Haven 1: How to Save a Life (23 page)

Kevin had never been on a stakeout before. At first it had been exciting. Waiting in the shadows to catch a criminal had him feeling like a badass PI. After an hour it got boring. Until he’d started imagining all the things he and Walter could do in the backseat.

“Yeah, quite a crowd,” Walter said with a sigh. “Even younger here than at the Haven.”

Kevin rolled his eyes. “Does your age really bother you that much?”

“It’s not my age.”

“Right. It’s mine. I’m not that young, you know.”

“You don’t think so? You’ve been sitting there with a boner forever now.” He gestured at the bar. “Just watching all these guys walk by gets you hot enough to get hard without a single touch to your dick. That’s young.”

“It’s not these guys.”

“No?”

“It’s just one guy.”

“Yeah?”

Kevin gestured behind him with a tilt of his head. “And picturing what we could do in the backseat.”

Walter’s eyebrows rose. “Oh?”

“Yeah. What that one guy’s mouth could do to me in the backseat.”

The corner of Walter’s lips turned up. He reached out and ran his hand along Kevin’s thigh.

Even though he’d seen it coming, Kevin jumped with the contact, and his head slammed into the ceiling of the car. “Shit.”

Walter laughed. “I’m thinking car sex with you would be way too dangerous.”

“You aren’t driving the car.”

“Doesn’t matter. One or both of us could get seriously injured just parked like this.”

That had Kevin laughing with him. He slid closer, but Walter had shifted to staring at something out the window. He sat up like a shot.

Kevin followed his line of sight. “What is it?”

“I know that car.” Walter nodded to a vintage black Charger sporting chrome trim. The car was parked facing them across the lot.

“Who is it?”

“This cop I used to work with. Henderson.”

“The one who talked to the press about you after the shooting?”

“That’s him.”

“What’s he doing here? Did he go inside?”

Walter gripped the top of the steering wheel in both fists. “No, he’s not here for the bar. He’s still sitting there, watching me.”

“You? Why?”

“He’s been investigating me and my company on his own time since my retirement.”

“Why would he do that?”

Walter’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t respond.

“What does he think he’ll find?”

“I have no idea. Anything to discredit me.”

“I don’t get it.” Kevin glanced at the Charger, then back to Walter. “Why would he do that?”

Walter kept staring out the windshield across the lot. “When I went to turn in my badge, I was offered an early retirement package. The department was still getting bad press over the shooting and wanted to sweep the story, and me, under the rug. They figured quietly getting rid of me would end the headlines.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Walter considered Kevin, then gave a sharp nod. “I’d made a lot of friends on the force, friends who didn’t want to see me throw away my reputation. They pushed for the early retirement deal rather than watch me quit and leave with everyone thinking I was in the wrong. I’d also lost the respect of a lot of the younger officers who didn’t know me that well. They saw me as weak for turning in my badge. Henderson was the leader of that pack. As soon as he went to the press, he lost points with the guys I’d known since my early days. Sort of ruined his reputation with half the force, delayed a promotion he’d been aiming for. He’s had it in for me ever since.”

“What an asshole.”

“Funny thing is, being a cop is a hobby for him. He comes from a wealthy family, and the job isn’t part of him the way it is for most other cops. It’s a game for him. Like he’s killing time.”

Kevin studied the car across the parking lot. He could now make out the dark figure of a man behind the wheel. “And now you’re his latest hobby.”

“I haven’t seen him in a while. Maybe six months. I thought he’d decided to back off. Before that I would see him everywhere. Even saw him watching me once outside the Haven. The night I met my friend Luke, actually. Maybe he’s been casing every last gay bar in the city for me since then, hoping to catch me doing something illegal.” Walter laughed. “Even in my youth, I wasn’t into the drug scene or anything like that.”

The Charger’s driver-side door opened, and Henderson exited, never taking his gaze off Walter’s car. Even from this distance, it was hard to miss the arrogance. He was lean and taller than Walter, with buzzed dark hair, dress pants that hung too perfectly to be anything but hand tailored, and a phony deliberateness to his every move as he leaned against the car’s door and folded his arms over his chest.

“We should go,” Walter said. “This probably wasn’t a great idea anyway. This Protector guy isn’t going to show up here again. He knows Nelson can connect him to this place.”

