by Harte, Marie
The sheer unreality of the moment shocked him into taking charge. He ripped away from Aidan and shot into the air so fast he almost hit his head on the vaulted ceiling. Embarrassed, aroused, and confused, he allowed himself to drift lower so that his feet remained level with Aidan’s throat.
“Well, now. Never would have expected that.” Aidan grinned, his brown eyes dark with lust. “You’re a surprise, Gavin.”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Furious that he sounded out of breath and that he’d responded to Aidan of all people, he remained in the air, wishing he had the ability to make Aidan disappear.
Aidan’s grin left him. “We have business.”
“Bullshit. I had enough of you today. Get lost.” He paused. “And don’t touch me again.” Bad enough he had the guy in his brain, but now his touch was branded on Gavin’s cock. His secret fantasies loomed perilously close to turning into a nightmare. If Aidan knew how many times he’d starred in Gavin’s X-rated dreams…
Aidan didn’t move. He didn’t blink.
In a split second, he leaped forward and grabbed Gavin by the ankle. One hard tug and Gavin fell to the ground. His ass landed first, but Aidan managed to cradle his head so Gavin didn’t knock himself unconscious. Still, he’d hit. Hard.
Before he could catch his breath, Aidan straddled his belly and pinned his wrists to the wood floor. “I’m trying to do you the courtesy of not looking into your mind, but you broadcast like crazy. You have to learn how to shield yourself better if this is going to work.”
“Damn it.” Gavin tried but couldn’t pull his hands free from the behemoth holding him down. He wished like hell this position wasn’t something straight out of his hidden desires, where, after holding him down, his partner would force him to suck cock. A collar and leathers were also involved, some nipple clamps… He cleared his throat and prayed he wasn’t showing the blush working its way over his cheeks. “What’s going to work?”
“You and me on the Chronicles case. I found it again. We’re going to hit a party in California in a few days. Until then, we have to come to some terms. Partner.” Aidan choked on the word.
“What?” Was he dreaming? Gavin wanted a big man to take charge and order him around, but not the blond jerk who poked fun at him all the time. Well, not the Aidan he knew in real life. He wanted the Aidan he jacked off to, the arrogant yet tender dream of a Dom who didn’t exist.
Aidan sighed. “Trust me. I worked like hell to figure out a way not to use you, but if I don’t, I’m off the case too. So it’s you and me, working to get the book back.” He leaned forward and tried to kiss Gavin again, but Gavin turned his head and fought for control of his whacked-out libido. Great time for his sexual hiatus to come to a close. But with Aidan?
Instead of forcing his face back, Aidan chuckled and sucked Gavin’s earlobe. The action had a direct impact on Gavin’s cock. To his horror, the hint of an orgasm crept closer.
“We’re going undercover to a kinkfest. We have to pretend to be partners. Sexual partners, the kind where I control and you submit,” Aidan whispered and stuck his tongue in Gavin’s ear. “Hmm. Yeah. I think this just might work.”
“Wait.” Gavin tried like hell to move Aidan, but the big bastard didn’t twitch, despite Gavin’s gyrations.
“That feels good. Keep doing that.” Aidan chuckled, the unfamiliar humor as startling as this facet of the man himself. “Look, this isn’t me dicking around with you. We’re going to have to get dirty to get the book back.”
“I—Get off me.” When Aidan didn’t budge, Gavin gritted his teeth. “Please?”
Aidan sat up and released Gavin’s hands. But he didn’t move from his position right over Gavin’s crotch, and the pressure was unbearably erotic.
“Okay. I’m not getting off, mind you, but I’m off.”
“Smart-ass. All the way off my body.”
“No. I’m not kidding about this. I wouldn’t have taken it this far, but I needed to know.”
“Know?”
“If we’re compatible. I mean, you’re cute and all, but submission is a tricky thing.”
“You think I’m cute?” Gavin’s voice cracked, and he flushed.
Aidan laughed. “Yeah. Especially now. That innocence is so tempting. Jack was right. You do look a lot younger than you are.”
Gavin didn’t need the reminder. “Great. So I’m supposed to go to a party with you. Undercover, right?”
