tell,” Christian said, flopping over the back of the couch with a devilish grin.
“You are aware I’m nearing fifty, right? You could give me a heart attack,” David accused as he stepped in closer.
Christian looked up at him, frowning. “That’s not funny. And considering your ticker is still as good as ever, highly unlikely.”
“How did...which one was it?”
“Troy.”
David sighed. “I will be having a little talk with him.”
“Like hell, you are. I have the goods on him.”
David raised a brow. “The goods?”
“Yep.”
“Oh goody, now you’re having clandestine talks with my medics.”
Christian hopped over the back of the couch and immediately darted for David. Knowing what was coming, David held his arms out, grunting as Christian’s body collided with his. Christian slid his arms around David’s neck and held tight, grinning down at him.
“I missed you,” Christian whispered.
David’s frown melted away. “I missed you.”
It had only been a few months, but it felt like an eternity since he’d last held Christian in his arms. He was warm in every way the word could be used, and his weight against David felt like a drowning man’s first breath of oxygen. David pulled him in closer, savoring the first sweet kiss they’d had in three months.
“So much,” David added against his lips.
“Good,” Christian said, running a thumb against the base of David’s neck.
“How did you get here?” David asked, still holding tight to him.
“It’s Spring Break, I’ve got two whole weeks, all to myself. My sisters wanted to do something, but all I had to say was I was gonna come here, and they shut right up. Lily says hi, and that she can’t wait to meet you. And I’m sorry, but she’s probably going to call you Daddy Winter,” Christian added with a grimace.
David blinked. “Pardon?”
“Don’t ask. And when she does, don’t react. Otherwise, it’ll just encourage her.”
“I’m not sure if I should be off
ended or not.”
“Don’t be. You’ll like Mary more. Well, once she pulls off the big sister act that she swears she won’t do, but will anyway.”
David raised a brow. “I’m glad you didn’t choose sales as your vocation, you’re not good at that.”
“I sold you on me, though, didn’t I?” Christian asked with a wicked grin.
“That you did.”
“And now you get me for a whole two weeks, all to yourself.”
David hummed. “You know, I could probably get away with taking the next two weeks off.”
“Seriously? Oscar’s been that good?”
“Oh, yes. And I’m overdue for a vacation.”
Christian’s blue eyes lit up with excitement. “Two weeks, of just us, here and being us?”
David grinned. “Christian. You’re not stationed here anymore, you’re not my subordinate.”
“Out of bed,” Christian said with a grin.
David ignored him, even as his gut tightened at the thought. “We don’t have to be a secret anymore.”
“Oh. Shit, you’re right,” Christian said with widening eyes.
David nodded. “So, yes, two weeks of us being here, being us. But two weeks of me taking you out to eat at my favorite places that you can’t get takeout from. Two weeks of trips to the beach, seeing shows, or just walking around and enjoying the weather.”
Christian stared up at him in wonder. “I...had got so used to it. I never realized we were free.”
David kissed him. “I can finally show off the man I love.”
“And so can I,” Christian murmured against his lips.
At My General’s Command Page 16