Sins of Influence

SINS OF INFLUENCE by INDIA HARPER Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.amberquill.com

Sins Of Influence An Amber Quill Press Book This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com http://www.AmberHeat.com http://www.AmberAllure.com

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2011 by India Harper ISBN 978-1-61124-125-9 Cover Art © 2011 Trace Edward Zaber Published in the United States of America

Also by India Harper Bloody Queens Kings Of The West One-Eyed Jacks Sins Of Affection Sins Of Arrogance Sins Of Omission

Prologue Four years ago... "You're going to get tan lines." Kieran Phillips pulled down his sunglasses, the only thing he was wearing, to reveal blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "How else are the folks at home going to know I was in Mexico?" "Send them a postcard." Chris Montgomery sat down on the edge of the lounger and leaned in to kiss his lover for the first time in four months, not caring that he was overdressed in his rolled up trousers and shirt sleeves or the intimacy might earn Kieran a certain amount of unwanted attention if he responded the way Chris hoped. Kieran didn't seem to care, curving his hand around the back of Chris' head to urge him in closer. "When did you get in?" Chris asked when they parted. "Last night. I was supposed to get in this morning, but my schedule freed up and I figured why not?" Kieran teased his fingers under the hem of Chris' shirt. "And you look like you haven't slept in a week. Everything all right?" It was closer to four months, and not due to missing Kieran. Instead, he and his department in the Pittsburgh Police Department had had to deal with an ugly string of drug deals that, in the end, had been perpetuated by one of their own, a sergeant in the narcotics squad who'd been assigned to Chris' precinct. Though the case was resolved, the fallout lingered, both in their unit's reputation and in the shaken morale of his people. Chris hadn't been able to get out of Pittsburgh

soon enough. "Work's been hell," he finally said. Kieran turned his attention to the buttons on Chris' shirt, undoing them one by one as he spoke. "Would it help if I told you I'd gotten us an upgrade to a beach cabana with private service, far from the maddening crowds, where no one but the seagulls can hear us?" "It helps seeing you again. The rest is a bonus." "Why, Christopher, that almost sounded romantic." "Don't get used to it." He slipped off his shirt to revel in the strong Mexican sun. "God, that feels good." Kieran's laughter warmed him even more than the sun. "You make it too easy." Chris leaned in to indulge in the skin-to-skin contact. "I'll be a pushover until tomorrow. By then I'll be back to my usual charming and challenging self." "Then I guess I'm going to have to take advantage while I can." Kieran worked at the fly of Chris' khakis. "But first things first. You are too overdressed for the present situation." Chris caught his hand. "Stop. We're in public." "It's a nudist resort, Christopher, which you picked out." "If you take my pants off, I'm going to start fucking you, and we'll get arrested, nude beach or no." "So much for romantic." The timbre of his voice said Kieran didn't mind so much. "But you have to admit, you do look rather ridiculous as the sole clothed person here." "The waiters are clothed." "Fine, the sole non-staff member." Despite Chris' hold, Kieran still managed to get the pants open and his fingers inside to dance over Chris' aching cock. "Screw it." Using his grip around Kieran's wrist, he hauled him up

into a full-bodied kiss that was probably enough to get them kicked out as it was. "How far away is this love nest of yours? Because there's a changing room over there and it might give us enough cover to take the edge off." Kieran laughed and pulled away to grab a linen robe hanging on the back of the lounger. "I see your lessons in patience need reinforcing. Again. You can last a five-minute golf cart ride." Chris hauled him back into his embrace. "I don't know if I can." Kieran stroked Chris' cheek, his expression softer. "I missed you, too." Then looking more playful again, he took Chris' hand to lead him off the beach. "Come on. Let's go fuck." He grabbed up his duffle. "Now you're talking." Chris had met Kieran for the first time almost a year ago on a gay cruise in the Caribbean. Chris had been there to pick up as much young tail as he could get his hands on; Kieran was there by accident. Kieran had spent the bulk of the trip driving Chris out of his mind, until all he could think about, the one person he wanted, was Kieran. They had had three amazing days together, locked in Chris' stateroom. When they parted, Chris had been surprised at the sense of loss. They'd met for Christmas in Cancun, and now it was March in Manzanillo. It was an unconventional relationship, but it suited Chris. Kieran suited Chris. The ride to the bungalow took less than five minutes, but was still interminable by Chris' standards. Once inside, he didn't have a chance to set his bag down before Kieran had him pinned against the door. "I'm having déjà vu here," he said, dropping the duffel, while Kieran finished undressing him. "I had plans for a nice, leisurely fuck." Kieran nipped at his chest. "Then you show up looking better than I remember and I no longer have patience." "Thank God." Chris caught Kieran's face and brought him back for

another kiss, pivoting to switch their positions, even as Kieran's arms wrapped around him. "I was all set to be gentlemanly and proper, make small talk and everything, only to find you lying in the sun, showing off what I've been dreaming of for months. All I wanted to do was drop to my knees and say hello in the best way possible." "Nothing's stopping you now." Kieran twitched his robe open to reveal everything Chris had been lusting after earlier. Chris sank to his knees, never letting their bodies lose contact the whole way down. He ran his tongue up the full length of Kieran's full, thick shaft. Sun warmed and faintly salty, Kieran tasted divine. Chris lingered at the tip, worrying at the sensitive slit until Kieran shuddered and gave a long, low groan. "This is payback, isn't it?" "Perhaps." Chris worked his way back down the opposite side, stopping to nuzzle against Kieran's balls. Kieran's broad fingers wove through Chris' hair. "Too bad I didn't rack up a bigger bill." Chris chuckled. "Don't worry, there's interest." He sucked Kieran's balls into his mouth one after the other, rolling each around on his tongue before returning to a slow lick up the shaft, then swallowing it down to the root, only to ease off and start the whole process again. Kieran's head thumped against the wall and he spread his legs wider for Chris' access. "Shit, Christopher, have you been practicing without me?" Chris shook his head, Kieran's cock in his mouth. Releasing it, he said, "No time. Vacation is when I get to enjoy myself." "Your job can't be that all-consuming." "Not usually. It's been a hell of a few months." He grinned up at Kieran. "So far, I think it's been worth the wait."

"If blowing me is your idea of a good time, I won't complain." "While I'll be getting behind you later. Go sit down. I want to take my time and don't need you falling over when you come." Kieran tugged him to his feet, kissing Chris and leading them over to the bungalow's sitting area. "I love your confidence." Chris curled his arms around Kieran. "Have I ever let you down before?" "No." The soft intimacy to his voice touched Chris. That was Kieran's power over him. His own voice was thick when he said, "Then sit down," and shoved Kieran gently down into the plush upholstered armchair. "Yes, sir." He'd never found the simple turn of phrase so arousing before. Kneeling, Chris spread Kieran's legs wide, hooking his left leg over the arm of the chair to open him up further. Kieran relaxed, his hands settling on Chris' head to stroke and encourage him as he went back to work. Taking his time, he built Kieran up to a fever pitch, welcoming each thrust of Kieran's hips as he fucked his lover with his mouth. He took Kieran right up to the edge, then backed off. "Christopher, Jesus, what--" "Patience, Kieran. Patience is always well repaid." "Now isn't the time to throw my own words back at me." "Now is the perfect time," Chris said, stroking Kieran's shaft while he worked his way past Kieran's balls, perineum... Kieran shuddered as Chris tongued at the tight pucker of his ass. "I'm supposed to torture you." His words came out ragged and breathless. "Do you want me to stop?" "Fuck, no."

Chris didn't, working into the muscle and then back, teasing his balls before returning, the whole time jerking Kieran's cock in languid, strong strokes. "Chris." Kieran's warning was unnecessary, as Chris could feel the impending orgasm rattling through Kieran's body. He moved to catch Kieran's cock in his mouth as he erupted, filling Chris' mouth with salty evidence of Kieran's pleasure. He brought Kieran down, easing off to rest his head on Kieran's thigh. "You didn't call me Christopher." He couldn't decide if he was pleased or disappointed with the development. "Too many syllables," Kieran replied, lazily stroking Chris' hair. "And you prefer it." "I'll show you what I prefer." He sat on the edge of the hotel standard coffee table and pulled Kieran to straddle his lap. Anticipating Chris' intentions, Kieran adjusted so Chris' cock rested in the cleft of his ass before curling his arms around him. "I wouldn't say I prefer this, but I do like it. Condoms?" "I'm clean. You?" In answer, Kieran rose up and set Chris in place before descending onto his hard shaft. It was electrifying. "Fuck, Kieran." He buried his face in his lover's shoulder, fingers clawing for purchase over his back. "You feel so damn good." Kieran didn't answer, too focused on the task at hand and lost in an ecstasy of his own. They moved together in a rhythm born of years and not a handful of lust-filled days together, the benefit of age and experience. And there was no way in hell Chris would have gone bareback with a twentysomething. Arching, Kieran pulled Chris deeper. So tight, so hot, so fucking

amazing. Their chests collided, their bodies slick with sweat in the tropical heat, their mouths never more than a breath apart. This was what it meant to have a lover, and even after four months apart, this was still the best sex Chris had ever had. "Jesus, Kieran, I can't--" "Don't. Come, Christopher. Come for me." Chris swallowed a moan as the charge of orgasm raced through him, making him buck uncontrollably. Kieran's head snapped back as he swore, taking the last of Chris' restraint. He clutched Kieran to him in a vice-like grip until the spasms passed, leaving him lethargic and content. "Now that's what I call a proper hello." Chris laughed into Kieran's shoulder, lapping at his salty skin. "Talk about giving the beachgoers a show." "And us a much shorter vacation." Kieran pushed the sweaty hair back off Chris' forehead, studying him with a satisfaction that almost had Chris blushing. "You're much more handsome than I remember." "Afterglow." "Yeah, I have that effect on people." Kieran kissed him before he could protest the outrageous claim. Physiology didn't let them enjoy things for too long, and they drew apart with great reluctance. Kieran stood up and stretched, every line and muscle on display for Chris, then he held out his hand. "Ready to see the rest of the place? The shower is going to blow your mind." "It's got one thing mine at home doesn't." "Oh?" He pulled Kieran back into his arms. "You."

Chapter 1 "I'm not trying to talk myself out of a job here, but I'm the type of guy you hire for a federal campaign." "Mr. Phillips"--Sammy Dekkar leaned forward, forearms resting on the polished mahogany of his desk--"I've always chosen the best. Just because I'm running for mayor, I don't see any reason I should settle for anything less." Kieran held up his hands. "Mayor of Pittsburgh is nothing to sneeze at; don't get me wrong. However, I want to make certain we understand each other." "Let me put it this way. If you do a good job for me here, I can guarantee there will be work more in your...area of expertise, down the road." Kieran liked a candidate with ambition. He could already feel his blood racing at the thought of the campaign to come. "I'll be honest, Sammy. It won't be an easy race. Running against an incumbent in your own party is an uphill fight." "Lawrence Slater has been in office a long time. Too long. There are plenty of skeletons in his closets to rattle." "Skeletons are one of my many specialties." He'd made certain long ago to clear out his own. You couldn't protect your client from exposure if you were vulnerable to it as well. Speaking of which... "There is one other matter we should--" "Yes, I'm fine with your being gay." Sammy's dark eyes danced. "It's another reason why I hired you." "An in with a key voting demographic." Sway the gays by hiring one of

their own. Kieran resisted a grimace and a snide comment. Sarcasm had long been his Achilles' heel. "Precisely." Closing his portfolio, Kieran stood. "I think we've covered everything, then. Once I square the paperwork with city hall, we'll be good to go." Sammy rose and came around his desk, holding out his hand to give Kieran's a firm shake. "Something tells me we're going to go a long way together." "You'll hear no complaints from me." It had been a while since Kieran had had a steady meal ticket. Consulting had given him good pay and plenty of freedom, but very little security. Sammy had come along at the right time. Young, ambitious, and determined to go far--Kieran's favorite kind of candidate. The idea of settling down in Pittsburgh made it even more irresistible. **** As it was late in the morning on a Wednesday, it was no surprise the city clerk's office was hopping. Kieran would have preferred to do this first thing in the morning, but he was already in the area and not eager to haul his ass out of his cushy hotel bed any earlier than he needed to tomorrow. "You didn't have to come down with me, Mr. Philips." Charlotte Ritter kept her face and tone neutral, but Kieran could read every line of irritation in her posture. "Relax, Charlotte. I'm not here to do you out of a job. And call me Kieran. We're going to be working together pretty closely over the next few months. I may be his campaign manager, but you've been doing that job for him all along without the recognition. I'm going to rely on you to help me as much as you help him, maybe more so." She didn't seem convinced, clutching the thick manila file pocket to

her chest as her lip twitched in a doubtful sneer. He had to get this battle won out of the gate or he'd spend the whole campaign dealing with insider friction instead of campaigning. "Look, I wasn't going to say anything until I'd had a chance to present a staff list to Sammy, but I'm asking him to name you deputy campaign manager." Her eyes widened. "You're too good at your job to get pigeon-holed in communications or compliance. You can do--and have done--everything since he first ran for council. I need you where you can do the most good, working with me." She still looked wary, but her posture relaxed somewhat. "You aren't just saying that?" "Charlotte, I haven't gotten where I have in this world by making empty promises. I say what I mean." She snorted. "We are in politics, remember? It's all empty promises." "Not behind the scenes it isn't. You can lie all you want to the constituents, but lying to your own people will bite you in the ass in the end." She hesitated, studying him, then nodded. "All right." Kieran didn't let his relief show. He was going to have to handle Charlotte with kid gloves these first few weeks until they got used to one another. She would be a good asset, but a hell of an enemy. She added, "I suppose it doesn't hurt for you to learn your way around." "Thank you." They were two people back in line now. Kieran checked his watch. With any luck, they'd be the last ones seen before lunch. He'd had the window closed in his face too many times to like their chances, though. "So, why Pittsburgh?" Charlotte asked, interrupting his building fret. "You were living in Seattle, weren't you? I'd have thought you'd have

preferred a job out there--San Francisco or Sacramento or something." He shook his head. "I hate California." "Then why did you live there for almost a decade?" She had his full attention. "You've done your research." "As if you're really surprised." She smirked, eyes roving over him. "You hated the lifestyle, but clearly love the sun. Which would make Seattle the odd choice." "Tanning booths." "Those things can still kill you." "Yes, Mother." Shaking her head, Charlotte pressed, "Why California for so long if you detested it?" "It seems you haven't done your research that well." Otherwise she would have known the reason was named Devon. Ten years was a long time to live anywhere, let alone with any one person. The parting had been amicable, at least. But he'd needed a fresh start and a different culture. Seattle had been like another country. When he took too long to respond, Charlotte said, "Some things are better learned in person. Remember, I'm the one who vetted you." Fortunately, their turn came next, sparing further discussion on the topic. For now. Charlotte was brisk and professional with the clerk, friendly enough to be on a first name basis, but not so casual she couldn't get business done. She didn't introduce Kieran. There wasn't any need to, and it would steal some of the thunder from Sammy's press conference tomorrow morning if the news had already leaked to the media that the dark horse challenger had brought in a high-powered political consultant as his campaign manager. In under five minutes, they were done. "I told you I didn't need company," Charlotte told him as they walked

away. "But think of the bonding we would have missed out on." "You're charming, Kieran. I'll give you that much." "I'll take it as a compliment." Outside the city clerk's office, he glanced up and down the corridor. "You know this place better than I do. Is the police headquarters anywhere around here?" "Why? Do you need a cop?" Oh, he needed a cop all right. "In a manner of speaking. First, I have to do some research." Her right eyebrow arched up, but she shook her head. "The Bureau of Police is down on Western Avenue, maybe a five-minute cab ride if traffic's cooperating. Though, with budget cuts, you'd be better off doing a web search on whoever it is you're looking for." "Sounds promising." And he'd already done that. There was only so much info you could easily glean off the Internet. By talking to people locally, he could fill in the fine details and refine his strategy. Sure, he could call Christopher on his cell phone, but this was much more fun.

Chapter 2 Commander Christopher Montgomery sat behind his desk and watched his department wake up. It was like this every morning with the tired, subdued night shift oneby-one handing over to the incoming day shift, who were awake and energized, not yet beaten down by an overabundance of crime and caffeine. Of his rag-tag team of detectives, Miranda Doughty was already seated at her desk, coffee and yogurt on hand as she worked her morning Sudoku. Dan Baker and Lonny Moody were in the break room, rehashing last night's Penguins game in loud tones. Brigid Scott shambled in a few moments later, her own very large coffee mug in hand as she plunked down at the desk across from Doughty. And at eight-oh-five precisely, Lieutenant David Logan knocked on his door, caffeinated offering in hand. It was their morning ritual, started not long after Logan had joined Zone Six. At five after eight or five minutes after Chris arrived, whichever came first, David brought in coffee and they reviewed the case roster from the night before and the day's duty log, as well as any other matters Chris needed to be apprised of. David may have been second-incommand, but Chris knew it would be an easy step for him into the big chair. Even Chris didn't know how he managed to run the place without David's quiet efficiency. But if what he had planned worked, he would have to find out. Once the main business was out of the way, Chris decided it was now or never. "There's something I would like to discuss with you,

Lieutenant. If you have a few moments to spare." David's gray eyes narrowed a fraction; the only indication Chris had caught him off guard. "Of course, Commander." "At least you haven't resorted to 'sir.'" "I save it for when I'm pissed off, remember?" Chris gave a short laugh. David Logan had cracked a joke, on-duty, effortlessly. That wouldn't have happened a few years ago...hell, not even a few months ago. "I believe Eliot has started to rub off on you." "Not too much, I hope." "If it was too much, we wouldn't be having this conversation." David's spine straightened. "Is this an unusual conversation, then?" "Unusual for us. I don't tend to get involved in your personal life." Chris leaned forward, folding his hands together. "David, you've been hiding out in Zone Six long enough. It's time you sat the captain's exam." "I'm hardly hiding, sir." "Not anymore you aren't. Which is why it's time you took the damn test. I know you were looking for a sanctuary when you came here, but that was five years ago and a lot has changed for you. You're the best cop I know, bar none, and it's a waste to the force to have you rotting here as a second banana. Luke Pelfry is retiring in a year, so Major Crimes is going to be looking for a new commander. I want to see you in the job, David." "I...don't know what to say." There was an uncharacteristic play of emotions across his face, subtle, but much more than he usually showed. "A 'thank you' would be nice. In a few years, once you've stopped cursing me out for being right." "Thank you, sir. No matter what the outcome, I value your good opinion of me." "That may be the first time you've called me sir and meant it."

The corner of David's mouth quirked. "I've always meant it. Just not always the way I should." Chris chuckled for both of them. David changed the subject before either of them could get uncomfortable. "Did you see the news this morning?" Leaning back in his chair, Chris sipped his coffee contentedly. "Haven't had the chance. Something interesting?" "Could be. Sammy Dekkar announced his candidacy for mayor this morning." "Dekkar? Isn't he a Democrat?" David nodded. "I suspect he's counting on the anti-incumbent sentiment to give him an edge over Slater." "One of the many tools in our arsenal," a low, familiar voice chimed in from the doorway. "I think this will be a campaign for the books." The sound of his voice was enough to get Chris' blood pounding. The sight of Kieran Philips leaning in his door, arms crossed and a brilliant grin on his face sent all blood south. Chris latched onto the one piece of information that had registered. "Our arsenal?" "I'm the man who's going to get Dekkar elected." So that was the consulting he did. They'd kept true to their original agreement, enjoying the time they had together and keeping the real life details light. Kieran wasn't supposed to show up in Chris' non-vacation life, bursting through all their rules with barely a word. "Impressive." Christ, he was bad at this. Kieran, as always, saw right through Chris, his grin getting bigger. "It's good to see you, too, Christopher." David stood, eyes down, but Chris could see the amusement there. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work. Thank you again, Commander." He slipped out with a passing glance at Kieran.

Kieran, on the other hand, watched him leave with open appreciation. "I see why you keep him around." "Not for much longer. " "Don't get rid of him on my account." Smiling, Kieran closed the door behind him and sat. "You look good." "So do you," Chris admitted. "Why didn't you call?" "And miss this? No way." "You enjoy manipulating me way too much." "You love it." "How did you even find me?" "Ever heard of Google?" Chris didn't roll his eyes. "We had an agreement." "Oh, please. How many years has it been? And you haven't looked me up? Even once?" He didn't know whether he should feel superior or embarrassed that he hadn't. In the five years they'd known each other, it had never crossed his mind. Kieran was part of his other life. He hadn't wanted to know because he hadn't wanted to spoil it. When he took too long to respond, Kieran's good humor faded somewhat and he stood. "This was a mistake, wasn't it?" "God, no, seeing you is never a mistake. It's just...unexpected." "I can tell." His smile returned. "Stop doing that." "Doing what?" "Smiling at me like you're doing right now. It makes me want to crawl across the desk and make out with you." The grin widened. "You say that like it's a bad thing." "It is when the only thing between me and my team is an eighth of an inch of glass. There's a reason I keep the parts of my life separate." Kieran rested his hands on the edge of Chris' desk and leaned

forward, a hairsbreadth out of reach. "Afraid you can't control yourself?" "I know I can't control myself. Please tell me you aren't teasing. Are you really in Pittsburgh through the election?" "Might be longer. Sammy has higher aspirations." Kieran sat on the desk, one thigh up as he turned to maintain eye contact. Chris had good memories of that leg... "Longer?" Chris hoped it didn't come out sounding as pathetically hopeful as he thought. "If you're lucky." "What are you doing tonight?" Kieran shrugged, innocent. "Fucking you into one of our respective mattresses. Maybe dinner at some point." Chris laughed, even as the casual promise ate through him. "And here I thought you were the romantic one." "I didn't say it had to be in that order. It's been too long since Rio." Chris agreed. "Three months, seventeen days." "Nineteen hours and"--Kieran checked his watch----"thirty-seven minutes. But we have to get it in when we can. Once the campaign heats up, you won't see me for days at a time." "Still better than months." "Good to hear." Ashort knock at his door brought reality crashing back. David ducked in. "The morning review is in ten." Which Chris only attended when necessary. But his lieutenant was giving him an out he needed to take, because slamming Kieran up against the nearest wall and saying hello in a proper manner was becoming more tempting as the seconds ticked past. "Right, thank you. I'll be out in a moment." With a brief nod, David left. "I'll take that as my cue."

"I'm walking out the front door at five-thirty. Where can I find you?" "Standing at the curb?" "Bad idea. Getting arrested for public lewdness your first day in town isn't going to help your campaign any." "Good point. I'm at the Duquesne Club, or will be this afternoon once I move over there." Dekkar wasn't sparing any expense. "I'm beginning to think I went into the wrong line of work." "I loathe hotel living, regardless of how nice. The club will be more comfortable and a bit more"--he ran lascivious eyes up and down Chris' body, aggressive enough to be felt even through his clothes--"private. I'm hoping one of Dekkar's staffers can find me a decent rental before too long." It was on the tip of his tongue to invite Kieran to stay with him, but he resisted. Despite their long, torrid relationship, in the real world things were so much more difficult, and they hardly knew each other. Living together had the potential to be disastrous. "I'll pick you up at six then. I'll be going against traffic and shouldn't have any problems getting there." "I can't wait." With another killer smile, Kieran left. Neither could he. It was going to be a very long day, especially with the inquiring looks he already saw being exchanged among several of his officers.

