In His Sights Read online

  “What’s the joke?” Noah asked, still angry, especially now that Mason laughed.

  “Sorry. Funny question.”

  “Oh?” Noah still didn’t understand the joke.

  “The girl’s my sister.” Mason wiped his watering eyes and stifled his laugh.

  “Oh, sorry. I didn’t notice the resemblance.” Now Noah felt silly thinking that, and even more so for getting angry at Mason’s response.

  “It’s all good. But that’s not why I’m laughing. What? Did you think I changed teams?”

  “Huh?” Noah stared at Mason, who still wore a smile on his face, not understanding what he meant.

  “I’m gay, Noah. I’ve been out for a lot of years. Guess you missed the guys calling me on it back in Afghanistan.”

  “They gave you shit?” Bile burned the back of Noah’s throat, and he fisted his hands. The thought of anyone ragging on Mason caused him to heat up.

  “Nah. The usual stuff. It was nothing they didn’t do to each other. Never had to deal with any type of shit in either the Corps or the Bureau. There was one guy who had a problem with me, but he transferred out the week after I started. So yeah. I’ve been kind of lucky.”

  Noah’s brain froze, not believing what he’d heard—he had a problem accepting Mason was gay, although it was more of a problem accepting Mason would out himself so easily. He also couldn’t believe what a lucky son of a bitch Mason was. Noah had only ever listened to horror stories about people coming out in the military, and the way they were treated. And for Mason to not only come out in the Marines, but also in the FBI, and not to have to deal with any repercussions, meant someone was watching over his shoulder. And for that, Noah was grateful. Because the thought of Mason having to deal with any shit had a rage unlike any Noah had felt in a long time, racing through him.

  But as much as these realizations shocked Noah, there was one more that captured his brain that he couldn’t seem to shake. And that was accepting the fact he had agreed to stay with Mason for three extra days and nights—alone. Noah’s heart pounded, ready to beat out of his chest, and he had to fist his hands to keep them from shaking. He was screwed.

  Mason stared at Noah, and when he peered over, Noah’s stomach knotted. Mason frowned, and his stare bore into Noah.

  It took Noah, a second—a second too long—to realize Mason obviously interpreted Noah’s silence as rejection. I’m a fucking dick. “I was thinking how hard that could have been on you. There are a lot of assholes out there.” And in here.

  Mason’s tense posture relaxed some, and so did Noah’s. Noah never wanted Mason to believe Noah didn’t have his back. No matter what, Noah would be there for Mason in a heartbeat. Just like Mason had been there for him the other night.

  “So, this guy you intended to visit, he your boyfriend?” The words were out before Noah knew he planned to ask. Knew he wanted to know the answer.

  “Nope. Absolutely not.” Mason’s words came out harsh, stunning Noah.

  Afraid the abrasive tone was meant for him, Noah had to make things right. “Are you dating anyone?” He asked, because yeah, he wanted to make Mason feel better, not because he really wanted to know. “I mean it’s cool if you are.” What the fuck is that supposed to mean. I’m a dick.

  Thankfully, Mason laughed. Thinking Noah was a jackass, was better than Mason thinking Noah had a problem with him being gay.

  With Mason leaning back in his seat, his position eased, Noah let out the breath he held. His pulse slowed, and his body relaxed. But before he could take another breath, Mason asked, “What about you?”

  And just like that, Noah’s stomach dropped as if it were in the middle of a High-Altitude-Low-Opening insertion. “What?” Noah’s hands shook, he fisted them again and put them by his side, hoping Mason wouldn’t notice. “What the hell? I’m not gay. I don’t have a boyfriend.”

  Mason stared at him strangely. “I know you’re not gay. I meant a girlfriend. Do you have a girlfriend?”

  Noah’s heart raced. It didn’t matter that Mason corrected himself, the damage was done. Noah thought Mason figured out his secret. It was almost a relief, someone else finally knowing. Someone other than the nameless, faceless men he’d been with over time. But the relief was short lived, turning into abject fear.

  “I knew what you meant. I’m kidding with you,” Noah choked out, hoping Mason remained too focused on driving to hear the hitch in his voice. “I’m not dating any one person right now.”

