Boys in Blue 02 - Reasonable Doubt (5 page)

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Are you embarrassed to tell them you’re gay?” Geo asked the following weekend at the barbeque.
“Am I gay? I never got sappy for any other guy, and my history is littered with women,” Mack reminded him.
“Ah. Denial it is, then.” Geo’s chest ached. Was he backing out?
“Nah. I think they call it
gay for you
,” Mack teased. “I’m definitely gay for you.” He drew Geo closer. “On you.” Mack stroked Geo’s cheek. “Over you and under you.” His lips skimmed lightly against Geo’s. “In-fucking-side you, for damn sure.”
“You’re not changing my mind,” Geo said. It wasn’t anyone’s business but theirs if they fucked each other every night. It wasn’t like they needed approval. He just felt like they were lying to their families. The gathering seemed like the perfect chance to clear the air about their partnership. At least Mack was still wearing their ring.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Yeah, you would,” Geo muttered.
“Yeah, I would.” Mack chuckled. “Shut up and kiss me.”
“We’re not done arguing, baby.”
“We’re done and your mouth is about to get a whole lot busier.” Mack slid his hand to the back of Geo’s head and tugged on a fistful of hair. Hovering just out of reach, Mack flicked out his tongue to taste Geo’s lips.
Geo groaned. Mack had grown a lot bolder since their engagement. Standing in the upstairs bedroom of Mack’s family home, they could be walked in on at any minute. Geo figured it had to be a good sign that Mack was willing to take the risk of getting caught making out.
He pressed his hand flat on Mack’s belly and pushed it into his pants. Mack’s cock, already swollen with need, heated Geo’s palm invitingly.
“God, I love it when you grab my cock like that,” Mack confessed.
Geo grazed a fingernail on his sac and watched Mack shudder, his lips parting on a harsh gasp.
“I know exactly what you like.”
Mack nodded in agreement, gasping on a “yes” when Geo began to slide his hand up and down the hidden length.
“Mack?” Mack’s mother, Charlotte Sullivan called in the distance.
Geo snatched his hand away. The men quickly separated and Geo found a reason to turn his back to the door. Mack swore, muttering about blue balls at which Geo stifled a laugh.
“Mack?” she called closer.
“Hey, Mom.” He answered quickly, shoving his hand in his pockets.
“Oh, good. It’s nice to see you boys settling in. As soon as you’re done, I want you to come downstairs and meet someone.” Her look brooked no nonsense and it was aimed at Mack.
Geo shot Mack his own look.
You have to be kidding me
. This was exactly why they needed to make their relationship public.
“You’ll like her. She’s blonde,” Mrs. Sullivan said, emphasising the last word.
“Oh, well, if she’s
blonde
, Mrs. Sullivan, I think he should go meet her right now,” Geo teased.
Mack snorted in disgust. Mrs. Sullivan patted Geo on the back. “Don’t worry sweetie, there are some other locals around here that I have in mind for you.”
“No thanks, I’ve got someone I’m seeing pretty seriously.”
