Flight of Fancy (9 page)

“Shit, Sir. I’m going to come. So hard. Gotta come.”

Aidan sucked harder and pressed that hot spot inside Gavin that refused to let him hold back any longer.

Gavin cried out as he released, literally seeing stars when he closed his eyes and gave everything into Aidan’s keeping. A swell of power locked them together while he spent, and when Aidan removed his hands and mouth, Gavin swayed from the aftershocks and crumpled.

“Easy, boy, I’ve got you.” Aidan hugged him tight.

Gavin couldn’t see straight. Holy shit, but he didn’t think he’d ever see straight again. Not unless he was looking at Aidan.

AIDAN DIDN’T KNOW what the hell had just happened, but he’d experienced something monumental. Not just two orgasms on top of each other, which he’d done before with a guy who really flipped his switch, but that exchange of energy and emotion when Gavin had come down his throat. What the fuck was that?

He held a shaking Gavin, aware his partner—
lover
—hadn’t intentionally done anything but orgasm. But their tie felt so much deeper now. Emotions confused the mix, and Aidan had a bad feeling this operation wouldn’t end when they returned.
If
they returned.

Thinking with his dick instead of his brain would lead to heartache at best, death at worst. A smarter man would have contacted Jack and cried off the op with Gavin. He could try Ian, hell, maybe one of those dangerous Cannons he kept hearing so much about, if any of them were even gay.

He glanced down into Gavin’s face and saw the dreamy smile there. Felt the trust and the nonsense of connection and meeting hearts. Fuck if he hadn’t seen this coming, Gavin confusing lust with love.

A smarter man…

Fuck smart. Aidan would see this through with Gavin or no one else. Because he was now Gavin’s master, he told himself. Gavin needed to get back on the operational wagon and prove himself. Not because Aidan had started falling for the junior leaguer. And certainly not because Gavin looked so damn cute while he slept…or how well he fit in Aidan’s arms. Aidan couldn’t care less that Gavin had no fear of him, even now, knowing he could read his thoughts. That didn’t matter in the slightest.

He cleared his throat and slowly parted from his boy, putting some physical distance between them.
Still doing the scene, asshole. Of course he thinks you’re the man for him. It’s part of the scene.
Feeling like a complete idiot for losing himself, Aidan nodded. “Better now?”

Gavin grinned at him. “Read my mind.” At Aidan’s frown, he quickly added, “Sir.”

Aidan sighed. But when he tried to look into that genius brain, he came up blocked.

“Wait, please. Uh, Sir. Don’t touch me. Just try to read me.”

Aidan curled his treacherous hands, again not aware of reaching for Gavin after he himself had pulled back. To his astonishment, he couldn’t read Gavin’s mind. “Holy shit. That worked.”

Or had it? Had he somehow given Gavin a part of his power when he’d come? That energy burst hadn’t been a mere climax. He frowned.

“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be glad about this.”

“I am,” Aidan hastened to relieve him, then grew angry he should suddenly care about not hurting Gavin’s tender feelings. “Fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair—the same hair Gavin had recently caressed. Exposed and not liking it, Aidan quickly rose to his feet. Fuck if he didn’t like seeing Gavin on his knees in front of him a little too much. “We need to get cleaned up and dressed. Then we need to get a few folks to test a theory.”

After a moment, Gavin’s eyes widened. “You think you might have given me some of your mojo.”

“I think that’s a given.”

Gavin flushed and stared down at Aidan’s cock. “Well, not that mojo. Your telepathy.”

“Maybe.”

Gavin frowned in thought. “Interesting idea. Has this ever happened to you before? Sex and your psychic skills combining?”

“Never. I don’t make a habit of having sex with other psychics,” he growled, wishing he didn’t feel like he had to explain himself. The second-guessing crap made him nuts.
Fuck, I am such a girl.

“You’ve never done anyone on the team?”

“No.” Aidan stood and tucked himself back into his pants. “I’m showering. I’ll be back in a few.”

He stalked away, but for the love of God, he couldn’t ignore the image of a smug smile in Gavin’s thoughts. He wished he wasn’t glad that he’d put it there, or that Gavin wanted him to see it.

* * * *

Later that evening at a local bar, Gavin did his best to keep himself shielded from Aidan. Aidan, curiously enough, hadn’t tried to touch him since their explosive coming together several hours ago. It was as if the bigger man didn’t want to know what he thought.

