Wild Angels

by Bethany Brown

  Julian’s knees gave a little. Jack splayed his legs wider to support their combined weight, tightening his grip just enough as he added a twist to the end of his upstroke. “Julian.”

  That tone of voice, so low and close to his ear, did it for him every time. Julian inhaled sharply as his vision went white around the edges. Jack’s left hand covered his mouth as he came, stifling the sob threatening to escape. His legs went numb and he sagged against Jack’s body, breathing hard. “You and your parking-lot-sex thing.”

  Jack grabbed him by the belt loops and rubbed his groin against Julian’s ass. “I’m pretty sure you started it the first time. Now it’s just learned behavior.”

  “Don’t go all Psych 101 with me,” Julian said sedately, somehow mustering the energy to do up his pants. “I’ll win. Oh, look. Brad left his hockey bag.”

  “Think he was in a bit of a hurry,” Jack snickered.

  “We probably scarred him for life,” Julian pointed out. He retrieved the bag and set it alongside the other two in the back of the pickup.

  Jack’s expression made it clear that he, personally, thought Brad had more than likely just pulled over to masturbate, a possibility Julian wasn’t discounting. “Scarred. Sure.”

  Julian let himself be reeled in again, smiling contentedly against Jack’s mouth. Life was pretty good.

  “Let’s go home,” Jack said after another few minutes of intense kisses. “I want to fuck you on the balcony.”

  Scratch that, Julian thought, prick twitching in renewed interest. Life was great.

  Chapter 7

  Patrick checked his reflection in the mirror one last time. Due to the exercises that Roz had him doing, he was collapsing into sleep every night, which had finally removed the dark circles from underneath his eyes. He hadn’t realized how bad the circles had been until they started to disappear. Patrick was starting to think that Cam had been right to send him here. He really did need to relax. Hopefully, Brad would be willing to help him with that.

  Patrick had managed to get the blue T-shirt on without too much trouble. While his shoulder was still sore, he could at least move his arm without screaming in agony. The faded jeans he was wearing were his favorite pair, and he had received several comments on how great his ass looked in them. Grabbing his leather jacket, Patrick gave Robot a scratch behind the ears and headed out the door, making sure to lock it behind him.

  Thankfully, Julian had hitched a ride to work with Jack and had left him the truck. It would have been bad form to call Brad and ask him to come and pick him up. Putting the truck in gear, which caused a slight twinge in his shoulder, Patrick headed out on his way to Brad’s. He had memorized the directions, but he had a GPS on his cell phone, just in case. While getting lost in a vehicle on a date sounded romantic, Patrick didn’t want to get eaten by bears. Or whatever else was roaming around in rural Alberta.

  After a rather short trip, Patrick pulled into the drive of the charming little house Brad lived in. He put the truck in park and admired the house. It was a nice house with a well-tended yard and neatly trimmed gardens. Either Brad liked plants or he had a service come and take care of the flowers. Turning the truck off, Patrick slowly climbed out. While he was feeling better, the last thing he wanted to do was jar his shoulder and be in pain for the date.

  He was halfway to the door when Brad stepped out of the house. Aw, he was waiting. Cute. Patrick gave him a once over. Nice.

  A pair of faded jeans encased Brad’s hips in a way that made it seem like they were molded to his body. Patrick couldn’t wait to see them from behind, so he could see how they hugged his ass. He hadn’t had a chance to get a good look at the blond man’s ass yet. The mentioned blond hair was neatly combed, but the minute Brad’s eyes landed on Patrick, he nervously ran a hand through it, giving it a mussed look that Patrick liked quite a bit. A dark green T-shirt was visible under the jean jacket he was wearing. Patrick thought he looked good enough to eat.

  “Got something for you in the truck, but you’re going to have to get it because I’m not allowed to lift it,” Patrick stated. When Brad gave him a confused look, he waved at the truck and smiled. He liked confused. Confused looked good on him.

  Brad walked past him to get to the truck. Patrick turned to watch as he walked. Nice ass. Yum.

  “You brought me my hockey bag.”

