Haven 1: How to Save a Life (11 page)

Until they were both left panting, Walter’s head spinning.

“Jesus.” He backed Kevin to the wall beside the sink and laid another kiss on him, sending the full weight of his body and his heavy, hard cock against Kevin, wanting to feel the man’s firm erection against his own body. But Kevin didn’t feel hard. Not anymore.

Walter pulled back. Kevin stared at him, and then he must’ve found the bathroom floor incredibly interesting because it was the only place he’d look, his face flushed.

No way.

Walter went for the leather pants and slid his hand inside the front. Kevin had wet spots on his skin and on the inside of his pants. “You came.” Without a single touch to his cock.

“I-I couldn’t stop—”

“Don’t.” Walter pressed a finger to Kevin’s lips. “That is possibly the hottest thing I’ve ever been a part of.”

“Yeah?”

“Definitely.” Walter couldn’t stop himself. He gave Kevin another kiss, not wanting to let go.

“Do you need…” Kevin dropped his gaze to the front of Walter’s jeans.

“Yeah, but this old thing is used to being told to take a rest.”

Kevin’s lips quivered like he wanted to speak, but he said nothing.

“Don’t worry about it. We need to get going. You finish up in here. I’ll take a quick look at the kitchen.” Walter spotted the towel, wet from the melting ice, lying along the back side of the sink. He grabbed it, shook off the remaining slivers of ice, and gave a wipe to everything he’d seen Kevin touch. He tucked the towel in his back pocket, opposite the one with the frame. He wasn’t about to leave anything lying around that proved they’d been in the apartment. Even if the kid next door knew they’d been inside.

He turned to leave the bathroom but stopped short. The toilet lid was open, the seat wet. He kicked the lid closed. All along the front were scratch marks. Charlie stood in the bathroom doorway. “Were you thirsty?”

The dog wagged his tail in response.

“Is that a yes?” Kevin asked.

“Hell if I know.” Walter forced himself to walk out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. Not that he could call it much of a kitchen. More like a hallway flanked by cabinets and compact appliances. He used the towel from his pocket to open the freezer. The cool blast of air had him momentarily frozen in place, his body finally cooling down.

Charlie trotted in and sat beside him. The dog cocked his head as he stared up at him.

Walter crouched and gave him a pat. “What am I going to do with you?”

Charlie took off running for the living room. He came back with something plush and pink half hanging out of his mouth. He head butted Walter in the side, almost knocking him over where he was still crouched beside the fridge. Charlie dumped the pink item on the floor. A bunny rabbit with long, floppy ears. “Is this yours?”

Charlie got up, tail wagging. Walter sighed and tossed the toy across the kitchen. It made an annoying squeak as it smacked the wall and again when it landed on the floor. Not the sound he would’ve pictured for a fuzzy rabbit. Charlie scrambled for the toy, his toenails making scratching noises all along the linoleum floor as he hurried after it, then back to Walter. He dropped the toy at Walter’s feet and sat, waiting.

Walter patted his head. “I know. You miss him.” If he had to look into the eyes of one more lonely kid or equally lonely dog today, he was going to lose it.

“Are you some kind of dog whisperer?” Kevin stood in the doorway of the narrow kitchen. His face was less flushed, and he had a slight smirk on his lips.

“Hardly.” Walter rose. “He’s just hungry.”

“Wow. You must’ve been the smartest investigator on the force with those deductive skills.”

Walter chuckled. “You’re a funny man.” He slid by Kevin and moved into the living room, struggling to push aside the way Kevin had felt in his arms, the way he’d sounded and tasted and smelled.

Kevin followed. “How long do you think since Seth’s been here?”

“Maybe since Ryder last saw him. He could’ve gone to work, then straight to the club last night. In this heat, that would’ve been long enough for Charlie to get desperate and make for the toilet water.” Walter checked the caller ID on the phone. One number was listed. A guy with the first name of Toby. “That friend Ryder mentioned has called three times.” He punched the number into his own phone and hit the Call button. He got the man’s voice mail. “Toby, this is Walter Simon. I’m looking for Seth Fisher. A friend of mine thinks he might need some help. I heard you and he were acquainted and hoped you might be able to tell me how I can get in touch with him. He hasn’t been at his place for a couple of days.” He offered his thanks, gave his number, and hung up.

