Cade Creek 11 - Race Against Time (5 page)

Ari wouldn’t have been able to wipe the grin off his face even if someone had paid him a million dollars. Heck, he felt like he had just won the lottery, so what did the money matter anyway?

Knowing Vinnie was just as fascinated by Race as he was not only lifted the weight on his heart, but made it fly. Ari had always known he was gay. That had never been a question for him. He had never been interested in girls.

But he had been interested in having more than one man in his life, and that had made for some confusing times as he started exploring his sexual life. He had tried staying with one man, but always seemed to need something more.

He wasn’t ever unfaithful. That went against everything he believed in, but the need for that something more created a rift in his past relationships that widened until the man he was with bailed, telling him he was emotionally warped.

There were always reasons, and they were always his fault. He couldn’t be faithful, even when he was. He couldn’t give his lover what he needed. He couldn’t commit. Time after time, he was left alone and wondering what was wrong with him that he couldn’t keep a man.

And then he had met Vincent Rizzo and his life had been changed forever. Vinnie had not only accepted the fact that Ari needed more, the man had told him what it was that always seemed to be missing from his life.

Until that moment, Ari had thought it was him, something lacking in his personality that made him a bad risk. He never dreamed it was because he had so much love to give that he needed two men to give it to.

Meeting Sheriff John Riley and his two husbands had given him something to dream about. Their relationship had given Ari an idea of what he needed in his life. Vinnie had given him someone that wanted the same dream.

And now, maybe, they had found someone to share that dream with.

“Do you think he’d agree to date us?”

Vinnie sighed, a sad kind of frown turning down the corners of his lips. “I think that Race needs to recover from his injuries and begin to feel safe again before he’s ready to think about anything we have in mind.”

Ari’s face flushed again, only this time, it wasn’t because he was thinking of his wicked fantasies. He felt like shit for not thinking of what Race needed instead of what Ari wanted.

“Yeah,” Ari said, his heart sinking. “I didn’t mean to—”

“
Tesorino
,” Vinnie said as he pressed a finger to Ari’s lips. “Never doubt that you have a good heart. Thinking about the future we desire is in no way a bad thing, neither is talking about it. We just need to remember that Race is in a bad way right now. He doesn’t even know we’re interested in him. The best way we can help him is to make sure he is safe and well cared for. After that, after he has time to raise his head above whatever crap is pulling him down, we can let him know we want him. Okay?”

Ari smiled. “Okay.”

“Good, now get your ass in the house.” Vinnie’s grin was just as wicked as the man’s dominance was. “You’re sleeping in my room tonight.”

Ari’s brow rose. “Am I?”

When they had first rented the house together, they had merely been roommates, not lovers. While they now spent nearly every night in the same bed, they still maintained separate bedrooms.

They had set up the third bedroom to share with whoever joined their lives. When that person arrived, their current bedrooms would be turned into guest rooms or hobby rooms, whatever. They wouldn’t need them.

Some might consider their arrangement weird, but that had been what made the most sense to them when they had decided to go from roommates to lovers. They lived together, worked together, and played together, but they would only love completely when they had found the man that completed their circle.

Vinnie climbed out of the truck and shut the door before walking around to the front of the truck on Ari’s side of the vehicle. He smiled as he held out his hand. “Come on,
tesorino
. Come sleep in my arms.”

Ari couldn’t think of a better invitation than that. He climbed out of the truck and took the hand Vinnie held out to him. Together, they walked into the house. As he walked down the hallway, Ari bypassed his room and went directly to Vinnie’s.

He smiled as he stood on one side of the bed and stripped his clothes off, Vinnie standing on the other side. Watching Vincent Rizzo take his clothes off was better than any porn Ari had ever seen. If he filmed the guy simply stripping, he’d make millions selling the videos.

As soon as he was naked, Ari climbed up onto the bed, settling back against the pillows so he could watch the rest of the show. He wrapped his hand around his thickening cock and slowly stroked it from root to tip and back down again.

