Cade Creek 11 - Race Against Time (7 page)

“The chief wants us to make a store run, but we have a half hour before we head out.” Vinnie dropped down to his knees in the grass when he reached them. He winked at Race, causing his face to flush. “What kind of muffins do you have?”

“Oh, I…” Race peeled back the lid of the plastic container and then held the container out to Vinnie. “They’re mini muffins, so I made a few different kinds.” Race started pointing out the different-colored muffin wrappers. “The yellow ones are banana nut bread, the purple ones are raspberry muffins, the blue ones are blueberry, the brown ones are chocolate chip, the red ones are red velvet, and the white wrappers are vanilla bean.”

Vinnie started plucking muffins out of the container. “I’ll take one of these and one of these and one of—”

“Hey,” Ari asked, “are you going to leave any for me?”

“No.” Vinnie grinned as he went back to grabbing muffins.

Race laughed when Ari went for the container and the two men began fighting over it. He didn’t think they were truly fighting. They seemed like good friends, if not more. But muffins were quickly disappearing into hands and mouths.

By the time the two men stopped wrestling around on the grass, there were muffin parts and empty wrappers everywhere, and one empty plastic container. Race was still laughing as he bent over and grabbed the container and began picking up the wrappers. The birds and squirrels would get what was left of the muffins.

“I guess I should make a double batch next time,” he mused as he sat back down.

A burst of laughter shot from him when Vinnie glared at Ari and Ari glared right back. The remaining tension Race had been feeling faded as his amusement took over. He might not be able to realize his fantasies, but they could still be friends.

Vinnie picked up a lone muffin, one that hadn’t been crushed, and popped it into his mouth. Even though his mouth was closed, Race could see the grin on Vinnie’s face as he chewed. There wasn’t an ounce of guilt on the man’s face.

Ari rolled his eyes before bumping shoulders with the bigger fireman. “Asshole.”

Race didn’t know what to think when Ari’s eyes narrowed. He leaned back in surprise when the man jumped up and sat down next to him, scooting close. His arm came down to rest on the back of the bench behind Race.

“You took the last muffin,” Ari said with a smirk. “I get to sit next to Race.”

Huh?

Race gave Ari a confused frown as the handsome fireman continued to grin. He felt as if there was something going on that he had no clue about. There were times when Race missed things, like not seeing Terrence’s violent tendencies until it was too late.

He was starting to feel like this was another one of those times.

Vinnie and Ari might not have violence in mind, but they were up to something. Race started to get a nervous tickle in his stomach. He really wanted to believe that they weren’t violent, but he had been wrong before.

When Race scooted away from Ari, the man dropped his arm after giving him a funny look. Race replaced the lid on the container and then held it tightly to his chest as he stood. “I need to get back. Thanks again for meeting me at the airport.”

Race took a step to the side, away from the two men.

When Vinnie stood, Race took another step back.

“Race, it’s okay.” Vinnie slowly raised his hands, holding them up in front of him. His face had lost all amusement and was now totally serious. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“No, of course not.” Race laughed nervously.

It was a sad sound.

He tightened his grip on the plastic container when Ari stood, holding it in front of him like a shield. “I really should get going.”

“If that’s what you need to do, Race, go ahead,” Vinnie said. “We won’t stop you.”

Race swallowed tightly. He yearned to stay, but he was afraid to. His eyes darted between the two men, then moved to the open green grass around them.

“Why don’t Ari and I sit over here,” Vinnie said as he waved his hand toward a grassy spot a few feet away. It was off to one side, leaving the bench seat open to the rest of the grassy lawn.

“I guess that would be okay.” Race waited until Vinnie and Ari walked over and sat down, crossing their legs, before moving to sit back down on the bench. He held on to the plastic container for another few minutes, just in case he needed to run. When Vinnie and Ari started talking as if this was just another day in the park, he set it down beside him.

