Ground Zero, page 22
part #1 of Zero Hour Series
“Was I born and raised in the South?”
“I don’t know,” Locke quipped. “We have a lot to learn about each other. I have more to learn than you do because you let me ramble on for ten hours today.”
While it was true, Sawyer had a feeling he’d only learned surface things. He wanted to learn so much more but recognized he had to be patient. “One day at a time, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Locke wolfed down the bacon sandwich and drank another beer before Sawyer showed him to the spare room.
“You have your own bathroom. There should be soap and shampoo in there. I’ll grab you a pair of basketball shorts for you to sleep in.”
“Maybe I like sleeping naked.” Locke hadn’t slurred his words, but he was definitely feeling the additional alcohol. Then he laughed and reached for the hem of his T-shirt. “Just toss them on the bed, and I’ll grab them when I get out of the shower.” Locke reached for the button at the top of his jeans, making it obvious he was getting undressed even if Sawyer was in the room.
“Be right back,” Sawyer said. Locke’s chuckle followed him down the hallway.
Stopping in the peace and serenity of his bedroom, Sawyer pressed a hand over his racing heart. He had to be dreaming. There was no other explanation for the things that happened. Instead of pinching himself to test his theory, Sawyer grabbed a pair of shorts from his drawer and returned to the bedroom down the hall from his. He’d planned to drop the shorts on the bed and leave, but Locke had left the bathroom door open a foot, giving Sawyer an eyeful of toned, tan skin beneath the hot water. Steam had already started to fill the room, but it didn’t prevent Sawyer from seeing Locke reach down and start stroking his cock. Sawyer stood transfixed, staring at Locke pleasuring himself and feeling like a sexual deviant. He might’ve stayed for the entire show if Locke’s deep, lusty moan hadn’t startled him.
Sawyer hauled ass back to his bathroom where he needed to shower the smell of beer off his skin. The downside was washing away Locke’s touch, which made him sadder than it should. Levi. Think about Levi and all the potential there. But it wasn’t images of Levi he took into the shower with him or that followed him into his dreams when they finally came a few hours later.
Royce Locke, what am I going to do about you? Better yet, what am I going to do to you?
Sawyer was awake long before his alarm went off. The few hours he’d slept were fitful at best, and he knew there was no way in hell he could relax back into sleep knowing Locke was just down the hall. Naked? Was he wearing his shorts? Both images tormented his mind and chased him out of bed much earlier than even he preferred.
Bones, his constant shadow, was nowhere to be found in his room. There was no way in hell he’d given up his spot on the bed to sleep anywhere else in the house unless his innate feline curiosity was too much for him to resist. A persistent voice told Sawyer to stay clear of Locke’s borrowed bedroom, but that’s exactly where he headed after dressing for a workout and brushing his teeth.
The carpet runner in the center of the hallway muffled his footsteps, but they still sounded loud to him. When he and Vic renovated the home, an electrician had tucked tape lighting with motion sensors along the baseboard in the hallway. Even though the area was softly lit, it seemed glaringly bright to Sawyer’s overstimulated senses. He noticed the door to the spare bedroom was opened wide enough for his big bruiser to fit through. He knew damn well he’d pulled the door shut when he left the room the night before. Sure, Locke might’ve opened the door before going to bed, but he doubted it.
Sawyer suspected the appeal of a stranger in his home lured Bones, who was tall enough when he stood on his hind legs to reach the handle, and smart enough to know he could easily open it with the swipe of his paw. Sawyer had witnessed his bold intelligence enough to know nothing would stop his cat when he made up his mind that he wanted something.
Aided by the light in the hallway, Sawyer eased the door open slightly wider and peered inside the room. Locke lay facedown on the bed with his head turned in the opposite direction of the door. The shorts Sawyer had loaned him were on the floor next to the clothes, underwear, and shoes he’d worn the previous night. Locke had shoved the sheet and duvet down, exposing the upper curve of his ass. God, the man was beautiful. Fucking pervert. Sawyer felt a little less creepy and slightly more vindicated when he spotted his best furry friend curled into a ball at the base of Locke’s spine. Bones lifted his head, giving Sawyer his don’t-even-think-about-it look.