  “Right now? That mean you recently broke up?” After taking a single breath Mason said, “Shit. I’m sorry. You don’t need to answer. It’s none of my business.”

  “It’s okay.” Now this Noah could talk about. Anything that made him seem normal was okay to say. “I dated this girl for two years, but it didn’t work out.”

  “Wow. Two years. That’s a long time. You mind me asking what happened?”

  “Don’t mind. We were stagnant, not moving on toward the next level. That’s what she said. I think it was because I left the Navy.” Noah still got an ache in his chest when he said that.

  “You really think you leaving was an issue?”

  “Absolutely. She liked being with a Navy SEAL more than she liked being with me. Besides, splitting up was all for the best.” If not for her, then for me. I didn’t need a steady girlfriend to introduce to my team. A reason to avoid going out and fucking around with them. Although they still had called him a pussy because he wouldn’t cheat, but that had been their usual mouthing off. There had been two other guys who had something steady, and they’d been as monogamous as Noah.

  “It was smart that you cut her loose. You don’t need someone using you. Holding you down.” Mason’s words knocked Noah out of his thoughts.

  “Yeah. You’re right.” Noah said, glad he no longer had to deal with the charade.

  “So where do you go to pick up chicks?”

  “Chicks?” Noah laughed. “I don’t know. Guess a bar?”

  “Where did you meet the last girl?”

  “A bar the team used to hang out at.” Noah thought back to all the women who would be there, offering themselves to the teams just because they were Navy SEALs. The thought gave Noah chills. Not the good kind.

  “Why? Where do you meet the guys you go out with?” Noah was trekking into dangerous territory, but he didn’t seem to care right then.

  “Don’t really go out with anyone. More like hook-ups. And I meet them at the local clubs.”

  The thought of Mason hooking up had Noah grinding his teeth. Trying to brush off the odd reaction, he asked, “Not the settling down type?”

  “No. Not now, anyway. Too much on my plate, and I’m not ready to get rid of any of it.”

  Noah couldn’t swallow, his throat dry, as though full of cotton balls. What the hell did he care if Mason searched for love or not? Staying with him, even for only a couple of days, was definitely a fucked up idea.

  They were at a red light. Mason took his gaze off the road and stared at Noah. “Hey you all right over there? You’re awfully quiet all of a sudden.”

  Fuck. “Just thirsty. Did we forget the cooler back at the house?”

  “The little red one should be wedged behind the seat.”

  Noah peered behind him but hadn’t spotted it.

  “It’s in the middle.” Mason pointed.

  Still a little dehydrated from their earlier run, and the night of drinking, Noah let out a sigh of relief when he spied the small container. He figured the lack of liquid was what had him feeling all strange. A cold drink and he’d feel one hundred percent better. He got the box over the seat and put it on his lap, then grabbed a bottle of water. Perfect. He opened the bottle and chugged it down.

  “Shit. You were thirsty.” Mason smiled.

  “Yeah, a little,” Noah agreed. “Sorry. You want one?”

  “No. We’re almost there.”

  At a few minutes after 11:00 A.M., they pulled into the nursery’s parking lot. It took a little les
s than thirty minutes to secure the trees on the truck. On their ride back, Mason commented on the traffic being lighter than usual.

  Before Mason set the car in park, Noah hopped out, stretching his arms over his head.

  Mason climbed out and they both stared at the truck, neither saying anything.

  What the heck am I going to do with these things? Mason peered toward the backyard, calculating how far they’d have to haul the trees.

  Noah broke the silence. “Well, let’s do this.”

  “Okay.” Mason tried to buoy his confidence. “Yeah.”

  “So how do you think we should go about moving them?” Noah asked.

  “I have a dolly in the garage.” Mason formed the plan as he spoke. “Balancing the roots on the dolly should make the move easier.”

  “Sounds good.” Noah’s smile gave Mason the assurance he needed.

  Mason ran into the garage and grabbed the dolly. Back at the truck, he and Noah shunted the first tree until they had the roots situated as best as they could. That part of the project went easier than expected.

