Chapter Twelve

Busy tonight?

Harper chewed his lip, waiting for a response.

What the hell was he doing?

It was six o'clock, and Nolan had left a few minutes ago. He'd offered Harper a ride home, but he'd declined, claiming he needed to finish up the reports he'd let slide for a few days.

That was his bullshit excuse, and he was sticking to it.

The truth was, he'd typed out the text and had been waiting for Nolan to leave to hit Send. It had been three days since he'd been with Colson, and he was hoping they could get together. Luis had texted that David was at a birthday party for one of his friends in his therapy group.

No need to rush home. Go out and have some fun.

Then he'd added a winky face, making Harper roll his eyes. "Everyone has an opinion on my personal life."

His phone buzzed, and he grabbed it to read the text, not even bothering to deny the curl of excitement in his belly at Colson's answer.

I am now.

Whistling to himself, he slipped on his suit jacket and closed his computer. He left the precinct and walked outside, barely noticing the heat or humidity. All he wanted was to be in Colson's house, trading barbs and banter, knowing he could reach out and touch him at any time. After a day filled with nothing but negativity and bad news, he needed to grab whatever joy he could find, and while he loved being with David, the few times with Colson had set off a craving in his blood for something more.

He walked up the steps to the town house, and before he had a chance to ring the bell or knock, the door opened. Colson stood there in only a pair of boxers, a tempting smile on his handsome face.

"I figured why bother, since we're just going to get naked anyway?"

Harper's cock swelled, and his breath grew short. "I need to lock up my gun."

"Come with me."

He followed Colson to an office, where a free-standing safe stood in the corner. "I keep my papers in here. It's the best I can do." He opened it, and Harper slipped his gun inside, and watched Colson lock it. When he stood, Harper claimed his mouth in a kiss. Colson responded by pulling off Harper's suit jacket and undoing his tie.

"I'm glad you weren't busy." Harper slipped his hands past the waistband of Colson's boxers to knead his round ass. God, he was perfect.

Colson flung the tie aside and undid his shirt, pressing kisses to his throat and collarbone. "I'd just finished when I got your text."

" Mmm , lucky me for perfect timing." He yanked Colson's boxers off while Colson undid his belt and pants. He kicked off his shoes and let the clothes fall to his ankles.

"I think we're both pretty damn lucky." Colson rolled his hips, their erections rubbing. "I was wondering if I was going to see you again this week." His fingers played along the length of Harper's dick, squeezing and rubbing. He gazed at Colson's slick hand fisting his dick and groaned.

"You keep doing that, and you can see me anytime." He licked his fingers and slid one into Colson, followed by a second, pumping them in and out of his hole.

"Upstairs," Colson whispered, and Harper hoped his legs weren't too shaky to walk, but he made it up the steps. They climbed into bed, and Harper found himself under Colson, who gazed at him with a tender expression. "I'm really glad you're here."

"I am too." Harper reached up to cup his face, and he guided their lips to meet in a kiss. Their tongues swept together in velvety hot slides, and Colson nipped his lower lip. He trailed kisses over his torso, swirling in his navel, and licking up the precome from the swollen head of his dick.

"Taste so good," he breathed, and the hot air over his sensitive flesh drove him wild with longing. Seeing his dark head between his thighs, the muscles flexing under the colorful tattoos, Harper moaned and tangled his hands in Colson's waves.

"I need you. Please."

Colson gave a final lick up the length of his shaft, then took a condom from the night table and rolled it down Harper's dick. "Fuck me hard."

Harper watched as Colson rose over him, and slowly, inch by inch, took him into his body. His head flung back, teeth catching his lip, and a face filled with bliss, it was the most sensual and erotic sight he'd ever witnessed. Being inside Colson was more than a joining of two bodies—Harper could feel the tight walls suck him in, making them one.

"Oh, God." Harper sighed and held Colson's ass in his hands as he rode Harper's dick, rising and falling ferociously until Harper pulled out and got Colson on all fours.

"This way, baby."

Colson spread his legs and arched his spine. "Fill me. Come on," he begged. Blue eyes pinned him, blazing with lust. "Fuck me. I want you so fucking bad."