Chapter 3 "God damn it, Kieran!" They'd made it through dinner, barely. The walk back to Kieran's hotel had been excruciating. Once they were in the elevator, though, all bets were off. Kieran had slammed into Chris the way he'd wanted to since he'd seen his lover that morning, talking to the handsome young lieutenant who was the epitome of all the young men Chris had gotten off on back when they'd first met on their cruise five years ago. Which wasn't to say Kieran was jealous. But Christopher needed some reminding. Once they made it to Kieran's room, he had Chris against the door with his pants around his ankles in short order. Kieran's mouth around Chris' balls seemed to be a pretty good memory jogger. Chris tugged at Kieran's hair until he had no choice but to comply. "Later. Need all of you now." It would take a far greater man than him to resist the desire in Chris' request. As soon as he captured Kieran's mouth, Chris turned to press him into the wall. They always started at the wall. Neither of them could wait long enough for something so prosaic as a bed. Kieran shuddered as Chris worked a hand inside his trousers. "Good to know the feeling's mutual," Chris murmured against his lips. "And then some." Three months and some change wasn't the most time they'd spent apart, but it always felt longer. Kieran had considered seeking

Christopher out sooner, crossing from vacation into reality. However, when the opportunity to manage Dekkar's campaign had come up, the extended stay in Pittsburgh was too great a temptation to resist. He slid his hand down Chris' back to grab a handful of his handsome ass, pulling him deeper into their kiss. "God, I've missed you," Kieran admitted, inhaling Chris' scent. Chris was panting, eager and hungry. It was one of the best sounds Kieran had ever heard. "Really? I couldn't tell." He slapped Chris' ass in retaliation. "Watch it." "If I wanted to watch it, I could just get Pay Per View." Chris led him back from the wall in the general direction of the bedroom, each step tempted by another kiss. "Missed you, too," he admitted when they bumped into the doorframe, and Kieran took the upper hand. "Thought I was hallucinating when I saw you in my office." "I could tell. That's why I didn't call first." Kieran ran his tongue along Chris' jaw, enjoying the faint rasp of stubble. "I hope I didn't make things too difficult for you today." "Walking around with a near-constant hard-on and enduring knowing looks from several of my officers...what's so difficult about that?" "Another day at the office then." "Not really." Chris tripped him onto the bed and followed him down, pinning him there. "I save my fantasies of you for the bedroom. They take a lot of time and attention." Kieran twined a leg through Chris', enjoying the hard ridges of his cock pressing through Kieran's trousers as though looking for a way in. "Only the bedroom?" "Maybe the shower." They'd spent an inordinate amount of time in the shower at their place in Rio. It had been a very spacious shower. Showers were second only to walls.

Kieran rolled them so he could kick his pants off, his shirt following soon after. He was desperate for skin. Chris seemed to be, too, hauling him close again as soon as Kieran was naked. Kieran let himself get lost in his lover's mouth, their hands following different routes to the same place until they were casually jerking each other, reminiscent of their first time together. It always amazed him how such a simple act could still be so intimate. They took their time, building each other up, remembering and reacquainting themselves. Now they were naked and together, there didn't seem to be any hurry, their bodies undulating in languid counterpoint to the stroke of their hands, their mouths exploring all the permutations of coming together. The months they had spent apart seemed to melt away beneath the blissful warmth of contact. Chris tensed when he came, arching up into Kieran and holding him close. Kieran gave himself over and followed. "We're worse than teenagers," Chris commented as they lay there recovering. Kieran snorted. "I'm not sure about you, but I wouldn't have made it past the door in my teens." Propping himself up, Chris smirked down at him. "I always imagined you as the paragon of restraint." "Not when I was a kid." Kieran gave into the temptation to caress Chris' dark hair, peppered with gray and now tousled from their lovemaking. "Back then anything would set me off. Football games, Duran Duran videos--" "Oh, tell me you're joking." "What? Le Bon was hot." "I don't think I can be in the same room with you anymore," Chris deadpanned.

Kieran wasn't ashamed. "Come on, it can't have always been fit, young studs." "Who I was interested in? No. When I was in college I preferred the brainiacs. As I got older, they became too much work, though." "You went after the smart boys?" "Why not? They were easier to read and less likely to make my life hell. Saw the results of fucking teammates, so I was careful to steer clear." That was a surprise. "Teammates? You were an athlete?" Chris grinned, stroking his hand over Kieran's chest. "Rugby for Penn State. I was team captain my senior year." "I'd have pegged you for something more all-American, like baseball." "God, no. I took a fastball to the head during my first little league game and refused to play ever again. Can't even watch baseball in general." Kieran was rather fond of baseball. "So that rules out Pirates games." "I can hook you up with a baseball buddy. My lieutenant's partner is a sports fanatic. David would probably be glad to palm him off on someone else for an evening." "Is he as easy on the eyes as your lieutenant?" It was hard not to laugh. "Carver and easy don't belong in the same sentence, but he has his moments." Chris rose up over Kieran, a little more threatening. "And what are you doing checking out my lieutenant?" Kieran closed the distance between them and grinned. "Is someone feeling threatened?" "I haven't seen you in three months. How should I feel?" "Turnabout's fair play." "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He's young, handsome, and from everything you've told me, frighteningly smart. Sounds like your perfect man." He kept it light, not wanting to sound jealous. Although, if he were honest with himself, he had to admit he was a little. As confident as he was in Chris' affection, Kieran knew the temptation Chris resisted every day with his second-incommand. Chris relaxed a little, sinking his weight onto Kieran. "I'm interviewing someone else for that position." "How's it going?" "Touch and go. See, it's been a very long, drawn out process." "Well, I do like the touching part." "Happy to oblige." It was the easy intimacy of longtime lovers, hands caressing, lips sampling, comfortable passion. But Kieran knew he'd changed things. "Are you okay with this?" he asked during a lull in mouth play. "Me being here, I mean." "I'd be lying if I said the thought hasn't crossed my mind. Several times." "But." "But what?" "There has to be a but." Chris shrugged and dropped beside Kieran, tracing idle patterns on Kieran's stomach. "I'm not sure there does." "There's always a but." "That's your line of work talking." He watched his hand instead of looking at Kieran. "We've been at this a long time, seeing each other a couple of times a year. And neither one of us is getting any younger. Maybe it's time we figured out what's next." "Sounds a lot like commitment." "It sounds like a man who would like to get to know you more than

what we let slip in what little conversation we have." Kieran wouldn't have chosen Dekkar's campaign and Pittsburgh if he hadn't wanted to pursue more with Chris. Or the possibility of it. He was too old and too much a realist for Christopher to be his sole reason for coming here. But enough positives outweighed the potential risks. "What do you want to know?" "I don't know. Stupid things. Like when your birthday is." "Some detective you are. You never even looked at my passport?" Chris grinned. "I do enough snooping during my day job, or used to. These days it's more paperwork than anything else. So I tend avoid it when I'm off duty." He tweaked Kieran's hip. "Besides, I thought we were playing fair." "When have I ever played fair?" "Good point." Relenting, Kieran said, "March twenty-fifth, and you have two years on me." Chris' eyes danced. "Well, I do like younger men, after all." As if Kieran needed reminding. "All right, my turn." "Go ahead." "Have you ever slept with the handsome lieutenant?" "No." "You're that upstanding of a citizen, Commander?" "Not exactly," he hedged. "But David is. And he never realized I was an option until recently." He'd assumed from Chris' general demeanor and personality... "You're not out?" "It's not that easy. I am and I'm not. Like I told you when we first met, I spend most of the time passing up opportunities." Chris flopped onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "I like my career, but there are certain games you have to play to get where I am. I've never made a secret of

my sexuality, but since I never dated, I was non-threatening." "And my being here makes you decidedly less so." "Yes." Before Kieran could withdraw, Chris curled an arm around his neck and pulled him into an embrace. "I don't care. You're worth it." "Worth maybe losing everything you've spent your life working to achieve?" "Without a doubt." A simple statement of fact, and all the more meaningful for it. "I assume you're out," Chris said. "I couldn't not be. I can't very well help candidates deal with their deep, dark secrets if my own are always threatening." "Would you be comfortable, though, keeping this mostly between us?" "Mostly?" "David will figure it out soon, if he hasn't already. Acouple of my other officers as well, if I don't tell them first. They're sharp, but I trust them." "You know I'm going to be in the public eye a lot." "I think if we can manage not to hold hands and make out in public, we'll be all right." "I don't know; that's a tall order." Kieran smirked. "Especially if you keep looking at me like you did all through dinner tonight." "Like I was biding my time to jump you at the first opportunity I got?" "Yes." Shaking his head, Chris kissed him, all tongue and tenderness, then pushed him up. "Shower first. We'll figure out the rest later." "Much later," Kieran agreed as he let Chris tug him into the bathroom.

Chapter 4 "What do you think of the new candidate?" Chris was still lost in the memories of last night in Kieran's bed, in Kieran's body, and almost didn't register the question put to him. Kevin Drescher, his colleague from Zone Two, was waiting expectantly. "We don't know much about him, do we? It's too soon to say." Kevin helped himself to coffee and yogurt from the breakfast brought in for the bi-weekly staff meeting. Twice a month the zone commanders, investigative unit heads, and admin unit heads all met with the deputy chief to stay apprised of what was going on in the Bureau as a whole, to share information and issues, and otherwise keep in touch. Often the meetings were tedious, but Chris never missed them, as he'd found too many times how important it could be to know what was going on in the next district over. It had been harder than usual this morning with the temptation of a lazy day with Kieran to distract him. Drescher added, "Everything I've heard says he's so left he doesn't even point with his right hand. As if Slater wasn't bleeding heart enough." "Left, right, or center, I think it's about time we got some fresh blood in," Pelfrey from Major Crimes spoke up. Kevin snorted. "Change is all well and fine when you're getting out of the game." "And he's not in yet," Chris reminded them. "There's still eight months of campaigning to look forward to." "At least my last few months won't be dull," Pelfrey said. The man had mellowed over the years. When Chris had first joined the force,

Pelfrey was still rising through the ranks, eye on the attaining deputy chief and the hardest case you'd ever cross. But somewhere along the way, he'd settled into command of Major Crimes and become a much more personable man ever after. Chris would be sad to see him go. "And you'll be out before the shit hits the fan." Drescher sipped at his coffee, eyeing the yogurt in his hand with distaste. "At least if the Republicans take it, we can count on a little more freedom and maybe a bigger increase in the budget line for the department. Dekkar will probably accuse us of being out of touch with the community and divert what little resources we have to community relations bullshit." "It's helped clean this city up, so I'd think twice before dismissing it." Leave it to James Hardy to make an entrance. The Deputy Chief of Police was not a large man, or particularly intimidating. His hair had gone gray over two thirds of his head, leaving enough dark threads to remind people that once upon a time it had been jet black. He wore his uniform well, but not tailored to flatter. In other words, he seemed to be just another high-ranking officer. Until he started speaking. Chris couldn't have said what it was, but there was something about the man's voice, intonation and pacing that made his words seem to fill the room, demanding that even his softest utterance be listened to. After his team's run-in with the Lions of God a few months ago, Chris had some suspicions about Deputy Chief Hardy's personal political leanings, but they never came out in the job. Hardy was the perfect neutral party. If only more people played the game like he did. "Right, boys, let's get down to business." Hardy sat and nodded toward Chris. "You're up first, Christopher. What's going down in Zone Six?" No, it couldn't be Montgomery or Commander today, could it? Hardy

had to call him Christopher. Shoving thoughts of Kieran aside, Chris started in on his report. Since the Lions of God run-in, things had been quiet, so there wasn't much to say. "I'm also putting forward David Logan for taking over Major Crimes when Pelfrey leaves." His announcement earned a few murmurs, along with Hardy's full attention. "He's been quite an asset to your district." "He has," Chris agreed, "but he's wasted as second-in-command." "You don't think the force might be better served by you moving up and letting Logan have your job?" He'd expected Hardy to say as much. "If I did, that's what I'd be doing. But if I did, I'd be doing both Lieutenant Logan and the city a disservice. No disrespect, sir, but you've seen him in action. Logan has a sharp, critical mind better suited for investigation than community policing, and he's capable of finding and fostering officers of equal talent. I suspect if he is promoted to this position, I'll lose at least two other of my officers as well." "You make him sound too good to be true." "His record speaks for itself." "I'd say the fact he managed someone as difficult as Carver Eliot for the few short months he was in your sector is a stellar example," Aaron Tomczik from Zone One said. "Lord knows nothing I ever tried got through to the man. Logan should be commended on that alone." "Yeah, it's amazing how effective fucking a subordinate is," Drescher muttered. Chris felt his blood rise, but Hardy took control. "That was uncalled for, Kevin." "The relationship didn't start until after Eliot had left the department,"

Chris covered with icy calm. It wasn't technically a lie. "And Logan's work before and after shows his dedication and talent beyond any other young officer I've had the privilege of working with." Hardy forestalled any further debate. "I presume you've set him up to take the captain's exam?" "When it's offered next month." "Then let's wait and see the results. He is very young for a position like this. No point in jumping the gun if he can't even pass the test." Chris had no doubt about it, but let the conversation move on. The reports from the other zones were about as exciting as his own and the meeting wrapped up in short order. When things broke up, Hardy pulled him aside. "Off the record, it's a smart move getting Logan to advance himself." Hardy held his gaze. "He's a remarkable officer, but the PR he'd generate would be a real coup for the Bureau. Particularly if Dekkar gets into office." Gay and liberal didn't always go hand in hand, but Chris refrained from pointing it out and nodded. "Is he prepared for the magnifying lens he'll be under? Kevin's remarks earlier aren't the worst of what he'll face." "David can handle it." "And you couldn't?" "Sorry?" "You've been in a holding pattern almost as long as your young lieutenant has. By rights, you should be the one going after Major Crimes." Chris didn't like where Hardy was going with this and had hoped to avoid a direct conversation about it. "I've been happy commanding Zone Six." "You've been comfortable, Christopher, and you've got many years

ahead of you. Are you really content to remain in the back of beyond for the rest of your career?" "Do you want me going after your job, James?" Hardy chuckled in surprise. "You'd probably do a better job of it than I do." "I'm not ambitious. You know I'm not. I like working in the community. I like getting to mentor my officers, both the talented ones and the hard luck cases. I couldn't do the same in Major Crimes or anywhere else. Keep sending me your problems; I'll keep sending you good officers." "I suppose I'd be a fool to argue." "You said it, not me." "And you say you're not political." Hardy clapped him on the shoulder. "Go back to your department, Commander. I'm sure your good officers and hard luck cases are anxiously awaiting your return." They were waiting, all right. Just not for him and far from anxious. More like bored. Slow and quiet never did morale any good. "Survived another staff meeting, I see," Scotty called out as he passed. "It's what they pay me the big bucks for, Detective." He checked his cell phone in the privacy of his office. There were several missed calls, but only one message. "Hey," Kieran's rich baritone vibrated the speaker. "This job sucks already and I've been doing it a day. But only because it's going to keep me from seeing you. We're still interviewing staff and it looks like the first strategy meetings are going to go stupidly late. But I want to see you. Would it be too crass to invite you back to the hotel for a quickie around ten-thirty? I'll make up for it with dinner tomorrow. I hope." When was it ever quick between them? Smiling, Chris dialed Kieran's phone. The smart, adult thing to do would be to hold out for dinner. Both of them were well past the time in

life when late night hook-ups were an acceptable option. And yet... "You've reached Kieran Phillips..." Voice mail, of course. Chris waited for the beep. "Would it be too juvenile to say 'Tag, you're it!'? If so, too late. Either way, yes, I'll be there. But if we do this too often, I'm going to have to buy stock in the coffee shop by the station." He started to hang up, but figured what the hell. "Kieran, I'm glad you're here." There, now he had to find a way to kill the next twelve hours.

Chapter 5 "He's going off script again," Kieran muttered. Politicians always adlibbed to some extent, and some could pull it off, but Sammy took it to new heights. So far it had worked for him. Charlotte bumped Kieran's shoulder with hers. "Would you relax? You're starting to make me nervous." "How are you not nervous? I'm not even out there and I get performance anxiety every time." She shrugged. "I can't do this job for him." "Could've fooled me." "Ha-ha." "I'm serious." And he was. "Yeah, well, behind the scenes is one thing, but that"--she waved toward where Sammy was speaking--"is something else entirely." "How'd you end up with Sammy, anyway?" Charlotte gave him a hairy eyeball. "You make it sound like I'm stuck with him somehow." "You have to admit he is--" "Slimy?" "A politician." She smirked. "Same thing, aren't they?" "You said it, not me." He grinned. "In other words, you want to know how a nice girl like me wound up in a dirty business like this." "When you say nice..." "Watch it, Kieran."

His smile turned innocent. She went back to watching Sammy on the stage. "I didn't go seeking him out. I'd just graduated and I needed the job. Sammy came to a Young Democrats meeting I was at. I was networking; he was looking for a PA for his run for councilman. It was a foot in the door, some real life experience. So I took it." "But that was eight years ago. Why are you still with him?" She looked pained. "Politics is a dirty business, Kieran. You lay down with dogs..." She shrugged. "The work's steady. And there are perks." "Such as?" She winked at him. "Such as handsome men hanging on my every word." "And I'm supposed to be the flirt." "Don't worry; your virtue is safe with me." Their conversation was interrupted by a burst of clapping as Sammy came off the stage, waving victoriously to the crowd. He paused before he reached the wings for one last round of applause before joining them behind the curtains. "Christ, I might as well have been talking to a bunch of mannequins out there." Kieran was grateful, not for the first time, that the mic was on stage and not on Sammy. "I haven't heard mannequins applaud with quite so much enthusiasm before." Sammy waved it off, already headed for the exit. "Put enough booze in people and they'll clap for anything." Kieran and Charlotte were right behind him. "Maybe if you stuck to the speech, you'd get a better response." "If I'd stuck to the speech, they'd have been sound asleep." Charlotte frowned at his back. "I'm sure Maura would be pleased to hear how much you value her work." "Kieran's not pleased," Kieran interjected.

Charlotte shot him a warning look, before turning her attention back to their fearless leader. "We have a speech writer for a reason, Sammy. Or should I let her go and save the campaign some money?" He brushed that off as well. "She's fine. The speeches get me pointed in the right direction. From there, I like to feel out the audience and run with it." "Maura's trained to read the audience beforehand so you don't have to run with it. It's important we stay on message. You know it is," Charlotte added pointedly. "The message is boring," Sammy dismissed. "It's not what the people respond to anyway. They want someone who understands them, or seems to. The message shit is for the papers and sound bites." Kieran jerked the sedan door open for Sammy. "It's not a sound bite if you don't actually say it." With a grin, Sammy patted Kieran's cheek. "You worry too much. It's fine, Kieran. Now go home and get some rest. Tomorrow's a busy day." He climbed into the car and slammed the door behind him. Kieran and Charlotte watched as Sammy was driven away. "Condescending bastard," Kieran muttered under his breath. "Welcome to my world." "Why does he pay us if he's not going to listen to what we say?" Charlotte chuckled. "I think you stand a better chance of figuring out the meaning of life. As long as I can pay my bills, I try not to care." "And how's that working out for you?" he drawled. "Some days are better than others." "He's lucky to have you." "He's lucky to have the lot of us. Come on, sailor." She nudged his elbow. "I'll buy you a drink." "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" She winked at him. "Condescending bastard."

"Stop winking at me; you'll give me ideas," he teased. "I highly doubt it." "Well, not those kind of ideas." Now her grin turned downright dirty. "Too bad. I bet you get great ideas." He shook his head with a laugh. "And now we're bordering on harassment. Come on...drinks. On Sammy." "I like the way you think."

Chapter 6 Kieran had intended to take full advantage of the current lull in the campaign and indulge in a lazy day off. The hectic rush of getting Sammy fully in the mayoral race and late nights--and the odd early morning--with Christopher were starting to take their toll. He hated to admit he wasn't as young as he used to be. Unfortunately, he emerged from the shower to find an urgent message from Charlotte on his phone. Sloth would have to wait. He found Charlotte in a corner booth at the café she'd mentioned, stirring her coffee in agitation. "Oh, thank God. I wasn't sure you'd gotten my message," she said, relief evident in every line. He folded his hands over hers, startled to find it chilled despite the way it had been clutching her cup. "Are you all right? What happened?" Then he noticed the darkening bruise along her left jaw. "I was checking out the venue for Sammy's town hall forum tomorrow." She spoke clearly, but her voice was so low, Kieran could barely hear her. "It's the dining hall at the Maple Terrace Community Center. There weren't a lot of people around, what with kids being in school and people working, and..." Kieran felt sick. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" He was already pulling out his phone. "No, he didn't get that far. He got my purse and..." She hesitated, then opened her coat to show him her ripped blouse. "I screamed and kicked him, and I guess he really only wanted the purse because he... I just didn't want to be alone when I talked to the police."

He squeezed her hand even as 911 connected. "Yes, please send police to the Hilltop Diner at Steuben and Sanctus. My friend's been assaulted." He fought his impatience as he gave his name and number and answered the rest of the dispatcher's questions, holding Charlotte's hand the whole time. He was finishing with the dispatcher when the waitress stopped by. He hung up and ordered a pot of coffee. They were both going to need it. "An officer should be here in about ten minutes," he told Charlotte. She gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry to throw this all on you." "Don't be ridiculous. You shouldn't have to go through this at all; you aren't doing it by yourself." He massaged the back of her hand. "Why were you there alone, though? One of the interns should have gone with you. That's what they're there for." "Don't. It's not their fault, Kieran. Everyone was tied up with the bulk mailing, and this was a quick cab ride to see the layout for planning the speech. It shouldn't have been a problem." She took a sip of coffee, grimaced, and added more sugar. "I've lived in Pittsburgh my entire life. It's not like I'm some naive small town girl who doesn't have her wits about her when she's roaming the big, bad city." "Charlotte--" "I should have been fine." He wanted to point out she hadn't been, but he refrained. Seven minutes later, the café door swung open to admit two women, neither of whom was interested in coffee judging by the determined way they searched the room. The redhead noticed them, said something quietly to her partner, and they both headed over. "Charlotte Ritter?" Charlotte straightened, pulling her hand out of Kieran's grip. "Yes, that's me." "I'm Detective Scott; this is Detective Doughty. We're responding to

the call that you were assaulted." Kieran slid out of the bench to make room for the officers. The redhead took his place, but the blonde, Doughty, stepped aside with him. "You're the one who phoned this in?" "I'm a coworker. A friend. She called me after it happened." Her gaze had a suspicious glint to it. Why was it cops could make you feel guilty without having done anything wrong? "Is there something wrong, Officer?" "Detective," she corrected. "You visited the department a few weeks ago." It was then he realized what area they were in. "Ah, you would be one of...Commander Montgomery's then." "Yes, sir. Miranda Doughty." She offered her hand, and Kieran was surprised to note her expression had gone from suspicious to wicked. Kieran took it. "Kieran Philips." She seemed to be judging him based on his handshake, but she remained all business. "Were you there when the attack took place?" "No, Charlotte was at the center alone. She called me afterward." "Did you meet her here or at the center?" "Here." The detective made a note in her book. "What was she doing at the center?" Her questions irritated him. "Her job. It sounds like you're blaming her for this." Doughty's gaze was level and calm. "Not blaming her, Mr. Philips. I'm trying to find out if she was targeted or if this was a random attack. If the attacker had expected her, we would pursue a different line of inquiry than if it was an attack of opportunity." "Ah." Damn, he'd put his foot in it. "I'm sorry. I didn't understand." "It's not a problem. Now, if you could answer the question?"

