SE Jakes Bound By Honor (26 page)

Until the lights went out and shots rang out inside the restaurant and an arm came up across his body, a hand over his

mouth, and his natural instinct to fight like hel was quel ed with a single breath.

Styx
. He’d recognize the man’s scent—his touch—blindfolded. Many a time he’d actual y done so, but this situation

was a thousand percent different.

“Not a word.” Styx’s voice, rough like gravel. Rougher when he was angry or aroused. His breath was warm and minty

—

Altoids. The man had always been addicted to them.

Damn, you remembered the oddest things when your ass was on the line. And speaking of asses, his was pressed

hard to Styx’s groin…and the man’s arousal was unmistakable. Nice to know he wasn’t the only one affected by the close

proximity.

He moved his head and Styx took his hand away.

“Paulo,” he said, and Styx answered, “Your friend’s safe—my associate has him.”

Good, that was good, but Jesus, what was going on here?

H e heard the slight snick o f a gun’s safety being release a nd then heavy footsteps. Whoever wa s coming wasn’t

interested in stealth.

Not good.

“Whatever happens, stay put in here. I’l take care of everything.” Styx barely mouthed the words but LC heard them

loud and clear. And then he was left alone in the dark, and yeah, the metaphor of his goddamned life with and without

Styx, and he listened and waited.

No more shots, but someone had died. L C had been around stealth and death long enough i n the Army t o the point

where he could taste the violence. He’d been on the receiving end of it since birth.

Goddammit, Law, shake that shit off.

And then Styx was back, tugging at him, and LC resisted. “I’m not going anywhere until you tel me what the hel ’s

going on out there.”

“Someone died. Now shut up and do what I say.”

“I’m so beyond listening to you.”

“Law, you have no idea who and what you’re up against. Come with me,” Styx said, and LC

reluctantly fol owed him into the restaurant’s storeroom, close to the parking lot. And even though it was dark as night

inside the restaurant’s back room, LC would know the man, could practical y see the dark blond hair, longer than it had

been, eyes that never failed to mesmerize him, the hard body and even harder cock that probed him earlier.

Law knew what he was up against—and he was powerless to stop it. And when he started to push past Styx, Styx let

him go at first and then pushed him hard against the wal by the door.

“Are you with that guy?” he whispered into LC’s neck, and he wanted to tel Styx not to do that.

Instead, he ground out, “His name is Paulo. And now you’re worried about my dating habits?”

“I’m always worried about you.”

“The not cal ing or writing is a great way to show that.”

“It’s the way it has to be.”

Has to be…not using the past tense meant that’s what would happen after Styx did whatever it was he needed to

here.

“What, exactly, is happening out there to get the CIA involved?”

“Can’t tel you.”

“Right. I don’t have the clearance to be involved in any part of your life.” Never did. Never would.

“Let fucking go of me.”

“You can’t leave now.”

“Then you’l have to arrest me.”

With that, Styx reached up and yanked LC’s arms down and behind his back, and when the cuffs snicked on his

wrists, he cursed bitterly. “Where’s Paulo?”

“Safe.”

“Not what I asked.”

“Are you two serious?”

“Why don’t you tel me? You’ve been spying on me for God knows how long.”

“I cal it keeping you safe.”

“Get. The fuck. Off me.”

Styx didn’t listen. Never did, which was why the military hadn’t been for him. “You bottom for him?”

“I’m trying to figure out why the hel you would care if I did.”

“Guess I have my answer. And you know why.”

“Not anymore, Styx. Too much time’s passed.”

He felt Styx’s body stiffen, thought the man would release him. And then…

A nd then Styx’s hand went t o hi s cock a s h e sucked o n the back o f Law’s neck along the spot—
that
spot
—he’d

discovered drove Law wild.

The only one who’d ever found it and oh God, he was going to come in his fucking pants if Styx didn’t stop.

And Styx
would not stop
.

“Like that, baby?” Styx whispered after licking the spot where Law knew there’d be a red mark that would stay there

for days, then used his tongue and teeth and hands, slipped into Law’s half unzipped jeans to work his magic.