Curiosity had lured Bones to the room, but he stayed out of necessity. Bones thought Locke needed him, and who the hell was he to argue? Animals had heightened senses that detected things humans didn’t notice. Sawyer had known Locke was a fucked-up mess when he showed up drunk, but Bones’ insistence he was needed drove home just how deep the hurt went.
Sawyer backed out of the room and headed down to the kitchen to start the coffee brewing before he hit his home gym. Pushing his earbuds in place, Sawyer turned on his playlist, which consisted of high-octane rock to stimulate his brain, and started warming up his muscles on the treadmill.
After two miles of cardio, he hit the weights. It was shoulder day, so he concentrated all his energy on those groups of muscles. He cycled through the presses, raises, and rows then repeated until every inch of his body was covered in sweat. He was on his last set of rear delt raises when he glanced up in the mirror and found Locke standing in the doorway behind him. His partner was so busy staring at his ass he hadn’t realized Sawyer stopped the reps until he lowered the heavy barbells to the ground and stood to his full height.
Their eyes met and held in the mirror for several seconds. Locke’s expression was unreadable once more, or maybe it was more like Sawyer was afraid to read too much into the heat he saw in the other man’s turbulent eyes.
“You come here often?” Locke asked, sauntering into the room wearing the borrowed shorts. Sawyer had a bigger build, so they hung lower on Locke’s hips, showing off the definition of his pelvis and broadcasting that he wore nothing beneath them. “This is a nice setup.” Locke ran his finger over the bench press bar, and Sawyer would swear he felt the touch in his groin.
His heart rate spiked even harder when he could no longer deny the lust in his partner’s eyes. In the light of the morning, he was more determined to resist his attraction to Locke. To do so, he’d need distance and clarity. He needed Locke out of his house before his touch and smell permeated everything—every room. Planting a friendly smile on his face, Sawyer turned around and faced Locke. “I just need to grab a shower, then I can drop you off at your place.”
“So eager to get rid of me?” Locke teased, but the light in his eyes dimmed a little. Sawyer had hurt him with his dismissal.
“I just need time to prepare myself for which Royce Locke I’m going to meet today.”
Locke stiffened and lowered his hand to his side. “What the hell does that mean?” Those gray eyes darkened like storm clouds. Anger. Now that emotion was easier for Sawyer to swallow.
“It means exactly what you think it does.”
Locke placed his hands on his narrow hips, and the shorts slid precariously lower, the thin fabric outlining his straining erection. Sawyer jerked his gaze up to meet Locke’s sneer. “You think I’m mentally unstable or have a personality disorder?”
Sawyer rolled his eyes. “No.”
“Then what the hell do you mean?” Locke demanded.
Sawyer held up his index finger. “On Monday, you made it clear you didn’t want me for a partner, and you resented my very existence.” A slight exaggeration. Sawyer held up a second finger. “On Tuesday, we struck a truce, but things were still tense.” A third finger went up. “Wednesday, you get a call from Candi that upsets you which later prompts you to show up at my place drunk and ready to fuck.”
Locke flinched but never looked away. “Okay, maybe some of those things are true.”
“Some of them?” Sawyer’s eyebrow rose with his voice. “Which of those things aren’t true.”
“I didn’t come here to fuck you,” Locke groused. “I came here because I needed a…”
“Friend?” Sawyer supplied. “I was happy the tension between us had eased. I even started to feel like we would be friends someday, but we aren’t there yet. So why me? Why not Stein?”
“I didn’t want to give Holly the wrong idea about our relationship.”
Sawyer laughed, but it was full of disdain instead of humor. “The wrong idea? The two of you verbally fuck one another every time you’re in the same space. It’s borderline disgusting and completely inappropriate for the workplace. How dare you act like she’s this delicate flower who has jumped to wrong conclusions. You can lie to yourself all you want, but don’t sling that bullshit in my direction, and don’t you dare insult her—deliberately or by accident.” The fury raging through his system blindsided him.
“I never said—”
Sawyer didn’t let him finish. “Don’t! You need to own up to your fucking behavior. What about me? Was your tongue down my throat and your thigh between my legs giving me the wrong or right idea? Which is it, Locke?”