Kieran explained everything--Charlotte's work, the meeting the next day, what she was looking for, all of it. Doughty took careful notes, focusing his answers when she needed to. Finished, she closed her notebook. "We'll need to have Ms. Ritter come down to the station to review our suspect books, see if her attacker is someone we already know. Would you be able to join her?" "Yes, absolutely. Can I drive her? I'd rather she didn't have to ride in a police car." "That should be fine. You can follow us. It's not far." "I know," he said without thinking. Her smile, though professional, was just a bit teasing. "Yes, you do, don't you?" Charlotte was quiet when she got in the car and didn't say a word until they arrived at the station. "Okay, what aren't you telling me?" "Nothing important. It doesn't matter." He got out and held the door for her. "The only thing I'm concerned about right now is you." "You're sweet." She got out and faced him down. "I don't believe you, but you're sweet nevertheless." Kieran decided to keep his answer simple, despite the fact Charlotte would see right through him. "I have a friend who works here." "Friend? I like that." She patted his arm. "Don't think for a moment I won't be asking for an explanation later. Lord knows, I'm going to need a distraction." They followed the detectives up the steps into the old stationhouse, past the reception desk, and up another short flight to the detectives' squad room. It was all familiar to Kieran, but he didn't look around. Charlotte needed him right now. Detective Scott led Charlotte into a small room, and Doughty guided him down a short hall. "It's better if she does this part on her own. The coffee's crap here, but it's better than nothing."

"I'm used to crap coffee. I'm in politics. Bad coffee and rubber chicken are our diet of choice." "Sounds glamorous." "You have no idea." "If you need anything, the squad room is right through there. This shouldn't take too long. We just need her to sign her statement and look at some pictures. We'll have you both home by lunch." "Thank you, Detective." "My pleasure." She started back to her desk, then hesitated. "Should I tell Commander Montgomery you're here?" He debated for a moment. "Yeah. It's better than if he stumbles over me accidentally." "Oh, I don't know...could be interesting." Tossing him a quick grin, she walked off. Kieran tried not to pace. This was Chris' home territory, and Kieran knew he was defensive about the demarcations between his work life and his personal life. Under other circumstances, Kieran would welcome the opportunity to rattle Chris' cage a bit. Right now, though, he was more worried about Charlotte. He had just sampled the terrible coffee and was in the middle of adding more sugar to make it palatable when the man himself joined him. Instead of a chastisement about crossing lines, Chris asked, "How's your friend doing?" Kieran turned and leaned against the counter. "I think she'll be okay. She's a tough nut. Hard to crack." "I know a few women like that. Two of them are working with her now." "Do you think they'll catch him? The guy who did this." There was an intensity in Chris' look Kieran wasn't used to seeing.

"We'll do everything we can. There've been a string of these attacks in the area the last few weeks. This is the first time there's been a threat of something worse. We all want this guy off the street." "Hopefully, Charlotte can help." "Hopefully." Chris nodded to Kieran's mug. "So, what do you think?" "Of the coffee? I've had worse." Kieran smirked. "Though not by much." "And I get to drink it every day. Lucky me." "I'm certain there are things to make up for it," Kieran said with a pointed look in Lieutenant Logan's direction. "Kieran..." "Come on, I had to say something." Chris gave him a fleeting grin. "I suppose I should be glad you made it this long." "Aren't you going to introduce me?" "I really don't think it would be a good idea." "You aren't worried I'll charm him out of that very nice suit, are you?" "As a matter of fact..." Chris said in a thoughtful tone. Kieran dropped his voice. "Don't worry, Christopher. I find young men far too much work." "David could surprise you." "Yes, I'm sure if anyone could." Kieran set his cup down, but didn't move from the counter. "I think we established a long time ago, though, that the younger men were more your department." Chris used the pretense of pouring himself a coffee to inch closer to Kieran. "For all the work, younger men do have their benefits." "Yet none of them managed to get under your skin, did they?" "Well, you are younger than me, so technically..." Kieran couldn't help smiling. "I know what you're doing, Mr. Subtle." "I'm not doing anything."

"No? Should I kiss you now and save you the trouble? It would send a clear message to your handsome lieutenant there." Chris flushed. "I think you're sending a pretty clear message." "And I haven't done a thing." "Which makes it that much worse." "What can I say? It's a gift." Chris still had his back to the squad room, but Kieran could see more and more of the detectives and even some uniformed officers passing by, slowing as they glanced down the hall. "This must be doing wonders for your reputation." "I'm not doing anything inappropriate." He gestured with his cup. "Coffee." Kieran met his eyes. "But you want to, don't you?" "God, yes." "There's always your office with those convenient blinds." "It's not the visual I'm worried about." "True. You aren't the quietest lover I've ever had." "There are a couple of places around here where we could be as loud as we wanted." "Oh, yes? And then what would you do?" "What would I do?" Chris kept his voice low, his posture one of easy conversation to the curious. "It's not so much what I would do. That mouth of yours has many great uses beyond talking." Kieran fought down his mirth, keeping an equally casual pose. "Oh, I know all the ways you like my mouth." He lifted his mug again to hide his mouth from their audience. "Sucking your cock, licking your balls, and even, sometimes, slipping a little farther back." Chris released a fast, ragged breath. "You always have to go for the most direct route." "It's the easiest way to get what we both want, isn't it?"

"Unless you're stringing me along, like on a certain cruise for instance." "No, I was very explicit about what I was after when we first met. I just made sure we took our time getting there." He took another sip of his coffee. "Besides, you were the one who started with my mouth. Somehow, I don't think you meant kissing." "Seeing how vocal you tend to be, it is the wisest course of action." Chris' eyes danced over the rim of his mug. "Yes, I'm the vocal one," Kieran replied. "Good thing you're adorable when you're deluding yourself." Chris looked genuinely offended. "Adorable?" His reaction made Kieran grin. "I'm not fond of it myself, but when the description fits..." "Adorable? Really?" "Charming has other connotations, very accurate but not quite right here. Cute, though fitting, has always made me feel slightly ill. So, adorable it is." "I don't want to be adorable." "We all have our crosses we must bear." A throat cleared behind them, and Kieran noticed that Lieutenant Logan had come to the break room door. "Commander, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Chief Hardy is on the phone for you." "Thank you, Lieutenant." Chris stepped back, and Kieran was impressed he was brave enough to turn around despite the waning hard-on he was still sporting. "I'll be right there." Logan eyed Kieran with open curiosity, but didn't linger. "Yes, sir. I'll let him know." Kieran waited for the man to get out of sight. "Oh, yes, very pretty." "Hands off. He's taken. And so are you." "I hope so. Tonight?"

"What about your friend?" "I'll call once I get her settled. I haven't gotten to see your place yet." "It's nothing special. Certainly not compared to your hotel room." "Nevertheless, I think a quiet night in would be just the thing. Somewhere where we won't be overheard." "I'd be a fool to say no." Chris saluted Kieran with his mug. "You know where to reach me." Yes, he did.

Chapter 7 Chris liked to think he lived in a comfortable realm between bachelor chic and a place you weren't embarrassed to show to other people. Kieran wasn't just another person, however. Which was one more reason why Chris kept his personal life out of Pittsburgh. There was no risk of having your home turn off your prospective partner if he never saw it. Which was how Chris came to be cleaning on a Wednesday evening after work. Nothing dramatic--he wasn't a slob after all--but dirty dishes and laundry needed to be taken care of and maybe a quick pass with the vacuum. He was starting to get twitchy about the bed linens when the doorbell rang. "Thank God." Kieran was holding two grocery bags when Chris opened the door. "What on earth did you bring?" "Dinner." Kieran elbowed past him into the front hall. "Which way's the kitchen?" "Straight back. But I thought we'd order take-out." "Then we might as well have gone to my hotel room. If I'm going to barge into your home, I fully intend to utilize a decent kitchen while I have a chance." Kieran grinned impishly as he headed back to the kitchen. Chris followed him. "There are plenty of good places that deliver. It's not all Chinese and pizza." "Of course it's not. You're far too fit to be surviving on a college diet. And I bet you order out for dinner every night." "Not every night."

Kieran dropped the bags on the counter for emphasis. "Not tonight, that's for certain." Chris poked through the bags. "What did you bring?" "I felt like something spicy and festive. Fajitas all right with you?" "I can never say no to Mexican." "I know." "Are you really going to cook?" Kieran shoved a pepper at him. "No. We are really going to cook." "Wait...we?" Kieran grinned. "Beer's in the bottom of the second bag. It'll make the chopping easier." Chris couldn't remember the last time he'd used his knives, let alone what shape they were in. "You do own basic cooking paraphernalia, don't you?" "Of course I do. I...need to remember where it is." And pray he had something sharper than a butter knife. "All right, that's appalling." "No, it's fine. I've got..." Chris opened the drawer full of random kitchen tools and pulled out a chef's knife and an oversized paring knife before crouching down to look in the cupboard with the pots. "I've got two pots, a wok sort of thing, and a skillet. Which do you want?" Kieran rolled his eyes. "I'll admit I'm impressed you even know what a wok is. Give me that, unless the skillet is cast iron." Chris glared at him and handed him the pan. "Honestly, Christopher." Kieran put it on the stove to preheat before taking the chef's knife to a package of chicken. "How does anyone get by with only two pots? No, never mind. It's all take-out and frozen dinners, so no need, right?" "I eat better than that." Stuck with the paring knife, he began dismembering the pepper.

"But not often. How on earth do you keep your physique?" "Genetics?" Chris ventured. "Lucky bastard." The chicken hissed when Kieran threw it in the pan. Chris reached for an onion to dissect, even as Kieran poured some of the beer over the chicken, sending up a cloud of fragrant steam. "So, honey, how was your day?" Kieran pulled a face. "Pretty fucking miserable, thanks for asking. But at least I got hit on by a cute cop." He tossed the peppers in after the chicken. "What happened to adorable?" "Adorable didn't go over so well. And cute applies, even if it isn't my favorite word." "Not sexy?" "Sexy may be up for negotiation." They worked together in comfortable silence, and Chris had to admit it was rather nice. They didn't bother with the dining room, since the table served as Chris' makeshift office and was littered with all the associated paraphernalia. Instead, Chris set the table in the breakfast nook in the kitchen with almost matching flatware and plates, not bothering with glasses for the beer. Kieran added bowls of cheese and sour cream and guacamole to the platter of meat, peppers and onions, while Chris warmed the tortillas in the oven. "This place hasn't smelled this good in years." "See what you miss out on by instant and 'easy' food?" "There's no point when it's just me." Kieran shook his head as he took his seat. "Clearly when you do cook for yourself you've been doing it wrong." "Not everyone's meant to be a chef."

"I'm not talking about culinary feats of wonder, Christopher. What I'm getting at is deriving pleasure from the fact this delicious thing you are about to consume was made by your own hand. There's a certain satisfaction in that." Chris helped himself to the chicken, piling it onto a tortilla on his plate. "Most days I'm staggering home, too tired to eat, let alone cook." "Then the days you can cook should be even more special." "I can get behind the sentiment, in theory. But in practice it's not worth it." Kieran took a bite, chewing deliberately as he watched Chris. When he'd finished, he said, "Well, maybe that will change now." If anyone could make him change, it was Kieran. They fell into casual conversation as they ate, no different than a dozen meals they had shared before. Except it was different. It was in Chris' home, eating food they had made together, and they were talking about their actual daily lives. It felt...off. Not bad, but more like breaking in a new pair of shoes. Not quite balanced. Even after five years, there was always something new. "I could get used to this," he finally admitted. Kieran grinned. "I hope you aren't expecting an argument." "No. I'm just stubborn; resistant to change. As you well know." "Not all change is bad." "No. This one's pretty good so far." "I'm sure the regular sex doesn't hurt matters." Chris chuckled. "Yes, days versus months between is a vast improvement." Kieran reached for his beer. "I'm enjoying getting to see another side of you." "You like being able to make me squirm at work." "That, too." He took a drink before setting the bottle down. "You're

calmer here. More focused." "I don't know. I think I'm usually pretty focused on you when we're together." Kieran winked. "This is different, though. I think part of me was worried you were an eternal teenager. But you aren't, kitchen accoutrements aside." "You lucky I have kitchen accoutrements at all." "True." Chris poked at the remains of his meal. "So, now you know I'm an old man after all, are you changing your mind about me?" "Yes." Chris snapped his head up, but Kieran was grinning. "Relax, Christopher. I've seen you at your worst and now I'm seeing you at your best." "I'm glad you think this is my best." "Plus, there's less competition." "David isn't competition," Chris stated for what he was sure wouldn't be the last time. Kieran looked innocent. "I never said he was." "Can we not talk about him?" Chris asked as he rose and started clearing the table. Leaning back in his chair, Kieran sipped his beer with a secret smile. "Of course." Which meant for now and not never again. Chris knew better than to push for that. Hell, he still wasn't entirely sure why Kieran's ribbing bothered him so much. Kieran readied the coffee maker and set it to run while Chris loaded the dishwasher. They didn't discuss it. It just happened, naturally and automatically. "I think you might know your way around my kitchen better than I do,"

Chris remarked. "See what happens when you cook in one from time to time?" "Hey, you're welcome to come over and cook for me any day you want." "Careful, I may take you up on that." "I think you've got your threat backwards." The coffee finished, and Chris poured out two mugs, one sugar in his, milk and two sugars in Kieran's. At least he'd learned that much about his lover in the last five years. "So, what now?" "You can give me the grand tour, which doesn't necessarily have to end up with your bedroom." "There's not much to see." Chris picked up his mug and led the way back into the living room. "Typical townhouse. I've lived here about nine years." From the living room, he pointed out the other rooms. "Kitchen, dining room, living room, two bedrooms and the bathroom upstairs. Pretty basic." "Okay, your hosting skills could use some work. I said tour, not overview." "Are you really chomping at the bit see the colors of my walls and what types of curtains I use?" "You have curtains?" "Watch it." Kieran took up residence in the far corner of the couch. "What do you do to unwind in the evenings?" Chris couldn't help a wicked grin curling his lips. "Go to your place and fuck you rotten." "Well, yes, that I already know about. But when I'm not at your beck and call, what do you do?" "Not much. The usual. Watch TV. Read the paper. Surf the Internet." He sat next to Kieran and placed his mug on the table before leaning

closer to his lover. "Get myself off thinking about you." Kieran laughed. "You have a one-track mind, don't you?" "I'm a guy, so of course I do." Setting his coffee aside, Kieran opened himself up to Chris' advances. "Far be it from me to complain." Catching Kieran around the neck and pulling him closer, Chris admitted, "The real thing's much better." Kieran was smiling when he teased his lips against Chris'. "You might be right." The kiss was languid and easy and brought Chris a complete sense of contentment. This really was...nice. As if reading his mind, Kieran said, "See, it doesn't always have to be like two over-hormonal teenagers every time we get together." "Always is an overstatement, don't you think?" Chris asked as he straddled Kieran's lap. "No, I think it sums up our relationship pretty thoroughly." He caressed his hands over Chris' thighs, tender and casual. "It does." Chris lipped along Kieran's jaw. "I'll tell you what...since you brought dinner, we can watch whatever you want." "Even if it's baseball?" He repressed a shudder. "Yes, even baseball. I think the Pirates game starts at seven-thirty." Kieran shifted and nudged Chris back onto the couch, then curled up in his arms. "Where's the remote?" Chris fished between the cushion and right arm, found it, and handed it to Kieran. "You keep your remote in the couch cushions?" "At least I always know where it is." "And if you sit on it by accident?" "Then I get an interesting surprise. Possibly a heart attack."

Kieran chuckled and nestled back further into Chris' ribcage, a comfortable weight. "You've been a bachelor too long." "My whole life." But it wasn't a disagreement. Kieran had a point. Kieran turned on the TV, turned down the volume, and switched to the news. "It's a lot to give up." "But it's not really giving up anything, is it? In theory, what you get back more than makes up for anything you lose." Kieran glanced back at him, surprised. "Who are you and what have you done with Christopher Montgomery?" Chris chuckled. "What? I am capable of a mature, adult analysis of my own life." Kieran settled back again. "No, you aren't. That's what you need me for." "And here I thought it was for the good food and the sex." "You're ranking food over sex?" "Like you said, a lot of takeaway and frozen meals." "Hopeless." And he couldn't be happier.

Chapter 8 Kieran drifted awake in an unfamiliar bed, pressed against a very familiar body. Smiling, he pressed a kiss against Chris' shoulder and glanced at the clock. Two twenty-seven. Too soon to be awake. He nestled closer, stealing another taste of warm, supple skin. True to his word, Chris had let him watch the game without too much comment. They hadn't talked much, but they hadn't needed to, simply enjoying each other's company for the evening. When the game was over, they didn't even discuss Kieran staying over. Chris just took his hand and guided him up to the bedroom. They kissed as they undressed each other, but once in bed, they both settled down to sleep. In other circumstances, Kieran might have been disappointed. Christopher was a generous lover, and Kieran enjoyed taking advantage of that. But there didn't seem the need for it tonight. He suspected this was one of those changes his moving to Pittsburgh created. Now, however, Kieran felt the all too familiar itch he got in Chris' presence. Chris mumbled something incoherent in his sleep and rolled onto his back. Kieran grinned. He loved it when Chris was so obliging. Kieran took his time, sampling the skin across Chris' broad chest, made velvety in sleep. He kept his lips dry, letting them brush over the skin rather than cling to it, at least until he reached the far nipple. This he teased with his tongue, dampening it enough so, with the slightest breath, it tightened into a perfect knot. He licked his lips and tugged at it, his tongue still teasing the tip. "You are insatiable." Chris' words were thick, roughened by sleep

and arousal, judging from the growing interest of his cock in proceedings. Kieran nipped lightly with his teeth. "Yes, I'm insatiable." Chris sucked in a breath and his hand came up to caress Kieran's bare back. "I was asleep." "Go back to sleep." Kieran kissed across Chris' sternum to give the same treatment to his other nipple. "And miss all the fun?" But Chris seemed content to lie there, letting Kieran do as he liked. The casual, contented evening they'd had still lingered, so Kieran felt no need to rush anything. If this was enough, so be it. Waking up next to Chris was perfect in and of itself. He was happy to let the rest be whatever it was. He continued down, outlining every ridge of bone he encountered with his tongue, kissing at the soft flesh beneath Chris' rib cage, hands caressing his flank as he worked spirals over Chris' stomach. It was decadent, getting to explore like this. Even when they had taken their time together before, there was always an underlying sense of urgency...that time was going to run out all too soon. Not anymore, though. There was no end of vacation looming over their heads. When your lover was part of your regular daily life, there were more problems, but the benefits far outweighed those, in Kieran's experience. Such as now. He moved from Chris' abdomen to his right hipbone, bypassing his enticing cock for the moment. Chris shifted, giving him better access, his hands settling on Kieran's shoulders, as though needing to keep in contact with him. "You'd let me do anything right now, wouldn't you?" Kieran murmured against his skin. Chris sighed in agreement.

So many options... They'd never laid out any ground rules, and it was a conversation they should have. Since they had the time to explore each other, it was good to know what their respective limits were. And they would talk, later. Kieran continued his descent, thigh to knee, then calf, occasionally tugging on wiry hairs to keep Chris from dozing off. Chris had nice feet--long, strong toes, strong arches, enough flesh to keep from being bony. Kieran ran his tongue up the underside and was rewarded when Chris shivered. Sensitive, but no overly so. Making a note, Kieran moved on to the other foot and repeated the action. This time Chris twitched. Ah. Kieran ran his thumbnail up the same path his tongue had gone, and Chris jerked back. Rising up on his elbows, Chris glared at him. "Tickling me's not going to get you what you want." "What I want is to find out everything I can about you, so I think you'll find you're wrong." Shamelessly he sucked Chris' big toe into his mouth. "Jesus," Chris said on a breath, "that should not look half as sexy as it does." He hollowed his cheeks and came off with a pop. "That's because you've got a good imagination, and it's not your toe you're imagining in my mouth, is it, Christopher?" "I could be." "But you're not." "No." His teeth flashed in the dim light filtering in from the street. Kieran started up the leg, pausing to nip and suck behind Chris' knee with more of a hint of promise than his previous explorations. "Do you want me to suck your cock, Christopher?" "Please." It was quite possibly the dirtiest the word had ever sounded.

He continued up, nuzzling into the crease between thigh and groin, Chris' hard cock nudging against his cheek. When he teased his tongue into the fold where his balls attached, Chris groaned. Kieran urged Chris' thighs up and back, suckling at the sensitive skin of his sac. He nosed across Chris' perineum and the tight iris of his anus. He could feel the muscles of Chris' legs quiver slightly. "You don't know how much I love when you do that." Kieran laved at the pucker. "Oh, I might have a good idea." Chris planted his feet on the bed and opened himself up even more. "You don't know the half." "I do." He took his time, working his way in, then pulling back to suck at Chris' balls again before returning, back and forth until Chris was twitching beneath him. "This is all you need, isn't it? Even if I never touch your cock, you're going to get off just from me doing this." It took a while before Chris replied with a shaky, "God, yes." And Kieran set about making that happen, touching everywhere he could reach with his left hand, avoiding Chris' cock, and working his right hand in conjunction with his mouth to breach Chris as much as he could. "Get me the lube, Christopher," Kieran commanded, lips against Chris' inner thigh. He savored the tension running through Chris' body at the command. Chris finally obliged, twisting awkwardly and reaching into his bedside drawer. He passed the tube down to Kieran. It was tempting to slick Chris up and ride him, but Kieran had worked too hard not to take advantage of all that tension. Without looking, his mouth still occupied with driving Chris out of his mind, Kieran squeezed a dollop of lube into his hand and coated his own cock with it. "I'm going to fuck you, Christopher." He rose up on one hand, the other still coated

in slick. For emphasis, he shoved two slippery fingers into Chris' pulsing hole. "You don't have a problem, do you?" Chris arched upward at the penetration, releasing an indescribably and wholly wonderful sound that went straight to Kieran's cock. Kieran crooked his fingers, earning a similar response. "I'm waiting." "Don't...be a bastard." He worked a third finger in. "Yes or no, Christopher." Chris shook his head. "No. No...problem...at all." He had his slick hand wrapped around Chris's cock even as he pressed for entrance. Chris was splayed out and devastated, all the work of Kieran's hands and mouth. A thing of beauty, a work of art. "Gorgeous," he said as he slid all the way home. Chris was already too far gone to protest. He was a beautiful wreck, his face twisted in pleasure, his normally neat hair tousled and sweat damp, incoherent, guttural sounds escaping between lips swollen and red from his own teeth. Kieran didn't rush either of them, taking his time to appreciate each and every sensation, from the sounds Chris made to how his body responded when Kieran thrust in just so. To his own experience, the slow build to orgasm and rushing of blood, the need to get closer, ever closer, to the man beneath him. He jerked Chris in time to his thrusts, edging them nearer to climax. "Kieran, please..." Chris' words were a breath against Kieran's sweaty neck. "Want me to stop?" Chris gave an irritated grunt and gripped Kieran's hips tighter. "I'll interpret your incoherent response as a no." "Damn right." "I couldn't even if I wanted to." He was losing the threads of coherency, drowning in Christopher's ecstasy. "Christ, you feel good.

