Grif slipped around the piles of clothes, kicking a couple of crumpled shirts out of the way as he headed to the opposite side of the room, where a sliding glass door led to his balcony. Grif pushed the door open with a soft click, and Dan found himself moving unbidden again as he stepped out to join Grif on the overlook.
Even though the icy breeze slithered across his bare arms and the open collar of his shirt, that wasn’t what made him shiver. Grif leaned forward, resting his forearms on the railing as he stared out at the Chicago skyline. Dan’s tongue traced his lips at the sight of the massive man in stark relief, the shadows carving into his defined features, drawing out the sharp longing and sadness he’d kept hidden. Even in his jogging pants and thin gray tee, Grif exuded a nobility he didn’t think existed in this world.
“Sleeping with you was never part of the plan, you know,” he murmured, gazing out at the city.
Dan stepped beside him, resting his palms on the railing, even though the cold metal bit into his skin. “Just a perk of the job, then?” He pushed, sure, but the minute the news had broken yesterday, he needed to know. Screw being coy. “I’m a big boy, Blackmore. If this—whatever this is—between us was part of the job, or a way to sway me to your side, then at least be honest.”
Grif’s gaze darkened. “Do you genuinely think I do this sort of thing? Sleep with my marks, risk my Outlaws over a cheap thrill? I pride myself on control, Torres, but from the moment we met, I’ve been losing mine.”
Dan swallowed, trying to ignore how his heart thundered. If he wasn’t careful, they’d dive into depths he couldn’t swim out from. He tugged at the ends of his sleeves, pinching the fabric as if the motion might reassemble his brain.
“Brennerman had a camera installed in the boardroom,” Dan said, the admission slipping out. “He happened to catch our interlude on film.”
A growl ripped from Grif’s lips, the feral sort that reflected the wild look in his eyes. “Let me guess, he’s blackmailing you with it.”
Dan scratched his nape, ducking his head. “Considering I’m not out with my conservative-as-Christmas father’s company, yeah, he is.”
“Oh, fuck,” Grif said, reaching forward to place a hand over his, the heavy weight pinning him down from floating out to the atmosphere. “I’m sorry.”
“You mean that, don’t you?” Dan said, unable to hide the wonder from his voice. “You’re a thief who lied to me from the moment I met you, and yet I can’t help but feel like I’ve known you from the start.”
Dan couldn’t voice the rest—how their texts had been a lifeline, how his loneliness had grown so deafening lately he could barely get through each day let alone those aching nights. How good it felt to tell someone he’d had a shitty day and for them to listen and understand without expectation.
“That’s why you do this, isn’t it?” he continued. “Because Brennerman is one of far too many who push people into corners, who threaten lives and families while they speed off in Porsches and go golfing on the weekends.”
Grif stepped closer until only an inch separated them. Dan stared into his eyes, unafraid of the brawny man looming over him. One who had fought for years and bore dozens of scars to prove it.
“My parents were murdered by Robert Davies, someone with enough wealth and power accumulated to become completely untouchable. They headed their own company, and when they refused to acquiesce to Davies’s offer, he had them killed. Untraceable, of course, because men with money hire others to commit their dirty work, and the cops quickly let the trail go cold. He has too many folks in his pocket to be bothered by consequences.”
Dan’s heart twisted tight. After Vanessa had gotten threatened, he could only glimpse into the agony Grif must’ve gone through at losing both his parents in a single stroke.
Grif reached out and traced his jaw with a featherlight touch that made him melt inside. “And when my parents died, I was so alone. So fucking helpless. I never want anyone to feel that helpless again. So I took the trust fund I was left with and used it to form the Outlaws.” His breath caught in his throat, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he glanced away, pulling his hand back to settle on the rail. “Look, I don’t talk about this stuff, not even with my Outlaws. Though, the nosy bastards have all pulled it out of me at this point. This thing between us—it was never about the job.”
