by Lynn Hagen
“You working on that assault case?” Benton shook his head as he took a seat at his desk, which was located across from Justin’s. “It’s pretty fucked up when a guy gets it. He had balls though, coming in here and reporting it.”
Justin agreed, but he hated to hear Benton talk about Noah. The comment had been innocent enough, but Justin felt jealousy rear its ugly head.
God, his wolf was snarling. What in the hell was wrong with Justin? Why was Noah affecting him this way? Justin had run into his fair share of cute guys, even while working, but he always remained professional. Noah had him ready to throw the rule book out and… Justin needed to reel his thoughts in and stop making this case so damn personal.
Then a thought struck him. Was Noah his mate? Was that why he was so affected by the slip of a man? Was that why he was ready to run to Noah’s apartment just to see him?
It was the only thing that made sense. Unfortunately, wolf shifters had to sleep with a person in order to find out if they were a mate, and that was a line Justin wasn’t going to cross until Noah was mentally and emotionally healed. There was no way Justin would take advantage of the human just to find out.
Fuck. The thought made Justin’s head spin. His mate? Could that be true? He knew in his gut that it was the truth. Justin had never had such a strong reaction to anyone before. Not like this. It was like a wave of insanity that made him want to do whatever he had to in order to make Noah happy.
And with his newfound knowledge, Justin knew he would kill anyone foolish enough to fuck with Noah again. Until proven otherwise, Justin would believe that Noah was his mate, and any shifter worth his salt would do anything to protect what was his.
At least Noah wasn’t Viktor, Justin’s ex. The guy had been as gorgeous as a model but had soon showed his true colors with hissy fits and demands that Justin refused to deal with. Viktor had been a diva, high maintenance, and the exact opposite of what Justin looked for in a life partner.
That had been the longest six months of his life, and he wished he could get them back.
“I’m gonna follow up on a few leads. I’ll catch you later.” Justin pushed away from his desk and stood, ready for some fresh air to clear his head.
“Hello, partners, remember?” Benton stood and grabbed his coat.
“Right.” Justin’s wolf snarled at the idea of Benton joining him. He had to think of a way to ditch the guy. He could always take Benton along, but then he would have to remain totally professional. Not that Justin wasn’t, but what if Noah had another small breakdown? He couldn’t very well comfort the human with his partner hovering around.
“Benton, Captain wants you,” Carson, another Detective, told Justin’s partner.
“Be right there,” Benton bellowed from his squeaky chair. The guy was well over six feet three inches, with a lot of muscles and pretty green eyes. He had a buzz-cut hairstyle that fit his face perfectly and screamed cop.
“I can handle this. I’ll call you if I need you.” Thank god for small miracles.
Justin made his escape toward the exit before he was summoned, as well. The fresh air felt good in his lungs, making him inhale deeply as he walked to his car. It was early evening, the sun just setting, the storm clouds moving away and clearing the skies.
Being a wolf, Justin loved the outdoors more than he liked being stuck inside. He led a very active life with hiking, camping, or other activities that brought him closer with nature, and he wondered if Noah would enjoy those activities, as well.
And speaking of the outdoors. Justin decided to go for a run in his wolf form. He needed to expel some of his pent-up frustrations. When was the last time he’d let his wolf free?
He drove to the national park, parked somewhere private, and undressed before letting his wolf take over.
It was like coming home. The wind ruffled through his fur as Justin scented the air. His heart racing with joy, he took off, sprinting as fast as he could, his paws hitting the dirt.
Unfortunately, his run was too damn short. Justin wanted to see Noah.
He just had to think of a reason to see Noah again without his mate thinking him a stalker. Then it dawned on him. Justin was working Noah’s case, and a follow-up was standard.
With that thought in mind, and after dressing, Justin slipped behind the wheel and headed across town. Ten minutes later he was knocking at Noah’s basement door. He swore he heard muffled voices before Noah cracked the door open and peaked outside, showing off his angel-blue eyes.