“Fuck…please…don’t, Styx.” But he was saying don’t and meant,
don’t stop
. And it was something he wanted—

needed

—too much to struggle more.

He’d always been a goddamned whore for this man—that would never change.

“Styx.” The name, moaned into the dark, and if the man cal ed him by his nickname, he’d lose it in his pants.

A few minutes and then a husky whisper answered, “Yeah, come right now, Law.”

LC had no choice. His body always deferred to Styx’s wishes.
Always.

When your lover becomes a stranger, trust is the weakest link of all.

Not Knowing Jack

© 2010 K.A. Mitchell

Bartender Tony Gemetti has it al : a rich, hot boyfriend, a McMansion in the ’burbs and unlimited sex in an

expectation-free zone. He thought that was al he ever wanted out of any relationship—until Jack begins making excuses

for frequent disappearances. Realizing h e ha s more than hi s libido a nd enough drawers fo r hi s T-shirt col ection

riding o n this relationship, Tony figures it’s time to find out what’s going on.

Jack Noble has spent his life hiding his real self behind a careful y created image. With Tony, h e final y knows real

freedom, real happiness. Now a past of buried secrets and lies is closing in, and no matter how hard he tries to stop it,

the truth is tearing through. Once Tony learns what kind of man Jack real y is, he won’t stay. Jack’s sure of it.

Suddenly the past shows up in a completely unexpected way, testing the boundaries of their old, coasting-along-on-

fun relationship. Tony indeed finds that Jack isn’t the man he went looking for, but it’s too late. There’s too much at stake

to just walk away. First, though, he has to make sure there are no lies left for Jack to hide behind.

Warning: Readers should be free of any heart condition that may be affected by a hero with an
overactive

imagination,
painful back stories, and hot sex in a variety of athletic positions. Neither the
author nor the publisher is

responsible
for any sudden or frequent urges to have children with Tony
Gemetti.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Not Knowing Jack: By the time Tony’s bartending shift was over at Hole in the Wal ,

he’d decided that Kyle was right. It was stupid not to come right out and ask Jack if something was going on. The whole

thing was probably just his imagination, or maybe watching Kyle and Sean do their stupid breakup dance last year had

given Tony an addiction to drama.

Even if Jack had stayed at the restaurant through the whole Sunday-night shift, he stil would already be home and he

usual y waited up, watching TV and sipping his wine of the week. Tony would pour himself a glass, and then ask Jack in

simple, easy-to-understand words what the hel was going on.

Tony had made out pretty good o n tips fo r a Sunday, enough that h e wa s that much closer t o getting a sweet little

something he’d seen online that would make Jack’s eyes bug out when Tony wore it. He was looking forward to that,

despite Jack being opposed to Tony’s idea of a camera in the bedroom, or at least a few extra mirrors.

Jack wasn’t watching TV or in the kitchen, and the silence in the house made Tony’s stomach too lurchy with nerves to

make him want his usual post-work snack. He went upstairs and found Jack awake, lights on, laptop open as he sat in

bed, his reading glasses perched on the end of his sharp nose. Jack thought they made him look old. Tony thought they

made him look adorable, but he kept that to himself.

“Hey.” Jack glanced up from the screen. “Gimme a second.”

“Sure.” It wasn’t like Tony was al that eager to get the conversation off the ground. He dropped his jeans and his T-

shirt over a chair and ducked into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He rehearsed a couple of openers in his mind while

his teeth got the kind of brushing that would make a hygienist weep with joy.

You’re stalling, buddy
.

Straightening from spitting in the sink, he found Jack standing behind him and almost swal owed the brush. Naked

Jack.

Very nice. Tony rinsed again and raised his eyebrows at Jack’s reflection.

“You’re right. We do look hot.” Jack slid his arms around Tony’s waist.

They were almost the same height, Jack a little broader in the shoulders and narrower at the waist and hips, the

bastard, but the contrast of Tony’s spiky blond hair and tan skin and Jack’s dark longer waves and creamy skin looked

better than hot. The heavy press of Jack’s cock against Tony’s hip meant he wasn’t the only one enjoying the view.