Personally, Gavin liked and disliked the shield. While it gave him a sense of freedom, he found he didn’t like the barrier keeping him from his Master.
His Master.

Just knowing he belonged to Aidan on any level gave him tingles.

Aidan met his gaze across the crowded table and frowned.

Gavin grinned, happy to see their relationship back on normal footing. Then again, did he and Aidan really have a relationship? They were coworkers and now partners for however long this mission lasted. A few more days, a weird sex party, and then hopefully they’d have the book and be done. So why couldn’t he stop envisioning his future right next to the big guy?

Ian, Keegan, James, and Kitty walked past several empty tables and sat with them.

“I sense worry.” Kitty zeroed in on Aidan. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer her. “Gavin, anything?”

Gavin tried to focus—he did—but he couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing Aidan’s lips looked wrapped around his cock.

Aidan snapped, “Focus, cupcake. Well?”

“I hate when you call me that.” He couldn’t help blushing.

James and Keegan muffled grins but didn’t hide their laughter well behind fake coughs. Ian, of course, openly chuckled.

“Oh.” Kitty flushed a becoming pink and glanced from him to Aidan.

“Well?” Aidan repeated, looking furious.

Gavin concentrated but could read nothing from any of them. “Nope. Nothing.”

Aidan’s glare faded. “Not a thing, huh?” He turned to Ian and said, “Block me. I’m going to try to read you.”

Ian opened his mouth, but just as he refused, Aidan shook his head. “That painting needs work. No way anyone’s going to believe that’s a Matisse.”

“Bastard. I’ll have you know my art is perfection.” Ian sniffed.

Aidan turned to Keegan, and the Texan sighed. “Go ahead. Ain’t my fault if you don’t like what you see.”

After a moment, Aidan made a face. “You did that on purpose.”

Keegan grinned. “I surely did.”

“What? What did you see?” Ian pestered.

James and Keegan shared a smile before James said, “He caught an eyeful. And it wasn’t my fine ass or Keegan’s, I’m betting.”

Kitty nearly spit out her beer. “I am so telling Rory. You better not have shown him an image of her naked.”

James, Keegan, and Rory, their partner/wife—the third in their threesome—had always been nice to Gavin. He especially liked Rory and thought her beautiful, from a clearly aesthetic perspective.

“Aw, Kitty.” Keegan tipped back his cowboy hat. “Just screwing with the gay Viking.”

“Shut up, you overgrown hick,” Aidan growled. “Rory’s too good for you.”

“Don’t we know it.” James sighed. “Ow.” He glared at Keegan and rubbed his shoulder. “What did I say about hitting?”

“It won’t leave a mark.” Keegan shook his head. “Sissy.”

Gavin knew all about marks. His ass was still tender. Good Lord, had it only been that morning that Aidan had taken him?

“That, I heard.” Aidan’s grin took Gavin, and by the look of it, the whole table, by surprise.

“Shit. Aidan can smile. I knew it!” Ian laughed. “Good for you, Gavin, taming the beast.”

Aidan’s smile faded in an instant, and Gavin wished Ian had kept his big mouth shut.

“This disproves your theory, at least,” Gavin hurried to say. “I can’t read anyone’s mind. Try mine again.”

He recalled the instant he’d felt Aidan’s heart and soul entwine with his, floating all around, off the ground, and inside him. That connection had been so solid, and it made him so happy. He used it the way Aidan had told him to use the image of his mom, and incredibly it held. It brought back to mind his time in the PWP, when he used to do those mental exercises all the time. Like riding a bike, it returned to him in a rush.

Kitty blinked at him. “Wow. You are just glowing.”

“He is?” Aidan sat up and really looked at him. “That’s amazing. Earlier I could read him like an open book. Hell, like Keegan.”

“Fuck you.” Keegan flipped him off.

“A picture book, maybe,” Ian muttered. “I doubt the cowboy can read.”

Keegan narrowed his eyes, and Ian’s chair tilted back.

“Okay, okay. Just kidding.” Ian held up his hands. “Friggin’ kinetics…”

“So you’re saying Gavin can shield himself from you, but we can’t?” James asked. “Interesting.”

“Very.” Kitty gave Gavin a knowing glance. “Oh crap. We need more beer. Gavin, give me a hand.” She reached over Ian and yanked Gavin with her.

“Um, sure.”

