Chapter 5

Dawson

I'd just madeit back to the firehouse when my brother called.

"Jonathan, is everything okay?" I asked, my adrenaline still spiked from the shed fire we'd just put out across town in Deer Park.

"Yeah, everything's good, I, uh... you said to give you a call whenever one of the insurance guys showed up, so I just wanted to let you know one of them showed up."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed my lighting a fire under Nolan's ass worked.

"Good. I'll be there in a bit, just getting out of my gear. Don't let them leave until I get there, okay? I don't want these idiots fucking shit up on my watch."

"Dawson..." my brother protested, but I refused to let him blow me off. It was my job as his big brother to make sure he was okay, and that those asshole adjusters made sure he was covered for his losses. I knew firsthand how they could be sticklers, having dated one of them, especially when it came to folks like my brother who operated their businesses out of their homes.

"I'll see you in a few," I said as I hung up, not giving him a chance to rebuke me.

I didn't bother hitting the showers; instead, I just hung my shit up in my locker and grabbed my keys to my truck. Thankfully, my brother's place was about fifteen minutes away, but with my skilled emergency driving, I could shave off at least five minutes.

Which is exactly what I did.

All the agents at Breisinger drove the same car, a little silver sedan with a big ass logo on the side. It stood out like a sore thumb everywhere, and it was no different parked in front of my brother's house.

From the street, you would have never been able to tell there'd been a fire, but around the back was another story. I parked my truck, hopping out with haste as I entered through the front door. I didn't need to knock, after all, we were family and I was more than expected.

My brother looked up at me from his couch, the agent turning to face me as well...

And when my eyes met surprised brown irises, I think my blood actually boiled. Nolan's eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting up like I'd just caught him with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Dawson, what..." he said as he stood up, my brother following suit.

"Afternoon, Harding," I said as I sauntered past him toward my brother, casting him one of my patented Mr. March smiles, if only to appear nice.

Truth be told, my adrenaline was still pumping and the sight of those surprised peepers and pouty lips was doing things to me that I didn't want to focus on at the moment.

For starters, my brother was standing next to Nolan... which shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did.

But it did.

"I told you, Dawson, I have it covered here..." Jonathan protested with a sigh, sliding his hands into his jean pockets. He stared at me with an annoyed expression.

"Nonsense, this is my job, Jon. I told you..."

"Isn't there like a cat in a tree somewhere that requires your attention?" Nolan said, shaking off his surprise.

Jonathan laughed. "I take it you two know one another pretty well?"

I took a step closer to Nolan, using my frame to loom ominously over him.

At least, I hoped I looked ominous and not like a stiff giraffe.

"Yeah, Harding and I are the best of buds. Aren't we, Nolan?" I said with a smirk.

"Uh..." I didn't miss the way Nolan's gaze dipped to my lips, or the blush forming across his nose, spreading into his cheeks. The sight made my cock twitch, and I shoved my hand in my pocket, if only to adjust myself.

I needed to remember where I was, and what I was actually supposed to be doing here...

"Sure. We'll go with that," Nolan said, his voice as polite and professional as he could muster. Though clearly I'd caused him some distress as his gaze roved over me from head to toe.

"Seriously, I got it handled. But if you are going to stay until Nolan leaves, at least take a shower. You look like hell."

"Well, that would be because I came straight here from a fire, because I didn't want to miss busting the balls of your claims adjuster," I said with a grin.

Nolan shook off whatever it was that had him flustered as he crossed his arms. "I could report you for harassment, you know," he said in a hushed voice, raising a brow.

I leaned closer by an inch, licking my lips. He made it so easy sometimes.

"But you won't, because you're a good little pencil pusher aren't you, Nolan?" I said as I stepped back, removing my shirt.

I didn't miss how his eyes widened, how his mouth dropped open in stunned annoyance, or how he gazed back at me with a fire that had nothing to do with the one we were both here about.