  With the tree balanced, Noah and Mason pushed, pulled, lugged, and shoved the tree toward the back yard. At the back gate, they stopped to make sure they wouldn’t have a problem pushing the tree through.

  Mason glanced around his yard. Maybe I should plant the damn things in the front.

  “Stop,” Noah said. “I know what you’re thinking. We can do this.”

  “I do have the perfect spot for them in the back.”

  “I’m sure you do.” Noah crouched back into position. “Let’s put this baby in its new home.”

  Both men put their weight behind the tree and pushed the dolly into the back, stopping once they made it through the gate.

  Noah glanced around the back yard. Mason wanted to know what Noah thought. The space was one of Mason’s proudest accomplishments. When he’d first moved in, he’d decided he wanted to make the space a sanctuary, a place to get away from the stresses of the real world. Each tree, flower, and decoration had been handpicked by Mason to add to the beauty of the area. Even during the winter months, he’d come sit out back, light up the stone fire pit he had built with his own hands, or jump into the Jacuzzi to relax his bones. And sometimes he’d just needed to feel the cold to let him know he was alive. Yeah, this place was special to him. And from Noah’s expression, his eyes wide, and his brilliant smile, he appeared to appreciate the yard, too.

  “It’s awesome back here.” The awe in Noah’s voice caused warmth to fill Mason’s chest, and his smile to grow.

  “Thanks.” Mason’s gaze glided over to the swing hanging from the weeping willow tree; he had the urge to grab on to Noah’s hand and bring him over so they could cuddle up, revel in the cool breeze that always found its way over, and just enjoy. But that thought, and any more like them, would cause Mason trouble. What the hell am I thinking?

  While Noah continued to look around, Mason forced his mind back to the job at hand. “They’re going over there.” Mason pointed to the back corner of the yard. “The branches will fan out and keep the neighbor’s nose out of my business.”

  “You’ve had problems with that?” Noah sounded surprised.

  “Last summer, whenever I came out back to do anything, I’d catch the old lady over there staring like a hawk.”

  “Maybe she wanted a piece.”

  Mason cringed. “Please don’t.” Regardless of the lady’s age, the permanent scowl she wore caused Mason to think her thoughts were nowhere near there. “Think she wanted something to talk about at the neighborhood watch meetings. My neighbor on the other side said this one,” Mason pointed again to the back, “commented I liked to drink. And my rebuttal for the woman the next time she asked would be—hell yeah, in the privacy of my backyard when I’m off from work, damn straight I like to drink.”

  Noah laughed, but from his stiff posture and clenched jaw, Mason didn’t believe Noah thought it was funny. He appeared almost troubled.

  “It’s not that bad,” Mason assured him. “It’s just if I wanted to do something, or entertain someone in my backyard, I’d rather not have an audience.”

  Mason turned around and headed back out front. “Let me grab the shovels.” Both sat inside the door of the garage. When Mason came back, he handed one to Noah. They left the trees where they were for the time being and got to digging.

  It didn’t take long for the sun’s rays to become brutal.

  “You ready for a drink?” Mason asked.

  “Yeah. Could definitely go for something cold.”

  “I got beer, water, or juice.”

  “I’ll start with water.” Noah leaned on the shovel for a second and appeared to survey what they’d done so far, then he went back to work.

  Mason ran into the house and got them each a water. They both downed the bottles. Mason used his arm to wipe the sweat off his forehead before continuing to dig. Noah started in right after him.

  They dug for a while longer, until the heat became too much for Mason. He stuck the shovel in the ground, took off his shirt, and threw the sweaty material over the fence. When he glanced over at Noah, he could swear Noah was staring at him, but then Noah quickly turned away, and his digging sped up. When Noah did finally turn around again, he kept his gaze downcast, as if the dirt was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. What’s that about? Mason would swear it had to do with…no, he wasn’t going there. Instead, he picked the shovel back up and continued to work.

  Once they finished the holes and bringing all three trees inside the gate, Mason and Noah ran out to the truck to fetch the fertilizer and plant food Mike had given them. Mason dumped it into the holes. Then it was time to move the trees the rest of the way.

