Hard Case (5 page)

The intensity built and Steve’s pace increased. He fucked Troy’s mouth hard, ramming himself balls-deep and using Troy with delicious perfection. Troy moaned, and fluttered his eyes shut. It felt wonderful, the heat and fierceness of Steve pumping into him fast and furiously. Troy could only kneel there and take it, let Steve fuck him long and deep.

It was amazing.

Troy was drenched from the hot spray of water. His cock ached, a burning need screaming silently for relief. Denying himself added pain to that searing pleasure. He gripped Steve’s ass hard, holding on as his lover groaned and pounded him. Troy inched his finger between Steve’s crack, one curious digit finding that tiny puckered hole between his cheeks.

Feeling naughty and powerful, Troy stroked the soft tip over the tight skin.

“Yes,” Steve panted, “fuck yes. Breach me. Fill me. Troy.”

Encouraged, Troy rubbed around the sensitive opening, slicking the skin and his finger with water. Slowly he eased in the clenched ring of muscle. They both groaned as he went to the first knuckle, then gently to the second.

Troy screwed his wrist around, stroking the thin passage and searching for that nubbin of nerves.

“Up. Over. Right. Yes,” Steve called out incoherently. “Bloody hell yes. Right
there
.”

Troy sucked Steve’s cock harder and stroked as quickly as he dared. He could feel Steve’s body shake next to him and his movements became jerky. Troy knew his friend was close. Water splashed as Steve widened his stance, giving Troy better access. Steve pressed his ass back and Troy found his finger fully consumed.

“I. You. Fuck
yes
,” Steve shouted and held Troy’s head painfully tight. Steve thrust into his mouth wildly, pressing down his throat as his cock erupted. Troy swallowed jets of hot seed. His eyes were closed in bliss as he drank his lover down.

All too suddenly, Steve pulled back and Troy felt abandoned. His mouth was empty, raw and he felt the loss keenly. Licking his lips, Troy looked up.

“Sorry,” Steve panted. His face was flushed, his eyes slightly dazed. Steve cupped a hand gently under his arm and helped Troy get to his feet. “Bloody hell, I’ve never…it’s never been like that. Are you okay?”

Troy huffed a silent laugh.

“That was amazing. Don’t apologize.”

“I’ve never lost control like that,” Steve admitted. “And now I can’t do you justice.”

Troy opened his mouth to insist it was fine, but Steve pressed him back into the wall and kissed his deeply. The tiles were cool against his hot skin, but he could only hiss at the momentary discomfort. Steve knelt before him and sucked his dick in a smooth motion.

“Don’t,” Troy pleaded. “I’m too close. Fuck that’s brilliant.”

Troy was on the razor’s edge. He wanted to last, wanted to fuck himself blindly into Steve’s hot, wet mouth, but he was already too far gone. In seconds he shouted, scrabbling his hands on the tiles, looking for purchase. He grabbed Steve’s shoulders and jerked his hips forward once, then twice. Coming in a hot wave, he emptied his balls down Steve’s throat so quickly it was nearly embarrassing.

Drained, Troy and Steve helped each other sit down in the base of the shower. Troy pressed his shoulder into Steve to help keep his balance. Pushing back against the wall, he caught his breath. Troy wasn’t sure he could stand, his legs too weak to hold his weight.

“I’m not usually so fast,” Troy insisted. “Next time I’ll make you wait, drag it out long as I can.”

“Not sure I could have lasted more than a few minutes,” Steve admitted. “Been a while since I came that hard and my legs are pretty shaky. Besides, it’s hot to see you be turned on by me fucking your mouth. We can swap places next time.”

Troy turned and they kissed softly, almost gently. The clawing need had been fed for now and Troy enjoyed the moment for what it was, a silent thanks and promise of more to come.

“Come on, mate,” Troy chuckled when they pulled apart. “We both need to get clean now. And you have to change. We can swing by my place and I’ll get some fresh clothes on—something that doesn’t smell of hospital—and we can get moving.”

“No more distractions?” Steve teased him.

Troy placed his hand over his heart. “No more distractions.”

“Pity,” Steve squirted some shower gel into his palm. “Go on then. Give me a minute and I’ll be right there.”