Dan’s heart squeezed tight at the admission. The idea of the ferocious man ever being a scared kid made him swallow hard. He reached forward to rest his palm over Grif’s. They both stared out at the city splayed before them, the winking and static lights all different shades of lavender and silver. In the distance, Lake Michigan stretched out, an inkspill on a canvas he both loathed and loved.
When Grif turned to look at him, Dan was done waiting.
Dan closed the distance between them and leaned in to kiss Grif.
Twenty-One
Grif restrained his moan of relief when Dan closed the distance and kissed him hard. Ever since the truth slipped out, he’d peeled back layers until the raw, exposed bits left him wincing.
He hadn’t mentioned that time or those memories out loud in years, yet when Dan looked at him with that intense longing and the flash of distance he recognized for bone-deep loneliness, the words just slipped out.
Dan tasted darkly sweet, the porter still on his lips, and Grif couldn’t get enough. He wove his fingers through Dan’s hair, tugging at the strands if only to muss it up. He wanted this man flushed and panting beneath him. He needed to soothe the pain he’d caused and needed to show him the truth his mind only dared entertain in whispers. Desire rushed through him in a heady swirl, and Grif leaned against the railing of his balcony. He wound a hand around Dan’s hip to drag him closer. The cool metal bit into his body, and Grif savored the way the shock grounded him.
So much pressure percolated inside, enough he could explode. Yet with the heated way Dan’s mouth met his again and again, he had the same sort of stress relief in mind. Dan’s hands slipped beneath his tee, roaming across his chest. Grif was packing a steel pipe in his pants, a fact he’d made Dan well aware of with the way their hips nudged together. Dan’s erection brushed against his thigh, and he bit down hard on the pouty lower lip to hear him moan.
He grazed his teeth across the man’s neck and sucked on his ear, devouring every inch of his smooth skin. “You know,” he murmured in between bites along Dan’s neck, “I was just bringing you in to grab some weapons.”
“Liar.” Dan’s mouth curved in a sinful smile.
Gratitude swept over him, at the forgiveness for the false charade, at the way Dan pushed through to talk to him, at how he listened and didn’t pity him, reaching out to touch instead.
Scarlet was right.
“I knew you were one of mine,” he murmured against Dan’s mouth.
Dan sucked in a breath, his umber eyes widening. Then he pressed a kiss to Grif’s lips again, a tender sweep that revved him up more. “So, you’re telling me you’ve done this tango with all your Outlaws?”
Grif’s eyebrows tugged together, but as he pressed his mouth to Dan’s again, he could feel his smile. He ran his hand through Dan’s hair, gripping tight as he let loose a low growl. “You’re a brat, you know?” Not like that didn’t charm him even more. Grif stole another kiss before he whispered against his lips, “You’re the only guy I’ve ever brought to my room.”
The second the words left his lips, Dan kissed him with a bruising force, hard enough to leave him gasping for breath. The teasing air vanished in the wake of his admission, and he sank into the heady depth of the current racing between them. This was more than a one-night stand, more than a casual fuck. He could feel it in the desperate way Dan kissed. His grip tightened around Dan’s hips, the jut of the bones pressing into his palms like he’d never let go.
A trembling sigh puffed against his lips before he dove in for more, eager to devour this man. He circled his hands around to grab him by the ass, dragging him forward until he pressed
flush against him. Dan’s erection brushed along his thigh, lust jolting through him with the strength of a Taser. His cock throbbed to the point of pain from the sheer need to bury himself inside that stunning ass.
He met his lips again, drinking in deep with the kiss. The scent of Dan’s cologne wrapped around him, the sweet citrus making him want to suck and bite this man from head to toe. Dan’s hands roamed everywhere, gliding along his arms, his back, his neck, the exploring sweeps setting his body on fire.
Grif’s fingers landed on the waist of Dan’s dress pants, and in seconds, the snick of the belt coming undone followed. Next, the zipper traveling down echoed in the night air. Grif slipped his hand in past his boxer briefs to glide his palm against Dan’s cock, the sleek feel making him salivate. Dan let out a groan as he fumbled for the waistband of Grif’s sweats. The sound in his ear and the heat of Dan’s body tore at Grif’s composure. He wanted—no, needed—to flip this man over and drive him into his bed.
