Without Warning

by Reese Knightley

  Harrison lifted another grape, caught it between his teeth, and slowly bit down until the grape cracked open and juice covered his lips.

  Ryder spun to the sink, setting both hands on the edge of the counter before gripping it hard.

  Harrison ducked between Ryder’s arms, rose up, and shoved his ass into his crotch while he washed and dried his hands.

  Ryder’s breath hissed out, but he didn’t release the grip he had on the counter. In fact, the man’s knuckles turned white with the force of his grip.

  Done drying his hands, Harrison wiggled again and laughed when strong arms finally closed around him.

  “Am I in your way?” Harrison challenged, tossing a look over one shoulder.

  Ryder grunted, and Harrison’s flirting paid off when he felt the bulge against his ass.

  When Ryder stepped back, Harrison spun around and fisted the man’s shirt and yanked.

  Lifting up on his toes, Harrison pressed a kiss to Ryder’s mouth. The scratch of Ryder’s stubble brushed against his lips and chin and he groaned. Ryder answered his groan.

  Finally, after hours of waiting! He bit at Ryder’s mouth until his lips parted, and then Harrison tangled his tongue with Ryder’s before sucking gently on it.

  “Fuck,” Ryder said roughly, easing back.

  “No, don’t stop!”

  “I’m not sure if this is a good idea,” Ryder rasped, but the grip of his hands on his ass said otherwise.

  “Because you’re my bodyguard?”

  “Yes.”

  “And we probably wouldn’t have gotten to know each other otherwise?”

  “Honestly, probably not.”

  “Then why don’t we just take advantage of fate?”

  “Because it’s more like taking advantage of the situation.”

  “And is that so bad?”

  When Ryder hesitated, Harrison leaned back against the counter, still in his arms.

  “Can I tell you a secret?”

  “Anything,” Ryder said gruffly and Harrison’s heart melted.

  “I’ve had security off and on since I was ten, so you’re not the first bodyguard I’ve ever had protecting me.”

  “I know that,” Ryder grumbled softly.

  Harrison chuckled lightly and ran his hands up Ryder’s chest, his fingers slipping through the opening that the top four buttons had left open. The chest hair tickled his palms and his prick hardened. Which he knew Ryder felt by the expansion of his pupils.

  “But you are the first one I’ve ever wanted in my bed,” he said bluntly.

  Laughter rumbled out of Ryder and Harrison found himself grinning.

  “I love it when you laugh.”

  “I laugh.” A crease etched between Ryder’s brows.

  “Not much, but it’s worth it when you do. You’re so intense.”

  “I am.” Pursed lips accompanied the creased brow.

  “But you do have a good sense of humor.”

  “Is that right?”

  Oh yes, there’s that sexy smirk.

  “Yes.” He reached up and smoothed his fingers over Ryder’s lips.

  He loved the way Ryder’s eyebrow lifted over one eye and humor laced his gaze.

  “You have to know by now, I consider you a friend,” Harrison murmured, using a word that was neutral enough to not cause Ryder to panic.

  Something flitted through piercing brown eyes he couldn’t decipher before Ryder began lowering his head.

  Harrison lifted his face, anticipation tightening his stomach, and then butterflies took flight, feeling the answering swell pressing against his own hardness.

  Then the goddamned phone rang.

  Ryder closed his eyes briefly and then opened them. “I need to answer that.”

  “I know,” Harrison whispered with a pout.

  The phone continued to buzz. Ryder dropped a slow kiss on his lips before pulling the cell from his pocket and punching the speaker button on the phone. “Logan, I put you on speaker.”

  “Harrison?” Logan said.

  “Hi, Logan.”

  “Hey, how are you holding up?”

  “I’m good.” Harrison returned Ryder’s smile. What’s going on?”

  Logan let out a hard breath and shuffled some papers that crackled over the phone.

  “There’s no way to sugar coat this, so I’m going to spit it out. The detectives brought Sheila in for questioning. She paid the large sum of cash to two men who have criminal records. The detectives believe the men could have been hired to cause you harm.”

  “What?” He felt every bit of blood leave his face.

