Placing Out (7 page)

Maybe Daniels caught some of Ben's tension. He cocked his head sideways, and even with the blood matted in his hair, he looked stunning. "And what exactly am I?" He stepped closer. "Do you really think it's so terrible?"

"Yes. It's disgusting."

"God, you are such a fucking liar. You really don't think I see through your bullshit?"

Ben plowed his fist into Daniels's gut, watching in satisfaction when the younger man folded over. But instead of showing fear when he straightened, he jutted his chin out. "Pretty gutsy, beating on a guy who can't fight back. Especially when he's telling the truth."

This time Ben caught his jaw. Daniels's head snapped sideways. He didn't speak, only wiped a trickle of blood off the corner of his mouth with his tongue. Ben towered over the smaller man, fists clenched. He vibrated with the need to slake his rage.

"You should have told me you wanted to kiss," Daniels said.

"Nothing you say is true." Even to him the words sounded weak. "You disgust me."

Daniels must have thought so, too. He said softly, "You want to beat me to death, or you want to fuck me? Me, I kind of like the latter."

Ben jerked away from him. He raised his fist, aching to wipe the smug, knowing look off the boy's face. Daniels still wouldn't back down.

"Who are you?" he whispered. A new commotion at the mouth of the alley told him they'd have company soon.

"Your worst enemy," Daniels said with a sad smile. "I'm the mirror you see yourself in. You might want to use that fist or your friends might wonder what we've been doing back here all this time. I promise I won't bring up Judge Harris's name. In case you wanted to know. I'm in room twenty-six at Roy's Men's Club on Main. Second floor in the back. I'm there most days. Can't guarantee nights, though."

Roach yelled, "Hey, Carter, fuck it or leave it. We're rolling."

Ben snarled and clipped Daniels, feeling the satisfying smack of flesh under his knuckles. Daniels staggered back and was only kept from falling when Ben grabbed his arm and hauled him forward. The handcuffed man didn't resist as he was led back to the paddy wagon and stuffed inside with the others. His gaze never left Ben until the door swung shut and the truck shuddered and headed back to the station.

Roach clapped him on the shoulder while they headed back to their vehicles. "Looks like you gave that little nancy a taste of a real man.

"Yeah, got what he deserved."

Ben never had any intention of going. He ignored the siren call for nearly a week. Then he told himself he was only checking to see if the kid was all right. Some of the queens arrested that day got further beatings in the cells. Had Daniels been one of them?

He'd looked up the arrest records for that night. A Dylan Daniels had been booked on loitering and public intoxication, released the next morning. No mention of injuries before or after the arrest. Of course there wouldn't be.

He found the place without any difficulty. It was a three-story wood and brick structure that needed a paint job, but otherwise wasn't as rundown as some. A couple of ragged looking men lingered around the entrance, not doing much to conceal their flasks. They watched Ben suspiciously as he approached and entered the building. He was in civvies and tried to look inconspicuous as he made his way up the backstairs to the second floor. But he knew he looked like a cop, and nothing would change that.

The door was plain white wood with two brass digits nailed into it. Two and six. Nothing to suggest what lay beyond it. Nothing to tell Ben what he might find. Or what he might lose.

He raised his hand to knock; dropped it. Chewing on his lip, he looked both ways. The dim hall was empty except for a telephone on the wall and a single porcelain sink. The dull brown carpet was worn and the textured wallpaper looked like rose flowers laid over darker purple. If only made the hall darker. The odor of smoke and the essence of all the humanity who had trampled these halls lingered.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and rapped on the door. He was ready to bolt when the latch was thrown and the door opened wide enough for Daniels to peer out at him. Surprised, he pulled the door all the way open.

"Officer... " He shrugged after a second of searching for a name that wasn't there. "I guess we weren't formally introduced the other day."

"Ben Carter."

"Officer Carter. Ah, would you like to come in?"

Ben hesitated. Daniels leaned against the open door. "Someone's likely to come by soon. If you want to be seen in front of my door, then by all means stay out there. Otherwise--"

Ben slipped past Daniels and turned to face him. After closing and locking the door, Daniels moved toward an alcove that had cupboards and shelves. He came back with a bottle of Johnny Walker and two high ball glasses he'd picked up from Liberty's just this week.

