Flight of Fancy (7 page)

Gavin didn’t censor his annoyance as he stumbled out of the kitchen. He walked down a hallway lined with prints of the mountains and natural wildflowers, poetic pieces he wouldn’t have thought Aidan would appreciate, and found the bathroom. A guest bath done in blues and browns, it had a masculine feel while being clean and polished enough to belong in a designer magazine. Yet another side of Aidan he’d never imagined.

After cleaning himself thoroughly using the shampoo and soap in the shower, and taking care to pay attention to the sorer parts of his body—namely, his ass—he dried off. Aidan hadn’t said he could wear the towel out. He’d insisted Gavin bring nothing with him for their training, and Gavin knew that meant he’d spend the better part of their time together naked.

With a glance at his body in the mirror, he saw what Aidan would see. A flushed, naive-looking young man whose eyes shone with sexual satisfaction, confusion, and worry. Holy shit. Just thinking that he’d had sex with hunky Aidan Marshall turned him inside out. Not that he didn’t consider himself okay in the looks department—Aidan had called him cute after all. But Aidan was the type of master that Gavin had been dreaming about for years. Strong, gruff, but not abusive. He meted out punishment and didn’t take any shit.

To Gavin’s horror, he started to grow hard again. His orgasm had been much needed, but not as good as yesterday’s, when he’d come all over Aidan’s belly. That sense of connection had been missing. But why? Hell, he’d had Aidan buried inside him. How much tighter could they get?

Aidan had given him permission to come. Yet Gavin hadn’t pleased his master. Not the way he should have. He realized his mistake and flushed with shame. And just as quickly, the notion infuriated him. He stormed out of the bathroom, heedless of his nudity, and confronted Aidan.

“You told me I could come.”

“Yet the first time, you almost came without permission, didn’t you? It was all about Gavin and Gavin’s feelings. You didn’t want to obey anyone but your cock.”

Gavin opened his mouth to retort but didn’t. He thought about it. “You got me really hard. That’s good.”

“Yes. And you showed absolutely no sense of understanding.” Aidan shook his head. His gaze remained on Gavin’s face, and the lack of desire Gavin sensed left him feeling embarrassed. He was fine to be naked when Aidan wanted him, but now he felt vulnerable and way underdressed.

“Exactly.” Aidan sat down behind the table. “You
are
vulnerable. The whole point about domination and submission is an exchange of power.”

“Where you hold all of it,” Gavin grumbled.

The disappointment on Aidan’s face dismayed him. God, why did he suddenly feel like crying? Frustration—that had to be it. That was all Aidan would need to think of him as a total lost cause.

“Gavin. Look at me.” Aidan’s soft voice shook him out of his thoughts. “It’s
my
job to see to your needs, not yours. It’s my job to make sure you’re warm, that you’re secure, that you’re coming when you need to. Not yours. The ultimate power is pleasure.
Your
pleasure. But the control is mine.”

Gavin needed a moment.

“No. Come here.”

Shit. He hated having nothing private.

“
Now.
”

He trudged to stand next to Aidan and let out a surprised curse when Aidan yanked him down onto his lap.

“You’re cold. And your ass is sore.”

Aidan pulled him into a hug that warmed him within. He didn’t protest when his head was shoved against Aidan’s broad chest, and the sound of his partner’s—Master’s—heartbeat racing under his ear brought him a sense of peace he’d been needing for a very long time.

“That’s it. Let it all go, Gavin. It’s my job to take care of you. And I always do my job.”

Gavin buried deep his secret wish that this could be more than a job. Because this feeling of closeness struck him right where it would hurt the most. His heart.

AIDAN LET GAVIN rest in his arms for a good while, until the slighter man fell into a light doze. Nothing sounded but the slow, steady breath of his boy against his chest. God, he didn’t understand this. Aidan didn’t want their embrace to end. He’d given comfort to any number of subs over the years. After a hard whipping or a rough beating, he’d soothe with creams and hugs, some gentle cuddling to ease the sub out of his zone. But he’d never felt such tenderness for a partner before.

Not sure why the hell this had to happen now and with Gavin, of all people. He slowly stood with Gavin in his arms. His boy snuggled closer and sighed, and Aidan tightened his hold. A funny ache in his chest told him he needed distance, so he carried Gavin into his bedroom and put him in bed. Gavin looked so small and innocent in the middle of the spacious room. After covering him with a thick, warm blanket, he closed the door behind him and went to the phone.