“You weren’t complaining?” Locke countered angrily. “You could’ve said no. You’re a strong guy who could’ve pushed me off you at any time. Did you? Fuck no. You gripped my ass and nearly rubbed one out on my offensive thigh. No one has ever kissed me the way you did, so don’t act like you’re some pitiful victim. Yeah, I might’ve made the first move, but you were right there with me the whole time. Right. There. With. Me.” Locke raked his eyes over Sawyer’s sweaty, bare chest then stopped at his groin. “Your outrage might be more believable if your dick wasn’t trying to tear its way out of your shorts.”
Sawyer looked down at his crotch and discovered he was hard as a spike. He’d never found arguing particularly arousing before, but he was in unchartered territory in many ways. “Huh. What do you know?”
“I know I need to come right now, and I’d prefer to not do it alone.” Locke didn’t move; he waited for Sawyer to decide and take the lead.
In response, Sawyer crossed the room and captured Locke’s lips in a hard kiss. Logic. Reason. Self-preservation. All those things bailed on him, leaving him with a need so intense it drove him to the brink of insanity. All that warm, sexy male flesh on display was irresistible, and Sawyer had to touch Locke everywhere, and his partner met his boldness with his own seeking fingers. His mind spun with all the ways he could make Locke shatter apart and cry out his name. Blow job. Jack them off together with his big fist? Frotting against him until they both blew? Full penetration was off the table. No lube or condoms on hand, and he thought Locke might be a virgin to anal sex.
Locke broke the kiss and moaned, “Please. Put me out of my misery, Sawyer.”
Locke had finally spoken his first name, and it drove him over the edge. Sawyer maneuvered Locke over to the leg curl bench with the reclining back that would keep their faces in proximity. Sawyer wanted to rock his world but do it in a position which would allow him to taste Locke’s moans and groans.
Sawyer pushed Locke’s shorts down his legs. “On your back,” he said, pointing to the padded bench.
Locke smiled wickedly then did as commanded. He gasped when his bare flesh touched the vinyl. “Fuck, that’s cold.”
“You won’t be cold for long,” Sawyer said arrogantly, shoving his shorts off and stepping out of his shoes. He straddled Locke’s hips, aligning their cocks together perfectly, and began thrusting. Sawyer’s slick skin aided the glide, and Locke’s mouth went slack and his eyes rolled back in his head. “Warm enough yet?”
Digging his fingers into Sawyer’s hips, Locke said, “Getting warmer.”
Sawyer gripped the back of the bench above Locke’s head for leverage and rode him harder and faster, trapping their cocks between their bodies for optimal friction.
“Going to come,” Locke said. “Come hard.”
Sawyer lowered his mouth to Locke’s, reclaiming those lips and catching the moans and whimpers as he moved closer and closer to the precipice. Sawyer’s body shook, and his balls drew tight, signaling he was about to erupt too. He wanted—needed—them to come together. Thankfully, Locke was right there with him. Sawyer felt Locke’s body tense beneath him, and he relaxed and quit fighting his body.
Locke dropped his hands from Sawyer’s hips to circle his arms around his waist, clutching Sawyer tightly. Together they grunted, groaned, and came in a slide of hot, sticky cum. Sawyer continued to kiss Locke long after their sated bodies stilled. Locke kissed him just as eagerly until their breathing and racing hearts returned to normal speeds. Sawyer wasn’t sure what he expected to see in Locke’s eyes when he broke the kiss and raised his head, but his expression made his breath hitch in his throat. Awe, surprise, and the eagerness to do it all again stared back at Sawyer. Pull back, his brain urged. Locke seemed to hold him tighter as if he sensed Sawyer’s internal struggle.
Sawyer wanted to tease him and say something that would ease the tension building inside him. He could’ve gone with something like we have to separate at some point, but instead, he said, “I didn’t take you for a guy who likes to cuddle.”
Some of the joy dimmed in Locke’s eyes, but he recovered quickly. “Do you think about me often?”
“More than what’s healthy,” Sawyer admitted.
“You’re very direct.”
