by Lynn Hagen
Vince smiled. “I can imagine. But you have me now. If you’re not sure about something, call me first before you make a decision. I’ll help you make a sound choice.”
Maltese slumped in his seat. “I’m not stupid.”
Yes you are. True, but he didn’t want Vince looking at him that way.
“I never said you were.” Now his mate looked angry. “Don’t ever think that low of yourself. Some are just better than others at making judgment calls. I don’t mind helping you decide.” He brushed his knuckles over Maltese’s cheek. “That’s part of my job, sweetheart. I’m trained to protect, and you’re the most important person in the world to me. Got that?”
“I love you,” Maltese blurted out.
Vince’s brows shot up, and then he grinned. “Are you sure about that? Do you need me to help you figure that out?”
Maltese shoved at him. “You’re an asshole.”
Vince chuckled as he pulled Maltese into his arms. “I love you, too.”
“Can we go home and have sex now?” Maltese whispered into his ear. “I’m feeling rather horny at the moment.”
“I got something better.” Vince stood and pulled Maltese from his chair. They walked out of the office and headed toward the back. Maltese hadn't the first clue where they were going.
“Taking my lunch break,” Vince said to Werth.
“Don’t make a goddamn mess and air the room out afterward.” Werth gave Vince the stink eye.
“What is he talking about?” Maltese asked.
“I promised to put my pencil in your pocket protector.” Vince opened the door that led to the back. They were in the holding area.
“I’m not having sex in a jail cell.” Maltese tried to pull his hand away.
Vince looked over his shoulder at Maltese and bounced his brows. “If you want, I can handcuff you and treat you like a naughty prisoner.”
Maltese’s heart raced as Vince pulled him into the last holding cell on the left. “Now hands against the wall so I can search you. Come on. I don’t have all day, perp.”
Never in his life had Maltese role-played, and he found his heart hammering as he licked his lips and pressed his hands against the dull gray concrete wall. “Now what?”
“I didn’t give you permission to talk.” Vince kicked his legs apart and started at Maltese’s shoulders, his fingers gliding over Maltese’s body as he skimmed his sides, under his arms, and then his hands slid over Maltese’s stomach.
Vince stood so close that Maltese felt the heat from his body. “You carrying anything dangerous?” Vince whispered into the shell of his ear as he gently squeezed Maltese’s trapped cock.
“Why don’t you put your hand down my pants and find out?” Maltese’s breathing was ragged as Vince unsnapped his button and lowered his zipper so slowly that his movement was driving Maltese insane. Maltese was ready to strip naked and bend over the cot, but he didn’t want this game to end too soon.
He hissed when Vince curled his fingers around his hard dick. “I think I can classify this as carrying a concealed weapon.” His voice was low, deep, and set every one of Maltese’s nerve endings on fire.
“Maybe I should take a breathalyzer test.” Maltese pressed his chest against the wall, sticking his ass out and spreading his legs farther apart as Vince slowly stroked him. “I might be drunk.”
“Yeah?” Vince nipped his earlobe and then sucked in a breath of air, as if the thought excited him. “I think that’s a good call.”
But Vince didn’t back away so Maltese could turn around. He kept his hard, muscled chest against Maltese’s back, grinding into his ass as he gripped Maltese’s cock harder.
When Vince purred, Maltese nearly came. “I love when you make that sound.”
His mate took a step back and then traded places with Maltese, pressing his back against the wall as Maltese lowered to his knees.
“Make sure you take a thorough test.” Vince ran his hand over Maltese’s hair. The hunger and intensity in Vince’s eyes set Maltese’s blood on fire. “Because if you don’t, you’ll have to retake it.”
Maltese heard the rain falling harder, beating against the barred window as he unfastened Vince’s slacks and fisted his cock. He gazed up into his mate’s green eyes as he took the hard length into his mouth.
Vince hissed and arched his back as his grip in Maltese’s hair grew tighter. The taste of his mate’s pre-cum exploded on Maltese’s tongue, making him groan as he took the cock deeper down his throat.