Kevin was still watching him, a focused stare, like he was working something out. Finally his expression softened. “I wanted to thank you.”

“For what?”

Kevin gestured toward the bathroom.

“Been awhile, huh?” Walter asked.

“Yeah.”

“For me too.” He really needed to shut up. There was just something about Kevin that brought out the truth in him. The embarrassing truth.

“Why did you do it?” Kevin asked. “You could’ve answered without the touching.”

Those whispered words, spoken more to the floor than to Walter, had him wanting to grab hold of Kevin and give him a few other answers. Maybe they both needed to shut up. “Do you always ask this many questions?”

“No.” Kevin kept his attention on the floor. Then a smile spread across his lips. “Maybe.”

Time for more truths. Walter said, “Couldn’t seem to stop myself. Apparently I find you irresistible.”

A look similar to the ones Kevin had flashed him via the mirror in the bathroom had Walter wanting another kiss, another minute of his hands on Kevin’s body.

Spending time investigating anything with him was such a bad idea.

Walter couldn’t decide if he was pissed or relieved they’d already made the deal.

Chapter Ten

Kevin pulled out his phone but couldn’t focus on his e-mails or anything else. He paced the living room of Seth’s apartment as he waited for Walter to finish whatever he’d gone into the kitchen for.

Never in his life had Kevin done anything like what he and Walter had done in that bathroom. Never had he felt so out of control with his clothes still on. Never had anyone touched him like that. With such purpose and confidence, bringing him to the edge and holding him there until he’d give anything to let go, then showing him the most amazing release down the other side of the climb.

Never had a man had him so infuriated and flustered and…

Hell, he couldn’t find the right words. Couldn’t understand what it was about Walter—a guy he’d just met a few hours ago—that made him unlike any person Kevin had let himself get close to before.

There was a lot Walter held back. Did he keep everyone at bay? Like he’d done in the bathroom with his release?

And just like that, Kevin wanted to know why. Wanted to be the person Walter connected with, the person he opened up to.

He seriously needed to get his ass the hell home. Walter was a member of the Haven. He probably did what they’d done in the bathroom—and a hell of a lot more—with men all the time. He didn’t need Kevin following him around like Charlie had done in the apartment, tongue hanging out, begging for one more morsel of attention.

Although, hadn’t Walter said it had been a while for him too? There was so much Kevin wanted to know, so many questions he wanted to ask.

No, he was here to do a job. They’d made a deal, and he had every intention of utilizing that until he had the truth. He wouldn’t let his lust, or anyone else’s, get in the way.

He surveyed the living room again. He paused at the god-awful pillows on the couch. He’d had no clue there were that many shades of pink. The apartment wasn’t much, but Seth had tried to make it a home.

How had he afforded the membership fees at the Haven? Had he gotten some sort of discount to get inside? Maybe his limited funds and no sign of family were exactly why Seth was missing. Maybe he’d been granted special access to the club for a very specific, dangerous purpose.

“Hey. You in there?”

With the sound of that deep voice, Kevin spun around, his hip smacking the side of the end table beside the couch. The lamp on top skidded until it teetered on the edge. He grabbed for it before it fell.

Walter approached, that irritating smirk on his lips. He had a leash in one hand, a bright pink dog toy in his other, and Charlie at his side. He said, “I can’t quite figure you out. From your track record, you’re obviously smart, but at the same time you seem like you might be the world’s worst undercover reporter.”

“Well, that makes two of us. ’Cause I can’t figure you out. You’re either the nicest guy I’ve ever met or a complete asshole.”

The smile grew. “Touché.”

“You just…make me nervous.”

Walter moved in closer, shifting the dog toy to the same hand as the leash. “Why’s that?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think you do.”

The phone in Kevin’s pocket went off, vibrating against his hip. He jumped, and the lamp shifted again. He pushed it to safety.

Walter came in even closer and pressed his upper thigh to Kevin’s front pocket. The phone vibrated between them. With the pressure of that thigh, the vibrations spread throughout Kevin’s lower body.

“Someone’s calling you.”

Probably his mom. Did that mean he was about to get laid like her usual bad timing? Did what they’d just done in the bathroom count as sex?

