Rapid Response, page 1
part #8 of Hearts and Health Series
Rapid Response
Hearts and Health: Book 8
DJ Jamison
Copyright © 2019 by DJ Jamison
All rights reserved.
Cover Design by Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
www.blackjazzdesign.com
Heart Logo | Designed by Vexels.com
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content suitable for mature readers.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Thank you for reading!
About the Author
Books by DJ Jamison
Prologue
August
Sean picked up the call ringing to his cell phone.
“Where are you?” he asked, craning his head to try to see through the crowd. Q, a new club — and one that was LGBTQIA-friendly — was the trendy place to go in little Ashe, Kansas. It wasn’t a gay bar, but a metrosexual kind of place. At least, Sean thought that was the right term. He was still learning about all this stuff since his brother Ian had come out as bisexual a few months earlier.
“Sorry,” Ian said, his voice difficult to hear over the noise of the club. “I don’t think we’re going to make it.”
Sean stuffed a finger into his other ear and turned away from the busy bar. “Why not? This was supposed to be my chance to support you guys. You know, be open-minded and stuff.”
His older brother chuckled. “You don’t have to prove anything. Just standing next to Daniel makes you look good.”
Sean huffed. “Danny’s a dick, but he’ll come around. He’s your brother. He has to love you. That’s like cosmic truth, bro. And I can do more than the minimum, you know.”
“I appreciate that, but Callum’s mom is having some complications after her hysterectomy. We’re taking her to the ER and then waiting to see if she’ll be admitted.”
“Oh, damn. That’s rough.”
“Yeah. I think Callum is feeling some guilt for moving her into an apartment on her own. It’s assisted living, but he’s used to doing everything for her.”
Sean glanced around the bar, taking in the crowd of mostly twenty-somethings. There was a solid mix of women and men, so Sean shouldn’t have felt out of place, but it wasn’t his usual scene. He tended to hang at the Irish pub that was a favorite with firefighters in Ashe. It was low-key: booths and beer and big-screen televisions playing sports channels. Q was all sleek lines and open spaces and colored lights. Pop music piped through the speakers, loud enough that everyone shouted to be heard over it, creating chatter that rivaled a flock of geese. Sean could get down with the vibe, but … he did feel adrift. He couldn’t remember if he’d ever been out at a club on his own without at least a wingman by his side.
“Guess I’ll just have to watch this drag show on my own, huh?”
“Careful, Sean. Callum says that drag queens eat straight boys for dinner.”
“Ha-ha,” Sean said. “Later. Give Callum my best and his mom.”
He disconnected, bummed to have missed a chance to prove himself with Ian. He knew Daniel’s attitude had hurt him. Their oldest brother hadn’t been to a single family gathering since Ian came out. Sean just wanted to go above and beyond to show him that he still had one brother who would be there for him. But it would have to wait for another day.
He turned back toward the bar and bumped into someone holding a pitcher of pale beer and two glasses. Liquid sloshed over the top, soaking into the guy’s clingy T-shirt and painted-on jeans.
“Oh, man, my bad,” Sean said. He clutched the guy’s arms to steady him as he wobbled on his feet. Sean was five-foot-eleven of solid muscle; this poor guy probably felt like he’d slammed into a wall. “Let me just…”
Sean reached past him to snatch some napkins off the bar. Then he used them to swipe at the guy’s stomach, where most of the beer had splashed. “Sorry about this.”
“Jace! You’re supposed to be hanging out with me, not picking up.”
“I’m not—”
“Ooh, he’s cute. I forgive you.”
Sean straightened to see a pretty blonde wearing just a smidgen too much makeup. She was dressed in skintight jeans and an off-the-shoulder white top. The strong smell of roses wafted from her as she held out a hand. “Lena Sharp.”
“Sean Connolly,” he said, shaking her hand briefly.
He turned, but Lena’s friend was still weighed down with the beer pitcher and glasses. “Here, let me help,” Sean offered, taking the glasses from him. “Sorry for knocking into you. I’m a clumsy jerk sometimes.”
“Honey, stop apologizing for running your beautiful muscles into Jace,” Lena said. “It’ll probably be the highlight of his night.”
Oh. Right. It was drag show night at the Q, and while that didn’t mean everyone there was LGBTQ or whatever other letters applied, the percentage of straight guys was probably lower than usual. Which meant …
Jace laughed, his eyes scanning Sean from head to toe. “I can’t argue with that,” he said. “But I wouldn’t mind setting down this fucking pitcher and actually drinking the beer.”
Lena pointed. “There’s a table over there. Go grab another glass, Sean Connolly. You can join us.”
