Til Darkness Falls, page 25
Alrick grinned wolfishly, and Brian’s cheeks colored as he realized what he had said. Quiet laughter followed him as he crawled over the blond and slipped out of the bed.
“Perv.” Brian rolled his eyes, a smile playing about his lips as the other man smirked at him unrepentantly.
It took a while to make their way downstairs to the dining room, the act of dressing proving nearly as stimulating as its reverse. After Brian had smacked Alrick’s hands away from his ass for the umpteenth time, they reached the ground floor and followed the smell of food eagerly. Entering the dining room, they found that the group from breakfast had grown in their absence.
Another married couple had checked in while they’d been messing around in bed. The wife was a tiny, gregarious woman with honey blonde hair and bright green eyes. Her husband, who was just as blond but with unexpectedly dark brown eyes, was not nearly as outgoing as his wife. He glanced around at the other diners indifferently as he worked on a large helping of Mrs. O’Malley’s pot pie.
Brian felt some sympathy for the man. Although he often had to speak to strangers during the course of investigations, it was always an uncomfortable experience for him. Shyness wasn’t the best quality for a detective, but it wasn’t something he could really help. He always did better when there was someone around to deflect attention away from him. Dennis, who’d been by far the more outgoing of the two of them, had served that function when he was young, and later, Angela was always the first to step up when there were introductions to be made.
Now, Alrick slipped naturally into the role, keeping up their end of the conversation for both of them. Brian tried to be discreet as he watched the other man engage the other diners, but the German man was endlessly fascinating. Everything about him was graceful, each movement flowing into the next with a minimum of wasted effort. His own lack of coordination was conspicuous by comparison as he accidentally bumped the back of Alrick’s hand while reaching for a pepper shaker that resembled a fat garden gnome. The taller man glanced at him and smiled, all the while speaking enthusiastically with the perky wife and the college girls about who deserved the title of the greatest baroque composer, Bach or Handel.
Brian felt a warmth in his stomach as Alrick laughed heartily as something the wife said. He knew what name the emotion deserved and felt that he was finally ready to acknowledge it, at least to himself.
“Killer dinner, Mrs. O!” The other guests nodded, smiled, and otherwise indicated their agreement with the young woman who had so artlessly complemented the chef.
“Why, thank you, dear.” Mrs. O’Malley favored her with a pleased smile. “Everyone, be sure to get seconds, and don’t forget to try the pineapple upside-down cake. I just took it out of the oven.” She laughed when everyone groaned at the thought of eating yet more food, but that didn’t stop the wave of people heading to the buffet table for another helping.
Brian was very much enjoying his perfectly cooked steak and potatoes au gratin. Even the broccoli had tempted him enough to try some, the dark green florets tender, deliciously seasoned, and loaded with butter. Mrs. O’Malley didn’t serve alcohol, saying that she preferred a peaceful, happy establishment, but the wide variety of freshly squeezed juices she did offer was plenty satisfying. Filled with good food and surrounded by pleasant company, it took a minute for Brian to realize that the chill he suddenly felt wasn’t due to a crack in the well-caulked windows.
He didn’t know what made him look toward the silent man sitting across from him. The man hadn’t said a word, seeming content to let his wife speak for him, but when Brian caught his eye, the piece of buttered roll he’d just swallowed turned to cement in his throat. Reaching for his glass of apple cider, Brian coughed, trying to clear his throat. Alrick glanced at him questioningly, but he just shook his head, dismissing the blond’s concern. Using the cover of drinking, he looked back over at the man on the other side of the table.
He hadn’t imagined it after all. The man was glaring at him, his expression brimming with disgust. A knot twisted in Brian’s gut, replacing all of the contentment that had filled him moments before. He wanted to ask the man what in the hell was his problem, though he already had a pretty good idea. Lulled by the comfortable atmosphere, Alrick had dropped the reserve he usually employed for Brian’s sake. His touches were a little too familiar, his chair pushed just a bit too close to Brian’s, his smiles more gentle than a man would usually bestow on a male friend. Not that it was any of that jerk’s business. His anger increasing along with his anxiety, Brian opened his mouth to confront the man when Alrick laid a hand against his back.
