In His Sights Page 12

  “I know, and I really appreciate you staying. But you could’ve taken an earlier flight today. I don’t need a keeper any more. I’m okay.” Mason opened his truck door. “You could’ve headed back to your life sooner.”

  “Nothing to head back to.” Fuck. The words tumbled out of Noah’s mouth before he had a chance to stop them.

  Mason, about to step into his truck, stopped. “What did you say?” Mason stared at Noah.

  Now what should he say? “It’s just that I finished my job. I’m heading back home. Don’t have much planned except catching up on some sleep.”

  Mason smiled. “Well then, why don’t you stay for a couple days?”

  “Huh?” Noah wasn’t sure if Mason’s offer caught him off guard, or if it was Mason’s smile that had Noah momentarily stupefied.

  “Umm. Yeah. Why not? I’m on sort of a vacation. Why don’t you hang for a couple days?” Mason’s smile grew, and his eyes sparkled. “It’ll help me deal with missing work.”

  Noah closed his eyes, trying to make his brain cells function. Mason had just offered him the opening he’d waited for. Now was a good time to broach the subject of what happened the night before—but Mason’s smile continued to fuck with Noah’s brain. He went with the best he could come up with. “What’s up? You don’t want the time off?”

  “No, it’s not really about that. Just that I have the time, but didn’t get the heads up until last minute. I had no time to plan anything. There’s some work I need to finish at home, but that won’t keep me busy long. So, yeah. Why don’t you stay? Hang out?”

  “I’m not sure…”…that’s a good idea.

  “We’ll take a day, head upstate, do some hiking.”

  “Okay. Maybe. Hiking sounds great.”

  “Perfect.” Mason actually bounced at the news. His excitement had goose bumps growing on Noah’s skin.

  “When we get home, see if you’re able to change your ticket again without any penalty.”

  “Okay.”

  Mason’s enthusiasm was contagious.

  “And instead of changing your ticket until Monday, maybe leave the departure date open. We’ll go camping. Do a couple-day trip.”

  “Okay sure. Sounds great.” And it did. A nice hard-core hike would feel good. It’d been a while since he’d camped, too. And he couldn’t think of anyone other than Mason he’d rather share a tent with.

  And that’s where the problem lay.

  Mason pulled the truck into the driveway, and both men jumped out. With them still wet from their swim, the air carried a little nip. When they walked inside, Mason asked, “You want to wash the chlorine off first?”

  They’d decided against showering at the gym again. While the cold water had helped Noah out the first time, neither wanted to deal with the frigid temperature again.

  “No, you go ahead. I’ll call the airport while you’re in there.”

  Mason stared at Noah. What was Mason thinking? Noah opened his mouth to ask, but Mason’s words came out first. “Why don’t we take one together? Save water.”

  The words shot right to Noah’s cock. His mouth wanted to say yes when his head told it to slow the fuck down.

  Mason’s lips pressed tightly together, his shoulders slightly slumped. He took Noah’s silence to mean he wasn’t interested, when that was furthest from the truth. It was simply a case of Noah being scared. It’d been a year since they’d been together last, and nothing had changed in Noah’s life. He still hid in the farthest corner of the closet, and the only time he’d ever come out, was when he was in a dark alley, with a nameless face.

  And before he was with Mason, it had been the same thing. That’s what caused him to run. Knowing Mason had been more than a one-off; that he’d been someone connected to Noah’s life, regardless of how distant, scared the living shit out of Noah. And Noah hadn’t known how to handle that, other than to run away.

  Mason let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. Never mind.” He spoke in barely a whisper, but the words shouted in Noah’s head and knocked him out of the thoughts that had him preoccupied.

  “No, wait.” Noah grabbed Mason’s forearm. “Please stop.”

  Mason’s gaze focused on Noah’s hand, and Noah dropped it away. “I just. Yes, I want to go with you. I’m just scared.”

  “Of what?” Mason peered into Noah’s eyes.

  “Of what might happen between us.”

  “I don’t understand?”

  “I’ve never been with someone I’ve known. Or ever saw again.”

  Mason remained quiet for a moment. Then he took a step closer to Noah, picked up his hand, and smiled. “Come on then. I’ll show you how much better it can be.”