“What about him?” Kevin gestured to Henderson.

“Just ignore him. If he wants to waste his free time trying to find something he’ll never be able to prove, that’s his loss.” Walter let go of the steering wheel. His posture softened.

Kevin slipped on his seat belt. “How do we find the Protector now?”

“He has to know we’re looking for him, but I still think he’ll be back to the club. We’ll start there tomorrow night.”

“Not tonight?”

“The Haven closed ten minutes ago.” Walter started the car and pulled out of the lot. When they were a block away from the bar, he said, “We can find something to distract us for the rest of the night.” He rested his hand on Kevin’s thigh. “I believe you said something about my mouth and your body.” He slid his hand higher. “I’ve been dying to lick your ass. My tongue in your hole… It’s a great way to get nice and relaxed, take things slow, build up the arousal until you’re ready to pop, until you’re begging for me to fuck you.”

And with that, Kevin couldn’t speak. He spent the rest of the drive to Walter’s apartment trying to keep his breathing slow and even, trying not to fidget, trying not to look like the biggest gay virgin he was.

* * * *

Walter peeled back the blankets on the bed and smiled at the buzz of Kevin’s electric toothbrush coming from the bathroom. He could get used to this. Having Kevin in his place, doing normal, everyday things, spending their nights together. Just the two of them, soft music, a bottle of wine, lit candles, his specialty chocolate cake that would feed Kevin’s sugar addiction, maybe some dancing, definitely some fucking. He could get
very
used to this.

Kevin’s words from the other night repeated in his head.
Would that be so bad?

Would it?

He heard Kevin gag in the other room. Then spit. Then gag some more.

“You okay?”

A mumbled “yeah” came from the bathroom.

Walter had to know. He went to lean on the bathroom doorjamb, wearing only a pair of the white briefs Kevin had found so sexy. Kevin was in nothing but a fluorescent-green pair of boxers with shamrocks all over them, the words
I Got Lucky
printed in black underneath every shamrock. He had an electric toothbrush sticking out of his mouth, his face a deep shade of pink.

“Nice underwear. What are you doing?”

Kevin yanked the toothbrush out. It continued spinning as he held the brush in the air. “I just choked.”

“On the toothbrush?”

“I was looking at something and waited too long to spit.”

“What were you looking at?”

Kevin’s face grew pinker, now nearly the color of the bright, gaudy pillows they’d seen in Seth Fisher’s apartment.

“What?” Walter glanced around the room. It was a bathroom. What could he have gotten so distracted by?

“Okay, just remember you like me, and you find my curiosity endearing.”

“I said that?”

“Not in so many words, but I can tell.”

“You’re right. So what did you do?”

Kevin stuffed the still-spinning brush into his mouth and opened the medicine cabinet. He withdrew a bright blue bottle and held it up for Walter to see.

Now Walter was pretty sure his own face was flat-out red. “My dad used to give me those every morning before school.”

The whirling of the toothbrush grew louder as Kevin tugged it out of his mouth. “But you were in high school.”

“Yep. I thought it was the lamest thing, but even then I knew it was about his guilt. He was making up for not being there when I was little. After he died, I saw a bottle in the store and picked it up. Been buying them ever since. It’s not a big deal.”

“You take them every day?”

The bottle was half-empty, so there was no denying it. Walter cleared his throat. “Yes.”

After he had the toothbrush off, Kevin set it on the counter and returned the bottle to the cabinet, his every move slow, deliberate. He faced Walter. “I want you.”

“I had no idea a bottle of pills got you so hot.”

“I had no idea shamrocks did it for you. You were getting hard just standing there watching me.”

“It’s not the underwear.”

“No?”

“No. Now get out of those god-awful boxers and get your ass in the bed.”

Kevin slunk past him, his hand brushing Walter’s cock on the way by. He headed into the bedroom, stripping the boxers off as he went, giving Walter a perfect view of that lovely ass. Kevin climbed onto the bed on all fours and crawled across the mattress. An even better view.

Tease.

Walter followed and slid out of his briefs, never taking his eyes off Kevin.

Without turning around, the little flirt said, “You think sounding all tough and commanding will make me forget what was in that bottle?”

