Chapter Fifteen

Colson knew the date was a mistake. The more Danny mentioned his ex, the more Colson knew Danny Forman was not his type of guy. Not to mention, Colson had promptly forgotten all about him after they'd met at brunch. Harper was the only man on his mind. And in his bed.

Except he wasn't.

Colson had thought they were becoming intimate. Not only sexually, which was insanely hot and passionate, but they had an emotional connection. He was making inroads with Harper, getting glimpses behind the walls, and it was those times—when Harper let his guard down and showed him a sweet, tender side—that Colson could see himself falling for this man.

Yet days had passed with Harper giving him a litany of excuses why they couldn't see each other, then going silent. Realizing he'd been ghosted, Colson alternated between being heartsick over a man he barely knew and angry that he'd dared to dream of possibilities.

It was only because he was still in his head about the book that he'd said yes to dinner with Danny Forman. He'd fallen asleep at his desk, and the phone's ringing woke him. He'd automatically hit Accept Call.

That was how they'd wound up at some expensive sushi restaurant in the neighborhood, where Danny had tried to impress him with stories about his trip to Tokyo with his ex and the fabulous meals they'd had. He'd talked about all the other countries he'd been to, and Colson had listened and nodded in all the right places but wished he were home. He'd never enjoyed the résumé building on dates and preferred things to come naturally. Finding Harper in Millie's front yard, an overwhelming desire had hit him to leave Danny and go sit with Harper in Millie's cozy kitchen and eat something homemade and full of sugar.

Dammit, he missed his grandparents.

And Harper.

He hadn't planned on inviting Danny inside, but the man had followed him up the stairs, and Colson had felt he'd had no choice.

"Coffee?"

Danny stopped wandering around and flashed him a grin. "Sure. If you don't have anything stronger."

They'd already had a few beers with their sushi. The last thing he wanted was Danny getting drunk. Colson mustered a faint smile. "Uh, I don't. Haven't gone shopping in a while." He filled the pot and set it to brew.

"Let me know when you plan to restock. My ex hooked me up with some great places where I can get you a good deal."

Having done a mental tally of how many times Danny had mentioned his ex, Colson could now round it up to an even ten.

Time to wrap this up.

"You know—"

"Hey, I was wondering if I could see that signed Stephen King book you mentioned. I'm a big fan of his."

Colson's lips twitched. Danny hadn't even pretended to have read one of his books. "Sure. I'll be right back. Help yourself to coffee when it's ready." He left Danny sitting on the couch and ran upstairs.

In his bedroom, Colson opened the closet, took out the box where he kept his collection of signed books, and retrieved the Stephen King. Closing his eyes for a moment, he recalled Harper stretched out on top of him, kissing him, licking him…

"Stop it. You're acting like a teenaged, lovesick idiot." Colson made a fist and banged his thigh, angry with himself for falling into the trap of thinking that what he and Harper had was anything more than the urge to scratch an itch no one else seemed to be able to satisfy.

He shut the light and returned to see Danny sprawled on the sofa, coffee cup in hand, completely comfortable. A domestic scene Colson could see playing out for years. If he wanted, Colson knew he could fall into a relationship with Danny. He'd be the type of partner who'd come home for dinner every night and go out to brunch every weekend. Football in the winter and baseball in the summer. Hamptons parties and summer trips to Mykonos.

Colson would know exactly what to expect.

There'd be no vibrating presence, sucking up all the air in the room. No sarcastic banter or teasing. No loss of control from a single kiss.

He wasn't Harper.

"Here it is."

Danny's eyes lit up, and he thumbed through it. "So cool." He set the book on the coffee table, and to Colson's shock, grabbed his face and planted a wet kiss on his lips. "I've been wanting to do that since I met you."

He pulled away, trying to hide his grimace as he wiped his mouth. "Oh, yeah? I'm sorry, but when I'm writing I don't allow myself any distractions."

Danny's brow furrowed. "Sex isn't a distraction."

"It is for me. I'm sorry. I'm on a deadline, and I'm afraid I have to call it a night."