  Noah pulled his phone from his pocket and put it on the counter. Then he reached for Mason’s extended hand. Together, they headed toward the bathroom. Panic caught Noah’s breath.

  As they walked into the bathroom, Mason turned on the light. Noah kept his gaze searching around the room, unable to meet Mason’s. Mason turned toward Noah, released his hand, and let his fingers walk up Noah’s arms. Standing close forced Noah to turn his gaze to Mason. Mason stared at Noah’s mouth, letting Noah know what he planned to do. Mason moved in quickly. His lips touched down, and not letting Noah escape, Mason sucked the man’s tongue into his mouth. The action surprised Noah into a frozen state. It hadn’t lasted long. Mason’s tongue moved and snapped Noah out of his fog. Noah cautiously raised his hands and slid them around Mason’s waist.

  Mason swung him around, moving him back against the counter. Mason’s tongue continued to control the dance.

  Mason’s taste and his sudden dominance had a moan escaping Noah’s mouth. Mason met the sound with a thrust of his hips against Noah’s hard cock. Chills raced down Noah’s back. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold on. Everything seemed to happen too fast. He pulled out of the kiss and pushed Mason back. Mason’s eyes, half closed, were filled with a desire that matched Noah’s.

  Noah stared at Mason’s racing pulse, throbbing in his neck. Noah’s mouth watered imagining himself licking the spot. He took a second to catch his breath and get a hold of himself. Mason caught Noah in his stare. Mason’s expression was that of a hungry wolf.

  “Take off your clothes.” Mason’s voice left no room for questioning. The words were an order. One Noah willingly followed. As he took off his last article of clothing, he stared at a still dressed Mason and asked, “What about you?”

  “What about me? Are you upset you’re completely naked, and I’m still fully dressed?” Before Noah could answer, Mason added, “Because I think it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. I should just open my zipper and fuck you.”

  Noah’s cock twitched, fully on board with that idea.

  Mason hadn’t missed Noah’s dick moving and smiled. “You’re fucking beautiful.”

  Noah’s heart beat faster.

  “What do you want?” Mason asked him.

  “You. Any way I can get you.”

  “That’s leaving a lot up to me.” Mason wore a hungry smile. He peeled off his shirt, then went for his pants. He wrenched open the button, then fell down on his knees. “Need to taste you.” Mason’s stare met Noah’s as Mason inched closer to take Noah’s penis into his mouth. The first lick was tentative. “This okay?” He asked up to Noah.

  Noah moved his hands to Mason’s head. Mason closed his eyes and moved his mouth over Noah’s cock. Noah continued to gently brush his fingers through Mason’s hair. Mason let out a moan, sending shivers up Noah’s shaft. Noah took a deep breath, trying to fend off the too-soon orgasm threatening to take hold of him.

  Mason pulled off his cock, leaving his tongue to lap at the tip, pushing into Noah’s slit. Before the move fully registered in Noah’s brain, Mason slid forward, forcing Noah’s cock down his throat. Noah fisted Mason’s hair. Mason sucked hard as he took in Noah’s cock, then Mason’s teeth lightly grazed the organ as it slipped out. It was a sensation Noah strangely liked. His hips bucked,
showing Mason just how much.

  Mason, using a little extra pull, dragged Noah all the way down Mason’s throat and swallowed. Noah’s legs went weak and needles pinched his skin. The orgasm raced through him, unexpected in both time and intensity. Noah gripped Mason shoulders, holding on to avoid collapsing. Mason continued to suck, catching all of Noah’s essence. It was almost too much for Noah.

  “Sensitive,” was all he could get out past his dry lips. It caused Mason to release Noah’s dick. Mason stood; the smile on his face hypnotized Noah. But a movement in the corner of his eye caught Noah’s attention. Mason had his now dribbling cock in his hand. He moved like a man possessed. Heat radiated off Mason as their gaze locked.

  “Close. So fucking close.”

  Not giving it any thought, Noah dropped down to his knees. “Come on me. Need to feel you.”

