––––––––
Josh unlocked his apartment door and flicked on the lights. His first day hadn’t gone quite the way he’d expected, but he had no complaints. His partner hadn’t been what he’d expected either. Corbin was larger than life, a horrible flirt, and clearly had one thing on his mind. Josh had kept quiet on his sexual preferences just to see how things played out with his new partner. The man was delicious with all that mocha skin and those bulging muscles. A bit of ink had shown under his shirt sleeve and Josh had been more than a little curious about the design. Honestly, he’d been curious about what lay under the cop’s shirt—and pants—since the moment he laid eyes on him. Josh was determined to break his pattern this time. He wouldn’t jump into bed with the first man who sparked his interest, especially when that man was his partner. Too many things could go wrong. It might be a great sexual release, but the flames of passion faded over time and Josh was ready for something lasting.
Locking up, he tossed his keys on the kitchen counter and began unbuttoning his shirt on thes way to his room. He stripped out of his uniform, all the way down to his bare skin, and pulled on a pair of sweat pants. It felt good to get out of the restrictive clothing, and had it not been so cold outside, he would have forgone any clothing. Josh was far from shy about his body and had no problem walking around nude.
He flicked on the stereo and stepped into the second bedroom, where he had a mini gym set up. The apartment complex had a gym that the tenants could use, but he preferred working out in his home and not in front of a bunch of strangers. He started with the bike and eventually moved on to free weights. Josh worked up a sweat before calling it quits for the night. He’d do another short workout in the morning before work, but he found that exercising helped clear his mind.
Josh stepped out of his sweat pants and jumped into the shower, letting the hot water work out his tense muscles. He had just stepped out and slung a towel around his waist when he heard a knock at the front door. With a frown, he went to see who could possibly be knocking on his door at seven at night, especially in a town where he didn’t know anyone yet.
His first glance through the peephole nearly had him dropping his towel. Undoing the locks, he swung the door open and stared in surprise at his new partner.
Corbin lifted two six packs of beer, his gaze quickly scanning Josh from head to toe. “I hope you don’t mind, but I thought we could unwind and get to know each other better.”
“Come in. Just give me a minute to throw something on.”
He thought he heard ‘wish you wouldn’t’ come out of his partner’s mouth, but the words were so soft he couldn’t be certain.
Josh cleared his throat and motioned toward the kitchen. “Why don’t you put the beers in the fridge and make yourself comfortable? I’ll just be a minute.”
Corbin stepped inside and pushed the door closed as Josh hurried into his bedroom. He kicked the door shut with his foot and dropped his towel. Opening his bottom dresser drawer, he pulled out a pair of sweat pants and a tee. He dressed quickly and tossed his wet towel into the bathroom. When he stepped back into the living room, Corbin was checking out the ornaments on his Christmas tree.
Corbin glanced his way, a red dragon ornament clutched in his hand. “Interesting choice.”
Josh stopped beside him. “What’s wrong with dragons?”
“Nothing. I’ve just never seen a tree full of them before.”
“What can I say?” Josh shrugged. “I’ve always been fascinated by them. During story time as a kid, I always hoped the dragon would set the knight on fire.”
Corbin smiled and let the ornament go. “I’ve always been fond of dragons myself.”
“I was about to put the football game on. Want to join me?” Josh ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve got some dip in the fridge that I made last night. I can grab it and some chips.”
“Sounds good. I put the beer in the fridge, but I kept two out.”
Josh ducked into the kitchen and pulled the dip from the fridge. He popped the bowl into the microwave to heat it up and grabbed an unopened bag of chips from the cabinet. The microwave dinged and he carefully removed the bowl and stirred the dip. Snagging the bowl and the chips, Josh carried them into the living room and set them down on the coffee table.
“I wasn’t sure which game you wanted to watch,” Corbin said. “I just put on the first one I saw.”
“I was just going to watch one of the college games. Anything is fine tonight. None of my teams are playing.”
“I’ve always liked NFL games more,” Corbin said. “I don’t have a favorite team though.”