“You should have brought her,” Charlotte cooed.
“You’ll meet soon enough. I hope,” Geo said, sending Mack a pointed look.
Mack grinned widely as Charlotte left the room.
Well, that’s at least promising
.
“Mack?” Charlotte called sweetly.
“Coming.”
“Not yet, but soon,” Geo promised.
Geo watched him leave, answering the Call of the Blonde. “Jesus, this is going to kill me,” he muttered, wadding up a pair of boxers and throwing them on his matching twin bed. The last time he’d slept alone had been over a year ago. Hopefully, they’d be able to tell the families soon. Like tonight and move to a larger, single bed.
“Maybe I shouldn’t unpack,” he mused to himself.
“Hi, Geo.”
He looked up as Maddie, Mack’s little sister, flopped on his bed. She propped back on her elbows and eyed him with a shy smile so like her brother’s.
“Hey squirt.”
Her brow wrinkled momentarily. “I heard you were staying all weekend,” she led.
“Yep.”
“Cool. Does this mean I finally get you to the lake for a moonlight swim?”
She snatched up his boxers. When Geo reached for them, she giggled and held them away. It was calculated because in order to get them back, he’d have to lean over her prone body. He knew she still had a crush on him. He wasn’t taking the bait.
“If there’s a group going, sure.”
She tucked her bottom lip under her front teeth. “I was thinking just you and me. Totally, you know, like innocent.”
He snorted. “The last thing you are, is innocent.”
“I like cops. Sue me.”
“You’re underage.”
“My parents trust you,” she countered.
“They know I won’t inappropriately hit on their only daughter.”
She pouted. “I wouldn’t tell if you did.” She absently tugged on the elastic waistband of the boxers she held.
“No,” he said gently, but firmly.
“You like me.”
“You’re Mack’s family. Of course, I like you.”
“I think you like me more than that,” she suggested.
“I think you need to go find something else to do.”
Maddie threw his underwear at his chest. He caught it easily. “You should give me a chance.”
“Maddie,” he said on a sigh. “I’m seeing someone. Someone
not
a minor.” “You didn’t bring her, so it can’t be that serious,” she reasoned.
He nearly groaned as she continued to stretch out a discussion that had no happy ending with her. “No, you’re right. I didn’t bring her.” He put subtle emphasis on
her
, but Maddie didn’t seem to notice.
“Is it serious?” she asked after a minute.
“Yeah. We’re getting married.”
“Oh.”
Suddenly, he tugged a dark lock of her hair. “But if I were a paedophilic pervert in need of a seventeen-year old for company, I’d call you first.”
She gave him a sad smile, and stood to leave. “Geo?”
“Yeah?”
“If you and your girlfriend don’t get married by the time I turn eighteen, will you at least think about it?”
“Sure,” he relented. No way in hell was that an option. But Maddie didn’t need to know that.
“Awesome.” Maddie threw her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his lips. She giggled and dashed out the door.
By the end of this week, the Sullivans will either have me arrested for paedophilia or killed for screwing their son.

