Breathe (21 page)

That stung. What hadn"t Jay had a chance to learn about Katie?

What did he have left to learn about Lincoln?

“I"m glad we have a chance to talk,” Stuart said. “Just the two of us. We don"t

get to much anymore.”

Jay tried for a smile. Who was Stuart kidding? There"d never been a time

when the two of them had sat alone with each other. Too bad the first time had to

be the night Jay broke into the man"s house and found out he and his wife had put

the life of a five-year-old girl in jeopardy. Or had Emily acted on her own? Was

Stuart involved? Was he clueless?

“Emily and I are leaving on a trip for three weeks. I"ve got recruiting to take

care of, and then we"re staying in Chicago for a vacation.”

“Sounds nice,” Jay said. Should he mention the paper? Ask about the photos,

the threats? If he waited, he could see if the notes stopped while the Shaws were

gone. Although they could"ve hired someone to deliver the threats. Hired the

investigator to take the photos. That"s how people like the Shaws did things, after

all. Never getting their hands dirty.

Perhaps whoever they"d hired had taken liberties. Perhaps the Shaws weren"t

specific in how they expected Lincoln McCaw dealt with. Perhaps they knew

nothing about the inhalers.

As much as Jay wanted them to pay for what they"d done, he also wanted to

keep Katie"s parents from getting into trouble.

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105

Stuart took another drink and then spoke again. “I think Emily doesn"t want

to drive because she"s afraid of hurting someone. She doesn"t want anyone else to go

through losing a child.”

Jay stared at the man. How far would Emily Shaw go to keep that from

happening?

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Chapter Fifteen

“I don"t know, Jay.” Lincoln finished tightening the brake fittings, needing

something to do with his hands as he thought over Jay"s words. It was the same

thing Jay had suggested every day they"d gotten together. A week working on the

bike, and they were just about done. Nothing more to distract them. “It doesn"t sit

right with me.”

“I think it"ll be okay.” Jay squatted next to him.

He wanted to argue, demand Jay confront the Shaws before they left, but he

buried the words. Jay didn"t deserve the anger.

“It should stop now that they"re leaving,” Jay added. “And maybe they"ll let it

go when they get back.”

“We"ll see.” Lincoln stood and went for his smokes on the storage shelf.

Jay wrapped a hand around his wrist and whispered in his ear, “You should

quit those.”

Lincoln turned his head and eyed the man pressing in close behind him. Jay

had lubricant on his cheek and more lube in his hair—and not the good kind.

“Thought you smoked.”

“When I was sixteen.” Jay smiled and pulled Lincoln by the hips until ass met

groin. “And whenever I want to get into a guy"s pants.”

“How cliché of you.”

“Worked, didn"t it?” Jay rotated his groin and rubbed his dick along the seam

of Lincoln"s jeans.

The press of the firm erection against Lincoln"s ass got his attention. Jay

rotated his hips again, and that did a bit more than get Lincoln"s attention. It had

him ready to rip his damn pants off and get Jay"s dick inside him. “Are you always

hard?”

“Around you that seems to be a common affliction.” Jay spun them until they

faced the bike and shoved Lincoln forward.

Lincoln gripped the seat and stuck his ass out, loving Jay taking the lead,

loving the thrill of giving himself over to someone—to Jay.

Jay ran a hand down one jean-covered ass cheek, then into the space between.

Damn, stupid pants
. Lincoln went for the top button, but Jay slapped his hand

away.

When did the kid get so confident? And bossy?

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107

Hell, who was he kidding? From the first night they"d met, Jay was the perfect

blend of sensual innocence and erotic strength. It was a turn-on, and Lincoln

wanted more, wanted to do everything they hadn"t done yet. Wanted to sit on the

bike and let Jay ride him. But was Jay ready?

Better to let the other man lead. For now.

Jay bent over Lincoln"s back and spoke against his ear. “You need to quit the

smokes. Okay?”