“Are you alright?”
Brian turned toward him an overly bright smile, cursing the other man’s perceptiveness as he tried to play it off. “Yeah, something just went down the wrong way.” Hoping that he’d managed to deflect Alrick’s attention, he forcibly calmed himself, refusing to let the ass sitting across from him ruin their dinner.
Determined to ignore the homophobic bastard, Brian cut off another piece of his steak and pretended that it didn’t suddenly taste like cardboard. Ironically, the man’s wife was engaged in happy conversation with the lesbian couple. She laughed at something the redhead said, the near guffaw drawing his attention. Since she was sitting next to her husband, Brian couldn’t help but catch another glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye. The next instant, he found himself staring in shock at the drastic change in the man’s demeanor.
Gone was the glower. Instead, his belligerent gaze was glued to his plate, and he had gone deathly pale. The angle of his downcast head seemed exaggerated, as though he was wasn’t so much interested in what he was staring at as he was afraid to look up. Brian had no clue what could have happened to prompt such a reaction. He frowned at the man, puzzled, but decided that the freak wasn’t worth his concern. Shrugging, he glanced over at Alrick. “Think you have room for dessert?”
Brian’s voice trailed off, shock robbing him of his ability to speak. Alrick’s fork was still in his hand, but he wasn’t eating. Instead, he was looking fixedly at the other blond man. The German’s blue eyes were like chips of ice, the glacial cold that had never been there for Brian filling the air between them with frost. Brian felt his heartbeat skip, astonishment freezing him in his seat. If someone had asked him earlier that day, he would have sworn on his badge that Alrick didn’t have an intimidating bone in his body. Apparently he would have been dead wrong. Brian shivered despite himself, feeling as though he was suddenly sitting next to a total stranger. He’d gotten similar impressions before, but only from the worst of the perps he’d arrested, and the comparison nearly stole his breath.
Those were the eyes of a killer.
“Yes. I’m very eager to try some of that Dutch apple pie I saw sitting next to the cake.”
Brian blinked when Alrick spoke to him. As though the last few moments had been nothing but a figment of his imagination, the blond was smiling at him, his gaze as warm as ever. The abrupt shift was disconcerting, and Brian immediately began to doubt what he thought he’d seen. His uneasiness vanished, no match for that smile he loved so much.
Alrick, a killer? It was such complete and total nonsense he vowed he would never mention his moment of stupidity to another living soul.
“I call dibs on some of that. You can help me with a piece of that pineapple monstrosity sitting over there in the corner.”
Alrick chuckled. “Deal.”
“BRIAN, please relax. I promise we won’t capsize.”
Brian didn’t bother responding, his hands too busy gripping the sides of the rowboat with white-knuckled tension. He glared at the water lapping at the wooden hull of the small boat as though daring it to come over the edge. A light breeze blew over the lake, creating small swells, one of which sent the boat into a gentle rocking motion.
Alrick chuckled as the wood creaked beneath the force of Brian’s grasp. “Would I have brought the brand new MP3 player I got just for the trip out here if I thought there was the slightest chance it would get damaged? There’s hardly any wind at all. We’ll be fine.”
Moving cautiously so as not to sway the boat, Alrick reached over and pried Brian’s hands away from the gunwales. Green-hazel eyes glared at him nervously, but the other man gave in to the gentle urging, probably figuring that resisting would only increase their chances of capsizing. Brian slipped off of his seat and slowly crawled across the bottom of the shallow craft until he reached Alrick’s knees. Smiling in encouragement, Alrick helped him turn around and settled the shorter man on the seat between his legs so that Brian’s back was pressed against his chest. A dragonfly buzzed around their feet, and only the beautiful strains of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony disturbed the quiet of the lake.
Perfect.
