He glanced over and this time, their gazes connected. One heartbeat, maybe two, later and Aaron stumbled over his own feet.
Fuck!
Holy fucking hell, he recognized those eyes.
Shit.
Kreed Sinacola.
In real life, those eyes and that body were about a million times better looking than on a computer monitor. Aaron groaned at the memory of shooting the guy down the first time he’d seen him on a Skype call with Mitch, while they were in Kentucky. Aaron mentally shook his head at his own stupidity, but in his defense, he’d been so busy cyber-chasing shit for Mitch he obviously hadn’t judged the situation clearly.
What the hell had he been thinking? He made his living paying attention to the finer details. Shit. Clearly he was lacking in that department in this case.
“Excuse me.” A hard bump from behind caused Aaron’s heavy backpack to slip off his shoulder. In that brief moment, he’d somehow forgotten the crowds swarming about, trying to leave the building. Thankfully, the contact gave him the second he needed to collect himself as he looked away, mumbled an apology, readjusted the strap, and tried to gather his wits.
Feeling on steadier ground, he took a couple of steps forward, looking everywhere but Kreed’s eyes. He nervously ran his wet palms down the sides of his brand new jeans as he adjusted his path and headed toward the guy. Kreed hadn’t moved. He was still propped against the back wall, brawny arms crossed over his expansive chest. When Aaron finally worked up enough nerve to meet Kreed’s stare, he swore there was a smirk on that very handsome face.
Shit! The man oozed swagger, and the air of confidence, combined with all that fuck me leather, was just so damn hot.
“Hey. You’re Kreed, right?” Aaron asked once within earshot, trying for casual and unaffected, the exact opposite of everything raging inside him.
“The one and only, at your service,” Kreed replied, using that same cocky attitude Aaron remembered from the Skype calls. But that unapologetic boldness went with the whole 3D package. His damn dick certainly agreed. “Got any luggage?”
“Nah, just this.” He pointed to the backpack. “I had a slight mishap at the airport in Atlanta, so I’m gonna have to get some new clothes.” He dared to glance back up at Kreed. There was definitely a smirk on his face, and it intensified, turning into a full-fledged smile as Kreed studied him. The grin surprised Aaron. He honestly hadn’t thought Kreed could be any better-looking; clearly he’d been wrong. For the second time in less than three minutes, he needed to compose himself. This guy seriously threw him off balance, and that fact alone frustrated him to no end.
They stood in silence for what felt like several long minutes before Kreed finally moved, shoving his hand into the well-worn leather jacket he wore.
“I almost didn’t recognize you. Your hair’s different than I remember and you have this.” Kreed indicated Aaron’s stubble.
“I like change,” Aaron said and looked away, his heart racing in his chest. What the hell was going on with him? The fact Kreed remembered such small details caught him off guard and sent a tickle up his spine. Aaron was always finding new ways to reinvent himself. Changing his hair color and style was something he’d started playing with in junior high during his defiant phase. At first, he’d colored his hair for pure shock value—a fuck you, more or less, to his father and the private school’s administration. But then he found he really liked the change and kept it up.
From Kreed, though, those words felt like a personal caress and affirmation that he’d chosen well in changing the color of his hair. Kreed was a trained deputy marshal in the special teams division. Of course he would remember the little things; it was what he was paid to do. With another mental headshake, Aaron scolded himself. If he didn’t get his responses under control, this trip would be a total disaster. Besides, Aaron didn’t go for cocky guys and that was exactly what Kreed Sinacola came across as.
“I’m parked outside,” Kreed finally said, nodding in the direction of the exit doors. Aaron didn’t move right away. Now that he stood closer, he could confirm his earlier estimate; Kreed was around six-five, a few inches taller than his own six-two frame, and thicker, much thicker, beating him hands down in sheer broadness. Aaron caught a glimpse of the ink peeking over the top of Kreed’s T-shirt. He couldn’t see all of the design because it was mostly hidden beneath a dark material as well as the leather jacket. The temptation to immediately tug that shirt right off the man and admire all the rest of that inked canvas rode him hard.