The smile that Noah gave him had Justin’s heart beating faster. It was so sweet and innocent, so full of trust.
“Hi, Detective Grace,” Noah said in an almost timid voice.
“Please, call me Justin. Is it okay if I come in?”
* * * *
“Sure.” Noah opened the door, allowing Justin to step in. His heart kicked up a notch as Justin walked in and smiled down at him. That smile was going to be Noah’s undoing. “Was there something new with my case?”
Noah suspected that he was attracted to the detective because Justin had been so nice to him and he was using Justin as a lifeline. But he also thought it might be more than that. Noah had never been this affected by anyone before. Ever. It was a bit disconcerting considering what he’d been through. Why couldn’t he have met Justin before his attack or any other time when he didn’t feel as if the rug had been pulled from under his feet?
But there was no denying the fact that he found Justin damn irresistible. The guy also made Noah feel safe, and right now, at this moment in Noah’s life, that was exactly what he needed.
“I’m sorry, but no. I just came by to do a follow-up. It’s standard procedure.”
“Thank you for coming by to check on me.” Noah walked across the room and sat back behind his desk. He appeared calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside his stomach was in knots and his mind was in a whirlwind as he struggled with what to talk about. He wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t sure if what Justin said was true, but he was thrilled to see the detective nonetheless.
“How are you holding up?” Justin asked.
Noah turned in his seat, telling himself not to drool over the guy. Justin was just there to check up on him because he was such a nice guy. There was no use reading into things that weren’t there.
But maybe Mikko had been right. Maybe Noah could lean on Justin until he could get past what had happened to him, so he decided to tell the truth. “To be honest, not so good.”
Justin crossed the room and closed Noah’s laptop. God, why did he have to stand so close? Why did he have to smell so freaking amazing? Life was so damn unfair. Justin was way out of Noah’s league, even though Noah had no interest in men right now. His faith in them had been shattered, and he wasn’t sure he would ever feel safe again.
Justin ran his knuckles along Noah’s cheek. “Talk to me.”
Noah’s heart galloped, and he nearly closed his eyes and leaned into the warm, strong touch. He pulled back, breaking their contact, telling himself to keep things platonic between them, not to use Justin to forget his ordeal, not to fall for the guy who had used kid gloves when Noah needed that most.
“I fear the outside world now.”
Justin hunkered down in front of Noah and gave him a warm, amazing smile. “You can move past this, Noah. You seem like a strong man who wants to fight back, to regain what you lost. If you let me, I can help you.” He stood and held his hand out. “Why don’t you come outside with me? Just for a moment. If it becomes overwhelming, we can come back inside. If you want, we can even go for a drive.”
Could he do this? Could he be the strong man Justin claimed him to be? Did he dare trust this stranger, this detective with his wellbeing, his very sanity?
“You won’t leave my side?” God, Noah couldn’t believe he was even contemplating this. What was it about Justin that made Noah want to take such a risk?
“Not for one second.” Justin made a cross sign over his heart.
“Do
you promise?” Noah took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, his heart lodging in his throat.
Justin had such sincere hazel eyes, an aura about him that screamed protection, but was Noah brave enough to face the outside world? Was he brave enough to put his trust in Justin’s hands?
“Yes. I Promise.” Justin’s hand was still held out, and damn if Noah wasn’t tempted to take it. Instead, he grabbed his jacket then stood by the door, staring at the piece of wood as if it was the entrance to a frightening realm that posed so many dangers that he was having second thoughts.
After taking a deep breath, Noah stepped aside, allowing Justin to open the door. He could do this. He could take back his life. He could overcome the bastard who’d tried to take advantage of him and put all of this behind him.
If only he truly believed that. But he needed to at least take some baby steps. He wasn’t going to barricade himself in his home and hide under the covers, as much as he wanted to do just that.
“One step at a time,” Justin encouraged him. “I’m right here with you, Noah.”
