Mad Season (5 page)

EIGHT

Lyla felt her heart go out to Reed as she watched the confusion plainly written on his face. He was much more of a lost soul than she'd anticipated, and she wanted to comfort him—almost as much as she wanted to fuck him again. She resisted the urge to sigh, not wanting him to get the wrong impression.

She had already lost her professional detachment, and she knew this was going to be a very tricky assignment.

Dumping his bags outside the door across the hall, she fished her own keys out of her purse. "I'll be right out," she said, and unlocked her door, bending down to pick up the two loose keys that had been shoved under it. She put her purse on its customary shelf and turned around to see Reed looking around her studio.

"Your place is a two bedroom," she said briskly. "Nothing fancy, but definitely bigger than this." She stepped over to him and he let her push him back out into the hall. She wasn't ready yet for Adam to know he was here, although there was very little her neighbor missed.

The deadbolt across the hall was sticking and she jiggled it, glancing back at Reed with a nervous smile. "I know it's not what you're used to," she said apologetically. "But you need to have a respectable address. This was the best we could do on short notice."

"You said that already," he commented, that bemused expression back as he watched her struggle with the door. Finally she gave up and stepped back, letting him step up and try. He grinned at her, turned the key in the opposite direction, and they heard the bolt release.

"Oh," she said, then laughed.

Pushing the door open, Reed stepped into his new apartment. She gathered a few of the bags and followed him inside. There was nothing there. He walked over to the short hall and pushed open the bedroom doors.

"What the fuck?" she said as he turned back to her.

"The movers obviously haven't been here, yet. Probably having a little trouble moving my weights." He grinned at her again. "Guess I have to hang out at your place until my stuff gets here."

Oh boy.

"Well, let's get your bags inside, anyway."

***

Adam heard voices in the hall, and Lyla's door open and close, and he frowned. The timing was all wrong for her to be home from work at this hour. But then again a lot of things had been weird today. From the super coming up and opening the apartment across the hall to show, and people coming and going in his hall—his usually very quiet hallway. He got up and crept to the door to look through the peephole.

Lyla was standing in front of the door across the hall, talking to someone he couldn't see. Then she stepped back and a man opened the door, and they went inside, then came right back out.

"What the fuck?" he whispered. "Is that Callum Reed?"

They were picking things up off the floor and taking them into the other apartment. Adam frowned. Couldn't be Callum Reed. Why would he be here in Henderson? He lived at the Golden Nugget.

He decided to find out for sure, and opened his door.

"Hey Lyla," he said as she came out into the hall again.

"Hey Adam," she said, and he saw her blushing. "I was just helping our new neighbor with some...things."

Her embarrassment was new. Was she regretting their encounter last night? He didn't have long to wonder about it, because a man came out behind her, a man who was indeed Callum Reed.

"Who's your friend, Red," he asked, draping a rather possessive arm across her shoulders. Adam immediately felt himself bristle at the sight. He knew he had no claims on Lyla, but for her to jump ship so quickly after what he had thought was a pretty fucking awesome evening was disheartening.

"This...," she said, pulling his arm off her much like someone trying to get out from under an anaconda, "...this is your friend, too, Mr. Reed. Remember I told you about the man who was going to scrub your pictures off the internet? Well, meet Adam Rhodes."

Relieved to see her throwing him off, Adam stuck out a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Reed."

"Call me Cal," the fighter said genially, grasping his hand and pumping it hard. "I've been trying to get Red here to call me that all day, but she's stubborn I guess."

"Mostly because I have yet to hear you call me by my real name," she said tartly.

"Not good with names," Cal said with a shrug. "I can remember Red, because your hair reminds me."

And Adam was right back to feeling a jealous twinge as Cal fingered a strand of Lyla's hair that had fallen forward over her shoulder. Adam saw his thick fingers brush her breast, and he took a step back, preparing to close the door.

"Adam wanted to meet you," Lyla said quickly, causing Adam to pause with the door still open. "He's a fan."

"Oh?" Cal turned to him again. He struck a fighting pose and did a little shadowboxing at him. "You ever go 'round?"

