Heartward Read online

  “What the hell happened to you?”

  “Nothing. It’s stupid of me to think about stuff like that.” Tyler sighed. “I think I’m just a big bundle of neurosis sometimes.” He seemed to be struggling with something that appeared bottled up inside and didn’t want to come out. “I worry about… stuff that’s stupid. Like I spent three years basically living out of tents and temporary shelters and repurposed buildings. Whatever was at hand. And now that I have a place of my own, I want it to be anything but temporary.” He paused. “I know it sounds kind of dumb, but I want things to be nice.”

  “They are,” Alan said. “And sometimes there’s something to be said for minimalism.” He smiled and rested his head on Tyler’s belly, inhaling his scent. “Think about it. There’s a bed, there’s you and me, and this cushy coverlet that makes me want to shimmy and squirm, not to mention the hotness of the town’s newest firefighter.” He growled.

  “Come on.”

  Alan scoffed. “You have no idea how hot you are, and that’s attractive in itself.” He lifted his head. “Just be happy with what there is, right here and right now. It’s all that any of us can really hope for.” Alan shook his head slightly and took a second to get his thoughts together.

  “When I was in college, I studied Eastern religions, and they’re pretty amazing. They have various gods and deities that they revere, but so many of them have the goal of internal peace and coming to terms with oneself. Reaching that place of enlightenment. I always thought of that as being the best person you could be and being satisfied with yourself.” Alan snickered and then began to laugh. “I can’t believe I’m here in bed with you talking about that stuff.”

  Tyler rolled over, pressing Alan onto his back before covering his lips. “Me either. When there are so many other, much more intensely wonderful things we could be doing.”

  Alan couldn’t have agreed more, and groaned as Tyler wound his arms around his waist, sliding his heated hands over his skin. He did his best to shrug out of his shirt, then tugged at Tyler’s.

  The man was stunning. After spending all this time with him, it was amazing just how masculinely beautiful Tyler was. Like one of those guys from a beer commercial, walking down the beach, that everyone stops to look at. Hell, Alan knew he’d stop to watch Tyler anywhere, any time. “Jesus… you’re like rocks.”

  “There’s a gym in the station.” Tyler flexed his arms, and Alan captured his lips while stroking the ripples of muscle. “Part of what we do is to keep ourselves in shape.”

  “And make the tongues hang out of the people who see you naked,” Alan retorted, and Tyler chuckled and tugged him nearer.

  “Look who’s talking.” Tyler cupped his head, kissing hard as he slid his free hand down Alan’s back, then over his jeans-covered ass, gripping him tightly. Alan clamped his eyes closed, whimpering softly. It had been a long time since someone had touched him like that, and it sent a thrill up his spine. Alan closed his arms around Tyler’s neck, holding tight as he undulated slowly, his breath coming in low pants that didn’t satisfy the need that continued to build.

  Tyler worked his hand around to the front of Alan’s pants, flicked open his belt, and then popped the button on his jeans. Tyler worked them open and down his legs, then cupped his now-bare butt as Alan did his best to get access to Tyler.

  His fingers slid down Tyler’s hips, pushing his jeans along with them, soft hairs enticing him to go farther until roughness marred his way. Alan paused and lifted his head to catch Tyler’s gaze. “Am I hurting you?”

  “No. They don’t hurt any longer, but sometimes the scars are sensitive enough that they feel sort of tickly. It’s hard to describe. But it doesn’t feel bad. Not when you touch me.” Tyler lifted his hips, and Alan slipped his pants down and then off. Alan was trying to get the clothes out of the way without falling on his ass. His attention was definitely on the prize, which was Tyler, and he needed to pay attention to what he was doing. But Alan was so enthralled by the way he felt and the heat radiating off him.

  “Here,” Tyler said, kicking off his jeans, leaving only his briefs, which bulged with extreme invitation. Alan leaned closer, inhaling deeply. God, he loved the scent of him, rich and deep, catching in his throat the same way a really good wine caught and stayed for just a few seconds. Then he backed away.