“They can…” Kevin swallowed hard. “They can leave a message.” He didn’t care who it was. He hooked a hand around the back of Walter’s neck and tugged the man down to him. Walter stopped short of their lips touching and wedged his hand into Kevin’s pants pocket. The big hand felt huge in the snug space, like it might not ever get free. The slide of his fingers was electric. Kevin shivered. He wanted that hand on his dick.

Walter slid his hand out and gave him the phone. “Do you want to call them back?”

“No. I really need to get out of these pants.”
Oh God
. Kevin needed to shut up.

Walter arched his brows. “Yeah, you do.”

“Are you always such a flirt?”
Shut up. Shut up
. But Kevin wanted to know. Walter hadn’t flirted with any of the men who’d approached him at the Haven.

“Never.”

Charlie nudged Walter’s leg with his snout.

“Did you tell him he’s going to a doggy jail?” Kevin asked.

That had Walter laughing, that low chuckle that didn’t just sound good. The amusement reached all the way to his eyes.

Impatience evident in his excited movements, Charlie spun and jumped up, ramming his front paws into Kevin’s side. The force of it wasn’t much, but the move caught him off guard. He fell backward, landing on his ass. His phone slipped from his hand and bounced along the carpeted floor.

Walter gripped Kevin’s upper arm and helped him up. “Did I say you were a klutz? I meant you’re a disaster.”

“Yeah. I guess it runs in the family. My dad says he literally tripped over the love of his life’s shoes the day he met my mom.” Why had he said that? Just a few hours ago he’d tripped over Walter’s shoe.

“Not a bad way to meet,” Walter offered. “Might as well know what you’re getting from the start.”

What did that mean? Did he want to see him again? And not only so they could work together?

Kevin bent to retrieve his phone. He checked if it still worked, keeping his gaze on the display.

Avoiding, deflecting. He was good at that. He’d perfected it.

Charlie sat between them, studied Kevin, then Walter.

“You ever have a dog?” Kevin asked.

“Once.” Walter spat the word out in a short, curt tone. He wrapped the leash around his hand twice and gripped it tighter in his fist.

There was more to that story. Kevin held back on his instincts to ask what. He shouldn’t push with Walter. Push a man like that too far and you’d see what he was made of. Maybe it was better left an unknown.

Charlie licked the side of Walter’s clenched fist.

“He likes you.”

“He thinks I’m going to feed him.” Walter checked the time. “It’s getting late. Too late to talk to anyone at the club tonight.” He reached for Kevin’s phone. “This is my number.” He hit dial and the phone in his own pants rang. He ended the call on Kevin’s phone and handed it back. Such a simple move and yet so full of precision and strength and sophistication.

How could a guy in jeans and a T-shirt look like that? The vampire descriptor hadn’t captured a fraction of what made up Walter Simon.

“Tomorrow,” Walter said, “you’re taking me to talk to the family and friends of those men on your list. We’ll check out where they live and work.”

“Okay.”

“And we’re going to find out whatever we can about Seth Fisher. I’ll call you in the morning with where to meet.”

Kevin gave a nod. He didn’t bother returning the phone to his pocket. He held on to it and made his way to the door.

“Kevin.”

“Yeah.”

“You need any help getting those pants off, you give me a call.”

That had Kevin frozen in place.

With Charlie following on the leash, Walter headed in Kevin’s direction and slid by him in the tight space between him and the doorjamb, Walter’s arm brushing along the length of Kevin’s. Kevin breathed deep and couldn’t miss the rich scent of Walter’s cologne. He wanted to bury his face in that smell.

For the second time that night, he stared at Walter’s ass as the man walked away from him.

Yep, so fucking gay.

And for the first time in eight years, it felt good to admit that, even if just to himself.

* * * *

“I’ve come into some information about a connection between several missing men.” Walter sank back farther onto his couch. He trusted Gibson, but Kevin’s concern someone had been covering up details had Walter worried about mentioning anything to a cop, even a friend from his days working the major crimes unit.

“I’m all ears,” Gibson said.

“A reporter has been able to connect four men who were all reported missing in the past five months. He traced them to a club downtown. He says the police are ignoring that connection. Can you check the official reports and find out if it’s true the club isn’t mentioned? Especially for the two who worked there when they disappeared?”