Catching Eagle's Eye (4 page)

“Um,” was all he managed to get out before another patient ambled up to them.

“Hey, Ensign Chadwick,” the young sailor said by way of greeting. “Is the machine free now?”

Just like that, Sawyer’s demeanor changed. His expression cooled to a professional one, as if he and Will hadn’t been discussing anything more personal than the relative merits of the new littoral combat ship. Standing up, Sawyer nodded to the other patient. “It’s all yours. How about a massage, Ensign?”

No subtle meaning in the request, no heat in his eyes, only cool detachment. Damn, he couldn’t read this man at all. “Absolutely, Lieutenant. Massage is part of your program. Right this way.”

****

Stupid fucker! Dane chided himself as he followed his irresistibly sexy therapist to the rack, er, massage table.

Yeah, except once the guy’s hands were on Dane’s body, there would be a world of misery to get through. Forget the screaming pain of his leg, it was the zone north of there he was worried about. It had been hard enough to keep his libido in check as soon as he spotted Chadwick. Doing so while those magic fingers soothed his hurts would be worse hell than he had ever known. He wasn’t buying, either, Chadwick’s claim that lots of guys grew wood while getting a massage from him. At least, he didn’t think the straight ones did, not all the time anyway. Shit, he was getting hard just at the thought of it.

So why had he asked for one? And for that matter, why had he asked the ensign about nightlife in the area? Seriously, what had he expected, a map of all the gay clubs in a twenty klick radius with an invitation to join the man for a night of clubbing? Even if Chadwick was gay, and the jury was still out on that, there had to be some rule of ethics about partying with a patient. Not that Dane gave a shit about those kinds of big brother rules. He didn’t need protecting from unwanted advances. If anything, his being a superior officer made it more important for him to be the careful one.

He was willing to bet, though, that Chadwick took the rules of conduct in his profession seriously. Dane needed to respect those boundaries. Besides, he needed to keep reminding himself, Chadwick hadn’t done or said a single thing to indicate he was gay.

Tapping the table with his palm, Chadwick turned and said, “Hop on, sir. You worked hard today and deserve a relaxing massage.”

Relaxing? Ha! It wasn’t too late to give this little torture session a miss. All he had to do was say no thanks, turn, and limp out. Nevertheless, he eased up on the table and lay back with his eyes closed. Within seconds, the sweet torment of Chadwick’s fingers working his aching muscles began. Dane took long, slow breaths in an effort to calm his mind and body. In his mind, he took apart and reassembled a variety of weapons. It was his equivalent of thinking of baseball to keep his body in check. It did absolutely no good. His rod stood up and saluted the good ensign with alacrity.

“Sorry,” he muttered again, feeling like a moron.

There was a long moment of silence. He could hear deep breaths joining his own. The fingers on his leg faltered before Chadwick responded. “It’s fine, sir. Really,” he added, except he didn’t sound as if it were fine.

Dane lifted his eyelids a fraction to look at the therapist. Chadwick’s gaze was fixed on his hands as they kneaded Dane’s calf. The man’s lower lip was trapped between his teeth. The sight was so erotic, Dane’s cock jumped within its confines. And Dane wasn’t the only one with labored breath. Chadwick’s chest rose and fell at a rapid pace. Not only that, but Dane wasn’t the only one straining against his fly.

From where he lay, the outline of a bulge was clearly visible under Chadwick’s fly. If Dane moved his knee a few inches outwardly, it would brush against Chadwick’s rod. Dane wondered if the man would have the discipline to hide his reaction from anyone else in the room that might be watching.

Teasing his subs in public and forcing them to remain still was one of his favorite pastimes. Tempting as it was, however, Chadwick was not his sub and this was not the place for that type of game. Closing his eyes, he gave up fighting his reaction and wallowed instead in the pleasure of both arousal and massage. It helped that he, at least, had an answer to his overriding question.

Chadwick was gay.

Dane became so relaxed, he was surprised when Chadwick cleared his throat. “We’re all done for the day, Lieutenant.”

“Huh?” He blinked his eyes open and sat up. Chadwick stood off to the side, his hands clasped in front of him. A telltale sign he was hiding his erection.

