by Taylor Rylan
“You know—” I cleared my throat and looked over at those blue eyes that were no longer icy. “You’re very good at that and I’d love to keep going, but maybe we should…umm…yeah.”
I watched as Bishop smiled at me. Damn, there wasn’t anything about the man that wasn’t gorgeous. Seriously. His lips were so, so kissable, and his complexion just tied it all together. His hair was soft and thick, and I could certainly get used to running my fingers through it.
“It’s a little early to go to bed yet, but we could watch a movie. Or if you want, we can play Xbox or something else. Although, I haven’t had a lot of time for that lately.”
“Can I be honest and say I’ve never played Xbox?”
“You can.”
Bishop pushed up, and when he couldn’t quite sit up with the way we were lying, he simply rolled onto the floor and stood up. I had a perfect view of the bulge in his pants, but I already knew he was just as hard as me. I quickly sat up and tried not to wince, but when I saw Bishop shove his hand down his pants and readjust himself, I sighed in relief as I did the same thing.
“Bathroom? I should probably wash my hands now. Sorry.”
A smirk appeared out of nowhere, and when Bishop held out his hand, I readily took it. He pulled me up off the couch but didn’t let go as he led me to the bathroom just on the other side of what appeared to be the garage door.
“That’s the garage and this is the bathroom. If you need to use it, feel free. I’ll go wash my hands in the kitchen, and then what do you say to some coffee?”
“Coffee is always good in my book. I drink too much of it, I’m sure, but I’ll never say no to it.” I smiled, and he nodded and turned to head back to the kitchen. I quickly washed my hands; I was still too hard to even attempt to use the restroom, and after I dried my hands on the towel, I went back out to rejoin Bishop. I found him in the kitchen, standing there holding a bowl up, and Oreo was at his feet, sitting and staring at him.
“Dinnertime?”
“Yeah. I worry if I just fill it, you know? Some days she eats all of her food, others she doesn’t. There’s really no rhyme or reason to her.”
“I’d say it’s normal for a dog her size to fluctuate like that. I’d imagine that on days she’s super active at the clinic, she probably eats more on those evenings. It’s to be expected.”
Bishop nodded at me before he carefully set Oreo’s food bowl down, and she walked over to it and began eating.
“One thing I have noticed is that she has absolutely no food aggression at all,” I said as I watched her eat.
“No, she doesn’t. Dad got her from a reputable breeder, and she’s never wanted for anything. Even when she gets treats that she probably shouldn’t, she isn’t aggressive,” Bishop told me.
I raised an eyebrow at him, and he sighed in defeat.
“I know I shouldn’t, but it’s hard. You try telling those eyes no.”
I laughed because I couldn’t. “You do realize that I took her home with me last week, right?”
“Yeah. And? I thanked you for that. You really didn’t have to take her home with you.”
“I’m not supposed to. What if something happened when I was transporting her? Or once we were at my place? I find myself breaking all kinds of rules for you,” I told Bishop as I walked the final two or three feet that separated us and wrapped my arms around his waist. I could smell the coffee, but I didn’t want to move. I wanted to stay where I was with my arms around the man in front of me.
“Well, I’m not upset. She was sick and I truly am thankful that you took such good care of her for me when I couldn’t. I love my job, but sometimes the hours are a bit much.”
I nodded and leaned in for another kiss. We were about the same height, but Bishop was definitely more muscular than I was. That was something that I certainly wanted to explore. Later.
I got my kiss but pulled away quickly. I didn’t want to get carried away. I wanted this man, and I knew the feeling was mutual, but we needed to wait. At least for another day.
“How do you take your coffee?”
“Black. If you have ice, I’ll take a cube in it. If not, I’ll just give it some time to cool,” I said before reluctantly letting him go. I made a note of where he kept everything, and when he poured milk in the bottom of his mug, I made a note to remember that he took his with milk. I heard the ice clink, and then it popped as Bishop poured the steaming liquid over it. He turned with a mug of coffee in his hand and handed it to me before he reached for his own mug.