Aidan nodded. “Jack’s orders.”
Undercover as sexual partners. The thought brought back the reality that he hadn’t had a lover in months.
“The guy who we think has the book is into kink. He likes to throw wild parties, where everyone participates. We’ll need to look real. My expertise is being in charge. You’ll be my sub, and I’ll be your Master.” Aidan looked at him without amusement, and Gavin swallowed hard. “I don’t have to read your mind to know you’re hot for me. Not when your body is so obvious about what it needs.”
“Bull. It’s been a while is all.” A less embarrassing truth than that he felt attraction for Aidan.
Aidan shook his head. “I thought Jack was out of his fucking mind. But I think this might work. You followed the book’s trail to Fort Collins. I found and tracked down the woman who bought it for Carl Kerr, a crime lord with his fingers in Portland’s pockets. He’s hosting a party this coming Saturday in Mendocino to meet new friends and expand his criminal empire. From what I’ve gathered, a book that matches the Chronicle’s description will be there, and we’ll get to see if it’s the genuine deal.”
“I get that. But why this crap about sex games? Why don’t you just go steal the thing if you know it’ll be there?”
“Kerr is smart and has a lot of muscle. I’m all for kicking down the door, but even Jack agreed we should do this as quietly as possible. So our best bet is to buy our way in. Kerr likes orgies, dungeons, discipline sessions… And he’s into men who look like you. Pretty, vulnerable.” Aidan settled more of his weight over Gavin. “Men who get off playing bondage games.”
Gavin swallowed hard. This wasn’t happening. “Not that I’m admitting I’m into any of that, because I’m not, but you said I’m Kerr’s type. So I’m going to be bait?”
“More like a distraction. Jack’s building us a cover. We go in, you distract Kerr while I nab the book. Once we verify it’s what we want, we take off with it. Or not. If it’s not the book we’re after, we leave, no harm, no foul. A lot of heavies will be there, so we don’t want to screw with anyone if we don’t have to. No sense in bringing trouble to our door.”
Especially not with Uncle Sam still keeping an eye on them. Gavin knew of at least two federal agents who kept an eye on the PowerUp! gym, making sure the psychics working there didn’t go crazy and burn down the town. It still boggled Gavin’s mind that burning down the town—literally—was a possibility with the guys he worked with.
He shook his head and tried again to clarify what sounded like a stupid plan. “But it’s okay to make an enemy of Kerr if he stole the book? If he’s as dangerous as you seem to think he is, he won’t be real forgiving when the book disappears at the same time we do. And I’m not big on being anyone’s distraction.” Yet he realized this might be the only way to prove to Jack and the team he could do the job.
“Don’t worry. When I say distraction, I mean Kerr will be so into watching the way you respond to me, he’ll be all over himself trying to figure out a way to buy some playtime.”
“Buy me?” Gavin didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered.
“Bribes, money, something. The guy has a habit of trading lovers for favors. And no price is too high to meet his needs.”
“This isn’t making me feel any better.”
“Don’t worry. If Kerr has the book, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure he does, I’ll deal with him.”
“Yeah? How?”
“You leave that to me.”
The grim expression on his face made Gavin shiver. Aid
an wasn’t someone he wanted to cross. He wondered if the rumors about the telepath being able to manipulate minds had some merit. “So, uh, you’re not going to read my mind anymore, right?” Could he trust the bastard to keep his word?
“I’ll try not to. You broadcast particularly loud. Didn’t you pay attention to the classes about shielding yourself?”
“That was over three years ago.” Back when the PWP had been shoving physical training, self-defense, and weapons classes down his throat in between gene-altering drug therapy.
“So the answer is no, then.” Aidan shifted over him, rubbing against Gavin’s erection that refused to quit.
“Would you get the hell off me? I haven’t agreed to partner you in anything.”
“But you will. Because if you don’t, this op won’t work. I can’t take Ian. He’s too smug, and let’s face it, too beautiful.”
“Oh, but I’m not?”
“No. You’re handsome in a clean-cut, all-American kind of way. Boy-next-door good looks. And a big cock. That’s a plus.” Aidan grinned again, stunning Gavin at how attractive it made him. “And thank you.”