When Alrick had suggested spending the morning enjoying the lake located a mile from the inn, Brian had scoffed, assuming he was joking. It was only after he’d rented a rowboat from a shop on the lakeshore that Brian had realized he was serious. Noting Alrick’s enthusiasm for the outing, Brian had kept his reluctance to himself, though he’d looked decidedly less than thrilled. Now Alrick understood why. Still, the spring-like weather had already prompted the stirrings of new life, and every so often, green buds peeked out among the dry branches. Insects, fresh from their winter hiding places, danced across the surface of the water only to get plucked off by the hungry fish lurking below the surface. While spending another day in bed with Brian was a delightful notion, it really would have been a shame to waste such a gorgeous day.
As Brian leaned back against him, Alrick wrapped his arms around his waist and squeezed lightly, hoping the other man would relax and enjoy the excursion. Soon enough, the tension melted from Brian’s body as his fear of the water gave way to the tranquil splendor of nature.
“I can’t swim,” Brian mumbled. “How did I let you talk me into this?”
Alrick pressed a kiss to the soft flesh behind his ear. “I have you. Besides, it’s beautiful out here, ja?”
“Yeah, it is pretty. And it’ll be even nicer if you make sure I stay in this boat.”
Alrick chuckled and hugged him closer. He could feel Brian’s heart beating against his folded arms, the warmth of the sun filling him with pleasant warmth after months of enduring biting cold. “Like I told you, I will not endanger either you or my MP3 player. You’re both far too precious to me.”
Brian snorted in wry amusement. “Now I feel really special.” He glanced idly at the electronic gadget lying next to Alrick’s thigh. “How did you learn how to play the cello so well? Did your dad teach you?”
Alrick shook his head, smiling at the non sequitur. “No, he didn’t teach me. After my mother bought me one when I was a boy, I taught myself how to play.”
Brian twisted his upper body around and stared at him with amazed incredulity. “You taught yourself? No way.”
“Es ist wahr. It’s true.” Alrick took advantage of the other man’s posture to sneak a kiss. An adorably disgruntled look crossed Brian’s face, but Alrick guessed it was merely to hide his shyness.
“So, what, you were some sort of child prodigy?”
“I guess you could call it that.” Alrick shrugged with not completely false modesty.
“Man, your folks must have been really proud of you. Your dad must have been pretty upset when you had your accident and couldn’t play anymore.”
Unwittingly, Brian had strayed into painful territory. Alrick didn’t know what sort of expression he might be wearing, so he picked up the oars again and began to row, taking them further from shore. Brian stared at him for a moment, his gaze questioning Alrick’s sudden change in mood, but he didn’t comment. He turned to look back toward the retreating beach, giving Alrick the opportunity to marshal his emotions.
“My father was older when I was born. His ideas were old-fashioned, and he didn’t appreciate my desire to play music. As I got older, he was more concerned that I learn a trade than in indulging my wish to pursue what he saw as a wasteful hobby.”
Brian glanced back toward him, his eyes a little sad as though he understood everything that Alrick wasn’t saying. “But I’ll bet your little sister loved to listen to you play, didn’t she? I know I would have.” Brian smiled ruefully when Alrick blinked at him, amazed at his perception. “What about your mom? You said she bought you your first cello. Did she want you to play professionally?”
The man was relentless. Alrick supposed that it was a required personality trait for a detective, but talking about his past would eventually bring them into territory that was best left unexplored. So he cut off whatever else Brian was about to ask the most pleasant, direct way he could.
Brian stiffened at the unexpected kiss, but it was only a moment before he parted his lips, letting Alrick delve deep inside. He moaned as Alrick thrust his tongue into his mouth, exploring all of those familiar places he had spent so much time charting. Alrick reached beneath Brian’s shirt, spreading his hands across intoxicating expanses of warm skin. Thoroughly distracted, Brian moved onto his knees, deepening the kiss as he turned further around on the narrow bench….
“Shit!” Brian froze, his eyes going wide with terror as the boat rocked from side to side, water sloshing over the edges. Once he was satisfied that he wasn’t about to drown, he glared at Alrick, daring him to laugh, but Alrick was far too interested in what he’d started to do more than try and pull Brian back toward him. A needy growl rumbled low in his throat as he wrapped a hand around the back of Brian’s neck and urged the other man closer.
