In My Arms Tonight (3 page)

IN MY ARMS TONIGHT

Bailey Bradford

15

better than he knew himself, it seemed. His family was generally pretty liberal, so Glenn hoped they’d be as accepting as Veronica had been.

He still wondered why it was James that drew him so, but maybe he was

overanalysing. Surely he wasn’t the first man to be snared by a pair of beautiful eyes, or, what came across in his file at least, by a beautiful soul. James wasn’t some money-hungry lawyer like so many people joked about. Actually, most of the attorneys Glenn had met, even those defending assholes Glenn wanted to see behind bars, were pretty decent people. They were no worse or no better than anyone else.

But James had taken in a young man he’d found beaten and given him a stability that likely saved Chase from ending up in prison. And James had turned on his boss at the law firm when he had found out what the man was doing, what he was allowing his son to do.

The cost to James had been close to soul-crushing, yet he still had that spark… There were other things, like the volunteer work James had done at the youth shelter, and pro bono cases he took, and just so many things that all called to something inside Glenn, and when he’d looked into those eyes, seen the terror there in that room where James had been held, it had pierced Glenn more painfully than the wound he’d suffered. He’d been injured himself before he’d been able to reach James then, and Glenn hadn’t been able to get the man’s expression out of his head even as he’d laid bleeding on the floor.

Now here he was, driving across the country just to…to what? He didn’t know, but his gut churned and his heart beat faster with each mile he drove, and Glenn never once considered turning the Tahoe around.

By the time he reached the outskirts of the town James was living in, he was exhausted, his nerves were clanking together like a handful of bolts in a blender, he looked worse than he felt, and he didn’t particularly smell good. He’d have to find a room and get cleaned up, and as much as he hated to, he should probably get some sleep so he wasn’t an incoherent blathering fool.

Red and blues lit up and flashed in his rear view.
Fuck. Fuck!
Glenn contemplated gassing it for a half a second, which told him he really was on a mental meltdown and he definitely needed sleep. He eased the car over onto the shoulder and put it in park as he watched a huge cop get out of the vehicle behind him.
What’s that saying? Everything’s bigger
in Texas? Holy shit!

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IN MY ARMS TONIGHT

Bailey Bradford

16

Glenn closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and prayed he’d be able to talk his way out of this mess.

Xavier hung up the phone and looked at Chase as he walked into the living room.

“Looks like Shearing’s here. It’s really good to have a friend on the police force that’s aware of what’s happened with James. Les saw the out-of-state plates while he was on duty. He pulled Shearing over and said he had to threaten to arrest him just to get Shearing to show his ID. Seems Shearing was afraid of someone tracking him here.”

Chase stopped beside the couch and pressed a hand to his chest. “Was someone following him?” Les—Officer Stanton—wouldn’t want that. His lover Adam had been a victim of the same sick fuck who’d had James kidnapped in the first place. No way would Les let trouble come to town.

“I don’t know,” Xavier said as he reached for Chase. “Les only got that out of him after convincing Shearing we’re all on the same side. He sent Shearing to the Holiday Inn off the interstate. Les said Shearing just checked in.”

“So, why are we here?” Chase asked as he let himself be pulled down beside Xavier.

Xavier shrugged. “I didn’t know if we should go over there or what. I imagine Shearing will show up here sometime soon.”

“I don’t want to spring him on James, that might upset him,” Chase pointed out. “And I want to talk to Shearing, find out why he gave Les shit about showing his ID. I’m thinking he’s probably right to be afraid someone is following him. James’ parents aren’t the kind of people to just let their son go missing, even if that’s what he wants.”

“All right,” Xavier sighed. “Do we tell James, considering how he was this morning?”

Chase swallowed as pain flickered in his eyes. “I don’t…maybe not yet? Not until we talk to Shearing, make sure he knows he can’t just come storming over here for James.”

Xavier’s lips curled up into a smile even though the discussion was serious. “Are you going to go all mama on Shearing and grill him on his intentions?”

Chase snorted and smacked Xavier’s shoulder. “Yes, you shit, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. That, and make sure he didn’t lead anyone to James.”

