Handcuffs and Lace 25 - The Policeman's Balls (2 page)

Josh Severn got back behind the wheel of his cruiser, a grin on his face. Josh had worked this route for a couple of years and hadn’t crossed Brian McCray’s path once. Now he’d seen him twice in less than a week. Neither instance was a standard call.

Helping someone out of a locked house in the middle of the night might happen with a drunkard, but not a completely sober man whose elderly neighbor thought he was a burglar. Likewise, pulling someone over for speeding who had no excuses or reason for speeding, but stoically accepted his ticket.

Josh shook his head as Brian McCray pulled off the side of the road, now at a turtle’s pace. Josh watched him for a while, wondering if he was going to have to pull him over again. This time for driving too far under the limit. Brian’s speed slowly climbed. Josh had a moment of disappointment. He wouldn’t have minded a third meeting with the other man.

So far, he had no reason to think that Brian was anything other than a complete flake, yet he liked the man. He had integrity and a sense of humor that seemed comfortable with laughing at his mistakes. Or at least owning up to them. Josh liked that. Not enough people took ownership of their actions. Brian not only did that, but he insisted on the ticket to prove it.

Josh laughed, finished typing in the report and idly drove in the direction Brian had taken. He smiled at the possibility that he might still see Brian driving too slow up ahead. If he did, Josh had every intention of pulling him over again and giving him a stern warning.

Brian wore naiveté as though it were in his very fabric of being. And probably it was. Josh couldn’t put his finger on what it was about the younger man that drew him, but he figured it had to be the unveiled awkwardness in his eyes.

Josh hadn’t missed the way Brian had looked at him on Mrs. Jackson’s stoop. Ordinarily, and out of uniform, Josh might have asked him out. Brian’s mussed, shaggy light brown hair and striking hazel-green eyes drew him almost as readily as the smattering of pale freckles gracing the man’s nose. Josh wondered if Brian knew how adorable he was. He remembered Brian’s wide-eyed gaze and softly parted lips the night Josh had found him breaking in to his own house.

Josh had kept the flashlight on him longer than he’d needed to, just to give himself a few minutes to look at him. And to remind himself that he was on a job because Brian had momentarily made him forget.

The internet didn’t tell Brian nearly enough. There were brief news articles on the police department, and some name-dropping of officers involved, but there was very little he could find on Officer Joshua Severn, the man. Using whatever free hours from work he could to look him up on the internet only made him feel like more of a stalker.

Brian pushed away from his computer desk. He glanced at the table clock and saw that he’d be ten minutes early for Mrs. Jackson, but he didn’t mind. He liked her. Even though she pretended to be sour, he knew she liked him too.