“Alrick, I swear to God, if we end up in the water, I will kill you.”
The grin that answered him was less than reassuring. Brian’s eyelashes fluttered as Alrick leaned forward and spoke against his lips. “Then I will just have to fuck you very slowly so as not to rock the boat.”
Brian’s first thought was to call bullshit and demand that Alrick take them back to dry land if he wanted to engage in naked sports. He didn’t know how deep the lake was, and he’d be damned if he’d find out first hand. But before he could work himself up into full blown complaint mode, he found himself lying flat on his back at the bottom of the boat. With their body mass located in the dead center of the craft, the rocking slowed until the boat moved only with the gentle swell of the lapping waves. Brian felt his fear fade as something else rose urgently in its place.
“You’re crazy.” Brian breathed heavily as the tip Alrick’s tongue ran over the ridge of his chin and licked slowly down his throat.
“Crazy for you.”
Brian laughed, the sound changing to a moan as the fingers that had been roaming beneath his shirt found his peaked nipples. “I have got to teach you less cheesy English.”
The bright sun shining down on them added to the heat rising from their bodies. Sweat beaded up on Brian’s forehead, the soft breeze doing little to counter the fire the other man was stoking inside of him. The late morning air brushed over the bare skin of his chest as his shirt was lifted. Once the cotton obstacle was out of his way, Alrick wasted no time taking one of the brown nubs between his teeth.
“Ahh!” Brian gasped, whimpering as the sharp pressure increased until it bordered on pain. It suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced by the sensuous wetness of a swirling tongue. Cock pressing uncomfortably against the zipper of his jeans, Brian shifted his hips helplessly as he sought to relieve the pressure. All the questions he’d had about the blond’s childhood disappeared as Alrick demonstrated yet again just who was in control of his body. Brian breathed deeply, the tang of the lake melding with the musky scent of rising from their heated skin.
“Mmmm, I can never get over how good you taste.” Alrick’s voice was low and hungry and only increased the ache between Brian’s legs.
Brian moaned as his other nipple was subjected to the same treatment, the burning sting assuaged by wet, rasping heat. The friction of Alrick’s flat stomach rubbing against the bulge in his jeans made him want to scream. Suddenly desperate to level the playing field, he scrabbled blindly for the bottom of the other man’s shirt. A growl rumbled in Alrick’s chest as he pulled the shirt off and finally made contact with the warm skin of the blond’s back. The sound vibrated against his sensitive nipples, sending shockwaves through his throbbing cock.
“Fuck, Alrick!” Brian lifted his hips as though they could speak for him, since his tongue seemed incapable of forming words. Fortunately, the other man understood. Moving down carefully so as to keep the unsteady platform stable, the blond slid down until his head was even with Brian’s hips. He nipped at the skin below Brian’s navel before rubbing his nose over the light dusting of hair covering the soft flesh. Brian was still embarrassed that he was no match for the German in the musculature department, but right then, he couldn’t have cared less if he was the world’s biggest couch potato. There was at least one part of him that was as hard as a rock.
The front of his jeans fell apart as Alrick undid his zipper with excruciating care. His briefs were still in the way, but the other man was undeterred, mouthing over the cotton until it was wet with saliva. The steamy heat of his breath seeped through the porous fabric, settling over Brian’s flesh like a sensual fog. Brian’s breath caught in his throat as firm lips traced over the ridge of his cock, the damp cotton clinging in a maddening caress. He buried his fingers into the blond’s thick hair, massaging his scalp and urging him to stay where he was until he finished the job.
“Stop teasing me,” he begged.
“But I love playing with you.”
Brian felt Alrick smile at his pithy curse, but an instant later, his shout of pleasure rang out over the lake as his cock was released to the air before being taken deep into the warm cavern of the other man’s mouth. A flock of birds sang out in cheerful response to the loud sound. Brian would have been humiliated at the noises he was making if he’d thought to give a damn. The heat around his cock began to tighten, and he moaned as he felt everything in him being sucked into the blond’s talented mouth.