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IN MY ARMS TONIGHT

Bailey Bradford

17

Glenn groaned as he tipped his head down and let the hot water pound at his sore neck and back. He’d tensed up so much dealing with that big cop, he was surprised he was able to move. He needed to get cleaned up, then it was a toss-up, food or sleep. Glenn was leaning towards sleep. Even if he ate after he showered, he’d just be hungry again when he woke up. Seemed easier to skip the food for now. He soaped up the washcloth and started scrubbing away the grime from the road trip. Travelling always made him feel nappy, even if he flew somewhere. A couple of days in the Tahoe without showering was just gross. No matter how tired he was, he couldn’t go to sleep feeling like that.

And his cock apparently wasn’t as tired as the rest of him, since it swelled and bobbed like a puppy begging for a treat. Glenn growled as he glared down at it. He’d always thought women had it easier when it came to being aroused, and surely their pussies were more reasonable than a dick. Glenn barely had the energy to scrub himself off, and yet he had a painfully hard erection that showed no signs of flagging.
Oh well, I should sleep like the dead
once I take care of this.

Goosebumps pebbled his skin while he fisted his dick loosely. He dropped the washcloth and grabbed the small bottle of conditioner. After uncapping it with his teeth, Glenn scooted out of the streaming water and dumped a dollop of the creamy stuff on his cock. He smeared the conditioner around with several slow strokes. His pinky bumped his balls, and Glenn cupped them with his other hand, rolling them gently before pulling at them. His legs wobbled as pleasure flushed his skin and warmed his insides. It would have been better to do this in bed, but then he’d have had to get up and shower again. Glenn locked his knees and started stroking his cock, tightening his grip. He rolled and pushed at his balls, then released them to reach behind himself. Glenn slid his fingers between his ass cheeks, moaning and trembling when he brushed over his puckered skin. He hitched one foot up onto the side of the tub and didn’t hesitate, pushing two digits in roughly, the burn and stretch sending a hundred small aches out from his hole. He moaned and began pumping both hands faster, working his dick almost frantically as he stretched his opening.

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IN MY ARMS TONIGHT

Bailey Bradford

18

The friction there, without lube to ease the way, sent fiery sparks of pleasure to his balls and up his spine.

Glenn huffed and he wished he had more hands, or…no, he wished he had James here, biting and plucking at his nipples. The little nubs burned and throbbed, begging for touches Glenn couldn’t give them. He tightened his hold on his dick, jerking it harshly as he fitted a third finger in his ass. Glenn didn’t give in to this desire often, but when he did it seemed like he couldn’t get enough, couldn’t fill his ass the way it needed to be filled. He tried to push in deeper, but couldn’t quite manage it.

Almost sobbing with need, Glenn tried to fit a fourth one in, but the lack of lube and the position and his sheer desperation all combined to thwart his attempt. He gripped his dick even harder, fucking his fist mercilessly, driven by a consuming need for release. His breath skittered and his muscles clenched when he speared his slit with a fingernail. Glenn twisted his other hand around, finally making it possible fir hum to brush over his gland, and a strangled cry was torn from him as his balls snapped up. Cum spurted from his dick, splattered his hand and belly, dribbling to the tub floor as his ring clenched around his knuckles.

Shaking, gasping, Glenn eased his fingers from his ass. He hissed as the abused tissues flared and burned, yet he revelled in the feeling of being stretched, of almost having been filled like he needed to be. Glenn could only imagine what it would be like to have James bend him over and fuck him until he couldn’t walk, to have that deep pounding he craved.

He couldn’t, however, imagine doing the same to James, because the man just seemed too wounded to be taken like that. In all of Glenn’s fantasies, it’d been James taking control, fucking Glenn’s mouth or ass or hand, spraying his cum onto Glenn and marking him in the most basic way. Or base, to some people, but the idea of James covering him in spunk turned Glenn on in a way he couldn’t describe.

