Desires' Guardian (20 page)

“It’s not that I object to pet names, obviously, but I’ve never heard the word before you called me that back at the B&B.”

Rhys shrugged, shifting his big body and Chase with the movement. “It just is, okay?” he grumbled.

Chase wasn’t sure if Rhys was uncomfortable expressing why it was so important to him or if he thought Chase actually objected to the name. “It’s nice, Rhys. Now, sit still so I can rest. You keep moving.”

“Yes, dear.” Rhys twisted once more before holding Chase against him and stroking his hair gently. Moments later, he remembered nothing, exhaustion having finally won.

C
HASE
WAS
unsure how it happened, but the next week and a half flew by. He spent most nights with Rhys, usually in his loft above the office. Most days he spent focused on his consulting work and helping Mark and Rhys with anything not related to the murder-suicide cases. Grayson tended to those needs. Grayson was a quiet guy most of the time, but he was also very good at his work and loyal to Rhys above all else. Of course, Chase still wondered how the man was able to simply drop his life and leave DC on a moment’s notice, but no one had answered that question yet.

“Hey, Chase, come on,” Grayson said, interrupting his musings. “Rhys has been by three times now wanting to take you to lunch. The code will still be waiting for you when you get back.”

He pivoted in his chair to face Grayson, confused as to what he was talking about. He didn’t remember Rhys stopping by. “Huh?” he asked, rubbing his tired eyes.

“You are still dating the big, burly ginger boy, right? Him,” he added and pointed to where Rhys stood speaking to Nichelle at the front desk. “He keeps coming by, but you ignore him every time.”

I did?
“I did not.” He would remember that, right?

“You did. It’s two thirty already, and you haven’t moved from that spot in at least four hours. Even I can’t stare at code that long without a break. Now, go on. I’ll hold down the fort,” he added, the edge of his lips turning up slightly. Chase had only seen Grayson really smile when joking around with Rhys, but he didn’t feel he could pry into the man’s life… yet.

“Two?”

“Thirty,” Grayson added with a nod. “Now, shoo. Your stomach is loud enough to wake the dead.”

Heat spread up his face at the comment. Now that he thought about it, yeah, he was hungry. Really hungry. “Think I will. Thanks.”

He stood and stretched, only then realizing how stiff he was. He saved everything he was working on and closed down his programs before locking his computer. Chase grabbed his pack and then started toward the front reception area. However, his cell ringing interrupted him.

“Mom?” He didn’t need to look at the display; it only rang “Für Elise” for his mother.

“Hi, sweetie. How’s my favorite son?” Her voice was just as strong and smoky as always.

He smiled, thrilled to still have her in his life. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

“Checking up on you, dear. What else?” She giggled. God, he loved his family. “Well, and wondering if I’m ever going to meet this mystery man I hear you’re dating.”

“Who tattled?” He was surprised she was only just now asking, honestly. He wasn’t in the habit of keeping her on the outside of his relationships if they were serious, but him being with Rhys was something so different. He hadn’t told her they were seeing each other.

“That nice friend of yours, James. I ran into him at the grocery store. He said you are seeing some detective…. Reece, maybe?”

“Rhys is a PI, not a detective, but yeah, I am. It’s pretty new, though, so I hadn’t introduced him to you yet.”

“By the tone you’re taking, I’m thinking he’s important to you, so I want to meet him. Soon.” Damn, he knew that attitude. That was pure Mama 101: Now Or Else.

“Yes, ma’am,” he grumbled. Arms wrapped around him, and he caught the scent of Rhys. His man didn’t wear cologne like he did, but he always seemed to smell fresh yet all man anyway. “I’ll see when he’s willing to stop by. But, uh, why aren’t you at work?”

“Chase,” she chided. “You know I only work a half day on Fridays.”

“Oh, right.”
It’s Friday already? How had that happened?
“Well, I’m going to grab something to eat and get back to work. Promise I’ll call you tonight, and we can set up a luncheon for you to meet him. ’Kay?”

“Sure, sweetie. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Chase clicked the end button and leaned back into Rhys’s soothing embrace.