Kreed Sinacola reeked of intimidation. He could see where the bad guys didn’t stand much of a chance when Kreed went for the arrest, yet Aaron just found himself intrigued. Another thing he hadn’t planned on.
When Kreed nodded toward the exit and took a step in front of him, Aaron’s eyes immediately dropped to the man’s ass. Oh fuck me! It was even better up close. The man radiated perfect in every sense of the word. Kreed’s body-hugging black jeans showed off a tight bubble butt that led into thick, meaty thighs. Aaron followed Kreed, his gaze still glued to the guy’s ass.
Out of the corner of his eye, a reflective flash caught his attention. He glanced up, catching their images in the glass of the sliding doors. Surprise and embarrassment swamped him when he realized Kreed was watching him in the same reflection.
Double fuck. He could feel his cheeks warm and he quickly looked away.
Shit! Aaron rolled his eyes at himself and his reaction. What the hell was he doing? He had shot Kreed down in flames, and now, he was drooling over him. Typical of his life. Clearly, he’d spent too much time alone and wasn’t fit to be in public.
“This way,” Kreed said, slowing his stride to walk beside Aaron. Kreed clicked the key fob and pointed out the black Tahoe two or three spaces down. He tried everything to ignore the guy, thankful when Kreed finally moved around the vehicle to the other side. Aaron carefully placed his backpack and coat in the backseat.
Taking a deep breath of the fresh, cold air seemed to clear his mind and help his perspective. Aaron stopped before opening the passenger door. All his thoughts needed to be centered on getting to the FBI headquarters, figuring out how to get his job done then getting the hell out of there. Once he got home, he had some serious soul-searching to do. In this moment he had absolutely learned his lesson about helping people out. Him standing in the middle of a DC airport, ogling Kreed—a freaking deputy US marshal, for God’s sake—when he had more work than he could ever possibly accomplish, all sitting on his desk back home…Yeah. He needed to seriously rethink his entire life.
Aaron had a carefully planned life for a reason. He couldn’t allow distractions—not FBI “requests” or lusting after men like Kreed Sinacola. He swore if he made it through the next few days, he could bet his ass that this would never, ever, ever happen again.
Kreed jumped inside the SUV and started the vehicle. He quickly flipped the heater knob to full blast, pushing the vents toward the passenger seat then just waited. Hooking an arm around the back of the passenger seat, Kreed used the rearview mirror to watch Aaron carefully place his things in the backseat. Man, Aaron had turned out to be an unexpected surprise. Last time he’d gotten a glimpse of Aaron Stuart, the guy had dark hair, that messy, just fucked style that grabbed Kreed’s attention, but today his hair was blond with black and purple spiked tips.
While he’d waited inside baggage claim, of course he’d noticed the hot, edgy guy as soon as he’d hit the top of the escalator, but he was searching for the dark-headed gamer. He’d been attracted to Aaron with brown hair, but now… Damn, his attraction ascended to a whole new level. Kreed kept his eyes trained on that mirror, staring at Aaron. Yeah, this guy was something else.
Quickly, he ticked back over the information Mitch had given him. His buddy’s words had been something like, “you’re barking up the wrong tree, Sinacola,” leading Kreed to believe Aaron was straight.
Kreed smiled to himself. Nah, Mitch must have gotten it wrong. Kreed had def
initely seen interest as Stuart eye-fucked him in front of the entire lobby of the Dulles baggage claim area.
How had Mitch missed that monumental bit of information? Knox was usually smarter about those kinds of things. Of course, he could have misread the guy. They only dealt with each other online. But whether Aaron was gay, bi, or straight, Kreed was sure of one thing—he hadn’t ever had anyone appraise him quite so completely, and he most definitely wanted more.
Besides the different hair and his five o’clock shadow, he wore glasses that fit the shape of his face perfectly. Stuart was as hot, if not hotter, than Kreed remembered. On the screen, he’d have guessed Aaron to be shorter, but in reality, he stood only a few inches below him—the perfect height in Kreed’s estimation. He liked his men about Aaron’s size.
His men… Like he had men? Where the hell had that come from?