“I talked to Dorian and got his permission first before saying anything,” Vinnie said. “We asked the guys at the firehouse to keep an eye out for strangers in town.” Vinnie nodded his head toward the green cast on Race’s arm. “We wanted to make sure whoever did that didn’t get a chance to do it again.”

“Do you think maybe you could tell us who did it, Race?” Ari asked. “It would help to know who we’re looking for.”

Race’s eyes dropped down to his cast. He absently rubbed it as he wondered why Vinnie and Ari would even care. They had done as Dorian asked and picked him up from the airport. Why did they still care?

“Race?” Vinnie asked. “Can you tell us who did this to you?”

“His name is Terrence,” Race said as he raised his head. “Terrence Flannery.”

Before Race could continue, the alarm sounded from the fire station. Vinnie and Ari jumped to their feet and hurried over to where Race sat. Vinnie leaned down and kissed Race on his lips before Race could protest. A moment later, Ari did the same.

“We need to go,
passerotto
,” Vinnie said. “Can we take you out for dinner tonight and talk more about this guy who did this to you? We can go to the Rusty Nail. There will be lots of people around, so you don’t have to be afraid.”

Dazed from the two kisses he had received, Race absently nodded his head.

“Great.” Vinnie grinned. “We’ll call you when we’re off duty.”

By the time the fog lifted from his head, Vinnie and Ari had run across the street and were heading into the truck bay. How had he ended up accepting a dinner invitation from two men he might need to avoid?

Race didn’t know how long he sat there, staring at the fire station long after it had emptied of fire vehicles. When a shadow passed in front of him and he felt a presence at his side, he slowly turned.

“You know,” Dr. Devon Berkley-Hale said, “it’s a falsehood that you can really watch grass grow, no matter how hard you stare at it.”

“What?”

“The grass?” DB waved his hand toward the green stuff. “No matter how hard you stare at it, you will not be able to see it grow.”

“No, I was staring at the…” Race turned to look at the fire station again. He wasn’t about to admit he had totally zoned out. “At the fire station.”

“Oh, are we watching firemen, then?” DB wagged his eyebrows. “Can I watch, too? Firemen are hot.”

Race frowned. “Aren’t you married?”

“Honey, I’m married, not dead.” DB chuckled. “Besides, as long as I don’t buy anything, I can look at the menu all day long.”

Race knew all of his thrusters weren’t firing because that just didn’t make sense. “Huh?”

“I love my husband and have no desire to ever be with anybody else, but being married does not mean I don’t have eyes in my head. Cade Creek seems to have an unusually high number of very hot men in it. I’d have to walk around with blinders on not to see at least one hot guy walking down the street. Doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep with them, or even fantasize about sleeping with him. Just means I can appreciate the human body in all its lusciousness.”

Now, that made sense.

“Vinnie and Ari want to take me to dinner tonight.” Race still didn’t know what to think about that, or even if he should go.

“Oh?”

“They want to talk to me about the man who did this.” Race raised his cast up.

“From the frown on your face, I’m betting you’re thinking of not going.”

“I don’t know them.” Race glanced at the doctor. “I mean, they picked me up at the airport, but I don’t really know them. This is like the second time I’ve ever met them.”

“I can’t say we’re best buds or anything,” DB said, “but I’ve known them for a while now. We’ve gone to several of the same backyard barbecues and such, plus I’ve seen them in my capacity as a doctor more than once. I might not be able to answer all your questions, but I can probably answer a few. What would you like to know?”

Race thought about that question hard. He had so many questions, it was difficult to settle on just one, but there was one that seemed to be pounding louder in his head than all the others.

Race swallowed his nervousness before asking, “Are Vinnie and Ari dating?”

Astonishment flashed across DB’s face as if he hadn't expected that question, but it was the one burning in Race's mind.

“Um, well, I’m not sure, to tell you the truth,” the doctor replied. “There are rumors, of course, but I don’t like listening to rumors. I’ve never seen them kiss or anything, but they do seem closer than regular roommates.”

“Oh.” Race’s shoulders slumped.