“So, I’ve never played Xbox, and it’s too early to go to bed and we’re drinking coffee anyway, but does that mean you want to watch a movie?”
“Nope,” Bishop said as he took my hand and gently led me back to the living room. After he set his coffee on the end table, he pushed the ottoman next to the couch on one end and then sat there and spread his legs before patting the spot between them. “I say we cuddle and watch TV.”
“All right,” I said as I placed my coffee next to his and sat between his legs. I automatically leaned back into his chest, and I had to admit, it was quite comfortable.
Bishop grabbed the remote from the back of the couch, and then after he found what he was looking for, he hit Play. I groaned at the thought of watching Bondi Vet with him, but he chuckled in my ear, sending shivers throughout my body, and I thought that it would definitely be interesting to watch it with someone else.
“You said you had a thing for Chris. I have to say—” Bishop stopped and started sucking on the hollow just below my ear, and I moaned loudly into the room. When he took my lobe into his mouth and gave it a gentle tug with his teeth, I gasped before I grabbed his thighs and gave them a squeeze.
“You don’t play fair,” I complained.
“You’ve been all I could think about since I first saw you.” Bishop nosed his way down my neck, and I leaned my head to the side so he could have better access to it. “I can’t believe it took a year of being your client to actually meet you. You’re slacking, Doc.”
“I admit, I need to do better in the future, and I will.” When Bishop pulled the neck of my shirt aside, I gave up and leaned my head back onto his chest and just let him do whatever he wanted to my body. It felt incredible, and I never wanted it to end.
“You know, I know we have to behave, but I really don’t want to. I can’t wait until you actually do all of those things to me you said you wanted to do,” Bishop said before he bit down on my neck where it met my shoulder. I felt him suck, hard, and knew instantly that he was going to leave a mark, but I didn’t care. I wanted to wear his mark. I wanted to belong to him.
“Baby, you gotta stop, or you’re going to make me say fuck it and then I’ll spend the night fucking you instead of holding you.”
“What if I want both? You could fuck me, you know, and then you could hold me,” Bishop said as he gently nibbled his way back up my neck and found my ear again. I cleared my throat before I sat up and turned. I was hard as a rock again, and I knew Bishop was as well because I’d just been lying on his erection.
“I will fuck you. I promise I’m going to make you scream so loud that your neighbors will bang on the wall, and then you’re going to do the same to me. But not tonight, okay? Just let me hold you tonight?”
The smile was back when Bishop nodded at me, which was a relief. I needed him to not be upset. I didn’t want to rush or fuck this up. I’d already messed up more than once; I didn’t know if I’d get another chance. Or deserve one for that matter.
“Fine by me. Here’s your coffee. Why don’t you tell me all about your vet, Chris?”
I took the coffee and angled myself toward Bishop as I told him about the show and the vet that had been the star of it for so long. He listened intently, and after our coffee was gone, I grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.
“You know, we could put Oreo out and then head on upstairs if you wanted. I mean, it’s almost nine and we can just as easily talk up there as we can down here.”
/> “All right. I hope you’re willing to loan me something to sleep in.”
“Yeah. I have plenty of sleep pants and T-shirts. I usually just sleep in pants or underwear though. Is that okay?”
I nodded. It was all I could do because I couldn’t think past the thought of seeing Bishop without his shirt on again. I’d get another chance to touch him. And this time I would. I wouldn’t be running from him, denying us both what we obviously wanted.
I followed Bishop to the kitchen. He called for Oreo and went out with her while I dumped the coffee down the drain and rinsed the mugs before I set them in the sink. In no time, Bishop and Oreo came back inside, both of them covered in a light sprinkling of snow.
“Was it supposed to snow?” Bishop asked as he locked the sliding door and pulled the blinds shut.
“I’m not sure. I know it was supposed to Monday, but I haven’t paid too much attention to the weather. This week has pretty much been a blur.”
“You ready?”
“Is that a loaded question?” I asked and gave him an “are you kidding” look. He chuckled but held out his hand, and when I took it, we walked past Oreo, who was drinking water and didn’t seem too worried about us.