And I must be beyond exhausted to be thinking like this.
Glenn tried, he really did, to keep his fantasies buried. He was afraid of the strength of them, and afraid he might never get to have anything from them. James had never given him the slightest hint he was interested, had, indeed, seemed borderline terrified of Glenn at times. Maybe that was why he could only think of letting James have him.

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IN MY ARMS TONIGHT

Bailey Bradford

19

Huffing at his own confusing thoughts, Glenn rinsed the spunk off his skin then turned the shower off. He stepped out and towelled the water off half-assed, then stumbled towards the bathroom door only to very nearly keel over when he pulled it open.

Although, why he was surprised to find Chase and Xavier lounging on his bed like they’d rented the room themselves, was beyond him.

Chase quirked an eyebrow at him. “Done having fun in there?”

Fuck. There’s goes any chance of me getting to sleep any time soon.

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IN MY ARMS TONIGHT

Bailey Bradford

20

“Do you think you were followed here?” Chase asked before Glenn could organise his thoughts.

“Can I maybe get dressed?” he snapped, too tired to even try to be polite. Besides,
they
broke into
his
hotel room; why the hell should he be worried about being polite?

Because they will make it damn near impossible for me to see James if I piss them off.
Still, there were some things a person just couldn’t tolerate, and for Glenn, what was happening right here in his hotel room was one of them. Maybe if he’d had some sleep, if he wasn’t so confused or stressed or whatever, maybe he wouldn’t be curling his hands into fists as he imagined strangling both men.

“Go ahead,” Chase said with a wave of his hand. Something in his expression came across to Glenn as a dare, and while he normally wasn’t anything near juvenile in his behaviour, and he acknowledged that he could be reading Chase wrong, Glenn still stood up and whipped the towel off, throwing it towards the bathroom and trying not to blush from ass to forehead as he strode over to his suitcase. Really, he’d already been humiliated to the core upon learning his unwanted guests had heard him whacking off in the shower. So what if they saw him naked? He simply wasn’t going to be intimidated by anyone, at least not right now.

And he had to admit, it felt pretty good to hear Chase and Xavier’s sharply indrawn breaths. They must have not thought Glenn had the balls to drop the towel.

Well, he did, and they were swinging moderately with each stomping step he took.

Glenn pulled out a pair of sweats and put them on, realising the gasps may have been because of the scar, still puckered and pink, on his abdomen. The thought made him feel a little nauseated, and a sudden wave of self-consciousness slammed into him. He grabbed the first shirt he spotted. Once the scar was covered he turned and gave Chase an arch look and shoved his brain into gear.

“No, I don’t believe I was followed, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.” Glenn filled the two in on the PI. “I don’t see where there’d be cause for anyone else to follow me, but I www.total-e-bound.com

IN MY ARMS TONIGHT

Bailey Bradford

21

imagine eventually, someone will figure out where James is. Really, all they have to do is follow you,” he pointed at Chase. “Have you done anything that could be used to trace you back here?”

Chase paled and his eyes rounded. Xavier draped an arm over his shoulder and murmured something in Chase’s ear. “I opened up a bank account here,” Chase said so softly Glenn had to strain to hear him. “And I ordered a few things online… Damn it!” Chase snarled, springing up off the bed. “What the hell was I thinking?” He slapped his hands to his hips as he started pacing. “I
knew
they’d—James’ parents—would come looking for him!

And duh, they’re going to know wherever he is, I’m not going to be far away, so yeah, they’ll find me.”

Glenn’s stomach dipped to his ankles as his blood chilled. “And where is James now?

Is he alone?”

“No, no he’s actually visiting with a friend,” Chase said, his guilt vanishing almost completely from his features as he watched Glenn. “But it’s not like we’re trying to keep you from seeing him. It really pissed me off when everyone was hyper-protective of me and wouldn’t let me wipe my ass without checking in with them first. We won’t do that to James.”

Glenn scratched his head as he looked from Xavier, who gave him a tight grin, to Chase, who had that whole neutral expression thing going on. Finally Glenn propped his butt on the dresser and braced his palms beside his hips. “All right, then. What exactly are you doing here, if not hovering and trying to intimidate like some overprotective pissy mama wolf?”