by Andrew Grey
Mattias nodded. “He was going to hurt you—I knew it.” He released James’s hand and sat down. “I saw some texts on your phone from your mom.”
“Yeah.” James nodded. “I saw them too, and figured they were from a burner phone or something. Dad never came here. It was sort of our unspoken rule and how I managed to keep some distance from what he did.” James took his hand again, his thumb making small circles on the back of it. “Then Mom texted again about a meeting my dad had at the coffee shop. I came there to tell him to get away, and I saw you.” James sighed. “I knew he was here for no good, and I confronted him after you were gone. I….” James shook his head, then reached for a napkin from the holder on the table and used it to wipe his nose. “I didn’t really think he was behind all this.”
“I suspected him as soon as I saw the texts. He’s your father, though, so I guess I didn’t want to think he’d do that. But then again, the man I met in the coffee shop was anything but fatherly.”
James nodded. “He actually got this idea and put it into action here because he thought I’d be able to cover for him if it went bad,” James mumbled. “I could never do that. He might be my father, but I have more integrity than that.”
Mattias brought James’s hand to his lips. “I think we all understand that.” His throat felt like sandpaper, and Mattias swallowed hard. “And I get why you were angry with me, but you should have talked to me. I trusted you—opened up to you—and you know how hard that was.”
James hummed softly. “I think we both have issues in that area. I trusted you too, and thought you had betrayed me. Instead, you were proving that my trust was well founded, and I didn’t listen.” He squeezed Mattias’s hand once again. “I pretty much suck at talking about my feelings. Both of us tend to hide behind snark and teasing. But this is from the heart—stay…. I don’t want you to go.”
A lump formed in Mattias’s throat. “I have to for a while. I have other clients and bookings coming up.” He sighed. “But I travel a lot, and I can pretty much base myself out of anywhere.” He met James’s unusually subdued gaze. “But I know what you’re really asking… and yeah, I want to give this a shot, you and me.”
“Then that’s enough for now. I don’t even know if I’m going to have a job tomorrow. The fallout from this whole thing with my father is going to be epic, and the news is going to have a field day with it. Especially if my father decides to turn it into a media circus.”
“Then we’ll figure it out,” Mattias said quickly. James turned, smiling at him. “And if things don’t go well, then we can go back to Philadelphia, and you and I can work together. I’ve helped more than a hundred departments across the country, and I have a dozen departments who want me to work with them. We can do it together.” Even as Mattias offered, he knew it was unlikely James would want to do that. In his heart he was a police officer, and that was what he really wanted to do. Mattias couldn’t blame him at all.
“Thanks,” James said, pursing his lips slightly before leaning forward to kiss him. Heat built quickly, the way it always seemed to when James was close. But something was different this time. James’s touch seemed more intense… or maybe it was because they might have finally figured it out—or at least made a good start. If Mattias was going to give him his heart, he knew James would cherish it, just as he cradled James’s within his own.
“Do you want something to eat?” James asked.
Mattias stood, still holding James’s hand. “After,” he whispered, and James followed, letting Mattias guide him up the stairs and to the bedroom, the one they had shared for most of the time that Mattias had been there.
James stopped him at the door, smoothing his fingers through Mattias’s hair. “I gave you my heart some time ago, and I thought you had taken advantage.” James put his hand in the center of Mattias’s chest. “Instead, it found a custodian who was willing to go out on a limb to try to protect it.”
“I know what you’re saying.” Mattias placed his hand on top of James’s. “We’ll figure it out. Whatever comes our way, you and I will figure it out.”
“Is that a deal?” James asked, a wry crook to his lips.
“You better believe it. And I always get the better end of the deals I make. So, what are you offering?” Mattias cocked his eyebrows and didn’t suppress the smile. “Hot sex?” he asked, and James nodded. “Understanding?” Mattias smirked. “Asking before you blow your top and embarrass yourself?”
James snickered. “I’ll try.”
“And love?” Mattias added, going for the gold ring.
“Definitely. Lots of love. I think that and the hot sex go together. Do you want to test that theory?” James wound his arms around Mattias’s neck, drawing them closer.
Epilogue
MATTIAS’S HEAD was still spinning, and it seemed like it had been for months now.
“Are you about ready to go?” James asked from behind him.
Mattias slowly turned away from the Christmas tree in James’s—no, their—living room. Mattias had let his apartment go and moved in with James just two weeks ago, and he was still getting used to his new living space… and sleeping with James every night. He actually yawned and covered his mouth with his hand. James had a tendency to keep them both up long after they had gone to bed. Not that Mattias was complaining, not for an instant.
“We’re going to be late,” James prodded gently. “And the sheriff will forgive a lot of things, but not tardiness, especially to his victory party.” He winked and smiled.
“Your boss has been on cloud nine since being elected sheriff, and you know it.” After all the revelations about his father, James had thought it best to leave the Mechanicsburg PD. Solly was thrilled to have him, so James had transitioned a month ago. There were no hard feelings on either side, but some of his colleagues didn’t understand how James could deal with his father… so it was best to leave. And some distance seemed to have been what was needed.
