In My Arms Tonight

by Bailey Bradford

  After the other men agreed, James took out the makings for breakfast—he was going to have to stop eating two breakfasts a day or he’d clog every artery in his body—and set about preparing the meal. The three of them kept the conversation casual as James cooked, which was good. God knows James didn’t need any more distractions while he was trying to fix the eggs.

  He set the food on the table while Chase handled the plates and silverware and Xavier poured three glasses of milk.

  “So,” he said as he sat down and looked at the two men. “Are we waiting until we’ve eaten before you start asking me questions?”

  Chase shook his head and chewed quickly, gulping down a bite of eggs. “Not gonna do that to you, James. We trust you, you know. Was just teasing about grilling you, although,” Chase’s eyes twinkled as he winked at James. “I wasn’t exactly joking about listening to the details.”

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  IN MY ARMS TONIGHT

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  “Dork,” James muttered as his cheeks burned. “Thanks, though.” He looked at Chase, then Xavier, aware that his eyes were burning as much as his cheeks were. If he didn’t get his shit together he’d be sniffling like a baby soon.

  Xavier and Chase smiled and Xavier even reached across the table and patted James’

  hand, then they resumed their meal, talking about day to day stuff. Once they had finished, James waited until the dishes were done, then he asked Xavier and Chase about an idea he’d been mulling over all day.

  “Do you think—I mean, would you mind if I tried having a session at the club during the daytime hours?” James shifted in his seat, trying not to outright squirm. “I just—I want to start seeing what I can handle, you know. I’m ready to work harder on this, and since I can leave my place, I thought maybe I should start working on getting past the fear of going out to places I’m not comfortable or familiar with.”

  “Which rules out our house, too,” Chase said, rubbing his chin as he nodded. “And if you tried going somewhere else and had a problem with it—”

  “It’d be great to have Dr Shariva there,” James finished. “I think I can handle it, but, you know.” He shrugged and tried not to think about that. “It’s a baby step, I know, but…”

  “It’s not a baby step,” Xavier said when James trailed off. “It’s a major step, and yes, if Dr Shariva is amenable to it, you can use my office or the break room. Do you want us there?

  I don’t mean in the room, just, you know, there. ”

  James sniffled, damn it, though he did his best to make it sound like he coughed, which made for an odd noise that resembled neither. “Yeah, that’d be…that’d be good.”

  Glenn kept busy watching speeders panic and hit their brakes when they saw the cruiser. He handed out a few tickets, making sure he had his jacket collar rucked up despite the sweltering heat any time he was around anyone else. Despite feeling like he was being boiled alive in his own sweat, Glenn wouldn’t have erased that hickey if he could. He loved each and every mark James had left on him, inside and out, body and soul.

  He tried not to think of all the ways he could end up hurt. Glenn knew James was a good man, had known it since before he’d ever even laid eyes on him in person. James www.total-e-bound.com

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  wouldn’t deliberately break his heart. Glenn didn’t think James even knew he held Glenn’s heart in his hands. And Glenn wasn’t going to tell him and put pressure on James that the man didn’t need. He would—

  “God damn it!” Glenn scowled as a small ugly car shot down the road. No way could he ignore the speed the driver was travelling at. Much faster and the little car would be a blur and probably start shedding layers as gravity took effect. Glenn slapped the siren and lights on and peeled out of his little hiding nook. He halfway expected a chase, but as soon as he neared the car—clocking it at a hundred and two miles per hour, for Christ’s sake!—the driver started slowing down.

  Once the car was on the shoulder of the road, Glenn ran the plates and groaned when the owner’s name popped up on the screen. Shit, just what I needed today! And I for damn sure am not hiding anything this time. Glenn unbuckled and whipped off the jacket, glaring daggers through the windshield at the back of the driver’s head. He stormed out of his cruiser then took a moment to get a grip on his temper. Assured he could act like the professional he was supposed to be, Glenn approached the vehicle. The driver had the window down before Glenn made it to the car door. A dark head bobbed out of the window, a big smile and a heated expression on Leaks’ face.

  “I knew I could get you to chase me,” the PI all but purred. “What are you going to do now that you caught me, hmm?”

  Glenn’s control tumbled right down the gutter. “Unbuckle. Now.” He reached in and hit the door lock, then jerked Leak’s door open.

  Leaks batted his lashes and shivered as he got out. “Oh, I like you all pissy and—hey, does that mean you’re playing now?” He poked at Glenn’s neck.

  “I don’t play,” Glenn snapped as he pushed Leaks’ hand aside. “Turn around and put your hands on the car.”

  Leaks made that purring sound again and turned, spreading his legs as well. “I should warn you, the only weapon I have on me is attached.”

  If Glenn hadn’t been so mad he’d have groaned at the lame come-on. He settled for,

  “Shut up,” and grabbing Leak’s wrists.

  Surprisingly, Leaks listened, seemingly subdued, which was weird from what Glenn knew of the man. “Why are you back?”

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  Leaks shook his head. “I was trying to leave, wasn’t I?”

  “But why were you here again in the first place?” He was going to strangle the little shit if this went round and round!

