In the Shadows (Metahuman Files Book 3)

by Hailey Turner

  Sean’s wince was easy enough to read. “Not yet.”

  “Should call them. Have time before we get to restaurant.”

  Sean rubbed at his left wrist and the newly implanted bioware there. “I’m used to not thinking about letting them know I’m okay.”

  “Change is good, da?”

  Warm fingers curled over Alexei’s thigh, giving him a gentle squeeze. Alexei glanced over at Sean and found a pair of warm brown eyes staring back at him.

  “Yeah,” was Sean’s quiet answer as he smiled faintly at Alexei. “Change is good.”

  They weren’t even off base before Sean’s quiet voice filled the car, a steady stream of words that didn’t hurt Alexei’s ears. “Hi, Mom. You wanted me to call.”

  Alexei took his hand off the wheel and placed it over Sean’s, tangling their fingers together as he drove them to their destination beneath the bright lights of the Washington, D.C. megacity.

  NOW

  2285

  ___________________

  18

  Sign of the Times

  Three weeks later, in the muggy height of summer, Alexei decided that flying on Jamie’s account had spoiled him. Waiting in the Arrivals terminal of Reagan National Airport, it was all Alexei could do not to elbow anyone who got too close. He normally didn’t voluntarily wait in crowds like this, but he hadn’t seen Sean in a week and Alexei was impatient.

  Alexei glanced at the chrono shining through the skin of his left arm. Sean had landed twenty minutes ago, which meant he should show up soon. Shoving the brim of his baseball cap a little higher, Alexei scanned the crowd again, finally catching sight of a familiar face a minute or two later.

  “Miss me, kotyonok?” Alexei asked with a grin, spreading his arms wide in greeting.

  “Do I want to know why you’re carrying a stuffed cat?” Sean replied, eyeing the gift Alexei held in one hand.

  Alexei held out the ginger stuffed animal to Sean with a flourish. “Win for you.”

  “Where? A festival? It’s wearing a pirate hat, Lyosha. And it smells like beer.”

  “Beat Kilyusha at darts at bar. Win prize.”

  Sean took the stuffed cat that had seen better days and tucked it under his arm. “You cheated, didn’t you?”

  Alexei gave Sean his best innocent look. “Would never.”

  Sean snorted. “You cheated.”

  “Should name prize. Can call it kotik,” Alexei said with a straight face. “Is almost kitten like you.”

  Sean shot him a withering look. “You’re not funny.”

  “Most funny, kotyonok.”

  Sean opened his mouth to argue and Alexei shut him up the best way he knew how—with a long, slow, deep kiss that left Alexei feeling settled and grounded. Sean hummed against his mouth, sighing softly when they finally parted.

  “Missed you,” Sean admitted.

  “Me, too.” Alexei grabbed Sean’s carry-on and draped his arm over Sean’s shoulders. “Am glad you’re back. How was visit?”

  “Hard, but good.”

  Alexei nodded, knowing how difficult it could be when a family learned the truth. After everything that had happened, Sean had needed some time to set things straight with his family. With Alpha Team lying low unless something critical came down the pipeline, Sean had taken some leave and gone back to New Seattle for a much-needed visit. Alexei had missed waking up to him during the past week, but he was happy Sean had managed to find some peace with his family.

  “I brought something back for you as well,” Sean said as they headed for the exit.

  “Oh? Win in dart game?”

  “Actually, I brought something back for you to give to your sisters.”

  Alexei gave him a betrayed look. “This what I get for give you prize?”

  Sean ignored him. “My brothers signed some Atomic Grace T-shirts for them. They left the shirts with our parents to give to me since they had to continue their tour. They, ah, remembered you talking about it on the jet.”

  “Sisters love you more than me now,” Alexei grumbled.

  “I doubt it. I haven’t even met them yet.”

  “You will.”

  Sean nodded, some of the uncertainty in his eyes fading away. Alexei knew family was a touchy subject for Sean, considering the strained relations he’d had with his own for so many years. Alexei decided to tell Sean later, maybe tomorrow, that he’d already told his mother he was seeing the agent—and that she wanted to meet Sean as soon as possible.

  “You have anything you need to do today?” Sean asked once they were finally in the car and Alexei had started the engine.

  Alexei very blatantly raked his gaze up and down Sean’s body. “Just you.”