“Mm,” Rhys rumbled against his ear. “I do love a man that loves his mama.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“No, sir. But how you relate to her tells me a lot about you. Now, are you finally ready for food?”

“Yeah. Grayson threw me out of my own office.” Chase turned in Rhys’s arms and pouted. “How does that even work?”

“He’s a good man. Now, upstairs or out?”

“Upstairs is fine. I’ve got too much work still to do to be gone long. Well, unless I want to work all weekend too. Which I do not,” he added before tugging Rhys up to his apartment.

“Plans this weekend?” Rhys asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Nothing major, just spend time with friends, you, avoid my parents….”

Rhys laughed, shaking his head, as he entered the kitchen. “The usual.”

Chase riffled through the fridge before pulling out the roast beef, turkey, and ham slices. He then grabbed the Swiss cheese, hot mustard, mayonnaise, and toppings they preferred.

He set all the stuff for their sandwiches on the counter, then turned and closed the fridge. He grabbed the fresh bread he’d made the night before. Rhys grunted, opening the fridge to pull out sodas and some fruit as he set about his task. He sliced the bread thick before he put on the mustard and mayo. Chase looked over to Rhys, shrugged, and sliced both onion and tomato. When Rhys smirked, brow raised, he grinned. “What, you won’t notice the onion on my breath, since yours will be just as bad.”

“True. I was more impressed with the size of what you’re building than which toppings, actually. I mean, you sure you’re going to be able to wrap your mouth around that thing?”

“I can wrap my lips around anything I set my mind to, baby. And I do mean
anything
.”

“Don’t do that! Please, sweetheart, I have to go to an appointment when we’re done, and I really do
not
need a hard-on for it.”

“Mm… true, plus I don’t want you flaunting what you’ve got where I can’t partake.” He laughed when Rhys groaned, sounding like he was in pain at the thought.
Good!

He set their plates on the counter and sat beside Rhys. He didn’t intend to take long for lunch but did want to spend the time with Rhys, so he refrained from hurrying back down with his food.

“By the way,” he mumbled around his first bite, too hungry to wait or remember his manners. “Thanks for siccing Grayson on me.”

“I didn’t, but glad he got you to take a break. How are things coming, by the way?”

Chase swallowed hard and took a quick sip of the Coke Rhys gave him; he preferred Mountain Dew, but hadn’t bought more since running out two days ago. “I finished the financial research Mark asked for and e-mailed it to him. I dropped a portable drive off for you with a copy of the rebuilt data from the desktop you brought me last night.” He paused, thinking through his assigned work, trying to remember if there was something specific Rhys was still waiting on. “I have to finish the new website for Dale, and then I’ll start searching through the phone and laptop from this morning.”

“Dale?”

Chewing a huge bite of apple, he nodded and swallowed. “You know he has his own animal practice, right?” Rhys nodded, and he continued. “His vet tech, Lacy, tried to set one up for the clinic, but she doesn’t have the skills needed to do all the back-end stuff he wants. He finally admitted defeat and called me,” Chase explained and shrugged. He thought Dale should have come to him in the first place, but as flighty and playful as Dale could be, his pride was often his biggest issue.

“It’s nice of you to help him out.” Rhys took his last bite of food, washing it down with his Coke. “Just don’t let your friends bog down your workload.”

Chase stopped midchew and stared at Rhys. Was he jealous, or did he really think Chase’s friends would try to take advantage of him? “They don’t, hun, and I don’t think I like what you’re implying. Dale is a paying customer, who happens to be my friend. I did offer him a discount, but he refused, insisting he should pay what my work is worth. I know you don’t really know him yet, but he’s a good guy, if a little too much of a party boy at times.”

“Party boy? Thought you liked being a party boy too?”

“I go out with friends and dance, drink some, and have fun, but I don’t take home tricks. Never have.”

Rhys raised his brows, and the pinched set of his lips worried Chase. He knew his appearance was a sore point but didn’t know it would bother Rhys to know Dale was a bit of a slut at times. His friend was always careful and got tested religiously, so Chase never thought much of it. “What diff does it make to you how Dale acts when he goes out? He’s loyal, loving, and a sweetheart. What more could you want in a friend?”

