“That’s the fourth person he’s walked up to and started talking with,” Seth said.
Okay…“From your tone I’m thinking you find that to be odd behavior.”
Seth snorted. “Of course.”
On this point he was consistent. Rick wondered if Seth understood normal human interaction at all. “Some people are extroverted or, you know, friendly.”
“And some illegally trade weapons.”
Rick couldn’t exactly argue with that since he was the one who uncovered the scheme. “Pessimist.”
“Realist.”
Rick let the conversation drop when he saw Owen heading right for them.
He stopped a few feet away and nodded at Seth before turning to Rick. “Sir.”
“Owen.” Rick realized that he hadn’t actually seen Owen for a good fifteen or twenty minutes before he appeared again. He made a mental note to ask Seth about the disappearance. “Any trouble?”
“Our people were concerned today but seem more relaxed now.”
Rick was pretty sure that was a knock on his running of the office. “That can’t be the first time they’ve been questioned. There have been all sorts of security protocols put in place over the years, many lockdowns.”
“It’s not often the entire consulate is turned upside down over a malfunctioning door.”
Seth finally moved. “That’s not—”
“Okay.” Rick jumped in before Seth’s anger could take off. “Thank you, Owen.”
Being the smart guy he was, Owen took that as the dismissal it was and walked away. He drifted in and out of the crowd. He didn’t stop to talk to anyone, but he didn’t exactly fade into the background either. Neither did his men who were stationed all around them. Dark suits or not, they stuck out.
“He’s almost as nonchalant about security as you are,” Seth said.
But he wasn’t. Not usually. Not according to anything Rick had learned about him. “Interesting, right?”
“I guess I need to watch him a bit more closely.”
The last thing Rick wanted to do was add more work to Seth’s already overwhelming pile, but he knew Seth was busy studying everyone anyway. “We should walk a bit, look at the art, then we can go back and you can watch over me for a while.”
Seth’s shoulders stiffened. “I thought we were going to be careful about mixing work and pleasure.”
The panic on Seth’s face made Rick smile. “I never agreed to that.”
—
Seth folded his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He’d skipped the couch and arguing about work and priorities. There was no fucking way he could keep his distance from Rick. Even tonight as he walked around, talking about art, Seth wanted to climb all over him.
The guy got a shit hand in the family department. He’d turned out fine, but Seth wasn’t sure how. Instead of heading down wrong paths and being mired in anger, Rick had thrived. He did all the right things, went to the right schools, never faltered. Seth didn’t view anything as perfect, but the word seemed to apply to Rick.
Maybe that’s why he slid into being with Rick without any trouble. It felt right. Now, as the mattress dipped and Rick slipped into bed beside him, the pieces clicked together. Lay back and enjoy—that was the thought that kept running through his head.
“Today turned out just fine,” Rick said.
Seth shifted closer to Rick’s warm body, not fighting it when Rick put a hand on his chest. “We got lucky.”
Rick’s fingers trailed up and down Seth’s bare skin, over his stomach. “I love your positive attitude.”
And Seth loved the spontaneous touching. “If you’re looking for that from me, you have the wrong guy.”
He’d never been big on foreplay. Enjoy, release. It was a simple combination, but now he found his body reacting to the simple brush of Rick’s fingers. The whole thing was fucking ridiculous. He prided himself on his control and with Rick he had none.
“Sometimes I think you’re determined to come off as an asshole.” Rick laughed as he talked.
The light sound vibrated through Seth. He tried to ignore it. To keep his hands locked and on the pillow, but then he shifted. His arm slipped down and his fingers slid into Rick’s hair. “Maybe it’s my natural state.”
“I’m thinking it’s an act.” Rick lifted up on his elbow and stared down at Seth. “Build a wall, refuse to let anyone in. Run off and fight horrors. Walk into danger as if your life isn’t connected to anyone and no one would care if you died.”
The words hit Seth like a punch. They were too…true. “You understand that’s basically the job description for SAD.”
“No, it’s the one you cling to.”
“You’re pissing me off.” But that wasn’t really the sensation flowing through Seth. It was more like discomfort. Like wanting the conversation to end.
Rick smiled at him. “You sound panicky.”
Damn, this guy saw right through him. Seth didn’t know how to feel about that because it had never really happened before. “I am, by nature, disconnected.”
“Explain that.” Rick’s thumb slipped over Seth’s nipple. Back and forth, caressing.
Maybe it was the touching or the unexpected intimacy of the moment. It all backed up until Seth felt this pressure. A rush of words hammered his brain and he fought to keep from saying them.
He didn’t unload. He didn’t share.
He tried to hold on to that truth even as he started talking. “My parents wanted good and decent—perfect. They ended up with me.”
Rick dipped his head and placed a soft kiss on Seth’s chest before lifting his head again. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I question authority. I like to argue.”
“I’ve never noticed that.” The amusement was obvious in Rick’s tone.
Something about Rick’s tone broke through. For the first time ever, Seth wanted to share. Just a little. “Unlike you, I’m not perfect. I wasn’t an overachieving people pleaser.”
“I’m not perfect.”
