Til Darkness Falls, page 26
Pulling his jeans and boxers down further, Alrick licked him like some delicious treat, covering every sensitive inch of Brian’s arousal with the wet rasp of his tongue. The German hummed with pleasure, savoring the first drops of fluid that leaked from the broad head of Brian’s cock. Brian groaned at the vibrations, the maddening sensation making him thrust spastically down the blond’s throat. Taking his helpless motion in stride, Alrick rewarded Brian’s eagerness by carefully rolling his swollen sac in a dexterous hand. Brian threw his head back against the wooden planks of the hull as he was fondled, the gentle motion of Alrick’s hand adding to the tableau of sensations that were rapidly overwhelming him. He kicked his clothing away impatiently and spread his legs, allowing the other man to settle between them. His hips pumped up and down in a mindless rhythm, moving without his knowledge as he sought to bury himself as deeply as he could in the wet heat that was destroying his brain.
“Fuck, I’m gonna come!” Ever a man of his word, Brian yelled himself hoarse as he released his passion into Alrick’s waiting mouth. Brian’s feet curled helplessly into the bottom of the boat as the blond swallowed his offering greedily, swirling his tongue around the twitching shaft until he had coaxed out every last drop. Only when Brian had collapsed in a heap did Alrick release the softening flesh, pausing to give it a final kiss before raising himself up over the Brian’s supine form.
Brian smelled a musky odor as a sharp flavor coated his lips. His eyes had drifted shut, the intense climax utterly robbing him of strength. He parted his lips without opening them, moaning as the taste of Alrick’s mouth mingled with his own release improbably caused his body to stir with renewed interest. But when he felt slick fingers tease at his entrance, he looked up at Alrick with a slitted gaze.
“You have got to be kidding me.” The blond just grinned down at him as he inserted a long finger into the tight passage. “Where in the hell were you hiding the lube?”
“Hmmm, let me see.” Alrick watched Brian’s eyes flutter closed again as he eased in another finger beside the first. Brian groaned as he spread his fingers apart ever so slightly. “The same place I was keeping this.” He watched as Brian opened his eyes just enough to see the condom packet dangling from his unoccupied fingers. Alrick’s grin broadened as Brian rolled his eyes before closing them again. It had to say something that he found such a childish gesture totally endearing.
“Well, are you just going to show off how clever you are, or are you going to do something with them?”
Growling with amusement and lust, Alrick lowered his head and nipped at Brian’s throat. He was gratified when the smaller man’s snark faded into a hitched sigh. He licked over the long brown column of skin before looking down at his handiwork. The reddened spot glistened as the sunlight hit it. Brian’s head was tilted up and to the side, baring his throat. His full lips were parted as though he wanted to taste everything that was happening.
Schön.
That was the only word that came to mind to describe the image of the man lying beneath him. Beautiful. An intriguing mix of shy innocence and wanton boldness. What could he do to keep from losing him? What could he possibly do when they seemed destined to be enemies? Feeling the sudden need to mark what he so desperately wanted to be his, Alrick placed his lips against Brian’s throat again, this time sucking hard until the other man let out a grunt just on the edge of pain. Brian’s eyes blinked open, confusion swimming in the green-hazel depths. He placed his fingers against the stinging spot.
“What was that for?”
Alrick had the good grace to look shamefaced. “I wanted to give you something to remember me by.”
Brian quirked an eyebrow as he smirked. “Why, are you going somewhere?”
An ache squeezed Alrick’s heart at the question, but he managed to hide his anxiety, showing Brian nothing but a suggestive smile. “Not yet. But I’m sure I will be coming.”
Brian groaned at the bad pun, but the sound was swallowed as Alrick fell on his lips. Replacing his fingers with his latex-covered hardness, Alrick thrust home into his lover’s heat. He wasn’t gentle, needing more to imprint himself on Brian’s body—if not his heart—than to be considerate. Not that Brian seemed at all to mind his forcefulness. Alrick hissed, wincing as insistent fingers dug into the muscles of his back. Incredibly, the pain just made the pleasure all that more exquisite. He whispered guttural, Germanic approval into Brian’s ear as he buried himself over and over again into the other man’s body.