Grif’s thumb brushed against the head of Dan’s cock, which leaked precum in anticipation. The man was so responsive, and the moans shot straight to his erection. Dan ground into his palm like a wanton thing, and hell if that didn’t bring him close to blowing his load.
The second Dan’s fingers skimmed against his hard-as-fuck cock, the remaining thread of composure snapped.
“Bed. Now,” Grif commanded, grabbing Dan’s wrist and dragging him forward.
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re bossy?” Dan murmured, his eyes flashing with mischief. The wry grin on his lips was one Grif wanted to capture with his mouth.
“I’ll spank your ass for that one,” Grif muttered, closing the distance to the balcony door in a couple of quick strides.
“Promises, promises,” Dan responded. His tongue traced his lips in a slow, sensual way that made Grif want to slam him against a wall and take him out here.
The moment they stepped into his room, heat prickled across his skin, a harsh contrast to the cool breeze of the Chicago night. Not like he needed to stoke the flames to this growing inferno. By the time they reached the bed, Dan had finished unbuttoning his dress shirt, revealing his slim, toned chest. Grif tugged the fabric off him, and then yanked his undershirt up and over. Before Dan’s hands reached his pants, Grif’s moved there to help him shuck them too.
Dan had one of those bodies Grif couldn’t stop drinking in. The man stood bare before him, all satin copper skin and lithe muscles. He was slender in a way Grif would never be, and this time he soaked in every detail, from the definition between his abs to the pronounced jut of his hipbones, and rock-hard calves he wanted to sink his teeth into. Dan’s cock was painfully erect, veins and ridges on full display, and the tip glistened with precum.
Dan’s cheeks flushed, and he ducked his head. Grif closed the space between them, his finger skimming the bottom of his chin to bring those lips to his.
“You’re fucking stunning,” he murmured against Dan’s mouth.
Grif tugged his shirt off, tossing it onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor. He pressed his bare chest against Dan’s, the smooth surface pure seduction as he dragged the man flush to him. His pert nipples brushed across bare skin, enhancing the sensation, and Dan’s erection nudged against him again. Dan’s hands settled on his waistband, and he let the man drag the fabric down his thighs.
Dan sank with it, and by the eager way he licked his lips, Grif knew what he planned. His cock throbbed in response at the thought of that hot, wet mouth wrapped around his length.
“I said, bed,” Grif repeated, reaching to pull Dan back up. He swatted his ass as Dan crossed to the bed. Grif didn’t wait for him to slide onto it; he pushed him down with a thud and loomed over that lithe and beautiful body, his arms and legs crowding Dan on either side. The sheer need in Dan’s eyes struck him square in the solar plexus.
“God, I want to taste this pretty cock,” he murmured as he pushed off from his crouch above Dan. “On your hands and knees.”
Grif didn’t bother waiting to see if he followed suit—he rolled off the side of his bed to snag the bottle of lube and condoms from his dresser drawer. By the time he turned back, Dan was in position and looked positively fuckable. He caught Dan’s eyes when the man looked back and nudged him so he could slip beneath. Grif slid up on his back between Dan’s thighs until his lips hovered at the end of his cock.
His tongue slipped out, and as he licked the slit, Dan let out a low moan. Grif wrapped his hands around the man’s hips, gripping them hard enough to bruise. He trailed the edge of his tongue along Dan’s shaft, enjoying how he shuddered above him. He savored all of it, the musky scent, his skin warm and wanting, and the steel length he proceeded to devour. With the way Grif braced Dan, he maintained full control as he sucked his cock, long and drawn out strokes that made the man’s arms tremble within minutes.
Grif popped the top of the lube open and got the cool liquid on the tip of his finger as he continued to deep throat Dan.
He reached around with the tip of his finger to trace the rim of Dan’s asshole. The moment he touched the sensitive area, Dan’s hips bucked forward, and his cock hit the back of Grif’s throat.
“Fuck, that feels good,” Dan moaned.
