Promises: Part I (Bounty Hunters Book 1) (21 page)

He felt Duke stirring beside him and it pulled him from a very delicious dream, but when Duke nestled back into his growing morning wood, he quickly realized the real in-the-flesh version was so much better than the dream substitute. Their hips begin to move together as both of them woke from their deep sleep and drifted into sexual abandon.

Duke moaned; pressing back harder and lifting his thigh back over the pillows. Vaughan could still see the slick around his hole. He felt around blindly not even wanting to open his eyes to the warmth of the morning sun he felt on his face. Touch and sound were all he used. He learned the curve of Duke’s hips that rose over a firm, fuzzy ass and sloped down to the top of hard, muscular thighs. He trailed up Duke’s crease until he felt the tight skin surrounding his way to heaven and pushed in. “Mmmmmmm,” he whimpered carnally.

“Make love to me again, Vaughan.” Duke’s morning voice could be described as nothing less than lewd and X-rated. “Put that long cock back inside me.”

“Oh, fuck.” Vaughan’s eyes rolled behind his eyelids. He fumbled with his cock; anxiously lining it up to Duke’s opening. He slid in just as slowly as the night before and the grip Duke had on his shaft was tight enough to make Vaughan hiss at the unforgiving squeeze. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” As he sank into the depth. “Tightest ass ever, sweetheart.”

“It’s yours. Take it,” Duke instructed groggily.

Vaughan slowly dragged in and out, letting them feel all of each other. He pushed Duke’s leg up higher and angled his cock inside to peg that spongy gland that had Duke declaring his love for him and cursing him at the same time. 

“Harder. Fuck me hard.”

Vaughan growled in Duke’s ear. “Not now. As much as I want to hear you scream until your neighbors know my name, I’m going to make you wait for that.”

Duke snapped his own protest but Vaughan spread Duke’s cheeks and pushed in again, pegging and brushing his prostate as he did.

“Fuck, listen to you. Sounding like you’re in love with my dick already.” Vaughan looked down at their connection. Saw his cock slick and shiny with his own come from the previous night. It was enough to make him shoot off again. He was rocket ship hard and his head was pulsing to the same beat as his dick. “So damn deep inside your tight ass you can barely move.”

Duke cursed him.

“All the expletives you can think of won’t stop me, sweetheart. I can make you fly.” Vaughan buried himself again, grinding himself into Duke’s ass, his mouth pressed firmly against his ear. “Beg me, Duke. Beg me to love you, beg me to fuck you.” Vaughan thrust deep with each statement. “Beg me for more, beg me to stop.”

Duke’s body began to shake and Vaughan knew he had him. Had his man where he’d wanted him for years. A shivering, aching, needy mess beneath him, impaled. Long strokes seemed to be Duke’s undoing, along with Vaughan’s provocative talking.

“I’m not going to bang you out this time, honey. Not yet. Still gonna go nice and easy until you’re healed enough to take the kind of fucking I’m going to give you.” Vaughan’s tone and his words contradicted how he moved. He dug in and out of his lover as slowly as he could muster. But he kept talking about how hard he was going to take Duke’s ass. “As soon as this cast is gone and we’re both one hundred percent healed, I’m going to get that dildo you tried to keep hidden in your nightstand drawer and I’m going to watch you fuck yourself with it while I feed you my cock.”

Vaughan caressed down the side of Duke’s face to his lips while he continued to love him from behind. “I’ll try not to fuck the hell out of this perfect mouth, but I make no promises.”

Vaughan’s balls pulled up high against his body when Duke pulled Vaughan’s middle finger into his mouth and began to suck it like he’d do his dick. He swirled his tongue around the tip of his finger before pushing the entire digit back down his throat, deep enough to tickle his esophagus.

“Oh, you bastard,” Vaughan whispered harshly, his hips snapping on their own. So he wasn’t the only one that could play dirty. Duke squeezed his ass muscles tight and wrenched a wail from Vaughan that was so extreme, he had to bury his face in the back of Duke’s hair to scream his release.

“That’s better. Come hard for me,” Duke coaxed in that sexy southern twang, sounding the most satisfied Vaughan had ever heard.

He finished grunting and sputtering around his orgasm like he’d never come before. “So perfect.” He nuzzled between Duke’s shoulder blades, tracing the muscles he found there with his tongue. “You’re perfect.”

