There was no decision at all. “You’re not gettin’ in here,” Kreed yelled at the door.
“Fuck you. Give me my shit, princess!” Mitch shouted back.
No way in hell would he give Mitch his electronics. Kreed would rather stay up all night on principle. Ever since Cody had come into the picture, he’d had to listen to Knox sexing him up. On that note, Kreed’s brow cocked as a plan formed. Aaron could just get his ass up and talk to him until he and Knox had to leave for their flight.
And, Kreed grinned, another consolation for this lack of sleep…the only bathroom was off the bedroom. See if he opened the door to let Mitch in.
Aaron Stuart’s fingers flew over the keyboard, his gaze locked on the center monitor as the proprietary source code began to fill the screen.
“Keep going. You’re almost there,” Tristan Wilder encouraged from over his shoulder…figuratively speaking. Technically, Tristan was on another screen and had access to Aaron’s equipment while they worked together, doing something Aaron had promised his mister he’d never do again. Yeah, there was guilt there. Kreed had been an amazing life partner, so caring, kind, and attentive, but Aaron also had an obligation to their company, SKS Security. Wilder was their largest account. Tristan had requested Aaron’s help on a sensitive subject. How could he refuse?
He nodded at the monitor, scanning for the best entry point as he mentally reviewed his pre-rehearsed excuse if Kreed ever figured out what he’d done. Aaron rolled his eyes. Of course, Kreed would sense Aaron’s deception. He had that truly innate sixth sense. Aaron always got caught.
“You stopped focusing,” Tristan said, his deep voice taking a serious tone. “We don’t have time for second-guessing. Just get me in, I’ll do the rest.”
Right. With a few more clicks of the keys, all the work Aaron had put into swiftly executing this breach paid off. He lifted his hands, holding them inches above the keyboard and leaned back in his seat. He’d broken into the Smirnov Technologies’ top-secret Russian lab with ease and stealth. If Tristan was as clever as he appeared, he’d do his thing quickly. No one would ever know they had been there. “Smooth, Stuart, you did real good.”
“Wells Fargo would look like a wrist slap compared to what the DOJ would do to you if they ever found out about this…” Dylan Reeves said from the monitor Tristan used.
“Babe, no sweet talking me right now. Hang on, you can add that next level excitement when I’m done…”
Aaron glanced over at the screen. Dylan had joined Tristan. He was wrapped in a blanket and rocking some serious bedhead; Aaron guessed the light from the monitor had woken him. Dylan looked concerned as he read the screen. He didn’t bother Tristan, said his piece then sat by his man. Aaron had to get Kreed to that point. Dylan didn’t like what they were doing, but he trusted Tristan. Man, he’d love for Kreed to have been there, encouraging him, letting him know he’d be by his side no matter what happened.
Aaron rolled his eyes again at his wistful thought.
He was certain Tristan had never promised to stop doing these kinds of breeches, but Aaron sure had given his vow to Kreed. It was all those smoldering good looks right in his face—Aaron would have promised anything to Kreed in those few minutes. A man could only resist so much.
Instead of dwelling on those thoughts, Aaron focused on what Tristan was doing and the reason why Tristan had wanted inside this particular company. Since retaliating against another country was a dumbass move, and absolutely not Tristan’s style, what exactly was he trying to accomplish? The sheer volume of information being copied from what Aaron thought might be Russian intelligence was mind-boggling. What were Tristan’s motivations?
Aaron crossed his arms over his chest and considered breaking into Wilder’s personal secure server to see what Tristan had up his sleeve… The timer buzzed, and Aaron announced, “You’ve got twenty-seven seconds before we’re detected. We need out before then.”
“Ten, nine, eight…” Tristan’s voice faded. Aaron could hear the rhythmic clicking of keys in the background while Aaron finished the mental countdown in his head. When Aaron got to one, Tristan said, “Close it.”
Aaron did just that, quickly cleaning up after Tristan, extracting them from the code and server with two seconds to spare.
“We did it! Stuart, I say this all the time, but you’re seriously a badass. I’m so glad you’re on my team.”
Damn. That compliment gave him a small twinge of guilt over his plan to break in to see what Tristan was up to. Luckily, before he talked himself out of hacking Wilder, his cell phone rang. He looked down, saw Kreed’s name, and answered before the second ring, lifting a finger toward Tristan and Dylan, he said, “Hey, sexy, everything all right?”
Just the sound of Aaron’s voice calmed Kreed. He went to the edge of the bed and pushed the FaceTime feature, needing to see Aaron’s handsome face. God, he was so in love. When Aaron lit up his screen, he smiled, lifting a finger to run it down the length of Aaron’s cheek like he did in person so many times back at home.
“You’re not all right,” Aaron said, his brows knitting tightly together. Kreed straightened on the bed, adjusting the phone, moving to better light.
