“You’ll learn soon enough that you can be honest with me. I know what I do for a living, but I also get it’s not cut and dry out there in the real world. I could help with whatever you’re running from,” Kreed offered, keeping him from turning away as he pushed up on his elbow, changing his position. Kreed placed his fingers under Aaron’s chin and forced his gaze up. Aaron shifted on his back and stared up at the deputy marshal as his stomach roiled at Kreed’s comment. Did he know or was he just trying to piece together what he didn’t know? Sin leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
The tenderness was such an incredibly sweet gesture. One that was endearing and heartfelt, and he was absolutely certain Kreed meant those words with his whole heart. But would Kreed still feel the same if he ever found out the truth?
Now wasn’t the time to open all this up. Aaron lifted to kiss him lightly on the lips, which was sort of new for him. He didn’t make it a habit of kissing all that much. He’d probably kissed Kreed more than he’d kissed anyone in his entire life, and he was quickly becoming addicted to the man’s sinful lips.
Aaron remained silent. Kreed gathered him in his arms, drawing Aaron against a warm hard chest. Aaron felt Kreed lightly kiss the top of his head as he wrapped a big arm around his waist and draped a leg across his. Kreed tugged on the covers again, covering him completely. He snuggled closer. His body fit so perfectly against Kreed’s.
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” Kreed responded. They both laid there at least an hour before Aaron finally heard Kreed’s breathing even out. He started to pull away, let Kreed sleep in peace, but Kreed’s big arm tightened and held him in place.
“Stay. I sleep better with you here.” Kreed held on to Aaron like an anchor in the storm. It was comforting, and Aaron finally closed his eyes and let himself drift off.
Chapter 23
The warm body plastered completely against the front of Kreed stirred him awake, his morning hard-on trapped beneath a heavy thigh draped temptingly across his groin. If he didn’t have to pee so bad, he’d be tempted to rub one off quickly, and with the way Aaron pressed enticingly against him, it wouldn’t take a second.
On that thought, Kreed turned his head to the side. Aaron looked peaceful and innocent, the sight of that vulnerability made Kreed smile. That funny, warm feeling in his belly spiked again as he watched Aaron sleep. He could wake like this every single day and never have it grow old.
Those thoughts of waking up next to Aaron for the rest of his life should have had him clamoring for the hills. But lying there with this man’s body tightly wrapped around him only intrigued Kreed, which was a completely foreign concept to him. At this point, he’d be a fool if he didn’t admit his feelings were growing more and more profound the more time he spent with Aaron.
Guilt made Kreed hate himself for not taking better care of Aaron last night. Aaron had been attentive, kind, and comforting and kept true to his word. Not one time did he try to take advantage of the moment. Kreed was beginning to understand Aaron didn’t play by any set of rules. The guy’s life seemed to dance on the outskirts of authority, taking risks once he deemed the situation appropriate and safe. Case in point—yesterday morning Aaron had reached up and boldly kissed his lips, showing Kreed exactly what he thought about the boundaries he’d put back between them. Aaron hadn’t been worried about himself, even though minutes later the kid walked across the street into the living evil of this world. Instead, he’d been worried about Kreed’s anxiety levels.
Last night, Aaron had respected Kreed’s rules and tried to find a way to be there for him without pushing too hard. Kreed couldn’t remember a time in his adult life when anyone had ever wanted to take care of him. His heart seized at the prospect of finally having someone there for him.
Oh damn, church boy was a keeper. There was absolutely no hiding from the fact he had developed very deep feelings for the kid. He wasn’t sure what any of that meant in terms of a relationship after this case was over, but he wanted to pursue the possibility.
On that thought, Kreed shifted his position. He really needed to get out of this bed before he lost the struggle with his own rules and bulldozed through the obstacles they presented. Kreed desperately wanted to live in a world where he could have relieved the tension of yesterday by making love to Aaron last night. And now, waking next to him with a fucking boner didn’t help his resolve either.
He left Aaron sleeping. There wasn’t any reason to wake him, especially not in the state Kreed was in. Aaron had chipped away at his will and he didn’t have a whole hell of a lot of it left anyway. No one had ever swayed his resolve…ever…except Aaron.
Quietly, Kreed made his way to the hall bathroom, flipped on the light, and then slid out of his briefs. His hard-on stood out like a motherfucking pole, but the pressure in his bladder demanded a more immediate release. Kreed pushed his dick down and leaned over the toilet and waited. Fucking thing wasn’t making this easy. Seconds later, Kreed had a nearly unending flow of curse words running through his head. His motherfucking prick wouldn’t give, and he was determined to ignore it. Kreed finally finished his business, despite his dick’s attempt to derail the situation. He reached over and turned on the shower faucets, allowing the water to heat.
He grabbed a towel and tossed it on the counter, then, looking down at his dick, he sighed before stepping into the shower. “Not gonna happen today, buddy. Get used to it.”