They say your past always show up when you least expect it. Brenden Smith made a promise to himself that he would never put his heart on the line again. He swore off romance after his last breakup. But what happens when the man he thought he was over shows up in his life with news he wasn’t expecting?
Stephen Young broke off his relationship with Brenden over a misunderstanding and miscommunication. Working for the FBI, he knew it was only a matter of time before he and Brenden would work together. Will they be able to cooperate and put the past behind them? Or will Stephen’s secret keep them apart?
Stephen Young broke off his relationship with Brenden over a misunderstanding and miscommunication. Working for the FBI, he knew it was only a matter of time before he and Brenden would work together. Will they be able to cooperate and put the past behind them? Or will Stephen’s secret keep them apart?
Print Length: 314 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publication Date: July 27, 2017
Language: English
ASIN: B074CPPVNJ
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publication Date: July 27, 2017
Language: English
ASIN: B074CPPVNJ
Stephen Young sat at the bar sipping his drink. He felt great, and nothing or no one could ruin his night. He’d been invited to Ethan Beaumont and ’Tyler Hamilton’s wedding. The ceremony was held in Tyler’s parents, Marilyn and Asher Hamilton’s backyard and the reception and after party took place at the Garden Hotel, which was owned by one of Mr. Hamilton’s business associates. He didn't know Ethan all that well, but Tyler he'd met and seen a couple of times a few months earlier when he’d worked on a case alongside Jaxson Colvin and Brenden Smith. A case that also involved Tyler’s little brother, Christen Travers getting kidnapped.
Which was how he ended up getting an invitation to the wedding. He turned around on his barstool and rested his elbows on the top, examining the room. There were quite a few handsome men in the place. Too bad they were straight as an arrow who knew how to hit a target on the first try. And if they were gay, they were no doubt taken by some equally handsome guy.
Stephen's original plan was to attend the wedding, then sneak out through the back door and be at home before anyone realized he was gone. But that didn't happen. One of the groomsmen in the wedding party had gotten injured on his way to the wedding and was in the hospital with a busted knee. Tyler asked him to take his friend's place in the wedding. Stephen and the guy were about the same size, and the guy's suit had fit him perfectly.
It should have felt a bit awkward being in the wedding party, but the Hamiltons had a way of making you feel as if you were a part of their family. To Stephen it seemed as if they were great at picking up strays and giving them a home. He shook his head at how swiftly Marylin Hamilton had thrown everything together.
“I think this is the first time I've seen you dressed up.” A deep voice whispered in his ear.
Stephen turned his head to the side and locked eyes with the man he'd love to hate. Brenden Smith, the man he once gave his heart to willingly and could never take it back, even if he wanted to. Brenden cleaned up exceptionally well, he had on a black suit paired with a white shirt with the top buttons opened, showing a bit of skin. His bowtie was undone and hanging loosely around his neck. He looked so good that Stephen wanted to undress him. Slowly.
Shit, I need to get laid. It's been too fucking long since I've been pinned up against a wall, or tied to a bed and fucked within an inch of my life. The last time that happen was with the man standing beside me. Who knew Brenden was the one to bring that side out of me?
“Don’t tell me, cat got your tongue?” Brenden chuckled, his warm breath ghosting over his ear caused him to shiver. “Your mouth rarely knows when to shut up,” he said, his tongue trailing along the outer shell of Stephen’s ear. He could smell the vodka mixed with a hint of mint on Brenden’s breath and whatever cologne he was wearing. Stephen swallowed discreetly, hoping to hide the effect that the older man’s scent was having on him.
Stephen rolled his eyes but did not move away, even though he knew he should. “What do you want, Brenden?”
“You, for one night,” he whispered trailing kisses down his ear and to his neck. “For one night, let me hold you again and hear you scream my name the way you used to.” Brenden nipped at Stephen’s neck lightly.
Stephen's mouth fell open, he exhaled deliberately, closing his eyes, enjoying the tiniest amount of tension draining from his body. He didn’t want to look around the ballroom to see who was watching them. He suspected no one knew about their past, but knew about the animosity between them. He opened his eyes and looked at Brenden’s lust-filled green eyes. He wanted the same thing: to feel Brenden on top of him, making love to him. But he had to find a way to resist the other man.
“You're either drunk or delusional.”