“You are so stunning,” he whispered. “I could watch you all day long.”

“I can think of a few things to do better than watch.” Vinnie’s grin was cocky as he climbed onto the end of the bed and scooted up slowly until he was stretched out between Ari’s legs, his face mere inches away from Ari’s aching hard-on. “But if you only want to watch…”

Ari’s breath caught in his throat as he waited for Vinnie’s mouth to touch his hard cock. He waited and waited. His whole being seemed to be filled with waiting. His long pleasure-filled groan echoed through the bedroom when Vinnie’s lips finally wrapped around the head of his dick. He dropped his hands away, curling them into the sheets on either side of him.

Vinnie had a mouth made for sucking cock. He knew just how much pressure to apply to keep Ari on the edge of his seat for hours. Vinnie liked to stretch things out, torture Ari until his eyes rolled back in his head. That man was sadistic…thank god!

When Vinnie sucked him all the way down his throat, Ari groaned and tightened the grip he had on the sheet. Fire raced through Ari’s body as he tried not to hump his hips and shove his cock even farther down the man’s throat.

“I…Vinnie, I…” Ari groaned as the man bobbed his head, his mouth moving up and down Ari’s thick length, starting out slow but gradually moving faster. His balls drew up tight against his body and he knew it wouldn’t be long.

Ari spread his legs, knowing what was coming next, anticipating it. His heartbeat throbbed in his ears as he waited for Vinnie’s next move.

When the pad of Vinnie’s thumb stroked over his pulsing hole and the man’s long fingers gently squeezed his ball sac, Ari cried out. Ari’s body shook and undulated against Vinnie’s larger form. Red-hot need rushed through his body like a tidal wave and crashed together in his cock.

“Oh, Vinnie, gonna…” Ari cried out as a heavy pressure built in his balls. It moved up to the base of his cock, then erupted out the top as Ari found his release. Ari shouted as he came, flooding Vinnie’s mouth. Vinnie sucked down every last drop until Ari melted into the mattress.

When Vinnie lifted his head, Ari stared at him. His breath caught at the need on the man’s face. Ari held out his hand. “Vinnie.”

Vinnie moved quickly, sitting up on his knees and scooting up until he was leaning over Ari, one hand resting on the bed next to Ari’s head. When he reached down with his other hand and started jerking himself off, Ari wanted in on the man’s pleasure. He leaned up and kissed a path from one nipple to the other, tugging on each brown nub with his teeth.

“Oh yeah,
amore
,” Vinnie groaned as his eyes closed. “Just like that.”

Ari knew what the man liked. He turned his head and sank his teeth into the soft skin of Vinnie’s arm, not hard enough to break the skin, but there would be a bite mark for a few hours to come.

That seemed to be all Vinnie was waiting for. He stiffened and his cock pulsed out his release, cum splattering down over Ari’s chest. Ari was in awe of the pleasure clearly displayed on Vinnie’s face. He couldn’t look away. He doubted there was another soul on Earth that was as sexy as Vinnie when the man was aroused.

Panting heavily, Vinnie opened his eyes and looked down. His look was so intense, Ari wondered if the man could see right down into his soul.

Vinnie settled down over the top of Ari and stretched his arms out above his head, pinning Ari beneath him. He brushed a kiss back and forth across Ari’s lips. Vinnie brushed more kisses over Ari’s eyelids and down his cheek, back to the corner of his mouth.

“
Tiamo
, Ari,” Vinnie whispered as his teeth nipped at Ari’s chin. “
Tuseiil sole del miogiorno.
”

Ari grinned. As long as the gorgeous man kept on loving him, he could handle being the sunshine of Vinnie’s day. “I love you, too, Vinnie.”

The man’s happy smile was all Ari needed.