Said the perfect guy who was trailing his perfect fingers down lower, under the covers. “Are you sure?”
“I know you want to be an island and not care and all that, but…”
Jesus, Seth had never wanted a guy to complete a sentence as much as he wanted to know the end to that one. “Finish.”
Rick shifted until his body balanced tight against Seth’s side. “I still want you.”
Tension soared through the room. The good kind. The kind that had Seth’s body tightening and his dick getting hard. “And I’ve spent half the day trying not to think about what I wanted to do to you tonight.”
Rick’s hand traveled even lower. Didn’t stop until his fingers wrapped around Seth. “Tell me. Say it nice and slow.”
“Damn, that feels good.”
“I’m waiting.” Rick pumped his hand up and down, squeezing and loosening his grip.
Seth felt his hips rise. “It involves you straddling me. Riding me.”
Rick’s mouth followed his hand. He pushed the covers aside with his chin and went lower. He lifted his head only long enough to shoot Seth a quick smile. “Get the lube.”
This guy could not be any fucking hotter. “The answer is yes?”
“Seth? The lube.”
Two times was enough. Seth leaned over, careful not to move his lower body and accidentally push Rick away. The straining paid off. Seth grabbed the lube and held it in a stranglehold as Rick’s mouth closed over him.
He tried to focus as he looked down the length of his body. Rick’s head moved up and down. His warm mouth sucked and his tongue licked. The guy had a lot of talents but this one…fuck.
The last of Seth’s doubts about continuing to sleep together fell away. There was no way he could hold back or miss this. Even those moments where they talked, without sex, had come to matter. Such a short time and all he wanted was more.
Rick’s openness. His freedom in the sack and willingne
ss to let others in. Seth didn’t get it, but he savored it. If Rick wanted to aim all of that attention in his direction, Seth would accept it. At least he would until and unless whatever this was between them put Rick in danger. That was the one thing Seth would not accept.
“You still with me, stud?”
Seth looked down to see Rick staring up at him with full, wet lips.
That was all Seth needed to get moving. He flipped the top of the lube open. “Oh, I’m paying attention.”
“About time.” Rick shifted until his lower half was closer to Seth’s chest.
The fact he knew what he needed made the move even hotter. Seth slathered the lube over his finger and reached down. His finger rubbed over Rick’s ass then slipped inside. The groaning sound rumbling up from his chest made Seth smile.
“You like being fingered.”
Rick didn’t answer. He was too busy skimming his tongue over Seth’s tip. For long minutes they touched each other, readied each other for what was to come. Then Rick got up on his knees. He threw one leg over Seth’s hips, straddling him. When his glasses fogged, Rick ripped them off.
“But I love those.” Seth could barely get the words out. His skin had caught fire and his body bucked, inching closer to Rick without any message from his brain telling him to do it.
“I want to see you.” Rick held Seth’s cock as he lowered his body. He slipped down then hesitated. After a few deep breaths, he pushed deeper.
Slowly, inch by inch, Rick took him inside. Seth watched Rick’s body envelop his own. The mix of seeing and feeling it had his head falling back into the stack of pillows. He ached for more, for speed. For the sensation of being taken.
He didn’t have to wait long. Rick lifted his body then plunged back down again. His chest lowered as he picked up his pace.
The tightening around him had the air punching in Seth’s chest. He was breathless and hot. Every nerve ending, pulsing and sensitive.
The in and out continued as the heat in the room spiked. Seth’s heartbeat pounded loud enough to echo through him as the need inside him spiraled. Through the haze and the pleasure he lifted his hand. His fingers wrapped around Rick’s length and he gasped.
That sound…damn, Seth loved that. He fucking lived for it these days.
The mattress bounced and Rick’s thighs pressed tighter against Seth’s sides. They hit a rhythm that pushed Seth to the edge. Their harsh breathing bounced off every wall.
“I’m going…to come.” Rick’s voice hiccupped halfway through the sentence.
Seth loved that, too. “Do it. On me.”
He no sooner said the words then Rick’s orgasm hit. His cock jerked in Seth’s hands and he spurted into his palm, onto Seth’s chest. Still, Rick moved. He lifted up again then eased back down and Seth felt the explosion to his knees. The orgasm raced through him and his body unloaded. His hips bucked and a new wave of heat swept through him. He pulsed and jerked until everything, including his energy, drained from his body.
When he finally stopped moving, he crashed back into the mattress. His muscles turned to liquid. He doubted he’d ever be able to move again. He could barely lift his hand when Rick lifted off him and lowered his body down.
They lay there, with Rick on top of him. He should have been heavy. Normally this was the part where the urge to bolt overtook Seth. But neither turned out to be a problem.
He managed to touch his fingers to Rick’s neck. The rest, the friction of body against body, felt too good to stop.
Their bodies finally cooled. Rick trailed a line of kisses up Seth’s throat before turning his head and resting it against Seth’s chest again. “This position makes it harder for you to get up and run to the couch.”
The jackass. “You’re hysterical.”
“I need to shower, but I’m not moving.”
Thank God. “No argument here.”
“You do realize this means you’re agreeing to cuddle.” Rick shifted, dropping his hand to rest on Seth’s biceps.