“Perv.” Brian rolled his eyes, a smile playing about his lips as the other man smirked at him unrepentantly.
It took a while to make their way downstairs to the dining room, the act of dressing proving nearly as stimulating as its reverse. After Brian had smacked Alrick’s hands away from his ass for the umpteenth time, they reached the ground floor and followed the smell of food eagerly. Entering the dining room, they found that the group from breakfast had grown in their absence.
Another married couple had checked in while they’d been messing around in bed. The wife was a tiny, gregarious woman with honey blonde hair and bright green eyes. Her husband, who was just as blond but with unexpectedly dark brown eyes, was not nearly as outgoing as his wife. He glanced around at the other diners indifferently as he worked on a large helping of Mrs. O’Malley’s pot pie.
Brian felt some sympathy for the man. Although he often had to speak to strangers during the course of investigations, it was always an uncomfortable experience for him. Shyness wasn’t the best quality for a detective, but it wasn’t something he could really help. He always did better when there was someone around to deflect attention away from him. Dennis, who’d been by far the more outgoing of the two of them, had served that function when he was young, and later, Angela was always the first to step up when there were introductions to be made.
Now, Alrick slipped naturally into the role, keeping up their end of the conversation for both of them. Brian tried to be discreet as he watched the other man engage the other diners, but the German man was endlessly fascinating. Everything about him was graceful, each movement flowing into the next with a minimum of wasted effort. His own lack of coordination was conspicuous by comparison as he accidentally bumped the back of Alrick’s hand while reaching for a pepper shaker that resembled a fat garden gnome. The taller man glanced at him and smiled, all the while speaking enthusiastically with the perky wife and the college girls about who deserved the title of the greatest baroque composer, Bach or Handel.
Brian felt a warmth in his stomach as Alrick laughed heartily as something the wife said. He knew what name the emotion deserved and felt that he was finally ready to acknowledge it, at least to himself.
“Killer dinner, Mrs. O!” The other guests nodded, smiled, and otherwise indicated their agreement with the young woman who had so artlessly complemented the chef.
“Why, thank you, dear.” Mrs. O’Malley favored her with a pleased smile. “Everyone, be sure to get seconds, and don’t forget to try the pineapple upside-down cake. I just took it out of the oven.” She laughed when everyone groaned at the thought of eating yet more food, but that didn’t stop the wave of people heading to the buffet table for another helping.
Brian was very much enjoying his perfectly cooked steak and potatoes au gratin. Even the broccoli had tempted him enough to try some, the dark green florets tender, deliciously seasoned, and loaded with butter. Mrs. O’Malley didn’t serve alcohol, saying that she preferred a peaceful, happy establishment, but the wide variety of freshly squeezed juices she did offer was plenty satisfying. Filled with good food and surrounded by pleasant company, it took a minute for Brian to realize that the chill he suddenly felt wasn’t due to a crack in the well-caulked windows.
He didn’t know what made him look toward the silent man sitting across from him. The man hadn’t said a word, seeming content to let his wife speak for him, but when Brian caught his eye, the piece of buttered roll he’d just swallowed turned to cement in his throat. Reaching for his glass of apple cider, Brian coughed, trying to clear his throat. Alrick glanced at him questioningly, but he just shook his head, dismissing the blond’s concern. Using the cover of drinking, he looked back over at the man on the other side of the table.
He hadn’t imagined it after all. The man was glaring at him, his expression brimming with disgust. A knot twisted in Brian’s gut, replacing all of the contentment that had filled him moments before. He wanted to ask the man what in the hell was his problem, though he already had a pretty good idea. Lulled by the comfortable atmosphere, Alrick had dropped the reserve he usually employed for Brian’s sake. His touches were a little too familiar, his chair pushed just a bit too close to Brian’s, his smiles more gentle than a man would usually bestow on a male friend. Not that it was any of that jerk’s business. His anger increasing along with his anxiety, Brian opened his mouth to confront the man when Alrick laid a hand against his back.