The second he heard Kitty answer, he asked, “Anything yet?”

“And hello to you too, Aidan.” She sounded irritated. “Hold on.”

Ian joined him. “Yo, Viking. What hails from the cold north?”

“Idiot. I’m three miles west of the gym.”

“With that cutie Gavin, I hear. Yum, yum.” Ian snickered.

“Shut it. So what’s the deal? You have my invite yet?”

“Almost. Gimme another day. I’m e-mailing you your cover, though. Big tough Dom and your boy toy. You’ll be a small arms dealer with connections in Canada. We’ll work the northerly bad-boy angle. What do you think?”

“Whatever. Just give me what I need, and I’ll take care of this.”

“Of course you will.”

Ian’s platitude annoyed him. “Anything else I should be aware of while I’m there?”

“Well, this didn’t come from Jack, but…”

“Ian.”

“That book is important to you-know-who. Problem is, even without the book, rumor has it Carl is gunning for our client. If it were me, I’d grab the book and take care of trouble, if you know what I mean.”
Kill Carl Kerr
went without saying. “Because as you know, you-know-who is a big player and one of the main reasons those jackasses stay off our tails.”

Aidan grunted. They had a pair of government watchdogs on them at all times who didn’t bother hiding anymore, and Aidan had no idea what Jack intended to do about them. But at least they left them well enough alone. The government hadn’t protested much when Jack and the rest of them left DC behind. But apparently Uncle Sam wasn’t stupid enough to let amped-up psychics run amok in the country. Even as far away as Oregon.

He frowned. “So you think Stallbridge—”

“Ahem.”

He rolled his eyes. “
You-know-who
is keeping them at bay?” Why they had to continue with Stallbridge’s secrecy, he had no idea. The team swept for devices on a daily basis.

“That’s my guess. I mean, we haven’t done anything to warrant the government taking us in. No weird abuses of psychic power anywhere. And then there are the Cannons.” The other resident psychics in Bend. A powerful family he’d been fortunate to avoid thus far during his time in Oregon. “They have a lot of pull in high places. They’re psychic, and no one bothers them.”

Aidan snorted. “Yeah, and they weren’t enhanced in government labs and trained to kill with a thought either.”

“That we know of.”

Good point. “So you’re telling me it would be a wise thing, in our best defense, to take care of the client in any way we see fit?”

“I can only speculate, Aidan. I’m just a peon, like you.” At Aidan’s growl, he amended, “Okay, not like you. I’m much better looking, for one,” he muttered and in a louder voice said, “You’re superior in size and brain power. Happy now?”

“Ian, get to the point.” No wonder Jack had a bottle of aspirin at his desk. Ian would drive a saint to drink. And Jack was no saint.

“Yeah, yeah. All I know is, if it were me, I’d eliminate any threat to my paycheck. Jack leaves a lot to your discretion, and you don’t abuse your authority, so he wouldn’t blink twice if Kerr just happened to suffer from an aneurysm. All I’m saying.”

Aidan stilled. “Wish I could help with that, but—”

“Right. You just read minds. You don’t influence or pulverize with your mental superpowers. Sure thing. Of course. What was I thinking?” In a peppier voice, he added, “Well, I’ve gotta go. Working the day shift is no fun without Chloe and the guys to annoy, but hey, Kitty’s into some flare-up with a hot-looking hunk, so I need to go and rescue her. Or him. I’m not sure yet.”

He hung up before Aidan could correct him.
Hell.
Did Ian know what Aidan could really do? Jack didn’t. How could a forger know what Aidan had kept buried more than half his life?

“Hey.”

He turned to see Gavin standing just inside the living room, a blanket wrapped around his waist and a frown on his face. “What?”

“You put me to bed?” The cute flush on his cheeks warmed Aidan in places he hadn’t realized were cold.

“You looked worn-out.”

“I was late this morning because I overslept. I’m just not used to all this…ah…sex.”

Aidan laughed. “Yeah? I figured. Your ass is like a glove. All nice and hot. We’re going to have a lot of fun this week.” Gavin’s embarrassment amused him. “Man, we just fucked. I emptied into that sweet ass. Hell, I rimmed and ate you up. What the hell are you embarrassed about?”

“So I can talk to you normally now?”

“My fault.” Aidan stood and crossed to Gavin. He pulled the blanket up over his shoulders and figured he might as well start a fire, since he planned to keep Gavin naked for the next three days they spent getting ready to tackle Kerr. “When we’re in scene, you’ll address me as Sir or Master. I’ll call you boy.” Or
baby
, which he hadn’t meant to let slip. It felt too personal, and he liked it too much. “But when we’re done, it’s just you and me.”

