Kreed didn’t respond right away. He stretched out, grabbing one of the pillows next to Aaron and hugged it against that big chest of his as he rested his head in the hand of his bent arm. He scrutinized the bedspread, picking at a thread with his fingers. The weird vibes radiating from Kreed had Aaron narrowing his eyes, trying again to decipher this mood.
Something was really off with Kreed, which was completely out of character from what he’d come to expect. Aaron was far better at reading between the lines in online chatting than reading real people, in real situations. Maybe it was too soon for Kreed to be back in the field in such a high-stakes case, especially since the guy had been secretly leading this case since they’d all been back together.
“I want you wired at all times. You get out of there if anything looks or even feels funky,” Kreed finally said, looking up at him.
“Yeah, no problem there. That’s pretty much my game plan, but if I can get in there, get their system feeding information back to the bureau, and just be around if something falls through in that connection, I should be fine, right?” Aaron asked.
“In theory, yes.”
“You know I trust you or I wouldn’t be here,” Aaron confessed, wanting to reassure him.
“How much longer do you have?” Kreed didn’t respond to that statement. Instead, he changed the subject and pointed to the computer on the nightstand.
“I’m done. I was waiting for the virus to load. I’ll test it in the morning, but I think I’m ready.”
“Then get some sleep. You need to be sharp.” Kreed pushed up and off the bed, tossing the pillow in his direction. Silence fell between them as Kreed stood at the end of the bed, staring down at him. Neither spoke, but Kreed’s eyes held a seriousness to them he had only seen at the bureau. Aaron swore something passed between them. He held his breath, waiting for Kreed to make some kind of lewd suggestion, anything to ease the tension, but he never did. Kreed just turned away, padded across the room, and quietly shut the door behind him. Was Aaron disappointed? Had he wanted Kreed to say something more?
A smile bloomed across Aaron’s face. Aaron’s heart sped up a few beats as he realized how much he liked seeing all the sides of Kreed, and he suspected he might be part of a small select few who got to see the true man. Kreed put value on Aaron’s participation in this case—made even stronger since the deputy marshal had hand-picked him to be his temporary partner. Kreed didn’t want Aaron getting caught in the crossfire and that care and concern was sexy as hell.
Aaron lifted his T-shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. He reached for a pillow then tugged at the covers, wrapping them around his body as he lay down. Aaron tried to forget about the tenderness in Kreed’s voice, focus only on what had been said and what all of this could mean, but he couldn’t pull his mind away from Kreed. For the first time, Kreed hadn’t made references to getting inside his pants, but instead he’d been truly concerned. How long had it been since anyone worried about his welfare?
Aaron’s body warmed as he let that thought settle on him. Kreed truly did seem to care about him. The look in his eyes told him that much. Aaron curled himself around the pillow Kreed had hugged, and Kreed’s scent hit him like a sledgehammer. He buried his nose in the pillow and inhaled the intoxicating aroma as he toyed with his nipple ring, twisting and tweaking the metal loop as he thought about Kreed. All the blood in his brain rushed to his dick. He should focus on getting sleep, but his dick demanded attention and he was too far gone to stop.
Aaron gave in, rolled to his back, and kicked the blanket off his body. He slid his hands down his stomach and into his flannels to fist his cock. His eyes closed and his head filled with images of Kreed, the ones he’d tried so hard to push away. Aaron tightened his fingers. He was hard as a fucking steel pole and leaking like a faucet. It didn’t matter that Kreed was in the next room and could possibly hear him or come through that door at any moment. The possibility of Kreed walking in only spurred his excitement and heightened the ache in his balls. All he could concentrate on was easing the need churning through him.
Aaron stroked himself, imagining Kreed’s smart mouth and big hands pleasuring, teasing, and torturing him. He imagined he could still smell Kreed’s lingering scent in the air. He moved his hand faster, arched his hips, to give his dick more friction. His ass clenched, wanting to be filled. Aaron shoved his pajama bottoms down and out of the way in order to spread his legs, only in his mind it was Kreed’s thick legs that held him open wide. Using his other hand, Aaron fondled his aching balls, tugging and rolling them like he wanted Kreed to do. Aaron needed more to push him over the edge. He was on the cusp, hanging in limbo, and he desperately wanted to come.
He brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked them between his lips before shifting both digits to his ass. He toyed with the sensitive skin around his rim before forcefully pushing inside his channel. Fuck! The sweet initial burn tightened his balls and made his dick weep with delight. He always liked the feeling of being breached. He screwed his eyes shut tighter and worked his fist and fingers faster. Dark eyes danced behind his, full lips tempted him with that ever-present smirk. Holy damn, he wanted those lips stretched around his dick. Kreed’s mouth sucked him… Kreed’s fingers in him, working him… The orgasm swamped him, pleasure crashed down on him in breath-stealing waves.