And seeing his eyes ablaze like that caused my cock to stiffen, and I knew I needed to get away from there before I really decided to go all in and give him something to report.

"Fine. I could use a cold shower," I said out loud for everyone to hear as I headed for the hallway bathroom, leaving Nolan and my brother to the situation at hand.

Once the door was locked, I let out a frustrated sigh as I took the rest of my clothes off, folding them neatly and setting them on the back of the toilet.

I wasn't lying about needing a cold shower, as once I was alone, and my cock was free, it could have passed as a compass with how north it was pointing.

I huffed a sigh of annoyance as I stepped in the shower, hoping the cool water would help put out the fire that had started to build inside of me from just the sight of Nolan on my brother's couch.

Images flashed in my mind that I knew I shouldn't be thinking about, given current circumstances, but I knew better than to try and fight the fantasy forming in my brain.

I'd seen the way Nolan looked at me, how he blushed and stammered. A part of me liked that I obviously made him nervous, even if it wasn't a sexual thing for him.

I liked that I could get under his skin...

Not to mention our phone call earlier had worked me up into a heat I hadn't quite expected. The last thing I wanted to do was wax one out at the firehouse, when I was on call. It was just a stroke of luck that we'd gotten called out. Well, lucky for me anyway, if only because it gave me something else to focus on other than Nolan fucking Harding.

It was like over the phone, he was someone else. His voice was different, cockier, sexier.

God what is wrong with me?

Am I admitting Nolan is sexy?

Yes, I was. But I rationed it was easier to separate the fantasies I had about Nolan from the actual person he was.

But when he'd demanded that I ask him nicely, his voice taking on that dark, smooth edge, I nearly lost it.

I'd never heard Nolan talk to anyone like that. Hell, I didn't know he was capable of sounding like a phone sex operator. His words from last night rang in my memory.

You don't know what I'm capable of, Dawson.

Apparently, I didn't.

I wrapped my hand around my cock, knowing it was better to ride the wave than to swim against it.

I let my thoughts wander to dark, sexy phone operator voices, imagining putting the little brat in his place, right over the arm of my brother's couch. I imagined driving him over the edge until he apologized for his sudden, cocky new attitude, imagined bringing him right to the edge, until...

My abs clenched as warm cum sprayed out again with a force I wasn't used to.

Fuuuuck.

That was twice now. Twice, that the thought of using Nolan like my own personal cocksleeve had made me come like a damn teenager who just discovered his dick.

I really needed to get a hold of myself. I needed to quit while I was ahead. I pumped the last bits of my release as I caught my breath, swearing that once I left that shower, it would be a clean slate.

And when I had managed to cleanse my skin and my brain, only then did I turn the water off, and find my way back into my jeans so I could join baby brother and the object of my fantasies gone awry.

When I came to the basement, I could see Nolan on his hands and knees shining a little penlight on something in the corner. The angle showcased the roundness of his ass. An ass I didn't mind looking at, especially since it was clear neither of them noticed my arrival.

"This wasn't in the report," Nolan said, and immediately I tensed, readying to jump to the defense for my brother, but before I could speak, before either of them could turn to see me, he sat back on his heels, looking up at my brother with kind eyes.

"But contrary to what your brother thinks, this is why my job's important. I want to make sure we have all the information we need to be able to get you the coverage and reimbursement you deserve."

"I appreciate that, really," Jonathan said, sighing, "I just don't want to get reamed over some stupid detail..."

Nolan stood, brushing the dirt off his knees as he looked to one of the bikes in the corner. My old bike, the one Jonathan was fixing for me, specifically. I kept to the shadows, frozen, watching the scene unfold in front of me.

"I'm sure Dawson didn't note it, because he just didn't know. His job is to fight the fire, not the red tape or the damage it leaves. Don't worry, Mr. Bradish. I'll take care of this."

