Sin City Uniform 02 - Copping an Attitude (14 page)

He inhaled Lonnie’s slightly musky scent, the combined smell of their sexual encounter still pungent. They faced one another with their limbs tangled together, their soft dicks nestled against the other. Lonnie’s breathing evened out and Parker lay very still, not wanting to disturb him—he knew Lonnie still needed the rest.

After a while, Parker’s lids became heavy and he shut his eyes. His thoughts drifted around, touching on various moments from his brief acquaintanceship with Lonnie. Before sleep took him, Parker cradled Lonnie closer. He marveled at how well he and Lonnie fit together.

* * * *

His first week living with Parker had been filled with stops and starts. There had been plenty of intense lovemaking, laughter, long talks—then unexpected tensions. He took all the blame. He knew it was his stupid fears and insecurities fucking with him. What made him angry was that it was fucking with what he wanted more than anything—a lasting relationship with Parker.

Parker had suggested the previous day that maybe Lonnie might want to see a counselor. It was right as Parker had been getting ready for his shift and Lonnie had blown up at him. Almost immediately he’d been mortified by his own behavior, but that hadn’t made him feel any better about it. He didn’t want Parker to get tired of his shit and not want to be with him anymore.

It didn’t even have anything to do with Lonnie needing a place to live. All that mattered to him was building a life with Parker. Where he built it made no difference to him. If it ever got to the point where Parker decided he didn’t want him around, he’d probably end up doing what Beau had suggested and move to another area. Why the hell would he want to stay in Vegas without Parker? Parker was the only good thing in the entire filthy town as far as he was concerned.

In an effort to be productive, he’d been endeavoring to be more handy in the kitchen. His previous specialties had been frozen burritos and cold cereal, so pretty much anything else he did would be considered really branching out. Valeena had always teased him about it until he’d challenged her to come up with something better. He’d been impressed with her ability to boil spaghetti and pour sauce over it that she’d heated from a jar.

He’d asked Parker to pick up those ingredients, plus a few others. He was going to try to jazz it up by adding fresh mushrooms to the sauce and real Parmesan cheese on top instead of the powdery kind his mom had always used.

Parker had come home from his shift close to seven a.m. Lonnie had stayed up as late as he could so that their schedules wouldn’t be too different. If it had been his old life, they really would’ve been exactly the same. But his body had been reprogrammed a bit since his hospital stay. Even though he’d tried to stay awake, he’d fallen asleep to the new
Godzilla
movie at some time past three. Worry over whether Parker would still be upset with him when he returned from work had made Lonnie really want to be up when he got there.

He’d woken up when Parker had climbed into bed after apparently shutting off the TV and DVD player. Lonnie had been pulled into the warmth of Parker’s embrace as he’d spooned around his body. He’d tried to say he was sorry, but Parker had shushed him then softly kissed his neck over and over until he’d drifted back to sleep.

Lonnie had finally snuck out of bed at around noon, knowing that Parker would get up somewhere between one and two. Spaghetti probably wasn’t the best breakfast in the world, but it beat Cheerios. He’d chopped the mushrooms and was pretty sure he hadn’t butchered them too badly. He’d also grated the cheese and had added some extra spices to the sauce simmering on the stove—it had tasted sorta bland when he’d sampled it. The water was ready to boil whenever Parker was ready to eat. Valeena had warned him about that. She’d told him not to cook the noodles too soon or they’d be sticky like glue and turn into a big messy blob.

I hope she’s okay.

Sometimes his stomach would ache if he thought about her too much. It was easier if he focused on the things that made him feel good. Parker had pretty much become everything to him. He shifted back and forth on his feet, disquiet seeping in. He wasn’t stupid despite his lack of education. Getting upset at Parker about seeking outside help was not that surprising when he thought about it. It had nothing to do with Parker directly, but had everything to do with Lonnie’s desire to keep the rest of the world away from them. Parker was his and he didn’t want anyone to interfere with that. Buried inside him was the sneaking suspicion that Parker would come to his senses at some point and realize that he didn’t want someone like Lonnie in his life, in his home.

A whore.

Tears burned behind his eyes and he blinked them away. It wouldn’t alleviate his insecurities if Parker were to catch him crying. There was no point in reminding Parker what a mess he was. He’d handle it on his own.

