Teasing Jonathan (12 page)

“Just a sec, I’ve got stuff,” Jonathan said awkwardly.

Kai couldn’t help being completely charmed. Big, strong, beautiful Jonathan was flustered. Why Jonathan chose now to be shy Kai didn’t know, since it wasn’t the first time they’d been intimate, but it was adorable.

No matter what happened in the next few days, Kai wanted Jonathan in his life and not just as his bodyguard.

He’d always thought he was too selfish to want to share his space with anyone, but one blush from a handsome man later, and he’d even give up half his closet, a sacrifice worthy of undying adoration.

Kai’s mind floated around as he waited for Jonathan to prep himself. He held out a hand for the lube only to have Jonathan lift it out of reach.

“Nope, I get to do this part,” Jonathan argued.

It was as if Jonathan considered it a treat to get his lover ready. Kai could feel a goofy smile crossing his face, but he couldn’t resist Jonathan’s combination of strength and caretaking. A physically powerful man with a sweet soul had turned out to be the perfect match for him.

Kai cupped Jonathan’s face when he leaned in for a kiss.

“What?” Jonathan frowned as if sensing Kai’s desperation.

“When this is all over, I want you to move in with me.”

“Okay.” Jonathan slid one slicked finger into Kai’s ass.

“I-I’m serious.” Surely his lover couldn’t make such a momentous decision without a great deal more planning. They could discuss it more after sex when they were both thinking more with their big heads rather than the ones below. Jonathan plunged a second finger inside, scattering Kai’s thoughts when he pushed against his prostate.

“I love you. We can live wherever the fuck you want. Now, hush while I have my way with you,” Jonathan scolded.

Kai laughed. A weight pressing down his worries evaporated as if Jonathan’s words alone had lifted off the boulder holding it in place.

After a hard kiss, Jonathan pushed his cock inside, bonding them together as one, and proceeded to show Kai how much he needed him. One day they’d take it slow and easy when the fierce fires of passion between them were banked. Jonathan’s hard rhythm aligned perfectly with Kai’s need for a deep pounding.

“That’s it. Oh. Right there!” Kai shouted. He needed more. Before he could whisper his desires, Jonathan had wrapped a firm grip around him.

“Give it up for me, baby,” Jonathan demanded.

Unable to hold back against his lover’s command, Kai came.

All the stress poured out of him as he came. Exhaustion sapped him of energy. So much had happened.

“Relax, love. We can take on the world later.” Jonathan pressed a kiss on Kai’s shoulder.

Jonathan slid out of bed to take care of the condom. Before Kai became too chilled, Jonathan returned and his welcoming heat wrapped around him.

“I love you,” Kai whispered. Another kiss against the back of his neck made him smile.

“I love you too, Kai. Are you hungry?”

Kai nodded. He couldn’t remember having lunch it had been so long since he’d eaten. “Yeah, I am.”

“Let’s order a pizza.” He slapped Kai’s ass as he got out of bed.

“I like pepperoni,” Kai answered. “Do you mind if I take a quick shower?”

Jonathan reached a hand down to help Kai up. “Sure. You get all prettied up and I’ll call for food.”

Kai smiled. “You could keep me company.”

A groan met his invitation. “I’m pretty much spent, love, and I’m starving.”

Kai gave him a hard kiss. “Get the food and I’ll get clean.”

“I’ve got some clothes you can borrow.” Jonathan pulled out a pair of sweats and a T-shirt from his dresser drawer then handed them over. “You should think about bringing over some clothes.”

Kai shook his head. “I don’t need to.”

The flash of pain in Jonathan’s eyes had him rushing to stop his lover from leaving the room. “I don’t need to because you’re coming to live with me, remember?”

“You meant that?” Jonathan asked. “I thought it was the sex talking.”

Kai smiled. “No it wasn’t. I want you next to me every night.” Not to mention his place was bigger, had better views and was only a few miles from work.

Jonathan tilted his head. “But what if I like my place better or if I want my bed?”

Kai sighed. “Are you renting?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I own my condo so let’s keep that. If you want to bring your bed or anything, fine. It will be our place. Bring whatever the hell you want as long as you bring yourself.”

“What about a dog?” Jonathan challenged.