At his crestfallen expression, Colson almost felt bad for the guy, but he wasn't about to kiss someone to make them feel better.

"Sure. I-I understand."

"I'll be pretty tied up with the book for the next couple of months."

Danny's lips quirked. "That's writer talk for thanks but no thanks, huh?"

Colson shrugged. "I just believe in being up front. I had a nice evening."

Danny winced. "Ouch. Nice is the kiss of death." He leaned in and kissed Colson on his cheek. "I enjoyed meeting you. I hope to see you again."

He walked out, and Colson locked the door behind him, then headed upstairs to write.

***

"So it was a no-go with Danny, huh?"

He and Hogan met for a late afternoon coffee several days after the ill-fated date.

"That was pretty quick. He told Bea we went out?"

"Yeah. He said you had dinner, then gave him the brush-off—nicely, but you weren't interested. Still hung up on the other guy?"

Yes, dammit.

"No. And I just wasn't feeling it with Danny." He played with his cup. "And tell Bea thanks, but please, no more surprise setups. I'm okay, and I need to concentrate on this book."

"So that's going well? I'm really happy you're in the groove. Even more so because it got you out of the house."

"Yeah. I'm loving the book's trajectory. And I'm not sure how much a two to three block radius counts as out of the house. But I'll take it." He finished his coffee. "Where's the rest of the crew?"

"At the park. I'm going to meet them. Wanna come?"

As much as he loved Hogan and his brood, Colson had little desire to spend another Saturday in the park, surrounded by screaming kids.

"I, uh—"

"Gotta find a good excuse to say no?" Hogan's booming laughter drew attention from the other coffee drinkers. "Can't say I blame you. But you know, there are a lot of single fathers out there. You never know."

His phone buzzed, and he saw it was a text from Harper. His heart kicked up.

Wanna meet up?

Was he kidding? He should say no. Why the hell did Harper think he could waltz back into his life after ghosting him? But he was already anticipating feeling Harper's mouth on his, and a throb of lust hit him in his belly.

Yeah. Give me half an hour.

"I gotta get going."

Hogan's brows shot up. "Hot date with your mystery man?"

Colson's face grew warm, but he shrugged. "I have things I have to get to."

" Mmhmm . I'll bet. You have fun."

He left Hogan, and when he rounded the corner to his block, Colson broke out into a jog. Once home, he showered and put fresh sheets on the bed, laughing at his stupidity, since he knew they'd only mess them up. A shiver of anticipation ran through him.

The bell rang, and he answered it in shorts and no shirt, knowing how much Harper liked his tattoos.

"Hi." He leaned against the door as Harper passed by him, and he admired his firm ass and strong thighs. Harper wore a black T-shirt and gym shorts. Dark hair curled at his neck, and those beautiful pale eyes glittered.

"Hot day," he murmured, and Colson crossed his arms.

"About to get even hotter, I'm thinking." He closed the door, and to his surprise, Harper didn't kiss him, instead standing silent, with that penetrating, intense gaze.

"How was your date the other night?"

Was Harper…jealous? Colson kind of liked the idea of the big bad wolf left wondering.

He gestured toward the kitchen. "Want a drink? I have beer, wine…whatever."

"A beer is fine."

He took two bottles out and handed one to Harper, then leaned his hip on the kitchen island. "Why?"

"Why what?" Harper looked nonplussed.

"Why do you care?" If he had to drag a confession out of the man, he was going to have him admit he was there for more than sex.

Harper blinked and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, I don't…I mean, it was strange seeing you with someone, that's all."

"Why? I'm single, right? You let me know that when you couldn't be bothered to answer my texts."

"I knew this was a mistake," Harper muttered and set his bottle down, but Colson wouldn't let him run. He planted himself in front of Harper.

"Why? Because you don't want to admit what you're feeling?"

A pink flush rose up Harper's cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Colson leaned in and put a hand over Harper's heart. It pounded, and Colson's lips curved in a smile. "Yeah, you do. I feel it." He rested his forehead on Harper's and heard the sharp inhale of his breath. "You want me."

"I've never denied that."

"It's more than just sex, though. Isn't it?"