“Is she okay?”
“Yep. She’ll be up in just a bit. She races up and down the stairs all the time.”
“Oh. No wonder she ran up and down the hallway at my place. My house is one story. Well, except for the basement, but I didn’t go downstairs with her.”
“Yeah? And where do you live, Doc?”
“In Sulfur Springs. I thought I’d mentioned that before.”
“You probably did. I’ve just been super busy, and my mind has been a million other places lately.” Bishop led me up the stairs, and there was basically a large landing at the top with three doors. In front of us was obviously the master bedroom, to the left was a room with a smaller bed, so the spare, and on the right was a small bathroom.
“If you want a shower, you’re more than welcome to take one. You can use either bathroom. They’re both stocked.” Bishop let go of my hand and pointed toward the hall bathroom as well as the one beside us.
“You sure you don’t mind?” I asked as I glanced at the tub in the room.
“Not at all. I’m going to shower before I climb in bed. I like to wash the day away. And I meant it when I said I usually show up at the clinic with bed head.”
“Well then, I’m going to take you up on it. I should probably wash the clinic away. I know I’m covered in dog and cat hair. If you really don’t mind, I’ll just use this bathroom,” I said as I pointed to the room on our right.
“Sounds good. Let me get you some sleep pants, and then you can get to it. There are new toothbrushes and travel toothpaste and other stuff in the drawer. Help yourself. It’s been there since we never knew when Adrian would be here late for work or not. And at times we’ve made it here in the winter, but sometimes it’s been too treacherous for him to go all the way home.”
“That’s why I have a couch in my office. Sometimes it’s just better to stay at the clinic instead of trying to get back to Sulfur Springs.”
I followed Bishop into his bedroom and gave it a quick glance as I walked over to the dresser with him. On top of it was his badge, handcuffs, and a small safe that I assumed had his sidearm inside. I raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled at me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“It’s obviously something. Does the gun bother you?”
“Nope. Just wondering if you ever use those cuffs for anything other than criminals.”
“I haven’t yet, but I’ll gladly cuff you to my bed at some point, Xander,” Bishop said, shaking his head. He handed me a pair of gray sleep pants and a T-shirt. I cleared my throat before I nodded and fled the room. If I stayed any longer, I wasn’t sure I’d actually be able to leave without first doing something wicked with him.
I’ll admit that I rushed through the shower so I’d have time to jerk off. There was no way I’d be able to not come in the sleep pants I’d been loaned if I didn’t. Deputy Bishop Jones was just too much of a temptation.
I should have known I didn’t need to hurry because I was shooting come into the bottom of the tub in under a minute. I had to bite my fist to keep from moaning out loud, and my legs threatened to buckle on me, but I somehow managed to stay upright.
After I cleaned up my mess, I made sure all parts were clean and rinsed before I turned off the water and climbed out. The towel rack had a towel on it already, and I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to use it or not, so I grabbed another one from above. I dried off with the fluffy blue towel before I threw it over the shower curtain. I finger combed my hair and then walked over to the sink.
I went ahead and made myself at home and found the travel-sized toiletries in the drawer and used them. First the deodorant and then the toothbrush and toothpaste. Once my breath was minty fresh, I pulled on the sleep pants but left the T-shirt on the counter and carried my bundled-up dirty clothes into the bedroom where I found a smiling and waiting Bishop.
“Feel better?”
“Yes. The clinic can get funky at times.”
Bishop smiled at me before he shook his head. “I was actually hoping you jerked off—I know I did because, if I didn’t, I was probably going to explode once we got to bed.”
I felt my cheeks turn red before Bishop got up from his position on the end of the bed and stalked toward me. “Good to know I’m not the only one who couldn’t help himself. Let’s go to bed, Xander. I’m looking forward to waking up with you in the morning,” Bishop said as he took my bundle of clothes and tossed it in the general direction of the chair in the corner. I wasn’t sure if any landed there or not, but I didn’t care. I was about to get to touch and hold Bishop all night. How did I get so lucky?
