Blue Moon: Too Good to Be True (5 page)

Once that call was made then Max could exercise his new job responsibility of securing a statement of accounts from the owner of the establishment, which apparently the stupid asshole was still inside.

Approximately two and half minutes later Max heard the high-pitched alarm stop screaming, and the crowd erupted in loud applause.

“Hell yeah! About damn time…now let us back in!” Some idiot standing in front of the now happy crowd shouted at one of the nearby officers.

Quickly responding, a thick-bodied officer nudged him back a few feet and barked at him, “Shut up!”

Max shook his head and chuckled lightly. He retrieved the forms for the owner to sign and the citation pad just in case he felt the owner should be cited for the false alarm. When he finished gathering his documents he heard Pierce’s deep voice come through the radio loud and clear.

“Area secured, secondary uniform personnel and club staff may enter only…no patrons at this time. Over.”

“Copy that lieutenant. Over,” Max spoke into the radio on his shoulder.

He walked through the frost-stained glass double doors and was almost knocked off his feet by the club’s immaculate interior. He was immediately relieved this was a false alarm because it would be a tragedy indeed to have burned this place down. He did a quick survey of his surroundings and counted at least nine flat-screen forty-seven-inch high-definition televisions strategically placed around the lower level. The black-and-white marbled dance floor looked large enough to fit five hundred sweaty bodies. The outer

perimeter was littered with various tables of different sizes. Each white marble tabletop was accompanied with several burgundy cushion-back chairs. Max tried to remember to keep his mouth closed as he studied the angel-decorated white columns that provided support for the second level.

The infinite number of red, green, and blue strobe lights still flickered around the immaculate club even though all the lights were on. He noticed a glass ceiling-to-floor wall on the right side of the upper level that had closed drapes to prevent anyone from looking inside of what appeared to be some type of room or office. If the first level looked this grand, he could only imagine what the sec— “Don’t fucking tell me to come down, I want that bastard arrested!”

Max’s thoughts were interrupted as he spun around toward the deepest growling voice he’d ever heard in his life. He instinctively moved in that direction while taking in the scene on the other side of the oblong glass-top bar.

Max saw Pierce, three police officers, and the Incident Commander talking to a man who from behind looked like one of those underwear models for Calvin Klein. He was sure it was a man despite the beautiful black hair reaching to his round ass.
What the hel ? Why would I cal a guy’s hair
beautiful? Or describe his ass? Shit, anyone would notice him, I mean he doesn’t look like
any man I’ve ever seen.
Max couldn’t help but notice the expensive black slacks that tapered at the man’s narrow waist and hugged his butt. The silky, black short-sleeved collared shirt looked like someone had grabbed the man from behind because it was pretty wrinkled in the back.

Max made his way to the commotion just in time to see Pierce put up both his hands in a placating gesture, trying to speak calmly to the irate man.

“Sir, I know you’re upset, but yelling at us is not going to help. We need to get some more information from you so we can try to locate him.”

“Yes, so one more time, Mr. DeLucca. Why was the gentleman in question up in your personal office if he wasn’t staff?” a police officer interrupted Pierce’s rationalization. His lip turned up in disgust, already assuming the answer and not the least bit affected by the harsh glare radiating from the man’s dangerous, smoky brown eyes.

“I’ve told you twice already. I’m beginning to think you’re just getting off on my fucking story! The man approached me downstairs, we exchanged words, he asked me if we could go someplace a little quieter, and I directed him to my office.”

Max watched the dark man try to quench his anger while he recounted the events that took place right before his alarm was pulled. His staff began making their way back in, but they kept looking over at them with concern on their faces. Max could see Mr. DeLucca was trying to stay calm, perhaps for their sakes. However, his red face couldn’t hide his anger…or his humiliation.

“So what exactly were you doing up there in the quiet office, Mr.

DeLucca?” Nasty cop again.