Sean recognized the smile she sent him. It wasn’t so different from the one Jace had just leveled at him. He wasn’t really looking to get laid. Hadn’t been looking for it in a while. Sex, like most things lately, had lost its shine.
Maybe it was stress. His family was a mess, with Daniel flipping out over Ian’s coming out and refusing to attend family gatherings. No matter how many times Sean tried to talk to him, he remained unreasonable. And Ruiz at the firehouse had been a homophobic dick when Sean made the mistake of talking about it there. And the fire bunnies … he was so sick of women who wanted to jump him for being a firefighter, like he was some sort of prize to collect rather than a person with more to offer than muscle mass. Although, maybe he didn’t have much more to offer. Sean wasn’t particularly deep.
Either way, he was tired of the same old scene: hanging out with his crew, seeing the same circle of people, never experiencing anything new. He was on his own for the night, and hanging out with a couple of fresh faces was appealing.
The fact they found him attractive wasn’t really surprising. Sean didn’t have a huge ego, but he did have a stacked body, and he was used to the attention. But so what? Didn’t mean he had to sleep with either of them. He could just have fun.
Really, what was the worst that could happen?
Sean was just about the cutest beefcake Jace had ever seen. The nicest, too. Jace watched his expression, so earnest, as he told them about why he’d come out for drag night. The guy wanted to support his bisexual brother. It was sweet. Jace could have used that kind of support at home. Hell, he would have just taken a brother who didn’t jump him when his back was turned.
“It’s so awesome of you to do that,” Lena said. “I have a lot of friends who are gay or bi, and they don’t all have such supportive families.”
Jace had never told Lena his coming out story, so she didn’t mean him. Still, he was unable to look at her, afraid he’d give something away of his own rotten experience.
“Yeah, not everyone in the family has come around yet,” Sean said. A determined look came over his face. “But I’m working on it.”
The drag show started, a tall blonde sashaying to the center of the floor, with a microphone in hand. As she announced the show, Jace concentrated on pushing away the memory of his own brother’s reaction when he’d seen Jace come out of a bathroom at a party a little too soon after another guy. One known to be gay.
There’d been the beating. Then the ambulance. His parents confused, then horrified and angry. Telling him not to say anything when the officers arrived to question him. Telling him it was his fault. And him all twisted up, not knowing what to do, only knowing he couldn’t live in that house. He couldn’t be around his brother.
Jace drank his beer, looking at Sean. If only I’d had a brother like that.
Then again, having a brother who looked like Sean would be torturous. He’d only been around the guy for thirt
Jace didn’t really have a type. He could appreciate all kinds of men. His friends thought he was shallow. Maybe he was. He just thought he was a visual guy who appreciated the many bodies that crossed his path. Slender, graceful men. Cute boys next door. Hunky gym rats. It didn’t matter.
Lena nudged him. “He’s cute, huh?”
Jace forced his eyes away from Sean, who was watching the drag show with a wide grin, wiggling a little in his seat to the beat of the music. How could a guy be so big and strong and so fucking adorable at the same time?
“We’re not here to hook up,” he muttered near her ear.
Out of the two of them, Lena was the only one with a real shot at Sean. And it was selfish of Jace, but he didn’t want to watch that unfold. He wanted to enjoy Sean’s company, get to know him a little better, just bask in his easygoing presence a while longer before accepting reality.
Lena pulled a face. “I know.” There was a sulky set to her lips. “But he’s so cute. Maybe we could share?”
Jace laughed, shaking his head. In Lena’s dreams, he was sure. Jace was in no way bisexual. And Sean was in no way gay. It’d never happen.
“Okay, I’m just going to say it,” Sean said. “That drag queen is confusing my cock.”
Jace choked on his drink of beer, spluttering, and Lena’s laughter pealed through the room.
“I’m just saying,” Sean said with a grin, “he makes a gorgeous woman, and yet, I know he’s got a dick. And little Sean is curious about that.”
“She,” Lena corrected. “You always refer to a drag queen as she.”
“Oops, sorry.”
Jace had finished choking, and now he looked at Sean across the table. “Careful using the word curious around a gay man. You might give me ideas.”
“What do you… oh!” Sean laughed. “I see what you did there.”
Lena bumped her shoulder into Sean’s. “Don’t listen to him. I want to hear all about your curious cock.”
Sean snorted. “Oh, shit. What did I start?”
Despite Lena’s flirtation, Sean’s gaze returned to Jace. His hazel eyes, fringed by long lashes, were fixed on Sean. His face was more angular than square-jawed, and he had full lips that smiled often, giving him the mischievous look of an ornery little boy. Cute, Sean thought. He must get plenty of action when he wants it.