“That’s it, sweetheart.” Vince hissed, rolling his hips as he fucked Maltese’s mouth.
The smell of his mate’s muskiness, the taste of his cock, and the pulling of his hair had Maltese’s dick so hard he whimpered.
“Soon, baby,” Vince groaned. “I’ll take care of you real soon.”
The way Vince looked at him took the breath right out of Maltese. His mate looked at him as though he mattered, as if Vince’s entire world was tangled up in every breath he took.
He lowered his gaze and sucked Vince’s cock to the back of his throat, taking every long inch of him. Vince shuddered, exhaled, and punched his hips forward until his cum shot out, and Maltese struggled to drink every last drop.
Vince sagged against the wall and scrubbed his hand over his face. “You passed your test.”
With a grin, Maltese straightened and pulled his mate down for a toe-curling kiss. Their lips melded together as Vince backed him up until Maltese’s legs hit the cot.
“My turn, handsome.”
Excitement rippled through Maltese as he shoved his pants to his thighs. He wasn’t going to wait for Vince to slowly, torturously slide his slacks down. “You want me on the bed or standing up?”
Vince stuffed his cock back into his pants and straightened them as he bit his lower lip, giving Maltese a heavy-lidded stare. “I want you naked.”
Maltese stared wide-eyed at his mate. “Are you insane? We’re already taking a risk as it is. Anyone could walk back here at any moment and catch us.”
“Isn’t the threat of being caught half the fun?” Vince folded his arms as though he wouldn’t budge until Maltese complied with his demand. And Maltese was so hard his cock actually hurt as it throbbed.
“I’m not getting naked.” He crossed his arms, too, giving Vince a defiant glare, though he felt kind of foolish standing there with his hard cock hanging out.
Vince dropped his arms and slid them around Maltese’s waist and then nuzzled his neck. “I promise to make it worth your while.”
Dear god, what was this man doing to him? Maltese caught himself before he nodded. There was no way he was getting naked, but the deep voice and the masculine scent filling his lungs made him almost say yes. He had a feeling that if Vince begged any longer, he would be nude in seconds flat.
Maltese’s exposed cock slid up Vince’s pants, making him whimper as he closed his eyes. “As much as I’d like to find out how it would be worth my while, I’m still not taking all my clothes off.”
Vince gave a soft, low chuckle. “Mmm, stubborn. I like that.”
In one smooth motion, Vince picked Maltese up and laid him on his back, swallowing his cock down his throat. Maltese cried out, thrashing under his mate as his brain was sucked out through his dick.
He hated the fact that his slacks kept his legs trapped, but Maltese wasn’t going to stop his mate so he could take them off. Besides, that would be getting naked and hell if Maltese was going that far.
White-hot fingers of pleasure pulsed through Maltese as the buildup came fast. He cried out, gripping Vince’s hair as his orgasm shattered him. Vince eased back, leaving Maltese lying there gasping for breath.
“That…was…” Fuck, Maltese couldn’t catch his breath long enough to finish his sentence.
“Amazing.” Vince kissed his temple. “Now fix your pants. Our break is over, and we need to get you back to your desk.”
Maltese fumbled with the opening, but his fingers wouldn’t cooperate. Vince
moved his hands aside and tucked Maltese back in before snapping his pants back into place.
He pushed from the cot and then pulled Maltese to his feet. Maltese swayed slightly.
“You okay to walk?” Vince smiled.
“Sure, sure.” Maltese waved off his concern. “But I’ll be back to normal just as soon as you give me a kiss.”
“I think I can manage that.” The kiss was slow-burning, non-rushed as Vince sipped at Maltese’s lips. “We really have to get back to work.”
Reluctantly, Maltese pulled away and exited the cell. He walked a bit unsteady but managed to make it to the door. He swiped a hand through his hair, knowing he wouldn’t be able to straighten it back out, and then pushed through to the squad room.
Maltese took a seat at his desk, cleared his throat, and got back to work, but the smile on his face remained for the rest of the day.