  “Here, sit down.” Ryder’s arm tightened around him and guided him to the couch. Ryder sat beside him holding the phone out so they could both hear.

  “But you don’t know that for sure?” he asked.

  “No, we don’t, not yet. Carson believes that Sheila thought by getting you out of the way, she’d get your father’s shares in the company,” Logan said.

  “No, my father’s will doesn’t work that way,” Harrison said, rubbing a hand over his mouth. “Nobody gets anything if I die. Unless I inherit first and then make out a will, which I haven’t.”

  “She might have thought she could go before a sympathetic judge and he would change it,” Logan said.

  “It wouldn’t have worked, the will is iron clad,” he replied.

  “Sometimes people do crazy things when that much money is involved.” Logan’s sigh came over the phone.

  “Has she confessed to anything?”

  “No, she won’t say why she paid the two men. But she’s also very adamant that she doesn’t want you dead.”

  “So this is all suspicion?”

  “She gave us permission to search her office. We found a letter. All that together was enough to bring her in.”

  “A letter?”

  “Yes, the same as the others you received. It said, ‘you’ll pay’. So, the evidence is pretty damaging. But she also denies that. She told the police that someone must have planted the letter in her office.”

  “If she allowed you to search her office, why would she leave a letter laying around?”

  “Maybe she forgot it was there. I don’t know,” Logan said.

  Harrison’s hands shook, and he wrapped his arms around himself. Missing money, no alibi, and possession of a letter. It seemed very likely his stepmother wanted him dead.

  “Does my uncle know she was picked up?”

  “I’ll inform him if you’d like.”

  “Please do.”

  Harrison stood and walked to the expansive front window and stared out at the cabin’s cozy front porch.

  A woman his father had married might want him dead. Sure, there was no love lost between them, but he’d never wished her ill will.

  Ryder walked into the kitchen and talked for several more minutes to Logan before returning to stand beside him.

  “What else did he say?”

  Ryder hesitated, and he spun around. “Tell me,” he said tightly.

  “He said with her in custody, they should have answers soon.”

  “I don’t want to leave here yet.” He didn’t want this trip to paradise to be ended by his sick, twisted stepmother. Even if she was ultimately the reason he was here, he was going to take advantage of something good coming out of something evil.

  “Please, not yet,” he choked out again, reaching out.

  Ryder’s hands came up and cupped his cheeks, and the following kiss was rough against his mouth.

  “Not yet,” Ryder agreed huskily.

  Ryder

  Ryder shifted in the lawn chair he’d drug down to the shore and watched Harrison playing in the waves. There were no other words to describe it, it was like watching a dolphin that turned into a human. Harrison had an affinity to water like nobody he’d ever seen before. He adjusted himself.

  Ryder couldn’t believe how the time had flown. It had been almost two weeks since they’d arrived at the cabin and one mo
nth since the day Logan had asked him to take the job.

  He hadn’t told the truth regarding the rest of his conversation with Logan.

  Logan wasn’t convinced it was Sheila Trudel, and Ryder agreed.

  “I’m having the detectives dig deeper into the other suspects,” Logan said.

  “Call me the minute you know anything,” he rasped, feeling his throat grow tight.

  “I will.”

  The conversation left Ryder with a feeling of unease. He wanted to believe that they’d caught the person involved, but shit didn’t add up. First thing that didn’t add up was the bodily fluid DNA on a letter taped to Harrison’s door. Had the men Sheila hired been responsible for that? It seemed a bit extreme. If she wanted Harrison dead and out of her way, why not just shoot him? Why go to the trouble with the threats? Unless she told them to make it look like a stalker. He sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair.

  Harrison waved from the water and tried to send a scoop of water far enough to reach him on the shore.

  The vision before him drew a smile to his lips and made his swimsuit uncomfortably tight. So why not go for him? Why not scoop him up before he’s snatched up by another? He’d already figured out that Harrison was nothing like his ex. He wouldn’t have to worry about being treated like shit.

  Harrison is just as wealthy as Warren. So the fuck what? When had Harrison ever thrown his money in his face?

  Never, came the silent reply.

