Heat Rising [Brac Village 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by Lynn Hagen

  “Seems your husband”—the guy said the word like it was a disease—“witnessed a robbery. The cashier was shot. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to finish questioning him.”

  “I do mind,” Bar snapped angrily. “If you haven’t fucking noticed, he’s traumatized. If you want to question him any further, you can find him in Brac Village. Just ask for Fire Chief Bear Callahan, Spencer’s husband.”

  “Now wait a goddamn minute,” the cop barked as he pointed his finger in Bear’s face. It took everything inside Bear not to punch the cop in his hateful face. The man was a douchebag, plain and simple. Bear had to remind himself that the blue uniform the guy was wearing actually meant something. He didn’t want to go to jail, so instead, he curled his fingers in to stop himself from bitch slapping the bastard. “This is a fucking crime scene. I’ll let you go when I’m done with him.”

  “You’re done with him,” Hawk said in a fierce and commanding tone as he walked over to Bear, Johnny curled in his arms. Johnny looked just as shaken up as Spencer. Bear wanted nothing more than to get their mates out of here.

  Johnny turned his head and looked directly at Bear. “Spencer saved my life. He threw himself on me when the robber shot the cashier.”

  Bear was stunned, and he was through arguing with the narrow-minded cop. Pulling a business card out of his wallet, Bear walked over to the cop and threw it at the man and then walked away, Spencer tucked in his arms. Fuck the bastard.

  Bear settled into the passenger seat as Hawk placed Johnny next to him. It was a long and quiet ride home. Bear wasn’t sure what to say. Spencer’s quiet sobs had stopped, and he was now asleep in Bear’s arms.

  “Do you want to talk about it, pretty baby?” Hawk asked Johnny, breaking the silence. Johnny curled in next to his mate and told them what happened, step-by-step. Bear felt sick to his stomach when Johnny told them about Spencer getting hit on the head with the gun. He wanted to find the bastard who had robbed the gas station and tear him apart limb by limb.

  Johnny turned toward Bear. “I’m sorry he took your truck. Spencer was very careful with it. He didn’t get one spot on the inside.”

  Although Bear was pissed about his truck being stolen, at this point, he wouldn’t have cared if Spencer had spilled something all over the interior. All he cared about was that his mate was safe.

  The truck could be replaced. Spencer couldn’t.

  “You were very brave, pretty baby. But the next time you’re faced with a man who has a gun in his hand, try not to yell at him.” Hawk wrapped his arm around Johnny, giving the guy a tight hug. Bear could see Hawk’s hand shaking and knew how the man felt. They both had come close to losing their mates.

  Bear was thankful when Hawk finally pulled in front of his log cabin. He had never been so relieved to be home in his life. All he wanted to do was take Spencer inside and forget the world existed. “Thanks for driving me out there,” Bear said to Hawk and then turned toward Johnny. “And thank you for keeping him safe.”

  Johnny ran his hand over Spencer’s leg. “Tell him to call me when he feels better. I’m pretty sure he wants to check on the cashier, and I want to as well.”

  Bear gave a firm nod before he exited the truck, carrying his mate inside. He heard Hawk pull away just as he closed the door. Instead of taking Spencer into the bedroom, Bear walked out to the back porch and settled in one of the chairs.

  Spencer loved this view and Bear wanted his mate to see it when he woke up. The sun was starting to set, the day waning. The shadows began to lengthen as Bear glanced over the landscape.

  Now that he was sitting someplace quiet, the impact of what had happened to Spencer hit him hard. Bear’s arms constricted around his mate as he thought about how he could have buried the man instead of picking him up miles from home.

  “I like it out here,” Spencer whispered from Bear’s arms. “It’s so peaceful and quiet.” Spencer’s eyes held Bear with a deep intensity that seemed to reach right into the core of his being. He stroked his mate’s cheek, and brushed the pad of his thumb over his lips.

  “It’s one of the reasons I bought this place.”

  Spencer withdrew from his embrace, looking away from him. Bear was still stroking his mate tenderly, waiting for Spencer to tell him what was troubling the man. “If I hadn’t been so irresponsible, I wouldn’t have put my life and Johnny’s in jeopardy.”

