“And so impatient.”

  “Val,” Saint growled, sending a shiver up Val’s spine.

  Ooh, he liked this side of Saint. What kind of sounds would Saint make with Val buried deep inside that gorgeous ass? Was it even something Saint would want? That was a question for another day.

  Deciding it would be too mean to torture Saint this soon, he swallowed Saint’s cock again, loving how Saint’s hips jumped off the couch as he cried out. Val hummed at the salty precome as Saint’s hard, thick length filled his mouth. Yeah, Saint wanted him badly, and that sent a shiver through Val.

  Their gazes met, and Val gave Saint exactly what he wanted, expertly sucking him until he was writhing beneath Val and ready to fall apart, the sound of his panting breath filling the otherwise silent living room.

  “Are you jerking yourself off?” Saint asked, breath panting.

  Val nodded, and Saint threw his head back. “Oh fuck! Val, I’m gonna come,” Saint warned, but Val only sucked harder, his hand moving quickly on his own cock, his precome easing the friction until Saint cried out.

  And that was it. Val couldn’t last any longer, and he spilled himself all over his hand, his orgasm exploding through him as Saint came hard inside Val’s mouth. Val swallowed every drop, his eyes never leaving Saint, who lay panting and shivering. Then he slowly pulled off Saint.

  “Fuck.” Saint panted. He looked down at Val. “Did you come?”

  “About the same time you did.”

  “Holy shit.” Saint let his head fall back and ran a hand through his hair. “That was…. Wow.”

  Not wanting to give Saint the chance to feel awkward about what just happened, Val wiped his hand on his jeans and crawled up Saint’s body, relieved by Saint’s smile.

  “Hey,” Saint said softly.

  “Hey,” Val replied, then kissed him, loving how Saint moaned into his mouth. It was a slow, sweet kiss, and he could have stayed like that forever, which meant it was time to move. He pulled back, smiling at the blissed-out, sleepy look on Saint’s face. “We should probably shower.”

  Saint was suddenly very awake. “Together?”

  “Is…that something you want?”

  Saint shrugged. “Nah, I’m good.”

  Val arched an eyebrow at him, and Saint chuckled.

  “Yeah, okay, that’s a lie. Yes, it’s something I’d like.”

  Although Val had no idea what came next, he decided that tonight, he wouldn’t overthink it, and go with the flow, let Saint set the pace with what he was comfortable with.

  Val got up and held his hand out to Saint, who took it, an almost shy smile on his face. He was so damned sweet. Val couldn’t stop himself from kissing him again. He could kiss Saint forever. Before it could get heated, he led Saint into his bedroom.

  “Why don’t you get the water running,” Val said as he kicked off his boots.

  “Sure thing, Chief.” Saint sauntered to the bathroom, throwing a wicked look over his shoulder. The little bastard knew exactly how fucking gorgeous he was. And damn that ass.

  “You’re asking for trouble, Sailor,” Val called out just before the shower water came on.

  “Yeah? What are you going to do about it?”

  Oh, Val wanted to do plenty, but he told himself to take it easy. They’d already done more tonight than he’d intended to do with Saint. Hell, he’d never even meant to kiss Saint. Clearly, he’d been kidding himself, thinking he could resist. Just friends, my ass.

  After chucking his jeans, underwear, and socks into the hamper, Val entered the bathroom and almost swallowed his tongue. Saint was in his shower, water sluicing over every sculpted muscle as he lathered himself up. How was this possible? How had Val gone from deciding he couldn’t be involved to having the man naked and in his shower?

  “Watching is fun, but touching is better,” Saint teased, his voice dripping with sex. It sent a shiver through Val.

  Val didn’t waste any time. He hurried into the shower, grateful it was big enough for the both of them. There wasn’t a lot of room left over, but it was spacious enough that they could move around. Saint turned to face Val and laid his hands on Val’s chest.

  “You sure this isn’t moving too fast for you?” Val asked, holding Saint close.

