Catch and Release

by BA Tortuga

  “Sage says that it’s like losing a parent, in a weird way. He says it comes and goes, and sometimes it surprises you, but….” He squeezed Jayden’s fingers, and he couldn’t have stopped his grin. “Right now, I gotta admit, life feels great.”

  “That tickles me to no end, and if we weren’t here, I’d kiss you immediately.”

  “I don’t want my first real kiss to end up getting me murdered in a Mexican restaurant, Jayden. I do want it to be with you, though.” God, he felt about ten feet tall and bulletproof.

  “Me too. I mean, yours. I think my first real kiss was in middle school, and I won’t go into that anymore.”

  “You were an early bloomer, huh?”

  “I was a walking hormone. I was so ready I was a loose cannon.”

  “Did you think you wet the bed, the first time you had a wet dream?”

  “God, yes. I was hysterical.” Jayden laughed out loud. “I was a dork.”

  “Me too. I would have these dreams that didn’t mean anything, you know? Then at the end things were messy.” He’d thought he was losing his mind, but his nanny had just laughed and told him boys were filthy beasts when it came to sheets.

  “My mom was finally like, ‘Where are all your sheets?’” Jayden said. “I was stuffing them in the trash.”

  “Mom’s housekeeper called it the time when boys learn to do laundry.”

  “I like it.” Jayden jerked his head toward the door. “No dessert. We could go for a ride, maybe? I mean, if you’re tired and want to go home, that’s cool. I’m just ready to be outside.”

  “Works for me. It’s going to cool off some. It’s a pretty night. Maybe after a while, I’ll buy Dairy Queen?”

  “Oh God. I love dipped cones. You’re on.”

  Nice. Dipped cones he could afford too.

  They headed outside, shoulder to shoulder. Dakota felt like running around in circles, like bouncing and swinging Jayden around in a circle, and he knew he couldn’t—he knew. That wasn’t something grown men did.

  Still, inside he was rejoicing.

  When Jayden’s hand brushed his, raising the tiny hairs on his arm, he burst out with a laugh, unable to hold in the joy.

  “That’s good, right?” Jayden asked.

  “It’s a little stupid with goodness, actually.”

  “That’s how I feel. My skin is too tight, you know?”

  “Yeah. Like tiny fireworks. Is that silly?” He didn’t want to be silly right now. He wanted to be… desirable.

  “Not at all.”

  They climbed into Jayden’s truck, and the air hit him when Jayden turned on the engine, hot as hell for a moment, kinda making him dizzy.

  “Let’s go… how about out toward Lake Travis? We’re right here at 183.” Jayden stopped, took a deep breath. “Or you could come see my house, if you want. No pressure.”

  Jayden looked so worried, so nervous, and it was so goddamn cute.

  “Jayden.”

  At the sound of his name, Jayden looked over at him.

  “I was in prison for twelve years. I will never, ever have sex with someone I’m not into again. I’m not frightened.”

  Cheeks going dark, Jayden nodded. “Okay. So would you like to come to my place?”

  “I think I would, yeah. I’d like to see your place.” He touched Jayden’s arm. “I won’t hurt you or be inappropriate or nothing. I promise.”

  He wouldn’t do anything to hurt this man.

  “I know that.” Eyes twinkling, Jayden put the truck into gear. “You’re a good man, Dakota. I can tell.”

  “I’m trying.” He wanted to be worth something to someone.

  “You are. I can say different about a lot of people.”

  They headed out, Jayden humming along with the radio. He had a nice voice. Smooth and melodic.

  They traveled down to 2222 and headed out, the lights of the city fading as they got into the hills. His nerves started to get to Dakota a little, because this wasn’t a cheap area to live. Oh, he knew Jayden had money, but he just—he hoped to hell Jayden’s house wasn’t all white or something.

  “I bought an older place out here. It’s more yard and outdoor space than house, but it’s mine, and I love it.”

  They pulled up in front of a big ranch house from the fifties or something. At least he thought so. The low-hanging roof and cinder block wall in front made him think of his gran’s place in Houston.

  “You don’t have plastic on the furniture, do you?”