“Are you alright?”
Brian turned toward him an overly bright smile, cursing the other man’s perceptiveness as he tried to play it off. “Yeah, something just went down the wrong way.” Hoping that he’d managed to deflect Alrick’s attention, he forcibly calmed himself, refusing to let the ass sitting across from him ruin their dinner.
Determined to ignore the homophobic bastard, Brian cut off another piece of his steak and pretended that it didn’t suddenly taste like cardboard. Ironically, the man’s wife was engaged in happy conversation with the lesbian couple. She laughed at something the redhead said, the near guffaw drawing his attention. Since she was sitting next to her husband, Brian couldn’t help but catch another glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye. The next instant, he found himself staring in shock at the drastic change in the man’s demeanor.
Gone was the glower. Instead, his belligerent gaze was glued to his plate, and he had gone deathly pale. The angle of his downcast head seemed exaggerated, as though he was wasn’t so much interested in what he was staring at as he was afraid to look up. Brian had no clue what could have happened to prompt such a reaction. He frowned at the man, puzzled, but decided that the freak wasn’t worth his concern. Shrugging, he glanced over at Alrick. “Think you have room for dessert?”
Brian’s voice trailed off, shock robbing him of his ability to speak. Alrick’s fork was still in his hand, but he wasn’t eating. Instead, he was looking fixedly at the other blond man. The German’s blue eyes were like chips of ice, the glacial cold that had never been there for Brian filling the air between them with frost. Brian felt his heartbeat skip, astonishment freezing him in his seat. If someone had asked him earlier that day, he would have sworn on his badge that Alrick didn’t have an intimidating bone in his body. Apparently he would have been dead wrong. Brian shivered despite himself, feeling as though he was suddenly sitting next to a total stranger. He’d gotten similar impressions before, but only from the worst of the perps he’d arrested, and the comparison nearly stole his breath.
Those were the eyes of a killer.
“Yes. I’m very eager to try some of that Dutch apple pie I saw sitting next to the cake.”
Brian blinked when Alrick spoke to him. As though the last few moments had been nothing but a figment of his imagination, the blond was smiling at him, his gaze as warm as ever. The abrupt shift was disconcerting, and Brian immediately began to doubt what he thought he’d seen. His uneasiness vanished, no match for that smile he loved so much.
Alrick, a killer? It was such complete and total nonsense he vowed he would never mention his moment of stupidity to another living soul.
“I call dibs on some of that. You can help me with a piece of that pineapple monstrosity sitting over there in the corner.”
Alrick chuckled. “Deal.”
“BRIAN, please relax. I promise we won’t capsize.”
Brian didn’t bother responding, his hands too busy gripping the sides of the rowboat with white-knuckled tension. He glared at the water lapping at the wooden hull of the small boat as though daring it to come over the edge. A light breeze blew over the lake, creating small swells, one of which sent the boat into a gentle rocking motion.
Alrick chuckled as the wood creaked beneath the force of Brian’s grasp. “Would I have brought the brand new MP3 player I got just for the trip out here if I thought there was the slightest chance it would get damaged? There’s hardly any wind at all. We’ll be fine.”
Moving cautiously so as not to sway the boat, Alrick reached over and pried Brian’s hands away from the gunwales. Green-hazel eyes glared at him nervously, but the other man gave in to the gentle urging, probably figuring that resisting would only increase their chances of capsizing. Brian slipped off of his seat and slowly crawled across the bottom of the shallow craft until he reached Alrick’s knees. Smiling in encouragement, Alrick helped him turn around and settled the shorter man on the seat between his legs so that Brian’s back was pressed against his chest. A dragonfly buzzed around their feet, and only the beautiful strains of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony disturbed the quiet of the lake.
Perfect.