  “I’m sure. Showering naked with a guy isn’t new, and neither is getting a blowjob. Yes, it was different for obvious reasons, but it was still the best blowjob I’ve ever had.” He slid his hand down Val’s chest to his stomach, then lower, his eyes never leaving Val’s. A playful smile came onto his face when he wrapped his hand around Val’s dick, and Val sucked in a sharp breath. “This is uncharted territory for sure.”

  Val moaned as Saint slowly moved his hand, jerking off Val until he was rock hard.

  “Saint….”

  Saint pressed his lips to Val’s skin, trailing kisses over his chest. He made Val jump when he poked his tongue out to lick his nipple. With Saint’s mouth on his nipple and his hand on Val’s cock, Val needed to lean against the tiled wall of the shower for support because holy fuck.

  “You don’t have to,” Val promised, reminding Saint he didn’t have to do anything he was uncomfortable with.

  “I know that,” Saint said, kissing Val. “But I want to. I really want to.” He hummed against Val’s lips. “Do you know how hot it is knowing that I do this to you?” He applied a little pressure to Val’s cock, making him groan.

  “Fuck. Do you know how many times I dreamed of this?”

  “How many?” Saint nibbled on Val’s jawline.

  “A lot many. I mean, a lot. Fuck, I can’t even talk.”

  “Then don’t talk,” Saint said with a chuckle. He moved his hand quicker, and Val cupped Saint’s face, kissing him with all the hunger and want inside him. It was like his body was on fire, and the more Saint kissed him, the more the bathroom filled with the sound of their panting breaths and moans, the more Val felt like he was going to lose it. He needed more.

  Val palmed Saint’s cock and brought their erections together. He put his hand over Saint’s, and Saint followed his lead, wrapping his hand around both their cocks. He hesitated for a heartbeat. Then he moved his hand and cursed under his breath as he bucked his hips.

  “Oh, fuck, Chief.” Saint jerked them both off, and Val saw stars. He slid his hands around Saint to his ass and grabbed hold of those firm cheeks with a groan.

  Neither of them lasted long, with Val coming first and Saint seconds behind. Saint dug his fingers into Val’s shoulder as he came, kissing Val wet and sloppy until they were both too tender. Saint let them go and let his head rest on Val’s shoulder.

  “You okay?” Val asked, concerned Saint might be regretting what they’d just done.

  “No. I came so hard I don’t think I can move.”

  Val chuckled. He wrapped his arms around Saint and kissed the top of his head.

  “Let me help.” He moved Saint under the shower and grabbed the soap. He lathered Saint up, and Saint hummed happily.

  “This is nice.”

  Saint had no idea how happy Val was right now. If he knew, he’d probably run off. This was what Val had wanted for so long. This intimacy with someone. Both of them on the same page wanting the same thing. It struck Val then. Shit. They both wanted the same thing. Then he reminded himself that the problem wasn’t them together like this. The problem was them, out there in the world.

  Blowjobs and hand jobs in the shower were great, but that didn’t mean Saint was ready for a relationship with him. Okay, enough overthinking. He was way too tired and he felt too good. They finished showering and dried off. Saint kissed him sweetly before telling him he was going to grab his pajamas from the guest room. Val dressed in his own pajama bottoms and T-shirt before heading back out.

  “You still need to feed me,” Saint said as he walked into the kitchen, lowering his T-shirt. “Don’t think you can distract me with your sexiness.”

  “Is that what I’m doing?”

  Saint nodded as he stopped in front of Val and kissed him as if he’d kissed Val countless times before. Like none of this was new for them.

  “What can I make you?”

  “Something simple.”

  “Steak sandwiches?”

  “Deal.” Saint sat at the counter while Val moved around the kitchen, rounding up the ingredients he needed to make their sandwiches. Luckily, he had a baguette from the groceries he’d had delivered yesterday.

  “What do you want on yours?”

  “Onions and mayo,” Saint replied. “Oh, and cheese if you got it.”

  Val scoffed. “I always have cheese. Swiss or Gouda?”

  “A man after my own heart. Swiss.”

  “You got it.” Val got to work frying up the steaks and onions when Saint’s phone rang. Saint quickly answered.

