Chapter Twenty-Two

Harper stood at the grill and watched Colson give David apple juice and engage him in conversation about the zoo. The day had gone smoothly, and Colson had exceeded his ideal of the perfect boyfriend.

So why couldn't he relax and enjoy it?

Maybe because he was waiting for the second shoe to drop.

The smile that didn't reach the eyes.

The hand on the doorknob and the click of the lock as they walked out forever.

The left hook out of nowhere, landing square on his chin, upending him.

Colson's laughter rose in the air, snapping him out of his brain fog. "Hey, Harper. David and I are hungry. Are you going to put the food on the grill, or are you getting a facial over there? I called your name about five or six times."

"I'm fine. Just thinking." He busied himself with the food, and soon the smell of the burgers and hot dogs teased their noses. Out of nowhere, he remembered that the day of David's accident, they were supposed to have a barbecue. His mother had set up the grill and asked him to go to the store because she'd discovered there was no ketchup. Walking home, he'd heard the sirens, and when he'd turned the corner, he'd seen the wreckage.

They'd never had that barbecue.

"Are you all right?" Colson's hand rested on his shoulder. "Harper? What's wrong?"

He ducked his head and took the food off the fire. "Nothing."

"Nothing that's a whole lot of something terrible, I'm assuming, from how pale you are." His hand massaged Harper's neck, easing the tension gathered there. Gentle, concerned eyes met his. "Are you worried about David?"

"I'm always worried about him," he answered honestly, and Colson's gaze grew tender but with a hint of fierceness.

"I know. But who worries about you?"

"I can take care of myself." He tried a cocky grin. "I've got a gun."

Colson frowned. "That's not what I mean, and you know it. Everyone needs someone to care about them."

He nudged Colson's cheek with his nose. "I care about you."

"And I worry that you don't know how to accept love because you've always been the one to give and not receive."

"That's not true. David loves me."

"I know he does. I hope you know it's okay to admit that sometimes it can be overwhelming to take care of him. And it doesn't mean you love him any less."

He peered over Colson's shoulder to see David sitting under the canopy out of the sun. His face wore the same serene expression it had for years. What went on in his mind? It was a question Harper would never know the answer to, and it haunted him.

"I can't ask you to do what I do."

"And I'm not saying I can. All I want you to know is that you're not alone anymore. Let me help ease the weight off your shoulders. Use me." Colson's eyes twinkled, and the thoughts that sprang to his mind sent a sizzle straight to his balls.

"I intend to. Tonight."

"So this will have to hold you…" Colson hesitated only a second before kissing him, and Harper fell into the sweetness of his soft lips and velvety, hot tongue. The taste of apple and a hint of bitter from the beer and something unmistakably Colson. He smoothed his hands over the colorful tattoos on Colson's biceps.

"That was nice."

Colson stood flushed and panting, his eyes hazy, his lips red. " Nice? " He pretended outrage until a wicked, teasing grin curved that tempting mouth. "That's not what I intended. I'd better up my game for later."

"You'd better because I play to win." With a wink, he passed by him, holding the tray of cooked food. "Here we are. All ready." David's eyes brightened, and he watched avidly as Harper cut his burger into small pieces and dipped it in the ketchup. "Do you want to try using the fork? Like you do in therapy?" He put the utensil in David's right hand and watched him make the attempt several times and fail. He could sense the frustration and was about to tell him to forget it, but then Colson sat on David's opposite side and urged him on. Something Harper had never done.

"Wow, David. I didn't know you were so advanced."

About to tell Colson to be quiet and let David concentrate, he saw David lift his hand a fraction.

"That's amazing, David. Look at you go."

It might've been his imagination, but Harper sensed David wanted to show Colson he could do it. The painstaking journey from plate to mouth took almost ten minutes, but when he put the fork to his lips, Colson clapped. Harper almost broke down in tears.

David made whimpering noises, and Harper brushed the wetness from his cheeks before facing him. He'd never allowed himself to lose it in front of David—not even if the weight of responsibility was sometimes too heavy to bear, sending him to his knees.

"What's wrong, buddy?" He touched David's face, and at his lips moving, Harper kissed him. "Better? I'm so proud of you. Wait until we tell Luis."

"Tell Luis what?" The big man opened the screen door and joined them on the deck. "Someone having a party and didn't invite me?"

Harper saw him scan the table, and his brows rose high at the fork in David's hand.

"We're finishing dinner. David was showing us how he uses a fork."

"My man." A huge smile lit Luis's face. "I knew you'd do it if your brother asked."

"Actually, I think it was for Colson. I was willing to sit and not say anything, afraid to push him, but Colson encouraged him, cheering him on. And he did it."

"So you all had a nice day?" Luis settled into a chair opposite them. "I had my barbecue, and my buddies wanted to go out, but I'm tired. Figured I'd come home early and get a good night's sleep."

Maybe Luis could fool Colson with his bullshit, but Harper knew better. "Is that the story you're going to stick with?" He arched a brow. "You wanted to see how the day went." He gathered up the paper plates to dump them into the trash. "It was a huge success, I'm thinking."

