rock and aching for his touch.
Between his hand and his cock, my nerve endings are on fire, my blood surging. My arousal climbs, along with his. His harsh grunts in my ear, his breath on my back, only turn me on more.
With a cry, he burrows deep inside me and holds himself there. I can feel his body tense as he comes with a hoarse shout. I follow a moment later, my cries mingling with his.
As I collapse onto the bar, he follows me down, his chest pressed against my back. We’re still joined, both of us shaking in the aftermath.
Tyler presses a kiss to the nape of my neck. After withdrawing, he pulls me upright and slides his arm across my chest to hold me steady. I barely have the strength to stand.
As the clock in the foyer chimes eleven, Tyler says, “I need a stiff drink and a hot shower.”
I laugh shakily. “Same.”
While Tyler zips up his trousers, I pull up my briefs and jeans.
Tyler steers me to a barstool. “Sit, before you fall down.” Then he walks behind the bar and gets out two glasses. He doesn’t need to ask what I want—he makes me a Cosmo. He hands it to me, and then he pours himself a shot of whiskey.
“I have to appear in court tomorrow at two for the arraignment,” he says, and then he takes a sip of his liquor.
“What does that mean, exactly?”
“The charges will be read in court, in front of a judge, and I’ll enter a plea.”
“Not guilty, right?”
Tyler tosses back the rest of his liquor and pours himself another shot. “Right.”
But something in the tone of his voice gives me pause. “What does Troy think?”
“I’m being charged with aggravated battery, which is a felony. Troy says he can get the charge reduced to a misdemeanor because it was essentially an act of self-defense, and I have no prior convictions.”
“It counts as self-defense?”
He nods. “I was defending you.”
Tyler walks around to my side of the bar and turns me to face him. He steps between my legs, cups my face in his hands, and kisses me lightly. “Have you eaten?” he asks me.
“No. I don’t have any appetite.”
“Me neither.”
“Then let’s skip it,” I say.
“Fine with me.” Tyler takes my hand. “Let’s go upstairs.”
We head up to the bedroom. Tyler disappears into the closet to undress, and I stand in the open doorway, watching him.
As he passes me on his way to the bathroom, he says, “I was suspended this evening. I had to surrender my star.”
“Oh, my god, I’m so sorry.” My heart breaks for him. I know how much his badge means to him. “But they didn’t take your gun?” I ask him, surprised. I saw him hang his gun and holster in the closet when he arrived home. On TV, they always take the officer’s badge and gun.
He shakes his head. “Just my star. Here, our firearms are personal property, not department-issued.” He shrugs like it’s nothing. “It’s standard procedure, Ian. Until the case is resolved, I’m off the job. It looks like you’re stuck having me around the house.”
As I follow him into the bathroom, he turns back to me. “You’re overdressed.”
I let him unfasten my jeans and tug them down, along with my Calvin Kleins. I kick off my sneakers and remove my socks. Once naked, I stand before him and let him look his fill.
There’s an edginess about him tonight, an urgency I’m sure has been fueled by this evening’s events. He cups my face as we stand eye-to-eye. His nostrils flare, his chest rising and falling hard. He’s upset.
“I’m sorry about your job,” I say past the knot in my throat. But the words feel so inadequate. “It’s only temporary, right?”
He leans closer, his mouth locking onto mine, and it’s a rough kiss—demanding. One of his hands slides around to the back of my head, gripping me hard. “You have nothing to apologize for, Ian,” he says. “I made my choice.”
“But your job—”
“Stop.” His voice is sharp. “What’s done is done.” And then he turns on the water and pulls me with him into the spray of hot water.
* * *
“So, you’re suspended,” I say much later when we’re lying together in bed. We’re both wired, neither one of us ready for sleep.
“Yeah. I’m off duty until further notice. Think of it as house arrest. There are strict rules. I have to be home during regular business hours—essentially eight to five. There are a lot