Bishop — 17
Xander was a cuddler. And I also realized that he ran incredibly hot. Or possibly that was simply just the two of us together in my bed. I’d had only one other overnight visitor, and really, things were better if he wasn’t brought up. Ever. True, I didn’t readily reveal my sexuality while on active duty. But I didn’t deny it or basically join in a band of overgrown bullies when it came to people of the gay community either.
We’d behaved, mostly. We both woke up with crazy hair, morning breath, and morning wood. And I’d touched Xander just as much as he touched me. We broke things off, though, when Oreo started doing her “I gotta go” dance, so when Xander went to the bathroom in the hallway, I headed downstairs with the little girl and let her outside. The blast of arctic air did wonders for killing my erection, and I quickly relieved my bladder while Oreo did her business outside.
I was resetting the coffeepot when a pair of warm hands wrapped around my torso. But I felt clothing, and when I looked at the arms, I saw Xander’s shirt on his body.
“Hey, what’s this? I was coming back upstairs.”
“Yes, I’d imagine so. But I have to get to the clinic. I have appointments today.”
I hadn’t even thought about that, and now I felt bad. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize or I wouldn’t have asked—”
“Stop. We’re not high school kids who can’t have a sleepover on a school night. I stayed last night because I wanted to. I hope you’ll invite me over again sometime? And I’d like to take you out, without Adrian and Cody. Not that they’re not great company.”
I cut Xander’s ramblings off with a kiss. He’d already brushed his teeth, and that simply wasn’t fair because I was still standing in my sleep pants and hadn’t brushed mine yet. Oreo scratching on the sliding glass door got our attention, and Xander pulled away to go let her in. I turned and got one of my travel mugs and filled it with black coffee, leaving enough room at the top for a couple ice cubes.
“Here you go. I’m sorry you have to leave so early.”
Xander shrugged but took the coffee from me. “I turned my alarm off almost an hour ago. I didn’t have to drive over fr
om Sulfur Springs this morning, so I figured I’d have time. But I really should get. I have spare clothes in my office, and I need to change before I start the day.”
“Call me?” I asked. I wasn’t quite sure how this was going to work, but he was the one with a busier schedule on the weekends. I only worked weekends when I was out of town, and those trips were few.
“I will. Can we have dinner tonight?” Xander asked before taking a sip of coffee.
“We can. You pick since I basically did last night,” I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist. I leaned in for another kiss but kept it short. He’d said he had to go, and I didn’t want to be the reason he was late or behind.
“Okay, I really do need to get. I’ll give you a call after the clinic closes.”
“I’ll be around,” I said. I didn’t want to admit that sadly, I didn’t do much more than go to work and I didn’t have any plans. Sure, I could always bug Adrian, but he and Cody were happy and cozy, and I always felt like a third wheel with them.
I walked Xander to the front door, and he pulled on his boots and coat before I handed him back his coffee and gave him another kiss. I watched as he walked out to his truck, but I quickly shut the cold out once he had his door open and offered me one last wave. I turned and looked at Oreo, who was looking at me like I’d done something wrong.
“What? You’re not starving and you’ll get fed,” I said as I stalked back to the kitchen. She still had kibble in her bowl from the night before, but I dumped it and refilled it. Spoiled, she wasn’t. I rolled my eyes at myself because yeah, she totally was, and it wasn’t all my dad’s doing. I’d readily admit that.
I poured my own coffee and took the mug upstairs so I could get dressed. When I entered my room, I glanced at the bed and it made me smile to see an indent in the pillow that Xander had spent some of the night on. I’d never had a man just simply hold me. It had always been about getting off, and then one of us was leaving.
Sure, Xander and I had both relieved ourselves in the shower, but we’d done so separately. But he talked. He listened, he understood, he…damn, I was in trouble. I set my coffee down on my dresser beside my badge, and then I stripped out of my sleep pants and tossed them into the hamper. I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to take a longer one and make sure I was clean everywhere. I’d been in a hurry last night and had other things on my mind at the time.