  “Who said I ever left?”

  Glenn stopped in the middle of spinning Leaks around, then finished the move with a push to Leaks’ chest that was a hell of a lot weaker than Glenn would have liked to deliver.

  “You left. Les tailed you out of town. And I had some friends keep an eye on you when you got back to Montana.”

  Leaks shrugged. “Fine, I left.” Then he nibbled on his lower lip before speaking again.

  “Why do you think I came back?”

  Glenn could only think of one reason, and that was making it harder and harder for him not to do something unethical and beat the crap out of Leaks. Still, he kept his impulse under control and got Leaks settled in the back of the cruiser.

  Leaks was silent the entire drive back to the station, which Glenn found annoying.

  He’d hoped the man would start babbling. He pulled the car up at the department and got out—only to be confronted by Chief Ewers. Glenn reached for his jacket collar—and cringed as Ewers eyes followed the movement. If he hadn’t taken off the damn jacket in the first place, Ewers wouldn’t be giving him a look that could melt his balls.

  “Get him,” the chief gestured at the car, “taken care of, then get your butt in my office.” Ewers glared at Glenn’s neck for a second then grumbled something as he turned and walked inside.

  “Great.” Glenn could grumble, too, damn it. Now he had a PI he was pretty sure was spying on James, and a boss who was going to rip him a new one. If he didn’t have the evening with James to look forward to, Glenn might have been tempted to go home and get drunk.

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  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Do you remember the time—” James stopped mid-sentence and searched for a less combustible way to finish it. He’d been sitting in the living room with Chase and Xavier, and they’d all been trading stories about some of the more humorous adventures in their lives. It was the first time he’d had a conversation like t
hat with them, and he’d felt so normal. James bit his lip and tried not to grin, because putting his foot in his mouth? That was normal, too, something he’d done on a regular basis at one time. If he was lucky, he’d catch himself, just like he’d done this time.

  Somehow he didn’t think Xavier would find the story about Hector nearly as amusing as he did. Chase had hooked up with the little twink a few years ago, and the entire attempt at a one night stand had turned into a comedy of errors, from Hector sneezing and splattering goop everywhere to the poor guy accidentally grabbing the muscle ache cream instead of the lube. That last bit had put a solid end to the doomed evening. James still wondered if Hector had suffered permanent damage from the cream. He’d bet the guy made sure to buy the scented stuff from then on.

  Xavier was looking at him suspiciously, his lips thinned and turned down at the edges. Chase looked kind of…panicked, and was giving him a visual plea to get them out of this mess. James felt a little panicked himself, and not from an attack. His mind blanked, totally.

  Xavier glanced at Chase and James thought he saw amusement glint in the older man’s eyes, but couldn’t be sure—until Xavier turned his attention back to James. “Let me guess, this involves Chase and another guy?”

  Now James was certain Xavier was amused, even though the man’s voice sounded flat. There was no way his eyes would be crinkled around the edges as if he were grinning.

  James suspected Xavier was trying to keep from laughing, or smiling, or whatever it was that would give away the fact that he wasn’t irritated. Chase gave a quick shake of his head and his eyes widened dramatically. James winked and started to speak. Xavier’s cell phone rang and snapped the anticipation in the air right in two. Chase huffed and slumped down in his www.total-e-bound.com

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  seat, rubbing at his forehead as he glared at James with one eye. Then both of them whipped their heads around to stare at Xavier.

  “—you mean the PI you clocked for coming on to Les?” Xavier looked right at James as he added, “Didn’t you tell me he wanted to climb Glenn like a jungle gym? Oh yeah. He wanted to be the filling for a big grumbly male sandwich, right?”

  Any amusement James had felt seconds earlier vanished. There was only one PI he had heard about, and no one had mentioned the fucker trying to maul Glenn. Les could take care of himself—or Adam would do it for him, from the sound of things—but Glenn…Glenn was his!

  “Why was Leaks back in town?” Xavier asked, still staring into James’ eyes. “Glenn arrested him? Man, I bet that was an interesting ride to the jail.”

  James didn’t think it sounded interesting at all. He curled his hands into fists, clenching them so tight his nails bit into his palms. Telling himself Glenn was a grown man and could damn well take care of himself didn’t help calm him at all. James wanted to kick this Leaks’ guy’s ass for trying to seduce Glenn.

  “Adam, calm down,” Xavier urged, but his eyes were sending James the same message. “I’m sure Les can handle himself—and Glenn, too. Neither of them are going to let that guy get to them.”

  James couldn’t make out the words Adam was hollering over the line, it was a blurred mess to him, but Adam was definitely no happier about this occurrence than he was.

  “No, no I don’t think you need to go down there. What’re you gonna do, go glare at Leaks through the cell bars?” Xavier listened for a moment then barked out a laugh. “Oh no, you are not going to swipe Les’ keys and beat Leaks’ ass! No, it won’t make Leaks talk, it will just get you arrested and Les in a shit load of trouble!”