Josh sat on the opposite end of the couch, putting the middle cushion between them. While he’d planned to spend a quiet evening at home, the company was nice, if a bit distracting. Corbin’s spicy scent filled the air and Josh shifted in an attempt to hide his rising cock. Being in close quarters with his partner wasn’t going to be easy. Josh wasn’t sure how long he could hide his attraction to the man sitting beside him.
“I don’t see any pictures of family,” Corbin said. “Do they live nearby?”
“Don’t have one. I was raised in foster care after my parents died in a plane crash. No one wanted to adopt a surly eleven year old boy with a chip on his shoulder.”
“I’m sorry.”
There was a tenderness in Corbin’s gaze that almost had Josh reaching for him. It had been a long time since anyone had held Josh, and he was curious. Would Corbin’s embrace give him the comfort he needed? Or would it fan the flames of desire that licked at his skin and heated the blood in his veins? It was thoughts like these that sent him tumbling into one bed after another, with one faceless man after another.
Six months ago, he’d had a scare of the worst kind and found out one of his previous sexual partners had tested HIV positive. His hands had shaken and he’d felt sick to his stomach the entire time he sat in the doctor’s office having his blood drawn. He’d been terrified until he’d received his test results and a clean bill of health. He hadn’t been with anyone since. Was that why he was so attracted to Corbin? Sexual frustration? Josh had become well acquainted with his hand, but lately that wasn’t enough.
“I didn’t mean to bring up something painful,” Corbin said, mistaking his silence.
“No, it’s fine. It’s been sixteen years. I still miss them, especially at this time of year, but it isn’t the raw pain I felt as a kid.” Josh took a sip of his beer. “Besides, I have a family of sorts. Two of the kids from foster care have kept in touch. Allie and Simon. They actually ended up together as a couple.”
“I’m glad you have someone in your life. Family is important, even if they aren’t related by blood.”
“True. I think our situation bonded us more than that of blood relations. I mean, you have to like those people because you share the same relatives, but with Simon and Allie, we chose each other. We had no choice but to rely on each other in a difficult situation. Simon and Allie are two years younger than me. It was hard leaving them behind when I turned eighteen and the system set me free.”
“How did you handle suddenly being on your own?”
“I’d had a job since I was sixteen and I’d saved almost everything I’d earned. It gave me enough to live off of while I went through the police academy.”
“So you’ve been on the job since you were just a kid. I was twenty-one when I became a cop.”
Josh took another drink and wondered why his bottle was so light. Had he already drank nearly an entire bottle of beer?
“So how long ago was that?” Josh asked, wanting to know more about his partner.
Corbin smiled. “I’m thirty-seven.”
Josh’s eyebrows went up. “You don’t look ten years older than me. I figured we were close to the same age.”
“My family ages well.”
Josh thought he heard Corbin mutter something about dragons, but he figured he was hearing things. Why would Corbin talk about dragons when he mentioned his family?
“So what brought you to Blueberry Hill?”
Corbin crunched on a chip and swallowed before answering. “Family. My cousin came here and found his mate, so several of us decided to follow him and try our luck.”
“Mate?”
Corbin cleared his throat. “They aren’t married, but my cousin is completely devoted to Seth. I don’t think anything or anyone could ever come between them.”
“I’d like that kind of relationship.” Josh set his empty bottle aside. “I’ve been a fuck-up when it comes to relationships, but I want to change that. My entire life, all I’ve done is look for that next moment, when pleasure could override the pain. But it’s been six months since I’ve been with anyone. I guess I’m worried I’ll fall back into the old habit of falling into bed with strangers if I allow myself to feel again.”
Corbin shifted so that he fully faced Josh. “Sometimes you just need a release. And sometimes that release can lead to something more powerful. Just because you desire someone enough to go to bed with them doesn’t mean it isn’t going to go past that.”
Josh let out a bark of laughter. “You’re just saying that because you want to sleep with me. How do you know I even swing that way?”