Dane smiled, the kind he’d use for a guy he wanted to seduce. There was no one near, so only Chadwick saw the look. “Thanks, Chadwick. You’ve got good hands.” He watched the other man process the statement, could see the wheels turning inside his pretty head, wondering if there was a hidden meaning in the remark. Which of course there was.

“Um, you’re welcome, sir.” Stepping back, the junior man gave a quick nod. “I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”

“Looking forward to it,” Dane replied with another smile and sauntered out as best he could with his tired and sore leg.

****

Dane felt like a stalker the next day as he watched Chadwick leave the building where the therapy facility was located. He had parked his jeep far enough away from the door so the man wouldn’t see him. It had come to this because he couldn’t get the guy out of his head for even a second.

Another night of jerking off with visions of Chadwick on his knees, on his back, over Dane’s lap had left him restless and determined. He was stuck in the land of sun and fun when all he wanted was to be back in the game. The least he could do to help take the edge off was to hook up and play with a willing partner.

Chadwick was a bad choice for that given how the man was in charge of his therapy, but damn it all, he wanted him. Thoughts of cruising for some anonymous local guy to hook up with left him cold. He didn’t want just any man; he wanted the one getting in his sights.

Chadwick got into his car without so much as a glance in Dane’s direction. With a curse, Dane started up and followed him off the grounds at a discreet distance. His training made him good at trailing someone even in an unfamiliar area. Eventually, the man stopped and parked his car near some kind of farmer’s market. Dane did the same and continued his pursuit on foot. It wasn’t hard to do even with his bum leg as Chadwick set an easy pace. He didn’t seem in a hurry to get anywhere.

Lots of people were strolling around and shopping for dinner, no doubt. It became obvious pretty quickly that Chadwick was doing the same. Dane watched him rummage around the fresh vegetable stands, picking up items, sniffing them for freshness. Apparently, the therapist was also a serious cook. He took his time to pick out just the right things. He chatted, too, with the produce sellers, obviously known to them. He was quick to share a laugh before moving on to the next stop. Finally, as Chadwick stood waiting for something to be wrapped, Dane decided to stop being such a pussy and make himself known.

“Hey, Chadwick,” he called out as he approached.

The other man turned abruptly around. The surprise on his face was genuine. Of course, he hadn’t known he was being followed. Dane was good at what he did, and he liked how this man’s face morphed into one of appreciation.

“Lieutenant.” He shifted a bag to his left hand in order to shake the one Dane was offering. “It’s, ah, good to see you, sir. How’s the leg?”

Dane bent his injured limb and flexed it. “Not bad. But as you’re off duty, let’s not talk shop. You’ll have your hands on me soon enough.”

Ooh, smooth one, Sawyer.

The unintended double entendre made the good ensign’s eyebrows shoot up. He coughed with obvious embarrassment before responding. “I’m glad to see you’ve found this place. It has the freshest food around and eating well will help your recovery.”

Dane grinned at the assumption and the advice, as if he would ever cook anything other than a steak on a grill. If he had a grill, that is, which he didn’t. “Sorry to disappoint you, Ensign. I’m not food shopping given that I don’t cook. I was looking for a restaurant, actually. Base chow sucks.”

“Says the man who must live on MREs a good part of the year. Oh, thanks,” he said, turning to take the package held out to him by the stall owner.

His movement gave Dane a great view of his tight ass. Dane couldn’t wait to sink his rod deep within it. When Chadwick looked at him again, the other man’s breath hitched. Maybe it meant nothing or maybe it had been caused by the look Dane knew was on his face. Being this close to the man beyond prying military eyes, it was impossible to hide his interest. The recurring image of Chadwick’s lips wrapped around his cock popped up unbidden as it always did. This time, he gave free rein to his fantasy. It had the usual effect on his anatomy, although given his baggy shorts and T-shirt, no one could see it.

Then again, his clothing might not be such a good camouflage. The other man swallowed hard and licked his lips. Perhaps the obviousness of Dane’s interest showed through because he could swear Chadwick had become flushed with arousal. His clothes also hid his lower half, but the color climbing the man’s high cheekbones and the wideness of his eyes told the story well enough. Good, the mutual interest hadn’t been a given even if the ensign was gay. Time to press his advantage.

“Know any good places around here where I could grab some dinner?”