With a firm nod, Noah stepped into the hallway. He took another deep breath and walked up the stairs, allowing Justin to lead the way. The first thing Noah noticed was that the rain clouds had cleared. The pavement was still wet, and the air had chilled a bit, but the fresh, crisp air felt good infiltrating his lungs.
“I’m so proud of you.” Justin smiled, and Noah melted into a puddle of goo.
Justin tucked Noah into his car, and they drove to a diner. It wasn’t crowded, and that was a relief. Noah wasn’t ready to face large crowds. He just wanted to enjoy Justin’s company in a relatively quiet place.
Too bad they couldn’t have stayed in his apartment.
The smells were fantastic, and Justin found them a booth after a guy called out that they could sit anywhere. A waitress was there before their butts settled in their seats, taking their drink orders.
Noah looked over the menu, telling himself not to be nervous, not to beg Justin to take him back to his apartment. Even so, Noah looked around, making sure no one was paying him any attention.
When the waitress returned, Noah decided on a burger and some fries. He and Justin didn’t speak until their food was brought to them and Noah took a bite.
“Oh my god! This is so good.” Had he ever tasted a burger this delicious? How had he never heard of this place before now? The fries were salted just right, making Noah’s mouth water as he shoved a few into his greedy mouth.
Justin winked at him. “Ma’s Diner has some of the best food around. Wait until you try the peach cobbler. It’s the best you’ll ever have.”
Noah’s cheeks hurt with as wide as he smiled. “With a recommendation like that, I guess I have no choice but to try some.”
Noah found himself too relaxed around Justin, and the events from the other night seemed to fade into the back of his mind. They were doing normal things, on a normal night, in a normal diner. That thrilled Noah. He felt as if maybe there was a rainbow at the end of the road.
Hailing a waitress, Justin put in an order for two servings of cobbler. Noah wasn’t even finished with his food, but there was no way he was passing up dessert. Cakes and pies were his downfall, and he couldn’t wait to try the peach cobbler.
“So, Noah, do you have any siblings?” Justin leaned back, tossing his arm over the back of the booth. The guy had wolfed down his food and his plate was empty while Noah was still trying to demolish his burger.
“No siblings. I just have a best friend.”
Justin stole a fry from Noah’s plate and chewed on it as he said, “I have a sister. She lives in Dallas. We somewhat keep in touch because both of our lives are so busy. I also have family here in the city.”
The waitress brought their plates of dessert, and Noah had to admit the cobbler was delicious. He didn’t even object when Justin fed him a forkful. The tines slipped between his lips, and whether he wanted it to happen or not, Noah’s face caught fire as he looked away.
“This is wonderful,” Noah exclaimed as he wiped the sides of his mouth. “I haven’t had cobbler in so long. God, it’s delicious.”
Noah quickly shoved another piece into his mouth before Justin could feed him again. The act felt too intimate, and again, Noah wasn’t going to allow himself to wish, imagine, or hope for anything more than a friendship.
For fuck’s sake, he’d just been drugged and attacked the other night. Letting his heart skip a beat every time Justin looked at him shouldn’t even be a factor. He just needed to go home, forget the world existed, and… What was he going to do, become a shut-in? That wasn’t who he was, and the thought made his stomach squeeze tight.
“Maybe we should take a walk and get rid of the extra calories? It’s not that cold out this evening.” Justin finished his cobbler and kept stealing bites of Noah’s.
“Don’t you have to work? I don’t want to keep you.” Yes, he did, Noah wanted to keep Justin as long as the man would have him, but that was a fantasy he needed to stop entertaining.
“I have time. What do you say?” When the waitress brought the check to the table, Justin handed over his credit card.
“Can we save the walk for another time?” Noah wasn’t too sure he could handle being so exposed right now. What if they ran into his attacker? It wasn’t that big of a city. The guy could be anywhere. He couldn’t do this, not now, maybe never.