"Never doubted it for a minute. And yeah, maybe I was a little curious to see how Colson dealt with helping you with David."

Lips twitching, Harper glanced at Colson. "Well, since one woman in Brooklyn now thinks David works undercover for the feds, I think he handled it all pretty well."

Colson shrugged, but the devil lit his eyes. "Hey, if she was going to stare, I wanted to give her something to talk about."

Luis slapped his thigh, hooting with laughter. "Awesome. I love it. And I can see how engaged David is. His eyes are bright, and he hasn't stopped smiling." A crafty grin spread over Luis's face. "It's still early. Only around seven. What were you planning for the evening?"

He looked to Colson, who shrugged. "I have no idea. Usually I just watch a movie after I finish writing for the day. Have a beer. Nothing special."

Luis rose to his feet. "Well, I had a big meal and need to walk it off. I think I'll take David for a spin to Dumbo. It's a beautiful evening, and the sun'll be setting soon. Summer's coming to an end, and there won't be many more nights like this."

Harper had to hide his face to keep from giving it all away.

Oh, Luis, you sneaky dude. You can't fool me. You don't ever overeat. You want Colson and me to have some alone time, and I am not going to stop you.

"Are you sure?" Colson's brows knitted in concern. "You just walked in, and you're already leaving?"

Luis bent to whisper in Colson's ear, and from the blush painting his neck and cheeks red, Harper could only imagine what was said.

He didn't have to wait long.

Chattering away about their adventure, Luis hustled David out of the house, and when Harper locked the door after watching them drive away in the van, Colson tugged on his arm.

"Let's go."

Amused and a little turned-on by Colson's bossiness, Harper allowed himself to be led upstairs to his bedroom. Years ago, he'd converted the house to have a master bedroom on the main floor for David, and he'd taken over the second floor.

Colson kicked off his sneakers, then pulled his T-shirt off, revealing all those mouthwatering tattoos. His eyes twinkled. "Like what you see?"

Knowing he finally had the whole night to spend licking him from top to bottom sent a rush of blood to his dick.

"I'll like it even more when I'm tasting you."

Colson's cheeks burned bright, and he stripped off his jeans. Harper quickly shed his clothes, but instead of climbing onto the bed, Colson headed for the bathroom.

"Come," he demanded, and Harper, hard as a rock, followed him. They got under the spray, and he sighed with pleasure at the hot water jetting over his muscles. Colson spread the slippery shower gel all over and massaged him.

"You're so tense. Ease up."

He groaned and rolled his shoulders. "I'll ease up in you—oh, fuck. What the hell…" He hissed as Colson's slippery finger slid along his crease and pushed past the rim. He'd never bottomed, but the feel of Colson's thick finger penetrating his hole was such an unexpected turn-on, he found himself spreading his legs wide and unashamedly groaning as Colson dragged not one but two fingers in and out of him.

"You like that?" Colson whispered, and he could only moan and whine as white-hot pleasure seared through him and his dick streamed.

"Yeah, please, more, harder. Fuck, oh God." He didn't care that he was crying out and snapping his hips to meet Colson's wicked, teasing hand. He reached down to work his cock, lost in sensation.

"Look at you. How hungry you are for me. I bet you've never been loved properly." Colson kissed along the sweep of his spine, then up again, his fingers still busy inside him, driving him wild. "You're so busy worrying about everyone, making sure their needs are met. Let me take care of you."

Harper couldn't form the words to say he was fine because he wasn't. He was upended by Colson. All he could manage was pleading and begging for Colson to never stop touching him.

"It's my turn to be here for you. You want to be taken care of, don't you, baby?" Colson removed his fingers, and he felt empty and hollow.

"No, fuck. Don't stop," Harper cried out in protest, but at the thrust of Colson's demanding tongue breaching his hole, he shouted out his pleasure. "Oh yeah, oh God, yes."

He pumped his dick hard and fast, head spinning from the wet, sucking sounds of Colson licking him out. "More, more," he gasped, and he almost lost his footing when Colson stood abruptly and shoved two fingers back in. They touched a spot that sent a jolt of electricity through him, and he was lost. His toes curled, his balls drew tight, and streams of come splattered all over the wall. He rested his overheated forehead against the cool tile, his body still twitching as Colson now held his hips and worked his heavy cock up and down the cleft of his ass.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous when you come," Colson's husky voice rasped in his ear, and Harper trembled. He rocked into Colson, who bit his ear. "Oh, God. Yeah, right there."

Harper felt Colson unload on his ass only a second before the shower washed it away. He reached out and turned off the water.

"We'll shrivel away into nothing if we don't get out of the water soon."

Giving a weak laugh, Colson reached over and stroked Harper's soft dick. "I'm not worried. This is a whole lot of nothing I'm going to want in me later."

Harper faced him, studying him. The sweep of his brows and the thick lashes curling up and almost touching them. Steady, clear blue eyes met his, and a sweet smile creased his face. Harper ran his thumb over the prominent cheekbones.

"You are so beautiful. Not only on the outside, but in here." He rested a hand over Colson's chest, feeling the rapid thump of his heart. "Where it truly counts." He pressed a kiss to his soft, parted lips. Another on the strong cords of his neck. And a third in the dip of his collarbones.