“Who celebrates an election victory on New Year’s Eve?” Mattias teased.
“There hasn’t been time since the election, and Solly figured he might as well combine the celebrations. You know him—he’s efficient if nothing else.” James smiled and slipped his arms around Mattias’s waist and under his sweater. “I love having you here. I know it creates a few travel difficulties for you.” He nuzzled the base of Mattias’s neck, and Mattias knew instantly, not as though there was any doubt, that the benefits far outweighed the troubles.
James stepped away, his arms sliding from around Mattias’s waist. “I have something that came today. I meant it as a Christmas present, but I waited too late to order it. It just came.” James hurried into the kitchen and returned with a small box. He opened it and handed the contents to Mattias. It was a leather wrist cuff with silver decoration. “A friend lives in Albuquerque, and she arranged to get it for me. It’s one of a kind, and I wanted to give you something to say how much I appreciate you standing by me through this whole huge family drama.”
Mattias was stunned. The cuff was gorgeous, and he extended his arm so James could put it on him. Then he leaned in and kissed James hard enough that he wondered if they could just skip the party and go upstairs. Of course they couldn’t, and James got their warm coats and they left.
The fallout from Elias’s arrest had been nuclear. As soon as James’s mother found out what had been happening, she refused to help Elias and had apparently emptied their bank accounts and made sure that Elias couldn’t use any assets that had her name on them. As a result, and the fact that Elias lived out of state, he was still sitting in jail pending trial, and James’s mother had filed for divorce. Thankfully she had decided to stay in Florida. He and James were planning to leave in a few days to spend some winter vacation time with her. James had told him that he had seen his father only twice, and both times had been accidental. James said he had no intention of spending any quality jail time with him.
It had been especially hard on James; Mattias ha
d known that pretty clearly. James had spent years looking the other way, and guilt combined with plenty of recrimination had weighed on him for weeks. Mattias hoped that visiting his mother would help him. What had happened wasn’t James’s fault.
They left through the back and trudged through fresh snow to the garage. Thankfully it had stopped falling, but the entire world seemed clean and new under its blanket of white. In the garage, they got into James’s car, cranked the heat, and drove carefully to the Mayapple Country Club, where the sheriff had reserved a room for the evening. The drive took longer than expected because of the snow on the roads, but they parked and went inside.
“Uncle Mattias!” Justine said as she hurried over with Kim and her brother, Claude, right behind her. Mattias hugged the little girl tightly while Claude went to James. Then they switched once hugs had been dispensed.
“They have been asking for you all evening,” Kim said, giving each of them a hug. The change in the two kids they had discovered during the robbery attempt was stunning. Kim’s husband, Albert, followed them and shook hands with each of them.
“Miss Kim says that she and Mr. Albert are going to keep us,” Justine said, jumping up and down in her excitement.
Kim knelt down. “We’ve talked about this. Mr. Albert and I are going to be your long-term foster parents until the courts decide what they are going to do.” She hugged the little girl, looking up at Mattias from over Justine’s shoulder. It was pretty clear that Kim had developed an attachment to the kids that went pretty deep.
“I know. But we don’t have to go to another foster home.” She stuck out her tongue, and Mattias laughed.
“Miss Kim is good to you, isn’t she?” Mattias asked, his heart doing a damned skip around the room at how happy the four of them were. Justine nodded and chose that moment to get shy.
Kim extended her hand, and Justine took it. James and Mattias followed them to a table and sat down. Over the past few months, he and James had become friends with Kim and Albert, along with the kids. If things worked out, she had told them that she and Albert would provide a permanent home for the kids. But that was a long way out at this point. Still, Claude and Justine had a chance at a good life, and that warmed Mattias’s heart more than he could possibly say.
James seemed to know his thoughts and took his hand under the table, squeezing it lightly. They shared a moment before returning their attention to the others.
A glass clinked, and Sheriff Solly Briggs stood with a huge smile. “I know it took a while to put everything together, but what better night to celebrate new beginnings and the future than New Year’s Eve? I want to thank everyone who made my election possible. It’s a dream come true for me, and I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity and the faith you’ve all shown in me. This next year holds a lot of promise for all of us.” The sheriff raised his glass, and everyone in the room joined in as well.
Mattias turned to James, grinned, and lightly clinked his glass, then did the same with Kim, Albert, and each of the kids. Before drinking, he shared a kiss with James. The sheriff had hit the nail on the head. The future did indeed look bright, no matter how Mattias looked at it. He sipped his sparkling wine and rested his head on James’s shoulder. Promise indeed.
More from Andrew Grey
A Carlisle Deputies Novel
Jordan Erichsohn suspects something is rotten about his boss, Judge Crawford. Unfortunately he has nowhere to turn and doubts anyone will believe his claims—least of all the handsome deputy, Pierre Ravelle, who has been assigned to protect the judge after he received threatening letters. The judge has a long reach, and if he finds out Jordan’s turned on him, he might impede Jordan adopting his son, Jeremiah.