Troy rinsed himself quickly in the water, eager to get out of the hot spray. Seconds later he stepped out and grabbed a towel. Steve closed the curtain behind him.

“You’re going to get me in a world of trouble, aren’t you?” Steve called out.

Troy dried himself off. “Sexually? Or with your old school mates?”

Steve laughed. “Both.”

Troy shrugged, even though Steve couldn’t see the gesture. After a moment’s thought, he replied honestly.

“Work is work,” Troy said. “I go where it leads me. I’m not looking to make trouble, but I’m not going to shy away from it either. This business can get messy and I don’t apologize for it. But if you’d rather wait behind I’m—”

“That’s not where I was leading,” Steve interrupted. “I was serious, but teasing too. I have a feeling already that you’ll have me doing things I never would have considered previously. You…”

Troy left the door open and got dressed while Steve spoke. When he trailed off, Troy remained silent, figuring Steve was searching for the right phrase or words. The water turned off. A moment later Steve stepped out, dripping, and grabbed a second towel.

“I’ve never felt so intensely for a partner so quickly. I’m usually not one to trust so easily,” Steve admitted. “But something about you…or about us, maybe. There’s something here. Something new. Maybe that’s what I was trying to find words for.”

Steve hung the towel up and came into the bedroom. Troy stepped toward him, until they were close but not quite touching.

“This isn’t casual for me,” Troy promised. “I’m not honestly sure what it is, but it’s not a fling. Not some random fancy. This is serious. I can promise you that.”

Steve smiled. The pressure Troy had unaccountably been feeling in his chest eased. He knew Steve hadn’t been testing him or meaning to cause him stress. But acknowledging so early that this wasn’t casual was new for him. All Troy knew was he felt the same level of urgency and intensity that Steve seemed to feel. And he didn’t want this to end. Not even close. He never made promises—they were too easily broken—but the words came so naturally to him now, and he meant them.

Warning bells sounded in Troy’s mind. He really didn’t know what this was between them, but it was deep. It was meaningful. And it was only the beginning.

Troy bent his head and they kissed, slowly and thoroughly. It was a promise, a silent one, but one nevertheless steeped in hidden meaning.

“Better get dressed,” Steve said huskily when they pulled apart.

Troy cast his eye down the impressive form of his lover. “It’s a shame, but yes, you’d better. Not sure they’ll let you into the hallowed halls like that.”

“Their loss,” Steve laughed and went to the wardrobe.

Chapter Three

Fresh from the shower, Steve watched Troy as he drove them through the inner city streets. The sleek car wound its way toward Marshall’s offices in Parliament, the turns silky smooth under Troy’s skilled hands. When Steve found himself dwelling on the contrast between Troy’s black sweater, dark hair and pale skin, he had to resist the urge to shake himself.

Since when did he moon over a man he’d known little more than a week?

Yes, the chemistry between them was explosive and he longed to brush the long, scruffy strands of his lover’s hair from his eyes, but he’d never been one to get all dopey eyed over anyone. He couldn’t lie to himself though… Troy Price was carving a niche for himself into Steve’s heart.

There was a lot they still needed to discover about each other, but one thing was for sure, with such volatile passion came equally fiery arguments.

Steve had the feeling the next few days would show one way or the other how compatible they’d be. Now the lingering threat of being tainted with unprofessionalism at work no longer hovered over him. He couldn’t wait to spend some proper time with the handsome man.

He was eager to find whether the sparks between them would prove too combustible, or be something they could forge into a far deeper and more intense relationship than he’d experienced before. Steven was resolved to finding this out and doing his best to see if they could make this new thing growing between them work.

“Have you found it hard?” Steven asked, eager to learn more about Troy. “Doing investigative work, dabbling in the espionage industry and being gay?”

“I wouldn’t think it easy really for anyone,” Troy answered. He cast a quick glance at Steve but readily returned his attention to the road. “Don’t you find you get looks, the odd distasteful joke, or men will stop their locker room banter if you walk into the room and supposedly interrupt them?”

“Not as much as you’d think,” he replied with a shrug. “When it first went around the hospital that I was gay, there were the usual fairy, fag, homo whispers and glances from the orderlies. But generally the hospital environment is completely different from your area. Most of the nurses are female. Doctors usually view themselves as above recognizing the nurses—and the surgeons are even more elitist. So there’s not as many men as you’d expect who are put off by my private choices. That’s partly why I’m curious. I’d think your work environment is far more macho, all that testosterone running rampant.”

