Teasing Jonathan (7 page)

“Why don’t we take my car?” Jonathan said. A gentle touch to Kai’s hip herded him towards the visitor’s parking section.

“Okay.” It wasn’t like he could drive with his fingers shaking and his knees still trying to wobble out from beneath him. He knew it was shock making him behave so passively but he couldn’t gather enough brain cells to argue.

Jonathan led him to a silver SUV. He must have looked really bad because Jonathan opened the passenger door, tucked him inside then buckled his seatbelt before slamming the door shut.

Once Jonathan was settled in the driver’s seat he turned his attention back to Kai. “Is it all right if I take you to my place? I don’t know if yours is safe right now.”

“My sister is there,” Kai argued. “If it’s not safe, she needs protection too.”

“No, she’s at work,” Jonathan countered. “I had a tail put on her.”

“But I haven’t done my paperwork yet,” Kai said. They’d seemed pretty focused on turning in the right forms. He’d doubted they’d start any duties without everything filled out.

“I know, but I didn’t want her to go around unprotected because we didn’t have time to file papers. Your sister is important to you. I want to help you keep the people you love safe.” Jonathan’s brown eyes bored into Kai.

“Take me home with you. I don’t want to be alone,” Kai confessed.

Maybe it was almost losing his life twice in twenty-four hours, but Kai needed to lie in bed and just be held. He hoped Jonathan could help him.

Chapter Four

Jonathan couldn’t keep his gaze from drifting to Kai. He’d almost lost him today. He could’ve called and discovered Kai dead in his own office. Who could want to kill this adorable man? For the first time since he’d left the military, Jonathan considered himself to be in a war zone. No way would he let enemy fire reach Kai if he could stop it.

During his talk with the police, Kai had mentioned Nelson Andrews and Jeni’s old lover Deke, both of whom had possible motives. Which of the two of them would be willing to hire a hit man or possibly be skilled enough to do it themselves, he didn’t know. He doubted a soft executive would have the backbone to pick up a weapon himself and mechanics weren’t exactly snipers. More information would emerge once Patrick got back to them about the background checks. The company had put a rush on the job in order to try to narrow down who might want Kai dead.

Worry gnawed at Jonathan. He’d have Patrick reorganise his schedule so he could watch Kai himself. It was completely against company policy, but he didn’t give a damn. No one could protect Kai like he could. They could use someone else for Jeni unless the pair were together. He could watch them if they were in the same location. Otherwise they needed two security personnel.

He clenched the steering wheel with the same amount of force he wished he could use on the shooter’s neck, only easing off when his right hand began to cramp. He’d find out who threatened Kai, then he’d take care of it.

“Hey—easy, babe.” Kai’s silky voice washed Jonathan’s irritation away.

“I’m the one who’s supposed to be calming you,” he reminded Kai. He darted a glance over at Kai. Kai’s calm gaze met his. The shocked expression he’d worn before had faded and a glint of determination now filled his eyes.

“I’m fine. I’ve moved past shock and fear and I’m going into the time-to-kick-someone’s-ass phase,” Kai said.

“No! You aren’t to touch anyone. That’s what I’m for. Even if we discover who’s behind this all, you let me and the police handle it. I don’t want you injured because you thought you were going to be John Wayne.”

“But I’ve always loved westerns,” Kai protested.

Jonathan gritted his teeth and took several slow breaths before answering. “Shoot-outs are only fun in the movies.”

Kai gripped his shoulder. “Military?”

Jonathan nodded. Luckily, his town house came into view, allowing him to avoid further conversation on a topic he’d prefer to stay away from. Kai could discover Jonathan’s secrets after they had taken care of Kai’s problem. Jonathan needed to appear invulnerable to his future lover. Kai had to have confidence in his protector. Who would trust someone to keep them from harm when they still jumped at shadows and hid from nightmares?

“Cute place,” Kai said into the sudden silence.

“Thanks. I’ve been living here for about a year. I still have some boxes in my garage, but overall I’ve settled in.” Jonathan let out a long sigh at the change in subject. “Come on in. I’m sure I’ve got something to drink.”

Jonathan turned off the car then got out, walked around and opened Kai’s door.

“I could’ve done that,” Kai protested.

“I know, honey, but just let me take care of you for a bit,” Jonathan coaxed.

“I’m usually the one taking care of people. I’m not used to being the one taken care of,” Kai confessed.