"Drink?"

"I--"

"You're not on duty, right? Besides, drinking isn't illegal, is it? Just buying and selling the stuff is. And making it, which I assure you I haven't ever done. So technically, right now, neither of us is breaking any laws."

"You some kind of fucking lawyer?"

"No." Daniels grinned. "I just know a lot of people. Including some lawyers. And judges."

"And cops?"

"I don't kiss and tell." He smiled slyly. "Not normally, at least."

"I'm sure your clients would be happy to hear that."

"Please, sit. I promise I won't bite. Unless you want me to."

"Why do you keep saying shit like that? Like you think I want to... like I want to... " He couldn't say the words. His throat closed over the idea. In horror, he realized he was getting hard, like he had every time he thought of the beautiful golden boy since that terrible day they had met.

"Fuck me?"

Ben swallowed and looked away. Heat flushed his entire body, centered on his throbbing cock.

"Fuck you?" he whispered.

The big copper gaped at me, trying to look pissed. He didn't fool me. I'd known when I first saw him, after I invoked Harris's name, that he played for my team. I studied him, liking what I saw. Every inch. Just my type. Big and dark, lean face with chocolate brown eyes that stared into my soul. His broad shoulders and chest narrowed to a beautifully tight ass. I glanced down at his crotch. It was as swollen as mine.

I raised my head and let him stare me down, fluttering my eyes closed. I wanted to touch him but the first move had to come from him.

"I know that's what you want." I stepped closer. His tension jacked up along with his breathing. I could smell his need now. Dark musk. Intoxicating. It intensified my own. "That's okay, I want it, too."

I took another step. He grabbed my shoulders in an iron grip. I reveled in the pain, knowing what it meant. Still, I barely had time to open my mouth before he slammed his down on mine. With a tortured groan, he shoved his tongue down my throat and pulled me against his hard body, both hands holding me in place. His rigid cock ground into my belly. Hands moved up to hold my head like a vice grip. I couldn't move. I didn't want to--unless it was onto my bed. My hands roamed his back, sliding up under his suspenders and shirt onto bare skin. His muscles writhed at my touch. He trembled; his heart pounded against his rib cage.

He groaned again and broke away from me only long enough to wrench my shirt off. The silk held under his assault, but my trousers weren't as strong. The buttons on my fly popped and cotton seams ripped. He had me in my skivvies in seconds. It took me longer but then he wouldn't let go of me long enough to get his clothes off.

But I finally had his dick out and I wrenched out of his arms and dropped to my knees in front of him. His engorged dick stood out from a mass of dark hair, thick veins circled the rigid length. I licked the bulbous head, still half covered with foreskin. He moaned and his hips twitched forward. I took that as a plea and pushed the skin back, exposing his swollen, purple cock head. I wrapped my lips around it. He tasted like musky salt and I gobbled him down, taking his whole length into my mouth.

I reached under and grabbed his low hanging balls, tugging them while I pumped his dick in and out. When his balls tightened I knew he was close. Too soon.

I backed off, staring in greedy wonder at his wet prick. I wanted a lot more than to have him come in my mouth. Tilting my head back, I met his glazed eyes. Face flushed, his need was obvious. God, I wanted him inside me.

"Please," I whispered. "Ben."

He hauled me up. "Who the fuck are you? The devil?"

I grabbed one of his hands and pushed it down over my crotch. His fingers closed over the swelling and I moaned. "I'm the guy who wants you to fuck him. Can't you tell?"

He looked up long enough to find my bed and dragged me over to it. Throwing me down, he wrapped his fist around his cock and growled, "You better have something for this, or this is going to be rough."

I pointed at the dresser beside the narrow bed. He wrenched the top drawer open and pulled out the petroleum jelly. Enthralled, I watched him slather his six inches until it was slick and glistening. Pulling my legs apart he settled between them and, without finesse, rammed up my ass. I cried out at the sharp pain and clutched his shoulders, hanging on while he rode me hard. He wasn't gentle, but I didn't want him to be.

Waves of pleasure swept through me as he slammed into me. Each stroke was more unbearable than the last. I threw my head back and cried out. Grabbing my own dick I pumped ferociously. He bit my throat, growling, "Fuck, you're tight. Oh God... "

He pistoned in and out of me, all control gone. His body shuddered and, with a cry, he froze, his back bowed, and he drove into me, filling me with hot cum. I followed him soon after, splattering my damp belly with streamers of jism.