Mrs. Jackson was already setting up her gardening stool and her glass of lemonade. When she saw him, she scowled. “You’re early.”
“I missed you too much to stay away.” Brian leaned down to buss the cheek she presented, while she muttered about timeliness under her breath.
“That’s bullshit,” she snapped.
“Mrs. Jackson, I’m too young for language like that.”
“You’re twenty-five if you’re a day,” she argued.
“I’m twenty-eight, but I’ll never be old enough to hear a sweet thing like you cussing.”
She waved her hand at him. “Are you going to weed today or keep scolding me?”
Brian grinned. He kneeled on the towel she’d laid out for him.
“Roses aren’t only for women. Remember that,” she groused.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Don’t ma’am me, boy.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mrs. Jackson gave a disgusted snort. Brian hid his smile.
“You should send that boy roses,” she announced.
“Which boy?”
“The one who helped you get into your house.”
Brian twisted around to see her. “You mean
Officer
Severn?”
“That’s the one.”
Brian pulled out a broadleaf weed and placed it in the weed bucket. Mrs. Jackson opened her parasol with a distinctive swish. The clinking ice in her glass told him she’d lifted the soursweet lemonade for a sip. She sighed.
“When Henry died, I knew there’d never be another man for me.”
“Why didn’t you ever have children?” Brian asked.
“It never seemed like the right time,” she said. Her voice sounded wistful and kind of sad. She cleared her throat, no doubt fortifying herself from sorrow. “What do I need children for anyhow? I have you to raise, don’t I?”
“Yes, ma’am, you sure do.” He smiled as he dug into the cool, rich earth for a thready weed that had rooted deeply.
The color of the soil reminded him of coffee grounds and the eyes of a certain uniformed officer.
“You should send that boy roses,” she decided.
He glanced over his shoulder in disbelief. “Roses? To a police officer?”
“You like him, don’t you? Pretty sure that’s the look I saw on your face.”
Brian blushed. He shrugged a shoulder. “He was hot. What’s not to appreciate?”
“Being lonely is something you choose. I’ve had the love of my life and lost him. You haven’t dated for a decade. Time you got back in the saddle.”
“Mrs. Jackson, I broke up with my last boyfriend less than two years ago. I’d hardly call that a decade.”
“Long enough.”
Brian moved the towel further down, focusing on the next area to de-weed. “I don’t even know that I’m his type.”
“A man never knows if a woman is going to want him either. Does he give up? No. He asks her out anyway. She can always say no.”
Brian slowly dragged the hand rake through the dirt. “It’s not the same.”
“It never will be, boy. You are what you are, and he either likes it or he doesn’t. Stop being a pansy-ass and let that man know you mean business. How else is he ever going to figure out you’re interested unless you tell him?”
“Can’t you get arrested for coming on to a police officer?” he asked rhetorically.
“Probably.” He heard the tinkle of ice again. “You missed a spot.”
* * * *
It had been five days, but Brian had finally come up with another way to run into Officer Severn. It was a long shot and would cost him, but prodded on by Mrs. Jackson, Brian was ready to take another chance.
Brian waited along a long stretch of road. He’d picked this place specifically because he’d have to walk a mile in either direction to reach a gas station. Considering the road wasn’t well lit or well traveled at this time of night, he figured he’d reasonably convince Officer Severn that he needed help. It would be all legit. So why was he nervous?
Because he was about to do something really stupid to get another guy’s attention. Yeah, he was a loser.
Brian switched on his hazard lights. If he was right, if the time of his speeding ticket was Severn’s usual patrol of this area, he had a few minutes to set the scene. He got out of the car, holding a screwdriver with renewed determination.
“Just pop the tire and wave down the cop. That’s all you have to do,” he told himself, as though the pep talk would be all he needed. He had fleeting thoughts of the air pressure in the tire shooting the screwdriver out at bullet speed. They did this in movies all the time. How hard could it be?
Brian gripped it tightly and stabbed the tire. The screwdriver bounced off. He barely held on to it, fumbling as he got the screwdriver back under control. He stabbed a couple more times in quick sharp jabs.
Lights and an abbreviated siren stopped him short. Brian swung his arm around his back, hiding the tool from sight. The patrol spotlight illuminated him and the car. Thinking the officer might not appreciate a concealed object, he shoved the Phillip’s head into his pocket anyway.
Officer Severn strolled toward him. “Brian McCray. Is everything alright?”