Chadwick pursed his fuckable lips and hummed. “Sure, there’s a little place right around the corner that serves great paella if you’re into Spanish food.”

“Perfect, lead the way. My treat.” When Chadwick just stood there with the dear-in-the-headlights stare, he added, “Unless you’ve got other plans or someone waiting for you back at your place.” Of course, it was possible that Chadwick had a boyfriend or something. He hoped not.

“Oh, um, no.” The man shrugged and held up his bags. “I was going to make dinner for myself, that’s all.”

“Anything in there unable to keep a while?”

“No, sir,” Chadwick replied after another hard swallow.

Dane gave him his most seductive smile and tugged the heaviest looking bag out of Chadwick’s hand. “Great. After you.”

Chapter Three

For a few stupid seconds, Will actually tried to hold onto the bag before he let go. Who was he kidding even to pretend to resist the lure of this man. Lieutenant Sawyer was the kind of guy who got his way in the world, and God help Will, but that was a total turn-on.

He could see, too, the desire in the man’s eyes as he looked at Will as if he were a lollipop waiting to be licked and sucked and maybe even chewed on. He suppressed a shudder at the notion even as he tried to ignore the growing hard-on pressing against his fly. If he were smart and sensible, he’d turn the senior officer down gently, yet firmly, and go on with his plans for a quiet dinner in his apartment.

Instead, he turned and headed in the direction of the restaurant that was one of his favorites when he wanted to treat himself. Sawyer stepped up to his side and kept pace as they wended their way through the marketplace. Heat radiated off the larger man in strong enough waves that Will could feel even with the slight evening breeze. It was hard to ignore and impossible to keep his body from reacting to the attraction. He slid his gaze briefly to the side to catch a look at the man’s expression and saw nothing unusual. Perhaps he had only imagined the spark between them.

Except the lieutenant had asked him to dinner, and it was clear he wasn’t going to accept no for an answer once Will had confirmed he had no other plans and no strings attached to anyone else. It could simply be one man lonely and bored being away from home and desperate to spend time with anyone he knew. Somehow, Will doubted it, though. Sawyer was not the lonely and desperate type. He was the guy everyone noticed when he walked into a bar and could get some attention with just the snap of his fingers. He had picked Will for some reason, and Will couldn’t shake the feeling he was on a date.

God help him, indeed.

He should not get involved with a patient and closet case, at best, to boot. Still, here he was, leading Sawyer into the restaurant and taking a seat across from him at the proffered table on the outdoor patio. The waiter asked if they wanted anything to drink, and before Will could answer, Sawyer spoke up.

“I’ll take whatever local pilsner you have on tap. Does that work for you?” he asked Will. When Will nodded, Sawyer confirmed the order for the waiter. “And, paella for two, please.”

“Very good, sir,” the waiter said with a smile and a nod. Taking the menus, he left.

Will wanted to be irritated by how Sawyer had taken over the ordering, yet couldn’t. Damn, it was nice to have someone else in charge, even for something as simple a dinner choice.

Sawyer looked at him from across the table with a knowing smile, as if he understood what Will liked. Maybe he did. It was possible that he was pursuing Will because he sensed Will’s submissive nature the same way Will recognized Sawyer as a guy who liked to dominate. They sat in companionable silence until the ice-cold beers arrived.

Sawyer shoved the wedge of lime into the bottle before taking a long pull. He sighed. “A cold beer, one of life’s little pleasures. It almost makes up for being sidelined.”

Will savored his own drink for a moment before replying, “I know it’s hard to be out of commission, but you’re getting there, sir.”

Dane eyed him over the rim of the bottle. “Dane. We’re off duty.”

Will nodded. “I’m Will, then, and I appreciate the offer for dinner. I like to cook, but it’s nice to eat out now and again. Nicer still to have company.” For a few minutes more, they sat and drank their beers, lazily watching the crowds walk by. Will sighed. “Not to belabor the point, but this really is a pleasant change of pace, although I love being at Walter Reed. The lower Eastern seaboard is a wonderful combination of calm and vibrant.”

“I’m afraid it’s all pretty lost on me,” Dane replied. “I like being busy. This sitting around crap is making me twitchy.”

Will smiled. “I bet. I’ve never met a SEAL who did well with quiet and peaceful.”