Corbin shrugged. “I don’t. Doesn’t mean I can’t hope there can be something more between us than a working relationship. But if you don’t see me that way, I’ll back off. When I saw you, I thought maybe you were the reason I came to Blueberry Hill, that I’d finally found the man I’ve been looking for my whole life. Just because I want you to be the one, doesn’t mean you are, though. I can accept that.”
“You don’t know me well enough to want me on that level.”
Corbin smiled. “Sometimes you just know, Josh. There are times when you see someone across a crowded room and know they’re special and that they’re going to change your life. I’ve never had such an intense reaction to someone before, not on first sight, and it made me hope that maybe you felt it too.”
Josh looked away, not sure if he was ready to own up to his feelings. Corbin was saying and doing everything right, but what if it didn’t last? They had to work together. Was a relationship between them, other than a working one, really wise? Then again, was it possible for him to work side by side with the man every day and not want something more from him? Corbin was right. Josh had felt the pull, even if he’d tried to fight it all day. Not an easy thing to do with Corbin making innuendos and blatantly flirting with him all day.
“Guess that answers that question,” Corbin said, rising to his feet. “I won’t bother you again. We’ll keep it strictly professional between the two of us. Guess I’ll see you at work in the morning.”
Josh stood abruptly. “Wait.”
“It’s okay that you don’t feel the same way.”
“That’s just it. I do feel something. I’ve been attracted to you all day, but I’ve fought it.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t think a relationship outside of work is a good idea. If things didn’t work out between us, we’d still have to work together. We’re partners. There’s already going to be a closeness there. We have to rely on each other to keep each other alive. Do we really want to jeopardize that relationship to pursue something more?”
Corbin moved closer, the heat of his body pressing against Josh.
“I don’t think it would be a mistake. If you don’t want to see where this can go, fine. But if you’re brave enough to take a chance, then I say, we see where things lead. I want you; I haven’t made a secret of that. And if what you’re saying is true, then you want me too. I think we owe it to ourselves to see if there’s something here, something substantial.” Corbin moved even closer. “Maybe this will change your mind.”
Gripping the back of Josh’s neck, Corbin slanted his lips over his. Josh was taken by surprise, but he found himself giving in to Corbin’s kiss, leaning closer until their chests brushed. Corbin’s lips were warm and firm against his, a delicious thrill running through Josh as Corbin’s mouth slid against his in a gentle caress before coming back with bruising force, causing Josh to open to him. Corbin’s tongue slipped inside and Josh couldn’t hold back the moan that was building, his throat vibrating with a hum of pleasure.
When the kiss ended, Josh realized he was clinging to Corbin’s shoulders. Releasing him, he took a step back and fought the urge to touch his tingling lips. He’d been kissed plenty of times in his life, but no one had ever affected him the way Corbin just did. His cock pulsed and throbbed with need. It would be oh so easy to strip and beg his partner to take him, any way he wanted. Josh had a feeling it would be an experience he wouldn’t soon forget. Suddenly, those thoughts of waiting and taking this slow didn’t seem as important.
“Just something for you to think about,” Corbin said as he pulled his keys from his pocket.
Josh watched him walk to the door, unsure what he could say to make him stay. Corbin gave him one last look, desire burning bright in his eyes, before letting himself out. Josh sank onto the couch and ran his hands through his hair. He hadn’t anticipated the kiss, but now that it had happened, he wanted another one. Wanted more. What would Corbin’s hands feel like against his body? Despite his easy going manner all day, Josh could tell there was more to him, a darker side. Would he take control in the bedroom? A shiver raked his spine as he thought of the possibilities. He’d always wanted a man to take control.
Damn. There was no way in hell he was going to get any sleep now. He looked down at his straining cock. Not unless he found some relief first. Maybe if he thought of Corbin’s hands on him as he stroked his cock it would be different this time. Only one way to find out. He pulled his pants down, freeing his cock, and gripped the shaft before pumping it a few times. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes and imagined it was Corbin touching him. It only took a few strokes before he erupted, his cum covering his hand. Still, it wasn’t enough. His desire for the man hadn’t lessened any. It was going to be a long damn night.