Chapter Ten
The earlier rain had turned into a full-blown storm by the time Maltese and Vince left the station. The streets were quickly pooling with water, and the front yards of many homes looked like small lakes. The wind whipped the rain sideways as Vince crawled down the street in his truck, Maltese holding on to his seat belt as he watched signs flapping on their hinges and the stop lights bob up and down on their thick wiring.
“The weather guy predicted light rain and a clearing afterward,” Maltese complained. “This isn’t a clearing. It’s a downpour.”
The wipers swished rapidly back and forth but were barely keeping the windows clear. Water collected at the curbs and raced toward the storm drains, but the drains could do only so much in this deluge.
“I’m more worried about the creek behind the house.” Vince’s knuckles were white as he navigated the road. Maltese was nervous, but they were in a large, shiny red pickup truck that was powerful enough to handle this weather, unless a flash flood happened, which Maltese doubted since they were in the downtown area.
There were cars parked to the side of the street, emergency lights flashing, but when they passed the cars, Maltese saw they were empty. The drivers must’ve taken refuge in one of the many businesses that lined Main Street.
Maltese turned to look at his mate. “You have a creek behind your house?”
“Our house,” Vince corrected, “and yes, but it’s normally a small one. But with this weather, it’s gonna swell. I just hope the water doesn’t reach the back door. We haven’t had a rain like this in a long time. If I’d known it would come down this badly, I would’ve grabbed the sandbags from the shed out back and formed a line of defense.”
“You have a shed in your backyard?”
Vince rolled his eyes. “When this is over, you’re gonna explore our home and the land surrounding it.”
Maltese pressed his hand against the door and cringed as Vince made the turn down the road that led to his house. About a mile down, their way was flooded. Where there used to be a wooden bridge up ahead there was now rapidly flowing water that cut them off from going any farther.
“Damn it.” Vince stopped the truck. “We’ll never make it through this. The water is too deep and too fast.”
“Should we go back to the station?” After the day he’d had, Maltese had looked forward to getting out of his stuffy clothes, taking a long, hot shower, and calling it an early night. Now it looked as though he would have to sleep at his desk or in one of the jail cells.
He cursed his cock when it tried to perk up at the memory of what he and Vince had done earlier. Maltese had never been so bold in his life, and he’d loved it—even if he’d refused to take off all his clothes.
“Hang on while I turn us around.”
Vince’s words cut through Maltese’s erotic memories and brought him back to the present. The flood was inching closer to them as Vince reversed the truck and then turned the wheel to face the way they’d come.
“Shit.” Vince hit the gas, but the tires simply spun. “We’re stuck in the mud.”
Maltese looked out the passenger window and watched as the water neared them at a rapid rate. “If we don’t do something, and fast, we’ll be caught in that rushing water.”
Vince tried several more times to rock the truck—putting it in reverse and then drive—but the tires wouldn’t budge.
“The water is almost at my door,” Maltese said with fear straining his voice. “Just so you know, I can’t swim.”
“I don’t think anyone can in those churning waters.” Vince opened his door. “As much as I hate to leave my truck behind, we gotta go.”
Maltese unbuckled himself and climbed over the center console. Vince pulled him the rest of the way out as the water reached under the truck. Vince slammed the door closed and grabbed Maltese’s hand, pulling him away from the fast-chasing water.
Maltese was soaked in seconds from the rain as they hurried up the road. The cold rain felt like a thousand bees stinging him as rivulets of water from his hair streamed down his face.
Lightning struck close by. Maltese screamed and spun around as a tree sparked and then fell over…smashing the front of Vince’s truck. If Maltese survived this, he would find the weatherman who had called for light rain and choke the shit out of the lying bastard.
“Just keep moving.” Vince had to yell in order for Maltese to hear him.
Thunder boomed overhead, and streaks of lightning branched out across the sky.