  Sean blinked at Alexei before he burst out laughing. “That was terrible.”

  “Still true.”

  “Then get us home, Lyosha.”

  Alexei broke some speed limits getting back to Sean’s apartment and wasn’t at all sorry about it. Spending the week at his own place had been lonely now that Kyle was holed up in Jamie’s penthouse condo. With fallout from the fight in Montana still making noise in the media and through the hallowed halls of Washington, D.C., Jamie had left his father on the campaign trail in favor of focusing on what the MDF needed. It meant Kyle no longer slept in the spare bedroom, and Alexei rapidly came to realize in the wake of Sean’s absence why his brother sulked so much when Jamie was gone.

  But all that left Alexei’s mind the second Sean let them into his small, one-bedroom apartment. Alexei dropped the suitcase by the door, gave Sean just enough time to set the locks, before he pulled Sean against him and licked a hot stripe up his throat. Sean went boneless in a way that went straight to Alexei’s cock. Fitting his mouth against the curve of Sean’s neck, Alexei sucked hard at the sensitive skin there.

  “Oh,” Sean moaned as he dropped the prize Alexei had won for him on the floor. He reached up and took off Alexei’s baseball cap, dropping it to the floor as well.

  Alexei pressed his teeth against soft skin for just a few seconds before he pulled back. “Make new mark since other healed.”

  “Not where people can see.”

  Alexei shrugged; he liked people knowing what was his. “Maybe.”

  Alexei hooked his fingers over Sean’s belt and led him into the bedroom. Sean went willingly, yanking off his T-shirt and leaving it in the living room. The curtains were drawn, like usual, a habit of Sean’s that Alexei fully endorsed. It made it easier to get naked and get his hands on Sean, pushing him onto the bed, without needing to stop and make sure they didn’t give the neighbors a show.

  Shoving off his jeans, Alexei crawled onto the bed after Sean, eager to get his hands and mouth on all that unmarked skin. Sean looked delectable, spread out beneath him, the hesitancy the first few times they’d fallen into bed together gone. The hunger in his brown eyes made Alexei smile as he settled himself between Sean’s legs. He leaned over Sean, stealing another kiss, before digging up the bottle of lube from underneath the pillow and setting it aside.

  “Want to watch,” Alexei said as he stroked a hand up and down Sean’s left thigh.

  “You always want to watch,” Sean muttered, a faint hint of red staining his cheeks.

  “Want to watch and teach.” Alexei tapped a finger on Sean’s nose, nearly making him go cross-eyed. “Nos.”

  “What?”

  Alexei sat up with an easy smile, grabbing Sean’s hand and coating his fingers with the lube. He took his time smearing the stuff over Sean’s fingers in a parody of a more intimate gesture. Sean never took his eyes off Alexei’s hand.

  “Say again,” Alexei urged, pressing his thumb hard into the curve of Sean’s palm.

  “Say what? Nos?”

  Alexei made a face. His accent was horrendous. “Again.”

  “Are you really trying to give me a Russian language lesson right now when I haven’t seen you in a week?” Sean asked exasperatedly.

  Alexei guided Sean’s hand between hi
s legs, pressing those slick fingers against Sean’s tight hole. He smirked at the way Sean inhaled sharply from the touch, watching as Sean rubbed his fingertip over the sensitive opening without being asked, getting himself wet. Alexei moved Sean’s hand after a moment, pushing the tip of Sean’s finger into his hole.

  “Say.”

  “Nos.”

  Sean mangled the word even worse as Alexei coaxed his finger deeper into his hole, watching the way Sean didn’t hesitate to push it all the way in and finger himself open.

  “You show me what you like,” Alexei said, pitching his voice low. “Want to learn.”

  “Like you don’t already know what I like,” Sean retorted, voice hitching as he pulled his finger back out before pushing it in again.

  Which was true, in a way. Alexei had learned Sean’s body very thoroughly over the last few weeks, but that didn’t mean he was an expert. And practice made perfect, after all.

  “Show me, get word right, I fuck you. Get word wrong, you wait.”

  Sean’s eyes fluttered shut when Alexei gently rubbed a finger around the sensitive puckered skin of his hole. “That’s not fair. Russian is hard.”

  “I give you hard if you do this for me.”