We lay there, pinned together by sweat and semen. His hot breath whispered over my sweating chest. He pulled away enough to stare down at me. "I still want to know who the hell you are."

I rubbed his chest, a thick mat of dark hair still slick with sweat. He smelled wonderful. Just what I love in a man. I purred. "I'm the man of your dreams."

"Nightmares, more like it," he muttered. Swinging himself into a sitting position, grimacing at the drying mess on his belly. "You got a shower in this dump?"

"Sorry. Shared bath down the hall. But I have a bowl with water and towels."

"Always prepared, huh?"

I sniffed. "I never bring people home."

"Can't say I blame you." He looked around, spotting my "closet"--a pipe I'd fixed to cross one corner. All my good suits and shirts hung there. My three pairs of patent leather shoes neatly placed below them.

I had to admit, seeing it through his eyes, it did look shabby. Even pathetic. A loser who walked around in expensive clothes but lived like a tramp. Fooling people that he was better than he was. I bristled. I didn't need this asshole's pity or contempt. He didn't have a clue what I'd been through to get here.

"Funny how you didn't notice it a few minutes ago." I climbed out of bed, staring down pointedly at his limp prick. Still impressively large. Another thing I like in a man. "If you're going to be insulting, leave. I don't need it."

"What do you need? Money? You expect me to pay you now? What's the going rate for a male whore these days. I never kept up on it."

I couldn't believe it, tears welled up in my eyes. Shit, had I really expected understanding from this copper? Just because he was like me didn't mean he'd see it that way.

"Get out."

"What? I hurt your feelings?" When I refused to look at him, he grabbed my chin and forced me to meet his eyes. I saw no pity there, only confusion. "I'm sorry, if I did. I didn't come here to fight with you."

"So why did you come here? Besides to fuck me?"

I couldn't believe it. He blushed. My God, a man who could
blush.
I suddenly wished I'd met Ben Carter in another life. I think I could have really fallen for a guy like this. Fuck, now who was feeling sorry for himself?

"What did you want, officer?"

Ben shook his head. "I don't know. I just had to see you." He clenched his hands into fists. "I didn't want to."

"Then maybe you need to practice some self-discipline."

I knew I was pushing the guy. Maybe even into rage. Is that what I wanted? To infuriate this already dangerous man into what? Beating me? Don't tell me that I was one of those, needing pain to get off. I glanced down at his dick and a jolt of pleasure shot through me. He was getting hard again.

"Or maybe you don't," I whispered, licking my lips, watching his prick thicken and stand out from its nest of hair, the head still glistening with grease and cum. I hurried over to the tin basin I kept full of fresh water and a small towel, which I dampened.

Without a word to him, I gently cleaned him off. He shivered under my touch and was now fully erect.

"I think we both agree on one thing, Ben." I wiped myself down and threw the towel into the corner. Taking him in both hands, I crouched down and marveled at his beauty. "We both want the same thing."

He groaned as I massaged him, tugging and pulling at his balls and sliding my fingers behind them to play with the sensitive skin back there. He reached down and pulled me up. We stood facing each other, his desire clear on his still flushed face.

"What the hell are you doing to me?"

"Who cares," I whispered, seconds before he jerked me against him and rammed his mouth down on mine.

"Shut up."

I obeyed.

What the hell am I doing?
Ben stared down at Dylan's face. All traces of the injuries he had suffered during the raid on Black Kat were gone. He touched the clean-shaven face. Silk smooth, a rich golden color. Delicate features, but not weak. Oh no, there was nothing weak about Dylan Daniels.

Ben needed to leave. This couldn't be happening, he thought, even as he sank to his knees and nuzzled the stiff cock, sliding his lips around it. He was no more able to stop this than he could stop breathing. Stop living.

He inhaled the hot odors from the light mat of blond hair and the stiff cock rising out of it. Dylan sighed and wound his fingers through Ben's dense hair. He adopted an easy rhythm, up and down, listening to Dylan's quickening breath. He sucked harder and Dylan whimpered, pushing his cock into Ben's mouth, exploding with a sharp cry.