Lincoln gasped with his words. “I will.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise.” He loved Jay"s weight on his back. Loved the heat and pressure,

the feel of Jay"s hands as he unbuttoned Lincoln"s shirt. Then Jay was gone, taking

the shirt with him. Lincoln clasped the bike"s seat in both fists. He wanted to turn

around and grab Jay, pull the man to him, get his tongue in Jay"s mouth. He didn"t

have time for any of it.

Jay pressed a hand to his back and said, “Stay there. Don"t move.”

Fucking hell
. He loved the man"s commands, the way Jay leaned forward and

licked along the base of his neck. Jay"s shirt was off, and the bare chest to his back

gave Lincoln some of what he craved. He reached around with one hand and

grasped Jay"s jean-covered thigh.

He didn"t get to touch the man for long. Jay seized Lincoln"s hands and

stretched his arms out in front of them. “Lean forward against the bike. Grab the

edge of the workbench.”

Lincoln did as instructed, and the action shifted them so Jay"s body forced

Lincoln"s groin against the bike"s seat.

“I want you.” Jay rolled his hips, putting all the right pressure against

Lincoln"s ass. “Can"t stop wanting you.”

Yes. Can’t stop
. Even if they should?

It felt so damn good, though. Lincoln wanted Jay inside him, needed to feel the

man"s cock pushing in. He wanted Jay to take him—show him the desire was as

strong for Jay as it was for him.

Jay enveloped Lincoln, one arm around his shoulder, and with the other hand,

he lowered Lincoln"s zipper. “Kick off your pants.”

Lincoln breathed deep, trying to get his desire in check. He had every intention

of making this last.

But it couldn"t last. No matter how much he"d enjoyed the past week working

on the bike together. No matter how much fun he had hanging out with Jay, how

much he"d laughed and relaxed. No matter how much they deluded themselves. Sex

was all they"d ever have. His stomach churned. Like he"d just downed too much

whiskey. Why? Because he liked Jay. More than he should admit. A hard swallow,

and he forced away the unease. He"d enjoy this for what it was.

Jay stood, and Lincoln heard him undressing. “Linc, get your pants off.”

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Why couldn"t he move?

Desire?

Fear?

Or something more?

Jay covered his back again, the man"s naked body warm and close and so right

against his. Jay swept a hand across his chest, plucking at his nipples, tilting his

world like the time his car had spun out on the last curve at the Tri-State Raceway.

“Need your pants off so I can fuck you, really give this bike a test run.”

Lincoln nodded, but he still couldn"t move.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Just give me a sec.” He sucked in a long breath and reached for his

pants. He needed to snap out of it, get undressed, and let Jay screw him into

oblivion. Forget all the bullshit about what he wanted and what he could never

have. Too bad he couldn"t hide the shaking of his hands.

“Want you so much,” Jay said as he helped work Lincoln"s pants past his hips.

“Want you to know how much. Want to show you.”

Lincoln froze, his pants stuck around his thighs. Jay had to quit talking. He

was always talking too much. “Just fuck me. Now. Please, Jay.”

Apparently Jay didn"t need any more encouragement than that. He grabbed

Lincoln"s pants and yanked them the rest of the way off. Then he had on a condom,

applied lube, and was pushing inside Lincoln in no time. He loved that part—the

slow, sweet burn as Jay entered him. The way his own breath hitched when they

came together. The smell of Jay"s cologne overwhelming his senses. His own dick

rubbing against the leather of the bike seat with each shove as Jay thrust into him

over and over. The bike rocked with their movements, the kickstand scraping along

the concrete floor.

“You like it, don"t you?” Jay asked, his words punctuated by low grunts. “You

like getting fucked?”

“Yes! Like that it"s you. Just you.”

Everything stopped. Jay. Him. Time.

Lincoln needed to shut the hell up. If he didn"t, he"d say something he"d

regret—they"d both regret.

Too late for that?