  Bear made a dismissive sound in the back of his throat and lifted Spencer’s face to meet his. “No, if that guy hadn’t decided to rob the store then you two wouldn’t have been in jeopardy. Put the blame where it belongs.”

  “It’s all my fault,” Spencer insisted. “I lied to my boss, I had Johnny lying, but worst of all, I didn’t tell you the whole truth.” A sob crept up the back of Spencer’s throat. Bear could hear it in the man’s voice.

  Bear took Spencer’s hands between his. “Next time you decide to play hooky from work, clue me in. When Priest asked how you were feeling, I had no clue you had called off.” Bear swept his hand over Spencer’s spiky, blond hair. “I thought he was asking about how you were feeling because I mated you.”

  Spencer’s honey-blond eyebrows shot to his hairline. “Really? Oh my god.” The man began to laugh. “I would have loved to have been there for that miscommunication.”

  Bear gathered Spencer into his arms, kissing the top of his mate’s head, careful of his bump. “I’m not like most of the guys around here. I don’t want to clip your wings. If you need a day to just get away, all you have to do is tell me. If you’re going to tell a tall tale to your boss, give me the story first so I don’t make an ass of myself.”

  Spencer pushed at Bear’s chest until he was sitting up. “You’re not mad that I lied to my boss?”

  “Hell no. I’ve lied to my boss and have taken a day off before.”

  Spencer looked skeptical, his cinnamon-brown eyes telling Bear that he was full of shit. “But you are the boss.”

  Bear chuckled. “I didn’t want to feel left out of this conversation. Besides, I haven’t always been the boss. I’ve had shitty-ass jobs while I worked my way to where I am now.” Bear stroked his hand over his mate’s arm, feeling his nerves finally settle. He really didn’t want to clip Spencer’s wings, but he sure as hell was going to have the man move in with him. The gut-wrenching fear he had experienced earlier this evening wasn’t something he ever wanted to feel again. “You’re going to have to call Priest and tell him the truth.”

  Spencer began to shake his head. “But why?”

  “Because I told my men that I’m taking tomorrow off. I want you to do the same. You still need to shift in order to heal that goose egg on your head.” But Bear was being greedy right now. Spencer could heal right now if he shifted. Bear was just enjoying the conversation too much.

  “He’s going to kill me,” Spencer said as he fell forward, his forehead smacking into Bear’s chest. “I don’t want to.”

  Bear patted Spencer on his ass. “Come on, you have to be a big boy about this. That’s what happens in the grown-up world.”

  Spencer lifted his head, glaring at Bear. “Stop talking to me like I’m six years old.”

  “Then stop acting like it.” Bear maneuvered Spencer until his mate was straddling his hips. “And I don’t ever want to get a phone call from a cop telling me that you were a victim in a crime.”

  “Trust me, it wasn’t by choice. What are you going to do about your truck?”

  Bear shoved his hands under Spencer’s shirt, needing the skin-to-skin contact. “I’m going to call the insurance company tomorrow. The police report will back up my claim. Until then, Hawk said I can borrow one of the trucks at the Den.”

  * * * *

  Spencer was trying to hold a conversation with Bear, but his eyes kept wandering to the man’s naked, hairy chest. He remembered how those hairs felt when they brushed over his skin as Bear fucked him.

  And he wanted to feel them again. His body began to tighten when he thought about Bea
r’s lips bringing him to completion. Spencer wanted to return the favor but wasn’t sure how to go about asking. He wasn’t even sure if he should ask or just go for it.

  Since he had never sucked cock before, Spencer was lost. Bear’s fingers were roaming over his back, making it impossible to think clearly. All he could think about was tasting his mate.

  “Spencer?” Bear’s fingers tapped on Spencer’s back. “Are you listening?”

  Instead of answering, Spencer reached forward and ran his fingers through the sleek, soft hair on Bear’s chest. The man’s pecs were well developed, his chest broad in size. Spencer could feel the honed muscles under the palms of his hands. His mate was a very tall man and Spencer had plenty of body to explore.

  Bear didn’t say a word. The only thing he did was remove his hands from Spencer’s back and place them on the arms of the chair. Last night when Bear had claimed him, he hadn’t had a chance to really appreciate the man’s body.

