A Mended Man (The Men of Halfway House Book 4) (19 page)

Jessie leaned over and rested his head on Aidan's shoulder. "Thank you. For always being there for me."

He closed his eyes and turned his head, inhaling a breath as his lips brushed against Jessie's soft hair.

"I think the pain meds are kicking in," Jessie said, slurring his words.

Aidan stood and took the crutch, placing it against the nightstand. He closed the blinds and pulled back the sheet as Jessie slowly positioned himself in the bed. He stepped forward to raise Jessie's casted leg and removed his shoe, helping him settle into the bed before pulling up the sheet again. Aidan walked out of the room and returned with one of the cordless phones, dialing his cell number then hanging up the line. "If you need me, just hit redial. Otherwise, just call out for Bull who'll probably be in the living room."

"Okay," Jessie said, snuggling into the pillow and yawning.

"I'm going to set the house alarm before I leave so don't pop a window. And don't worry about your car. I'll get that taken care of."

"Thanks, Aidan."

He looked at Jessie's semi-sleepy, smiling face and nodded before walking out of the room and leaving the house.

He was wrong about one thing.

Jessie's smile wasn't going to kill him. Waiting for another kiss would.

PART 3:

Mending

Four months later

Aidan held up the punch mitts toward Jessie, bouncing on his feet and circling the matted floor, forcing Jessie to follow his path. Aidan loved sparring with him, knowing he had played a role in Jessie's recovery.

"Again."

Jessie wiped the sweat from his brow and immediately reset his stance—hands up, blocking his face like a boxer. He'd managed to avoid a punch by ducking then retaliated with a swing. Textbook perfect. Just like everything he did.

"Don't be afraid to hit me," Aidan teased. "But that would mean you'd have to catch me first."

Jessie scowled, tightening his stance and unconsciously flexing his arm muscles. The taunt had obviously hit its mark.

They'd been working out together for the last few months, mainly on weekends or on those evenings when Aidan needed to work off some steam. Sometimes, they'd work out before he had to head in to work. They began with walks in the neighboring park and had worked up to cardio workouts to build up endurance. Jessie wanted to quickly move on to physical sparring sessions, but Aidan fought the urge to cave into those pleading, crystal blue puppy-dog eyes. He had never denied Jessie anything, but no way would Aidan put him at risk of injury.

He took a step forward then backed away just as abruptly, smiling when Jessie's body tensed in anticipation. "Your attacker won't announce an attack and won't stand still and wait for you to hit them. You need to be ready for the unexpected," he said, lowering his hands and pacing back and forth, keeping eye contact with Jessie's unwavering gaze. He loved it when Jessie was all intense and no nonsense. And damn, all the working out suited him well. His overall lean physique was now defined, and his biceps curved and dipped to exhibit each firm muscle. His stride held a confidence that hadn't been there before. His now tight abs, and his taut shoulders and neck, showcased every muscle and bone in his upper body to pure perfection. And the way Jessie's Adam's apple moved up and down his neck always threw Aidan into a fantasy world where Jess did more with his throat than just swallow spit and breath in air.

Beautiful. Breathtaking. The thing of wet dreams that triggered a perpetual hard-on, keeping Aidan in an eternal state of frustration and bliss.

"So come at me already," Jessie said, dipping his head and raising his gloved fists, readying himself, blowing a wayward strand of hair out of his eyes.

As if the body changes weren't lickable enough, Jessie had kept his hair slightly longer in the front, and it now brushed his forehead during their workouts when he bypassed the gel products.

Aidan wanted to run his damn fingers through that soft hair. He wanted to grip that shit and pull Jessie's head back and lick and bite that fucking sexy as hell Adam's apple.

He finally stopped pacing and placed his hands on his hips. "I think we're done for the day." He removed his mitts and reached for the towel on the side table, patting the sweat off his face.

Jessie frowned, dropping his arms to his side. "You're no fun." He ripped off the Velcro strap with his teeth and tucked his hand under his opposite arm to remove the glove. He bent and reached for his towel then walked over to the corner to turn off the music streaming from his iPod.

Aidan turned his back to Jessie, hiding a smile. He loved having Jessie around. Evenings at home were better than he could have ever imagined. Not only was the man a beast in the kitchen, but he'd grown incredibly comfortable around Aidan and they teased each other endlessly. They'd become best friends, and Aidan enjoyed every second in his presence.

A yank on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts. He raised his hands to prepare for a punch but hadn't anticipated the leg sweep that knocked him flat on his ass…or the accidental jab to his groin with Jessie's knee on his way down to the mat. Aidan's eyes teared up and he immediately cupped his balls and bent his knees. He'd been shot at, stabbed, and hit with more weapons than he cared to remember. But his family jewels…they were sacred and very delicate. And very much in severe pain at the moment.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry." Jessie knelt on the floor at his side.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"Don't apologize," Aidan hissed through clenched teeth. "Cheap shot, Jess. But a damn good one I might add."

A laugh bubbled from Jessie, and he quickly slapped a hand to his mouth to cover the smile. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh. I just meant to drop you. I sure as hell didn't mean to hurt you."

Aidan scowled. "Go away. I'd like to keep my other parts intact."

"Aww, the big strong man got taken down by his smaller pupil," Jessie said, poking Aidan's side with his index finger and speaking in a mocking tone.

"Shut up," he said, laughing, then ending on a groan. Aidan uncupped his balls and test-stretched a leg, grimacing at the shock of pain and the churning in his stomach. He lay on his back and closed his eyes.

"Damn, I'm really sorry."

"I fucking deserved it. I shouldn't have taunted you."

"When are you going to show me more of those self-defense moves you talked about?"