  He could feel Sean shiver against his hands, body twitching from the promise in Alexei’s voice. Sean swallowed, the sound loud between them. If he said no, Alexei would be okay with that, but half the fun was showing Sean how good sex could feel. He was open to a lot of what Alexei liked to do, but Sean still struggled sometimes with the need to say no. Alexei was adept at noticing Sean’s hesitancy, either in his voice or his eyes or his body, and backing off. Sean’s comfort was important to him.

  As much as Alexei hated the CIA for the seriously bad habits Sean had picked up, a part of him would always be grateful for the way that agency had royally fucked things up. Their mistakes meant he got Sean in his life and in his bed, and Alexei aimed to keep him there.

  Sean slid his free hand down his stomach before wrapping his fingers around his own cock. “Okay.”

  Alexei helped him out by pouring some more lube over his fingers and cock, making a mess and not at all sorry about it. Sean rolled his eyes, but the heat in them was as far from anger as one could get.

  Alexei pressed his thumb against the side of Sean’s knee, stroking in time with Sean’s hand. “Koleno.”

  “Ko…how is that even a word?” Alexei reached between Sean’s legs and grabbed his wrists, halting his motions. Sean tried to tug free of Alexei’s grip, but finally gave up with a huff. “Koleno.”

  Alexei laid his own finger over Sean’s and pushed both carefully into his slick hole, watching the way his mouth dropped open from the intrusion. “Sound terrible. Try again.”

  “You sound terrible,” Sean retorted weakly as he canted his hips up to meet their joined fingers. “Give me another one.”

  Alexei willfully misinterpreted what he meant and ran his hand over Sean’s calf. “Golen’.”

  Sean groaned, rubbing his thumb over the sensitive underside of his cockhead. “Golen’.”

  His Russian honestly hurt Alexei’s ears, but Alexei didn’t mind it so much. He curled his finger in the hot warmth of Sean’s body, just barely able to rub the tip of it over his prostate. Sean jerked as if he’d been pinched, digging his heels against the bed as he pushed into the touch.

  “You like?” Alexei asked, watching as Sean jacked himself nice and slow.

  “I’d like it better if it was your dick.”

  “Need work for it.”

  Sean slipped his finger out and pressed it back in, rubbing up against Alexei’s. “I am.”

  Alexei smirked, leaning down to drag his tongue up Sean’s chest. He fit his mouth over one nipple, flicking his tongue over the hard nub. Sean hissed, his knuckles brushing against Alexei’s stomach as he moved his hand quicker over his cock.

  Alexei nipped at the tender nub before lifting his head so he could roll it between his fingers, pinching it lightly. He pulled his finger out of Sean and reached overhead for one of the small drawers in the headboard. It didn’t take long for him to find the dildo in its sterilized bag. He tossed the bag aside in favor of the toy.

  Sean groaned when Alexei bent to give him a kiss, brushing his lips pointedly over Sean’s. “Guby.”

  Sean chased after his mouth as Alexei sat up, not even trying to repeat the word. Alexei made a point of prying Sean’s hand off his cock, giving him a look. Sean rolled his eyes, trying to tug his hand free.

  “Guby,” Sean dutifully repeated, mangling the word.

  Alexei pressed the dildo into his hand and kissed Sean’s wrist. “Show me.”

  Sean held the dildo and let Alexei slick it up for him. It wasn’t huge by any means, and didn’t even vibrate, but Alexei still wanted to watch Sean get off like he used to, when no one else shared his bed.

  Alexei slipped his finger free of that slick hole, guiding Sean’s hand out of the way as well. He let Sean get comfortable, legs splayed wide over Alexei’s thighs, hips canted upward. He kept his eyes on the way the blunt tip of the dildo pressed against Sean’s hole before breaching the resistance there. The way he opened up and took it was almost as good as the expression on his face and the moan that fell between them, loud and breathy.

  The dildo slipped inside, inch by careful inch, Sean going slow as he lazily thrust it in and out, getting used to the width. After a few minutes of teasing, shallow strokes, Alexei couldn’t stop himself from laying his hand over Sean’s and pushing down firmly, driving the dildo into his hole without stopping.

  “Nngh!” Sean cried out, hips jerking against the invasion.