Adam decided the question was a compliment, and to think Callum Reed thought he was fit enough to be a fighter was kinda hot. "Not likely," he said with a laugh. "I work with my hands, you see. Punching people would make it hard to type successfully."

Cal blinked at him, then shrugged. "If you say so."

"Hey, why don't you two get to know each other while I go get us some takeout?" Lyla said. "Mr. Reed's movers apparently haven't finished yet, and I know I don't have enough food in my kitchenette to feed him." She was already turning to her door. "I just need to grab my purse."

"Sure thing, Red," Cal said, watching her ass after she passed him, before turning to look at Adam. "So you're a hacker or something?"

Adam let his door swing wide, and gestured for Cal to come in. "Yeah. Make yourself at home, buddy," he said. "Want a beer?"

"Too right. It's hot as fuck out there."

Adam headed to his fridge and opened it, bringing out two cold ones. When he turned around, he saw Cal looking at his monitors. One still had a paused Call of Duty screen up, but the other, he saw with rising horror, was tuned in to the pussy cam. There was nothing going on in Lyla's apartment, but he'd forgotten that he'd checked when he heard her door open.

He brought the beer up and tried to distract Cal, but the fighter was looking with interest at the screen.

"That looks like Red's place," he said, his tone a mixture of curiosity and mild accusation.

"That's absurd," Adam said, though his voice sounded funny even to his own ears.

"No, I looked in there just a minute ago and saw that bedspread and that stuffed Teddy bear...." Cal was shaking his head, but to Adam's surprise he laughed, and took the beer Adam forgot he was offering. "Does she know you spy on her? I bet she does. She doesn't miss a trick."

Adam decided to lay his cards on the table. "I think she does. At least, when she came over last night she suggested she knew."

"Last night, huh?" Again the fighter surprised Adam with an astute observation. "Are you the one responsible for the little hitch she had in her git-along this morning? Took her half the day to shake that off." Adam blinked. "Oh, don't look at me like that, brother. I've got eyes. She looked well-fucked. You watch her, so I bet you know. That little lady is an orgasm waiting to happen."

Adam wasn't sure whether he should be pleased by Cal's assumption, or disgusted by the way he was talking about her. He decided to stay neutral for a while, to see what would happen. "That's how I came to watch her. These walls are paper-thin, and I could hear her with her vibrator every night. It got to where I couldn't sleep for imagining what was going on."

"Vibrator? She doesn't take callers? No boyfriends? Besides you, I mean."

"I'm not her boyfriend," Adam said quickly. "I mean, not for.... We just.... Last night was the first time."
So much for playing it cool
.

"So I'm not stepping on your toes?" Cal asked. "I mean, before when I fucked her in the dressing room at the store, I didn't think to ask who'd given her that limp. My bad, man. That's one of the reasons I need her, I guess. She's supposed to help me figure that shit out."

Despite the fact that Cal was freely admitting that he'd fucked his neighbor, Adam couldn't help but like and admire the guy for his straightforward honesty. He had a natural charm that was genuine, not a lick of fake in him.

"If anyone can, Lyla can straighten you out," Adam said. "She takes her job very seriously. Even if she doesn't always make the best decisions for herself, she knows how to fix public perception. I've seen her turn around more than a few hopeless cases." Adam paused. "Not that you are hopeless, I mean."

NINE

Cal laughed. He liked Adam. He didn't understand everything he said, but the dude was pretty chill, and Cal liked that he was honest.

The spy-cam stuff was pretty weird, but hell, who was he to judge? He might have done the same thing if he'd had the know-how, and had to listen to a hot woman like Red pleasuring herself night after night.

"How come she doesn't have a boyfriend?" he asked. "I don't get the vibrator thing. She's hot. She could pick up any guy in any club. Hell, she could pick up dudes at a gas station...."

His voice trailed off as he looked around Adam's studio. The guy was obviously a confirmed bachelor, given the simplicity of his furnishings and the fact that there was more money tied up in his computer system than the rest of the furnishings in the apartment together.