Harper slid his cock in, bit by bit, pushing halfway in, kissing and nipping Colson's neck before thrusting hard and at a furious pace. Colson wailed and rocked his hips into Harper while frantically working his cock.

The smell of sex and sweat rose around them, and Harper lost himself in a dizzying whirlpool of pleasure where the only thing that mattered was him and Colson. He held on to Colson's hips, plunging in and out of his silky heat, knowing the exact moment Colson came as he jerked and twitched beneath him.

"Take it. You want it, don't you?" He sank his teeth into Colson's neck and rolled his hips, driving deep, burying his cock to the root, even as Colson moaned. "You're incredible."

"Fuck me, Harper. Oh God, please."

Hearing Colson beg for more even as he came spiraled him to a level of desire he'd never reached. His dick swelled and throbbed, held within the confines of Colson's hot, tight ass, and his climax rushed over him, leaving nothing but scorching heat in its wake. He closed his eyes, his whole body trembling. Colson sighed, and Harper rubbed his cheek against his sweat-soaked nape.

"I can't move just yet."

"You think I can with you on top of me?" Colson chuckled, the movement stimulating Harper's overly sensitive dick, and he hissed with the pleasure-pain.

"Wiseass," he grumbled with a smile he couldn't keep off his lips.

"Perfect ass, amazing ass, and now adding wiseass to the list." Colson shifted, and Harper slid out of him.

"You're all that and more." Harper knotted the condom and tossed it into the trash. He gazed down at Colson lying naked and deliciously rumpled, blue eyes heavy and lips kiss-swollen.

Mine , he wanted to say. What you are is mine.

But Harper knew he didn't have the right to make that claim. Colson wasn't his. He couldn't be because Harper couldn't give a single piece of himself away. Everything he had was to make sure David would always be protected.

"Can you stay?" Colson propped up on his elbows. Refusal sprang to his lips, and perhaps Colson saw it because he rushed to add, "It's only seven thirty. I doubt you'll turn into a pumpkin before midnight."

"Move over, Boy Scout," he growled, and Colson grinned.

***

They'd dozed for an hour when Harper woke up to a gurgling in his ear. "Hungry?" he teased, and Colson turned an adorable shade of pink.

"Well, yeah. I worked all day, straight through breakfast without lunch. Then you came over and attacked me."

Harper snickered. "You answered the door half-naked. You knew exactly what you were doing." He pinched Colson's ass, earning a yelp. "If you wave something pretty in my face, I'm going to touch it." He squeezed a cheek. "Or kiss it."

Colson rubbed his cheek against Harper's chest, and contentment flowed through him like warm honey. He wished…he wished he could split himself in two and be both the brother and lover he wanted to be.

"Since I picked sushi last time and that wasn't your thing, why don't you pick tonight?"

"How about burgers and fries?"

"Sounds good. Make mine well-done."

"Okay. So now I know that aside from having a fabulous ass, you like to chew shoe leather." Harper pulled up the delivery app, found the burger place they always ordered from at home, and put in Colson's address. "All done."

"You think you're cute, huh?" Colson pretended to glare as he slipped on a pair of boxers and pulled on a T-shirt. Damn, he hated Colson covering up those gorgeous tats. If he had his way, the man would walk around naked all the time in front of him.

"Nah," Harper shrugged. "I know I am. My clothes are downstairs. You know, in that room where you couldn't wait to get me naked?"

Colson rolled his eyes. "How do you and that massive ego fit through the door?"

"That's not all that's massive. I see you walking funny." Harper winked and cackled before taking off and running. He found his clothes and grimaced at the wrinkled state of his shirt and pants. "Good thing I have other suits."

"Water or beer?" Colson asked.

"Water, please." Colson took out a pitcher, filled it with ice, then water, and poured them each some. "How did you decide to become a police officer and then a detective?"

Harper took his glass but didn't drink. "I don't really know. I grew up with a lot of cops and firefighters, and at different points in my life, they helped me. I didn't have the grades or desire to go to medical or law school, and I figured what the hell, I'll take the police exam. I passed, and the rest is history."

