InHisHeroesShadow Read online

  “I heard about Mrs. Roberts,” Chauncey said.

  Brody’s face briefly crumpled before he took in a sniff and seemed to compose himself. “I should have been able to save her.”

  “From the sound of it, you did everything you could. Sometimes it’s just their time to go and nothing we do can change that.”

  The medic glanced up, his eyes wet with unshed tears and a lost expression on his face. It made Chauncey want to gather Brody up in his arms so he could hold the man tight and make him feel better.

  “You would have been able to help her.”

  Chauncey’s chest grew tight with emotion. He’d never seen Brody so open, so raw, so vulnerable. “I don’t think so.”

  “I do. I know I razz you sometimes, but you’re damn good at your job. You’re a whole hell of a lot better than me.”

  It finally became too much and Chauncey had to reach out for Brody, even if it was just to touch the man’s hand. Brushing his thumb over the back of Brody’s fingers, Chauncey said, “You’re a great medic. Not only have I seen you on scene before, but Kiefer talks about how good you are all the time.”

  “All I’m good at is fucking things up and being a colossal disappointment.”

  The practiced way Brody said those words made Chauncey wonder just how many times they’d been tossed his way in the past. Worried that maybe he’d added to that pain, Chauncey said a silent prayer the he’d never used them against Brody.

  “Why don’t you let me drive you home?” Chauncey offered.

  Brody gave a nod and they both got up and headed for the door. No words were spoken as they walked to Chauncey’s car. He opened the passenger door for Brody before going around and getting in behind the wheel.

  “So where do you live?” Chauncey asked as he put the key in the ignition.

  A long, heavy silence filled the car. Chauncey stared at Brody, waiting for an answer, while Brody just stared at the dash. Chauncey repeated the question, yet Brody still didn’t reply. Instead, he ran his tongue over his lips in a nervous, yet sexy gesture.

  Then, just as Chauncey was about to repeat the question a third time, Brody moved in. Twisting his body to the side, he tilted his head up and pressed their lips together in a hard, hot kiss.

  Chauncey froze, desire and shock coursing through his body at the unexpected move. Then Brody’s tongue darted out and caressed the seam of Chauncey’s lips, begging for admittance. That broke down all of Chauncey’s control. With a low growl, he reached out, cupped the back of Brody’s head and began to return as good as he was getting.

  Brody made a frustrated little sound as he squirmed around, his hands floundering as if he couldn’t find a comfortable position. Finally, he tore his lips away and ordered, “Scoot your seat back as far as it will go.”

  Lust had made Chauncey incapable of doing anything other than obeying. He reached down and pulled the lever, pushing his seat away from the wheel. As soon as the space was available, Brody filled it, his small body squeezing onto Chauncey’s lap.

  The movement caused the most delicious friction as their hard, denim-covered cocks rubbed together. Brody’s eyes fluttered shut as he let out a soft sigh, a look of pure bliss on his face. His hands finally found a place to rest, his fingers curling around Chauncey’s shoulders.

  “This is stupid. We could get caught,” Chauncey breathed even as he skinned his tongue up the front of Brody’s neck.

  Brody tilted his head back, a long moan coming from his full lips. “Yes, it is. The cops are always watching this parking lot. They could come rolling through at any moment.”

  Chauncey grabbed Brody’s waist and thrust up so their cocks ground together. Pleasure shot up his spine as they both moaned together. “Those cops would probably recognize us on sight, too. Everybody in the EMS community would know what we’d been up to.”

  “Can you imagine how shocked they’d be?” Brody laughed as he rocked his hips in a slow sensual rhythm. “They all know how much we hate each other.”

  Funny, at that moment, Chauncey couldn’t imagine how he’d ever been able to get mad at the sweet thing in his lap…especially when Brody took his own bottom lip between his teeth, a soft whimper coming from him as he continued to grind against Chauncey.

  While it did feel damn good, Chauncey knew they couldn’t continue to carry on inside his car. Brody might be small, but there was still not enough space and Chauncey wanted to really take his time to explore the other man.