“Yeah! Ahh, fuck!”
Brian shouted encouragement in time with the blond’s strong thrusts. The cock filling him felt huge, splitting him open as the other man forced him to take every inch. He couldn’t remember Alrick ever being quite so rough, the blond usually preferring hearts and flowers to raunchy sex. But now, he seemed to have lost the veneer of civilized behavior. This was base and animalistic, and Brian was loving every minute.
“Unngg, just like that.” He wrapped his legs around Alrick’s hips, riding along with the heaving momentum. “Ahh, harder!” Brian knew he was acting like some slutty bitch in heat, but he couldn’t have cared less. He just hoped he could convince Alrick to do this again sometime. The boat moved in the water as their bodies heaved, but he hardly noticed the motion. He trusted that the other man would protect him if they should overturn, but he would be extremely pissed if it happened before Alrick finished pounding him through the hull.
Brian’s dazed eyes caught sight of the intriguing tattoo that marred the pale skin of Alrick’s shoulder. As if he needs something to make him sexier. Deciding to punish the other man for overkill, he licked and sucked at the mark, biting the hard swell of muscle beneath it when he got a growl and a particularly vigorous series of thrusts for his trouble.
Each one scored directly on his prostate, and Brian damn near screamed. He hung onto Alrick for dear life as his body shattered, coming apart as he cried out the blond’s name. Alrick was right behind him, the hard rod of flesh inside of him pulsing as it let loose with a torrent of heat Brian swore he could feel despite the condom. A surge of resentment filled him, and he realized that he wanted the thin layer of latex to disappear so that he could feel everything. The thought didn’t scare him, and he didn’t have the wherewithal to wonder if he should feel worried about that.
“Oomph.” The wind was knocked out of him as the larger man slumped on top of him. He heard a barely coherent mumble that he interpreted to be an apology and ran his hands over Alrick’s broad back in silent dismissal.
“Autsch!”
Brian blinked at the unexpected exclamation. “What was that?”
“Sorry. I said, ‘ouch.’”
“What, did you hurt yourself? Maybe you should warm up and stretch next time you want to screw on a moving surface.” Grinning, Brian shied away as Alrick sat up and smacked him playfully on his hip.
“Nein. I think I’ve gotten a sunburn.”
Brian frowned. “But it’s still winter. The sun isn’t that strong.”
“I am much paler than you, ja? Your American sun is maybe too much for me.”
Brian’s glance was skeptical. “Hmmm. Let me see.” Brian’s eyes stretched comically as he saw the red patch covering the other man’s back. It was only colored, not blistered, so he didn’t think it was too bad, but he was sure it hurt. He remembered the summer before last when he’d gone to the park with Angie and her boys. Sam had insisted on running around with no shirt and had gotten a nasty burn complete with blisters. Brian winced in sympathy.
“Here, let’s get dressed and get back to shore. Maybe Mrs. O’Malley has something you can put on that.” He helped Alrick put on his shirt before worrying about his own clothes. The other man maneuvered carefully so as not to stretch the reddened skin of his back, and Brian couldn’t help thinking that the blond was rather cute when he was helpless. Brian had put on his boxers and was reaching for his jeans when he noticed the stains on the wood. He groaned as he pushed his legs into the denim. Alrick looked over at him curiously.
“What is it?”
“We’ve made a freakin’ mess of that old guy’s boat.”
Alrick chuckled as his gaze followed Brian’s accusatory finger. The dark splotches were evident and unexplainable unless they wanted to reveal way too much information to the boat’s owner. “In that case, I guess there is only one thing we can do.”
Brian threw Alrick a wary glance when his expression grew thoughtful. “And that is?”
“Wash the boat.”