  Alan didn’t want to spend any extra attention on the scars that seemed to radiate along Tyler’s hip in a modified star pattern, and yet his eye was drawn to them.

  “I know. They aren’t very pretty.”

  Alan shrugged. “They are what they are.” He didn’t lift his gaze, tracing the outline lightly with his finger. “You got this because you were helping someone else.” He let his gaze wander upward to Tyler’s belly and then to his chest, covered with brown fur that called to his fingers like a siren song. He slid his hands upward, letting his fingers glide through his pec forest.

  “I can shave…,” Tyler whispered, and Alan lightly patted his chest as he shook his head.

  “Nope. I like this.” He had always been very smooth. “You’re attracted to whatever you don’t have.” He closed the distance between them, sort of rubbing his chest to Tyler’s, luxuriating in the slight abrasion from Tyler. That was heaven, and damn it all, he was going to make the most of it. “I like it. I think it’s sexy. Especially this….” He grinned as he followed the trail that bisected Tyler’s belly. “I wonder what kind of treasure awaits, matey.”

  Tyler put his head back, laughing. “Are you usually this goofy in bed? I don’t think I’ve laughed so much.”

  Alan shrugged. “Laughter, it’s the new foreplay.”

  Tyler continued smiling. “Then how about you and I move on to the old foreplay.” He rolled Alan on the bed, pressing him against the mattress. “I love your eyes. Sometimes I think I can see the world in them.”

  Alan shook his head. “That’s you. At times, like when you’re looking inward, I can see the people you’ve helped in your eyes, and sometimes I think I catch a glimpse of the things you’ve been through. You carry them right along with you.” Alan didn’t want to say that they hung around him, but sometimes he got that feeling. In some ways it was nearly impossible to outrun one’s past, but he wondered if Tyler’s wasn’t weighing him down sometimes.

  “Maybe I do. It’s hard to let them go. But you make me want to do that.” Tyler slid his hands down Alan’s back and over the curve of his butt to grip his cheeks. “You make me want to stay right here and forget about everything outside this room.”

  Alan smiled. “You can, you know. At least for the rest of the night. There can be nothing but you and me. The rest can all go away and we can deal with it in the morning.” Alan closed off any argument with a kiss and squirmed as Tyler slid his fingers between his legs, a digit ghosting along the back of his balls. Alan moaned softly, his mind short-circuiting, and damn, he was so grateful for it.

  He and Tyler ended up on a tangle of arms, hands, legs, and lips, needing whatever was nearest at hand, exploring and touching as Alan’s energy grew with each new discovery. He expected many things of Tyler, but for him to be so responsive…. Alan smiled as Tyler quivered under his hands, shaking as Alan stroked along his thigh. Alan leaned closer to take the flared head of his cock between his lips, sliding downward.

  Tyler whined softly, and Alan moaned himself as Tyler took him slowly, deeply. He closed his eyes, reveling in the give and take, the mutual pleasure of each other. It was something he had always loved, but this was extra special because it was Tyler. Alan had imagined what being with him would feel like, and reality only went to prove just how feeble his imagination was. It was clear to him in this moment that he was never going to be a poet or a writer. Instead, he was happy to be drawn into what was a pretty amazing realness of Tyler.

  “God,” Alan moaned as Tyler took all of him. He was talented, and Alan returned the favor, wanting to give as generously as he was able.

  “Alan,” Tyler whispered as his lip
s slipped away. Then Tyler shifted on the bed, climbing upward until they were face-to-face. Tyler pressed him into the bedding and he wrapped his legs around Tyler’s waist, their cocks sliding past each other, with Tyler driving him higher and higher with his lips and the way his hands caressed him with just enough force to make Alan want more. “What do you want?” Tyler asked, his voice deep, soft, and reaching to the very heart of him.

  “Tyler… I….” Alan closed his eyes. “God, I want you.”