“That’s a stupid word.” But no one warned him how great the act would feel. “I’ll agree to spoon, but if you tell anyone I said that I’ll deny it.”
“Since I’m on top of you, I’m not sure you know what spooning is.”
“Shut up and enjoy.” Because that’s exactly what Seth planned to do…for now.
Chapter 13
Rick sat next to Seth in the back of the nondescript black sedan the next morning as they cruised the streets of Munich. Cars zipped by and people walked on the streets.
They passed Frauenkirche, the landmark church that rose high above the rest of the city. Height restrictions limited the other buildings around the city center, which only served to highlight the two towers outlining its entrance. Local legend said that a black mark on the entrance that resembled a footprint was formed when the devil stood there during construction. Rick didn’t put any stock in that sort of thing, but he loved that the rich history of Munich and other European stories still survived.
The open-air produce market was packed as usual. Blocks away, tourists were lining up in Marienplatz, the central square, to watch the world-famous Glockenspiel with its bells and more than thirty life-sized figures.
Leaves had started to fill the trees and the first glimpses of spring appeared as they drove away from the city center. To fight off the remaining cold, Rick wore his usual dark suit. Seth opted for black pants and black jacket. He might be taking the James Bond vibe too far but Rick had to admit the guy looked good.
Dark eyes, dark hair, brooding mood. That combination had never appealed to him before, but now it was all he wanted. Seth was the only guy occupying his mind and he would not get out of there.
The temptation to reach across the leather seat and touch Seth’s leg kept buzzing in Rick’s head. They were separated from the driver by a partition, but he guessed the guy could hear. He could certainly see using the rearview mirror.
Rick wasn’t taking any chances. No confidential work talk. No personal conversations. Absolutely no touching.
“Tell me what you know about this guy we’re going to see.” Seth looked through the pages of the file in front of him. Checked back and forth as he studied photographs and lines of writing from one page to the other. “Anything I need to know that’s not in here?”
Rick had a load of intel. He knew a lot about their next appointment, right down to the color of underwear he preferred and how he smelled after a shower.
He decided not to share that fact with Seth. “Alec Drummond, one of three businessman brothers.”
Tall with hair that balanced on the fine line between dark blond and light brown. Smart, sexy, dedicated. A complete workaholic with a thing for tying his bedroom partners down.
Seth had given the bisexual speech but he could have skipped it. Rick got it. Alec and his brother Finn, one gay and one bi. Both hot. Rick had only slept with Alec, but that had gone on and off for more than two years. No commitment, but lots of time together, or as much as a secretive billionaire and a black ops CIA officer could offer.
The relationship never turned into anything serious. It was more of a combination of comfort and release. Alec could be spooky private, and that was saying something since Rick dealt with confidential matters all the time. Alec took that further. He and his brothers had a deal with the government. One that forgave a lot of sins. One that Rick only knew a little about.
“I can read his name.” Seth put the file down on the seat between them. “My point is that I didn’t have any background on him before today.”
That was on purpose. Rick needed to protect Alec. He was a government asset. Someone Rick could depend on for a flow of information in and out of Europe. “U.S. businessman in Germany. Agribusiness.”
“Does that mean food?” Seth snorted. “Because I’m starting to think you have a thing with food.”
Rick grabbed onto that flash of Seth’s usual self. Their sex had been smoking last night. Round after round of uninhib
ited touching. Seth hadn’t left the bed or launched into another lecture about being the bodyguard only, but Rick sensed Seth’s worries lingered right under the surface.
They needed to talk through all of that, but not now.
“You listening to me?” Seth asked.
“You were complaining about my food issues.”
“Can you eat anything except eggs?” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “We had them again this morning.”
A horn honked but Rick kept his attention on the man sitting beside him. “You should see me with chocolate.”
“No way do you eat sugar. Not with that body.” Seth’s gaze skimmed over Rick before moving back up and landing on his face again. “Not buying it.”
“My vice.” And that was no joke. Some days Rick would kill for a candy bar.
“You are a complex man, Rick Fine.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Seth smiled and Rick hated how much he liked it. Seth should be little more than a good time who happened to be an expert with a weapon. Rick mentally tried to shove him in that category but failed.
Something about Seth compelled Rick to want to know more. Maybe it was the bond they shared, the one Seth didn’t even know about, but Rick doubted it. That made him want to bolt, not stick around and get to know Seth. Still, that’s exactly what he wanted—more time, those nights lying in the dark.
Damn, he’d gotten so far off track.
He pushed to get his thought process running again. “Anyway, Alec lives part of the year here. He and his brothers have established a successful business. They transport food all around the world.”
“So, he’s a farmer.”
Now there was an understatement. “Farmer in the sense of running a billion-dollar company that uses technology and research to produce food and develop food hybrids.”
“What the hell are those?”
Rick would only be guessing. “I have no idea, but it’s lucrative. The commercial scale would astound you. Some say Alec’s family business is responsible for more than fifty percent of food production in the entire world.”
Seth frowned. “You sound like a walking advertisement.”
Guarding Mr. Fine (Tough Love #2) Page 11