  “Hey, Jack. How’s it going? Oh. Okay. I’m going to put you on speaker so Val can hear.” Saint tapped his screen and placed his phone on the counter.

  “Hey, Val. Sorry for interrupting your evening.”

  “Not at all. What’s up?” He kept his eye on the steaks as he listened.

  “Okay, good news and bad news. The good news is that the guys who jumped you have been arrested.”

  “That’s great news,” Saint said. “How?”

  “The night you got jumped, Leo set up an algorithm on his computer to scan local security camera footage for these guys. They broke into a pawn shop several blocks away from Sapphire Sands. Leo then had his computer call in an anonymous tip that led the police to where the bastards were hiding out. He also mentioned that they might have been involved in the explosion at the hotel.”

  “And the bad news?” Saint asked.

  “They had nothing to do with the explosion. Mason had one of his detective friends question them. He asked them about your assault that night, and one of them confessed that they’d been hired by someone through an online message board to jump you and rough you up. Apparently, it’s not their first time. They were told where and when and paid cash. The detective was able—with a little anonymous help—to connect them to a violent crime spree.”

  “And the person who paid them?”

  “Leo’s been trying to follow the money, but so far, it hasn’t led anywhere. Whoever’s responsible for this has been really careful not to leave a trail.”

  Val sighed. “So that asshole is still out there.”

  “Yeah. We’ll keep working on it.”

  “Okay,” Val said. “Thanks for your help. And please thank Leo for me.”

  “Of course. You guys stay safe.”

  “We will. Thanks.”

  Saint hung up and sat back. “At least those assholes are off the streets. I spoke to Mason earlier, and none of the people you had incidents with panned out. Most of them aren’t even in the state anymore.”

  “I figured as much.” Val finished putting their steak sandwiches together and placed Saint’s plate in front of him. He grabbed a couple bottles of water from the fridge and motioned to the living room. “Time for a little vegging in front of the TV. Grab a couple paper towels.”

  Saint jumped out of his seat, tore a few paper towels off the roll, and followed him into the living room. He took the recliner on the left side of the couch like he always did, and Val took the one on the right. They’d fallen into a comfortable routine when they got home, one that Val looked forward to, which was dangerous because soon Saint would return to work and the house would be empty again. Not that it was a problem. Val loved his house. He had it just the way he wanted. He just liked it more when Saint was in it with him.

  Saint turned on the TV. Somehow he always managed to get to the remote first. A screen filled with streaming apps appeared, some of which Val wasn’t subscribed to.

  “What do you want to watch?” Saint asked as he moved through the apps.

  “Did you add apps?” Val asked.

  “Yeah. I have subscriptions to these. Thought you might want to watch something from one of them. It’s cool because we both have different subscriptions, so we’ve doubled our binging options.” Saint’s smile faded, and his eyes went wide. “Shit, I’m sorry. I should have asked first.”

  “No, it’s fine. That’s a really great idea, actually.”

  “Cool. So, what’ll it be? Movie or show?”

  “Show.” That way, he wouldn’t miss too much if he fell asleep, which happened pretty often.

  “Okay. I know you don’t like anything too close to home. I feel you on that. Ooh, I know a great one. It’s about this group of kids in the eighties and their friend who has powers, and there are monsters, and it has a great eighties music soundtrack. Anyway, it’s amazing and right up your alley.”

  Val chuckled at Saint’s excitement. “Well, now we have to watch it. Let’s do it.”

  “Aw yeah.” Saint bit a huge chunk out of his sandwich as he got the first episode of his show playing. Val was behind on his TV- and movie-watching. There hadn’t really been much time for it when he was on the job. Most of the time, he worked late, and when he got home, he’d shower and then usually crash. If he had the energy, he’d go to Sapphire Sands and hang out with Frank or hook up with someone. But this…sitting here with Saint, eating dinner, and watching TV together….

  Val shook his head. He needed to stop thinking of this as anything more than hanging out with a friend. Okay, so he was definitely deluding himself because what they did earlier on the couch and then in the shower was not something you did with a friend. Well, he was sure somewhere someone did those things with their friends, but for Val there was most certainly a very clear distinction. Maybe he’d talk to Saint about it tomorrow. Tonight, Val would enjoy this time he had with Saint.