“Well, get used to it.” Jonathan couldn’t explain his compulsion to protect Kai. His friends had always teased him about his ‘hero complex’, but he’d never truly wanted to be anyone’s hero until now.

Jonathan wrapped an arm around Kai and led him up the short flight of steps to his front door. He quickly disengaged the security system, ushered Kai inside then locked the door behind them.

“Nice,” Kai said as he scanned the living room.

“I’m glad you think so,” Jonathan replied. He’d painted the room in warm caramel tones. He had needed the cosiness after his bad dreams and couldn’t stand the impersonal white someone had painted it before. It had reminded him too much of the many hospitals where he’d visited his injured friends. Luckily, his landlord was ex-military and had understood.

The couch had chocolate brown microfibre upholstery that matched the overall look of the room. After a bad dream, Jonathan often sat on the couch and watched old movies as he rubbed the soft material with his fingers. The floor was covered in warm wood. Scattered pieces of blown glass added colour to the otherwise brownish room.

“Do you do glass blowing?” Kai asked his eyes focused on a bright red glass bowl.

Jonathan shook his head. “No. I have a friend, Chris, who’s getting his MFA in fine arts and he’s always bringing pieces over. He ran out of room in his apartment so I offered to let him keep them here. He switches them out every now and then. They don’t really belong to me—they are sort of on an ever-rotating loan.”

He smiled as he thought of his vibrant friend. Once a month, Chris showed up on Jonathan’s doorstep with a box of glasswork and a bag of Jonathan’s favourite doughnuts. It was a system that worked for them.

Kai frowned. “What kind of friend?”

“The non-romantic kind,” Jonathan replied. “Chris is so relaxed I’d be forced to kill him if we were involved. I don’t want to get together with anyone I know I’d end up nagging all the time.”

“Good.” Kai’s jealousy should’ve been a turn-off since they weren’t even in a relationship, but Jonathan had to admit he kind of liked Kai’s possessiveness.

“Go ahead and have a seat. I’ll get you something to drink. Soda or booze?” Jonathan offered.

“A beer if you have it,” Kai said.

Jonathan nodded. “I think I’ve got a few bottles.”

He headed to his fridge, pulled out two beers and a plate of cold appetisers and headed back to the living room.

“Oh, food!” Kai’s face radiated pleasure.

“Callum food. These are left over from a party he catered last night. These were the rejects.”

Kai tilted his head. “He gives you his rejects?”

“No, he leaves them in the middle fridge in his condo. It’s sort of a first come, first served deal. I had to fight Dave, Sin’s driver, for these because I love the fig prosciutto things.”

“Middle fridge?”

“Don’t ask.”

Jonathan popped off the bottle cap and handed over the beer before doing the same to his own.

Kai examined the tray’s offerings and chose an olive stuffed with something. The noises Kai made while eating had Jonathan’s cock hardening.

“Oh man, that’s amazing. I don’t even know what I ate, but I want a billion more of them,” he said enthusiastically.

Jonathan laughed. “I know, right? I swear I don’t know half the stuff he pushes at me, but it’s all good.”

Kai’s eyes sparkled as he grabbed an olive and pressed it against Jonathan’s lips. “Here, try this.”

Jonathan opened his mouth and accepted the food inside. He licked Kai’s fingers as he accepted the olive. The combination of spicy herbs and creamy cheese had him groaning.

“You keep that up and I’ll come just from the sound of you eating,” Kai said.

Jonathan coughed. “Don’t say things like that when I’m chewing,” he scolded.

“Sorry.” The curve of Kai’s mouth didn’t reflect his apology. If nothing else, he looked amused.

“Uh-huh.”

“No really. I should’ve waited at least until you swallowed. It’s only polite.” Butter would not only melt in Kai’s mouth, it would burn away completely in a few seconds.

“Are we still talking about the olive?” Jonathan asked suspiciously.

“Maybe,” Kai countered.

Encouraged, Jonathan leant forward. Kai tilted up his chin to accept Jonathan’s kiss. The spice of the olives still lingered on Kai’s lips. Jonathan lapped at the oil and tang before delving into Kai’s mouth and plundering the flavour on a more intimate level.

Kai gripped Jonathan’s shirt, yanking him closer. If Jonathan had thought the olive-eating noises were filthy, the sounds Kai made now could’ve starred as the soundtrack in their own porn video.