  “Julian said that you forgot it.” Patrick moved over and leaned on the truck next to Brad. “You know, it’s kind of strange that you forgot your hockey bag. I thought that was something that most hockey players would try to remember.”

  A blush crept up Brad’s neck. “I was distracted.”

  “In the parking lot?”

  The blush got worse. “Do you think that we could just say that I’m forgetful and leave it at that?”

  “Sure,” Patrick replied, even though he was more curious than ever. He gave the other man a bright smile and settled himself against the car. “Why don’t you go and take the bag inside? I’ll wait right here.”

  “Thanks.” Brad smiled shyly and then hurried into the house with the bag in his hand. Watching him run into the house, Patrick got another chance to ogle his ass. The man did fill out a pair of jeans quite nicely. It looked so tempting, Patrick wanted to follow him into the house and toss him across the nearest horizontal surface. Fortunately, contrary to popular belief, he did have some self-control. Brad deserved more than that.

  When Brad came back out, Patrick noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. It seemed as though the bartender was nervous. The thought made Patrick smile. “If we go for food now, you won’t be able to eat anything because of how nervous you are, right?”

  “That about covers it.”

  “Okay, we’ll do the fun part first.” Patrick watched as the flush crept back into Brad’s cheeks. He raised an eyebrow at the other man. “Do I want to know what it is that you’re thinking?”

  “Probably not,” Brad responded. He walked close enough to touch and stood looking nervously at Patrick.

  Reaching out his left hand, Patrick gently cupped his cheek. “Brad, if you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to. I can honestly say that I would be sad if you didn’t want to. I’d like to spend time with you, but I’m not going to force you into anything.”

  “I want to go.” Brad leaned into the touch with a smile. “I just can’t figure out what you could have found around here that would be considered fun.”

  “Trust me, it’ll be fun.” Patrick gave the captured cheek a quick caress and then turned and carefully climbed back into the truck. Brad was already sitting with his seat belt on by the time he got in and got the door closed. “Sorry, I’m moving a little slow.”

  “Shouldn’t you be wearing the sling that you had on the other day?”

  “Most likely. Promise not to tell Roz?”

  “Hey, if she asks, I’m not lying. She’s scary.”

  Patrick sighed. “No one ever takes my side.” He backed the truck out of the driveway and started to head to the mystery destination. “So, are you a career bartender or is it just your night job?”

  “Just my night job. I’m a web designer.”

  “Okay, those are two very different things. So, which one is easier?”

  “Web designing.”

  “Really? I would have guessed bartending.”

  “Web pages don’t yell at me.” Brad shifted in the seat so he was facing Patrick instead of the front window. “What about you? Do you like being a cop?”

  “When I’m not getting shot,” Patrick joked. He tossed a glance at Brad and smiled to ease the tension he saw. Brad was looking at his injured shoulder. “In all seriousness, I love my job. I like helping people.”

  They drove in silence for a few moments until Brad noticed that they were headed in the opposite direction of town. “Um, where are you taking me?”

  “Don’t like surprises?”

  “I’m in a truck with a strange man. I’m not sure I’m up for surprises.”


  “Don’t worry, I’m not that strange.” Patrick grinned at him and continued to drive. “You know, I actually had to do research for this date.”

  “Why? Did you forget how to be a gentleman?”

  When Patrick glanced over, he saw the teasing glint in Brad’s eyes. He let a rather wicked smile cross his face. “I never learned.” His smile widened when Brad laughed. “What I meant was that I’ve never taken someone out on a date when I wasn’t on home turf.”

  “So this is new for you?”

  “I love learning new things.” Spotting the road that he needed, Patrick made the turn, ignoring the pull in his sore muscles. A strong hand landed on his shoulder and gently rubbed the area until some of the tension eased. Patrick practically purred into the comforting contact. “That feels amazing.”

  “I’m not hurting you?”

  “No, you’d have to move your hand a bit lower on my shoulder to actually hurt me.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” The tone in Brad’s voice and the feeling of his fingers trailing across his arm made Patrick shiver. When he felt Brad’s hand settle on his thigh instead of making its way back to the other side of the car, he smiled. Brad was finally starting to relax.