  “Come in.” Harrison’s voice snapped him out of his dark thoughts.

  “No,” he said for the tenth time.

  “Please, come in.”

  Disappointment swam over Harrison’s beautiful face, and with a sigh, Ryder put down the book he wasn’t reading anyway and shoved up from the chair. He pushed aside his doubts and took the plunge.

  “Yay!” Harrison clapped delightedly and slapped at the water.

  Ryder jogged out into the lake toward where the younger man stood, and when it was deep enough, he dove beneath the surface. When he came up, he shook the water from his hair and smoothed it back along his head.

  Harrison splashed at him, but he saw it coming and ducked the wave of water. He dove back beneath the surface.

  It was a game they played, this push and pull, chase and retreat. The past week had been filled with Harrison working on that damned laptop. But the late afternoons and evenings they had spent together. And fuck if he didn’t look forward to swimming, cooking, and hearing Harrison’s soft baritone sharing stories, or hearing his laughter when Ryder dug out a few stories of his own.

  And the hotter than hell kisses.

  He’d never kissed another man so much and not made love. Correction, I’ve never kissed another man so much ever, sex or not. He’d shared more kisses with Harrison over the past week than he had in the one year he’d been with Warren.

  Distraction cost him, and Harrison’s hands were on his shoulders pushing him beneath the water. Just before he went under, Harrison’s bright laughter rang out. Submerged, he swiped through the water, but Harrison darted quickly away from his outstretched hands.

  Coming to the surface, he spit a mouthful of water in a high arc in Harrison’s direction.

  “Oh gross!” Harrison laughed, swimming closer.

  “What? You like my spit,” he challenged on a laugh and lunged away from Harrison’s reaching hands.

  Flipping around to swim backwards, Ryder kicked his feet and kept his arms moving to keep himself out of reach.

  Laughing, Harrison lunged again through the water, and Ryder stopped moving away because all he wanted was to start moving closer.

  Harrison tossed his arms around his neck and slid those strong thighs around his waist. Ryder brought his hands up quickly, cupping beneath each thigh.

  “I do, I love your spit,” Harrison said in a breathy voice.

  Swallowing a groan when their cocks met with only the shear bathing suits separating them, he closed his arms tightly around Harrison’s waist. Ryder couldn’t stop his hips from thrusting beneath the water.

  Harrison’s hands went straight to his hair. The man had a fascination with pushing his fingers through the strands and stroking them along his scalp. The touch shot straight to his dick and he groaned. He could keep on doing that forever.

  His own hands moved down the slender muscles along Harrison’s back and down to the edge of the tiny red swimsuit. Harrison had finally put it on about three days ago, designed surely to have him swallow his tongue.

  “This suit is driving me crazy,” he muttered, roaming his mouth along Harrison’s throat.

  “That’s why I wear it.” Harrison moaned and arched his head back, offering his throat. “I’m tired of waiting, Ryder. I know you’re holding back because you’re my bodyguard.”

  “I am,” he admitted, lifting his head and he gazed down, his hands clenching on the rounded ass cheeks that barely fit into the tiny red suit.

  “You’re fired,” Harrison said.

  “Oh, thank fuck,” he muttered.

  Harrison burst out laughing and Ryder reluctantly chuckled.

  “Take me inside,” Harrison ordered, nipping at his jaw.

  So help him god, Ryder had neither the will nor the desire to deny him any longer.

  He lunged upward with Harrison still wrapped around him. Carrying him across the small beach and into the cabin, he only stopped long enough to throw the lock. Shoving open the door to the master bedroom, he stepped inside.

  Kissing along his neck and jaw, Harrison’s lips left marks on his collar bone. Letting the man slide from his arms, Harrison put distance between them.

  Ryder didn’t mind, he looked his fucking fill of his gorgeous body.

  Harrison backed up until his ass bumped against the wall. Then he slipped a hand down a sleekly defined chest and abs, through the small treasure trail, before dipping fingers slowly beneath the edge of the tiny red swimsuit. The move combined with the sultry look beneath thick lashes brought a sound from Ryder’s throat.