“How big?” Kai had never been a big fan of dogs but if Jonathan wanted one he’d make allowances. Anything to persuade Jonathan to share his place.

“I don’t know?” Jonathan shrugged.

“You’re taking care of it. I’m not a dog person,” Kai warned.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “You like cats?”

“We never had animals growing up.” How could he explain that his father had barely tolerated his children, much less the mess an animal could produce?

“We’ll get a dog,” Jonathan said confidently.

Kai cupped Jonathan’s face. “We can get anything you want.”

“Good.” Jonathan kissed him on the forehead and left the room.

Kai laughed. After grabbing a towel from the bathroom cabinet, he started up the water. Once steam began wafting up from the shower Kai stepped into the hot water. Kai wetted his hair before soaping it up with Jonathan’s shampoo. Kai smiled when he saw it was his brand.

While rinsing his hair, he froze.

What was that sound?

He heard it again. A strange, familiar pop.

Gunfire?

Someone was shooting.

Jonathan!

Fear dried the moisture in Kai’s throat.

He kept the water running. Maybe the person would think Kai didn’t know they were there. Kai peeked through the curtain, scanning the bathroom. No weapons were jumping out at him. A scene from an old movie flashed through his mind. Trembling in fear, he stepped out of the tub and quietly lifted the lid of the toilet tank. Raising it up high, he waited. Just when his arms started shaking from holding the heavy ceramic lid for so long the door opened. A hand holding a gun appeared before anything else. Using his full strength, he slammed it down.

A startled cry, then the hand dropped the gun. The weapon tumbled to the ground, sliding between the toilet and sink. Kai whipped the door open then froze in surprise. Michelle stood in the doorway. She gripped her wrist as pain filled her eyes. She rallied quickly after catching sight of Kai.

“Well, there’s a sight I never thought I’d get to see,” she purred. Her hungry gaze churned Kai’s stomach.

“Move,” Kai growled.

“Or what? You’re going to hit me again?” She flashed Kai a confident smile.

“If you shot Jonathan, you’ll be lucky if I don’t kill you. After all, you did invade his home.”

“You’re too much of a nice guy to hurt me.” She smirked. “I’m pretty sure your boyfriend is dead.”

She bent to pull a knife from her boot.

Kai slammed the tank lid across her head. A loud thud sounded from the contact and Michelle tumbled unconscious to the ground.

“Perhaps you misjudged me.” Confident she wasn’t going anywhere, Kai set the lid back on the toilet, grabbed the sweats then pulled them on. Kai knelt down and after a brief search found the gun. Snatching up the weapon, he stood then grabbed his phone and called the police.

After giving them Jonathan’s address and the fact there had been a home invasion, Kai was assured the police were on the way. The operator wanted him to stay on the line but he needed to check on his lover. Leaving the line open but warning the person to stay silent, Kai slipped the phone into his sweats pocket.

He listened carefully at the bedroom door. He didn’t know for sure if Michelle had come alone. When no sounds reached him, he soundlessly crept down the hall.

Fear gripped him as he spotted Jonathan on the floor. Blood poured through a wound in Jonathan’s chest.

“Oh, baby.” Kai dropped to his knees beside Jonathan.

Jonathan’s eyes fluttered open. “Run! She’ll kill you.”

“Not right now, she won’t,” Kai disagreed.

“She has a gun,” Jonathan protested.

“This one?” Kai showed his weapon.

The gurgle in Jonathan’s voice frightened him.

“Yeah…” Jonathan’s whispery tone, barely audible, made Kai swallow.

“Police!” A voice shouted outside his door.

Kai rushed to answer. Detective Fine stood there staring at Kai with a cold expression in his eyes.

“She’s in the bathroom.”

“Your sister?” Relief flashed through Fine’s expression.

“No, my assistant. She’s been trying to kill me for some reason.”

“You must be mistaken,” Fine said.

Warning bells clamoured in Kai’s brain. “Why is that?”

Fine raised his gun and pointed it at Kai. “Because I set it up perfectly. I guess I’ll have to go with murder suicide instead.”

“Why? What did I do to you?” None of this made sense. First he’d accused Jeni, now he planned to frame Kai for killing Jonathan.