“Where I call you an asshole.” Gavin grinned.

That smile punched another hole through the barrier protecting Aidan’s heart. He had to clear his throat before warning, “Don’t push your luck.”

“So I can put my clothes back on?”

“No. Drop the blanket.”

Gavin sighed but did as told without question. Progress.

“I want you to be comfortable being naked around me. And I want access to that cock. Full-time.”

Gavin blew out a breath. “I have a feeling you say this stuff so I’ll turn red.”

“I do like that color on you. Turn around. Let me see that ass.”

Gavin turned, and Aidan saw the beginning of a bruise on his left buttock. “Pretty. You bruise easy.”

“Easy?” Gavin asked as he turned around. “Your hands are like bricks. No wonder they call you Viking.”

“I thought that was on account of my berserker of a cock.” Aidan winked.

Gavin laughed, and the smoky chuckle had Aidan joining in.

“Yeah, okay. You’re so big and studly. Oh, Aidan, you’re my hero.”

“Smart-ass.”

“So who were you on the phone with?”

The sense of camaraderie surprised him. Gavin was thinking that they’d put their issues behind them, and he saw Aidan as a real partner. The clear acceptance on Gavin’s part had the effect of brightening Aidan’s normally dour mood.

“I was talking to Ian—not by choice. We should have our info later today. I’m a small arms dealer with connections, and you’re my love slave.”

Gavin groaned. “Not slave.”

“The thought has appeal.”

“I’m sure.” Gavin shivered.

“You have thin blood.” He shrugged out of his own shirt, more than aware of the bag of clothes Gavin had brought with him, and put it over Gavin’s shoulders. The shirt hung on a frame meant to hold a shirt two sizes smaller, but Aidan liked seeing it there, just as much as he liked Gavin’s attention. “I know. I’m a lot to handle.”

“You have no problem with self-confidence.”

“Nope.” Not when it came to his body. The rest of him… He didn’t like to think about.

“So what now?”

“Now we get to know each other better. Then we see if you’ve learned anything from this morning.”

Gavin nodded, which surprised him. He hadn’t thought Gavin would be agreeable to another D/s scene so soon after being angry earlier. They might actually have a shot at pulling this off come Saturday.

With that in mind, Aidan built a fire. He squatted by the fireplace and arranged kindling. Then he watched as flames took life. He turned his head and noted Gavin’s gaze on his jean-clad ass.

“Like what you see?” he teased.

“Yeah. Just wondering if anyone’s ever fucked you.”

Aidan stood and faced his partner. God, he really thought of Gavin as his partner. The team fuckup had managed to sneak under Aidan’s shields in more ways than one. With that in mind, Aidan resolved to harden his livened emotions.

“That’s quite a question.” He crossed his arms over his chest, wanting to give the impression of strength when everything inside him shied away from bad memories. Had he ever been fucked? Yeah, and beaten and nearly strangled to death. Never again.

Gavin sighed. “And not an answer. But that’s okay. I’m good at solving puzzles.” Gavin walked up to him and placed his hands on Aidan’s biceps.

The contact sizzled. Everything faded but Gavin’s touch.

He wasn’t the only one affected. Gavin’s erection grew as he watched.

“I want to show you something. Can I kiss you…Master?”

* * * *

Carl Kerr stared into the fireplace, hoping for answers. He’d spent the better part of last month’s earnings on Polski’s resourcefulness. Now he had the answer to his biggest problem. Except the fucking book meant nothing to him. He’d had it authenticated out the ass. Yes, it was several hundred years old. Yes, it belonged to the Stallbridge family, who had carved a nice little niche in the world of finances. And yes, Owen Stallbridge wanted it back.

But why?

Ignoring the muffled groans from the corner, he looked from the fire to the book and frowned. The cover was unremarkable. Tattered leather, some faded gold-embossed letters. Inside was much the same. An unremarkable story about love lost and found lined the antique pages. Some sexual drawings, a hierarchy of Stallbridges and the families they’d married into. A weird little book that wanted to be the
Kama Sutra
but came across as a bad edition of perversions and nonsense about men and women with weird brain types. More than half the material meant little to him. But Stallbridge wanted it, according to the price tag he’d attached to
Chronicles
. Kerr frowned. What could Stallbridge want with such an unremarkable book?