Tangled with you, p.8
Tangled With You, page 8
She leaned toward him. “So, here’s the deal. You told us that you had the best time of your life with the guy, and that’s without doing all the things. And, by the way, I’m not taking that whole best thing personally. But maybe that’s the problem.”
He furrowed his brow, trying desperately to translate Jamie Logic. But it was Nikki who voiced the question. “What the fuck, James? I haven’t got a clue what you’re trying to say.”
Jamie rolled her eyes, then locked them on Ollie. “You two came straight here from being all hot and sweaty and fast on your way to Happyland, right?”
He shifted on the chaise, a little uncomfortable with this whole conversation, then reluctantly answered. “Yeah. I told you.”
“And yet you’ve barely even looked at the guy since you got here.”
The words were like a punch in the face. It was true. Whether from general insecurity, an inability to deal with his feelings, rampant confusion, or just generally being a prick, he’d barely even acknowledged Trevor over the last few hours.
He glanced at Nikki, who nodded.
He closed his eyes. “God, I’m a jerk.”
“No,” Nikki said, reaching for his hand, then squeezing his fingers. “Maybe a little, but cut yourself some slack. You’re overwhelmed. You’re dealing with Courtney’s kidnapping and with, well, all of this. It’s been like five seconds. But Courtney used to be your fiancée. You two have a complicated history. It makes sense you’re confused, even standoffish. But from his side, that’s gotta hurt.”
“You’ve both been paying attention?” The idea was both baffling and completely unsurprising.
“Duh,” Jamie chimed in. “And we were starting to wonder if maybe we were wrong about you two.”
“I wish you’d talked to me before. I could have used an ear or two.”
“That goes both ways,” Nikki said.
“Touché.” He grinned at both of them, realizing he felt lighter than he had since Horowitz had pounded on the door. “You know, you both spend way too much time thinking about my sex life.”
“Is that all it is? Sex?” Nikki asked.
“No.” It was the easiest answer in the world. “No, and I’ll rip my own heart out if I’ve hurt him.” He sighed, feeling a little bit like an idiot for being so twisted up. “This shouldn’t be weird or awkward. Why can’t people just love who they love?”
“Love?” Nikki asked.
Ollie shrugged. “I’m just making a point.”
The women exchanged a knowing look. “It’s sweet,” Nikki said.
“And you fell in love with him long before you fucked him.” Jamie grinned. “That’s kind of rare within our trifecta.”
The three of them exchanged glances, then burst out laughing. “I love y’all,” Ollie said. “You know that, right?”
“Duh.”
“And I love Trevor. Or, I think I do.” He really did. The sex part might be new, but he’d been slowly falling for him for months. “Why am I getting so up into my head about this?”
“Because when you crossed the line toward sex, you shifted your reality.” Nikki shrugged. “Made you face the fact that you weren’t only attracted to women. You needed time to adjust. That’s all. I mean, come on. That’s normal.”
“I guess. But why should it matter in the first place?”
“It shouldn’t,” Nikki said firmly. “It doesn’t. And fuck anyone who tells you otherwise. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t need time to readjust. To see yourself through a different lens.”
“You’re right,” Ollie said. “And I’ll say it again. I love you two.”
“Of course you do,” Jamie said. “I mean, honestly. How could you not?”
Laughing, they headed back inside, only to freeze when Trevor came into view. He was standing in the third-floor open area not far from the painting of Nikki that Damien had paid a cool million for. And the moment Ollie caught sight of him, his heart started to do that fluttering thing that was so uniquely his reaction to Trevor.
“There you are. I was coming to tell you we’re meeting downstairs in five.”
“Sounds good,” Ollie said, as the women magically disappeared, leaving the two of them alone.
“You okay?” Trevor took a step closer, his brow furrowing.
Ollie shook his head. “I’m not at the top of my game. And I owe you an apology.”
He saw a muscle twitch in Trevor’s cheek. “Do you? Why?”
“You don’t have to pretend like I haven’t been an ass.” He reached out and took both Trevor’s hands in his own. “I’m so sorry. You probably thought I was avoiding you. I swear I’m not.”