“Why?” DB asked. “Are you interested in one of them?”

“You could say that.”

Ari smiled as he leaned against the doorframe and watched Vinnie comb his damp hair. The handsome Italian was fresh out of the shower. His skin was still a little flushed from the hot water, and looking shiny clean. Darkly tanned muscles rippled with each movement of Vinnie’s body.

Ari knew he would never get tired of looking at the man. Vinnie Rizzo was a stunning man. Too stunning to pass up. Ari stepped forward and dropped to his knees. He grabbed Vinnie by the hips and spun the man around until his goal bounced right in front of him.

There was something to be said about a man who seemed to be perpetually horny. Vinnie’s cock was never far from being fully hard.

Ari licked a long path from the tip of Vinnie’s cock down to the root before slowly sucking the man’s thick erection to the back of his throat, letting his throat muscles relax until his nose nestled in short curling hair. A vibration shivered through Ari when the head of Vinnie’s cock nudged the back of his throat.

He heard a swift intake of air and then Vinnie shuddered.

“Sweet mother of mercy,” Vinnie groaned as his hands sank into Ari’s hair. “Damn, baby, your mouth…”

Ari ran his tongue over the slit at the top of Vinnie’s cock and then under the edge of the crown. Drops of pre-cum pooled on the head of Vinnie’s cock trickled over his tongue. He began to swallow, his cheeks hallowing as he moved Vinnie’s thick erection farther into his mouth.

Ari slowly started to bob his head, sucking in his cheeks as he moved his lips up Vinnie’s thick cock. He wanted to savor every last inch as Vinnie moved through his mouth. The more Ari’s mouth moved up and down, the easier it became to swallow him down to the root every time.

By the time he reached the slit on the head of Vinnie’s cock, another pool of pre-cum had gathered and started dripping down the sides. Ari eagerly licked at each drop until his mouth exploded in flavor.

Ari tightened his lips as he pulled back down the length of the man’s thick erection. Once his lips were securely locked around the flared head of the man’s cock, he braced himself, knowing what was coming.

Vinnie’s hand tightened in Ari’s hair as he began to fuck Ari’s mouth in earnest, his dick sliding down Ari’s throat over and over again. Ari opened his mouth wider, taking the cock to the back of his throat. The feel of Vinnie’s cock slipping down his throat was indescribable. The muscles of Ari’s throat spasmed around the shaft.

When Vinnie’s balls started to pull up tight to his body, Ari increased the speed of his movements, sucking Vinnie’s length down his throat faster and faster each time, hollowing his cheeks out as he moved back up to the tip.

“Ari!” Both of Vinnie’s hands fisted in Ari’s hair, Vinnie fucking his mouth as his hips snapped forward and then pulled back. As his throat massaged Vinnie’s length, Vinnie came hard, screaming Ari’s name. His hot seed spurted down Ari’s throat in ribbons of release. Ari groaned as his pleasure at watching Vinnie come spurred on his own release. He shuddered as he filled his pants, giving off a broken spurt of laughter at the realization that he would need to change before their date with Race.

Ari let the man’s softening cock slip from his mouth and then sat back, staring up at Vinnie. “I’m going to need a few minutes to clean up and get changed.”

Vinnie chuckled as he leaned back against the counter. “That’s okay. I’m going to need a few minutes to get my legs working again.” Vinnie bent over and pressed a kiss to Ari’s lips. “No one sucks cock like you do,
tesorino
.”

“Yeah.” Ari snickered as he stood, grabbing the front of his damp pants and pulling them away from his body. “That’ll go good on a resume.”

Vinnie threaded his fingers through Ari’s hair and pulled him in for another kiss. “Well, if the whole fireman thing doesn’t work out, I’ll hire you to be my boy toy.”

Ari raised one eyebrow as far as it would go. “You think you can afford me?”

Vinnie’s grin was a mix of sexy Italian male and pure Cheshire cat. “I’m sure we can work something out.”