  Noah watched as Mason’s body shook, and he spewed his cum all over Noah’s face and into Noah’s open mouth. Noah swallowed everything that made it into his mouth, then his tongue slipped out, catching some more. Once Mason finished emptying his load, Noah took Mason’s cock into his mouth and sucked the organ dry. Mason let out a cry that echoed through the room. Noah couldn’t help but smile. He also couldn’t help but collapse the rest of the way down onto the floor, resting for a moment as he waited for Mason to come out of his trance-like state. When Mason finally did, he gazed down at Noah, who still wore some of Mason’s cum on his face. Mason’s eyes twinkled as a slow smile spread across his face.

  “That was fucking amazing.”

  Noah hadn’t meant it as a question, but Mason answered anyway. “Yeah. It was.” Mason held out his arms. “You want some help up?”

  “Why don’t you come sit for a minute?”

  “Let’s take a shower, then we’ll go sit for the rest of the day.”

  Noah took Mason’s hand. “That sounds great.”

  Mason stepped out of his pants. Noah whimpered at the sight, and his hands shook with the urge to touch Mason.

  Chapter 14

  Mason knew the bed would be empty when he woke up, but it didn’t stop the hurt from rustling through him. Deep down in a little spot inside, he’d held hope Noah would still be there, wrapped in his arms. When Mason had woken up in the middle of the night, Noah had lain with his arms outstretched and his leg draped over Mason’s. Mason couldn’t help but stare at Noah’s peaceful expression. The moment felt perfect.

  Regardless of how right they felt together, Mason needed to accept it’d never be more than sex. Hell, Noah had admitted he’d never been with anyone more than once. Mason had had Noah twice, and hopefully he’d have Noah again for as long as he stayed with Mason. Mason’s chest constricted with the knowledge he’d probably never see Noah again. Noah would disappear, Mason all but forgotten. The circumstances around them having seen each other this time had been a fluke. Noah took off in the middle of the night last year, and had no intentions of looking back. And Mason had little choice but to accept it. He grabbed the pillow and slammed it over his face. He wanted to yell, to shout out his stupidity, but unsure where Noah was, Mason kept his mouth shut. He’d hate to explain to Noah why he screamed. Yeah, that would turn into an awkward talk.

  Mason left the pillow on his face, closed his eyes, and let the darkness take him. Maybe if he slept a little longer, the next time he woke he’d be over all this shit. Maybe.

  He tossed and turned for the next half hour, after which he finally gave up on sleep. The pillow went flying across the bed as he adjusted his eyes to the light. The headache from the day before thankfully dissipated. The pain had disappeared while he and Noah had fucked, but had returned after. Not wanting to leave Noah’s side to fetch the medicine, Mason chose to ignore the ache. He’d half expected to pay for the choice this morning.

  His mind traveled to his talk the day before with Noah. The idea of hiking and camping with Noah caused adrenaline to rush through Mason’s body. As a bonus, spending some one-on-one time with nature would help clear his head.

  Mason bounced out of bed, in a much brighter mood. He got dressed, then opened his bedroom door, and the quiet of the house met him. Mason strolled down the hall to the guestroom. The door stood slightly ajar, and the room sat empty.

  He padded into the kitchen, not finding Noah in the room or along the way. Mason’s stomach clenched. He called out, the silence his only answer. Had Noah left again? Mason’s heart beat faster. He ventured back to the guest room, spotted Noah’s clothing hanging on the chair, and let out a sigh of relief. Noah was somewhere. Apparently naked. Mason smiled. He sauntered back to the kitchen to make coffee. When he lifted the carafe, he noticed a note on the counter next to the coffee pot. I went out for a run. Be back soon. Noah.

  “Why wouldn’t he wait for me?”

  Mason debated throwing some sweats on to try to catch up with Noah, but thought better of it. Instead, he’d use the time alone to do some work. With that idea, the memory of all the shit on his plate came back, and a weight settled over him.

  Fuck. Mason’s hand burned from the too-tight grip on his coffee mug. His brain, already on work, went to the report his boss had received saying Mason had become obsessed. The paper must have come from someone inside his team. But who? I’d like to grab a copy of the report and find out whose signature is on it. His bosses had told him his obsession had him conjuring up a non-existent terrorist group. Except I have zero doubt the group exists. They had told him his obsession had clouded the facts—had caused him to miss the truth.