Tension seemed to melt from Trevor’s body. “Good to know.” He drew in a breath, then exhaled, a smile warming his eyes. And in that moment, Ollie truly wanted to kick himself, because that’s when he realized just how much he’d wounded this man he would never, ever, intentionally hurt.
“And, yeah, I may have spent some time wondering if you’d had second thoughts,” Trevor admitted. “Fortunately, I have a kidnapping case to keep me busy.” The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Sorry. Bad taste. It’s just—”
“No,” Ollie said emphatically. “You don’t owe me an apology. This is on me. I guess I was parsing out the rules, maybe? Overthinking? Being an idiot?”
“Maybe a little of the latter,” Trevor said with a laugh. “I guess it’s a good thing you’re so cute.”
Relief flowed through him, as warm as sunshine. “I am, aren’t I?”
They shared a smile, holding each other’s eyes in a way that had Ollie wishing they could justify some down time. That, however, wasn’t on the agenda just yet.
“So how are things going downstairs?” Ollie asked.
“We’re making progress, but it’s slow. Not unexpected, of course, and you know the drill. But you haven’t lived it before.” He frowned. “Sorry. Actually, I guess you have.”
He was right about that. Ollie had come as soon as he’d learned about Anne’s kidnapping. And, of course, he was around when Nikki was taken. “Yeah, I have.”
“But this is different,” Trevor said, something odd coloring his voice. “Because you love her.”
“It changes things,” Ollie agreed. “I mean, I probably shouldn’t be working this case at all, but there’s no way I’m walking now. Horowitz couldn’t keep me away if he tried.”
They were still holding hands, and Trevor gave Ollie’s fingers a quick squeeze before releasing them. “No, you’d find a way to see this through even if he locked you in a cage. That’s who you are.”
“Is it? Or is it just because this one eats at me more?”
“It’s personal,” Trevor said firmly. “It’s Courtney. Of course it eats at you more.”
Ollie nodded, ridiculously grateful that Trevor understood. He glanced toward the stairs. “We should get back to it,” he said, and together they descended, reaching the bottom just as Brax was calling for everyone’s attention.
“Bree made out our room assignments,” he said, gesturing to the nanny, whose long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail. “You want to take it away?”
“Me? Oh. Um, sure.” Bree brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. She was a mix of Cherokee and Jewish, with stunning features and huge brown eyes. She was also incredibly poised despite being tossed into the middle of what had to bring back hellish memories of when she’d been taken with Anne.
“You’ll be sleeping in shifts, obviously,” she began, “but even so, some of you are going to have to double-up. I’m going to go around the room and tell everybody where they’re bunking.” She glanced down, then looked around until her gaze landed on Ollie. “You know where you are,” she said, referring to the room he habitually stayed in when he crashed at the Stark home. “Trevor, you’ll be—”
“Trevor’s with me,” Ollie said, searching the group for a reaction, his stomach settling when he didn’t find one.
“No problem.” She pressed her pen against the clipboard. “Who has which shift?”
“We’re working and sleeping the same shifts,” Ollie clarified. “You can use the room for someone else during our awake shift.”
Bree nodded, made a note. “Got it.”
Trevor slid a hand around Ollie’s waist, then leaned in to whisper. “Nice move, trapping me with you like that.”
Ollie had to force himself not to laugh. “I’m sorry I was an ass.”
“We’ve been over that. You weren’t. Besides I like your ass.”
He wouldn’t laugh. “Work harder on the jokes, Barone.”
“I’ll get right on that.”
After the room assignment, Trevor went to go get a status update from Denny and Mario. At the same time, Brax sidled over. “I thought so,” he said casually. “You two look good together.”
“Thanks, buddy. I think so too.”
Chapter Nine
Two hours later, the night shift was running the investigation, and Ollie and Trevor were on deck to get a few hours of sleep.
“I want to be back at it by six,” Ollie said, once they were in the room, “and it’s already midnight. That only gives us four or five hours of sleep.”
“It’s a good thing you’re a Fed and not an accountant,” Trevor said. “Your math skills suck.”