“Is this a good time to mention I’m terrified of storms?” Maltese yelled. He looked over his shoulder and saw the water lift Vince’s truck and pull it toward the rapidly churning waters, as though the water was a living entity, devouring everything in its path. If they didn’t get away, they would be consumed, as well.
Matters worsened when the fields on either side of them turned into lakes, the water edging onto the asphalt. If they didn’t flat-out run, they would be trapped.
Clearly Vince thought the same thing because he picked up his pace until they were running, his hand still clutching Maltese’s. The dark clouds overhead rolled by quickly, the wind blowing harder as Maltese fought to see ten feet in front of him.
It felt as though Mother Nature herself was after them. Maltese feared they wouldn’t make it off the backroad alive. Thunder boomed, lightning streaked, and the wind blasted them as the rain continued to fall as though a damn had broken in the sky.
And then, just that fast, the winds died down and the rain’s brutal assault softened.
“I think it’s finally passing us,” Vince said.
Maltese heard a loud groaning noise. He looked to his right and saw a huge tree trapped between two others. The tree bowed and then flung sideways, releasing all the pent-up water it had been holding back. Maltese screamed seconds before the water overtook him and pulled him along its violent journey.
He was pulled under and slung around as he fought to break the surface. When he did, he gulped in lungfuls of air, slapping his arms around as he tried to stay afloat. He slammed into something hard and cried out before realizing it was the tree that had been holding the water back.
Desperate, Maltese grabbed onto it, trying his best to stay above water as he looked around for his mate. “Vince!”
The water was dark and murky, and so many branches and other debris in the rapidly moving water floated around him that he couldn’t tell what was what. “Vince!”
Maltese was swept to the other side of the road. The tree caught on something under the water, giving Maltese a chance to escape. He paddled as fast as he could until he felt the asphalt under his palms. Unwilling to be swept away again, Maltese scrambled on his hands and knees past the edge of the water and then stood, moving even farther away until he was sure he wouldn’t be taken again.
He squinted to the other side of the rushing water but didn’t see his mate anywhere. “Vince!”
No answer.
Maltese reached into his pocket, but his cell phone was gone. Not that it would have done him any good being under water for so long. Panicked, Maltese spun and rac
ed toward Vince’s house. If he could get there and use the landline, he could call for help.
By the time he made it up the walkway, his muscles burned and he was seconds from falling over from exhaustion. But Maltese managed to make it inside, thankful the creek out back hadn’t flooded the house.
Bella was on the counter, hissing as her white fur stood on end. The storm must’ve scared the daylights out of her, but Maltese didn’t have time to comfort the cat. He ran into the kitchen and grabbed the phone from its cradle on the counter.
There wasn’t a dial tone. Fuck. The storm must’ve knocked down some of the telephone poles. Maltese dropped the phone and raced for the door, hoping one of Vince’s neighbors had a cell phone he could use.
When he swung the door open, he gasped and backpedaled, falling on his ass to get away. He shoved to his feet and ran for the back door, Boz hot on his heels.
“Get your ass back here!”
Maltese ripped the back door open and came to a hard stop. The creek had definitely swollen, its edges lapping at Vince’s back door. With no other choice, Maltese flung himself into the cold water and tried to dog paddle away from the house.
A deep booming laughter filled the air behind him. “Go ahead and drown. You’ll save me the trouble of killing you.”
Maltese felt solid ground under his feet. He tried to keep his footing, but the water kept sweeping under him and trying to knock him off balance. He would’ve used his powers, but water and electricity didn’t mix. If he shot a lightning bolt at Boz, Maltese would far more likely harm himself. “Why are you doing this?” he shouted from the water.
“Why?” Boz’s features darkened. “Because our dear old dad finally hit it big. He made millions off some deal, and all he kept talking about was finding you so he could make things right. I found a copy of his will, and he had every single cent going to you. I wasn’t even in the footnotes.”
“So if I die, it all goes to you?” Maltese reeled from the news. Not that his con artist father had struck it rich but that Boz was so evil and greedy that he had no problem trying to kill his baby brother to inherit the money.