Next thing he knew Duke was asleep again. Well he knew how to make his man rest. While he cleaned them up again, he thought he’d have to make it up to Duke for him not getting to come, but as he wiped up his mess he saw the large damp spot in front of Duke and the dried residue on his cockhead. His man
had
come. Was Vaughan that consumed by his own orgasm that he hadn’t even realized it?
This is going to be so much more fun than I thought
. Still in the same position, Vaughan held Duke as he slept.

It was a Saturday night. Quick sat on his patio sipping his fifth beer, not counting how many he’d had at the little bar across the street. His son had gone over to his best friend’s house again. They’d been on their fifth or sixth date now, who knew. It seemed like they were always doing something together while they were on the final stretch of their recuperation. Duke’s cast was off and both of them were passing their check-ups with flying colors, their bodies almost back to top shape.

Vaughan’s medical leave was up and he was scheduled to report to his new job on Monday. Quick wasn’t sure he’d see him before then since he’d been practically living with Duke. His son and best friends were lovers… that was still going to take some getting used to. Even though Vaughan had told him years ago about his feelings for Duke, Quick honestly thought he would find someone else before he finished law school and came back.

He couldn’t have been more wrong. His son was even more in love. When he’d first learned about it, Quick had called it a puppy love or infatuation. Duke was a good-looking man. All testosterone and muscles. At first he’d thought
he’d
been attracted to Duke but when they got to know each other more, Quick realized it would never work. There were only a few men that Quick had ever been attracted to, but it never amounted to anything, so why tell his best friend?

Quick never considered himself gay. He’d never been with a man. Didn’t even crave it actually. But lately there had been a stirring in his gut that he couldn’t shake. It hurt. And as much as Quick wanted to pretend he didn’t understand why, he was too smart to play dumb. He thought about Dr. Cayson Chauncey again. Replayed the argument they’d had in his office. Over and over. He’d hurt the sexy doctor.
Sexy?

This wasn’t good. He knew it. But every part of him screamed at him to do something. Make all the negative feelings he had go away. However, he simply couldn’t bring himself to call him, not even to apologize. It wasn’t necessarily his pride that prevented him from doing it; it was the assumption that Dr. Chauncey would probably slam the door in his face or tell him to fuck off. He could imagine the proper man all pissed and angry. Those blue eyes blazing with pent up rage and lust.

Oh, fuck. The way that man had looked at Quick when he came in dressed in his gear. It made his chest constrict remembering the want and need he saw in the sweet doctor. But for all of that to be displayed in front of Duke and his son was too much. He was a private man. His personal life was just that… personal. Yes, he had friends, but they were grown men. They didn’t discuss their romps anymore. This wasn’t junior high.

Maybe it was best to leave it alone. He didn’t need to see the doctor anymore. Duke didn’t need an escort with him to his doctor’s appointments. He was more active than Quick had been over the past week. His friend went to work out daily and then god only knew how active his nights were. Quick shivered. He didn’t want to picture any of that.

It was time for him to move on with his life. He and Vaughan had an amazing relationship. He still found plenty of time for the old man and it made him feel much better that all of them were getting back to normal again, but he couldn’t expect Vaughan to stay with him until the end of his days and keep him company. Quick needed to find his own company to ease the loneliness of the long nights. That were getting lonelier and lonelier. But his son had his own life to live.

Just call him.

No.

He won’t be mean. He’s too sweet to be mean.

Yes he will. He hates me now. Legitimately so.

You saw how he looked at you. Have you ever seen so much desire in anyone’s eyes?

Well if it was there, it’s damn sure gone now.

Instead of sitting there and listening to the devil and angel on his shoulders argue back and forth, Quick got up to get himself something a little stronger to drown out the noise. He didn’t want to hear it. No matter what, he wasn’t going to pursue the doctor. He wouldn’t know how, anyway. The man deserved so much better than a roughneck with only a high school education. The doctor—surgeon and lifesaver—was out of his league. It didn’t matter either way, because Quick had blown it, and for no good reason.

Standing there propped against his counter, he was lost in the quietness when his business phone rang. He moved as quickly as his inebriated legs would carry him and grabbed his cell from the patio table.

“Quick,” he answered tiredly.

“We got him,” Judge said with no preamble, getting right to the point.

“Who?” Quick said, sitting down before he lost balance. His head was swimming and the floorboards of his deck felt like they were rolling back and forth under his ass. Yeah, he was drunk.