Jonathan slid his hand around Kai’s back and pulled him closer while tilting his head for a better angle to plunder Kai’s sexy mouth. He might be a bit obsessed about Kai’s lips. With the events over the past few days, he needed to keep a close watch on Kai. What better place than wrapped around him?

Kai didn’t remain a passive partner. He sucked, licked and bit at Jonathan’s lips with equal ferocity.

When Jonathan finally lifted his mouth so they could breathe, they had to pant to regain oxygen in their lungs in order to talk.

“Wow,” Kai whispered.

“I think we’ve established that the sexual attraction is alive and well between us,” Jonathan said. If it were any hotter they’d probably set off his smoke detectors.

Kai nodded. “I think that’s a safe analysis.”

Trying to regain his equilibrium so he didn’t come before they’d even started, Jonathan returned to his side of the couch and took a long drink of his beer. The cold flavour of hops soothed him a bit and took the edge off his passion. “I shouldn’t pounce on you. You’ve been through a rough time today.”

Guilt nibbled away at his lust like an angry mouse.

“Hey.” Kai poked Jonathan in the side.

He jolted, almost spilling his beer.

Kai’s eyes widened. “You’re ticklish.”

Jonathan shrugged. “Maybe a little.”

He wouldn’t admit to more. He wouldn’t.

Kai reached out to poke again and Jonathan grabbed his hand. “If you don’t want me to retaliate, you’ll stop that now,” he warned.

“I’m not ticklish.” Kai shrugged.

“Not at all?” How could that even be possible? Surely everyone had at least one ticklish spot?

Kai shook his head. “I think my sister tickled me too much as a child. She broke my tickle zone or something.”

“You can’t break someone’s tickle zone,” Jonathan argued, amused.

“Suit yourself, but I’m not ticklish.” Kai scowled as if Jonathan was being the odd one.

Jonathan reached over and wiggled his fingers into Kai’s side.

Kai looked placidly back at him without even a twitch.

Huh.

“Weird.”

“You can take it up with my sister when you meet her. Tell her she destroyed my one chance at happiness because I can’t be tickled.” Kai nodded wisely. “It would serve her right. She used to tickle-torture me when we were children.”

“I’m an only child,” Jonathan confessed. “I don’t have any childhood memories of siblings. I wanted them when I was younger, but my mother was forty-two when I was born. It just wasn’t in the cards.”

Kai shrugged. “I think it can go both ways. I know people who would do anything to have been only children, and I’ve met people who love their siblings very much. I wouldn’t trade Jeni for the world, but she does annoy the fuck out of me sometimes.” Kai’s fond smile detracted from his statement. Jonathan knew Kai cared to enough to want his sister to be safe.

“I think that’s pretty normal.” From what he’d observed with siblings most people had a love-hate relationship with their brother or sister.

“Jonathan, please don’t take this the wrong way, but if you don’t fuck me today I will be forced to take drastic measures,” Kai warned.

“Like what?” Jonathan asked, curious. He had to admit he’d love to see what Kai considered drastic.

“Seduce you,” Kai said with a straight face.

“Oh, that would be horrible.” Jonathan shook his head sadly. “I’d hate for you to resort to such tactics. That would be a terrible burden.”

Kai nodded. “I know. I’m hoping I can persuade you to take me back to your bed and fuck me into the mattress. What do you think my odds are?”

Vulnerability flashed in Kai’s expression and Jonathan could hear the thread of uncertainty in his banter. Jonathan slid back over, eliminating the distance between them. Jonathan cupped Kai’s face between his large hands, framing Kai’s masculine beauty with his fingers. He could tell Kai desperately needed to reaffirm that he was still alive. After being shot at in his own office, Kai had held together pretty well. If he needed sex to make him feel better, Jonathan wouldn’t deny him.

Jonathan kissed him softly on the lips. “You don’t have to worry about seducing me. I’m yours for the taking.”

He stood up and offered his hand.

A luminous smile crossed Kai’s face. “Actually, I was hoping you’d do the taking.”

“That can be arranged. Come on. All the supplies are in the bedroom.” Jonathan tugged Kai with him down the hall. He didn’t want to delay any further. He’d make this so good for Kai that he’d never want to leave Jonathan’s side again.

“Oh nice,” Kai said as they entered Jonathan’s bedroom.