It was obvious to Max and everyone listening that the cop wasn’t in favor of Mr. DeLucca’s sexual preference. The cop had a hard scowl on his face to match his suspect’s menacing stare. Only the cop’s dull green eyes were not as enticing as Mr. DeLucca’s chocolate irises. The cop braced his legs apart as if ready to react if need be.

Max made direct eye contact with the angry club owner, and he immediately felt as if he was put into a trance. The pupils in the man’s eyes were so dark that they practically drowned out his sclera. Max could barely see the white in the man’s gaze. Max squirmed uncomfortably. After too many minutes he managed to break the contact as he looked around to see if anyone else noticed their silent exchange.
Holy Shit. Why the hel is he staring at
me like that? Fuck me. He looks so damn intense. Fuck.

“Mr. DeLucca, over here.”

Max saw the cop rudely snapping his fingers in front of Mr. DeLucca like he was a child, making him break the mojo he was working on Max. “I must have to ask you again, since you are focused on other things. What were you doing in your quiet office with the alleged man?”

“Playing goddamn Monopoly…what the fuck do you think we were doing?” DeLucca growled back hard.

Max couldn’t help but chuckle at the serious man’s witty reply.

“Is there something you want to interject here, Mr. Strong, because I’m trying to question a suspect?” The cop gave Max an angry look for his little outburst. Max felt his face heat to a sweltering temperature.
Dammit, now I’m
sweating.

“Actually, Sergeant Strong is here to take a statement from the owner of this establishment, who we understand now to be a victim of vandalism,”

Pierce interjected before Max could respond. His best friend always had his back.

Max didn’t speak, waiting for the officer to digest that Max had a higher rank than him at this scene. The cop had no choice but to stop interrogating Mr. DeLucca until after Max was done talking to him. Max had his own questions to ask and his forms needed signatures so his firefighters could be released to leave the scene. He was sure the officer knew the protocol because he flipped his notebook closed and stomped off with his posse following on his heels.

Now that the homophobic interrogation team was gone, that left Max and his best friend Pierce. Finally, Max was able to address the interesting looking man. “Good evening Mr. DeLucca, I am Serg—”

“Call me Angel,” he interjected swiftly, uncrossing his nice sized arms from over his strong chest. His posture was a lot less defensive now, appearing to Max that he was comfortable talking with him.

Angel…huh…that’s fitting.
Max found himself blinking rapidly at his last thought.
Jesus. Get it together man. There’s no reason why this man should be flustering
me like this. He’s just a man.
He had to clear his throat a couple of times before he could continue. Max was always commended on the professionalism he exhibited when on a scene. Even the most irate victims—whose home and possessions were burning down to ash right in front of their faces— responded to Max’s calm demeanor.

“I wish I could say it was a good evening Sergeant Strong…but whatever.

What questions do you need answered? I’m sure your men have more important and pressing issues to attend to. Despite what that asshole cop was insinuating, if I didn’t invite that guy up then he never would have left

disappointed enough to do what he did. I apologize that you and your men had to waste your time.”

Max was still staring at Angel closely, as he was slowly mesmerized by the way Angel’s full lips formed his intelligent words. The man was admitting his fuckup, but still did it in a way that showed his regality and strength. Max just stared slack-jawed, not knowing how to respond to Angel’s confession.

Max even forgot Pierce was still standing there as he heard his friend loudly clear his throat before speaking. His best friend tried unsuccessfully to hide his amused smirk.

Shit.

“Umm…Angel, is it? It’s quite all right. None of what happened tonight was your fault. I’m sure once Max picks his lip up off your bar he will somehow manage to get his forms signed and take care of everything for you.” Pierce looked comically at Max. “Uhhh, yeah…Max, I’m going to clear the scene and have the rigs head back to the station. I’ll leave you the SUV.

It’s parked in the alley on the side.” Pierce laughed as he headed to the front entrance.

Max knew his face had to be bright red at being caught gawking at the beautiful man. He pulled his gaze from Angel and began spreading out his forms on the bar top. Max regrettably had to clear his throat again before speaking.