Justin slipped from his side of the booth, forcing Noah to scoot over as the detective slid in next to him. He dipped his head so only Noah heard him, their foreheads almost touching. “Slow, deep breaths.”
Had he shown his panic? He thought he’d hidden it well.
“If I’m pushing, or moving too fast, just tell me. To be honest, I’m enjoying your company and don’t want this evening to end so soon.”
Noah was glad, but he still wasn’t ready to go for a walk. He’d come out of his apartment, had had dinner, and for now, that was good enough. “Can we go now?”
Justin traced his fingers over Noah’s cheek. “We can do whatever you want.”
When the waitress returned Justin’s credit card, they left the diner. The drive home was quiet as Noah stared out the window, trying desperately to hold it together. He hadn’t dealt with the problem yet. He’d forced away the thoughts, throwing himself into work or anything else that kept his mind occupied.
But Noah knew the crash was coming. It was inevitable. He was surprised it hadn’t happened by now.
When they were safely back in his apartment, Noah breathed deeply, trying his best to keep calm, but his emotions overruled whatever he’d been trying to do, and tears sprang to his eyes. “I’m so sorry you have to deal with a guy who seems to cry all the time.”
“Hey.” Justin turned as Noah closed and locked the door. “Don’t you dare apologize for a damn thing. None of this was your fault, Noah. Some jackass with no morals tried to take advantage of you in the worst sort of way, and it’s my job to track him down and bury him under a jail cell.”
That made Noah smile. Justin seemed so sincere, as if he really would dig a hole and bury the guy. “I appreciate everything you’re doing for me.” He wiped away his tears with the heel of his hand. “If I’m being honest, I didn’t think anyone at the station would take me seriously. I thought going there would be a big waste of time.”
“Then luckily I was handed your case.” Justin took a seat on the sofa, showing Noah that he wasn’t ready to leave yet. That was fine by Noah.
“How about some coffee?” Without waiting for an answer, Noah went to his kitchen and started a pot. He wanted coffee, too, but this was also an opportunity to compose himself. He was sure Justin didn’t mind him crying, but god, could he be any more of a blubbering fool?
He normally wasn’t prone to bouts of tears, but he figured he was entitled to it after what had happened to him.
When he walked back into the living room to ask Justin what he took in his coffee, he found the guy asleep on hi
s couch. The guy was even sexy when he slept. Noah felt like a perv for openly ogling Justin and had started to back away when Justin said, “Were you really going to let me sleep?”
Noah smiled. “Oh my god. You were totally faking it.”
“Nope. I did doze for a moment. Sorry about that.” Justin did a full-body stretch, and Noah almost drooled. The guy’s muscles popped as he reached over his head and grunted. Noah had to stop his jaw from dropping at such an exquisite sight.
“I think I should be going.” Justin fully opened his eyes, and damn if Noah didn’t fall into those hazel beauties. The guy was too gorgeous for his own good.
But Justin’s words finally sank in, and Noah felt panic trying to set in. “Will you come by tomorrow?”
Shit. Had he actually just asked that? Could he sound any more desperate? If Noah weren’t careful, he would scare Justin away. As if the guy planned on sticking around anyway. He was just doing his job and being nice. Nothing more, and Noah needed to get that into his head.
“You can count on that.” Justin stood, towering over Noah. “Just as long as you promise me you’ll try again tomorrow.”
“I promise.” The words were out of Noah’s mouth before he knew he was going to say them.
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Justin could hold Noah to anything he wanted. “What time?”
God, Noah really needed to calm down and stop sounding so desperate.
Justin’s smile was heart-rendering. “How about six?”
“That sounds perfect. It’ll give me time to get my work done.” Noah walked Justin to the door. Justin lingered at the threshold, as if he didn’t want to leave.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Noah.” Justin leaned in, and for a second, Noah thought the guy was about to kiss him, and he did, only he kissed Noah on his forehead. “Keep your door locked and have sweet dreams.”