Troy appeared thoughtful. He slowed the car and Steven could see him running his mind over the points he’d just made. After a moment, Troy nodded.

“I wouldn’t have classified it as an issue as such, but now you’ve mentioned it, yes. Maybe that’s why I mostly work for myself. It’s difficult to work in a team sometimes—say with the police or even doing other investigations—when others don’t fully trust you. That would be quite challenging. But things like personality compatibility also come into play. I’m not always the easiest person to be with when I’ve got a task in my sights. I can be quite single-minded.”

They pulled up to a red light. Troy left his hands at the bottom of the steering wheel and turned to face him.

“When I had to work on group projects in the past, there were always various reasons given, but it all boiled down to when my partner didn’t feel he could trust me, be relaxed and open around me, everything else went to shit. I know I can be difficult to work with, arrogant and even temperamental. I don’t like being wrong and I don’t suffer fools lightly. Add on I’m not a fan of explaining myself, either, so it’s not like I’m some saintly person who’s easy to work with.”

“Sounds like you’ve worked with some jerks,” Steve said. He wrinkled his mouth in distaste. “I can’t stand those obnoxious prats. Just because I’m a man and I prefer other men sexually, doesn’t make me less of a friend to those I know. I enjoy drinking beer, I love nothing more than going to a good fight and making a bet on the outcome. I’ve been known to happily stand around a pub on a Saturday evening, drinking, eating crisps and watching the latest footy match or following some rugby. My sexuality is one aspect of me, it doesn’t define every part of my life or make me less of a man.”

“Most of the pretentious arseholes either work for companies I consult with, or they’re trying to curry favor from the more political side to my work,” Troy agreed. “Thankfully, I almost never come into contact with them. In general, like you, I find other than making for the occasional poor night out it makes no difference to my life.”

They fell into silence as the light changed. Troy shifted the car into gear and they moved on.

“I wouldn’t mind joining you one night at the pub, though,” Troy added, his tone was tentative, as if he expected to be turned down. “I’m more of a whiskey drinker myself, but I presume that won’t matter.”

“Not a bit,” Steven smiled at the thought. “Have you done much boxing in your time?”

“I don’t really have the build for it,” Troy glanced wryly down at his lean form. “I was a sprinter and math geek at school. I prefer to think myself out of problems. I’ve done the standard shooting training and I’m not a bad shot if there’s a gun lying around handy, but I almost never carry and don’t have a permit. What about you? It sounded like working at the hospital isn’t too bad.”

“I’d never really thought about it until now, but working in the hospital can be damn isolated really. We’re all so busy rushing around from one disaster to the next, we hardly have time for our sanctioned breaks, let alone being overly social with one another. Half the people at the hospital I only know by sight and to nod at.”

“Really? I’d have thought you’d make friends on your regular shifts.” Troy sounded surprised.

“Oh, a small number, yes, of course,” Steve agreed. “But that’s maybe a dozen people when the hospital would employ a thousand or more. Between swing shifts, the crazy hours and inter-departmental swaps, you’d be amazed how people move about. A couple of times I’ve gone months without seeing someone, assume they’ve left and then they’ll come back onto rotation.”

Steve shook his head at the memory. He’d been right pissed off at Dave, figuring that the man had buggered off without saying goodbye. Steve had waited for an email, explaining which greener pastures Dave had found himself work in, only to turn around one morning three months later and there Dave was, back on shift, acting as if nothing had happened.

“I felt a right fool,” Steve continued then chuckled wryly. “There I was, planning a bitchy little email asking my friend what he thought, sodding off without so much as a goodbye, then it turns out he’s been on the cancer ward—or maybe it was the maternity wing or some such—and I just hadn’t known. People can be in and out in a few weeks too. One woman I recall didn’t last until her tea-break. We had an enormous pile up on the motorway. A school bus collided with one of those long petrol tankers. Place was full of dead, dying and screaming kids. Two hours of that and she went for her cuppa break and was never seen again. Left her resignation written on one of the paper napkins on the staff room bench.”