  “Nope.” Jayden stepped out, then came around to open the door for him. “I do have one room that still has shag carpet.”

  “Groovy.” They both cracked up, and when he hopped out, they brushed together, and his entire body went tight.

  A strangled noise came from Jayden too, and Jayden caught one of his hands, pressing their palms together.

  “I—” God, he wanted that kiss. Right now. He wanted to know if the salsa would make their lips tingle together.

  Jayden drew him inside, the funky wood paneling a blast from the past. There was a piece of modern art in the entry, the stark lines and deep colors a crazy contrast to the knotty pine look.

  He took a deep breath, filling his lungs. “It smells good in here.”

  It smelled like Jayden.

  “Wood polish,” Jayden said easily. “This is the front room.”

  “Oh, look at that.” A sunken conversation pit with one of those orange alien-looking stoves took up the center of the room. The floors had obviously been redone, as they were tiled for Texas heat. The furniture looked really comfy too.

  “It’s amazing.” And he wasn’t even being flattering. It was like… history. A little modernist, a little postmodern, and completely central Texas.

  “Thanks.” Jayden used the grip on his hand to reel him in. Slowly, so slowly Dakota didn’t even realize it until he was pressed along Jayden’s side. One hand slid up his arm, Jayden touching his shoulder, then the back of his neck.

  His heart beat so fast it felt a little bit like a hummingbird was trapped in his chest, but that was okay. This was a lot of firsts wrapped up into one second, and he intended to feel every single flutter, thank you very much.

  “Gonna kiss you now,” Jayden warned, as if he was giving Dakota one last chance to duck and run. Then Jayden bent and pressed their lips together, a warm, firm caress.

  He opened up, partly to groan, partly because he needed to breathe a second of Jayden’s air.

  Jayden took full advantage, tongue pressing between Dakota’s lips, pushing inside to taste him.

  It did tingle.

  Dakota didn’t think it was the salsa, but it burned, all the way to the ground.

  Chapter Fifteen

  JAYDEN HUMMED along with Trent Willmon while he dusted. He had all these stupid academic decathlon trophies in his office, and now that Dakota was coming over, he—

  The phone rang, making him jump near out of his skin. The house line never rang. He had it for the rare fax.

  “Hello?”

  Nothing. Just a crackle on the line, the kind you got when the other guy forgot to hang up. Huh. Must be a wrong number.

  Jayden hung up and got to dusting again. The cobwebs were embarrassing. Seriously. Not that he was going to have Dakota in his office. Invite him in. Yikes. Everything sounded like sex these days.

  He grinned a little, thinking of the long evening they’d spent exchanging kisses last week. Jayden had driven Dakota home and then returned to his house and jacked off in the shower.

  Twice.

  The phone rang again, and he grabbed it. “Hello?”

  “Is this the lawyer?”

  Oh, Lord. Jayden rolled his eyes. “I am a lawyer, yes.”

  “This is Chris McCarthy. I hear you’ve been poking into my daughter’s case. Why?”

  “I beg your pardon?” Jayden opened his mouth and both of his parents came out. His mom’s cold, polite manner and his pop’s hard tone.

  “Are you trying to put him
back in? Can that even happen? I can help. She can’t sleep at night. She’s cutting herself again. I’ll do anything to get him back in where he belongs.”

  Jayden winced. That had to suck. It really did. He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Mr. McCarthy, but I’m not at liberty to discuss the case with you.”

  “Who are you working for? Are you working for that bastard?”

  “No, sir. I’m just having some rape kits tested.” That was a reasonable answer, right? He wasn’t working for Dakota. He wasn’t Dakota’s attorney.

  “Well, he got off too damned easy. I want his balls.”

  “I can understand that you’re very angry, sir. At the risk of really offending you, I can recommend several exceptional counselors for your daughter.”

  “She’s got them. Tons of them. Dallas, Houston, as well as the ones here.”

  “I see.” He tapped his fingers on the desk, agitation working its way out. Jayden knew he couldn’t let it show in his voice. “I’m very sorry this happened to your daughter, Mr. McCarthy.”

  “You and me and everyone but the little prick that hurt her. Let me give you my number. I want to know if there’s a way to put him back in Huntsville.”