Brenden chuckled. “I’m neither of those, baby, just happy to see you.” He took Stephen’s hand, the one that wasn’t holding his drink and rubbed it shamelessly on his hard cock. “Does that feel delusional to you?”
No, it doesn’t, Stephen thought. He didn't respond with words, his fingers traced Brenden’s cock deliberately. The other man closed his eyes and hissed. His hand went to the back of Stephen’s neck and he leaned in closer, resting his forehead against his. “Come on, use me for one night. We can fuck each other out of our systems. Just for tonight, then we can walk away from each other for good. No regrets.”
“You sound desperate,” Stephen whispered, lowering his eyes to Brenden’s lips.
“I am.” Brenden smirked. “And I know you want me, just as much as I want you.”
“How can you tell that?” he asked, looking up and into Brenden’s face.
“You haven’t told me to go fuck myself, yet. You’re never shy about putting me in my place.” Brenden chuckled.
“Why are you doing this?” Stephen asked.
“Are you trying to tell me, you don’t want this? Because we both know you would be lying.” Brenden raised his head staring down at him.
“I’m not saying that,” Stephen defended, he tried to pull his hand away, but Brenden held on to it tighter.
“Then what’s the problem? You’re not seeing anyone, and neither am I. Like I said, one night to get each other out of our systems for good.”
“How are you so sure I’m not seeing anyone?”
Brenden smiled confidently, and Stephen wanted to hate him for it.
“If you were, you wouldn’t let me touch you,” Brenden told him. “One night, that’s all I need to completely get you out of my system, and you can do the same with me.”
Stephen was sure that even after one night he could never get Brenden out of his system. The man had left his prints all over his body years earlier. The truth was he wanted to be with Brenden, in more ways than one. He missed having the older man in his life, and it hurt when they had broken off their relationship years earlier. If this was his last chance to be with the other man, he wasn’t going to pass it up. He looked around the rest of the room, making sure everyone was busy and not paying them any attention. “What’s your room number?” Stephen asked.
Not waiting for his answer, Brenden set his empty glass down on the bar top then took Stephen’s drink from him, downing the rest. He slammed the empty glass down then pulled Stephen off the barstool. “Come on.”
Stephen stumbled a bit as the alcohol took effect. Righting himself, they hurried to the elevator. The minute the door closed behind them, Brenden was on him. Stephen didn’t fight what was happening, he wanted it, he wanted Brenden with a fierce passion. It’d been so long since he was last touched with such wantonness. He was roughly pinned against the wall. Their kisses needy as Brenden devoured his mouth, licking and nibbling on his lips. It was familiar; his hands roamed everywhere he could touch. He wrapped his leg around Brenden’s hip and humped against the other man.
Brenden brought his hands down and gripped Stephen’s hips, stilling his movements. They stopped kissing only for the need to breathe. The elevator doors opened, and they exited. The entire time Brenden held onto his hand, leading the way. Stephen happily followed. Once they were in the room, they were back on each other again. Brenden had him pinned against the closed door. He started undressing Brenden, needing to touch his lover's hot skin.
Which was how he ended up getting an invitation to the wedding. He turned around on his barstool and rested his elbows on the top, examining the room. There were quite a few handsome men in the place. Too bad they were straight as an arrow who knew how to hit a target on the first try. And if they were gay, they were no doubt taken by some equally handsome guy.
Stephen's original plan was to attend the wedding, then sneak out through the back door and be at home before anyone realized he was gone. But that didn't happen. One of the groomsmen in the wedding party had gotten injured on his way to the wedding and was in the hospital with a busted knee. Tyler asked him to take his friend's place in the wedding. Stephen and the guy were about the same size, and the guy's suit had fit him perfectly.
It should have felt a bit awkward being in the wedding party, but the Hamiltons had a way of making you feel as if you were a part of their family. To Stephen it seemed as if they were great at picking up strays and giving them a home. He shook his head at how swiftly Marylin Hamilton had thrown everything together.
“I think this is the first time I've seen you dressed up.” A deep voice whispered in his ear.
Stephen turned his head to the side and locked eyes with the man he'd love to hate. Brenden Smith, the man he once gave his heart to willingly and could never take it back, even if he wanted to. Brenden cleaned up exceptionally well, he had on a black suit paired with a white shirt with the top buttons opened, showing a bit of skin. His bowtie was undone and hanging loosely around his neck. He looked so good that Stephen wanted to undress him. Slowly.