Gavin started. “Huh?”
“I consider myself attractive, but it’s nice to hear it from you. That will help our partnership.”
“Damn it. Get out of my head.”
“Make me.” Aidan finally moved back and planted himself on Gavin’s thighs. “Do you want to be a field agent or not? Your choice. The way I see it, Jack’s giving you a shot to make up for insubordination. You took a case you weren’t assigned, and then you screwed it up.” Aidan stared down at him. “He doesn’t give a lot of second chances.”
Gavin knew that. As much as he didn’t want to work with Aidan, he would. To make things right, to gain some respect, and hell, to have the street cred he’d been dying for.
“Fine. But this is for the op. You help me; I help you. And that’s it.”
Aidan nodded.
“Attraction is physical. It doesn’t mean I like you.”
Aidan nodded again, but the laughter in his eyes bothered Gavin.
“Fuck off.”
“I will.” Aidan’s grin left him, and a hardness darkened his gaze. “Now it’s time to see what you’re made of. I know I can do this, but can you?”
“I can do whatever’s needed to get the job done.” And he would.
“Prove it. Unbutton your jeans and take yourself out. Display yourself for me. I guarantee when we’re there, you’ll be naked as often as you’re clothed.”
Gavin didn’t know about that. Some part of him still wondered if Aidan’s visit wasn’t just a ruse. Because every time Aidan brought up another test Gavin would need to overcome, he tapped deeper into Gavin’s fantasies. Bondage, submission, exhibition…
“Did you not hear what I said?”
“Okay, okay.” Gavin wished he didn’t feel so embarrassed. He had a nice body, and he’d never had a problem watching other people in clubs. But Aidan made it so much more personal. He tried hard to block the man from his mind as he freed himself from his constricting jeans.
“Nice. You’re big and thick.” Aidan’s hand wrapped around him, and Gavin couldn’t stifle a groan. “And wet.” Aidan’s thumb slid over his wet cockhead. He took his hand away and sucked his thumb.
Gavin had a hard time breathing, his gaze fixed to Aidan’s lips. His desire for Aidan’s mouth around him must have been evident, because Aidan sucked harder.
Aidan pulled his thumb out and stared at it. “Glossy. I like seeing my spit on a fat cock. Watching as it leaves my mouth, all wet and shiny.”
Gavin’s breath came faster.
“But if you want me to suck you off, you have to earn it. You have to please your Master.”
“I don’t know about this.” But Gavin knew. He didn’t want to, but he knew.
“And no lying. Tell the truth, boy. What do you want to do right now?”
Gavin fought against it but, knowing Aidan could read him easily if he wanted to, settled part of his qualms about sharing. He probably already had.
“Say it out loud,” Aidan murmured and reached between Gavin’s legs to rub his balls.
“Oh fuck.” Gavin moaned. “I like it, okay? I like the whole domination thing. I want to be bossed around, held down, displayed. I want to bend over and take it hard up the ass.” The truth felt freeing, and the firmer hand over him, now stroking his cock, seemed to be his reward. “I want to be owned.”
Aidan nodded, his gaze glued to Gavin’s. “There’s no shame in that,” he said quietly. He seemed to be taking this seriously.
“Not to someone like you.”
Aidan’s hand stilled. “Someone like me?”
Gavin reached out and touched Aidan’s knee. Oddly enough, he wanted more contact with the man. “Someone so sure of himself. Someone dominant, commanding. I’m just a pussy, a loser to make fun of.”
“You’re not a loser.” Aidan cleared his throat and moved closer. He leaned down, and his belly brushed Gavin’s cock. They remained a breath apart when Aidan added, “A geek, maybe. You’re not a pussy, just a clumsy newbie who took initiative at the wrong time.” The nicest words Aidan had ever said to him. “On this op, the most important thing for you to remember—you’re mine.”
Then he kissed Gavin, and the rest of the world fell away.
SOMEHOW, GETTING GAVIN comfortable with his role became secondary to watching the man come. Aidan kissed him, getting accustomed to his taste and feel. He’d told the truth when he’d said Gavin was his type. Smaller, pretty but not too pretty, and wholesome. He looked like he needed a bit of darkness to balance him, and Aidan had plenty of that.