  “Sure. If there are any developments, I can call you.” Better the old man hear it from him than hear it on the news when Dakota was exonerated.

  “I appreciate it. I’m keeping tabs on him. I want to know where he is, so when he does this again, he never gets out.”

  “Mmm.” What the hell could he say to that? He would warn Dakota, because God knew, Jayden had dealt with a stalker and knew how dangerous that could be.

  The last thing Dakota needed right now was to believe he was being watched all the time.

  “Don’t you humor me like a lunatic, boy.”

  “No, sir.” Jayden actually smiled because this guy reminded him of Pop. “I’ll call you once the kit results are in.”

  With any luck, they could have a DNA match with the real perp to report.

  He didn’t want this little girl to suffer anymore, but Dakota had suffered, and dammit, Dakota was innocent.

  “You do that,” McCarthy said before rattling off a phone number.

  Jayden scratched it out on a notepad on his desk. “Got it. I’ll holler when and if I hear anything.”

  “Good deal.”

  Once the line went dead, Jayden plopped down in his chair. That was a mood-buster for sure.

  He clicked his mouse, bringing his computer screen back up. Okay. So, he needed to get his groove going again. No sense bringing Dakota down too. The man could read people in a second, which was wonderful and horrifying at the same time.

  He brought up some silly YouTube video about cats and iguanas, which always made him smile. Jayden needed to put the McCarthy family in a box for the evening.

  A big box with a lock and a seal of superglue, because he wanted another few thousand of those kisses. It was an addiction, really, because it wasn’t his style. He loved the hot, sweaty fucking, tearing it up, but this was like drowning, like being lost and liking it.

  Ta-da. Better. And boner. Which, okay, he needed to back off on that to begin with too. Jayden hopped up and headed for the kitchen. He could have a glass of wine before Dakota came over.

  Next weekend he was going to have Dakota in a cabin in the woods. A cabin with just the four of them, so no pressure to make love, but an opportunity to touch in a more public space, to show Win and Sage both that he was interested in becoming a thing, maybe.

  Win might kick his butt. He would say Win might try to kick his ass, but his money was on Win. The guy was a stud.

  Hell, Dakota could possibly kick his ass. He’d never had a lover with no softness to him. He held Dakota, and it was like hugging something carved from pure marble. Jayden had lost five pounds in the last two weeks, working out like a fiend. Dakota made him feel a little doughy.

  He had to wonder if Dakota knew it, saw how fucking hot he was, with his chiseled jaw and hard little body. Probably not. When Jayden looked in the mirror, he was often surprised to see a thirtysomething guy, feeling as if he was still the guy from high school. Dakota probably still expected the “fat kid,” as he called himself.

  Bodies and minds were strange things.

  Shit, life was the single most fucked-up thing going.

  His cell rang, Dakota’s face popping up, and he smiled, grabbing it. “Hey!”

  “Hey there. Are you still wanting to supper?”

  “I am. You on your way?” Jayden thought better of the wine, grabbing a Sprite instead.

  “Yessir. Do you want me to pick anything up on my way?”

  “Not unless you want something special to drink. I have tea and water and Sprite and Diet Dr Pepper.”

  “Sprite is fine. I have cinnamon buns too. Azel is in a baking mood.”

  “Oh, man.” Azel was something else. He cooked and baked and was generally pretty happy for a guy bound to a wheelchair and pretty much stuck at home. Jayden liked him a lot. Meeting Adam Winchester had opened up Jayden’s world, that was for sure.

  Before then his life had been suits and boardrooms and courtrooms and fine dining with many random forks and all the shit that brought.

  This was better. This felt like he was meeting people who were living real lives. His life felt more genuine. Not only that, but he liked the idea of doing pro bono work.

  His mom would be so proud.

  “I know. The whole truck smells like heaven.” Dakota laughed softly, the sound intimate and husky. “If heaven had lots of cinnamon sugar.”

  “I bet it does. I mean, how much milk and honey can one angel really consume? I bet they like cinnamon rolls up there.”

  “I’ll be there in ten, give or take. I’m past Spicewood.”