When Jordan can no longer stay silent, he gathers his courage and tells Pierre what he knows. To his surprise and relief, Pierre believes him, and Jordan finds an ally… and maybe more. Pierre vows to do what it takes to protect Jordan and Jeremiah and see justice done. He’s willing to fight for the man he’s growing to love and the family he’s starting to think of as his own. But Crawford is a powerful and dangerous enemy, and he’s not above ripping apart everything Jordan and Pierre are trying to build in order to save himself….
A Carlisle Deputies Novel
The heat is growing from the inside, but danger is building on the outside.
Judge Andrew Phillips runs a tight ship in his courtroom. He’s tough, and when he hands down a sentence, he expects to be obeyed. So when a fugitive named Harper escapes and threatens his life, Andrew isn’t keen on twenty-four/seven protection… especially not from Deputy Clay Brown. They have a past, one that could cause problems in their careers.
But with Clay assigned to Andrew and the two of them together every minute, there’s nowhere to hide from their attraction—or from the fact that there’s much more than chemistry blooming between them. As the threat intensifies, Clay knows he’ll do anything it takes to protect the people who are taking their places in his heart: Andrew and his young niece and nephew.
A Carlisle Deputies Novel
When Chris Anducci is moved off jail duty and into the sheriff’s office, he doesn’t expect his first assignment to be protecting a witness against a human trafficking ring. Knowing the new sheriff doesn’t abide screwups, Chris reluctantly agrees to work the case.
Pavle Kasun has spent the last four years of his life at the mercy of others. When an opportunity presented itself, he took it, resulting in his rescue. Now the safe houses he’s placed in are being threatened and he needs protection if he is to have any sort of chance at a life.
Chris opens his home to Pavle, but he doesn’t expect Pavle and his story to get under his skin… and stay there. Soon they discover they have more in common than either of them thought. Slowly Pavle comes out of his shell and Chris finds someone who touches his heart. But as the men looking for Pavle close in, they will stop at nothing to get him out of the way. But even if Chris can keep him safe, he might not be able to protect his heart if Pavle moves back home.
A Carlisle Cops Novel
Officer Red Markham knows about the ugly side of life after a car accident left him scarred and his parents dead. His job policing the streets of Carlisle, PA, only adds to the ugliness, and lately, drug overdoses have been on the rise. One afternoon, Red is dispatched to the local Y for a drowning accident involving a child. Arriving on site, he finds the boy rescued by lifeguard Terry Baumgartner. Of course, Red isn’t surprised when gorgeous Terry won’t give him and his ugly mug the time of day.
Overhearing one of the officer’s comments about him being shallow opens Terry’s eyes. Maybe he isn’t as kindhearted as he always thought. His friend Julie suggests he help those less fortunate by delivering food to the elderly. On his route he meets outspoken Margie, a woman who says what’s on her mind. Turns out, she’s Officer Red’s aunt.
Red and Terry’s worlds collide as Red tries to track the source of the drugs and protect Terry from an ex-boyfriend who won’t take no for an answer. Together they might discover a chance for more than they expected—if they can see beyond what’s on the surface.
Carlisle Cops: Book Two
Carter Schunk is a dedicated police officer with a difficult past and a big heart. When he’s called to a domestic disturbance, he finds a fatally injured woman, and a child, Alex, who is in desperate need of care. Child Services is called, and the last man on earth Carter wants to see walks through the door. Carter had a fling with Donald a year ago and found him as cold as ice since it ended.
Donald (Ice) Ickle has had a hard life he shares with no one, and he’s closed his heart to all. It’s partly to keep himself from getting hurt and partly the way he deals with a job he’s good at, because he does what needs to be done without getting emotionally involved. When he meets Carter again, he maintains his usual distance, but Carter gets under his skin, and against his better judgment, Donald lets Carter guilt him into taking Alex when there isn’t other foster care available. Carter even offers
to help care for the boy.
Donald has a past he doesn’t want to discuss with anyone, least of all Carter, who has his own past he’d just as soon keep to himself. But it’s Alex’s secrets that could either pull them together or rip them apart—secrets the boy isn’t able to tell them and yet could be the key to happiness for all of them.
Readers love the Carlisle Deputies series by Andrew Grey
Fire and Flint
“…my sincere recommendation to anyone looking for a completely fresh story. You’ll not regret picking this one up!”
—Divine Magazine
“I cannot recommend this enough. I loved it start to finish and while it had some super sweet, it was hot too. So grab your copy and enjoy!”
—Mistress Anya’s Reading Nook
Fire and Granite
“Fire and Granite is another suspenseful and tension filled installment in the Carlisle Deputies series. The plot has plenty of danger and suspicious characters along with two sweet kids and a cute dog.”
—The Novel Approach
“Adventure, excitement, fascination, hot sexy times, danger and so much more is what you will find in this book. It caught my attention from the start and kept it all the way to the end.”
—MM Good Book Reviews
Fire and Agate
“Andrew Grey did it again with a wonderful plot and complex characters.”
—OptimuMM
“This was a great read. I love this series but I think this book so far was the best one.”