  He leaned in and licked Brody’s neck—the salty, yet sweet taste making Chauncey’s hard cock throb with need. “Do you still want me to take you home?”

  Brody paused, and for the first time ever, Chauncey saw a flicker of uncertainty on the younger man’s face. “Do you mean my house so I can go to sleep alone?”

  “No, I mean my bed so we can spend the rest of the night fucking our brains out.”

  Brody smiled…a real, genuine smile that didn’t have any snarkiness or attitude behind it. Chauncey had never seen anything more beautiful either. It made Brody look younger and almost innocent.

  “I think I can get behind that plan,” Brody crooned as he leaned down for another long, lingering kiss.

  When they broke for air, Chauncey gave him a tiny pat on the ass. “Get back in your seat and buckle up. While it may be fun to have you in this position, I don’t think it’ll make for safe driving.”

  “I guess we have to put safety first, given what we do for a living,” Brody agreed with a mock pout.

  He slid off and put his safety belt on. Chauncey moved his seat forward and turned the key in the ignition. It was only then that he noticed a slight tremble in his hands.

  He was really going to do this…with Brody. Chauncey felt a thrill of excitement, but at the same time, the moment had a surreal feeling to it. After having so much animosity between them, he could scarcely believe that they’d just been making out like a pair of horny teenagers.

  He only lived a few minutes from the bar and neither one of them spoke. It was almost as if they were both afraid of breaking the mood and sending them back to their battling ways. When Chauncey pulled up to his modest, two-bedroom ranch, Brody let out a soft gasp.

  “You live here?”

  “Yeah, why do you sound so surprised?”

  Brody gave a half-shrug. “I just thought you would have something bigger.”

  Chauncey thought back to all the times Brody had mentioned them coming from two different worlds. It irked him that Brody always just assumed that since Chauncey came from a wealthy family he should act a certain way. Especially since that same prejudice didn’t carry over to Kiefer. Though they were cousins, they’d both come from the same upbringing, yet Brody never once called Kiefer rich, spoiled or over privileged.

  “Sorry,” Brody whispered as he nervously dug at his thumbnail. “I didn’t mean to be a jerk just now.”

  That surprised Chauncey more than anything else that’d gone down in the past hour. In all the time they’d known each other, Brody never once apologized for anything. The fact that he’d just done so, melted away all of Chauncey’s anger.

  He leaned over and brushed a kiss across Brody’s cheek. “It’s okay. Why don’t we get inside?”

  A tiny smile came over Brody’s lips. Chauncey turned off the car and they got out, then he led the way up the front walk. Brody shoved his hands in the front pocket of his jeans as he swept his gaze over the surrounding homes.

  “I think I’ve had a couple of calls in this neighborhood.”

  That didn’t surprise Chauncey. While the crime rate was pretty low in this section of Pontiac, there were a lot of retired autoworkers. Many of whom now were getting up in age and had various medical conditions. Not a week went by when an ambulance didn’t come rolling down these streets.

  He opened his front door and ushered Brody in. The inside was no more impressive than the out. Although it was far from a dump, the décor was simple and there wasn’t much room.

  “I know
it’s kind of cramped in here, but I figured I didn’t need much since it’s just me,” Chauncey felt compelled to explain.

  “This isn’t cramped. You should have seen the apartment my family had when we lived in New York City.”

  “I didn’t know you came from there.”

  “Yeah, my mom and I moved back here ten years ago.”

  Chauncey tossed his keys on the coffee table. “So can I get you anything to drink?”

  “No, I only want one thing,” Brody declared as he reached out and grabbed the front of Chauncey’s shirt.

  He tugged Chauncey closer and then stood on tiptoe so he could press their lips together.

  As Chauncey wrapped his arms around Brody’s waist, he couldn’t help but notice how nicely they fit together.

  In fact, the more he thought about it, they’d make a perfect couple, were it not for the fact that they usually couldn’t stand to be in the same room with each other. But then again, they seemed to be getting along perfectly at the moment. Maybe the trick was to keep Brody’s mouth too occupied for him to fire off smartass comments. Lucky for them, Chauncey could think of so many ways to keep those fine lips occupied. He had a feeling this was going to be a night that neither one of them would forget any time soon.