Adam perched on the edge of the bed and gestured for Cal to take a seat on the short couch that sat against the wall.

"Lyla's special," Adam said. "She's been making her way in a man's world for a while, now. She moved here from New York after she got her degree, and took a wrong turn for a bit, but she's getting back on track now."

"Wrong turn?" Cal asked, taking a swig of his beer. "What do you mean?"

"We only talked about this briefly, but I know it was a bigger deal than she let on." Adam paused to drink some beer himself. "She came out to work for Jackson & Jackson, a PR firm that's a pretty heavy hitter here in town. The younger Jackson is a player, and well, you've probably already noticed that Lyla has no filter when it comes to sex. If she gets turned on, she speaks her mind. She ended up getting involved with both Jackson Jr. and his father. They'd promised her a partnership, then they used her up and threw her to the wolves. She lost her job, and almost had to leave town. If Kincaid & Masters hadn't taken a chance on her, she'd have had to move on. So this deal with you, it's really important for her."

Cal forced himself to really listen to what Adam was telling him. It was complicated and hard, but he'd hung in there, determined to understand. And when he did, it kind of pissed him off. Red was a smart, classy woman. Just being a horndog didn't change that fact. But these Jackson jerks had treated her like shit.

"The worst part?" Adam continued. "Those pricks never bothered to make sure she was satisfied. She would always come home looking for relief from the way they'd wound her up and then left her twisting. That's why the vibrator. Since she started her new job, she's been working too hard trying to repair her reputation to find a man."

"That really sucks," Cal said, standing up and pacing to the window. He pulled back the curtain, but flipped it shut again to block out the harsh desert light. "I mean, I almost feel bad about the dressing room, now. I mean, I know she got off, but just barely, you know? I've never had much restraint. Never bothered to try."

"Don't feel bad," Adam said. "She's a hard woman to resist. And I know what you mean about restraint. I had a hard time holding it together for her last night. The first time." Cal looked over and Adam smiled. "I did better on the second round."

Cal grinned. "You sly dog. God, she's good, isn't she?"

"Hell yeah. Nearly enough to make me swear off men altogether. Nearly."

Cal did a double take at that. "Did I hear you right?" he asked, wanting to be sure. "You're what? Bi?"

Adam gave a nonchalant shrug, and again Cal could only admire his honesty. "She told you I'm a fan of yours, right? I hope that doesn't freak you out."

Cal shrugged, feigning a coolness he didn't really feel. "Nah, I've been around a bit, you know. Met a few gay guys, and swingers." He gave Adam a sideways glance. "One of the best blowjobs I ever got was from a guy. I was at this party, and we were all pretty drunk...."

"Do you think you'd still need to get drunk?" Adam asked with a sly grin. "I've got more beer in the fridge."

Cal threw back his head and laughed. "That has got to be the best line ever!" Then he leveled a measuring look at Adam. "You're serious?"

"Sure," said Adam. "Any time. There won't be many who will be allowed to say they've had Callum Reed's dick in their mouth once Lyla has her way, and I am the soul of discretion."

***

Cal looked like he was giving Adam's offer serious consideration, so he gave him a little time. He was already showing signs of Lyla's influence. His clothes looked new, and he looked sharp in them. Every photo Adam had ever seen of him, he'd been dressed in ratty jeans or gym shorts, and tank tops that were sloppy and designed solely to show off his considerable muscles. Now he had on a snug tan t-shirt, khaki slacks, and boat shoes.

Finishing off his beer, Adam decided he'd try to help Cal come to a decision by walking up and putting a hand on the fighter's chiseled abdomen. "I know what I'm doing, too."

Cal didn't say anything, didn't move or push him away, so Adam ran his hands down to Cal's belt, pausing a moment before moving to unclasp the buckle. When he still didn't move, Adam sought the big man's gaze and watched his eyes carefully while he unzipped the trousers and pushed them down enough to expose the fact that Cal wasn't wearing any underwear.

Looking down, Adam saw an erection building, and he couldn't help but take hold of it. "It's much more impressive in person," he said, referring to the tweet Lyla had been looking at the night before.