He was supposed to be able to say he had a flat. He didn’t have a flat. The damn plan had backfired. “Everything’s fine, officer.”
“Car troubles?”
Severn motioned to the hazard lights as he passed them. The spotlight backlit him, making it difficult for Brian to see his facial features. Still, the other man’s head dropped slightly and he stilled.
“Are you concealing a weapon, Mr. McCray?” Severn’s hand casually cupped the handle of his sidearm.
“No sir, just happy to see you.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Brian wanted to groan.
“Place your hands on the hood of your car, please. Nice and slow.”
He turned to obey. Oh, God. Was it a problem that Severn’s commanding tone and the position turned Brian on? He dropped his head forward, hoping to hell Severn didn’t notice the non-firearm woody he was sporting.
“Spread ’em.” Severn’s low, deep voice sounded from behind Brian.
A shiver coursed up his spine as he gingerly parted his legs shoulder width apart. Officer Severn’s hands started at Brian’s shoulders. They were warm, heavy, large and made Brian think of so many ways he wanted those hands on him.
They traced the sides of his body, cupping his ribs as he moved to Brian’s waist and hips. Severn reached his pocket.
“What’s this?”
“A screwdriver?” Brian answered as though it were a question.
Severn pulled out the screwdriver and laid it on the hood out of Brian’s reach. He continued his body check, down one leg, then the other. His hands briefly coasted over Brian’s ass, up his back, down his chest.
“Are you hiding anything else?”
“No.” Brian swallowed on the word. Other than the erection in his pants, he wasn’t hiding anything. In fact, he wasn’t convinced he was hiding
that
well either.
“Turn around and empty your pockets for me,” Severn commanded.
“Do I have to turn around?”
Severn stepped back. “Yes.”
Brian turned reluctantly. He pulled out his jeans pockets and placed his wallet on the car hood. “See? Nothing.”
Severn’s gaze traveled over him, pausing on Brian’s obvious arousal.
Severn muttered under his breath.
Brian’s neck heated. Had he heard that right? Had Officer Severn said, “I wouldn’t say nothing.”
The man’s expression didn’t let on. Brian shifted the weight from one foot to the other.
Severn seemed to relax. “You’re on the side of the road with your hazards on. Do you realize how dangerous it is to be out here in the dark like this?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“Care to tell me why you are risking your life and a highway speed hit and run to—screw around with your car?” the officer asked motioning to the Phillip’s head.
Brian cracked a smile at the understated joke.
“I thought I had a flat.”
Officer Severn put his hands on his hips and tipped his head to the side. The light behind him made him glow like a superhero. He only needed the cape flapping in the wind.
“You
thought
you had a flat?” He didn’t sound like he believed Brian.
“Yep.”
“So you grabbed your trusty screwdriver and tried to stab the shit out of your tire just to be sure.”
Oh, shit. He’d seen that?
“I’ve never changed a tire before?” Brian offered. “Don’t you have to get the old tire off first?”
Severn started laughing. It was low and rumble-y at first and grew into a rich, full-bodied chuckle.
“What?” Brian asked stupidly.
When Severn finally stopped laughing long enough to take a breath, he leaned against the car. “Usually you make sure the tire is flat by looking, not by trying to make it flat. You also need a spare or changing it won’t do you any good.”
“Right. There should be a manual or something.” Brian grinned sheepishly.
“If only car manufacturers supplied one.”
Brian made out the wide dimpled smile of the officer and barely withheld his sigh.
“So you’re okay to drive?” Severn asked.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Do you want me to take you home?”
Brian’s smile widened. “I’d love for you to take me home. Your place or mine.” He knew the innuendo was forward, but it still felt right. Being taken home by Officer Severn had sounded far too promising a suggestion to pass up.
Severn chuckled, looking out toward the road and back again. “That’s not exactly what I meant.”
“I know.”
“And you said it anyway.”
“Was I wrong?” Brian pressed gently. “If I am, I’ll apologize and go on my way.”
Severn seemed to consider him for several moments. Only two cars had passed them since Severn’s spotlight had trained in on Brian’s car. The night was dead. The air was flat, but cool. It was a perfect September evening, and true to Michigan form, a little bit muggy to send off the recent late season heat wave.
“No,” Severn admitted quietly.