  But the facts were none of the three attacks Mason’s team investigated had matched the MO of the larger group, and nothing had linked them to the other group when in the past, there’d always been evidence supporting the larger group’s guilt.

  Even the executions were different. And where the larger group had always taken claim to their destruction and devastation, no one had come forward for these other attacks. The facts should make it obvious to everyone, and Mason thought they had, at least to his team. He was under the impression they all agreed with him.

  What killed Mason was the fact not only had the higher-ups not entertained Mason’s theory, they had gone even farther and disbanded his team. They ordered him to stand down. He hadn’t seen that coming. Mason fought the urge to punch the wall.

  Instead he busied his hands making a new cup of coffee, then hurried into his office. The faces on the wall stared back at him. Mocking him. He stared at each one, though it wasn’t necessary, as each face had been burned into his memory. They were the animals responsible for the bombings overseas that he’d been investigating—he knew it in his gut. That one of the bombings killed Mason’s brother-in-law hadn’t had any effect on the case Mason had built. So what if he’d been obsessed? The death count of these guys kept growing, and as of yet, no one had done anything about it.

  Mason examined the papers on his desk.

  They’d ordered him to surrender each and every document, file, recording, drive and whatever else he possessed in relation to the case. Every item used to build his case was about to be turned over to the other team. “It’s bullshit.” Why would the same group have bombed the same place within weeks of each other using completely different methods? Nothing made sense. And that wasn’t taking into account any of the other proof Mason and his team had collected.

  Now he only had days to figure out the case he hadn’t figured out in the two years he’d worked on it. Fuck.

  * * * *

  Noah wound his way through Mason’s neighborhood. He wasn’t running. Well running, yes, but not in the sense of trying to get away. Although, the reason he ran alone was because he wanted some time away from Mason to straighten things out in his head. Not only about the night before. Although, those thoughts took up a big part of it. His other concerns had to do with what happened the night at the bar. How out of control Mason acted.

  Whatever set him off had to do with both Mason’s sister and work, but with what Mason had said to Noah, too many h
oles remained to put the two together. Palpable anger had radiated off Mason the other night. Now Noah’s concern lay with how easily Mason had gotten over the whole thing the next morning. Those feelings weren’t something Mason could’ve just turned off. Maybe some of the rage had to do with the alcohol, but a large portion came from Mason’s true feelings.

  The next day he’d acted as if nothing had happened, with Mason making plans for the two of them to go hiking and camping. And what about the trip? Noah also needed to think about it. Was them going off alone a wise idea? It’d definitely take Mason’s mind off all the shit at work, but them alone, for days, and nights, after what happened the night before, might prove a problem. Maybe Noah should tell Mason something came up, and he needed to go home or back to Baltimore to catch another ship.

  The sun’s position told Noah the time had come for him to head back to Mason’s. Unfortunately, he was no closer to figuring things out. Noah’s stomach sank the closer he moved toward Mason’s. In seconds, he’d be face to face with not only what’d happened last night, but also last year. Why he’d run away. He’d already explained the part he was willing to face, and the thought of the rest coming out caused a tightening grip on Noah’s chest.

  Noah stopped on the walkway leading to Mason’s front door. He bent over and took a deep breath, then stood and stretched his arms over his head. He lunged on one leg, then the other. He used stretching his muscles as a reason to delay going in the house, but he couldn’t stay outside forever.

  He tried to keep his muscles loose as he put his hand on the doorknob. His foot touched the foyer’s floor when a crash came from the back of the house. He closed the door and headed toward the sound. “Mason, are you okay?”

  As he made it to the hallway, Mason stepped out of his office. His eyes were narrowed, his face red. He stared at Noah, not saying anything.

  Chills raced down Noah’s back. “Are you okay?”

  Mason didn’t say anything right away, and Noah wasn’t sure he planned to. Noah moved back, ready to leave Mason alone to deal with whatever he needed to deal with, but before Noah turned completely, something in Mason snapped. He walked closer to Noah and a smile formed on his face. The change happened so fast and so drastically, Noah felt as if he’d missed something.