“Damn. Something smells incredible in here.”

Parker came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Lonnie’s frame. He nuzzled his neck.

“Mmm. Now I know what it is. It’s Eau de Lonnie.”

Lonnie snorted laughter. “I made some spaghetti. I know you just woke up, but I thought you might be hungry?”

Parker turned Lonnie in his arms then took his mouth in a slow, deep kiss. He retreated, murmuring in Lonnie’s ear.

“Always hungry for you.”

Lonnie let out a sigh before he could stop it. It was a contented sound, but a little too much like a girl. Parker nibbled at his throat then moved lower until he’d clamped his lips over the valley of skin between Lonnie’s clavicle bones. Like Parker, Lonnie didn’t have on a shirt, the sleep pants being the only thing he wore. There was a suctioning pull on his flesh, the sensation sharp but pleasurable at the same time.

If Parker was going to mark him, Lonnie wanted to leave one on Parker too. Parker finished sucking on his skin then soothed the spot with his tongue. After angling his head, Lonnie placed his mouth on the side of Parker’s neck to do the same thing. Parker yanked away.

What felt like a fist wrapped around Lonnie’s stomach. “I… You don’t want…?”

Tears filled his eyes and one slipped out before he could stop it. He twisted his body to get away from Parker. Parker’s hold tightened, but Lonnie wouldn’t give in to him. At last, Parker let go and Lonnie ran into their…into Parker’s bedroom.

As soon as he hit the threshold, he stopped. It wasn’t right, the way he was acting. His heart hammered away, his throat tight as he tried to slow his breathing.

That was… Why did I do that?

Yeah. His feelings had gotten hurt because it hadn’t seemed as if Parker wanted Lonnie to mark him, that maybe the idea of being branded by a whore was repugnant to him. He pressed the heel of his palm against his eyes. He was fucked up. Really fucked up.

“Lonnie? If you need to be alone, I’ll understand. But I’d like to talk if that’s okay.”

Lonnie turned, shaking his head. “I don’t want to be alone. I want to know why I get so irritated over the dumbest things. Why the anger seems to grab hold of me until I can’t think straight.”

Parker took what seemed like a hesitant step toward him. “Then can we sit down for a minute and you can tell me what happened just now?”

Lonnie went inside the room and sat on the bed.

“Would you be more comfortable with me if we spoke out in the living room?”

Lonnie let out a heavy sigh.

I have Parker second-guessing everything around me now. Great.

He reached for Parker, offering his hand. There was an almost puzzled look on his face and Lonnie wanted to punch himself for being such a pain in the ass. Thankfully, Parker intertwined his fingers with Lonnie’s, but it was still disheartening to see Parker’s relieved expression.

He shouldn’t have to wonder when the next time is that I’m gonna go off like a crazy person.

“I’m fine here in your bedroom.”

Parker squeezed his hand. “
Our
bedroom, honey. But if that’s too much for you right now—or at any time—tell me. I’ll understand.”

It was difficult for Lonnie to reconcile his old life with what seemed to be his new one. Yet nothing about Parker rang false. Even though Lonnie had only known him for a very brief time, he’d shown himself to be a genuinely good and caring person. Parker had put himself in harm’s way to save Lonnie.

He risked his life for me and I’m upset over a fucking hickey?

“I’m so sorry, Parker.”

An expression of sadness filled Parker’s face before he masked it, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down in what appeared to be an effort to control his emotions.

“Don’t apologize at all. We can get your things settled in the guest room—”

Lonnie groaned in frustration, grabbing Parker’s fingers tighter even as Parker tried to pull them away.

“No. Stop.”

He leaned forward and captured Parker’s lips. Parker tensed, but Lonnie only kissed him more insistently. At last, Parker relaxed and opened to him and Lonnie hoped that he’d been reassured by Lonnie’s affection.

“Parker, I’m sorry because I’m such a mess right now. Not because I don’t want to be with you.”

There was what appeared to be an exhalation of relief from his lover. “You don’t have to explain—”

“Dude, stop. Seriously, Parker. I
do
need to explain, I need you to understand. You’re too good to me.”

Lonnie noted how Parker furrowed his brow in genuine confusion.

“I’ve been treated like shit for so long that it seems normal. Then you come along acting like I’m all wonderful and stuff, and it messes with my head.”