  Tyler held him tighter. “And I want you, but I don’t have any supplies. I wasn’t expecting to have you in my bed, so you and I are going to have to think of other things we can do.” He winked and caressed him harder, sending Alan into a haze of happiness that he hoped he never saw the end of. Tyler followed behind him, and soon the two of them lay quietly, breathing deeply, staring up at the ceiling. “I should go get something,” Tyler said, but didn’t move. “I think my legs stopped working.” There was a smile in his voice, and Alan found himself sighing and likewise trying to get his body to do something other than just lie here. But he, too, couldn’t find the energy.

  Eventually Tyler managed to get up off the bed, and Alan watched as he padded toward the bathroom, that gloriously high and tight ass bobbing with perfection. Hell, that was almost enough to get his blood going again, but he sighed and closed his eyes as Tyler returned.

  They wiped up, and then Tyler returned the cloth before sliding under the covers. “We need to be at the store early.”

  “Yes, and you have a shift.” Alan moved closer and kept his eyes closed. Morning and the harsh light of day would come quickly enough. He’d enjoy what he had until then.

  ALAN WOKE to Tyler getting out of bed. “I didn’t want to wake you, but I have to be at the station in an hour.” He leaned over the bed, and Alan found himself well and truly kissed. “You can stay here if you want and go in to the store. There’s no need to rush.”

  “No.” Alan pushed back the covers, climbed out of the bed, and stretched, only to find Tyler’s arms wrapped around his waist.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Well… I figured if you were going to get up, that we would both need showers, and maybe you and I should seriously think about water conservation.” God, there were times when Tyler was adorable.

  Alan followed him into the bathroom, and they stepped into the shower and under the hot water, where they proceeded to really steam up the bathroom. By the time they stepped out, the water was running cold, and everything else between them sizzled to the point that if Alan didn’t hurry, he was going to be late meeting his uncle at the store and Tyler was going to be late for work.

  He managed to make it to the store just before his uncle was scheduled to arrive. He unlocked the back door and found a few flashlights and a small battery lantern that he set up inside to provide some light.

  “Alan,” his uncle called, and stepped inside. “What happened?” He looked around as though he expected something to jump out at him. “You sounded spooked on the phone.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping you can help tell me,” Alan said, hugging his dad’s brother, and already some of the jitteriness that had crept in since leaving Tyler’s dissipated. His uncle would know what to do. “It smells like there was something shorted out and burning at one time.”

  “It smells that way to me too.” Uncle Tim stepped back. “What did someone do to this panel?” He picked up his tool box.

  “I wish I knew what happened. The fire department closed everything off until I could get you in here.”

  “Don’t you worry. We’ll figure out what’s going on and get you up and running again.” He smiled and patted Alan on the shoulder. The knots in his belly released. Uncle Tim wouldn’t let him down. He never had, and his uncle wouldn’t start now.

  A knock drew his attention, and then Tyler came in to join them, with a uniformed police officer. Alan made introductions, and Tyler did the same, introducing Officer Marks to the others.

  “What do you all think might have happened?” Uncle Tim asked in general as he opened the panel. “Jesus, what did you do, pour water in here?” He continued looking around. His uncle was one of those guys who asked a lot of questions, but didn’t necessarily stop long enough for the answer. He just kept going all the time. “It’s a miracle the entire place wasn’t fried.” He shook his head, which only made Alan more and more nervous.

  “How bad is it?” Alan asked, and Uncle Tim hummed and kept working. Alan tried not to pace the floor as he waited for some explanation, but his nerves kicked in once more.

  “Well, I’d say you were very lucky,” Uncle Tim told him as he closed the electrical box once again. “Someone sprayed water in here, and it shorted out part of the system.” He turned around. “Why the fuck would someone do that? I’m assuming it wasn’t you, because there’s no way you’d toss water in your own electric box. Jesus, they could have burned down the entire building. What is wrong with people today? That’s what I want to know.” Uncle Tim returned to his assessment. “It seems that tripped some of the breakers and shut off most of the power, which was good. There are a few circuits that are going to need to be replaced, and I want to check over the entire system, but damn….” Uncle Tim turned to him. “Who did this?”