You always feel so damn good." Chris caught Kieran's mouth, and Kieran lost himself further, giving himself over entirely to the act and to his lover. Kieran came with a muffled shout, dimly aware of Chris following him over. They clung to each other afterward, Kieran suspended in that moment between not wanting it to end and being unable to support himself any longer. Finally, he gave up and pulled out to collapse into Chris' embrace. Chris pulled him closer and dropped a kiss on his temple. "Bastard. I have to work in the morning." "I couldn't help it. You taste good." To prove it, he licked a stripe up the column of Chris' neck, the velvet skin of earlier now damp and savory against his taste buds. He ended with his lips against Chris' ear. "I'll never learn all the flavors of you." "At least there will be something to keep your interest even after the shine is gone off everything else." Kieran could tell Chris meant it to be a light, humorous remark, but something underneath the words revealed a deep-seated...insecurity, for lack of a better word. "The day I get bored with you, Christopher, I might as well be dead." Chris trailed his fingers along Kieran's spine. "I'm not an easy man to live with." "You think I am?" "Maybe? At least you've had experience with this sort of thing, I assume." Kieran huffed a laugh. "Sure, I've been in a relationship before. A few times. But it's never the same twice. The talking in your sleep that's adorable to one partner could very well have the next kicking you out of bed."

"You don't talk in your sleep." "You don't really think I'm going to come out and tell you my bad habits, do you? Talk about spoiling the mystery." "Sometimes a little heads up goes a long ways." "Perhaps. But opinions vary. What I consider annoying and what you consider annoying are two very different things." "I can't decide if you waking me up in the middle of the night is an annoying habit or not." "It's not a habit unless it happens regularly." "Although, I suppose there are certain advantages to it," Chris said. "You suppose," Kieran replied. "You are the master of understatement." "It's good to be master of something." Kieran kissed the underside of Chris' jaw. "Go back to sleep, Christopher." "Why, am I keeping you awake?" Chris teased his fingers along the cleft of Kieran's ass, making him shiver pleasantly. "Stop it," Kieran chastised. "Neither of us is as young as we want to be. And you were moaning about having to work." "So do you." "My hours are somewhat more flexible." "And my sleep schedule is already ruined." He forced Kieran closer, his grip iron strong as he breathed against Kieran's ear. "May I taste you, Kieran?" "So polite. How could I say no?" If he were honest, his heart was already racing again, his skin alive with anticipation. Moving to Pittsburgh was definitely looking like a good idea.

Chapter 9 Kieran's first six weeks in Pittsburgh flew past, a blur of meetings and speeches, endless fundraisers and languid nights with Chris. It felt good to have the comfort of Chris' presence to look forward to at the end of a long day. Disturbingly domestic. Which was the whole point, wasn't it? To find out if there was more to this than a few torrid days together every few months. "Here." Charlotte dropped a file on his desk. "If you don't love this place, I'll eat my Jimmy Choos." Kieran raised an eyebrow. "I get the feeling you're getting fed up with me." He'd be fed up with himself by this point, too. But none of the rentals he'd looked at so far had appealed. He wasn't picky, but when his hotel room still felt more like home, there was no point in changing, was there? With Sammy's access to the club, it would be more cost effective if Kieran were to remain there anyway. Nevertheless, he read the printout. Village neighborhood, not far from the university. He was about to toss the listing aside as being too close to the student life when he saw the house itself. And it was a house, not a townhouse or apartment building, although not overly large. The front was all glass and black girders with a canted roof straight out of Frank Lloyd Wright's portfolio. The price was almost too reasonable. "What's wrong with it?" Charlotte frowned. "Nothing. You're clearly impressed. Maybe it's that unaccustomed reaction throwing your perception off." "It's perfect."

"You don't say." He looked at her. "You're a hard sell, Kieran. Anyone ever tell you that?" "Charlotte..." "The only thing wrong, if you want to qualify it as such, is the current owner received a transfer overseas and would like to offload the responsibility ASAP." "You mean it's not a rental?" "No, it's not a rental. Heaven forbid you invest in the local economy." Buying a place seemed so permanent. Settled. "Manage to get Sammy elected and he's not going to want to let you go. And seeing as Sammy's never been big on losing, you're looking at a couple years here at the very least. Which means"--she leaned in-"you'd be an idiot to pass this up." He would be, but he hated being rushed into something. Still... "All right, do what needs to be done." To save face, he added, "It would be a shame to lose those shoes." She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we both know you're not that gay. Anyway, the place comes fully furnished, so all you'll have to worry about is schlepping in your personal effects." "You're not going to arrange for a mover?" he teased. "I've done my part. The rest is up to you." **** The rest involved telling Chris. But at the moment he was too busy getting fucked into eight hundred thread-count sheets to bother with conversation. Kieran met Chris' thrusts. "That all you got?" Chris pulled his lips back, baring his teeth in a half grin, half growl, not opening his eyes as he focused on driving his cock deeper and deeper into Kieran's ass. It felt phenomenal, the pressure, the friction,

the demand of it making Kieran's own eyes water as he clutched at Chris' arms. He gasped against Chris' throat when Chris rotated his hips, changing his angle before thrusting in again, making Kieran arch in sheer ecstasy. "God, yes, Chris! Harder!" Muscles flexed beneath Kieran's fingers as Chris drove them on, the slap of skin on skin echoing around them. "So good." Chris voice was low, guttural. Kieran's cock caught just right on Chris' stomach as Chris slammed into him again, and Kieran came with a blissful cry. Afew seconds later, Chris shuddered his release. Kieran ran his tongue up the side of Chris' neck, savoring the salty tang of sweat and Chris' indescribable earthy taste. With apparent reluctance, Chris withdrew and dropped beside Kieran with a groan. "Damn, I needed that." "It was a big sacrifice on my part, but I'm glad to help." "Sacrifice, my ass." Chris trailed his fingers through the semen lingering on Kieran's stomach before licking it off with tantalizing strokes of his tongue. He chuckled at Kieran's intake of breath. "Jesus Christ, how fast do you think I can recover?" "Fast enough." Relenting, Chris grabbed the hand towel from the side of the bed and wiped Kieran off. "I'd been thinking all this time you were a randy bastard because you got it so rarely." "Some people are born with a high metabolism." Kieran snorted. "You would have killed me in your twenties." "Yeah, but what a way to go." Chris snickered again and collapsed on the bed next to Kieran. "So, honey, how was your day?" "Fuck you." He tugged at Chris's hair in punishment, drawing another small laugh. "Although, I think I've found a place to live. And by 'I've found' I, of course, mean Charlotte found it for me."

Chris sighed. "Too bad. I was getting fond of this hotel room. Where is it?" "In Terrace Village. It was built by architecture students at Pitt five years ago. Nice place. Very modern looking." Chris let out a low whistle. "That's quite a find. Especially for a rental." Focusing on the top of Chris' head, Kieran said, "It's not a rental." "Not a rental?" "No." Chris propped himself up. "If it's not a rental, then... You're buying?" Chris' tone made Kieran look at him. "No harm in investing in the local economy, is there?" He echoed Charlotte's earlier words to him. "No! I... It's a surprise." He suspected the wild look in Chris's eyes resembled his own earlier. "It's not anything I planned. You don't have to feel like I'm trying to tie you down or anything." Chris grew immediately apologetic. "I don't. You aren't. But, shit, Kieran, you don't do things by halves, do you?" "We wouldn't be here if I did, would we?" "True." Chris sat up, but didn't leave the bed, giving Kieran an unobstructed view of the lightly muscled planes of his back. "After five years, I guess it's time we did have that talk." On impulse, Kieran reached out and traced the column of Chris' spine, relieved when Chris relaxed into his touch. "Which talk?" "The relationship talk," Chris said dryly, still not facing Kieran. "Somehow, I figured I'd manage to avoid it." "You can't tell me you've never been in a serious relationship before." "I never made the time for it. The reason we're here at all is because I got to know you outside." "Outside what?" "Outside my life."

Kieran was beginning to wish he'd kept his mouth shut. Too late now. As this wasn't a conversation to have lying down, he got up and sat by Chris on the side of the bed. "So, what you're saying is if we'd crossed paths here in Pittsburgh and not on that cruise, you'd have kept walking." "Yes." Not even the slightest hesitation. Damn. "It's got nothing to do with you. It's how I made this whole thing work. You're my age, Kieran, so you know the games. If you wanted to get anywhere, you had to keep your sexuality quiet. I did. End of story." "Yet you're here with me now." "Because we already had a relationship. We built something together on those trips. Something I'm not ready to lose. I think it's more than sex, although the sex is amazing. I can't help but be worried living in the same city is going to change what we have." Kieran wrapped his arms around Chris' shoulders and rested his forehead on his lover's temple. "Of course it's going to change. But change doesn't have to be for the worse." "It doesn't," Chris hedged, "but what we had was working, wasn't it?" "It was also safe, Christopher. We didn't have to work at it." "Is that such a bad thing?" "I want to be a part of your life," Kieran insisted. "I want to eat at the same restaurant you do and argue local politics and be jealous of your perfectly perfect lieutenant and find out if you leave your socks on the floor." "I want that, too," Chris said after a moment. "But?" "But it's not something I ever thought I'd want. So I never... I'm not sure how to deal with it." "Well, you can start"--Kieran shoved Chris back down on the bed to

cover him with his own body, enjoying seeing the amused light back in Chris' brilliant blue eyes--"by helping me christen my new house." Chris skimmed the palms of his hands down Kieran's back with a satisfying rasp. "You know, christening is one of my favorite things to do." "Me, too." Kieran bent down to kiss Chris, slow and lingering, not demanding. Not yet. "It has lots of big windows to satisfy your exhibitionism." "I'm not an exhibitionist." "The hell you aren't. Whose idea was it to have sex on the balcony on the cruise ship?" "It was the middle of the night. There wasn't anyone around." "And who books at least one of our trips to a nudist colony every year?" "Not because I'm an exhibitionist." "No?" Kieran dipped down and captured Chris' lips briefly. "Care to enlighten me then?" "Because I like seeing as much of you as possible as often as possible?" Feigning consideration, Kieran finally grinned. "Flattery will get you everywhere." "Excellent." Chris hauled him down, and Kieran decided they were both recovered enough to shove aside serious conversation and enjoy the rest of their evening.

Chapter 10 Returning from lunch, Chris found the bored peace of the morning had been shattered and replaced with the unmistakable hum of...something. His officers were busy trying to look busy, and he soon found out why as raised voices sounded from David's closed office. Scotty and Doughty were both in high temper, and David didn't appear far behind. Something major must have happened for three of his lowkey officers to act out of character. Chris didn't bother to knock and let himself in. The three went silent. Never a good sign. Chris shut the door behind him and sat in Logan's chair. "You might as well tell me about it now." Unsurprisingly, Scotty was the first one to burst out. "He's putting Miranda on administrative leave because some jackass is accusing her of brutality!" He looked to Doughty. "Is this true?" Miranda didn't play games. "We were collaring a suspect in a string of convenience store hold-ups," she reported, her voice cool and composed. "He might have been armed, but maybe not. The take-down wasn't clean. He slipped away from me a couple of times before I could get him to the ground. There's video." David confirmed her statement. "Someone nearby had a cell phone camera. There's no sound and it was a short clip, but taken out of context, it could look pretty bad. I don't believe it for one minute"--he looked pointedly at Scotty--"but in light of the department's history with brutality charges, I felt it was best to appear proactive. Cooler heads will

prevail in a week or so, then Detective Doughty can return to her full duties." Chris couldn't find fault with it. "It's a smart plan." "Yeah, because it's always smart taking a good cop off the street." "Scotty, please." Miranda sighed. "The city isn't going to go to shit with me laying low for a few days." Something in the set of Scotty's jaw worried Chris. "If she goes, I go," Scotty said, confirming his fears. "Don't be ridiculous--" Chris cut Miranda off. "Out of the question, Detective." "But, sir--" "Presumably you were with Detective Doughty when this incident took place?" "I was on the scene, but--" "Think about what it would look like if I put two officers, both of whom were at the scene, on administrative leave." David continued the line of thinking for him, driving home the point to Scotty. "People would think we found something more incriminating, giving credence to the charges and making it even worse for your partner." "Scotty," Miranda insisted, her voice as cool as her demeanor, "let it go. I'm still going to be here every day, sitting at the desk across from you and nagging you to do your paperwork." "You say that now. But look what happened to the last partner I had who got put on leave." "Okay, you did not just compare me to Carver." Even with the level of camaraderie David shared with the two women, Chris wasn't surprised when he didn't join in on the banter. "Detective Doughty has done nothing wrong. An investigation will prove that. A few days of desk work won't harm her career, and the

willingness of this department to work with Internal Affairs and whatever council probes are ordered will get this resolved all the faster." One of David's strongest traits as a leader was the ability to wrap velvet around bricks. Scotty lowered her angry gaze. "Yes, sir." When Doughty and Scotty left, Chris said, "You handled the situation well." "Only because Scotty wasn't," David admitted. "Of all of our officers for this to fall on, Doughty makes the least sense. She has never been out of control a day in her life." "You think she told us the whole story?" He could tell David was trying to read him, but Chris kept his face blank. "Don't you?" "That's not what I asked." "Yes, I do. I've seen her take down our own men with no problem. If the suspect got away from her not once but twice, then he's lucky she didn't shoot him instead of continuing to try to physically restrain him." "Why didn't she? She has a taser, after all." "Sir, I--" "Get used to these questions, Lieutenant. There are going to be a lot more like them and a lot worse in the days to come." "Meaning I should get my story straight now." "Is there a story you need to get straight?" It was a sign of how affected he was by all of this that David even let a hint of his frustration show. "You know what I meant." He caught himself. "Sorry, sir." "It's not your story I'm worried about; it's your temper. It's one thing if an officer like Eliot gets accused of something like this. They're on the edge, so you have to be more open to the accusation. But Doughty's a good cop, absolutely clean. We know without a doubt she's innocent, but

to the rest of the world, she's another cop out of control." "My temper is not what I thought would be the biggest issue here." "It usually isn't, except when someone you care about is threatened." Chris got up and circled the desk. "Trust me, Lieutenant, someone is going to get an earful from me tonight as well, far away from prying eyes. But right now, in front of your team, in front of the press and in front of however many number of inquiry panels they throw at you, you have to be Ramrod Logan right down to the tips of your shoes." "I..." Seeming to reconsider, David nodded. "Thank you, Commander." "Get me the full report and a copy of video as soon as possible." There was no point in lingering on it. Instead, he headed for the door and his own office. "I suspect I'll be talking to reporters sooner rather than later and want to have all the facts at my fingertips." "The preliminary is already on your desk." "I would have been surprised if it wasn't." Back in his office, Chris sat down with the report, ignoring the missed call and message from Kieran. He needed something to look forward to, after all.

Chapter 11 "Thank you, Pittsburgh PD!" Sammy interrupted Kieran, who was hunched over a script with Maura Reed, Sammy's speechwriter. Sammy shoved a printout from the Post Gazette website into his hands. "Another case of police brutality. We'll be able to murder Slater with this one." Kieran scanned the article. Routine arrest gone out of hand and caught on film. "You might be onto something." "Of course I am! The voters are going to eat it up." Sammy sat down on the edge of the desk. "You probably don't know a lot of Pittsburgh history, but in the late nineties, there was a rash of brutality cases that made it to court despite the machinations of the council and the FOP. In the end, the Feds had to step in and enforce a consent decree to clean up the whole sorry mess, and even so improvement has been negligible. There are still a lot of people in this city who don't trust their own cops. This couldn't have come at a better time to draw in the cleanup-the-force demographic." "All it takes is the right spin." Kieran had played much dirtier in past campaigns and never thought twice. Though, in the past he hadn't been dating a cop. Conflict of interest was bound to arise at some point. "Is there any way we can get a copy of the film?" "Charlotte's working on getting an official copy, but there's plenty of unofficial ones popping up on the 'net. What are you thinking?" "Depending on the quality, we might be able to run it in one of the ads. Background, subtle. We use it to our advantage, but don't look like we are."

Sammy clapped a hand on his shoulder and grinned. "This is why I hired you." Kieran's brain was already spinning out ideas. "Maura, can we add some of this into this speech? I know it's to the University League, but we could tie it into the reform ideas we have going on page three. If he can have a response on this today, it's going to make him seem even more in touch with the city." "Page four and the closing will need some tweaking, too." She was already making notes as she spoke. "The intro's solid, but we might be able to plant a few seeds in the third paragraph to set the stage." "So long as you don't mix any metaphors while you're at it," Kieran said as he pulled up a search on his laptop. The more specific they could be, the better. Sammy smiled. "Keep up the good work, kids." Kieran was determined not to do a hatchet job on this cop as an individual. But if it spoke to a long history of brutality and corruption, then it was just the key he needed. With a little luck, he could get Chris to help him focus the rhetoric. Chris was a good cop; he'd want to help improve the system. Leaving a quick message for Chris and dropping a few vague hints, Kieran set to work. It was nice when potential scandals worked in your favor. **** Chris wasn't able to get away for dinner, and Kieran was tied up in planning sessions until almost three in the morning, so Kieran didn't get to talk to him before the University League speech the next morning. His phone rang as they got back to headquarters after the speech. Kieran waved Charlotte and Maura on and stopped in the lobby for a little privacy. "Hey there, handsome." "What the fuck is your candidate pulling, Kieran?"

Kieran had never heard Chris so furious before. So much for thinking Chris would help him. "Making this city a better place, which I thought you would be all for." "Not when it might cost one of my officers her career." Crap. He had thought the cop's name sounded familiar. Something he should have considered, though it wouldn't have changed the outcome. "Well, your officer should have thought twice when taking down her suspect." "Don't you dare lecture me on my officers. Miranda Doughty is one of the best cops on the force, and we were dealing with this internally. The way it should be done." "So you can cover up another brutality charge?" Kieran's ire rose in the face of Chris' attack. "I may have been in the dark before, but I've been reading up since yesterday. I know about the track record of brutality from Pittsburgh's finest, right down to the consent decree for civil rights violations. Don't pretend to be so high-minded, Christopher. The entire city police force has dirty, dirty hands." "And you think your candidate's the one to wash them?" "Maybe he is." "Not in the blood of my officer." The line went dead. Wonderful. He took a few seconds to center himself before rejoining Charlotte and Maura at the elevators. "That sounded fun," Charlotte said. "Yeah, not so much," he replied. "Boyfriend?" Kieran shrugged. Maura looked torn. "Look, we can dial down the rhetoric on this one, pull back--"

"No." Kieran cut her off. "We stay on message with this. No personal attacks against this officer, in case she's cleared. But it's evidence of an endemic problem in the system Mayor Dekkar will address when he comes to office." "Whatever you say, boss," Charlotte said as the elevator dinged. "This is why I married an artist," Maura said. "I recommend long distance and a cat," Charlotte countered. "I had long distance," Kieran admitted, which was as personal as he was going to get. "Run me through the schedule again." Taking the hint, Maura and Charlotte did exactly that.

Chapter 12 Chris followed Deputy Chief Hardy down the long, wide corridors of the City-County Building, away from the echoing marble columns and granite floors of the main entry and up to the carpeted, silent hall leading to the mayor's office. Chris kept his expression stony, matching Hardy's. He hated coming here. The place was full of bureaucrats and politicians, neither of whom he had much time for. Both groups seem bent on making his job more difficult. This time was no exception. Hardy opened the conference room door for him. Apparently, he didn't rate an inner sanctum visit, relegated instead to one of the office's opulent meeting rooms. Chris paid no attention to the decor, focusing instead on the man entering via a side door, followed by an entourage of his own. Lawrence Slater was a tall man, rail thin with a shock of still-dark hair and sharp eyes that never seemed to stop moving. Anyone seeing him on the street would take him for a university professor rather than a politician. He had been, until the previous mayor had picked him for his deputy, never knowing that two years later he would drop dead from a massive coronary during a lunch meeting, leaving Slater in a job he had never pursued. He'd done a good enough job at it to be re-elected twice. Chris had voted for him both times. They had met at a few different occasions, at fundraisers and one sorrowful officer's funeral, so he wasn't surprised when Slater came over to shake his hand. "Bad business, Commander. Bad business."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." The man behind him looked less sympathetic. "The timing couldn't have been worse." If there was a politician Chris hated, it was Jared Tobin. Tobin was Slater's chief of staff, as thin as Slater but shorter, his expensive suit illfitting in his hunched posture. "I'm sorry, Mr. Tobin. I'll be sure to tell my officers to mind the election cycle when arresting criminals from now on." Tobin glared at him. For his part, Slater looked amused. Hardy took control of the situation as he sat. "What makes this situation more disheartening, gentlemen, is an otherwise exemplary officer is taking more heat for the sins of her brothers than for what she actually did." Slater gestured to chairs before seating himself at the head of the table. "You're certain there's no merit to the allegations?" If Tobin had asked it, Chris would have bristled. As it was, he straightened his back, even though he knew Slater was just looking for information, not making an accusation. "Absolutely, sir. I would bet my career on it." "I don't think it will come to that." The way Slater said it, Chris knew it was meant to be reassuring. A platitude, nothing more. But for Chris it echoed the dark thoughts and worst-case scenarios he tried not to linger on, even before this current situation happened. Zone Six earned a great deal of forgiveness, taking on the problem children, getting the odd decent and outstanding cop like Doughty every so often, but how long before their luck ran out? Zone Six was the perfect scapegoat in so many ways. Dekkar was taking full advantage. Slater would be well within his rights to do so as well.

Hardy seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Perhaps if we didn't keep her hidden from the media," he suggested, "brought her out, let her do some interviews, open her service record up to scrutiny. Let them into the department as well, to show people they don't have anything to be afraid of from us." Tobin looked doubtful, turning a piercing gaze on Chris. "You think your department can stand up to that much attention?" "Without doubt." Slater nodded. "Dekkar wants to make this an issue, so you'll show him you have nothing to hide. Do you have any officers in particular who might stand up well to this sort of scrutiny?" "Lieutenant Logan," Hardy replied. "I can't think of an officer who better exemplifies what the force is capable of." Tobin's eyes narrowed in thought. "I saw Logan's name on the vetting list for the Major Crimes commander, didn't I, Hardy?" "Commander Montgomery nominated him, and I agree he'd be an excellent candidate." "Isn't he gay?" Chris really hated this man. "Is that a problem?" "Hell, no! Dekkar's making a big issue out of civil rights and affirmative action, so let's trot out all our diversity successes. Cut him off at the knees." Gritting his teeth, Chris said, "Lieutenant Logan is not a pony for your show, Mr. Tobin." Before Tobin could snap back, Slater put a hand on his arm to quell him. "Of course not, Commander. Jared gets a little overzealous around election time. Do you think Lieutenant Logan and Detective Doughty would be willing to work with us on this?" Ask two of his most private officers to put themselves up for inspection by the public at large? This kept getting better and better.