Jay grasped Lincoln"s hips tighter, the pinch almost painful. They stood

immobile, body to body, the pounding of Lincoln"s heart the only sound he could

hear until Jay finally moved. They both groaned as he pulled back and they came

together, hips to ass, with the next slow thrust. Lincoln wanted Jay to stay buried

inside him, wanted the moment to last as long as they could stand it. Jay must have

felt the same. He stayed still for several deep breaths, then finally rocked his body

again, speeding up more with each movement. Lincoln eased his hand between the

bike and himself and wrapped it around his cock.

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109

It was unlike any sex he"d had with Jay yet.

And it wasn"t just the sex that had changed between them. Lincoln was falling

for Jay. Hard.

With that thought, he jerked forward, driving his cock into the grip of his

hand. He slammed his hips against the bike seat and came, his skin more alive and

on fire than the flames on the Harley.

Jay held Lincoln and drew him close until they touched along the length of

their bodies again. The angle had Jay"s thrusts shallow, but the contact of chest to

back was nothing Lincoln wanted to change. He"d never have all of Jay, but he"d

take all he could get.

Jay thrust one last time, his hips snug against Lincoln, his cock buried deep.

He pinned Lincoln to him and shivered through spasm after spasm. Lincoln gripped

the arm Jay still had pressed across his chest. He wasn"t ready to let go.

“Oh God,” Jay said between deep gulps for air.

They stayed like that, breathing heavy, sweat and cum drying in the air. They

should have withdrawn, gotten rid of the condom, but Lincoln didn"t care about

anything but touching Jay, feeling the man against his back.

Then he felt more: the two bands on the chain around Jay"s neck smashed

between them. Lincoln leaned forward against the bike.

Neither man spoke. What could they say? Lincoln didn"t need to ask any

questions. The experience had been as intense for Jay as it had been for him. There

was no way either of them could pretend differently—pretend they weren"t feeling

something for each other.

The bike rocked as he pushed off the seat. “She held up okay.”

Jay laughed. “She did.” He put his shirt on, covering the rings that had dug

into Lincoln"s back only moments before. “We"ll have to get her on the road to see

what else she"ll need.”

Nope
. Not going to happen. Lincoln reached for his pants and underwear.

Jay beat him to the pants and handed them over. “That was incredible.”

There Jay went again, talking too much.

“You like it a lot?” Jay asked, his gaze on the flames of the bike.

“What? Sex?” Lincoln never had a lover want to talk about it after. Should"ve

known Jay was the kind of guy who"d need that.

“Yeah. But…I mean, bottoming.” He blushed.

Another new one. None of Lincoln"s lover"s ever blushed.

“Getting fucked,” Jay added.

Lincoln chuckled as he tugged on his shirt. “Sure, I like it. Did you miss me

coming all over the bike seat?” Time to distract the man. Since testing the bike was

out of the question, he pulled him forward. “I liked it a lot.”

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Sloan Parker

This kiss was as passionate as those before the sex, Jay grabbing and

clutching as much as Lincoln. Jay tilted his head back, and Lincoln licked down the

man"s neck, working up marks and earning little hums from Jay.

Before long, Jay shifted his hips. “Never in my life been ready for round two so

fast.” He glanced away and bit his lower lip. No avoiding the sadness in his eyes.

What could Lincoln say to the man? Maybe he would"ve had the right response

if he hadn"t been the one who had taken Jay"s wife from him.

“It"s okay.” He cupped Jay"s chin and forced his head up until the man looked

his way. “You need to let yourself feel. I"m sure she"d—” What the hell was he

doing? Putting words in her mouth. He had no right.

Jay nodded. “She"d understand. She"d never blame me for how I feel.”

Would she blame you for being with me
? Lincoln swallowed around the lump in

his throat.

Jay ran a hand along Lincoln"s cheek to his chin. Why was that one touch more

important to him than the ones Jay had given him when he was bent over the