  Chapter Four

  As they continued to kiss, Brody’s mind spun. Holy shit, I’m actually doing this. Chauncey is really holding me in his arms. While many of Brody’s dreams featured a scene such as this, he never allowed himself to believe that it would actually happen in real life.

  Yet, here he was, in Chauncey’s living room, the man’s hard body pressed against him. Arousal buzzed through Brody as he noted how muscular and strong Chauncey felt, as if nothing could ever take him down. It made Brody feel a bit overwhelmed since he was on the small side, but it also made him feel safe, if only for that moment.

  “If you only knew how long I lusted over this ass,” Chauncey growled as he reached down and gave Brody a firm squeeze.

  Brody yelped. “I didn’t even know you looked at me.”

  “I’ll admit most times I was sizing you up for a muzzle, but from time-to-time, I did notice your finer assets.” A wicked grin came over Chauncey’s face. “Speaking of which, I think maybe we need to invest in a nice ball-gag for you.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  As a way of an answer, Chauncey spun Brody around and bent him over the back of the couch. Draping his body over Brody’s back, Chauncey whispered, “Something tells me that you’d let me do pretty much anything I want to you.”

  Oh, that was so true. Just the thought of being at Chauncey’s mercy made Brody want to whimper with desire. He’d die before he admitted that aloud though. He shot a dirty look over his shoulder. “I’m not another one of your groupies who live only to please you.”

  All too often, Brody had sat back and watched as both men and women fawned over Chauncey. Not only was he hot as hell, but it was a well-known fact that his family was flush with money. While Brody would never admit it to anyone, it’d hurt to watch all those people pawing Chauncey.

  Chauncey gave a dark laugh as he reached around and began to fumble around in Brody’s pants pockets. “No, you’re nothing like them.”

  Brody frowned, not sure if he’d just been insulted or not. “What are you doing?”

  “Looking for some lube and condoms.”

  “Don’t you have anything here?”

  “Yeah, but it’s in my room.”

  “Well, there’s nothing in my pockets either.”

  Chauncey paused. “Really?”

  Miffed, Brody tried to stand up, only to have Chauncey push him into place again. “I didn’t expect to hook up with anybody tonight. It’s been a really long dry spell for me.”

  God, while Chauncey could be hot as hell, sometimes he could be really aggravating. Then again, why should that ever change?

  That still didn’t mean they were anywhere in the same league though. While Chauncey was grade A material, Brody was C+ at best. Brody should just get up and walk away before his heart became any further involved. Unfortunately—or was it fortunately—Chauncey began to rain soft kisses down Brody’s neck and Brody forgot all about being angry. He even tilted his head to the side to give Chauncey better access.

  “Your bedroom,” Brody said, his body humming with desire.

  “Hmmm…” Chauncey moaned.

  Sweet mother, Chauncey’s lips had to have been a special gift from the gods. They managed to be hard and soft at the same time as they ghosted a hot path down Brody’s flesh.

  “Where is your damn bedroom?” Brody all but growled.

  Instead of directly answering him, Chauncey spun Brody around again. Brody was seriously beginning to feel like a toy top or a ballerina. He started to bitch, but yelped instead when Chauncey picked him up into a fireman’s carry.

  Brody’s head spun again, only this time it was from being upside down. He pushed himself up as best he could as Chauncey raced down the hall.

  “I can walk on my own,” Brody protested.

  “Not really. I’ve noticed how easily you get distracted. I wouldn’t want you to get lost on your way.”

  Brody laughed. “I think even I could manage to find my way in a house this size.”

  “I’m not taking any chances.”

  Once they reached the master bedroom, Chauncey finally set Brody down.

  It took Brody a few seconds to regain his balance. In that small amount of time, Chauncey grabbed the lube and condoms. Brody cocked a brow as Chauncey tossed them on the bed. “Wow, I think that’s a speed record.”