Brian’s fingers curled on the top of his car. He wanted nothing more than to touch Severn. He relived the frisking moment, but in his mind it had went very differently. In his mind, Severn grabbed Brian’s cock and worked it through his jeans. In his mind, Severn made Brian recite the alphabet backward while receiving a blowjob under the glare of his cruiser spotlight. In his mind, Severn would handcuff and fuck him in the backseat of the patrol car while reciting Miranda rights.
Brian tried to push those images from his thoughts. He took a couple of steps toward him. Severn didn’t move, just looked at him with an expression akin to uncertainty. It didn’t fit the strong officer. Brian supposed it was because Severn was in uniform, and it kept him from making a first move.
Nothing in Severn’s posture warned Brian away. Brian didn’t know if it was the near seclusion, the night, or the man, but he didn’t feel like second-guessing his instincts. If he had, he might have thought better about what he did next.
Brian rose up on his toes. His lips brushed Severn’s, asking permission with the barelythere touch. Severn tipped his head, increasing the slight pressure. Brian sighed against him with relief.
“This is a really bad idea,” Severn whispered against Brian’s lips, when the kiss broke. “The risks worth taking usually are.”
“Is it the badge?”
Brian knew he was asking if the fact that Severn wore a uniform was the reason he was interested. It wasn’t. Sure, it made for hot daydreams and there was something kinky about seducing a man in uniform, but Severn underestimated himself if he thought that was the only reason. He made Brian hot. He inspired fantasies, and the gentleness lurking under those dark brown eyes intrigued Brian.
Severn had a lot going for him, and Brian couldn’t resist the urge to find out how much. The question about the badge lingered in the air between them. It had been only half a moment, but Brian could already see the stiffening of Severn’s shoulders as he prepared to move.
Giving in to the desire to touch, Brian flattened his hand on Severn’s chest. He was disappointed to feel the heavy Kevlar vest underneath uniform blues. Brian dragged his hand up to cover Severn’s badge. He made a point of critically examining Severn’s features.
“Nope. Even without the flattering glow of pressed metal you’re still attractive.”
Severn’s brows lifted. “Oh yeah?” He tugged Brian to him, by the hips.
Brian’s hard cock lined Severn’s. He was more than a little relieved to see Severn was just as affected as he was. He looped his arms around Severn’s neck. “Definitely, yeah.”
Severn bent his head. Brian had an instant of warm breath fanning his face before he was kissed. Their lips melded together as if they were made for one another. Severn’s mouth glided on Brian’s with the barest moisture to slick his path. Brian pulled him tighter still, needing more. Needing now.
The officer’s tongue flickered on the seam of Brian’s lips and he parted readily. Brian moaned at the sweet invasion. The kiss wasn’t nearly deep enough. He tried to wiggle closer into Severn’s body.
A rumble of laughter vibrated from Severn’s chest to his, but Severn didn’t actually seem to mind Brian’s efforts. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Brian, effectively holding him in place.
“One last kiss and then I have to stop. I’m on duty.”
Brian reached between them, firmly rubbing the front of Severn’s pants. Severn’s eyes shut.
“You go straight for gold, don’t you?” Severn rasped.
“I can stop. If you want.”
Severn’s eyes snapped open. He caught Brian’s wrist to hold his hand against Severn’s cock. Severn glanced around. Brian did too. There wasn’t a car in sight.
Suddenly Brian stumbled as Severn tugged him to the other side of the patrol car. He opened the back door, creating a view-block from any oncoming traffic, then shoved Brian’s back against the passenger side.
He stopped almost instantly. Brian grasped at him, wanting the rough sexy play to continue, but Severn’s expression grew serious.
“Is this consensual?” Severn asked him.
“What?” His words almost didn’t make sense. He wanted Severn so badly and all he could think was when the next kiss, the next touch was coming.
“I have to know. For the record. Is this consensual? Do you want me?” Severn asked, sounding gruff.
“Yes, I want you.”
“And touching you, here,” Severn asked, his hand catching Brian’s balls through his jeans. “Or here,” he popped open and unzipped Brian’s pants to slide his hand inside. “Is permissible to you?”
“Jesus,” Brian swore softly. “Yes. Fucking yes, please.”
“Am I coercing you in any way you don’t want me to?”
“No. Please more.” Brian lifted his hips to Severn’s hand, wanting his fist wrapped around his shaft.
Severn didn’t take the hint. It was that damn badge. In his hazy distraction, Brian grabbed the round metal piece on Severn’s shoulder and ripped it off. He chucked it to the side of the road.
“Damn the badge, Joshua Severn. I want
you
. So either stop fucking with my head and grab my cock, or send me home with a hard-on and a lesson learned.”