  They drove along in silence, but it wasn’t one that was strained. Brad seemed to be looking at the scenery, and every once in a while the hand on Patrick’s thigh would stroke him absently. Patrick was having a hard time not pulling over and jumping the man sitting next to him. The only thing that kept him from stopping the car and doing just that was the knowledge that Brad didn’t even seem to realize that he was doing it. Finally pulling into the parking lot of their destination, Patrick turned off the engine.

  “You brought me to paintball?” Brad was looking from the sign to Patrick with a confused look on his face.

  “Where did you think that we were going to go?”

  “I honestly had no idea.”

  “I like being full of surprises. Makes life interesting.” Patrick grinned and climbed out of the truck. He was feeling so happy with how things were progressing that he wasn’t paying attention when he climbed out. He banged his shoulder against the door as he closed it. He just managed to keep from screaming.

  “Shit! Are you okay?” Brad was instantly at his side, giving him a strong frame to lean against while he rode out the last waves of pain. “Patrick? You okay?”

  “I need to not hit myself with doors, but other than that, I’m just fine.” Patrick pulled back and lifted his hand to trace his fingers along Brad’s cheek. “Thanks for worrying.”

  “It wasn’t a problem.”

  “Come on, let’s go.” Patrick pushed himself away from the truck and grabbed Brad’s hand. When Brad linked their fingers together, Patrick gave him a tug and propelled them toward the entrance. Ten minutes later they were wearing coveralls and safety goggles, holding bags full of paint-filled balloons, and standing in the middle of the paintball field. Patrick flashed Brad a grin. “I’ll give you a two-minute head start.”

  Brad grinned at him and then took off into the field, disappearing behind a large stack of straw bales. Patrick counted off two minutes in his head. His watch was underneath the coveralls and he didn’t feel like attempting to pull it out. When he reached one hundred and twenty, he set off after Brad. Twenty minutes later, they had empty bags, were covered in paint, and were laughing. All the tension that had filled Brad earlier in the day seemed to be gone, and the smile on Brad’s face caused an immediate spark of arousal in Patrick. He wanted to lick that face.

  Coveralls back with the manager and cleaned up as well as possible, they headed back to the car. Brad’s fingers linked with the fingers of his left hand, and Patrick gave them a squeeze. He tugged Brad to his side and wrapped his arm around the other man’s trim waist. When they reached the truck, Patrick opened the door and held it open for Brad. Brad gave him a sweet smile and pulled his door closed.

  Patrick climbed into the driver’s side and turned to look at Brad. He had streaks of red, green, and blue paint in his hair, and his cheeks were flushed with excitement. He turned to face Patrick and grinned. “So, now where are you taking me?”

  “Not telling.” Patrick put the truck in gear and started to drive. Once he hit the street, Brad’s hand landed on his thigh once again. The simple touch sent pleasure zinging through his body. After a shorter drive than the one that took them to the paintball place, Patrick pulled them into the parking lot of a diner.

  “You brought me to Debbie’s?” There was amusement in Brad’s voice.

  “Been here before?”

  “I come here all of the time. Debbie makes the best onion rings.”

  Patrick smiled. “Yeah, I know. Her mom taught her.”

  “You know Debbie?”

  “We grew up together. Her mom owns the best diner in town.” Patrick turned in the car so he was facing Brad. He reached out and tugged at a strand of green hair. “You look like you had an accident in art class.”

  “So do you.”

  “I like the messy look on you,” Patrick replied. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Brad’s lips. His fingers threaded into Brad’s hair as the kiss deepened slightly. He pulled away before things got too intense. “Come on; let’s go get something to eat.”

  Patrick exited the truck much more carefully this time. He managed to get out without banging the door against his bad shoulder. When Brad slid an arm around his waist, Patrick smiled and pulled him closer. They entered the diner like that.

  Once inside, Patrick found himself in almost an exact replica of Maude’s. It reminded him of being at home. A woman who appeared to be about his age looked up as they walked in. A smiled crossed her attractive face as she spotted Brad. “Hey, Brad. Back already?”