"Yes, they would." "But?" Slater prompted. "No but. They'll do what they have to for the good of the force." Tobin stood up without preamble. "I'll set up interviews for this afternoon. We'll want to hit the early news broadcasts." Slater offered his hand as the rest of them stood as well. "Thank your officers for me, Commander. I know their job isn't easy and I appreciate the special effort." Hardy didn't speak until they reached the street. "What aren't you telling me, Christopher?" Miranda and David weren't the only ones who liked their private lives private. "I know Dekkar's campaign manager." "I don't see how that'll be a problem. You've been very--" "I've been sleeping with Dekkar's campaign manager." "Ah. Is she at least good looking?" "He is very handsome, which is the least of my concerns." Aside from a raised eyebrow, Hardy didn't make further comment on the correction. "What is the concern?" "My concern is I'm not sure how to protect my officers and not end up getting accused of softballing because of my rela--personal involvement in all of this." "I hardly think putting your department and your officers up for public scrutiny can be claimed as softballing." "This is politics, Jim. You know how everything gets twisted by those fuckers." "Of course, I do. I also know all we can do is our best and hope we come out ahead in the end." Hardy clapped him on the shoulder. "And don't think I missed that slip about 'relationship.' Relationship means he has as much to lose as you do. So do your best and make sure your officers do, too."

"You can count on my team." Hardy was reading too much into the relationship line. For all Chris knew, the "relationship" was dead in the water. Maybe it was better for everyone involved if it was. "If I couldn't, I wouldn't have volunteered them," Hardy said. Chris was certain his team would come through. He just wished to hell the damned politicians would go away.

Chapter 13 "To be perfectly frank, Commander, I'm the last person who should be representing Pittsburgh PD in this campaign." Chris had known David wouldn't be thrilled about the task, but like the good officer he was, Chris expected him to do his duty. "You made lieutenant by twenty-five and have a record most cops dream of. Who better than you?" "Sir, there are things--" David cut himself off, lips a thin line. "It would be counterproductive." "David, dig deep enough and everyone has skeletons in their closet. What you've done matters far less than how you respond under scrutiny." "It depends on what it is I've done." Chris couldn't help but be curious about what his straight-laced lieutenant had done to make him so agitated, but he didn't ask. "Your service record is unparalleled in the department, which is what the vultures are going to be digging around for. Your personal life is just that. Personal." "For now." It suddenly occurred to Chris. "Is that why you stopped at the rank you did?" High enough to be respectable, but not so high as to get unwanted attention. "No. I stopped because at the time there didn't seem to be much reason to continue. When Robin died, I--" David stopped, his gaze uncharacteristically distant. He caught himself with a wry, apologetic smile. "When I was ready to move on, there didn't seem to be any

urgency to seek advancement. I enjoy my job here. I have colleagues I respect and a boss I can handle." There was that playful smile again. Chris found his lieutenant didn't smile nearly enough. "At least until he tries to push me out of the nest," David finished. "Sometimes we need to get pushed." "And sometimes we're happy with where we're at." This conversation was getting a little too personal for Chris, which was ridiculous and entirely in his own head. "If you don't feel up to the scrutiny, Lieutenant, say the word. I don't want to put you in an untenable situation." "I'm more than up for the scrutiny, sir. However, I'm not certain what could be revealed will help us here." "They're attacking how we do our jobs, not who we fuck and how." "That's succinct." "Look, David, I've got a lot personally riding on this. I'm not about to let some trumped-up politician score points off of one of my officers so he can go on to make my life miserable. I don't care who's working for him." "Sir?" Chris realized he'd said too much. "Never mind. Like Hardy said at the meeting, I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think I could trust you. The only question is, will you do it?" David was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Inaction is worse than anything they can do to me." "Your confidence isn't exactly overwhelming." He gave Chris another one of those rare, fleeting smiles. "I promise to work on it." Chris returned it and said, "Dismissed." David had just shut the door behind him when Chris' desk phone rang. "Montgomery."

"At least you answer one of your phones." Kieran. "You shouldn't be calling me at all." "You'd rather I came by?" "Kieran--" "Christopher, we need to talk about this. I'm doing my job here. That's all." "At the expense of one of the best officers I have. Can't say I think too much of your job." He put derision in the last word to make himself feel better. "I never claimed to be a paragon of virtue. Your chosen profession doesn't have a stellar reputation backing it up, either." "I never stepped on someone else's hand to get ahead." Kieran grumbled something under his breath. "We can't do this over the phone. Meet me for drinks tonight." "No, thanks." "Meet me for drinks tonight or I will come over there and we'll have this out in the middle of your squad room." Chris knew he wasn't bluffing. Damn it. "One drink. Then you leave me the hell alone." "We'll see." "Fine. Meet me at McGarity's at seven." He slammed the phone into the cradle without waiting for Kieran's response. Chris leaned back in his chair, grinding the heels of his hands into his eyes. None of this would have happened if he hadn't let Kieran get under his skin in the first place. He wouldn't be so desperately glad for a chance to see him again, even when he couldn't stand the sight of him. Pathetic.

Chapter 14 McGarity's wouldn't have been Kieran's first choice of drinking spots. A bit too neighborhood and everybody knows your name for his comfort. But Chris was already looking for any out he could get, so Kieran was willing to make concessions. He was halfway into his high-end stout when he realized what kind of bar he was in. A cop bar. Oh, this was going to go real well. Which was when Chris walked through the door, followed by his perfectly perfect lieutenant, the blonde from the news report, and a compact redhead who looked like she was spoiling for a fight. He recognized the women as the investigators on Charlotte's assault. They had seemed like good cops. Damn it. Chris gave no outward indication of noticing Kieran, stopping to have a word with the lieutenant. The other three headed to a table near the bar before Chris turned and made a beeline to Kieran. "Inviting me into enemy territory. Good move, Christopher." Kieran saluted Chris with his drink as Chris joined him. "I think I've been long overdue an advantage." "Do you think you need one?" "Do you think I don't?" The waitress brought him a Scotch without asking, smiled brightly at Chris', "Thanks, hon," and headed off to the other table with the tray of beers balanced in her hand. Chris watched her, his eyes beating her to the table. "See that woman? The blonde? You remember her--Miranda Doughty. Second

best cop on my team. Only Logan is better. She's gotten three commendations in the year-and-a-half she's been in my department." He sipped his Scotch before pointing at the redhead. "Scotty there is just as good. Seven commendations and two meritorious service awards in seven years. They're the best investigative team I've got. Hell, I'd put them up against any other team in the city." He took another swallow, looking at Kieran now with those stern blue yes. "And then there's Logan. By rights he should have my job. He'd probably do it a lot better than I do. But he doesn't want it. I'm not sure if that makes him smart or modest." "I know who they are, Christopher." Now. Kieran swallowed a mouthful of beer. "Why are you telling me this?" Chris set down his Scotch and rotated it a few thoughtful times. "I want you to see what you and your boss are working so hard to destroy." "We aren't trying to destroy anything." Well, Dekkar might be. Kieran still hadn't gotten a perfect read on him yet. "Sammy's bringing much needed attention to an issue this city needs to deal with." "By taking down one of the few cops doing things right. Yeah, he's got my vote." Kieran was losing patience. "Why are you taking this so personally?" "I told you why." "None of what's going on has anything to do with us." "You're right, it doesn't. Because there is no us. There never should have been." "Christ, Christopher, I never figured you for a drama queen. Don't you think you're overreacting a little here?" Chris' eyes narrowed, then, with a grimace, he picked up and finished off his Scotch. "You're right, I am." Not the response Kieran had been expecting. "Can you blame me?"

"Yes." "Look, we hardly know each other. Five years together, and while I know every inch of your body better than I know my own, I don't know anything about you as a person beyond some detective parlor tricks and the occasional slip of the tongue. Now here you are, and we're getting to know each other, and this is the first thing you do." Kieran scowled. "No, the first thing I did was you." "No, the first thing you did was take this job." Chris' composure never faltered. "Without mentioning to me it was even a possibility." "There wasn't time." "In a relationship, you make the time." "You just said we weren't in one," Kieran pointed out. There was little humor in Chris' crooked smile. "I was being a drama queen. Happy?" "I've never seen you like this." "Of course you haven't. That's the whole point. Out there is out there. Here is here. Here I'm different than out there. I have to be. These people depend on me. I'm sorry you don't understand." "Oh, I understand it. I also think it's bullshit." "Bullshit to care about the people I work with? I suppose in your line of work it would be." "It's bullshit because you're using it as an excuse to push me away." "It's easier for you to think that than even to consider you've maybe crossed a line here." Kieran had done far worse in the past. Politics was a dirty business after all. But he never outright lied. The truth was always somewhere in the work he produced. "Clearly, we aren't going to see eye to eye on this." It was Chris' turn to scowl. "Don't spin me, Kieran." "What do you want me to say, Chris? I haven't done anything wrong."

He swallowed down his anger. "If your girl is as good as you say she is, then she doesn't have anything to worry about. And pardon me on the spin, Mr. Pot Kettle, but that was an interesting piece on the local news tonight, playing up her looks and her record and playing down the fact she might have beat up some guy. In my business, it's something we call hypocrisy." "Fight fire with fire, isn't that what they say?" Chris caught the waitress' eye. "Two more of what he's having." Collecting their empty glasses, she grinned. "Who knew you could surprise me after all these years, Commander. Never figured you for a stout drinker." "I like to mix it up, Cori, what can I say?" The moment she left, Kieran chuckled. "You are an incorrigible flirt." "I have a reputation to maintain. One that does not include a boyfriend." "Boyfriend? At our ages?" "I'm a cop. Partner has a whole different connotation for me." "Like those two." Kieran nodded to the table where Chris' team sat hunched over their drinks. "Exactly." Chris leaned back when their beers arrived, then curled around his in the same posture the others had. "You know, Scotty almost quit on me when I had to put Doughty on administrative leave." This was what they'd been talking about, a part of him Kieran had never seen. "Why would she do that?" "Why wouldn't she? They'd give their lives for each other out on the street, so why not in the office as well? You watch each other's backs all the way down." "But you say the detective is innocent." "I'm being forced to treat her as though she's guilty." "There's no denying she used excessive force."

"Appearances can be deceiving." "In my business, looks are everything." "Which is unfortunate." Chris picked up his beer. "As this is going pretty much as I'd expected, I'm going to go join my officers." "Chris." Kieran caught his arm before he could walk away. "I don't see what this has to do with us." Chris looked at him, eyes dead. "That's the problem." He pulled free, never glancing back. This had been pointless. He didn't know why he'd expected Chris to listen to reason. He sat there finishing his beer and watching the small group, not feeling remotely jealous. Deciding he'd lingered long enough, he slipped a five under his empty glass for the waitress and got up to leave. He'd barely taken two steps out of the bar when heavy hands grabbed him from behind, spun him around, and slammed him up against the wall. "I have to admit it takes balls for someone like you to drink at a cop bar." The man threatening him was of average height, with sandy brown hair longer than most--but not enough to be called long--and with a rock solid jaw that looked like it had taken more than its fair share of punches. Kieran didn't resist physically. There wasn't any point. "What, queers aren't allowed in the sacred halls?" "No, queers are welcome. Political weasels looking to score points, not so much." "All right, you seem to have an advantage over me because I don't have a clue who you are." The man smiled, feral instead of friendly. "Let's say I have a vested interest in the people's lives you are trying to ruin."

"Yes, another cop proving his point through force instead of the law. Forgive me if I don't find myself swayed." "See, that's the thing. I'm not a cop. So I can beat the crap out of you all night if I want." "Drop him, Eliot," Chris' commanding voice cut through the darkness. "You aren't my boss anymore, Commander, remember?" "No, but I am," the handsome lieutenant spoke up from beside Chris. "Put him down, Carver." Carver's jaw clenched, but, much to Kieran's surprise, he stepped back, putting several feet between them. "Thanks," Kieran told Logan. "You'd better go." "Look, I'm sorry about what happened, but--" Carver barely moved, but it was intimidating nonetheless. "The man said go." Kieran had learned long ago how much he could push a situation. He'd done enough. "Fine." As he walked off, he called over his shoulder, "We're not finished yet, Christopher."

Chapter 15 Chris didn't watch Kieran go, but he was the last one back into the bar, making sure Carver didn't have any plans of following Kieran to finish what he'd started. "What the hell was that all about?" Scotty asked when they sat again. "I saw that jackass harassing the commander." Carver waved down Cori and gestured to the table. "I didn't want him thinking he could get away with it." "I appreciate the sentiment, Eliot," Chris said, "but the matter was none of your business." "I may not be a cop anymore, Commander, but I still look out for my own." "Your interrogation techniques haven't improved any, I see." Carver grinned. David caught Chris' eye. "His investigative techniques, however..." Chris wasn't dense. "You could have asked me, David." "I wasn't nosing into your personal life, sir. I wanted a better idea of what we were facing with Dekkar." "Personal life?" Scotty straightened up over her beer, her glum mood alleviated by curiosity. Her innocent expression wouldn't have fooled anyone. Carver was the only one out of the loop. "What personal life?" "Apparently your investigative skills aren't that improved," Miranda said, taking a sip of her drink. Chris shot David a dirty look. "I had expected you to be more discreet."

David shrugged. "How would it have looked if my boyfriend beat up your boyfriend?" Carver choked on his drink. Chris sighed. "I suppose if I don't explain things, you won't leave this alone." "We have so far." David sounded sincere. His boyfriend had a more honest reaction. "Fuck that." "Fine. But this doesn't leave this table. You're my best officers, Carver excepted, and I trust you with this." They waited eagerly, like kids waiting to hear Dad was dating again. Maybe they were. Chris studied his glass, turning it in his hands. "His name is Kieran Philips. I've known him about five years, more off than on. We saw each other every few months. He came here for a job and to see if we could go anywhere beyond that. The two things seem to be mutually exclusive, which is what I was telling him tonight. So there is no personal life and no point in manhandling him anymore. Let's just let this play out the way the politicians intend and maintain what little dignity we have left, shall we?" "If I hadn't gotten filmed, you'd still be with him, wouldn't you?" Miranda's gaze was unwavering. "It would have ended sooner or later." She frowned. "I'm disappointed, Commander. I never figured you for one to take the easy way out." He shoved his drink away. "Why does everyone think I'm looking for a way out? Being great in bed together doesn't mean we're great for a life together." He realized he'd gone too far when Scotty's eyes went wide and her mouth slack. "Damn it." One more reason why keeping his personal life far away

from his life here was such a good idea. David knew enough to redirect the conversation. "Was he trying to get you to do anything for Dekkar?" "No." Cynicism burned his stomach before the next swallow of beer got there. "Not yet." "Not ever, with the send-off you just gave him," Scotty said. "Dekkar's not the only candidate on the ticket looking for people to use," Miranda stated. Chris grimaced at the subtle jab. "I'm sorry, Detective. At the time, it was the only way I could see to counteract what was being done against you. At least Slater is a devil we know." "I wasn't concerned about me, sir." "Logan could have said no." She rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'm not concerned about me or the lieutenant. No offense," she told David. "None taken." Perhaps he could be dense after all. "Why would Slater want anything to do with me?" "A reputable, decorated commander seen to be publicly supporting him without him having to make any concessions to the FOP? That's gold for any campaign. Not to mention the fact the three of us are practically alternate lifestyle poster children." "I'm not supporting him." "Being seen with him is enough." Chris hated being manipulated. But what he hated more was he hadn't seen it coming. "This gets better and better." "We don't have to play." Scotty seemed to have recovered from her shock and awe. "If we don't, then they'll take Miranda down rather than risk being accused of covering up."

"I'm one person, Scotty. All of Zone Six is going to be made a spectacle of before this is through. It was my fuck up; no one else should suffer for it." "The martyr act is admirable, Doughty," Chris said, "but it doesn't happen on my watch." "I've tried," David chimed in. "Besides, there's no turning back now. We see this through and do our damnedest." "Or die trying." Carver's gallows humor was intact at least. Scotty slapped him on the back. "Then we can join you in cop exile. I'm sure you can find work for all of us, right, Carver?" His glower didn't reach his eyes. "And the horse you rode in on, Brigid." They all chuckled, but Chris realized it was a sign their attempts at cheering each other up weren't succeeding. He gestured to the bar again for all the tabs at the table. "You folks should get on home. Tomorrow's going to be another long day." Reluctantly they all rose, leaving Chris alone to nurse the last of his beer, trying not to think about Kieran, trying not to think about how empty his bed was going to be. Cori brought back his card and the charge slip. He signed it, swallowed the last of his beer and headed out. He was about to put his key in the lock of his Camry when he heard a sound, low and softer than the wind. Without moving, he searched the lot for threats. They were out of the way enough that casual passers-by wouldn't have noticed. Most likely they hadn't intended to stay long, but got lost in each other and forgot about time. Carver had David pinned against the wall in the narrow pass-through at the back of the lot, his body pressed

into his lover's as their mouths gently toyed with each other. David showed no signs of resisting, despite what Chris knew was his dominant role in the relationship, one hand on Eliot's hip, the other cupping the back of his head to play with the loose strands of hair there. It was too easy to imagine them at home like this, building up to the intensity he knew both men were capable of. He tore his gaze away and climbed into his car, hard and jealous in spite of himself. And certain he'd thrown away his one chance at something like that for himself. The radio blasted out the final strains of "All Along the Watchtower" when he started up the car. He always missed the good songs in time for the station break. The night got better and better. Chris pulled out into traffic and nearly slammed on the brakes when Dekkar's increasingly familiar alto came through the speakers. "The citizens of Pittsburgh are demanding safer neighborhoods and stronger laws. But how can we really feel safe when those charged with protecting us are among the violent offenders?" Chris gripped his steering wheel tighter. It couldn't be an innocuous used car commercial...oh, no. "Lawrence Slater was an outsider who has become the ultimate insider, playing the same old games and letting the police force run unchecked. The time has come for change. As your mayor, I promise to clean up corruption and make Pittsburgh the city we all deserve. "My name is Sammy Dekkar and I approve this message." Dekkar may have approved the message, but Chris knew damn well who had designed it. He pulled into the garage by the Duquesne Club. Paying a visit to Kieran was the last thing he should be doing right now. But what was one more mistake?

Chapter 16 The shower was supposed to help clear Kieran's mind. It didn't. Instead, he kept going round and round, replaying the conversation at the bar. They'd needed to talk, but neither of them had handled it well. While Kieran was a master of strategy in getting what other people wanted, he hated to admit he needed to work on how to get what he wanted. He was good at the initial hook up. He was brilliant in a relationship, or at least Devon hadn't complained in the seven years they were together. But somehow Kieran had forgotten how shit he was at getting started with a relationship. Prelude and aftermath were good. The transition phase was not his forte. Of course, outside events didn't help, keeping him and Christopher on opposite sides of a rather divisive issue. Dunking his head under the hot, pelting rain of the shower one last time, Kieran turned off the water. Room service would be here sooner or later. As if on cue, there was a knock at the room door. He toweled off, tossed on his robe, and went to retrieve his wallet. It wasn't room service. Chris stood there, face flushed, eyes dark. Without speaking, he grabbed the front of Kieran's robe, holding him in place as he stepped into a possessive kiss. It was such a relief, Kieran didn't fight it. Kicking the door shut, Chris spun and pinned Kieran there. Chris didn't let up for an instant, pressing the full length of his body against Kieran, anger and arousal vibrating through every line.

Kieran felt his own irritation rising along with his cock. Chris' aggressive sexuality was impossible to resist, but the anger behind it was still unjustified. "Are you trying to punish my misdeeds, Christopher?" "Shut up." He reinforced the command with his mouth, his body rubbing against Kieran's frenetically. It would be so easy to give in to the needs of the moment. They could try to talk, but it would lead to him alone and unsatisfied. Still, his pride wouldn't let him roll over and take the punishment he didn't deserve. No matter how good it might feel. He pushed Chris off him. "This isn't how things work between us." Anger flashed in Chris' eyes. "No, you manipulate the shit out of me, and I let you. Not now. Not anymore." As he spoke, he slipped the loose tie from around his neck. It wasn't fear that set Kieran's heart thudding in his chest. In five years, they'd explored a lot, bondage not an infrequent occurrence. But this was different. This wasn't playful. And, god damn, he shouldn't want it so much. He edged around Chris. "This is your answer when the going gets tough? Shut me up?" "Can you think of a better way to keep you from manipulating me?" His stony face gave nothing away. "Talking isn't manipulating. I just want to make you understand--" "I said shut. Up." Kieran could fight stubborn with stubborn. "Make me." Chris moved like lightning, reminding Kieran the man was a cop first and foremost. He was already on the floor with his arms twisted up behind his back by the time he could react. Chris held him there, heedless of the fact his robe had come open and his cock now rubbed painfully on the rough carpet. Before Kieran could do more than start to

protest, the silk tie was in his mouth, wrapped around the back of his neck and down to bind his wrists as well. As soon as the knots were secure, Chris seemed to relax, tracing softer kisses down the back of Kieran's neck and along his spine. "There, that's better." He worked his hand between Kieran's legs to cup his now tender cock. "Do you want me to stop?" Kieran shook his head without hesitation. "Good." Chris stood up. Kieran took the opportunity to roll over and watch Christopher undress, not taking his time, but not in any hurry, either. He knew he was in control now. Deep down, Kieran didn't mind at all. However, not being able to talk was another matter entirely. Words had always been a big part of this thing between them, part of the game. The old game. But the game had changed. Kieran had changed it. Chris knelt between Kieran's straddled legs. Supporting himself on his hands, he leaned close enough to bring their cocks together, rocking in a slow promise of what was to come. "I can't stay away from you," he admitted, lips teasing Kieran's around the gag. "You're a manipulative son of a bitch, and I still can't stay away." He arched up into the contact, the only response he could offer. Even if he wasn't gagged, Kieran couldn't deny Chris was right. He did manipulate people. It was his job, and it was hard to keep that from carrying over to his personal life in some respect. But he never did it with any malicious intent. Chris moved down to tease at the nerves along his neck, now highlighted by the faint pressure of the tie crossing it. "You know what my first thought was when I saw Eliot pinning you to that wall tonight?" He nipped at the tight cord of muscle below Kieran's ear. "He had no right to touch what is mine." This was a side of Chris Kieran had never seen. Neither of them truly

submitted to the other. But this possessiveness made Kieran want to offer up his throat to Chris' teeth in a way he never had before. He wrapped his legs around Chris' with a soft grunt to signal his approval. He could feel Chris smile, predatory and smug against his neck. "And I'm just getting started." Then Chris was gone, leaving Kieran bereft and chilly without the close press of his body. A moment later, Chris was helping him to his feet. "Though I don't think either one of us is going to be happy if we remain on the floor for long." Backing him up, Chris tumbled them onto the bed, landing on top. Kieran had to admit the bed was preferable to the floor, if for no other reason than the arms still bound behind his back. Chris tugged the sash of Kieran's robe loose and opened the fabric, exposing Kieran to his demanding gaze, eyes lingering on Kieran's erection to the point Kieran began to feel uncomfortable. "If we're going to continue, we need to establish a few ground rules first." Kieran was pretty certain Chris was referring to more than the moment. He gave a muffled response that sounded fairly close to the "Okay" he'd intended. Chris met his eyes. "I don't trust you, Kieran." He punctuated his words by fondling Kieran's balls, making him hiss in pleasure. "It was one thing when it was just us, just fucking. But now you're in my town, screwing with my people." It was always more than fucking, at least for Kieran. But even if he could speak, he knew the reassurance would sound hollow. He shook his head once from side to side. Chris didn't stop. "I told you it was different here; I was different here. But you came anyway." It was getting difficult to think, Chris' hand rough, aggressive, and yet

so very sensual. Kieran made a small mewling sound meant to imply remorse, but came out more as desperation. Chris sucked on one of his fingers, then began to probe idly at Kieran's hole with his right hand, while he kept up the steady torment of Kieran's genitals with the left. His cold, detached seduction drove Kieran insane. He ground his teeth down into the silk cutting into his mouth, eyes closed to savor Chris' invasion. A sharp slap against his inner thigh had his eyes flying open again. Chris gave him a stern look. "Oh, no, none of that. You're going to see everything I do to you." Chris slapped him again, the heat warming through Kieran's leg and straight to his cock. Christ, he was getting off on being spanked. He should be beyond that at this point, but apparently he wasn't. Chris didn't miss his reaction, his eyes darkening. "Like that, do you?" This time he slapped the other thigh, making Kieran moan. "I should've done this to you ages ago." Kieran couldn't disagree. As he went from one finger to two and eventually three, Chris kept up the torment, alternating thighs and never landing on the same patch of skin twice in a row. It kept Kieran teetering on the edge, torn between the sensations within and without. And it felt fucking fantastic. When Chris started working in a fourth finger, Kieran shook his head. No. No way. "New rules, Kieran. My rules." Chris fumbled in the drawer with his free hand for the lube they both knew was there and squirted it into his closed palm and over the fingers wedged in Kieran. He pulled back, then pushed hard, the lube allowing all four fingers to slide in up to his palm. Kieran roared.