  “Hey.”

  Val opened his eyes and looked down to find Saint lying on the couch with his head resting on Val’s leg. “Hey.”

  “Did you know you snore? But it’s really quiet and very cute.”

  “Shit, I fell asleep?”

  “Middle of the third episode.”

  “Sorry. It’s a great show, I’m really enjoying it.” Val yawned. “Guess I was more tired than I thought.” He let his head fall back and closed his eyes. “We should probably get up.”

  “Hm, we probably should,” Saint said with a yawn of his own. “But that would mean moving, and I’m pretty comfortable right here.”

  At some point in the middle of the night, Saint woke Val up. They were both groggy, and Val was pretty much still half asleep when Saint pressed the button on Val’s recliner to lower the footrest. He held his hand out, a big yawn escaping him.

  “Come on, Chief.”

  Val didn’t question it. He took Saint’s hand and shuffled behind him as Saint led him to the guest room.

  “My bed,” Val said through a yawn. “It’s bigger.”

  Saint walked past the guest room and into Val’s bedroom, pulled back the comforter, and flopped down on the bed on his stomach.

  “This is comfy. Memory foam?” Saint asked but was out before Val could answer.

  “Cute,” Val murmured as he climbed into bed next to Saint. He pulled the comforter over them. The bed was nice and cool from the AC hitting it. He’d just about fallen back asleep when Saint shimmied closer. He threw an arm over Val’s chest and hooked his ankle over Val’s leg. Smiling, Val covered Saint’s hand with his.

  Maybe this was a mistake, maybe he was heading for heartbreak, but there was nothing Val would change about this moment right here. Having Saint in his bed felt right. Like he belonged there. What if Val gave this a chance? What if he went all in and did his best to support and guide Saint when he needed it? Was he overthinking? Trying to prepare for a worst-case scenario when there might not be one?

  “Sleep,” Saint grumbled, his cheek pressed against Val’s shoulder, making Val smile.

  “Okay.” Giving his thoughts a rest, Val closed his eyes. Whatever happened, they’d get through it. It would be okay.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “I can’t believe it.”

  Val shook his head as he scanned the main tavern area. Over the last few days, the booths along the walls arrived and were installed. Then the actual bar came. Before he’d started, he’d had an image in his head of what he wanted his tavern to look like, but seeing the brick walls, the black leather seating and dark wood tables, and the black, vintage-style bar gave it new life.

  There was still so much to do, more of the tables and chairs to arrive, the decor, the kitchen appliances, and everything else, but his vision was finally starting to come together. Opening night had seemed like a faraway dream, and now it was within reach.

  “It looks amazing, Chief,” Saint said, standing beside him.

  “I also got all my paperwork filed online and got my licenses.”

  “I’m so proud of you,” Saint said, throwing his arm around Val’s shoulders.

  “Smartass.”

  “What? All teasing aside, I am. I mean, this place is going to kick ass. Upscale and classy-looking but still down to earth. The vendors you have lined up are fantastic. Betcha, the Four Kings Security crew are gonna be in here all the time.”

  “Hm. Good thing I have an excellent insurance policy.” One thing he most certainly had not skimped on. He’d seen too many businesses go up in smoke, leaving the owners bankrupt because of shitty policies with loopholes big enough to drive a Mack truck through.

  Saint blinked at him before letting out a loud laugh.

  “You think I’m kidding? Chaos and mayhem follow those guys, so I intend to be prepared.”

  There was a series of rapid knocks on the window, and they both turned. They weren’t expecting anyone, but since Saint had been hanging around, the Kings and their significant others had dropped by on various occasions to check in on them. It was sweet. Val wasn’t used to having a large group of friends like this. He kept in touch with some of his friends from college and his firehouse days, but their lives had taken such different paths with many of them now busy with their kids and even grandkids. Another quick series of taps snapped him out of his thoughts.

  “Is that Fitz?” Val asked as someone in a fuzzy pink sweater with windswept hair waved cheerfully outside the window.