“That bastard that got Duke—Aaron Williams. The bounty that had almost killed him. I’ve had my guys on his last known acquaintances for a while. And you won’t believe it, but the overconfident motherfucker is still in Atlanta.”

“Fuck.” Quick gripped his hair and tucked it behind his ear. He tried to think, but Judge’s rough voice cut into his musing.

“He needs to get this guy. Duke hasn’t been in the field since that day,” Judge stated.

“He had surgery, Judge. He had to recover, man. Are you trying to say—?”

“I know that! He had laparoscopic surgery seven weeks ago. He
is
healed. Even his cast is off now. He’s back in the office. He’s lifting weights and buffing back up, exercising, fucking….”

Quick all but growled and Judge laughed him off.

“I’m just saying. He’s stalling. He’s passed up two bounty recoveries that would’ve been real easy for him but he’s afraid, Quick. And you know it. We got to get him back out there. Soon!”

“Okay, okay. But first off, how good is this intel? None of us are going back into a gang war zone. No amount of bail is worth what we went through.”

“Agreed. But you know he needs to get back out there. Whether it’s to take down Aaron or any other random bounty. He just can’t stay huddled up in that office. The recon is spot on. My guys are the fuckin’ best. One of them is an ex-SEAL. He knows his shit. Aaron has been there for two days and it doesn’t look like he’s about to run, either. My guy said he looks comfortable, like he might be settled in and staying a while. It’s an old girlfriend’s house. She works at a grocery store all day and he’s there while she’s out. There’s limited in and out traffic and no children living there. It’s as good a time as any to get him.”

Quick knew Judge was right. Duke couldn’t cower in his office. He was a bounty hunter. It’s what he’d done all his life. He wouldn’t be fully healed or whole until he faced his demon again, only this time he’d kick his ass. “I’ll call him in the morning.”

“No!” Judge snapped. “Call him now. We go in the morning. You know how this goes. That guy looks like he’s stable but he could bolt at any minute. We’re not his only enemies, I’m sure.”

“In the morning! Wait… who is we?” Quick asked.

“Yes. You. I’m going, too and so is one of my guys.”

“You haven’t done bounties in months. Duke’s gonna think you’re there to watch over him. He won’t like it.”

“I’m still a hunter. Always will be. And I will be there to provide backup whether Duke likes it or not. I don’t give a damn. Now call him. We go at 0600.” Judge hung up.

Quick huffed a tired sigh. He wasn’t in the mood to make the call, especially after midnight, but it had to be done. If the situation were reversed, Duke would be all over him about getting back on the horse. So he’d do it for his friend.

He dumped the rest of his rum and Coke down the drain, since it appeared he was doing to have an early morning, and pressed the speaker button on his phone. As soon as Duke’s groggy voice answered, Quick jumped right to business.

“Judge just call me.”

“So? This better be good to wake me. I was sleeping peacefully.”

I bet.

“I don’t know how good you think it’ll be but I think it’s great. Judge and his PI guys have got a solid lead on Aaron Williams. Judge wants to go after him in the morning.”

“What the hell do you mean Judge wants to, and what the fuck do you mean in the morning? Why is he even calling you? I run the bounty business!” Duke was certainly wide-awake now, as his thick country accent blasted through his Bluetooth speaker.

“Duke, please. You know this is right. Just think for a second. You’re feeling fine. He’s still our bounty. We got good intel that our guy is in a non-hostile location and we have sufficient back up. There’s no reason not to get this asshole.”

Duke huffed but he didn’t object.

“Time to face your demons man.”

“I could say the same thing to you, Rome. You don’t have to face your demons so why should I?”

“What demons?” Quick barked.

“Don’t play stupid. You know what the hell I mean. You’re not facing your shit, so I don’t have to either.”

Quick balked. “What are we, in grade school, dude?”

“That’s how you’re acting.”

“Fine. We’ll face our demons together. You first… then me.”

“Promise.”

“Promise.”

“Deal. I’ll see you in the morning.” Duke hung up.

That was a little too easy. He’d been expecting an hour-long conversation spent trying to convince his friend to take his revenge, but Duke eagerly agreed after Quick gave him what he wanted. Quick stared at the phone wondering if he’d just been had.

Dr. Cayson Chauncey was by no means a demon but if he rejected Quick half as hard as he’d rejected the doctor, the man could level him. And it’d fuckin’ serve him right.