“On the contrary,” Ollie said, taking Trevor by the shoulders and pushing him to the door just as Trevor had done at the condo. “I can subtract just fine. And trust me when I say you’re not going to sleep quite yet.”
Trevor laughed. “No argument from me.”
Ollie hesitated, then met Trevor’s eyes and almost melted in the heat he saw reflected back. “I really am sorry.”
Trevor shook his head. “Stop. No more apologies. We’re good. Relationships are tricky things. They can really fuck some people up.”
Ollie leaned in, brushing his lips over Trevor’s ear. “Then it’s a good thing we’re so well-adjusted.”
“Yeah,” Trevor said, his voice going breathy in a way that made Ollie even harder. “A very good thing.”
“Trev?”
“Yeah?”
Ollie pulled back enough to meet Trevor’s eyes again. “I want to finish what we started.”
Trevor’s smile was slow and heart-meltingly sensual. “That is the second best thing I’ve heard all day.”
Ollie brushed his lips over Trevor’s perfect jawline. “Second?”
“You. Me. Sharing this room.”
Ollie swallowed, then shrugged. “I was getting in my own way earlier.”
“Yeah, you were.” Trevor took Ollie’s hand. “So long as you’re sure now, we’re all good.”
“Oh, I’m sure.”
Trevor’s grin was pure mischief. “You know what they think is going on in here right now, don’t you?”
Ollie waited for the tug of embarrassment that didn’t come. With a grin, he kissed Trevor softly, his teeth tugging on Trev’s bottom lip as he pulled away. “I know,” he said. “How about we try to live up to their expectations?”
Trevor chuckled as he grabbed Ollie’s ass, pulling him in close. “Agent McKee, I thought better of you. Live up to? Babe,” he said, his voice low and husky, “we’re going to exceed them.”
“Yeah? Maybe you need to prove that to me.”
“Maybe I will,” Trev said, then surprised Ollie by moving one hand around to cup Ollie’s cock through his jeans, making him go even harder and his knees turn weak.
“Maybe that’s what I want,” Ollie said, his voice rough.
“Yeah?” Mischief flashed in Trevor’s eyes, and before Ollie could reply, Trevor tightened his grip down below, then silenced Ollie’s moan by claiming Ollie’s mouth with his own.
His lips slid over Ollie’s, his tongue exploring Ollie’s mouth in a way that made his cock grow even harder, until he was straining against both his jeans and Trevor’s hand.
All reason faded, replaced only by the need to touch. To feel. To have.
Ollie’s hands slid around Trevor’s waist, then down, his fingers splaying over Trevor’s khaki-clad ass. He pulled Trevor’s body against his and rocked gently, his cock and Trevor’s rubbing together through their clothes. Trev’s mouth was hot and wet and so damn perfect, and Ollie wanted more. So much more.
More pressure.
More contact.
More skin.
More of everything.
He wanted it all. But mostly, he wanted it with Trevor.
“On the bed,” Trevor said, easing them away from the door and to the looming king size bed.
He gave Ollie a little shove, and Ollie sat obediently, back straight and his head tilted just enough so that he could look into Trevor’s licorice-black eyes.
“You’re fucking gorgeous,” he whispered, reveling in the other man’s dark hair with just a hint of curl. Those thick eyebrows. And the mouth that was absolutely made for kissing.
He’d felt the punch the first time he’d seen him. And when they’d become friends, he’d fought that feeling for far too long. Now, he was going to finally experience what he’d been craving…and so foolishly denying himself.
“On your back,” Trevor said, taking Ollie by the shoulders and moving that process along. Soon, Ollie had scooted up the mattress, and Trevor was straddling him, the pressure of his ass against Ollie’s rock hard cock not only maddening, but also inspirational. Because right then, the only thing in Ollie’s head was what he wanted to do to Trevor—and what he hoped Trevor would do to him.
Slowly, Trevor leaned over until the material of their shirts brushed together, sending a fresh new wave of sensation tickling all over his skin. “You’re driving me crazy,” he said, his voice coming out in a rough whisper.