  “I’m waiting, honey. See you soon.” As soon as Jayden hung up, he checked the front room, kitchen, and bathroom. Clean as a whistle. Woot.

  His heart beat just a little too fast. His palms were as sweaty as when he was called back into the judge’s chambers for a dressing-down. This was… stupid and silly and wonderful, all at once.

  Stupid and silly and wonderful wrapped in dark eyes and thick black hair that was buzz-cut to within an inch of its life.

  His fingers actually itched to touch, and Jayden told himself to calm his ass down. Dinner. A movie. Making out on the couch. Boom. He could do this.

  When Dakota pulled up, he forced himself not to yank the door open and just prove how he’d been waiting. Instead he watched his… his what? His lover? His best friend? His paramour? His pro bono case? His Dakota. He watched Dakota walk up, the man wearing a starched shirt and a pressed pair of jeans.

  Jayden grinned. Dakota looked more cowboy all the time. Add a good Stetson and a pair of Tony Lamas and he would look as if he’d grown up on a ranch.

  He didn’t make Dakota juggle to ring the doorbell, because cinnamon rolls and icing, but that wasn’t too desperate, right?

  “Hey.” Jayden took the box of rolls, then bent to take a kiss.

  “Hey.” Dakota met him halfway, the flavor of coffee and mint addictive as hell and glorious in its familiarity.

  Backing off, he led Dakota to the kitchen. “How’s it going, honey?”

  “Good. Been a busy week, a good week. I worked till noon today so I could leave early Friday afternoon.”

  “Good deal.” Jayden grinned, then rewarded Dakota with another soft touch of lips.

  “How was yours?” Dakota looked at him like he was made of magic, and he wasn’t sure if that was amazing or frightening.

  “Good.” Aside from that one phone call, anyway. Jayden shook that off. “Are you hungry, or do you want to sit a bit?”

  “I’m easy.”

  He shot Dakota a quick look, and they both made it about a second before they cracked up.

  “Then come sit with me a bit.” Supper would take very little time to cook.

  He loved it when Dakota reached out, took his hand, and wrapped t
heir fingers together. Their palms met, all of Dakota’s calluses scraping his skin, which sent tingles up Jayden’s arm. They hit the couch, Dakota snuggling in against Jayden’s ribs.

  “I like your new shirt.”

  “Thank you.” Dakota smoothed down the front, showing off his ripped little body.

  Jayden admired. “It’s a great color for you. Still liking fence work?” The new crew seemed to really be working out for Dakota.

  “I do. A lot. It’s good work, and I like figuring problems out, you know?”

  “I do. You’ve got a good mind, Dakota.” Jayden winked. “And a great body.”

  Dakota turned a sweet rosy pink, eyes rolling dramatically. “I have to tell you, I thought that I was broken. Now I’m not so sure of that.”

  A soft chuckle escaped him. “Well, when you’re ready to test that theory, you tell me. I won’t push.” He wouldn’t, but that would be a monumental struggle.

  Dakota stroked his fingers, traced them slowly. “I think we probably have to talk about stuff before we get naked. I don’t want you to look at me different than you do now, though.”

  That seemed fair.

  More than, really. Dakota deserved to tell his story, as well. “I can see that. Doesn’t keep me from wanting to kiss you.”

  “No. No, I want to kiss you. Shit, I want to do a lot of things that we probably won’t ever get to do, but kissing is at the top of my list.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Jayden turned, sliding one hand along Dakota’s chin, then back behind his ear. He tugged, and Dakota flowed into him, kissing him back when their mouths came together.

  Dakota’s hand was on his belly, solid and firm, a pure heat that he wanted to feel forever, just like so.

  He had to pull back after a minute or two, his breath coming too fast, his cock aching. Jayden’s eyes uncrossed, and he grinned, shaking his head. “Yum.”

  “Yeah. Yeah.” Dakota leaned back, and Jayden could see it, the outline of Dakota’s erection waiting for attention, needing his attention, dammit, even if Dakota wasn’t ready for him to give it.

  When he found himself reaching for it, Jayden knew it was time to move on. “Want to cut salad fixings for me?”

  “I can do that. Lettuce and tomatoes and radishes?”