It was like being split in two and made whole at the same time. And then Chris moved his fingers. Too intense, too much...but, fuck, if Chris stopped now Kieran was going to fucking kill him. "You aren't in charge anymore." Chris kept his voice low and modulated. "You'll stay away from me and my people." He pushed again, and Kieran felt his whole hand enter, Kieran's overstretched muscles closing around his lover's wrist. Kieran had lost all control, all reason, and sobbed the ecstasy of his hard-used body. Chris worked Kieran's cock with his free hand, the sensation grounding Kieran somewhat, even as the sensory input grew almost unbearable. Kieran hurtled over the edge, climax bringing relief and a heady oblivion. Chris was still speaking as he brought Kieran down, but his words were background noise, as soothing as Chris' touch had become. "Don't call me; don't text me." He wiped his hand clean on a towel from the bathroom before untying the necktie with a deft tug. "If I want you, I'll contact you." To Kieran's surprise, Chris began dressing. Kieran struggled to rise up on his elbows. "You aren't serious." "I'm serious. I'm not going to make myself or any of my team any more vulnerable than they already are." "I'm not your whore, Christopher." "And I'm not your pawn. Take it or leave it." There was one sane response. "I'll leave it, thank you." Chris looked as though he'd been slapped. He couldn't have seriously thought... "Christopher, neither of us is a man for ultimatums. Be reasonable." Chris' expression hardened, his fingers never slowing on his shirt buttons.

Somehow Kieran managed to get out of the bed without betraying how weak his legs felt. "What did you think, Chris--you'd come here, blow my mind and get your own way? Do you think so little of me?" Chris didn't respond as he turned and picked up his suit jacket. Kieran caught the collar as Chris started to shrug it on. "No. You are not walking out of here without giving me the courtesy of at least responding. You owe me an answer." "I don't owe you a goddamned thing." Tugging free, Chris headed for the door. If he left, they were done. "Christ, it's no wonder you fucked twenty-somethings for so long. You have the maturity of one." "At least I knew better than to trust them with anything." "I take it back. They're more mature than you are." "Fuck you, too, Kieran," Chris said as he grabbed the doorknob. "Apparently you can't." Chris' body language screamed for Kieran to back down, back off. Kieran had had enough of doing what Chris wanted for one evening. Since words weren't working... He shoved Chris against the door, momentum and surprise giving him the edge. "I listened to you, now you're going to listen to me." "Damn it, Kieran--" "No, you listen," Kieran said with a growl. "I'm letting you walk out now and I'll give you some time to cool off. But I will call you and I will text, and we will resolve this like two adults." He backed off and headed for the bathroom. Control was hard to come by. He helped it along by sticking his head under the shower with the water on cold. God damn Christopher Montgomery, anyway.

Chapter 17 Chris' head pounded. It was impossible to ignore the sounds from the squad room when each one seemed to drive through his skull like a spike. Stopping at the hotel bar after leaving Kieran had been a bad idea. The two bars after that had been a seriously bad idea. The liquor store on the way home had been a phenomenally bad idea. Practically raping his lover had been the worst idea of all, though. He'd almost called in sick today. But then he would have been stuck at home, alone with nothing but thoughts of how much he'd fucked things up with Kieran. Which was understating the situation. The knock on his office door reverberated from one side of his skull to the other. At least the world had stopped spinning. "Come in," he called, head down and attempting to look busy with the paperwork in front of him. "'Morning, Commander. I thought you could use--" The smell of coffee, so often welcome regardless of his state, made his stomach flip over. Apparently, he hadn't prayed to the porcelain god enough this morning. "Commander, is everything all right?" He snorted and looked up at David. "Everything is not all right, Lieutenant." Logan eased the door shut and set the coffee down far enough away so the smell didn't make Chris nauseous, but within reach if he should decide he wanted it. "It's not like you to come in hung-over, sir." "Let's say I'm not feeling like my usual self."

"Ah." And that would be as far as David would press. He wasn't one to pry. "Mind if I ask you a question, Lieutenant?" "Something tells me you shouldn't be calling me 'Lieutenant' if you're going to." "Fair point." Considering the coffee for a moment, Chris thought better of it. "Tell me, David, have you ever done something in the heat of the moment that made perfect sense, but at the same time you knew was absolutely reprehensible?" One of David's eyebrows raised a fraction, but he otherwise didn't react. "Haven't we all?" "That's not what I meant." "I know it wasn't, but I thought it fair to give you an out of this conversation if you wanted to take it." David Logan was too damned noble for his own good. "Too often for comfort," David finally acknowledged. Chris rubbed his face. "At my age, you'd think I should know better by now." "Do we ever learn better?" Someone as young as David should not be the voice of reason. Throwing caution to the wind, Chris picked up the coffee. Still hot, the burn wasn't dissimilar to the massive quantities of whiskey he'd consumed in the early hours. At least the coffee wouldn't make him miserable. Correction, more miserable. Since his stomach didn't rebel too much, he took another sip before admitting, "I fell in love with the wrong man and I'm pretty sure I ruined whatever chance we might have." David's expression didn't waver. "Kieran Philips?" "Kieran Philips." The coffee was starting to make him feel almost human. "Were we that obvious?"

"Just confirming outside information and speculation from the few times he's been to the station. Carver started looking into him and Dekkar after they started using Doughty in their campaign. Researching our own strategy, if you will." "And what did you find?" "He was in Rio in April. At the same time you were." "Coincidence." "And Jamaica at Christmas. The same as you." Chris' stomach sank. "How far back does Eliot's research go?" "Far enough to spend too much time looking at cruises." Chris sighed and glared at the ceiling. "Why isn't he still a cop?" "Issues with authority and proper procedure," David said evenly, his amusement clear in his gray eyes if not his tone. "I thought he'd worked those out." "I give him better incentives than paid time off and a 401K." Chris took refuge in his coffee. "I suspect we're getting into areas I shouldn't know about." His stoic lieutenant grinned. Even now, it surprised Chris the impact Carver Eliot had had on David. If ever there was a mismatched couple, it should be those two, but somehow they had made it work, to the benefit of both parties. Unlike Chris. "May I make an observation?" David asked. "I opened the door for it." "My view of relationships is...skewed, but it seems stupid to throw away several years of whatever you have because you can't see eye to eye on something." Chris frowned. "I think this is more than simple misunderstanding." "I didn't say it wasn't." David looked thoughtful for a moment before he went on. "Old habits, old behaviors are hard to break. We try to keep

living our lives the same way we always have, even when the ground beneath our feet has shifted so far we can't even stand anymore. It makes us do stupid, cruel, or plain thoughtless things to try to protect the status quo." "There's more than the status quo involved here." "Is there?" "Doughty's career is on the line. And now yours." David waved his excuse aside aside. "With all the problems the department has had, there was no way this arrest wouldn't be getting an inordinate amount of scrutiny, regardless of the campaign. Two candidates trying to get mileage out of it doesn't affect the outcome of the Internal Affairs review. Doughty is a good cop and will be exonerated." If not for the campaign brouhaha, Chris would have agreed. But politics changed everything, and rarely for the better. "What about you?" David shrugged. "My career will stand or fall on its own merits. It always has. You know I'm not overly ambitious." His early service record spoke to the contrary. "I'm where I am today because Robin wanted me to challenge myself. And I'm glad. But I'm also happy with where I'm at right now." "You're not going to try for Major Crimes, are you?" "I am. I hate taking tests for nothing," David said. "But there are a lot of ifs to make it a reality. Which means I'm making the most of my time here, be it for a few short months before things go topsy-turvy or for several very comfortable years. My status quo has changed. It's time I kept up with it." Chris felt more reassured by David's words than he cared to admit. "Good, I'd hate to see you pass on such an opportunity." "Are you trying to get rid of me, sir?"

"Hardly." Speaking of opportunities... No. Chris had more than enough trouble without dragging his long simmering attraction to David into things. "At least I can still do some things right." David sighed. "It's not about winning or losing, Commander. At least not where we're concerned." "Meaning?" "Meaning your relationship with Philips is a lot more important to you than you care to admit. And you need to shift your feet." Chris winced, trying not to picture the events of last night. "It may be too late." David seemed to think about that for a long time before saying, "Once, I left Carver gagged and tied to the bed leg like a dog while I went to work." Chris choked on his cooling coffee. David dropped his eyes. "I'm not proud of it. It was an incredible betrayal of trust. But I felt too out of control, and I was trying to force things back to the way they had been. Which was impossible, of course. Things had already changed too much. I had changed too much. But I didn't want to see the truth." Chris wasn't sure how to respond. "Fortunately, or not, Carver's as stubborn as I am. I still haven't figured out how the hell he freed himself. Sheer determination, I suppose." A small, proud smile touched David's lips. "That's neither here nor there. The point is it's not always pretty or easy, but one day I realized I wasn't in it alone. It doesn't excuse the mistakes, but it makes it worth trying to work past them." "Yes, well, you're a young man." "Then you don't have as much time to waste as I did." Ouch. "Thank you for not sugarcoating it, Lieutenant." "You'd do the same for me." Again, the grin appeared and David

rose. "Now I've bruised your ego, I should get back to doing my job. Such as trying to get the ambient noise level down a few decibels." "I would appreciate it." Chris was about to turn back to his monitor when he noticed Miranda returning to her desk, followed by the IA investigator. Miranda retained her cool composure, but Chris could read the stress around her eyes. The investigator seemed carved out of granite for all the emotion he showed. He knew the investigators had a job to do, an unpleasant one, but they really were hard-cases. Having undergone a few IA reviews in his time, Chris didn't envy his detective the experience. Which added yet another layer of guilt onto his already rolling stomach. The investigator stopped at Scotty's desk, spoke to her briefly and then turned back to the interrogation room being used for the review. Scotty glared at his back, then shot a sympathetic look to Miranda before getting up to follow him. When Miranda looked his way, Chris motioned her over. "Sir?" she said, poking her head in. "How are you holding up, Detective?" She snorted. "I wouldn't call it fun by any means, but I went through worse when I was interviewing with the CIA." "Still, I regret you have to go through it." "It's part of the job. We pay for the sins of our predecessors." And contemporaries. "Hopefully, this will all be over soon." Doughty nodded, studied him for a moment, then came the rest of the way into his office and shut the door. "May I make an observation, sir?" "It seems to be the day for it." "I know there are other...issues, but you have no cause to blame

yourself here. It was my arrest, my fuck-up. Everything else is what it is." "You didn't fuck up, Detective. That's the point." "No, it's not, sir. The point is no one is to blame for any of this. I'd rather you didn't punish yourself for it." "What makes you think I'm punishing myself?" "No offense, but you haven't smiled all morning. Usually Lieutenant Logan plays the sober, serious role." If that wasn't a wakeup call, he didn't know what was. "Thank you, Detective." "You're welcome." Halfway out the door, she paused. "If your ego can take it, sir, Scotty has a helluva hangover cure that will get you through the day." He tipped the cup to her. "Consider it penance for my own personal sins. But thank you." "You'll be sorry." "I already am." He smiled. Which was truer than she would ever know.

Chapter 18 Kieran gave up on the bowtie after his fourth attempt. "Charlotte!" "God, you're hopeless." She chuckled as she came into his office. If Dekkar hadn't been invited at the last minute to the state party committee meeting that just happened to be scheduled for the same night, Kieran wouldn't be in this mess of standing in for Dekkar. He hated fundraisers. Hard to avoid in his line of work, but that was life. Of course, it didn't help matters this fundraiser was for families of the Pittsburgh PD. Which he had no problem with...other than the fact he would be stuck in formal dress in a room full of cops all evening. "Tell me again why you aren't going?" he asked Charlotte as she started on his tie. "Because I'm not the big guy's mouthpiece. And I'd look ridiculous in this tuxedo." "Oh, I don't know. I think it would be a good look on you." He winked at her. "Nice try." She gave the tie one last adjustment and patted his chest. "There. All pretty." He checked himself out in the mirror and grimaced. "Well, you aren't if you do that." Squeezing his shoulders, she said, "You'll be fine, Kieran. Relax. They won't eat you alive, contrary to popular opinion." "After Sammy spent the last two weeks all but calling them all a bunch of thugs? No, I'm sure I'll be the most popular man in the room." A thought occurred to him. "There really was a state party meeting tonight, right?"

"What, you think he'd make up another meeting in order to stick you with the angry mob?" She grinned. "You might be learning after all." "I should've known." In other circumstances he would have. But he'd been so preoccupied with-- Well, it didn't matter. "I think I might be coming down with something." "Something." Her tone was so telling, Kieran had to ask. "What's that supposed to mean?" "It means"--Charlotte began gathering up the speech cards and notes he would need--"you and Sammy pay me a great deal to notice things. So I notice when you stop slipping off to clandestine dinners. And I notice when you stop getting texts that give you a dirty smile. And I notice when I'm not walking in on your private phone conversations that give me a dirty smile. But, yes, I'm sure you're coming down with something." "Was I so obvious?" "Only for someone who notices these things." She handed over the cards. "Now, go knock 'em dead and show him what he's missing." "What makes you think he's going to be there?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Would you be getting this worked up if your dashing police commander wasn't going to be there?" Damn it. "Charlotte, remind me to give you a raise." "Kieran?" "Yes?" "Don't forget to give me a raise." She winked at him. "If I survive the night, we'll talk." **** The speech went better than he'd had any right to expect. It helped he wasn't the only speaker and so was able to get away with platitudes about the valor and dedication of the force, while still slipping in a few

platform themes about how the department needed more support from city hall and the need for a more community-focused mandate. He was happy with the polite applause he received. He'd spotted Chris in the crowd a few times, but so far Kieran had managed to avoid him. He wasn't trying to. Their paths simply hadn't crossed yet. Waiting in line at the bar, Kieran was lost in his own thoughts. "You ever think about going into politics yourself?" He was surprised to find Detective Scott standing beside him. Of all Chris' officers, she was the one who came closest to intimidating him. He was used to being under scrutiny, but this woman's green eyes were like lasers drilling right through him. "Not really. I prefer driving to leading." "Less risk." She sneered. "It's not about risk. Some people are good at getting others to follow them. Others are better at getting things done. I'm more the latter than the former." "Better to be the power behind the throne." "I suppose you could look at it like that." "Your hands don't get as messy." By this point they'd reached the bar. "Actually, they get messier. What are you drinking, Detective?" Her eyes narrowed. "I'd prefer tequila, but this place is too fancy for it. So, Scotch. Neat." Not a woman to mess with. He ordered two, handing her one as he led her away from the bar to a quieter spot. "Are you trying to get at something here, Detective?" "I'm usually a pretty good judge of character. I haven't gotten anyone as wrong as I got you in a long time. So now I'm trying to figure out what the commander saw in you.

Saw. Past tense. "Aside from the obvious, of course. You're certainly good looking enough. Then again, I've always had a weakness for blonds." She waved at a tall, broad man across the room who looked like a cross between a teddy bear and bouncer. The man waved back and returned to talking with Detective Doughty. "Is everything about your commander's life public knowledge?" "Only to me." She pinned him in place with another glare. "I'm good at taking little pieces and putting them all together into a big picture. There's a word for that, I think. Oh, yeah. Detective." "What is it you want from me, Detective?" "In an ideal world? Back the hell off on your campaign against the department. But"--she held up her drink to cut him off--"I'm not a fool. You've got a job to do, like we do; although, I'm sure yours pays better." "You didn't answer my question." "What I want, Mr. Phillips, is for the commander to stop looking like someone shot his dog. He loves his job, but now he just shows up, goes through the motions. You did that to him." "I didn't do anything to him." What Chris had done to him was another story, and one he was not sharing. Thinking about it made his hair and other parts start tingling. "Maybe, maybe not. But I sure as hell can't yell at him, can I?" "Lucky me." "Leave the man alone, Detective." Chris' baritone was still enough to set Kieran's heart thumping, and it seemed to be enough to subdue the intimidating Detective Scott as well. She dropped her head apologetically. "Yes, sir." "I apologize for Detective Scott, Mr. Philips. Her sense of duty is sometimes misdirected." Mr. Philips, is it? "Not a problem, Commander Montgomery. I can

respect loyalty, especially when it's well earned." Scotty looked at them both and shook her head. "Now the damage is done, I'll leave you gentlemen." Saluting them with her Scotch, she disappeared into the crowd. "I will say this much, Christopher, your team has variety." "Meaning?" "Logan and Doughty are so controlled, composed. And then that one..." He shook his head with a laugh before sipping at his drink. "I wouldn't want to meet her alone in a dark alley." "Few people would. It's better to be on her good side." An awkward silence settled between them, until Chris broke it. "Your speech wasn't half bad." "Talk about damning with faint praise." "Kieran--" "No, don't." Kieran started to put up a hand, realized he had a drink in it, and instead took a long, burning swallow. "Can't we at least be civil?" "No, we can't. And the kind of not civil I want to be shouldn't be performed in such a public venue when I'm working. So go back to your little family, Christopher, and leave me to my job." Chris caught his arm. "Kieran, wait, please." "You wanted space. I'm giving it to you." Tugging free, he walked away. This night couldn't end soon enough.

Chapter 19 Kieran had insisted he would call or text when he chose. But in the two weeks since their fight, he had done neither. Chris knew it was up to him to man up and apologize, but he had yet to figure out how to do that when the core issue still remained. Chris had to look out for his team first and foremost. Seeing Kieran at the fundraiser had almost broken him. The tux suited every inch of him, broad in the shoulders, neat at the waist, leading the eye down to those long, muscular legs Chris enjoyed having wrapped around him so damn much. During Kieran's speech, Chris could hear every lilt and promise he put in the words, knew them all intimately from the many, many times he had seduced Chris the exact same way. Chris had steered clear of the alcohol this time. The sight of Scotty facing Kieran down had been both amusing and terrifying. He had no idea how much she knew. Hell, she probably knew everything. But her protectiveness of her partner had come to a blistering head since Doughty had been desked, and he doubted her conversation with Kieran had anything to do with their relationship. If she had threatened him to drop the campaign strategy against her partner, Chris wasn't sure Kieran wouldn't have turned it on them to add fuel to Dekkar's fire. Kieran's reaction at the time hadn't given him any indication one way or the other, although Scotty had insisted it had been a friendly conversation. He let himself into the house, locked up, and dropped the keys in the

hall tray. He didn't bother turning on any of the lights, just dragged himself up to bed. It was a relief to get out of the dress uniform at last. The wool was hot even on the coldest day, and the collar of the shirt was getting too tight. Age was catching up with him. His phone beeped. Christ, he hoped it wasn't an emergency. He tossed his jacket over the back of the armchair and pulled the phone out of his pants pocket. Detective Scott says you're acting like I kicked your dog. Want to talk about it? Two weeks of complete silence, and now... Chris was surprised to find himself smiling. Finally, he texted back. I've always been more of a cat person. He'd finished undressing by the time Kieran's return message arrived. Does that mean you don't want to talk to me? He hesitated. He did want to talk to Kieran, wanted to badly. Yet he didn't want to come off as capitulating. Seeing as Kieran had made the first move... Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Chris made the call. "Since when has it mattered what I wanted?" It could have been an accusation, but Chris kept it light. "Let's say I was splitting the difference on both of our final ultimatums. It was good seeing you tonight." "It was really good seeing you," Chris admitted. "Already trying to one-up me?" "It was one of the few times I've ever seen you in a tux. Trust me, it was really good seeing you." Kieran chuckled, the sound of it warming Chris' heart. "Well, I'd never seen you in your dress uniform before. I knew I had a thing for guys in uniform, but damn."

"Might be one of the last times. It's getting snug." "I have no problems with snug." "You weren't the one wearing it for three hours." "Wish I'd been the one to help you get out of it." "Kieran, we can't--" Kieran sounded impatient. "Why can't we? Why do we have to be all about honor and duty? Can't we just be Christopher and Kieran for a little while and forget about the mess we're making of everything else?" "Why do you think I liked the arrangement we had so much? We could be ourselves with none of this...life shit crowding in." He scrubbed a hand through his hair. Overdue for a trim, he'd used a little too much product. He needed to shower, which would mean getting off the phone. "I need a haircut." "Speaking of life shit." Kieran sounded more amused than anything else. "And no, you don't. It gives me something to hold onto." "Damn it, Kieran, don't say things like that!" "Don't you like me telling you how much I love using your hair as a lever while I'm busy fucking your gorgeous mouth?" They weren't supposed to be doing this anymore. "You aren't here." Kieran's voice dropped. "There are ways around such a simple obstacle." There was that voice again, the seductive, suggestive, enticing tenor throb that made Chris' cock twitch harder than it already was. "It's not as good." "You could get dressed and come over. I've been wanting to fuck you against these windows since I bought the place." "You're killing me." "Then come over." "I can't." "You won't," Kieran countered.