  Good god, the man was hairy. But it wasn’t wiry and sticking out everywhere. It was lying flat against the man’s flesh, soft to the touch. When one of Spencer’s fingers brushed over Bear’s peaked nipples, he saw his mate’s hands tighten, the knuckles turning white.

  Spencer glanced up into smoky-grey eyes that were studying him intensely. He could see that his mate didn’t want him to stop. The muscles of Bear’s neck seemed strained as Spencer’s eyes slowly lowered. He wondered how to ask for what he wanted.

  “Can I…I want to…” Spencer wanted to kick himself. He hated that he couldn’t bring himself to just ask. His tongue grew thick in his mouth as his fingers still skimmed over Bear’s naked flesh.

  “Just ask, baby. Whatever you want.” Bear’s voice had returned to the deep, melodic tone that Spencer love to hear. All of a sudden, Spencer wanted to hear the husky, sex-riddled voice while they made love.

  Spencer brushed his hand down Bear’s abdomen until his fingers touched the waistband of his mate’s pants. They hovered near the snap as Spencer swallowed hard. “I–I want to taste you.” He felt his face heating up at his blunt statement.

  Bear’s abdomen jerked. “Then do it.” He took Spencer’s hands in his and brushed them over his straining erection. Spencer’s fingers became too big for his hands as he tried to release his mate’s cock.

  He just couldn’t seem to make them work properly. Bear finally saved him when he unsnapped his pants, pulling the zipper all the way down. The metal-on-metal sound seemed to amplify in Spencer’s ears.

  “Stand up.”

  Spencer moved until he was off of Bear’s lap. His mate stood as well, taking his jeans all the way down his legs. His thick fingers wrapped around the base of his cock. Spencer could see now that Bear wanted him on his knees.

  Before Spencer could lower himself, Bear grabbed the cushion from the chair and dropped it down at his feet. He wanted to say something witty, but nothing came to mind as he stared at the hard cock in Bear’s hand.

  With his heart beating faster, Spencer lowered his knees to the cushion. He was now staring directly at the head. Small glistening beads of pre-cum were escaping from the slit. The strong, manly scent filled Spencer’s lungs.

  “Taste me.” Spencer could hear the strain in the man’s voice. He moistened his lips before opening his mouth wide, taking the head in. Bear made a loud hissing noise as Spencer licked his tongue around the head, sucking the taste deeper into his mouth.

  Spencer placed the palms of his hands on Bear’s thighs, feeling the coiled muscles under his fingertips. As he licked his way around the head, Spencer took another inch into his mouth. His mate didn’t move as he tried his best to learn the art of sucking dick.

  Bear’s hand gently brushed over Spencer’s hair until he cupped the back of Spencer’s head. His mate began to move in slow increments, his cock pushing in until it nearly touched the back of Spencer’s throat and then slowly withdrew.

  He had no clue what he was doing. The only thing Spencer was concentrating on was not gagging. The girth of his mate’s cock was overwhelming. Stretching his mouth wider, Spencer traced the velvety silk as Bear’s erection slipped back and forth over his tongue.

  “Clamp your lips tight, baby.”

  Spencer did as Bear asked, creating a tight seal. He was pretty sure he was doing this right when his mate groaned loudly. His thrusts began to increase, his cock pushing further into Spencer’s mouth.

  Spencer’s fingers curled into his mate’s thighs as Bear gave a loud, straining groan. Bear held Spencer’s head in place as he stroked his cock rapidly, cum filling Spencer’s mouth in a vast amount. He tried to swallow, but Spencer choked, the seed spilling from between his lips.

  Spencer nearly squealed when Bear grabbed him under his arms and spun him around. His mate bent him over the railing, yanking his pants down to his ankles.

  Bear was still hard.

  He wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. Wasn’t a man supposed to go limp once he came? The questions fled Spencer’s mind when he felt something wet at his asshole. His mate’s fingers were circling his entrance before they speared inside of him.

  Spencer shouted as his fingers curled around the wood, his breathing labored. Bear was moving his fingers so quickly in and out of Spencer’s ass that his body was quivering. Just when he thought he couldn’t take any more, Bear drove his cock deep.