Shit, I need to get laid. It's been too fucking long since I've been pinned up against a wall, or tied to a bed and fucked within an inch of my life. The last time that happen was with the man standing beside me. Who knew Brenden was the one to bring that side out of me?
“Don’t tell me, cat got your tongue?” Brenden chuckled, his warm breath ghosting over his ear caused him to shiver. “Your mouth rarely knows when to shut up,” he said, his tongue trailing along the outer shell of Stephen’s ear. He could smell the vodka mixed with a hint of mint on Brenden’s breath and whatever cologne he was wearing. Stephen swallowed discreetly, hoping to hide the effect that the older man’s scent was having on him.
Stephen rolled his eyes but did not move away, even though he knew he should. “What do you want, Brenden?”
“You, for one night,” he whispered trailing kisses down his ear and to his neck. “For one night, let me hold you again and hear you scream my name the way you used to.” Brenden nipped at Stephen’s neck lightly.
Stephen's mouth fell open, he exhaled deliberately, closing his eyes, enjoying the tiniest amount of tension draining from his body. He didn’t want to look around the ballroom to see who was watching them. He suspected no one knew about their past, but knew about the animosity between them. He opened his eyes and looked at Brenden’s lust-filled green eyes. He wanted the same thing: to feel Brenden on top of him, making love to him. But he had to find a way to resist the other man.
“You're either drunk or delusional.”
Brenden chuckled. “I’m neither of those, baby, just happy to see you.” He took Stephen’s hand, the one that wasn’t holding his drink and rubbed it shamelessly on his hard cock. “Does that feel delusional to you?”
No, it doesn’t, Stephen thought. He didn't respond with words, his fingers traced Brenden’s cock deliberately. The other man closed his eyes and hissed. His hand went to the back of Stephen’s neck and he leaned in closer, resting his forehead against his. “Come on, use me for one night. We can fuck each other out of our systems. Just for tonight, then we can walk away from each other for good. No regrets.”
“You sound desperate,” Stephen whispered, lowering his eyes to Brenden’s lips.
“I am.” Brenden smirked. “And I know you want me, just as much as I want you.”
“How can you tell that?” he asked, looking up and into Brenden’s face.
“You haven’t told me to go fuck myself, yet. You’re never shy about putting me in my place.” Brenden chuckled.
“Why are you doing this?” Stephen asked.
“Are you trying to tell me, you don’t want this? Because we both know you would be lying.” Brenden raised his head staring down at him.
“I’m not saying that,” Stephen defended, he tried to pull his hand away, but Brenden held on to it tighter.
“Then what’s the problem? You’re not seeing anyone, and neither am I. Like I said, one night to get each other out of our systems for good.”
“How are you so sure I’m not seeing anyone?”
Brenden smiled confidently, and Stephen wanted to hate him for it.
“If you were, you wouldn’t let me touch you,” Brenden told him. “One night, that’s all I need to completely get you out of my system, and you can do the same with me.”
Stephen was sure that even after one night he could never get Brenden out of his system. The man had left his prints all over his body years earlier. The truth was he wanted to be with Brenden, in more ways than one. He missed having the older man in his life, and it hurt when they had broken off their relationship years earlier. If this was his last chance to be with the other man, he wasn’t going to pass it up. He looked around the rest of the room, making sure everyone was busy and not paying them any attention. “What’s your room number?” Stephen asked.
Not waiting for his answer, Brenden set his empty glass down on the bar top then took Stephen’s drink from him, downing the rest. He slammed the empty glass down then pulled Stephen off the barstool. “Come on.”
Stephen stumbled a bit as the alcohol took effect. Righting himself, they hurried to the elevator. The minute the door closed behind them, Brenden was on him. Stephen didn’t fight what was happening, he wanted it, he wanted Brenden with a fierce passion. It’d been so long since he was last touched with such wantonness. He was roughly pinned against the wall. Their kisses needy as Brenden devoured his mouth, licking and nibbling on his lips. It was familiar; his hands roamed everywhere he could touch. He wrapped his leg around Brenden’s hip and humped against the other man.
Brenden brought his hands down and gripped Stephen’s hips, stilling his movements. They stopped kissing only for the need to breathe. The elevator doors opened, and they exited. The entire time Brenden held onto his hand, leading the way. Stephen happily followed. Once they were in the room, they were back on each other again. Brenden had him pinned against the closed door. He started undressing Brenden, needing to touch his lover's hot skin.