  Swallowing thickly, Ryder reached down and pulled the drawstring on his own trunks and shoved them down his legs.

  Harrison’s gaze raced over him, and Ryder’s impossibly hard dick grew harder, rising upward, thrusting proudly from his body. Harrison’s eyes continued to flick over him until they locked on his cock.

  Ryder hungrily roamed his eyes over Harrison when the man’s hand disappeared into the tight red briefs and started touching himself.

  Instead of stalking closer, Ryder turned to the nightstand and pulled out condoms and lube. He snapped up a packet and turned, tearing it with his teeth.

  Before he slipped it on, he paused.

  “Yes, fucking do it,” Harrison ordered with his hand still down his pants, keeping himself hidden, but Ryder could see the rise and swell of the tip and length of his cock.

  Sexy as fuck.

  He rolled on the condom and dumped lube in his palm. Planting his feet apart, he reached down and stroked his own dick.

  “Oh yeah, fuck yeah,” Harrison breathed and slipped the tiny briefs slowly down to free his cock. Once freed, Harrison pulled at his beautiful cock and teased fingers along the head.

  Ryder groaned and continued to tug on his dick. The sexy little thing put on a show, stroking his cock and biting his lip, and Ryder could have cum just by watching.

  Then Harrison’s free hand reached down between his spread legs and cupped fingers rolled his balls. Harrison panted, licking at his lower lip.

  Ryder had had enough teasing and growled. He stalked across the room just as Harrison shoved down and kicked away the tiny piece of red material.

  Ryder’s hands gripped the back of Harrison’s neck and lifted his face upward. Harrison slipped his arms up around his neck and jumped, straddling his hips. The kiss turned hot and hungry as they traded nips and kisses until out of breath.

  “Fuck,” he growled, yanking his head back.

  Harrison whimpered and roamed his mouth along his
jaw.

  Gripping beneath the man’s thighs, he parted Harrison’s legs and took a step forward until the man’s back hit the wall.

  “Yes, yes,” Harrison hissed, hands clawing at his shoulders, long legs squeezing tight, his cock caught between them.

  For a second, Ryder paused, thinking of adding a finger to get Harrison ready.

  “Lube.”

  “No! Fucking now, Ryder. I’ve been stretching myself all fucking week for you!”

  “Fuuuuck,” he groaned and slipped Harrison’s legs over each of his arms so he could grasp the man’s ass and hold him open. Harrison was completely exposed to him, and Ryder slid his dick against the pucker that surrounded his tight hole.

  “Oh god, please.” Harrison’s head rolled back and forth against the wall.

  Ryder roamed his mouth along the column of Harrison’s throat as he pushed through the ring of resistance. It was a snug fit, but an easy slide.

  Harrison’s panted, eyes closed, murmuring the word yes over and over.

  Gripping Harrison’s ass, Ryder squeezed and plunged his dick home. His fingers dug into Harrison’s cheeks as he lifted and thrust, setting up a hard rhythm.

  Harrison

  Hooking his legs over Ryder’s arms, Harrison gripped his shoulders and hung on. Ryder pushed between his splayed thighs, shoving his back to the wall and pounding his ass. He’d seen that long, slick, beautiful cock and each hard and deep thrust pushed him up on the wall as Ryder’s large hands stretched and held him open.

  Harrison tossed his head from side to side, moaning. Sweat covered his body, and Ryder’s skin beneath his hands grew wet.

  The tip of his own cock brushed against Ryder’s rock-hard abs, teasing him until Ryder adjusted. Harrison clung as the man angled away until only Harrison’s shoulders were pressed to the wall, his ass in the air, cupped in those big hands, and Ryder began thrusting again.

  He groaned at the loss of touch to his dick as it bounced freely between them with every thrust.

  His eyes flew open when Ryder’s cock repeatedly pegged the bundle of nerves deep inside.

  “Oh fuck!”

  He was going to cum without touching himself.

  “Oh shit! Fuck!” His orgasm raced through him and he convulsed. Not able to hunch forward, he could only moan as hot cum spurted from his swirling, swollen dick and sprayed between them.