  James tried to unclench his hands, he did, but his fingers wouldn’t cooperate. He wondered what this PI looked like and if Glenn had been tempted. He wondered why Glenn hadn’t taken the man up on his offer. Memories of making love to Glenn poured into his head and James knew why then. It hit him with the force of a Mack truck— Glenn loved him!

  Hadn’t the man said he couldn’t get over James? Couldn’t move on or see anyone else?

  Hadn’t he hung around even when James had given him no reason to do so, no reason to hope?

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  Holy shit. James’ heart thudded spastically for a moment then settled into a slow, steady rhythm. He felt strange, but in a good way, all light and fluffy and warm and tingly. It took him a moment to figure out that he was happy—really happy, the joyous, stand up and spread your arms and sing mushy sweet love songs kind of happy.

  “Holy shit,” he muttered, feeling a smile spread that had to look creepy, it was so big.

  “Holy shit!” James bounded up from the couch and managed, barely, to keep from breaking into a Disney happy-ending song and dance. Chase and Xavier were both gaping at him, Xavier holding the phone away from his ear while Adam spluttered away on the other end of the line.

  James looked at Chase. He’d have laughed at his friend’s open-mouthed shock if he hadn’t heard Xavier mumble something about Glenn being in trouble because he had a hickey. That kind of acted as a buzz kill and James groaned, closing his eyes just as Chase’s lit with wicked intent. “Don’t start,” he warned, then peeked at Chase as the man snickered.

  “Payback,” Chase mouthed and James flipped him the bird, which just made Chase laugh like a lunatic.

  James couldn’t help but laugh too, the easy teasing between them familiar and something he’d missed over the months. He reached down and looped an arm over Chase’s shoulders as Xavier rolled his eyes at something Adam said. “Thank you,” James said as he rubbed his cheek against Chase’s silky hair. He knew his friend understood what he meant, especially when Chase grunted then stood and hugged him happily in return.

  “I expect professional behaviour from my men at all times.”

  Years of just such professional behaviour kept Glenn from squirming in his seat as Ewers skewered him with a glance. Glenn would swear the hickey was throbbing, pulsing, glowing like a Goddamned neon sign, but he didn’t dare reach up and cover it with his hand.

  Ewers gaze dropped down a few inches from Glenn’s and the spot itched so much Glenn had to lock his fingers together to keep from touching it. “I’m sorry, Chief, it was an accident—”

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  “An accident.” Ewers eyes narrowed so that Glenn couldn’t figure out how the man could even see. “So she just happened to fall on you, lips-first and get stuck in some freak suction accident?”

  “He,” Glenn corrected before he could think better of it. Not that he thought Ewers would care about the sex of his partner, but correcting the man was never a smart thing to do. “Sir,” Glenn added with a bit of hope that the title would ease some of the displeasure off Ewers face. It didn’t help at all, and Glenn rushed on, his face flaming as he did. “And no, not that kind of accident, although, you know, good one… Sir?”

  What followed made Glenn want to melt into the floor, as Ewers started lecturing him on using his brain instead of his dumbstick. Glenn had to bite his lips to keep from asking if Ewers kept his shit together when he was being intimate with Charlene. That was way too much information anyways. Somehow, though, he didn’t think Charlene would be happy with anyone who kept a piece of themselves back.

  Ewers couldn’t have been much older than him, yet he came across as an authoritative fatherly figure, and Glenn felt appropriately scolded by the time the man was through with him. His neck was aching from the constant nodding and he was pretty sure he’d said enough yes sir’s to last for eternity.

  Ewers leant back and tapped a finger to his chin while he stared at the mark again.

  Glenn gave up and slapped a hand over the mark, unable to handle the tickly feeling spreading from his skin under that look. Ewers snorted and darted his glance up to Glenn’s.

>   “Makeup.”

  Glenn blinked. And blinked again. “What?”

  Ewers’ slow grin set off warning alarms in Glenn’s head. The chief leant back and crossed his arms over his chest, looking entirely too smug for words. “I said, makeup. Go buy some and cover that thing up. The pharmacy down the street probably has something you can use.”

  Glenn sputtered and shook his head. “No. No way! It’ll go away and I’ll tell James to be more careful where—uh, I’ll tell him to be more careful.”

  Ewers flushed from his neck to the tips of his ears. “You do that. I don’t want to know where you might have any more of them.” He shook himself and muttered something about www.total-e-bound.com

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  Glenn having no self-control, then he stopped abruptly, both eyebrows climbing up to get friendly with his hairline. “James? You two worked everything out?”

  Glenn frowned. Jesus, did everyone know he had it bad for James? Was there a sign on his forehead that said I’m in love with James Stratton? Because he was, and he knew it without a doubt, but how the hell did everyone else know? Bunch of gossipy hens, that’s how.

  Perceptive, wonderful, caring— Glenn snorted. He had awesome friends, and yeah, they probably talked about him in a concerned manner just like he’d done when one of the others had a problem or when he was concerned about them. And he might not have a sign on his forehead, but he sure as hell had a sort of one below his ear.

  “Yeah,” Glenn began then he shook his head and sighed. “Well, not everything, but we worked one thing out at least.”