“Good. That was my plan. Now, hush.” He traced his fingertip over Ollie’s lips, and Ollie groaned, growing harder by the second. “Oh, yeah,” Trevor said, moving his hips just slightly and amping up the sensation.
“Trevor.” Ollie grabbed his wrist, trapping the finger that was teasing his lower lip. “Not so fast. I don’t want—I mean, I want it to last.”
Trevor’s eyes narrowed, then he bent forward and claimed Ollie’s mouth with his own. A deep, slow kiss, then building with intensity, so wild and so passionate it was almost like fucking, and Ollie never, ever wanted it to end.
It did, of course, but from the gleam in Trevor’s eyes, he had an even better follow-up planned. “I should drag you into the shower just to finish what we almost started at my place, but I can’t wait. I want you now.”
“Thank God,” Ollie said, the words coming so fast and so intense that he realized he wasn’t nervous at all—okay, maybe a little. Mostly, he just wanted this.
“Close your eyes,” Trevor ordered, and when Ollie complied, he felt the tug of his shirt being untucked from his jeans. Then Trevor’s nimble fingers unbuttoning it. In a moment, the sides of the shirt were pushed aside, and he felt the cool air against his overly heated skin.
He started to open his eyes, but heard Trevor’s low growl of protest and kept them shut. Then Trevor’s hands were on him, exploring and teasing, his fingers dancing over Ollie’s stomach and chest, his lips brushing lightly over his nipples.
It was like being on fire, and dear God, he wanted to burn.
Then he felt Trevor’s breath at his waistband, followed by Trevor’s fingers slipping under. Teasing him just enough to suggest a promise of things to come.
Overwhelmed and painfully hard, Ollie kept his eyes closed, his head back, his neck arched, and told himself to just feel. To just float. To let Trevor take him to whatever heights he wanted, because right then, Ollie would follow him anywhere.
And then he was falling, slipping deep into a well of pleasure. The scent of Trevor. The touch of him. The only sound in the room was their breathing and the seductive scrape as Trevor tugged Ollie’s zipper down, and, yeah, Ollie had to open his eyes.
Trevor noticed and flashed one wicked grin, then slid down the bed, taking Ollie’s jeans with him. Ollie wiggled, helping to ease them down and onto the floor, then found himself in only the open shirt and boxer briefs that did nothing to hide his arousal.
“That’s what I like,” Trevor said. He was on his knees at the foot of the bed, and he slowly climbed back up, this time cupping Ollie through the thin material. “Close your eyes again.”
“This is completely unfair,” Ollie complained as he obeyed. “You’re still dressed.”
Trevor made a show of looking at himself, and then at Ollie. “Works for me,” he said as he tugged Ollie’s underwear down, releasing his cock. The sensation of the cool air against his heated skin made him suck in air even while he fought the urge to just out-and-out beg.
That’s when he realized that Trevor was no longer touching him. He opened his eyes to see Trevor looking at him with a grin that seemed both mischievous and deeply erotic.
“Tell me,” Trevor said, easing Ollie’s briefs all the way off. “Tell me what you want.”
“Trev…” Ollie shook his head. They hadn’t talked about this. They hadn’t negotiated a relationship. They’d only even kissed a few hours ago.
So how could Ollie know what he wanted?
Except he did know. He’d known for a long time.
Since the money laundering sting, for sure. And, if he was being honest, even before that.
Charades. When you got right down to it, Ollie had known the first time they teamed up to play charades. That was, what? Over a year ago? Back when Trevor had invited him to Zelda’s place, the woman who’d written Intercontinental, Jamie’s first big movie.
Granted, someone had been trying to kill Zelda, so the group of Stark Security agents had been there for a reason. Even so, the night had been fun, and the game even more so. He and Trevor’d had a rhythm. There’d been an edge to it. And he’d spent the whole evening in a sensual haze that had both terrified and excited him.
“Where did you go?” Trevor was leaning over him, so that Trevor’s shirt was brushing Ollie’s now-bare and very awake cock.
“I’m right here,” Ollie murmured as he reached up, then pulled Trevor’s head down for a kiss that Trevor enthusiastically returned. It was hot and wild and everything that Ollie wanted.