  Chauncey pulled off his shirt, revealing a body so perfect it looked as if it came from the pages of a fashion magazine. Brody licked his lips as he thought about all the things he wanted to do to that fine physique—biting and licking being the two items at the top of the list.

  As Chauncey reached down to undo his pants, he gave Brody a pointed look. “This is where you get naked, too.”

  Brody reached for the hem of his shirt, but then hesitated. “Are you sure you don’t want to turn the lights off or something?”

  “Since when have you been shy?”

  A heat came over Brody’s face. Usually, he was the last one to play timid. Hell, if the situation had been any different, he would strut around and show off some of his best stripper moves. However, this was different because it was Chauncey. The man who Brody wanted so badly that he’d sworn off all others. If Chauncey found him lacking, Brody didn’t know if he could ever recover.

  “I just know the type of guys you normally sleep with.”

  Chauncey rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to go on about how I only like rich men, are you?”

  “No, but I’ve seen who you usually go for and it’s not skinny shrimps like me.”

  “What makes you think that I don’t find you attractive? Haven’t I spent the last hour basically mauling you?”

  “Yeah, but I wasn’t naked then.”

  Chauncey’s face softened with understanding as he slowly walked forward. Brushing Brody’s fingers away, Chauncey took Brody’s shirt off and tossed it to the side.

  As the cool air brushed against his exposed flesh, Brody had to resist the urge to cover himself up.

  “You’re so beautiful,” Chauncey declared as he ran fingers down Brody’s sternum.

  Brody shivered at the contact, his cock growing hard, despite his stress. “You’re just saying that because you want to get into my pants.”

  “You just always have to argue with me, don’t you?” Chauncey chided softly.

  “Why change my habits now?”

  “Brat.”

  “Bastard.”

  Brody tilted his head up, silently begging for a kiss. Chauncey gave it to him, his tongue sliding out to trace a lazy path around Brody’s lips. With a whimper, Brody opened his mouth so he could slide his own tongue out to join in the fun.

  Kissing Chauncey was everything Brody had dreamed of and
so much more. The man tasted wild, yet there was a bit of spice, too. Brody got so caught up in the moment he didn’t realize his pants were being lowered until he felt the soft caress of fingers circling his cock.

  “See, at least I’m not little everywhere,” Brody felt compelled to point out.

  Chauncey laughed. “No, you’re not.”

  “Fuck me, please.”

  “Please? I didn’t think I’d ever see the day that you used that word.” Chauncey gave him one more kiss. “Fine, finish getting undressed. I want to see every inch of you.”

  Brody toed off his shoes, then kicked them and his pants to the side. He crawled on the bed so he could watch as Chauncey peeled off his jeans. A groan of desire ripped from Brody’s throat. He’d seen some good strip shows in his life, but not one could compare to the show Chauncey was giving.

  The best thing about it was that Chauncey wasn’t even trying to be sexy. He was just being himself and in Brody’s opinion, that was perfect, though he’d never be brave enough to admit that aloud.

  Once Chauncey was nude, Brody took the time to look his fill. Crap, even the guy’s cock was flawless. Long, but not too thick, it curled up toward Chauncey’s stomach.

  Brody held out his arms. “Are we going to do this or not?”

  Chauncey stroked his own dick, the movement making Brody’s mouth water in anticipation. “Are you always this romantic in bed?”

  Brody continued to track the movement of Chauncey’s hand. His own cock throbbed for attention, but Brody refused to touch it. He was already so close to the edge, he knew it wouldn’t take much to push him over. After waiting this long to have Chauncey, Brody was going to be damned if he’d blow it now. Pun intended.

  “Only when I see what I want,” Brody said, his voice thick with need.

  “If you want it, then come and get it.”

  Well, who could refuse an offer like that? Brody got onto all fours and crawled over to the edge of the bed. Sticking his tongue out, he gave the head of Chauncey’s dick an experimental lick.

  The tangy, salty taste of pre-cum exploded over Brody’s taste buds, making him instantly want more. He let out a happy hum as he ran his tongue over his lips. “You taste so good.”