"All right then, I won't." "Then let me get you off on the phone." "People our age don't have phone sex." But Chris was smiling. "I wasn't aware there was an age limit." "There isn't; it's just silly." "Chicken." "Oh, real mature." "Tell me you aren't already as hard as I am." He couldn't. "Kieran--" "Give me this much, Christopher." He was going to be getting himself off one way or another tonight. And, goddamn, but it was good to talk to Kieran again. "Tell me about these windows." "Don't you want to know what I'm wearing?" "Oh, I have a pretty good idea, but I'm more curious about the windows at the moment." "The whole front of the house is plate glass." His voice had gone breathy, telling Chris that, while his words hadn't caught up, Kieran was already well into the fantasy. "They face a private drive protected by a high hedge. From the moment I saw them, I thought about your exhibitionist streak and knew I had to take you up against them." "I still don't understand why you think I have an exhibitionist streak." It was an old argument, but a good one. There was a certain comfort to be had in familiarity. "Uh-huh. So you book us at those nudist resorts for the locale." "You're the one with the full-body tan." Slipping out of his briefs, Chris pitched them into the laundry hamper and settled onto his bed. "As I recall, the balcony our first time together was your idea." "You didn't say no." "Of course I damn well didn't say no. I wanted all those handsome,

vapid man-children to know where you'd disappeared to for three days." "I'm sure they heard." "Only because you're so vocal." Grazing his knuckles along his shaft, Chris said, "Now tell me what you're wearing." Kieran chuckled. "So prosaic. Try this instead. How do you want me to take you against the windows, Christopher, face first or ass first?" Chris groaned. "If I'm prosaic, you have no finesse. How quickly do you want this to be over?" "Restraint, Christopher. All things are possible." Kieran's voice dipped further. "Again I ask, face first or ass first?" Chris swallowed, wrapping his hand around his cock. "Face." "Why?" Kieran's tone said he already knew. "So I can see if anyone is watching." "What fun is an exhibition kink without knowing if anyone sees you?" "Exactly." Chris didn't bother to deny it. Kieran knew him better than that, anyway. Kieran's breathing was getting heavier. "With the light on behind us, they'll only see our shadows." Chris closed his eyes, picturing it from the voyeur's perspective as he started to jerk himself. "Turn out the light, then." "An ambient glow spilling in from the street giving just enough light to see by." He sharpened the image in his mind. "The glass is cold under my hands." "Mmm." He could tell Kieran was doing the same. "But I'm warm behind you." And so solid, holding him up. "Your fingers dig into my hips as you finally sink inside me." Kieran grunted. "Once I'm in all the way"--his voice had lost its lilt for

something a little more primal--"I wrap my arms around you and take hold of your cock, jerking and fucking you at the same time." "Breath hot against my neck as you pound into me, rattling the glass." Chris moved his hand faster, wishing he hadn't left his earpiece in the car. But one handed would have to do. "Who's watching, Christopher?" Kieran's voice was dropping down the registers, now tight and gruff as lust replaced control. "Who's watching me fuck you?" "David." The name left his lips without a thought. "The perfectly perfect lieutenant lurking in the shadows...of course. How does he look?" "Jealous." "He should be," Kieran said with a growl, as close to the edge as Chris was. "He had his chance, but you're mine now, Christopher." "Yours." He breathed the word, lost in the fantasy, muscles tensing as he almost came. Kieran didn't seem to hear. "Let him watch. Let him want you. You're mine, you stubborn bastard, you hear me?" It was too much. The imagery, the command, the feel of his own cock in his hand... "Kieran..." "God, Christopher," came from the other end of the line, then nothing but heavy, ragged breathing to match Chris' own. They lay there afterward, listening to each other breathing, relaxed in the afterglow of release. "Come over, Christopher," Kieran murmured, the hint of more of the same in his words. "You know I can't." "I know no such thing. Why do our damn jobs have to get in the way of us being together?" "They just do, Kieran." "Only if we let them."

Part of Chris wanted to believe that with enough hard work and sheer determination... "We don't get happily ever after." "Happily ever after is boring." "You know what I mean." "You make it too hard, Chris," Kieran replied, frustration and resignation an equal mix in his voice. "You expect too much from yourself and everyone around you. I don't care if you don't like my boss. I don't care if you want to bang your lieutenant. I just want you here with me." "I'm sorry, Kieran. I can't." "You mean you won't." Chris swallowed. "Goodnight, Kieran." Hanging up, he powered off the phone. If work needed him, there was still the landline. The biggest problem with this whole thing was, deep down, Chris knew Kieran was right. The rest didn't have to matter. Heading into the bathroom, he turned the shower on as hot as he could stand. It was going to be another very long night.

Chapter 20 Christopher Montgomery was going to drive Kieran right around the bend. He shouldn't be letting this get to him. It wasn't as though Chris' stubbornness was anything new. It had taken days on the cruise ship the first time they'd met to talk him around to Kieran's way of thinking about the best way to spend the trip, after which they'd spent an exhausting, exhilarating three days in Chris' bed getting to know each other. Although he guessed they hadn't really. They knew each other's bodies, certainly, but more and more he was starting to realize the things they had brushed off as shallow knowledge were turning out to be pretty damn important. But Chris had shut him out now for what Kieran considered an imagined crime. There had to be a way to get through to him, but without more information, he didn't know how. He could think of one person who might. He stopped Charlotte on her way to Sammy's office. "When you're done, I need you to get me an address." **** The address Charlotte had given him was for a stately Victorian on a large lot in the gentrified Friendship section of Pittsburgh. The color was understated as far as Victorians in the area went, a pale yellow picked out in white trim, but the exterior was impeccable, no peeling paint or rotted wood anywhere. The place looked like it must have back when it was built. Which shouldn't surprise him. Lieutenant Logan didn't seem the type to let anything become rundown. But Kieran wasn't here to see the dashing lieutenant. Middle of the

day, he would still be at work. Kieran stopped to inspect the dark blue Mustang parked in the drive. Modern make, early 2000s, and a little worn around the edges with a creeping crack in the windshield. It suited Logan's partner to a T. "She's not for sale." Carver Eliot leaned against one of the porch supports. "I can see why. It's a beautiful car." "I'd have figured you for more of a Lexus or Jaguar kind of guy." "That's just the job. My personal tastes run a bit more muscular." Carver cocked an eyebrow at him. "Present company excluded." "I'm crushed." Carver did sarcasm well. "I've got enough problems right now without pissing off Chris' dashing lieutenant. And I suspect you might be a little more than I can handle." "See, I knew you were a smart guy." Kieran walked over to the porch. "Can we talk?" "I thought we were." "Inside. Professionally." "Seeing as my virtue is safe..." Carver nodded toward the house. As Kieran passed, he said, "Wipe your feet. I just vacuumed." It was pretty much the last thing Kieran had expected to hear. "One smart comment about me being the happy little homemaker and we're through." Kieran was certain he wasn't exaggerating. "I wouldn't dream of it." To Kieran's surprise, Carver led him through the house to a bright, open kitchen with modern appliances that belied the older house and a bank of windows looking out over a small but well manicured lawn. Carver opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer, opening one to hand to Kieran before twisting the top off the second and settling onto

one of the island stools. "What can I do for you?" Kieran eyed the bottle in front of him warily. "You're being awfully friendly. Last time we met, you tried to put my head through a wall." "I have a better understanding of the situation now." Carver took a long pull from his beer. "Plus, if you're willing to come here after everything, it shows you have a decent pair on you. I admire that." It was Kieran's turn to take a long drink for fortification. "How much do you know already?" Carver didn't even pretend to be confused. "About you and Montgomery? Broad strokes. You've been meeting up for a few years, typically out of the country and somewhere warm, although there was the Alaskan cruise two years ago. You've never been to Pittsburgh, and he's never been to Seattle, so I'm assuming this was a friends with benefits relationship rather than anything more serious." "Which is why I came to Pittsburgh. I wanted to find out if there could be more to it." "And?" "And your detective friend ended up as a prime element in my boss' campaign for office." "Life does have a way of trying to fuck up a good thing." The almost dismissive comment was disconcerting to say this least. "That's rather blasé coming from you." Carver shrugged and took another drink. "Like I said, I have a better view of the situation now." "Which is?" Carver set the bottle down and turned it clockwise three times. "Tell me why you're here." "I need help. Chris won't listen to me, and I have to get through to him." "Why?"

"What do you mean why? Haven't you listened to anything I've said?" "I have, but I don't think you have." Carver leaned forward. "If you two are just fuck buddies, why do you need this so bad? There are plenty of guys out there who'll fuck your brains out for the price of dinner and without so much hassle." "Because I want more than that." "What if Montgomery doesn't?" "He does, but he's being too damn stubborn and noble to admit it." "What are you willing to give up to get through to him?" "Give up...like my job?" "If it came to it, would you?" "It wouldn't be fair for him to ask me to." "Fuck fair." Carver kept studying him, cool and clinical despite his words. "Life isn't fair. Love is even less fair. You're old enough to know that by now." Kieran grimaced. "I think I should be insulted." "You can if you want to be, but it won't help with your problem." Carver took a sip before going on. "What you need to do is figure out what Christopher Montgomery is worth to you." "That isn't why I came here." "No, you came here hoping to find a shortcut back into his good graces. But that's not how it works. The only people we can change are ourselves, and you have to decide how much of yourself is worth sacrificing to get him." Kieran gestured to the leather and copper collar Carver wore. He'd been around long enough to recognize it for what it was. "Is that the reason you wear that?" Carver raised a hand to finger the metal inlay. "No. I deserve this. I earned it." "And David's?" Because, while David's was easier to pass off as a

necklace, the man didn't seem the jewelry type. "I earned David's, too." "You know Chris has a thing for your boyfriend." Carver barked a laugh and reached for his bottle again. "Those two. I'm damn lucky neither one of them acted on their impulses or I'd never have gotten in the door with David. The boy has some serious daddy issues." "Well, Chris has an eye for younger men." "Then how did you get him?" "Intrigue and dogged persistence. And I'm technically younger than him." "What's different now?" "I don't know." Kieran took another pull of the beer, needing it to settle the sudden surge in his stomach. "Loss of the mystery, I guess. Sometimes it's better not to draw back the curtain." "If you say so." They lapsed into comfortable silence. Not something Kieran would have expected to share with the man who'd almost throttled him. "Since you're here"--Carver set his bottle aside and leaned forward conspiratorially--"you can tell me about this cruise you met Full Monty on." "Full Monty?" Carver grinned. "Oh, this is going to be fun." "Seriously, Full Monty?" Considering what Kieran knew of Chris' vacation behavior, it shouldn't surprise him. "Quid pro quo..." "Deal."

Chapter 21 Chris tugged at his shirt collar, not for the first or last time this evening. Any more of these political gatherings and he would have to look into a new dress uniform. Or see about getting into better shape. Yet one more reason to loathe politics. He didn't have the option of saying no, however. The mayor had requested Chris' presence as part of an entourage of social and cultural figureheads to remind everyone at the party meeting how much Slater had already achieved for the city. All Dekkar had was a bunch of promises and more than enough money to make them believable. But above all else, Dekkar had Kieran. Wearing a well-cut tux highlighting every lean, muscular line...making Chris even more aware of how snug his dress uniform was. It was much easier to get over someone when you weren't forced into close proximity on a near daily basis, with him looking his absolute best. Who was Chris kidding? Certainly not himself. Jerking off every night to memories of his lover did not qualify as getting over him. Especially when he felt empty and dirty afterward. Considering some of the things they'd done together, that was quite an accomplishment. At the moment, they were separated by both candidates, the party chairman and a podium, making it impossible even to see Kieran, let alone ogle him. Which was probably a good thing, considering how crowded the ballroom was, with all those faces pointing in their general direction. Chris was here to help the mayor make a good impression, not humiliate Slater and himself in front of the entire party by panting after his ex.

He reached for his Scotch and found it already empty. A bad sign, as it was his second drink and dinner hadn't even started. Instead of flagging down the server for another, he opted to stick with water until the more social aspect of the evening commenced. "This isn't a funeral, sir," Doughty said from beside him. "What's that supposed to mean?" "You might want to try smiling, or at least stop glaring at your plate." So much for keeping up appearances. "You can't tell me you enjoy putting out for these dog and pony shows." "Hardly," she replied. "But getting irritated won't make the evening go any better, let alone faster." "Easy for you to say. Your dress blues fit you like a glove." It wasn't an idle compliment. Miranda's runway figure filled out the tailored uniform in a way guaranteed to get her more than professional attention. "Trust me, sir, you cut a striking figure yourself." The comment made him smile. "Flattery won't get you anywhere, Detective." "Since I managed to get you to stop looking so dour, I'd say I fared quite well." She kept up the harmless banter throughout the meal, distracting him far better than the Scotch would have. "I owe you." Doughty squeezed his arm as she rose. "It's the least I can do after everything." There wasn't time to fret afterward. Slater and Tobin kept the two of them busy, introducing them to party members and reporters, giving them a chance to spew out their well-rehearsed speeches. At least Chris believed the essence of what he was saying or he'd never have been able to pull it off.

"What it really comes down to," he related to one of the nameless suits with yet another too-young trophy girlfriend on his arm, "is Pittsburgh is our home, and we want to make sure she is safe for everyone." "By any means necessary," the suit baited. "Circumstances are rarely so dire." Chris kept his tone light. "Sometimes things do get out of hand, but overall I try to instill in my officers a policy of first do no harm. Which is a situation I'm sure," he added, finally placing the suit, "you understand with your work in cardiac surgery, Dr. Kenzer." Eventually, the formalities ended and he was able to make his way to the bar, having managed not to stick his foot in it too badly. He'd earned this drink. "For all you claim to hate the limelight, you really are a natural at it." Kieran leaned casually against the counter beside him, his sharp eyes studying Chris. Chris had the feeling he'd been watched for a while. Chris ordered a Scotch before answering. "The two things aren't mutually inclusive. I'm good at plunging toilets, too. Doesn't mean I want to work in a sewer." "Touché. Although, often times those are the best people for the job." Wasn't there some saying about power or greatness and having it thrust upon a person? But thinking of thrusting in any context near Kieran, however innocuous, was dangerous. Which didn't keep Chris' mind from wandering down that track anyway, so he was startled when Kieran straightened and offered his hand. "Kieran Philips," he introduced himself, as though it were the first time they'd met. "I'm Sammy Dekkar's campaign manager." Chris was puzzled but took it. "Chris Montgomery." Kieran looked so serious. "No, no, you say Commander Christopher

Montgomery, with the Pittsburgh PD. Clean start. No secrets this time." "What are you playing at?" "I'm not playing at anything. That's the whole point." After five years together, there was no such thing as a clean start. "Humor me, please?" "Fine." It was better than the game they had been playing. "So, uh, come here often?" Kieran laughed, the warmth of it sending familiar ripples along Chris' nerve endings. "Yes, my favorite place to hang out and hit on men is in an overcrowded ballroom at a political meeting. Overdone catered food and watered down alcohol get the juices flowing, you know?" "Are you hitting on me?" "I don't know. Am I?" "It's always difficult to tell with you." "How can that be when we've never met before?" Chris snorted. "Right. I forgot. You just remind me of someone I used to know." "I'll bet he didn't look this good in a tux." Kieran's eyes danced. "I very much preferred him out of it." "That's not a fair comparison." "Oh?" Kieran rested both elbows on the bar and shifted closer to Chris, his playful expression about as dirty as Chris had ever seen. "You haven't seen me out of mine." The comeback came as naturally as breathing. "Yet." "Now who's hitting on whom?" "At least I'm subtle about it." Kieran smirked. "You don't strike me as the subtle type." Chris grinned. "I have my moments." Kieran glanced around the room. "I'm pretty much done here. How

about we go somewhere and get better acquainted?" Chris swallowed the last of his Scotch. "I don't know. We seem to be doing fine here." "So you don't want to go back to my place and fuck?" Kieran's voice was low, sultry and went straight to Chris' cock. "Jesus, why didn't you say so in the first place?" "I thought I would try subtle." "Fuck subtle." "I'd much prefer to fuck you." After everything, Chris knew what his answer should be. One night wouldn't fix anything. Instead, he said without hesitation, "So would I." Kieran threw back the last of his drink. "Finally. Let's get out of here." "The sooner the better." "Good, because I have these amazing windows you wouldn't believe." They had just cleared the bar and were in the veiled privacy of the kitchen access when Chris decided he'd had enough flirting and shoved Kieran against the wall to kiss him. Actions always worked better for him than words. Kieran groaned and hauled him close, drifting a hand under the tail of Chris' uniform jacket to grab his ass. Breaking for air, Chris rested his forehead against Kieran's. "Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are?" "Absence makes the cock grow harder." Chris chuckled. "That was horrible, but, God, I've missed you." Kieran's free hand curled around Chris' nape and he stroked lightly, making Chris shiver. "So have I, like you wouldn't believe." Oh, Chris had a pretty good idea. He gave Kieran a fleeting kiss and reluctantly stepped back. "Come on. If we don't leave now, this party is going to get a lot more entertaining for anyone who happens by."

"And the problem with that is?" He was getting to the point it wouldn't seem like a problem for much longer. And that would be bad for both of them. Still, he grinned as he caught hold of Kieran's hand and pulled him along. "You're a bad influence." "Only the in the best possible way." Chris pushed the back door open out to the parking lot, only to hit someone coming back in--Sammy Dekkar. "Heading out, Kieran?" Kieran didn't lose his cool. "Things seem under control here." Dekkar glanced at Chris, who realized neither he nor Kieran looked remotely impeccable anymore. "Have a good night, then." He didn't wait for a response from Kieran as he headed back into the hotel. It was enough to break the spell. This was insane. If he went home with Kieran, wasn't he basically throwing Miranda to the dogs? She deserved better than that, better than to get sold off for thirty pieces of silver. Or a magnificent night of sex. "Don't worry about it," Kieran reassured Chris as if reading his mind. "I promise you can go back to being mad at me tomorrow. No harm, no foul. If you want to." Chris wished he could be so certain, but at this point it didn't matter. Whatever damage there was had already been done. Why not enjoy the night? He gave Kieran a quick, heated kiss. "I'll meet you at your place." "The hell you will. Get in the car, Christopher." "I drove here. I can't--" Kieran hauled him close. "If you think I'm letting you out of my sight for a second..." He enjoyed the feel of Kieran's hardness pressed into him. In the shadows of the parking lot, he risked leaning in to tease at his lips. "Worried I'll change my mind?"

"Very." Kieran dared to make it another full-blown kiss, lingering and sensual. "I couldn't take another night of jerking off thinking of you." Chris couldn't think anymore, only feel and want and need. "Neither could I." One more kiss, and Chris pushed him back. "Let's go."

Chapter 22 The ride home was interminable. Kieran felt pathetic for being so grateful to have Chris next to him, but he was. It pretty much brought the whole situation into perspective for him. He hadn't come to Pittsburgh because of the job. He'd come here for Chris. The job had been an excuse to get here. A few stolen days here and there weren't enough anymore. He needed Chris in his life, every day. And he'd come damn close to fucking that up. Since he'd first bought the place, Kieran had pictured showing Chris around the masculine steel and stone comforts and how he would find subtle ways to show Chris he was welcome there. Kieran hadn't imagined the first time would be after five weeks of separation. He was starved for Chris, the feel of him, the taste of him. He doubted they'd get through the front door. Which was fine by him. Chris let out a low whistle as they pulled into the drive. "You weren't kidding about the windows." "I take your kinks very seriously." "My kinks, right." Chris unfolded his long, lean body from the BMW, still studying the impressive facade of the small house. "I didn't even know there were places like this in Pittsburgh." "What, stylish?" Joining Kieran on the driver's side, Chris responded, "No, private," and pinned him against the car. The first kiss was primal, an edge of the hurt and anger they'd both been carrying adding an acid layer to the lingering taste of Scotch in Chris' supple mouth. Kieran welcomed it, gripping Chris' head to pull

him in even deeper. Chris rocked his hips forward, their erections grinding together promisingly. Fantasy had nothing on reality, as their trips together had proved time and again. But it was all the more poignant now. "I could so fuck you out here," Chris murmured against Kieran's jaw line. "What's stopping you?" Nothing, judging by the speed with which he undid Kieran's cummerbund. "It might not be great for your reputation to have someone find a cop's uniform spread across your lawn in the morning." "It'll sure be great for my ego, though," Kieran said as he set to work on Chris' dress jacket. Chris had Kieran's open in short order, followed by the shirt underneath. The night breeze brushing his bare skin felt almost as good as Chris' mouth on his chest. The thought they might do it out here on the hood of his car galvanized him, making him scrabble at Chris' fly. He wanted this so very much right now. He made an incoherent noise of protest when Chris pulled back. His lover chuckled. "I'm not going anywhere. Well, I'm going somewhere, just not away." He kissed Kieran fiercely as he opened Kieran's slacks, tugging them down as he dropped to his knees and took Kieran into his mouth. There were a lot of good reasons he and Chris had hooked up. A shared exhibitionist streak was the least of them, but right now it was the one Kieran was most grateful for. Supporting himself with the side mirror and a firm grip on Chris' thick hair, Kieran rode the sensations. He spread his legs as wide as his pants would allow when Chris began to prod for entry with the fingers of his left hand.

"Like that?" he asked, tongue following the path of his fingers. "God, yes." "Anyone could see us." Chris pulled back to tongue over Kieran's balls. "It's still early and this is a college neighborhood." "Let them. They can't see you anyway. They'd think I was getting myself off over my car." "It's not that nice of a car. Too chic-chic." While he spoke, Chris never stopped in his physical attention. "You haven't seen how she corners." He sideswiped up the length before swallowing it all down again. Kieran clutched at the car, desperate to hold out. When Chris released him, it was to smile innocently up at him. "Not as tight in the corners as I am." "Jesus, Christopher." "I'm only getting started." Chris wrapped his gorgeous mouth around Kieran's cock again and redoubled his efforts. Kieran grabbed the back of Chris' head, fighting the need to fuck his mouth. "God damn it, Chris, not...fuck...this isn't what I...oh, God!" But Chris was too far gone, lost in the rhythm of the blow, and Kieran didn't have the fortitude to stop him. He came into his lover's mouth hard, in front of God, the neighbors, and all the stars in the gorgeous night sky. He leaned there, supported by Chris and his Beemer, recovering. "Fuck me," he said. "Soon." Chris chuckled as he got to his feet. "But for that, I want you fully present." "This wasn't how this was supposed to go." "You're complaining?" Shaking his head, Kieran draped his arms around Chris' shoulders. "No way. But I had plans."

"Involving those windows?" "Not just the windows." "I'm not going anywhere." He dug a hand into Kieran's pants pocket and pulled out his keys before leading him to the front door. "Come on; show me this wonderful house of yours." They'd barely made it into the foyer when Kieran said, "It's much better by daylight," and shoved Chris against the nearest wall. "At this rate I won't see it until then." Chris wriggled out of his uniform jacket and let it fall on the floor before pulling Kieran back in. "Your uniform is an unfair advantage. I was better off before I saw you in it." "No, you weren't." "No, I wasn't." Some of the edge had been taken off, so the kiss was gentler, though no less passionate. Kieran wasn't sure what it said about him, but he loved he could taste himself mixed in with the Scotch and another flavor that could only be called Christopher. Chris shoved the tuxedo jacket off Kieran's shoulders to join his own on the floor somewhere behind them, and Kieran was vaguely aware his cummerbund lay discarded somewhere out in the drive. He hoped it didn't rain tonight or his dry cleaner wouldn't be pleased. They both fumbled out of their shoes, never interrupting the heady explorations of their mouths, before dropping their pants as well. Kieran would never tire of seeing Chris in the snug boxer briefs he preferred. He reached down to fondle the bulge featuring prominently in the front of them. Chris arched into his touch. "Keep doing that and this won't last long at all." "What, this?" He pushed the elastic waistband down over Chris's hips and wrapped his hand around the velvet-coated iron of Chris' cock.

Chris slammed his head back against the wall. Kieran followed him, jerking him in short, fierce strokes. "Five weeks, Christopher." He hissed the words in his lover's ear. "You've denied both of us this for five long weeks." Chris didn't open his eyes, humping in time to Kieran's pulls. "We've been apart longer." "Not in the same city, we haven't." "It shouldn't matter." "But it does." "It does," Chris agreed, cupping Kieran's face as he kissed him. Too soon Chris came, body tensing as he spilled over Kieran's hand. They stood there, propping each other up, savoring being together again. "Now we can take our time," Kieran said. Releasing Chris' cock, he lifted his hand and started to lick off the traces of Chris' release. "Keep that up and we sure as hell won't." He kept on, meeting Chris' eyes in challenge. Chris caught his wrist to pull the hand to his own mouth and slowly finished the job. Kieran was hard again before he was done. "Bedroom?" "I don't know. I'm liking this wall." "Only because all you've seen is the hallway." "Your car was nice, too." Kieran didn't roll his eyes. "Come on." To further his point, he shed what remained of his clothes and started in the direction of his bedroom. They went up the wide black stairs to the second floor, which was largely an open plan, the wall of windows from the first floor continuing up here. Only the bathroom was framed off in graphic white and black.