“I’m all right. Knox’s being a pain. That’s it,” he said, summarizing his and Mitch’s fight in a few vague words.
“Whatever you did, you warned him, I’m sure.” Aaron always had his back. That knowledge stripped away the last of the lingering anger. Now, he just wanted to be home.
“I did.”
“Warned Knox about what?”
Kreed’s brow furrowed as he looked to the right of the phone screen as if he could see who was talking.
“Shhh,” he heard whispered in the background, and Aaron’s mouth hadn’t moved.
“Who’s there?” he asked. Kreed looked at the time on his screen, still set on Austin time—four forty-five in the morning. “Why are you up? It’s close to five there.” Kreed watched Aaron’s shoulders slump, a look of guilt grew on his face and Kreed’s gut twisted. Aaron wouldn’t lie to him, but he also wouldn’t volunteer information. He had to ask the right questions. “Who’s there, babe?”
“No one’s here, Kreed.” He heard Aaron’s words, but the odd look on his handsome face didn’t back up his statement.
“Aaron…”
“I imagined I’d get a few days before you figured it out.” Aaron turned the phone. Kreed saw a glitchy screen image that revealed Tristan and Dylan, but at a weird angle. “Clearly, lifting a finger isn’t near the international language of silence I thought.”
“A lifted finger means give-me-a-minute. Had you put it to your lips, I would have understood better,” Tristan explained.
“Seriously, dude?” Aaron clapped back, but Kreed ignored them. He quickly scanned the monitor next to Tristan. That would give him more intel as to what they’d been up to. He read quickly, seeing HubLabs, Anatoly Smirnov Technologies. Russian? What was Wilder involved with, and what did that have to do with Aaron?
Less than a second passed before his anger spiked again as realization dawned. “Dammit, Aaron. You fuckin’ promised.”
The image on his screen turned straight back to Aaron. “He’s our biggest account, Kreed. He asked me to get him inside. I was going to tell you…”
“Bullshit. That’s why I’m here.” That insight caused shooting stars to sprinkle through his vision. His chest might actually explode if he thought about it any longer. He’d been sent to California in order for Tristan to get Aaron by himself.
“He’s seriously good. He figured it out in seconds. I’m glad he’s on my team.” He heard Tristan’s voice in the background. Kreed opened his mouth to blast the group of them, but dread replaced the anger. Kreed covered his mouth with his free hand, staring at the screen. What if this was the time Aaron got caught? He wouldn’t have been there to help. Kreed watched Aaron stand, quickly walking away from his control panel office, heading for their bedroom.
“Baby, listen.
He asked me to get him in. I have no idea why or what he was after. I took extra precautions, I swear. I slipped him in, he did his thing, and we were out before they could detect either of us. I promise they will never know we were there.”
Kreed dropped back against the headboard, watching Aaron closely. His guy was talking calmly, not using all the techy lingo that scared the shit out of Kreed.
“I hate that look you’re giving me. Tristan Wilder keeps us afloat. We’re a viable company in the first year out because of him. He’s referred us Arik Layne Properties. If we land Escape resorts, those accounts alone would mean we wouldn’t have to work contract for the government at such a low rate. How could I say no?”
Kreed stayed silent, staring at Aaron. How could he ever make Aaron understand what would happen to him if he ever got caught? Thank God his guy used multiple layers of security for every electronic they touched, from their home alarm all the way down to their cell phones.
“It was so easy. It didn’t take anything to get in. He didn’t really need me, but I’m glad he thinks he did.”
That had Kreed rolling his eyes. “Bullshit. He needed you. You should have told me,” Kreed said, scrubbing his free hand down his face as he let go of a breath he’d been holding.
“Agreed. But you wouldn’t have let me do it. Remember our motto, it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission,” Aaron reminded.
“Except that rule doesn’t apply to me.” He stared at Aaron who stared solemnly back at him until his brow furrowed and Kreed saw an ear pressed up to the phone screen. “Is that Bible scripture being repeated?”
Kreed zoned back into his surroundings. He hadn’t even registered the hotel, Mitch, or any of their bullshit since he’d dialed home. “Yeah, Knox got bent when I ended his jerk-off session so he’s got the 700 Club blaring to piss me off.”
“You interrupted him in the act?” Aaron asked, his voice turning husky—his naughty-boy tone—seemingly interested in those details. Kreed looked up when Mitch started banging on the door again.
“Give me my shit. I’m tired of listening to this crap.”
“Tough shit, asshat. If you’re tired of listening, turn it off.” Kreed looked down at the phone to find Aaron grinning broadly back at him. He had such a nice smile. It was infectious and Kreed grinned back. “I miss you. I wanted you to sex me up like Cody does Knox all the time.”
“I can do that.” Aaron gave an enthusiastic nod and wink at the prospect.