Chastising himself, Kreed tried to put the brakes on his wayward thoughts. They were there to do a job, not for him to fuck the hot computer geek. Kreed cocked his head and played devil’s advocate to that thought. But hey, if the opportunity arose, he was gonna grab it by the balls. Kreed almost chuckled out loud at that thought.
With another look over his shoulder, he watched Aaron shut the back door then just stand on the curb. Kreed shifted his position, trying for a better view. Why was the kid standing outside in the freezing weather like that? Surely he knew hypothermia wasn’t a sufficient excuse to get out of working this case. Kreed watched Aaron for a second more before turning back to the front. He would give Stuart a minute or two before braving the elements and pushing his ass inside the car.
Drumming the fingers of his left hand on the steering wheel, he patiently waited, while moving his free hand down to adjust his hard cock. Man, he’d thought he’d been attracted to Aaron on the computer screen, but that didn’t begin to compare to the attraction coursing through him at the moment. Aaron Stuart in person was truly a mouthwatering sight. Something about the new hair had his fingers itching to feel those spikey blond strands. The black-rimmed glasses Aaron wore drew his attention to gray-blue eyes, framed perfectly by thick, dark lashes. He could have sworn Aaron had brown eyes last time he’d seen him, but what the fuck ever, this guy, with any color eyes—or hair, for that matter—was hot.
The guy’s mouth alone made Kreed’s dick sit up and beg for a little attention. Fuck! Aaron’s full, pouty lips, perfect for kissing and so many other things, had immediately drawn his attention. Kreed had almost reached out to run his palm along that square, firm jawline, but quickly caught himself, stopping before he made the whole situation any more awkward. That very close-cropped beard would feel amazing against his skin.
If they had met in a bar, you could bet Kreed would be taking this guy home and directly to his bed. Aaron appeared muscular, but not thick, with long legs. Kreed couldn’t tell for sure because they’d been hidden by a coat and jeans, but he would guess they were muscled in all the right places, perfect for wrapping those long limbs around Kreed’s waist.
Kreed shook his head, trying to push that last thought down. Sex with Aaron would only complicate things, at least that was what his conscience kept screaming. Kreed didn’t make it a habit of fucking the guys he worked with, never had. The fall-out could get too messy.
Kreed could feel the wicked smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Technically they weren’t on the job yet. So a little fooling around might be the best thing to help ease the building tension. Just to get the temptation out of the way, of course.
A shivering Aaron finally opened the passenger door and slid into the front seat. He now wore nothing to protect him from the cold weather outside. Kreed sat there with one hand on the wheel, the other still resting across the back of the seat, and stared at the guy. Aaron rubbed his hands together, putting them in front of the heater, then blew on them before rubbing them together again. Kreed continued to sit there, gawking.
“What?” Aaron finally asked, not looking over at Kreed.
“I think you got it wrong,” Kreed replied.
“More than you know, but what are you talking about?” Only then did Aaron finally glance his way.
“You’re absolutely my type,” Kreed declared and resisted the urge to reach over and fix the thick, silky strands of Aaron’s wind-blown hair. He held back a groan; this kid was tempting as fuck, seriously affecting him to the point of utter distraction. Aaron looked away as soon as he spoke the words.
“I believe you have your words mixed up. It was said the other way around,” Aaron shot back. A hint of red crept up his cheeks.
“Well, you definitely got that wrong. You liked what you saw, and I’ve been wondering about you for a while now. We need to find a way to release all this sexual tension, clear our minds. That way we can give our all to this case without any distractions. So, if we’re gonna fuck, we need to hit it now before we get to the bureau and we’re officially on the clock,” Kreed stated.
“What? Are you kidding me?” Aaron asked, clearly shocked, though maybe Kreed heard a little stunned curiosity in his voice as well. “Not saying I would, but what does being on the clock have to do with anything?”
“I don’t get my honey where I get my money. And that’s too bad ’cause you’re fucking adorable.” Kreed watched as Aaron’s body visibly tensed.
“Huh?” It took Aaron a second to digest his words. “No, I’m not fucking you. I don’t even understand what you’re saying. Honey? Money? Adorable? All that thinking you’re trying to do over there must be using up all the oxygen in your brain.”