Damn, the responsive way this man reacted to everything turned him on. His cock had become so hard he could bat an inning with it, yet he focused on gliding his finger inside the tight hole he’d fucked the other night.
He drove his finger in time with Dan’s helpless thrusts inside his mouth. Sweat beaded on Dan’s skin, and based on the way his thighs trembled, he was close. Hell, Grif was too. If the man even whispered against his cock, he’d blow.
Grif thrust his finger deeper and deeper until he hit the prostate. Dan’s whole body seized, and a second later, the hot, salty jets of his release flowed into Grif’s mouth. He swallowed it down and slipped his finger out, squeezing that sexy ass as he went. Dan shifted his cock out of Grif’s mouth, and Grif slid up beneath him to find the man’s mouth and press a kiss to his lips.
Dan sank into the kiss, the bliss of satiation gleaming in his eyes. Grif claimed his lips with a hunger that grew. His hard length pressed between them, and even the rub of Dan’s chest against his length brought him close.
“Holy hell, Grif,” Dan murmured between gasping, swollen kisses.
Grif couldn’t help the grin at hearing his real name on Dan’s lips. Something about that felt so right. “You know I’m not done with you, right?”
“I hope not,” Dan said before he dipped down to press his lips against Grif’s neck, leaving a trail of fevered kisses and bites. Each one keyed up his need until he was buzzing. “I want you to fuck me with that massive cock.”
Grif let out a groan. “Babe, if you keep talking like that, I might not make it there.”
Dan wrapped his arms around Grif’s neck and looked at him, his dark eyes serious. “Hey, are you negative?”
“Little late for that conversation,” Grif joked as he brushed his lips over Dan’s forehead, his cheeks, memorizing his features with each sweep of his mouth. “But yeah, I get tested regularly.”
“I am too,” Dan said with a glance to the condoms lying by the bottle of lube. “So, if you wanted….”
Heaven and hell. Grif’s mouth dried with how much he wanted. A growl escaped his lips as he grabbed Dan by the arms and flipped him onto his back. Dan’s soft grin in response did something stupid to his heart, making it lurch forward like a rickety carnival ride. Grif’s cock throbbed with how badly he needed to tunnel into his tight ass. Bare. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been bare with any of the guys he’d taken to bed. Shit, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had repeat sex with anyone. Life as a con man and thief didn’t allow for people to get to know him.
Not like this.
Grif locked eyes with Dan and gave him a slow nod. The words wouldn’t come to explain how much that meant to him. This wasn’t like their first encounter, a hot, fum
bling fling. Dan knew who he was, not just in name, but the details he’d shared with him… well, Scar and Tuck had needed to pry them out of him with a crowbar. For some reason, those secrets dropped like coins at a casino every time he was around Dan.
Grif grabbed the lube and dripped the cool liquid between Dan’s cheeks, and then applied a liberal coating to his cock. Even the thought of sliding into his gorgeous ass bare had him hard to the point of pain, the precum dribbling off the tip.
Dan propped himself up by his elbows, watching as Grif settled between his thighs.
Grif nudged the tip of his cock into Dan’s entrance, and a sharp exhale came from him. Dan licked his lips, tilting his hips up to accept more. Even though he’d just come, the guy already sported a semi. Grif pushed in deeper, the feel of Dan’s tight grip around him pure ecstasy. Dan let out a moan as his head dropped back and his elbows slid down, bringing his back flush to the mattress. Grif groaned at the snug fit as he thrust in all the way. The skin-to-skin contact grew into a heady rush, almost too much.
He grabbed Dan’s legs, bringing them over his shoulders until his hips tilted at the perfect angle. Once Grif began to move inside him, Dan clutched fistfuls of the sheets on either side, and his eyes rolled back in bliss. Already, the shuddering waves of an orgasm neared, the bliss shooting sparks through him as the edges of his senses grew hazier. Grif gritted his teeth and forced himself back from the brink, willing himself to last.
He needed this time between them, and he couldn’t bear the idea of it ending.
Midnight Heist (Outlaws Book 1) Page 16