  “We don’t know,” Tyler said, standing right next to him. “Alan was at the council meeting last night when I got a call from Marcie. I thought there was something out of the ordinary from what Marcie described and the way people were acting.” Tyler stood right next to him.

  “Can you fix it?” Alan asked. That was the most important thing as far as he was concerned.

  “Yes,” Uncle Tim said. He turned to Tyler and Officer Marks, then back to Alan. “Do you all want to tell me what you think is going on?” He set down his tool kit with the clang of tools and folded his arms over his chest before turning to him. Alan shrugged because he had almost no answers himself, and other than the fact that he had no power…. This whole thing was starting to make his stomach ache and his head hurt.

  “We aren’t sure,” Tyler answered. “Marcie messaged me directly when she smelled something wrong, and I got here in under a minute from city hall. The power was out to much of the store and the box was sparking, so I turned off the main breaker and called in the department just in case. I asked Alan to call you because he was going to need to make repairs and—”

  Officer Marks interjected, “He also called me for backup, and I think we’re all interested in what you think might have happened here.”

  Uncle Tim narrowed his gaze. “If you’re thinking that Alan….” It came out like a half growl.

  Alan smiled. “They aren’t accusing me.” He knew that for certain. “I think they want to know if this was deliberate. If someone got back here to try to burn the store down or….”

  “I see.” Uncle Tim sat down in one of the wooden chairs. “This looks to me like someone used a syringe or a water gun, like a Master Blaster that my grandkids have, and shot some water into here. Why they would do that is beyond me, but kids today have this funny sense of what’s fun.” His uncle had always been one of those guys who thought his generation was the living end and that technology should sort of stop. He still had a flip phone in his pocket because Aunt Ida insisted on it, and a wall phone with a fifty-foot cord at home. That was about as close to a mobile phone as he was truly willing to get.

  “I agree with you,” Tyler said. “I don’t understand why someone would do this.” He turned to Officer Marks.

  “Is there anyone who would want to hurt you or your business?” Officer Marks asked. “A rival? Someone you see at auctions all the time and outbid?”

  Alan shrugged. “Of course there are guys. I outbid people all the time, and they outbid me. It happens. At the end of the day, we tell our war stories and go on.” Alan was determined to be patient. “I don’t have any enemies. I get approached sometimes to ‘help’ people because I’m on the council, but I politely turn them do
wn and go back to work. I’m good at what I do, and I’m on the council because I want to help the town.”

  “Is there anything that’s going on with the council?” Officer Marks asked.

  Alan paused. “Yes. And it has to do with the fire chief.” He glanced at Tyler. “There’ve been some irregularities, and there is a group of us on the council who aren’t fans. But there aren’t the votes to counter it, and nothing is on the agenda.” Alan took a step back, leaning against one of the sofas.

  “True. But what if your store had caught fire and been burned out? I’m willing to bet the department was going to get here just a few minutes too late and the building would be engulfed by that time,” Tyler said. “And I’m willing to bet that while you’re insured, starting all over isn’t as easy as a lot of people tend to think.”

  Alan swallowed.

  “So why would someone want to burn you out?”

  “If I’m off the council, then the chief would be safer. I’m one of the members leading the charge against him, and I’m the one who pushed for the council to make the hiring decision of our new captain.” He flashed a smile at Tyler. “We didn’t think that the chief was following procedures.”

  Officer Marks nodded. “And you were the member who forced the vote for the council to do the hiring?”

  “Yes.” Alan stood straighter. “I’m not going to let him bully the entire department and the town. It’s my opinion that he needs to be replaced, so after the vote, we looked for a candidate that we thought had the experience to step in as captain… and eventually as chief.”

  Tyler coughed. “I see.”

  Alan turned to him. “You had to have figured that out. The other captain isn’t particularly interested in the job, and you have the experience and talent to do well in the position. I’m afraid the chief has figured it out too.”

  Tyler nodded.

  “Wait. You think there’s the possibility that the fire chief is behind this incident?” Officer Marks asked. “I think that seems a little far-fetched, and there is absolutely no proof of that in any way. I can’t make any sort of accusation without plenty of proof.” He closed his notebook.