Tony dropped his toothbrush in the holder and turned in Jack’s arms. “Does this mean you’ve changed your mind

about some mirrors in the bedroom?”

“No.” Jack kissed him, and from the first touch of lips, Jack licked into his mouth as if he’d just started the toothpaste

diet.

Tony shifted, trying to find space to catch enough breath to say the joke out loud, but Jack didn’t let him, hands

coming up to hold Tony’s head, the kiss going so deep it was like Jack wanted to crawl inside him. It wasn’t that Jack

wasn’t usual y enthusiastic about knocking boots, but Tony wondered if Jack was trying to eat him whole. For a second,

the generator in his head launched on a zombie, alien, pod-person, werewolf track and then got back with the program

when Jack eased up a fraction on jaw-splitting.

Tony rubbed a thumb across the sharp arch of Jack’s cheek, and that only made him hold on tighter, kiss harder,

hungry noises spil ing from his throat. He let go of Tony’s head and stroked his dick, but between the tongue in his mouth

and the noises from Jack, Little Tony didn’t need much encouragement.

Jack spun away, breaths rough and heavy, and slapped his hands on the counter. “Fuck me.”

Tony ran a hand over the muscles in Jack’s thighs, the hard curve of his ass. It would take a stupider man than Tony’s

mom had raised to turn down an offer like that. He kissed the top of Jack’s spine then let his lips drift lower. “Wel , okay.”

Jack stopped him when Tony had licked down to Jack’s ass, catching Tony’s hand and moving it so he could feel how

slick Jack’s hole already was.

“Hmmm. He comes pre-lubed. How convenient.” Tony tugged Jack toward the bedroom. “C’mon.”

“No. Here.” Jack slapped a condom on the counter and nodded at the mirror.

There was only one answer to that. “Okay.” Tony picked up the condom, but he rubbed his bare cock along the slick

crease o f Jack’s ass, the heat and the wet grabbing hi s skin, making i t tighter, harder, until the veins throbbed and

ached.

Jack spread his legs farther so that the next rub almost drove the head of Tony’s dick inside him.

“You can skip it if you want.” Jack’s voice was hoarse, ful of pleading and so unlike him that the sharp edge of need in

Tony’s gut dul ed, and he stepped back. It wasn’t that Jack didn’t love a dick in his ass. Or a dildo, or half Tony’s hand.

The guy liked his ass fucked, and Tony loved doing it. But Jack didn’t do sub stuff, didn’t get off on begging for it,

didn’t make sounds like he was going t o die i f he didn’t get i t i n the next second. And a s for the raincoat—yeah, that

was something else they needed to talk about first.

Other than a split-second you-negative-me-too pause as they ripped off each other’s clothes that first time, there

hadn’t been any discussion, and they’d always used condoms when they fucked.

Tony hadn’t wanted to waste time on conversations, just wanted Jack, but now he was starting to think that maybe a

little more talking and a little less fucking might be in order. After a quick glance in the mirror to make sure he hadn’t

turned into a girl, Tony tore the condom wrapper with his teeth and rol ed it down.

Jack bent his knees and leaned across the counter, so Tony pushed inside. Tight, Jesus, too tight. As Jack sucked in

a pained breath through his teeth, Tony backed off.

“No.” Jack reached behind them to keep Tony inside. “Stay.”

Tony held stil as Jack’s muscles pulsed and pul ed at his dick. The tension slipped from Jack’s back, his ass, and his

hand on Tony’s thigh al at once, and Tony started to thrust.

There’s no escaping the man at the heart of his memories.

The Trap

© 2010 Indigo Wren

Three years ago, David a nd hi s col ege roommate, Ethan, were o n t he brink o f unimaginable success, ready to

revolutionize an industry and reap bil ions. Then David accidental y revealed the attraction he’d never wanted to feel, and

certainly never meant Ethan to see. Mortified, he ran from everything that mattered—the fledgling company he’d helped

to build, the bright future he’d worked to secure, and the man he couldn’t let himself want.

Now he’s built a new life for himself. So what if it’s not the one he hoped for? He’s learned to look only forward, and