"Thanks. Had to show that chick that I don't do steroids, you know?" Cal took another swig to finish off his beer.

"You need another?" he asked. Cal shook his head. "You appear to be up for this?" He made it a question, just to be sure. The last thing he wanted was a champion-grade MMA fighter deciding he didn't want a guy sucking him off at the last second.

"Sure," Cal said. "Why not?"

Adam didn't hesitate beyond that declaration. He knelt between Cal's slightly spread legs and gave that massive cock a lick, closing his eyes as he tasted salt. Stroking the hot flesh into further rigidity, he leaned in and took it into his mouth, wondering if he could fit the whole thing down.

He'd bragged that he knew what he was doing, but now, faced with the size of reality, he wasn't at all sure he'd manage it.

Holding the base of Cal's cock with one hand, he moved his mouth up and down the length of it, wrapping his lips tight around the thickly veined flesh, sucking and drawing it as far into his mouth as he could. His free hand reached around and grasped a firm buttock, impaling himself farther, drawing the cock down enough that he triggered his swallowing reflex. Dammit, he was going to try to swallow that dick down his throat.

Cal groaned, the first sound he'd made since Adam started, and Adam would have smiled if his mouth hadn't been so busy. He swallowed again, and Cal wrapped a hand in Adam's hair, urging him on.

Since he was managing the cock with his mouth, he let go of it and reached under to fondle his balls. Cal moaned, and Adam felt them tightening. Wouldn't be long, now. Caressing Cal's ass, he reached further around and felt for his tight hole, circling it lightly when he found it. Cal jerked his hips, thrusting into Adam's mouth now, and back against his finger, too. Adam pressed the tip of one finger into Cal's hole and he grunted, stiffening a moment before Adam felt hot cum shooting into his mouth.

"God." Cal's breath left him on a shuddering sigh, and Adam worked his mouth around the softening cock a few more times, milking a few more spasms out of him, continuing to play with his balls and his asshole.

When he let go, he looked up to see Cal's head thrown back, the beer bottle still clutched in his hand, a posture of pure bliss. Slowly, he brought his head down so he could look at him, and Adam was pleased to see the glassy-eyed look that spoke of intense pleasure.

"Yes, you do know your way around a cock, I'll give you that," he said at last, loosening the tight grip he'd had on Adam's hair. "I've got to sit down before I fall down."

Adam laughed and climbed to his feet while Cal moved back to the couch, hitching his pants back over his hips but not bothering to zip them up. He sat there and pulled on himself absently, looking thoughtful.

"I want to do something for Red," he said suddenly. "This is going to sound stupid, but I feel like she gets me, you know? I only met her today, but she's made me see a lot of things in a new light. And hearing how those Jackson jerks treated her, well, I kinda think we can make some of that up to her, you know?"

"We?" Adam asked, coming to sit beside Cal on the couch, bringing them each a fresh beer. He was nursing his own hard-on, but he tried to ignore it while Cal spoke.

"Sure. I bet if we team up on her, she'll get her rocks off so hard she'll forget all about ever being left unsatisfied."

"It shouldn't be hard to arrange," Adam said, already starting to plan. "I can come over, say I'm helping you unpack, and we can ask her to help you with your wardrobe or something."

"She thinks they still haven't brought my stuff over," Cal said. "I told her I'd have to hang out at her place tonight until it gets here."

"But, I saw them bringing stuff in today," Adam protested.

Cal just smiled. "I know. They put everything in one of the bedrooms. I don't have a lot of stuff. I moved out of a hotel room, you know. I don't have any of my own furniture."

Adam was smiling now, too. It sounded like a pretty good plan. Get the three of them at her place, eating, drinking, relaxing, and take it from there. Let it come naturally. Because with Lyla, sex would always come naturally.

Adam idly watched Cal stroking himself; not like he was trying to get off, more like it was just a comforting activity. But Adam found himself getting worked up watching him, so he reached for the top button of his 501s and popped it open. Cal didn't seem to notice, so he popped another couple buttons and shifted so he could pull himself out, too.

Cal glanced over, but only took another swig of his beer.