Sawyer shrugged then straightened fully, breaking the hold Locke had on his waist. Staring down at the mess of combined cum on both their stomachs made him forget what he had been about to say. Locke couldn’t seem to tear his eyes off Sawyer’s messy abs, which stroked his ego far more than he should’ve allowed. They’d gotten off together, but what had it changed? The answer was nothing. Remembering himself, Sawyer said, “I’ve learned it’s the only way. Running and hiding from things never made them go away.” Locke narrowed his eyes like perhaps Sawyer was accusing him of doing that, but he didn’t challenge him or push further.
Looking to avoid a confrontation, Sawyer rose on shaking legs then dismounted the bench. He’d never be able to work out there again without remembering the way Locke felt in his arms or how he sounded when he climaxed. He picked up their shorts from the ground and tossed Locke’s to him while he used his pair to wipe the cum off his stomach. Not tearing his eyes off Sawyer’s hands, Locke did the same thing with his shorts.
“What now?” Locke asked, sounding unsure for the first time since he showed up on Sawyer’s front porch.
“We shower, dress, grab a bite to eat, and I drop you off at your place so you can get ready for work. Then we go about our day like we normally would.” This changes nothing were his unspoken words, but it was a bald-face lie. What they shared changed every-fucking-thing.
Locke swung his legs over the bench and stood up. “Your shower or mine?” His cockiness returned and fuck if Sawyer wasn’t turned on by it. “I’ll wash your cock, and you can wash mine.”
“That isn’t how the phrase goes, and I think we should probably shower separately. Put some distance between us so this doesn’t bleed into our workday.”
“Stuff the genie back inside the bottle without getting your three wishes?” Locke asked, quirking a brow. “Or maybe you received a few wishes without voicing them out loud…”
“Arrogant ass.”
Locke flicked his shorts, snapping the end against Sawyer’s thigh and landing much too close to his cock for his comfort. Sawyer strode toward him, but Locke held up his hand. “You said we needed to go to separate showers. It’s too late to change your mind now.”
“You’re going to pay for this, Royce.” A telling tremor worked through his partner. Locke liked hearing his first name roll off Sawyer’s tongue.
“I’m walking out of here now before we’re both late for work. We have a double homicide to solve,” Locke said. “Don’t think about following me, big guy.”
Sawyer imagined himself following Locke into the shower, dropping to his knees, and showing him that no one knew how to blow a dick better than him. Sawyer knew all the places to press his tongue as well as the perfect suction to maximize Locke’s pleasure. Gag reflex? Nonexistent. He wanted to demonstrate his skills but knew it wasn’t the right time. There was too much between them that needed to be aired out. So he waited until Locke had time to reach the spare bedroom before retreating to the sanctity of the master bathroom.
He made quick work of washing his hair and body then shaving. It took him longer to pick out what he was going to wear. They weren’t supposed to be knocking on doors and kicking rocks all day, so a suit would look more professional, but he couldn’t get past the heat in Locke’s eyes when he raked his gaze over his tight-fitting T-shirt the previous day. Sawyer chose a light gray tee and paired it with a pair of black designer jeans he knew hugged his ass perfectly.
When he returned to the kitchen, Locke sat at one of the barstools sipping his coffee while Bones twined around his feet.
“Your cat likes me,” Locke said, not bothering to hide his lusty gaze as he checked Sawyer out from head to toe. “We have the same pair of boots.”
“Yeah. I noticed that on my first day.” Sawyer made a cup of coffee then faced Locke again. “Hungry?”
Locke licked his lips like Bones did after eating his gourmet food. “Uh-huh.”
“For food,” Sawyer amended.
“Not really. I make a big deal out of wanting the chief’s bear claws, but I’m not much of a breakfast eater.”
“That’s because you’re not doing it right.”
“Yeah?” Locke asked. “I suppose you’re going to show me how to do it right.”
Were they still talking about breakfast? “I am. Do you like spinach, feta cheese, and tomatoes?” Locke nodded. Sawyer went to the refrigerator and pulled those items out along with the carton of eggs. “Egg white omelet and an English muffin. It’s quick, delicious, and good for you.”