"When I get a pair of iron balls."

"Mmm."

"I swear you're obsessed with balls." For some reason, any mention of balls, nuts, globes, or anything remotely suggestive and spherical always made Jessie perk up and stand at attention. He had a bona fide ball fetish he didn't even bother denying.

Jessie softly laughed. "You give me an Aidanism even when you're in pain. I keep telling you, it's a gift."

A smile spread across his face. Jessie had coined the phrase after Aidan's repeated comebacks and snarky comments during their conversations. He fucking loved that silly little word and knowing Jess actually liked his occasional sarcasm enough to give it a nickname. "You did good. Just give me a little bit to recover." After a few minutes, he slowly sat up then stood before bending forward and resting his hands on his thighs, breathing heavily to steady himself.

Jessie stood alongside him and reached over, rubbing his hand up and down Aidan's arm.

He took a deep breath, enjoying the heat of the comforting touch. "It's not my arm that hurts."

"Want me to rub your balls?"

Aidan straightened. "Smartass. I don't want you anywhere near my balls."

"Shame," Jessie whispered with a smirk.

They often teased, but Aidan always nipped it in the bud before it went too far. He enjoyed living under the same roof with Jessie and refused to do anything to make their relationship awkward again. The occasional smooch on the cheek with good news or a goodnight hug held him over just fine—far more than any contact he'd had with anyone else in quite some time. He looked up at the wall clock. "I'm going to grab a quick shower."

"I'm going to run on the treadmill for a few minutes. Meet you for breakfast in the kitchen in twenty?"

Aidan nodded, finally straightening and walking out—oh so slowly—from their workout room and into the bedroom to get ready for work.

About twenty minutes later, he stood in the kitchen—leaning forward, resting his elbows on the countertop and his chin on his fists—staring at the bread, waiting for that perfect shade of gold.

"Wait a minute. Do I smell what I think I'm smelling?" Jessie said with a gasp, entering the kitchen, trailing a faint hint of lemon soap in the air.

Aidan looked over his shoulder with a half smile, before refocusing on the bread. He had quickly pinpointed Jessie's weakness: croissants, fresh from the oven, warm enough to melt the butter. "That depends on what you're smelling."

"I can sniff out a croissant a mile away." He inched closer, resting his chin on Aidan's shoulder. "Why are you staring at them?"

He turned his head, barely an inch between them. "I don't want them to burn." Even though Jessie had attempted to teach him how to work his way around in the kitchen, anything above and beyond boiling water or toasting a piece of bread—under close supervision—was a crap shoot. His toaster oven had a mind of its own and never cooperated. No way in hell would he deprive Jessie of his one weakness.

That would be worse than a double kick to the balls.

Jessie smiled and leaned in, his still-wet hair brushing against the side of Aidan's neck. He then placed a kiss on Aidan's cheek before stepping away and reaching into the refrigerator for the juice.

He smiled at Jessie then returned his focus to the evil toaster. He refused to chance it further and pulled out the warm breads from the small oven.

"Mmm, that smells good." That moan shot a bolt of heat right down to his aching balls as he walked over to the table with the plate full of warm croissants.

Jessie needed no further prompting before ripping apart a croissant and buttering it up. Aidan drank his juice, trying to ignore the sounds of pure ecstasy coming from Jessie.
I wonder if he makes those same sounds…
He squashed the random thought before it had a chance to plant roots and drive him mad. He wouldn't go there,
couldn't
go there.

They finally finished up breakfast and cleared the table. Aidan grabbed his wallet and keys then abruptly turned to face Jessie. "If you want me to pick something up, just text me." He smiled as Jessie walked over to the sofa and straightened the cushions, stepped back, then repeated the process until everything was picture perfect.

"I've got a stack of case files I need to research by the end of the week," Jessie absently said, inspecting his work. "So if you don't hear from me, feel free to nudge me. I'm always worried I'm going to text you at the worst possible moment."

Jessie worked from home as a legal research consultant and often lost track of time. Aidan missed seeing him dressed in his sharp suits, but he was definitely happier knowing Jessie was safe at home.
Home
. Aidan sighed inwardly. He liked the sound of that. Not
his
home and no need to clarify
their
home; just home. Plain and simple. And he couldn't have asked for anything more. Living with Jessie was easy, comfortable, and he craved the evenings when he could just spend time with him.

"You're never a bother. If I'm busy, I'll respond as soon as I get a chance." He looked away before he revealed more than he should and made his way toward the door.

"Have a nice day at the office." Jessie shoved him out the house with a pat on the ass.

Aidan stumbled out the door with a silly grin plastered on his face. Yeah, he totally loved this living together thing.

* * * *

"I hate this Michael Johnson asshole," Manny mumbled.

Aidan looked up from the case file. "Finally, Reyes, we agree on something."

Manny frowned, the crease between his brows deepening with each passing second. "How the hell is it possible for someone to vanish off the face of the earth like that?"

"He came back for him after fifteen years. That's a big span of time, so he's careful and meticulous."

"And patient," Manny added. "That's a big problem."

"Make that two things we agree on."

Every lead they had on Jessie's attacker had gone ice cold. Manny had demanded Jessie come in two months ago to answer more follow-up questions. Aidan feared the pushy prick had planned to take advantage of the interrogation to dish out a lengthy list of stupid homophobic jabs…but he couldn't have been more wrong.

Manny had approached each question with uncharacteristic gentleness which Aidan suspected mirrored the manner he usually handled cases within his department. But Manny's irritation was tangible and the extent of his questions, however delicately phrased, still punctuated the epic proportions of his frustration at not being able to solve the case that would have landed in his own department, regardless of his appointed team status.