When Alrick had suggested spending the morning enjoying the lake located a mile from the inn, Brian had scoffed, assuming he was joking. It was only after he’d rented a rowboat from a shop on the lakeshore that Brian had realized he was serious. Noting Alrick’s enthusiasm for the outing, Brian had kept his reluctance to himself, though he’d looked decidedly less than thrilled. Now Alrick understood why. Still, the spring-like weather had already prompted the stirrings of new life, and every so often, green buds peeked out among the dry branches. Insects, fresh from their winter hiding places, danced across the surface of the water only to get plucked off by the hungry fish lurking below the surface. While spending another day in bed with Brian was a delightful notion, it really would have been a shame to waste such a gorgeous day.
As Brian leaned back against him, Alrick wrapped his arms around his waist and squeezed lightly, hoping the other man would relax and enjoy the excursion. Soon enough, the tension melted from Brian’s body as his fear of the water gave way to the tranquil splendor of nature.
“I can’t swim,” Brian mumbled. “How did I let you talk me into this?”
Alrick pressed a kiss to the soft flesh behind his ear. “I have you. Besides, it’s beautiful out here, ja?”
“Yeah, it is pretty. And it’ll be even nicer if you make sure I stay in this boat.”
Alrick chuckled and hugged him closer. He could feel Brian’s heart beating against his folded arms, the warmth of the sun filling him with pleasant warmth after months of enduring biting cold. “Like I told you, I will not endanger either you or my MP3 player. You’re both far too precious to me.”
Brian snorted in wry amusement. “Now I feel really special.” He glanced idly at the electronic gadget lying next to Alrick’s thigh. “How did you learn how to play the cello so well? Did your dad teach you?”
Alrick shook his head, smiling at the non sequitur. “No, he didn’t teach me. After my mother bought me one when I was a boy, I taught myself how to play.”
Brian twisted his upper body around and stared at him with amazed incredulity. “You taught yourself? No way.”
“Es ist wahr. It’s true.” Alrick took advantage of the other man’s posture to sneak a kiss. An adorably disgruntled look crossed Brian’s face, but Alrick guessed it was merely to hide his shyness.
“So, what, you were some sort of child prodigy?”
“I guess you could call it that.” Alrick shrugged with not completely false modesty.
“Man, your folks must have been really proud of you. Your dad must have been pretty upset when you had your accident and couldn’t play anymore.”
Unwittingly, Brian had strayed into painful territory. Alrick didn’t know what sort of expression he might be wearing, so he picked up the oars again and began to row, taking them further from shore. Brian stared at him for a moment, his gaze questioning Alrick’s sudden change in mood, but he didn’t comment. He turned to look back toward the retreating beach, giving Alrick the opportunity to marshal his emotions.
“My father was older when I was born. His ideas were old-fashioned, and he didn’t appreciate my desire to play music. As I got older, he was more concerned that I learn a trade than in indulging my wish to pursue what he saw as a wasteful hobby.”
Brian glanced back toward him, his eyes a little sad as though he understood everything that Alrick wasn’t saying. “But I’ll bet your little sister loved to listen to you play, didn’t she? I know I would have.” Brian smiled ruefully when Alrick blinked at him, amazed at his perception. “What about your mom? You said she bought you your first cello. Did she want you to play professionally?”
The man was relentless. Alrick supposed that it was a required personality trait for a detective, but talking about his past would eventually bring them into territory that was best left unexplored. So he cut off whatever else Brian was about to ask the most pleasant, direct way he could.
Brian stiffened at the unexpected kiss, but it was only a moment before he parted his lips, letting Alrick delve deep inside. He moaned as Alrick thrust his tongue into his mouth, exploring all of those familiar places he had spent so much time charting. Alrick reached beneath Brian’s shirt, spreading his hands across intoxicating expanses of warm skin. Thoroughly distracted, Brian moved onto his knees, deepening the kiss as he turned further around on the narrow bench….
“Shit!” Brian froze, his eyes going wide with terror as the boat rocked from side to side, water sloshing over the edges. Once he was satisfied that he wasn’t about to drown, he glared at Alrick, daring him to laugh, but Alrick was far too interested in what he’d started to do more than try and pull Brian back toward him. A needy growl rumbled low in his throat as he wrapped a hand around the back of Brian’s neck and urged the other man closer.