“My dick plowing into your ass will make you forget.” Walter stroked one bare ass cheek as he got on the bed behind Kevin, waiting for any reaction from him.

In Walter’s car outside the Roundup was the first time they’d talked about anal sex since Kevin had begged for it in the kitchen at his place when he’d shared about his brother’s death. Tonight, Walter had been the one who’d brought it up. Despite his teasing words, he wouldn’t follow through on fucking him that way unless Kevin was good and ready for it.

Kevin rolled onto his back and pulled Walter down to him. They kissed, their bodies settling into the touch of bare thighs and chests and cocks Walter had grown addicted to—that obviously Kevin had too.

Walter kissed the side of Kevin’s neck, taking in the scent of his soap and the mint from the toothpaste, and underneath that the now familiar scent of Kevin’s skin. He gave another kiss and said, “I’m going to miss you tomorrow.” He really needed to shut up. They would see each other at the club after work like they’d been doing for the last few weeks. What was wrong with him?

“Yeah?” Kevin said. “You’re going to miss me ’cause I’m endearing.”

“Shut up or I’ll find something else for that mouth to do.” Walter laid a hand at the back of Kevin’s head and gave a playful shove toward his crotch. Then it hit him what he’d done. He let go. “I’m sorry.” He’d promised he wouldn’t push. Not about that. Ever.

Kevin reached for his hand. “It’s okay.” He twined their fingers together. “Talking to you about it helped.”

“I’m glad.” Walter flipped them around until he leaned over Kevin. “But you never have to do anything you’re not ready for. I’ve loved everything we’ve done together.” He kissed his way down Kevin’s chest, lingering over a nipple, then heading farther south over the taut abs. Kevin giggled and squirmed when Walter’s tongue circled his navel.

“I love the way you sound.”

Kevin’s skin flushed. “You did say you like a noisy bottom.” He ran his thumb over Walter’s lower lip, his gaze focused on that one touch. “This feels like a dream. Being able to touch you like this. Having you touch me. Having it be about more, you know? More than sex.”

Walter nodded. He didn’t trust himself to say anything. Not then.

“What you said about us…this…” Kevin gestured between them. “I want to keep seeing you.” His hopeful eyes held Walter’s gaze.

Was Kevin ready for this? Ready for a real relationship with a man?

“Kevin, we’re in different places in our lives. We are different people.”

“Maybe not so different. Or we both wouldn’t be looking into these disappearances. We’d let the police handle it.”

Walter wanted to be strong about this, wanted to let Kevin go if that was what was best, but right then he couldn’t pull away, couldn’t even imagine Kevin leaving his bed, let alone his life. “I want to keep seeing you too.”

He ran a hand down the smooth, toned flesh of Kevin’s chest and stomach, felt the muscles flex and tighten under the graze of his fingertips.

“I want to…” Kevin trailed off.

“What?”

“I want…” He leaned in. “I want your dick in my mouth.” He rolled them again and slid down Walter’s body.

Walter tried to stop him, but Kevin was already on his knees, bent over Walter’s dick.

“Kevin, you don’t have to prove anything to me. Or to yourself.”

“I’m not. I want to get past what happened, but with you, it’s more than that. I’ve been imagining doing this to you since the first moment I saw you. Right now it has nothing to do with my past and everything to do with you and me.” Kevin surged up and kissed him. Then those lips went lower. And lower.

Any thoughts about what Kevin was ready for were gone as his slow, tentative tongue slid over and around the head of Walter’s cock.

Walter lay back and forced himself to stay still, to let Kevin lead the way. Even if it had been a damn long time since he’d felt anything like this—and not just the blowjob.

Kevin’s lips and tongue were taking more greedy tastes, moving with eagerness along the side of his shaft, then back up. He wrapped a hand firmly around the base. The other hand cupped Walter’s balls.

Kevin opened his mouth and took him inside. Sweet, moist suction began, and Kevin bobbed his head, accepting more of Walter’s cock into the wet heat of his mouth with each movement. He went lower and lower until he choked.

“Easy.” Walter snaked a hand through Kevin’s hair. “Just do what feels good to you.”

Kevin pulled back. “It all feels good. You have no idea.”

Walter laughed. “Yeah, I do.”