Once away from sight of the table, Kitty walked him past the bar and into the hallway toward the restroom.

She leaned close to whisper, “Be very careful. He’s like a powder keg about to explode.”

“What?”

She swore and looked right and left. Then she pulled him with her into the women’s room. The bar wasn’t too crowded and had an upper-class clientele, so finding the two-stalled bathroom and adjoined powder room both clean and empty didn’t surprise him.

“Kitty, what the hell?”

She locked the door and faced him. “Look, I wanted to warn you. This mission is dangerous, and you’re going into it with a man so repressed, it’s a wonder he’s not in a straitjacket.”

“Aidan?”

“I’m not talking about Ian.” She pulled at her hair, one of Kitty’s telling signs that suggested she wasn’t comfortable with the conversation. “I don’t like doing this, but I want you two to succeed.” Her emphasis on
two
told him she meant more than the mission.

“Tell me.”

She spoke quickly. “Aidan had an abusive childhood, and he has trust issues. You’re going into a dangerous situation with a man who doesn’t trust easily. He’s putting that aside for the mission, because to Aidan, it’s all about the job, all the time. He’s successful, and people like his successes. But he takes it personally.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Aidan equates success with acceptance. If you guys fail at this, it will damage more than his reputation. He doesn’t have friends here, because he won’t let anyone in. You’re closer to him now than anyone has been in a long time. And it’s going to bite you in the ass.”

“Hey, anyone in there?” a woman asked through the door. The knob jostled.

“Cleaning up in here. Out in a minute,” Kitty yelled.

“Oh, I’ll come back.”

“Explain what the heck you’re talking about.” Gavin didn’t like this.

“He’s trusting you, Gavin. But he’s not comfortable with it. You’re going to have to take charge of Aidan at some point. Don’t you wonder why this assignment is perfect for him? Why he’s so into control? Because no one can hurt him if he doesn’t let them. You’re a tool to him right now, a means to an end. But you love him. I can feel it.”

Gavin gaped, stunned she could think he felt so deeply for a man he hadn’t even liked much before yesterday. “Please. How can you love a person you barely know?”

“Love is what it is. It’s not logical. And say what you want, but you’re glowing with it.”

“I’ve known about him for years, and I have no idea where he’s even from.”

“But did you really know him? And does knowing his background really change how you’ll feel about him, or who he is now?”

“No.” Gavin felt more than nervous, because her words held a ring of truth. “We had sex. A couple times.” He couldn’t believe he’d blurted that out, but Kitty made him feel like he could share anything. And he didn’t think she consciously manipulated him to share. He just needed to talk to someone about this.

“Yeah. Jack and I discussed this mission. The thing is, with you, sex leads to emotion. It opens the same door with Aidan. He just shuts it before it can become anything lasting. No boyfriends, no long-term commitments. But Gavin, he’s feeling something fiery for you. Be careful. You can help set him free; just don’t get blown up in the process.”

She looked in the mirror, fixed her hair, and smoothed her shirt. Then she pulled him with her to the door.

His mind was reeling. Aidan felt something
fiery
? What did fiery mean, exactly? And why the hell was his heart racing like a jackrabbit? “Why is everyone always tugging me like a dog on a leash?”

“Because you’re as cute as a puppy. I want to rub your ears,” she teased, unlocked the door, and pulled him out of the bathroom past a few surprised and annoyed women.

When Kitty saw them, she stopped. “I’m so sorry. My friend felt ill. His boyfriend isn’t working out.” She shook her head.

Gavin felt the settling of psychic miasma, that heaviness to the air that told him psychic energy was misplaced. Kitty at work, no doubt, since the annoyance on the women’s faces turned to empathy.

“Good luck, honey. Men suck. No offense,” one of them said as she passed him into the restroom.

“None taken. And thanks.” At the word
suck
, he couldn’t help thinking of Aidan again.

Kitty groaned and walked ahead of him. “Why is it whenever anyone says suck or blow, you guys always think with the wrong head? Too much libido. Ugh.” She smacked her forehead, and Gavin grinned.

But as they made their way to the bar and ordered another round of beer and chips, he couldn’t help worrying about what she’d said.

Finding someone to love, someone like Aidan, a tough Master who fit his needs, was a dream come true. Having that love slapped back in his face? A nightmare, because Gavin had no idea what loving Aidan might do to him.

Or why, for a smart guy, Gavin might have made the dumbest mistake of his life.