“Alrick, I swear to God, if we end up in the water, I will kill you.”
The grin that answered him was less than reassuring. Brian’s eyelashes fluttered as Alrick leaned forward and spoke against his lips. “Then I will just have to fuck you very slowly so as not to rock the boat.”
Brian’s first thought was to call bullshit and demand that Alrick take them back to dry land if he wanted to engage in naked sports. He didn’t know how deep the lake was, and he’d be damned if he’d find out first hand. But before he could work himself up into full blown complaint mode, he found himself lying flat on his back at the bottom of the boat. With their body mass located in the dead center of the craft, the rocking slowed until the boat moved only with the gentle swell of the lapping waves. Brian felt his fear fade as something else rose urgently in its place.
“You’re crazy.” Brian breathed heavily as the tip Alrick’s tongue ran over the ridge of his chin and licked slowly down his throat.
“Crazy for you.”
Brian laughed, the sound changing to a moan as the fingers that had been roaming beneath his shirt found his peaked nipples. “I have got to teach you less cheesy English.”
The bright sun shining down on them added to the heat rising from their bodies. Sweat beaded up on Brian’s forehead, the soft breeze doing little to counter the fire the other man was stoking inside of him. The late morning air brushed over the bare skin of his chest as his shirt was lifted. Once the cotton obstacle was out of his way, Alrick wasted no time taking one of the brown nubs between his teeth.
“Ahh!” Brian gasped, whimpering as the sharp pressure increased until it bordered on pain. It suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced by the sensuous wetness of a swirling tongue. Cock pressing uncomfortably against the zipper of his jeans, Brian shifted his hips helplessly as he sought to relieve the pressure. All the questions he’d had about the blond’s childhood disappeared as Alrick demonstrated yet again just who was in control of his body. Brian breathed deeply, the tang of the lake melding with the musky scent of rising from their heated skin.
“Mmmm, I can never get over how good you taste.” Alrick’s voice was low and hungry and only increased the ache between Brian’s legs.
Brian moaned as his other nipple was subjected to the same treatment, the burning sting assuaged by wet, rasping heat. The friction of Alrick’s flat stomach rubbing against the bulge in his jeans made him want to scream. Suddenly desperate to level the playing field, he scrabbled blindly for the bottom of the other man’s shirt. A growl rumbled in Alrick’s chest as he pulled the shirt off and finally made contact with the warm skin of the blond’s back. The sound vibrated against his sensitive nipples, sending shockwaves through his throbbing cock.
“Fuck, Alrick!” Brian lifted his hips as though they could speak for him, since his tongue seemed incapable of forming words. Fortunately, the other man understood. Moving down carefully so as to keep the unsteady platform stable, the blond slid down until his head was even with Brian’s hips. He nipped at the skin below Brian’s navel before rubbing his nose over the light dusting of hair covering the soft flesh. Brian was still embarrassed that he was no match for the German in the musculature department, but right then, he couldn’t have cared less if he was the world’s biggest couch potato. There was at least one part of him that was as hard as a rock.
The front of his jeans fell apart as Alrick undid his zipper with excruciating care. His briefs were still in the way, but the other man was undeterred, mouthing over the cotton until it was wet with saliva. The steamy heat of his breath seeped through the porous fabric, settling over Brian’s flesh like a sensual fog. Brian’s breath caught in his throat as firm lips traced over the ridge of his cock, the damp cotton clinging in a maddening caress. He buried his fingers into the blond’s thick hair, massaging his scalp and urging him to stay where he was until he finished the job.
“Stop teasing me,” he begged.
“But I love playing with you.”
Brian felt Alrick smile at his pithy curse, but an instant later, his shout of pleasure rang out over the lake as his cock was released to the air before being taken deep into the warm cavern of the other man’s mouth. A flock of birds sang out in cheerful response to the loud sound. Brian would have been humiliated at the noises he was making if he’d thought to give a damn. The heat around his cock began to tighten, and he moaned as he felt everything in him being sucked into the blond’s talented mouth.