At that moment, I realized that maybe I had been a little... abrasive with Nolan. I'd assumed he questioned my claims because he was a nitpicking ass, never once considering that maybe his nitpicking actually helped my ass.

That was the moment a paint can crashed to the ground, falling right on my fucking foot.

"Fucking ay!" I yelped as I jumped back, causing them both to turn in my direction and notice me.

Well there goes my career in the CIA.

"You coming to wreck my garage now, Daw?" Jonathan teased me.

Nolan's demeanor shifted completely.

Gone was the nice, polite and professional man who was confident and caring regarding his knowledge and job. Instead, Nolan was replaced with the shy, quiet man I'd known for the last two years. The one who couldn't even look at me most days.

"Thought maybe I'd get the renovations started early," I said, shaking off the pain as I walked further into the garage.

"W... well, on that note," Nolan said, getting flustered again as he averted his eyes from me, brushing off some invisible dirt. "I should be getting back... my lunch only goes until... twelve thirty," he stammered.

Jonathan nodded. "Thanks again!" he said as he turned to head back toward the house.

I watched Nolan leave, in slow motion, caught between talking to my brother and apologizing to the man I'd second-guessed.

My lightning rod cock twitched and pointed me in the right direction though.

"Nolan, wait..." I called out, but he was already making a beeline through the garage door toward the side of the street. I hurried to catch him, surprised at how fast he was actually moving. I had to legit sprint to catch him, and when I did, I wrapped my hand around his biceps, stopping him in his tracks. He dug his heels into the grass, coming to a complete stop, almost making me smack right into him.

He looked up at me in surprise. "Dawson..."

His gaze flicked to where my hand wrapped around his arm, and I realized my fingers were gripping him rather tightly. I flexed them, letting go, as a wash of nervousness and guilt befell me.

"I just... wanted to apologize," I said, tasting the foreign words on my tongue.

"Apologize for what?" Nolan asked, rubbing his biceps where I'd left a light indentation and a pale red mark.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, I just—"

"It's fine, I promise. You aren't like the Hulk or anything, believe me," he bit.

I wanted to rise to his bait. To fight with him, because his attitude begged for an adjustment as of late, but something told me that wasn't what was best at the moment.

I needed to set the record straight, so I could go on with my day, my life.

Apologize, then everything can go back to normal, and everyone's happy.

"I meant about earlier. On the phone. I was..." I swallowed, trying to find the strength to say the words. It wasn't often I apologized to anyone for anything.

I was a hero, a good guy. Contrary to Nolan's belief, I wasn't an asshole. At least I wasn't an asshole to everyone.

Just one person in particular.

"I was a dick, and I shouldn't have bitten your head off. I know you have a job to do, it's just—" I felt strangely flustered as the words poured out of me.

Nolan looked up at me with those same kind eyes he gave my brother, dropping his hand from his biceps. He took a small step closer, his gaze falling to my lips and then back to my eyes again.

"It's just what, Dawson?" he asked in a calm, smooth voice. It wasn't the same smooth and sexy phone operator voice I'd busted a nut to earlier, but it eased something inside of me.

"My brother's all I have, and I just... I just hate not being able to fix this for him. To see him struggle because his shop was his life and now..."

"Hey..." Nolan reached out and set his hand on my arm, his touch soft and warm.

I didn't dislike it. In fact, I wanted to feel his touch all over me, soothing all my worries.

But I figured it was just the adrenaline making me all emotional and weird.

"Everything will be okay, I promise," he said softly. "I'll make sure of it."

I realized somehow we'd gotten closer. Close enough that if I wanted to, I could run my fingers through his dark locks, close enough to kiss.

And that thought was the one that drove me away.

This was not getting back to normal. This was dangerously close to falling over an edge I didn't want to be on.

"I'll hold you to that, Harding," I said gruffly as I headed back to my brother's to grab my shirt I'd left hanging over the edge of his couch, leaving Nolan in my dust once more.