  Up until this point, because of the drive and walkway, they had been trouble-free moving the trees. But now, they’d encounter uneven ground and grass—rendering the dolly useless.

  Both men got up close to the trunk of the first tree.

  About to put their arms around the base, Mason stopped. “Give me a second.” He pulled his shirt from the fence and put it back on so his body wouldn’t end up scratched from the tree’s bark.

  Back in position, he put his arms out and wrapped them around the tree. Noah did the same, and their arms brushed together. A shock penetrated Mason’s body, and he almost let go. Stunned, he peeked at Noah to see if he felt the charge as well. The expression on Noah’s face was hard to read. His lips were tight and his gaze avoided Mason’s. If he experienced anything, he wasn’t showing any signs.

  Chapter 5

  They both had a firm grip. On the count of three, they lifted the beast up and moved the first tree into its new home. Refilling the hole went faster than the digging. On the third tree, Mason stopped for a second.

  He removed his shirt again, using the cloth to wipe the sweat from his eyes. The sun beat down on them, but he wouldn’t complain as long as they had plenty of daylight. When he leaned over to grab his shovel, Noah’s gaze seared into his back. This time when he turned around, he was sure he spotted Noah turning away as if he’d been caught staring. What the hell? Does he think I’m goofing off? I only stopped for a second to get more comfortable. It didn’t make sense.

  “You want to take a break?” Mason asked. Thick sweat coated Noah’s body.

  “Nope. We got this. Let’s finish up.” Noah’s broad grin and sparkling gaze matched the excitement in his words. It seemed he really wanted to finish.

  Mason wasn’t going to fight the help. “Okay.”

  By the time they put the last pile of dirt on top, Mason was ready for dinner. A barbeque would be perfect.

  “You want to head to the shower? I’ll put these tools away and be right in.” The words “to join you” almost slipped out of Mason’s mouth. What’s wrong with me? Noah had made it perfectly clear he didn’t swing that way. And besides, even if he did, what made Mason think Noah had be interested in him? Mason needed to pull himself together before he said or did
something that’d mess up their friendship.

  Noah walked into the house, and Mason took a deep breath. Blowing the air out slowly, he tried to force his brain to wrap around what he had to do. His mind still fought to focus on what it wanted to do, which again involved Noah. Mason couldn’t remember the last time he had crushed on a straight guy. Probably back in high school, before he’d realized they were like unicorns—the elusive straight male you could persuade to switch teams. Yeah, at his age, the time for trying had ended long ago. Besides, in his younger days, all trying to get someone to switch got you was a black eye. No, thank you. I’ll pass.

  But his problem was making his dick understand. When he stepped into the shower, his mind shot straight to the image of Noah bent over the bench in the backyard, and spread, waiting for Mason to pound him into the wooden seat. Yeah, a good fuck would be perfect right then. But he’d have to put that off for now. He had a houseguest, which meant no time to go pick up a quick piece of ass. Besides, some random pick-up wasn’t what he wanted. His cock, and sights, were set on the man who stood naked not three rooms away from him.

  Not bothering to argue with himself, he knew his cock would win this battle. For now, he’d let his mind play the recording it wished—Noah being the star. But first, he’d wash the rest of his body. After all, he could wait a minute or two, he wasn’t that hard up. His cock twitched, telling him it begged to differ.

  He turned on the water, checked the temperature, and stepped in. The water cascaded down his body; his muscles enjoyed the shock from the cold. He leaned over and let the showerhead’s pulse pound a rhythmic beat on his back. When he stood back up, he ran his hand through his hair to push the length off his face. With the soap in hand, he lathered up his body.

  He soaped up his chest, and his cock twitched again. His dick bid its time, knowing Mason would work his way there sooner rather than later. He quickly washed his legs. As done as he could be, Mason took his cock in his grasp. For the second time that day, his brain automatically went to someone in the shower with him. This time it was Noah, and he was kneeling, his mouth open, ready to take Mason’s dick. Engulfed in Noah’s warmth, Mason shifted his one hand faster, while his other slid lower and played with his balls.