Brian didn’t have a chance to protest or prepare himself as the blond pushed hard against one side of the hull, neatly flipping the craft over. They both went flying, landing in the water with a loud splash. Cursing the German bastard to a thousand burning hells, Brian panicked as he went under. The water closed over his head, his saturated clothing dragging him down. It was eerily quiet, the sky making the water above him shimmer. He tried to reach for it, but his frantic kicks got him nowhere. Damn his cheap ass parents for never springing for swimming lessons. But before he could even feel his chest tighten from a lack of air, strong arms wrapped around his waist and drew him upwards. Brian gasped as his head broke the surface of the lake.
“You son of a bitch! What the fuck?!” He coughed, trying to clear water from his nose. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the overturned boat floating serenely a little ways off.
Alrick was grinning at him like a madman. Brian found himself pressed tightly against the blond’s chest, their heads nearly even as the other man treaded water to keep them afloat. A soft, wet kiss touched his lips, and he responded despite himself before remembering that he was pissed.
“Don’t think I’m going to forgive you just like that,” he groused, pulling his head back as far as he could. “Why the hell did you do that? I told you that I couldn’t swim.”
“Because the water feels good on my back.” Tightening his hold, Alrick pulled Brian closer so that their hips were pressed together. “But mostly so I could hold you like this. It’s nice having you completely dependent upon me for once.”
Brian stared at him in confusion. What the heck was that all about? “Couldn’t you have waited until we were on dry land before going all macho on me?” Brian tried to pout but failed miserably as the other man nipped at his bottom lip. “And your MP3 player’s at the bottom of the lake now. I thought you said it meant more to you than anything?”
“No, you do.”
Brian felt his heart flip in his chest as that killer smile hit him at point blank range.
“Besides, now we will have to spend the afternoon naked as we wait for our clothes to dry, ja?”
Brian rolled his eyes, holding onto Alrick like he was a life buoy as he was kissed again. He could have mentioned that they both had a change of dry clothes in their room, but he suddenly had no desire to argue with Alrick’s self-serving logic.
MRS. O’MALLEY cast a critical eye over Alrick’s back, her lips pursed in disapproval. They had sought her out to ask if she had something for sunburn, but she insisted on seeing the damage before pronouncing the best treatment. Brian hid a smile when he caught the appreciative sparkle in her faded grey eyes at the muscle that shifted smoothly beneath the German’s reddened skin.
“Son, didn’t your mother ever tell you about the importance of sunscreen?”
“The sun isn’t as strong where I’m from, ma’am. But you’re absolutely right. I will be more careful in the future.”
Brian coughed to cover the laugh that tried to escape as the elderly innkeeper’s round cheeks turned pink beneath the charm of Alrick’s conciliatory smile. Lady killer, gay killer, either label would work. Brian watched with amusement as she handed over a bottle of aloe vera ointment.
“Put a good dollop of this on the burn for the next day or so, and you’ll be right as rain. I’m sure your friend will help you with the hard to reach spots.” Mrs. O’Malley glanced at Brian, raising an eyebrow in satisfaction as his face heated. “You boys still planning to check out today?”
“Yes, ma’am, but we’ve enjoyed our stay very much.” Alrick beamed at her, and Brian would have sworn that he saw her fan herself. She waved them off cheerfully, pretending not to stare in the vicinity of the blond’s butt as they walked up the stairs.
“Seducing little old ladies. Have you no shame?” He closed the door of their room behind them as Alrick gingerly removed his shirt.
“I did no such thing. I was just thanking her for her kindness.”
“Uh huh. I see that I’m going to have to keep an eye on you.” Brian had turned his back toward the other man, the blinking message light on his cell phone catching his attention. It was a good thing he’d left it in the room for safe-keeping. Brian smiled when he suddenly found himself surrounded by powerful arms. There was a restless stirring below the waistband of his jeans as his back was pressed flush against a warm, firm surface. Damp heat from the other man’s chest seeped through his wet undershirt as playful lips nibbled teasingly as the side of this neck.
“I assure you,” Alrick murmured solemnly, “you have nothing to worry about.”