“You were supposed to die! Michelle promised me a lot of money if I destroyed you. Unfortunately the mechanic fixing her car had overheard her conversation with me about the hit man. When he tried to blackmail her, I killed him. It was a funny thing that he happened to be dating your sister.”

“Did Andrews pay you to kill me?” Kai asked. The entire situation had a lack of reality to it.

“Andrews had nothing to do with this. He’s just a greedy businessman who got the boot like he deserved. Michelle’s going to rewrite your will and put herself in control of the company. After all, who wouldn’t believe your loyal assistant?”

A chill went through Kai. Michelle could get away with it. She would easily be able to convince the board, and Jeni didn’t know enough to prove Kai hadn’t turned the company over to his assistant.

“You made up the stuff about Jeni, didn’t you?” The sheer relief Kai felt over discovering his sister didn’t do drugs washed through him. He’d hated the thought of that even worse than her potentially killing her ex-boyfriend.

Fine shrugged. “Why does it matter?”

“It matters to me.”

“It’s surprisingly easy to create false reports if you have the ability to make them at all. Your assistant is a bloodthirsty thing. She salivated at the chance to help kill you since you’ve ignored her all these years. You know what they say about a scorned woman? Well, an ignored woman is worse. When she saw you with Jonathan, she couldn’t help me fast enough.

“I knew you’d let her inside, but I thought she’d do a better job. When I got the news there was a shooting at this address I came, only to find out she’s botched it.” Kai shivered at the evil grin Fine gave him. “I won’t make the same error.”

Could he reach for his gun without being shot?

Heart pounding, Kai slowly reached behind him.

“I wouldn’t move any more if I were you,” Fine warned.

“Freeze!” Fine’s partner, Detective Breaves, rushed through the door with two other cops.

Fine dropped his gun.

The cops rushed over and grabbed Detective Fine. Kai watched them snap handcuffs on him.

“His accomplice is in the bathroom.” He waved them on.

“An ambulance is on the way,” Breaves said. “We heard about the shooting when you kept the line open on your phone.”

Kai blushed. He’d forgotten all about staying on the line for the dispatcher. His phone sat on the floor beside Jonathan, who watched him with pain-filled eyes. He dropped to his knees beside him. “Help is coming, love!”

“I love you,” Jonathan whispered.

“I know, I love you too.”

They’d get Jonathan healed and Kai would move him into his condo where they’d get Jonathan the biggest fucking dog he could ever want.

Epilogue

Jonathan smiled as Kai threw the ball across the backyard. Only two months into living together Kai had announced that they needed a real house with a yard. He’d given his condo to his sister Jeni so she could move on with her life. Apparently, she’d simply had a case of mistaken identity. The guy she’d thought was Deke had actually been the new owner of the bookstore next to her catering business. Jonathan expected they’d get a wedding invitation soon. Jeni couldn’t seem to be able to help her attraction to dark-haired men.

The dog Kai claimed not to be sure about now had a studded collar and an embroidered pet bed. His uptight business financier had a squishy soft spot for the rescue mixed breed they’d chosen at the pound.

“There’s a good boy,” Kai said.

Jonathan wrapped his arms around Kai from behind. “I can show you how good a boy I can be,” he whispered in Kai’s ear.

Kai laughed, the sound happy and carefree, a welcome change after the past few months. Michelle’s betrayal had cut him deeply. Kai had sold the company to the board, telling them if they wanted to run it into the ground they could. Andrews hadn’t been the first board member to try to pressure Kai into making a poor decision. Detective Fine and Michelle had been jailed for conspiracy to commit murder. Neither of them would be getting out any time soon.

Kai spun around and wrapped his arms around Jonathan’s waist. “Are you happy?”

Jonathan nodded. With the new stability of his home life and additional therapy after the shooting, Jonathan had come to terms with his past. The nightmares had begun to vanish soon after he’d started sleeping with Kai. He secretly believed that Kai held his bad dreams at bay.

“I’m happier than I ever thought I could be,” he confessed to Kai. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Jonathan would never have imagined how lucky his life would have turned out to be after catching sight of the pretty man on the corner of the street.

“I got something for you,” Kai said. Kai turned and flashed up his shirt before turning and racing the dog back to the house.

The image of little silver rings pierced through Kai’s nipples burned into Jonathan’s mind. Grinning, he chased after his lover. The evening had just become a whole lot more interesting.