After cleaning up, Ari snuggled back into Vinnie’s arms. He pressed a quick kiss to the arm under his head and then closed his eyes, ready to sleep. Life with Vinnie had been unexpected, but Ari never regretted a day since he gave into the attraction between them. Vinnie went out of his way to make sure Ari knew he was wanted and loved. Ari had to wonder if he did the same.

“Do you ever regret staying with me?”

Ari held his breath when Vinnie stiffened.

“What would make you ask me that?” Vinnie asked. “I just told you that you were my sunshine. Didn’t you understand what I said?”

“No, I did, I just wondered.” Ari knew his insecurities sometimes ate away at him. Most of the time, he had them under control, but not always. “It’s not every man that would be willing to have a lover that won’t allow you to—”

Ari grunted when he suddenly found himself flipped around. Vinnie was always so gentle, he often had to remember that the man was much bigger than him.

And the bigger man’s eyes were narrowed little shards of anger.

Not good.

“I thought we had been over this,” Vinnie said. “You are not just a hole for me to fuck, Ari. You are my lover, and that means I love you no matter what. If you need to wait until we find the man to complete us before you allow me into your beautiful body, then so be it. I’m willing to wait.”

Ari swallowed hard as he dropped his gaze down from Vinnie’s flashing eyes. He gently plucked at the hairs on Vinnie’s chest, running his fingers through them. “I’m not trying to make you angry, Vinnie. I just…I guess sometimes this all feels too good to be true.”

Vinnie’s stiff features softened. His hand caressed the side of Ari’s face. “Oh, baby, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know.” Logically, he did know that, but love and fear weren’t always logical. “I just—”

“You worry that you won’t be enough.”

Ari glanced up. “Yes.”

“Do I want to fuck you? Yes. Is not being able to a deal breaker for me? No. Do I understand why you want to wait? Yes. Am I sexually satisfied with jerk-offs and blow jobs? Yes.” Vinnie’s easy grin lifted some of the fear weighing on Ari. “Don’t ever think I am leaving. I am not. I’m here to stay, Ari.”

Ari blinked away the tears rapidly filling his eyes. He didn’t like getting emotional. It was too…emotional. He was physically stronger than the average man on the street. He walked into raging fires for a living. He looked danger in the eyes and spit in her face.

He didn’t do emotions. They were messy. They caused more emotions, explosive emotions. People got hurt. He usually got hurt, which was why he didn’t like doing emotions.

For Vinnie, he’d do emotions.

He wiped at his eyes and then turned to look back up at the handsome Italian. “
Tiamo con tuttal’anima
, Vincent.”

“I love you with all of my heart, too, Ari.” Vinnie leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Ari’s lips before rolling to his side and gathering Ari into his arms. “Now, go to sleep. The chief is going to have our hides if we are late for work.”

Ari smiled as he snuggled against his lover. So, maybe emotions weren’t that bad.

Vinnie sent Ari a reassuring smile before raising his hand and knocking on the chief’s door the next day. Before he went to his fellow firefighters and asked for their help, he needed to ask the chief. He had no doubt Jack would give his consent, but going through the proper channels was the polite thing to do for a man who Vinnie greatly respected.

“Come,” came the deep voice from inside the office.

Vinnie opened the door and stepped inside, Ari right behind him. “Hey, Chief, do you have a few minutes?”

Fire Chief Jack Helmond raised his gaze from the papers on his desk. They darted between Vinnie and Ari for a moment before the man nodded. “What can I do for you?”

“Do you mind if we sit?” Vinnie asked.

Jack’s eyebrows rose. “This feels like it might take more than a few minutes. Is everything okay?”

Vinnie scooted to one of the chairs in front of the chief’s desk, Ari taking the other one. Vinnie shot Ari a quick glance before looking at the chief. “We wanted to talk to you about this first, get your okay before we went to the guys.”

Jack clasped his hands together and rested them on the desk in front of him. “I’m listening.”

“Dorian James called us yesterday and asked us to pick a friend up from the airport,” Vinnie began. “He wasn’t going to be able to get away in time to meet Race’s plane.”