Page 37 of Steal My Heart

“Jesus, you’re killing me.”

“Then you need to take what I give you.” He had never been much for dirty talk in the past, but with Brian, it was a real mind fuck. Brian was as vocal as a first-rate porn star, and that was sexy as all hell.

Brian kept up his vocal barrage, swearing a blue streak under his breath until Hilliard sped up, driving into Brian as he stroked his beefy cock harder and faster. The groans andfuckscame louder, and it was clear that Brian was as on the edge as Hilliard, but he wasn’t ready to bring this to an end, so he slowed down once more, giving them both a chance to breathe, before giving in to Brian.

The bed rocked more quickly, and Hilliard hoped the damned thing didn’t collapse as he and Brian barreled closer. His skin tingled and his cock throbbed as he tried to hold off for a little longer.

“Gonna come,” Brian ground out between his teeth. “So close….”

Hilliard slowed his movements, holding them both right on the edge for as long as he dared before letting them both tumble into sweet, mind-blowing release that left Hilliard breathless and unable to think for a long time.

When he could move, Hilliard disposed of the condom and quickly cleaned up the mess he’d made beside the bed. He climbed into bed, and Brian came in from the bathroom and lay down next to him. “Are you sure about all this?” Brian asked.

“About what?” He held Brian to him and closed his eyes. “Whatever you’re worried about, just relax and don’t think about it now.”

“But…,” Brian probed.

Hilliard sighed. “I can almost guarantee you’re overthinking. I like it here. What I need to do is figure out how to make it work. And as for our thief in hiding… they can’t stay thatway forever. There’s information out there, and we will find it. I promise you that.” He lightly kissed the top of Brian’s head.

Brian tilted his head upward. “What if we stir up something that puts us both in danger?”

Hilliard sighed. “As much as I want to say full steam ahead, I’ve been thinking the same thing.” He smiled. “They broke into your grandmother’s house to try to plant evidence. What will they do if they’re cornered?” He’d been wondering that for days. “They broke into your truck before.” Brian met his gaze. “But then I keep thinking that if we don’t put a stop to this, they’re going to hurt other people. The initial robbery might have been two years ago, but they are escalating to keep trying to cover it up.”

“True. But what if they hurt you?” Brian asked, and Hilliard held him tighter. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Hilliard closed his eyes and lay back on the pillow. “You know, this has to be the strangest pillow talk in history. People usually say sweet things to each other. You and I, we try to find a thief.” He smiled. “Do you think that’s some sort of kink?”

Brian chuckled. “Somehow I doubt it qualifies until we shout evidence at each other or try to identify possible clues while we’re having sex.” He devolved into laughter. “Or shout, ‘Colonel Mustard did it in the ballroom with the rope’ to make you come.”

“God,” Hilliard gasped as he joined in the mirth. “You’re something else.” It had been a long time since he’d met anyone like Brian, and the more time he spent with him, the more his heart told him exactly what it wanted. The problem was that his head was way too damned practical, and he needed to make sure that he wasn’t going to end up right back where he’d been a few months ago, on the outside looking into his own life, trying to pick up the pieces. Brian wasn’t Alan, he knew that, but maybe he was just a little gun-shy.

“I like to think so.” Brian lifted his head once more, meeting Hilliard’s gaze. “I have to ask you something. You inherited this house… and Alan was a real asshole…. You’re out of the business, and he’s paid you off. So if I wasn’t in the picture here, what would you be doing right now?” He hoisted his eyebrows.

Hilliard rolled his eyes. “Probably studying for the bar exam so I could get my license here and looking to either join a firm or start one of my own. I have the cash, and with the house, I could remodel the garage storage building into an office and hang out a shingle.”

“Then why not do that?” Brian asked. “Take me out of the equation and stop worrying about what will happen between us. I’m not Alan, and I’m not going to hurt you the way he did. I would never cheat on anyone. But forget about all that.”

“I can’t. What if things don’t work out? You live three blocks away. This is a tiny town where everyone knows everyone else and the gossip mill is fueled by tea and runs overtime. We would never get a chance to be away from each other.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “Look, regardless of what happens, we decide that we’ll be friends. If things don’t work out and we go our separate ways, we have to agree that we will always be friends and… maybe with benefits, because those are some benefits, let me tell you.” He grinned slyly, and Hilliard snorted instead of laughing. “All I’m saying is don’t make your decisions based on what’s happened before. I’m not a jerk and neither are you. So we can do this….” He leaned closer. “Unless.”

Hilliard swallowed. “What?”

“Unless this has nothing to do with that at all. Did Al get you thinking?” Brian drew closer, and Hilliard looked away. “He did. That old dream of yours that you were so close to, he brought it back. And now the vision of a small practice here in California doesn’t quite seem to measure up.”

Hilliard shook his head, even though he knew there was some truth to what Brian had said. “I don’t know. That’s the sucky part. While I could never work with Al….”

“He made you want what he has,” Brian filled in, and Hilliard nodded. There was no use denying the truth.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. This is a crossroads for me, and if I take you out of the equation, then that’s what I’m left with. But youarein the equation. You’re here in my arms right now, and I like that so much. I look forward to when you come over or when I come down to visit. My heart jumps a little when you send me a message, and I like that. So I go back and forth.” He kissed Brian gently. “But I always seem to end up on the side of wanting to stay. I really do like it here.” He just wished he could figure out what it was that kept him from chucking it in and committing to a new life.

HILLIARD WALKEDtoward the house as Brian came out with Beverly holding his arm. “Are you sure you want to go?” Brian asked her softly.

Beverly smacked him on the shoulder. “I’m not dead yet,” she admonished and continued down the walk. The dogs hurried after her and climbed into the back seat of Hilliard’s Mustang as soon as he opened the door. They had their feet on the folded top, looking out like they were the queens of the world as Brian got Beverly settled in the front seat. He climbed in back and got as comfortable as possible.

“I’m glad we don’t have to go very far. Otherwise I’d never be able to unfold my legs.” He pulled the seat back, and Hilliard got in, helped Beverly make a little more room for Brian, and then they were off.

“Do they do this every year?”

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