"Harper." Colson sighed. "I never expected to fall in love with you, but I can't imagine being without you now."

"And now that I've found you to love, I'm not going anywhere. Except to take you into my bed and hold you all night long."

He dried them both off, and hand in hand, they lay together in his bed. His whole life he'd slept alone, waking up to check on David, then climbing into his bed between cold sheets. Colson cuddled near, and he wrapped his arms around him.

"Who would've guessed you're a snuggler, Detective Rose?" Colson kissed his nipple, drawing it into his hot, wet mouth, and Harper gasped. No worries if he could get it up again so soon—his dick was filling fast. He reached over to grab a plump ass cheek and squeezed. "I'm going to get snug inside you. I need to."

Colson nuzzled against him and continued to drive him wild by biting and sucking at his neck and nipples. "I can't wait."

Desire pooled in his belly, but he wanted to take it slow. He pushed Colson under him, and as promised, licked a path up his calves, kissing the sensitive underside of his knees and the quivering inner thighs. The smell of Colson's arousal was a heady perfume he would willingly drown in, but he bypassed the beauty of a rapidly swelling cock to swirl his tongue over Colson's navel.

"Do you have any idea how much you turn me on?" he whispered. "All this gorgeous skin and your ink." The tip of his tongue traced the outline of each bird and butterfly. "You got these so you could fly away. Now you have a place to land. Here with me."

Colson pulled him close. "I love you. There's no place I'd rather be than here. With you."

Their mouths connected, lips seeking and touching, hands reaching and holding, each of them hungry to take and possess. They knew they belonged to each other. Colson's lips stole his heart, and his knowing tongue delved deep, leaving him light-headed and for the first time, able to breathe freely. He'd found his other half, the missing piece of a solitary existence that was lonely no more.

Harper licked around the wet tip of Colson's cock, drinking in his salty taste. He blew a stream of cool air across the head before engulfing the rigid length. Colson's moans rose in the air, and his hands clutched the bedsheets into knots as Harper rose and fell on his dick.

A spurt of precome hit his throat, and Harper pulled off.

"No. What the fuck?" Colson's outraged face brought a smile to his lips.

"I can't wait any longer." He grabbed the condom and lube from the nightstand and rolled it down his aching length, then used his slick fingers to tease and widen Colson's hole.

"Well, if you put it like that," Colson panted and writhed under Harper's touch. "Get inside me now."

"So demanding. Pushy." Harper sank in slowly, relishing the grip of Colson's tight ass on his shaft. Fully seated, he lowered his mouth to meet Colson's in a bruising kiss. "I love it. And you." He continued kissing him as he thrust strong.

"Fuck." Colson vibrated under his touch and grasped his shaft. "So good," he rasped. The slick sound of Colson's hand on his dick fueled Harper's lust, and he drove into Colson's willing body, the colors of his ink flashing like a garden of life. Sweat poured from him, and Colson's creamy-white skin grew red as he stiffened and came, his come spreading over his hand and their bellies.

"Rub it on me," he growled, feeling possessive as fuck and wanting to be covered in Colson's scent. Colson's eyes widened, and he dipped his fingers in the puddle on his stomach and smeared it over Harper's chest. "Now in my mouth."

At Colson's touch, Harper thought he'd blow apart. The harsh taste filled his nose and mouth, and with Colson having his throbbing cock in a death grip, he moaned around the sticky fingers and managed to bury himself deep in Colson, coming with a head rush that had him seeing stars.

He had no idea how much time had passed, but he managed to crack open one eye. Colson lay under him, his breath gentle puffs against his face. "I assume I'm still alive." Harper kissed Colson's shoulder where the tattoos began. He'd never get tired of admiring all the lines and swirls of color decorating all that soft skin.

"I know I barely am. God knows if I can walk straight. So to speak." Colson's snicker was cut short when Harper eased out of him, and he winced. "And we're both a mess. We'll have to take another shower."

"Not so fast," Harper murmured, and slid in next to Colson and held him tight, spooning him. "I love you. So much. Don't rush away so quickly. Lie with me a while."

Colson nestled in closer. "I meant what I said, you know. Earlier, when we were in the shower."

Harper kissed him, trailing his tongue down the slope of his neck to his shoulder, tracing the curve of muscle. "You think I remember what you said when you were twisting me inside out?" His dick twitched, and Colson shook with laughter. "And what the hell was that all about, anyway?"

"Me, making sure you know how much I love you. And to let you know I'll always be there to protect you."

"Me?" He laughed. "I'm the one with a gun, in case you've forgotten."

Colson turned in his arms, as serious as Harper had ever seen him. "Everyone needs someone to watch out for them. David has you. And now you have me."

He'd always been the strong one, shouldering everyone's burdens, ignoring his needs to make sure others were granted theirs. From the day of David's accident, he'd gone from a fifteen-year-old teenage boy with nothing on his mind but hanging out on the weekends with his friends, to a semi-adult, his childhood lost, dreams shunted aside.

"Let's take that shower before they come home."