Nathan gave him a slap on his back that felt less than friendly. “Come on, Avery. Let’s go.”
Avery held on to the keys Nathan motioned for and walked outside with him. Once out of earshot, he shook his head. “I can’t believe you sweet-talked that woman into getting us dinner.”
“She offered.”
“And the utilities? I know the heat and water were working, but do we really need the other stuff?”
“Hey, the gas fireplace is nice. And I’m not staying out in hickville without cable. Jack will reimburse us.” Nathan slanted him a look. “Not like there’s anything better to do.”
Avery nodded. “Good point. Not like you can go around sucking every dick in town if we want to keep a low profile.”
Nathan mouthed an obscenity and slammed his way into the vehicle.
Avery allowed himself a short grin. Ten minutes later, he parked in the side driveway of a large colonial-style home. He knew Nathan had at one time lived here. Over five thousand square feet, with original hardwood floors, wainscoting, and the original paned glass, the Dixon House had belonged to Malcolm Dixon’s ancestors, back when the place had been opened as a hotel before the Great Depression. In the years since, the large home had been renovated a few times to serve as both an inn and a private residence.
Avery hadn’t realized Nathan still owned it.
“Are you going to do something with this place once we’re done with the job?”
“Hell, yeah. I inherited it from my aunt—from Danielle. Soon as this case is over, I’m selling the thing.” Nathan looked up, and Avery wondered what he really saw when he viewed the whitewashed paint, weathered dark blue shutters, and falling gutters. Snow covered the massive yard, dusting the tops of the shrubbery growing wild around the property. Five large acres of trees, brush, snow, and more snow. It would have been the perfect place for a getaway weekend if they weren’t trying to trap a murderer.
“This house isn’t going to make security easy.” Avery took note of all the avenues of approach an enemy might use. “We need to get inside and lock down our control point.”
“Aye, aye.” Nathan gave him a mock salute, and Avery immediately thought of how satisfying it would be to paddle that ass.
His partner unlocked the front door, and Avery followed him inside. The musty smell of disuse hit him the minute they crossed the entranceway. But inside was a pleasant surprise. A warm yellow painted the walls not covered in glossy cherrywood. The floors had been refinished in the recent past, and the décor was charming in a Victorian, antique-y kind of way. Or at least what Avery could see of it past the dust cloths covering everything.
“Fully furnished,” Nathan muttered. “Just gotta take off the ghosts.”
“The what?”
“The white covers over the furniture. Always looked like ghosts to me.”
That sadness was back, and Avery wanted it gone. “So you want me to make this place feel like home for you? I could find you some twinks and a bottle of Jack, maybe.”
The sadness vanished to be replaced by a look of disgust. “Funny, he-man. What should we do to make it a home for you? Maybe some tits-and-ass calendars and religious right videos?”
Avery chuckled. “I thought you were going to say porn videos. More my speed.”
Nathan blinked. “You? Porn? My God. I think the floors just shook.”
Avery had taken more than his fair share of digs about his sex life over the week they’d spent together. But for some reason, today Nathan’s teasing burrowed under his skin. “I’m not a eunuch, Nate.”
Nathan glared. He hated Avery’s pet names. Sweetheart, princess, and dimples rounded the top three, but Nate was fun because it sounded so normal yet set the guy off.
“Might as well be.” Nathan shrugged him off, as if Avery didn’t rate.
Bull. Shit.
Avery stepped into Nathan’s private space. They nearly stood eye to eye, but Nathan had to look an inch up to meet his gaze. “That’s not the floor shaking, Nate. That’s your heart racing because you want me. Bad.”
Nathan’s shock came as great satisfaction, because Avery could see he’d struck a chord. So maybe Nathan had been thinking about him too. Christ, that was all he needed. As much as he prized control, constantly losing it in Nathan’s presence peeved him. But to know Nathan might want him back, that this attraction was actually two-sided? Temptation he might not be able to walk away from. Hell.
He didn’t need this, not with Malcolm Dixon running around with a paranormal sword and murder on his mind.
Nathan scowled. “You’re an ass. Always trying to get on my last nerve, aren’t you, Major?”
“Oh yeah. You want me,” Avery said with enough smugness to choke a mule. He knew this man. If he said white, Nathan would say black. Prodding his partner into not desiring him was easy. Tell him one thing, Nathan would do the opposite.
Except the sly grin Nathan returned unnerved him. His cock stiffened, and he could only thank his jacket and jeans for masking his arousal. Before he could take a step back, Nathan planted one hell of a kiss on his lips.
Avery forced himself to stand still, to not give in to the urge to fuck this man until he couldn’t walk. God, Nathan tasted good. He let Nathan explore for a few moments. But when Nathan tried to thrust his tongue between his lips, Avery pushed him away before he did something he’d regret. If he fucked Nathan now, Avery would be nothing more than another distraction to pass the time. The power would be in Nathan’s court, something Avery wouldn’t tolerate. He called the shots. He made the rules, and he left when the relationship fizzled, as it always did.
He took a swing at Nathan, but the bastard dodged. The cocky grin and easy way he ducked the punch said he’d expected as much. But the smile on his face told Avery he’d done the right thing. Nathan didn’t smile as much as he should, and despite Avery’s irritation with his partner, it gladdened him to know he’d put that amusement there.
Not wanting to let Nathan know he wasn’t upset, he muttered, “Dick.”
“Yeah, well, at least I know what mine’s for.”
“Fucking everything that moves? Nice.”
Nathan glowered. “At least I know sex is more than a three-letter word. Christ, Avery. When’s the last time you got laid? Diane? That was what? Three months ago?”
“So glad you care.” Interesting that Nathan was keeping tabs on him. And why that excited him, he didn’t want to say. “Yeah, Diane was hot. A nice woman.”
Nathan sneered. “Nice and respectable. You must be a crazy guy in the bedroom.”
Even knowing it wasn’t smart, Avery stepped close again. Pleased when Nathan’s grin left him and he fixated on Avery’s mouth, Avery took back control of the situation. “Oh yeah, crazy. I fucked her until she came; then I fucked her again. In her pussy, her mouth, her ass.”
Nathan’s eyes glazed over, and Avery’s cock hurt, wanting to sink into Nathan’s mouth, then Nathan’s tight ass.
He continued teasing. “I love ass play. And she was into it, for me. She took that silky tongue and licked my asshole. Really turned me on. Then I shoved her onto her belly and drove into her tight hole.”
Nathan’s breathing grew raspy.
“Diane loved it. And I loved doing her in every way possible. But I especially loved coming in that ass.” Avery whispered in his ear, “My bet, you’re a bottom. I bet you just love taking it, don’t you? A fat cock in your hole? Some dude rimming that ass, dipping his tongue deep to lick you all up?”