Hopefully that explanation would suffice. When David was injured, so many police officers had responded and stayed with his parents at the scene and checked on his progress at the hospital, they became very close. Some had brought them food and arranged for him to be picked up after school and taken to the hospital to see David. At Christmas they'd brought gifts and a tree, as his parents had neither the strength nor the desire to celebrate the holiday. The officers became like a second family to him, and joining the force was his way of giving back.

But Colson was no fool, and those blue eyes pierced right through him, searching to the bottom of his shattered soul. Luck was on his side, as the bell rang.

"Food's here." He smiled and took a sip of his water. "I'll put out the napkins."

Colson shot him another searching look, then left him. Harper blew out a relieved breath and had the place settings on the kitchen island by the time Colson returned with their food. As they ate, he decided to do a little personal digging of his own.

"So I have to ask—what's behind the name Colson? You have to admit it's not something you hear every day."

Colson made a face. "It was my mother's maiden name. A few people call me Cole, because let's face it, Colson is a mouthful."

"I know that. I have it on firsthand knowledge." He finished his burger. "Speaking of mouths…"

"Were we?" Colson asked with a wicked grin and a twinkle in his eye. "I thought we were talking about my name."

"Be quiet, I'm trying to segue." His hunger sated, Harper pulled Colson's stool over with his foot until they were close enough to share the air between them. "Your mouth has a bit of ketchup, right there." He leaned in and licked the tiny dip at the top. " Mmm . Delicious."

"Thank you for being my personal napkin," Colson teased.

"I'm not finished yet." He slid his tongue in to meet Colson's, and they sat kissing as the sun set outside.

"I should go."

"You should?" Colson bit his earlobe, and his dick filled. "I don't think so."

"Yeah, I really should." But he didn't move. He couldn't leave. Not yet.

"Why? You could spend the night."

One last kiss to Colson's sweet mouth, and he rose to his feet. "I can't. I've got to get the rest of my clothes and my gun. Could you open the safe, please?"

Colson slid off the stool, his mouth set in a grim line. "Can I ask you something?"

"Ask away." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You said you're not married, but…are you involved with someone else? Getting out of a relationship? I'd rather know than not."

Harper frowned. "No. I'm not like that. I'm not sleeping with anyone else."

Colson opened the safe, and Harper reached in for his gun. Fully dressed, he could still see doubt etched on Colson's face.

"I don't know what else I can say. I'm not married, and I'm not with anyone else but you. I don't want to be." He didn't know how else to let Colson know he wanted only him.

But Colson was stubborn and wouldn't let go. "Yet you can't stay the night. Do you have young children at home to take care of? Is that it?"

Little by little Colson was chipping away at the walls protecting his damaged heart, but Harper still couldn't give in to what might be nothing more than physical desire. Several nights of amazing sex weren't enough to let Colson into the tumult of his life. He sensed Colson was a good man, not someone to play with his affections, but recalling how Ronnie had fooled him so badly and upset their family dynamic, Harper still rebuffed him. "No. I don't have children. Is not spending the night together a deal breaker?"

"I just don't understand. We've had sex—you can't be more intimate with someone than sharing your body—yet you won't share my bed. Make it make sense."

"I-I can't. This is how it has to be." The damage Ronnie had done to his trust in people might be the death knell of anything possible with Colson, but Harper couldn't make himself take the chance to let Colson into the most important part of his life. "I'll talk to you."

His head hung low, he was halfway to the door when Colson called out to him.

"Harper?" He peered over his shoulder. "Feel like getting dinner soon? In a restaurant?"

And despite the serious conversation they'd had, Harper couldn't resist teasing him. "Are you asking me on a date, Boy Scout?"

Colson made it to his side in three long strides. "After everything we've done together, you're still calling me that?"

Harper debated and tapped his cheek. " Hmm . Well, their motto is ‘Be prepared.' And you are very well prepared."

"And you're impossible."

Laughing, Harper opened the door. "The answer is yes. Text me ahead of time so I can check my shift. And by the way, I prefer Colson. The full mouthful. Good night."

He could hear Colson laughing as he locked the door behind him.