Jace smiled at him now, much as he had all night, but this time, it made Sean feel restless. Like his skin was too tight and the room was too small.
The drag queen who’d prompted Sean’s comment sashayed off the floor. Her red curls were partially covered by an extravagant headdress. Her long gown clung to curves, tight over her ass, as she gave a little wave over her shoulder. She was beautiful, Sean thought. He could tell she was a man, of course. Her height, the width of her shoulders, the size of her hands were all giveaways. But the makeup and whatever the heck gave her all those curves were impressive.
The hostess, also a drag queen, informed them there would be an intermission, and the dance floor was open to the crowd. Lena immediately hopped up and held a hand out to Sean.
“Dance with me!”
Sean hesitated. He didn’t want to be rude, but he didn’t want to ditch Jace either. “Um …”
“It’s cool,” Jace said with a resigned tone. “Go have fun. I’ll get another pitcher of beer.”
They’d been so caught up in the drag show, they’d only shared one pitcher. Sean barely had a buzz going. “Okay, if you’re sure,” he said, letting Lena tug him up.
They moved onto the dance floor, and Lena wasted no time in getting her hands on him. She caressed his biceps. “You are just hard as rock,” she said with a smirk. “You must hit the gym every day.”
Without Jace there, Sean awkwardly dodged the flirtation. “I work out, yeah. It’s necessary in my line of work.”
“What’s that?”
Sean glanced toward the bar, where there’d been a rush. Jace was waiting in a long line of people. “Maybe we should go help Jace.”
Lena glanced in his direction. “That line is humongous. He’s going to be waiting forever, isn’t he?”
Sean relaxed his hands on her hips, preparing to step out of the dance. “I’ll go—”
“Jace!” she called. “Come here a second.”
She had to call three more times before Jace heard her and turned. She waved her hand, motioning him over, and Jace glanced at the line with a frown before heading their way, weaving between people.
Once he was close enough, she turned around, her back to Sean, and grabbed Jace’s belt loop. Tugging him close, she said, “Dance with us.”
Jace’s surprised eyes met Sean’s over her head. There seemed to be a question there. Sean shrugged. He tended to go with the flow, and he instantly felt more comfortable with Jace there, so he reached past Lena’s hips to grab Jace’s waist and pull him in closer.
“Look at those big hands on you, Jace,” Lena said playfully. “So hot.”
Lena was a good deal shorter than both of them, meaning that Sean had a clear line of sight to Jace’s eyes as they locked on him. They were intent on him, even as he answered Lena, “Don’t make Sean uncomfortable. It’s just a dance.”
“It’s fine,” Sean said. “Just a little harmless fun.”
Jace extended his arms over Lena’s shoulders to rest his palms on Sean’s upper arms. To dance like that, they had to be extremely close. Lena’s body pressed tight against his, and he imagined the same was true for Jace. But their eyes remained on each other, a strange tension crackling between them as the song ended.
Jace dropped his arms and stepped back. “I better get that beer.”
“That line is ridiculous,” Lena said. “Why don’t we just go to your place for a drink? I’ve had enough of this crowd.”
“We could do that.”
Sean’s stomach sank with disappointment. He wasn’t ready for the night to end just yet.
“What about you, Sean?” Lena asked. “You want to join us for one more drink?”
Jace’s apartment was spartan. There was a futon serving as a sofa, a coffee table that had seen better days, and a big-screen television. On one side wall there was a credenza with a record player on it and storage space below behind sliding doors. Nothing else. No curtains, no pictures on the wall. Not even a recliner or armchair. The place hardly felt lived in.
“Take a seat. I’ll grab beers,” Jace said. “We can turn on the TV or some music.”
“Ooh, music.” Lena popped up and crossed to the record player. She slid open a door on the little stand, revealing plenty of vinyl records, and began flicking through them. “Ugh, this stuff is so old. I don’t know why you don’t have an Alexa or Bluetooth speaker for your phone or something.”
“It’s not old, it’s classic,” Jace called from the kitchen. “Don’t trash talk my vinyls!”
He appeared in the doorway, three bottles clutched in his hands as Lena gave up and went back to the sofa. She settled beside Sean, close beside him, her shoulder and thigh brushing his. Jace handed them each a beer and sat his on the coffee table before crossing to the records to select something. “You like The Doors?” he asked.
“Sure,” Sean said. He was easy when it came to music. He liked a bit of everything.
Jace continued to flick through records. “Hmm. We could go Talking Heads if that’s more your speed? Or even Johnny Cash. I have pretty eclectic tastes.”