"The sex is amazing." Harper tried to kiss him, but Colson refused to let him take control.

"Stop it. Talk to me."

Harper stilled. "I-I didn't like it," he whispered.

"You didn't like what?"

They were so close, he swore he could hear the rush of Harper's blood through his veins and the rapid pump of his heart.

"You with that guy. I hated seeing him next to you. All I could think of was the two of you here…him touching you…kissing you."

"Never going to happen." Colson slid his arms around Harper's waist. "I didn't want him. I want you." He pushed Harper against the island and slammed their mouths together. A groan escaped Harper, and that harsh sound fueled Colson's lust.

"Say it," he demanded, his voice rough with restrained passion. "Say you want me too. Only me. Say it, Harper."

"Yes, goddammit. I want you. With me. Only me. No one else gets to touch you."

Harper's hands roamed all over him, and Colson soaked in his heat, reveling in Harper's touch. This was what he'd wanted all along. There was no use denying it, and so he gave in to the fire licking through his blood.

"This is all I could think about. You. With me." Colson sucked Harper's neck, leaving a mark. It excited him even further, and he moaned as Harper bit his shoulder and tweaked the stiff peaks of his nipples.

"How about this scenario?" Harper cupped his ass and put his lips to his ear. "Me. Inside you." Colson's dick swelled and throbbed, and Harper stuck his tongue in his ear. "Yeah. You like that thought, don't you? Want my dick in you?"

Colson molded his hips to Harper's. "Let's go upstairs."

They raced to his bedroom, shedding clothes on the way, and tumbled naked onto the bed. Colson took the lube and condoms from the nightstand, and Harper grinned.

"I'm glad you have a full stock." He stroked himself to firm thickness, and Colson ached to feel him. "Once won't be enough, I'm thinking."

"Less thinking and more doing," Colson growled and pulled him down for a kiss. Harper sucked and teased his tongue while the friction on their shafts sent Colson into orbit. "Fuck me." He clawed at Harper, and Harper hissed and licked the straining cords of his neck and flicked and bit his nipples. "Boy Scout turned wildcat."

"Just fuck me." He writhed, his cock spurting out precome. God, he'd missed Harper's touch, his mouth…his everything.

"You like that, huh?" Harper slipped a cool finger past his rim. "Damn, you're sucking me in like you're never going to let me go."

I don't want to.

Colson lost it again as a second finger moved in and joined the first. His cries and pleas rang in the air as Harper massaged the spot that had him ripping at the sheets. When he pulled out, leaving him empty and aching, Colson growled.

"What the fuck. Get over here."

"Shh, I'm going to give you what you need." Harper rubbed the wide head of his dick against his hole, and Colson's hips angled to take him in, but Harper played with him, teasing him, entering only an inch, then pulling out.

"Bastard," he whispered as he tried everything to take Harper deeper, but Harper continued to edge him with short, shallow thrusts. "Oh God, please, please, please."

" Mmm , I like hearing you beg me for it."

His entire body was on fire, and he opened his mouth to curse Harper, but Harper's mouth covered his and he drove in deep, filling him, splitting him in two. Colson moaned and locked his legs around Harper's waist, sending him all the way home. "Fuck," he panted and grabbed Harper's thick biceps. "Move, dammit."

Harper rolled his hips and thrust hard, over and over, slamming him into the bed. He reached between them, and at the touch of Harper's large hand on his dick, Colson blew apart and came.

"You're the sexiest fucking thing I've ever seen," Harper murmured and continued a slow, deliberate slide in and out of his twitching, boneless body, wringing every last bit of pleasure from him. "And you're all mine."

His dick throbbed at Harper's possessive, husky growl, and he dug his fingers into Harper's shoulder and rubbed their cheeks together. " Mmm . You're mine too."

Harper stiffened and gazed down at him, eyes glowing and Colson reveled in the possessive hold Harper had over him. He tightened his grip on Harper's thick shaft inside him, and Harper shivered.

"Yeah."