  His mate grabbed Spencer’s hips, pulling him up off his feet as he pounded into Spencer’s ass. This was not the careful lovemaking that Bear had shown him last night. This was wild, animalistic, and holy hell, Spencer loved it!

  “Harder, Bear,” he shouted, unsure where those words were coming from, but Spencer refused to take them back. He could feel the hairs on Bear’s thighs rubbing over the back of his. The added stimulation was Spencer’s undoing.

  He cried out his release, hearing his voice echo through the woods just beyond the porch. Bear slammed his groin a few more times into Spencer’s ass, his cock going deep before the man slumped over Spencer.

  “Fuck,” he panted into Spencer’s ear as he wrapped his arms around Spencer and pulled him away from the railing. His mate sat on the chair, his cock swollen inside Spencer. He knew it would be a moment before his mate could pull free.

  Resting his back against his mate’s hairy chest, Spencer gazed out over the woods, smiling to himself that he had made his mate lose control.

  Bear petted him as they watched the fireflies light up the night. Spencer had never been happier or more content in his life. He never wanted to leave. Being with Bear, feeling safe in his arms, was a place Spencer always wanted to be.

  Chapter Seven

  “Is it alive?” Johnny asked as he stared at the funny-looking burger on the counter. He had never seen anything like it before.

  “It’s a vegetarian burger,” Spencer answered. “How can it be alive?”

  Johnny scratched at his head as he walked around the counter, his eyes glued to the thing sitting on parchment paper. “How can it be a burger if there is no meat in it?”

  The smell of the grill wafted into the kitchen, making Johnny very hungry. Bear had invited him and Hawk over for a cookout. Johnny was salivating at the smell of steaks and hot dogs cooking. He just wasn’t sure what this thing was that Spencer planned on eating.

  He had an urge to poke the patty with a stick.

  “It’s made of soy.” Spencer grabbed a paper plate and set the funny-looking burger on it.

  “Oh, the stuff you put on Chinese food?”

  “No,” Spencer answered as he shook his head. “That’s soy sauce.”

  Johnny was so confused. Wasn’t that the same thing? He pushed the funny burger from his mind as he turned toward Spencer. “Did you get into trouble with Bear?” he asked as he grabbed a chip from the open bag on the counter. Bear and Hawk were on the back porch, talking man stuff. Things like race cars and what Bear did for a living.

  Boring.

  “No. Bear just made me promise not to lie to him again.�
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  Johnny giggled as he glanced out of the window over the sink, making sure Hawk wasn’t listening. “I got spanked.”

  “Hawk punished you?” Spencer asked incredulously.

  “It was my idea,” Johnny bragged. “I kept telling him that I wasn’t going to be chained down to his rules, so my mate kept slapping my ass. Of course, he did other things as well that made my toes curl.” He winked at Spencer, slapping his chest with pride. “He thinks he is punishing me, but he has no idea that I’m enjoying every second of it.”

  “You are truly twisted, my man.” Spencer grabbed the plate and headed for the door. Johnny grabbed his friend’s arm and pulled him back. “Did you hear about Harley?”

  Hawk said that Johnny gossiped too much. That wasn’t true. Johnny just heard things and passed on the information. If things were done out in public, then he wasn’t the only one who knew—and probably wasn’t the only one to wag his tongue about it either.

  “No.” Spencer set his plate down. “What happened?”

  He thought about teasing his friend, but this was just too juicy to keep to himself. “Bailey and Damon got into a fistfight down at the movie theater. Damon said he didn’t care about what Harley was doing, but apparently Bailey had spotted them smooching in front of the movie theater. It took two units of cops to break them apart.”

  “Pretty baby!”

  Drat.

  Hawk had heard him. Dang the man and his superior hearing. Johnny quickly leaned forward, cupping his hand at Spencer’s ear. “They are both sitting in jail.” He turned toward the screen door. “Coming, Hawk!”

  Maybe he would get another spanking.

  Johnny smiled to himself as he walked out.

  * * * *

  Bear strode out onto the front porch, his eyes zeroing in on the campaign sign that was shoved into his lawn. Who in the hell was Bart Fishman? Whoever the man was, he was running for mayor.