“Mr. DeLuc…I mean Angel,” he switched up. “Would you mind terribly signing these documents for me? They simply state that the alarm was not pulled by you or a member of your staff but was an act of malice by one of your patrons. That eliminates you for being cited for inciting a crowd or for a false alarm. You can also begin to let your customers back in if you wish.”

“Sure,” Angel said. He came to stand directly beside Max at the bar and reached his hand out to take the offered pen.

Max was immediately overwhelmed with the enticing smell of coconuts, and suddenly wanted to ask the bartender for a piña colada.
Damn, why the hel
does he smel like that?
Max found himself taking an unconscious sniff in the man’s direction. It must have not been very discreet, because the striking

man paused midsignature and slowly raised his smoldering eyes to meet Max’s.

“Do you like the way I smell, Sergeant Strong?” he purred with deep sensuality.

“What…um…no…well…uh, no I wasn’t smelling you,” Max lied.

“Don’t lie to me,” Angel demanded with a sexy smirk playing on his sinful lips.

Max shivered and dropped his eyelids involuntarily.
Okay, this can’t be
happening to me right now. I’m not attracted to men.
Max chanted that statement in his head several times, but his body was evidence to the contrary. Max’s cock was at half-mast and he was hyperaware of the ticklish droplets of sweat dripping behind his ears. He could not figure out why he was responding to this man this way. He looked Angel directly in his face since they were both about the same height.

“Why did the man leave your office so disappointed?” Max asked the question before he could think better of it.
Damn! Why the fuck did I ask him
that? Shit.
It was Angel’s damn eyes that were screwing up his brain-to-mouth filter.

If Angel was shocked by his question he didn’t show it. He stepped in closer to Max, leaving only a few inches between them, and answered without hesitation. “He wanted something from me that he didn’t deserve, and I wasn’t willing to give him.”

“And what was that?” Max whispered, now intrigued.

“Control.”

Chapter Five

Angel was over what that asshole did to him last week at his club. He was informed by the police that Mr. John Meyers was issued a summons and would be fined considerably for purposely pulling his club’s fire alarm. He could live with that…justice was served. The club did not open back up that night, and since it didn’t, it only made people come right back the next night to finish what was so rudely interrupted. He thought they might’ve taken a loss for closing early on a Friday night, but actually it was the complete opposite.

What Angel could not get over was the hot fireman with the gray eyes.

Angel was sure the man believed he was one hundred percent straight, and therefore totally confused by his body’s reaction to him. But he’d seen it too many times before, men that called themselves “straight,” and freaked out the way the handsome sergeant did when they found another man attractive.

Well, it sure as fuck didn’t freak Angel out. He was immediately taken aback by the beautiful firefighter.
He has no clue how gorgeous he truly is.
Angel sat at his desk in his spacious office and brought up another mental image…for the hundredth time. He just couldn’t get those striking blue-gray eyes out of his head. He believed he’d made a connection with the man, but he needed to be sure or he would question it for many days to come.

He may even be straight
, Angel thought. But the attraction between them was undeniable. Angel was going to show Max just how attracted he was to him as well. It was now Sunday evening. Blue Moon was closed for the next four days and Angel needed to hash out a plan. He didn’t usually waste his time trying to enlighten in-denial-so-called-straight men, but something told Angel that this one was different.
Where do I start
?

Angel’s bike was parked out front of his favorite pub, two blocks from his house. The place reminded him of the pub he and his Dad went to whenever he went home for a visit. He could’ve walked but he wasn’t sure where he would go when he left. He was nursing a Jack and Coke, thinking of how he would happen a chance encounter with the man that frequented

his dreams the last couple of nights—and wouldn’t you know his chance walked right through the front door of the pub.

They locked eyes immediately, as if no one else was in there with them.
Is
that happiness to see me?
Angel thought. He boldly watched as his fantasy strolled confidently to the bar where he sat. As he got closer, Angel let his gaze sweep provocatively up and down the tall drink of water.