His heart leaped at Harper's admission. Their lips met, Harper's movements grew more frantic, and Colson watched him falling apart as his orgasm hit. He was wild and so damn beautiful. Colson held on to him, not wanting to let him go.

Harper nuzzled into his neck. "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"Arrest me, Detective. I'm your prisoner."

"Don't tempt me to bring my cuffs the next time." Harper's dick pulsed, and Colson squeezed him. "I'd like to see you spread out under me."

His heartbeat accelerated at the thought. "I wouldn't mind."

A smile spread across Harper's face. "I'll remember that."

A kiss to his cheek, then Harper slipped out of him and got rid of the condom. Colson held his breath, wondering if Harper would get dressed and leave. To his shock, he slid under the covers and tangled their feet.

"Did I pull you away from anything important? Like your gruesome new book?" Harper wrapped an arm around him and kissed his ear.

Colson laughed. "Just so you know, when I'm writing, nothing will disturb me, not the doorbell, the phone…"

"Not even me?" Harper spooned him, his soft dick nestling in the crease of his ass.

"Nope, not even you, Detective. I have to concentrate, so I block out all distractions. No matter how delicious they might be, writing is my first priority."

" Mmm , so I'm number two, huh?" Harper bit his ear, his hands roaming over Colson's chest.

"Depends. For lovers, you're number one."

Harper tweaked his nipples, teasing them into hard peaks. "How many on that list?"

"Only one. You." He wriggled his ass, and Harper grunted. Colson turned to face him. "Give me a few to recuperate, and we can go for round two." Harper's grin was all the answer he needed.

Colson's phone rang, and he closed his eyes. "I'm not answering it." It stopped, and he sighed with contentment as Harper encircled his waist and pulled him closer.

"Good."

A minute later it rang, stopped, then started over. "Shit. I'd better see what the hell this is, because it looks like it's not going to stop."

He checked the screen and saw it was his mother's number. A chill ran through him. "Goddammit."

Harper sat up. "What's wrong?"

"It's my mother."

The phone lit up again with the fourth call.

"Well, are you going to answer it?"

"No. Trust me, nothing good will come out of this conversation."

Too keyed up to sleep, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower. Harper was waiting when he opened the glass door. "It rang a few more times."

He dried off and walked naked into the bedroom. Figuring the fun was over for a while, he put on a fresh pair of briefs and shorts. "And I'm still not going to answer it."

"There are several voice mails."

"Thanks for the info, Detective. I sense you think I should talk to my mother. Do you know the last time I did, she told me it was time to end my little experiment of gayness and come home and be normal?"

Harper winced, and to Colson's shock, held him tight. The last thing he would've expected was for Harper Rose, hardass detective, to be soft-hearted. Not that he was complaining. Colson sank into Harper's broad chest.

"I'm sorry."

"Do you? Think I should talk to her, I mean?"

"I'm not the right person to ask." Harper's voice rumbled through him. "I got along with my mother. She never said a negative word about my being gay."

"You're lucky."

Harper stiffened, and laughter that was anything but humorous burst from his lips. "Oh yeah, I am one lucky son of a bitch. You have no idea."

Colson cupped his jaw. "Care to talk about it? I happen to be a good listener."

Harper kissed him hard, leaving him breathless, his mouth tingling. "Not on your life. I didn't drag you away from writing your bestseller to talk."

Colson rubbed up against Harper's rapidly swelling erection. "Well, you're better than my friend Hogan. That's who I was with when you texted."

"Oh, yeah?" Harper eased off his briefs and shorts while kissing his neck. "And you left him for me?"

"Yeah." Colson threw back his head and hissed with pleasure as Harper took their full cocks in his hand and began to pump them. "Can you imagine wanting to be sitting in the park all afternoon watching a bunch of kids run around instead of here with you?"

Harper stopped, his lust-filled gaze turning flat. "I have to go."

Colson blinked and rubbed his face. "What? Why? I thought—"

"Wrong. Whatever you were thinking was totally wrong."

Harper pulled on his clothes and left him standing in the middle of the bedroom, wondering what the hell happened. The door slammed, and Colson had a sinking feeling it was the last time he'd be seeing Harper Rose.