Light warmed the room from the baseboards without being bright, giving the whole space a candlelight glow. "It's better than I'd imagined." Kieran turned and smiled back at Chris. "Of course it is. I have impeccable taste, remember?" "Mmm, I remember." He pulled Kieran close, their naked bodies aligning with familiar precision. "I remember how good your clothes feel when I take them off you." Kieran savored the feel of his lover. It felt very, very right. "I'm sorry about what I did," Chris said, his voice almost too quiet to be heard. Kieran teased his lips over Chris'. "You were looking out for your team." "That's not what I meant." Chris leaned his forehead against Kieran's. "The last time we were together, I went too far." Kieran's ass clenched at the memory of Chris' violation. He chuckled. "You feel bad about that?" "Well, yes, I--" "Christopher." He backed Chris up while he spoke until Chris' backside was firmly planted against plate glass. "What do you think I've been jerking off to? I don't want you to feel bad about it because I'm really, really hoping it's going to happen again." Chris hissed, but whether from the cold glass or Kieran's words, Kieran wasn't sure. "You're a gentleman, Christopher." He began sucking kisses along Chris' neck. "In bed as much as in the world. And I respect and value that. Which does not mean I'm not very happy to see a darker side of you come out once in a while." "I...I didn't really give you a choice." "If I'd said no, would you have stopped?"

Chris' eyes were clear when he looked up. "I don't know." "Well, I do." Kieran kissed him, gentle but short. "If I'd said stop, you would have. Your darkness doesn't go that deep, Christopher. Some rough play, a bit of a daddy kink, and some serious exhibitionism, but not true, outright violence. That much I know about you without question." One of Chris' eyebrows quirked up. "Daddy kink?" "Perhaps more than a bit. But I'd rather not go into excruciating detail right now." Chris flipped their positions, and it was Kieran's turn to gasp from the cold window. "So if I was to tie you up and paddle your ass right now, you'd get off on it?" "Maybe not paddling. But rough use, most definitely." Chris reached between them to fondle Kieran's balls aggressively. "Like this?" Kieran crossed his wrists and stretched his arms up over his head. "Close." Taking the hint, Chris pinned Kieran's wrists to the glass, still tugging at his genitals. "You have a girder in your bedroom." Kieran's heart was pounding already. "I do." "I have several pairs of handcuffs." "So do I." Chris scented along his neck. "You like being on the receiving end, but do you like giving as well?" Kieran nipped Chris' ear hard. "Want to find out?" "Please." One word, so very needy. Chuckling, Kieran wiggled free from Chris' grasp. "Is there anything that doesn't get you off?" "Women." "Good thing. I don't think I could stand the competition." "There's no competition. You wouldn't let there be."

Oh, there was plenty of competition, if Chris was willing to look seriously in a certain lieutenant's direction. But now was neither the time nor place to discuss David Logan. Instead, Kieran grinned. "How do you feel about spreader bars?" Chris pushed Kieran back toward the bed. "Mmm, they'd look great on you. Butt plugs?" "Next best thing to you. Harness?" "No saddles. Cock cages?" Kieran shook his head, pulling Chris down on the mattress with him. "Gets in the way too much. Beads?" "Wonderful." Chris rolled Kieran beneath him and halted the litany with a guilt-free kiss. It would be very wonderful indeed. But for now, Kieran wanted Chris, unencumbered. They'd try the rest later. Chris seemed to feel the same. "I hope you're a creature of habit," he grumbled, reaching for the bedside drawer. Kieran didn't bother confirming, dry humping Chris's thigh instead in anticipation of what was coming. Chris came up with the bottle of lube and shot a dollop in his hand. "You or me?" "Definitely you." Kieran shoved Chris over and moved astride him as Chris slicked himself up. He was too impatient after all this time, all this talk. He just wanted to feel Chris, needed to feel him. He knocked Chris' hand away and guided his cock home himself. "Oh God." He groaned as too-tight muscles stretched, making way before the unrelenting probe. "The only thing I'm pissed at, Christopher, is you denying us this for too long." Chris ground his head back into the pillows, hips arching up even higher. "I was deprived, too." "I know. Idiot." Kieran rode him hard, slow at first, but picking up

speed, each thrust its own fiery pleasure that earned grunts from both of them. "Next time you want to fight with me, do it face to face." "I can't fight with you in person." "So much the better." Kieran clenched around Chris' cock, earning a breathy curse. "And if you do manage to fight with me in person, we can at least get to the make-up sex so much quicker." "Is that what this is?" "Christ, I hope so." Chris' fingers dug pleasantly into his hips, urging him on. "If not, we're both stubborn fools who deserve to be miserable." Chris caught him behind the neck and hauled him down, their lips brushing. "Sex isn't a cure-all." "Neither is talking. But we're doing both, and that's a hell of a lot better than what we were doing." "Less talking, more fucking." Chris backed up words with action, sitting up and continuing over until Kieran was on his back with his head at the foot of the bed. Chris slung Kieran's legs over his arms to lift him, giving Chris better access as he fucked Kieran frantically. Kieran braced himself against the footboard with one hand and started jerking himself off with the other. "Don't you dare hold out on me." A few more quick thrusts and Chris was shooting hot and hard, tipping Kieran over the edge soon after. Sweaty, with muscles already beginning to protest, Kieran held onto Chris as long as physiology would allow. Chris pulled out with a groan and flopped back on the bed so they were top to tail. Kieran had the lovely thought of a sixty-nine for dessert, but couldn't bring himself to move. "You gonna sleep down there all night?" Chris asked without moving. "Might. Are you staying?" "Not if you're sleeping down there." "You could join me."

"No, I'm quite comfortable where I'm at." "So am I." "Then we seem to be at an impasse." Chris threaded his fingers through Kieran's. "The night's still young." Kieran closed his hand around Chris', holding his lover's hand as they lay there in the dark. It was a start.

Chapter 23 Chris awoke to a rumpled, empty bed and the smell of frying bacon. The latter almost made up for the former. Stretching, he sat up and saw a worn flannel robe hanging over the foot of the bed. It was an uncharacteristically comfortable item for such a fashionable man and made Chris smile. He got up and slipped it on, cinching it closed as he followed the smell of breakfast. Kieran's cummerbund hung over the railing, while Chris' uniform was neatly folded on the bottom step. Chris couldn't remember how much had been left outside last night. He grinned. Kieran was sipping coffee with one hand and stirring eggs with the other, dressed in nothing but a pair of loose, silk sleep pants. Chris went up behind him to wrap his arms around his lover's bare chest and kiss the side of his neck. "Good morning." Kieran leaned into the embrace. "A very good morning. Sleep well?" Chris nodded. "Although, I now realize how bad my own mattress is. Of course, the company helped." "All the calisthenics beforehand didn't hurt, either." Kieran turned off the burner and slid the eggs aside before turning to coil his arms around Chris' neck. "You've got pretty good stamina for a man your age." "The trick is to pace yourself." He kissed Kieran easily, fingers plucking at the waistband of his pants. "Rest up between screaming orgasms." "Screaming orgasms. I like how you think." Chris savored the smoky flavor of the coffee Kieran had been

drinking. "So do I." Kieran had already undone the sash of his robe as Chris tugged down one side of Kieran's pants. "Those eggs going to be okay?" "No." Kieran pushed him back to bump up against the refrigerator door. "They're going to be dried out and tasteless by the time we're done." "Perfect." Chris had missed these lazy mornings, languid kisses and gentle groping that sometimes escalated, sometimes didn't. Real life didn't allow for the luxuries their vacations together had. "Have I mentioned how much I've missed you?" he asked, gliding his hand over the smooth curve of Kieran's ass. "Good to know. I was beginning to think you could live without me." "Live, yes. Be happy, not so much." They were bordering on saying too much. Instead, Chris concentrated on mapping Kieran's mouth, their half-dressed bodies entwined in easy familiarity. Every day should start like this. Except they couldn't. Kieran pulled back and looked at him, brows drawn together. "What's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong." "You're thinking too much again. I can feel it." "I'm trying not to." Kieran stepped back when Chris tried to resume his attentions. "No. We're not not talking about things." "I swear it's nothing." "Clearly, it isn't." Chris sighed, capitulating. "I like this--waking up in your bed and the morning routine. Just you and me. It's nice." "And the problem is..."

"It can't last, Kieran. Our real lives aren't compatible." "Chris, you're making a mountain out of a mole hill. This is one election. One." "And what happens after? If Dekkar wins, will you go to work for him in the mayor's office? If he loses, will you help him with his senate race? Or will you take on another front-runner? Or will you leave?" "It's the future, so I have no idea. And neither do you." "It was easier when we knew. We'd meet, spend a few fabulous days together, and then go back to our lives. This is..." "Hard? It's real life, Christopher. It's supposed to be hard." "Don't call me 'Christopher' when you're yelling at me." "I use it because I know you'll listen to me." He caught Chris around the neck and pulled him close enough for their foreheads to meet. "If we had all the answers, then we wouldn't need a lifetime to figure things out. You take it one day at a time and learn as you go." "You sound like you swallowed a book of platitudes." "It's my job. Sorry. But I mean it. If we already knew everything about each other and where this relationship was going, would there be any point in being together?" "Well, the sex is really good." Kieran laughed. "Lover, the sex is amazing." "It's just everything else we're shit at." "No, the sex is just the easy part." "Always has been." "This was never going to be easy. You said it yourself, back when we first met. We're old men, set in our ways. We're going to surprise each other sometimes, and not always in a good way." "All right." Chris relaxed a little. "One day at a time." "Thank you."

"Can we have breakfast first? I'm starving." With a grin, Kieran pulled his pants up and turned back to the stove to dish up the cooling eggs. "Eat fast, though. We both have to be in to work this morning. And I don't have any clean clothes that will fit you." Chris took his plate to the table. "I might be conspicuous if I turn up at the station in my dress uniform." "Probably. But I'm sure any number of people would be appreciative." The very same people who already knew way too much about his personal life. "In the meantime," Kieran said as he handed Chris a plate, "you can tell me all about how you came to be known as 'Full Monty.'" Chris almost choked on his food. "How did you hear about that?" Kieran picked up his fork, the perfect picture of innocence. "A little bird told me." It could have been anyone. And Chris wasn't embarrassed, exactly. "It's not really very interesting." "Not from what I hear." Kieran popped a bite in his mouth and waggled his eyebrows. "I was young. We all do stupid things when we're young." Chris stabbed his eggs with more force than was necessary. "It was for a good friend." "The first time, maybe." Once Chris found out who had told Kieran, he was going to kill them. "I have a wide array of music that might be suitable...if the mood ever strikes you." "You're lucky we both have to go to work." Kieran leaned forward. "Mm, I like the sound of that." So did Chris. "Will you drop it now if I promise to give you all the details over dinner tomorrow?" "I'd rather you showed me, but I think I'd be a fool to say no."

He was way too old to be getting turned on by the thought of stripping for his boyfriend.

Chapter 24 "Why is Sammy speaking second?" Kieran demanded as Charlotte went past, her arms full of banners. "He's the invited guest; he should be speaking first." "When the governor asks to speak, he goes to the front of the line," she answered, her voice harried. "God damn glory hound. Let him arrange his own events instead of horning in on ours." She shoved the banners into the arms of a waiting volunteer and turned back to him. "Yeah, well, you tell him. In the meantime, Sammy wants to see you." "Did he say why? I've got to finish reviewing this speech." "No, and I didn't ask. I only get paid to deliver messages." "You get paid for a lot more than that. What's with the banners?" She growled--actually growled--and Kieran realized there were better questions he could have asked. "They spelled his fucking name wrong. How hard is Dekkar, for God's sake? It's not like it's the first time we've done a print job with them. So now I have to take them all back over there and tear someone a new one." "See? You're earning your salary after all." Her dirty look was enough to set his hair on fire. "Go talk to Sammy before I murder you and use your blood to reprint these damn things." "You ever consider a career in politics?" "Kieran..." "All right, all right, I'm going." Sammy was on the phone when Kieran arrived at his office. He

waved Kieran in and hung up a short while later. "You're looking well rested today." Considering what he and Christopher had been up to, rested wouldn't have been one of the first words he chose. Content, however... "I had a good night last night." "I can imagine." Sammy swung back and forth in his chair, his fingers steepled under his chin in thought. "The commander is a very handsome man. I hadn't realized he was of"--Sammy gestured at Kieran--"your persuasion." "I don't see what my persuasion has to do with anything." "Montgomery's been making a very good show for Slater. He's handsome, professional, clean, and committed. We should have someone like him on our side." Kieran gritted his teeth. "All right." Sammy leaned forward. "We should have him on our side." "Come again?" "I want Montgomery. On our team. That's not too difficult to arrange, is it?" It wasn't a request. Sammy Dekkar didn't make requests. "Sammy, we can't blackmail him. Just because--" "Who's talking about blackmail? Persuasion, Kieran, persuasion. He looked to be having as fine a time last night as you were. I'm sure you can find ways to persuade him." Chris was only involved at all because of the stupid ad they'd run using his officer. It wouldn't be the first time an ad had come back to bite Kieran in the ass, just not quite so personally. "He won't do it," Kieran said at last. "Such negativity isn't like you, Kieran. You can't know until you try." "No." "Sorry?" "I said no, Sammy."

"Have you got another suggestion?" "Yeah, leave the cops alone. Montgomery got involved because we used one of his officers against Slater. Let it go and Montgomery will fade back into the woodwork." "It's too late for that." Irritated, Sammy dropped the cajoling act and got up to circle the desk. "Montgomery's given Slater the appearance of having the police union endorsement, even before they've made one. We have to get that back, and the way to do it is by getting Montgomery to flip. You know how this game works, Kieran. I shouldn't have to be explaining it to you." Oh, he knew all too well. "There are other avenues we can pursue." "I don't want other avenues. So either man up and do the job I'm paying you to do or... Well, it's not going to come to such drastic measures, is it?" There it was. A simple decision, like Carver had said. Kieran pulled himself up to his full height, looming over Dekkar. "I took this job because of you, Sammy. You were liberal, we shared a lot of the same outlook on the world, and I thought you'd be good to work for and good for the city. But it looks like I'm leaving this job for the same reason. Because you're an asshole, and I'm not going to use good people so you can manipulate your way into office. I quit." "You can't quit. We have a contract." Kieran marched toward the door. "Watch me." "It's three weeks before the primary!" Kieran took too much pleasure in the panic in his voice. "You'll manage. If you're smart, you'll put Charlotte in charge. Before I steal her away from you." "I'll sue." Kieran stopped, then faced Sammy. "With all the skeletons I know are in your closet? I dare you." As he turned his back and finally left

Sammy, Kieran knew he'd treasure the gob-smacked look on the man's face for many years to come. He headed to his office to grab up his briefcase and jacket, the only personal items he had at the office. For all he had invested, it just served to show how easy it really was to walk away. He reached the elevators in time to run into Charlotte. "Where the hell are you going?" "Someplace where the air isn't quite so foul." He pushed the button for the lobby. She caught the door and stepped in with him, waiting for the elevator to start its descent before confronting him. "What did he do?" "You mean aside from dropping the pretense of being a decent human being?" "Yes, aside from that." "Honestly, Charlotte, I don't know how you've put up with him as long as you have. The man's a--" "Foul, malodorous, egocentric bastard with a Napoleon complex. In other words, he's a politician. And it's not like you to let that stuff get to you. So, what did he do?" "What politicians do--play to win." "Kieran--" "It doesn't matter, Charlotte. But look on the bright side; now you get to run this show like you've wanted to all along." She sneered. "As if I want to be responsible for this train wreck." He was startled by her response and apparently showed it. She pulled the emergency stop, halting the elevator's decent. "Look, I've worked with Sammy a long time. I know what a bastard he can be. Which meant if I left, I'd be screwed because he'd burn me on every job I tried to get. Instead, I tried to build my own reputation, so people outside his office would know who I am. Until you came along and put a big old

'road closed' sign in my way." "Charlotte, I never--" "And now you're leaving to go do something better. Take me with you." "I don't even know what I'm going to do yet!" "I don't care. You won't sit on your hands for long, and whatever you start up with, I want in. I don't care if it's a campaign for a fucking dogcatcher. You're the first person to know I am good enough to do this job, and I want to be doing it for you." If he'd learned anything from his time on Sammy Dekkar's campaign, it was that it was next to impossible to say no to Charlotte. "Okay." She blinked at him. "I'd be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially now." "Damn right. But if you compare me to a horse again, I'll make you very sorry." She started the elevator moving again and grinned at him. "If you're not busy, care to join me for brunch? I have a few ideas that might make our unemployment very brief." "I'd love to, but before I can commit to anything, there's one more thing I have to do."

Chapter 25 Chris stood by the coffeemaker, waiting for it to brew. Leaving Kieran's had not been easy this morning, especially when they'd decided to shower together to save time. Right. Somehow, though, he'd managed to avoid most the morning rush hour once Kieran dropped him off at his car, arriving at the station not too far past his normal time. "You're smiling," Doughty said as she joined him. "Sorry?" "Smiling is good, sir. Much better than the glowering look you've been wearing around here the past month or so." "Detective, I learned something important about myself." He poured his cup and then hers. "I worry about things too much." "You, sir?" she said with a straight face. "I find that hard to believe." He pointed a stern finger at her. "Watch it, young lady." "Young lady." She snorted. "Wow, I...I'm going to keep my mouth shut." She grinned. "And collect on the fifty Scotty owes me." "Oh, crap. What did I walk into this time?" Considering past office pools that he'd unofficially taken part in himself, Chris could only imagine. "It's better you don't know the details." Saluting him with her mug, she said, "Cheers, Commander, and remember who has your back," then headed to her desk. He wasn't sure why he had ever worried about her. Miranda Doughty was well able to look out for herself. Chris shook his head, trying to imagine what sort of bet could be worth fifty dollars, and returned to his office.

He'd just sat down when his mobile rang. "It's not even been two hours." "You'd be surprised what can happen in a few short hours." Kieran's tone was light, but there was the barest hint of strain underneath. "Is everything all right?" "It depends. Can we talk?" "Of course." He got up to close his door. "Good. I'm almost there." "Wait, Kieran, you can't--" But he'd already hung up. "Damn." No, he could handle this. It had to be something important if Kieran wanted to talk in person. Still... It had better be important. Chris didn't have long to wait. A few minutes after he'd hung up, Kieran walked into the station proper. He didn't make any attempt to be subtle. He'd ditched his coat and tie, likely in the car on the way over, opening the first few buttons of his dress shirt and rolling up his sleeves. It made him look casual and far too tempting. Chris would have said he looked the best he had since their last vacation together, except for the rigid set of his jaw. All around the squad room, people stopped to watch him stalk past. Chris met him in the door to his office. "Come on in. We can--" "I quit my job. Now do I stay here or go back to Seattle?" He stared at Kieran. "Why would you quit your job?" "Because Dekkar wanted to use you, and I said no." Kieran exhaled. "So, stay or go?" "Will you get in here and let me think for a minute?" Chris shoved Kieran into the office and shut the door before dropping the blinds, but not before he saw Dougherty sitting on the edge of her desk, arms folded over her chest and a smug half smile curling her lips. "Slow down and tell me what happened." "Dekkar did see us last night and figured he could use me to get you

to get police support for his campaign." "Why aren't you?" "Jesus Christ, Chris, you really think I would do something so low to you?" "You had no qualms about using Doughty." "I'm not in love with Doughty!" "What has that got to with... Wait, what?" "There it is. I quit my job, I love you, and now I need to know if I stay and try to make a life here or go back to Seattle with my tail between my legs. Because I'm not staying if you aren't going to be part of my life. I'm talking long term, not just when it's convenient." "You love me?" Kieran glared at him. "You're usually quicker on the uptake than this, Christopher. Yes, I love you. Have since the first time you spouted your ridiculous philosophy to me on the cruise." "It's not ridiculous; it's practical." Kieran rolled his eyes. "But I still love you, even if you do insult me." The defensive line dropped from Kieran's shoulders. "Honestly?" Chris stepped close enough to caress his arm. "We're a little old for high school insecurities, but I can get Doughty to pass you a note in homeroom if it would make it more real." "Bad idea. She'd probably give it to your boytoy to get even with me." "David's not-- Oh, never mind." "I'm not asking for forever here, Chris," Kieran said, more serious. "Just time to find out how much is possible." "I've always been curious about Seattle." "Then we'd both be out of work." Chris grinned. "I guess you'll have to stay here." He caught the front of Kieran's shirt and drew him closer. "After all, you bought such a nice

house, and we haven't even started breaking it in properly." Kieran closed the distance between them, resting his hands on Chris' waist. "Your whole team is out there." Chris began kissing along his jaw. "If you're staying, they'd better get used to it." Kieran chuckled, that low, warm sound Chris loved so much. "You get off on it." "You know me so well." A knock at the door kept them from taking things too far. It was tempting to ignore it, but Kieran pulled back. "I shouldn't keep Charlotte waiting," he said after one last, lingering kiss. "Charlotte?" "Remember Sammy's PA I told you about? Seems she's sick of him, too." "Should I be worried?" "Only for those parts you most value if this relationship goes tits up." "Sir? The deputy chief is on his way in," David said pointedly through the door. "Thank you, Lieutenant." "Good thing you didn't give in to your baser urges." Kieran adjusted Chris' collar and smoothed the front of his shirt, a blatant excuse to fondle Chris' chest. Chris caught his wrist, holding it there. "It's not too late." Kieran kissed him, short but hard. "Later. I have to go plan the rest of my life." "Shouldn't I be part of that?" "Trust me, you will be." Chris found his words comforting and not as terrifying as he had a few short weeks ago. He smiled. "Good."

India Harper India Harper is the combined persona of Philippa Grey-Gerou and Emery Sanborne. Emery and Grey have been writing solo for five years and together for even longer, resulting in a dozen works in the hetero and ménage genres. As they already share a brain, they figured it was high time to share a name as well. Their stories under the name India Harper have a slightly harder edge as they explore predominately male/male relationships in the rich environments of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Emery lives in Philadelphia with her cat, while Grey lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with a less well-behaved zoo. **** Don't miss Sins Of Affection, by India Harper, available at AmberAllure.com! Lucas McAndrews is handsome, charming and smart, all of which make his job as a sought-after gigolo that much easier. But when he and a friend are assaulted out of nowhere, Lucas calls the one man from whom he has no reason to expect help...Carver Eliot. Two years ago, Lucas almost destroyed Carver's career, but Carver has a hard time holding a grudge. Lucas had been a great lay, and in the end had brought Carver to David Logan, his current lover and partner. So when Lucas calls, Carver's only hesitation is in telling David. To his surprise, it's David who invites Lucas into their home, challenging Carver's restraint and the fundamentals of their relationship. But Carver isn't the only one tempted, as David must also face the limits of his experience and the needs of his body and heart. Ghosts of

the past and threats of the present are soon the least of Carver and David's worries as Lucas wins his way into their bed. Now, the only questions remaining are who will end up with whom...and who will end up dead...

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