  Alexei chuckled, stroking his fingers over the back of Sean’s hand. “Ruka.”

  “Are you serious right now?”

  Sean tried to move his hand; Alexei kept him pinned with his superior strength. “Ruka,” he repeated firmly.

  “Ruka,” Sean panted, trying his best to glare at Alexei but failing miserably.

  “Need practice.”

  “I thought you wanted to watch?”

  He was practically whining, the tone in his voice making Alexei chuckle despite the ache in his own cock. He casually batted Sean’s hand off the base of the dildo, gripping it firmly before pulling it back out. Sean let out another cry, louder than the last one, as Alexei made sure to drag every last inch of the dildo over his prostate.

  “Am watching,” Alexei said roughly. “Like what I see.”

  He pushed the dildo back in with one hand, enjoying the way Sean pushed back against it. Alexei scraped the fingernails of his other hand down Sean’s inner thigh, causing Sean to squirm in his hands.

  “Mne nravitsya chto ya vizhu.”

  “I hope you don’t expect me to repeat that,” Sean groaned as he ran his thumb over the head of his cock.

  Alexei lazily fucked him with the dildo, watching the flush spread across Sean’s face as he did so. “Would fail.”

  “Is that a challenge?”

  “No challenge. Is fact.”

  Sean opened his mouth to protest right as Alexei shoved the dildo all the way in again and leaned down to kiss him. His own cock fit against the crease of Sean’s hip, sliding slick and messy against warm skin as Alexei sought to breathe for him. Sean wound his arms around Alexei’s neck, holding him there with a firm grip in his hair.

  “I need you in me, Lyosha,” he pleaded.

  Alexei kissed his way over the sharp edge of his jaw to suck on his throat. Even the sharp tug on his hair couldn’t dissuade him from marking up Sean’s skin.

  “Gorlo,” he muttered against the hint of a bruise forming under his tongue.

  Sean made an inarticulate noise in the back of his throat. “Lyosha.”

  He smiled against Sean’s throat, grinding their hips together, the friction against his own cock making him groan. “Say pozhaluysta.”

  Sean tugged on his hair, dragging Alexei’s mouth back to his own. Sean drank him in like a starving ma
n, and Alexei let him, needing it as much as he did. He broke the kiss, biting gently at Sean’s swollen bottom lip.

  “Say it,” he demanded, propping himself up on both elbows, looking him in the eye.

  Sean’s eyes were more black than brown, the naked desire in them going straight to Alexei’s cock. “Pozhaluysta, Lyosha. Pozhaluysta fuck me.”

  The mangled Russian was terrible, but Alexei was done playing around as he sat up, hauling Sean closer.

  “Give it to you good,” Alexei promised, voice coming out in a deep rumble.

  “Yes,” Sean agreed, nodding frantically. “Da. Whatever. Just fuck me!”

  Alexei pulled the dildo out of him and tossed it aside, not caring where it landed. Slicking up his own cock, Alexei hooked a hand beneath Sean’s knee and pushed his leg up and out to give himself more room. He guided his cock to that slick hole, taking a moment to rub the head against it in a teasing manner.

  Sean dug his fingernails into Alexei’s forearm. “How do you say stop playing around in Russian?”

  Alexei laughed, pushing into Sean on the exhale and loving the way he opened up for him. Sean writhed through it, Alexei’s cock so much bigger than the dildo, but Alexei knew he could take it. Alexei didn’t stop until he was all the way, balls pressed up tight against Sean’s ass. His cock throbbed within that tight heat, the feeling familiar after so many nights spent like this—buried deep in Sean’s body as they clung to each other, searching for release.

  He dug his knees into the bed for leverage as he pulled back before pushing back in with a snap of his hips. Sean grabbed at his shoulders, digging his fingers into firm muscle as Alexei did it again, opening him up with intent.

  “Like this?” Alexei grunted. “This what you want?”

  Sean lifted his head, biting at Alexei’s mouth and holding him there with fingers tangled in his hair. “I’ll always want you.”

  Alexei groaned, kissing him hard as he worked his cock in deep. Sean let him go, but didn’t let him go far, throwing his head back against the pillow at a particularly hard thrust with a loud moan. Alexei got a good rhythm going, fucking into Sean steadily and not stopping. Sweat slid down his back as he moved, Sean’s cries goading him on.