“Mmm-huh. I love the way you feel in me,” Cody confessed, and he meant every word. Mitch licked and nipped at his neck, drawing back and pushing into him a little farther with each roll of his hips. Mitch was being so slow and tender. And with each movement, he was stealing Cody’s heart like he stole his breath.
“Mmm…me too, cowboy,” Mitch moaned, his thrusts now more determined. “Feels so damn good, Cody.”
Cody melted against Mitch and those big arms wrapped around him, enveloping him in all that masculine warmth, something he doubted he would ever get enough of. His heart stuttered. How was he supposed to leave and go back to his life after having this? How was he supposed to just walk away from Mitch Knox?
This wasn’t just the sex, although that was fucking amazing too, but it was the deep connection they shared. Cody couldn’t sense where he ended and Mitch began. Even when they weren’t together, he could feel the powerful bond between them. That bond connected them from the first night they met, but he’d been too scared and overwhelmed to act on his feelings.
“I wanna make you feel good.” Mitch stroked him harder and faster, keeping in time with his powerful thrusts. He fucked Mitch’s palm while his cock pushed in and out of his body. Mitch’s free hand found his, and they linked their fingers, entwining them tightly. Mitch bucked into him. His movements became erratic, every thrust rubbed relentlessly against Cody’s gland.
Each snap of Mitch’s hips seared his insides like liquid fire. He rested his head back against Mitch’s shoulder as he fell over the edge, quickly heading for spontaneous combustion. Cody didn’t fight it or try to hold back, he let Mitch consume him. And that delicious heat gathering at the base of his spine spread through his body and boiled in his veins until it erupted from him in long hard spurts, coating Mitch’s hand and the sheets with his seed.
“Cody.” Mitch’s breath hitched in his ear, his body stiffened behind him, and he felt every spasm of Mitch’s trembling body deep in his ass.
“Fuck, that was…” Mitch panted into the back of his neck and kissed his shoulder.
“I know,” Cody agreed.
After a few seconds, the light on the nightstand flipped on. Mitch rolled from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, coming back with a warm wet towel, which he used to carefully clean Cody, then crawled back in the bed after tossing the towel to the floor.
“We should try to get some more sleep. I can’t see where you’ve slept much since you’ve been here,” Cody whispered and pushed the sheet to the end of the bed, while pulling the covers across their bodies.
“I haven’t, but every waking moment has been so worth these last few hours with you,” Mitch said sleepily and kissed the top of his head.
“I was afraid that thousand dollar plane ticket would give me performance anxiety,” Cody teased. Mitch reached under his arms and turned them quickly so Cody rested in the crook of his arm.
“Stop saying it like that.” Mitch stared down at him now. “I consider that money well spent. Maybe the best money I’ve ever spent. Plus you’re paying when I come to Texas, cowboy.” Mitch chuckled and leaned to kiss him. “Besides, I’m hoping that after tonight I can look at the case with a clear head. You’ve been on my mind too much lately. I can’t think straight.”
“The case. You haven’t talked much about it, except to say it was Colt’s case,” Cody said, running a palm over Mitch’s cheek until his fingers ran across the fine hairs at the back of his neck.
“I’ve actually started referring to it as the Impossible Case From Fucking Hell. I might have to pass it off.” Mitch almost sounded defeated.
“What does that mean?” Cody asked.
“It means the FBI’s mother ship sucks. It’s not about solving the case as much as not stepping on anyone’s well-manicured toenails. I’m not cut out for here. There’s so much red tape involved. I should give it up. I just know I’m missing something, but I can’t fucking figure it out.”
“Are those the men taped to the wall? The men that have been injured or killed in this case? I noticed earlier, but didn’t say anything,” Cody said.
“Yeah,” Mitch responded after a minute and leaned in to place a simple kiss on his lips.
“Were they all gay or just Colt?” Cody asked and watched as Mitch warred with himself about how much to say.
“They’re all gay,” he said after a long minute. The defeat returned, and Cody definitely picked up the empathy Mitch had for those eight men.
“Don’t give it up. Keep going. They need you pushing for them, Mitch. If you leave the case, they won’t have anyone as devoted as you.” Cody switched their position, rolling Mitch over as he lifted and looked down directly into Mitch’s eyes.
“It’s not that. I just think the case needs fresh eyes,” Mitch said, tenderly palming Cody’s cheek.
“It doesn’t always work like that, and you have to know, lots of officials are still put off by people like you and me. We don’t matter because of our lifestyle. Most people don’t get the injustice of being discriminated against because of who they choose to love. This case is too important, not just for those men on the wall, but for the men who loved them, for their families, for our entire community. They need you and your team to be tenacious. To push and push until they get answers and justice is served.”
After a few seconds of watching Cody, Mitch narrowed his eyes and rolled him back over. “That sounds more like personal experience talking, not just an observation. What happened?”
Several more moments passed and Cody knew his face had to be a cloud of emotion. Should he say anything to Mitch? Every part of him said absolutely not. Outside of his family, he’d never spoken the words aloud. “This can’t be good, Cody. Tell me. Is it why you’ve been so reluctant to be with me? Did something happen to you?”