The mental bombardment he’d expected hadn’t come. He still got hints of Gavin’s thoughts, but nothing derogatory bled into him. Gavin was more concerned about how he appeared to Aidan than about Aidan himself. He didn’t hate or fear Aidan’s telepathy. The younger man wanted equality and respect—two things Aidan had been fighting for his whole life.
Learning Gavin’s secrets put a damper on his annoyance with Gavin’s mistake over the book. He knew all too well what it felt like to not belong, but he hadn’t thought his ribbing had been so hard on the CPA. No one seemed to care what Aidan said. Who knew Gavin had been so sensitive?
He wondered if the boy—as he would now think of him—would be as sensitive all over. He’d gleaned that Gavin hadn’t been with anyone in a long time, that his new partner was clean, lonely, and into his share of kink that Aidan was more than happy to explore. But their close physical and psychic connection had an odd side effect. Gavin’s nearness seemed to ease the tension Aidan normally carried. The intense lust overwhelmed his need to shield himself.
He deepened the kiss and felt Gavin’s firm chest brush his own. He reached between them to stroke those hard little nipples through the cotton of a thin T-shirt.
“Yeah, oh God. Suck them. Please.” Gavin was humping him, that thick cock a treat Aidan couldn’t wait to taste. But he needed to remember that their chemistry had to lead to more. Not just a fuck, but a fuck between equal yet different partners. A master and a submissive. Two halves of a whole.
The dynamic should have scared him. Aidan hadn’t been with a true partner in far longer than he cared to remember. Quick, safe, meaningless sex had been his world for years, ever since his abilities had expanded, thanks to the PWP. But this connection with Gavin had come out of nowhere. It would have troubled him, except that Aidan lived for the mission, and he needed their closeness to succeed.
Aidan leaned up and stared at Gavin’s flushed face and wet lips. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you?” He gripped Gavin’s hair, aware Gavin’s breathing quickened.
“Yes.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Gavin moaned and closed his eyes. “Yes, Sir.”
“I didn’t tell you to close your eyes. Look at me.”
Gavin opened them immediately, his blue eyes so bright they seemed to light up the room.
“Take off your shirt. Then your pants, but remain on the floor.” Aidan stood and stripped naked. He watched Gavin do the same. “No underwear?”
“Ah, not today.”
Aidan caught Gavin’s embarrassment and chuckled. “Not a problem. Makes it easier for me to see all of you. Now lie down and don’t move.” He noted the many times Gavin’s gaze strayed from Aidan’s face down to his cock. The underlying worry that Aidan would bruise him satisfied because a few short bursts of longing from Gavin assured him his boy also liked a hint of pain. Not a lot, but enough to label his sex rough. Yet another instance of their similar sexual tastes.
Aidan didn’t want to push him too far this first time. He wanted to learn about his boy. And for his boy to learn about him.
“We’re going to do a lot of fucking this week, Gavin.” He walked over and straddled Gavin’s body, so that when Gavin looked up, he saw the underside of Aidan’s balls. “We need to learn each other. I’m not sexually active at the moment—well, not counting today.”
“I—”
“And I know you’re good to go.” Aidan lowered to his knees, pleased to see Gavin’s eyes widen. He licked his lips and stared at Aidan’s sac. “So we’re going to play a bit and get to know each other better. We’re going to be so tight that by the end of this op, I’ll know how many times I can make you come before you beg me to stop. I’ll know how far I can push you, and how strong your mental shields will have grown. We’ll be a real team, because we can’t chance a slipup around Kerr and his friends.” Aidan would pull out every stop for a mission. If he had to trust Gavin to watch his back, he’d make sure the guy knew exactly what to do. He’d train the fuck out of him before they went live. And he’d make sure his partner obeyed him to the last letter.
He glanced down at himself to see his cock hard and his slit wet, his enjoyment and arousal real, no matter the reason for their pretense.
“A team,” Gavin repeated.
“Yes. You’ll do what I tell you when I tell you. This is your first test, boy.” Recalling his boss’s advice, he said, “Don’t fuck it up.”
Chapter Three