“One that’s faithful,” Rhys mumbled, not meeting Chase’s eyes.

“Rhys?”

“Don’t want you out with your friends and have them try to convince you it’s cool to go home with someone else.”

Chase counted to ten in his head three times before deciding he was calm enough to speak. He hoped. “One, I said loyal. That includes to a partner if he’s dating someone, you ass. Two, since when do I let others make choices about my life or body?” he asked, making sure his tone was as sour as he felt. “And three, he’s not
your
boyfriend, so what does it matter to you?”

“I just—Guess it shouldn’t. I just don’t like the idea of it, is all.”

“You don’t have to like it. But I
do
like him, so you are going to have to get over it.”

“Fine,” he mumbled, not looking at Chase.

“I know exactly what we need to do tomorrow night,” Chase said, ignoring Rhys’s sulking.

“Hm? What’s that?”

“Simon and Dale invited me to go clubbing with them. You’ll come with us.”

“So I can watch a bunch of horny guys slobber all over you? I don’t think so.”

Oh, this was going to be fun!
“Please, baby,” Chase begged. He turned and slipped from his seat to straddle Rhys’s lap. “Our dance at the club before was fun, right?” He rubbed his half-hard cock against Rhys’s tight abs. “You
sure
you don’t want to come with us?”

“Oh God. Keep that up, and you won’t make it back to work today.”

“Ooh, afternoon delight? My fave,” Chase cooed. He moved the chair enough so he could slip between Rhys’s legs and down on his knees.

Rubbing the heel of his hand against Rhys’s cock seemed to rob the man of all speech. Rhys watched him massage his thighs. Chase unbuckled the belt and unzipped his jeans, relishing how the bulge grew and Rhys’s breathing sped up.

He grabbed Rhys’s legs and pulled, sliding him down until his thighs were on both sides of Chase. As soon as he peeled down the boxers, he noticed how damp they were over the tip and smiled. He flicked out his tongue, catching the bead of precome sitting in the slit. Rhys gasped and arched, but Chase held his hips down.

“Not yet,” he whispered, reveling in the taste and scent of his man. Taking his time, he licked under the edge of the foreskin, teasing and nibbling as he did. He wrapped his right hand around Rhys’s throbbing member, squeezing lightly.

“Please,” Rhys breathed, his eyes riveted on Chase.

Chase loved what he was doing—making a man like this whimper and writhe with nothing more than his hands and mouth. Giving himself over to Rhys’s pleasure, he dived on Rhys’s cock, swallowing it, pulling it all the way to the back of his throat as he laved and hummed, sending shock waves through his prey.

Rhys’s breath came faster, in gasps and moans, his hips rocking forward. His fingers tangled in Chase’s hair. Chase sped his pace, sucking harder and dropping his other hand to tug and massage Rhys’s balls. After a few more seconds, Rhys groaned, his fingers tightening to the point of pain as he yielded his load. Chase gulped repeatedly, determined not to spill a drop of his lover’s essence.

He waited as Rhys’s breathing calmed and his fingers finally released the death grip on Chase’s hair, loving how blissed out his lover was. When Rhys opened his eyes, Chase smiled up at him. “Feel better, baby?”

“Uh-huh. Give me a minute to restart my brain, and I’ll return the favor.”

Chase sat back on his heels. He knew he was frowning, but couldn’t help it. “This isn’t a tit-for-tat kind of thing.” He stood smoothly and stepped to the side, adjusting himself. He started cleaning up from lunch, unsure how to address how Rhys’s words made him feel.

“Chase?” Rhys said behind him.

“Hm?” He didn’t stop, though he was painfully aware of how close Rhys stood behind him. “I’ll be done in a minute, hun, and we can go back to work.”

“Chase, stop.” Rhys’s voice was strong, as were the hands that took hold of his shoulders, halting him in mid wipe down. “I didn’t mean it like that, sweetheart.”