“Nah, I doubt I could get it up with the fire and brimstone preaching going on in the next room; just be ready for me when I get home. I’m trying hard to ignore the question you didn’t answer.”
“What’s that?”
“Am I here because Tristan wanted me out of the house?”
Aaron bit his lips, looking sheepish as hell. “You never asked that in the form of a question, so yeah, keep ignoring my non-answer.”
Damn, he should be mad about that. He’d been played this whole time. Kreed stared at Aaron who never lowered his gaze. He liked that about Aaron. He was insanely honest in a very deceptive way. Suddenly, the television volume went silent, causing Kreed to look toward the bedroom door.
“You should give him his stuff back. You’re just irritable,” Aaron stated matter-of-factly. With his range of emotion ricocheting through him, Kreed settled on getting lost in Aaron’s nice looks.
“Looky there, my hot hacker’s being reasonable. That’s sexy. Why didn’t you wear your fuck-me-I’m-so-hot glasses while working?” Kreed asked, his voice going deep as his dick plumped.
“I only wear those to turn you on. You weren’t here, no reason to wear them,” Aaron said, his voice lowering, becoming suggestive.
“Good answer.” Kreed bit his lip. Maybe he could get a quick dick shot. Right when he was about to ask for that very thing, Aaron took a deep breath and rolled his eyes extravagantly.
“Okay, so you made me feel guilty. I was contemplating breaking into Tristan’s shit to see why he’s focused on Russia. I won’t do it now,” Aaron vowed grumpily, and Kreed’s dick instantly deflated. “Damn, Sin, you’re like the ninja interrogator. They should send you to Guantanamo Bay. You’d get all the secrets.”
“Aaron, you just said he’s our biggest account. You can never do that.”
“I know. I said I wouldn’t even though I really want to know—like real bad.” Aaron refused to make eye contact with him. “Give Mitch his stuff back. I’ll be at the airport to get you myself, don’t Uber.”
Maybe as much as a minute passed in silence until Aaron’s frustrated gaze landed back on Kreed’s. He believed Aaron if the level of indignation was any indicator. That made Kreed smile, and he reached out, touching the screen again. “Good answer. Be good, church boy. Love you.” Kreed chuckled at how cute Aaron looked when he pouted.
“That’s such a tall order. Love you. Ciao.” The phone disconnected, and he dropped it to the mattress before rolling out of bed. Kreed gathered Mitch’s laptop and cell phone, placing both in the chair before moving it aside. He tried to twist the lock, Knox had apparently broken the whole doorknob, and it just spun freely. He was back in bed before the door opened wide.
“You’re a dick,” Mitch said, looking all around for his stuff. He spotted it after almost a full circle.
“Aaron told me to.” Kreed positioned himself in bed, tucking the pillow into his side. If Mitch held it down, Kreed could still get a couple hours sleep before their flight from California to Austin.
“Because he’s smarter than you.” Mitch retreated, leaving the door open. He heard the pull-out creak, but he didn’t hear anything else. Kreed stared at the ceiling, thinking about how much Aaron calmed him, even learning that Aaron was back to his old ways, his guy still managed to soothe him. Kreed yawned and closed his eyes, counting down the hours until he’d be with his naughty hacker.
Aaron’s Corn Casserole
Ingredients
15 ounce can whole kernel corn drained
15 ounce can creamed corn
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 eggs
8 ounce box Jiffy cornbread mix
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ingredients.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the edges begin to turn a golden brown.
5. Remove from oven, let casserole stand for at least 10 minutes. Serve.
Note from the Author
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Books by Kindle Alexander
If you enjoyed the Nice Guys
then you won't want to miss
Kindle Alexander's bestselling novels:
Reservations
Painted On My Heart
The Current Between Us (with Bonus Material)
Closet Confession
Secret
Texas Pride
Up in Arms
Always
Nice Guys Series
Double Full
Full Disclosure
Full Domain
What readers are saying about
Kindle Alexander books…
Secret
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~Indie Bookshelf
Full Disclosur
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~Denise, Shh Mom’s Reading
“I give this story five+ perfectly delivered stars.”
~Toni FGMAMTC
“Mitch and Cody are perfect and so bloody hot, it made my IPAD melt.”
~Jules Swoon Worthy
Double Full
“These two hunky men had me in tears, their love for one another is magical.”
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“Kindle Alexander sure can write a red hot sex scene like nobody else.”
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“Without a doubt one of the BEST m/m romances I have ever read.”
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Texas Pride
“I have a severe case of book hangover. Seriously readers – you need to read this book. Ten stars for me!”
~ Mandie, Foxylutely Blog
“Definitely a great read…I didn’t want this sweet story to end.”
~Christi Snow, Author
Nice Guys Collection With Added Bonus Material Page 117