“Then can you tell me what happened with you back in the kitchen?”

Lonnie gasped and yanked his hands away from Parker.

“Oh shit! The sauce.”

After jumping to his feet, Lonnie raced from the bedroom in the hopes of rescuing his first attempt at making them a meal. He reached the kitchen and was relieved to discover that he’d arrived in time to keep the sauce from burning to the bottom of the pot. He stirred it thoroughly then shut off the heat. He wanted to sit down with Parker before they did anything else.

“Is it okay?”

The nervousness in Parker was still evident. His voice had been tentative and he kept fidgeting.

“Yeah.” Lonnie smirked. “But I still don’t think I have much of a shot at
MasterChef
. Are you super hungry, or can we sit and talk first?”

“Of course.” Parker indicated to the table and chairs.

“No. Sit next to me on the couch. Please?”

At last, Parker’s relief seemed completely evident. His expression had lightened and the corners of his mouth had lifted in an easy smile. Lonnie laced their fingers together and he led Parker to the sofa. As he fell back on the couch, he dragged Parker with him. A startled laugh burst from Parker.

Once they were both seated, Lonnie stayed close—his body flush to Parker’s side. He rubbed his thumb over the back of Parker’s hand. Inhaling deeply, he decided to just go for it.

“Are you embarrassed to be dating a whore?”

Parker gasped. “Oh, Jesus, Lonnie. Is that how you think I see you?”

Lonnie snorted. “Uh, yeah. I mean, it’s the truth.”

Parker gathered him in his arms and pulled him on his lap, enfolding him an embrace. He placed a finger under Lonnie’s chin and tipped it up. He was mere inches from Parker’s face and the warmth shining through his brown eyes was clear. Lonnie kept his gaze trained on him, and Parker held his stare for a moment before finally speaking.

“That’s not who you are to me. It never was. And that’s not what you are either. That label has nothing to do with Lonnie. You’re not that person anymore, remember? That’s what you had to do to survive because of the circumstances that were forced on you. I would never judge you for that and I’m incredibly proud to be with you.” Parker chuckled. “You do realize that everyone at the station—and probably across several other departments—already knows that I’m crazy about you, right?”

Happy excitement filled Lonnie’s chest and he smiled. “Or just that you’re crazy.”

Parker descended on his mouth and Lonnie opened up to him on a welcoming sigh. His mouth was plundered by the assured swipes of Parker’s tongue as his lover kissed him deeply. Lonnie allowed himself to be taken by Parker, gave him the lead. The headiness of being held safe in Parker’s care crept up on him again, and he was reminded how incredibly fortunate he was to be with him.

Parker broke their connection then looked him in the eyes as he had before.

“What did I do to upset you a little while ago?”

“I was being stupid.”

“It bothered you so it’s not stupid. Please talk to me.”

Lonnie tried to twist away, ashamed by his childish behavior. Parker held him fast, grasping his chin so that he couldn’t escape him. Lonnie finally met his gaze.

“Okay, fine. I just… It seemed like you might be embarrassed by me because you pulled away when I tried to mark you. You know, like you were afraid people might know.”

Parker grabbed him in a tight embrace then whispered next to his ear, “Honey, that wasn’t why I pulled away from you. I can’t have any marks showing on my neck above my uniform collar.” Parker nibbled at his lobe. “But you can give me as many as you want anywhere else. I’d really like it if you would.”

Lonnie wriggled in Parker’s grasp, desire gathering low in his belly as the certainty of Parker’s words filled him. He maneuvered himself until he was straddling Parker, then pushed him down lengthways on the sofa. Stretching across him, Lonnie lay so that he could latch onto the skin above Parker’s right nipple. There was a hissing sound as Parker arched his back and Lonnie had to work not to smile against his skin and break the suction.

He sucked and licked, alternating the spots on Parker’s chest where he’d left his mark. It was addictive to brand him that way. The possessive streak over Parker that he’d first noticed at the hospital rose up stronger than ever.

Parker caressed and kneaded Lonnie’s flesh in a gentle way that reinforced their bond but left Lonnie in control. The heat built, Lonnie’s dick hardening as he squirmed against Parker’s torso. He wanted Parker, wanted to claim his ass. He was sure his arm was better enough that he could take him the way he wanted.