Sullivans and Wilsons milled around on the grounds, the aroma of smoked meat perfuming the outdoors on plumes of slow moving smoke from the grill. Agent Andy Powell was talking to David Rook and Nate Giamanti. Another guy, Rook’s new partner from the seventh precinct, Liam Knight, walked over to join the threesome. Looked like the plan to introduce Andy and Liam was already underway, naturally.

Mack stepped out onto the back patio. Geo wanted to tell their families. There was no question that would happen. Mack’s shoulders relaxed, and he found himself smiling. Yeah, this was the right thing to do, and the right time. There was no one else Mack wanted to spend his life with, so they might as well get used to the idea.

Geo did it for him. God, did he. He loved the way Geo smelled. The way he smiled. The look in his eyes when he teased Mack. The sleepy, mussed hair and rough jaw when Geo rolled over first thing in the morning and kissed him.

He hoped Geo would hurry up and come down. Something prompted him to look up at the bedroom window. Geo looked down at him, concern deepening the corners of his beautiful mouth. Mack motioned for him to come and noted the quick nod before Geo turned away.

He reached for his mother’s mimosa glass and lightly clinked it with a spoon. “May I have your attention please?”
The families and friends quieted. Geo stepped through the sliding glass doors to the patio and hesitantly moved in with the others as Mack waited for full silence.
“I have an announcement to make,” Mack began, feeling like his face was going to split from smiling. His eyes touched on Rook and Nate. They looked curious, but he thought they might already know what he hoped to say. Could he call that encouragement in their eyes?
Mack looked down at his mother’s upturned face. “I love you, Mom.”
She smiled back.
“Geo, come here a sec.”
Geo came to stand beside him. “Now?” he asked.
“Yeah, babe. Now.” He looped an arm around Geo’s waist as he said it. The words and the action drawing more than a few whispers. “I’ve got some great news. This guy beside me has been my best friend for five years. We’ve worked closely as partners on the police force and have saved each other’s lives a few times now. Wouldn’t you say?” he addressed Geo.
“At least a few. You’re kind of a klutz,” Geo agreed.
Mack heard some nervous laughter. “It’s part of my charm.”
“You’re definitely charming.”
“About a year ago, Geo and I figured out something life changing.” Mack looked at Geo. Mack was nervous as hell. Geo was the one who didn’t care if people knew they were together. Still, Geo’s presence beside him imbued Mack with strength to continue. “Neither one of us expected we’d find our perfect partner in each other, off the clock.”
“What are you saying?” Charlotte asked, her voice shaking.
“I’m saying, Geo and I have been dating for the past year.”
Charlotte gasped. Tears filled her eyes. Her reaction stung, but Mack knew he had to continue.
“We didn’t tell anyone because we needed to know this was the real thing. We knew this would be difficult for our families to understand. Hell, it was difficult for us to understand,” Mack confessed.
“I’d like to take a minute to point out that I knew first,” Geo said.
Rook and Nate laughed. Mack saw Rook hand over a five-spot. Seemed they’d been betting on Mack and Geo. Mack smiled at them, shook his head.
“Last week, Geo asked me to marry him—”
More gasps. Charlotte made a squeaking sound.
“And I said yes,” Mack finished.
Mack released Geo to stand beside Charlotte. “Mom, I know it’s a surprise.”
Charlotte Sullivan slapped him. Mack’s cheek stung. “Now you tell me? Now? I invited a girl to meet you. You should have at least told me this privately. Don’t I deserve that?”
“Mom, I would have but I knew I wouldn’t have the nerve,” Mack told her.
Charlotte smoothed her hand over his cheek. “I can’t say this is easy to hear. I still wish you’d told me first, but I promise to
try
to understand.”
Geo crouched too. “I love him.”
She looked from one face to the other. “You do, don’t you,” she said more than asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Geo answered.
“Okay then.” Charlotte said uncertainly. She kissed his cheek, then Mack’s.
“Thank you, Mom.”
Geo helped him up. Turning to the rest of the crowd he smiled brightly. “I’m getting married! Someone crank the stereo.”
“I got it!” Maddie called.
Music filled the air. Maddie came over to stand with them, making her way through the crowd of family who’d come to congratulate or stare.
“You okay, squirt?” Geo asked her.
“Yeah. I mean, I’m not a guy, so I’m not competition. It kinda sucks that I never had a shot, but,” she shrugged. “There’s a cute guy over there I might go talk to.” Mack looked. “Uh, Mads? He’s gay, too.”
“Seriously? Seriously? Do me a favour and when a straight guy shows up, send him my way.”
“After you’re eighteen,” Geo said.
Mack grabbed Geo’s hand and pulled him off to the side. “I need to catch my breath.”
“You did great, baby.” Geo looped his finger in Mack’s belt loop and tugged. He kissed him, slow and soft. “I was afraid you’d chicken out.”
“I had too much to lose,” Mack said meaningfully. “It went okay, right?”
“Yeah. Give your mom time. It looks like your dad is already working on her.”
Mack looked over. Indeed, Shamus Senior cuddled her close and sent Mack a wink over her shoulder. Relief washed through him. “Not so painful after all.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll kiss any lingering boo-boos away tonight,” Geo promised.
“Can we start now?”
Geo chuckled, taking the cue, and wrapping his arms around Mack. “I love you. Thank you for doing that.”
“I did it for
us
because I love you too,” Mack corrected. “Now, if I remember correctly, you had your hand in my pants when we were rudely interrupted.”
“Oh yeah,” Geo murmured, tugging Mack through the sliding doors and racing to the bedroom hand in hand.

Mia makes her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she divides her time between a job and spying on people. Mia enjoys long walks in Como Park, daisies, dancing in the snow...(Delete prior sentence, meant for personal ad)...

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