Aaron’s aggravation came through loud and clear. All right, maybe he’d pushed a little too hard; Kreed had a way of doing that. But Aaron hadn’t looked completely appalled by the idea either. At least that was something, right?
“You sure?” Kreed asked, never really any good at accepting no as an answer. “We got a few hours we could kill waiting on Connors’s flight to arrive.” This time Kreed gave a suggestive waggle of his brows.
“I’m not sleeping with you. I don’t even know you.” Aaron turned away and stared out the front windshield of the rental.
“I can’t think of a better way for you to get to know me, can you?” Kreed asked then waited for something other than the incredulous look now being shot back at him. Kreed shrugged before finally speaking again. “Your loss. It’s a onetime offer.”
When Aaron said nothing more, Kreed dropped the gearshift into drive and pulled out from the parking spot. He didn’t have enough time to wine and dine the kid, but Aaron’s continued silence disappointed him. Clearly, the direct approach might not have been the best way to accomplish his most immediate goal.
Whatever. Can’t fault a guy for trying. Kreed turned his attention to the traffic, reading the exit signs, following them out of the parking garage before taking the south airport exit.
“So like honey…meaning sex, and money…meaning the office? You don’t have sex with the people you work with?” Aaron finally broke the tense silence about ten minutes later.
Kreed kept driving, eyes focused on the road as his grin grew. Aaron was thinking about his offer—maybe even reconsidering his decision, making it not quite the solid no he’d originally thought. “That’s surprising. I assumed you and Mitch hooked up.”
Kreed gave a deep chuckle at that one. Most people went there. Everybody assumed he and Mitch hooked up on a regular basis. It was just another part of the stereotype that gay field partners got. Instead of telling Aaron he shouldn’t assume shit, he decided to be honest.
“We did a time or two, a long time ago, before we worked together as partners. It didn’t work out. Now we just give each other shit. He’s like my family,” Kreed offered and gave Aaron a side glance. “It’s still not too late to accept.”
“What and be another notch on your bedpost? Nah, I think I’ll pass. There’s no reason to complicate things, especially when I don’t even want to be here. I’m gonna do what they want then get the hell out,” Aaron sai
d, turning his head toward the passenger side window.
“Hmmm. Why’s that?” Kreed asked. “I mean the getting the hell out part.” Kreed left the notch on the bedpost remark alone, accepting it for what it was—an attempted slam to help create distance between them.
“All I was trying to do was give you guys the information I found. It wasn’t that big a deal. I could do this from home. I don’t need to be here and up in the middle of all this bullshit,” Aaron said, somewhat disgruntled.
“Hmm.” Kreed couldn’t help but notice all the aggression in Aaron’s words and wonder why. “You’ve been instrumental in this case. I’d pretty much say that if it wasn’t for you, we’d still be chasing our tails.”
“Whatever. Anything I did was from my house. I don’t need to be under their thumb. I have a life and things to take care of. I should be there now…where it’s sunny.”
Kreed barked out a laugh. “I thought all you computer geeks stayed locked up in the house, away from the sun and people”
“I have a balcony,” Aaron tossed out.
Kreed laughed again. Aaron had to get out of the house more than just onto his balcony to get that nice of a tan. Coming to a stop at a red light, Kreed gave a sideways glance toward the kid. A little prickle of intuition spiked, making Aaron more than just sexy. There was more to this guy than he’d originally picked up on and he didn’t usually miss things. He could typically get a feel for someone within the first few minutes of meeting them.
Looking back, from the beginning, he couldn’t get a read on Aaron. It bugged the shit out of him. The guy was an enigma, and Kreed realized that figuring Aaron out would be a challenge, but he always welcomed a good challenge. He’d investigate quietly, but completely. If nothing else, it would help fill the holes of boredom that Mitch had always been good at filling.
“Okay, beach bunny, again your loss on the offer. Guess you’ll never know why they call me Sin.” Kreed lowered his voice and turned toward Stuart. “I can tell you this much, though. It has nothing to do with my last name.” Kreed gave Aaron a wink and focused his attention back to the road. The huff he heard coming from Aaron had a huge grin expanding across his face. Oh yeah, this was getting better by the second.
Nice Guys Collection With Added Bonus Material Page 74