Brian shivered, not sure if it was from the butterfly kisses or the weight of Alrick’s promise. The light on his phone was still blinking, and he grabbed at the excuse it offered before his racing heartbeat could give him away. “Why don’t you hop in the shower before I put the gel on your back?” After retrieving his phone, he looked through his missed call log. “I have a message from Angie I need to check.”
With a final kiss, the blond grabbed his toiletry bag and left the room, shutting the door behind him to give Brian privacy. Brian stared at the door for a long moment. Gone for two seconds and I miss him already. Shaking his head, he dialed into his voicemail, wondering how he’d fallen so far so fast.
Brian, it’s Angela. I forgot to mention before you left that the boys are off from school tomorrow. Some sort of administrative school holiday. Anyway, since I have some leave time, I’m going to take the day off with them. Give me a call if you get a chance. Otherwise, I’ll see you on Tuesday.
After deleting the message, he called her back.
“Hello?”
“Angie, it’s me.”
“Oh, hey. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. Everything going okay?”
“You don’t waste any time, do you?” Brian smirked when she laughed with no sign of shame. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just letting you know that I got your message, so enjoy your day off.”
The line remained silent for a long time.
“Angie? You still there?”
“Sweetie, you’re not telling me what I want to hear. I want to know how your weekend was, and by that I mean have you finally figured out how you feel about Alrick?”
Brian paused before giving the deflecting, knee jerk response that was on the tip of his tongue. He realized that her question didn’t scare him nearly as much as it would have even two days ago. “Yeah, I have.” He had grown tired of denying it, especially to himself. Angela knew him so well, he was sure she could hear his answer in his voice.
“Oh, sweetie, that’s terrific. It’s about damn time!”
Brian laughed. He could almost hear her grin through the speaker. His amusement only increased when the next words out of her mouth were exactly what he’d been expecting.
“I want to meet him the moment you get back. In fact, since I’m off tomorrow and I know you’re not due in until the afternoon, why don’t the two of you come over for pizza tonight?”
“We’re a few hours outside of the city, but we’re all packed and ready to check out. Besides, Alrick got himself a sunburn, so he probably won’t mind if we cut out a little early. I’ll ask him when he gets back.”
“Gets back? Where is he?”
“Taking a shower.”
“And you’re talking to me? Boy, where are your priorities?”
Brian could hear her clucking her tongue in mock disappointment as he disconnected the call without answering. He glanced back at the closed door and headed toward it a second later, telling himself that he was just following his partner’s orders.
Chapter 11
“YOU sure you don’t mind? We don’t have to go. I can call Angie and tell her that you’re not up to it. I told her about your sunburn.”
“Brian, it’s fine. You’ve told me how much your partner means to you. I would love to meet her.”
In truth, Alrick was less than certain this was such a good idea. It was bad enough exposing himself to one police officer without meeting yet another, especially when he knew that they were both working to catch him. But he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to further entrench himself into Brian’s life. He knew that he was all but untraceable, his anonymity and caution ensuring that neither Brian nor his partner would find out anything about him except for what he chose to reveal. And that, of course, was half the problem. He wanted to tell Brian everything, to share himself completely with the other man. Even if it meant losing his freedom for the numerous crimes he’d committed, he wanted to be relieved of the burden of secrecy.
Brian was driving so that Alrick could sit at an angle in his seat and keep it from pressing against his sore back. He felt extremely foolish for allowing himself to get hurt in such a childish way, but he wouldn’t have traded the experience of having Brian’s gel covered hands all over him for anything. In order to preserve their only set of dry clothes, Brian had decided that both should strip completely while he applied the palliative. Alrick had barely been able to hold himself still when Brian straddled his ass, his cock lying temptingly in the exposed furrow. Not content to concentrate on Alrick’s back, Brian had covered him from head to toe with the cooling gel before taking advantage of their mutual nakedness. As a result, they left the inn a bit later than originally planned. It was a good thing that Brian was an officer in this state. If they got pulled over for speeding, he would probably be able to get out of it with nothing more than a tip of a state trooper’s interestingly shaped hat.
