Marie Harte - Flight of Fancy

The disappointment on Aidan’s face dismayed him. God, why did he suddenly feel like crying? Frustration—that had to be it. That was all Aidan would need to think of him as a total lost cause.

“Gavin. Look at me.” Aidan’s soft voice shook him out of his thoughts. “It’s my job to see to your needs, not yours. It’s my job to make sure you’re warm, that you’re secure, that you’re coming when you need to. Not yours. The ultimate power is pleasure. Your pleasure. But the control is mine.”

Gavin needed a moment.

“No. Come here.”

Shit. He hated having nothing private.

“ Now. ”

He trudged to stand next to Aidan and let out a surprised curse when Aidan yanked him down onto his lap.

“You’re cold. And your ass is sore.”

Aidan pulled him into a hug that warmed him within. He didn’t protest when his head was shoved against Aidan’s broad chest, and the sound of his partner’s—Master’s—heartbeat racing under his ear brought him a sense of peace he’d been needing for a very long time.

“That’s it. Let it all go, Gavin. It’s my job to take care of you. And I always do my job.”

Gavin buried deep his secret wish that this could be more than a job. Because this feeling of closeness struck him right where it would hurt the most. His heart.

AIDAN LET GAVIN rest in his arms for a good while, until the slighter man fell into a light doze. Nothing sounded but the slow, steady breath of his boy against his chest. God, he didn’t understand this. Aidan didn’t want their embrace to end. He’d given comfort to any number of subs over the years. After a hard whipping or a rough beating, he’d soothe with creams and hugs, some gentle cuddling to ease the sub out of his zone. But he’d never felt such tenderness for a partner before.

Not sure why the hell this had to happen now and with Gavin, of all people. He slowly stood with Gavin in his arms. His boy snuggled closer and sighed, and Aidan tightened his hold. A funny ache in his chest told him he needed distance, so he carried Gavin into his bedroom and put him in bed. Gavin looked so small and innocent in the middle of the spacious room. After covering him with a thick, warm blanket, he closed the door behind him and went to the phone.

The second he heard Kitty answer, he asked, “Anything yet?”

“And hello to you too, Aidan.” She sounded irritated. “Hold on.”

Ian joined him. “Yo, Viking. What hails from the cold north?”

“Idiot. I’m three miles west of the gym.”

“With that cutie Gavin, I hear. Yum, yum.” Ian snickered.

“Shut it. So what’s the deal? You have my invite yet?”

“Almost. Gimme another day. I’m e-mailing you your cover, though. Big tough Dom and your boy toy. You’ll be a small arms dealer with connections in Canada. We’ll work the northerly bad-boy angle. What do you think?”

“Whatever. Just give me what I need, and I’ll take care of this.”

“Of course you will.”

Ian’s platitude annoyed him. “Anything else I should be aware of while I’m there?”

“Well, this didn’t come from Jack, but…”

“Ian.”

“That book is important to you-know-who. Problem is, even without the book, rumor has it Carl is gunning for our client. If it were me, I’d grab the book and take care of trouble, if you know what I mean.” Kill Carl Kerr went without saying. “Because as you know, you-know-who is a big player and one of the main reasons those jackasses stay off our tails.”

Aidan grunted. They had a pair of government watchdogs on them at all times who didn’t bother hiding anymore, and Aidan had no idea what Jack intended to do about them. But at least they left them well enough alone. The government hadn’t protested much when Jack and the rest of them left DC behind. But apparently Uncle Sam wasn’t stupid enough to let amped-up psychics run amok in the country. Even as far away as Oregon.

He frowned. “So you think Stallbridge—”

“Ahem.”

He rolled his eyes. “ You-know-who is keeping them at bay?” Why they had to continue with Stallbridge’s secrecy, he had no idea. The team swept for devices on a daily basis.

“That’s my guess. I mean, we haven’t done anything to warrant the government taking us in. No weird abuses of psychic power anywhere. And then there are the Cannons.” The other resident psychics in Bend. A powerful family he’d been fortunate to avoid thus far during his time in Oregon. “They have a lot of pull in high places. They’re psychic, and no one bothers them.”

Aidan snorted. “Yeah, and they weren’t enhanced in government labs and trained to kill with a thought either.”

“That we know of.”

Good point. “So you’re telling me it would be a wise thing, in our best defense, to take care of the client in any way we see fit?”

“I can only speculate, Aidan. I’m just a peon, like you.” At Aidan’s growl, he amended, “Okay, not like you. I’m much better looking, for one,” he muttered and in a louder voice said, “You’re superior in size and brain power. Happy now?”

“Ian, get to the point.” No wonder Jack had a bottle of aspirin at his desk. Ian would drive a saint to drink. And Jack was no saint.

“Yeah, yeah. All I know is, if it were me, I’d eliminate any threat to my paycheck. Jack leaves a lot to your discretion, and you don’t abuse your authority, so he wouldn’t blink twice if Kerr just happened to suffer from an aneurysm. All I’m saying.”

Aidan stilled. “Wish I could help with that, but—”

“Right. You just read minds. You don’t influence or pulverize with your mental superpowers. Sure thing. Of course. What was I thinking?” In a peppier voice, he added, “Well, I’ve gotta go. Working the day shift is no fun without Chloe and the guys to annoy, but hey, Kitty’s into some flare-up with a hot-looking hunk, so I need to go and rescue her. Or him. I’m not sure yet.”

He hung up before Aidan could correct him. Hell. Did Ian know what Aidan could really do? Jack didn’t. How could a forger know what Aidan had kept buried more than half his life?

“Hey.”

He turned to see Gavin standing just inside the living room, a blanket wrapped around his waist and a frown on his face. “What?”

“You put me to bed?” The cute flush on his cheeks warmed Aidan in places he hadn’t realized were cold.

“You looked worn-out.”

“I was late this morning because I overslept. I’m just not used to all this…ah…sex.”

Aidan laughed. “Yeah? I figured. Your ass is like a glove. All nice and hot. We’re going to have a lot of fun this week.” Gavin’s embarrassment amused him. “Man, we just fucked. I emptied into that sweet ass. Hell, I rimmed and ate you up. What the hell are you embarrassed about?”

“So I can talk to you normally now?”

“My fault.” Aidan stood and crossed to Gavin. He pulled the blanket up over his shoulders and figured he might as well start a fire, since he planned to keep Gavin naked for the next three days they spent getting ready to tackle Kerr. “When we’re in scene, you’ll address me as Sir or Master. I’ll call you boy.” Or baby , which he hadn’t meant to let slip. It felt too personal, and he liked it too much. “But when we’re done, it’s just you and me.”

“Where I call you an asshole.” Gavin grinned.

That smile punched another hole through the barrier protecting Aidan’s heart. He had to clear his throat before warning, “Don’t push your luck.”

“So I can put my clothes back on?”

“No. Drop the blanket.”

Gavin sighed but did as told without question. Progress.

“I want you to be comfortable being naked around me. And I want access to that cock. Full-time.”