  “Can’t keep me away. Plus, this time I have company.”

  “I can see that.” Her eyes moved to Patrick and widened in pleased surprise. “Holy shit, is that Patrick Hawkins?”

  “Hey, Deb, what’s going on?”

  “You get that lanky ass over here and give me a hug!” Deb dashed around the counter and pulled Patrick into a hug. He tried not to wince as she pulled on his shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

  “Taking Brad out for lunch.” Patrick pulled out of the hug and fought the urge to pull his right arm against his chest. The paintball hadn’t bothered him that much, since he had mainly used his left hand, but having his shoulder squeezed after he had hit it with a car door was starting to make the pain mount.

  “I guessed as much. I meant, what are you doing in Alberta?”

  “I’m staying with Julian while I recuperate from an injury. My boss figured that I needed to be away from home if I was actually going to get any healing done.”

  “You’re staying with Julian?”

  “Yes.”

  “Julian Piet?”

  “Yes.”

  “You mean to tell me that he’s moved back here and hasn’t come to see me?” Debbie had her angry look on. The last time Patrick had seen that look, Debbie had punched a guy who had been grabbing her ass without permission. “You tell him if he doesn’t come out here to see me, I will show up on his door.”

  “I’ll do that. Can we sit down and order some food now?”

  “You can sit down, and I’ll bring you your food.”

  “But we haven’t ordered.”

  “Honey, Brad eats here once a week and always gets the same thing, and I’m sure that I still know what you like, so sit your ass down, and I’ll bring your food out in a bit.”

  Patrick gave her a mocking salute, grabbed Brad’s hand, and marched over to one of the booths. He released Brad’s hand when he had to slide in. Once seated, he looked into Brad’s blue eyes and smiled. Brad seemed happy and relaxed, and that made his day. It was nice to know that he could still pull off the date thing. It had been a while since he had been on one. “If I ask you a question, will you give me an honest answer?”

  “Sure.” Brad took P
atrick’s hand and linked their fingers again as he waited for the question.

  “Are you having a good time?”

  “I’m having a great time. This is the most fun I’ve ever had on a date.”

  “Good. I was worried that you wouldn’t have a good time,” Patrick admitted. Tugging on Brad’s hand, he pulled the younger man across the table. He kissed Brad, running his tongue over his lips in a teasing manner until Brad opened for him. After a brief dip inside, he pulled back. “Mmm, you taste good.”

  Brad turned red and bashfully looked at the table. He was given time to recover by the arrival of their food. Debbie placed a cheeseburger in front of Brad, a cheeseburger with bacon in front of Patrick, and a large plate of onion rings between them. “Eat up, boys.”

  Smiling their thanks, they gave their attention to their food. Patrick moaned as he bit into the burger. Damn, does Debbie ever make a good burger. The burger was juicy and the bacon was perfect. After eating his first bite, he picked up the glass of lemonade that he hadn’t even noticed Debbie putting on the table. Brad seemed as intent on his meal as he was, so they didn’t have much of a conversation while they ate.

  When he felt a foot graze him, Patrick looked up. Brad smiled at him over the rim of his glass and did it again. Grinning, Patrick changed the angle of his foot so it was rubbing against Brad’s. They continued to polish off their burgers and the plate of onion rings, playing footsie the entire time. By the time they were done with the food, Patrick was running his foot up and down Brad’s calf, and Brad seemed to be trying to keep his breathing under control.

  “You boys get enough food?” Debbie was holding their empty plates in her hands.

  “The food was great, and we’re stuffed.”

  “Good. I’ll meet you at the counter.” Debbie walked off with a smile and a skip in her step. She had always been a rather cheerful person.

  “Ready for me to take you home?”

  Brad gave him a small smile as he nudged his foot once more. “No, but if you don’t, I won’t have time to get ready for work.”

  “Well, I don’t want you to be late.” Patrick slid out from behind his side of the booth and into Brad’s side. Looking around the diner to make sure that they wouldn’t draw too much attention—this was a small-town diner, after all—Patrick looped his arm around Brad and pulled him close.